Bad Leg

by Ed Barton

A cult figure in Manchester’s art and music scene, Ed Barton has been a filmmaker, artist, curator, performer, songwriter and now poet. From his first, bizarre appearance on the BBC’s The Tube in 1984, playing a guitar with a wooden spoon, to the controversial Dadaist gallery Oblong he set up in Manchester’s Affleck’s Palace (which featured more often in the tabloids than in the art press), he has been a constant source of creative chaos for over 20 years. Barton’s ’90s performance night, Hip Replacement, developed a Studio 54 like reputation in Manchester’s music scene, and his own song-writing has seen him work with the likes of A Guy Called Gerald, 808 State and the Ministry of Sound’s Lost Witness.

In 1992 his song ‘It’s a Fine Day’ was covered by Opus III and made it to number 4 in the UK singles chart. Barton was also the composer of Kylie Minogue’s hit single ‘Confide in Me’ (though he doesn’t like to talk about that one).

This debut collection is more of a ‘collected works’ bringing together a life of writing – drawing on much from his previous incarnation as a songwriter, as well as introducing a previously unseen poetic sensibility. His poetry combines Dadaism, absurdist humour and lyrical grace - a wild concoction of minimalist love poetry, self-flagellation and old-school bawdy surrealism.

An Ivor Cutler for the post-rave generation.

Listen to Ed read 'Square Pears, Rare Bears'.