Buxton to Manchester (New Poem)

(Picture borrowed from
www.isvr.soton.ac.uk/IWRN8/)

Buxton to Manchester

First he pawed
the two litre bottle of diet coke
like a cat
toying with a saucer
of milk.

Once he had got
the bottle open
he took a sip
then after a slight pause
he took another
like he was an
Olympic swimmer.

He closed his eyes
after his 6^th sip
and then
in rapid succession
took a 7^th
and a 8^th sip
with such speed
I thought he was going
to throw it all back up.

Big Mac tried telling him
after he sipped
it for the 10^th time
he didn’t have
to drink it
and suggested he
instead just pour it
down a local drain
but Pete didn’t listen
and just carrying
on pouring
it down his throat.

By the time
he got to the end
of the bottle
his face
had turned green
and he threw
his last mouthful
straight back up.

Big Mac said again
when he had finished
blushing slightly
‘You really didn’t
have to do that’
and to which Pete
looking as green
as the bottle
responded
‘Just go and get
the bottle
filled up with water
before your bloody engine
blows up’

Big Mac came back out
two minutes later
with a large jug of water
from the pub
instead
of the bottle filled up.

It took us an extra
hour to get back
home
because off Pete’s
stomach.

More thoughts about writing & writing groups

Dear all;

Have being putting a bit more thought into my previous
posting about write Out Loud.

Certainly working as a writer now for the past few years
within a few writing groups, it is quite worrying when you
look at some writing groups that have being going for a few
years and the way they start looking at other groups with a
feeling of elitism.

When I was working with 24 Hour Arty People,

(this group http://www.myspace.com/24hourartypeople

NOT this group

http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=17229507415

who I hope to work with soon on a project), The person
who I won’t name who used to run it used to do nothing
but slag Write Out Loud off in particular towards the end off
it when it became little more than a sour joke.

Speaking from a personal perspective, certainly back
then it came close to clouding my judgement even
though I had never had any direct dealings with them
personally.

After I left 24 Hour Arty People at the end off 2007 /
start off 2008, I decided to look at things from a different
angle with the replacement group for 24 Hour arty people,
Trio Writers (which didn’t include that name-less person)
and to broaden my own social horizons, so out of interest
I decided to set up a page on Write Out Loud under my
pen name and I did some really interesting networking
there.

In 2008, although the membership for Trio Writers has
not being large, all members at Trio Writers have expanded
their horizons appearing at other nights, for example
Freed Up Poets which is a monthly poet event in Manchester

That itself I think is a important lesson when you are
A writer – you have to keep networking – something
some writing groups tend not to do and after a while
being elitist and for me that is not the point behind
writing groups. For me a good writing group has to
be prepared to network and keep expanding it’s horizons
with it’s members and it’s work cause if you don’t
you’ll hit the problems that 24 Hour Arty People hit
where at the beginning off 2007, the group had about
eight regular members and another few that were in
and out, and because of bad management and judgement
by the person I ain't going to name, the group was
allowed to fizzle away.

I learnt a lesson from that.

Any reasonable writer should too.

Keep networking!

Andy N

(Photograph taken off me a long time ago doing a
poetry reading)

At Write Out Loud, Middleton Sunday 24th August 2008

As some of you know, certainly over this year, I have
being a busy bee managing to make a number of appearances
at open mike nights in Manchester and associated areas and even
on the internet (Hi Coll!) over 2008.

I must admit it has proved a major learning curve certainly
doing all of this and despite the fact some of my earlier ones
showed a awful lot of nerves, the more I have done off this the
more and more my own confidence has grown.

Generally this has more being at Freed Up Poets in Manchester
(http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=15031719009&ref=ts)
where I have performed at nearly every event this year since
Feb 2008 and also at a number of other places.

For whatever reason, i have not performed at any of the Write Out
Loud events which if you look around the local writing scene in
Manchester, England are very frequent.

Write Out Loud is a North West organisation which describes
themselves as 'everyone from who writes poetry to share their words
with others in friendly welcoming open floor read around and open
mic events.' They also say they support indivdual poets, and
organizations and groups across the country'

I first came across myself towards the beginning off
2007 if my memory is correct when the person who used
to run the writing group I used to go to
'24 Hour Arty People'

(this group http://www.myspace.com/24hourartypeople

NOT this group

http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=17229507415

who I hope to work with soon on a project),

who slagged them off a fair bit,
shall we say for reasons I won't go into here.

If I am honest, as I try to be, I decided at the time I
would keep a open mind on things and perhaps someday
perform there and see what I thought for myself but true
to the way my life goes, it didn't happen.

Fast forward 18 or so months passed, 24 Hour Arty People have
now split and I helped form another group from it's ashes 'Trio Writers'
(http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=15947196131&ref=ts)
and my buddy Antonionioni talked me into going to one on
the Sunday Night.

I was a bit uncertain to start with, partly because off the
s**t that was said previously, but I agreed to go since it
was a bank holiday and I wouldn't have to worry about getting up
in the morning, so I said yes..

And my thoughts....?

Well, I must admit I quite enjoyed it.. It was a pretty relaxed night
to start with certainly.. I got gassing to a few people who I had
met briefly on the Write Out Loud website and saw somebody
I used to university with whom I hadn't seen in the better part
off 7 odd years which was nice...

The only thing I didn't like was the room we were in,
but I was advised that wasn't the normal room they
normally read out in as it was getting used for some
function.

I did see that function room and it was a lovely room
without doubt! I would have loved to seen what that
would have being like! It would have being my bet, it
would have being lovely..

Either way, the next one is a month's time at the end
off September which I reckon I will be sadly away at,
but they will be starting a regular open mike night
up my way at Waterside Arts Centre, Sale Town
Centre M33 7ZF - 7.30pm on Wednesday
October 15th 2008.

I think I will certainly be at that one, and who
knows at what others in the meantime! (I currently
have two in September, two in October already
excluding this one and at least two in November
and that is stuff excluding Write Out Loud)

Write Out Loud can be found at http://www.writeoutloud.net

The photograph at the top of this gallery can be seen
here with loads off others from the night..

http://www.writeoutloud.net/public/galleryview.php?galleryID=196

another free download (LIGHT UNDER WATER)

My pal, Misha has referred me over to this act for a free download also
the other act, it's a act he knows called Light Under Water..

Light Under Water describe themselves as a '
Moscow-based collaborative project by guitarists Dima T. Pilot and
A.B. (both are the core members of BOSCH'S WITH YOU) and keyboardist
Nick Zavriev (of AMBIDEXTROUS). Since 2006, the trio (or sometimes
LUW appears as a guitar-duo) has been exploring areas of melodic
electro-acoustic ambient, emotive organic drone, sonic minimalism,
and eschatological psychodelia. By building and layering substantial
resonant abstractions, LUW’s delusive imagery transcends the reality
in a truly beautiful and unpredictable way.'

I'm currently listening to their album 'Reflective landscapes of nowhere
' and really enjoying it. I certainly recommend you do also.

For a FREE download - go to:

http://www.raig.ru/AT_lightunderwater.asp#AT004

Free downloads off music for people who like experimental electronica

Got a really nice email from my pal Misha in Pootosh
the other day which I thought I would share with you
all..

Misha is a great bloke and is a very talented and varied
musician. I would recommend you without doubt
check these albums out..

**

Dear friends!

I'm happy to announce that some of my latest albums are available for FREE DOWNLOADING.

MOX_Delphinov "Brave Old Wave" - 2084

Rhythm n' poetry with elements of noise-reggae, post-dub, huge-beat, punk-house, klezmer-R&B and brave old wave. Russian/German poet, the founder of psychedelic realism in Russian poetry Alexander Delphinov is philosophizing ironically while MOX (Mikhail Salnikov) gives him bolstering groove.

СКАЧАТЬ stands for DOWNLOAD:

http://moxmusik.com/mox_delphinov.html

FREAKING BOOK - the debut album of a joint project of Mikhail Salnikov and Sergey Lobakhin (Bronxit). Genres: sturdy electronica, industrial dub. Apocalyptic rhythms induce goosebumps on the bones. Enjoy! :

www.monstaar.com

Tooth Kink - the joint project with a legendary experimental composer Alexei Borisov. There are two albums -

The debut album - Noise, Processed Feedback, Musique Concrete, Glitch, Montage, Lo-fi, Industrial, Post-industrial, Spontaneous. Here:

www.monstaar.com

Tooth Kink vs Kenji Siratori

Kenji Siratori: a Japanese cyberpunk writer. He has a writing style that not only breaks with tradition, it severs all cords, and can only really be compared to the kind of experimental writing techniques employed by the Surrealists, William Burroughs and Antonin Artaud. Embracing the image mayhem of the digital age, his relentless prose is nonsensical and extreme, avant-garde and confused, with precedence given to twisted imagery, pace and experimentation over linear narrative and character development. With unparalleled stylistic terrorism, he unleashes his literary attack. An unprovoked assault on the senses. Blood Electric (Creation Books) was acclaimed by David Bowie.

So album is here – dark, provocative and brooding, comprising pre-industrial, noise-hop and hi-infidelity:

http://www.archive.org/download/ca154_tkks/ca154_tkks_vbr_mp3.zip

................................................................................................................................................
If somebody is interested in less experimental, more romantic, mellow and ambient stuff - take a look at the new site of Poostosh -

www.virb.com/poostosh
................................................................................................................................................
If you have friends who are into experimental electronica - please forward this email to them as a present.

ALL THE BEST!!!

Misha

New Releases / List of words never to be used in Poems

Dear all;

Couple of new FREE downloads on my net label Setting Sun

More details here

http://www.geocities.com/aen1mpo/settingsun.htm

Also my pal, Richard at Quit this Pampered Town posted this (a link to another blogspot)
over words another poet says you should never use in a poem

http://larissashmailo.blogspot.com/2008/08/list-of-words-never-to-be-used-in-poems.html

I don't personally agree with a lot off this but thought you all may enjoy a look!

Another Nine Inch Nails Remix

Would you believe I went and did it
again! (To quote Britney Spears)

In this case, I went and did a second
remix from Nine Inch Nails's 'Ghosts'
album.

Well, this one actually got done
yesterday but it has took me tonight
to get it uploaded for you to listen to..

http://remix.nin.com/play/mix?id=10567

The one first isn't doing bad
with a average rating off 79 out off 100
so far, which I am delighted with.

Later in the week, there may be a third
remix as I do have a idea for another
but I'll surprise you when that happens.

Otherwise, I have just booked myself
a trip to Ireland which nows sets a deadline
for proper Distance recordings which
should be fun, and work on my novel
'The End' is progressing slowly but
surely.

(Photograph from http://www.flickr.com/photos/nineinchnails/)

Nine Inch Nails Remix and appearance on LSPC Reviews

Would you believe it? .. I went and signed
myself up a bit back at http://remix.nin.com/
to go and remix Trent Reznor aka Nine Inch
Nails and never actually got round to doing
anything.

In a afternoon off peace today, I decided to take a
break from writing and do some experimental
music remix work using one of my bands
'Distance' as a focus point for it and would you
believe it I went and did two.

I have to upload the second but the first is
available for listening to and downloading
I believe from here...

http://remix.nin.com/play/mix?id=10549

Let me know what you think if you want to..

Otherwise, on a more writing front I am also
helping out tonight on a internet radio station
doing a radio interview for a pal, Antonionioni
(http://www.antonionioni.com/) for

LSPC Reviews at 9pm British time

The interview can be heard at

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lspcreviews

(Photograph of Trent was borrowed
from http://www.flickr.com/photos/nineinchnails/2348368204

The X Files - I want to Believe

So I had told a few people I wasn't going to go
out and see this tonight, but I ended up doing
it and I must admit I quite enjoyed it.

I am not going to go along and start repeating
past history of the programme to people like
me who grew up loving it as teenagers or young
people like I did, but of course the core of the
X files always resolved around two people:
Fox Mulder and Dana Scully who investigated
cases which couldn't be explained.

The film itself takes people after the end of
the 9th series which was around about 2002
or so if my rotten memory is correct, and see
the pair of them encounter a new mystery
involving missing women and frozen bodies
and limbs.

It also features Billy Connelly in a strange
role which I had read one or two reviews
thinking he was mis-cast, but without giving
too much away I thought was quite good.

The film I think is not without it's faults,
it was perhaps a bit too low key for a
major film release like this in particular
with films like Batman : The DarkKnight
at the moment breaking all kinds of records,
but for me that was always the point
behind the X Files, when did you ever see
Fox Mulder doing a Jack Baur in 24?

I actually was glad to see this approach
and think it worked pretty well and
was particularly delighted to see it
shot in Canada which I know the first
five series of the X Files were shot, and I
reckon caused it to go slightly downhill
once they stopped shooting it there.

The shots alone from a film studies
perspective (Degree covered it) were
moody with constant darker skies
for a fair chunk of the movie and
also lots off snow which I felt
was nicely shot.

The performances by Gillian Anderson
and David Duchovny were strong
although I didn't like David's beard
a great deal and felt some confusion
on the reason why he shaved it
off during the film. I know Jack Baur
in 24 did it at the start off season
5 off '24' and that I could understand
there as it gave him a hint of he meant
business but this was different and
did confuse me a bit here.

The rest of the supporting cast I feel
had a lot less to do, Amanda Peet
and Alvin 'Xzibit' Joiner were both
underwritten in particular Joiner
but I know from reading interviews,
this always was the plan as the film was
meant to focus somewhat on the leads,
which I had no problems with.

It would be easy to carry on
and give away lots of spoilers,
but that is not the point off this
small review by this writer, all
I wanted to say was I did enjoy it
and it certainly made me want to
believe again.

Go and see it!

Poetry Society in Manchester / couple of new poems

Tony last night conned me into trying out a new writing
workshop last night at the Lowry Centre, Salford Quays.

For those who know me, you would know I am in the middle of
taking a summer’s break from writing poetry after frankly it was
starting to leave me a bit burnt out and I thought a total break
would have refresh me for when I started again proper in September.

Anyway, Tony conned me into coming down for this group and while
I think the group has a lot off work to do to keep improving in perhaps
with the discussion stage of the work, the group itself was small
enough to have some good fun with it in particular with the writing
workshop that followed where we did something like 3 different
writing exercises in 45 minutes.

The work I did is varied as tends to be with work shop stuff I think
but just for fun I would share them all with you…

The ‘Sometimes’ poem is un-finished and perhaps I will return to it, but not yet anyhow..

Sometimes

Sometimes in winter
It makes perfect sense.

Sometimes when the skies
Litters the ground
With snow
It makes perfect sense.

The temp nose dives
Like a pissed off hawk
And the thickest gloves
Don’t protect your hands
It makes perfect sense.

But what if the weather
Wasn’t so cold?

**

Computer Love

Oh computer, oh computer
Shall I compare thee
To a summer’s day?

Shall I compare our
Relationship like tender lovers
Where I stroke your
Keyboard
Like it was a hand.

Oh computer, oh computer
Shall I recall the first
Time we met
And I sat down
On my chair
And looked at you playfully.

Or should I just tell
You what I really
Think of you?

**

Advantage upon Advantage

The advantage in writing
Poems where you don’t
know where you are going
is UNKNOWN

The advantage in writing
Poems where you don’t
Know what the next stanza
Or indeed line
Is UNKNOWN

The advantage, the advantage
In writing poems
Is UNKNOWN
If you don’t know where
You are going.

If this happens
Why not write a
Short story indeed?

(Picture borrowed from here - http://flickr.com/photos/irashid007/954591589/in/set-72157602243225502/)