No Sidekicks – Only Superheroes! Michael 'Fierce' Frearson

"I write to put out a message – feelings, thoughts, ideas.  A perspective.  I want to inspire and incite people."

Michael ‘Fierce’ Frearson was setting Derby alight with his electric poetry nights in 2008, when he volunteered to teach in a Nepalese school and disappeared off the spoken-word radar. Now he’s back, and Nottingham will be hosting his return performance at Speakeasy on Wednesday 16th June in The Alley Café. Aly Stoneman caught up with him before the gig to find out what he’s been up to, and what he’s planning next…..

You operate under the name ‘Fierce’ but like most superheroes you’re notoriously elusive - who are you and what do you do?
Michael Frearson; lover, liar, adventurer in the realm of oral gratification.  I write and perform spoken word and some derivations, occasionally to the unwilling unwitting, always for the love. I completed an MA in Creative Writing and released two collections of poetry in 2008, then went away for 14 months; now I’m back to try to reset the deficit.

I’m a member of local literature development co-operative Hello Hubmarine and an avid proponent of engaging, quality live literature.

Travelling to Nepal must have been a big decision when your poetry career was really taking off – how did it turn out?
It became something quite different to what it was supposed to be – I tried to disappear for two years but the universe had other plans for me, and I ended up back here prematurely with a new life waiting for me in Amsterdam.

I was supposed to be volunteering in a school in the Himalayan foothills for 24 months or longer…I managed some of it but wasn’t rich enough to cover the Nepali visa fees.  It turned into a subcontinent-straddling rollercoaster of robbery, honeymooning, illegal immigration and happy endings.  I guess you’ll have to wait for the published journals to unearth the sordid truth.

I’m far from disappointed, though - a fraction of a degree difference in trajectory leads to a completely different destination, so it was all definitely well worth it.

It must have been an inspiring place to visit as a writer – what are you working on at the moment and have your experiences fed into your writing?
At present I’m mostly writing poetry, though I have a couple of ideas for the travel journals – perhaps a collection of the misadventures in a variety of poetic/short story/reportage forms.  I met a great photographer in Kathmandu who is planning to publish a photo/text narrative of his trip; I wouldn’t mind editing it for him.

What’s your motivation for writing and which writers/performers do you rate at the moment?
I write to put out a message – feelings, thoughts, ideas.  A perspective.  I want to inspire and incite people.  I still have a long way to go. When I find the right combination of fire and skill I get really excited – Rives, Ben Harper, David Attenborough, Slick Rick, Taylor Mali, Ray Charles, Tim O’Brien, John Pilger, Michael Jackson...as for poets, I’m still going back to John Cooper Clarke, Taylor Mali, Gil Scott Heron, Rives, and trying to wring some quality out of Def Poetry Jam.

See how 'fierce' Michael really is when he performs with Richard Birkin at the Alley Cafe on Wednesday 16th June

“No sidekicks, only superheroes: the dynamic duo of spoken-word return to deliver tears, laughter and melody to the merry folk of Nottingham and beyond…” What’s it all about?
Me and Emphemetry (Richard Birkin) are featured artists at Speakeasy in Alley Café, Angel Row on June 16th – this is a free event and there’s also an open mic about 8.30pm.  I’m really excited because this time we’ve developed a tighter and more fluid set that plays to our unique chemistry on stage.  Kickoff about 8pm – come along and you’ll find out more!

I’m also headlining the poetry tent at Big Session Festival at DeMontfort Hall, Leicester on the 20th June.  Apparently! Next month I’ve got a couple of gigs lined up in Derby – check the blog for details.  I’m putting out the feelers for more gigs too. Besides that I’m trying to get into the studio and lay down a new release.  It’s a convoluted business.

Aspirations for the future?
Poetry wise I’d like to release Assiette de Fromage, back it up with a few gigs and then skip the country.  In the meantime I’m trying to deliver more creative/performance/live literature workshops to broaden my experience and do a bit for local engagement.
Over the next couple of years I’ll also be pushing further into the spoken word side of poetry, particularly bringing visuals into the sets.
All that said, the future does look beautiful - but it has very little to do with poetry.

If you’d like to catch Michael ‘Fierce’ Frearson and musician Richard Birkin in action, get down to SPEAKEASY at the Alley Café (Off Angel Row, Nottingham) on Wednesday 16th June at 8pm.

Michael Frearson’s website
Aly Stoneman’s website

For news on other poetry events and all things wordy, see our Write Lion 6 podcast.

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