This weeks Poem of the Week is The Only Band That Mattered! by Jeffarama. The poem takes us back to the heady, punk rock, days of 1977. We are in the throng as The Clash come on stage – guitars wailing and lights blazing and the crowd going wild. The poem interlinks song titles and soundbite slogans in its fast paced narrative – it’s a personal opinion piece – others will have their own thoughts on ‘the only band that mattered’ – but this poem makes a strident case for that accolade to be The Clash. A refined punk rock poem of the highest order.

 

Below Jeff answers our Q&A;

 

What got you into writing poetry?

To be honest, in a quite unexpected way. I'd always liked to have written but never got round to it. I started poetry after a particularly dark time in my life, drinking too much and so on. While I was in quite a dark place though, I started to write a few personal things but then started writing some work I thought I could put out and perform. This in turn helped me turn the corner and focus on something I'd never done before,

 

A leaflet came through the door about a local poetry reading one afternoon which I went to and read some poems of mine and chose some from a book, I still find this strange, as I'd never anything through the door like this before or since, as if it was meant to happen. I got told about WOL and started going to local nights, putting my work on the website and going to more nights in Manchester as well. As some of my work was quite punky, I also supported mates punk bands and then running my own Guitar n' Verse nights.

 

How long have you been writing?

About 11 years now, I wrote my first poem (another music based one 'Punk's not Dead!') in early 2008 - I remember performing it at a Bolton WOL night - it went well but I was shaking like a leaf!

Do you go to any open-mic nights? 

Not as many as I used to when I was getting into writing and performance poetry. With Gordon Zola, I run the Bolton WOL nights, but a lot of the time I'm busy with our poetry/music band Bard Company and the Wigan Diggers Festival. However, I am hoping to release a 3rd book next year and get to a few more then!

What is your favourite poem/poet?

It will be no surprise, but I've always liked Punk Poet legend John Cooper Clarke - incredible writer with an amazing observation of life, talent and wit for putting classic poems together -, Chicken Town, Beasley Street and Majorca are all fine examples. I've seen him a few times and he is a great performer.

You're cast away on a desert island. What's your luxury?

That's easy - a record player and my Clash vinyl of course!

 

 

The Only Band That Mattered

by Jeffarama

 

This is a public service announcement
Without guitars! - But how they still ring in my ears
The first time I saw the Clash
a memory frozen in time, after all these years
with Mikey Dread on the 16 Tons Tour
the lights went down
cue Ernie Tennessee Ford
we charged over the seats
I've no idea how many rows
then the lights come up
to Safe European Home!
The place exploded
pandemonium reigned
we pogoed and sang
it feels just like yesterday

Now I'm preaching to the converted
you'll have your memories just like mine
but I'm sure I speak for all of us
- it was the night that changed my life!

They were the only band that mattered
the Punk band that really cared
the band that changed a generation
the band that hit a nerve!

I'm so bored with the USA
Whiteman in Hammersmith Palais
London's Burning, Remote Control
Clash City Rockers in Complete Control
Tommy Gun, Police on my back
I fought the law, Jimmy Jazz
London Calling, Strummercamp too
One, Two I got a crush on You!
Somebody got Murdered, City of the Dead
Groovy Times, Gates of the West
Rock the Casbah, Spanish Bombs
White Riot, Pressue Drop
Know your rights, the list goes on

Strummer, Topper
Simonen and Jones
1977
A riot of our own!

I've seen them dragged out of gigs
bloodtsained and battered
Their T-shirts all torn
beer stained and tattered
Still singing their hearts out
because it didn't matter
They'd seen The Clash
the only band that mattered!