What by John Cooper Clarke review – sharp social commentary from the Bard of Salford

With subjects ranging from Elvis to bubble and squeak, the poet’s unmistakable delivery elevates his satirical verse to the realms of high art

The latest poetry collection from John Cooper Clarke, AKA the Bard of Salford, What comes with themes including chlamydia, necrophilia, Elvis, the “misery soup” of rolling news, the late racing commentator Peter O’Sullevan, Boxing Day bubble and squeak and the delights of Manchester’s Curry Mile – “Drunk chicks blow chunks out the back of a stretch / Staccato heels a-clatter”.

These poems are vintage Clarke: full of wordplay and whimsical humour and threaded with sharp social commentary. Blue Collar Wallah is a portrait of a “heteronormative handyman” who is a “two meat and one veg guy, potatoes never kale”, and who finds himself out of step with contemporary values; Smooth Operetta depicts the youth tribe once known as casuals, discernible by their Farah slacks and slip-on shoes – “Neat neat neat neat neat / Please do not make me repeat”.

What is available via Picador, 47 min Continue reading...


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