Recording

A year ago, I thought I had everything ready to start recording a collection of poems about my life in electronic music.  I had one go in the studio, with pretty ropey results, which wasn’t an issue, because we intended to go back and do a few sessions until we had decent recordings.  Then life got in the way and my sound collaborator was repeatedly too busy for the project. 

Never mind, I thought. We’ll get to it at some point.

A year later and Boris Donkson’s done his back in.  I wouldn’t normally celebrate someone else’s pain, but it means he’s really limited in what he can do, and suddenly, we are back on for my project!

So, this afternoon we did some ad hoc recording, down in the basement, with very little equipment, and the results weren’t bad at all.  They’ll need soundscape treatments, and it turns out that three of the poems were too rusty to record at all today – I haven’t kept them prepped.

As a spoken word artist, it feels wrong to present my words in written form – I think they need to be heard, in my voice.  I make a real effort to write for my delivery, and as such, my poems often don’t work at all on the page.  So it seems sensible to make a recording as an alternative to a book.

Hopefully, this is the first step towards that.  These are poems I don’t often perform, as it’s a bit of a niche subject matter,  but I do want to share them, as they are records of my personal history – and a moment that changed the lives of a whole generation.

Production in action!

Next Monday, it’s Slam time!

This was the second year of Whitchurch Slam, and it was really nice.  A good selection of poets, more varied than last year, with greater depth.  I enjoyed it.  Didn’t get through the knockout stage this time, but that’s the joy of slams!  I do like the unpredictability. (I know lots of my poet friends don’t.)

My hat’s in the ring for another couple this year.  We’ll see if I get picked.

Looking ahead to July

I’ll be doing a turn at Leadboilers again this year, along with Sarah L Dixon and The Serendipity Poets.  It’s the stage outside The Sair, from about 2pm.

Then I’m out and about, with a guest slot at Poetry Scum in Nottingham on the 25th.  Looking forward to that – it’s always nice to go to new places.

Following that, the very next day in fact, it looks like I may have a festival date in Wales, to finish the month with a bit more travel.  Exciting!