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 silver-tongued Roy Wilkinson to tell you everything you need to know about the Walled Garden acts performing on Saturday 6 August. Ticket information available here.
Imarhan
The Imarhan quintet grew up in Tamanrasset in southern Algeria, in a Tuareg community of Malian descent. The group have genetic and creative connection to the Saharan superstars of Tinariwen. Imarhan’s Sadam – aka Iyad Moussa Ben Abderahmane – is a cousin of Tinariwen’s Eyadou Ag Leche, who produced and co-wrote several songs on Imarhan’s self-titled debut album. But Imarhan sit at an urban remove from the ancestral Tamashek poetry and traditional rhythms of their elders – resulting in a music full of complex composition and intoxicating guitar-picking shimmy. The band name means ‘the ones I care about’. (Listen here. Read Emma Warren’s album review here)
Will Self
William Woodard Self’s novels, short stories and non-fiction have won prizes and been translated into over 20 languages. But Will’s on-page words are equalled by his live performances, where he talks invigoratingly on anything from taxis and drugs to existentialism and psychogeography. On stage his dry wit comes to the fore; a charismatic public intellectual who’s also a fine mordant stand-up comic. Here he talks on the subject ‘London is dying’. (Presented by The Idler Academy)
Kate Tempest in conversation with Miranda Sawyer
Brockley sensation Kate was born in 1985 and won the 2013 Ted Hughes Award with her poetry collection Brand New Ancients. Her album Everybody Down, a compelling mix of hip hop and toughly poetic spoken-word, was nominated for the 2014 Mercury Prize. Kate’s debut novel, The Bricks That Built The Houses, is published by Bloomsbury is 2016. Here Kate talks with journalist and broadcaster Miranda Sawyer.
Tim Burgess
The Charlatans frontman and record label owner will be in conversation with writer Emma Warren about his new book, the unbeatably-titled Tim Book Two: Vinyl Adventures From Istanbul To San Francisco – a tale of Tim’s fascination with records, the shops that sell them, and the people who make them. Tim Book Two follows Burgess’s 2012 musical memoir Telling Stories. As Johnny Marr says: “Tim Burgess knows why pop’s art, a culture and a cure. Learn and listen. He knows good things.”
Amy Liptrot
Amy’s writing has been a regular feature on the Caught by the River website – indeed, her first book – memoir The Outrun – stems from her words on the site. In the book she tells how she escaped a booze-wrecked life in London by returning to the Orkney sheep farm where she grew up. Amy has also surveyed Orkney’s corncrake population for the RSPB. She will be discussing the book with Luke Turner, from leading music-and-culture website The Quietus. (Read Emma Warren’s review of The Outrun here)
Paul Kingsnorth
Paul is a former deputy editor of The Ecologist. His 2014 novel The Wake is the story of an Anglo-Saxon freeman in Norman-occupied England. It was published by means of crowd-funding, but went on to be longlisted for the 2014 Man Booker Prize. Since then Paul has signed a deal with Faber & Faber, with The Wake now being expanded into a trilogy. Paul will be in conversation with Faber & Faber’s Lee Brackstone. (Read Melissa Harrison’s review of The Wake here)
The London Sound Survey
With his website and live events Ian Rawes, AKA The London Sound Survey presents a collection of field recordings made in and around London – places, people, wildlife and the world of work. This online Wunderkammer features descriptions of London sounds dating back as far as the 11th century. Here Ian presents ‘The Dictionary of Sounds’ – a talk (with audio accompaniment).
View the previous lineup post, detailing Saturday’s Lawn Stage acts