The Water Rats Picnic; Photo review

Who’s the leader of the Gang??? Kurilpa Rat!

The Water Rats Picnic

Versifying at the West End Festival,

Saturday 29th October, 2016

And so we Few, we Band of Brothers, took to the mean and gritty streets of West End to bring Poetry back to the People.

There had been some unfortunate scratchings to our line-up, and it was now down to a mere handful of bedraggled Survivors to uphold the good name of the Kurilpa Poets.

The Big Four taking the microphone that day were none other than stalwart Kurilpian Geoffrey Evans, the Venerable Eido Boru, Greg “The Loaded Dog” Secombe (back after an absence) and of course myself, the Reverend Hellfire. (No show without Punch).

The Loaded Dog back to bark at West End Windmills

Accompanying us that day was Secretary John Treason, acting as both official photographer and Stage Manager. John had wisely arranged to have the poet’s stage moved from the somewhat isolated location of the people’s park and out onto the stage by the Big Lizard, in full public view, where we were able to annoy and provoke many more people.

An Inspirational looking Geoffrey Evans

Actually it was rather like Theatre-in-the-round – you had to keep rotating to address segments of the audience, meanwhile the microphone lead wrapped around you like a mummy’s bindings.

Enter the Venerable Eido

Naturally also, there were hold-ups with the usual technical problems you get performing at festivals; microphones failing and power sources suddenly cutting off and grumpy stage hands acting like it’s all your fault somehow..ah I love show biz!! I’m an artist so I sneak off to get a gin and tonic while others sort out the mundane tech issues. Eventually we had sound and we got to rant and strut our fretful hour upon the stage. It was indeed a lovely day to be declaiming our Wild and Wacky Words to the unsuspecting populace. A surprising number of passers-by and casual sitters-on-bums actually paid attention to us like they were really listening!. Some even smiled at us and laughed at our jokes!.

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A little bit of Theatre and clowning keeps the Vibe up-beat; Kurilpa Rat makes a furtive appearance..a Manic Geoffrey is injected with Medicinal Holy Water..Eido is deadpan droll as a Troll as always..

We wind up just in time to miss being drowned-out by what appears to be a Mexican Mariachi band celebrating the Day of the Dead. Ah West End!

The Water Rats scurried home, tired but happy. The Carnival, for this year, was definitely over.

Thanks to Robin Taubenfield for inviting us to appear at the West End Festival.

Viva Kurilpa!

Viva Kurilpa!

Words; Rev Hellfire

Pictures; John Treason

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Bohemian Buddhistry Photo-Review.

Kurilpa Poets Photo-Review, Oct 25th 2015

Byron Bay Bohemian RIDDHI

That Bohemian Buzz!

The Dharma Bums of Poetry Ride Out!

Numbers this month were sadly somewhat depleted

by the simultaneous occurrence of the Kurilpa Derby,

but the True Believers turned up and a memorable afternoon

was had by all who attended.

Mystery Muso Matt Barnes

Mystery Muso Matt Barnes soon had the crowd settled in a laid back frame of mind. We haven’t seen Matt at Kurilpa for awhile so it was good to catch up with him again and hear his down-home blues licks once more. Matt’s singing and playing have only got better in the meantime and we at Kurilpa wish him well with his musical career.

“well I never!” sue and rev joking around

Hailing as she does from the Czech Republic, Sue Dreeves boldly claimed to be the only true Bohemian amongst us, but went on to charm the audience with a romantic poem

celebrating Creativity and Young Love.

The old Bohemian Cafe’s jovial host Larry

Challenging Sue’s claim to exclusive Bohemian authenticity was non-other than our old mate Larry, the esteemed former proprietor of the legendary Bohemian Cafe and as such, West End aristocracy. Larry’s reminiscences of the old Boho days kept us all well amused.

Savannu

Savannu made a welcome re-appearance at Kurilpa this month reading us a couple of his idiosyncratically voiced poems, while John Tracey shared his thoughts on roadkill. Theresa T-C made unexpected links between the hi-tech phenomena of drones and “the mob down the park“.

After the refreshment break and some more fine tunes from Matt,

we were ready for our first Feature Poet of the day, Byron Bays Bohemian Queen of the airwaves, the fabulous Mz Riddhi.

a laughing bohemian buddha

Seemingly completely at her ease, Rid read us poems of Bohemian Hope and avant garde Angst. Sensitive and silly, sensible and subtle, her verse slipped from one topic to the next with consummate ease. Although a “reader”, Riddhi regularly makes that all important eye contact with her audience throughout. Indeed, by the end she had established an almost

conversational bond with her listeners.

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The monk punk

The next Feature Poet then stepped forth,, our very own venerable Eido Boru, who kept us entertained with his poems and tales of battling petty-minded Prison bureaucracies and

how he inadvertently came to be NASA‘s favourite poet.

prisoner poet 446 64

Newcomer Joe, had to rush off and pick up his daughter from somewhere so we opened the second Open Mic session with him.

Joe-duty calls

Lovely Linda Loop loped out of the kitchen to lavish upon us a charming lilting ballad of her own making.

Tony K delivered a solemn tribute to recently deceased West End personality, Chris Maver, whilst our visual arts dude Shane favoured us with extracts from the whimsical 1930’s satire, “Archy & Mehetabel“.

Tony Kneipp delivers his tribute to West End eccentric, Chris Maver

The Reverend Hellfire performed a fluid set of Tai Chi movements,

whilst ritually declaiming his dreams of Flying.

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Jeffrey Evans is generally never short of a word and today proved no exception, with renditions of his own works

and a sample from the immortal Keats.

At the end of the Open Mic the Reverend Hellfire presented the days prize for, “The Poet who amused me the most“

to non other than Bohemian Larry.

Looking pleased, though somewhat bemused, with his unexpected prize, Larry graciously accepted the surrealistically packaged “Jumping Jack” game, complete with plastic carrots and sure to bring him many hours of wholesome fun in the future.

Larry’s bemused win

I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

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See you all on November 29th!

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Words & Photo editing: Unckle Rat

Photos; Shane Kneipp

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Oct 25th Feature Poets; RIDDHI & EIDO BORU

Kurilpa Feature Poets for 25th October

*

Gypsy Queen of the Airwaves

High Priestess of Bohemia

RIDDHI

“In every culture Poetry emerges before writing and is considered the highest form of writing. However in this day and Age our writing has been hijacked and funnelled into the narrow confines of advertising, marketing and financial competition.”

-Riddhi

*

This October 25th we are proud to present as our lead Feature Poet

Byron Bay Beatnik and advocate of all things eclectic,

the original Riddhi, red-headed presenter

and creator of the fabulously maverick

Bohemian Beat radio show.

Housed and hosted at Byron Bay’s renowned BAY FM,

the Bohemian Beat has been nationally broadcast since 2007,

acquiring a dedicated following with its iconoclastic selection of Music and Interviews, Art and Poetry, Culture and Counter Culture.

“Her taste for the Avant Garde is impeccable”, says the Reverend.

This Bohemian Avatar is herself also a noted poet, writer and activist.

When not chaining herself to a tree or culturally-terrorizing the airwaves,

she’s writing her own individualistic verse. The

late, Great Daevid Allen, for one, thought much of her work.

*

Check out the Bohemian Beat for youself at

http://www.thebohemianbeat.com

for more information and podcasts of past episodes.

You may even want to listen to Riddhi’s interview with

revered Kurilpa Poets El President, the Reverend Hellfire, at

*

http://www.thebohemianbeat.com.au/radio/pod-casts.html

But at all events make sure you turn up this Sunday, 25th October at 2pm to welcome our fellow Bohemian from the Rainbow Region.

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Our second Bohemian Feature Poet on the 25th October

is none other than the venerable Eido Boru,

who joined the Water-Rat clan earlier this year.

Is he Buddhism’s answer to the Reverend Hellfire?

And if so what was the question?

We explore these issues..

Eido Boru-the Monk Punk

a brief explanation

In the world of performance poetry, Eido Boru considers himself to be a Modern Celtic Buddhist Bard.  Celtic because of his Irish ancestry, Buddhist because he is and Bard because he writes and recites his own irreverent verse. Modern because it’s now.

For many years, he gave talks to inmates in a maximum security prison in Brisbane.  During these visits, he started to write and recite his irreverent verse to the inmates as a light hearted way to discuss ethics and morals.  It worked. The inmates responded by affectionately naming him after his irreverent verse as;

the MONK PUNK. 

Monk

because he is and

Punk

because his stuff was often rude, crude and ungrammatical.  

Monk-Punk is finding its way as a social commentary on prisons, politics and principles. 

With apologies to Mr Shakespeare, Monk Punk simply asks;

“To pee or not to pee, That is the question”.

Below is a sample of the Venerable One’s work-

THE POWER OF 8

 

Wanna deb8

Life’s gr8

In the Sunshine St8

Behind the Main G8

Until 2078

You did penetr8
Your best m8

With a bayon8

Bayon8

Bayon8

Bayon8

Bayon8

Doctors’ oper8

To determin8

Your mate’s f8

A dead w8

Cops indic8

You’re the desper8

Judge adjudic8

You did perpetr8

And assasin8

With no compassion8

Now Cell 98

Life deterior8

No love only h8

As you w8

No benef8

It’s too L8

Now you’re 88

Buried in a cr8

-Eido Boru

So come along on the 25th October

to be spiritually and aesthetically challenged

by the uncompromising Buddhistic Punkery

of the way Venerable Eido Boru.

Come see Kurilpa’s very own Two Wise Men, Reverend Hellfire & Eido Boru this Oct 25th

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“Bohemian Buddhistry” Sunday 25th October 2015

This month Kurilpa Poets explores our Bohemian heritage

and celebrates the Poetic Outsiders who sought enlightenment beyond the fringes.

From Baudelaire to Ginsberg, from Kerouac to Daevid Allen,

these artistic ratbags continue to inspire and corrupt impressionable youth to this very day!

So come along down to the Olde Croquet Club

to witness the modern practitioners of the Ancient Art of

“Bohemian Buddhistry”

Sunday 25th October 2pm

Featuring;

from Byron Bay,

Bohemian Beat DJ;

RIDDHI

*

“Punk-Monk “;

Eido Boru

*

Mystery Musician;

Matt Barnes

*

Master of Ceremonies;

The blue-bearded Reverend

The Reverend Hellfire

plus;

The Virtual Gallery, Open Mic Sessions,

Free Food & Refreshments,

Wheelchair Access & Free Parking,

and some of the friendliest folk

you’re likely to meet!

Yes, All This and More

for the low price of $5 /members $2

at

91 Cordelia Street, South Brisbane,

on the fringe of sacred Musgrave Park.

(Just down from Jagerra House)

More details and updates are published regularly in

The Water-Rat Gazette, at

kurilpapoetry.wordpress.com

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