In the car: The Beatles 'Blue' Album 1966-70
On the page: Bad Machine, George Szirtzes
Where I'm at: Spoken Worlds and Poetry Alight
Onscreen: Harry Potter 8 DVD set
In the ether: Death by Caffeine.
Review: Poetry Alight at the Spark Cafe, Lichfield, 19/2/13
Spoken word events come in many shapes, sizes and formats. The shape and format chosen by Lichfield poets for Poetry Alight has, over their first five events, been so successful that size - in terms of the capacity of the Spark Cafe - might become a problem in the future. This is a great tribute to Lichfield Poets, though, and especially to Gary Longden who hosts the event so well.
As Staffordshire Laureate Mal Dewhirst noted wryly in closing the event "...you wait years for a Staffordshire Laureate to come along, and then four Birmingham Laureates turn up at the same time." The night was full of stars, so much so that many of the open mic readers would normally headline events.
This brought out some great performances from the actual guests. The first of these, Charlie Jordan, performed her fifteen minute epic Buddhism and Ben & Jerry's with immaculate comic timing. The poem follows the breakup of a relationship from the "listening to Leonard Cohen to cheer myself" stage, through rehabilitation through spin classes - a great extended metaphor for early morning sex, here - considering becoming a nun after a year of "accidental celibacy" to finding a new love.
Spoz, as second guest poet, was tasked with following this tour-de-force. He managed this with Latin panache and Brummie bravado. Highlight of his set, for me, was Without You, a poem written and performed at first in rolling Italian, then translated into English, with hilarious results.
Dreadlock Alien, a man I have somehow failed to see before, came on after the break and despite a dodgy mic gave a brilliant and eloquent performance with, amongst others, I am whatever you see, a list poem about colour, Six Years Old, (performed with Spoz) about the first teacher to praise him with a "well done", and the multifarious ways he had of getting into trouble, Poetry Slammin', full of clever wordplay and, of course, three minutes long.
The final guest, Lorna Meehan, also gave a performance to remember. All four of her poems shimmered with beautiful and original lines like the "horizon gazing daydreams" of Holiday to Newquay, and turning into "...that old lady at the end of the street with about a thousand cats" in Thirty Year Old Spinster. Highlight was Smooth, a poem in praise of Michael Bublé, where she definitely "wants him dirty", and enumerates clearly the 'how'.
The open mic performers, with a few highlights, were:
Val Thompson and Heather Fowler - several short pieces from Lichfield Poets' anthology on the theme of Stars
Liz Lefroy - visiting from Shrewsbury, three poems including Later Love on loving later in life. A well constructed 3 minute set.
Deb Alma - The Emergency Poet. Three superb, often very rude, relationship poems. Many music and song related lines and images.
Dwane Reads - on the secret pigeon police and blogs. Everything you know is there, but seen through a kaleidoscope.
Christine Coleman - wonderful three part poem about birth from a baby's perspective. I would have liked to see a longer set.
Kate Walton - read the prologue to I am Blackbird. Beautiful metaphors for freedom and captivity. Will be performing a full set at the Spark on the 19th of March.
Roy McFarlane - 1963, part of a series about being the son of a preacher, starts by using headlines and records from that year. Lost Words, which resounded well with a room of poets.
Phil Binding - the Singing Rail. Atmospheric story of the day that changed an engine driver's life. A real hidden treasure, brought the whole room to absolute silence.
Mike & Gemma - two short poems on an ecological theme, and a poem about a mystery chest in the bedroom.
Andy Summer - returning to performance. Mouldy Old Poem, on finding work to read, Soft Ground, extended metaphor.
Terri Jolland - Central Focus, on how prospective buyers see the house and not the home, Patchwork Cluttered Quilt, a metaphor on clearing out. I overheard Charlie Jordan telling Terri how much she enjoyed this set at the end of the evening.
Tony Keeton - pilgrims old and new in Buxton Water. Ocean Trigonometry, a romantic triangle, the scientist and the sea
Jayne Stanton - two quality poems. A woodland fantasy, and a piece on birth.
Andy Conner - Quiet Kid, not showing feelings or fears due to low confidence and fear of the reaction of others.
Janet Smith - Tempest, a (first?) night of pleasure together. "last night the wind twisted in the fir tops".
Ian Ward - a sea shanty about the damning of a soul.
Mal Dewhirst - Lichfield section of the laureate poem plus Small Town Boy 1965, from the forthcoming Tamworth community show Quadrophenia.
There are so many poets that I haven't done justice to, here, that it hurts. For the real flavour of the event you have to attend. The next opportunity to do this is on May 14th at the Spark Cafe. If you want a seat be there well in advanced of the 7:30 start.
