Writers' Café

NEW POST BELOW THIS JAN 3rd
Hi there everyone! Glad you could make it to the WRITERS' CAFE Vox blog - Here we keep you posted with the latest news and events and networks. THE GEORGIAN THEATRE Visit their My Space to find out about other band events and the Green Dragon Recording Studios.
NOTE - THIS POST WILL STAY ON TOP LIKE A HOME PAGE - SCROLL DOWN FOR NEW POSTS.

The main Writers Cafe site is in the side bar (currently unavailable owing to a change of server)  but the purpose of this one is to increase the social and creative networking, uploading Brian's photographs of the shows, Ian's reviews and announcing the latest shows. Hopefully we'll get some good links between our Coventry (HOBO) site and the Writers' Cafe. The Writers' Cafe is organised by Trev Teasdel, Ann Wainwright, Dawn Taylor, Brian Stubley and Ian and Paul Burns of the Teesside Music Alliance.

This song was written / copyright of Dave Wood and recorded live by the Euclidean Mushroom Band (AKA) The Multi Media Band at the Castalians (a forerunner of the Writers Cafe) in 1982 at the Dovecot Arts Centre, Stockton on Tees. Read more abut it in the post below.
THE WRITERS' CAFE HAPPENS ON THE FIRST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH AT THE GEORGIAN THEATRE, GREEN DRAGON YARD, STOCKTON ON TEES - 7.30 - 10. 30pm £4 admission. ALL WELCOME
(Map at the bottom this post)

NEWS 11th FEB 2008
THE WRITERS CAFE IS TAKING A BREAK NOW UNTIL THE FIRST WEDS IN MAY 2008. Now that the current funding has finished it is necessary for us to reappraise the direction and format of the Writers Cafe. We are hoping to bring back some of the variety we had when the Cafe was at the ARC Arts Centre in Stockton and get more people involved with he organising. Hopefully the new Writers Cafe will include some of the elements we've lost along the way - film and drama shorts and creative writing elements and a Dead Poets Slot for more informal readings and involving people joining in with guitars, small drums and anything else all off stage, then moving to the stage area for more formal acts. Lots being thought of and we'll need more resources  - a creative sound person. More later.

ALSO the Writers Cafe CD Anthology is near completion. I will be going into the Green Dragon Studios to work with Nathan the engineer on mixing and compiling the Anthology this weds. It will be a mix of songs poetry and poetry and music with a bit of Flash fiction.

The February review will be on here soon.

Also footage of Surianne from the August Cafe during the Stockton International festival videoed by Brian Stubley. Thanks Brian for sorting this. The footage is lower on this top post. More to come as well.

Trevs

1 comment

Trev's New Album on Amazon USA also on I TunesSongs From the Coventry Underground - released 21st Dec 2007. Thats to download it. You buy the CD direct from Broadgate Gnome Gnome Fest site here - http://www.broadgategnome.com/jamroom/Trev_Teasdel

WHERE IS THE GEORGIAN THEATRE??

Anna from the Georgian Theatre
has appended the map to show the location of the
Georgian Theatre in the Green

Dragon Yard. The Green dragon Yard is sandwich between Stockton High St. and the Riverside Ringroad with parking at the bottom of Silver St.
Map below - click to enlarge...

Map

MARTIN NEWELL'S TRIBUTE TO STANLEY UNWIN - OCTOBER WRITERS CAFE

Martin Newell's Tribute to Stanley Unwin

KARL ELAND AT THE AUGUST WRITERS CAFE

Karl Eland Live at the Writers Cafe August 2007

Surrianne at the The Writers' Cafe Aug 2007

SURIANNE AT THE THE WRITERS CAFE No 2

Surianne Live at the Writers Cafe No 3

Surianne Live at the Writers Cafe No4

ODI HAS A NEW SINGLE OUT  - CRAWL - AVAILABLE FROM I TUNES. My Space or Vox

ODI (trev dancing below!)

See her vids below

ODi on BBC Raw Talent

Passion Lounge Sessions - ODI

 

This post is really for Ann Wainwright so she can link to  some of the takes

 of A Teardrop in the Tees on her blog.

<Solo Version

This song was written by Trev Teasdel (me!) around 1981. Ann heard a solo version of the song and at the time Ann, myself and Colin Walker were organising a similar event to the Writers Cafe called then The Castalians (later New Poetry Scene) at the Dovecot Arts Centre in Stockton on Tees. Ann played the tape to Colin who was also a musician. Colin worked out an arrangement for the song (of which the solo version appears on Trev's Songs from the Coventry Underground) (the song was started in Coventry but finished on Teesside!

The song features Trev Teasdel  - clawpicking guitar and vocals / Ann

Wainwright Flute and backing vocals / Colin Walker Violin and arrangement.

The two versions on here with Ann and Colin are practice runs for the proposed performance at the Dovecot Arts Centre (where Tyne Tees Telly were talent hunting!) they weren't looking for us though - we were the organisers who did a bit too!

<One version breaks down when Ann looses her place!

 

 

 

 

 

<The other is just about complete.

Keith Armstrong has sent a poster for the White Horse of Kilburn Project which is being exhibited in Northallerton and Thirsk libraries.

 

 

JB BUTTERFIELD has been a regular performer at the Writers Cafe over the last year. Here is one of his videos - his own song Man of Stone. Catch him on My Space HERE

His New Album

THE PASSIONATE PILGRIM ON SALE NOW ON ITUNES

JB is an accomplished songwriter hailing from the North East and over the years he has toured England, Wales,

Scotland(extensivly), Ireland and Northern Ireland. He has also toured the US and recently, Texas during the SouthbySouthWest festival, where KFAN radio took an interest and gave him a slot to perform live on air. JB toured India in '93, where he, much to his delight, utilised the beautiful network of railways.

Leading me nicely on to his appearence on the 'A Full Head Of Steam' album, which was a celebration of the 175th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington line.

Here's a story (prompted the return of an old musician friend).

Regular readers will know that I run the Coventry Hobo site on here (uploading my archives from the Coventry music scene in the 70's). I moved to Teesside in 1980 to do a degree at Teesside Poly. Some if the ideas behind the Writers Cafe started in Coventry days, coming my my work at the Hobo Workshop. In 1981 I started the Multi Media Society at Teesside Poly with Yorkshire singer songwriter and fellow student - Dave Wood and in 1982 I started the Castalians at the Dovecot Arts Centre in Stockton with Ann Wainwright and Colin Walker.

For the Multi Media Society at the Poly we held a regular mixed media gig as well as poetry and music and drama workshops. From the workshops a band formed called the Multi-Media Band - later The Euclidean Mushroom Band.

The band consisted of Dave Wood - Vocals and Guitar, Ade O'Toole - guitar and vocals, Ted Carron - keyboards, harmonica and vocals, Geraldine Wade on violin and, as part of the the act, myself Trev Teasdel with an epic performance poem which the band illustrated with music and with slides.

We were student so not too serious but we often played at the poly and in between the slog of studenthood managed

to do a mini tour taking in Sheffield Art College Arts Festival, Teesside Polytechnic student Union, The Empire and The Lord Wellington in Middlesbrough, The Dovecot Arts Centre in Stockton, and culminating in the a big CND gig at Middlesbrough Town Hall supporting the Virgin band HERE AND NOW, NEW MODEL ARMY, LITTLE BROTHER, WILD WILY BECKETT & JOOLZ  April 3rd 1982. (SEE THE POSTER HERE - We were booked too late to be on the poster). There may have been more but that's all I can remember.

I have found some live tapes from the performance at the Dovecot Arts Centre and Teesside Poly. Bear in mind they are live tracks recorded on a cassette machine and now digitised. Unfortunately we didn't get a recording of me performing the mega Cannon Hill Park anti war poem to music. It was 15 mins long so that may be the reason (tape space). All songs copyright by the authors.

First off is a song written by Dave Wood - Blow Wind Blow - performed at the Dovecot.

Next off Joey written Ted Carron - performed at the Dovecot Arts Centre in Stockton 1982
City written by Fran Tibbits & sung by Ade O'Toole recorded live at the Dovecot 1982
Knocking On Heaven's Door - by Bob Dylan - live at the Dovecot

Sandy You're in the Past Tense Now - by Dave Wood & Trev Teasdel (More Dave's song than mine, but he re-wrote one of my songs called Sandy, You're in the Past Tense. Recorded at Teesside Poly 1982

Writers Cafe Reveiw Dec 2007
I never ceased to be amazed by Ian's reviews! While I'm rushing around trying to solve problems , make sure there is someone to follow each artist, fix the sound system, consume wine (important!), dance, perform, compère,  network, fall in and out of lust, fix the ozone layer and all the rest that's expected of me - Ian is quietly and intelligently observing and recording it all. Organisers don't always have the luxury of sitting down and watching it all and this month was more challenging than most with our main artist - Susie Wilkins

having had to cancel owing to her car burning up on the way out London (and I know she was gutted about having to cancel the gig but these thing happen and we would never expect an artist to take great risks to get to us - gigs can always be rearranged and hopefully we can rescheduled a gig for Susie next year). From my viewpoint as organiser sod and his damn law were having a field day with our Sheffield poet getting to Stockton and then getting on a train back to Darlington by mistake, the sound system going silent and then doing a Jimi Hendrix while I ranted poetry over the top of it (such unexpected fun!) - it was Woodstock 2007! Into the bargain, we were late starting and Keith Armstrong's performance was curtailed as he had to get back to Newcastle I felt at times I was in a new episode of Fawlty Towers (which is cool but a bit mad) but at the end of the day, as Ian has observed, I managed to throw together a show that inspired His pen! As Ian has also said, it marked the coming together of poets from around the UK as a result of the networking Keith and I have been doing this year. So ok - rant over - here is Ian's latest review - Trev
Photos courtesy of Brian Stubley - The Writers' Cafe Photographer. (If you use Brian's photos please credit them to Brian Stubley - thanks)

I'd like to thank the team for all their work for the Cafe this year - Dawn and Andy for doing the door, Maria and Nigel for doing the bar (and their team) Paul Burns and his staff for managerial support, Ian for Reviews, Brian for brilliant photos, Ruby for being compère at the start of the year, Ann for continued support and for being poster icon!

Review Writers Café 5th December 2007

Before we kick off this month Trevor was in a state of organized chaos as there were problems with two of the scheduled

acts. One had got on the wrong train and was heading away from Stockton towards Darlington again and the headliner had been forced to cancel due to a burnt out car in London. It was noticeable that the only person concerned by these crises was Trevor proving that everyone present knew a good bill would still be provided, and of course, as usual it was.

First on stage was Andy Gregory making his Writers Café debut. He played guitar and sang some lovely quiet and reflective songs. The first was called “The Tawny Owl” and was inspired by an owl he had seen once living in a barn. This was a unique folksy bluesy

numbers and the Woo Hoo cries of the owl fitted and added atmosphere. They could so easily have been a crass gimmick in less talented hands. His other songs included “The Monkey and The Bear” and “Whingeing Willy” which was amusing and not at all offensive as it could have been.

He was followed by Trev Teasdel a local poet and much loved Café regular.

His poems included the rollicking “Hey Up What’s The Crack”, the more atmospheric “Waking Up in Walker” with its wonderful line about the silos leaking surrealism, and my favourite of his “Down Our Street”, which rattles along at rap speed with clever use of words to paint a clear picture of run down estate. He also performed a poem that started life as a song. “One More Battered Woman” is a tale of domestic abuse based on the experiences of a female friend of his, and is emotive and chilling. He closed with “Dance and R n B – The Surround Sound”

Trevor was followed by another Café regular J B Butterfield with his brand of bluesy Americana songs. J B Started

with his song “Man on the Wire” a jolly number about a circus performer but carrying a deeper message about taking risks in life. This was followed by a seasonal song which I think was called “Soon it will be Christmas Day”. As ever J B’s performance was accomplished, confidant and supremely entertaining and he added intimacy by performing in front of the stage rather than on it. He closed with an up tempo cover of “California Dreaming” which like all good covers was performed in the artists own style making his version recognizably his without losing the essential components of the song.

The next artist was poet Monica Sharpe. She performed poems about a Dream Catcher, New Orleans (based on a trip there), a New Years spent in a pub and people swimming on Redcar beach on Boxing Day. Her poetry is calm and descriptive a sort of landscape painting with words or a snapshot of life.

Next artist was poet Robin Vaughan-Williams who organizes a similar event in Sheffield (Spoken Word Antics at the

Red Deer). His work was also descriptive and suited his calm quiet reciting style. After a few poems on a range of topics he finished with some poems from a suite of poems he is working on called “The Manager”. He performed poem numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 & 6. Each poem was about a different manager and or management style and many of his images were easily recognizable to anyone who has worked for or even as a middle manager.

He was followed by Guy Hudson from Lincoln who has performed at the Café before. He also organizes a similar event there and it is nice to have visitors from these sister events which Trevor and Keith Armstrong also visit. This time Guy performed a monologue by Checkhov which while on the face of it was a man giving a lecture on the perils of tobacco revealed much about his home life. Guy’s performance was stunning showing a real acting talent as he displayed the nervous nature of the character in his delivery and manner as much as in the words that veered between the alternate threads of the characters lecture material and his harridan of a wife. This was a new type of performance for the Café but was a very successful and enjoyable experiment. He finished by performing one of his own poems which was a much more confident delivery now that he was out of character.

Trevor returned to perform “Nightfall in Sorrento” and “Stereophonic London” while technical hitches were sorted in the sound system. This resulted is some interesting feedback accompaniment.

The sound system was being readied for another singer/songwriter Will Fenwick. His first few songs had a feel of

Nick Drake about them both in musical style and the vocal sound. However after only a few songs Will was asked to make way for some other artists who had trains to catch and politely and willingly did so.

Keith Armstrong recited a poem about The White Horse of Kilburn in

honour of its 150th Anniversary. As ever Keith is an imposing presence with a loud and crystal clear delivery.

After this he introduced Tony Morris who sang a song on the building of the same white horse, encouraging the audience to join in on the chorus, which most did with gusto and enjoyment.

They were followed by another Lincoln poet called Dex. Dex also did

something quite different. He performed some poems backed by a series of sounds, noises and electronic beeps that intertwined with the words enhancing them and Dex’s style of delivery. The result was reminiscent of a poetry delivery with elements of Throbbing Gristle and Hawkwind. It is amazing at the huge variety of ways that poets are managing to mix sound and music with their words and this was a highly effective and entertaining example.

Will Fenwick returned to complete his set and the evening’s entertainment. Although there were still some Nick Drake similarities he reminded many people of Al Stewart. His style of performing was quiet and with minimal chat between songs (almost none) he let his songs speak for themselves. A problem with the mike stand meant that he sat hunched over his guitar for most of this performance in a strangely

humble pose. His songs were delicate and flowing often with tempo changes and the words often skipped along on top of the guitar tune. After the performance I found out that this was not only Will’s debut at the Café but his debut at public performance. It has been noted before that one of the many joys of regular attendance at the Writers Café is to see new performers grow in confidence and improve their stagecraft from one performance to the next. This time this change was visible during the one performance and this reviewer at least looks forward to a return performance from Will.

December’s Café was the usual entertaining success despite the initial problems of wrong trains and burning cars. The unusually large number of guest poets from outside the usual area who were previously known to each other gave the event a comradely feel with much mutual jokery. It was almost a small convention. These established and experienced performers did so with their usual style and in the true spirit of The Writers Café gave support and encouragement to the less experienced performers and the evening was one of many delights, some not expected. 

The Gnome Label (A co-operative label) that came out of the Coventry scene have their first releases lined up for Dec 07.

First release is Trev Teasdel's SONGS FROM THE COVENTRY UNDERGROUND of which the Gnome say -
Trev's CD Profile on Gnome Fest site

"Songs from the Coventry Underground is a collection of the earlier songs from poet and performer Trev Teasdel.  It is

very apt that he should feature at the very beginning of our Retro-Cov platform.
This is the guy that played an important role in the development of Coventry's musical conciousness. He kept an alternative voice alive with the production of Hobo magazine that continued the trail from where the fading footprints of the Gnome could still be identified. Taking over the booking of live bands at the Arts Umbrella, he continued the policy that allowed many of the new local bands an airing as well as bringing in some excellent but not often seen names from outside of the City.
He also created one of the cornerstones of the Coventry Music scene, with the inception of the open jam sessions at the Holyhead Road Arts centre.
He left Coventry to study and has since been as active as ever, with an impressive workload of teaching new writers, running poetry magazines and venues from his Teesside home while still writing and performing his own material.
But that's not the only reason for choosing his work for this release. He is a master craftsman of his artform. His lyrics are carefully honed with the occasional surprise. The working of the words " under the Speenhamland scheme" into the lyric of Captain Swing, written some 20 years before the arrival of Billy Bragg, is phenomenal and deserves a place in the record books.
Aside from that, his work reverberates with the angst and expectations that many living in Coventry at the that time will have felt. Often written on long walks home up the London Road after the last bus, or in teabreaks while working at the GEC. The collective lyrics paint a picture of youthful exhilaration and myradiacl inspirations with echoes of revolt. Some might suggest that they could have been written in and about any city in those times. No they could only come from one place....Our Coventry.

Trev has posted many of his lyrics and the thought and activities behind their writing on his Vox space Songs of Trev Teasdel - (there are more tracks on this blog and or Hobo)
Here

Review Writers Café 7th November 2007 by Ian

The Writers Cafe always has the capacity to surprise as well as entertain. This month the surprise was several changes to the advertised bill. However this did not change the entertainment value which as usual was extremely high.

The first act onstage was Trevor Teasdel. An accomplished poet and performer who has appeared at the Writers Cafe before. He started off with two of his popular poems “Hey Up! What’s the Crack?” and “Dance and R & B/The Surround Sound”. The up-tempo beat of these poems and Trevor’s machine gun delivery got the evening off to a rollicking start. He then performed the more reflective “Nightfall in Sorrento”. This is also the title to Trevor’s new book containing many of his excellent poems. Trevor can be contacted for details how to get this on his My Space at: http://www.myspace.com/trevampthecollectiveunconscious

Next act were Voicebox from Wolviston. They started with a short play about a new PC user ringing the Help Desk.

With an amusing twist to the tale. As an ex help desk worker I found the piece horribly accurate. This month Rob and Alan were joined by a new compatriot who had a fine line in amusing poetry called Geoff Patterson. His first was an amusing cautionary tale involving a circular saw and a killer punch line. “Inside the Hermit” by Alan was a thoughtful piece inspired by a man who lives in some woods near his home. There was a poem about the Space race and they finished with a small play involving two men chatting about the 11 year old daughter of one and her 11 year old boyfriend. Again the punch line left the audience laughing out loud. As ever Voicebox were thoughtful, funny and inspiring.

While some technical difficulties were being ironed out Trevor performed his ever popular “Down our Street”. This

poem with its social commentary and heavy rhythmic style could be the lyrics to a modern dance song. In fact it has become just that in collaboration with the band ?????

The next act was the welcome return of J B Butterfield. An unadvertised addition to the bill J B as ever provided excellent entertainment with his Americana blues country style. He started with the Tim Harding song “If I were a Carpenter”. Followed by a composition of his own called “The Pilgrim” Which he hopes to release as a single soon. J B is an old friend of the Cafe having performed several times and it is good to see his career blossoming as he has recently signed a record deal with Spook Records (nothing to do with MI5) and has a new CD out called “The Passionate Pilgrim”, which contains many of J B’s fine songs (though not “The Pilgrim”). For more details contact J B: http://www.myspace.com/jbbutterfield
Among the songs he performed was the quiet yet inspiring “If You Ever Feel God Has Failed You”, “Aviator” and The Leadbelly song “Goodnight Irene” in which he lead an audience sing along and his performance lead quite nicely to a break.

After this Voicebox returned. Robert read two poems including “In the Nursery”. Alan read his poem about growing up and falling under the thumb called “The Prisoner of Glenda”. Geoff recited a poem about a tickly cough. Robert recited his inspiring poem chronicling the journey made by The River Tees through the beauties of Teesdale to the industrial heritage of Teesside. Geoff read his “I Have Civil Liberties Too” a tongue in cheek piece criticizing the recent ban on smoking, complaining that as a non smoker he is no longer able to sit in smug superiority over those indulging in the perils of tobacco. Robert finished their performance with Remembrance” also for Remembrance Day.

They were followed by Dominic Wyndrum who normally performs as part of

Voicebox. He performed a thoughtful poem “America” which questioned the foreign policy of this mighty state. He also had a poem called “Remembrance”. As usual Dominic’s quiet delivery and well chosen words highlight the burning ager he feels about the issues that he covers.

Next Trevor showed the cutting edge experimental side of the café by doing a piece he wrote with “Jingling Geordie” Keith Armstrong (scheduled to appear next month) called “The Hot Headed Geniuses of Sandgate” The title being an (ironic) quote from John Wesley following a visit to Newcastle. Trevor accompanied this with improvised backing on his guitar. A successful experiment and one which should be repeated. Dare this reviewer suggest a duet with the co-author of the words? No he dare not!

T

he next act were three people from the University Literary Society Pamela Goden and members of the University of Teesside Live Lit Society Who like Voicebox performed as a group. They also were promoting The Wilds - an anthology of work by Northern poets. They performed poems interesting and poignant poems including “The Concrete Jungle” and “Walking the Dog”. This was the first visit by the society, hopefully the first of many .

The next performer was Jamie Sample who sang some lovely songs

accompanied by his accomplished guitar playing. He opened with a song inspired by brit pop. The delightful love/lust pop tune “I Want to Make You Howl”. This was followed by the excellent “Coconut Trees” another pop song with a catchy tune and even catchier chorus. This song in particular is a favourite of mine. Jamie encouraged the audience to assist with the “Wimowehs” on his version of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and finished with another 80’s cover. Starting the Christmas mood he closed with Wham’s “Last Christmas”.

He was followed by Monica Sharp who performed some thoughtful poetry. One being about the A689 out of Billingham and the rise and fall of the Samsung development.

The evening was closed by J B Butterfield who started with a wonderful rendition of “California Dreaming”. Unfortunately most of the audience had to leave during this set which left a bit of an anti climatic atmosphere. This was no reflection of J B’s performance however and those of us who stayed till the end were treated to an excellent set which also included “Me and Bobby McGee”, “Dance the Night Away” and “Save the Last Dance for Me” an interesting and varied collection of covers all superbly delivered In J B’s own style.

Unfortunately the Click Clack Cabaret  from Harrogate had to cancel as the landlord has changed the night of their own venue to Wednesday and the acoustic bands had reasons to cancel out too. As always the Writers Cafe carries on regardless as Trev coolly conjures a new line up out of his wine glass!!