Lateral G

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.

I understand why rich people might vote Tory, but I can’t understand why poor people would do it. Is it aspiration or delusion? Here’s an instant poem on the cost of living crisis.

Out and about again yesterday evening – more Hudds Lit Fest, this time a Spoken Word night hosted by Talking Zebras. They meet a couple of times a month on Saturday afternoons at the Wickham Arms in Cleckheaton. I might go tomorrow.

http://www.talkingzebras.co.uk

My purpose with all of this is to hone some stagecraft, but it has made me realise that I’ve been in a bubble, not really exposing myself to other people’s poetry. This was partly deliberate, while I found my own voice. I think I was worried about being influenced by others and ending up sounding the same, but I don’t think that could happen now.

I’ll confess that I did think that Spoken Word as a genre all sounded too similar, but that might just be because a lot of what gets on to the radio is London-based.
It’s totally different up north and I’m really enjoying listening to such a wide variety of styles.