| Main Performers | Allen Ginsberg,
Tom Pickard,
Anne Waldman,
Iain Sinclair,
Denise Riley,
Benjamin Zephaniah,
Brian Catling,
Sorley MacLean,
Alice Notley,
Douglas Oliver,
Aaron Williamson,
Aidan Dun,
Brendan Kennelly,
Cris Cheek,
Michael Horovitz,
Kathy Acker - speakers |
| Set List | Brian Catling,
Aaron Williamson,
Aidan Dunn,
Denise Riley,
Iain Sinclair,
Cris Cheek,
Michael Horovitz
INTERVAL
Benjamin Zephaniah,
Douglas Oliver,
Alice Notley,
Brendan Kennelly,
Sorley MacLean,
Tom Pickard,
Anne Waldman,
'The Ballad of the Skeletons' (Allen Ginsberg with Paul McCartney) |
| Performance Notes | Aged 70, Allen Ginsberg recited his poem' 'The Ballad of the Skeleton' at the end of the event, accompanied by Paul McCartney on acoustic guitar. This performance came about after Ginsberg visited McCartney at his home in October 1995 and mentioned that he had to give a reading with Anne Waldman and other poets at the Royal Albert Hall, and was looking for a guitarist to accompany him. Why dont you try me, McCartney said. I love the poem.
Ginsberg continued the story:
"He showed up at 5pm for the sound check, and he bought a box for his family. Got all his kids together, four of them, and his wife, and he sat through the whole evening of poetry, and we didnt say who my accompanist was going to be. We introduced him at the end of the evening, and then the roar went up on the floor of the Albert Hall, and we knocked out the song."
The promoter offered every ticket holder the opportunity to submit a poem. The winner was invited on stage to read their poem and was included in an anthology of the evening's performances which was published in 1996. |
| Related Archival Material | Programme (RAHE/1/1995/143),
Handbill (RAHE/6/1995/17),
Poster (RAHE/2/1995/4) |