Join the Club: Jim Lambie's Poetry Club at Jura Unbound

Preview | 03 Jul 2014

The Poetry Club is renowned for its nights of spoken word, music, small-scale theatre and performance art. The story goes that the ever-resourceful Glasgow-based artist Jim Lambie had an upcoming collaborative event with writer and punk-pioneer Richard Hell, but rather than look for a venue he opted to design and build his own in the space of six weeks. The Poetry Club in Glasgow successfully blends the excitement and immediacy of a pop-up venue with the over-arching aesthetic of something more permanent. And now that same Poetry Club will be in residence at Jura Unbound for one night only of indie-art magic. Bringing a sampler of highlights from its rich past two years, it assembles some of the people who, in Lambie’s words, "give us our dreams."

First up is John Giorno. Born in New York in 1936 and with a career spanning over 50 years, he is considered to be one of the originators of Performance Poetry. Key to the Factory art scene, Giorno was a friend and contemporary of many of the most significant 1960s writers and artists, including Ginsberg, Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns, and was the subject of Andy Warhol's experimental 1963 film Sleep. The Poetry Club's Jura Unbound evening will continue with live music from resident band Elara Caluna plus special guests, and the club’s DJs will bring the night to a close.

Glasgow School of Art alumnus Jim Lambie is also a musician and DJ who once played in the popular Glaswegian band The Boy Hairdressers, which went on to become Teenage Fanclub. His art is rich with references to music and his installation Mental Oyster was shortlisted for the Turner Prize back in 2005. He’s currently exhibiting at The Fruitmarket Gallery. 

The Poetry Club, 9pm, Sun 17 Aug, free http://www.edbookfest.co.uk