Gigs, Goths, Grind and Gratification

Wednesday 29th October 2014

Didn’t get far today. Just the shop for pizza and shortbread. Washed clothes in the sink for tomorrow. Did some online stuff. Ordered two Geoff Hattersley books, wrote to his publisher with an info request. They said they’d pass the email on to him.

Made up a spare copy of WORKS by Rollins. The original 1998 pamphlet cost me £70 on ebay a couple of years ago. I want to be able to carry a copy round with me. Had a lot of fun with manual cut and paste – pritt stick style. Photocopied the pages. It looks neater than the original!

Jenni came third in the York Slam. I want to go to the next one coz it’s my birthday weekend. Just to be in the audience though. Slam spots all gone now. Got my stuff ready for trip to Howden. Hope the weather stays good. Stitched up all the holes in my bag tonight. Gaffa-taped in places as well. Real classy guy. Not! 10.46 pm.

Thursday 30th October 2014

Okay, so it’s just gone eleven on a warm late October Thursday night in Howden, East Riding of Yorkshire. Just seen an acoustic songs and stories gig by Toyah Willcox at the Shire Hall. She was fabulous. IYEA was stunning. It took me eight hours to get to the place but it was well worth it. It was brilliant to hear stories between songs. Think I enjoyed it more than her rock gig at Legends in Newcastle last year. Walked round town in search of a takeaway. Just scoffed burger and chips back here at the B&B. Really pleased I came. Thanks to friendly folk who talked to me after the gig. 11.07 pm.

Friday 31st October 2014

Happy Halloween! Lush cooked breakfast at the Bowman’s this morning, walked around town for a while. Shire Hall box office gave me the poster from last night’s gig. Much of today spent zipping about on trains, coaches and regular service buses. I wrote lot of stuff in various places: Howden, Selby, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Whitby and Durham. Was good to check out the Goth festival. Albeit just for an hour. Nice dusk walk up to the abbey, then haddock and chips, take in the atmosphere for a while. Have read lots of Toyah’s autobiography today. Was good of her to sign it. Good to watch some goth stuff on tv when I got back this evening. A good couple of days. 11.59 pm.

Saturday 1st November 2014

Jenni says she’s just stirred her tea with a Bovril spoon. Some sort of euphemism, I ask. Jenni has the bigly choky bones. I’ve been rather tired today. Read some Brendan Cleary poems and Geoff Hattersley’s pamphlet Outside the Blue Hebium. This afternoon I checked out a band called Bad Pollyanna and listened to TV Smith. Read Toyah’s Living Out Loud on the bus to Gateshead. Ok. 

10.36 pm.

Sunday 2nd November 2014

Out this afternoon to buy food supplies for Jenni who is a bit under the weather – coughing last night and still wheezing a bit today. We watched Lewis and a documentary on Ladybird books. Back home I ditched intended telly for a YouTube TV Smith documentary. Email from Geoff Hattersley. 11.45 pm.

Monday 3rd November 2014

Full on afternoon and evening of prep. Made up a new morning pages booklet, got the journals up to date after a few days away. Workshop handouts listed for photocopying. Notebook has exercises. Pleased to be done. 11.36 pm.

Tuesday 4th November 2014

Disappointing morning. Absences this afternoon. Good news when I got back to Waddy – Leisureworks have offered me another course. This boosted me greatly. Had a blast at evening class. Home at ten to wash clothes in the sink, send out email then bed. 10.59 pm.

Wednesday 5th November 2014

Morning session okay. Afternoon cancelled. Evening much better. Picture marathon with private class. These fourteen hour days are a bit gruelling. Low on fuel. Low on ink. Got home at ten. No milk, no bread, no sweets. Peanut butter on Ryvita. Bit easier day tomorrow. Might do Wanted and Sigil Sammy at Poetry Jam. Got offered a poetry commission but performance date is when I’m next away. Never mind. 10.51 pm.

Thursday 6th November 2014

Today was one of the most gratifying ones. Superb opening to the Consett Writers workshop at Derwentside Mind this morning – Home Town Slog, Beckett, metafiction, verb monologues and then vintage Armitage and Duffy from two decades ago recorded at Stanza on Stage, which the group loved. Then a treat to be able to read through the work of Simon Green in his home made pamphlets on the bus before working with one of the published Waddy writers on a set for December’s Poetry Jam. Thanks to Peter for printing out draft copies of the Chris Harland and Jane Burn pamphlets. Nice to chat with Ali Lee on the bus back from Meadowfield before prepping for tonight’s Poetry Jam. Great open mic stuff, superb sets from Laura Lawson, Chris and Jane. Thanks to everyone who took part and Simon for the lift home. Brilliant. After a few professional disappointments earlier in the week, today kicked ass. 11.38 pm.