David Garland Jones - The Man, The Legend - A Christmas Interview

For our special Christmas interview this year AmeriCymru spoke to David Garland Jones - Welsh living legend, Actor, Guru, Raconteur,  Poet and future Penderyn Whiskey, Welshman of The Year 2010. David took this opportunity to introduce a selection of his groundbreaking work on YouTube. He would also like to  wish all our readers Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda! 

Americymru:  Who IS David Garland Jones?

David: He… (or should that be ‘I’. Think I’ll go with I… but then ‘I am an actor…’ sounds a bit grand and pompous). Ok, have another shot of Penderyn’s Finest Welsh Whiskey… I (cue fanfare), am an actor, guru, raconteur, poet, and latterly male model and YouTube phenomenon. I was born on the grubby fringes of Port Talbot, South Wales in 1962. ‘Anthony Hopkins, Ivor Emmanuel, Michael Sheen, Richard Burton, David Garland Jones… what other town ever produced such a quinvirate of acting talent?’ as the Port Talbot Guardian (now sadly defunct) put it. A potted history of my life featuring Michael Sheen (as well as Brothers & Sisters’ Matthew Rhys) and can be found here: 

Roger Garrick - 'The Acting Guru's Acting Guru'

Americymru:  What was your first big break and how did you come to star in so many groundbreaking roles on YouTube?

David: I realised that to reach an audience I needed two things: I needed a small cheap camera (for any nerds out there I use a Flip video camera and the Power Director 7 editing suite). Three things. I needed three things. The above two things and an amiable presence to hold the camera and do all the technical stuff. So I enlisted my brother Jake. As I produce the films actually getting the leading role in them isn’t so difficult. I was up against Rhys Ifans for the lead role in my epic, Grand Theft Actor, but he didn’t return my call so I stepped in.

Grand Theft Actor (Spoof)

Americymru:  Has fame changed you?

David: No. There are still holes in my socks, but there are still dreams in my soul. One change is that I have started acting as a guru to younger actors… though in the case of Jonny Hollywood I encountered a few difficulties.

Ep 11. David Garland Jones - 'Jonny Hollywood's The Kiddie'

I also have a number one fan/stalker…

Sandra Bolton No.1 Fan

Americymru:  What is the current supply situation with 'David Garland Jones In A Can'? Will you be continuing this line after the holiday season?

David: Sales have been better than expected especially since our US rep, Mr Iain Sewell has been appointed. I may become the first actor who breaks America in ‘can’ form. In the UK there have been reports that fake DGJIAC (for short) have been seen in marketplaces alongside fake Prada, Gucci and Calvin Klein handbags. There have been reports of other actors crudely jumping the bandwagon, or can-wagon if you prefer, e.g. I’ve heard that the light entertainer, Rob Brydon, is bringing out ‘Bob In A Bag’.

DGJ In A Can #1 - 'Advert' (Spoof)

Americymru:  Many of our readers have asked what really happened at the Damian Dark audition. Care to elaborate?

David: Let’s just say that there is now a legally enforced exclusion zone around the BBC in Cardiff which I am not allowed to enter:

Ep 6. David Garland Jones - My Name Is Damian Dark

However, I did manage a brief live appearance there:

David Garland Jones Live At The BBC

Americymru:  Does David Garland Jones have any future plans for live stage appearances after the triumph at the Goldie Lookin Chain concert last year? Can you tell us how that appearance came about?

David: It was all down to Jay-Z and Alisha Keys. Thanks guys! They recorded a song called ‘New York’ which was then appropriated by some Londoners and re-recorded as ‘New-port’. However, it quickly emerged that they had never been to Newport. I was in a bar one evening and someone suggested that I did a song called ‘Ain’t Seen Ruthin Yet’ based on the classic Bachman-Turner Overdrive song ‘Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet’ as I had never been to Ruthin. My brother Jake downloaded the karaoke track, I sang it and the rest as they say is history. To date it’s had over 31,251 hits. So thanks Jay-z and Alisha, if you’re ever in Treforest please pop in.

Ain't Seen Ruthin Yet (Spoof)

But here’s some more history – Newport’s finest Goldie Lookin Chain then recorded their own version of ‘New-port’ then spotted the ‘Ruthin’ track and went on Sky News and mentioned it…

Goldie Lookin Chain plug 'Ain't Seen Ruthin Yet' on Sky News

A relationship developed and they kindly asked me to appear with them at their big Ryder Cup gig… Which I’d rather not talk about, what with the booing and the heckling and the breakdown I suffered afterwards…

'Who Are You? Who Are You?' - DGJ & Goldie Lookin Chain live in Newport

(However, if I was asked to perform it again I would remember the pink suitcase air guitar solo…)

Americymru:  More 'spoofs' along the lines of 'Aint seen Ruthin Yet' have been promised but I notice that Pontypool was not on the list. Is that because it's hard to rhyme or is there some other, more sinister, reason?

David: Someone suggested Little Jimmy Osmond’s ‘Long Haired Lover From Pontypool’ (formerly Liverpool) but it’s not even funny when you read it, let alone when you try to sing it. There will be a video in February featuring 12 of the best, ‘Spoof Songs With Welsh Place Names In The Titles’. Some of my favourites include Boston’s ‘More Than Rhydfelin’, KD Laing’s ‘Constant Aber-craving’ and my personal favourite, Odyssey’s ‘How ‘Bout Usk’.

Americymru:  You're a shoe-in for Penderyn 2010 Welshman of The Year, what will you do when you win?

David: Not a shoe-in, or even a shoo-in. I will need the votes of my Americymru friends first. Can I just mention that Penderyn’s Whiskey is the finest whiskey and the drink of kings. When, or indeed ‘if’ I win, I will run naked down the lanes of Treforest … ah, already done that.

M.A.D. - Mothers Against David

Americymru:  After your principled stand on cigarette smoking did you succeed in getting any sponsorship money from Big Tobacco?

David: Interestingly the pro-smoking lobby group FOREST regularly blog about my work. Did they not realise that this video is actually anti-smoking? And no. No sponsorship. Nothing at all.

David's Quickies No. 7 - Cigarette Trick

Americymru:  What's next for David Garland Jones? Any plans to visit the US?

David: I would love to visit the US. I have a live show which includes performing Under Milk Wood in mime. This went down really well at Treorchy Rugby Club where Max Boyce famously made his name:

Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood... In Mime

Americymru:  Any messages for the members of AmeriCymru and your other fans?

David: I am an internet pioneer. Like all the great pioneers of yore I am badly dressed, ill-prepared and lacking funds. However, I am not asking for clothing, skis or money. I simply ask that you keep watching my videos, subscribe to my Youtube channel and pass the links on to your more sophisticated and cultured friends. Have a lovely Yuletide weekend and an inspiring and theatrical 2011!

www.davidgarlandjones.com 

www.youtube.com/davidgarlandjones

The Latest From David Garland Jones 'The Man In A Can' - Live in Aberdare

Interview With Jonny Owen - Star of 'A Bit of Tom Jones'

Ceri: How did you get into acting and theater? Jonny: Basically I was in a band in the mid 90's called The Pocket Devils. We became quite well known on the live circuit especially in Wales where we did quite a bit of TV. There was a drama series starting in my home town of Merthyr Tydfil called 'Nuts and Bolts'. The casting director at ITV Wales had seen me in this band and approached me about auditioning for a part in the series (the Character was called 'Richey' and in a band you see?). Anyway many weeks and screen tests later I got the part. From there I got an agent and parts in other series. So, you could say there was a bit of luck! Ha.   Ceri: You won a BAFTA Cymru, Gwyn Alf Williams Award in 2006 for your part in the making of documentary "The Aberfan Disaster". Care to tell us a bit about that experience? Jonny: Yes of course. The town where I come from, Merthyr Tydfil, has a small mining village just outside where tragically a Coal Tip fell onto the Primary School and surrounding streets in 1966. The 'disaster' was seen by millions world wide as over a hundred school children and local people were killed. My Father worked at one of the local Mines at the time and was one of the first on the scene to help with the rescue and clear up. Forty years later I was working at ITV Wales as an Assistant Producer in the Factual dept as well as acting. They said they were doing a documentary in conjunction with S4C and SKY about the disaster. They asked would I like to work on the program. Now being from Merthyr I was acutely aware of how sensitive the subject was and how poorly the people had been treated by the Coal Board and Government after the disaster so I said that I would only be involved if we could tell the truth about how appalling the disaster was for the people of the village both during and after. They not only agreed but wanted to go down that path too. So we did just that. We were pretty scathing of the Govt of the time but felt justified when the people of the village thanked us afterwards for telling the real story. That meant more than anything. That year it seemed Bafta Cymru also agreed and gave us the special 'Gwyn Alf Williams' award for program of Historical significance. Ceri: You've starred in a number of critically acclaimed films. Care to tell us a little about your roles in two of them:- "Little White Lies" and "Good Arrows"? Jonny: Little White Lies was about a family torn apart by racism. There is a lot of tension in the UK about immigration. Wrongly people seem to think it's a threat. The truth of the matter is that the UK would pretty much stop functioning without the work done by people from across the UK. LWL tells the dark tale of a Welsh lad who gets into right wing politics with tragic results. It was a difficult role to play but also important and the film carried a good anti racist message. Good Arrows was about a Darts player who has fallen on hard times. He also finds out his wife has been financially bleeding him dry. It's a comedy but also is a sad story about people's obsession with celebrity. Ceri: How did you come to be involved in A Bit of Tom Jones? What do you think about the final film? Jonny: I was cast by the Director/Writer Peter Watkins Hughes. Years ago (On Nuts and Bolts) he told me Roger (my co star) that he would write a film for us one day..and he was as good as his word. It was as simple as that really. I think it's what it is. Just a funny film. A bit like a cross between Monty Python and the Carry on films in the UK. I just thought it was gonna be another film that went to DVD I didn't expect it to become a Box Office smash in the UK and win a Bafta Cymru for best film. That's a nice bonus obviously! Ceri: The response to the film has been very positive in Wales, how do you think it will do outside the country? Jonny: I think it'll be cool. They love Python in the States and Japan and it's of that ilk. You know, you cant make things for people's taste, I don't think anyway. That way you just end up chasing your tail. I think you make what you think is funny and then if someone liked it then fantastic, but trying to second guess is pointless. It may need subtitles in the US for my accent mind..;-) Ceri: You created and star in the internet series, "Svengali," which can be seen on youtube, what can you tell us about that? How did that come about and what are your plans for this? Jonny: It was an idea between me, Dean Cavanagh and Phil John. We just wanted to do something based on the music industry where (we believe) there is a lot of room for comedy, after all it's the only industry where bad behaviour is encouraged, and that's ripe for parody. We filmed some short Ep's and put them on the net and people loved it. We've been approached by some TV Production companies and Broadcasters who are interested but at the moment we are gonna keep making them as they are as we have complete control, which is great. The main character is Dixie and is based loosely on the manager of my old band The Pocket Devils. I also want to bring in his American partner Bobby Poe who I want Jack Black to play. I must get him the Ep's actually.. Ceri: What's next for your professionally? Jonny: A follow up to A bit of Tom Jones called Wales v's Uranus. We are pretty fed up that only the Americans get to take on Alien Invasions so we fancy having a pop ourselves...;-) Filming later this year. I'm back on Shameless for Channel 4 again this summer. Ceri: On your MySpace page, you cite the following quote from Aneurin Bevan as your inspiration:- "You know what happens to people who stand in the middle of the road don't you? They get knocked down....". Is it the quotation or the man himself that inspires you? Jonny: Yes but more Nye himself really. Astonishing man who left an incedible legacy. We are very proud of our universal health care system in the UK, the fact that treats you equally, whether you are rich or poor. Nye was the founder of this and Welsh too. He was voted 'The Greatest' ever Welshman in newspaper polls in 2000. I have to say I agree with that too! Ceri: You are known to be a big Cardiff city supporter? What did you think of their performance on Wednesday? Jonny: It was a disapointing end to the season...but we have new backers now and I fancy we'll go that one better next year. It would be fantastic to get a Welsh club into the English Premiership as it has such a worldwide profile...I'm sure we will next year. Ceri: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru? Jonny: Just to say 'Hi and Diolch for asking me to be interviewed. There'll always be a welcome in the 'Old Country' for you all and I'd love to drop by to see you all sometime soon. Find more videos like this on Americymru Interview by Ceri Shaw Email