Blog - Page 10 of 11

DIY POETS Quarterly Gig – August 14th – The Maze, Nottingham

23 July, 2014 Andy Szpuk Comments 0 Comment

Pedestrian crossings can often cause an unhinged moment when a shopper, student, silver surfer or goofball (like me) arrive at them, wondering whether to press the button or take a chance on scampering across without pausing to follow the expected procedure. Could be a British thing, or maybe most people’s minds are pondering when the next DIY Poets gig might be. The latter is more likely. Unwittingly, DIY Poets can make a major contribution to road safety by revealing early…

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The DIY Bards of May – Gig Report!

19 May, 2014 Andy Szpuk Comments 0 Comment

With the weather warming up, it felt as if spring was finally with us at last, poets jumping and the cotton high. A simply perfick scenario for another selection of verse from the eclectic collective that is DIY Poets. Doors opened at 8:00 on Thursday 15th May, 2014 and a trickle of punters made their way into the Maze. At eight thirty, DIY Poets’ founder member and compere, Frank McMahon leapt on stage to inform us that, due to the…

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DIY Poets Quarterly Gig at The Maze, Nottingham

7 May, 2014 Andy Szpuk Comments 0 Comment

Featured poet on this occasion is the wonderful, evergreen Jim Willis. Jim’s granite Edinburgh tones deliver his butterfly light stanzas across a vista of verse with steel elegance. He originally developed an interest in poetry when attending Leith Academy, now turned into flats. Jim likes to link his poems, no matter how tenuous that link might be, and without any semblance of order. Jim will be exploring three main themes: music, holidays and cats – the order guaranteed to be random!…

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Poet Profile: Martin Grey

23 February, 2014 Andy Szpuk Comments 0 Comment

I’ve written poetry for over ten years, but am still quite new to the stage. When not moonlighting as a daydreaming wageslave, I spend my time performing, travelling, attempting to learn Spanish, being skint and using poetry as a wonderful excuse to eat cake in cafes. I see poetry as an art that we can all be part of. Not only is it one of the most inexpensive hobbies you’ll ever have (all you need is a pen and the…

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That Was The Gig That Was – February 13th 2014

14 February, 2014 Andy Szpuk Comments 0 Comment

Oh, the verse flowed like vino, as DIY Poets hosted another of their quarterly shows, on the day before Valentine’s Day. First up on stage was A Sole, or Artisidol Sole in full, unashamedly opening his set with a plug for his new book, ‘The Speed Chronicles’. Artisidol explores the heart of darkness and light, pouring out a kaleidoscopic tumble of insane images, with droll observations on everyday existence. A quality opening. An evening of poetry couldn’t possibly be complete…

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Poet Profile – Clare Stewart

26 January, 2014 Andy Szpuk Comments 0 Comment

Clare Stewart is the featured poet at the next DIY Poets quarterly gig at the Maze, on Thursday, February 13th. I’ve seen Clare perform many times now and always enjoy her raging social commentary, thoughtful constructions and absorbing narratives. As the image makes clear, she is a goddess of rhyme and verse. Here are a few words from Clare: I discovered DIY Poets at a night light gig a few years ago, when members of the audience were encouraged to…

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DIY Poets at the Maze, Nottingham (UK) – 13th February

19 January, 2014 Andy Szpuk Comments 0 Comment

DIY Poets present the latest in our quarterly night of spoken word at the Maze on Thursday 13 February. As well as local bards DIY Poets there will a featured set from the fantastic Clare Stewart and the evening will be rounded off in style by local band, Fun With Numbers. £ 3 entry, a bargain. DIY Poets meet every month, on the first Wednesday, at 8pm, upstairs at the Broadway Cinema, all poets old and new welcome, for discussions…

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Book Launch by Premier DIY POET (Nottingham UK)

12 January, 2014 Andy Szpuk Comments 0 Comment

Globally, the literary cognoscenti and the creative sets may not know this: Frank McMahon is a poetry genius and all round legend. He’s been running the DIY Poets collective for over 10 years now, organising and performing at the group’s quarterly shows at the Maze in Nottingham, as well as other events in the local area and beyond. He’s about to release his second book of poetry: Difficult Second Volume, and a launch is scheduled for Friday 31st January at…

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Poems Find a Home

11 December, 2013 Andy Szpuk Comments 0 Comment

Earlier this year, I was lazily scanning social media sites when something caught my eye. It was a request for submissions of short stories to a forthcoming anthology, Stories for Homes, with the proceeds going to Shelter, the UK housing charity. My father endured a period of homelessness during the firestorms of Word War Two, when circumstances caused him and his father to be evicted from their home in Ukraine and left to wander through Eastern Europe with bombs dropping…

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DIY Poets 23

2 December, 2013 Frank McMahon Comments 0 Comment

DIY Poets 23 Oct 2013 final