Judging this film forty eight years after release requires some care. In 1964 it pandered to the escapism that cinema goers still relished, echoed days of colonial glory which were rapidly fading and offered a glimpse of the exotic before foreign travel and mass television made it accessible. The core triumvirate of actors, Anthony Quayle, Sylvia Syms and Derek Fowlds are strong supported by child star Jenny Agutter.
Chaos in Sudan is not new to 21st century audiences as Quayle does battle with Dervish hordes from the 19th century. The plot is a formulaic one, Quayle as Private Baker escapes a native assault and helps the upmarket Simms to escape. This provides for chase sequences and encounters with various wild animals including snakes, rhinos and elephants – it’s pretty much like walking though a zoo.
The problem is that not only is the plot formulaic and laborious, but the sets are studio ones, with excessive use of archive and stock footage (some from The Four Feathers)that require considerable suspension of disbelief. As a drama it fails. As entertainment at the time, it probably did the job. Quayle was a massive star at the time with HMS Defiant, The Guns of Navarone, and Lawrence of Arabia under his belt when he made the film, Sylvia Syms was an established love interest and has had a distinguished career which has lasted till this day, most recently as the Queen Mother in The Queen. Fowlds went on to considerable television success in Yes Minister and Heartbeat. Director Nathan Juran had a solid but unspectacular career having some success with sci-fi movies but also trying his hand at Western’s and fantasy with Sinbad. There is nothing in his work on this film which is of note.
Two locations have inspired me recently. The first is a prison I visited,the second is a community cafe.The following poems reflect those two experiences:
Reverie
If you close your eyes
You are not there
The air can smell sweet
Drawn by puffed lungs
Unencumbered
Dreams can unpick locked doors
And scale the highest fences
You stroll unnoticed along empty beaches
Consumed by a hazy horizon
Smouldering kisses, not rage, unleashed
In desperate embrace
With lids tightly shut
Bare glare is lost
Struggle won
Sunk, hunched and broken
In limp despair
If you close your eyes
You are not there
Reverie- Version
If you close your eyes
The air can smell sweet
Drawn by puffed lungs
Unencumbered
Dreams can unpick locked doors
In unfettered abandon
You stroll unnoticed along empty beaches
Consumed by a hazy horizon
Smouldering kisses, not rage, unleashed
In desperate embrace
With lids tightly shut
Bare glare is lost
Sunk, hunched, in silent prayer
If you close your eyes
You are not there
Cafe Ort
Where ink once mixed in chemical alchemy
Folk and ideas now flow
They come and go
In babbling chatter
Of this and that
Of what does and doesn’t matter
Some talk of Plato
Others of Descartes
Or come just to think
But not of ink, anymore
To pontificate, about who or what they rated
Whilst hunger and thirst are satisfyingly sated
Did the Sexy Weirdos live up to their name last night?
Was Johnny Kowalski a bit of alright?
The following poem is one I wrote on the day and is featured as the introductory voice-over.
Ort cafe
Where ink once mixed in chemical alchemy
Folk and ideas now flow
They come and go
In babbling chatter
Of this and that
Of what does and doesn’t matter
Some talk of Plato
Others of Descartes
Or come just to think
But not of ink, anymore
To pontificate, about who or what they rated
Whilst hunger and thirst are satisfyingly sated
Did the Sexy Weirdos live up to their name last night?
Was Johnny Kowalski a bit of alright?
Or did he pass beyond vanishing point?
The Ort cafe is part of the Old Print Works occupying a space previously given over to ink mixing. The building includes 30+ business units for skilled professionals creating fine crafted goods, open access workshop and performance spaces, the cafe itself, a massive gallery hall for exhibitions and community events, as well as a Skills Shed for after school training, apprenticeships and practical hands-on learning sessions for young people. Local older volunteers are encouraged to exchange their skills with others. This innovative development is taking place at the old factory of a successful printing company, which stands almost opposite the historic swimming baths. A major focus of The Old Print Works is preserving and celebrating its history whilst demonstrating that old buildings can be rehabilitated through intermediate technologies for low-carbon and sustainable use.
This one off event was a poetry first at a cafe that has only been open since November but which is awash with innovation and activity. Write down Speak Up is Birmingham’s leading poetry collective and arrived to bring a suitably innovative event comprising performances from the three visiting poets, and take audio visual recordings of audience contributions to the Big Brum Poem, a compilation of community offerings from across the city being displayed on Victoria Square’s Big Screen throughout the year. Poet and national and Regional DJ Charlie Jordan tantalised by imagining various market foods as parts of the male body, Kurly McGeachie made everyone Smile as the pro-poets set the mood.
A very good turn-out elicited contributions from established poetic talents like Elizabeth Charis, Lizzy Piphany, Shabz Ahmed and Chris Akers – as well as several exciting new ones including saxophonist Jo from up and coming local band “The Heels.” The pro poets inspired, and the enthusiastic audience followed. A steady stream of latent poetic talent declared itself as the afternoon unfolded including Mums whose rhyming skills had been reawakened by reciting nursery rhymes and lapsed or hidden talent that had simply not had the opportunity to have a go previously. Keep an eye open on the Big Screen for when the Ort Cafe and its audience and their contributions are featured.
The cafe itself is an excellent venue for poetry and co-owners, and philosophy graduates, Richi, Josephine and Noemi are keen for it to be used more widely as such. An incredibly diverse bill of events which takes in maths classes, language coaching, theatre, philosophy, film, sewing and a Swap Shop provides a bohemian arty audience and ambience well suited to things poetic. Add freshly cooked and baked food and a range of reasonably priced drinks and you have a resipe for success.
For future events Ort Cafe has its own website:www.ortcafe.co.uk and is on Facebook under Ort Cafe and The Old Print Works.
Gary Longden 11/2/12
Saturday 11th Feb Music of the Spheres, the Wattlewood Room at St John’s Museum, Warwick, CV34 4NF.1.30-4.00pm, £16.00 Nine Arches Press, These workshops, based in the tranquil surroundings of the Wattlewood Room at St John’s Museum in Warwick, are designed for all levels of experience and aim to increase your confidence in your poetry writing skills. Each workshop covers a range of topics and themes to inspire and fire your imagination, and also introduces poetic forms, techniques and methods.
The workshops provide support and encouragement with the redrafting process of the poems you create, with advice from two experienced editors, poets and workshop tutors, Jane Commane and Matt Nunn of Nine Arches Press. http://www.ninearchespress.com/workshops.html
Feb 19th Sun Mark Gonzales, The Hub, Birmingham.
Masterclass – Wage Beauty: Creative language as defense, affirmation and innovation of humanity
Time: 10am – 4pm
Venue: The Hubb, 9a Stoney Lane, Balsall Heath, B12 8DL
Price: £25 |
An Evening with Mark Gonzales (Performance)
Time: 7:00pm – 9:30pm
Venue: The Hubb, 9a Stoney Lane, Balsall Heath, B12 8DL
Price: £10 |
The Birmingham tour is organised in association with Soul City Arts.
Feb 19th Sun, Learn, Eat, Perform, Poetry Workshop with Ben Mellor, at Worcester Arts Workshop,11.00am till 3.00pm £7 in: More Information About Ben Mellor.
BBC Radio 4 National Slam Champion 2009, Ben is a writer, performer and educator who has performed his work nationally and internationally at venues and events including Contact Theatre, the Edinburgh Fringe, Latitude Festival, the RSC’s New Work Festival and Kathmandu International Theatre Festival.He was Commonword’s poet-in-residence after winning the Dike Omeje Slam Poetry Award. He presented his first solo theatre show, Voices of Dissent, in 2008 and plans to tour the piece nationally by bicycle. Ben is also a founder member of new spoken word collective, Pen-ultimate, whose debut show, A Night On The Tiles, was a sellout success in Manchester and will tour nationally in 2010/11. Ben is an experienced workshop facilitator and has delivered educational programmes to diverse groups including young offenders and adult mental health survivors. His workshop interests include creative writing (poetry, lyrics, scripts and stories), drama and performance skills, basic beat-boxing and theatre of the oppressed.www.moksha-arts.org
ENTRY FEE AND HOW TO PAY, This workshop costs £6.00 in advance of the event or £7.00 on the door of the event. Please visit http://www.worcslitfest.com to pay in advance using paypal. Eat – share lunch with other like-minded poets and budding poets, while sharing hints and tips. Perform – put into practice what you have learnt by reading your poetry to a group for feedback.
Thurs 23rd Carving Out the Poem, Victoria PH, Birmingham City Centre : 4pm-5.30pm When our life experience suggests that celebration always comes laced with a hint of melancholy, and joy is a border that surrounds sorrow; how can we construct poems that acknowledge a complicated and dynamic world? How do we avoid writing that only does one thing, and performances that transform us into caricatures?
Touring American poets Jon Sands and Ken Arkind will hold a one-off workshop at the Victoria before featuring at Hit the Ode on the same night. Here’s what they had to say: “In this workshop, we will explore tangible ways to reveal a 3-dimensional view of our poems. Bring a notebook, pen, and a sense of adventure as we take our art to the edge of the universe, and bring back proof that we’ve been there.”
There is a suggested donation of £5.
Note that clicking “attending” does not guarantee a place. Contact bohdan@applesandsnakes.org to reserve yours.
Saturday 25th February Feast of the Senses, the Wattlewood Room at St John’s Museum, Warwick, CV34 4NF.1.30-4.00pm, £16.00 Nine Arches Press, These workshops, based in the tranquil surroundings of the Wattlewood Room at St John’s Museum in Warwick, are designed for all levels of experience and aim to increase your confidence in your poetry writing skills. Each workshop covers a range of topics and themes to inspire and fire your imagination, and also introduces poetic forms, techniques and methods.
The workshops provide support and encouragement with the redrafting process of the poems you create, with advice from two experienced editors, poets and workshop tutors, Jane Commane and Matt Nunn of Nine Arches Press. http://www.ninearchespress.com/workshops.html
Mar 3rd Sat, Environmental Poetry workshop at the Art Gallery, Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton. 11am-1pm with Jane Seabourne & Nick Pearson. Meet in the Gathering Space. Tickets £10/£7. For further info ring Jane on 01902 757863 http://www.offaspress.co.uk/events/
Saturday 3rd March Poetry Day School – Exploring Poetic Form the Wattlewood Room at St John’s Museum, Warwick, CV34 4NF,10.00am – 4.00pm. £35.00 (includes a sandwich lunch) Nine Arches Press, These workshops, based in the tranquil surroundings of the Wattlewood Room at St John’s Museum in Warwick, are designed for all levels of experience and aim to increase your confidence in your poetry writing skills. Each workshop covers a range of topics and themes to inspire and fire your imagination, and also introduces poetic forms, techniques and methods.
The workshops provide support and encouragement with the redrafting process of the poems you create, with advice from two experienced editors, poets and workshop tutors, Jane Commane and Matt Nunn of Nine Arches Press. http://www.ninearchespress.com/workshops.html
Sunday 11th March, Derbyshire Stanza 12noon-3pm, at The Brunswick Inn (real ale pub, no car park), 1 Railway Terrace, Derby, DE1 2RU. It is a couple of minutes walk from Derby railway station. The meeting will include a writing exercise, poetry reading and a critiquing session of poems-in-progress inspired by the month of March (bring 10 copies of poem). All poets welcome. More information from alisonriley777@btinternet.com.
Mar 17th Sat Half Moon Walking and Writing Workshop, Stratford Upon Avon, with David Calcutt:11am-2pm, £10/£8, Join is on next month’s walking a writing workshop with playwright, novelist and poet David Calcutt in the beautiful and historical setting of Strafford upon Avon.
The walk will take place along the banks of the River Avon where it runs through the town, passing the chain ferry, Holy Trinity Church on the opposite bank, the weirs and to Mill Bridge. Writers will make their way back past the church, through the stunning Avonbank Gardens.
The walk will last one hour, with note-taking on sights and sounds of interest, and a writing exercise along the way. Writers will then gather at a local pub or café for refreshments, lunch, a further writing exercise, and writing.
This workshop is Shakespeare themed, and each writer is asked to bring with them a single line from one of Shakespeare’s plays or poems, that has resonance for the writer, and which will feed into the writer’s own work.Walk: Easy http://www.artsjobs.org.uk/arts-news/post/half-moon-walking-and-writing-workshop-stratford-upon-avon/
Saturday 17th March Poetry & Emotion, the Wattlewood Room at St John’s Museum, Warwick, CV34 4NF.1.30-4.00pm, £16.00 Nine Arches Press, These workshops, based in the tranquil surroundings of the Wattlewood Room at St John’s Museum in Warwick, are designed for all levels of experience and aim to increase your confidence in your poetry writing skills. Each workshop covers a range of topics and themes to inspire and fire your imagination, and also introduces poetic forms, techniques and methods.
The workshops provide support and encouragement with the redrafting process of the poems you create, with advice from two experienced editors, poets and workshop tutors, Jane Commane and Matt Nunn of Nine Arches Press. http://www.ninearchespress.com/workshops.html
Tues 20th MarPerformance, Poetry & Pizazz workshop,Boars Head,39 Worcester Street, DY101EW Kidderminster, 7pm-9.30pm:Brewers’ Troupe,Performance poetry workshop, with, Emma Purshouse & Heather Wastie,Find your voice, develop your stage presence, give your poetry pizazz!
An opportunity to create pieces of poetry that might work on stage and explore ways of delivering your work to best effect. Friendly advice on performance techniques and informal feedback about the way you deliver your work. Bring a short poem of your own which you think would work well presented on stage (as opposed to simply read aloud), a notebook and pen. We will use the pub as inspiration and offer priority open mic at a special,“Mouth and Music” event at the same venue on Tuesday 10th April
Quotes from people who attended our last workshop:
“Inspirational!” “Blown away by your workshop.” “Brilliant … run with warmth, good sense & good humour” “Very helpful feedback. Much appreciated!”
Sunday 25th March , Creative Writing Workshop with Naomi Alderman Gladstone’s Library,Church Lane,Hawarden,Flintshire,CH5 3DF10.30am – 4.30pmWriting Convincing Dialogue Naomi Alderman will guide you through practical exercises and readings, to refine your ability to write convincing dialogue in fiction and to understand the many layers of meaning that occur during even the most simple conversation.
Cost £25 includes brunch and afternoon tea
http://www.st-deiniols.com/courses/
Tuesdays 27 March to 15 May, “From Idea to Publication” Lighthouse, Fryer St, Wolverhampton, 6pm-8.30pm
Cost: £100. Book your place by calling 01902 716055
There is a phenomenal demand for creative writing tutoring – many people wish to write, but don’t know where to start. Others want to revisit their writing having lost the creative spark. This course gives students all the grounding they need artistically and creatively, as well as encouraging them to think in terms of publication and long-term success.
More info:
FROM IDEA TO PUBLICATION
This eight-week creative writing course gives you all the tools you need to discover your writing talent, explore what makes a great story and all the information you need to get your story out there with an agent and a publisher. With a host of practical exercises and helpful advice, this course is ideal for anyone just getting interested in writing or experienced scribes looking for a refresher course.
Lesson 1: Building Blocks of Writing
How to develop strong plots and character
Lesson 2: Description
Setting up effective mood and atmosphere
Lesson 3: Forms of writing
How to write good short stories, novellas and novels
Lesson 4: Editing your work
How to improve your work through drafting and rewriting
Lesson 5: Getting it ‘out there’
How to find – and sell your work to – magazines and anthologies
Lesson 6: Agents and the first book
How to research and submit your work to a literary agent
Lesson 7: Dealing with publishers
What to expect from your publishing house, and good publicity practice
Lesson 8: Making a living
Making the most of your writing and other avenues of work http://light-house.co.uk/featured/2012/01/creative-writing-at-light-house/
Saturday 31st March Poetry & Science the Wattlewood Room at St John’s Museum, Warwick, CV34 4NF.1.30-4.00pm, £16.00 Nine Arches Press, These workshops, based in the tranquil surroundings of the Wattlewood Room at St John’s Museum in Warwick, are designed for all levels of experience and aim to increase your confidence in your poetry writing skills. Each workshop covers a range of topics and themes to inspire and fire your imagination, and also introduces poetic forms, techniques and methods.
The workshops provide support and encouragement with the redrafting process of the poems you create, with advice from two experienced editors, poets and workshop tutors, Jane Commane and Matt Nunn of Nine Arches Press. http://www.ninearchespress.com/workshops.html
Saturday 14th April ,Stories in Verse, the Wattlewood Room at St John’s Museum, Warwick, CV34 4NF.1.30-4.00pm, £16.00
Nine Arches Press, These workshops, based in the tranquil surroundings of the Wattlewood Room at St John’s Museum in Warwick, are designed for all levels of experience and aim to increase your confidence in your poetry writing skills. Each workshop covers a range of topics and themes to inspire and fire your imagination, and also introduces poetic forms, techniques and methods.
The workshops provide support and encouragement with the redrafting process of the poems you create, with advice from two experienced editors, poets and workshop tutors, Jane Commane and Matt Nunn of Nine Arches Press. http://www.ninearchespress.com/workshops.html
Sunday 27th May Creative Writing Workshop with Stella Duffy Gladstone’s Library,Church Lane,Hawarden,Flintshire,CH5 3DF 10.30am – 4,30pm,Inspiration for the Application – Stella will teach a writing workshop using improvisation and theatre techniques to inspire, kick-start, open and excite your work. A firm believer in doing rather than talking, in work rather than talking about work, she will offer a day’s worth of tools to get you started, keep you going, and help you get your work out there.
Cost £25 includes brunch and afternoon tea
http://www.st-deiniols.com/courses/
Mon 4th June-9th Arvon Poetry Course, The Hurst, Shropshire.£655 week.The shape a poem takes can greatly affect its impact and meaning. In this course we’ll focus on the structure as well as the language of your poems, examining poetic form in the broadest sense, including free verse and experimental structures. You’ll be encouraged to play with forms old and new, fixed and organic, rhymed and unrhymed, and to invent novel forms of your own.
Tutors:
Jane Yeh’s book Marabou was shortlisted for the Whitbread Poetry Award, the Forward Prize for Best First Collection, and the Jerwood Aldeburgh First Collection Prize. Her next collection is published in November 2012.
Carol Rumens has published 15 collections of poetry, most recently De Chirico’s Threads. She writes the Poem of the Week column for The Guardian Books Blog and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Guest David Wheatley has published four collections of poetry, most recently A Nest on the Waves.
Surrounded by Housman’s ‘blue remembered hills’, and featuring three 18th century buildings, thirty acres of lush woodland and a spring-fed lake, The Hurst is the perfect place to lose yourself in words.
The centre has 10 single rooms and three shared rooms. There are five computers and three printers. The Hurst has hearing induction loops in all public meeting places. The main work/living space is fully accessible and has a lift, and a mobility scooter is available. The centre can accommodate a personal assistant.
Fri 8th June -Sun 10th Room to Write with Spiel Unlimited Ceridwen, Wales:Fancy time away freeing up your creative juices with like-minded people? Want to pick up a pen, let your imagination wander, cast your words to the winds? Ever thought of treating yourself to a writing weekend?
Ceridwen is all about inspiration. Here you will enjoy fabulous food, cheerful companionship, spectacular scenery, and workshops that entertain, engage and exhilarate – giving you the space to create. Invention. Expression. Freedom.
Whether your interest is in poetry, prose or performance, each course will provide opportunities for you to explore and expand your writing skills. Liven up lines, pep up paragraphs, stanza and deliver. Take part in a variety of exercises, discussions, readings, tutorials, group sessions, games, walks and other adventures to stretch both brain and body!
The courses will be delivered by writers Marcus Moore and Sara-Jane Arbury, who return to Ceridwen for a fourth year, following the success of their previous Room to Write, More Room to Write and Gift of the Gab weekends. Sara-Jane and Marcus work together as Spiel Unlimited. She directs the voices off programme for Cheltenham Literature Festival, has toured nationally as a performer in the Bloodaxe production of Staying Alive, and was recently Herefordshire’s first writer-in-residence. Marcus has written Call My Bluff scripts for the BBC, had poems published by Macmillan, and run countless workshops in schools, libraries and prisons.Courses run from 5pm Friday to 5pm Sunday.
£195 all inclusive (accommodation, meals, refreshments and tuition).To book or find out more, contact Marcus on 01285 640470 or 07814 830031 or email john.marcus.moore@gmail.com.
Sunday 23rd September, Gladstone’s Library,Church Lane,Hawarden,Flintshire,CH5 3DF Creative Writing Workshop with Nadene Ghouri, 10.30am – 4.30pm,The art of writing memoir. From personal memoir to ghost-writing and biography. What makes a good memoir?
Cost £25 includes brunch and afternoon tea
http://www.st-deiniols.com/courses/
Friday 28thSept – Sun 30th SeptRoom to Write with Spiel Unlimited Ceridwen, Wales:Fancy time away freeing up your creative juices with like-minded people? Want to pick up a pen, let your imagination wander, cast your words to the winds? Ever thought of treating yourself to a writing weekend?
Ceridwen is all about inspiration. Here you will enjoy fabulous food, cheerful companionship, spectacular scenery, and workshops that entertain, engage and exhilarate – giving you the space to create. Invention. Expression. Freedom.
Whether your interest is in poetry, prose or performance, each course will provide opportunities for you to explore and expand your writing skills. Liven up lines, pep up paragraphs, stanza and deliver. Take part in a variety of exercises, discussions, readings, tutorials, group sessions, games, walks and other adventures to stretch both brain and body!
The courses will be delivered by writers Marcus Moore and Sara-Jane Arbury, who return to Ceridwen for a fourth year, following the success of their previous Room to Write, More Room to Write and Gift of the Gab weekends. Sara-Jane and Marcus work together as Spiel Unlimited. She directs the voices off programme for Cheltenham Literature Festival, has toured nationally as a performer in the Bloodaxe production of Staying Alive, and was recently Herefordshire’s first writer-in-residence. Marcus has written Call My Bluff scripts for the BBC, had poems published by Macmillan, and run countless workshops in schools, libraries and prisons.Courses run from 5pm Friday to 5pm Sunday.
£195 all inclusive (accommodation, meals, refreshments and tuition).To book or find out more, contact Marcus on 01285 640470 or 07814 830031 or email john.marcus.moore@gmail.com.
There are rail connections to London, Wales, the North, and South West England from Craven Arms station, eight miles away. http://www.arvonfoundation.org/1/Home
Thursday 8th November Creative Writing Workshop with Ian Parks Gladstone’s Library,Church Lane,Hawarden,Flintshire,CH5 3DF,10.30am – 4.30pm
From Blank Page to Poem: The Writing Process. Arrive with an empty notebook and go home with a poem. This workshop is aimed at anyone who wants to experience the writing process first-hand. From initiating the first few words to polishing the final poem, this workshop will get beginners started and offer those who write already a different way of approaching poetry.
Cost £25.00 includes brunch and afternoon tea
http://www.st-deiniols.com/courses/
Thursday 15th November Creative Writing Workshop with Ian Parks, Gladstone’s Library,Church Lane,Hawarden,Flintshire,CH5 3DF6-9.30pm Stories in Verse: Writing Narrative Poetry – What is the difference between a short story and a narrative poem? How do we set about telling a story in verse? This workshop examines the nature of narrative poetry and suggests some practical approaches to writing it.
Cost £10
http://www.st-deiniols.com/courses/
I am always doubtful of those who claim to like the full body of a great artist’s catalogue. For me the process of creating a great body of work involves exploring, sometimes turning back and sometimes failing. I have followed Tom Petty’s career from his first album, seeing him twice in the early years. Despite him having eschewed UK tours for the past two decades I have followed his work closely. The Live Anthology is an excellent way for fans living outside of the United States to catch up on what we have been missing. I confess to holding a mild grudge against Tom for deserting the country which recognised him first, and gave him his first significant commercial success!
On the face of it Tom came to the UK at the worst possible time, when Punk was breaking and the mob was assembling to storm the barricades of bloated flaccid musical self indulgence, so why did he find a place in the hearts of UK music fans when the absurd pomposity of rock generally, and US rock in particular, was being binned? His eponymous first album musically was trad rock, at the opposite end of the spectrum to what was happening in London and the backstreets of New York. The leather jacket on the album cover art the only nod to the emerging scene. But it did have one classic song on it (arguably his only cross-over hit and still his signature song) “American Girl” and that drew attention even though it was against the flow of the UK musical tide. Closer inspection reveals two other songs which are live staples 36 years on, “Breakdown” and “The Wild One”, a balance of strong material, and only one, “Mystery Man “ which has disappeared without trace. In retrospect, it was a stronger debut than was apparent at the time.
When the second album “You’re Gonna Get It” was released, the punk mob had stormed the barricades and taken over. Yet somehow Petty’s PR team stayed ahead of the game, moody black and blue cover art, an aggressive title, and a quasi-punk single, “I Need To Know”, all angular guitars, a catchy hook and under two and half minutes, were enough to get a pass from the New Music Commissars. Eleven of the songs on his first two albums were under three minutes, that met not only contemporary mores, they also reprised the snappy concise early rock n roll , Elvis Presley and Beatles songs that he grew up with.
Playing in front of 100,000 people with only two albums behind you is a daunting prospect, but that is exactly what I saw the band do, supporting Genesis at Knebworth, on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Of course by that time various incarnations of the band had been playing together for a decade so in truth this was a far more seasoned act than might have been assumed – and it showed. A festival setting and a 40 minute slot showed that the fleshed out versions of “Fooled Again” and “Breakdown” were far more representative of what the band were about than the short staccato album cuts. It was their coming of age as an international act, they showed that they had the material, skill and brio to handle whatever rock n roll was going to throw at them.
Some eighteen months later I caught them again at the Hammersmith Odeon in London on the “Damn the Torpedoes” tour which showed them in their true colours. The Punk tide had ebbed to allow a far more diverse New Wave to emerge in the UK. All punk paraphernalia was forgotten, instead we saw them in their true colours, a very good rock band with a strong canon of material. “Refugee” stood out as an instant cult classic. This time only one song was under three minutes, older material was fleshed out and the trademark 12 string jangling guitar sound, a feature of “American Girl” came to the fore, as did their debt to the Byrds. Yet I cannot say they were original, groundbreaking or cutting edge, their skill was in assimilating the sounds of others, and perfecting it, an art which has held them in good stead ever since. Live Petty is a great band leader, but not a great front man.
It is only when I saw Bogdanovic’s Heartbreaker’s documentary ,“Runnin’ Down a dream” that Petty’s place in the history of Rock, and his debt to others, became apparent. “Anything That’s Rockn Roll’s Fine” is a poor pastiche of the Rolling Stone’s “I Know it’s Only Rock n Roll”, “Refugee” a clever reheat of Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” and none of Petty’s best love songs can match the joy of neil Youngs “When You dance” or “Only Love Can Break Your Heart”. Yet although he can never emulate his heroes at their best he can work their themes as well as anyone, and better than most. The Anthology reveals Petty at his happiest covering others , from “Goldfinger” through “Oh Well” to “Something in the Air”. Previously “Needles and Pins”, “Cmon Everybody”, “Route 66” and “Shout” had been committed to vinyl with versions that outshone their original incarnations. Yet in reverse, for an artist with such a massive body of recording he is curiously little covered by other artists.
The last time I saw him live was in London in 87 supporting Bob Dylan, and then acting as Dylan’s backing band, first support was Roger Mcguinn. In perfect symmetry , Petty duetted with Mcguinn on Dylan’s “Tambourine Man “, then backed Dylan on “Like a Rolling Stone”. The superstar collective “The Travelling Wilbury’s epitomised Petty’s ability to hold his own , and synthesise with, musical greats like Harrison, Lynne, Dylan and Orbison without ever dominating. He got the best out of everyone, which is what he has always done with the hugely talented Heartbreakers.
The Live Anthology works because it isn’t a greatest hits collection, nor is it chronological, it simply picks out highlights from thirty years of live concerts, but without the “Sixth Heartbreaker” – Stevie Nicks. And there are some terrific moments. “Refugee” is faithful and grand, “Woman in Love” and “It’s Good to be King” a combined eighteen minutes of aural heaven with Benmont Tench’s keyboard work quite sublime, elevating him to Roy Bittan status
The song choices are fine, althoughI would have loved to see “Too Much Ain’t Enough” in place of the crass “Century City” and space found for the wonderful “Casa “Dega”.At some four hours, it still isn’t long enough and confirms through song quality, performance and longevity, that Petty is up there with Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen in the pantheon of US Rock Greats. It also explains his lack of cross-over classics, his songs take the very best from what you have already heard, and presents them in a familiar and appealing form. Petty would have killed to have written “Street Fighting Man”, “Sweet Home Alabama”, “Fire” ,“Only Love Can Break Your Heart”” or “If You See her say Hello”, but it is not in his nature. Instead we are left with a man who by a process of osmosis, and with consummate skill, has come to represent the best of what American music has had to offer over six decades , rather than be the personification of it. This four disc set is a pretty representative slice of that legacy.
This was the inaugural evening of what is to be a monthly event which Behind the Arras was pleased to support. Normally to be an open mic, the first evening was launched by Liz Lefroy and Vuyelwa Carwin. Although Shropshire is quite well served by storytelling evenings, poetry hitherto has been a little thinner on the ground. Wilfred Owen is a past resident, so a resurrection of the poetic tradition in the town is not before time.
The Shrewsbury Coffeehouse itself is a good venue, centrally situated in Castle Gates by the castle with car parks a short walk away. It is licensed as well as selling the usual range of coffee, teas and cakes with a rustic, welcoming ambience offering a good reception facility. The poetry itself is held downstairs in a dedicated room, accessible but private, as the upstairs still functions normally whilst the poetry takes place downstairs.
Liz Lefroy lead the evening in some style. She lectures in Social Care at Glyndwr University in Wrexham. Her pamphlet Pretending the Weather ,published by Long Face Press, won the Roy Fisher Prize for Poetry and is endorsed by both Carol Ann Duffy and Gillian Clarke. Although she lives in Shrewsbury she is studying for an MA in Creative Writing at Keele University. She opened the evening by commenting on the recent Geoffrey Hill v Carol Ann Duffy spat, tactfully opining that Poets were not renowned for being team players whilst also praising the qualities of Mills and Boon writing, which lead nicely into an airing for her freshly composed Team Players upon which the ink had barely dried that day.
I had travelled specifically to hear Liz and was not disappointed. The School Concert was a beautiful hymn to her son, Leaving told of the familiar desire in all of us sometimes to run away from work, My Ambiguous Relationship with Rain her tour de force. A strong spoken performer of her own work, her writing is economic and stylish, accessible but clever. She read nothing from her prize winning pamphlet which is a testament to the depth of her portfolio, and a treat yet to come.
The headlining poet was Vuyelwa Carlin who was born in South Africa,, brought up in Uganda, and has lived for many years now in Shropshire – Vuyelwa means ‘rejoicing at the birth of a girl’ in Xhosa . Her poems have appeared in literary journals and anthologies in the UK and abroad. She has published four poetry collections to date and has won prizes in both the Cardiff and National Poetry Competitions. She is also a Hawthornden Fellow.Her publications include; How We Dream of the Dead, Marble Sky, Midas’ Daughter and The Solitary , published by Impress Books. The past five years she has worked as a carer in an Elderly Mentally Infirm unit, inspiring her opening poems about patients with dementia, which she writes with love and affection. Thereafter, she took in a sequence on the Holocaust and her own family relationships.
Poetry and Plaques was the strongest of her dementia sequence, which always referenced her patient’s first names, cementing the identity which they themselves were losing. Namirembe Cathedral ,the red brick cathedral in Kampala, she dedicated to David Cato the murdered Ugandan gay rights activist. The poem itself was as strong as the diatribe she offered on the regressive Ugandan regime aided and abetted by a fundamentalist church element. It offered a strong sense of place and I would have liked to have heard more of her work set in Africa. That immediacy and sense of being there was noticeably, and inevitably stronger, than her Holocaust pieces . In the latter she was fond of using biblical epigraphs, to mixed effect. On the one hand they offered solemnity by historical association, but on the other they softened the impact of the message.
Her strength lies in her ability to offer powerful glimpse into her subjects. Of Ellen she quoted: “ I wish I could be a little girl again, I wish I could go back in time.” Of Mary, a beleaguered centenarian, she observed: “She would have liked to have gone earlier, but didn’t know how to.”
The next Poetry Evening at the Shrewsbury Coffee House is on Thursday 1/3/12.
Wed 1st Speak Up, Hare & Hounds, Kings heath Birmingham,8pm, £6 in: Bridget Minamore, Neil ward,Dean Atta, Mikell pane,BRIDGET MINAMORE: A very special lady indeed, winner of the Hammer and Tounge Slam – you know you have one of those mates who is gunna rule the world one day.. yeah, that.
DEAN ATTA: Winner of the Spirit of London Award for ‘Achievement through the Arts’. Commissioned to write poems for Damilola Taylor Trust, Keats House, London Transport Museum, National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain and Tate Modern. Featured on TV, radio and online platforms, such as BBC 1Xtra, BBC Radio 4 and BBC 6 Music, BET, Channel 4, Colourful Radio, Cut The Chat, Community Channel, Grime Daily, Manorlogz, PinBoard Blog, SB.TV, Solar Radio and Resonance FM. Invited to perform everywhere, from the Roundhouse to City Hall, Hackney Empire to the Houses of Parliament, his words know no limits!
NEIL WARD: An absolute treasure. I fell in love with Neil Ward at first sight.. strum?.. sight and strum and you will too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo4_Fs5cSdQ
AND
MIKILL PANE!
Mikill, or Mister Pane as he’s commonly referred to, is still best known for his verses on ‘Little Lady’, a track which featured on Ed Sheeran’s No.5 Collaborations EP. The unprecedented success of this track led to a very lengthy stay in the iTunes UK singer songwriter chart, with a peak position of number 1.
2011 has seen Mikill tour extensively with collaborator and friend Ed Sheeran. It doesn’t end with Ed though, as Pane’s services have also been sought, in the form of tour support, by none other than rising star Mac Miller, a U.S. rapper from the same stable as Wiz Khalifa. Add four EPs, one with twice Mercury-nominated drummer/producer Seb Rochford, to the burgeoning list of Mikill’s accomplishments and you have to hand it to him – or you would if he existed – he’s doing alright for a rapper that hates rap.
8 TIL LATE!
Thurs 2nd Blackdrop,New Art Exchange, Gregory Boulevard, Nottingham (opposite park n ride),8pm, £3 in
Featuring the magical voice of MELLOW BAKU from LEIC. Singer, songwriter, poet, and lyricist.A dynamic woman NOT TO BE MISSED!
Thurs 2nd Poetry Evening ,The Shrewsbury Coffeehouse,5 Castle Gates, SY1 2AE 8pm: Free in – After the success of our first poetry evening back in May 2011 we’re very pleased that Liz Lefroy will be returning to run this monthly Poetry Evening.Born in London in 1964, Liz now lives in Shrewsbury and was recenly awarded the Roy Fisher Prize – a new poetry prize endowed by the Poet Laureate.Attendance is FREE, 8pm start
Thurs 2nd Parole Parlate, Little venice, St Nicholas St, Worcester,7.30pm, £3 in:Michael R Brush, Catherine Crosswell, Michelle Crosby, Tim Cranmore, Heather Wastie, Ian Ward, Chris Kingsley, Jilly and Richard Tyrone Jones who will be headlining.
Thurs 2nd Word Up, Poetry Open Mic, plus headliners,The Drum Arts Centre,The Drum, 144 Potters Lane, Aston, Birmingham, B6 4UU,0121 333 2444, http://www.the-drum.org.uk Seasonal monthly, first Thursdays, 8pm, £5in.j.morley@the-drum.org.uk
Thur 2nd Yard of Tales,Joules Yard, rear of 53-55 High Street, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 7AF.Yard of Tales is a performance storytelling club hosted by Kevin Walker http://www.kevinwalker-storyteller.com
Fri 3rd “Lou Deemy Soup” Comedy Variety Night, The Church Inn, 22 Great Hampton Street, Hockley, Birmingham B18 6AQ.8pm: £3 in,Albert Smith, Alex Crowther, Chris Purcell, Fergus McGonigal, Gabriel Sutton, Jim Kelly, Mohammed Jamil, Robert Kemp
Betty & Dirk, Compère Colin Harris
Fri 3rd ,Hollybush PH, Newtown Lane, Cradley Heath, open Mic, 8pm, free in
Sun 5th ARTournament’s Sunday Chill,The New Inn in the centre of Gloucester (opp M&S) City Centre. 16 Northgate Street, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL2. UK.First Sunday, £5in, 3pm-9pm. poetry, Comedy and Music.
Sun 5th Buzzwords, Exmouth Arms,Bath Road Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL53 7LX, 7pm Workshop, open Mic plus Stephen Payne
Mon 6th SW @N,Newhampton Inn, Riches Street, Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, WV6 ODW.8pm, Poetry, Storytelling and song, Peter Chand hosts.
Mon 6th Pub Poetry Nottingham The Canal house, 48-52 Canal Street, Nottingham, NG1 7EH,8pm, : Free in, Open mic, Contact Nick on pubpoetry@nottscomedyfestival.co.uk
Tues 7th Night Blue Fruit Taylor Johns St Nicholas St, Coventry Open mic ,8pm: Free in, Barry Patterson hosts caducus2004@yahoo.com
Tues 7th Scribal Gathering The Upstairs Room at The Crown, Market Square, Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes MK11 1BE, 2nd tuesday monthly,Entry: free; open mic poetry and music with featured acts,”Stony Stratford’s première spoken word and music performance event. Richard Frost hosts.This monthly meeting of minds will bring together writers, musicians and performers of all kinds to share their talents, entertain each other and evoke the spirit of gathering. Join us…” Sign up for the open mic on the night, or reserve a slot by email: info@scribalgathering.com.http://www.scribalgathering.com/
Tues 7th Tales at the Edge, Bridgnorth, Shropshire,Tales at the Edge is one of the country’s oldest and most established storytelling clubs, meeting at The White Lion in Bridgenorth at 8 pm.
Wed 8th,The Quad Derby QUAD, Market Place, Cathedral Quarter, Derby, DE1 3AS Second Wednesday 19.30 Free in, A monthly night of performed poetry for everyone, new performers always welcome or just come and listen, More details from QUAD or contact Les on T: 01332 206 734, http://www.derbyquad.co.uk
Wed 8th Spoken Word Open Mic @ ‘Old Cross’ Pub, Church Street, Stapleford NG9 8DA An evening of poems and stories from two local performers – Dave Wood and Richard Young.Sign up on the door for open spots. Anything spoken word is fine lasting between 3 -5 minutes. A great chance to try out your writing in a fun way.Entrance is free. There’ll be a collection for ‘Rainbows Hospice’ and the landlord is kindly organising a beer raffle as a fundraiser for the hospice.The performance will be ‘in-the-round’ in the upstairs room in Old Cross pub
Wed, 8th The Voicebox, Forman Street, Derby, DE1 1JQ 7.30pm,Flying Donkeys are pleased to present an Open Night of spoken word and music – tales, poems, prose, monologues and acoustic music of all kinds. Previous evenings have brought us a multitude of fabulous performers! Do come and join us as listener or performer – note if you would like to perform it helps to get in touch beforehand if you can so we can plan the evening.
Fri 10th Open Mic Night,Bookmark Bloxwich,Bloxwich Library, ElmoreRow, Bloxwich,Walsall. WS3 2HR.7.30pm: Free in,Musicians For Life in conjunction with Bookmark Bloxwich invite you to, Come and play. A place for singers, song writers, poets
and musicians to play, jam and try out songs and poems on our full PA. No instrument required. If you don’t play come along and listen. The venue and stage are fully accessible , as is the well stocked bar! Time 7.30pm doors 8.00pm show
Fri 10th Spoken word nad Music, Hollybush PH, Newtown Lane, Cradley Heath, 8.30pm start, free in,The 46th monthly evening of music and spoken word at this lovely pub. Free in. Get in touch if you fancy a go behind the mic.
Sat 11th Bilston Love Slam, Imperial banqueting Suite Bilston.7.30pm Organisers Marcus Moore/ Sara-Jane Arbury Contact Marcus by email john.marcus.moore@gmail.com or telephone 01285 640470 to grab your place.
Sat 11th Poets Place, Birmingham Central Library,2pm-4pm, free in:
Poets’ Place: a bi-weekly informal gathering of poets, writers and performers. An opportunity to meet like-minded people, give and solicit feedback, or just sit in a corner and write for two hours.Organised by Birmingham Libraries and Apples & Snakes, Poets’ Place is a monthly informal gathering of poets. It is an opportunity to meet like‐minded people, give and solicit feedback on your poetry, or just sit back and write for a couple of hours without interruption. You can use the Poets’ Place to make new friends, discover
new poets, share and have your work critiqued, make useful connections, set a writing schedule… The Poets’ Place can be whatever you as a poet decide to make of it. Whether you are a published poet, a slam champion, or someone who is just wondering whether poetry might be worth a try, stop by. There is no need to sign up or book a place: just show up with your poems or a blank notebook. There will be someone there to make you feel welcome and advise you on how to make the most of your time there. Occasionally, Poets’ Place will host performances, workshops, film showings and other events. The Poets’ Place is located on the Lower Ground Floor (access via the Netloan Centre).
For more information contact: Nikki Bi, Birmingham Reader
Development Support Officer (nikki.bi@birmingham,gov.uk) or Bohdan Piasecki,
West Midlands Coordinator, Apples & Snakes (bohdan@applesandsnakes.org)
Sat 11 The BIG Bardaid Book launch, Watershed , Milton Keynes, 2pm till late:MK laureate Mark Niel; Bard of Stony Stratford & Poetry Kapow’s Danni Antagonist and Scribal Gathering’s Richard Frost plus Ian Freemantle, Paul Eccentric and The AntiPoet.
Mon 13th PUREandGOODandRIGHT, Open Mic poetry,The Sozzled Sausage, Leamington Spa CV32 4NX.7.30pm, £3 in:This month’s guest poet is the fabulous, multi slam winning,Mark Niel is a much loved performance poet at PureandGoodandRight, who has a deft ability to blend humour, pathos and provocative material. He runs Tongue in Chic, which presents showcases at festivals and events around the country. Last year, he won the Farrago Zoo Award for the ‘Best Performance by a UK poet’.
Mark’s breakthrough was winning the prestigious Camden Crawl Slam, which has led him to headlining gigs. His performance poetry has gone on to dazzle audiences at literary festivals, as well as, Latitude, Green Man and Wychwood, and the Shepherds Bush Empire. He has also written and recorded for BBC 3 Home Counties Radio. In 2011, Mark became the ‘First Poet Laureate of Milton Keynes,’ and debuted his first one man show: ‘Poet in Motion’ at the Wenlock Poetry Festival.
Mark’s material ranges from deeply personal reflections to barn-storming performance pieces. Whether despairing about his frequently misspelt name, or raging about frustrations of fridges in shared houses, he is always by turns engaging, comic and moving.
If you would like to know more about the night, please email pgrpoetry@gmail.com
Tues 14th Writers Without Borders Valentines Day Event,Coffee Lounge, Navigation St, 5-7pm:Open Mic,Sayyara, Farideh, Predencia, Michael, Ita, Tessa, Fiona, Shabraz, Sue, Jude and Shabz Ahmed perform.
Tues 14th Poetry/ Comedy Open Mic, Lighthouse, Fryer St Wolverhampton, 8.30pm:Light House’s Open Mic nights are going from strength to strength so why not come down and check it out or perform with our awesome array of acts from all over the region. Witness the wide range of musical talent with styles ranging from Folk and Flamenco to Experimental. Come on down and perform what you do best. With comedy, poetry and live music in a chilled out atmosphere.For more info contact: conor@light-house.co.uk
Tues 14th Mouth & Music, Boars head Gallery, 39 Worcester st, Kidderminster,8pm, free in: Open Mic SW plus acoustic music,Heather Wastie & Sarah Tamar host
Tues 14th City Voices City Bar King Street, Wolverhampton WV 1ST , 7.30pm Set Bill, with Simon Fletcher
Tues 14th Kiss & Tell,Newbold Primary School Mobile Annex, School Lane, Newbold, Coleorton, Leicestershire 7pm: £2in, an evening of music, song, storytelling and poetry celebrating the romantic (or not so romantic) side of life!
Friday 17th – the 3rd Cirencester Love Slam, at the New Brewery Arts, Cirencester, 8pm. Half a dozen places still available on a first-come-first-served basis by email to Marcus or telephone 01285 640470.
Sunday 19th “Tell me on a Sunday” Storytelling, Ikon Gallery, 1 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, Birmingham, B1 2HS, 4pm – 6.30pm; Free in, Participants tell stories based around a specially selected theme, all with truth (and a good performance!) at their heart. Each month, five storytellers will be chosen to perform a seven minute story live.The events feature special guests and are curated by Cat Weatherill, one of Europe’s leading performance storytellers, who will also tell her own story.These events begin at 4pm with Story Supper, a chance to meet fellow audience members and story tellers over a special Cafe Ikonmenu. Performances commence at 5pm, finishing at 6.30pm.
Mon 20th Gillian Clarke, Keele University, Chancellor’s Building 7pm: £5in,Make sure you don’t miss this reading by Gillian Clarke – author of a dozen collections of poetry, current National Poet of Wales, holder of the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry and member of the Gorsedd of Bards.
Gillian Clarke’s poetry has been translated into ten languages, and appears regularly on the GCSE syllabus.
The reading will take place in the main part of Chancellor’s Building – most likely in one of the small lecture theatres. Tickets are £2.50 for students and concessions, otherwise £5.00, and can be purchased from Chancellor’s Reception, or on the door
Tues 21st, Spire Writes @ Havana Whites:12 Corporation Street, S41 7TP Chesterfield,8pm: Ian Parks & open mic: After the sad demise of ‘Chandlers Bards’, spoken word is coming back to Chesterfield in 2012. With a vengeance. And some Cuban cocktails. Please come and join us on Feb 21st at Havana Whites (close to Chesterfield train station, opposite the Pomegranate Theatre: http://tinyurl.com/7tusjkf) to get things started with a reading from Mexborough’s very own Ian Parks.
Described by POINTS NORTH MAGAZINE as ‘a heroic figure in Yorkshire poetry and a living legend in Hull’ Ian was one of the Poetry Society New Poets in 1996. He was made a Hawthornden Fellow in 1991 and has taught creative writing at the universities of Sheffield, Oxford, Hull and Leeds. His collections include SHELL ISLAND, LOVE POEMS 1979-2009 and THE LANDING STAGE. His poems have appeared in POETRY REVIEW, THE TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT, THE OBSERVER, THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY, POETRY (Chicago) and THE MORNING STAR. THE EXILE’S HOUSE is published by Waterloo Press and he will be writer in residence at Gladstone’s Library in November.
There’ll also be *OPEN MIC* slots for those of you who want to share your work in front of a supportive (and possibly tipsy) audience. Please let me know if you’d like to be signed up for one of these before they fill up! Or just come along from 8pm, sit back with a drink and soak up the poetry, Helen Mort at the Facebook page for the event.
Tues 21 st Poetry Club Giggling Goblin Coffee Shop, Mill Lane, Ashby de la Zouch– 8:30, free in, with a licensed bar and great coffee. Open mic poetry and folk
Tuesday 21st , Clare Morrall Book Launch: The Roundabout Man Ikon Gallery, 1 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, Birmingham, B1 2HS, 7pm – 8.30pm Free event,Sceptre and Writing West Midlands are delighted to invite you to celebrate the publication of the new novel from Clare Morrall, The Roundabout Man.
Who is The Roundabout Man? He doesn’t look like a tramp, yet he lives on a roundabout in a caravan and survives on the leftovers from a nearby motorway service station. He calls himself Quinn, the name of a boy in a world-famous series of children’s books, but he’s nearer retirement than childhood.
What he hopes no one will discover is that he’s the real Quinn, immortalised as a child by his mother in her entrancing tales about a little boy’s adventures with his triplet sisters. It is this inheritance he has successfully run away from- until now. When Quinn’s reclusive existence is invaded, he is forced to face his past, and the uncomfortable truths and secrets it contains about himself, his sisters and, most of all, his mother.This event includes a reading and book signing.
Tuesday 21st The Telling Space,*NEW VENUE *(relocated from Wem) Mythstories,The Shrewsbury Coffeehouse,5 Castle Gates, SY1 2AE,7pm, free in http://www.mythstories.com contact Dez or Ali on 01939 235500 for further information. A chance to listen or an opportunity to tell.
Wed 22nd 42 Gothic, Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy,Lunar Bar, New St, Worcester, 730pm start, free in.Open Mic
Thur 23rd Bilston Voices, Cafe Metro, Church St, Bilston, 7.30pm,£2 in, set bill, Emma Purshouse hosts:Alan Glover, Janet Jenkins, Donna Scott, Danni Antagonist and Mark Niel.
Thurs 23rd Hit The ode, Victoria PH, Birmingham, 7.30pm, £5 in:Paul Murphy (Brum), Vanessa Kisuule (Bristol/London), Jon Sands and Ken Arkind (USA)
Fri 24th Spoken Worlds, Old Cottage tavern, Byrkely St, Burton on Trent, 7.30pm , Free in, Open Mic, Gary Carr hosts.
Fri 24th Amnesty International, Poetry,Puns & Pints, Station Pub, Sutton Coldfield, 7.30pm: £4in, Open mic, benefit for A.I.
Sat 25th Poets Place, Birmingham Central Library,2pm-4pm, free in:
Poets’ Place: a bi-weekly informal gathering of poets, writers and performers. An opportunity to meet like-minded people, give and solicit feedback, or just sit in a corner and write for two hours.Organised by Birmingham Libraries and Apples & Snakes, Poets’ Place is a monthly informal gathering of poets. It is an opportunity to meet like‐minded people, give and solicit feedback on your poetry, or just sit back and write for a couple of hours without interruption. You can use the Poets’ Place to make new friends, discover
new poets, share and have your work critiqued, make useful connections, set a writing schedule… The Poets’ Place can be whatever you as a poet decide to make of it. Whether you are a published poet, a slam champion, or someone who is just wondering whether poetry might be worth a try, stop by. There is no need to sign up or book a place: just show up with your poems or a blank notebook. There will be someone there to make you feel welcome and advise you on how to make the most of your time there. Occasionally, Poets’ Place will host performances, workshops, film showings and other events. The Poets’ Place is located on the Lower Ground Floor (access via the Netloan Centre).
For more information contact: Nikki Bi, Birmingham Reader
Development Support Officer (nikki.bi@birmingham,gov.uk) or Bohdan Piasecki,
West Midlands Coordinator, Apples & Snakes (bohdan@applesandsnakes.org)
Sunday 26th Rhyme and Tells at the Six Bells in Bishops Castle, Shropshire, 8 pm – 10.30 pm. It is free admission and an open session for poetry, prose and storytelling.
Sunday 26th Sunday Xpress Doors 1500, Start 16:30 Adam & Eve Bradford Street, Birmingham B12 0JD, Brendan Higgins hosts, Open mic,jameskennedycentral@yahoo.co.uk
Tues 28th “Poetry Alight” Open Mic Spark Cafe, 19 Tamworth Street, Lichfield , WS13 6JP, with Lichfield Poets, 7.30pm, free in. Sign up on the night
Tues 28th Word Wizards Grove Hotel, Buxton 19.30. Rob Stevens hosts, Open mic three minute slam format More info Poetryslamuk@aol.com
01298 77362/ 0781 3289358
Tues 28thDave Reeves ,Black Country Dialectics at the Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton, 7.30pm. Tickets £9/ 7. A superb one man show.
Tues 28th Poetry/ Comedy Open Mic, Lighthouse, Fryer St Wolverhampton, 8.30pm:Light House’s Open Mic nights are going from strength to strength so why not come down and check it out or perform with our awesome array of acts from all over the region. Witness the wide range of musical talent with styles ranging from Folk and Flamenco to Experimental. Come on down and perform what you do best. With comedy, poetry and live music in a chilled out atmosphere.For more info contact: conor@light-house.co.uk
Wed 29thInterfaith Poetry group.The Warehouse Cafe, Digbeth, 7pm, Free in , an off-shoot of Smart Poets led by Penny Hewlett
Wed 29th Ort Cafe, Moseley Rd Balsall Heath, 7pm: Free in, Philosophy debate.
2012 has now well and truly dusted its boots off and made itself at home, and as January comes to a close so the first round of regular poetry events are completed. Establishing, and maintaining success, as a spoken word event is no easy task, but here there is a device which works particularly well, three Acts with two intervals. This enables performers to perform work with wildly varying moods and dynamics on the same evening in separate chunks.
Andy Biddulph “The Burton Poet” combines the persona’s of an enfant terrible and eminence grise all in one enthusiastic package as he stalks the streets of Staffordshire and south Derbyshire with his distinctive brand of politically inspired poetry. From the soft targets and soft underbelly of Bankers, to the more oblique, but just as interesting question of control of the waterways, Andy has a (Left) view, and a welcome one it is too. His kindle book “An Interesting Life by Mistake” is available on Amazon.
Nudging the evening along, Gary Carr did his usual seamless job, although I always feel that I would like to hear more from him as he tends to throw in little gems like Starlings, before introducing the next act, leaving the audience thinking, “Hang on!” A rewarding aspect of being a long serving part of the local poetry scene is watching individuals explore their poetic selves. Ian Ward writes from a wide variety of places, taking in Fantasy , contemporary music, grotesque, and love poetry. Tonight he surprised me with some Sea Shanty inspired pieces inspired by his time in the South West which were delivered with a conviction which transformed the Old Cottage Tavern into The Smugglers Cove”somewhere in Cornwall.
Local poet Pete told “Burton Tales”, the most worrying of which was that “Pizza Hut” has deserted its town centre pitch (was it too upmarket?). Tom Wyre read extensively, his piece on Whale hunting being the piece i enjoyed most. His bustling off stage personality an intriguing contrast to the reflective tone and mellifluous ambience he brings to his work. Margaret Torr did what she does best, double volley of conceived and executed poems, before retiring, leaving us wanting more.
Ray and Terri Jolland always have some comic light entertainment written, and this time was no exception, although Mal Dewhirst amused too with his recollections of the Branston Water Park Arts Festival where both the audience , and even the geese, were resistant to verse and rhyme. His Aspiration Boulevard sequence was particularly strong, however I can never hear him introduce it by name without thinking of Heartbreak Avenue by the Maisonettes !
Spoken Worlds next meets on Friday 24th February at 7.30pm
My poetic muse has been resting recently, hence the reduction in the rate of new material.However sparks can fly from different places, and an invitation to join the “Write Down Speak Up” collective resulted in three poems.The first was prompted by the hordes of Charity propositioners, “Chuggers”, to be found around New St Station,Birmingham, the second “Lost in Lace”, came from a promotional poster, displayed on the train, for a book. “The Slope of Hope” refers to the remarkable swooping canopy around the new QE Hospital building in Selly Oak.
The last piece, “After Dark” arose after a poignant farewell coffee with the beautiful, inspiring, Fatima Al-Matar prior to her return to Kuwait, during which we discussed the pyschology of women drawn to abusive relationships.Chuggers
They stake their place in the thoroughfare
Allowing just enough space for folk to pass
Begging permission :“If I could just ask?”
Memorised lines splatter in random rhythm
Multiple hooks hopefully cast
Their plaintiff plea:” If I could just ask?”
Seeking a tentative tantalising bite
A cause reheated behind the mask
Excuse me sir: “If I could just ask?”
They lurch, puppets in programmed dance
Rehearsed bonhomie blazing fast
Miming the words: “If I could just ask?”
Trying to break your thousand yard stare
Of insouciant indifference to their task
Their prey silently imploring “Please don’t ask”
Lost in Lace
In the fine embroidery
That beautify
Disguise and seduce
Swirling pretty patterns restricted
Within angular lines
Which cannot be contained
Perfectly framed
The Slope of Hope
The Slope of Hope
Climb
Raise your eyes
Dare to soar
Then teeter
Slip slide glide
Down perfect lines
Don’t stop
To ask “Y”
Hurtle
Into the unknown
Over the edge
Throw your soul
Off the precipice
Your body
Will follow
After Dark
It fades. The discolouration.
Grazed skin heals, cream and powder help
The blows tend to fall in different places
In patchwork pattern.
But sometimes, when bruised skin
Is struck again, the clenched fist is exquisite
Repetition comforts in nihilistic sedation
A supine acquiescence to specious predation
Anaesthetising the ache of savage fate
Dull thud
Of impossible horizons and crushed hopes
Swept by an ebb tide.
Garyswordz 