John Cooper Clarke reveals “the performing poet’s worst enemy”

The “bargain basement Baudelaire” is setting out on a UK tour in April and tells Mark Ellen here about the earliest shows he saw and played, memories which happily include … … the subtle art of crowd control. … seeing Bob Hope when he was 9 and the strange impression of the adult world that suggested. … the dress code that barred him from a Hendrix gig. … auditioning for Bernard Manning at the Embassy Club and what he learnt from him.  … “I was Little Richard’s gear carrier (aged 11)”. … why he based his look on Ronnie Wood. … the perfect song for the hopeless bass player. … the deathless advice his Dad gave him. … why punk rock audiences were a breeze. … the desperate fashion-chasing changes of tack of the Mafia, the band he formed in the ’60s. Who became the Vendettas. Who became the Lovely Flowers. … “the last time I saw a mouth like that it had a hook in it” and other comedy circuit one-liners. … the life-changing inclusion of "Evidently Chickentown" in the Sopranos’ credits. … and the greatest gig he ever saw “which may well have been cooked up in the playground of my imagination”.   John’s tour dates here ….https://johncooperclarke.com/gigs/ And this is his highly recommended memoir, I Wanna Be Yours … https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wanna-Yours-John-Cooper-Clarke/dp/1509896104Tickets for Word In The Park in London on June 3rd here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-happy-return-of-word-in-the-park-tickets-576193870377Subscribe to Word In Your Ear on Patreon for early and ad-free access to all of our content!: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.