Mr Gee has been a veteran on the UK’s Live poetry scene for over two dec- ades. Perhaps best known as the “Poet Laureate” on Russell Brand’s SONY award-winning Radio show, he has delivered two TEDx talks and his work has featured in the Times,The Guardian, and the New Statesman. He’s presented several radio series: Bespoken Word, Rhyme & Reason and Poetic Justice all on BBC Radio 4, the latter of which focused on the extensive rehabilitation work that he does in prisons. He’s an advisor for the prison mentor and trainee charity Switchback and a trustee for the street art charity Paint the Change.
He contributed a short story towards the 2021 anthology The Other Windrush (on Pluto Press) and his poetry has been used to launch the 2020 FA Cup Finals and the 2021 Euros. He has most recently been mixing poetry with data analytics to create the digital art-piece Bring Me My Fire Truck for the Open Data Institute, which was showcased at the Tate Britain for their 2020 series Blake Now.
Something you are proud of….
I’m proud of the fact that I’ve managed to make a living from being an artist. I’m not an established name within the field of poetry or music but for the last 25 years, I’ve somehow managed to bounce from gig to gig to stay afloat. The life of an artist is so precarious that every day is saturated with potential and that’s what makes it exciting.
Something you live by….
“Forwards ever, backwards Never” – that’s been my general mantra for life. You have to keep moving one way or another. Good things happen, bad things happen and our spirits merrily dance on the tightrope between them. This planet is in a constant positive motion, so that one step forward has the potential to counteract those three steps backward.
Something you’re good at….
I’m a good listener. I run several different creative writing projects within schools, theaters and prisons. I also do some ghostwriting and advertising work. Much of what I do requires me to listen to what someone is trying to say and then helping them find the means to express that emotion. Even when I’m creating my own poems, I find myself listening to the tones, vibrations and sounds all around me. Everything speaks it’s own unique language and if you listen carefully, you can tap into it.
Something that helps…
Pausing for a moment. Some call it meditation, some call it prayer, I just call it “pausing”. This life seems to be so fast-paced and full of distractions. We are constantly in a frenetic chase to absorb as much of everything as possible. Our minds are bombarded with an ever growing fatberg of dopamine inducing stimulus. Everyone is performing emotions online to solicit a desired response. Unplugging and pausing for a moment is a game changer. We should pause to let our souls dance as if no one is truly watching. I like to let my imagination run free, allow my thoughts to drift and wander beyond the cavern of beckoning likes, reposts and follows.
Something that makes you laugh…
People who are stubborn make me laugh. I admire any conviction rooted in futility, including my own. The source of much joy lies in the toppling of stubborn idols only to earnestly construct new ones.
Something you’ve recently discovered….
The joys of making your own chilli paste. At the market, they sometimes sell red & green chillies quite cheaply. With a lot of experimentation I once created a chilli paste which exploded all of my senses and allowed me to converse beyond the solar system.
Something you’ll never understand…
The idea of owning land, renting space or buying time. Human beings exert a lot of energy and passion in following such pursuits. We take these imaginary concepts and formulate whole systems of belief around them. We argue, we fuss, we kill and we die to hold onto something outside of ourselves, when Life is the only prize.
Something you would change….
I’d remove all weapons from the world, if people want to argue, let them play Hungry Hungry Hippo for three and a half months on a desert island surrounded by real Hippos who have run out of mangoes.
Something you regret…
Causing hurt to the people who loved me. There are flippant words that we can’t take back, brash actions that we can’t undo, fractured ties that we can’t rebuild. All that remains is to board the train and take a seat next to regret. Where we can now endure the painful whispers that will serenade all of our journeys
Something with sharing….
A smile and a good intention.
Something worth keeping….
TA knife, a fork, a bottle and a cork.
Something that would make the world a better place….
I’m glad that you’ve asked this. I’ve long been an advocate of the ten day week. Why is a week seven days? Why not make it 10? Then we can all work for five days and have five days off. Think about it, no matter how terrible your week is, you have five days off to look forward to. And while you’re off, someone else is working in your place. I admit that I probably haven’t thought it through and there are no doubt several holes in the theory. Maybe all that the world needs is a Kick, a Snare and a booming bassline.
But, I do think that the greatest and best minds of our planet need to actively think of ways to alleviate the day-to-day stress that people feel constantly trying to make ends meet. With all of this automation, there has to be a way to organise resources to improve people’s lives.
Something they’ll say when your gone…
Not much, I plan to be forgotten after I embrace the final pause. Maybe someone might remember my chilli paste though.
Massive thanks to Mr. Gee for agreeing to be interviewed. Show you care by picking up their latest collab with Fold, here.
Michael Conboy
MEANS 