SATURDAY JANUARY 14TH AT PLACEBO SPACE. 9pm.

THIS EVENT IS PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN.

Edinburgh’s Lit&Music Cabaret Comes to Toronto

Poets read. Musicians play. The audience is incited to revolution—or a stiff drink.

DAMIAN ROGERS: Electrifying. Damian’s poetry is rock’n’roll. Sample: “I say let’s keep wasting our lives and burn/our trash as we go.”

RYAN VAN WINKLE: Award-winning, Edinburgh-dwelling bearded poet. He’ll make you swoon. Sample: “We were fucking/our way up the tower and God saw us coming.”

MATTHEW J. TRAFFORD: Crafter of surreal short stories featuring Jesus clones & mermaids. Sample: “I was born library, where my parents read from opening until closing every day, where they met, where I assume they first coupled.”

TRAPLINESA: banjo. Some poems. Do we need to say more?Sample: “I got so fat they called a crane. Everyone was nice about it, but I was too fat to care.”

NEIL QUIN: The guitarist from Zeus will blow you away with his shiny solo act.

PHANTOM SHORES: Ottawa-based folk rockers with lush harmonies and blazing lyrics. Violin, sex & rock’n’roll.

CHLOE CHARLES: This hypnotizing songstress will leave you spellbound – just try to resist.

PLUS SPECIAL MUSICAL GUEST.
THIS EVENT IS PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN.

AT PLACEBO SPACE. 1409 Bloor Street West, Apt A

The Forest, FREE – 1pm – 3am

Here it is — the last ever Golden Hour at the Forest Cafe at 3 Bristo Place. After this marathon event, we’re going to all rest up and think about new ways to do what we love — mixing poetry, stories, cartoons, music, drunkeness and dancing. In the meantime — you’ll have this massive event to remember us by — featuring our true loves: Tom Pow, Jonny Berliner, William Letford, Emily Ballou, Robin Grey,Anna Crowe, Ericka Duffy, Kirstin Innes, John Glenday, The Little Big Band, Alan Bissett, The Ghost of Joseph Seal, Jed Milroy & Hailey Beavis, Paper Cinema, Jason Morton, Jane Flett, Toby Mottershead, Jen and the Gents and Dolphin Boy + much more including films by Roxana Pope and some special Reel Festivals gubbins. You will want to buy a hamburger.

This should be a pretty amazing August. Between parties at Forest and the general buzz of the Edinburgh International Book Festival I’ll be doing a few readings and performances as well as hosting two Golden Hours. There will probably be more but — in the meantime — here’s the dates for your diaries:

Sunday, 7 August — The Naughty Boys at Faceplant, The Forest, 6-9pm, FREE

The Naughty Boys make improvised electro po-noize.  Poems vs computers vs drums vs salvaged keyboards and whatever else we can find. You will come.

The Naughty Boys are:  * DanSeizure on keys and computer loop. * Stevie Paterson on keys and percussion noises. * Ryan Van Winkle —Spoken Words.

Also appearing: Alison Smith, Colin Herd, Fiona Soe Paing, Mark Mace Smith, Nuala Watt, Rachel McCrum, ShellSuit Massacre & Sophie Mayer

Thursday, 18 August — The Golden Hour at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, The Spiegeltent, Charlotte Square, 9-11pm, FREE

Live and Kicking in the Spiegeltent! With Kelly Link, William Letford, Joe Dunthorme, Billy Liar, Mikel Krumins and Earl Grey and the Loose Leaves!!!

Saturday, 20 August — The Edinburgh International Book Festival with Rachael Boast & Will Eaves, Charlotte Square, 8.30-9.30pm, £7/5

Considering all the things they’ve done, it is perhaps surprising that these three talented poets are only now publishing their debut collections. Will Eaves is an established author and Arts Editor of The Times Literary Supplement; Ryan Van Winkle is host of the much-loved Edinburgh literary evening The Golden Hour; and Rachael Boast has a PhD in Creative Writing from St Andrews University. Join them to hear how their experiences translate into fresh, exuberant, thought-provoking new verse.

Sunday, 21 August — Edgelands — a conference from the borders of performance, 11am-7pm at The Forest Fringe, FREE

Wednesday , 24 August — The Golden Hour , The Forest, FREE – 1pm – 3am

Here it is — the last ever Golden Hour at the Forest Cafe at 3 Bristo Place. After this marathon event, we’re going to all rest up and think about new ways to do what we love — mixing poetry, stories, cartoons, music, drunkeness and dancing. In the meantime — you’ll have this massive event to remember us by — featuring: Tom Pow, Jonny Berliner, William Letford, Emily Ballou, Robin Grey, Anna Crowe, Ericka Duffy, Kirstin Innes, John Glenday, The Little Big Band, Alan Bissett, The Ghost of Joseph Seal, Jed Milroy & Hailey Beavis, Paper Cinema, Jason Morton, Jane Flett, Toby Mottershead, Jen and the Gents and Dolphin Boy + much more including films by Roxana Pope and some special Reel Festivals gubbins. You will want to buy a hamburger.

Friday, 26 August — Words Per Minute at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, The Spiegeltent, Charlotte Square, 9-11pm, FREE

Join your hosts, Kirstin Innes, Kirsty Logan and Helen Sedgwick for an evening of special treats where all performers get ten minutes to impress the audience – no matter how famous they are. Expect the unexpected and some familiar faces at WPM at Unbound including, novelist, playwright and dazzling performer, Alan Bissett and American author Adam Levin and other American — me.

22 June, 8pm, The Forest, Edinburgh

Free. BYOB.

Ladies and gentlemen — join us for the first in the final trilogy of monthly Golden Hour Events. We promise the usual melange of zesty new words, honourable music and visual rubbish all in a beautiful space. Bring yourself. Bring friends. Bring booze. This is a night we can not prepare you for.  Words from: Tracey Emerson (The Short-Story Doctor is In!), Richie McCaffrey (young poems with a familial lustre) & Gavin Bowd. With Music From:  BenOfficial (electro art performance for which you are all woefully unprepared), Doug Johnstone (acoustic and solo and acoustic and alone), & Jade and the Jacks – Pure, relentless, funky fun. You will hot up.

Saturday 28 May – 4-7pm – The Longhouse

Knockengorroch, Carsphairn, Castle Douglas, DG7 3TJ

The Golden Hour rolls into the legendary Knock Longhouse, bringing you spoken words and acoustic music in a cozy, woody and warm space.

Featuring:

Emily Ballou — Prize-winning poet and ace in the hole.

Ewan Morrison — lets his malls out.

Ryan Van Winkle — Long stories, short poems.

Jason Morton — here comes the ‘Michigan High Five’

Ericka Duffy –  check the nose on this hot new prose.

Hailey Beavis – angel-voiced mama getting devilish on 6 strings.

Sophie Cooke — the novelist and poet brings the bright light!

+ special guests from the muddy madness.

See you in the fields!!!!

The GOLDEN HOUR
23rd March, 8pm

FREE, BYOB

This month with:

Robin J. Thompson — Leave Your humanity at the door. Robin launches “Leave Your humanity at the door.”

Jen and the Gents —- Poppy loveliness which warms all the cold bits.
Panda Su — raw emotional honesty and blunt lyricism framed with an impressive array of strange and wonderful instruments.
The Chans — unstoppable, upbeat Scottish Soul Music! Boom!

This month we’ve got a spectacular line-up of bands and exciting new writers — all fresh to the GH stage!

23 March – The Forest – BYOB – FREE – 8pm

Featuring:

A lively programme of poetry and music with Ryan Van Winkle and guests.

March 16th, 2011
7:30-9pm
The Byre Theatre, Abbey Street,
St Andrews
Free! Free! Free!

Readings by:

Ryan Van Winkle — Long stories and short poems from The Scottish Poetry Library’s Reader in Residence. His book ‘Tomorrow, We Will Live Here’ was recently published by Salt.

William Letford — Poet. Roofer. Gentleman. He will feature in the forthcoming anthologies: New Poetries 5 (Carcanet), and Scotland – The Wave of Change.

Music By:

Hailey Beavis — subtle guitar, a bed for a voice, both personal and touching.

John Langan Band — an extravagant, eclectic three-piece melding Celtic, Balkan, Gypsy swing, and progressive music into a remarkably high-octane and super big sound.

See you in St Andrews!