John Cooper Clarke - Mbrough Town Hall

fmttmadmin

Administrator
Staff member

JOHN COOPER CLARKE​

TUE 9 MAY 2023
COMEDY

John Cooper Clarke shot to prominence in the 1970s as the original ‘people’s poet’.
His unique poetry was put to music by producer Martin Hannett and a band of Mancunians The Invisible Girls. Seminal tracks such as Beasley St and Evidently Chickentown featured on the album Snap Crackle and Bop, one of 4 hit 70/80s album releases. JCC became one of the most prolific artists of the Punk years.
POET; TV & RADIO PRESENTER; CULTURAL COMMENTATOR;
“One of Britain’s outstanding poets”
– Sir Paul McCartney


I supported JCC and The Fall once in Mbro Town Hall Crypt when the first band pulled out at the last minute - what an amazing thing to be offered. I have the signed poster to prove it.
 
Saw him at the Buttery (Teesside Poly old block) years back. He was either on with the Thompson Twins and King Kurt or that was possibly a separate gig there on his own. I've seen him on other occasions, but for the life of me can't remember where...

The late 70s are now a blur
 
I’ve seen him quite a few times. I love his work. I still play his albums and how old are they?! The last couple of gigs he had some great gags but the performances seemed to lack focus. Hard to explain but felt a bit going ‘through the motions.’
 
I’ve seen him quite a few times. I love his work. I still play his albums and how old are they?! The last couple of gigs he had some great gags but the performances seemed to lack focus. Hard to explain but felt a bit going ‘through the motions.’
Half a lifetime of heroin will tend to do that to a chap's attention span ;)
 
I’ve seen him quite a few times. I love his work. I still play his albums and how old are they?! The last couple of gigs he had some great gags but the performances seemed to lack focus. Hard to explain but felt a bit going ‘through the motions.’
Note he styles himself as a comic these days. Turned full circle back to his roots as a stand up comedian.
 
I supported JCC and The Fall once in Mbro Town Hall Crypt when the first band pulled out at the last minute - what an amazing thing to be offered. I have the signed poster to prove it.
The thing about that night is that you went on at about 8 ish, then they couldn't get JCC out of the Pig Iron until about 10. The Fall had to play a truncated set because of the curfew!
 
The thing about that night is that you went on at about 8 ish, then they couldn't get JCC out of the Pig Iron until about 10. The Fall had to play a truncated set because of the curfew!

Similar thing happened to me ALB when I was on security for Teesside Poly Students Union.

We'd put Desmond Dekker on at the Town Hall and he was missing after the soundcheck up to about 30 minutes before the gig.
I was sent out to find him in the local pubs.

He was in the Central sat with a load of regulars.

I had to sit with him whilst he finished knocking up a spliff before passing it on to the left hand side :)

The trouble was, I was on the right hand side as I was working :-(

I almost had to frog march him to the gig
 
He was so
Similar thing happened to me ALB when I was on security for Teesside Poly Students Union.

We'd put Desmond Dekker on at the Town Hall and he was missing after the soundcheck up to about 30 minutes before the gig.
I was sent out to find him in the local pubs.

He was in the Central sat with a load of regulars.

I had to sit with him whilst he finished knocking up a spliff before passing it on to the left hand side :)

The trouble was, I was on the right hand side as I was working :-(

I almost had to frog march him to the

He later played Teesside Poly/Uni and he was so hammered he was crawling around the stage in his beret - and he tried to start every other song "Get up every morning... " to which the veteran bassman, who was obviously the band's lynchpin slowly shook his head... not yet Desmond.

JCC will be a top show though - some jokes, some poems, some banter, some more jokes, more banter and perhaps a poem for encore. But all top entertainment from a one of the few left who almost (re)invented a genre.
 
Saw him a few years back at the Albany in Deptford - he was brilliant, much better than I expected actually. Incredibly talented and funny guy.

Saw he supported Squeeze on one of their recent tours, would have been a good night!
 
Back
Top