Recording: John Cooper Clarke

Artist: John Cooper Clarke

Poems: Get Back on Drugs You Fat Fuck + Bed Blocker Blues

Recorded at The Garrison, September 10, 2015.

John Cooper Clarke - Get Back on Drugs You Fat Fuck

John Cooper Clarke - Bed Blocker Blues

So far as I can tell, punkrock performance poet icon John Cooper Clarke hasn't played Toronto for over thirty years, so the fact that this show was delayed from springtime seemed like not much longer to wait. Two shows at the smaller Rivoli ended up becoming one entirely sold-out show at The Garrison, and the packed-in crowd were in good humour as JCC performed a series of poems with his rapid-fire delivery, punctuated by more relaxed stretches of banter. That there was about twice as much of the latter as the former was not to the set's detriment as Clarke shared a lifetime's worth of quips, one-liners and anecdotes. Still raw and hilarious, his poems' biting humour still covered all the big issues (love, death, gentrification, rental cars, etc.). Possibly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in these parts and a wonderful show.