‘I’d Like To Cancel my subscription to 2012. I’ve had the 7 day free trial and I’m not interested’
Welcome to The Bunker. A place that will showcase some talented madness and creativity. A place to share the shadows and the smoke. A depository of prose and words moulded clean. Somewhere to let yourself into and settle down to pick your nose in peace.
Allow me to introduce myself. Karl George Hildebrandt (AKA GerManc). Writer, performer, musician and Poet. Since being asked to provide copy for this column, a mere four days ago, the world has become a stranger place than it already has been over the last 12 months or so, as surprising as that may/may not appear. You are more than aware of what I mean by that and I really don’t want to labour the point, I simply want to try and provide some respite from the white noise we all have to endure at the minute. A lot of my writing and performing stems from observation. Clocking the way the world and its inhabitants carry themselves. The way our days are singed and soaked with opinion and bombarded by half truths and contradictions.
Anyone who knows me knows I have trouble keeping my words to myself. I’ve been ‘told off’ for offending people by asking them to shut up whilst I’m performing. Being a Spoken Word artist i haven’t got that mask of simply turning up the volume and drowning the noise out. I can do that when making music but my voice on its own is exactly that; my voice on its own. I enjoy the frisson that defies me to spit words out. Lenny Bruce (google him if you need to) once said
It’s the suppression of the words that gives it the power, the violence, the viciousness’
I personally use that as my yardstick whilst writing. It’s also how I measure others. Musicians, writers, artists, humans. We owe it to ourselves, especially in these Pandemic times, to be vocal about what is around us. Challenge is a biological necessity; a deep rooted human trait that has kept us all as beings going this long. Lets not fuck it up for the generations to come eh? I doubt i’ll see 100 but i’ve no intention of going anywhere before i’ve toured Europe and released at least 4 books and a triple album.
I’m hoping that in future editions of this column I can introduce you to both my own and others’ thoughts and creations, both poetry and music, and a combination of the two on occasion. Spoken Word has gathered pace in the last few years, even if the likes of Na****wide Building Society seems to have homogenized it for television and everyone and their dog thinks ‘It’s got to rhyme!!!’ otherwise it’s not a poem. Fuck it, we’re not all Pam Ayres (Google her as well if need be) and the current climate is birthing so many artists that are determined to be heard that it’s quite refreshing to be part of a scene that wont be shut up or shut down.
Anyway, a few names to drop that I’ve had the pleasure of working with/supporting and being friends with that you can and need to check out on their Social media platforms. They all have that one thing in common for me. They don’t want to do what they do, they NEED to do what they do, otherwise they’d implode.
Leon The Pig Farmer/The Dirt
Patrick T Davis
Jackie Hagan
Gerry Potter
The Battery Farm
Cold Water Swimmers
Pagans SOH
San Pedro Collective
The Red Stains
Def Robot
One Sided Horse
Bobo Molander
The Any Numbers
I’ve probably left a few out but i’ve got a few more to add next time, including as i mentioned above some new talent as well. If you have any suggestions of someone i’ve not heard, then keep them to yourself. Kidding, let me know. I hope you’ve enjoyed this introduction to what i do and stay tuned for the next episode. It will only get better. And swearier.
Proper
???? Credit – Vanessa Tither
