Tag: Carmina

PoetryJam at The Tea Box, Richmond

Poetry Gigs

Okay… the two videos I did (the one above and my new video blog) makes me sound like Emily from Skins… I think… well, I sound like I have a bit of a lisp.  I don’t have a lisp so that’s quite strange… maybe it’s cos after Hop Farm my camera got a bit fucked whilst listening to The Ruskins.

I really enjoyed this night anyway! I went with a guy I met earlier that day, called Greg, and he made me drink more than I wanted to, so I was probably a bit drunk.  I got a laugh at the right point – yaaay!!  And a woman told me she could listen to me all night which is majorly flattering! One of the hosts, Alan Wolfson, let me do another one as well and came up and said he loved my set 😀

My personal life is a bit out of control at the moment, so at least I have my poetry.  I’ve just been practicing my set for my feature next week in the bath, whispering so my parents don’t hear me haha… I can’t believe how close it is! Looks like I’ll be under-rehearsed yet again, grrr!

I did actually practice the other day and knew most of the set off by heart, but it’s unlikely in reality. I hope some of my friends come to see me.

xxx

Underground Challenge: Inspire a Stranger

Inspiration

For the Underground Challenge: Inspire a Stranger I decided to do poems in envelopes, because I was too shy to do much more – when I tried to hand out flyers for the LitSoc Spring Ball, I chickened out and left them in Tesco near the Clubcards.  Plus, I sometimes get grumpy on public transport, and this day was frustrating as I missed my train, and so I guess I did something in the way that I would want it.  There’s nothing worse when you’re in a bad mood than an elasticated- stretched-out-smile or a ‘cheer-up’ all smug spitting from lips.

Anyway, I got back from seeing The Ruskins and all that jazz (well, actually, more folk) at Hop Farm festival on Sunday – the day before the Inspire a Stranger Day.  The weekend was pretty messy, and I’d had basically no sleep, so I chopped out the poems I’d printed out, whilst wondering why I didn’t just hand write them, and used sellotape to stick them onto paper, signed them and threw in some Ruskins stickers as an extra unrelated bonus to the poems, and stuffed them into envelopes.

 I’m currently listening to Hollie McNish’s ‘Push Kick’, and just realised she has a bit of a Northern twang.  Anyway, it’s a really interesting album, at the moment I can’t relate to the subject matter but I can only hope one day I get to experience the emotions she presented so wonderfully and honestly in such a range of poems.

Anyway, I better go and have a bath, because I’m not ashamed to say I need to do it in time to watch Big Brother!

xxx

Speech Motion at The Horse & Groom, Shoreditch

Poetry Gigs

So, I had a great time at this one. I was on pretty early and so got to enjoy the rest of the night properly, was wicked seeing Dean Atta, The Ruby Kid and Poeticat in particular, makes me want my own Cajon player haha! The only musicians I know are like the ruskins and my ex boyfriend… and I don’t think the ruskins would be up for starting a poetry side-project, and I don’t think my ex is up for being a a poetry band called “The Exes”… I think that name’s taken anyways!

After I went to get more drinks for me and my mate Elliot, a couple said how they liked my set and I chatted to them for a bit, and they were really nice.  SuperPennie chatted to me for a bit as well, and said how she likes London accents, and that my accent gets more “London” when I read my poems.

I found this a funny thing to say cos I’ve grown up in London, therefore I have a London accent… I think she meant it gets stronger… but in what sense? My voice isn’t cockney and it’s not really posh (though my cockney mates may disagree… compared my my grans proper posh accent!)  So yeah, my accent isn’t strong in anyway, plus I’m softly spoken a lot of the time… but when I do poetry or get angry my emotions come out and my words have more force I guess?

My accent is very similar to the friends I grew up with in south london, where I still half live haha.  One of my friends said my voice is like Leona Lewis, which I don’t mind, she seems like a nice girl.  I think my singing voice is most similar to Laura Marling… but I base that on the fact that I think I can sing her songs and not sound totally shit haha.  But yeah, basically this is just my voice, I don’t like it all the time but that’s just the way it is.

Anyway, that comment just got me thinking.  I really enjoyed the format of the night and the cool short films they showed, some were quite weird, but I like weird!  I also remembered I added Ruby Kid on my MySpace and he commented he liked my stuff.  I feel a bit weird when meeting people in those situations who you’ve like communicated with online.  I felt like such a dick when he let me pass through on the stairs and I didn’t say anything!

All in all, it was a good night and I hope to go again!
xxx