Exciting times … I’m coming back to Ireland this October to read some poems in what is set to be my most extensive tour there yet*:
17th: BELFAST, Mandela Hall
18th: DUBLIN, Ambassador Theatre
19th: LIMERICK, Lime Tree Theatre
20th: DERRY, Millennium Forum
Tickets are on sale here: https://brianbilston.com/events/.
Book now to guarantee disappointment.
* previous record = 2 shows
One tour may have just finished but here’s news of another one coming soon …
I’m delighted to announce that this autumn I’ll be going on tour with The Catenary Wires, for some fun-filled evenings of music and poetry. We’ll be performing our album ‘Sounds Made by Humans’, and there’ll be poems from me and music from the band throughout the night.
Most of the gigs are in November, with a few either side. We’ll be coming to Banbury, Brighton, Bristol, Chorley, Glasgow, Herne Bay, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham, Otley, Pocklington, Ramsgate, Sheffield, Stamford, Swansea, and Worcester.
Tickets have gone on sale this morning. For the full list of shows and links to tickets, you can find them all here:
And here are few review snippets of ‘Sounds Made by Humans’:
“[An] album of the year.” Backseat Mafia
“An instant cult classic. 5/5” Louder Than War
“Filled to the rafters with wit and smart hooks.” Here Comes the Flood
Hope to see some of you there.
Brian
Last week saw the release of ‘Sounds Made by Humans’, an album of ‘poem songs’ I’ve made with the brilliant Catenary Wires.
The album is out now on vinyl and CD; it’s also available for streaming on Spotify and elsewhere, and can be downloaded.
Some places where you can find it…
ROUGH TRADE (including limited edition ‘white vinyl’ edition):
We’re really proud of it and we’ll be taking it on the road with us in the UK in November, for some evenings of music and poetry. More on that in a few weeks.
Happy listening x
A new ‘poem song’ with the fab Catenary Wires is out today: Every Song on the Radio Reminds Me of You. We’ve even made an accompanying video, in which I do some very good walking around with a radio, plus knob twiddling.
It’s from our forthcoming album, ‘Sounds Made by Humans’ which comes out on 9 May and is available to pre-order on vinyl and CD from all good record stores. You’ll find it up on the various music streaming sites, too.
More info here: https://skepwax.myshopify.com/products/brian-bilston-and-the-catenary-wires-sounds-made-by-humans-album
Top of the pops to you.
Some news! A new book is on its way …
A Poem for Every Question consists of 100 new poems for children, written in answer to the curious questions that kids will ask.
Questions such as:
Are unicorns real?
How many stars exploded in the Universe today?
Was Blackbeard a real pirate?
Can it rain fish?
Each poem is accompanied by the clever and funny artwork of Joe Berger. It’s the first time I’ve ever had any of my poems illustrated like this, and I’m completely bowled over by how Joe has brought these poems to life.
A Poem for Every Question publishes in the UK on 25th September with Farshore Books, and is available for pre-order now. It can be ordered through all the usual bookshop places. You can find a few places to pre-order from here, including a link so you can find your local UK indie bookshop: https://linktr.ee/brianbilston
It will be out in Canada in December, and I’ll share news about when it’s available in the US as soon as I have it.
I’ll leave the last words about the book to Michael Rosen, who says: ‘These poems are the answers to every question you ever wanted to ask, and the question for every answer you wanted to question. Funny, informative and intriguing, this book will expand your brain to twice its size.’
Some exciting news …
I’ve been collaborating (well, having fun) with a brilliant band, The Catenary Wires, who have very cleverly put some of my poems to music. The result is an album of thirteen songs to be released on 9th May on Skep Wax Records. It’s called ‘Sounds Made by Humans’.
It can be pre-ordered now on vinyl and CD here: https://linktr.ee/brianbilston and it will also be available for streaming and download.
The LP features some of my most popular poems ‘Alexa, what is there to know about love?’, ‘She’d Dance’, ‘To Do List’, ‘Thou Shalt Not Commit Adulting’, alongside many more timeless, toe-tapping classics.
You can hear a sneak preview of ‘Alexa, what is there to know about love?’ here: https://brianbilstonandthecatenarywires.bandcamp.com/track/alexa-what-is-there-to-know-about-love
The album can be pre-ordered now on vinyl and CD, and includes a full colour insert with lyrics, illustrated by Elodie Ginsburg. It will also be available for streaming and download. Some places where you can pre-order:
BANDCAMP: https://brianbilstonandthecatenarywires.bandcamp.com/album/sounds-made-by-humans-2
ROUGH TRADE: https://www.roughtrade.com/product/brian-bilston-and-the-catenary-wires/sounds-made-by-humans
We’re really proud of it; so much so that there are plans afoot to take it on tour in the UK in November. I’ll share details of those dates with you when confirmed.
*The Catenary Wires are a group comprising Amelia Fletcher, Rob Pursey and Ian Button. Their critically acclaimed third album ‘Birling Gap’ was released in 2021. Since then, they have been focusing on their other bands, playing around the world with Heavenly (icons of the 90s indiepop scene) and Swansea Sound.
I’m delighted to announce a plethora of new shows for May 2025 with the brilliant Henry Normal. We’re be coming to BIRMINGHAM, CAMBRIDGE, HARROGATE, LANCASTER, LIVERPOOL, LONDON, MANCHESTER, MELTON MOWBRAY, NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME, NORTHAMPTON, STOCKTON-ON-TEES and WHITLEY BAY. Tickets have gone on sale today.
As previously announced, we’ll also be reading poems in ASHFORD, BURNLEY, CARDIFF, HALIFAX, HASTINGS, READING, ST ALBANS, SHEFFIELD, SHREWSBURY, STRATFORD-UPON-AVON, TAUNTON and WORTHING.
After all that, I’ll be having a bit of a lie down, although you may also catch me at a few festivals throughout the year.
Links to tickets can be found here: https://brianbilston.com/events/
It’s UK publication day for ‘Let Sleeping Cats Lie’, my collection of poems about pets.
I wrote the for book children, aged between 7 and 95, and it’s available through all the usual bookshop places. You can find some of the online retailers here: https://linktr.ee/brianbilston
There are a few signed copies knocking about, too. Here’s a small list of some of the independent bookshops who have signed copies: https://linktr.ee/letsleepingcatslie
Anyway, that’s about all I have to say on the matter so I shall finish writing this post now.
I’m doing a few solo poetry shows this year, starting this month with Chester, Lincoln & Scarborough.
I’ll be in Falmouth, Totnes & Launceston in April. And Belfast & Dublin in October.
If you fancy coming along to a show, you can get tickets here: https://brianbilston.com/events/
Well done, everybody, for making it to January 569th.
I’ve been grateful for those extra days this month, as it’s given me time to get my head together for my 2024 shows, which begin in just over two weeks’ time with a run of dates with the fabulous poet (and human) Henry Normal. We start on 16th February in Bexhill-on-Sea on the south coast.
Shows in Nottingham and Monmouth have now sold out – alongside Salford, Leeds, Exeter, Bath, Stroud and Leek.
There are only a handful of tickets remaining for London, Oxford, Bury St Edmunds, Coventry and Ilkley.
Tickets are also on sale for Sunderland, Barrow, Wolverhampton, Norwich, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Stirling, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, plus two new shows announced last week: Bristol and Southampton.
And a small reminder that I’m doing a few solo shows this year in fancy coming along to one: Chester, Lincoln, Scarborough, Falmouth, Totnes, Launceston, Belfast and Dublin.
If you came to see me last year and for some strange reason are considering coming along again, then you might be reassured to know I’ll be reading a bunch of new poems (alongside a few older ones). There’s a guarantee of a least two new jokes or your money back (terms and conditions apply*).
Links to more information and tickets can be found on this page: 2024 shows and ticket info
* Brian Bilston reserves the right to define what constitutes a joke. A joke may not always be dependent on laughter.
