Trying to catch up with my Substacks starting with the newest, this immediately caught my eye. Yes I did know Anne, I published a fair amount of her early poetry in Jamming!, my fanzine/magazine. I grew up very close to Croydon, played the Warehouse one time with my band, Croydon was shithole, it's marginally better now but it was an architectural/shopping complex brutalist horror show back then.
Poetry was the "thing" in the very early 1980s, many people inspired by Paul Weller's promotion of the format and Anne came through that, but unlike so many others who were "ranters" or only wanted to see themselves on paper, she carved out a proper artistic niche by embracing experimental electronic rhythms. Anne and I had crossed paths a lot in those early poetry days, and I was always happy to see that she was one of the very few who used to send me her poems in the mail who went on o have some "success," and I also know that she had an impact in other countries, but had no idea that she had a) made money and b) lost it on tour like that. Thanks for the education, and now I have a new "rock doc" to watch.
Thanks Tony. The Paul Weller/Riot Stories connection was one of the things I left out of the story because it was getting too long. But great to hear it from someone who experienced it first hand. Was she ever enjoying (underground) succes in the UK with her first albums/singles ? I didn't find any trace of it.
Hi Pe, depends how you define underground success. I was aware that she was putting out records, and I felt good about that given that very few other poets were making that leap and those that were were ranters. Red Flame was an OK label, I would say she was like anyone else of that era, just doing her thing, trying to be heard, reaching some ears and not others... Cheers.
Trying to catch up with my Substacks starting with the newest, this immediately caught my eye. Yes I did know Anne, I published a fair amount of her early poetry in Jamming!, my fanzine/magazine. I grew up very close to Croydon, played the Warehouse one time with my band, Croydon was shithole, it's marginally better now but it was an architectural/shopping complex brutalist horror show back then.
Poetry was the "thing" in the very early 1980s, many people inspired by Paul Weller's promotion of the format and Anne came through that, but unlike so many others who were "ranters" or only wanted to see themselves on paper, she carved out a proper artistic niche by embracing experimental electronic rhythms. Anne and I had crossed paths a lot in those early poetry days, and I was always happy to see that she was one of the very few who used to send me her poems in the mail who went on o have some "success," and I also know that she had an impact in other countries, but had no idea that she had a) made money and b) lost it on tour like that. Thanks for the education, and now I have a new "rock doc" to watch.
Thanks Tony. The Paul Weller/Riot Stories connection was one of the things I left out of the story because it was getting too long. But great to hear it from someone who experienced it first hand. Was she ever enjoying (underground) succes in the UK with her first albums/singles ? I didn't find any trace of it.
Hi Pe, depends how you define underground success. I was aware that she was putting out records, and I felt good about that given that very few other poets were making that leap and those that were were ranters. Red Flame was an OK label, I would say she was like anyone else of that era, just doing her thing, trying to be heard, reaching some ears and not others... Cheers.