Roll Up Roll Up — the literary cavalcade known as The Golden Hour is storming the South. We’re going to Sheffield, Newcastle, Bristol, Brighton and London! Dates are below —  It is physical and mental. It is a reading. It is a gig. It is a party.

When?  20th – 25th May, 2010!

Featuring:

Readers / Writers:
Ryan Van Winkle – poems & stories from the Reader in Residence at the Scottish Poetry Library.
Ericka Duffy – Southern (Ontario) Gothic fiction & Poetry.
Jason Morton – Shouts from the barroom floor.
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Jane Flett – winner of the Scottish Book Trust New Writer’s Award and seamstress of many fetching stories.

Music / Song Writers:
Hailey Beavis – an angelic voice, but devilish on six strings.
Jed Milroy – bouncin’ bluegrass from the banjo balladeer.
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Taperecorder – weaves a shoegaze-crunk house hybrid as suited to cocooned winter days as to sweaty late-night adventuring.

PLUS a variety of SPECIAL GUESTS each night – no two shows alike!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

20 May – The Rude Shipyard, 89 Abbeydale Rd, Sheffield 8 – 11pm,  £3    [Facebook event link] SPECIAL GUESTS: Matt Clegg – beautiful poems, wonderfully restrained. Matt Black – serious, sharp, surreal, irritated and funny. + Pete David (of The Payroll Union) – The local hero shares some rustic country of his own making.
21 May – The Cube Cinema, 4 Princess Row, Bristol 8 – 11,  £3    [Facebook event link] SPECIAL GUESTS: Rachael Boast – poetry with the confident ease of a tall glass of iced-tea. David Briggs – idiosyncratic poems where clowns and teacups are lit at the edges with a gunsmoke-blue glow.  New book due out from SALT! + Jonny Berliner – joyus songs about crustaceans, exhaustion, and glucose.
22 May – Redroaster Coffee House, 1d St James Street, Brighton BN2 1RE 8 – 11pm,  £3   [Facebook event link] SPECIAL GUESTS: Jonny Berliner – joyus songs about crustaceans, exhaustion, and glucose. The Half Sisters – Ukulele, flute and drums combined with three point harmonies create a lush and mesmerising chorus of catchy pop hooks and adorable honesty. + Possible special amazing comedic guest who we can’t quite pin down but will pop like a snake in can!
23 May – SECRET VENUE, London – Free —- Shhhh, Secret Special BBQ gig… 4pm – midnight, FREE! SPECIAL GUESTS: The Itinerant Poetry Library – ‘Reaching the parts other Libraries have yet to reach!’ INDEED! + Paper Cinema & many surprise friends!!!	Contact us for the magic venue!!!
24 May – Green Note, 106 Parkway, Camden, London 7 – 11pm, £5  [Facebook event link] SPECIAL GUESTS: Mario Petrucci – Imaginative, sophisticated and effortlessly masterful poet. AMAZING! Kirsten Irving – The editor of FuseLit brings poems of effortless and funky finery. Sam Taradash – stories from the hard shoulder. The Itinerant Poetry Library – ‘Reaching the parts other Libraries have yet to reach!’ + Jonny Berliner – joyus songs about crustaceans, exhaustion, and glucose.
25 May — Star and Shadow Cinema, Stepney Bank, Newcastle Upon Tyne 7.30 – 11pm,  £3   [Facebook event link] SPECIAL GUESTS: Maybe Myrtle Tyrtle – local heroes bring their brand of bluesy country/folk hillbilly mix of utter eccentricity

We can’t wait to see you at the GOLDEN HOUR!

Forest Publications, bringing it to your backyard (or garden).

Back we are from our almighty Golden Hour Highlands Tour 2010.  It was great fun all around and here’s a little I wanted to share with those who couldn’t make it.  ESPECIALLY as we are gearing up for our England Tour in less than a week, so if you like what you see/hear/read, check us out down south (in England, I mean).

A tour podcast is forthcoming from Anon magazine’s Colin Fraser, but until then, here’s me reading ‘Darkness on the Edge of Toast‘, from our massive Findhorn gig.

Also, while we were up in Ullapool, a reviewer from HIARTS came to see us. You can read what she said about us here. I particularly liked this line:

“A vibrant band of eight writers and musicians … provide the cultural equivalent of riding bareback on a wild horse.”

And last but not least, an excerpt from Jason Morton’s day-by-day review of the tour, via The Skinny:

“ABERDEEN

The morning of our drive to the Granite City, I couldn’t sleep. Restless and fitful, I woke up and wrote. Recapturing the essence of this experience I found quite difficult, and I hope to have conveyed it effectively, though I would have no gauge to measure it. Either way, it was a bittersweet experience, realizing this night would represent our final performance of the journey, and that soon I would be referring to it, as well, in hindsight, where triumphs and tragedies would both be glaringly apparent. I left writing for a while, and instead talked to our host, Jamie, over a cup of coffee, as the rest of the crew woke in time.

The Aberdeen gig would, again, differentiate itself greatly from our other stops. We had performed at the Blue Lamp the previous year, also as a final show, so it felt familiar, even though we’d only been there once before. During the afternoon, our merry band splintered across the city, each pairing striking out on its own.

Jed and Ryan, always our keepers – the ones who put in 1000 per cent to make sure things come off without a hitch – stayed at the venue to set up sound and speak with staff. Toby and Hailey worked on each others’ songs, hoping for an eventual collaboration. Ericka and Jane disappeared for lunch at a high street pub, and Billy and I went shopping for sunglasses, though the grey overcast made them unnecessary.

We arrived at the venue, slightly late, greeted by a crowd already assembled, already attentive, waiting for what we had to offer.

A recurring theme throughout the night was the sense of liberty we felt regarding the content of our readings and performances, which I feel was shared at least between myself and Jane. After scoring out large passages of my texts for each preceding gig, as well as each and every curse word, I read, at long last, an unedited excerpt from by chapbook, “Old & New.” Miss Flett finally had an opportunity to delve into seedier territory as well, reading a powerful piece about a woman trapped in a bizarre, and seemingly inescapable sexual relationship.

Also benefiting from the change in format was Billy Liar, who made full use of the amped up sound system. Blazing through his set, I was impressed by his rendition of “It Starts Here”, a song I must have heard over a hundred times before. However, whether it was the tuned-up volume or the emotions over ending our short sojourn, there seemed to be an additional vigour there, though when I complimented him on it he responded in the vein of “What are you talking about?”

This provided, as well, the first collaboration between Toby – who also guested with Billy and Hailey – and Ryan, where he laid down some smoky, Southwestern rock-style whittling under a poem about finding a murder victim in the depths of a river.

As an emcee and solo reader, Ryan excelled in Aberdeen, as he must have had an extra boost of energy – or glass of wine – pulling down the wool curtains over his own creative process. “This one’s called Falling No. 71,” he said at one point. “Now, no, I didn’t write 70 other poems about falling – but if I did, imagine how rubbish those other ones would be.”

Jed closed down the show, and though we all knew it was coming, the end felt sudden: Tomorrow, we would all wake up in separate places, for many our own beds, and not feel the pressure or joy of the night’s upcoming gig. It’s a blessing and a curse, both touring and home, but – if you’ll excuse a bit of sappiness – friendships were made, sights were seen, good times were had… and, if there’s a little sadness on the drive home, there’s always next time.”

Definitely click over to the full article for more lovely nuggets from the journey, plus gorgeous pictures c/o Ericka Duffy.

Thanks for all your support, friends!  See you again soon!

The Golden Hour – May 19th, 2010

8pm

Forest Cafe, 3 Bristo Pl

Free! Free! Free! (byob)

Act I:

Chloe Morrish — releasing her new chapbook!

My Kappa Roots — tender and touching, but you are not allowed to touch him.

Act II:

TRIO VERSO: poetry & jazz-inflected soundscapes from Brian Johnstone, Richard Ingham & Louise Major

Act III:

Rapunzel Wizard – long haired poems ready to tangle!

Pockets – the uke bastard lights it up.

GREAT STUFF!!!

April 21st, 2010
8pm
Forest Cafe, 3 Bristo Pl
Free! Free! Free! (byob)

Readers:

Helen Mort – unbuckles her new poetry chap.

Misa Klimes – brings poems for ears.

Nik Cook – holds on and says things.

Music:

Endor – rousing streams of breezy, Celtic-tinged jangling.

The Sparrows – 3 girl eclectic folk band originally from Japan. They tote a variety of instruments including (but not limited to) violin, ukulele, cello, flute, keys, guitar, a deathmetal kazoo, and warbly bird voices. Likes cake and bad puns.

Freight Tray – a bouillabaisse of salty a capella vocals, spicy guitar action and wet synth.

Strap on your dancin’ wellies!

“A vibrant band of eight writers and musicians … provide the cultural equivalent of riding bareback on a wild horse.”

Hope this helps bring the punters in next time we roll north!

“A beautiful collection of folk pop laments…fragile, haunting, and often sounds timeless.” THE SCOTSMAN ****

“An impressive calling card… Glass has an idiosyncratic approach to song writing, with well-crafted lyrics spilling over one another like a meditative Kevin Rowland.” SUNDAY HERALD, ****

“Beautiful and understated…an auspicious debut” THE LIST, ****

“Refreshes the parts that wistful indie does not normally reach…undulates with subtle melody.” SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY

“Modest splendour.” The Skinny ****

The Golden Hour Highland TOUR!

Join us for a literary cabaret which has played to sold-out audiences in Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, London and The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It is poetry and prose, original eclectic songs and visual amazement. It is physical and mental. It is a reading. It is a gig. It is a party.

Featuring:

Readers / Writers:
Ryan Van Winkle – poems & stories from the Reader in Residence at the Scottish Poetry Library.
Ericka Duffy – Southern (Ontario) Gothic fiction & Poetry
Jason Morton – Shouts from the barroom floor.
+
Jane Flett – winner of the Scottish Book Trust New Writer’s Award and seamstress of many fetching stories

Music / Song Writers:
Billy Liar – starter of many a folk-punk riot
Hailey Beavis – an angelic voice, but devilish on six strings
Jed Milroy – bouncin’ bluegrass from the banjo balladeer
+
Toby Mottershead – a rare solo set from the Black Diamond Express frontman. Old time rock n’ roll goes stomp box blues.

Special Guests:
@ Moniack Mhor:
Chiew-Siah Tei – new fiction.
John Glenday – The poet launches his crazy shining diamond – Grain.

@ Ullapool
Jon Miller – the poet, musician and Tom Waits fan graces us.

@ Aberdeen
Sarah J Stanley – big songs on a tiny uke

Tour Dates

* 25 March  
Glenurquhart High, Drumnadrochit
1.45 – 2.45pm
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Moniack Mhor – Teavarran, Kiltarlity, Beauly
7pm
Special guests: Chiew-Siah Tei & John Glenday

NB: John Glenday is one of my favourite poets and he produced the most stunning and quietly beautiful book of the past year. If you have not bought Grain – do buy it. It is the real deal and everything that poetry should be. You can hear my interview with him here:

Listen now…

* 26 March
Stornoway Library, 19 Cromwell St.
5.30 – 7pm

* 27 March
The Ceilidh Place 12-14 West Argyle Street, Ullapool
8pm
£5 entry (Free Stolen Stories Book for ALL!)
Special guest: Jon Miller – the poet, musician and Tom Waits fan graces us.

• 28 March
The Blue Angel – Findhorn – The Park, Universal Hall, Findhorn / Forres, Morayshire
7.30pm

* 29 March
Blue Lamp – Aberdeen – 121 Gallowgate, Aberdeen AB25 1BU
7pm
Special guest: Sarah J Stanley – big songs on a tiny uke.

I’ve been invited to read some poems at the Glasgow Comedy Festival as part of DiScomBoBuLate — Glasgow’s great spoken word / comedy night. I’m not sure who else is appearing with me but I know Alan Bissett will be there and a host of other luminaries. The gig is at The Arches, 23 March, 7.30pm £4/2. You can get tickets here. If you can’t make that — don’t forget the Golden Hour is in Edinburgh on the 24th, then in the Highlands from the 25th – 30th. Plenty of chances to see my flesh.

March 24th, 2010
8pm
Forest Cafe, 3 Bristo Pl
Free! Free! Free! (byob)

Reading:

Kona MacPhee – with her brand new collection!

Lawrie Clapton – rocks the chapbooks!

Jenny Lindsay – poetry gets the slam.

Music:

Burnt Island – Short stories set to music for late nights and early mornings,
with Rodge Glass, a guitar player better known for writing books.

Sam and Mike – they might have a tune.

Billy Liar – his machine kills fascists.

Put on your listenin’ hats and dancin’ shoes!

February 17th, 2010
8pm
Forest Cafe, 3 Bristo Pl
Free! Free! Free! (byob)

Reading:

Claire Askew – editor, poet, dragon slayer, jewellery maker, teacher.

Ewan Morrison – we bus Mr. Trouble in from Glasgow to kick over a few tables and tell some stories.

Tom Pow – even if his name wasn’t Tom POW we’d still use an exclamation mark to describe him!

Music:

Gary Stewart – exhilarating and masterful songwriting.

Diddley Squat – last time we counted they were a massive 12 piece regaee band. We think they’re growing.

Robin Grey Band – In a small white room with a blue door they create gently experimental nu-folk. you will like.

And don’t forget to check out our interview with Alan Bisset:

There is a double-bill of two of his plays, The Ching Room and the Moira Monologues, at the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow from 9th-13th Feb. Bissett himself will be starring as ‘Moira’. He also helps with the splendid reading series, Discombobulate (where literature and comedy collide) in Glasgow. Alan read at The Golden Hour in January 2010.