21 July 2003

The Revolution will be Patronised

When the language police finally get their act together and start rounding up offenders Matt Dalby is going to be at the top of their list. With total disregard for the rules of language and grammar he documents his sickness, which reflects our sickness, and shows you the sickening truth, or half-truth, or maybe complete falacy, behind the glistening sheen of popular culture and not so popular culture. He knows where the bodies are buried and he really wants you to come along for the ride. Grab that shovel and start digging. Once an important part of the Cardiff performance-poetry scene (he was the insane genius behind the Happy Demon Poetry Collective), now he's in Manchester and he has his eye on the prize: World Domination. He wants to put poetry on the back of cereal boxes. He wants you to think for yourself. He wants to fuck you up in the process. If I were you I'd get into him whilst he's still got that underground credibility - Goodness knows it can't be long before the literati snap him up and claim him for their own.