BBC Radio 4 LW

Another Swansea Poet

Factual: Life Stories

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media: Arts

BBC Radio 4 - Another Swansea Poet

A portrait of Swansea-based poet and singer Jack Jones.

A portrait of Swansea-based Jack Jones, poet and lead singer of Welsh alternative rock band Trampolene, and fan of Dylan Thomas.

Jack Jones is a spoken word poet and the lead singer of Welsh alternative rock band Trampolene, a band on the rise, who have attracted the attention of The Libertines, Liam Gallagher, John Cooper Clarke and Caitlin Moran.

Jack’s spoken word poetry and lyrics are at the core of Trampolene’s sound. The music isn’t everything though. Sometimes Jack takes the mic, solo, and recites poetry: risky business in a room full of screaming, moshing fans, you might think.

But Jack’s spoken word poetry has become an integral part of Trampolene’s gigs. The crowd shouts for his poem ‘Pound Land’ in every venue and recites Jack’s words along with him.

He writes about everyday life, how to fight adversity, his upbringing, and at gigs around the UK offers his own social commentary on the world, all delivered with a gentle Swansea lilt synonymous with his idol Dylan Thomas.

From his home in the Mumbles, Swansea, Jack tells his life story candidly, with insight from around him. We hear from his fellow band members, Wayne Thomas and Rob Steele, and from one of Jack’s biggest fans in the music industry, Peter Doherty, who recalls their adventures on tour together. Jack also talks to Caitlin Moran, who came across him living in his car in London and invited him to stay in the attic in her house.

This programme reveals a young man in his twenties with a lot to say about the world; a young man with multiple health problems, Dyslexia and huge amounts of time spent out of school, who hasn’t let that stop him from making a career out of writing and performing poetry and music.

Producer: Eleri Llian Rees for BBC Cymru Wales

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