AFTER time off for Christmas and New Year celebrations, Say Owt Slam returns with a frantic February of spoken-word performance poetry featuring a world slam champion and a gobby Scouse poet.
On February 9, at All Saints' Church, North Street, York, Say Owt presents a double bill of Edinburgh Fringe hit shows in their touring versions, performed by Harry Baker & Chris Read and Gecko.
Baker and Read star in The Harry And Chris Show. "Harry is the 2010 London Slam Champion, 2011 UK and European Slam Champion and 2012 World Slam Champion, and he's performed TEDx talks and been on BBC Radio 2 nattering to Simon Mayo," says co-host Henry Raby. "You might have caught him on many of Don’t Flop’s best rap battles. He was last in York as our Say Owt guest in December and was ace."
This time, Baker teams up with jazz musician Chris Read as the imaginatively titled Harry And Chris. "After a debut sell-out run of The Harry And Chris Show at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe, they're taking their brand of poetry, music, love and laughter all around the country," says Henry.
Also taking part in the 7.45pm gig will be Gecko in his debut show A Lizard Goes A Long Way. "Gecko’s playful lyrics cover life’s big things; think iPhones, the Mona Lisa and Grant Mitchell," says Henry. "He has appeared at Glastonbury and shared stages with the likes of Ed Sheeran, Robin Ince, Josie Long and Billy Bragg. In 2016 he took A Lizard Goes a Long Way to the Edinburgh Fringe and now joins Harry and Chris on their national tour."
Looking forward to Say Owt Slam staging a night at All Saints' Church, on North Street, Henry forewarns: "There’s no bar, but the event is Bring Your Own Bottle, but please respect the building."
Tickets are available at £8 from Eventbrite. "Simply search for Say Owt," advises Henry. Alternatively, pay £10 on the door from 7.30pm.
Jackie Hagan
Next month's second show will be Say Owt Slam # 14 at The Basement, City Screen, on February 18 when Liverpudlian Jackie Hagan will be the guest poet.
"Since 2014, we’ve seen some incredible poets come forth to take part in our slam, some York born-and-bred, some travelling across the North, even one poet who came up from Bury St Edmunds," says Henry. "Each slam is unique, differently, with poets bringing their best poems to try and win a cash prize, as judged by the audience.
"Poets get three minutes each, so they have a strict amount of time to play with. Poetry in 2016 proved to be funny, raw, exciting and passionate and 2017 looks to be no exception."
Poets wanting to compete should email sosyork@hotmail.com, requests Henry, who will be hosting the night with Stu Freestone, the other half of "York's duo of Only Child Duo-Poets".
"This slam we’ll be joined by Jackie Hagan, a proud bisexual working-class Scouser whose poetry is as gobby and funny as it is honest and political," says Henry. "After losing her leg, Jackie undercuts awkwardness with charm and good humour. Jackie’s poetry will have your roaring with laughter, but can also weave in a clever story that hits hard like a rampaging unicorn."
Doors open at 7.30pm for the 7.50pm start and tickets cost £7 from the City Screen box office, on 0871 902 5726 or at picturehouses.com/cinema/York_Picturehouse
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