Patrick Jones
Encyclopedia
Patrick Jones is a Welsh
poet
, playwright
and filmmaker
. His work is often in collaboration with the rock band Manic Street Preachers
; his brother, Nicky Wire
, is their bassist.
in 1965, Patrick Jones was educated at Oakdale Comprehensive, Crosskeys College
(a campus of Coleg Gwent
), and then at the University of Wales, Swansea from 1983-1987. He was awarded BA (Hons) in Sociology and American Literature. Jones has been employed in youth work, nursing aid, as a Literacy Officer and a Lecturer. He has lived much of his life in Blackwood
, but has also lived in Herne Bay, Swansea, in Germany
and spent four years in Chicago, Illinois.
Jones set up the Blackwood Young Writers Group based at the Blackwood Miners Institute in 1993. He currently teaches Adult Literacy at Blackwood Community College and the Ebbw Vale Institute. Jones is also active in setting up various reading and writing workshops throughout Wales from schools to youth centres. He has also served as the Creative Literacy Worker for the Cynon Project and in 1988 was writer in residence at Swansea College
.
Jones has made various television and radio appearances. He participated in a week-long intensive writing masterclass with Arnold Wesker at Hay on Wye Literature Festival in 1997. Jones participated in the 1998 Dysfluency Tour and the 1998 and 1999 Manic Street Preacher conventions. He also appeared in BBC Two's Manics documentary 'From There To Here', part of the 'Close Up' series. In April 1999, he staged a Kosovo benefit at Blackwood Miner's Institute involving Max Boyce
, James Dean Bradfield
and other artists. Later that year he read from and discussed sections of his play 'Everything Must Go' at Marxism '99. 1999 also saw him performing his poem 'The Guerrilla Tapestry' at the opening of the Welsh Assembly 'Voices Of A Nation' concert. In 2004, he returned to the Hay On Wye Festival for a discussion with James Dean Bradfield on music, politics and writing.
Jones has worked with St. David's Foundation Hospice Care, The Samaritans, Hope and Aid Direct and Learning through Growth in the Cynon Valley
. Recently, he completed the Beneath The Radar poetry reading tour in Wales and Ireland. Has been involved in many protests including Save St David's Woods, and Justice for Fathers. In 2007 he performed a reading at a fundraising concert for Stop The War, during which he also collaborated with Newport band New State Radio.
Jones' latest play, Revelation will be presented by faction collective - this harrowing and provocative piece explores the issue of male victims of domestic violence. Jones spent months researching the play and is based on over 40 interviews with men who have experienced domestic violence- it tells their stories it confronts this hidden issue.
It is supported by the Dyn Project Cardiff, Mankind UK, Chapter Arts Centre and the Welsh Arts Council. It is to be directed by Chris Durnall with Nathan Sussex and Stacey Daly and it will feature a soundtrack by Jones' friend and collaborator, James Dean Bradfield. It will open at Chapter Arts Centre in July 2008 before transferring to a three week run at the Courtyard Theatre in London as well as other, non-theatre venues.
In November 2008, Waterstone's
cancelled an appearance from Jones at one of their stores, where he was expected to sign autographs and promote his new work, because of a planned protest by a religious pressure group over alleged blasphemy
.
In an effort to ensure that he was not gagged, Liberal Democrat Assembly Member Peter Black then asked Jones to read from his book, Darkness Is Where The Stars Are, at the Welsh Assembly, and the reading went ahead on December 11 despite protests.
A CD Tongues for a Stammering Time, with spoken word in collaboration with many musicians including Nicky Wire, James Dean Bradfield, Billy Bragg
, Amy Wadge
, Martyn Joseph
and others, was released on Anhrefn Records
in May 2009.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and filmmaker
Filmmaking
Filmmaking is the process of making a film, from an initial story, idea, or commission, through scriptwriting, casting, shooting, directing, editing, and screening the finished product before an audience that may result in a theatrical release or television program...
. His work is often in collaboration with the rock band Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
; his brother, Nicky Wire
Nicky Wire
Nicholas Allen Jones, known as Nicky Wire, is the lyricist, bassist and occasional vocalist with the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.-Early life:...
, is their bassist.
Biography
Born in TredegarTredegar
Tredegar is a town situated on the Sirhowy River in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, in south-east Wales. Located within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, it became an early centre of the Industrial Revolution in South Wales...
in 1965, Patrick Jones was educated at Oakdale Comprehensive, Crosskeys College
Crosskeys College
Crosskeys College is the largest part of Coleg Gwent and the campus is located next to Risca Road in Crosskeys, near Newport in Wales. The college was previously a technical college and a coal mining college...
(a campus of Coleg Gwent
Coleg Gwent
Coleg Gwent is Wales' largest further education college.It has more than 35,000 students ranging from secondary school leavers to mature students...
), and then at the University of Wales, Swansea from 1983-1987. He was awarded BA (Hons) in Sociology and American Literature. Jones has been employed in youth work, nursing aid, as a Literacy Officer and a Lecturer. He has lived much of his life in Blackwood
Blackwood, Wales
Blackwood is a town on the Sirhowy River in the South Wales Valleys within the Caerphilly County Borough.The town houses a growing number of light industrial and high-tech firms...
, but has also lived in Herne Bay, Swansea, in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and spent four years in Chicago, Illinois.
Jones set up the Blackwood Young Writers Group based at the Blackwood Miners Institute in 1993. He currently teaches Adult Literacy at Blackwood Community College and the Ebbw Vale Institute. Jones is also active in setting up various reading and writing workshops throughout Wales from schools to youth centres. He has also served as the Creative Literacy Worker for the Cynon Project and in 1988 was writer in residence at Swansea College
Swansea College
Swansea College was a further education college in Swansea. It was one of the largest further education colleges in Wales with over 15,000 students and employing approximately 1,000 staff...
.
Jones has made various television and radio appearances. He participated in a week-long intensive writing masterclass with Arnold Wesker at Hay on Wye Literature Festival in 1997. Jones participated in the 1998 Dysfluency Tour and the 1998 and 1999 Manic Street Preacher conventions. He also appeared in BBC Two's Manics documentary 'From There To Here', part of the 'Close Up' series. In April 1999, he staged a Kosovo benefit at Blackwood Miner's Institute involving Max Boyce
Max Boyce
Maxwell Boyce MBE is a Welsh comedian, singer and former coal miner. He rose to fame during the mid-1970s with an act that combined musical comedy with his passion for rugby union and his origins in the mining communities of South Wales...
, James Dean Bradfield
James Dean Bradfield
James Dean Bradfield is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.- Early life :...
and other artists. Later that year he read from and discussed sections of his play 'Everything Must Go' at Marxism '99. 1999 also saw him performing his poem 'The Guerrilla Tapestry' at the opening of the Welsh Assembly 'Voices Of A Nation' concert. In 2004, he returned to the Hay On Wye Festival for a discussion with James Dean Bradfield on music, politics and writing.
Jones has worked with St. David's Foundation Hospice Care, The Samaritans, Hope and Aid Direct and Learning through Growth in the Cynon Valley
Cynon Valley
The Cynon Valley , is a famous former coal mining valley within the South Wales Valleys of Wales. The Cynon Valley lies between the other mining Valley of Rhondda and the iron industrial Valley of the Merthyr Valley. Its main towns are Aberdare located North of the Valley and Mountain Ash located...
. Recently, he completed the Beneath The Radar poetry reading tour in Wales and Ireland. Has been involved in many protests including Save St David's Woods, and Justice for Fathers. In 2007 he performed a reading at a fundraising concert for Stop The War, during which he also collaborated with Newport band New State Radio.
Jones' latest play, Revelation will be presented by faction collective - this harrowing and provocative piece explores the issue of male victims of domestic violence. Jones spent months researching the play and is based on over 40 interviews with men who have experienced domestic violence- it tells their stories it confronts this hidden issue.
It is supported by the Dyn Project Cardiff, Mankind UK, Chapter Arts Centre and the Welsh Arts Council. It is to be directed by Chris Durnall with Nathan Sussex and Stacey Daly and it will feature a soundtrack by Jones' friend and collaborator, James Dean Bradfield. It will open at Chapter Arts Centre in July 2008 before transferring to a three week run at the Courtyard Theatre in London as well as other, non-theatre venues.
In November 2008, Waterstone's
Waterstone's
Waterstone's is a British book specialist established in 1982 by Tim Waterstone that employs around 4,500 staff throughout the United Kingdom and Europe....
cancelled an appearance from Jones at one of their stores, where he was expected to sign autographs and promote his new work, because of a planned protest by a religious pressure group over alleged blasphemy
Blasphemy
Blasphemy is irreverence towards religious or holy persons or things. Some countries have laws to punish blasphemy, while others have laws to give recourse to those who are offended by blasphemy...
.
In an effort to ensure that he was not gagged, Liberal Democrat Assembly Member Peter Black then asked Jones to read from his book, Darkness Is Where The Stars Are, at the Welsh Assembly, and the reading went ahead on December 11 despite protests.
A CD Tongues for a Stammering Time, with spoken word in collaboration with many musicians including Nicky Wire, James Dean Bradfield, Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
, Amy Wadge
Amy Wadge
-Early life and musical beginnings:Amy Wadge was born and brought up in Backwell, a small village just outside Bristol, England. Her father's passion for music influenced Amy enormously and she was exposed to the sounds of everyone from The Beatles to Elton John, Pink Floyd to Joni Mitchell, from...
, Martyn Joseph
Martyn Joseph
Martyn Joseph is a Welsh singer-songwriter whose music exhibits primarily a brand of Celtic and folk, while his songwriting is often focused on social lament or protest...
and others, was released on Anhrefn Records
Anhrefn Records
Recordiau Anhrefn was a record label established in 1983 by Rhys Mwyn.Based in the small mid-Wales village of Llanfair Caereinion, before Rhys and his brother Sion Sebon moved to Bangor, North Wales, the record label was initially an outlet for their own band Yr Anhrefn but soon went on to release...
in May 2009.
Books
- The Guerrilla Tapestry (1995)
- The Protest of Discipline (1996)
- Detritus (1997)
- Mute Communion (1997)
- Fuse (Parthian Books) (2001) Includes a foreword by Nicky Wire called 'The Words are Coming'
- Against (2003)
- Last wRites (editor) (2006)
- Darkness is where the stars are (2008)
Music videos
All music videos are for Manic Street Preachers, using 'Crash Editing' facilities.| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Judge Yr'self | Lipstick Traces (A Secret History of Manic Street Preachers) |
| 2004 | 1985 | Lifeblood Lifeblood - Personnel :Manic Street Preachers*James Dean Bradfield – lead vocals, guitar*Sean Moore – drums, drum programming*Nicky Wire – bassAdditional personnel*Patrick Jones - additional lyrics on "Fragments"*Nick Nasmyth - keyboards*Jeremy Shaw - keyboards... |
| A Song For Departure | ||
| Cardiff Afterlife | ||
| Emily | ||
| Fragments | ||
| Solitude Sometimes Is | ||
| Quarantine (In My Place Of) - Short Film | B-side to the single The Love of Richard Nixon The Love of Richard Nixon "The Love of Richard Nixon" was the first single to be released from the Manic Street Preachers' seventh studio album Lifeblood. The song is according to the band: 'a soundtrack to disillusion, hatred, love and never giving up'... |
|
| Yes (New Film) | The Holy Bible (Tenth Anniversary Edition) The Holy Bible (album) The Holy Bible is the third studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 29 August 1994 by Epic Records and was the last of the band's albums released before the disappearance of lyricist and guitarist Richey Edwards , on 1 February 1995.Edwards was... |
|
| 2005 | Firefight | God Save The Manics EP |
| 2006 | Further Away | Everything Must Go (Tenth Anniversary Edition) Everything Must Go (Manic Street Preachers album) Everything Must Go is the fourth album by Manic Street Preachers, released in 1996. It contains five songs with lyrics by Richey James Edwards, who disappeared and presumed to have died circa 1 February 1995 and was the last album to feature his contributions until Journal for Plague Lovers... |
| Home Movie (footage, not music) | ||
| 2007 | Indian Summer Indian Summer (Manic Street Preachers song) "Indian Summer" is a song by Manic Street Preachers and the third single released from their eighth studio album Send Away the Tigers. Nicky Wire mentioned around the time of Autumnsong's release revelation that "Indian Summer" was a strong candidate for the second single from the album, and would... |
Send Away The Tigers Send Away the Tigers - Album Charts :- Personnel :Manic Street Preachers*James Dean Bradfield – lead vocals, guitar, backing vocals*Sean Moore – drums, percussion*Nicky Wire – bass, backing vocalsAdditional personnel... |
| 2008 | Send Away The Tigers | |
Plays
- Everything Must Go (1999)
- Unprotected Sex (1999)
- The War Is Dead Long Live The War (2003)
- Bridges (2006)
- Sing To Me (2006)
- Revelation (2008)
- Meat (Forthcoming)
- A Lament for Moths (2009)
Other publications
- Commemoration and Amnesia (Big Noise Productions) (1999) (Poetry performed by bands)
- Tongues for a Stammering Time (Anhrefn Records) (2009) (Poetry performed by bands)