Without a clue what he’s doing, Jimmy Andrex performs his poetry all over the UK either with or without music. Black Horse Poet of the Year on two occasions, he has published two collections, along with three albums. The longer version of one of these, Cresties, was featured in 2015 at Wakefield and lkley Litfests, when he also premiered his play 3 Characters at the Leeds 10×10 Drama Festival. April 2016 saw him collaborate with RCM composer Amy Bryce at the Leeds Lieder Festival, where their piece The Green Children of Woolfit did untold damage to an expensive grand piano. Co-Founder (with John Irving Clarke) of Red Shed Readings, he is also compere of Holmfirth’s legendary Hot Banana Open Mic and a regular presenter on elfm’s Love the Word. Described by Steve Pottinger as “angry, clever and articulate,” his wife thinks he should just tidy up that pile of books next to the bed. A new album, Northern Beat Poetry, a series of 12 poetic rants to music was released in March 2017 from where he performed at the Edinburgh Fringe where, as well as performing, he held doors open for several Fringe luminaries. He is currently working on Town, a piece of poetry theatre to premiere in March 2018.
These are two terrific poems revealing something new on every repeated reading. Witty, profound and well crafted, this is the type of poetry which places the art form right at the centre of cultural expression. There’s no hint of sermonising here or grandstanding in any way, but what powerful statements! Excuse me now, I’m going to read them again.
LikeLike
In “Precinct,” I appreciated Jimmy Andrex’s ability to see the beauty of a Salvation Army person’s faith and generosity in a world of “pub-dumb facts” and needy self-centeredness. Andrex’s “Hotel Britannia” was a wonderful exploration of “things wither and we are witnesses.” I have never been to the titled hotel, but I am well acquainted with many buildings that have lost their glory to the ravages of time. I was impressed by the poet’s image connection of decline to human withering as we age. His compassion brightens this bleak subject with “a goodnight kiss” that “is love’s good-bye.”
LikeLike