Performance Poet Adrian Spendlow believes that poetry can be taken anywhere. He travels widely for gigs from his York home entertaining a wide range of audiences. His specially commissioned ‘Poetry Adventures’ are very popular with children and adults and he works widely in schools, libraries, museums and festivals. Download one of Adrian's much requested Poems and Listen, now.
Poetry and Music - A recent performance at Williams Bar billed as Adrian Spendlow and Guests went wonderfully well. Williams Bar is a regular venue for Adrian. Mists Of The Ancients
Monthly Poetry Jams - Now this is a magical evening! If you read and believed all those press releases about me being an ex-poet this event at the Royal Oak in York will prove that wrong
Intro
poems for bands - Adrian’s words meld in well with music and more
and more bands and performers are getting interested in working with him.
maybe you fancy a collaboration. Perhaps your band would have room for a
‘meld’ Adrian would guest with your band slotting his words painlessly
into your music.
Bands and artists Adrian has worked with - There are many already and the list is being extended all the time.
Recordings are now available. Poems for The Cutters, Pellethead, Golden Virgins, Ed Parrish, Cynic Guru and even Rudi Maggagar have been made available to the bands, radio stations, promoters and anyone else with a good reason for having a copy. Give me a shout and let me know your address.
Adrian
The Love Poet - Yes that’s right, Adrian spent a day in W H
Smiths being the Love-poet.
Poems - A small selection of Adrian's poems. There are many more of course and a new page containing some of his best will be making an appearance soon. Watch this space.
Now this is a magical evening! If you read and believed all those press releases about me being an ex-poet this event at the Royal Oak in York will prove that wrong. I am a big daft liar. Every third Monday of the Month (Please have a look through and mark them all in your diary) sees Adrian and friends meeting up in the lovely upstairs room of this quaint old pub. (If you are planning a trip over the water let me reword that olde worlde pubbe) The best performance poet on the planet humbly melds with smashing musicians and vocalists. Bring your instruments or songs to weave in. Friends who visit include Elaine Wallace, Julie Ellison, Dave and Graham of Restless Natives, Jane Hickling of Dark Heart, Dan Webster, Samantha, Chris, Lou and Melanie. 8 o’clock start – only a £1
Rumour: Yes members of the well known Yorkshire-based band Lucid may well be making an appearance, as might a former band member of the UK Subs.Be there around 7.30 if you want to order a meal (there is often a bit of free supper late on, although it is by no means obligatory).
A recent performance at Williams Bar billed as Adrian Spendlow and Guests went wonderfully well, the guests being Elaine of Lucid and Jane of Chechelele. It is expected to happen again so keep an eye open. Meanwhile here are some photos of the night.
Adrian appears at Williams Bar every Thursday night. To find out more about Williams Bar Check out the City Of York pages at http://www.restlessproductions.co.uk
The Cutters
Now this is a good band.
What thrill it was to work with them, to spend time with them, to introduce
them, to be asked to record for them. Wow.
No really. They are real nice natural guys with energy to die for. Listen
look and wish you were as pure. People try to compare them, to classify them,
to analyse, to shove in compartments. I say don’t even listen to such
nonsense! Feel. You don’t get something this good that often and it bursts
out at you if you let it. Don’t trap it in words hold it in hearts. No
one will ever say in the future ‘ That sounds like the Cutters’
I can’t imagine anyone getting close to it!
We met up at The Crown in Middlesbrough. Tony of Manilla PR had got me along
to do intro poems for The Cutters and The Golden Virgins and Ed Parrish. Now
I will be performing at every one of their gigs throughout the country. Hang
on Ade, don’t get carried away. That’s not quite true is it. Well
no OK. It was like this; I wrote the intro poem below and as we chatted about
the idea (They didn’t want to hear it beforehand) they came up with the
idea of playing their intro while I did the poems. Have you been to the Crown?
If you fell off that stage you would die. If you did a crowd surf you would
have finished the song before you hit hands. Well maybe not quite that high
but…. They don’t make lamp shades big enough for that place - They
had to use half oil drums. Any road up; The sound started, give it one minute
they said and then go up and do yer poem. They disappeared. I waited I went
up I did the job. They appeared from the darkness and walked briskly across
the dance floor (A bit like Tom Cruise in that hit man film of his - well
about that speed anyway) Up the stairs Met me as I was just leaving the stage
All four of them gave me a big smile They each shook my hand They were straight
in there Picked up their instruments The intro stopped They started playing,
Coolest entrance I have ever seen.
The Cutters Intro Poem.
Right
this moment
In this instant
With all you lot
With our act we’ve got
In our company
Bring back Jesus
Bring back Moses; Jehovah,
Buda, B’houlah
(Brahms and List)
Mohammed and Odin
Ghandi Ginsberg
Shiva Ghozar;
Zool The Key-master
Isis White Goddess Dianna
Heck even Hekati
Holy Ghost and go on -
All the Gods - and Elvis
They’re gonna love this - Yes
Heaven here on Earth
By all the angels
We beatify
Saints be praised
Our hearts flutter
We worship
The Cutters.
Yep, am I chuffed or what
- The guys have asked me to record this and send them a copy to put into their
intro piece to bring them on at every gig. So with their huge following I
am going to be heard by thousands, I am going all over the country and I am
going to get my wish; to perform at the Cavern Club!!!! Thanks guys.
Celtarabia
Adrian
introduced the band with this poem at the Whitby World Music Festival.
Dynamic complex
(where) East & West clash
Analogue & digital
Ancient & Modern
In yer face Subtle
Hammer n Hurdy
Sweaty No mercy
Stunning musicianship
Did I say stunning Yes!
Stonking good dance
Throat grabbing Hypnotic;
Vocals entrance
This is the culture
Of audio
Calling you
Get ready to party
Bop
Like an egg in a boine
Ancient voices
Call us from inside
Call us for The Ride
Dr Q and his cohort,
Hurdy n hammer,
Out feet and our heart
Kick off with The Chanter
Dance is our mantra
Lose yourself with no fear
Celtarabia
The two
books Adrian wrote to perform with Celtarabia are available by mail order
Details
Yes that’s
right, Adrian spent a day in W H Smiths being the Love-poet!?!
Actually it was great fun and people, I decided that day, are lovely. Young
men telling me how they swoon when they think of her, women describing big
hulking men as their sensitive flower. Ah. Slop warning! If all this heart
melting stuff isn’t your thing, read no further.
Thank you to the Poetry Society for recommending me for this one and to Matt
at the Evening Press forgetting my photo and poem on the front cover. That
and the coverage by Real Yorkshire Radio and Minster FM are what brought the
people in. Read a selection of the Love
poems:
One
sip of tea
Brings us from a
Hypnogogic state
To the semi-wakeful
Transient anxiety of
Two months without
A cigarette.
Written for Read Write York:
Being
A Poet In York
It’s a great place to be
and to become part of things.
Beautifully inspiring.
Big enough for a wide rage of opportunity.
Small enough to know.
Straight on a train will get you away.
Full of a sense of community.
Most importantly perhaps,
poetry here is integrated
Accepted by venues and bookshops,
happy alongside other art forms.
Great place to be based.
From Poemspotters:
Listening
To think you have to learn and to learn you have to listen and to listen you
have to share and to share you have to talk and to talk you have to think
and to think you have to learn and to learn you have to listen and to listen
you have to share and to share you have to talk and to talk you have to think.
A well
old one:
Lycanthopy
is
Not as bad as this
I’ve got the syndrome
I’ve felt the lupine kiss
When I get out there
Just on the street
I can’t help staring
At women I meet
Forget my family
Responsibility
Just keep focussing
Availability
I eat you up
I meet your eye
Undress/caress you
Or make you cry
No I’m not married
I make you worried
Oh I could love you
Until you die
Lycanthopy is
Not as bad as this
I’ve got the syndrome
I’ve felt the lupine kiss
They shouldn’t do it
The way they move it
Asking for it
And I’m the one
I change direction
For your attraction
Hear you move faster
I’m prowling on
Look you’re naked
And at my mercy
A prowling wolf now
You’d better flee
You’re all attractive
I’ll clock for later
But some reactive
Smile right back at me
Lycanthopy is
Not as bad as this
I’ve got the syndrome
I’ve felt the lupine kiss
Sometimes I’m cornered
Caught in lusting
Pretence is gone now
This one’s reacting
She’s looking at me
Oh no she’s smiling
My god she’s speaking
When am I free?
Well not tonight
I’ve got a family
My wife is waiting
I’ve got to cook tea
I run away now
Feel so embarrassed
I am quite harassed
But look at this one
Lycanthopy is
Not as bad as this
I’ve got the syndrome
I’ve felt the lupine kiss
Poet
