Word Life ft Laura James, Toby Campion and Matt Mc

Open Mic Event

Contact: wordlifeuk@googlemail.com

Word Life
25th March, Theatre Delicatessen
7:00pm, £5/£4

**LAURA JAMES AND BEN ECKERSLEY**

Laura James is an award winning Liverpool based, Cumbrian born songstress. Her debut EP ‘The Bed of The Brook’ was released in 2011 and led her on to play festivals such as Radio 1’s Big Weekend, Kendal Calling, Solfest and Ireby as well as gaining her] a spot to play across the pond at Dewey Beach Music Conference in Delaware.

Her first single ‘The Water’ was self released in 2013 and has had extensive radio play including BBC Cumbria, BBC Merseyside and by Bob Harris on BBC Radio 2 as well as having been playlisted by BBC 6 Music’s Tom Robinson. Since her trip to the US in 2012 Laura has been working closely with Brooklyn-based collective Mason Jar Music (Feist, Wood Brothers, Josh Garrels, Alicia Keys) and her second EP release 'Every Little Amber' (Sep 2014) is the result of this.

“This Is Gorgeous” Bob Harris, BBC Radio 2

“Engaging, delicate vocals in the Regina Spektor, Joanna Newsom kind of way” Ally McCrae, BBC Radio 1

**TOBY CAMPION**

Placing second in the country at the UK Poetry Slam Championships 2016, Toby Campion is an award winning playwright and poet based in the Midlands, whose work has been featured on national networks including BBC Radio 4, E4 and BBC1’s Sunday Politics. Producer of UniSlam and co-host of Midlands spoken word night, Find the Right Words, Toby has engaged audiences with his poetry at events and festivals across the UK and America, including Bestival, Lovebox, StAnza International Poetry Festival, BBC Mainstage at Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Roundhouse Last Work festival. UK representative at the Capturing Fire International Poetry Slam & Summit 2015, Toby is one of 2 artists selected to represent the UK in the international spoken word programme, The Next Generation Speaks, which brings together artists from Europe, South Africa and America to empower young people through spoken word.

**MATT MCATEER**

Matt McAteer started performing poetry at Sheffield’s legendary Words Aloud night in 2007 and since then has taken shows to the Edinburgh Free Fringe, Buxton Fringe and Greater Manchester Fringe Festivals and performed at venues from London to Leeds. Whether taking a sideways glance at the recession, following the time travelling ghost of a Spanish Civil War volunteer or transporting Dadaist sound poetry to a contemporary warehouse setting, TS Eliot Prize nominee Helen Mort reckons his poetry is “a punch of fresh air – grounded in social history, written with flair and wit, performed with conviction. There’s nobody else tackling the subjects he writes about so convincingly.”

OPEN MIC

We've got 5 open mic slots going. Post your name on the wall below if interested. We prioritise poets who didn't read last month.

Price: £5.00 / £4.00

Time: 7:30pm