Mart Basa just sent us this wonderful little article on the amazing Slam poetry scene in Canberra:
Scratch the capital’s 100-year surface and discover it’s all in the poetry. Canberra’s poetry slam scene is spilling and thriving its heart out.
Poetry slam, for the uninitiated, is a competitive blend of hip hop, theatre and performance poetry [...]

[ 3 May, 2013; 7:30 pm; ]

This just in:

May Poetry Slam Part 1
This month sees the social calendar bookended by two editions of the Canberra Poetry Slam

Part 1 starts Friday the 3rd at the Front Gallery. As with all our slams, we start with the open mic at 7:30 before moving onto the Slam.

The slam rules:
– 3 minute limit
– 1 [...]

[ 21 March, 2013; 7:30 pm; ]

This just in from the inimitable Josh Inman:

Dear robots of poetry,

Kicking off at 7:30 at the Front Gallery in Lyneham on the 21st, the March edition of the Canberra Poetry Slam starts with an open mike.

The slam is open to all*, with a 1 poem 3 minute limit; the poem has to be of your [...]

[ 20 March, 2013; 8:00 pm; ]

Did you know BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT! is Canberra’s longest running poetry slam?

Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.

[ 23 February, 2013; 7:30 pm; ]
Local wordsmiths Varisht Gosain and Josh Inman are once again amassing a clan of poets to do battle at the Front in Lyneham.

What: 1st Canberra Poetry Slam of 2013
Where: The Front Gallery and Cafe, Lyneham
The Canberra Poetry Slam is Canberra’s longest running poetry slam. The CPS kicks off at 730 with an open mic. [...]

[ 20 February, 2013; 7:30 pm; ]

The best reason in the world to start drinking early in the Phoenix on a Wednesday night is to get a decent seat at the Phoenix from one of Canberra’s two poetry slams.

Facebook has details:

Have you been to BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT!?

BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT! is the poetry slam that wants your words on stage for two minutes for 1st prizes.

And [...]

[ 16 January, 2013; 7:30 pm; ]

Facebook has a warning for all your souls:

BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT! is inside the Phoenix Pub for 2013, which means you get two microphones, a stage, plenty of sound, prizes and more prizes, audience, clapping, prizes, judges, cheering, heckling, and the chance of glory! With MCs too, and scoring along with adding, prizes, conflicting, and poetry, especially poetry, [...]

[ 8 January, 2013 to 31 January, 2013. ] This just in:

Tuesday 8th 7:30pm
Andrew Galan’s Our Dystopian Futures Trivia

Thursday 10th 9pm
Chainsaw Hookers
Johnny Roadkill
Renegade Peacock

Saturday 12th 9:30pm
The Mouldy Lovers (Bris)
Underscore Orkestra (USA)
The Brass Knuckle Brass Band

Sunday 13th 8pm
Wil Wagner (The Smith Street Band, Melbourne)
Lincoln LeFevre (Hobart)
Isaac Graham (Sydney)
Ben David (Adelaide)

Tuesday 15th 7:30pm
Arc Cinema Presents
Liz and Bolings Quiz of Fortune

Wednesday 16th 8pm
BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT!

Saturday 19th 9:30pm
Bob Log III
Crash [...]

[ 12 December, 2012; 7:30 pm; ]

Facebook brings word:

The December BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT! will be at the special time of the 2nd Wednesday of December.

So bring your words, your audience, your judges, your to do lists, your fridges, your poems, to The Phoenix Pub for prizes! Because we give you a stage, two microphones, two MCs, The Master of Conflict, The Score Adder, [...]

The Australian Poetry Slam has bestirred itself to post Canberra’s CJ Bowerbird on his way to winning the national competition.
Well worth a look.

The Australian Poetry Slam has word on Facebook that Canberra’s own CJ Bowerbird has been crowned the Australian Poetry Slam Champion for 2012.
And now presenting… CJ Bowerbird our new Australian Poetry Slam Champion.
It certainly makes me feel better about the arse kicking he gave me in the ACT Final.
ACT heats convenor Andrew Galan [...]

[ 21 November, 2012; 7:30 pm; ]

Canberra’s best night of free entertainment returns to the Phoenix:

In November we provide you with a stage, an audience, five judges, The Score Adder, two microphones, and two minutes on stage, for prizes, FIRST PRIZES from Impact Comics, The Games Capital, Smiths Alternative Bookshop, and from underneath the back office desk.

And of course we provide [...]

[ 28 September, 2012; 6 October, 2012; 17 October, 2012; ]

Word has gone out about the ACT heats of the Australian Poetry Slam competition which will culminate in much hoopla at the Sydney Theatre:

For the first time ever the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has three Australian Poetry Slam heats throughout September and October. Showcasing some of Canberra’s finest poets these heats will decide who will [...]

Joy Burch has announced Labors plans for arts with an effort to kill poetry slams by bringing them within the dead embrace of government:
if re-elected ACT Labor will provide $5.83 million over four years to deliver nation-leading arts facilities for the future, protect and celebrate our finest cultural assets and better engage our young people [...]

[ 19 September, 2012; 7:30 pm; ]

It seems no laws of god nor man can restrain BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT!

BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT! wakes from torpor to bring you the GODZILLA edition.
RAR! FLAMES! LAZER EYES!

You may not know why, Why, WHY!

So bring your poems, your rants, your really short stories, your WHY did they have a baby Godzilla cartoon to BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT!

Because we want your words on [...]

[ 31 August, 2012; 7:30 pm; ]

This in:

Friday the 31st sees Canberra’s longest running poetry slam, The Canberra Poetry Slam host Slam or scrambled, the August edition.

Featuring Canberra’s CJ Bowerbird, a no-holds barred open mike, the slam itself and a return to cash prizes, the night promises to be chockfull of entertainment

Hosted by J C Inman and the Flying V, the [...]

[ 15 August, 2012; 7:30 pm; ]

We hear that madness and badness returns to The Phoenix this Wednesday for the best free night in town:

BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT! launches into August The Month of Mystery.

With two microphones, a stage, an audience, judges, The Score Adder, Shakespeare, Prizes and your choice of beer, cider, spirits or water and cordial or water without cordial. This is [...]

[ 18 July, 2012; 7:30 pm; ]

Last month’s Bad! Slam! No! Biscuit! featured a full brass band playing the poets in and out for what became a memorable evening despite the rivers of beer flowing.

This month facebook informs that RiotACT’s escaped musician Rafe Morris is performing. Which guarantees some good songs, but will he stay on duty providing the stings throughout [...]

[ 20 June, 2012; 7:30 pm; ]

Facebook has the good news:

BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT! is your poetry slam in June.

And that means bring your words, your crimes against poetry, your rants, your intent to coagulate on stage, your witticisms, your HERE I AM JUDGE ME BECAUSE I DON’T CARE FOR YOUR JUDGING, all for prizes, all for poetry, all for their poetry, ALL FOR [...]

Last night I was listening to Brisbane community ration 4ZZZ’s chat to slam poet Darkwing Dubs mostly to hear what they had to say about Canberra’s Bad!Slam!No!Biscuit! poetry slam.
So I was a bit surprised to learn from this unlikely source that Canberra’s champion of the spoken word, Adam Hadley (aka Hadley, aka Jacinda), is moving [...]

[ 14 March, 2012; 7:30 pm; ]

Poetry is the new rock and roll. If you want to rock out at the poets BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT! at the Phoenix is a great place to start. This from Facebook:

BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT! RETURNS ONE TIME ONLY FOR THE FIRST TIME TO THE SECOND WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH!

FOR YOU—ARE—HERE!

and that means we want your words in the Phoenix

AND YOU [...]

[ 18 January, 2012; 7:30 pm; ]

2012′s looking up already as facebook informs us the mirth and mayhem of slam poetry at The Phoenix returns:

IT IS TWENTY TWELVE
And you have just killed a unicorn with your pick-up truck
that means it is BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT! time.
“Why did you bring a cop to my command center? “
BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT! gives you a microphone, a stage, an [...]

[ 16 November, 2011; 7:30 pm; ]

Facebook gives warning that poetry based madness and mayhem is, regular as the calendar, about to return to Civic.

What can we say?

IT IS BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT! TIME

Which means you get an audience a microphone five judges two MCs a MASTER OF CONFLICT a Score Adder a stage a pub with alcohol two minutes AND THE CHANCE TO [...]

[ 30 September, 2011; 7:30 pm; ]

Facebook brings word of the Traverse Poetry Slam taking place this Friday:

Warm up for the ACT heats of the Australian Poetry Slam with… another poetry slam!

Sign up at 7.30pm – open mic at 8.00pm

3 minutes, no props or musical accompaniment…. fun for the whole family*!

Now with extra fantastical prizes found in my house!

—>May feature music [...]

[ 21 September, 2011; 7:30 pm; ] Facebook brings word that the madness of Bad!Slam!No!Biscuit! is going to be chewing up the furniture in the Phoenix this Wednesday (a grim task if ever there were).

Welcome to the invitation to the next instalment of BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT!

BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT! is where we bring you a stage, a microphone, two minutes, a ding stating Score Adder, an audience, [...]

[ 17 August, 2011; 7:30 pm; ]

Facebook brings word of the next installment of Canberra’s lewdest poetry slam:

More Info
THE ALL NEW BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT! BRINGS YOU WORDS!
and a stage, 2 minutes, a microphone, the Master of Conflict,
an audience, five judges, at least three first prizes and two MCs

And puts all that in a pub with cider, beer, whiskey and all kinds of [...]

[ 15 June, 2011; 7:30 pm; ]

One of my favourite events on the calendar, Bad Slam! No Biscuit! returns to the Phoenix in Civic tomorrow night.

Here’s a taste of the madness via Facebook.

BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT!

The Fifth Instalment of the Fourth Quadrilogy of the Eighth Trilogy brings you BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT!

BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT! is a poetry slam.

And as the Queen says,

“Have you been playing a long time?”

And [...]

[ 16 March, 2011; 6:30 pm; ]

Bad Slam No Biscuit is returning to the Phoenix next week and has this to say about itself on Facebook:

BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT! is a Poetry Slam. That means BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT! gives you five judges, two minutes, a microphone, a stage and an audience so you can take to the stage and SLAM your words at everyone in the [...]

[First filed: Nov 14, 2010 @ 14:52]
For the first time this year the Australian Poetry Slam included heats and a final for the ACT.
With Canberra’s poets divided into warring tribes residing in opposed bars neutral ground was needed for the final and Smiths Alternative Bookshop provided it.
Amid all the inebriated hoo haa and hilarity of [...]

[ 12 November, 2010; 7:30 pm; ] [First filed: Nov 3, 2010 @ 9:10]

The book of faces informs that after two close fought heats the ACT finals of the Australian Poetry Slam will be held at Smiths Alternative Bookshop on Alinga St Friday week.

You are invited to the sausage-fest final of the ACT heats of

the AUSRALIAN POETRY SLAM TWENTY -TEN.

TEN FINALISTS

The [...]

[ 19 October, 2010; 7:30 pm; ]

The following facebook event is highly recommended by your’s truly:

October 19, at The Phoenix Bar
Sign up from 7.30 – 8pm, maximum of 20 poets.
Top 5 poets by points will progress to the final.

Stop the facebook press…

WE ARE ADDING JULIAN FLEETWOOD AS OUR GUEST FEATURE POET!

He will also be sacrificed for your judging pleasure.

The [...]

[ 21 September, 2010; ] Just a reminder that it’s poetry slam night at The Phoenix.

Comedic/Theatrical/Poetic madness will occur from after 7 and you too can be part of it for the price of whatever you drink from the bar.

The amazing Omar Musa is the guest poet tonight.