"We have met the enemy, and he is you."

It’s been a while since I posted up on here, but so much has happened and continues to happen and will happen and never stop happening.

I’ve been confirmed to compare the Acoustic Hempen Jig stage at Strummercamp Festival 2011 (http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/event.php?eid=149613175098567).  Obviously this is ace, but will require oodles of stamina to perform all day in the ten minute slots.  Some ace bands are on Strummercamp so will be a great day and chance to perform to new audiences with a mix of poetry.  Strummerville supports up-and-coming musicians so it’s a worthy cause: folk, punk, dub, ska, soul all featured.  The real music Joe strove for, soulful and meaningful.  Honest, rebellious, rockin’.  Perfect to perform This Ain’t A Scene It’s a Goddamn Warzone (http://www.facebook.com/#!/note.php?note_id=192034400836128).  I’ll be writing some new material for the gig too, plenty of new poems to try out.

I’ve also been confirmed to do some stuff in the Letter To The Man (from the boy) structure at Barefoot In The Park, run by some very good friends.  Barefoot’s been going a few years now and tries to accommodate all styles of writing and performance, so I’m really psyched to perform to a crowd of poetry-lovers and hope I can do them a good show.  Plenty of other ace spoken worders as well, plus music.  And a Slam, first one I’ve done since probably the last Barefoot!  I’m on 4.05pm-ish, more info here: http://www.barefootinthepark.net/  Will also be probably maybe definately hopefully having a bash at the ol' SLAM BATTLE.  First one for a while but I'm geared like a gearring.

Previous ‘gigs’ include Nick Card’s poetry event before the debut of his play A Grave Reunion.  It’s surprising when you think “how will I fill a ten min slot with non-political and non-daft material” but I got away with it, trying out poems that are just enjoyable spoken word pieces rather than thematic.  Also the passionate Alex Peck asked me to do some poetry before a march at York Uni to oppose research funding from companies involved in the arms trade.  Whilst wholly controversial, I think it’s fair and important that students of York Uni, no matter their department, demand their Uni does not get involved in a business that causes damage and destruction.  But York Uni was built in the 60s to support the local community and I grew up on the campus and visit every so often so I think it’s my right as a member of York and the local community to protest as well, we all have a hand in this and it affects us all.  I hope my poem was satisfactory, I was quickly done but seemed to do the job so maybe something to work on in the future.

I also watched Small Soldiers today.  What an ace film examining the modern and dangerous aspects of society where warfare is rebranded as action and this blurred line invades the home and poisons families and communities, more dangerous still when linked with children’s notions of violence and corporate marketing.  But Major Chip Hazard is fucking cool.  “You’d be crazy not to be scared”.

Oh, and I’m on Twitter now:  @HenryRabyPoetry