to BANG SAID THE GUN! If you want to see the POPE and ATTILA THE STOCKBROKER then this is the place to be…

The POPE raises the roof!!!

BANG SAID THE GUN urges Florida pastor to drop plan to burn “An Anthology of the Nation’s Favourite Poems” on the lead up to National Poetry Day.
The members of BANG SAID THE GUN believe the protest would be a ‘recruitment bonanza for bad poetry lovers.’ BANG has looked at ways to stop the burning, and the Poetry Society has warned lovers of spoken word to be careful.

Reporting from the ROEBUCK — BANG SAID THE GUN will be joined on Thursday 16th September by the growing chorus of top Poets calling on a Florida pastor to abandon his plans to stage a BAD POETRY BURNING on the lead up to National POETRY day.

“This is a recruitment bonanza for BAD POETRY,” Cockrill said in an interview broadcast on BBC Breakfast.”

“You could have serious violence in places like the Poetry Cafe or Poetry Library. This could increase the recruitment of individuals who would be willing to read themselves to death in European Universities,” said Cockrill who called the protest a stunt.

Cockrill added his voice to other top poets including Attila The Stockbroker, Martin Galton, Rob Auton and Pete The Temp, all of whom have derided the proposed burning organized by Pastor Terry Jones, of the Dove World Outreach Center, a church with about 50 members.

In numerous appearances, Jones has said he is praying on whether to go through with the protest, which has already sparked counter-demonstrations in the Poetry World.

“I hope he listens to those better angels and understands that this is a destructive act that he’s engaging in,” Cockrill said on BBC Breakfast.

BANG has stepped up its campaign to prevent the burning and they are clear on what needs to be done. Come along to BANG SAID THE GUN this Thursday where we will blow the roof off rather than burn bad poetry books.

PASTOR TERRY JONES
Hates Bad Poetry – Loves Harley Davidsons

ATTILA THE STOCKBROKER’S 30th ANNIVERSARY LONDON SHOW at BANG SAID THE GUN – THURSDAY 16th SEPTEMBER

Radical performance poet and songwriter Attila the Stockbroker started as a punk bass player in 1977, took his inimitable stage name in 1980 during a short stint as a stockbroker’s clerk (they hated him, he hated them) and did his first gig as Attila at Bush Fair Playbarn in Harlow on 8 Sept 1980 supporting The De-Fex, The Condemmed (yes, 2 ‘m’s) and The Unborn Dead. He still has the poster!
Since then he’s done about 2,700 more in 24 countries and published 6 books of poems and over 20 CDs/LPs. And he’s even more fired up now than when he first started!

He’ll make you roar with laughter and seethe with anger as he chronicles the last 30 years via the huge amount of material he’s written from then to now, personal, local, national and international – from the Falklands War and the Miners’ Strike to the fall of the Berlin Wall and Thatcher, the rise of the European Far Right, the war in Iraq and his tribute to his late mother who died in June after a 6 year battle with Alzheimers. Interspersed, as ever, with some silly and occasionally very rude bits about dead cats and dirty sleeping bags.
If you have a favourite Attila poem or song, he’s taking requests too – he’s earned a living as a poet for 30 years and he wants you to join in the celebration!
‘Whether he’s ranting a poem or bashing out a song, there’s something majestic about Attila in full flight’ (Ian McMillan, BBC Radio 4)

The audience left last Thursdays BANG SAID THE GUN knowing they had seen something special. We knew it was good when people started ripping the posters from the wall as a “I Was There” memento! Like all good” I Was There” moments – No Pictures. Everyone was far too engrossed in what was going on.

This guy was definitely there.

Be Part Of The Next One – check it out here.

Attila The Hun? NO!
Attila The Watch Maker? NO!
Attila The Knee Breaker? NO!
Attila The Shop Keeper? NO!
Attila The Rock Climber? NO!
Attila The Cake Baker? NO!
Attila The Bee Keeper? NO!
Attila The Cheese Grater? NO!
Attila The Cab Driver? NO!
Attila The Witch Doctor? NO!
Attila The School Teacher? NO!

Who Then?

ATTILA THE STOCKBROKER – Oh YES!!!