You were right Paul, the Salford leg of the Love v. Lust tour got down deep and dirty thanks to frequent (poetic) ejaculations from Martin Stannage. Everyone had their lines well thought out, all crafted and delivered with much lubricity (no there was no bar, i just meant smoothly). A sensuous night which may have provoked the audience to a frenzy of lustful intoxication had it not been modified by the all-encompassing glow of fidelity and righteousness oozing from the love team. How come no-one mentioned Plato? Anyway Love won again. Is this the first sign of a moral resurgence in GB. Mrs Whitehouse your work was not in vain. Where were the students? They could have tilted the balance in favour of lust. Watching Holyoaks according to Julian Daniels, or possibly just too busy lusting.

Dave

May I respectfully refer your readers to my own sally on the subject, 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.' I recall delivering a reading of it with a voice both funereal and wanton. A recording is still available, I believe.

They did it again! Love that is. But just by a pubic hair's breadth. Tuesday night's tag match at the Phoenix in Bolton was close, as lust inched up on the inside leg, and precipitated a climax that Julian Daniels had to handle with some delicacy. A count was demanded by the baying audience and proved that the result was closer than might have been inferred by the adjudicator (the said Mr Daniels). I think it was 18-15 in favour of love, but lust, like spring, is in the air, and after a period of winter dormancy, is thrusting forth, sap rising, pulse pumping, and buds bursting. So beware you lovers lest lust take you by surprise over the next few weeks! Top night with thanks to all at The Phoenix, to Kim and Commonword, to all the performers, to Paul for looking mean on the door, to all the open-micers who showed what Write out Loud folk are made of ( and some of it is pretty dirty), to Felix who came from Huddersfield and had to go early, to all the audience from far and wide, and so to bed,.

Dave

Many thanks from all of us involved in the LvL night at the Phoenix last week. Thanks to the venue, the excellent open mic-ers (great fun!) and to Dave, Paul and Julian who put all the work in to make it happen. Another massive notch in WOL's bedpost!

The touring poets found the night to be hugely enjoyable - our best non-captive audience ( we've been to Styal Women's prison) although not sure that all of those present should still be at liberty!!

We were thrilled with the audience feedback sheets - extracts below.

Many thanks again! Tell your friends, come again! - Wigan and Liverpool dates in April - see gig guide.

Tony
http://www.writeoutloud.net//public/poetview.php?poetID=16


· "Thought-provoking and fun and well compered by Julian. Excellent! Thanks."

· "Very accomplished versifications. Well compered and most enjoyable."

· "Love and lust are like twins. Love's a goody. Lust's a baddy but you can't have one without the other. Very good show. Thought provoking."

· "A very interesting evening, very enjoyable. Oh and Helen Clare is hot!!"

· "Performance is definitely the key to bringing poetry to life and to the masses! Excellent entertainment. Big love to the love team - gave me goosebumps!"

· "Highly entertaining, very funny compere, one or two excellent pieces of poetry."

· "An interesting argument on the dilemmas of the human condition. Each side of the argument well portrayed by competent poets well versed in the broad spectrum of human strengths and weakness. Well done."

· "I thought the show was brilliant and would come again anytime."

· "Your show was kick ass."

· "Missed most of the show but what I seen was great!"

· "Top night for a Tuesday!"

· "Not enough bodily fluids. Needs more viagra. Could do with a bit of [undecipherable word] sex but they tried hard and full marks to them. The compere was very good.

"There was supposed to be another 7 of us. We're gonna spend the next three months ripping the piss out of them for missing this.....Even the open mic part was fantastic!"