KURILPA POETS
“April Foolery”
Photo review with; SAVANU,
LOC TRAN & QPAPAYANDI
Twas a fine gathering of Poets & Fools, Jesters and Japesters and Jollity in general,
as the Water rats held their APRIL FOOLERY event, their annual salute to the humorous, light-hearted and satirical in Poetry.
Naturally, Poets being what they are, some chose to read poems of Heart break, Desperation and Despair, but we laughed at those too, though the laughs on such occasions were often bitter or hollow.
At this stage I must confess that while I took quite substantial notes during the Open Mic sessions and thru-out the day generally, alas, they have disappeared somewhere in the unholy depths of my In Tray, where no man goes..no, nor woman neither. Or possibly I lost them during happy Hour later that evening?..
So my review is sketchy at best this month. My apologies to the Open Mic folks. Fortunately we have the candid photography of Visual Arts Director Shane K to fill in the blank spots.
Singer/Songwriter QPapaYandi
Opening the day as we gathered to share our Words & Thoughts was street troubador and latest Water Rat recruit, Nigel QPapaYandi, with an upbeat set of his own thumpin & honkin’ tunes, playing his own material, both recent and new.
Brother Nige’ has played for the Kurilpa Poets a couple of times now, and it seems to me that there’s definitely a growing sophistication in his song-writing abilities. Certainly they were all well received by the steadily filling hall.
A shorter than usual Open Mic session nonetheless displayed much Heart, and anyway, this made some space for the days’ TWO Feature Poets.
First up, unless my memory fails, and it sometimes does, was one of Brisbanes most notoriously individualistic Poets, the ever sardonic SAVANU.
SAVANU practises his rabble rousing!
Despite his years as a fixture on the Brisburg Poetry Scene, this was SAV’s very first Feature Spot, if you can believe that, and he rose to the occasion confidently, delivering an upbeat and entertaining performance.
“I’m out of my HEAD-Head-head..!”, SAV assured us,
as he gave one of his distinctive cackles, the Laugh of the only Sane Man left in a World gone Mad, and by the end of his set his audience was laughing like that too. The Kurilpa Poets are proud to have had the honour of hosting this holy (if not wholly) madman.
Refreshments were needed after that, and while QPapaYandi chanelled the spirit of early Bob Dylan, the strange images of Aus. Artist Jeffrey Smarts’, hyper-realist 20th century Landscapes of Urban Alienation played across the Virtual gallery.
QPapa sings the blues!
As always the generosity of the Kurilpa Crew provided a varied fabulous feast. While even the Vegans found enough to graze on, other tastes were well catered for and I for one particularly liked those tasty cocktail sausages Jezza bought..yum!
BUTTERFLY REVOLUTION
A Spectre is stalking the Greenhouse!
After the break the ever eclectic Frank Jordan (a fount of all sorts of unsuspected knowledge)preached the Butterfly Revolution, as mug shots of the usual insect suspects fluttered on the Virtual gallery’s Big Screen. Frank gave a very entertaining and informative talk, peppered with obscure facts and showing us humans how even Kropotkin Ants and Imperialist Butterflies can co-operate! All Power to the Hive Soviets, comrade!
Preaching Insectism to the Masses, revolutionary etymologist, Comrade Frank.
Then it was time for the days main feature Poet, the Runner up in this years Kurilpa Poetry Cup, Mr Loc Tran.
Mr Loc Tran and awestruck audience
Reading selections from his 2011 slim volume of verse, OPEN HEART SURGERY, and other more recent work, he won over the audience from the start and held their attention through out. Loc has an ability to cut straight through with an open hearted commitment to emotional honesty in his Poetry. Here is a poet who understands that the only Great Poetry is the Poetry that speaks as True as you can possibly make it. I’ve sometimes chided Loc that he’s wasting his time with Architecture and should get serious and settle down to his poetry. I’m only half joking.
The day ran a little late, as it always does when we’re having a good time, and the sun was setting by the time the last poems were read and the last stragglers were making their way to the LIZARD down at West End, for  Happy Hour, to continue the conviviality.
Where possibly I lost my notes..
See you all next month!
Damn! What WAS the next line???!!!
Photos; SHANE K
Words; UNCKLE RAT
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The Water-Rat Gazette 