A Night Of Black Country Cant & Cag
(the sound of the region in spake & song)
The Poets
ALEX BARDSOE
Photo to follow
Alex is one of the co organisers of Poetry Wednesbury and the events at the Barlow. As well as writing performing poetry he writes and performs sketches as part of the Stormy Petrels group - along with Geoff Stevens and Brendan Hawthorne. Alex's poems often have the quirky musical accompaniment of his keyboard and the combination is truly tremendous. Cant & Cag performances to date: 22/09/06
BRENDAN HAWTHORNE
Brendan
is the Black Country's answer to beat poetry, bringing influences of rock and
roll, industrial decline and his mother tongue into his work. A top
notch performance poet Brendan runs Poetry Wednesbury, and is a mainstay of
the Langley group who meet monthly at the Barlow. He was one of the
original Alternative Black Country Night Out performers. His book Urban
Dawn is published by Bluechrome. July 2006 saw the publication of Late
Night Cafes And Other Dives, a joint work with Geoff Stevens.
Cant & Cag performances to date: 17/12/05, 03/02/06 (Tap & Spile,
Walsall), 28/04/05
KEITH MELBOURNE
Sedgley poet, much respected by local writers. Cant & Cag performances to date: 18/08/06
CAROL MIDWOOD
A poet and author of many years standing, Carol teaches French by day but has
six novels and scores of poems under her belt. With her husband John, she
kept the Old Mill in Upper Gornal a few years back and out of those experiences
grew the composite Black Country characters Edna and Arthur who get into all
manner of scrapes, and a trip to the pub is never far away. A collection
of Edna and Arthur poems was published by The Kates Hill Press in 2005 with CD
of the same poems following a few months later. Carol first performed the
Edna and Arthur poems at The Barlow in the summer of 2005.
Cant & Cag performances to date: 28/10/05, 25/11/05, 03/03/03, 23/06/06,
30/06/06, 16/09/06 (Black Country Museum)
KEN PERRY
Ken Perry is an accomplished local
poet/performer of many years standing. He was one of the Five Blokes Who
Cant & Cag troupe founded by Billy Spakemon. Ken's material is at
the more traditional end of the spectrum - he really wouldn't be out of place
on the original Black Country Night Out, - he's that good, and the crowd love
him.
Cant & Cag Performances to date: 25/11/05, 14/12/05 (Shareshill)
EMMA PURSEHOUSE
Highly talented and entertaining Wolverhampton based poet whose work is the clear product of a sharp and well read intellect. It is also exceedingly funny. Cant & Cag pefromances to date: 30/06/06, 17/11/06.
BILLY SPAKEMON
Billy
Spakemon (Brian Dakin), unquestionably the poet laureate of the Black Country,
with a range from serious to comic, he can be moving, poignant or downright
funny. A high energy and talented performer he has written hundreds of
poems as well as the sketches he now performs with Greg Stokes. A
collection of Billy's work Chant of the Mutha Tung was published by The
Kates Hill Press in 2002. Billy performed solo for many years in
libraries, school and old people's homes as well as at Rowly Olympic. He
formed the troupe Five Blokes who Cant & Cag in 2004. He was a
founder member of Creative Co-operations with Gary O'Dea and Greg Stokes early
in 2005 appearing in many of The Alternative Black Country Night Out
Shows. In October 2005 he became the Spake part of RoosterKateSpake.
A second book Cor Yow Shurrup A Minit Billy!, and a CD Sailskin Jones
And A Bowtlode Moowa appeared early 2006.
Cant & Cag performances to date: 28/10/05, 25/11/05, 14/12/05 (Shareshill),
17/12/05, 20/01/06, 03/02/06 (Tap & Spile, Walsall), 24/02/06, 03/03/06 (compere),
25/03/06, 28/04/06, 27/05/06, 23/06/06, 21/07/06, 18/08/06, 22/09/06, 23/10/06,
17/11/06, 23/12/07
GEOFF STEVENS
Geoff
is a stalwart of the poetry scene having been active for four decades now.
His dialect verse is pure quality but dialect poetry is but a fraction of his
output. Truly a poet of international renown, Geoff as organised events, ran
small press poetry publications as well as writing and performing.
Currently Geoff runs the poetry nights at the Barlow theatre in Langley and is
involved with Poetry Wednesbury. His latest book, The Phrenology of
Anaglypta, is published by Bluechrome. Keelhauling through Ireland, a
travelogue has recently been brought out. July 2006 saw the publication of Late
Night Cafes And Other Dives, a joint work with Brendan Hawthorne.
Cant & Cag performances to date: 20/01/06, 18/08/06, 22/09/06
CAROL WARD
Acclaimed
Wolverhampton poet.
Cant & Cag performances to date: 03/03/06
KEITH WHITEHOUSE
Keith Whitehouse, from Tipton, described by Billy Spakemon as the Bing Crosby
of the Five Blokes troupe is an accomplished performer with a wide range of
subject matter from trips to Blackpool to rock and roll nights -he wanted to
be Elvis of the Five Blokes troupe.
Cant & Cag performances to date: 28/10/05, 14/12/05 (Shareshill), 24/02/06,
21/07/06, 16/09/06 (Black Country Museum)
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