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Largely here to read from his latest, prose, work Gig: the life and times of a rockstar, he began with a tale of how he found a signed copy of his book in a charity shop for 10p, a comical story that built on the idea of an Englishman down on his luck. While telling of sitting among the winos and junkies or of growing up in Huddersfield, the poet, despite his protests, seemed largely comfortable with a crowd.
Answering questions such as ‘Why didn’t you become a rockstar?’ or ‘What do you think of Leonard Cohen’ Armitage buzzed with charisma and experience. His comedy contrasted with tales of lost friends and a childhood gone but he was at his most vulnerable with You’re Beautiful , a poem of opposing opinions in a man and woman that parallels with Starlings by Elbow.
Although the creative writing teacher at Manchester Met insisted that poetry and lyricism do not have a crossover point I think there must be common experiences for two men, of a similar age, growing up crossing the same borders. And as the last claps died down following the unsuccessful story of his trying to form a band, I can’t help but think of unity.
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