Poetry Live August 25th

Ahoy there Poetry Pirates!

We have some feisty wonders for you this Tuesday at the Thirsty Dog, K Road, 8:00 start. Bring some koha to throw in the hat!

Guest Musician: Anna Kaye Forsythe

Anna Kaye is a talented singer songwriter whose catchy tunes will have you dancing on the tables one second, and deep in contemplation the next. Having regaled us with her poetic skills earlier on this year, she is returning with guitar in hand to share a melody or a few. Check her out on 'Summer Fusion', a compilation made to raise money for Kidney Kids.

Guest Poet: Lee Wallace

Lee Wallace is a poet, DJ, Actor and Artist Manager, in that order. He has been performing poetry for severalyears, although only seriously for around 8 months. A music background has lent an interesting slant to his work - Lee's style is offbeat, refreshing and humorous.Highlights include reading poetry as opening act to NZ music legend Bill Direen. Lee has several upcoming projects in the works so keep an eye out, and enjoy the set

Open mic & Koha entry as usual. You know the drill.

See you all there! And now for something completely different.

Here's something y'all may be interested in. It's not a Po Live event at all, but it sure sounds fun:

Screwed On Creative is a Charitable Trust set up so we can provide an avenue for artists to collaborate together more and be exposed not only as a solo but as a collective. Too many people sit and wait for opportunities to come to them but we want to create them for ourselves as well as provide the chance for people to do the same. Through this organisation we believe we can maximise our exposure within the industry, facilitate artistic projects, and ultimately collaborate and learn. The first project we are working on is a poetry reading. There is so much unseen talent in New Zealand that is underutilised and unappreciated and we want to bring that to light. We are currently organising auditions and then a further poetry reading with an invited audience to increase exposure to high profiles within the industry. Whether its contemporary poets or actors with monologues with a poetical twist or anyone who just wants their say we want to hear it all! We want as many people to audition as possible so we have higher chances of having a rewarding night of entertainment. We'll be holding the poetry reading on Oct 1st at Rannoch, the home of the James Wallace private art collection which will include a tour of the galleries, wine and nibbles etc. Auditions are on the 12th of September at 77 Almorah Rd, Epsom, Auckland in the upper gallery, signs will indicate the way. Contact 021 203 5557 to book an audition time or email screwedoncreative@gmail.com Please forward on this message where you think it would be valued.

Take it easy!

Murray LeePoetry Live MC

Poetry Live August 11th @ Thirsty Dog

with guest musicians The Wicks

& guest poet Charis Boos

MC: Miriam

Koha entry - open Mic

The Wicks have been together for about two years. In that time they've released a single E.P. recorded in a night and mixed in a couple of days. Recently they've finally begun to record again and are releasing their new E.P. "Why Do People Walk". A constantly changing and mutating style makes The Wicks hard to pin down to a specific genre but Alex Anderson (bass) brushes aside their melodically dense and rhythmically twisted song writing as "alternative pop". Live, The Wicks are charming, grins are frequent and the energy they put into their songs is palpable. With an often manic song writer in guitarist and singer Matt Butcher each performance is different with new songs frequently being exposed for the first time and subsequently changing. If you have a chance The Wicks should definitely be on your must see bands list.

Charis Boos turned 30 this year and is trying not to panic about her biographical note. Some of her favourite poets are Charles Simic, James Tate, Anne Carson and Louise Glück. Hear her read from her collection, Places Where the Future Used to Be, which she wrote last year.

Charis was a member of The Literatti with me in 2007, we performed from Whangarei to Parihaka together, before she was lured away by the Modern Institute of Letters. I'm stoked that they have finally given her back.

The Wicks are a wicked band that I found on Myspace when I was arranging guest acts for Nikki Patin's NZ tour - the dates didn't align right for that, so they agreed to rock on up to Poetry Live instead. Lucky us.

See you all there.

Note: Submissions are now open for Live Lines #3. You can submit to Live Lines #3 if you read at Poetry Live during 2009. Submissions are open until September 30th. You can submit 3-5 poems in hard copy to Poetry Live on Tuesday nights or by posting them, for the moment, to 16 Millais Street, Grey Lynn. We no longer try to include a poem from everyone. Send your best work.

NB: And submissions for Side Stream 21 close on August 15th - the day after the Side Stream fundraiser, Bukowksi's Birthday Bash, at Thirsty Dog on the 14th - submissions can be sent to sidestreamnz@gmail.com with the issue you are submitting to in the subject line. You'll all be at the fundraiser though I just know it. No one would want to miss the opportunity to see Michael Morrissey take on a live improvised jazz band. It's $10 on the door and we're trying to get together enough mulah to pay the band and keep Side Stream flying off around the world for the rest of the year - it's not cheap. You can help by just spreading the word and making sure everyone knows about it.

Last night at Poetry Live

We had Sea Train along as guest musicians last night (9/June/09)... and they were Orsum, with a capital OH! 

Sea Train are four piece jazz-funk-(some-may-say-ambient)-wikid band and they have an EP coming out next month.  

Visit lead singer/songerwriter Catherine Walker's Facebook group or myspace page for more info:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=518099476&v=feed&story_fbid=87568149603#/pages/Catherine-Walker/26095342738?ref=ts

www.myspace.com/cathwalker

Tim Heath delivered a stunning guest poetry set, perfect mixture of each of the different shades of human emotion.  

We had Ya-Wen along with at-cost copies of the 2nd edition of Potroast - a brand new interdisciplinary zine.  Submissions (poetry, comics, stories, art) for issue #3 close on July 18th and can be sent to potroast@gmail.com.  

Open mic gave us a couple of on-the-fly duets from Kiri & Lee, and Kiri & Anna, which were fantastic to see. There was of course that one person who doesn't want to give up the mic once they've got it, there's always one.   But mainly just lots of cool poetry and even a couple of newbies who may have been converted - always nice.  

Thanks to Rachael for MCing the end of the night for me.  I had to attend to a bit of a family emergency.  

Poetry Live June 9th

Poetry Live June 9th @ Thirsty Dog

8 pm till late.

With guest musicians Sea Train and guest poet Tim Heath.

Open mic. Koha entry.

MC: Miriam Barr

With a live show that incorporates elements of jazz, pop, and funk Sea train are members Catherine Walker, Eli Moore, Adam Tobeck and friends. Catherine Walker the key songwriter for the group is inspired by the likes of Joni Mitchell, Michael Jackson, Enya, Bjork, Bic Runga and Norah Jones.

Tim Heath is a teacher/grandparent/student who has, in the last few years allowed a life long desire to write have free rein. He has had stories read on Radio NZ, won some short story competitions, had a few poems published here and there, and been an also- ran in a number of poetry slams. Last year he did the Masters of Creative Writing course at AUT and managed to finish a novel, which is still to see the light of day, but is at least finished…sort of.

Also our beloved ex-MC Ila is running a great monthly, poetry gig out in Titirangi called Rhythm & Verse. In her 3 years (at least) of running Poetry Live, Ila would have organised you all 33 Poetry Live events. If you have enjoyed any of them, might be a nice idea to rock up and contribute to keeping Rhythm & Verse happening. Tit for tat and all that people! See below for details.

AND - the latest issue of Black Mail Press (#24 - Secrets) will be launched very, very, very soon. So check out www.blackmailpress.com in a couple of days to read the Secrets issue as soon as it's live. The issue includes Jessica Le Bas, Elizabeth Smithers, Catherine Fitchett, Jenny Argante, Michael Morrissey, Karlo Mila, Mark Pirie, Iain Britton, Helen Rickerby and heaps more, all on the topic of secrets. 'Tis juicy.

Catch you all on Tuesday anyway.

Thursday 18th June at 7.30pm Rhythm and Verse
Join us on the Top Floor of Lopdell House for our third evening of words and music with some of New Zealand’s best poets and local musicians. With featured musicians Fiona McEwen and Steve Terry, followed by Anna Rugis. Guest poets include Dr Jack Ross, from Massey University, David Eggleton, the writer-in-residence at the Michael King Centre in Devonport, the flamboyant Raewyn Alexander from Grey Lynn and the lovely Rachael Naomi Heimann from Kingsland. Entry $15 or $10 for Friends of Lopdell House Gallery.