Penny Rimbaud’s L’ACADÉMIE DES VANITÉS – Penny Rimbaud & Eve Libertine/voice, Louise Elliot/sax & flute, Kate Shortt/cello and Jennifer Maidman/ guitars, plus Gee Vaucher and Mick Duffield on visuals – present the last gig of their current residency along with special guests, Annie Whitehead/trombone and Gene Calderazzo/drums.
The first half of the set will include Eve Libertine’s innovative interpretations of poems by William Blake, while the second half will be a presentation Penny Rimbaud’s rewrite of the classic Crass album, ‘Yes, Sir, I Will’ performed to great acclaim at this year’s Rebellion punk festival – but punk it is not! This is the poetry of jazz & the jazz of poetry of which Rimbaud and his gang of troubadours are masters & mistresses.
Penny Rimbaud is one of England’s great rebel poets. Prolific author, founding member of Crass and fearless explorer of possibilities in life and art, Rimbaud has never been one to wallow in nostalgia. Over the three decades since Crass disbanded he has been involved with myriad arts projects, published over 14 books, and released music ranging from the free form jazz/spoken word agitations of The Last Amendment to last years ‘symphonic punk’ collaboration with The New Banalists. – The Quietus