Stephen Kalinich 22nd Aug 2006

Thus we were all set up for an improvised evening of Kalinich's inspirational poetry, Beach Boys nostalgia, and a few numbers from Charlotte Cooper's new album.

Nico, the Belgium guitarist, is clearly a Beach Boys aficionado, but more than that he has an incredibly strong falsetto voice that can hit all those high notes with no difficulty. Nico kicked off the evening with a couple of BB's old numbers and one of his own.

To use a formulaic expression. Kalinich's poetry is 'spiritual but not religious'. His delivery is dramatic and urgent, often with sound accompaniment. His poetry protests a mundane, utilitarian view of life and challenges us to find and embrace the artist in each of us as an antidote to warmongers and hatemongers. It proclaims a common humanity and a simple ethic of love.

You can find a short statement of his beliefs here.

He read and performed The Magic Hand, Bring in All the Poets, The Days of Life, and Galactic Symphony No 1: The Tale of Man. (Or so my notes tell me. I might have got it wrong.)