By Paul Eckert
Open Mic Night at the Blue Boar pub, Castlegate provides fun-filled, intimate entertainment for all—from fans of thought-provoking poetry to off-beat narrative enthusiasts.
Thursday 24th February–There’s an Ernest Hemingway inscription overarching the spacious front room of the Blue Boar pub:
“Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.”
At the Blue Boar ‘Howlers’ Open Mic night there weren’t many closed mouths. Instead, widespread gaping at the always brave, sometimes bizarre, and often talented assortment of readers (mainly from phones), reciters, and drink-in-hand storytellers. Every act was unpredictable. Among the offerings: rhymed lines of unrequited love, impromptu song lyrics, and pagan limericks from an anti-poet. There was a winding yarn about an armed Italian in a Catholic church, ramblings about redneck Canadians, and several metaphysical sonnets (or at least poems).
The main metaphysician, MC and baptizer of Howlers, Pete Blunden is a post-grad student at York St John studying Creative Writing.
“I like the audience to go on a journey…finishing with transcendent self-discovery,” Blunden explained to me—eyes beaming, his blue-nail-polished fingers (including thumb) adorned with interesting rings reaching up to rub his cheeky beard.
“I like the beer,” said another patron, with an MA in English Literature.
“There’s that too,” smiled Blunden, pint in hand. Hailing from Cirencester (“a very nice place—if you’re old”) he’s been on a sort of arts education pilgrimage. Medieval Studies in Swansea led to full time study and part-time philosophising and bartending in York.
Blunden named the open mic night ‘Howlers’ as a tribute to the famous work of beat poet Allen Ginsburg. “I started Howlers (January 2022) because there was only one open mic night in York. No one else was doing it, so I spoke with the manager (of the Blue Boar) to make one here. It’s been great. We’ve had all sorts of performances, from folklore to poems to Star Wars re-enactments.”
Blunden is a natural on the mic. Light-heartedly urging people to sign up to perform, since if no one does, they have to listen to (him) for two and a half hours!
Numerous names do register in Blunden’s book. After all, you get a discount on drinks if you perform. To fully immerse myself in the experience (all Hunter S.-esque) I added my name to the list and saved a quid on my liquid courage.
“We’ll start the poetry in ten minutes,” Blunden announced, approaching 7:30.
“Drink up!” bantered a man at the upper bar.
But it was all well worth cosying up for a listen. Blunden kicked off the proceedings with one of his wordy journeys. He also distributed obscure readings to others who hadn’t brought their own material. The crowd was captivated, consumed. What beats learning about dog food eaters as you nibble free chips?
I wasn’t used to speaking into a microphone, but I think my poems about kids and a cleaner went OK. I’m not sure it was very transcendental, but I got a few approving snickers. I’d go back to do it again.
Many performers were, like me, reading for the first time. (Although I was the only one introduced as being ‘from the BBC’—a slight exaggeration on the Where Ideas Grow blog). Some were verse veterans— entertaining the language-and-literature-coveting crowd twice per month since January. It’s a young, genial, intelligent group (largely York St John post-grads) which continues to grow, and well it should.
My former professor Dr Shine at SUNY Buffalo used to tell me, pubs are the places where people exchange revolutionary ideas. If there’s ever to be a brilliant new beat movement in York, I’d say we could glimpse it occurring through the large front window of the ‘historic pub with a gruesome past’ Blue Boar.
Even if you’re not after mind-warping inspiration, you should venture inside the Boar on ‘Howlers’ night for a warm atmosphere and a laugh. Just don’t be surprised if Pete Blunden convinces you to step up to the mic.
Howlers Open Mic Night in on every 2nd and 4th Thursday at the Blue Boar, 5 Castlegate.
