In Richmond, it was only an unseemly dribble of muzak that had to be staunched, no-one else seeming to mind enough. The Holloway Road gig was enlivened by the hefting through the recital of giant plates of steaming chips, destined to mute the babble of a sports team conveniently parked a mere hockey stick away from the stage.
A confusion of opposites: Holloway open to passing van-loads of athletes, Richmond secretively abandoning a would-be audience downstairs to the oblivious mercies of the bartenders. There was fine poetry to be had, though, for those who could sniff out Sweet Thursday.
In Croydon, the free/folk laboratory known as ruM edged ever nearer to its own specific levity of poise and upset, even without feathered trilbies. This piquant starter preceded the main nosebag: some kind of lunar clipclopera headed for the hems of the Edinburgh Festival. Bring back Mr. Ed.
The Blowpipes Trombone Trio rattled the conservatory of that Bethnal Green gem, the Café Gallery, for a Friday jazz session with added poetry. We hope to be allowed a pizza next time.
They will surely not equal the famed pizzas of Indo.
It was the Dead of Nit. In Whitechapel’s Indo Bar, trombone poetry enjoyed another night of inspirations, inventions and circlish delights, with added skirmishes on a couple of Nitwood numbers.
The Blowpipes ventured into the wilds of Myatt’s Fields to woo the natives with a snippet of Stravinsky and a jam on Blueberry Hill. All this on a proper bandstand: deckchairs, ice cream, sunstroke and so forth.
In somewhat less bucolic Hoxton, trombone poetry joined forces with the Jerico Orchestra, at Charlie Wright’s International Bar. This free-improvising ensemble, featuring such luminaries as saxist Bob Peachey and the well-sprung Adam Bohman, is enjoying a last-Monday residency.
The month was rounded off with a summer fair at St Margaret’s House. All music in the trombone poetry set was accompanied by a young man called Myles, on his first gig, brandishing bells, finger cymbals and an egg shaker. A lovely start to finish with.
Saturday 13 August 13:00 – 23:00 (sets at 13:45, 16:00)
trombone poetry + sundry turns
DEAD SPACE FESTIVAL
124 Brick Lane
London
E1 6RL
http://www.facebook.com/DeadSpaceFest
admission: £10
Friday 19 August (sets at 16:15 / 18:15)
ruM + trombone poetry + umpteen bands
BEAUTIFUL DAYS FESTIVAL
Dirty Davey stage
Escot Park
Nr Fairmile
Devon
EX11 1LU
Sunday 21 August 15:00 – 16:30
The Blowpipes
CLAPHAM COMMON BANDSTAND
http://www.facebook.com/blowpipes
Sunday 28 August 18:30
trombone poetry + Neptune is Mars (Grahame Painting, cello; Roland Bates, piano, Nick Cash, drums) + Noel Taylor, Niko Meinhold, Satoko Fukuda, Guillaume Viltard
THE QUEEN’S HEAD
66 Acton St
London
WC1X 9NB