Pages

Monday 28 July 2014

Saturday Night at The basement

Well, I have had a plan for just over a week now. After watching Spokes at The Golden Ball and listening to some amazing poetry by Steve Nash http://starlighttocasualmoths.blogspot.co.uk/, Amina Ayal, Dave Gough with special guest Zach Roddis https://www.facebook.com/zachroddispoet from Manchester who has given up his job to become a performance poet and hosted and added to by Dai Parsons: I felt somewhat inspired.
       I have done it once before: stood in front of a group of people and read out a few beer related poems at York Brewery http://www.york-brewery.co.uk/ last year (the same place I met Jennifer E. Jordan and she wrote that amazing song based on a few lines of drivel) called On The Hop and part organised by The Flanagan Collective http://www.theflanagancollective.co.uk/ , but I never did any thing else. And it was a very accepting audience, most of whom were waiting for their own turn.
    But I had planned at some point to do more, especially after the lyrical punk poet Henry Raby http://www.henryraby.com/ said he liked it. And then nothing. I didn't even try to find an open mic night to give it a go, nor pop down to the poetry group I know exist in my home city.  (Well, to call what I do poetry is sometimes pushing it, and proper poets might have a lot to say about my hastily scrawled lines I call my own and I am rubbish editing).
      Saturday night was different.
     I didn't really tell any one, so had no support and no one with any expectations to watch me, and my choice of poems was hastily compiled in the two hours between finishing work and going to York City Screen for 7.30.
      And I went on first.
     Not through choice but when pushed I do foolish things: like say OK I will go. The lights were in my eyes so I couldn't see a single face (which was a bit of a relief), and I used a microphone for the first time. God knows what my voice sounded like as I wasn't listening. and I rabbited on for 8 poems. I don't know if it was too long as I never got round to timing my words either but the whole night over ran so I might have to cut it down a bit. And people laughed, I hope in appreciation of my beer fuelled thoughts and laughed a lot when I rounded it up with a poem about Tea just to prove I don't drink all the time (but I don't think they bought it), as some one asked how many I had had that evening: and smiled at me when I said two! And It was two.
A delightful light and refreshing ale called Number 7 by Rudgate http://rudgatebrewery.co.uk/ and their best ale, Ruby Mild, but that is by the by.
       A young lad with a good comic routine did enjoy it and said he enjoyed the tone of my words the comfortable breath of ale produced in my thoughts and made me wonder about the strangest things while watching the clouds go by.
      It was a great night. There were some really good acts which made me glad I went first as it just got better and better after me. And will I do it again? I bloody hope so and not take 10 months to try again.

Have a good evening and thank you for reading. xx

No comments :