Pieces of me: Gruff Rhys, musician

"In 2003 we played at the Rio Free Jazz ­festival. There wasn’t any free jazz, and nor is the festival free — it’s sponsored by a ­cigarette company called Free. They were very ­generous though. Most festivals give you a wristband, but they gave us licence plates." Photograph: Kiran Ridley/Kiran Ridley

"Victor Jara was a Chilean guitarist and songwriter killed during Pinochet’s regime. On September 12 1973 he was rounded up in a stadium, along with thousands of others, and his hands were chopped off so he couldn’t play guitar. He continued to sing, though, and they killed him. He’s an inspirational figure, and he gives me a sense of perspective on my own life." Photograph: Kiran Ridley/Kiran Ridley

"This owl is 6ft tall and it looks after my daughter in her bedroom. The eyes light up, which will not only scare off intruders but also works as a reading lamp" Photograph: Kiran Ridley/Kiran Ridley

"A friend gave this “Nuclear power? No thanks” badge to me. Now it’s ­evocative of another era, but the reality of nuclear power is stronger than ever. The government is trying to bring in new planning laws to allow the construction of ­nuclear projects without local consultation" Photograph: Kiran Ridley/Kiran Ridley

"Here is an interesting badge. It could mean keep left politically, which is a noble thing to do, or it could be applicable to traffic. Actually it is the name of a chain of shops in Japan." Photograph: Kiran Ridley/Kiran Ridley

"Caleb was always on TV when I was young, and he was like The Fonz — very cool — despite being a man in an anteater costume. Seeing him at a carnival in 1975 is my first memory" Photograph: Kiran Ridley/Kiran Ridley

"This is a plastic version of a cartoon character called Calimero, possibly of Italian origin, who is found all over the world. Rather like Jesus Christ or Karl Marx, he notices injustice everywhere. But being a cartoon character he doesn’t take himself seriously and this gives him more gravitas. I watched a Welsh ­language version of the cartoon as a kid" Photograph: Kiran Ridley/Kiran Ridley

"Here’s the Welsh national paper the morning after our victory over Italy. It united a nation in ecstasy and is the greatest football game I’ve ever seen. The Manic Street Preachers played before the game and Bryn Terfel sang the ­national anthem" Photograph: Kiran Ridley/Kiran Ridley

"This is one of the first singles I would have heard as I think it was my big sister’s record. Edward H Dafis were very popular among the Welsh-speaking rock community of the 70s. I also like the song Ar Y Ffordd (On the Road), a hard-hitting rock number about the joys of hitchhiking. It made me want to travel" Photograph: Kiran Ridley/Kiran Ridley

"This is a PT-80, and I’ve been touring with it for three or four years. It comes in handy with Neon Neon. It has fantastic 80s preset beats" Photograph: Kiran Ridley/Kiran Ridley

"I’ve been using this for solo shows. I won it playing darts in a fair. You spin it around your head and the air creates a note in the key of B. It’s much easier than playing a guitar" Photograph: Kiran Ridley/Kiran Ridley

"Here is my alter ego, Gruffzilla, who guards the house. He’s 20ft tall and cheaper than a dog" Photograph: Kiran Ridley/Kiran Ridley