New track with Amanda Silbernagel

Not much else going on here folks aside from continuing work on NaPoWritMo (See previous blog for more details) but I have just seen a new track uploaded with the lovely Amanda Silbernagel called 'Nihilo' which uis defo our most longest way out track yet. Go here for more details.

Have fun

Andy N

30 poems in 30 days blog

Dear all;
I have set up a blog set up for 30 poems in 30 days knocking round in april (thanks Charlotte Henson) for http://www.napowrimo.net/ (NapoWriMo2012) -http://30poemsin30days.blogspot.co.uk/

Although this blog will continue, it's worth keeping your eyes on here too

Cheers - Andy N

Latest News and Views - 4th March 2012

Latest news and views folks.. 

Poetry:

Have been working on a ghost poem about the Liverpool Empire theatre

over the past week or two, but I have had a poem published 'From a midnight

train (Bolton)' published here -  http://ink-sweat-and-tears.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2012/3/3/5009421.html

A Means to an End:

Little quiet over that side of things owning to bad shifts again but the band should 

be meeting up again in a week-end or two where I will be showcasing my Liverpool piece 

and some new pieces. The guys in the band (minus me) under the name ‘Broken Strings’ 

are playing a set of cover versions in Tyldesley near Wigan in a week or three

 which I’ll reveal more soon.

Amanda Silbernagel:

Next track – a 16 minute corker is almost done. This has took ages and ages to do 

and I am deciding on some loops and stuff to finalise it and it should be done 

next week or three, and then I’ll think about the next track.

Gigs upcoming:

Next one for is Write Out Loud, Stockport Monday 12^th March 2012 and maybe 

Write Out Loud, Bolton the week after but we’ll see.

More to come folks

Have fun

Andy N

Latest news and views - 20th February 2012

Here is my latest news in bite sized chunks:

A Means to an End:

Little quiet for a few weeks owning to work and bugs but will be meeting

later up on today for rehearsals etc in prep for next gig. (See gigs

News later).

Project with Amanda Silbernagel:

New track is uploaded on Amanda's website -
http://www.amandasilbernagel.com/?p=3803

This new track which I will admit is my favourite so far is called

'Unstatistically speaking'.

Creative Writing:

·         Second draft now underway of play with Rob Goodier.

·         Next batch of joint wrote poetry is underway with Kelan.

·         I have wrote a few more poetry by myself and have one or two

Possibly pending for publication.

·         Three love poems from the upcoming ‘Love Songs for Cathy III’

Are now uploaded on wordwizard.com

Now and then (http://www.mywordwizard.com/now-and-then.html)

If (http://www.mywordwizard.com/if1.html)

Something (http://www.mywordwizard.com/something1.html)


     ·     A poem called 'Pinned back against the wall' has been published
           on Poetry 24 and can be read here - 
           http://poetry-24.blogspot.com/2012/02/sunday-supplement.html

·         Details to follow for Love Songs for Cathy III, my forthcoming e

Book (I have the hard copy proof and I am really pleased with it).

Gigs:

Upcoming:

·         Light in the Dark – 22/02/2012 (A Means to an End gig for this night. We are down for doing a 20 minute set here and if all goes to plan – this should be around a 20 minute set)

·         Write Out Loud, Stockport – 12/03/2012

·         Beatifixation – 16/04/2012 (A Means to an End gig here. Plan is to do a half hour set with visuals and music)

·         Open Mind – 15/05/2012 (A Means to an End gig here – plan is to do 20 minutes).

·         Write Out Loud, 15/07/2012 (I will be doing a solo poetry slot with a little bit of backing froA Means to an End)

Recent Gigs:

·         22^nd January 2012 – Write Out Loud, Middleton. (I supported Jeffarama on his set with a short cameo on ‘Ever Wondered’ and performed two new poems ‘The weather ruined the rest’ and ‘Yesterday’. Quite a quiet night, not helped by the weather as it was frozen but enjoyed it)

·         25^th January 2012 – Pass on a Poem. Very quiet turn out but  read three poems, one by a kids poem by a writer I’ve forgotten called embrassing parents, Gary Morris’s ‘Winters Night’ and one by my friend Amanda Silbernagel called Battery Cage. Although the night was okay, without been horrible – it was a far from essential night.

·         10^th February 2012 – Best of Bolton. Back end of last year – I was informed about a night at the octagon called Best of Bolton which wanted submissions from writers in the Bolton area. I mistakingly read it as pieces about Bolton so wrote a piece called ‘From a midnight train’ (Bolton) which was a bit of a homage to From a late night train by the Blue Nile about the coldness of a Bolton night which got accepted and was performed by a actor. The place was packed out and it was a great experience. Defo recommended.

·         11^th February 2012 – Stockport writers @ Stockport Library. I wasn’t there here but one of my poem a arostic poem about Libraries was read and I believe they got about 30 people in which is a great attendance.


·    13th February 2012 - Stockport Write Out Loud. Only a small attendance but was good fun and it gave me chance to read out both 'Prologue to a final solution' and 'Pinned back against the wall' - both of which went down very very well. 

More to come as normal. (Lots more).

Prologue to a final solution (Scenes from a film unfinished)

The piles of garbage were real

All over the top of the ghetto

To the nearby river

Almost as a replacement

For the fresh air

That sneaked in fromThe outskirts of Warsaw. 

The piles of garbage were smudged

All over the truthIn a sea of panic

As the Police fired into the crowd

And two pregnant women

Were trampled to death. 

Piles and piles were stacked up

In the backgroundAs geese were filmed

Being taken to marketWhen in reality children

Were being shot for stealing eggs. 

Piles and piles and piles

Of the strong and the dying

And the lame and the sick

Huddled in alleyways

Waiting for their Messiah

To rescue them. 

Piles and piles of people

Shaking hand to mouth

In the cold of winter

And the sunset of June. 

They were the many

Who were chained in the shadows

And the many

Who were trappedIn a dual imagining

Of forgiveness and despair, 

Trapped in a ghetto

Like Alice trapped halfway

Through the looking glass

As the world stamped

All over them, 

Before then turning its back.

And the whistle in the wind

Went silent in shame

Before a train journey

To Genocide.

(Wrote for National holocaust dayand inspired by ‘A film unfinished’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z7egcyAdbk)

Latest News as of 25th January 2012.

Latest News in bite sized chunks..

‘A Means to an End’

Next gig pencilled in for ‘Light in the Dark’ @ Sand Bar, Oxford Road on Weds 22/02/2012. If all goes to plan – should be a 20 – 30 minute set and we are hoping to debut several new pieces.

Future gigs are lined up for Beaitfixation 16^th April 2012 and Open Mind in May 2012.

Studio recordings have have hit another delay. Hoping to start recording again in February.

‘Poetry’

With me working again full time., not had as much time (aside from a few submissions)

And the ongoing of the writing workshop I co-run with Amanda Speakman every month in Bolton

‘Writers of the third kind’. The first few workshops have gone great guns and I feel are starting

To settle down into a good groove.

I have carried on with regular going to Write Out Loud – Stockport @ Stockport Art Gallery on the second Monday of each month which has proved very helpful in the road testing of brand new material when they develop and have been assisting Jeffarama on Write Out Loud, Bolton on

Most occasions it is running (May not be around for March however the next one).

I have just had a booking in for Write Out Loud – Middleton in July too (More details to follow).

‘Project with Amanda Silbernagel’.

A week or so, Amanda kindly uploaded our most recent track ‘Battery Cage’ which I really,

Really enjoyed doing – probably my favourite of the tracks so far. I have another track to

Finish mastering – when that is done and it should be done shortly, that will be ready for

Uploading and Amanda has kindly sent me over vocals for three more pieces, and there is also in

The pipeline another remix on the way for Good Weather for an airstrike (Maybe two)

With Amanda.

‘Co writing play with Rob Goodier’

Rob at the moment is rewriting the ending of the play, and while I wait for him I am re-working

The part of the play he has kindly emailed over to me. Current plan is to do something with this

Maybe next year for the Not Part off Festival.

‘Co writing poetry with Kealan Coady’

Temporary a bit quiet, but awaiting confirmation from Kealan what is going to happen next.

More to follow folks soon as normal.

Acrostic poem on Libraries

Libraries I used to think offered a very out of date
Insight into life offering nothing but dusty shelves
But as I began to grow a little older I have started to
Realise times have totally moved on and their
Approach has stepped away from the straight academia
Reflecting all the many changes in society but making
You now wish people didn't take them for granted.