NT20 - November - Byroglyphics.

‘Featured Poets’, Café Euro, Saturday 24th October 2009

Once again we’re returning to the Off the Shelf fray, this time with a showcase of some of the UK’s finest performance poets.

The line-up will include regular Latitude and Glastonbury performer Byron Vincent, A.F. Harrold, who is reportedly ‘Spike Milligan and Peter Cook rolled into one’ – Daljit Nagra (no pressure then), Mark Gwynne Jones, who The Guardian called – ‘inspired… one of the most accomplished performance poets in the land’ and, as if it could get any better, there will also be music from Sheffield stalwart, fantastic singer-songwriter Louis Romegoux.

Sentence and a half huh?

Here’re the practical details:

Venue: Café Euro

Date: 24/10/2009

Start Time: 8pm

Cost: £5 on the door

Visit the Facebook event page for even more information.

Off the Shelf (A Bit More About the Festival)

Now in its 18th year, Off the Shelf is an annual celebration of Sheffield literature funded and organised by Sheffield City Council's Culture Department. All ages are catered for, with events including readings, storytelling, walks, exhibitions and a great deal more.

Read all about the festival and view the full programme of events.

Fuck Buttons/Zun Zun Egui/Forest Creature @ Corp, October 18th.

Here is the full version of Adam Beard's Fuck Buttons review from issue 19 of Now Then, which was somewhat savagely edited due to space restrictions. Enjoy...


Fuck Buttons/Zun Zun Egui/Forest Creature.
@Corporation.
October 18th.

By Adam Beard.

For reasons too dull to divulge, tonight is due to be my first encounter with Forest Creature. And for duller reasons yet, 95% of their set was heard through the stifling post-industrial concrete flooring of Corporation. Needless to say, now is not the time for objective evaluation of the FC experience. That will come. One day.

Zun Zun Egui were one of many pleasant surprises for the writer at this year’s Green Man Festival. Though it’s not until they take to the stage it becomes apparent I have many false recollections of the time. Whether due to the intoxicating nature of Egui’s show, or of intoxicants, I’m not fully sure. Regardless, Egui’s blend of tribal musings is immediately absorbing. Main singer/guitarist Kush’s six string dexterity is a perfect counterpoint to the various primal yelps and barks of his vocal delivery, the whole thing underpinned by drummer Matthew’s performance as though a chemically stimulated Jim White. The whole thing could come off a little worthy, but there’s a humour and a balance to it that pitches up just right. Recommended.

And so to Fuck Buttons. An entity whose chosen moniker tells you all you need to know about their willingness to play the game. Touring sophomore album Tarot Sport, we’re treated to pretty much a 50/50 mix of old and new alike. Though the set loses a little momentum towards the end, this is more to do with a lack of familiarity with the material than the material itself. The likes of 'Bright Tomorrow' remind why they’re so special, and new single 'Surf Solar' proving the perfect introduction to their latest LP.

Wordlife and Off the Shelf Event, Saturday 17/10/09

Opus and Wordlife will be teaming up with the Off the Shelf festival to present an evening of words and music this Saturday at Café Euro.

The line-up showcases some of the region's finest poetic talent, including Derbyshire poet laureate River Wolton (featured in October's Now Then), Helen Mort (winner of the Manchester Young Writer Award), Matt Clegg (Eric Gregory award), Matt Black (Arts Council Writers Award), Ben Wilkinson (Tall Lighthouse) and Now Then's own James Lock.

The event will conclude with a live performance from local blues guitarist Andrew Duxfield, an artist of "almost super-human dexterity"; a high accolade indeed.

That's the description, here are the practical details:

Venue: Café Euro

Date: 17/10/2009

Start Time: 8pm

Cost: £5 on the door

There's also a second Off the Shelf event curated by Opus/Wordlife planned for the 24th of October, which will get it's own blog post soon. Details here.

Off the Shelf (A Bit About the Festival)

Off the Shelf is an annual celebration of Sheffield literature, funded and organised by Sheffield City Council's Culture Department. This year the festival runs from the 10th to the 31st of October and includes a programme of events ranging from live poetry to workshops, walks and competitions.

View the full programme of events

NT19 - October - Matt Daley.

Good news everyone, the October issue of your favourite free creative arts magazine Now Then has been distributed and is now available across Sheffield City Centre and the surrounding areas. This month we've increased our readership to 20,000 and have expanded the magazine to a mammoth 56 pages, and so we've expanded into new areas of the city distribution-wise.

We leave copies for you to pick up in most of the shops, bars and restaurants around Division Street, West St, Fargate and the Cathedral Quarter, and also leave a few in the Showroom and train station area.

Out of town, we distribute to the following areas: Eccelsall Road, London Road, Chesterfield Road, Crookes, Crookesmore, Broomhill, Woodseats, Abbeydale Road, Netheredge, The Wicker - we're even going as far as Woodseats and Chesterfield road. All in all, you should be able to find a copy, wherever you look.

Inside the October issue (NT19) you can expect to find familiar faces LOCAL CHECK, COUNCIL AXE and WORDLIFE, alongside an interview with walking personification of Sheffield, Richard Hawley. This month's artist is illustrative propaganda merchant Matthew Daley.

As always we aim to inform, raise awareness of independent art, literature, music, trade and politics and cultivate community choice, voice and responsibility - and if such lofty ideals aren't worthy of your interest then we don't know what is.

Back Issues, Contributing, Advertising

Back issues, as always, are available at Toast in the Forum or The Old Sweet Shop in Netheredge - they go fast so if you want one you'd best be quick.

If you're a local business, community group or charity and interested in advertising in Now Then, send your query to Ads@nowthensheffield.com. If you think you've got something to contribute, submit your article (or article idea) to subs@nowthensheffield.com.

Follow Opus/Now Then on Twitter for news and updates on how you can contribute to Now Then, forthcoming features and events.

NT18 - September - Tom Newell.

NT17 - August - Matthew Ryan Sharp.