“March was so jam-packed that one monthly round-up just wasn’t enough! In this episode, come with me to interview hotshot horror punks Creeper, perform at not one but two poetry slams, and watch All Time Low collect more bras than entirely necessary. March is back, and this time it’s personal!”

Welcome back! Honestly, March was such a whirlwind that it’s been difficult to keep track of everything, and this is by no means an exhaustive list. However, here are the highlights for the second act of the third month, and I would exchange any of this crazyness for the world. Make sure you catch up on part one before jumping in, and we can get started with March: The Sequel!

Wednesday 15th ~ All Time Low, Leeds

You know it’s a good week when you get to see not one, but two of your favourite bands in one week. I had seen All Time Low before, in fact they were the first arena show I ever covered as a professional journalist. This time though, the vibe was completely different. I wasn’t in work mode, I didn’t have to make notes on everything, I didn’t have to travel out of my home city, and most of all I wasn’t by myself.

It was a great mix. New friends who I had just met at uni, friends I had had since the end of high school, the wonderful boyfriend, and my best friend since Primary school who had travelled down from university. It felt like all the disjointed parts of my life were finally in harmony, and the cocktails we had pre-show didn’t really harm those vibes either. The show was, of course, amazing, but best of all I got to be there while some of my best friends got to see their all time favourite band for the first time ever. As the confetti rained down, I couldn’t help but think of all the times we had hung out over the years, and how even though we lived much further apart now, that wasn’t stopping any time soon.

Friday 17th ~ Interviewing Creeper // Memusi Benefit Gig, Wakefield

Rhiannon-Skye Boden; Memusi Foundation Benefit Gig

Avenoir; Memusi Foundation Benefit Gig

Rosa Johnston Kincaid; Memusi Foundation Benefit Gig

Isaac Boothman; Memusi Foundation Benefit Gig

Creeper are one of those bands that weren’t on my radar for the longest time, but who I stumbled upon at a festival and couldn’t believe I’d gone without them for so long. Their blend of goth, horror punk and classic rock feels like it was made just for me, so when The Gryphon gave me the opportunity to interview them ahead of their debut album release on the 24th, I jumped at the chance. I’ll admit I was a little nervous, and I had to deal with too many tech issues to count, but it was more than worth it. Will (the vocalist) has such a unique approach to storytelling and aesthetics, and getting to dig into that a little bit was so rewarding.

You can read my Interview & Feature here.

However, I didn’t have much time to dwell on the conversation, as I had to rush straight to Wakefield for a friend’s charity benefit. The whole thing was in service of the Memusi Benefit Foundation, which was set up to provide girls with quality education in places like Tanzania and Kenya. The turn out to see bands like Slurp Dirty, Flash Bats and Avenoir was incredible, and I was lucky enough to be asked to perform as a slam poet in between sets.

I’m still fairly new to making my work public, so getting to perform for such a receptive audience was such a buzz. I slipped up a few times, but the paralyzing nerves I normally feel just weren’t there, and I got the thrill of getting to share my writing with Ethan, who is the best artist I know and whose opinion I respect so much. I even snuck in a cheeky John Cooper Clarke number, which is the hallmark of a good night in my opinion!

Friday 24th ~ Slam Of The North Poetry Competition, Leeds

Slam Of The North 2017; Leeds University Spoken Word Society

Slam Of The North 2017 Competition Team; Leeds University Spoken Word Society

Without a doubt, this was the highlight of my month. After the most truly nerve-wracking performance of my life a few months ago, I managed to make the top 5 out of all the poets competing, and so earned a spot on the competition team. I’d never performed before, let alone competed, so to be welcomed into a team with so little experience felt like such an act of trust on their part.

After numerous writing sessions, rehearsals, promotional materials being filmed and trips to the theatre, the day finally arrived, and I got the opportunity to slam with and against poets from Manchester and Sheffield. Everyone gave a stellar performance, and the guest poets were enlightening, but in the end we managed to snatch the trophy! Having conceptualised, written and directed a lot of the group poem, I felt really proud to have created something that other people not only related to, but thought was worthy of praise on that level. I definitely caught the slam bug that night, and I cannot wait to see what performances April brings.

And I’m afraid that’s all folks, for real this time! I hope you enjoyed seeing what I got up to this month, I’d love to know what made your month down in the comments. What were your top three favourite moments? What does April hold for you?

As always, you can submit your band or brand for review here, my previous reviews of Hidden Cabins and They Called Him Zone have even been used in websites and testimonials. Also! I’m still posting snippets of my secret project over on Niume, and if you click here to join you’ll receive $1 just for creating your first post! Have a good month, and of course:

Stay Different
Your Skye