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Another mega slam last night – thanks to everyone for coming out in the cold weather. We ended up with just under 20 poets performing in the slam, plus two big sets from the entertaining Randall Stephens.

Top three poets were:

1. CJ (with an amazing ‘party’ piece)
2. Jacinta (aided by a chorus of uncooperative Greek nonnas)
3. Andrew ‘Bad Slam’ Galan (on killing Care Bears or something)

And now for… Judge Judy judging a poetry slam. No it’s not what you think it is (how cool/bizarre/intimidating would that be?) but, rather, a warning to producers of all spoken word events that you make sure you pay your poets!

Next slam is Friday 30 October so be prepared for some sort of Halloween (eve) silliness. Probably.

9 Responses so far | Have Your Say!

1. 

   Malcolm Miller
   September 30th, 2009 at 10:40 am #

   Here’s my usual comment on the September Slam. It was a good one, if only because I arrived early enough to snaffle a chair for my aged bones. I don’t like having any kind of ‘entertainment’ that doesn’t further the aim of performance poetry – I am clearly not alone in this, judging from some of the callers for ‘more poetry!’
   I do wish that some people could polish up their presentation. Poetry reading ‘or reciting’ is a performance art. That doesn’t mean that poets should cavort or grimace or prance, unless it’s essential for their presentation. And too many people, including you, Julius, SHOUT into the microphone. Their ‘plosives’ (look it up if you don’t know what it means) send out a painful shock to the ears.
   Well, those are my grouches. Otherwise, I enjoyed my evening as usual. I hope people noticed the huge difference between experienced performers and diffident newcomers, and maybe some of the latter will try to improve their enunciation!

2. 

   jools
   September 30th, 2009 at 10:33 pm #

   I’m not sure what you’re referring to by ‘entertainment’ – I don’t remember any cavorting, grimacing or prancing.
   As far as shouting goes, I don’t mind a bit of a shout. I’m sorry if it hurt your ears – my only suggestion would be that you don’t sit right next to the speaker!
   You’re preaching to the choir regarding performance poetry being an art – although I’m not sure why you’re complaining to me/on this blog about people not making an effort! If it really bugs you why not have a word to the performers at the slam?

3. 

   Malcolm Miller
   October 1st, 2009 at 9:43 am #

   By ‘entertainment’ I meant the addition of some kind of band, which for me detracts rather than adds to the night. People did call out ‘more poetry’, and that’s surely why they attend.
   The acoustics at The Front are of course far from ideal, and the speakers would give a more satisfactory sound, especially to people near the back, if they were higher, as one sees them in theatres.
   I admit I sat near a speaker, and maybe I will be able to sit a bit further away next time.
   You may not believe that some poets ‘cavort’, but I do, and it’s part of how they present their work. Sometimes it can be overdone.

4. 

   jools
   October 1st, 2009 at 8:42 pm #

   Which is why I’m confused – there wasn’t a band last Friday!
   Also still not sure why you’re posting here about not liking poets ‘cavorting’ – why not speak to the performers about it, if it’s bugging you?

5. 

   Malcolm Miller
   October 2nd, 2009 at 9:24 am #

   I was glad there wasn’t a band, and meant to make that clear.
   Poetry reading is a performance art, and the performers must develop their own style, one hopes, with the entertainment of the listeners in mind. I have been a published critic of theatre performances for years, but I don’t feel like taking on poetry criticism! I’d much rather be a performer, just as I’ve been an actor. I know a bit about plays and acting, but not much about performance poetry!

6. 

   thomas connelly
   October 3rd, 2009 at 7:02 am #

   i could not, for family reasons, make it to the Sept slam. So i can not comment on specifics but i can agree that performance poetry is an ‘art’ as much as any other, and i can also agree that there is often too much cavorting (or as i like to call it arm-waving) going on, but we have to bear in mind that these readings are strictly amateur, rather DIY 1977 affairs.

   so in defense of cavorting…

   in slamming there are a lot of different things happening all at once. some think of a slam as performance art with poetry, some as performance poetry, some as poetry, some as a rant, as the cry of the heart in the heartless world. with all these swirling motives it is hard to say what is and is not good performance.

   having developed an almost obsessive interest in the epic cycle, one can look back and understand how the ancient performances included elements such as chanting singing music etc. thsi was done as an aide to memory
   and because such a great variety of action and characters were being presented. so to me any amount of acting up or out is ok, music dance poetry opera all come from the logos and are as one. (if we kept up this work in isolation for a few hundred years, slam poets would develop a new and perverted form of opera.)

   in my experience of slams the poets are as much confessional as they are narrative, and so, while maybe not be interested in the poets problems, i can understand how a confused and pained young person will resort to a certain amount of arm flapping in performance.

   as to extraneous entertainment, i mostly enjoy the bands or singers that perform alongside the poets. my main complaint is that the music should be more integrated with the poets. in my poetry nirvana we have no more contests, (which to me work only to discourage the many while rewarding but a favoured few, often times the strongest performers – not necessarily the strongest poets) we only have an open mike, and there is more collaboration between poets and musicians and audience.

   my muddled two cents.

7. 

   Malcolm Miller
   October 6th, 2009 at 8:30 am #

   Lots of comments, whether positive or not, are a sign of a healthy and active group. I’d certainly like to read more. I don’t want to be the only ‘client’ of this space! I winder how many others read the two websites you seem to have?

8. 

   Malcolm Miller
   October 20th, 2009 at 8:13 am #

   This should interest all of us. Most of us know Omar Musa – I’ve known him since he was a baby!

   THE JAKARTA POST
   Wednesday, October 14, 2009 1:27 PM
   Slam poets rock annual Ubud festival
   Trisha Sertori , The Jakarta Post , Ubud | Mon, 10/12/2009 1:29 PM | Bali
   One of the goals of a writers and readers festival is to showcase a range of opinions, without bias.
   Saturday night’s Poetry Slam, a free event during the annual Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, let those values ring; certainly in somewhat flat notes at times, but at others at gut wrenching pitch.
   A poetry slam insists on audience resonance, rather than prescribed literary form, as the measure of literary worth of the brave souls running the “golden microphone” gauntlet. Performances are judged by randomly selected audience members, as well as by either nosy hand-clapping or loud boos from the crowd.
   Saturday night’s gig, emceed by the brilliant Australian 2008 Poetry Slam poet champion and hip hop artist, Omar Musa, whose words are up there with W.H. Auden’s post WW1 pieces in their harshness of blood tenderness, led poets great and small to speak out their souls.
   Where many of the presentations ran the gamut of the search for immortality through a reunion with Buddha, Love, Lust or other less ordinary forms of spiritual redemption, there were grounded pieces, such as that by 10 year-old Indi, which delightfully discussed the value of funny bones; if you can bear that bump you can bear far tougher ones throughout life.
   There were also very bravely, and superbly constructed words by Stefanie from Jakarta, who discussed in her work the position of Chinese-born Indonesians.
   Within her allotted Poetry Slam two minutes she carried listeners through the 400 years of oppression Chinese as “Asia’s Jews”, have suffered. Her work culminated in the chilling description of a loved one’s rape during the 1998 sweeping of Chinese-Indonesians.
   In fine Poetry Slam form, South African born Troy penned his piece during the performances of earlier orators.
   Bent over in the half light, Troy read out the poem scribbled on his knees, earning eights and nines from the judges for his efforts.
   Winning the Ubud Grand Slam was Kerry Prendergast with her witty and humorous look in “Once was a village”.
   Her poem poked at the changes in a small town that is seemingly fast becoming the new Kuta, sans McDonalds.
   Poetry Slams, while sometimes slammed themselves by literary critics, offer the writer in all of us the opportunity to share our hopes and fears in the written words that otherwise may fester silently under the weight of publishers’ rejection slips.

9. 

   jools
   October 20th, 2009 at 8:46 pm #

   Thanks Malcolm