| Collection | British Stand-Up Comedy Archive Events |
| Description | Attila the Stockbroker in conversation with Oliver Double, followed by a live poetry, song and book reading set, recorded in the Gulbenkian cafe, Monday 19 October 2015.
[0.00] Oliver Double [OD] introduces Attila the Stockbroker [AS] [0.41] OD thanks AS and asks him about being a student at the University of Kent [0.46] AS says he was a student 1975-1978 where is favourite activities were Beer, occupying the Registry, Rock Against Racism. During the day he went back and visited some of the buildings that were not here when he was a student. In the new media building he found copies of the old student newspaper InCant which referenced resistance from the right-wing press to activist activities occurring at the University. AS said these reports made him want to come to Kent [2.45] OD shows AS an image from the Stand-Up Archive [2.53] AS said he wasn't directly involved with it but he did perform under the name 'John Opposition: In a Gentle Mood' doing Punk covers [3.57] OD asks shows AS his election leaflet from when he ran for Student Union President (also from the Stand-Up Comedy Archive) and asks him to talk about this experience and his involvement with Rock Against Racism [4.10] AS begins by talking about different bands he would put on at the University from 1975. In 1977 Rock Against Racism started and he began to organise gigs for this cause, with a focus on local Canterbury bands [5.41] OD asks AS to talk about Rock Against Racism [5.49] AS tells the story of the organisations creation, when in 1976 Eric Clapton was on stage and spoke about his support for Enoch Powell and at a similar time David Bowie did a Nazi salute and supported fascism. It became a uniting force for music [7.24] OD asks about AS's election campaign [7.31] AS said that he really wanted all the apathetic students to vote but he was happy to come second [8.38] OD asks AS about starting performance poetry and becoming Attila the Stockbroker. AS says he started playing Bass in Punk bands. He was writing the lyrics but discovered he could not sing and play at the same time. So he decided instead to get up in gigs between Punk bands and shout his poetry, which went down really well. He was inspired to do this by John Cooper Clarke. His name came from a time where he was working as a stockbroker and was told that he had the manners of Attila the Hun. Soon after he became more popular, got played on the John Peel show, got a record deal with Cherry Red Records and has done this ever since. He worked within the Alternative Cabaret and comedy scene, but stopped gave these types of show s up in 1992 [11.54] OD and AS discuss a poster for one of AS's shows. AS claims that this would have been his 5th solo show [12.36] OD shows and AS discuss another piece from the archive- a poster for AS's Barnstormer show in 1994. AS talks about this show in the context of his current working life. Every year AS will perform about 100 shows, 80 of these will be poetry gigs and he also plays in two Punk bands and organises events and festivals [13.56] OD asks AS about the variety of acts of such a bill [14.15] AS says that he tries to see what he does as part of a much bigger thing. He likes to support a variety of acts [14.50] OD asks AS about the Punk ethos that seems so central to his work
[15.07] AS says this is true and that he still continues to do everything himself; booking shows, producing and selling merchandise etc. He went on to say how he doesn't believe you can teach performance poetry, it should be something that is just felt [18.28] OD shows AS a poster of a gig he did with Mark Thomas [18.32] AS says he went to the same school as MT and this show was at that school. AS says MT is one of the few comedians he still likes, the others include Mark Steel, Jeremy Hardy and Robin Ince. This year he also did a guerrilla gig organised by MT occupying 'private' land and another show organised by MT reuniting popular poets. He continues to talk about the praise he got at the start of his career when his material wasn't fully developed and was then criticised when he began to get better [21.32] OD asks AS to talk about other poets that were around at the same time as him. His contemporaries included Steven 'Seething' Wells, Little Brother, Benjamin Zephaniah, Ginger John, Joolz, Little Dave etc. [22.15] OD asks AS how he engaged audiences when they came to see Punk Bands [22.34] AS says that he found it really easy, as long as you were confident and good at what you do with interesting material then the crowd will respond well [23.30] OD and AS discuss another Archive piece from Nick Toczek's 'Cracker Comedy Club' (Bradford). OD again commented on the wide variety of acts on the bill. AS said that at this time a lot of performance poets became comedians because comedy became so popular. *Attila then performed a poem called 'Comic in a Basket' reflecting on this issue* [32.12] OD asks AS how he generates his material [32.21] AS says he writes about the world around him and he never has force this to happen. He doesn't prepare for a performance, he remembers his poems because he is passionate about them and it's so natural for him. When he writes something, he normally remembers it by the time it is finished and will sometimes run it through his head while he is walking or riding his bike. From his entire career he has about 16 hours' worth of material to draw on. One time he did a sponsored 10hr long performance [36.44] OD asks the audience if they have any questions for AS [36.51] The first question asks AS to speak some French and German, which he proceeded to do [37.37] Another audience member asks Attila about the first time he played Glastonbury. AS says that he first played Glastonbury in 1983 and has performed every year since and told a story about his first experience of the festival [40.32] OD thanks AS for the conversation and the crowd applause.
[A 15 minute break was taken and after this AS performed a poetry set.]
[59.00] AS starts his set with a poem that explains what he does, called 'My Poetic Licence' [1.00.38] AS perform his poem 'Asylum Seeking Daleks' [1.02.06] AS talks about his new Autobiography 'Arguments Yard' and how the name originated from an alleyway in Whitby. He then performs a poem about his Father that is part of the book called 'Poppies Poem' [1.04.57] AS performs a poem about his Stepfather 'Never Too Late' [1.08.47] AS talks about combining 'funny' and 'serious' poems/performances in his shows [1.09.28] AS performs his poem 'Corbyn Supporters From Hell' [1.11.31] AS reads from his Autobiography about attending the University of Kent [1.15.23] AS performs his song 'Comandante Joe' a tribute to Joe Strummer, standing on a chair while he sang [1.17.55] AS continues to read from his Autobiography about his experiences at the University of Kent, getting into Punk music and his first band [1.24.28] AS talks about one of his favourite books The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tresselll which highlighted how working-class people vote against their economic and social interests because of the media. He wrote a song about this phenomenon in modern times 'Prince Harry's Knob' and chose to perform this song [1.27.58] AS reads from his Autobiography, a story about his poems being played on the John Peel show [1.29.55] AS reads another section of his autobiography about his worst gig [1.31.44] AS performs his rap Spirit of the Age [1.33.13] AS performs his poem 'Substitute' [1.37.04] AS performs his song 'Looters' [1.39.13] AS ends his set with a section from his book; a story about performing at Brighton and Hove Albion Football matches [1.45.28] AS finishes his set and thanks the audience and the British Stand-Up Comedy Archive. |