In Performance
“his performance packs a mean punch” Brumbeat.
“performs punning verse and shaggy dog tales brilliantly” Arts Report, Birmingham.
Dave has at various times been described as a folk poet and a blues storyteller, as well as a performance poet; he has also been said to leave audiences ‘inspired, entertained, and moved’ and as ‘making people choke on their beers with laughter’. It is his ability to shift between styles and beyond genres, as he works to communicate with audiences, that can trigger such seemingly contrary descriptions.
Black Country Dialectics
New for2011, this show of work about the industrial Black Country, and in its dialect, is now available. Based on Dave’s book of the same title it also features music from Chris Lomas and monologues from Heather Wastie.
a poetry reeding
if you want a show suitable for libraries and more laid back venues, Dave concentrates on the words, but breaks up the solo voice with self-accompaniment on free-reed instruments. This also works incredibly well as a compere for your own live literature events.
The Wooden Horse of Dr Troy
Using squeezebox, harmonica, and props to present his original material, this performance of spoken hokum and talking blues is a one-man medicine show for the 21st century, suitable for acoustic nights, world music venues, folk clubs, arts centres, and taking live literature to venues it would not normally inhabit. (Dr Troy has been Dave Reeves’ harmonica playing pseudonym since his time with Jean Vincent and the Nite-Capz).
The Whirled Service is an occasional collaboration between Dave Reeves and the composer and multi-instrumentalist Tom Cook. An eclectic mix of ambient improv and global influences with humour and comment, they use spoken word, performance and music to present both acoustic and electric sets. Instruments include guitar, cello, melodeon, keyboards, harmonica, clarinet, sheng and jaws harp.
At home in arts centres or festivals, they hosted the TalkShow, a magazine on legs, from 2004 to 2006 (see Promotions).
Listen to them HERE
p.s. you could even simply book Dave for a straight reading of his own writing (but you can bet he’ll bring an instrument along).
Photograph of The Whirled Service
by Simon English