Renegade Writers; A Review of Sorts By Alexander Porter

First off, this is not an objective review, having never been to a performance by this motley crew before I had expected a bunch of pretensions twenty something spouting angst, instead I got a pirate, an extremely pleasant surprise, second only to finding an entire packet of fags at three in the morning whilst on a bender, when you thought you had run out.

This perhaps encapsulates the Renegade Writers, a pleasant surprise, and whilst there was angst, as can only be expected when a group of people get together to show off their artistic skills, it was of a most acceptable level, necessary to throw into contrast the more humorous aspects of the night.

That was not the only surprise; mingled amongst the words was music, three acts all of a high standard; some jaunty folk-pop from the self professed hippy, Pete Coulam, an excellent impromptu set of what could perhaps be described as alt country by a lass who's name unfortunately eludes my drug addled memory. The last music act, and indeed the last act of the night was CrackTown; a two man guitar-harmonica combo, who I'm informed have made good impressions in the past, as they did this time.

Their lyrics may not have been to all tastes (too much Britain is shit, which may be true, but they ignored the most dire threat to our national honour, namely Lord of the Rings being Britain's most popular book) but their ability and lyrical style prevented this from being a problem to myself, both of which were excellent. Of course the primary reason for the night was for the words crafted by the various members of the group, all of varying style and theme.

We were treated to some excellent comedy from various members, which all the while remained literate and flowing, not just stand up, but valid poetry when it was intended to be so. Some of this was quite innovative, one member receiving a phone call about sharks being in the Humber whilst she was at the mike.

On several occasions the group's ability to work with others rather than just on their own was displayed, with what could be quite viable separate pieces being interwoven to create a whole. Of course it would be a falsity to claim that everything was of sterling calibre, it wasn't. As with any kind of performance there were parts that were lacking, but these were not in the majority; in fact they were quite the minority, less than would be expected for an amateur group.

Interspaced with the poetry were comedy skits, again some good, some bad. This is where the pirate came in. Pirates being inherently funny and cool there is little option but for this to be one of my highlights, well anything involving pirates is a highlight for me.

Towards the end was the chance for audience participation, a good idea in most performances; a competition in recollecting eighties song titles unsubtly placed in a poem. Which is where we come to another aspect of the night that endeared me to it; the audience. Whilst I had never met any of these people before, such was the environment and bonne-homme created by the night (or perhaps just the calibre of people who attended) that I found myself having conversations with them, and found them to be friendly to the last.

To me this created a warm atmosphere to the entire night, intensifying the whole experience. Perhaps this is also because the performers themselves were not above talking to the attendee's, blowing any preconceptions of pretension out of the water. Having found myself impressed by the night, and having had considerable enjoyment out of it, I fully intend to return.

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