Some poetry for a change:

DAWN CHORUS

Awake

Life takes a swipe at me with morning's spoon

And bitter the taste

 

Snap

Then crack the bones to roar with raking stretch

A little further this time

 

From the dark

Reality whispers

"Come on!

You've been expecting this

You are still you

And you are still sad

What more was there to expect?"

 

And?

…and I sigh.

 

How dark the night?

How far away?

Too far behind

So it would seem

 

I breathe

It is taken in

 

The dawn

Again, with mocking nod

Does its worst

And dawns upon me

 

Knock, knock

This is it

This is it

Again

 

Good Morning!

Good morning?

Well - the Transatlantic Slam was kicking - fantastic - there are just not enough words to describe how good it was. Pictures to follow - off to bed now!

Well - I had high hopes and aspirations, however in the last couple of years, it's been like running through treacle....

I'm quite heavily involved with SlamIdol, who do a podcast service (www.slamidol.com) and we pitched an idea to one company, however everything went quiet. Simon & I are still plugging away...

We are now working closely with Hammer & Tongue here in Oxford (Steve Larkin) and we have a gig on this weekend - the Transatlantic Slam - the first ever poetry slam held in two places at the same time, simultaneously narrowcast between Oxford & Manhatten - we are still deciding whether to stream it live on the web as well. It is going to be a MONSTER of an event, so if you are in the area, Oxford is £10 and Manhatten is FREE. We have some of the world's best performers, including the likes of Taylor Mali & Jamie Kilstien. Wow!

The whole thing is being managed on a shoestring - we did open conversations with a couple of corporate sponsors, however they all went quiet. I suppose it's all about persuading them that performance poetry isn't about beret-wearing beard strokers. Cue Taylor Mali - "I think I could be a poet, because I like to wear a lot of black...."

The TransSlam is the first step. We have a few other new formats that we would like to use, however the constraining factors are time, money and finding a decent sponsor and/ or content distributor.

If anyone reading this has contacts in the wacky world of broadcast, be it mainstream or alternative, please let us/me know. We want to create an industry for poets to be able to earn a decent amount of money from their trade. Some people might think that we are commercialising poetry, which for many is a big no-no, however we certainly don't want to "bastardise" the artform. We just don't want rap music to be the only realistic future outlet. People are always free to hang out with the beret wearers in bookshop back rooms.

Anyway - hopefully it won't be another two years before I write again....Please - if someone out there can help, I would love to hear from you.

Big Hugz

AYM

Well, its been a while since I posted the first blog and nothing much had changed since then until a few days ago.

I did meet with a potential partner a few weeks ago, however nothing has happened since then, which is a bit disappointing. This person is a prominant figure in the world of performance poetry, however I guess that they are busier than me in terms of performing - I've pulled back a little in order to focus more on the business side of things.

Anyway - I've decided that I have to start thinking about attacking the issue in a different way. I have unearthed two other options in the space of the last week and both are relatively hot leads. Now I need to focus on the business case and then try to draw up some pitches.

Watch this space - again. But this time, a little bit closer.

Please - if it ain't movin' - kick me up the arse - please!

There is nothing to fear but fear itself.

Wow - three readers!

Well - I've just started a new job, so its all hands to the pump at the moment - just been to rugby training too, so I'm aching all over. I suppose it keeps me fit!

I've desperatey got to pull together my thoughts for an outline business case for the new "concept". My meeting is next Tuesday!

Wish me luck - bed time now - I'm up in 5.5 hours. Bugger!

Much luv

AYM

Going where the mood takes me...

So - this is my third entry. Nobody has subscribed yet, but a few people have viewed. I must be sh#t boring.

Since my last blog entry I have made some good progress. I'm helping out a pal who runs the Slam Idol Poetry Podcast (www.slamidolpodcast.com) at the moment and we are well on our way to taking the whole podcast thing to the next level. Watch this space - or your inbox!

On top of that, I've been having some very useful discussions with a very high profile performance poet - they are likely to be a partner in the proposed venture. We are in general agreement as to what we should be doing next, so it is now down to me to put everything in black and white and to organise a face-to-face get-together. That should happen within the next 2 weeks.

Ooohh - it's so cloak & dagger! Clandestine even!

I know what I want to do - so I'm just doing it. Bloody Hell - that's not like me!

I suppose I better write some poetry at some stage too. Too busy!

Be good

AYM

I've been to a lot of performance poetry events and I've met a lot of very talented people. Some of my favourites include Kat Francois, Luke Wright, Dreadlockalien, AF Harrold, Peter Wyton, David Johnston, SHORTman, Peter Hunter, Nathen Filer, Rob Gee, Steve Larkin, Rachel Pantechican, Mr Gee, Sophia Blackwell - the list goes on and on - and then there's the Americans - Mike McGee, Buddy Wakefield and my personal favourite, Taylor Mali.

More talent than you can shake a stick at - but - this is where the problem comes in - at the end of the day, we are poets - and as far as the vast majority of people are concerned - poetry sucks.

Little do they know. However, as long as people link "Keats & Tennyson"  to "Poetry", then - seriously - we don't have scene.

Now - very few people know this, but in my day job, I work in Marketing. Boo hiss! Anyway - that's what I do, so if you want to judge me, then you can f#ck off and stop reading this now. Marketing doesn't have to be a bad thing.

Being a marketer, however, led me to think.

Poetry needs rebranding. You don't have to change the name but you definately need to change the profile.

Some people are starting to do this - the best example I have ever seen is actually my local slam - Hammer & Tongue - this is the dream child of Mr Steve Larkin, who through perseverence has created a living, breathing monster of poetry. The 4 Nations slam, with 3-400 people in the room was an event - not just an event - it was an EVENT.

Properly organised, properly produced, properly hosted - slick - unlike some of the other more established events in the UK - those of you who know me will know what or rather whom I'm talking about - some individuals believe that they hold performance poetry - and slams in particular - firmly in their grasp. They used to, but all they have served to do is to choke the life out of performance poetry. My message is - stand aside Old School, before you get steam rollered - with your Monkee's haircut.

So - we have a model for the future - however the next challenge is how we can take this to the next level. Hammer & Tongue have proven that it can be done at a local level, however the next level is how to do it nationally. They are expanding city by city and are about to launch into their third location, however its all going a bit slow for me.

The key here is competition. Everyone loves competition. Look at television today - its all about competition - from Pop Idol to 8 Mile to Sport to Big Brother. Its all about competition.

Slamming is perfect. Its all about competition and the personalities are HUGE. Just the kind of thing that would draw in a mainstream audience.

But we have a problem people. Poetry is currenly being managed by poets. And we are, by our very nature, the most egotistical people on the planet. Many of the big players don't ever want to be judged. As soon as they get so big that they don't have to slam any more, they stop slamming. People very much protect against poetry being taken to the next level - to cover their own asses.

So what do we need to do?

If you are with me on this, then send me an email telling me what you think:

aympoetry@hotmail.com

 

Keep reading for the next installment.

 

Much luv

 

AYM

Captains Log, Star date 090806...

"Welcome to my blog, won't you come on in..."

I'm AYM aka Ian/ Daddy/ Yanny/ Yanto's Panto (What?) and I've been performing poetry in the UK for 3 years or so now. I started out at an Allstars/  Marcus Moore slam in Oxford back in 2003 and got knocked out  in the first round (by two points!) by Dreadlockalien, who has since gone on to bigger & better things! So I started out in good company.

My second slam was more successful, with a win at the opening Hammer & Tongue slam here in Oxford in October 2003. Since then I've won 4 slams, had countless 2nd, 3rd & 4th places (including a very honourable 2nd place versus Luke Wright, who pipped me at one of Kat Francois' WordUp slams).

Life took over and I grew a little bit disillusioned by performance poetry & slamming - so over the last 18 months I have performed only a handful of times.

However...

Guess who's back? I've decided to climb back into the saddle and head out "fur them thar hiils"!

In the last three weeks, I've done two performances - my first was the Lydney slam in Gloucestershire, which has to be the wierdest slam ever - held in the foyer of a bank. I was up against some very tough opposition in the forms of Peter Wyton & Peter Hunter (two of the funniest men in the SW of England and both top blokes too), however was victorious - hoorah.

Last weekend I also performed at fruitstock - http://www.fruitstock.com/ - this event was organised by Marcus Moore and we had a great time (despite the fact that the Marqee wasn't and there was no PA!) - I read for 10 minutes and also came 4th in the slam. I missed the final by 2 points, having f'##ked up a poem (excuses excuses!) which was contested by AF Harrold (very very funny ginger man with beard and "original" dress sense - and often no shoes!), Mel & a young lad doing hiphop style stuff - he was a slam virgin.

Anyway - the virgin won - always good to have new blood on the scene.

So - why am I back (I hear you ask?) - what has drawn me back into "the scene"?

Well - I have been writing again - I've only written two poems in the last two years, which is a bit piss poor, however I can feel the words coming back to me again.

Also - I still have a dream - read the next exciting enstallment for more details...

Much luv

AYM