20th November, 1982 page 15
New Musical Express
"SIXTY MINUTES IN A VELOUR CINEMA SEAT"
THURSDAY LAST saw the
world premiere of Ten Years
In An Open Necked Shirt the
John Cooper Clarke
documentary film long
awaited by lovers of the
Salford Bard's "deperate
esperanto of bop".
Literati and layabouts alike
lounged in the luxury of the
nylon velour seating
thoughtfully provided by The
Arts Council (who helped
finance the film), and gaped
as highlights from JCC's
stage act flickered afore their
eyes and the man gave the
run-around to interviewers of
the smartass ("How much is a
poetic licence?") and earnest
("Is your poetry a comment
on the macho etic/your
alienation from your
parents?") inclinations.
Apart from the limitless
parade of tab-collar shirts,
polka-dot ties and side and
centre vent jackets flashing
across screen, there were
guest apearances by Linton
Kwesi Johnson, Seething
Wells, Atilla the Stockbroker,
Michele Roberts and Jules
Deelder ( a Dutch poet and
kook).
Most notable, however,
was the closing sequence
from 'Ten Years' itself,
where the poet and oldtime
associate and director Nick
May have contrived to
incarnate the bard's brand of
British surrealism to uncanny
and disturbing life, though
afterwards Clarkie agreed
that the absence of a geniune
puple Isotta bubble car was a
sad omission. He also
informed your correspondent
that he is shortly to travel to
Australia to perform in
support of fellow Mancunians
New Order, and hoped to stop
off at Bali for Christmas; "I
hear they knock out some
silk whistles around fifty quid”.
Copyright acknowledgment is hereby graciously given to NME for this totally unauthorized violation of their proprietary copyright. We hope they don't mind too much.