To associate my stuff with any of the following would be to pay each an irreparable insult, but I’m grateful to all of them for providing pleasure/ entertainment/ enlightenment – often all three...
POETS/PERFORMERS:
Apocraphe / Sara-Jane Arbury / Jo Bell / John Berkavich / Valerie Bloom / Jean “Binta” Breeze / Brenda Read Brown / Lindsey Warnes Carroll / Steve Carroll / Marvin Cheeseman / Catherine Crosswell / Tracey Cruikshank / Zena Edwards / Lucy English / Rob Evans / Nathan Filer / Rob Gee / Andy Craven Griffiths / AF Harrold / Matt Harvey / Mark Gwynne Jones / Jane Kinninmont / Jenny Lindsay / Rosie Lugosi / Elvis McGonagall / Bob Mee / Marcus Moore / Alex Morgan / Esther Morgan / Rory Motion / Diké Omeji / Niall O’Sullivan / Rachel Pantechnicon / Emma Pursehouse / Michael Rosen / Jude Simpson / Skatz / Helen Thomas / Pam Thompson / Kim Trusty / Tim Turnbull / Byron Vincent / Claire Williamson / Luke Wright…
SOME OTHER WRITERS/BOOKS:
Frankenstein / PB Shelley / Thomas Hardy / Graham Greene / Ursula LeGuin / The God of Small Things / Was / Homage to Catalonia / Primo Levi / Madame Bovary / Jean Rhys / Giovanni’s Room / His Dark Materials / Christopher Isherwood / A Star Called Henry / Decline and Fall / Paradise Lost / Philip Larkin / Brian Patten / Emily Dickinson / Simon Armitage / Carol Ann Duffy / The Tempest / Dr Faustus / The Picture of Dorian Gray / The Trial / Flowers for Algernon / I am Legend / Michael Moorcock / The Man in the High Castle / Sara Paretsky / Terry Eagleton / Paulo Freire / Caleb Williams / Fathers and Sons / Mr Pye / Charlie Brooker…
MUSIC:
The Rolling Stones / The Sonics / The Stooges / The Clash / Talking Heads / The Pixies / The White Stripes / The Pogues / Velvet Underground / Them / The Yeah Yeah Yeahs / Be Your Own Pet / Old Crow Medicine Show / MC5 / The Specials / Original Ska / Crowfoot / The Forty Fours / Pig Iron Joe / The Revelators / 4-till-Late / Mike Rimer / Bill Monroe / The Louvin Brothers / The Stanley Brothers / Hank Williams / Chuck Berry / The Carter Family / Flat and Scruggs / Johnny and June Carter Cash / Bessie Smith / Jelly Roll Morton / Louis Armstrong / Sydney Bechet / Son House / Skip James / Memphis Minnie / Etta James / Sugar Pie de Santo / Martha Reeves / Solomon Burke / Muddy Waters / Howlin’ Wolf / Little Richard / Elvis Presley / Townes Van Zandt / Guy Clarke / Chris Smither / Emmylou Harris / Gillian Welch and David Rawlings / Lucinda Williams / Dolly Parton / Loretta Lynn / Nanci Griffith / Steve Earle / Paul Curerri / Stephen Duffy / bits of Dylan / bits of Cohen / Tom Waits / Randy Newman / Bruce Springsteen / Richard Thompson / Linda Thompson / Teddy Thompson / Daley Thompson / Claus “the vision” Thompson...
TELEVISION:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Angel / Firefly / Bleak House / A Very Peculiar Practice / Brass Eye / Curb Your Enthusiasm (although I’ve since developed an intense loathing for any subsequent shows or films featuring famous people playing themselves, particularly where said famous people are clearly “not afraid to poke fun at themselves, and the whole, like, celebrity status thing” – Aarrghhh!) / Ripping Yarns / Garth Marenghi’s Dark Place / Dad’s Army / Cheers / Seinfeld / The Office / The Shield (although I’ve missed the last season) / The Simpsons / Columbo / Jeremy Brett’s Sherlock Holmes / Only Fools and Horses / Porridge / Roland Rivron’s Set of 6 / Smack the Pony / Big Train / everything with which Armando Iannucci is or has been associated / Nathan Barley / Boys from the Black Stuff / anything with Claire Balding presenting…
I'M GENERALLY A MILD-MANNERED PERSON, WITH A FAIRLY UNEXCITABLE SPLEEN. EXCEPT, THAT IS, WHEN CONFRONTED WITH:
Postmodernist political theory / Central Trains / most of Channel 4’s output / Lynn Truss / Midweek, with Libby Purves / Leninism / nationalism / jingoism / faith schools / mysticism / new-age crankery / bonkers conspiracy theories / The Observer Music Monthly / Steve Lamacq / Jo Wiley / deep ecology / Michael Moore / Smooth Jazz / stylish bars and restaurants with minimalist interiors / Football Focus / Everton FC (when they finally build their new ground outside the City of Liverpool boundary, I’ll at last have a pretext for leaving them for ever)…
I started performing poetry in Leicester in 2001, where I quickly built a reputation as "yet another platitudinous ranter". The steady realisation that audiences seemed more than capable of forming their own quite rational and progressive opinions without the aid of my shouting at them, led me to rant with a little less vehemence. Since those early days I've performed at gigs, slams, and festivals throughout the UK.
Most (though not all) of my stuff aspires, at least, to be humorous and looks mainly for (un)inspiration to the worlds of work, politics, popular culture and relationships. Some who've described my material have used words like "irony", "wit", and "ennui", and I'm not about to contradict them. Unless, of course, you're looking for a warm hearted celebration of life's myriad possibilities - in which case, I'm also definitely your man.
My life is not, as it turns out, anywhere near as unpleasant as the poetry might sometimes suggest. As Dr Hook might have sang, "When you're in love with a beautiful woman, the maintenance of a misanthropic, world weary persona, can become rather a strain." As well as being a solo performer I am also - along with Lindsey Warnes Carroll, Steve Carroll and Alex Morgan - part of Complex Trout. CT performs, promotes, and hosts spoken word events in Leicester and Nottingham.
When I'm not performing poetry, I mainly spend my time thinking how I really ought to be more proactive in securing gigs.
That's more than enough from me - here's Louis Armstrong and Johnny Cash in possibly the coolest footage on YouTube or anywhere else.
Hey Steve, thanks v much for listening to my new song! Ironically, I have just been given an enormous council grant to run my Plight of the gay Polish awareness course as an evening class across the borough. It's worth making up silly songs to see the comments back. My next one is going to be a less controversial take on things by lamenting the 1970s. The chorus is likely to be a repetition of "The 1970's were great", but am still working on the words. Take care, and best wishes to you, Mickmox (Mox)
Hi Steve, if you have a spare 2.55 mins, have a listen to the new song I just made up. It's called Poison Pen, and embarrassingly, even though it's been on the web for nearly two days, not one soul with a computer has listened to it!! I'm hoping that the line about Abu Hamza will catch the attention of the security services and will have the effect of catapulting me into stardom when I get arrested and feature on page 5 of the Times next week!! As usual, my label has really let me down on publicity for this release. Yours ever, Mickmox
As your friend we like to inform you exclusively about our next release: Gabriel & Castellon - Soul ft. Jerique Allan, Premiere; available on Beatport since today!
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Soul, as the title is self explanatory, is a deep subtle soulful gem complimented with haunting goose bump creating string arrangements and pounding beats which creates a sinister, yet uplifting vibe. To top it all off, Soul has been given the hypnotic vocals of one of the best kept secrets in vocal county, Jerique Allan. Jerique may not be one of the most prolific vocalists around but his vocal work speaks for itself. So far, Jerique has worked with acclaimed producers like Fedde Le Grand, Robbie Rivera, Jean Claude Ades, D.O.N.S., Sandy Rivera and DJ Jeroenski.
Remixes comes courtesy of that other incredible duo Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano (Dirty Dutch Music), Little Mountain Recordings finest Muzikjunki and Rotterdam based house producer Andy Callister. Enjoy!
You can download tracks from Justin McRoberts' newest release Deconstruction for ANY PRICE YOU WANT. Or tell a few friends about the record and get them for FREE!
Steve, it's taken nearly five month's to come up with something to cure the defects you mentioned in TJ's lyrics. Rather than "TJ's should be everywhere..", how about "TJ's could be anywhere, but they're only in Leicester and that's not fair."? Clever hey, as it still sounds the same and scans! Hopeing you and SJ have a fab easter weekend. Yours, Mickmox
Hey Steve, I heard from Nebs that Sara-Jane is having a major op this week. Really glad to hear it's going well. We'll be thinking of her and you down at this end of the world. See you soon, Mick
Hey Steve, great to catch up with you recently at Slim's wedding party. Nebs found your page via mine and was unable to leave a message, but having seen him yesterday for lunch, can confirm that if he could have, it would have been a great message. He and Lucy dig your stuff here. See you soon, Mox
Hey you. I've been trying to persuade that girlfriend of yours to drag you round to our house for dinner. Here is your personal invite. At the very least let's be sure to grab a pint at some point. Nathan x
Hey Steve, thanks for getting back to me on my new song. NWB sounds worth a trip up to you guys in itself, with the marketing campaign you mentioned. I will indeed see yous tomorrow, if I can get to grips with Slim's crazy dress code. Now he says just come as Alan Partridge, or wear the wrong trowsers, as if that clarifies matters! Should be a great night. See you then, man, Mox
Hey Steve, hope you're well. Look, I've just made up a song about TJ's. It's called TJ's, so if you have a minute, let me know what you think. They just don't make food like that down here, so I was getting nostalgic, I guess. Look forward to hearing your news. It's been a while man. Mickmox
I haven't been by in a while and thought I'd stop in and say hi. Hope you're having a relaxing Sunday. The Pats and Red Sox are playing, so I know I will.
A Demon Awaits will be out on October 14th. I'm excited for the release, the screenplay and the new book I started about a month ago.
