Poet, Movie star, Rock star, TV & radio presenter, Comedian, Social & cultural commentator John Cooper Clarke is back at the Pavilion in May.
His influence can be heard within the keen social observations of the Arctic Monkeys and Plan B. These collaborations mean that John has been involved in 2 recent global number 1 albums – with The Arctic Monkeys putting one of John’s best loved poems, I Wanna Be Yours, to music on their critically acclaimed A:M Album.
Toria Garbutt’s unique blend of pure punk heritage and unapologetic spoken word confessions make her one of the most vital and visceral voices in the country.
Hailing from a former mining town in West Yorkshire, Toria Garbutt burst onto the scene through in summer 2014. In 2015 she featured on the ‘Ossett Observer Presents: The People’s Republic of Poetry’ tour, and also appeared at that summer’s Latitude Festival.
2016 saw the career of Toria Garbutt go from strength to strength, with the release of début album ‘Hot Plastic Moon’ via Nymphs & Thugs in May.
As of early 2017, Toria is one of the regular tour supports for Dr John Cooper Clarke. 2018 saw the release of her début collection ‘The Universe and Me’ via Wrecking Ball Press, and also saw her words featured in Not Too Tame’s Northern Souls show at Edinburgh Fringe.
His gritty poetry has won the admiration far and wide and his collaboration with Joe Duddell and New Order in New Yorks Carnegie Hall in 2014 received five star reviews.
Championed by Philip Glass for whom Mike is currently writing a libretto that will be premiered at the 2015 Days and Nights Festival in The Big Sur.
Mike has worked in thousands of schools and his three books, Men’s Morning, Mancunian Meander and God is a Manc have become schemes of work in schools throughout the UK and his poetry is regularly heard on BBC Radio and TV.
He has read his poems in Prisons, Young Offenders units, Mental Health Hospitals, Children’s Homes, youth clubs and local pubs. He’s passionate about bringing live poetry to places it wouldn’t normally reach and to people who wouldn’t normally listen to it.
His performances are passionate swirling rhythms of thoughts and emotions converted to monologues of quick fire words.
In 2010, Mike was hand picked to tour with John Cooper Clarke by his management.
“I liked what he said and the way he said it” Said John reflecting on their five year working relationship performing in over 500 venues throughout the UK and Ireland.
Mike has recently been appointed Associate Fellow and Artist in Residence at the University of Westminster in London and is collaborating with number musicians to create new works.