The story of Trampolene is one of carnage, chaos and living life on the brink in pursuit of a nomadic rock and roll lifestyle. In the name of punk rock and poetry, Jack Jones and co set off for London as 18-year-olds with barely a penny to their names, chasing a rapidly fading vision of access and excess in the city of the £7 pint.
“We thought fuck it, we wanted to move to London and be in the band. We moved to some damp squalor in Hornsey, which was not as posh then as it is now. I’m surprised at the rate of change there in the last 10 years. We used to hang around in Wood Green. We did various jobs such as labouring and bar work before realising it wasn’t happening the way we wanted it to.”
Key to the band’s identity, particularly Jack’s literary sensibilities, are his spoken word pieces, which caught the attention of someone who would go on to become an important figure in his life.
“I began working with Pete when I was writing poems, not punk songs. I got invited to a Libertines show. Trampolene had put out ‘Alcohol Kiss’ and other early songs on YouTube. They’d had like a hundred views. I drove in my van and parked up, sat on the pavement and lit a cigarette. Pete tapped me on the shoulder and revealed he’d learnt all the poems by heart. He started narrating those poems back to me, which was a surreal experience.
“It was the beginning of the Libertines’ comeback around ten years ago. He knew all the words to ‘Health and Wellbeing (At Wood Green Job Centre)’. It felt like we were some sort of kindred spirits with our love of literature. We had a nomad sort of life; we went and did things in our own way. When Pete saw me, he has said this himself, before all the fame and the drugs, I reminded him of that former part of himself: a kid. I connected him to that part of himself. I felt protected by him at the beginning of the relationship. I still feel that way.”
It’s that sense of adventure and chaos, central to both the Libertines’ lifestyle and Jack’s approach to music, that brought them together. Moving to London with no real plan sounds like the beginning of any good Doherty tale.
But while the mythology of the wild years remains part of Trampolene’s story, Jack now views creativity through a different lens. The pursuit of music remains as intense as ever, but without the self-destructive habits that once surrounded it.
“I do miss drinking and the camaraderie of a night out, but I’m one of those people who’s all or nothing. I love being present for my work, my songs, my poems, my ideas and building a life in music. It’s a gift to feel like I can create without having to be wild or off my head. Looking back, a lot of the things I produced while drinking were actually rubbish. You read them back with a sober mind and think, ‘What were you even trying to say?’ I was always incredibly hard on myself. I never allowed myself to feel joy or show myself any kindness. That’s something I’ve had to learn: to be kinder to yourself, to be there for your mates and to exist without constantly judging yourself.”
Like all good stories, theirs begins in Wales. Trampolene’s debut album Swansea To Hornsey includes several references to japes and characters unique to that part of the world and to Jack’s life specifically. With Welsh identity evolving within the current political and cultural climate, how does being Welsh continue to shape Jack?
“I think Wales will have its moment in the same way Ireland is. I can feel it coming, especially with Trampolene and Alan McGee behind us. Even on BBC Radio 6 Music there are Welsh-language acts breaking through. We’re the smallest of the home nations, but we’re always punching above our weight. Greater Manchester has a larger population than Wales, and Scotland is roughly twice our size. Despite that, we’re always there or thereabouts and we’ve got plenty of culture to share.”
“I don’t speak Welsh. Kyle Williams’ (Trampolene drummer) son speaks Welsh as he goes to a Welsh school and there’s a gap there, although he is learning. We had German lessons instead of Welsh in our school. Welsh and Welshness was a sort of afterthought in other classes. I’m embarrassed by not speaking Welsh. It was never around when I was a kid and now it’s everywhere. There’s a generational gap there as it just wasn’t taught. I’m a bit concerned about being left behind by that. I feel Welsh to my core. I feel that difference between Welsh speakers and I.”
“We played the same night as the Super Furry Animals in Bethesda. It was like everyone who couldn’t afford to see SFA came to see Trampolene! I did Duolingo but I realised it was just me learning patterns to answer the questions rather than learning Welsh.”
“My mam’s from Sheffield, my dad’s Southampton. My mam was doing an interview for a job in a psychiatric hospital but they haven’t told me how they met each other on that day.”
“I think we might be about to have a national conversation about Welshness with a new government. Even if people want independence, it’s not anti-anyone else. It’s about self-belief and being proud of yourself. Scots felt the same. It’s not like they hated Welsh people or whatever, they just wanted their own identity. More devolution is going to push that along. People who live in an area should know how to run the area.
Times are changing both in Wales and within the band itself. Did you just say you’re managed by Alan McGee?
“Alan McGee manages us now. He was on to us for a while. Me and my Mrs were walking round London and bumped into him. I had to approach him. When I did he said, ‘You’re Jack Jones!’ and we built up a relationship from there. He said, ‘I don’t know how far we’ll get but one thing I can promise you is you’ll keep busy.’ We’ve had 120 shows this year alone. We did a tour of South Wales, which of course we enjoyed. We also did Wrexham, Bethesda. It was our first time in North Wales.”
One of the biggest changes to Trampolene’s live setup has been the arrival of Lee Thomas, who joined the band alongside his older brother Wayne Thomas. Both brothers play guitar, with Wayne having been a key part of Trampolene since its earliest days. For Jack, bringing Lee into the fold has allowed the band to expand their live sound while giving him more room to focus on his role as frontman.
“Lee and Wayne are brothers, and although Lee is the younger of the two, he’s been around the band since the very beginning. It’s surreal having a new member, although bringing him in was one of Alan McGee’s ideas. Alan wanted me to focus more on being a frontman while still recreating the sound of the records live.
“Lee had actually made a film about us, so he already knew all the songs and barely needed to rehearse. A few years later he moved to London. He worked in the same pub as Wayne and lived with us. He comes from a filmmaking background.”
With a new guitarist and a fresh impetus provided by Creation Records founder McGee, the band are now non-stop, with a packed schedule of gigs and a remix of early favourite “Storm Heaven” by none other than Andy Bell.
“I loved Andy Bell’s remix. What he’s done with the song is incredible. He’s given it a new lease of life. It’s one of the earliest Trampolene tracks. People don’t give him the credit he deserves for the shoegaze revival that’s happening at the minute because Ride inevitably get overshadowed by his involvement with Oasis.”
And the road ahead is busier than ever, with Trampolene continuing to bring their blend of punk energy, poetry and Welsh storytelling to new audiences.
“We’ve got support slots coming up with Ocean Colour Scene, The Mondays and Republica. Apparently Bez only eats honey these days, so I’m going to bring him some Welsh honey.”
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