You'll find here information about some of the Poets, MCs and assorted other Verbalists and Wordsmiths that are associated with (i.e. have performed at) Hammer & Tongue in Brighton.

If you wish to be represented here send a little bit of blurb (and preferably a picture as an optional extra) with links to your own web sites, poetry etc. if you have any. Send your stuff to Andy Kaminski and (assuming we know who you are and what you've submitted is suitable) we'll bare your particulars here.

AngrySam was so called simply to make people afraid of him. He was baptised in the poetic font of traditional literature, burnt by the force of rebel-eye, righteous indignation, grounded in the fourfold visions of multi-faceted day-to-day, small town life and blown through with the poetics of hip hop and performance spoken word. He is the reigning Brighton F-Festival Slam Champion, poet-in-residence for the Brighton Peace and Environment Centre and the Area Coordinator of Brighton's biggest, regular spoken word event: Hammer and Tongue. A selection of his poetry can be found on www.beatabet.net.

photo courtesy of:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
berkshire/content/articles/
2005/06/30/
localact_virgo_feature.shtml

Ever since he hi-jacked his first mic aged 14 at a Courtney Pine concert to rapturous applause; Virgo has energised crowds with his live performance up and down the country.

As a founder member of the 360º Physicals he regularly played shows with Killa Kela and the Flaredeycats, supporting UK hip hop legends such as Roots Manuva, Black Twang and Skinnyman, in top venues. He has rocked crowds of thousands, on tour with DJ Vadim, Kela and Mr Thing as part of the Russian Percussion Tour, but also as a breakbeat and drum and bass MC supporting the likes of Shy FX and Rennie Pilgrim. All the time he was rapping, just using his natural charisma and passion for freestyle rhymes to get women and blag holidays, culminating in a performance at the SMK Snowboard festival in Les Deux Alpes, France in August 2005, rocking a crowd at 10,000 feet above sea level!

Since then Virgo has been busy collaborating with live band Lazy Habits, psychedelic hip hop troop the Medicine Children and his own band Works in Progress, playing shows in venues such as 93 Feet East and the Marquee in Leicester Square. He also had a standout performance at the Concorde 2 in Brighton in December. Recently Virgo has been in the studio. He has decided to take the world on a warts-and-all journey; a voyage that travels through his every emotion not hiding a thing! This published poet has begun writing rhymes like no one else. Ever since then he has been collecting material for his first project. This emotional trawl through the life of a potential mental case is now here. In 2006 Magic Eye presents Virgo's Secret Diary.

Labelled "immensely talented" by bbc.co.uk, called an "off the head master" by Hip Hop Connection's Ruffstyles, Virgo has established himself as an energetic, entertaining and enthralling live performer with 100s of live appearances under his belt. Check him out.

Hello. I'm Elemental, member of the Brighton group of the menagerie and Britiain's finest storytelling emcee. With songs ranging from food fights to flying machines, wicked witches to experimental ice creams- I've got the odd stuff locked and pride myself on the unique. This is reflected in my array of costumes on stage too, If you're watching a hip hop show in Brighton- I'll be the one dressed as a ringmaster or giant panda.

I'm a member of the Brighton group the Menagerie with Dr Syntax and Koaste, as well as Special School and the Victorian Parlour Evening company. Plus, I like that spoken word business too and won the Brighton poetry slam this year.

I like you more than everyone else here because just for reading this I'd like you to give you my new album with Digital Midgets. You can get it at www.cookshopmusic.co.uk and it features remixes, very special guests and midgets by the barrel. The Menagerie Album: wild Kingdom can be picked up at Suspect packages, and Call In Sick (my first LP) is availaible direct from me. The rest of my releases are tucked away on my website www.elementalmc.co.uk, along with exclusive songs to download and some cartoons.

Alongside music, I facillitate highly acclaimed emcee workshops. I teach both rapping and storytelling to any age group or ability. With a well tested method I can teach literally anyone to emcee! I've worked for the likes of Audioactive, Brighton and Hove Council, Brighton Hip Hop Festival, Red Zebra, Sussex Youth Clubs and many others- refferals are availiable on request and hold qualified teacher status.

If anyone needs more info on music, poetry or workshops, then please get in touch at paulalborough@yahoo.co.uk

Thank you and good afternoon, Elemental

Albanian refugee Chris Parkinson has been writing poetry for about a year
and a half, when he decided to turn some of his old lyrics into a protest
poem about Tom Waits in order to get into poetry night for free. The
experience of standing on a stage, ranting poetry, appealed to him and he
tries to never look back. His major influences include Neighbours, Heavy
Metal and Philip Larkin, and his career is dogged by a propensity to drink
and an unaccountable fear of other slam poets.

His poetry can take you into a vibrant world of glass eyes, bee beards and
waking up in the morning with a harmonica clenched tightly in your hand, or
it can descend into a terrifying cacophony of sarcasm and gin-addled rants
at other poets. He loves lying and English Literature, and he has really big
sideburns.

Often accused of comedy musings and rudeness Sue Pearson can also sustain periods of seriousness on stage when she has a mind to. Jumping quickly from baring the depths of her soul into complete bewilderment is one of her favourite hobbies. She also does this in the diverse forms of her poetry, which may contain traces of unexpected swearing.

In her past she has split her personality between sculptor, artists' model, roadie, performance artist, fishmonger and gardener.

Trained in impro she has been a member of Playback Theatre, had her own street theatre company: Keyhole Theatre and now brings her promo and compereing skills to Hammer and Tongue poetry slam in Brighton, where she can often be found frightening the regulars of the poetry circuit.

"Susan is a quiet, reclusive girl who never says a word in class and I am very worried about her future." - Miss Bonsil

Contact Sue on 01273 552051
07908 020326
or pearsonsue25@hotmail.com

Lou Ice was born in Sweden on a cold winter's day in 1982. When she was old enough she escaped her beautiful but boring home town, to experience life and love in Brighton.

To get a break from the lonely process of writing her teenage novel (which is soon to get published in her mother tongue) she tried her luck as a performance poet. She has not yet managed to charm the cruel judges of Hammer&Tongue, but she gets a lot of support from her newly formed band The Writing Sisters Collective and is a regular in every Brighton venue.

Lou Ice describes her poetry as straight-forward emotional stuff with an attitude. Step on her and she cracks, smile at her and she melts.

"With your poems (and I hope you take this the right way) there's a kind of naivety which I find really attractive." -James Harris

To find out more: www.myspace.com/louisehalvardsson