Bonneville, Fuck Parade and anti-gentrification

“#CSIClapton due to events on Lower Clapton Road this evening, we will unfortunately have to close #WelcomeToHackney”, so tweeted the newly opened Bonneville (bar? pub? restaurant?) on Saturday 14^th June 2014. They followed this up with an explanation of what these ‘events’ were: “Some kid got stabbed over the road and decided to run into ours. Great look for our first week.”

The subsequent angry response on Twitter forced the newly opened bistro-cocktail bar to issue an apology: the victim had been “very aggressive” towards the staff trying to help him, and “more interested in calling his friends to gain retribution for his injury.”

This half-apology, half-excuse did not appease everyone and resulted in Twitter and actual protests against ‘gentrificleansing’ with some people demanding that the business leaves Hackney.

Hammer & Tongue Hackney, November 5th 2013

“Stephen: (He taps his brow) But in here it is I must kill the priest and the king.” – Ulysses, James Joyce

1. On this 5th November at the Victoria, 451 Queensbridge Road, Dalston, E8 3AS, we are preparing a night of poetic fireworks in solidarity with regicides everywhere. So from 8pm, we have two talented spoken word artists for you:

Market Cafe

Food is prepared with genetically modified soya bean oil.
We can only please one person per day.
Today is not your day.

Hammer & Tongue National Slam Final 2013 @ Wilton’s Music Hall, Sat 8th June. 2:30-10:30pm

This year’s slam final promises to be bigger and better than ever before. Winners and runners-up from across the Hammer & Tongue regions will be joined by slam winners from Cheltenham UK All Stars, Swindon Literature Festival and Bang Said the Gun in London and in Manchester to create as comprehensive as possible National Poetry Slam.

The venue is once again, Wilton’s Music Hall – the world’s oldest surviving music hall, home to cabaret, musicals and music hall and now slam poetry. Highlights from last year’s event, curtesy of Rob Blake:

Tickets are £15/12 in advance or £16.50 on the door. Last year it was sold out and people were turned away, so book them online asap! Tickets get you entry for the whole day so you can come and go as you please http://wiltons.org.uk/event.php?p=591

Hammer & Tongue Hackney Slam Final! Tuesday 4th September 2012 @ The Victoria, Dalston

Hammer & Tongue Hackney Slam Final
Tuesday 4th September 2012
8-11pm (Doors and DJ 7pm)

@The Victoria,
451 Queensbridge Road
Dalston
London
E8 3AS

£5/4

After a year of live poetry competitions in Hackney, this season’s winners go head-to-head to determine 2012’s Hackney poetry slam champion.

Acquired for Development By @ Houseman’s, Weds 15th August 2012, 7pm

The good people at Influx Press, publishers of ‘site-specific fiction’, will be at Houseman’s bookshop, 5 Caledonian Road, Kings Cross, London N1 9DX on Wednesday 15th August. There will be a talk about some of the issues dealt with in the book ‘Acquired for Development By’, which is an anthology of writings around Hackney. 5 of the 25 contributers from the book, including me, will be reading their work and discussing any topics that arise.

http://www.housmans.com/events.php

Hammer & Tongue Hackney: Tuesday 3rd July @ The Victoria, Dalston

As the last event before our summer break, we’ve put together a brilliant match-up of 2 contrasting poets experienced and new, Southern and Northern, male and female. Mark Gwynne Jones and Deanna Rodger

Hammer & Tongue Hackney, Tuesday June 5th, The Victoria, Dalston

We kick off the Hammer & Tongue summer with touring poet, Andy Craven Griffiths, singer with Leeds-based Middleman, but also a poet who has that rare ability to capitivate.

Tension, Hackney Downs, Easter 2012

For days it hasn’t rained.
The newspapers celebrate exaggeratedly,
Pictures of Blackpool, Brighton, Bournemouth,
Hotter than Barcelona, Lima or Roma.

The Bus Driver’s Prayer, Hackney Picturehouse Thurs 5th Jan 2012

I’ll be doing a set here at the bar at the top of the new picturehouse on Mare Street. Check the facebook link for more details http://www.facebook.com/events/203036616454044/ Starts at 7.30pm.