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Wish You Were Really There - Chester!

21/05/10 Live
by Nathan Jones

The beautiful folk at Chester Performs have commissioned a special spin-off of our big big poetry and music events for the openning of their Screen Deva festival.

The show is curated by Mercy favourite and The Times rising star of literature Ross Sutherland, In an act of soaring nepotism, he has selected a line-up of some of his best literary and musical buddies, including himself - and the awesome, awesome lyrical holy spirng Kate Tempest, who we've been wanting to work with for fricking ages, the blood curdling John Smith, and comic hyper intellectuals from Homework peeps.

You can also expect the usual Mercy visual riches and shameless fun-having.

It's at St Mary's Church in Chester on Friday 28th May, kick's-off at 8pm, and it will all be over to jump on a train at the nearby station if you don't live in Chester.

Take a look and get tickets below...


John Smith

One of the best of a breed of new folk stars. Dazzling, inventive guitarist, with lightning-fast fingerpicking, unconventional percussive guitaring and an unforgettable, honeyed, gravelly growl of a voice that gives us watery knees. As well as songs from his new album, John will be bringing the noise with a thrilling electric guitar collaboration with the Homework poets.
“unexpected and daring" - The Sunday Times


Ross Sutherland

Ross Sutherland was included in The Times’s list of Top Ten Literary Stars of 2008. Ross has co-written eight live literature productions, including the critically acclaimed Poetry Boyband (Time Out Critic’s Choice of the Year 2005). He has four productions touring throughout 2009: Found in Translation, Infinite Lives, The Dead That Never Lived and The Shallowing Shovel. His debut solo collection, Things To Do Before You Leave Town , was published by Penned in the Margins in January 2009.

Joe Dunthorne
Joe Dunthorne’s debut novel, Submarine (Penguin), won the Curtis Brown prize. It has been translated in to ten languages and is currently being adapted for film by Warp Films. His debut poetry pamphlet will be published by Faber in May 2010. He is a striker for the England Writers’ Football Team. His website is www.joedunthorne.com

Sound of Rum

Formed in the summer of 2008. Since then rapper Kate Tempest, guitarist Archie Marsh and drummer Ferry Lawrenson have been playing gigs all over Britain – whether on actual stages or just busking in the rain. They’ve been played on Rob Da Bank’s Radio 1 Show, Huw Stephens’s Radio 1 Show and have been in for hub session with Stephen Merchant on BBC6music.
“Kate Tempest's works are truly of upliftment and betterment” - Roots Manuva

Chris Hicks
Chris is the finest legal mind in poetry and looks heavier than he is. He contributes to things like McSweeneys and performs poetry and stand-up like everyday in fun places (Latitude, Reading, Leeds, Glastonbury, Edinburgh, London, Slovakia, his dark room). He can’t smell anything though.

Tim Clare
Tim Clare is a writer, stand-up poet and musician. His autobiographical book about thwarted ambition and growing up, We Can’t All Be Astronauts, is out now. He has written for the Guardian and the Times, and has performed his work on Radio 1 and 2. In 2005 he presented the Channel 4 series ‘How To Get A Book Deal’. He is a regular performer at many festivals including Glastonbury, Leeds and Reading, and Latitude.

Tickets prices £8/£6 and can be booked

or by calling 0843 208 0500