Was great to see you at Glasto, mate. You get back ok?

I had a ball but, as Phil Jupitus said “What happens on Tor, stays on Tor!”

But returning to the theme of female poets rocking at festivals I can now add to my above list considerably. Botswana’s Andreattah Chuma got a standing ovation and Hollie McNish confirmed her place as an outstanding new talent – putting in two stunning sets and a consummate slam win.

Kat Francois did the biz as co-compere, Sophie Blackwell ruled the opn-mic and Rosie Carrick, Cat Kidd, Jude Simpson, Anita Govan, the Poetry Chicks and Joolz – of course, all delivered strong sets which were very well received.

You’ve no worries Charlie!

Checkout Annie McGann’s excellent text and video blogs from Glastonbury at http://www.myspace.com/glastonburypoetry along with Rohan Van Twest’s great photos and Adam Horowitz’s evocative Poetry-In-Residence.

Congrats also to Poetry and Words organiser Helen Gregory on a job well done.

I wasn’t aware of the project but I’ll definitely check it out. Thanks for the Link.

Byron

One of the highlights of my first Glastonbury sometime way back in the 1980s was seeing Joolz and it’s great to see her among the line up at this year’s fest.

Looking forward to the festival season starting and see some of you at Latitude and then Big Chill.

x

Plenty of top tips for self-improvement for poets can be found on youtube;

Taylor Mali tells us about “the the impotence of proofreading”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OonDPGwAyfQ&feature=related

Once written, he tells us to speak with conviction

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKyIw9fs8T4&feature=related

And only then can we become a Top Notch Poet like Linton Kwesi Johnson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-YIUbCDXgc

Stunning pieces all.

Why haven’t we got a platform like Def Poetry in this country? This stuff is award winning TV in America!
http://www.hbo.com/defpoetry/

I won’t respond to your double entendre, Charlie , if you don’t mind – it’s a point of principal for me. In fact, if I see anything appearing in my own writing that’s open to any form of smutty interpretation then I simply whip it out immediately.

Yeah, like Geraldine’s point, I was very conscious that I was listing only male poets in my other posting – but that’s who was around on that particular night. And Byron’s right, there can be a bit of a Boy’s Club sometimes. But have I seen plenty of female poets rock at festivals? Jeez yeah!

Carol Ann Duffy, for all my teasing in another post, went down a storm in her subsequent set at Glasto 05, achieving a connection and a reverence that most writers can only dream of. (I like her first laureate poem too.)

I had the absolute privelege of seeing Patti Smith’s poetry set at Latitude 06 as well and, together with her earlier music set, quadrupled my considerable respect for the woman. Literary icon, poetry icon, fashion icon, feminist icon, punk icon, stunning vocalist, talented photographer, activist….awesome. She’s made zero concession to fashion or vanity in her later years either and simply spat where she stood when she needed to clear her throat. She said “Hi” to everyone backstage and I got to chat with her legendary collaborator Lenny Kaye as well and, as a complete music anorak, I can now die a happier man. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenny_Kaye Thank you for the music, Lenny! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-_0V0IXEkc

She had some great anecdotes too about Robert Mapplethorpe, her husband Fred “Sonic” Smith of the MC5, “Bobby” Dylan and hanging around the Chelsea Hotel when she first came to NYC, opening cab doors for William Boroughs who eventually drawled “Patti! (Beautifully timed pause) I am a homosexual!”

Checkout Patti at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6aUbrZYjYE Respect!

Amongst us “mortal” poets as opposed to the above superstars, I’ve seen Chelley McLear from Belfast Poets/Scream Blue Murmur/LPHR rock the casbah, The Poetry Chicks from Northern Ireland also – Pamela had me in tears with her Grandma poem last year, Rosy Carrick, Salena Godden, Rosie Lugosi, Kim Trusty, Lucy Lepchani…..I know that Helen Gregory, herself a veteran festie performer, who is programming Poetry and Words at Glasto these days, is working hard to even up the gender and other equalities balances in her line-up which is important. Check out most of the above named via my myspace friends http://www.myspace.com/tonywalshpoet

Other female poets that I admire in the Manchester area and, who I know would/do rock at festivals include Jackie Hagan, Amanda Milligan/MzMIlly, Michelle Green, Chanje Kunda, Helen Clare, Abi Idowu, Gemma O’Neill and Manchester via Canada’s Lisa B, Liverpool’s Clare Kirwan… the list goes on. My apologies to anyone I’ve missed but you’ll have a ball at Big Chill, Charlie just expect all sorts of madness in the background and hugely different vibe/numbers in the tent at different times of the day which will have nothing to do with you or the poetry and more to do with the weather and what bands are on etc. Some of my best gigs at festivals have been under trees, round fires and under mad sculptures etc – we’ll have to get some guerilla gigs going!

Meanwhile, I’ve been getting in the festival spirit bigtime. I had luke warm mung bean jalfrezi for my tea, washed down with warm lager whilst wearing damp trousers and playing Hawkwind on tiny speakers placed at the end of the garden. Also, after accompanying my son on a remedial level diabolo workshop at Wychwood the other week I’ve since put a good few hours of practice in – seriously. I’ve now progressed from Diabolical level to Abysmal Plus and hope to make it as far as Pathetic Minus in time for Glastonbury