On Putting Up The Ticket Price at Hammer & Tongue

You think it’s easy,
being this airy poet dude
and still going out to earn a living?
My usefulness, such as it is,
resides in twisting words into strings of sweetly wrapped
bricks of meaning
to smash the glass walls of the discourse we’re trapped in.

Dalston Anatomy Poems, live at Ace Hotel, 18th Sep 2014

Full video of a 15minute set of my Ridley Road Market poems performed live at Ace Hotel, Shoreditch, London on 18th September 2014 for Local Transport event, introduced by Michael Salu.

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:

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

Life in Transit Book Launch, Thursday 15th November 2012, Arcola Theatre Tent

To celebrate the launch of my new book, ‘Life in Transit’, I’ve invited some poetry friends to help me put on a poetry showcase at the Arcola Theatre Tent in Dalston: 2 Ashwin Street, E8 3DL. Doors are 7:15pm. Performing alongside me on the night will be:

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.

Angry Sam and Kate Tempest at Dangerous Idea

sets from both me and Kate – 43 mins long, not ideal I know for watching in one go. Watch one poem a day for 10 days? It was a great event though and good to have a record. Courtesy of the lovely Counterfire

Hammer & Tongue National Slam Final

Overview of the evening’s event at the 2012 H&T National Final at Wilton’s Music Hall

Hammer & Tongue National Final 31st March 2012, Wilton’s Music Hall

Across the 6 regions of Hammer & Tongue, open mic contestants have convinced the people of their area to make them regional champions. Now on the 31st March at the beautiful Wilton’s Music Hall, Grace’s Alley, off Cable Street, not far from Tower Bridge, comes the chance for an inter-city, national poetry competition to be judged by randomly selected members of the audience, in a full day of what promises to be top quality, exciting spoken word.