Tuesday, March 05, 2013

Bar Stanza Episode 2

Performing at a sweet new gig tonight run by Anthony O'Sullivan in Richmond at The Owl and the Pussycat. This is only the second time it's been run. Four writers, no open mic. Very happy to be sharing a stage with three of my favourites, Michelle Dabrowski, Steve Smart and Ben Pobjie.
Here's Anthony's blurb for the show...

After a ripping first show that saw knock-out performances and many a happy punter, we are tickled to be giving more of the best in our 2nd show! Anth is knicking off to Europe after this wee shindig and Bar Stanza will be on hiatus, but the venue was pretty pleased with how we filled the space, so once MC Idiot gets back, fingers crossed we'll have ourselves a whole run of shows in late 2013! That is, so long as you cats and kittens drag yo' bums on down for this tight gig and blow the place apart again! Be there! Support! Encourage! Drink!

So who's gonna be dazzling your earbits this month?

Sean M Whelan - Sean M Whelan writes poetry, fiction and works for performance. He also collaborates extensively with musicians. His band The Interim Lovers released an album called Softly & Suddenly in October 2010, based on Lewis Carroll’s poem ‘The Hunting of the Snark’. He also currently works with electronic musician Isnod. Sean is a co-founder and producer of the successful literary cabaret Liner Notes, presented to sell out crowds to the Melbourne Writers Festival every year since 2009. His latest book of poetry is titled Tattooing the Surface of the Moon, through Small Change Press. He is currently working on his first full length play and a collection of recordings made with Isnod.

Steve Smart - Some days Steve Smart wishes he had someone to write his bio's for him. Famous people think they have it hard with the lack of privacy and the stalking, the fragile self-image too easily destroyed by tabloid mockery, but they have people to write their damn press text. So they can all shut up. Steve Smart has been doing this for a long time. The bio writing. Between writing his own bio's he also writes poems. Which often also involves writing about himself. Sometimes he makes people up to write about and this amuses him no end. When he describes himself as a cult figure, it's a nice way of saying poor and not very famous. He performed at the Sydney Opera House but that was a long time ago. He currently has 16 projects on the go. Approximately. He's really not this grumpy in person.

Michelle Dabrowski - Michelle Alina Dabrowski is a Canadian multi-disciplinary artist, poet, event curator, arts educator and community/arts development practitioner based in Melbourne Australia. From Montreal’s Blue Metropolis Festival to Melbourne’s Forum Theatre, Michelle has performed, taught and produced internationally for the past ten years. As a passionate and trail blazing entrepreneur Michelle is well known for actively engaging groups of artists to create charismatic and transformational social movements through her work in communities. She gave birth to and co-ordinated the Montreal Throw Poetry Collective (2006) and is the current Founder and Artistic Director to Slamalamadingdong; a cross disciplinary community platform and poetry slam series. Helping students find and refine their voice through the medium of creative performance Michelle has facilitated over five hundred and seventy two workshops in schools and has coached artists from all mediums supporting and leading them to a place of risk taking and performance break throughs. Her work has been featured on the Indiefeed Performance Poetry Channel and on Triple RRR’s Aural Text Radio Program. Published in 2012, Michelle’s latest collection of poetry is Curb Side Angel Spit. A live album featuring performances from her latest nationwide tour alongside Poet Joel McKerrow, can be found at www.bandcamp.com/SoleofAustralia.

Ben Pobjie
- Ben Pobjie is a writer, comedian, and poet. He is best known for his weekly satirical articles on Australian current-affairs site New Matilda.
Pobjie began writing his weekly articles in early 2008. His subject matter is drawn from topical issues, and he has written humorously on issues ranging from maternity leave and the federal Budget to Catholicism, child pornography and incest. His articles are often followed by angry reader comments from those who have not realised the work is satirical. Right-wing columnists such as Miranda Devine and Andrew Bolt are often the target of his humour.
His work has also appeared in Melbourne's daily broadsheet newspaper The Age.
Pobjie is also a performance poet and comedian, performing around Melbourne. In 2008 launched a campaign to be named Australia's first poet laureate. He used to be heard regularly on Helen Razer's radio show on the ABC.


Man, these guys right good bio! Don't they just sound like awesome people? You'd totally want to meet each of them and enjoy their words all in your head....
And you can! At Bar Stanza!
Tuesday, March 5th, 7:30 for an 8:00 start, a piddling $5 entry or $1.25 per poet! You can't get a litre of petrol for $1.25! (What has that got to do with anything? Idiot).
Bar is open, room is ready, Anth is keen to dance again, the performers want your attention.
Come!
Be a cool person!
It's what you were made for!


34 Swan Street., Richmond, Victoria 3121