No, Poetry Is Not The New Rock'n'Roll

It is about time I got my blogging in order and started to write something at least semi-regularly again. I haven’t felt much inspiring me to write prose recently (although I have been writing poetry), but I always feel that actually doing something germinates further creativity.

Also, it’s about time I wrote something about my mini-tour with Andrew Philip through Cambridge, Norwich and London, and my near-secret gig at Keele University. While I’m tempted to suggest there was something rock’n’roll about it (it was a tour, after all), I’m more thinking of my own experience of the rock’n’roll lifestyle than the universally accepted one of drugs, sex and other hedonisms. My own musical career took in the sights of tiny bars, mainly around Glasgow and Edinburgh but occasionally further afield (one memorable night of delightful hostility in Cumbernauld, for example), where we’d play before a mostly bemused ‘crowd’ for a while and then have to lug our own equipment – amps PAs, drum-kit and all – home to our tiny rooms.

Poetry is a little better than that. There are no drum-kits involved and people are only there because they’ve chosen to come, not because they wanted to get quietly plastered in their favourite bar and have instead been interrupted by a bunch of guys howling over a hail of distorted indie guitars. But the very fact that people have come willingly, and have often paid for the privilege, increases the pressure to appeal. With a band, you can always drown out negative energy by sheer force of volume. A poet doesn’t stand a chance.

Not that either Andy or myself had to contend with stage invasions or anything like it. This, to an extent, is disappointing, but it shows how little poetry resembles real rock'n'roll, and maybe just as well. You can read Andy’s commentary on the tour here (1) and here(2) and here (3), and I’ll try not to repeat much from his version. We began at Cambridge with CB1, a well established event with a fine programme, organised by a flawlessly efficient committee (or it so it seemed to me), in The Punter, an aptly named venue. The audience was generously attentive, the open mic before our sets was good, and we both sold a fair number of books, which doesn’t always happen at readings. Andy read some of his poems off-by-heart, which worked well. If I could be bothered to learn my own poems, I'd do the same, but I doubt it will ever happen. I read some poems from the book and some new ones. It all went well.

We then did a lunchtime reading with Josh Jones at Norwich in the back room of a bar, The Birdcage, dominated by a large mirrorball. The women’s toilets were at the back of the room and anyone with needs from the main bar had to walk right between the audience and performers to get there, which I presume was a terrifying experience for anyone who had to go. Two old ladies were sitting in the bar and Josh asked them if they wanted to come to the reading. “No, we don’t like poetry,” they said, although one of them did visit the toilet and may have had to suffer a line or two. Of course, the readings again went well, and again we sold books – thank you, kind people.

In London, we found this little South American carry-out place near The Wheatsheaf (the reading venue), where I had the best tortilla I have ever tasted in my life – chicken, avocado and other veg, and a fantastic sauce. All for a fiver, too, with freshly squeezed orange juice. Wish I could remember the name of the place, so that I could recommend it. At the reading Simon Barraclough was such a fine MC! I should have taken notes on how to MC a poetry reading properly. Great to meet Liane Strauss and hear her read mainly from her recent Salt book, Leaving Eden, and also a fab, fun poem “We’re all fine” from a new anthology called The Art of Wiring, which I presume is available from Simon (?).

I’ll have to leave the Keele reading for a separate post, as I’ve run out of time, but I do reflect on how easy it would be to turn into an alcoholic if you were doing this all the time, rushing from gig to gig, festival to festival. You’d either have to subsist on a nightly diet of orange juice and cola (which, I suppose, could be as unhealthy as excess alcohol in the long run), make a decision to return home immediately after each reading without talking to anyone beyond the usual thank yous, or else make a decision not to live for very long. However, a three-date tour over two days was a great experience, and I look forward to repeating it. I’d love to do a short tour of Ireland in 2012.

Report From Aberdeen's Dead Good Poets

I didn’t get to bed until after 1am last night after taking the last train to Edinburgh from Aberdeen where Andrew Philip and I had been reading at the Dead Good Poets. The venue, an independent bookshop/café in Belmont Street called Books and Beans, was a great place to read and does a fine chai latte, which we both took advantage of. The evening started with an enjoyable open mic, which included everything from Rapunzel Wizard's (I’d first met him at one of the Utter! Edinburgh Fringe shows) very funny rant against Donald Trump to the calm precision of 2009 Foyle Young Poet of the Year, Bryony Harrower. There was a good audience, positive and friendly, and they bought our books too (very much appreciated, folks!). The only regret is that there isn’t much time to have proper conversations with people when you have to sit at a table to sell and sign books, but it was good to have a pint afterwards with Gerard Rochford, Eddie Gibbons and Osob Dahir.

Andy and I had been given 25 minutes each to read. Rather than doing two separate sets, we decided to integrate them. I think the approach worked well and the contrast in the alternating voices and styles might have kept people awake (clearly, only the audience could verify that – they seemed to be awake).

Here’s the set-list. Andy’s poems are in red and mine are in blue:

Summa
Pedestrian
The Preacher’s Ear
The White Dot
In the Last Few Seconds
The Loser
Via Negativa
In Question to the Answers
The Ambulance Box
Everyone Will Go Crazy
Berlin, Berlin, Berlin
Jacko Holed Up in Blackfriars Street B and B?
The Meisure o a Nation
Scottish Sonnet Ending in American
(Sevenling) Elizabeth had II
The Invention of Zero
Light Storms from a Dark Country
Lullaby
Dream Family Holiday
Aileen’s Cupboard
Notes to Self
In Praise of Dust
How New York You Are

Salt In Aberdeen

I’m reading in Aberdeen tomorrow evening (Thursday 29th) from 6.30pm at the Dead Good Poets event in the ‘Books and Beans’ shop, along with Andy Philip. It’s the Aberdeen launch for our books.

I studied law at Aberdeen many years ago and remember well the cold blast that rakes down King Street to the beach and back again. I now know almost no one there, but I hope we get an audience in any case. I’m now rushing off to do some work-related stuff by bus and, on the way, I’ll try to choose a pool of poems to read from. Andy and I may try to mix up our sets rather than read separately if we can find a way of doing that which works.

Bag A Salt Bundle

I was reading on the Salt Blog about the new themed Christmas bundles – selections of five books that are likely to have a common appeal – and was delighted (and somewhat amused) to see that The Opposite of Cabbage is included in the book bundle 'for the deep thinker'! The other books are a short story collection by John Saul, and three poetry collections by John Hartley Williams, Peter Abbs and Alexander Hutchison. Great to be in such august company!

In other news from Salt, Tony Williams’s debut collection, The Corner of Arundel Lane and Charles Street, is just out. That should be terrific, I think – a ‘must read’ as far as I am concerned.

Last, but not least, Andy Philip’s The Ambulance Box has been shortlisted for the 2009 Jerwood Aldeburgh Prize. Two Salt authors are on the shortlist (Sian Hughes is the other) and three are Scottish (Andy, Dawn Wood and J.O. Morgan). Philip Rush, previously unknown to me, is the fifth name on the list. Intriguing that the judges have bypassed Faber, Cape, Picador, Seren, Bloodaxe and Carcanet. Perhaps they didn’t enter? Or maybe they did… Either way, it’s an interesting shortlist.

Salt On Display At Blackwell's Bookshop

It's not often that I see poetry collections on the most prominent display table of a bookshop but at Blackwell's Bookshop on Edinburgh's South Bridge, you'll find both my 'The Opposite of Cabbage' and Andy Philip's 'The Ambulance Box' sharing space with novels and non-fiction, just as you enter the main door.

Of course, Blackwell's might begin to think there's real mileage in displaying poetry if these piles of books start disappearing. So, if you're in Edinburgh and want a book to read, Blackwell's is the place to buy it, and those '£2 Off' stickers mean what they say - for a limted time.

I've always had a theory that, if poetry books had a higher profile in bookshops, people would pick them up and buy them, not in numbers similar to Dan Brown or Katie Price, but in similar numbers to an average literary novel. I'm now hoping that really is the case!

Live At The Edinburgh Fringe

To catch up: my Blackwell’s at the Fringe reading went well, and I enjoyed all the others on the night too. The crowd was a good size and very positive. Blackwell’s is an excellent bookshop, one of my favourites in Edinburgh, and I was amazed and delighted to see they had copies of my book and Andrew Philip’s (Andy is reading there this Thursday 20th) not only in the shop but also on the window display. Salt in shop windows! Three cheers for Blackwell’s! My set list was:

1. Light Storms from a Dark Country
2. Girl Playing Sudoku on the 7.15
3. Berlusconi and the National Grid
4. While the Moonies are Taking Over Uruguay
5. Scottish Sonnet Ending in American
6. Scotlands
7. Everyone Will Go Crazy

On Friday I was MC at Utter!, introducing Rapunzel Wizard (who lived up to his name), Stephen Barnaby and Graeme Hawley. It’s well worth checking out Utter! by the way. It’s free (although donations are more than welcome), and there’s a different programme every evening. On Friday, I read:

1. Our Inventions
2. Scotland
3. Breaking the Hoodoo
4. Whisky
5. Visiting Hour

Yesterday evening, I was back at Utter! to hear John Hegley, Tim Wells and Tim Turnbull – excellent performances by the Donut Press crew. Afterwards, I ended up in the Oxford Bar where Tim Wells celebrated his birthday in the traditional way.

Tomorrow (Monday), I’ll be doing a short poetry set sometime between 7.50-8.40pm for Underword at Fingers Piano Bar, Frederick Street. Then I have a break for a week and am back at Utter (5.30-6.20pm) on Wednesday 26th and Saturday 29th.

Over At Magma

I’m conducting a series of short interviews over at the Magma blog with pamphlet publishers who were shortlisted in the recent Michael Marks Awards for Best UK Pamphlet Publisher. So far, you can read those with Peter Hughes from Oystercatcher and Helena Nelson from HappenStance.

Also, Magma, issue 44, is now out. In the print edition, you can read reviews by Ben Wilkinson of The Opposite of Cabbage and by Rosie Shepperd of The Ambulance Box by Andrew Philip. In addition, plenty of good articles and poems.

Word Power Reading - 20th June

.....................................(photo by Gary Thomson, used under a Creative Commons License)

Come to Word Power, 43-45 West Nicolson Street, this Saturday for a feast of poetry. Starts at 12 noon sharp, finishes at 1pm. And it’s free!

Matt Merritt lives near Leicester. His first collection, Troy Town, was published in March 2008 by Arrowhead Press and his chapbook, Making The Most Of The Light, in 2005 by Happenstance Press.

Rob A. Mackenzie’s chapbook, The Clown of Natural Sorrow, was published by HappenStance Press in 2005. His first collection, The Opposite of Cabbage was published by Salt in March 2009.

Andrew Philip has published two poetry pamphlets with HappenStance Press—Tonguefire and Andrew Philip: A Sampler. The Ambulance Box, his first book of poems, was published in March by Salt.

James W Wood’s pamphlet, The Theory of Everything, was published by Happenstance Press in 2006, and Inextinguishable by Knucker Press in 2008.

More information, if you need any, at the link.

The Ambulance Boxer

Andrew Philip has begun his Cyclone virtual book tour at the SPL blog. Who thought up these questions? Whoever was responsible, it’s an entertaining interview.

The Invention Of Zero

My fifteen days of fame are now up and Andrew Philip has taken over on the front page of the Scottish Poetry Library site where we are joint poets-of-the-month. You can read his poem, The Invention of Zero, there. My page still exists among the A-Z Poets Listings.

Launch Report: 'The Opposite of Cabbage' & 'The Ambulance Box'

The launch of The Opposite of Cabbage and The Ambulance Box couldn’t have gone any better. I had considered writing about it yesterday, but had little time or energy after a late night and early rise.

In any case, reports were already up at the SPL blog (great photo too!) and at Colin Will’s Sunny Dunny. This morning, Andrew Philip managed to upload something about it, notes toward a further post, including his setlist and another photo.

All the seats filled rapidly in the Scottish Poetry Library mezzanine where we were reading. In fact, there wasn’t enough standing-room and some people had to sit on the stairs. Apparently, there was initial concern that the mezzanine floor might collapse under the weight of people (seriously), but it was declared safe to go ahead. We were stunned at this as I’d had several call-offs from people who had wanted to be there and I'd wondered if the place was going to be half-empty. So, once again, a thousand thank yous to everyone who made the effort to come along. I noticed that several of Andy’s friends also bought my book, for which I’m also very appreciative.

Andy kicked off this time (I’d done the honours in Glasgow last week) and read a terrific set. His poems are ingenious, way above average fare. Those directly concerning the death of his son, Aidan, after hours of life, are always going to be the ones that have immediate impact, especially on anyone who hasn’t heard them before. But his range is wide. The more indirect poems and the subtle humour, sound, rhythm and language present in his work are every bit as much worth noting. I do hope the book gets the attention it deserves throughout the UK and beyond.

I read straight afterwards. My set-list:

1. The Preacher’s Ear
2. The Deconstruction Industry
3. Advice from the Lion-Tamer to the Poetry Critic
4. Everyone Will Go Crazy
5. Berlusconi and the National Grid
6. Hospital
7. How New York You Are

It was a really enjoyable evening. We signed books afterwards and then some of us, including Andy, members of his and his wife’s family, and Katy Evans-Bush, who had come all the way from London, went to the wonderful Empires, a Turkish café where we ate the most fantastic meze and chatted with Osnam. I’m not sure whether he was waiter, manager or owner – or all three combined – but he was a very nice guy. I’ll be back there for sure!

I finished off the evening over a glass of wine with Katy and got to bed around 1am, but I woke early. Too much excitement buzzing around in my head. The next day consisted of working, seeing Katy off on the train, answering emails and messages, and (especially) trying to stay awake.

Tonight I’m going through to Glasgow to see poets Jen Hadfield, Christie Williamson, and Alan Jamieson, and two musicians, Chris Stout and Catriona McKay, at a Shetland Evening - 7.30pm, the Mitchell Theatre. Should be really good.

Launch Of 'The Ambulance Box' And 'The Opposite Of Cabbage'

I’m almost set for The Scottish Poetry Library on Wednesday evening (from 7pm-8.30pm) when Andrew Philip and I will be launching our collections in Edinburgh – respectively The Ambulance Box and The Opposite of Cabbage.

I’ve still to decide on which poems to read from a shortlist I drew up the other day. I have to work out exactly what time I need our babysitter to turn up. Andy and I need to decide who’s buying the crisps and who the juice (the wine is already taken care of). Also, how many copies of the book should I cart along? I don’t want to run out. Equally, I don’t want to be carrying a ton-weight home. Should I practice a new signature specially for the occasion, or will the old scrawl be sufficient? Which scarf should I wear? Should I bring a cabbage as a decorative backdrop? Or would some other vegetable be more in keeping with the occasion.

For anyone reading this within several hundred miles of Edinburgh – it’s free entry, free wine, free snacks, and there’s no guest list, no bouncers and no dress code. Come along and, if you buy the books (or even if you don’t), we will be incredibly appreciative.

Live At St Mungo's Mirrorball, March 2009

It was a very enjoyable evening yesterday at the St Mungo’s Mirrorball reading in Glasgow. I travelled from Edinburgh by bus, which was delayed in a traffic jam for some unknown reason while it bypassed Glasgow’s east end. It gave me a chance to read halfway through Claire Crowther’s new collection, The Clockwork Gift. It’s not poetry that’s easy to sum up after a single read (let alone just half the book), but it’s striking and distinctive stuff, and I now know what a ‘thike’ is. Well, sort of. Not the kind of thing you can even know from a Google search. Only from this book!

It was a varied programme at the Mirrorball, three very different poets, but the audience (barely an empty seat) seemed to enjoy everyone and were happy to switch mood with each reading. I went on first and read from The Opposite of Cabbage for the first time. It all went well. Robin Cairns was next and combined his comic verse (unlike many poets who write light verse, Robin can actually make an audience laugh) with a couple of more serious pieces. Andrew Philip read from The Ambulance Box - a varied set in itself, from the wit of ‘The Meisure o a Nation’ to the more emotive poems concerning the death of his son, ‘Lullaby’ being the stand-out yesterday evening.

On the bus home, I ran into Father L. who was heading back to Edinburgh after celebrating his 43rd year as a parish priest. He is something of a raconteur, with a fascinating life, one of these guys who gives the priesthood a good name.

Anyway, a gig report wouldn’t be complete without a set-list:

1. The Preacher’s Ear
2. While the Moonies are Taking Over Uruguay
3. Berlusconi and the National Grid
4. Nuclear Submarines
5. Plastic Cork
6. Scotland
7. Scotlands
8. White Noise
9. Married Life in the Nineties

Launches Live and Virtual

Looks like a busy couple of weeks, as far as live poetry goes. On this Thursday, 5th March from 7pm, I’m reading at St Mungo’s Mirrorball in Glasgow along with Andrew Philip and Robin Cairns. This will be the first reading that Andy and I will have done, new books in hand. You can currently read a poem from each book at Andy’s blog. Robin Cairns is a humorous performance poet – on this YouTube video, you can see him in action. Robin is also launching a new book. To say the least, it’s an eclectic programme. We each have very different styles of writing (and reading!), but audiences tend to appreciate variety as long as each component part does its thing well. Should be good!

On Sunday 8th from 8pm, it’s Poetry at the Great Grog with Alexander Hutchison, Paula Jennings, Colin Donati and Nalini Paul.

Then, on Wednesday 11th March from 7pm, Andy and I officially launch our books at the Scottish Poetry Library in Edinburgh. It’s an open event and we’ll be sharing out the wine with all-comers. As well as wine, there will be crisps and poetry and book-signings and, no doubt, a great party atmosphere.

Finally, on the 20th March, I’m looking forward to the virtual launch of Jee Leong Koh’s ‘Equal to the Earth’. I’m interested in the book itself, which I definitely buy, but also in how it all works. A virtual launch – such a great idea! I might try to have a virtual launch myself if it seems technologically possible for me, as I know plenty of people who won’t be able to make the Scottish dates. I’ll investigate…