CRUMB #7

September 2022

OPEN MICROPHONE - THE BATTLEFIELD OF THE HEART

on being heard

It’s not so easy, this being heard. It takes effort to polish off your voice and give it permission to speak your heart. And then, just as you are about to speak, someone butts in with the dumb question, ‘does the world need another voice, another song, another poem, another point of view?’

The answer is of course, ‘Yes!’ It needs to hear you. And this month, if not the world, then at least Golden Bay can hear you at one of our courageous open microphone evenings.

We kick off our monthly events this Thursday 1 September at MAD Cafe in Collingwood. Then again at the Mussel Inn on Thursday 22 September. Our weekly events take place at The Dangerous Kitchen every Wednesday at 5.30 pm. And coming up in October we have the Nelson Regional Poetry Slam competition and another Nice Time At The Barn gathering. Details as they are known on the following pages.

Want to hear you at one of these magnificent microphone evenings.

Peace
Mark Raffills
Golden Bay Live Poets Society

The poet

If the poet does not speak,
if the prophet is silent
and the musician does not play,
then how will the word be heard
and how will the warning come
and how will the song be known.

and if the word
and the warning
and the song
are not heard
then how will they know?

And if they do not know,
how will they understand?
For if they do not understand,
they will slumber
in the bed of their ignorance,
they will be as lambs to the slaughter
and their life will be taken from them
while they sleep.

THE MICROPHONE IS LIVE

a moon-lit evening in collingwood

The moon lays itself, a sheet of gold, on the Ruataniwha estuary lapping at the feet of Collingwood. It peeps through the window of the MAD Cafe and bounces off the solitary microphone.
Some say this is where the open mic night known as MOONSHINE on the MICROPHONE got its name. Others put it down to the refreshing drinks that whet the whistle and lubricate the courageous voices that stand up to the mic.
Whatever story you want to believe, is up to you – just so long as you come down from the Aorere Valley, travel the coast from Pakawau and Puponga and Parapara, wander along the beach from Milnthorpe or amble down from the village and make it to the MAD Cafe with a poem, a song, a story to share.

I know, this is almost exactly the same copy as last month. That’s because I couldn’t think of a better way to introduce this wonderfully intimate open mic night.

MOONSHINE ON THE MICROPHONE
Thursday 6 October, 2022.
Kick off around 7.30 pm. Koha entry.

Open Microphone

how dangerous can you get?

One is left kind of breathless at the range and talent of the performers at our weekly open microphone event known as THE DANGEROUS MICROPHONE.
Each week 18 performers deliver an astounding array of poems, spoken word and music to a full house. As a night’s entertainment you won’t get such quality, anywhere. In order to make sure everyone gets a fair deal, we try and limit each performance slot to 8 minutes. It’s up to each performer to self-regulate in this matter, being aware that others are coming after them and that we try and get the show home in three hours!

Great food, refreshing drinks from the kitchen and bar and simply wonderful hospitality from the friendly Dangerous Kitchen staff, make the DANGEROUS MICROPHONE the highlight of the week. Come on – get dangerous, get out on Wednesday.

THE DANGEROUS MICROPHONE
Every Wednesday, 31 August, 7, 14, 21 and 28 September 2022
5.30 pm kick off.

Open Microphone

slammin’ down the flames!

Yeah I know. It’s spring and the hearth may not be dancing to the fire as the evenings warm up. But the ACID ON THE MICROPHONE is sizzling, no matter the season and it is eating up timidity!!

Our featured guest at this months gathering is current NZ Poetry Slam Champion, Dan Goodwin who is on a nation-wide tour after representing NZ at the World Poetry Slam in Brussels.

Open mic will run before Dan takes the stage. So come on down, be courageous, put your name on the board and give the microphone a poem or a song to think about!! Make a night of it. Without you, it will not be as good as it could be!

ACID ON THE MICROPHONE
Thursday 20 October 2022
Mussel Inn, 7.30 pm. $5
Featuring Dan Goodwin

POETRY SLAM COMPETITION

slam poetry competition

NOW ON THIS THURSDAY 20 OCTOBER

NELSON REGIONAL EVENT. LIVE. MUSSEL INN.
THURSDAY 20 OCTOBER, 7.30 PM.

A POETRY SLAM is a spoken word event where poets ‘slam off’ against each for the honour of representing the Golden Bay/Nelson region at the National event in Auckland in November.

Competitors come armed with three poems, each no more that three minutes long and each being performed from memory. No props are allowed – just your voice.

The event is run over three rounds, with competitors dropping out until three are left in the final round. Each round is judged by random audience judges who mark each performance out of 10. After round one, the top six scores go through to round two and from round two the top three scores go through to round three.

The winner is flown to Auckland to represent Golden Bay/Nelson in the National finals.

Sound like a bit of fun to you? Full details will be provided to all competitors on the night.

Enter by emailing: mark@drycrust.com
OR enter on the night

GOLDEN BAY/NELSON POETRY SLAM
Mussel Inn, Thursday 20 October, 7.30 pm
$5

LITTLE BITS

GOT A GIG, EVENT, NEW BOOK or RECORDING COMING UP ??

Got events or gigs coming up that you’d like to let CRUMB readers know about, please email the details, jpeg pics and jpeg posters to: mark@drycrust.com

And if you have a new book of poems, stories coming out, or a new recording of songs, let me know and I can let our small but dedicated readership in on the action.

Nice Time @ The Barn #3
Sunday 25 September, 3.33 pm
The Barn 143 Rocklands Road. Koha.

Details opposite page

GOT A GIG, EVENT, NEW BOOK or RECORDING COMING UP ??