Spoken Word at The Ort – A Fabulous Evening of Entertainment (18/4)

This was such an amazing night! I am so happy for Debbie Aldous.

I have been going to Spoken Word at The Ort since the tail end of last year, it was always on a Thursday and the first 3 months of 2014 the dates clashed with one or two other events in the city, numbers dropped.

This month was the first FRIDAY (now a regular slot) and it was PACKED! Only half the audience had chairs. I haven’t seen it that busy for a long time. It was great! There were probably an equal amount of audience to performers, which is fantastic.

As I walked in I was actually recognised by somebody who had seen me perform in Worcester, it was good chatting to them. There were lots of familiar faces and some from other events who I have never seen go to The Ort.

There has always been a mix of acts; musicians, comedians, poets, storytellers.

This evening we were treated to 3 bands – who Debbie, has quite rightly invited back to do a whole evening sometime soon. There were Burlesque/ Band singing, Swingerella (a friend of mine, Andrea Shorrick) has a persona and performs her love torn poetry through Swingerella and a case of props, she has branched out into comedy and performs regularly at a Burlesque night herself. She told me on Thursday that she has created other characters, the Steve Coogan of the Poetry/Comedy world! A female version of course, there were some great spoken word/ poets and a couple who had never performed live before!

The atmosphere as always was electrifying and yet relaxed, I love performing at the Ort. I tried to perform using my new mobile phone tech. it let me down half way through the set and I reverted to page copy. I had some positive feedback and really enjoyed the set.

All photography copyright Bernard Davis

 

A Day of Poetry Thursday 17th April – Poetry For Lunch & – Birmingham

I have enjoyed my first week off work, I love life in my writing skin. I spent the first 3 days writing, reading  and making submissions, well one submission, the rest weren’t ready for the deadline and there is no point submitting any below par writing. The weather we had at the beginning of the week was gorgeous. I spent every afternoon in the garden and Mr G took a couple of half days to enjoy the sun with me.

By Thursday I was ready to go out and about, after a 3 day rest, (I had been out on small errands, to post the submission the old fashioned way and to pick up a take-away tea).

Poetry For Lunch and Tea

 I had a double booking in the city. Poetry for Lunch (now POETRY FOR LUNCH) with  Jan Watts and then in the evening I was going to watch poetry performances at  HIT THE ODE, which included such big headliners this month that tickets (usually bought on the door) were pre-booked online. The room was also full of headliners just watching from the audience. It was such a great day!

Poetry For Lunch – Library of Birmingham

I got into the city from the suburbs by train and rushed to the Library of Birmingham for POETRY FOR LUNCH, it was great to be back (since I started my contract I work Thursdays) and lovely to see Jan again – and as it is Easter, she had bought mini eggs for us to share. Mmmmmm. There were some people I had not seen perform before and a few people I didn’t know. I shared a couple of poems – it is the first time I haven’t needed to wear a coat!

Part way through I noticed my friend, Tracy watching from the steps. She smiled and took some photos. Lovely to see her. Then later on towards the end of the event who should I spot in the audience, but….. a celebrity! 🙂

Frank Skinner (who had attempted to hide behind his hands), it didn’t work, Frank – you will have to come and meet us all next week if your show is still in town, he is performing at The Hippodrome.

Copyright Bernard Davis 2014

 

 

Poets Eat and Drink – An Afternoon in the City

After PFL a group of us went for drinks together and spent a few hours chatting – there is never time at events to really socialise and a couple of us were staying in town for the hours between these gigs. It was great to catch up with people I have not seen for a few months. Later on I went to a buffet place for tea (lovely) before hitting Hit The Ode.