| Rhymes Out of Town NationalSouth Birmingham CollegeDigbeth
This event represented a bold departure for “Rhymes” organisers, Rogue Play, who had imported non-Midlands poets to entertain, rather than concentrating on local talent. Artistically it paid off with four very different performers taking to the stage, compered by Lorna Meehan with her customary skill and poetic interjection. Brighton based Oliver Gozzard, used his book “The Commuters Tale”, a thriller in verse inspired by the life of Byron , in which a careworn commuter abandons his humdrum life to embark on a voyage of adventure with a rapper he meets on the train, as his centrepiece. The simple, rhythmic, rhyming verse was easy on the ear whether recounting his efforts to get a haircut like Byron, or his imagining of an illicit love affair inspired by the train Tannoy announcement, “Will the Guard Please Contact the Driver”. His wry, laconic delivery appears to have evolved by a process of osmosis from his daily rail commute to London, although I suspect that the sneakers he wore are not for the City. His poem about a cocaine snorting goat called Elvis was surreal, his reply to Wendy Copes’s “Bloody Men” entitled “Women” a little restrained. MC and poet, Jack Dean was born in Tooting, raised in the southwest UK, likes to wander all over the place telling stories of love, loneliness, nostalgia and midget porn ,and is a Hammer and Tongue Slam Champion. He currently calls Bath his home ,a location slightly incongruous with some of his material. I imagine that there is greater concern in Bath over the temperature of the Chablis than the “heat on the street”. “Moths” was by far his best poem in which his youthful, zestful performance best dovetailed with some very neat word play to maximum effect. “Selly Oak” reprised Oliver Gozzard’s railways theme. George Lewkowicz, aka “Superbard”, from London is a multi-media performer using some recorded music and sound effects to support his material. A strong performer with credits for appearances on “Newsnight”, “The Jeremy Vine Show” and Radio 4, he promised us his political set. BIG PICTURE The bankers jibes probably were a bit of a soft target, but his “Favourite Films” section was a tour de force. In Edinburgh he was the only storyteller to reach the Hammer & Tongue final, and that grasp of the big picture, and his desire to present it in an innovative way, shone through. Headliner Richard Frost from Milton Keynes is one of the most distinctive poets on the performance circuit. In the mould of Byron Vincent , he delivers a complete performance from which his poems emerge from amidst stories and apparent stage asides. This is considerably more difficult to pull off than it might sound, but Richard does it in style. Content includes the absurdity of signs saying that “this sign is not in use”, the trials and tribulations of being a Dad in “Weekend Dad” ,and the symmetry between gerbil socialization and that of humans in his most accomplished piece. Not only does he use repetition of phrases like “nature is a great teacher”, “the only permanence is change” and “All things must pass” ( no obvious George Harrison connection) within poems , he also reprises them in between other poems, and sometimes within them! It was a hugely satisfying, relaxed performance which rounded the evening off splendidly. Rhymes plays again on 18th May, check the Facebook page for venue details. 16-03-11 Gary Longden |
| Tiger TigerBloxwich Library Theatre A splendid evening in aid of the “Born Free” charity whose patron, Virginia McKenna,OBE, sent a generous message of support.
Organised by local writer Helen Calcutt, the event featured several poets from across the Midlands at this excellent venue. The serendipity of World Book Night falling on the same day meant that there were numerous free books available too. Richard Bonfield, Born Free’s Poet in Residence headlined with both passionate poems in praise of the tiger, and a fascinating insight into the Charity’s work, including the involvement of fellow sixties glamour girls Alexandra Bastedo, and scourge of Labour Ministers, Joanna Lumley. Although the evening was tiger themed, poets entertained with a range of work, some loosely connected others just worthy, or amusing, in their own right. Jenny Hope took an arboreal tangent, Ruth Stacey was inspired by her children and Lucy Jeynes mischievously borrowed Charlie Sheen’s tiger twitter status to lead us through a contemporary and very funny romp. Prize for dedication to the cause definitely goes to David Calcutt who produced a sequenced quartet of tiger poems starting with a childhood dream, Jacqui Rowe made a customarily refined contribution, some of which will be available in metal engraving, whilst Julie Boden drew on her own significant body of work to offer tiger poems and pieces on crows and bears! Janet Smith stood out with two poems, the first, “Owl” is a clever and powerful composition with only one polysyllabic word in it. Janet delights in efficiency in her work and excels at producing the maximum energy from the sparsest of words. “Owl” is a case study in how to say more with less. She also gave her prize winning poem “Between You and Me” its first public airing – it did not disappoint. Helen Calcutt remarked that to her surprise the quantum of poetic contributions had far exceeded the Art contributions. The range, variety, quality and differing interpretations of the theme of the evening were a tribute to the power of the spoken word. 05-03-11 Gary Longden |
Cafe Metro, Bilston
Bilston Voices provides a platform for local poets to perform their work, yet such is its reputation that performers and audience are drawn from far and wide.MC Emma Purshouse invariably combines established and emerging talent. Tonight was no exception at a full Cafe.
Elaine Hickman-Luter was a strong opener who was clearly prepared to suffer for her art. Although restricted by a broken arm in a sling, she employed the cricketing equivalent of a “batsman’s runner” to turn her pages for her in a very diverse set.
It encompassed the pastoral with “The Trees”, the whimsical with “Moving to Mars” ,and the humorous with “The Friendly Elf”. Her stand-out piece though was “Tapestries of Time”, a reflection on Dudley Castle which evocatively embraced that castle’s resilience over the centuries. Her craft, honed with Dudley Writers, showed.
By contrast Ness Tobin was performing for only the second time, but what she lacked in experience she made up for with charm , brio, and lots of short poems.. She has a verite style telling of everyday life, a poetic Lilly Allen of sorts, swinging from the incidental “Rich Boys” one minute to the altogether darker “The Child Who Never Was” the next. Her quick-fire delivery was enjoyed by all.
FULL OF CHARACTER
The first half was closed by Peter Hill, stalwart of both Bilston Voices and City Voices in Wolverhampton. Peter opted for two long pieces which were both full of character, and entertaining.
The first told of the shortcomings of the “Three Billy Goats Gruff” fable, the second of his wife’s enthusiasm for painting things which had resulted in his having a pink garden bench! Peter’s manner is that of a skilled raconteur and his material close to monologue in parts offering a welcome change of pace before the break.
The first of the two second half performers was Silvia Millward of Bilston Writers who opted for quite diverse material. Her best was “Eels and Minnows” a tale of childhood camping in the Lake District.
Fond, faithful and persona,l it had an elegiac quality to it, which combined the specifics of her experience, yet reached out to us all, in a very effective poem. Her strength lies in some striking imagery. Camping they were as “fearful as minnows in a bucket”, in “Red White & Blue” the young soldier’s widow had “mascara as thick as tar”.
Top of the bill was Simon Lee performing from “Tales of the Half Expected”. A seasoned performer, Simon veered from the knockabout crowd pleasing material about bankers, superheroes and his inability to dance to altogether weightier matters. It is the eternal dilemma of the Performance Poet. Almost all have work of substance to share, yet an audience is there to be entertained as well finding the balance is fiendishly difficult. His best two poems were his serious ones, ”I want to See Poetry” and “The Waiting Game”, the latter an agonising, baleful take on the “Time waits for no-one” theme. Nonetheless, his set closing “I Want More Moore” a fond celebration of Sir Patrick Moore’s fifty year stargazing career was a guaranteed winner – and so it proved.
Bilston Voices meets on the last Thursday of each month at the Metro Cafe, Church St, Bilston, next meeting 31/3/11. It is not open mic, to take part contact Simon Fletcher, simonfletcher@wolverhampton.gov.uk 24-02-11
Gary Longden
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