Over the next few weeks, we’ll be detailing the daily lineups for Caught by the River Thames, stage by stage. Without further ado, allow the ever-eloquent Roy Wilkinson to tell you everything you need to know about the Walled Garden acts performing on Sunday 7 August. Ticket information available here.
Gwenno
In 2014, Cardiff sound artist, radio presenter and singer Gwenno Saunders released her first solo album Y Dydd Olaf, featuring lyrics in both Welsh and Cornish. The album was saluted for its captivating vocals and musique concrète-inspired beats – plus a point of departure way beyond the indie-rock average. Y Dydd Olaf is a dystopian concept album, inspired by nuclear scientist Owain Owain’s sci-fi novel of the same name. (Listen here)
DJ Jonny Trunk
With his mighty Trunk Records label, Jonny has released the soundtracks from such renowned films as The Wicker Man, Deep Throat and Kes. Trunk Records have also featured TV music from productions including UFO and The Clangers, alongside electronic pioneers including John Baker. Expect the most eclectic and bonce-tickling sounds. (Listen here)
Laura Cannell
Laura is based in East Anglia and her music draws on both the landscape and medieval music, incorporating wild-animal calls and long-forgotten liturgical fragments. Her 2015 album Beneath Swooping Talons featured in MOJO magazine’s Underground Albums of the Year and in The Guardian’s Top Experimental Albums of 2015. (Listen here)
Darren Hayman presents ‘Thankful Villages’
The former singer and guitarist of thoughtful indie rockers Hefner presents his Thankful Villages project. This work involves Darren visiting all 54 of these villages – places where every soldier returned alive from World War I – and making a piece of music and short film for each. The Guardian on Darren: “The match of Ray Davies, or any of the quintessentially English masters.” (Listen/watch here)
Ted Kessler presents ‘My Old Man’
Q and ex-NME journalist Ted Kessler is the man behind My Old Man, a new book in which Ted gathers tales of fathers: good and bad, happy and sad, glorious and tragic. The 40 contributors include Tilda Swinton, Rod Stewart, Paul Weller, Florence Welch and Julie Burchill. At Caught by the River Thames, Ted will be talking dads with special guest Sylvia Patterson. (Read Mathew Clayton’s review of Ted’s book here)
Travis Elborough
Sharply-dressed writer and broadcaster Travis was born in outrageous Worthing and has written fascinating non-fiction books on London buses, the long-playing record and the English seaside –and has also worked on films with Saint Etienne. Here Travis will talk about this latest book, A Walk In The Park – a social history of our grassy pleasure acres. (Visit Travis’s website here)
Guest DJ: Frances Castle (Clay Pipe Music)