From Tuesday through to Thursday, I attended three amazing events that set out to showcase a variety of talented poets and musicians.
The first evening I attended Lyrically Challenged at the beautifully designed venue- Passing Clouds in Dalston. I was pleasantly surprised by the rich talent displayed, as well as the very friendly and welcoming environment. With Hip-Hop beats as background music, adding to the already cool vibe, I was truly impressed. The range of talent was phenomenal with artists such as George The Poet performing and the live band Petricha. There was also an open mic opportunity for audience members to take the stage.Â
The following evening, Vocals and Verses hosted a spectacular event at The Clapham Grand. Once again, I was blown away and also inspired by the poets and musicians who graced the stage with their art. Gifted musicians such as, Shanteh Fuller, Tinyman and JP Cooper took the stage, as well as talented poets including Sophia Thakur, Nego True and Kojey Radical. As a logophile, I was particularly moved by these poets, as I was amazed by the way they uniquely used words to relate with others. There was also an open mic session, where three acts performed and one was chosen, by the audience, to perform at the next Vocals and Verses show.
Lastly, but by no means least, on Thursday evening, Chill Pill hosted a lively event at The Albany. With a Christmas themed introduction, the evening set out to fulfil one of the well known principles of the festive season; Joy! With a variety of poetry types, such as comedy, romance and politics, the event had something for everyone to enjoy. Luke Wright performed several brilliantly crafted poems and recent winner of both The Roundhouse Poetry Slam and Hammer and Tongue, Vanessa Kisuule, shared some of her poems. The last act of the night was the Jazz band United Vibrations. They performed a remarkable set, which turned the event into a spirited party as the audience flooded the floor to dance.Â
All three of these events were incredibly entertaining and I encourage you to attend at least one of them in the future. Tickets are sold at affordable prices and are definitely worth buying, especially considering the talent you can expect to see at these shows.