A Night With Anthony Anaxagorou

Last week, after a somewhat busy day at work, ambient lighting met infectious, dulcet tones, married captivating words and gave birth to an evening of entertainment that made me want to go home and write down every and any emotion I'd felt in the last 24 years, talk less of 24 hours. Where was I, I hear you ask? A quaint establishment in Bethnal Green, called The Gallery Cafe, which happened to be the setting for 'Anthony Anaxagorou Live'.

Early arrival meant that I got a choice seat but unexpected wait as proceedings did not start on time. I usually abhor waiting unknown stretches for most things but I didn't mind so much that evening. Maybe it was a combination of the mesmerising fairy lights contrasting the darkness of the outside world serving as a rather fitting backdrop, or possibly the anticipation of the great poets I was about to watch? Either way, I was content.

Unlike events I'd been to previously, the evening began with the open mic section. I'd signed myself up and was surprisingly called to the stage first. The slightly nerve-wracking regurgitation of my poem was well received and followed by a few other open mic recitations by others before one of London's admired spoken word artists, Raymond Antrobus took to the stage.

Accessible and clever. That's how I'd describe Ray's spoken word. While he performed light-hearted crowd pleasers that made us all smile or laugh at varying intervals,  the poem that struck me, happened to be the most serious: 'The Hit Me Poem'. I'd heard it before and actually have it on my iPod but discovered a new found love for the piece after listening to it live for the first time.

His telling of an unfortunate and highly charged sequence of events with a former girlfriend was so simple and so effective that I felt as though I was in the room watching the scene unfold. I liked that Ray didn't sugar coat the sad truth nor try to paint himself or his then girlfriend in a better light. Raw and real; sort of like Anthony but on a less intense scale.

Photograph Anthony Anaxagorou with the band by Gareth-James

After Ray's performance ended, a brief interval ensued which was followed by the main event. When the band (comprised of a drummer, electric guitarist and bass guitarist) began to play their blend of fittingly melancholic yet far from depressing beats, my enjoyment of accomplished live music meant I could quite happily have listened to them play all night.

The seemingly loud volume but crisp sound quality being what it was, I initially thought that the band would drown out the spoken word. I was wrong. Anthony's vocal projection was as clear as his passion for poetry. Beginning with a rousing rendition of 'This Is Us', a unifying piece and therefore apt opener (that he has previously performed on Choice FM), the show had begun in earnest.

The diligent rehearsals I presume took place prior to the event paid off as the synchronicity between poet and band was clear for all to see and hear. None of the usual, consistent, rude murmurings attributed to such shows could be heard as practically everyone stayed silent to take in what was being said. For added effect, a crescendo met a pause in the music, a technique used in other subsequent pieces, while Anthony continued accapella before being joined by the band again.

Next came a piece in which the truth is likened to a single egg called ‘Broken Shells’. An interesting choice of simile which was successfully incorporated throughout the poem. My favourite aspect of it was the narrative switch at the end which had the potential to have sounded contrived but was well executed.

The instrumental for ‘Returning Jessica’, a poem about child abuse of a sexual nature, had a Red Hot Chilli Pepper’s vibe about it. The inclusion of a singer worked but made it seem a lot more like a song than spoken word due to the ‘chorus’ of sorts. Considering the story is told in first person from the point of view of a young woman, it amazed me that Anthony managed to tell the tale so well.

The recital of the controversial and fact heavy ‘If I Told You’ was performed without the band which in my opinion, was a good choice as it allowed the crowd to fully take in the beauty of Anthony’s words without distraction. Lines such as “what if I told you that music is not popular but universal; intelligent noise resonating from the soul of the universe”, “… that love is forgiveness breathing” or “what if I told you the first time I kissed a girl an earthquake found my legs and each time I get my heart broken I become a better poet”. The last line I quoted really resonated with me because each time I get my heart broken I really do become a better poet/writer.

‘Burma Makes Me Bad’ saw the welcome of another guest singer and it was nice to observe that he (‘Rastaman’) was as ardent about the words he was singing as Anthony was about the words being spoken – the enthusiasm was infectious. The poem, in fact the whole evening, reminded me that Anthony is a wonderful storyteller. Whereas most only manage to write about that which they have experienced firsthand (myself included), he can take others story and tell it for them without losing the emotion. It’s a gift.

Irrespective of the instrumental, the powerful words of a talented poet were able to be heard, which quite frankly was necessary as a lot of Anthony’s subject matter is so deep and requires close attention to be paid. While his words may not be accessible to all as Anthony touches on things others would rather forget or ignore, I’m glad that I was there.

I am glad that I can call someone who inspires, moves and motivates me a friend. And for those who feel I may be biased, I don’t think he’s talented because he is my friend, his body of work speaks for itself. He can do with words what many can only dream of. That is why he is talented. If you’ve never heard one of his poems I urge you to listen on YouTube and if you can, order one of his books. Some of the poems are easier to read than others but stick with it and uncover layers of meaning.

If you do manage to check Anthony, Ray or any other spoken word  artists and poets out, I’d love to know what you think so feel free to share.

Photograph of Anthony by Gareth-James