So on Sunday (7th September) I attended an open mic via zoom held by Black Bough Poetry. They are always excellent events and Biok Bag alumni Matthew MC Smith is always excellent on hosting duties. This time he was joined by the fabulous Polly Oliver as co-host and this was possibly one of the best Black Bough zoom open mic’s I’ve attended.
There were over 20 international poets all with various styles, subjects and voices giving the night a special feeling of anticipation as to what would come next. I read Who We Are in the encore section, my most confident reading of this piece so far. But enough about me…
Every poet brought something different and I was hypnotised by some, brought to tears by one poet, some debuts which were excellent also.
Here’s a recap of some of my favourite performances and why…
First off, I’ll mention Evie Carlyn, reading an important piece recently featured in the prestigious Madrid Review. It entranced the room and was delivered perfectly- both in pitch and pace.
Paul Connolly, who I’ve connected with over on BlueSky, has a theatrical performance style that really lent itself to the poems he read. His diction and intonation led me to make a request he read the entire Lord of The Rings trilogy on audiobook for me.
Rob McKain who I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and hearing live in Neath 2024. His voice carried every bit of emotion in the poem he recited, the sorrowful quality was deepened by his immense accent. If he and Paul Connolly were to record a radio play it would be a phenomenal success.
I was very impressed by Elizabeth Fevyer making her open mic debut. Her pitch and pace and choice of work was tremendous and there were no signs of nerves. I’m looking forward to hearing her read more.
Lauren Parker is a terrific performance poet. She has a real understanding of rhythm and flow, when to change tone and pace. It helps that her poems are always class and suit her conversational style.
Victoria Spires’ open mic and performance confidence continues to improve and impress. Vic is in the next wave of Iamb and when you get the chance, hear her read. Her poetry is prize-winning and of excellent quality. Also buy Soi-Meme.
It was a treat to hear Martin Kennedy Yates reading from his new book, (I’m looking forward to it arriving). His voice carries so much emotion making his reading mesmerising. Martins new book, This Wilderness and Other Concerns, will be making an appearance in The Book Bag soon…
At one point, I had to turn my camera off because Louise Longson read such a beautiful piece written for her friend Nick that I cried. I felt every single word and emotion. It reminded me of my Uncle.
Sarah Raybould’s poetry is top notch. As is her reading style, very composed and deliberate in her reading. I really enjoyed hearing her read and look forward to hearing more of her reading.
Daniel Hinds has a wonderful accent. He is from the North East after all. He read some of his poetry from New Famous Phrases and he always sounds so good. A pro.
Wren Wood is an impeccable performer. I really appreciated the movement and tone shifts which can be hard to portray on a zoom open mic. Exceptional poems too.
Barnaby Harsent read extremely well. But he always does. Poised and precise in his delivery that draws you in. Catch him on Iamb too.
I could go on and on because I enjoyed every single reading for different reasons. But these are the thoughts I’m having today.
A lot of readers are on the Iamb platform spearheaded by the excellent Mark Anthony Owen whose performances too were top class. His poems carry an economy of language that when combined with his tone gives real gravitas.
If you liked this quick piece let me know and I may do another at the next open mic I attend. Maybe in the future I might host one too?
Let me know your thoughts.
If you want to hear me read with a stellar line up to launch Chris Campbell’s new collection on Friday visit Parlyaree Press here for zoom tickets
Stay Poetic,
Paul.
Paul Writes Poems 