POETRY AND ROOTS
Say It Loud is a community based arts project now approaching its 3rd year in existence. Last year they staged a two-day poetry event in partnership with The Poetry Can and Kuumba Project under the working title of Bristol Poetry and Roots Festival.

Say It Loud’s main facilitators are Carlton Romaine (Empire and Commonwealth Museum, Kuumba Project), Kevin Philemon (CEED Media) and Rupert Hopkins (teacher and occasional poet). As a group they have contacts all around the globe and have created some exciting and memorable poetry events, featuring poets such as Lemn Sissay and Dana Bryant at the CEED Media Hall in St Paul’s.

The lineup for this year’s event is out of this world. I hope to be hosting one of the nights, which is a real honour and I get a chance to mingle with the stars. If you’re looking for good poetry, then any or all of the nights will do.

Bristol Poetry and Roots Festival
8 pm, 7th & 8th October
St George’s
Great George Street, Bristol (off Park Street) £10/£8
box office 0117.9230359

• Simon Armitage: Novello-winning poet, writer and broadcaster
• Glenis Redmond: top African American performance poet and artist
• Edson Burton: Chair of Bristol Black Writers
• Annie McGann: gaining a big reputation on the circuit in the South West
• Ralph Hoyte: poet and surrealist, MC for the evening on the 7th
  
  
• Attila the Stockbroker: poet in residence for Brighton and Albion Football Club
• Murray Lachlan Young: allegedly got a 6-figure sum from EMI for his first CD
• John Otway: rock and roll legend and regular at the Glastonbury Festival
• Tim Gibbard: local boy done good and congenial host for the night on the 8th

8 pm, 9th October (National Poetry Day)
CEED Media Hall
17-19 Dean Street, Bristol BS2
£7/£5
for more information 0117.9239095

• Glenis Redmond: a second chance to see Glenis (a massive hit in 2001)
• Bristol Black Writers: performing their unique brand of poetry
• Jalaal Nurriddem: known as the Grandfather of Rap
• Oshin: poet, film maker and member of London’s “57th Dynasty”
• Southmead Youth Arts Project: depicting Southmead on the street with their unique spoken word style
• Peggy Bennet Hulme: residencies in Battersea and abroad
• Ross Martin: Bristol poet and playwright
• DJ Henri: supplies the musical interludes

WEST ENDERS
Pure Poetry has a great lineup for October, starting out with the hilariously talented John Hegley on the 6th alongside Roger Robinson and Rachel Pantechnicon. Roger I cannot speak for but Rachel is a hoot (hoot, hoot, hooting, like the owls) and a definite “must see” in my book. Of course, John Hegley needs no introduction. But I was privileged to help organize a show for him in Bristol a few years back, so I can recommend him both publicly and personally.

The 13th of October sees Michael Donaghy, Todd Swift and Michael Brown. I don’t know Mr. Donaghy, but I do have some insight on Messrs. Swift and Brown. Todd hails from Canada the Beautiful and is the man who finally convinced me that some academics know how to perform their own works, to great effect. He did a bit of a star turn at the 1st International Conference on Performance Poetry, held at Bath Spa University in July. I thought so, anyway. Also a bit of a star turn when inebriated, but you’ll have to go to the next conference to hear any more about that from me (love you, Todd). Michael Brown is an old friend from Boston, Mass, slammaster and host at the Cantab Lounge in Boston for many years, and an amazing poet with immense presence, at times both beautiful and terrifying. He’s a touch Miles Davis, a touch Grizzly Adams, with perhaps a touch Mad Jack and a pinch of No. 7, and he has an international track record in education and poetry. If you’re within 100 miles of London on the 13th, Michael Brown alone is worth the trip.

Finally, October 20th has Jean Binta Breeze with young poets from The Poetry Society’s “Respect Slam.” I saw Jean alongside Glenis Redmond in Bristol a few years back and she’s well worth the price of admission alone, but I’ve got a feeling that some of the “Respect Slam” poets might just steal this show. There are lots of fine young poets around the UK, usually very passionate and often eloquent beyond their years. I would be surprised if the Poetry Society didn’t come up with some of London’s best for this event.

Pure Poetry
The Soho Theatre
21 Dean Street, London W1
8 pm Mondays
£8-£5

MORE INTERNATIONAL MAYHEM: BRISTOL POETRY FESTIVAL 2003
Here’s a big list of stuff going on at the Bristol Poetry Festival this year. I really must thank Pete Hunter for providing me (and you) with most of this information. Pete has hustled me a menu containing some of the best dishes on this year’s feast. For that kindness and numerous other reasons I’m going to plug the gig he’s hosting, the Translatlantic Slam, as the top of the lot, and then list a few other choice cuts underneath.

The Great Transatlantic Poetry Slam
Bristol Old Vic Studio Theatre
Friday 10th October 2003
doors 7:30 pm
£5

This was a top night with 13 poets being whittled to 8 and then 5 over three rounds of quality slamming. In 4th place (Bristol team reserve) came the internationally renowned Lucy English. I came 3rd with joint 1st going to comic genius Nathan Filer and “brand new poet on the scene” Miles Chambers. Although many deserving poets did not make the cut (Boydon Goodman, Julian Ramsey-Wade, Ian Sills, Helen Gregory), everyone agreed that the new Bristol Slam Team is looking pretty hot for the Transatlantic Slam against the US.

If you enjoy the Transatlantic Slam there’s an after-slam showcase featuring the US poets from 11 pm onwards at Il Bordello, on Welshback. It’s a real after-show venue, small and friendly, so preference will be given to those attending the slam (free with donations welcomed).

Here’s the rest of the list for the Bristol Poetry Festival:

• 1st - “Kin,” Crisis, Heather Imani, Pierre Ringwald, Old Vic Studio Theatre £7/£5
• 3rd - “TALES OF THE ORISHA” (Nigerian legend and lore) Jan Blake with Crispin Robinson, Edson Burton, Old Vic Studio Theatre £7/£5
• 4th - Francesca Beard, Fiona Hamilton, Libby Houston, Old Vic Studio Theatre £7/£5
• 6th - “Mappa Mundi” Phillip Gross’ book launch at Borders Bookshop free
• 7th - Celebration of 1001 Poems for Bristol, a showcase of some of Bristol’s hardest working poets featuring Sara-Jane Arbury, Rosemary Dun, Peter Hunter, David Johnson, Bertel Martin, Claire Williamson, plus surprise guests and readings of some of the poems in the 1001 Poems for Bristol project, Old Vic Studio Theatre £5
• 8th - “The Golem” read by Shonaleigh and “The Beggar King” read by Alan Summers, Old Vic Studio Theatre £7/£5
• 9th - Patience Agbabi, Shiloh Harmitt, Old Vic Studio Theatre £7/£5
• 11th - “Sheherazade’s Tales” (storytelling), Sally Pomme Clayton, Alyson Hallet Bristol, Old Vic Studio Theatre £7/£5
• 13th - Acoustic Night (how many poets in one night?) show, King Charles Pub, free
• 15th - 3 Tuns Open Mic Festival showcase, Three Tuns, Hotwells, free
• 16th - “Letting the Silence Speak” featuring Alan Summers, Ananda Manjusvara, Brenda Henderson, Bristol Buddhist Centre, Gloucester Rd £5/£3 (advanced booking advised)
• 17th - Big Mouth Cabaret, Rosie Lugosi, Dike Omeje, Patrick Duff, Kizzy Morrell, Bucky, Folk House £7/£5
• 19th - Songs of Women featuring Ann Clewlow & John Price, Bristol Music Club £7/£5
• 19th - Roger McGough, Jean Binta Breeze, Peter Finch Main Theatre £10/£7

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING
Before I say my editorial piece for the month, I’d like to congratulate Lucy English, Bath Spa University, the Arts Council and all the other assistants for the complete triumph of the 1st International Conference on Poetry and Spoken Word. I’ll say no more than that, but you should try and get to the 2nd.

Now, I recently tipped some upcoming shows hosted by Phillip “The Fire Poet” Wells from London. Phillip is currently booking shows with Skye Edwards, the lead singer with Morcheeba. I believe they will be appearing at the Cheltenham Literature Festival on Sunday, October 12th. (For more information, email thefirepoet@aol.com.) A show had been proposed for Bristol on the 11th to be part of the Bristol Poetry Festival. Unfortunately the proposal came too late to be included in the festival programme and would have clashed with shows that Poetry Can (festival organisers) had already booked. Although Phillip and Skye may be visiting Bristol later in the year, it’s not going to happen in October as planned.

The same thing is true of the Poetry and Roots Festival I wrote about above: The three days of poetry being produced by the ‘Say It Loud’ crew are not billed as part of the Bristol Poetry Festival (although the dates coincide and the event seems to be in conjunction with BPF), partly because information did not arrive with the organisers until after their official copy deadline and partly (I believe) because Poetry and Roots would clash with shows already booked by Poetry Can.

Now once upon a time I would have complained about the inflexibility of official deadlines and who gets to choose who gets booked at festivals (the poets or the poetry development agencies)... but not today. What is interesting here is that, once upon a time, we had one or two large shows at the Bristol Poetry Festival and a wealth of local talent doing small shows in the background. Nowadays, the local talent are producing big shows with big names, and those big names are the same people who were once running small shows in the background at other festivals all over the country (perhaps even the world).

Poetry, especially live poetry performance, has reached a boiling point. With careless handling we could easily turn it down to a simmer and slip it onto the back burner. Maybe Poetry Can is right and the clash of so much quality is simply a recipe for indigestion. If that’s the case and we’re trying to fit too many good poets into too few good events, then someone just needs to turn up the heat a little.

If you don’t have a poetry event happening near you at this moment, here’s an idea: Start one. If you’ve got one ongoing event, start a regular festival. When you add up all the local, national and international (touring) talent in the UK at any one time, you could probably run a couple of roving festivals all year round. If they’re not playing in your town, why not? They could be.

Have a look at some of the names in my other articles. Pick out a few you like and invite them. Many of them will pull a crowd on name alone, and some of them still remember that they too once played in small shows produced by new and local talent. You never know, your next event may be the flame that boils the whole thing over, blows the cooker, swamps the kitchen and shorts the electrics in the rest of the house.

Remember, you can only have too much of a good thing if you forget to share it out.

‘Till next time,

Tim Gibbard