Get ready for Rhythm and Poetry, a showcase from Middle and Thumb, a newly‑formed collective of musicians, spoken‑word artists and sonic pioneers who specialise in bending genres, breaking expectations and throwing the kind of live event you feel in your gut.
This event is all about collision: beats meeting bars, riffs tangling with lyric, voices rising over rhythm until the whole room becomes part of the performance. Expect the kind of joyful, unpredictable energy that happens when artists build something fresh together.
With Middle & Thumb Collective: Chaka, Mercedes White, Solle, Lenzo, TSantana, Joshua O’Cathasaigh.
Held at the Chapels of Rest - South Chapel. Stroud Cemetery, Bisley Rd, Stroud GL5 1HJ.
This event is sponsored by First Thursday Painswick.
Chaka Tomalin-Hayles: Chaka is a multifaceted writer who began writing in poetry, often exploring darker themes and emotional crescendo. His work has transcended one medium, and alongside a successful music career he remains rooted in character driven narratives that are accessible and addictive.
Merce White: Mercedes White is a Gloucester-based writer with a background in poetry, theatre, music and sound design. She often writes about matters of the heart, subtle observation, and uses writing as a tool to express the textures of her inner world.
SollE (Nathan Solle): is a vocalist, producer and spoken word artist from Stroud, UK. As creative director of statesunder¡nspection, his work explores identity, memory and mental health through immersive live performance. He has performed at Womad, Bristol Beacon and Arnolfini, and was selected for the Roundhouse × Raise the Bar Poetry Slam from over 300 applicants.
Lenzo (Lekan): Lenzo, also known as Vexosiris, is a Gloucester-based multidisciplinary artist from San Diego creating dark, surreal worlds through poetry, storytelling, visual design, and music. Influenced by esoteric philosophy and Neo-Jungian thought, his work explores shadow integration, divinity, and rebirth. He authored Shadows of Source: The Waking Dream and creates sigilkore-inspired music under Vexosiris.
TSantana (Travon Powell): Spoken word artist and rapper born in Gloucester, his work spans poetry and music across different genres. He explores topics such as social inequality and injustice, bringing them together through thought-provoking and deeply personal stories.
Joshua O’Cathasaigh: Growing up surrounded by art, Joseph has always been fascinated by how and why we are moved by it. His writing draws from what inspires him. He writes from the soul about his community, our interconnected relationships, and what he feels is a natural extension of himself.
Get ready for Rhythm and Poetry, a showcase from Middle and Thumb, a newly‑formed collective of musicians, spoken‑word artists and sonic pioneers who specialise in bending genres, breaking expectations and throwing the kind of live event you feel in your gut.
This event is all about collision: beats meeting bars, riffs tangling with lyric, voices rising over rhythm until the whole room becomes part of the performance. Expect the kind of joyful, unpredictable energy that happens when artists build something fresh together.
With Middle & Thumb Collective: Chaka, Mercedes White, Solle, Lenzo, TSantana, Joshua O’Cathasaigh.
Held at the Chapels of Rest - South Chapel. Stroud Cemetery, Bisley Rd, Stroud GL5 1HJ.
This event is sponsored by First Thursday Painswick.
Chaka Tomalin-Hayles: Chaka is a multifaceted writer who began writing in poetry, often exploring darker themes and emotional crescendo. His work has transcended one medium, and alongside a successful music career he remains rooted in character driven narratives that are accessible and addictive.
Merce White: Mercedes White is a Gloucester-based writer with a background in poetry, theatre, music and sound design. She often writes about matters of the heart, subtle observation, and uses writing as a tool to express the textures of her inner world.
SollE (Nathan Solle): is a vocalist, producer and spoken word artist from Stroud, UK. As creative director of statesunder¡nspection, his work explores identity, memory and mental health through immersive live performance. He has performed at Womad, Bristol Beacon and Arnolfini, and was selected for the Roundhouse × Raise the Bar Poetry Slam from over 300 applicants.
Lenzo (Lekan): Lenzo, also known as Vexosiris, is a Gloucester-based multidisciplinary artist from San Diego creating dark, surreal worlds through poetry, storytelling, visual design, and music. Influenced by esoteric philosophy and Neo-Jungian thought, his work explores shadow integration, divinity, and rebirth. He authored Shadows of Source: The Waking Dream and creates sigilkore-inspired music under Vexosiris.
TSantana (Travon Powell): Spoken word artist and rapper born in Gloucester, his work spans poetry and music across different genres. He explores topics such as social inequality and injustice, bringing them together through thought-provoking and deeply personal stories.
Joshua O’Cathasaigh: Growing up surrounded by art, Joseph has always been fascinated by how and why we are moved by it. His writing draws from what inspires him. He writes from the soul about his community, our interconnected relationships, and what he feels is a natural extension of himself.
