AMY ACRE…
It is official. Amy is the 2011 Meadowlands Slam Champion.
Look at that trophy… what a beauty!

BANG SAID THE GUN rocked MEADOWLANDS big time… thank you to all the gunslingers who shook, rattled, danced, performed and whooped their way through the weekend… Best tent at the festival? – you bet it was!
Photos by ROB SLOETRY COVELL + WASI DANIJU

Thank you: CLAIR WHITEFIELD, PETER HAYHOE, KAT FRANCOIS, ROB AUTON, MARTIN GALTON, ANTIPOET, ANGRY SAM, PETE THE TEMP, KAREN HAYLEY, AF HARROLD, ISZI LAWRENCE, ELVIS MCGONAGALL, MEL JONES, FRANK SANAZI, DEANNA RODGER, PAUL CREE, TALIA RANDALL, HARRY BAKER, RICHARD TYRONE JONES, JOHN HEGLEY, TIM CLARE, CAPTAIN OF THE RANT, BYRON VINCENT, RICHARD MARSH, KATIE BONNA, JOE BROMEHEAD, LUKE WRIGHT, STUART HUDSON, KIAN MCEVOY, TOBY DE ANGELI, ZIA AHMED, SEAN MAHONEY, ALISON BRUMFITT, ANNA LE, DAN SIMPSON, AMY ACRE (MEADOWLANDS SLAM CHAMPION)… I think that is everyone… We love you all.

John Hegley, Luke Wright, Kat Francois, Tim Clare, Byron Vincent, Salena Godden, AF Harrold, Elvis McGonagall, Karen Hayley, Pete The Temp, Iszi Lawrence, Richard Tyrone Jones, Deanna Rodger, Paul Cree, Talia Randall, Captain Of The Rant, Stuart Hudson, Joe Bromehead, AntiPoet, Rob Auton, Martin Galton, Peter Heyhoe, Curious, Frank Sanazi, Mel Jones and more…

John Hegley, Luke Wright, Kat Francois, Tim Clare, Byron Vincent, Salena Godden, AF Harrold, Elvis McGonagall, Karen Hayley, Pete The Temp, Iszi Lawrence, Richard Tyrone Jones, Deanna Rodger, Paul Cree, Talia Randall, Captain Of The Rant, Stuart Hudson, Joe Bromehead, AntiPoet, Rob Auton, Martin Galton, Peter Heyhoe, Curious, Frank Sanazi, Mel Jones, a few more to confirm and top open SLAM competition. Oh, and me!

BANG SAID THE GUN rocked out to the fantastic RIDING THE LOW on Saturday. See them live at MEADOWLANDS FESTIVAL along side the best spoken word line up this side of Mars… Nice one Gunslingers!

Riding The Low

So Gunslingers, let’s look at what is going down so far on the BANG stage at MEADOWLANDS.
We have a mind blowingly good line up with plenty more top acts still to be announced… so watch this space!
Top of our all-star bill is the Godfather of Comic Poetry and the People’s Laureate, JOHN HEGLEY. John Hegley is to potatoes what Wordsworth has been to daffodils… except John is relevant to the world and Wordsworth just wanders aimlessly.

John Hegley – Relevant Potato lover!

Also from the world of Stand-Up Poetry we have the darkly comic satires and romping ballads of LUKE WRIGHT “the best young performance poet around” (The Observer)
We have one of the brightest new stars on the block BYRON VINCENT “The most precocious talent on show” (The Times), whose oratory fuses comedy, poetry and doe eyed bewilderment to create a unique and entertaining spoken word experience. (Which includes a rather fine haiku about Elton John’s preferred choice of salad.)

Elton’s favourite salad.

There is also the brilliant ukulele wielding, channel 4 presenting, award winning author TIM CLARE, the glorious KAREN HAYLEY who is the funniest female comic out there (this is my opinion and according to my wife, I’m usually right).
If it’s rocking Slam Poetry you want, then we have the 2005 World Slam Champion KAT FRANCOIS popping by to show us her word acrobatics. And just to put a tad more icing on the cake, you can also enjoy the extremely funny and bizarre world of ROB AUTON, the grizzly reality of MARTIN GALTON, the dizzying climate change rants of PETE THE TEMP and an alternative look at the fine art of poetry with the delicious ANTI POET.

And if all that doesn’t tickle your fancy and it’s pure comedy you are looking for, then look no further than STUART HUDSON, whose dark, warped humour will drench you in laughter and most probably bring you out in a cold sweat!

“But what about the kids!” I hear you cry. “And what about the kid inside me!” I hear you scream. Don’t worry, we have all that sorted. The fantastically funny and slapstick comic clown MR PINEAPPLE HEAD (even his name is funny) will be along to entertain the young guns.

This is Mr Pineapple Head – Does he have a Pineapple for a head?

There is also the possibility of a few life-drawing classes, where you can learn to draw life instead of just drawing a blank! Or draw on the fact that you are now uncomfortably middle class when you preferred being working class. Pencils at the ready.

Oh, and don’t forget you can sign up to become the 2011 MEADOWLANDS FESTIVAL SLAM CHAMPION! A excellent way to get your name in poetic lights!

Phew… and this is just to get your taste buds going!
Cheers good people, There is plenty more where that came from… so keep your poetic ears and eyes open!

Apart from the best weekly poetry bash in town, BANG SAID THE GUN has a few other things to look forward to in 2011…. here are a couple to wet your poetic taste buds!!!

Buy your tickets now!!!

Plus we have our own tent at the marvellous MEADOWLANDS FESTIVAL
See you there Gunslingers!!!

Here are a few more pictures of me at MEADOWLANDS taken by the brilliant photogrpaher / filmmaker STUART GRIFFITHS. Check this other link for a taster of his documentary ISOLATION. Go Griff!!!

I thought I’d limber up before I went on stage but the women next to me put me to shame…OUCH!

Never trust a man with a clip board…


A bit of rock ‘n’ roll!

Happy Meadowland days…

BANG SAID THE GUN rocked MEADOWLANDS over the weekend. The crowds enjoyed spots of rain, spots of poetry, spots before their eyes and some thumping tunes which hurt my ears! Here are a few bad pictures from our adventures. Better ones to follow shortly…

A few words – a lot of lights!

Rob finds it all too much!

A bloody nice house – MEADOWLANDS is a lovely place to be!

BANG SAID THE GUN will be appearing at the very wonderful MEADOWLANDS FESTIVAL (29th – 31st May) Get your tickets now…!