14.08°C Spoken word and poetry is a genre I often overlooked, feeling that there were more theatrical events to see. That changed at last year’s Colchester Fringe when punk poet James Domestic presented his show That’s Not Poetry! at Coda.
James Domestic skewers expectations of what audiences believe poetry to be, exposes the snobbery around the genre, and has a great time lampooning different styles. Above all, he brings a working-class punk sensibility to the microphone and, occasionally, a poem of real poignancy that makes you think about school, growing up and your past.
His book That’s Not Poetry is a collection charting the poet’s progress, the struggle to make sense of words and commentary on other poetry nights. It is knowingly pretentious and gloriously so. Titles such as The Rancid Poet, Don’t Wipe Your Arse on a Poem, and Smartphone Poet give you an idea of his style and humour, and this is a very funny collection with a strong line in self-deprecation.
Poets Day Dream turns its attention to the two institutions that dominate our lives: school and work. Domestic clearly had some unusual jobs when he was younger, making marzipan monkey hands, working in a chemical factory and delivering Yellow Pages to the house that Sade’s mum apparently lived in. All fertile ground for a poet’s imagination.
Some poems end with a sharp punchline, such as Guff CV. Others will feel painfully relatable if you have ever sat through a team meeting. There are also a couple of honest and surprisingly raw apologies to teachers and pupils for his dreadful behaviour at school.
My ultimate favourite is Apologies Susie Dent, in which a drunken encounter leads to the creation of a new “Olde World” word, followed by public embarrassment and disgrace. It is hilarious and reveals a very Bob Mortimer-style love of silly words and surreal situations.
There is no doubt that Domestic is an excellent wordsmith, even rationing his swear words so that they land with perfect effect. A Filthy F**ing Business is a particularly effective two-finger salute to poor management and corporate nonsense.
Buy his books, read his poetry, then go and see them delivered live. Hugely entertaining.
To order James Domestic’s books and see upcoming shows, visit his website.
