Johnny Solstice aka John Soltys
Is a performance poet and photo-collage artist. He might change his name to Johnny Saturday so he gets invited to more parties. ...................... He escaped child abuse as a teenager, fleeing to a similarly seedy situation in 1970 Soho, and incarceration in Feltam Psychiatric Borstall, and later gaining a Koestler art award.
....................... He has been described as many things: a poet, a word wizard, lyrical genius. He has used his gifted tongue to attack hypocrasy and oppression of all kinds with a humour both subtle and biting.
................... With a well tuned bullshit detector, he upholds a quintessential British talent to make us laugh at ourselves.
Some highlights over the years
Opened for Jon Gomm event at The Grove Inn Leeds 2008
Opened for Jon Gomm CD launch Don't Panic Brudenell Social Club Leeds 2009
Northern green festival Ripon 2008 Opened for Rory Mcleod Headingley 2012 Book Sisters in Shame published 2012 Book Windows of Perception published 2014 Performed with Rory Mcleod Leeds town hall 2016
Ilkley literature festival fringe own show and poetry slam 2016
DJ Positive vibrations festival 2016
Green gathering festival 2016 and 2017
Leeds Town hall Community comics migrations event 2017
How do other performers describe johnny?
'A force of nature' John Hepworth
'Leeds legend and lyrical genius' Jon Gomm
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Johnny's website can be found at wikilies.org which is the site for Raprobate, a platform for his poetry and art. (site in progress) ..............................
Johnny was a regular at the Grove Inn open mike in Leeds, and has worked with performers such as Jon Gomm and Rory McLeod.
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Videos and links
Johnny has performed around Yorkshire for many years. Here is a poem about meeting him by fellow poet John Hepworth, on the Write out loud site.
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John has made some video poems in collaboration with Matthias Weston, musician, composer and sound engineer at the Stroud Valley Arts Space
RIP DIY slavery https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IjTLCJI98c
Give me a break https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95pKVjIuFZw
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There are also poem soundscapes
The Garden https://soundcloud.com/johnny-solstice/the-garden-featuring-matthias-weston
and Alan's plan
https://soundcloud.com/dread-cabbage-kopykat/alans-plan
plus a poem on cleanliness Fairy Bubbles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5JauRrz988 .............................................. links Matthias Weston https://soundcloud.com/matthias-weston
SVA (watch out for an event here 2018 with Rory McLeod and others) http://www.sva.org.uk/
John Hepworth https://www.writeoutloud.net/profiles/johnhepworth ........................................................
John has performed at Leeds Hyde Park Unity day. Videos by Cheryl Stewart.
Holy Shit it's a direct hit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-TfhputDd8&feature=youtu.be
and from the book Sisters in Shame https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaJmImybsJ8&feature=youtu.be
Future events SVA spring 2018
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