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35 years
of performance poetry
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  • Battersea Arts Centre (London - Wandsworth) (499)
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  • Albany (London - Lewisham) (81)
  • Soho Theatre (68)
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  • Horseshoe (52)
  • Roebuck (51)
  • Victoria (Birmingham) (51)
  • Barbican (Plymouth) (48)

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Artists & Shows

Thirty-five years of Apples and Snakes poetry shows: a lot of shows, a lot of artists.

There are still a few gaps, but we're gradually uploading details of them all. Search away, using the boxes on the left. You can search by year (maybe you want to trace your first ever Apples and Snakes gig), by artist (from Dirg Aaab-Richards to Zk the Poet) or by venue (what was the name of that place with the really narrow staircase?).

You'll see that there are some artists we don't know much about - maybe they did one gig for us in 1983 - and we'd therefore welcome any information that you might have. Even better, you might be that artist - and we'd be delighted to renew our acquaintance with you.

And if you have details of any A&S shows that seem to be missing, we'd very much like to hear from you. Especially '80s and '90s; the last few years we've got covered (probably).

  • Elephant Fayre

    Elephant Fayre

    27 July 1984 - 29 July 1984 at 
    Elephant Fayre (St Germans) (1)
    Happily, two of our acts got namechecked in David Quantick‘s NME review of the festival: Surfin’ Dave sounded ‘like a cross between Jonathan Richman … and Billy Bragg’ and Joolz was ‘reciting, and inciting people to give money for the miners’ (New Musical Express, 11 Aug 1984). Business as usual, ...
  • Miner Poets

    Miner Poets

    1 August 1984 at 
    Southbank Centre (29)
    A benefit for the striking miners, co-programmed by Apples & Snakes and the Poetry Society, and supported by the GLC.  If the ticks on the back of the flyer are indicative of A&S’s contribution, then it comprised Hegley, Gilbey, Fred Williams, McGee, Agard, Joolz, LKJ, Prescod, Fell, Condell and African ...
  • Adrian Mitchell, Lindsay MacRae; Bonnie & Clyde; Greg Carmichael & John Knox

    Adrian Mitchell, Lindsay MacRae; Bonnie & Clyde; Greg Carmichael & John Knox

    15 September 1984 at 
    Captain’s Cabin (27)
  • Amryl Johnson, Levi Tafari, Mark Miwurdz, Some Like It Hot

    Amryl Johnson, Levi Tafari, Mark Miwurdz, Some Like It Hot

    22 September 1984 at 
    Captain’s Cabin (27)
  • Kevin Seisay, Little Brother, Claire Dowie, PR Murry

    Kevin Seisay, Little Brother, Claire Dowie, PR Murry

    26 September 1984 at 
    Carlisle (1)
  • John Agard, Little Brother, Desmond Johnson, Fear of Falling

    John Agard, Little Brother, Desmond Johnson, Fear of Falling

    29 September 1984 at 
    Captain’s Cabin (27)
  • Valerie Bloom, Ian McPherson, Dave Reeves & Mr Phipps, Penny Wood

    Valerie Bloom, Ian McPherson, Dave Reeves & Mr Phipps, Penny Wood

    06 October 1984 at 
    Captain’s Cabin (27)
  • Joolz, Peter Campbell, Milton Smalling, The Screaming Abdabs

    Joolz, Peter Campbell, Milton Smalling, The Screaming Abdabs

    13 October 1984 at 
    Captain’s Cabin (27)
  • Roger McGough, Berni Cunnane, Zolan Quobble, Bet Lynch

    Roger McGough, Berni Cunnane, Zolan Quobble, Bet Lynch

    19 October 1984 at 
    Waterside Theatre (3)
  • Women of Courage Week

    Women of Courage Week

    20 October 1984 at 
    Captain’s Cabin (27)
  • Seething Wells, John Hegley, Lindsay MacRae, Kevin Seisay

    Seething Wells, John Hegley, Lindsay MacRae, Kevin Seisay

    27 October 1984 at 
    Captain’s Cabin (27)
  • Joolz, Little Brother

    Joolz, Little Brother

    ? Nov 1984 at 
    Birmingham Writers & Readers Festival (2)
  • Attila the Stockbroker, The Missing Airmen, Simon Pitt, Claire Dowie

    Attila the Stockbroker, The Missing Airmen, Simon Pitt, Claire Dowie

    03 November 1984 at 
    Captain’s Cabin (27)
  • Community Centre Tour

    Community Centre Tour

    8 November 1984 at 
    Rockingham Estate Community Centre (1)
    Ah – the days of 50p/25p poetry gigs…
  • Stanley’s Art Attack

    Stanley’s Art Attack

    09 November 1984 at 
    Stanley Halls (1)
  • Brian Patten, Skint Video, Sue May, Little Dave

    Brian Patten, Skint Video, Sue May, Little Dave

    10 November 1984 at 
    Captain’s Cabin (27)
  • Community Centre Tour

    Community Centre Tour

    15 November 1984 at 
    Bishop Creighton House (London - Hammersmith & Fulham) (1)
    Listed in Time Out  but no mention anywhere else. Anyone?
  • Roy Hutchins, Gladys McGee, Blubbery Hellbellies, File

    Roy Hutchins, Gladys McGee, Blubbery Hellbellies, File

    16 November 1984 at 
    Waterside Theatre (3)
  • Toxic Shock, Ian Smith, Alan Gilbey, Dinah Livingstone

    Toxic Shock, Ian Smith, Alan Gilbey, Dinah Livingstone

    17 November 1984 at 
    Roebuck (51)
  • John Hegley, Lindsay MacRae, PR Murry

    John Hegley, Lindsay MacRae, PR Murry

    18 November 1984 at 
    Battersea Arts Centre (London - Wandsworth) (499)
  • Community Centre Tour

    Community Centre Tour

    19 November 1984 at 
    Clockhouse Community Centre (6)
  • Community Centre Tour

    Community Centre Tour

    21 November 1984 at 
    Oxford House (London - Bethnal Green) (2)
  • Community Centre Tour

    Community Centre Tour

    22 November 1984 at 
    Walworth & Aylesbury Community Arts Trust (London - Southwark) (1)
  • Fran Landesman, Shakka Dedi, The Roaring Girl, Eduardo Niebla & Antonio Forcione

    Fran Landesman, Shakka Dedi, The Roaring Girl, Eduardo Niebla & Antonio Forcione

    24 November 1984 at 
    Roebuck (51)
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