The Business Live

From Sounds, August 14th, 1982

Gigs! – Forgotten Rants

We’ve a bit of a do at London’s coolest bar, Vout-O-Reenees, on Thursday 23rd April 2015, 7pm.
The Big J, The Bro’s Grim, Emily Harrison, Joshua Idehen, Tim Wells and Attila the Stockbroker will be doing some of their own poems along with work from the likes of The Comrade, Rowena Tosh, Seething Wells and Michael Smith amongst others.
Espresso martinis will be available.

What better way to celebrate St. George’s day?

Tickets available here

Vout-O-Reenees, The Crypt, 30 Prescot Street, London, E1 8BB

Dead Kennedys

Interview from Sign of the Times ‘zine, 1982

Martin Newell – Young Jobless

Poet, musician and gardener Martin Newell’s first single from 1980

The Partisans

From Sounds, September 25th, 1982

partisans
oi
punk
skinhead

Ranting Special at Bang Said the Gun

March 26th 2015 was the first gig of our London Stand Up and Spit events.
Back in the early 80s there were precious few poetry gigs to be had. These days there are gigs aplenty and a plethora of nights to read at. Frequently you’ve a choice of a few different poetry gigs on a given night. That took a lot of building and it’s fabulous we have the choice and diversity in poetry today.
Foremost of the regular gigs is Bang said the Gun, well know (and deservedly so) for it’s loud, rambunctious crowd and the range of talent that have graced their stage.
The Ranting special saw original ranters Ginger John and Tim Wells read along with new kid on the block (though more of a Etta James fan) Emily Harrison. The Bang regulars and the floorspots all made this a busy and lively gig.

Stand Up and Spit producer Sarah with part of our ranting poetry exhibition, designed by Renee O’Drobinak.
many thanks to Speaking Volumes and the Arts Council for help in putting the exhibition and the series of gigs together.

Ginger John, Emily Harrison and Tim Wells

Host Rob Auton gave a breakdown of what Ranting is and how it helped build the current spoken word scene.
The bar continued serving.

A packed crowd, one woman so ginger she’s translucent.

Sarah with Bang’s resident poet for April 2015, Sophie Hall. She did a great set and we hope to have her reading with us again.

and finally Ginger John, Tim Wells and boss Banger Martin Galton.
Cheers all for a fantastic gig.

Gigs Start Today!

Our run of Stand Up and Spit gigs starts today, 26th March 2015, at London’s most raucous venue Bang Said the Gun.
The Roebuck, 50 Great Dover Street, London SE1 4YG Ginger John and Emily Harrison will be ranting and I’ll be giving a brief talk about the project and reading a few choice poems from my early days and some faves from the likes of Seething Wells and The Comrade.
There’ll also be some of our touring exhibition on show.
Kick off at 8pm.
We love you.

Case

Case were easily one of the best bands I’ve seen. They were a powerful, rollicking punk band with a tight ska fused brass section. Matthew Newman, their singer, was a real one to watch. A forceful singer who you couldn’t take your eyes off on stage, he had real prescience. He’d often leg onto the stage, straight from work and still in his postman’s uniform.
I first saw ’em at the 14th November, 1981 Woodstock Revisted gig at the Rainbow in Finsbury Park. That was the best of the punk bands ’81 had to offer: Antipasti, Vice Squad, Erazerhead, Angelic Upstarts, Chron Gen, Chelsea, The Wall, Charge, The Fools, Splodgenessabounds, Honey Bane, Auntie Pus, The Insane, and The Kids Next Door. Case crashed the stage and played a few songs, not once but twice. Not only that they set off a huge smoke bomb too. Superb.

from Punk Lives, issue 9, 1983

Ranting Chart

From Another Day Another Word, 1, 1982
See more of the ‘zine here

Redskins – First Interview

First music press interview for the Redskins.