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The Poem of the Week is 'The Only Band That Mattered!' by Jeffarama

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This weeks Poem of the Week is The Only Band That Mattered! by Jeffarama. The poem takes us back to the heady, punk rock, days of 1977. We are in the throng as The Clash come on stage – guitars wailing and lights blazing and the crowd going wild. The poem interlinks song titles and soundbite slogans in its fast paced narrative – it’s a personal opinion piece – others will have their own thoughts on ‘the only band that mattered’ – but this poem makes a strident case for that accolade to be The Clash. A refined punk rock poem of the highest order.

 

Below Jeff answers our Q&A;

 

What got you into writing poetry?

To be honest, in a quite unexpected way. I'd always liked to have written but never got round to it. I started poetry after a particularly dark time in my life, drinking too much and so on. While I was in quite a dark place though, I started to write a few personal things but then started writing some work I thought I could put out and perform. This in turn helped me turn the corner and focus on something I'd never done before,

 

A leaflet came through the door about a local poetry reading one afternoon which I went to and read some poems of mine and chose some from a book, I still find this strange, as I'd never anything through the door like this before or since, as if it was meant to happen. I got told about WOL and started going to local nights, putting my work on the website and going to more nights in Manchester as well. As some of my work was quite punky, I also supported mates punk bands and then running my own Guitar n' Verse nights.

 

How long have you been writing?

About 11 years now, I wrote my first poem (another music based one 'Punk's not Dead!') in early 2008 - I remember performing it at a Bolton WOL night - it went well but I was shaking like a leaf!


Do you go to any open-mic nights? 

Not as many as I used to when I was getting into writing and performance poetry. With Gordon Zola, I run the Bolton WOL nights, but a lot of the time I'm busy with our poetry/music band Bard Company and the Wigan Diggers Festival. However, I am hoping to release a 3rd book next year and get to a few more then!


What is your favourite poem/poet?

It will be no surprise, but I've always liked Punk Poet legend John Cooper Clarke - incredible writer with an amazing observation of life, talent and wit for putting classic poems together -, Chicken Town, Beasley Street and Majorca are all fine examples. I've seen him a few times and he is a great performer.


You're cast away on a desert island. What's your luxury?

That's easy - a record player and my Clash vinyl of course!

 

 

The Only Band That Mattered

by Jeffarama

 

This is a public service announcement
Without guitars! - But how they still ring in my ears
The first time I saw the Clash
a memory frozen in time, after all these years
with Mikey Dread on the 16 Tons Tour
the lights went down
cue Ernie Tennessee Ford
we charged over the seats
I've no idea how many rows
then the lights come up
to Safe European Home!
The place exploded
pandemonium reigned
we pogoed and sang
it feels just like yesterday

Now I'm preaching to the converted
you'll have your memories just like mine
but I'm sure I speak for all of us
- it was the night that changed my life!

They were the only band that mattered
the Punk band that really cared
the band that changed a generation
the band that hit a nerve!

I'm so bored with the USA
Whiteman in Hammersmith Palais
London's Burning, Remote Control
Clash City Rockers in Complete Control
Tommy Gun, Police on my back
I fought the law, Jimmy Jazz
London Calling, Strummercamp too
One, Two I got a crush on You!
Somebody got Murdered, City of the Dead
Groovy Times, Gates of the West
Rock the Casbah, Spanish Bombs
White Riot, Pressue Drop
Know your rights, the list goes on

Strummer, Topper
Simonen and Jones
1977
A riot of our own!

I've seen them dragged out of gigs
bloodtsained and battered
Their T-shirts all torn
beer stained and tattered
Still singing their hearts out
because it didn't matter
They'd seen The Clash
the only band that mattered!

◄ My kind of poetry: Carole Bromley

Hat-trick for Jamie Thrasivoulou as he wins Saboteur award for best spoken word performer ►

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Comments

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Jeff Dawson

Sat 1st Jun 2019 21:28

Thank you all! A real buzz to have POTW for a real passion in my life, music and of course The Clash, thanks all for your good wishes, so glad you like the poem, much appreciated!!!

Cheers Martin hope you're good; thanks Kevin, glad you got to see the Clash, every gig was special (I was lucky to see them 6 times, plus Joe & The Mescaleros 3 times); thanks Jon, thanks Julian, still enjoying it at the socialist club!; thanks Trevor, and thanks Laura, I remember it well, you've done great since! - it's great to run events and give folk a chance as well as perform.

Keep writing and performing folks, as Strummer said without people we're nothing, we always need poets too Jeff X

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trevor homer

Fri 31st May 2019 13:41

Poets occupy a broad church - music is your religion and you amplify the mood very well. Cheers and congrats' T.

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Laura Taylor

Thu 30th May 2019 10:10

Nicely done Jeff, and I echo Julian - what you do, and have always done, for other poets is bloody amazing. I've said it a million times before, but I'll say it again - I will always be grateful to you for being so lovely on my first open mic, and giving me my first proper guest spot - it made a massive difference to me, and I owe you one forever mate. Well done and congratulations on winning POTW - I look forward to hearing you perform it some time ?

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Julian (Admin)

Tue 28th May 2019 16:07

Congratulations, Jeff. And thank you for your years of tireless supporting of other poets and bands: a poetry impresario par excellence.

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Jon Stainsby

Tue 28th May 2019 15:36

Congratulations, Jeff

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kJ Walker

Tue 28th May 2019 08:55

The seventies was a brilliant time for seeing groups like that. It wasn't just that there was so many good bands around, but they toured constantly, and were accessible to all. I was still at school then, but we managed to get to a gig every couple of weeks.
I saw The Clash three times, and have to agree they were the best (maybe not the only band that mattered, but certainly the best)
My only regret is that I never got to see the Sex Pistols. They did do a few gigs local to us, but used false names and we only heard about it the next day.

Groovy Times indeed

congratulations on your POTW

Cheers Kevin

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Martin Elder

Mon 27th May 2019 16:31

I can just imagine you performing this at a gig. It has all the out there flair natural rhythm and panache that is your trademark.

Nice one Jeff
Congratulations

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