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Will Kevans is a singer-songwriter and cartoonist. He was signed to Judy Collins' New York label, Wildflower Records and is married to the artist, Annie Kevans.
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Will Kevans is a singer-songwriter and cartoonist. He was signed to Judy Collins' New York label, Wildflower Records and is married to the artist, Annie Kevans.
Kevans was born in Birmingham but spent part of his childhood in Germany. He moved to West Wales at the age of 10. After a short stint in the army, Kevans moved to London where he played guitar for The Gospel and played trumpet for Ska bands such as The Hot Knives and The Riffs. He established himself as a singer-songwriter and became involved in the acoustic music scene. For some time, Kevans had a residency at the 12 Bar Club.
In 2008 Kevans won the International Songwriting Competition with his song "Out There" and provided music for the computer game Scooby-Doo! Frights, Camera, Mystery!
Later that year, Kevans was a finalist in BBC London's 2012 Anthem competition with his song "London Fields". [1]
Shortly after that, Kevans was selected to represent Ireland in the Karlshamn Song Contest where he came 4th. The programme was broadcast live throughout the Baltic region and Sweden.
In 2009, Kevans released his debut single "Dialling Tone" on IRL Records. Olivia Cole of the Sunday Times called the single a "Catchy debut single". [2] The video for "Dialling Tone" stars Russell Tovey as an irresponsible boyfriend staying out all night.
Kevans played at CMJ in New York in October 2009 where he was spotted by a representative of Wildflower Records. He was offered a deal with the New York label that night.
Kevans' first album, Everything You Do, was produced by Ian Grimble. The album featured slide guitarist Al Perkins and guest vocals came from former Beautiful South songstress Alison Wheeler. Keyboard skills were provided by James Blunt's pianist Paul Beard and guitar was supplied by ex-Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers guitarist Elliot Randall.
The album was released in February 2010 and received much critical acclaim. Q Magazine said "The country flavoured singer-songwriter pop of London Will Kevans can be both delightful & sincere" [3] and Guitarist magazine said Kevans "has a great voice & polished pop rock writing." [4]
Kevans has drawn well-known characters such as Billy No Mates and Postman Prat for Zit comic, Dennis the Menace for the BBC, and the Ribena berries. He was chosen to be the Labour Party's caricaturist for their conference in 1997. Tony Blair, Cherie Blair and Mo Mowlam were among the people who sat for him. Kevans' illustrations have appeared in many magazines and newspapers, including Penthouse , The Telegraph , The Sun and The Mirror .
In 2014, Kevans self-published a graphic novel entitled My Life in Pieces: The Falklands War. It is the story of a group of Welsh Guards thrown into the unknown and the untold tales from Two Company's advance on the mainland towards Port Stanley. This story recounts the tragedies on board the Sir Galahad and at Stanley airfield and the end of the conflict, when 500 Argentinian soldiers were taken back to the mainland on a cross-channel ferry, both sides singing Freddie Mercury classics to pass the time. The book now forms part of the Imperial War Museum's Archives. In 2017, Panorama commissioned a documentary on Kevans' book, using animation to bring some of the book's illustrations to life. The half-hour programme followed Kevans and his fellow ex-combatants back to the Falklands for an emotional journey which retraced their steps across the island. Original artwork from the graphic novel was exhibited at the Cartoon Museum in London for its exhibition entitled 'The Great British Graphic Novel'.
The book was positively received with Simon Weston (OBE) saying "My Life in Pieces is a brilliant perspective of one man's view of a time... I have read a number of books on the Falklands over the years and Will's book, I can honestly say, is one of my favourites". [5] Forces TV wrote "Using his unique style, he has successfully navigated the irksome task of describing in visceral detail the bloody combat with the gritty banter and dark humour that is required of every guardsman." [6]
In November 2014, Prince Harry saw Kevans' artwork at an exhibition at Westminster Abbey. The Prince also said "I might actually read that." [7]
Major-General Clive 'Chip' Chapman CB BA, ex 2 Para and Platoon Commander at Goose Green said "Will Kevans captures the very human and very funny nature of the Welsh soldier, whilst never letting his humour mask the poignant tragedies that befell the battalion. An equal and engaging mix of pathos and ethos runs through this unique personal take on the Falklands War of 1982." [8] Sean Rayment, former 3 Para Patrols Platoon Commander, journalist and author, agreed, saying "Will Kevans' book provides a unique perspective of the Falklands War through the eyes of the infantry soldier. It is a warm, witty and tragic record of a brief but bitter conflict which cost the lives of more than 900 servicemen from both the British and Argentinian armed forces. Using cartoons, often graphic, Kevans give us his take on the conflict, allowing the enduring and often dark humour of the British Squaddie to shine through. It is a must read for anyone interested in Britain's Wars." [8]
ARAGeneral Belgrano (C-4) was an Argentine Navy light cruiser in service from 1951 until 1982. Originally commissioned by the U.S. Navy as USS Phoenix, she saw action in the Pacific theatre of World War II before being sold to Argentina. The vessel was the second to have been named after the Argentine founding father Manuel Belgrano (1770–1820). The first vessel was a 7,069-ton armoured cruiser completed in 1896.
The Battle of Goose Green was fought from 28 to 29 May 1982 by British and Argentine forces during the Falklands War. Located on East Falkland's central isthmus, the settlement of Goose Green was the site of a tactically vital airfield. Argentine forces were located in a well-defended position within striking distance of San Carlos Water where the British task force had positioned themselves after their amphibious landing.
The Battle of Two Sisters was an engagement of the Falklands War during the British advance towards the capital, Port Stanley. It took place from 11 to 12 June 1982 and was one of three battles in a Brigade-size operation all on the same night, the other two being the Battle of Mount Longdon and the Battle of Mount Harriet. It was fought mainly between an assaulting British force consisting of Royal Marines of 45 Commando and an Argentine Company drawn from 4th Infantry Regiment.
The Battle of Wireless Ridge was an engagement of the Falklands War which took place on the night from 13 to 14 June 1982, between British and Argentine forces during the advance towards the Argentine-occupied capital of the Falkland Islands, Port Stanley.
The Battle of Mount Longdon was fought between the British 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment and elements of the Argentine 7th Infantry Regiment on 11–12 June 1982, towards the end of the Falklands War. It was one of three engagements in a Brigade-size operation that night, along with the Battle of Mount Harriet and the Battle of Two Sisters. A mixture of hand-to-hand fighting and ranged combat resulted in the British occupying this key position around the Argentine garrison at Port Stanley. The battle ended in a British victory.
The Battle of Mount Tumbledown was an engagement during the Falklands War. The engagement was an attack by the British Army and the Royal Marines on the heights overlooking Stanley, the Falkland Islands capital. Mount Tumbledown, Mount William and Sapper Hill lie west of the capital. Due to their proximity to the capital, they were of strategic importance during the 1982 War. They were held by the Argentine 5th Naval Infantry Battalion, a reinforced, cold weather trained and equipped Marine battalion.
The Things They Carried (1990) is a collection of linked short stories by American novelist Tim O'Brien, about a platoon of American soldiers fighting on the ground in the Vietnam War. His third book about the war, it is based upon his experiences as a soldier in the 23rd Infantry Division.
The Invasion of the Falkland Islands, code-named Operation Rosario, was a military operation launched by Argentine forces on 2 April 1982, to capture the Falkland Islands, and served as a catalyst for the subsequent Falklands War. The Argentines mounted amphibious landings and the invasion ended with the surrender of Falkland Government House.
Charley's War was a British comic strip about the First World War, written by Pat Mills and drawn by Joe Colquhoun.
The cultural impact of the Falklands War spanned several media in both Britain and Argentina. A number of films and television productions emerged from the conflict. The first Argentine film about the war was Los chicos de la guerra in 1984. The BBC drama Tumbledown (1988) tells the story of a British officer paralysed from a bullet wound. The computer game Harrier Attack (1983) and the naval strategy game Strike Fleet (1987) are two examples of Falklands-related games. A number of fictional works were set during the Falklands War, including in Stephen King's novella The Langoliers (1990), in which the character Nick Hopewell is a Falklands veteran. The war provided a wealth of material for non-fiction writers; in the United Kingdom (UK) an important account became Max Hastings and Simon Jenkins' The Battle for the Falklands.
The 7th Infantry Regiment is a unit of the Argentine Army based at Arana, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. The unit's full official name is 7th "Coronel Conde" Mechanized Infantry Regiment, and it is part of the 1st Armored Brigade, 3rd Army Division.
Robert Alasdair Davidson Lawrence MC is a former British Army officer who was severely wounded while fighting in the Falklands War in 1982. He documented his experiences during and after the conflict in a book, co-written with his father, John Lawrence, entitled When the Fighting Is Over: A Personal Story of the Battle for Tumbledown Mountain and Its Aftermath. This was adapted into the controversial BBC television play Tumbledown in 1988.
Annie Kevans is an English artist who paints series of 'portraits' that explore sometimes controversial concepts and alternative histories. They are "portraits only in a loose sense... her works being a composite of existing images, research and imagination". Kevans has been described as "sensitive yet fearless, an artist who tackles controversial subjects head on". She was named number 19 in Harper's Bazaar magazine's "Forty Under 40" chart of hot new British talent and was named number 32 in New Woman magazine's "Brit Hit List" and was described as the "new Tracey Emin".
Mario Benjamin Menéndez was the Argentine governor of the Falklands during the 1982 Argentine occupation of the islands. He also served in the Argentine Army. Menéndez surrendered Argentine forces to Britain during the Falklands War.
Surgeon-Captain Richard Tadeusz Jolly OBE was a Royal Navy medical officer who served in the 1982 Falklands War and was later decorated by both the British and Argentine governments for his distinguished conduct during the conflict. He went on to practise and give lectures to medical establishments on his experiences. He was a co-founder, with Denzil Connick, of the South Atlantic Medal Association formed in 1997. He was also the only person to be decorated by both sides for his work in the Falklands War.
The Argentine Military Cemetery, Spanish: Cementerio de Darwin, is a military cemetery on East Falkland that holds the remains of 236 Argentine combatants killed during the 1982 Falklands War. It is located at Fish Creek to the east of the Darwin Settlement the location of the Battle of Goose Green. There is a replica of the cemetery at Berazategui in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.
Ian Philip Bailey, MM is a former British Army officer. As a corporal in 4 Platoon, B Company, 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, he won the Military Medal for bravery during the Falklands War of 1982. He later sold the medal for a record price.
The occupation of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands was the short-lived Argentine occupation of a group of British islands in the South Atlantic whose sovereignty has long been disputed by Argentina. Until their invasion on 2 April 1982 by the Argentine military junta, they had been governed by the United Kingdom since it re-established control over them in 1833.
Certain Personal Matters is an 1897 collection of essays selected by H. G. Wells from among the many short essays and ephemeral pieces he had written since 1893. The book consists of thirty-nine pieces ranging from about eight hundred to two thousand words in length. A one-shilling reprint was issued in 1901 by T. Fisher Unwin.
David Henry Spencer Morgan is a former British Royal Navy and Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot who flew on attachment to the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm during the Falklands War in 1982 where he became the most successful British fighter pilot of the conflict and was also involved in the last dogfight by British fighter pilots in which enemy aircraft were destroyed.
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