Brilliant Poetry

No news

2010-11-01T15:22:00.004Z

Hi
I've got lots of other things going on just now and so have no more poetry/music events planned for the immediate future. For now my other blog (here) is where you might want to look. Or not.

x

Reporting back

2010-10-10T06:36:00.004+01:00

This year we had not one but two events in Montrose for National Poetry Day (on the Thursday Raymond Vettese and I did a reading in the town library – it went well, thanks for asking...). This two event scenario meant that some people turned up at the Links on Friday night asking 'how long does the festival go on?' Heavens above - we'd only morphed into a festival without even knowing it? Amazing! See how these things can happen...

Anyway, the Friday night event is the one that concerns us here so let's have a quick look at how it all went.

First up were the three poets from Colin Will's Calder Wood Press. I had read all three of these poets on page and screen but had never heard any of them read their own work aloud so much anticipation in the area. Now how did they do..? We started with...

Juliet Wilson (known to many of us as Edinburgh's Crafty Green Poet) came fresh from a day's birdwatching... and would it be odd of me to say there's something of the bird about her too? Slight, mesmerising, taut, intense... I found Juliet quite fascinating to watch and as she read her poem about, say, geese at least a little part of me was wondering if she might just pop out some wings and fly off round the room at some point. Also she read with a seriousness that slightly surprised me (not sure why... maybe it's all the talk of rabbits and making bright, pretty, crafty things on her blog) and though serious is fine I did wonder if some of that was to do with being the ice-breaker, as it were, and taking a little while to relax into her flight. It's always a friendly audience at the Links though so by the time she got to her last poem ('Mushrooms'?) I'd say she was really enjoying herself. Getting nearer soaring maybe...

Number two from CWP was Morgan Downie (the man many of us first knew as Swiss).

Morgan looked slighter than I remembered him too (he must have been hard at it on the bike...) and like Juliet he'd gone for the all-in-black look (good job I'd decided against mine... we'd have looked like the staff at a funeral parlour!). Morgan was very much as I hoped he would be as a reader – confident, clever, kind of charming (without being charming, if you know what I mean). He transported us well and truly to the Western Isles (largely along with his collection 'stone and sea') and he read with that mixture of love and horror for a place that can work so well when it's done right. He said he grew up watching Dave Allen (me too, me too!) and given a whole night to himself I can quite see the storyteller in Morgan coming out to play with the poet, as it were. A high stool, a glass of something and it could easily get to 'tell us another one, Morgan, tell us another' (but next time read my favourite, eh - 'the stone bible' – it's here).

Finally in this section we heard from Anna Dickie

Anna blogs here but not very much any more – sensible woman). I've loved Anna's book 'Heart Notes' but really had no idea how she would be on stage, under the very hot Links lights, facing a fairly big crowd. And she was... really perfect. Her introductions were dry and spiky (in good ways), the poems flowed beautifully and her whole section was varied, captivating and compelling. I saw quite a few people leaving with copies of 'Heart Notes' clutched in their hands at the end of the night, put it that way.

After this trio of poets it was time for the musical part of the night – the choir Loadsaweeminsingin from Dundee.

I've seen the Weemin several times before and absolutely LOVE their energetic, uplifting performances (and Sarah, their choir leader, really sets the standard in this regard). For us at the Links on Friday night the Weemin were on great form (and I was pleased they made it – the roads were thick with fog right up the east coast). They sang their usual great range of material and featured, I'm thrilled to say, the song 'Before I drop' that consists of words by me and tune by blogger's own Dominic Rivron (he wrote the tune for it back here, remember?). If you get a chance to see this choir don't miss it – they really are a joy to hear (and watch – so expressive, so bright).

As ever in between acts I did a poem (and a bit of rambling) here and there.

My poems this time were an oldish Poetry Bus one, that 'Rank and file' one from last week (it's here – decided to go for it in the end) and a new one (for my Mum) about 'Strictly Come Dancing' and heaven (I'll maybe post that last one over on the other blog next week or so). As usual with me it's not one for the Bloodaxe anthologies I suppose... but really life's too short to be worrying about all that – let's tango, let's fall over now and again... let's live!

Finally, after the interval, it was time for Tim Turnbull to take centre stage.

Having heard so much about him from other poets I was really looking forward to seeing and hearing Tim perform... and there was no disappointment – none at all. In his distinctive smart attire (he's part very good boy, part naughtiest child in the school...) Tim set about really entertaining us for the rest of the evening – a high energy, focused approach that really kept the crowd with him (through long poems and short). Over the course of the night he sang, he joked, he scared us a bit, he made the full range of interesting faces and gestures... but most of all he read poem after poem after poem – each one as original and packed full of cracking language and prickling insight as the last. I don't think there was a boring moment in the whole set – nothing predictable, nothing bland, not a hint of 'if I just say this in a poetry voice you'll have to like it or you're stupid'. And the audience, my dears, why we loved him (oh, yes we did).

So that's it for another year. Thanks to all who helped on the night, to T Duncan & Co. for their sponsorship contribution and to my nearest and dearest for their patience and support in all matters poetrical. Big special thanks to our lovely friend Scott Henriksen for the photos too. I've no immediate plans for any more events (got lots of other stuff going on..) but who knows... in poetry anything can happen... can't it..?

x

October 2010 - sooner than you think

2010-07-29T16:22:00.000+01:00

So...Brilliant Poetry event number three in Montrose is coming up in the autumn. We'll be back at the Links Hotel on Friday 8th October 2010 (another National Poetry Day – Plus One). And who will we be seeing and hearing this time, you cry?

Well, there will be this man - Tim Turnbull.

Tim started off in North Yorkshire but now lives in Scotland and he has many books of poetry with his name on the front/spine ('Caligula on Ice', 'Stranded in Sub-Atomica'...). Most importantly of all (with audiences in mind) he was easily one of the most recommended poets when I asked other people who they'd seen who was BRILLIANT live (on a post back here). His website is here or you can listen to a good podcast interview with him over here. From what I've read and heard so far I don't think there's another poet quite like him and that, of course, can only be good.

There will be music too (as ever) and this time it will be provided by the fantastic women's choir from Dundee who go by the name of Loadsaweeminsingin. I've heard the 'weemin sing several times, even introduced them back at the Apex Hotel event in Dundee in 2009, and they always warm the cockles and stir the soul. Sorry I've no photos or links for them but you'll just have to take my word for it that they're fab (though the marvellous Michael Marra is a big friend and fan of the choir and that might be enough to help persuade you too).

Our other poetry this October will be something slightly different – not just one poet but a three-part publisher's showcase, no less, and it will come in the form of a fine selection of poets from Colin Will's Dunbar-based Calder Wood Press. The three poets Colin will be bringing up north are all bloggers and folk I'm very fond of in different ways (even though I've only met one of them properly in the flesh) – Anna Dickie, Morgan Downie and Juliet Wilson. I have written a little about all their CWP books on my other blog (Anna's here, Morgan's here and Juliet's here) but you can find out more about them at their own blogs or at the Calder Wood Press site. Their books look like this (though bigger...obviously):

I'm pretty sure it will be another fantastic (and very different) night with an unpredictable (but no doubt incomparable!) array of talent on show. I'm excited... are you?

Tickets are now on sale from Hogg's, High St., Montrose or from the Links Hotel, Montrose or email me if you can't get to either of those places (usual email – author@crowd-pleasers.net). Tickets are priced £4 in advance, £5 on the door (details on stockists soon) and as usual the event will start at 8pm (doors open at 7.30pm). Sponsorship once again from T Duncan & Co. (Montrose solicitors/estate agents).

x

The day after

2010-04-24T10:21:00.001+01:00

So, our second event in Montrose...how did it go? I think I need numbered answers...brain's a bit tired.

1.Well, first off, I was glad to get there at all. My Mum had been horribly ill earlier in the week and at one point I arranged 'emergency poetry compere cover' because I thought I wouldn't make it on the night. Luckily by Friday Mum was well enough to leave with friends looking after her so I made it to the Links on time. Phew.

2.Last October the venue filled up really quickly (in fact it was pretty much full before the time the doors were supposed to be open to the public) but this time the audience rolled in more slowly (thus enducing mild panic in this organiser). No need to worry though...by 8pm we had a good crowd...all ready and waiting for poems and tunes.

3.Andy Shanks was on first – singing, playing the guitar and telling a tale or two in between songs (folk singers are so good at that). Andy has a lovely warm voice and is a really polished and professional performer with a wide range of material. He was on great form – a very enjoyable set all round.

Andy Shanks

Helena Nelson

4.Next up was Helena Nelson - a poet I've read a fair bit but never heard or seen perform before. I was thrilled to finally discover for myself what a totally mesmerising performer she is and though I know this isn't the generally accepted way of talking about poets I think that on stage she has a magical star quality (and the poems are strong so she has great material too). The audience were completely entranced...so what I want to know is why isn't she headlining at poetry festivals around the country (and beyond)? Maybe she doesn't want to...but still I'd like to see her name in more programmes. She's a real one-off...not like any other poet I've seen before really. Dazzling.

5.I read a poem here and there too...one inspired by a Picasso painting, an old favourite ('Let me be your fridge magnet') and one newish one ('Set text fever' – it's back here). I particularly enjoyed reading this time... perhaps because it had been such a hard week in real life that it was lovely to throw myself into some poems instead... also because it was a lovely, warm, positive audience (I got lots of great comments about the whole event – about the variety, the quality, the atmosphere, the venue...).

Me (Rachel Fox), in amongst the raffle tickets and the drinks

Don Paterson

6.Finally the second half of the night was pretty much given over to Don Paterson for poems and music. Paterson had just found out about the death of a friend (the poet Peter Porter) and this did visibly (and audibly) affect his reading (I have heard him engage more with an audience than he did last night...and he was very quiet...not in the mood to put on a show really, I imagine). However poets are people not machines and I don't think we need expect singing and dancing at all times - it was still a performance with much to show and tell us, the eager audience. There was plenty of gloom, yes, and there were several poems off on a deep voyage of investigation but also there were aphorisms (when he felt himself getting too gloomy...) and there were some lovely observations and little stories too. Most of all I think there was some fantastic playing – he played two long beautiful guitar pieces (eyes closed, a few pints down) and they were both totally bewitching (and hell, I am a long, long way from a jazz fan). To be such a talented musician and such a successful writer...can't be bad, eh? Pretty amazing.

And again - Don Paterson

So all in all, another brilliant night. Thanks to all the performers, to my friends-and-family support team and to all those who came along too. Special thanks to our friend Scott Henriksen for all the photos in this post (I just threw our not-particularly-special camera at him because the local news photographer came and took some posed shots early doors but couldn't hang around for the night). I hope to see most of you back at the Links in October for another National Poetry Day (plus one) but for now I must go and lie down...well, maybe.

p.s. Helena Nelson has also written about this event here.

x

Tickets on sale

2010-02-18T12:49:00.001Z

Tickets are now on sale for the event detailed below. They cost £4 in advance from:
Hogg's, High St., Montrose
Pucci's, Murray St, Montrose
Hillside Village Shop

Or if you can't get to any of those you can email me for postal purchase. Usual email - author@crowd-pleasers.net

PLEASE NOTE - in the 'Courier' newspaper my email address was printed incorrectly (04.03.10). There is a hyphen between crowd and pleasers. Cheers.

x

Next event in Montrose

2010-01-30T22:00:00.000Z

It's time for me to announce the details of the next Brilliant Poetry event in Montrose.

Date – Friday 23rd April 2010
Venue – Links Hotel, Montrose, Angus (Scotland!)
Time – Doors 7.30pm, show at 8pm.
Ticket details at the end of this post.

Our poets will be....this man

Kind of looks into your soul, don't he? Yes, Dundee's Don Paterson is taking a trip up the road to come and read poems and even have a twang on his guitar. His new book 'Rain' is (suitably enough) brilliant and of course all his other ones haven't been that bad either (has he won every prize possible for poetry...or does it just feel that way? I suppose there's the Nobel still to go...). I heard Paterson in Dundee back in February 08 and he is, of course, one of StAnza's headliners this year too. Still, all the real action is up in Montrose you know...

Our second poet is...

Helena Nelson - publisher of HappenStance Press, writer of award-winning poetry (from most serious to most flippant...), woman of note, resident of Fife...so many reasons to be excited about hearing Nelson at this event. I have met Helena a few times, bugged her about poetry a fair bit, seen her chair debates at StAnza...but never heard her read her own work. Really looking forward to hearing her.

Our musical guest (apart from Paterson) will be...

Andy Shanks – singer, musician, songwriter (songs covered by English folk's wonderful June Tabor, no less), Andy is a local man who doesn't play locally nearly often enough but here's a chance to hear what we're missing. His myspace page is here for anyone who wants a sneaky listen.

Host will be me (Rachel Fox) and there will be books for sale, a raffle (contain yourselves now...) and possibly a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday for both my Mum (86 on that day) and William Shakespeare (considerably older). I hope we get as good a crowd as back in October (and p.s. I am planning another event for National Poetry Day in October again this year...possibly even two events...).

Tickets will be printed in the next couple of weeks and will be available from a couple of outlets in Montrose (details soon). Anyone who cannot get over this way to buy a ticket can email me at author@crowd-pleasers.net to get tickets posted out. Tickets will be £4 in advance and £5 on the door.

Live poets society

2009-11-19T12:06:00.000Z

Any poets you think are particularly brilliant live performers? Come and add them to the comments over at this post.
Please.
And thank-you.
x

Next stop

2009-11-18T14:46:00.000Z

I have booked poets and musicians for another event in Montrose. It will take place on Friday 23rd April 2010 at Links Hotel (8pm start as before). I'll post full details in the New Year but take it from me it'll be a good one!
x

Press reports and pics

2009-11-02T16:57:00.000Z

Here are a couple of pics of poet Raymond Vettese that appeared in the local press (the Courier, below, and the Montrose Review, above) the week after our National Poetry Day event (held 9.10.09). Click on them to read more clearly. Photos by Andy Thompson.

Now I just have to decide what to organise next...and when...and who I want to see and hear...

x

So how did it go?

2009-10-10T08:54:00.000+01:00

What does it say at the top of this page? Brilliant! Our National Poetry Day (Plus One) in Montrose last night was... brilliant!

I will get to a proper report at some point but today we're all very tired so there's just time for a couple of quick amateur photos and a word or two.

First off we had a huge audience! The room was full (and it's a big room...a party function room not a little back room or anything). Sure, there were lots of friends and family but there were lots of people I'd never met or seen before too. We weren't meant to open doors till 7.30 but people started coming in at 7 and we were pretty much full by quarter to eight. People had come from out of town, some had seen it in the local papers. It was great to look out at such a big, attentive audience. Plus we took enough money (on door and with raffle) to be able to pay folk for their labour/expenses and not be out of pocket (and all that with tickets only £3 each). Thanks to our sponsors T. Duncan (sponsorship covered some of our other expenses like room hire).

The room filling up nicely (this doesn't show everybody there by any means)! Thanks to everyone who came along.

Secondly all the performers did a great job. Charlie Williamson (singing and helped out on one song by his young son Kyle on guitar), Raymond Vettese (poetry), Grace Banks (singing) and Hugh McMillan (poetry, photo above) was the order of play with little bits of me in between. It was a great mix and a fantastic evening's entertainment. As it was a National Poetry Day event the poets got longer slots and both were on top form. Much laughter, lots of gulp-that's-sad moments, lots of beautiful observations. These ARE two of Scotland's finest poets...I wasn't just making it up for the press release! They enjoyed each other's sets too, I think. They are very different but have much in common too.

There will be more photos to come (one of the local press photographers was around for much of the first half of the night) but the ones in this post are a couple of ours (thanks Mark). We did some videoing too so that will turn up some time too.

p.s. Charlie has written about this event here.

Radio

2009-10-07T13:38:00.000+01:00

Just been interviewed by a local radio station about the event on Friday in Montrose! It will be on news bulletins tomorrow apparently and the station is Wave 102 FM. Bet I sound like an over zealous girl guide...
x

Press Pack

2009-09-12T14:35:00.000+01:00

I've been sending out quite a lot of press releases and what-not for the event in Montrose on 9th October this year so I was quite pleased to get the first bit of coverage today. Here is the article from the 'Courier' (Angus & Mearns edition - click on the image to get bigger text) featuring a pic of (L to R) me (Rachel - organiser), Ken Bruce (sponsor) and Raymond Vettese (one of the two headlining poets). It's not even a bad picture of us all (posing in the local library)! Thanks photographer (Andy Thompson). Did he have one of those magic cameras or what?

Someone else's face

2009-09-03T14:27:00.001+01:00

Here is poet Hugh McMillan (who will be appearing at the event detailed below). Now who said he wasn't pretty?

National Poetry Day - Plus One (Oct 2009)

2009-09-02T11:06:00.000+01:00

Since I moved to Montrose (in 2004) I haven't noticed any events connected to National Poetry Day - we get the lovely Scottish Poetry Library postcards in our library every year but not much else happens (that I'm aware of). This year I thought it might be good to mark the day locally and so I am organising a brilliant poetry event (hence the name of this page) at the Links Hotel in Montrose. I have written about it on my day-to-day blog already (here) but there's so much other stuff on there that I thought it might easily get lost in the crush. So...what, when and where?

National Poetry Day is technically on the 8th October but the event in Montrose will be the day after (for various reasons....and hence the name - "National Poetry Day - Plus One"). Our event will be on Friday 9th October at the Links Hotel, Montrose. Star poets will be (him again) the marvellous Hugh McMillan from Penpont, Dumfriesshire alongside the very popular local Montrose poet Raymond Vettese (who writes in Scots). Bascially I asked Hugh again because he was so, well, brilliant in Edinburgh last year and I think it's verging on criminal that he doesn't get more attention in Scotland (as a poet...). Scotland has a lot of very good poets but his work is up there with the best of them. I draw the line at wearing McMillan for Scottish laureate t-shirts (so far) but I will keep banging on about how good he is...for quite a while yet I should think. Raymond Vettese is in a slightly similar position poetry-profile-wise - he's a very good poet who's won prizes (Saltire first book award for 'The Richt Noise' in 1988) but he doesn't get quite the attention that he might. Neither poet is young and pretty (sorry guys) or lives in a big city with a...(clears throat) lively literary scene or works in a creative writing department (McMillan is a history teacher in Dumfries, Vettese a librarian in Montrose) and I think that's all part of it. But none of that should matter, should it? It's what a poet writes that matters, isn't it? And these men both write very, very good poetry and are both great performers/readers of their work. They can both appeal to a wide audience too - both write (I think) for people not publishers. But don't quote me on that.

And what about music, you shout from the back. This time there will be a song or three from Aberdeen-based Grace Banks (I first heard her up at Aberdeen's Dead Good Poets - she's a lovely singer and I'm really pleased she's agreed to be part of this) and Montrose's Charlie Williamson (I'd hoped for Pauline Hynd too but she's away). I will introduce/compere/host but not read a poetry set as such. Tickets are very reasonable (£3 from Henry Hogg's in Montrose or by emailing me at usual address - author@crowd-pleasers.net) but the bar prices at the Links are fairly...ambitious so bring a few pennies with you. It's a great venue though with lots of room and full disabled access. Doors on the night will open at 7.30pm with mikes switched on at 8 or thereabouts. Hope to see you there.

Cheers
Rachel
x

Videos from Edinburgh, Nov 08

2009-09-01T11:13:00.000+01:00

We recorded six poems on video at Postcards from the song (Nov 08). You can see the three of Hugh McMillan here, here and here and the three of me (Rachel) here, here and here.

November 2008 - Postcards from the Song, Edinburgh

2009-09-01T11:06:00.000+01:00

The first poetry event I organised took place in Edinburgh in November 2008. Below is the report/review I posted on my other blog once I got home. I post it here in an archive stylee.

So...I've been warbling on about it for a while now...there was a night out in Edinburgh on Friday...some poems, some music...now it's over...so how did it go? Did we bomb? Did anyone come? Did we end on a song?

Well...it was fantastic! You can see photos over at Colin Will's - although it seems he got my photo mixed up with one of a tired-looking sweaty woman who I don't quite recognise. You will also be able to see some video snippets of Hugh and I quite soon...when my beloved Mark has done all his other chores...he's a busy lad, lots to do...plus he has to recover from the stressful experience that is travelling with me ('neurotic' really doesn't cover my behaviour when I get on busy public transport...where's that damned chauffeur-driven limo when you need it?).

So, the night. First off the venue (Forest Café) was great. The staff are friendly, the room is a good size and very relaxed (none of that sitting in rows business that makes me twitch uncontrollably...). The sound system was good (thanks Mark for looking after that all night too!) and there were all kinds of food and drinks available...plus the very welcome sight that is a tap where you can help yourself to free water (so simple but so useful!). OK the toilets did seem to get more and more threatening as the evening went on...but you can't have everything and I've seen much worse (Glastonbury toilets...once seen, never forgotten).

It is a really unusual venue (Hugh McMillan kept saying 'it's like the Beat Hotel'). It's free to hire on the condition that you don't charge admission and people float in and out all night... but in a good way...if they stay (which they did in impressive numbers) you know it's because they are enjoying it, not just because they've paid and they're staying to get their money's worth. Sure some people are there for the free WiFi and the warmth and comfort too (and there are all ages, all fashion schools in evidence...) but some of the talent on offer was so great that Mark (sat at the back with the sound desk and the video camera) said it was interesting to watch people getting drawn in and sitting down to stay, paying their laptops less and less attention and the tales and poems of Hugh McMillan, for example, more and more. I was sat right at the front (to jump up on stage and introduce everyone) but every now and again I would turn round in a set to see how the audience was going and pretty much every time all I could see was a room full (really full!) of engaged faces (attached to bodies obviously). It made the organising work all worth while (it wasn't really that much...I got in touch with people, I did a little planning...). I chose all the people on the bill because I think they are all fabulous so I was glad the audience agreed with me. Poems and music, poems and music...I know I bang on about it all the time but for me they make the perfect combination (when they're both good...). The poetry (and lyrics) stir your brain and the music works on everything else....a night out for the whole body, mind and soul! Hallelujah indeed.

We started off with Andy Spiller. I asked Andy to go first because... someone had to – there was no pecking order or anything! Andy is a great guitarist and one of those quite quiet, unassuming guys who really loves to play and gets lost in music right before your eyes. On his song 'Lotus' in particular (a lovely song!) I watched him just travel miles whilst stood there right in front of me. We were tripping, man, really tripping! I look forward to many more musical poetry nights with Mr Spiller on the bill!

After Andy I did my first set which was mainly poems about music. Obviously I can't tell you how I did really...I think I was a little more on edge than normal on stage (because of the organising side of things perhaps) and at times I think I spoke a little too quickly...but overall I enjoyed it and I think others did too. I tried out my new dancing poem and that went well. That poem ('Are you askin'?') is very much at the performance poetry end of my output I suppose (I write some poems that might get filed under 'performance' and some that might just fit under 'literary' at a push – but overall I wish the terms just didn't exist at all...I much prefer Colin's 'polymorphous'...damn those pigeon holes!). Maybe thinking about stuff like that made me a bit nervous too...when I read to a crowd that knows me (like at the folk club here) they have heard me do all kinds of poems so I don't worry about how I am coming across and I just get on with each poem on its own terms. I suppose with this being my first outing in the capital I did have certain other nonsense of that kind on my mind...I'm good at filling my brain with unnecessary nonsense...too good!

After me came fiddler Kevin O'Donnell (accompanied by Kim Edgar on guitar). I'd never heard Kevin before but had asked him on Kim's recommendation and I'm really glad I did. Kevin was charming and maybe a little nervous but then, when he picked up the bow, he played with a passion and a gentleness that, again, was a delight to witness. The fiddle is one of those dangerous instruments (an unskilled or misguided player can cause a lot of damage to an audience!) but Kevin was skilled and spirited and really quite smashing. The crowd loved it!

Was it at this point that I invited Claire Askew up on stage to give us a bonus poem? I think so. Edinburgh resident Claire had really helped by recommending Forest as a venue so this was a little thank-you. Claire was great to watch too and introduced her dramatic poem and reading with lovely subtle deadpan humour. Thanks again Claire...all the performers were thrilled with the venue and want me to take them back on a regular basis. I'm not sure I will do that...organising from this distance is not ideal! Maybe we'll go somewhere else...

Next on the little crowded stage (beware the drum kit...) was poet Hugh McMillan...all the way from Penpont near Dumfries. In his first set Hugh read from his latest book 'Postcards from the Hedge'...he even stuck the poster from it up on the wall as a visual aid (always the educator!). I was a bit nervous about Hugh never having seen or heard him before...was there a reason he has been called 'Scotland's most overlooked poet' (or some such)....did he have a terrible flatulence problem that no-one had told me about or something? Was he just a giant pain in the arse? Well...it sounds like he drives his wife crazy but as far as we the poetry audience were concerned he was absolutely brilliant. He was interesting, funny, tragic, strangely charming...and the poems spoke for themselves well too (so much variety, such a skillful blend of style and content). The audience loved him, really loved him...I watched people warm to him with every new witty line, with every clever observation, with every beautiful little detail. It was quite a masterclass. Why he's not headlining at StAnza every year I really don't know. Or at least every other year.

After Hugh came Charlie Williamson – all the way from Montrose like me. Hugh and Charlie have things in common, now I think about it. They are both family men (3 kids each I think) and they both work 'regular' day jobs (or jobs anyway). Plus they are both funny, thoughtful...good blokes. They both like a drink too! Charlie's secret though, is that he has a voice to die for. He can just stand and sing and fill a room with the most amazing soundwaves...no accompaniment (well, apart from the beer...), no frills, just fine, heartfelt singing. I love listening to Charlie sing...truly the human voice doing what it does best...and he did a great set on Friday. On a related note Mark and I stuck the radio on when we got back into the car in Montrose. It was on R4 (Mark likes news) and it was an excerpt from that week's Women's Hour talking about the range of the human voice and how many of us don't get near using our full power for a whole range of reasons. I thought of Charlie and his room-filling range...some people manage it, some people really sing!

After a short break I read a few more poems – this time about everything but music. I read about city living and being rubbish at office work and war and relationships and dinosaurs and the end of the human race. As you do. I probably enjoyed this set more...the night was going so well...maybe I was even relaxing! Maybe I spoke a little slower...

Next came Pauline Hynd (formerly Pauline Meikleham...she's trying out a new stage name!). I've seen Pauline several times at the night she runs herself in Dundee (Out of the Woods). As she's usually running the show she is usually on early and no doubt her thoughts are somewhat on other things so it was great to watch her let loose (as it were) to just do her own thing. And what a thing! Pauline was on fire! Again this is a performer with an amazing voice -she can sing in any style you like and sometimes several different styles in the same song – and her songs are funny, clever, really original and kind of groovy. I think she is something really special – a real entertainer, a beautiful singer. Watch out for that new name because that Pauline Hynd, she's tremendous!

After Pauline, Hugh did his second set (reading from his other books – he has several). He stepped effortlessly back into his wandering stride and the audience just lapped it all up...so many good moments and poems, such a great way to spend an evening, people were literally hanging on his every word by the end. There were many highlights but I liked 'Marked' in this set best of all (it's a poem about marking exam papers, taken from the book 'Strange Bamboo'). I'd loved it in the book but read aloud it was close to perfection. If I'd been a Strictly Come Dancing judge..I might just have held up my '10' card. Full marks indeed.

The last performer of the night was Edinburgh singer and musician Kim Edgar. I first saw Kim performing with the magnificent Karine Polwart in Dundee earlier this year and slightly later on I bought her CD 'Butterflies and Broken Glass' and little by little I fell in love with her voice and her lyrics and her whole musical project, if you like. She has the gentlest voice you can imagine (but still a steely power in there somewhere) plus she is a great pianist and guitarist and a gifted writer too. On Friday she started off with two numbers that were poems of mine that she had turned into songs ('Significant other deceased' and '25 year tears') and as you can imagine this was really quite exciting for me! I had not heard the tunes before and it really was quite earthshattering to hear them in that place, surrounded by friends old and new, sung by that voice, turned into quite such beautiful entities. They are both lovely but 'Significant other deceased' (perhaps because she sang it first) nearly knocked me off my chair. It is a sad poem (simple but sad) and she turned it into something...almost celestial. I didn't cry (oddly...I cry so much and so easily!) but my goodness, I won't forget that experience for a long time. Kim also sang her own beautiful song 'Heavy Skies' and one she co-wrote with Karine P. Go and hunt down Kim's CD, honestly, you won't regret it.

So that was it...the end of the night...everyone tired but very happy. The guy at the venue said what a great night it had been, the atmosphere, the crowd, everything...and that was good to hear too. I felt kind of proud of all the performers and of course was tired too but couldn't sleep (once I'm hyper..I'm hyper for life!). We stayed over and didn't get back up north till Saturday night and then there was normal life to resume and all that. For now...I wish you'd all been there! And Hope...the vids are on their way, I promise!

Welcome

2009-09-01T10:55:00.000+01:00

Hello!
I have decided to have a separate blog page for any and all poetry events that I organise. I'll still post about them on More about the song but I also wanted somewhere where people can easily access information about events that are coming up. So here it is. It won't be as busy as the other blog I don't expect - more information than conversation...but you never know.
Cheers
Rachel (Fox)