Lateral G

What a great night that was! A quirky, quality showcase of original artists from the local area. 🔥

It’s Independent Venues Week in Huddersfield. I’m having a busy week with Attic Stories tonight for pure poetry, then I will be doing my thing amongst music acts at Small Seeds on Tuesday and Northern Quarter on Thursday.  

This is a lovely monthly event, which starts with writing workshops, then an open mic. The format works really well: it’s nice to have something to do! Makes it much more fun.

I am trying to keep better records of where I’ve been. It doesn’t always work for me to post things in advance, as I can’t know whether I’ll be well enough to go until the day – so I’m trying to at least post afterwards, to show what I’ve done.

This is fast becoming my favourite of the electronic open mics, because it is so eclectic: nothing is even similar to anything else.  Over the course of the evening, that creates a huge range of listening, from dance to electro acoustic and everything experimental between!

This was my first outing of the new year, having missed the whole festive period with flu, so I was still feeling a bit flat, with post-viral pain – but I’ve seen video and it didn’t show, which pleases me.  In the early days of performing, it was obvious when I was in pain, but maybe it’s a bit less evident now.

Here’s a really nice photo of me doing my thing, with thanks again to Dave Walker, who always does an amazing job photographing, videoing – and performing at these nights.

Let’s have some gratuitous truck and dog shots from earlier this week. Sunny now, but each day has been progressively colder in the mornings. I woke up to 3 degrees inside today, with the fire still warm and glowing! It’s been -4 outside every night this week up here. In temperatures like these, I’m in loads of pain anyway and can’t be arsed doing any more than staying alive. But I’m doing that. 🙂

Last night

Many thanks to Dave Walker for the photo.

This one has been going down well recently in live performance. I wrote it ages ago, but didn’t ever use it, because it’s about me being irritated by another poet – and not everybody can relate to that, surely?

Turns out it’s actually describing a fairly universal situation, and one that everyone seems to have experience of!

A couple of days ago I asked someone for a gig, and realised that I haven’t been keeping any public records of performances since the odd random post sometime in June.

So, rather than going over what I’ve done (can’t remember), here’s where you can find me doing bits in public in the run up to xmas.

Mon 28th November – Attic Stories, Lawrence Batley Theatre Huddersfield.

Wednesday 30th November – Marsden Community Poetry, Marsden Mechanics.

Wednesday 7th December – Technical Difficulties, Puzzle Hall, Sowerby Bridge. (With Boris Donkson)

Friday 9th December – Ink Spill, The Grove, Huddersfield.

Plus I really need to fit in at least one Tuesday at Small Seeds and Thursday at Northern Quarter!

I am really pleased to be part of this. See me there, on the right-hand side? Can’t wait to read the others, either!

These are limited edition, short runs and sell out very quickly, so if you want one, go to

http://www.scumbagpress.co.uk

I’m going to be in this!

I am thrilled to have six short poems included in this leaflet, alongside Brian McGettrick, Carson Pytell, Kate Garrett, Niklas Stephenson amd Gwil James Thomas.

Scumbag Press is an independent punk publisher. They also produce a zine called Paper and Ink, and a podcast of punk music and poetry. Check it out!

https://www.facebook.com/scumbagpress

https://www.facebook.com/PaperAndInkZine

I’ll post more info when it’s released.