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Benjamin Zephaniah

Contains 19 performances.

Born and raised in Birmingham, England, Benjamin Zephaniah is a dub poet who had already gained a local reputation for his spoken word by the age of fifteen and at twenty-two moved to London to share his work with a wider audience. Heavily influenced by the music and poetry of Jamaica, his first collection was published in 1980, and he has continued to write and perform since, with thirteen poetry collections to his name in addition to many books aimed at younger readers and an extensive discography.

Zephaniah’s work was born from both his experience of ‘street politics’ and his understanding of global issues surrounding race, class and injustice. His poetry has been shared widely in libraries, on stages, television screens and on the streets; he remains living proof that poetry – particularly spoken word – has an important part to play in politics and protest.

Poet's website: https://benjaminzephaniah.com/

  • Benjamin Zephaniah, Belinda Blanchard, Emile Sercombe, Take It

    Benjamin Zephaniah, Belinda Blanchard, Emile Sercombe, Take It

    Sat 9 Oct 1982 at 
    Adams Arms (London - Camden) (16)
    The second A&S show, and the first to feature the already-established Zephaniah. Also the first to feature Belinda Blanchard, who was destined to be something of an early A&S favourite; and Emile Sercombe, a member of the pre-A&S collective Worthless Words and another cornerstone of these early bills.
  • Mark Miwurdz, Benjamin Zephaniah, Alèv, The Missing Airmen

    Mark Miwurdz, Benjamin Zephaniah, Alèv, The Missing Airmen

    8 January 1983 at 
    Roebuck (51)
    We’ve lost our flyer for this one (it possibly went into the same skip as Billy Bragg’s demo tape). Can anybody help?
  • Benjamin Zephaniah, Jenny Lecoat, Gladys McGee, Controlled Attack, Patric Dream

    Benjamin Zephaniah, Jenny Lecoat, Gladys McGee, Controlled Attack, Patric Dream

    22 April 1983 at 
    Clockhouse Community Centre (6)
    Patric Cunnane here billed as ‘Patric Dream’ – a name he adopted during a brief sojourn in Southampton.
  • Book launch & cabaret

    Book launch & cabaret

    18 April 1984 at 
    Drill Hall (3)
  • Benjamin Zephaniah, Martin Glynn, Francesca Kay, Andy White

    Benjamin Zephaniah, Martin Glynn, Francesca Kay, Andy White

    08 December 1984 at 
    Captain’s Cabin (27)
    Roebuck (51)
  • GLC Giroshow

    GLC Giroshow

    16 February 1985 at 
    Crayford Town Hall (1)
    Bill topped by Microdisney and Eyeless in Gaza. (Wonder if Simon Armitage – Eyeless fan par excellence – was in the house that night…)
  • Greenwich Festival: Poll Party

    Greenwich Festival: Poll Party

    11 June 1987 at 
    Blackheath Common (1)
    The Ranters’ Cup Final Night on the reverse of the flyer wasn’t an A&S gig, but is included here for reasons of cultural interest!
  • Benjamin Zephaniah, Faybiene Miranda, Lemn Sissay, Brother Niyi, JD Douglas

    Benjamin Zephaniah, Faybiene Miranda, Lemn Sissay, Brother Niyi, JD Douglas

    08 April 1988 at 
    Covent Garden Community Centre (182)
    JD Douglas JD Douglas only mentioned in Caribbean Times Review, 21 Apr
  • Benjamin Zephaniah, Jean 'Binta' Breeze, Ministry of Love with Levi Tafari, Brother Niyi

    Benjamin Zephaniah, Jean 'Binta' Breeze, Ministry of Love with Levi Tafari, Brother Niyi

    10 September 1988 at 
    Albany (London - Lewisham) (81)
    Brother Niyi
  • Benjamin Zephaniah, Sister Netifa, Brother Resistance, Sista Culcha

    Benjamin Zephaniah, Sister Netifa, Brother Resistance, Sista Culcha

    27 October 1989 at 
    Covent Garden Community Centre (182)
  • Poets & Musicians for Peace

    Poets & Musicians for Peace

    24 November 1990 at 
    Covent Garden Community Centre (182)
    This was an Artists For Palestine benefit.
  • Solango Festival

    Solango Festival

    15 February 1991 at 
    Covent Garden Community Centre (182)
    Meaning We Who Come Together to Create Something Beautiful out of Love, according to the flyer. Featuring Benjamin Zephaniah, Talvin Singh and Sabahat Shah, with Patience Agbabi hosting.
  • 5th Annual Jazz-Poetry Festival - (Perf 1)

    5th Annual Jazz-Poetry Festival - (Perf 1)

    31 January 1992 at 
    Tabernacle (7)
    DJ Jez Nelson cut his teeth on pirate radio and Jazz FM. It is interesting to see how these expressive art forms that were gaining in reputation at the time
  • First London Youth Poetry Festival

    First London Youth Poetry Festival

    18 March 1992 at 
    Lilian Baylis Theatre (2)
    This was in association with Islington Education and Islington Arts & Entertainments.
  • 10th Birthday Celebration (and Anthology Launch)

    10th Birthday Celebration (and Anthology Launch)

    12 September 1992 at 
    Hackney Empire (2)
    A decade is a very, very long time in performance poetry, so this was a well-earned celebration. However, one despatch to Time Out’s letters page (24 Sep) found the show to be ‘a sickened, weakened thing’, thanks to ‘pollution by PCAs (politically correct attitudes)’. Proof that you can’t please all ...
  • Artists for Palestine Benefit

    Artists for Palestine Benefit

    03 October 1992 at 
    Covent Garden Community Centre (182)
  • Merle Collins: Rotten Pomerack Tour

    Merle Collins: Rotten Pomerack Tour

    15 October 1992 at 
    Greenwich Town Hall (2)
  • The Final: New Performance Poet of the Year Award 1994

    The Final: New Performance Poet of the Year Award 1994

    5 October 1994 at 
    Battersea Arts Centre (London - Wandsworth) (499)
    This was the first performance poetry competition held by Apples and Snakes. Joolz, Lemn Sissay and Patience Agbabi also did guest performances. According to the flyer, there were eight knock-out heats before the last eight performed in the Final. The heats were held on 24 and 31st August and September 7th. The Winner was ...
  • Momentum

    Momentum

    16 December 2003 at 
    Southbank Centre (29)
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