Poets and comedians will join forces at Salford Lads’ Club this Friday in aid of local charities.
The prizewinning comedy night ‘Punk In Drublic’ is coming to the iconic Lads’ Club to raise money for the club and Mustard Tree, a Manchester-based charity that try to combat poverty and prevent homelessness.
Poetry will be performed by Louise Fazackerley, Leon The Pig Farmer, Stevie Turner, and Isabelle Byrne. Comedians Hannah Platt, Tom Lawrinson and Alex Slater are also on the line up.
Jack Horner, aka Leon The Pig Farmer, 51, is a Manchester-based beat poet originally from Yorkshire.
The ex-serviceman began writing after he was diagnosed with PTSD in 2019.
He said: “I’d say it was one of the major things that really helped me with not just dealing with the PTSD, but also the wellbeing in my life and the daily struggles we get through. It’s really helped me become stable and find a new creative outlet.”
The 51-year-old beat poet regularly helps those struggling with homelessness in Manchester. He has done gigs for Lifeshare and donated some of the proceeds from his first book, ‘Talking Myself Out of Trouble’, to the Salford-based charity the Emmaus Centre.
Talking about Mustard Tree, Horner said: “It’s a very good charity and it deserves to be one of the ones that benefits from what we do. At this time of year, if we can chuck a load of money to help people get off the streets through winter, all the better.”
Describing his style, Horner said: “It’s fast firing and very quick speaking. Initially through nerves, but I’ve kept that energy going.
“I give a quirky tilted outlook on my social observation, whether it be on a bus, a tram, or a toilet wall in a pub where graffiti is. I social commentate on all different angles, to try thread a little bit of humour into a dark world where some of my political and mental health stuff can be quite hard hitting.”
Horner has taken part in previous Punk In Drublic nights and helped arrange this specific fundraiser with host Rob Stevenson. He continued: “I don’t think Salford Lads’ Club needs to be put on the map any further, I think it’s known worldwide. But to bring a new diverse angle to it, and a new sphere of art, I think it’s just so exciting.
“If comedy and spoken word hasn’t normally been your thing, I think Punk In Drublic can be. It touches on lots of different areas of the spoken word and the comedic art, and it’s very relaxed. It’s curated very well and it’s for charity. So I think all facets of it have got very good positive feelings about it.”
Louise Fazackerley, 44, is a poet from Wigan who will also be performing on Friday. She has been hailed as “a class act” by John Cooper Clarke. Describing her work as “really accessible” and “darkly humorous”, she said: “I suppose my poetry tells stories about everyday sorts of people doing interesting things.
“It’s always fun when poets and comics get together,” explained Fazackerley, who is “super excited” for her Punk In Drublic debut.
“It’s absolutely fabulous to be at Salford Lads’ Club because of the impact it’s had across the country, inspiring so many youth zones. And obviously, so many big acts have been there before.”
Happy to be raising money for charity, the Wigan poet added: “Homelessness is something that everyone should take seriously. I know people who have been involved with Mustard Tree and been supported into employment, so I know they do a lot of amazing work.”
Mustard Tree helps those who are sleeping rough and tackle the causes and consequences of homelessness. Their food club supports those struggling to pay for groceries, and they also host sessions where people can learn helpful life skills, such as CV writing or basic IT proficiency.
Mustard Tree is grateful for Punk In Drublic’s organiser Rob Stevenson who has raised thousands of pounds for them over the last four years. Communications manager Jack Barton, 34, said: “We can use this money where it is needed most in the charity. That could mean paying for a trainee’s travel expenses to get them to their work placement, it could help pay for a support worker’s salary, or pay towards a qualification to help someone get into work.”
Due to the cost-of-living crisis and Christmas soon approaching, the Manchester-based charity are currently being asked for help by more people than ever before.
“We have just launched a new monthly giving campaign called the High Fivers to address this rise in need, where we’re asking our followers to consider how we fight poverty and inequality in Greater Manchester”, explained Barton.
Punk In Drublic, which won best regular spoken word night 2020 at the Saboteur Awards, will also be raising money for Salford Lads’ Club. This will help them to continue providing sporting and social opportunities for local children, like they have done since opening in 1903.
The 18+ event will run from 7pm until 10pm on Friday 2nd December, 2022.
Tickets are available to buy on Skiddle now.
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