Why do I always watch my birds? I know that statement sounds absurd but today I reached an all-lime toe when I received a blushing crow.
It’s wetting gorse – and here’s the crunch: my conversation packs a lunch. I’m not sure when all this began but I think I need a plaster man
to help me when my stouth gets muck. I should sit, perhaps, and bead a rook, fight a liar, or flick some powers. No, I think I’ll go and shake a tower.
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The Reverend William Archibald Spooner was born on this day in 1844. He’s remembered today for his unfortunate habit of getting his words muddled up. Happy Spoonerism Day to all those who belly crate.
Sounds Made by Humans – an album of my poetry put to music by the fabulous Catenary Wires – can now be listened to on Spotify, iTunes and those other streaming platforms.
“A contender for album of the year.” Backseat Mafia “An instant cult classic. 5/5” Louder Than War
And if you like what you hear, you can hear it played live this autumn when we’re heading off on a UK tour. There will be music, poems, mugs, tea towels, and somewhere to sit down (should you want to). We can be found in the following places …
12 Sep: RAMSGATE: Music Hall 30 Oct: BANBURY: Mill Arts Centre 1 Nov: LONDON: Bloomsbury Theatre 3 Nov: NORWICH: Norwich Arts Centre 4 Nov: STAMFORD: Corn Exchange 5 Nov: MILTON KEYNES: The Stables 6 Nov: BRIGHTON: Komedia 12 Nov: WORCESTER: Huntingdon Hall 13 Nov: NOTTINGHAM: Metronome 14 Nov: SWANSEA: Grand Theatre 15 Nov: BRISTOL: John Wesley’s Chapel 21 Nov: MANCHESTER: Halle St Peters 22 Nov: OTLEY: Courthouse 23 Nov: CHORLEY: Chorley Theatre 24 Nov: LIVERPOOL: Royal Philharmonic 25 Nov: SHEFFIELD: The Foundry 26 Nov: GLASGOW: Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) 27 Nov: NEWCASTLE: The Pilgrim 28 Nov: POCKLINGTON: Arts Centre 4 Dec: HERNE BAY: King’s Hall
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.
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.
Caravan of love
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.
Some news! I have a new book of poems for children coming out in a couple of months – Let Sleeping Cats Lie.
It’s a collection of poems about pets (dogs, cats, goldfish, chinchilla, guinea pigs, snakes, budgies, rabbits, blue whales etc). I say it’s for children but it’s also suitable for grandchildren and, who knows, some grown-ups might enjoy it, too; I don’t like to be too prescriptive.
Thirty days hath September,
April, June and November.
Unless a leap year is its fate,
February hath twenty-eight.
All the rest hath three days more,
excepting January,
which hath six thousand,
one hundred and eighty-four.
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.
Places and dates
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.
More places and dates
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*).
Brian Bilston