Monkey Poet: spoken word, Spoke'n'Heard and Dulcimer all dayer

Matt Panesh, aka Monkey Poet, is a poet with a plan. He is seeking to refresh old-fashioned preconceptions about spoken word as a dull and forgotten art form by curating a series of monthly nights at Gulliver’s in the Northern Quarter.

They are events organised in his own image, showcasing an infusion of comedy, poetry recital and dramatic performance all hinged around rhythmic complexities and linguistic delights. Even the title, Spoke'n'Heard, is an indicator of his penchant for puns.

The next opportunity to experience this will be on 18th April, where Kate Fox and Tony Walsh – of Radio 4’s Saturday Live and Glastonbury Poet Laureate fame, respectively – will take on the task of entertaining the upstairs room at Gulliver’s, armed with only a microphone and their arsenal of articulation.

His own show can be seen at an all day event on Easter Sunday at Dulcimer bar in Chorlton, as compere at a showcase of live acoustic, folk and spoken word co-promoted by Now Then Manchester and Imploding Inevitable.


Known for his raucous performances and rhythmic wordplay, Matt will recite some of his own work between curating a line-up of other local poets and introducing open mic slots scattered across the billing. Any poets keen to be involved should contact ian [at] nowthenmagazine [dot] com.

Elsewhere on the day, there’ll be an array of live musicians, including David A Jaycock who will headline as part of his current North West mini-tour. His second album of a few years back, The Coleopterous Cuckoos Collude, was released via Manchester label Red Deer Club Records and is an all-encompassing crossover between darkly delivered instrumental stories and finger-picked folk, à la Rick Tomlinson of Voice of the Seven Woods and Voice of the Seven Thunders. Its darkly psychedelic edge caught the attention of Sheffield’s Blackest Rainbow record label – home to Manchester’s Gnod amongst other acid-folk and psyche-rock talents – who have subsequently aired his latest two records.

As compere for the day, Panesh will have a busy Bank Holiday Sunday with nine more musical acts to introduce in addition to extended spoken word slots.

Words: Ian Pennington
Now Then poster art: Hattie Lockwood
Spoke’n’Heard posters: courtesy of Monkey Poet

The Now Then Imploding Inevitable All Dayer will take place at Dulcimer in Chorlton on Sunday 8th April from 1pm until 11.30pm. Tickets are available here or from the venue.

Spoke’n’Heard continues every month on the third Wednesday at Gulliver’s. Click here for more information.

Arts, Music & Events Preview, January 2012

As mentioned in a previous post, the Midwinter supplement of Lass Fest is ongoing at Lass O’Gowrie with an array of comedy and drama productions until Sunday 29th, but there is plenty more to shelter you from the gales.

We’ll start with a relaxed event on Wednesday 11th; down in Didsbury there’s a Manchester Friends of the Earth endorsed film night, screening ‘No Impact Man’, in which New Yorker Colin Beavan decides to eliminate his personal environmental impact for one year.

Onwards to Thursday 12th, which is when the top shout on the Song, By Toad label / blog’s tips for 2012 list, Easter, will be headlining a show at Dulcimer with fellow reverb-friendly post-rockers Outer Dark (three quarters of To Sophia) and Cyril Snear. Before you head along, you will have had ample time to discover and download (legally; ie paying the music maker) the new Borland EP, Romantic Animals, which is organised via local label Gulf Records and sits in the early Nathan Fake-esque cosmic soundscapes corner of electronica.

If you were playing a magical version of Monopoly and encountered a Community Chest card that says you could be a giant for one day then Saturday 14th might be the day to opt for, so that you could leapfrog through town and sample a bit of each of the following. Mellowed out ambient duo A Winged Victory For The Sullen pop into Academy 3 to emit some peaceful tones, the Underachievers clubnight continues its Roadhouse stint by welcoming local indie favourites Brown Brogues and Great Waves and Kraak welcomes the justifiably hotly tipped Trailer Trash Tracys. Given the lack of such a card, you’re going to have to take a chance and choose.

Take a deep breath for a few days after that one.

The first Now Then Manchester show for this year of supposedly imminent oblivion will play host to Dan Haywood’s New Hawks, Samson & Delilah and Ottersgear. Haywood himself has been likened to Nick Drake and Mark Kozelek by critics who were running out of superlatives to describe his self-titled debut album, released late in 2010. That LP documents the ornithologist Haywood’s five years of bird-and-people-watching during travels around Highland Scotland. Combined with the New Hawks, a band comprising talented musicians such as Paddy Steer, Mikey Kenney and Mia Bleach, Dan emits a crazed stage presence, which can be sampled on Thursday 19th at Dulcimer.

If your disco feet are getting itchy by now, then never fear! Casiokids are here. I remember when ‘Fot I Hose’ planted itself in my subconscious back in the day and it hasn’t left since, such was the rhythmic infection bestowed. The Scandinavians’ sophomore LP is due out this year to coincide with a tour that stops at Deaf Institute on Friday 20th.

Humble Soul, believe it or not (you'll have to believe it because it's the truth), will have been promoting some of the area’s finest music for five years this month and have assembled a typically stellar bill for the occasion. Denis Jones, Paddy Steer, Table, Aidan Smith and GladEyes all jostle for attention at Band On The Wall on Saturday 21st. Then as an after party option the Spektrum attic club at Sankeys hosts another edition of Continue through the early hours, this time roping in a recently arrived Manchester resident in the shape of R&S and Magic Wire signee Lone.

Some more folky types will be showcasing some songs at Dulcimer on Sunday 22nd; Imploding Inevitable presents the Manchester leg of Laura J Martin’s album launch mini-tour. As a multi-instrumentalist (flute, piano, mandolin) who favours a looping pedal to build her compositions, Martin brings an off-kilter zaniness to the alt-folk template, leading chirpy melodies through meandering sonic textures. Emily of former Red Deer Club cohorts Stealing Sheep supports in Emily & The Faves guise.

Last year an arts group based at Islington Mill decided that the best way to counter the public sector cuts would be to subject their work to a fiery communal death, very much shaped by its participants, in order to rise again from the ashes with new ideas and outlook. The Artists’ Bonfire returns this year with concern for funding in the arts still ablaze, but interpretations of the event needn’t be as incendiary as the fires, as artists are encouraged to join for reasons both political and personal. This will take place at Islington Mill on Thursday 26th but be aware that the deadline for submissions is Friday 20th.

Warehouse Project may be cocooned for hibernation again pending an announcement of their new lodgings – supposedly in, around or nearby Manchester – but that won’t stop them from treading a nomadic path along with Drop The Mustard in pursuit of some of the best international electronic musicians. Nicolas Jaar is scheduled for Saturday 28th with the likes of Scuba and Damu at the ever impressive Sound Control, which is entering its third year in the dubiously named Southern Quarter.

Also on 28th will be Air Cav's first show of 2012 across the Irwell at the Kings Arms

And if neither of those are striking the right chord then there's the grand reopening of Antwerp Mansion, Rusholme’s answer to Islington Mill. No concrete details as yet, but they don’t tend to operate on anything less than full-speed so it’ll be worth a look. And while your eyes are on the Mansion, have a glance down to the Now Then Manchester monthly there; 4th Thursday of the month from February. More info soon...

On the subject of self-promotion, our monthly Sunday Soirée slot at Dulcimer recommences on Sunday 29th. That one opts for an acoustic feel featuring Dr Butler’s Hatstand Medicine Band and Aidan Smith, with support from James Munro and Shen. Future Sundays will assemble some of the best local comedy (February) and electronica (March), all maintaining an earlier start of 5pm.

Neko Neko has a new single ('Trouble In The Streets' / 'Ya Playin'') lined up for vinyl release via My First Moth on Monday 30th, so I suggest you dust off your record player in preparation. Also scheduled for that day, the home of the aforementioned Samson & Delilah, Little Red Rabbit Records have a taster for Last Harbour's forthcoming album in the form of a single entitled 'Never'.

To finish the month off, Grey Lantern are teaming up with dependable shoegaze selectors Sonic Cathedral, whose signings of a few years back, The Early Years, have reformed and are back on the gig trail, calling at Kraak on Tuesday 31st.

A quick peek into February illuminates an enticing double promoted by Hey! Manchester. Saturday 4th sees a Jesca Hoop show at The Annexe room in The Cornerhouse and then on Monday 6th they bring back the folk / electronica crossover collaboration King Creosote & Jon Hopkins, this time at Central Methodist Hall.

Then a little further along is a special tour for Now Then interview alumnus The Electronic Exchange, who are set to treble in numbers for a full band performance at Kraak on Friday 10th. Also on that bill is Dayse & Aver from the always excellent hip hop collective The Natural Curriculum.

And for the photogenic amongst you, contact The Last Party about appearing in their forthcoming single's video alongside various local celebs from the radio and telly. (The catch is that you'd need to be available over the weekend of Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th February).

I’ll stop there before I chew any further into February...

Words: Ian Pennington

Now Then Imploding Inevitable: Event Photography (Thursday 10th November 2011 @ Dulcimer, Chorlton)

The first of two November Now Then Manchester shows launched Najia Bagi's new album, Six Months. The ever-reliable folk-tinged taste-makers Imploding Inevitable (who have announce the dates for their third summer festival at Fell Foot as Friday 29th and Saturday 30th June) stepped up to co-promote, with Avital Raz performing her last show in the UK before a stint travelling to Israel and USA and ex-Witness guitarist Gerard Starkie performing with his rhythm section.

First on, Gerard Starkie:






Followed by Avital Raz:






And finally, Najia Bagi, airing her solo compositions fr the first time, ably aided by a string trio:






All photos: Ged Camera
Words: Ian Pennington

Interview: Najia Bagi

One half of The Electronic Exchange; one quarter of To Sophia; one half of The Ground, Najia Bagi has been fractions of other musical projects. With the release of her solo debut recording, Six Months, she is now a whole.

Sparsely arranged pieces combining shimmering, uncomplicated piano and vocals discard the accompaniment and layering effects familiar within her other projects – most notably a sample-heavy fusion as The Electronic Exchange on the Concrete Moniker label. If that collaboration with beats merchant Tullis Rennie finds Najia pushing the boundaries of her own comfort zone, then her solo work is the antithesis of that; songs built from the epicentre of her musical learnings. There’s an added confidence born from broad musical experience, but it is a return to independence that accentuates Najia’s vocal style – fragile yet captivating – while keeping instrumental congestion to a minimum.


Najia spoke to Now Then Manchester’s Ian Pennington about her various musical projects along the road to becoming a solo artist.


Now Then: Having been a part of very different sounding musical projects, how far does your solo album define your preferred style?

Najia Bagi: I feel like all the music I’ve ever been involved in has led up to this album, which is a nice feeling to have. I only really started to write music that I was proud of with To Sophia, so I think that was the beginning of the process that led to this album. And then I found myself wanting to write music that was more and more simple and gentle until I got to this point. It can’t get much more simple and gentle than this!

Also, the music that I listen to has changed over the years, which has always been reflected in what I’ve written at any given point. But I remember hearing the stuff that has inspired me to write this album (Nils Frahm, Anthony and the Johnsons, Soap&Skin) and at the time I thought, “This is it, this is the music that I want to respond to.” I think that it is a combination of being in a certain frame of mind and being a bit tired of music that is too busy. I think it’s a bit like reading a brilliant book – what you feel and learn is held between the notes, if you know what I mean?


NT: Do you prefer the stage to yourself or with other musicians to fill out the sound?

NB: I prefer being on stage with other people. I get incredibly nervous and I’m not that comfortable with being the centre of attention on stage, so it’s hard to be up there on my own. But there is something really incredible about sharing completely personal experiences and feelings with the audience that you don’t get with a band on stage and I love that part. It’s a bit like having a really lovely heart to heart with a friend.


NT: What has been your most memorable live show, either solo or with another project?

NB: This is a hard one. I think there have been a few memorable shows over the past few years. The Electronic Exchange was commissioned by FutureEverything Festival this year to develop some of our music with a string quartet, live drums and live backing vocals, which was just incredible. It was so humbling to be on stage with those brilliant musicians – when the string quartet really let rip it was almost impossible to sing! And the first time I played these songs was memorable. I had never played piano to an audience before and I was completely terrified, but the crowd were brilliant. They were completely silent.

To Sophia had a few brilliant shows too; we were all best friends so when we felt like we were connecting with the audience we all felt completely elated and proud of each other. At least that’s how I felt! And once we played for a cocktail bar full of people at around 2am, which was pretty memorable because we were paid in tequila! I have patchy memories of that performance, which include me standing on a barrel and shouting at the poor people in the bar: “Okay everyone, we’re going to play now, so can you all be quiet!” Awesome.


NT: You’ve recently supported Julianna Barwick, who arranges her music live by looping vocal parts, and (correct this if it’s wrong!) you often loop your own voice with The Electronic Exchange. Did you consider using that style on your solo record?

NB: Well, Tullis (Rennie, the other half of The Electronic Exchange) loops my vocals actually. He records me singing and plays around with it live – he’s brilliant. But I have recently started to write music with Dave Johnson (drummer from To Sophia), which is just drums and vocals and we use a loop station. It’s hard! I find it difficult to use technical equipment but I’m learning. I did think about using effects for a while with this material but I decided not to, I think there’s a time and place for effects and stuff like that but for me one of the things I like about this piano music is that it’s clean. It’s just a set of stories, just piano and vocals. And at the moment I don’t want it to be any more.


NT: Has the experience of diversifying into different forms of electronic production (ie with The Electronic Exchange) affected your solo work?

NB: Yes absolutely. Because The Electronic Exchange writes via email, I found myself writing and singing alone for the first time in a very long time, during the process, and I loved it. I found that I had time and space to write exactly what I wanted to, without the pressure of there being other band members present. I think that this gave me the confidence to write solo material. But in terms of the music being electronic, I suppose it made me want to write something non-electronic, something acoustic and simple.


NT: What’s been happening with The Electronic Exchange and what's lined up for the future?

NB: We’ve had some really exciting things happening! This month we released a second EP on Concrete Moniker, which is two new songs and two remixes (the remixes sound amazing)! And then we played at Band on the Wall supporting one of Tullis’ heroes, Bugge Wesseltoft, which was great. Then we were off to Barcelona to play at the Apollo there, which was incredibly exciting. We’re also planning a tour next year with the same musicians that we worked with for FutureEverything and we’re in talks with the festival, which could result in something amazing happening at FutureEverything 2012. It’s all going really well!


NT: For how long will To Sophia be on hiatus? Are there any future plans for the band?

NB: Well, To Sophia is taking a break for now and I’m not sure how long that will be for. But although it’s sad not to be playing with each other, it has given each of us the opportunity to write new and exciting music. Paul (Balcombe, one half of The Ground) is writing solo material that is haunting and beautiful; Dave, Paul and Adam (drums, guitar and bass from To Sophia) have formed an amazing band called Outer Dark which I think sounds like a mixture of Radiohead and Tool, which is great for all of them and of course I’m doing this stuff which I absolutely love. We were having a laugh recently saying that maybe we’ll reform one day like Pink Floyd and that the strap line could be: “No one came to see our gigs then, and no one will now!”


NT: Finally, which records are you playing the grooves off at the moment and which of your peers would you recommend?

NB: Peers – that’s easy. Rioghnach Connolly (Honeyfeet) has the best voice in Manchester and possibly the UK. She sings all over Manchester all of the time in different bands and everyone should go to see her. She sounds like heaven. She’s amazing. And Outer Dark, of course! I also love Jesca Hoop, who plays in Manchester a lot, but she’s not a peer, she’s way beyond me in terms of success. Records, well, I listen to Rory Gallagher, The Temptations, Little Dragon, Nils Frahm and Yann Tiersen. There’s a song called ‘Til The End’ on his album Dust Lane that just keeps getting better and better until you think you can’t take any more – and then it keeps going! It’s amazing.


Images #1 & #5: Jacob Russell
Images #3, #4 & #6: Courtesy of Najia Bagi
Images #2 & #6 album artwork: Adam Dolan
Image #7 poster design: Louie Mitchell & Matthew Mathieson


Najia launches her debut solo record, Six Months, at Dulcimer bar in Chorlton on Thursday 10th November. She will be joined onstage by a string quartet, while Avital Raz and Gerard Starkie will also perform at the show, which is a Now Then Manchester co-promotion with Imploding Inevitable. Entry policy is pay-what-you-like, £4 suggested; anyone paying £4 (or more!) will also receive a download code for Najia's album.

Arts, Music & Events Preview, June 2011 (Part One)

Beyond another Bank Holiday, we’re now knocking on the door to summer. And in Manchester’s own meteorological way, its showers and sunshine indecisiveness is making us all well aware of this. Don your water proofs, shorts, flip-flops and/or Wellies for a stroll through the next fortnight or so of events.

First up for any calendar month is the 1st so the Chicago noiseniks Disappears’ gig on Wednesday 1st seems as good a place to start as any. The psyche-drone supergroup comprises the drumming dexterity of Sonic Youth’s Steve Shelley, a tangled web of reverb and the Gulliver’s stage for the evening.

Skip a day to Friday 3rd for a selection in the suburbs. Wilmslow Roaders might favour Fuel Café’s rock oriented line-up of Day For Airstrikes, Easter and Emperor Zero, hosted by the ever inventive independent music vloggers Manchester Scenewipe. Alternatively, the Blowout promoters’ latest Chorlton’s Irish Club captures include warped 80s electro throwbacks Water Signs.

Caribou and Battles headlining the same show is quite a tussle for attention, but at least Now Wave have allowed them enough space to do so with it taking place at the Apollo on Saturday 4th. Support is too long to list, but think Hoya:Hoya vibes and you’re in the right ball park.

Put your thinking cap on for the latest First Tuesday discussion and debate courtesy of Manchester Salon; the topic to brush up on is The struggle for democracy in the Middle East and Africa. Head to the Shakespeare pub on Tuesday 7th if you think you have more of a solution than major politicians or their mouthpieces in the mainstream media.

After that mind-melter you might need something to relax the senses, so take advantage of the arts students who’re now nearing their long summer holiday and feel ready to showcase their work. The first of two in this preview is on Wednesday 8th at Kraak Gallery, where adorning the walls will be The Manchester College’s Parallax photography exhibition

If you’ve been pencilling the other events in then get the permanent marker out for this next one. Hot on the trail of our last Now Then Manchester show (...ish) is another venture into the realm of live music and spoken word, this time in collaboration with the leftfield arts taste-makers at Doodlebug. Performances for the first of a monthly Thursday slot are sitting in the TBC column, but think along the lines of esoteric music punctuated by spoken word; Dulcimer in Chorlton on Thursday 9th. [NB: We've postponed this to a later date, hopefully within the month of June, but otherwise we'll be starting the stint with a Broken Bubble label showcase on 14th July. Watch this space...]

Catch your breath and steer towards Fuel again on Friday 10th for the monthly Debt Records acoustic dabbling, before a weekend rubbing shoulders with excitable revellers amidst the tents, sideshows and empty pint pots strewn across Platt Fields for the 48 hours of Parklife Weekender. Expect Beardyman, DJ Shadow, Mount Kimbie, Kode9, James Holden and Grandmaster Flash to prove highlights of a festival that never fails to bring sunshine with it, even including the Madferret days.

One more who might’ve tipped that line-up over the edge and into a spectacular abyss is Tom Vek, who’ll make a reappearance even longer overdue than Now Then Manchester events. Instead he’ll be at the Ruby Lounge on Monday 13th, which is a date shared by Merril Garbus and her wildly capitalised alter ego tUnE-YaRdS’ trip to the Deaf Institute.

Part two of the aforementioned student arts displays is one by University of Cumbria MA scholars at CUBE on Tuesday 14th. Born from interpretations of philosophical texts, this one’s another photographic assortment under the title of Touching Space. Or, if you’re more into preserving natural environments than seeing snaps of them, there’s always CityCamp, which is launching itself to those who shares their ideals ahead of a Manchester sustainability festival in September; Northern Quarter’s Noho bar.

Closing in on the month’s halfway mark is the recently renamed ad rehoused Imploding Inevitable’s choice of live music for Dulcimer bar’s Wednesday 15th; alternatively for town dwellers, there's another helping of Soul Sessions headed up by Beggar Joe, which has also rehoused to Oxford Road's Revolution bar. Then Thursday 16th is one for Little Red Rabbit’s Fuzzy Lights who entertain at Salford’s Sacred Trinity Church, with Red Tides lending support.

Words: Ian Pennington