Dr. John Cooper ClarkE - I Wanna Be Yours With Special Guest MIKE GARRY
John Cooper Clarke shot to prominence in the 1970s as the original ‘people’s poet’.
His unique poetry was put to music by producer Martin Hannett and a band of Mancunians The Invisible Girls.Seminal tracks such as Beasley St and Evidently Chickentown featured on the album Snap Crackle and Bop, one of 4 hit 70/80s album releases. JCC became one of the most prolific artists of the Punk years.
His 1980s poetry collection 10 Years in An Open Necked Shirt featuring the lyrics to classic tracks from his albums and more, is one of the UKs biggest selling poetry collections of all time.
Since then his career has spanned cultures, audiences, art forms and continents.
Today he performs purely as a stand up solo poet. His unique poetry show has been touring worldwide for over 15 years.
John's 2018 poetry collection The Luckiest Guy Alive. Features 30 new poems, including the favourites; I've Fallen In Love With My Wife and Get Back on Drugs you Fat F*ck.
Dr John Cooper Clarke's 2019 autobiography, named after his most famous poem
I Wanna Be Yours, (Macmillan), is a groundbreaking piece of literature. JCC goes into fascinating detail about his early life in Manchester leading up to punk superstardom, drug addiction and then the massive comeback as major poet he enjoys today.
Plus special guest Mike Garry
Mike began by reading his own poems to the hundreds of young people who attended his Library Homework Centre. They loved what they heard and encouraged him to perform them at live poetry events and Slams, which he did, instantly winning fans and prizes throughout the UK. His gritty poetry has won 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 has written a libretto that 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.
