Andy CarringtonCritiques

Another reviewer of this poetry book said it was so current that some of the themes were in today’s headlines, and that’s still true and noticeable when reading this latest offering from Andy Carrington. You’ll find references to Muhammed Ali’s death: “Last week the media/praised a (dead) MUHAMMAD/ALI/without ever mentioning/his religion;/this week, there is a new killer/with brown skin/thought to be a ‘RADICAL ISLAMIST’/(though it’s yet to be confirmed)”, Euro 2016: “The idiots are here/with their drunken yells of ‘NO SURRENDER/TO THE IRA!’/(outside an IRISH pub)”, the EU referendum: “Sick to death of hearing bout the referendum/(they all talk shit)”, Ghostbusters: “…it’s a crime against humanity that GHOSTBUSTERS/is being re-made”, and the Orlando shooting: “Fuck homophobia/in its arse”.

So this is a collection that I recommend reading whilst it’s still contemporary, but at the same time, the themes in this poetry have been contemporary for far too long and will sadly continue to be so, therefore this book will equally stand the test of time

Just listing some of the titles in this collection will give you a good idea of what to expect:

‘£1.50 to Draw Out My Own Money’
‘Everything You Read in THE SUN is a Lie’
‘TV is Shit’
‘Tony Blair’s Face Still Gets on My Tits’
‘Another Local Boozer Gone’
‘M is for McMURDER’
‘Over 4 Quid for a Watered-Down CARLSBERG’
‘What Happened to this CUNTry?’

Carrington is a much needed voice in this modern world of propaganda, injustice and hate. I recommend that you not only read this book yourself – whoever you may be, you need to read it – I also recommend you buy this book for other people to read and that they buy it for other people too, ‘cos Carrington is a poet whose words should be heard by all.

Although I am a bit pissed off to find out that it’s the Carringtons of this world who piss over toilet seats. But discovering that he does it out of protest, makes it a little more understandable.

“APATHY WILL KILL US ALL/… when all that’s left is mediocrity/and each day just bleeds into the n

If only I could walk into my local Tesco Express (which used to be an independent corner shop, but of course all independent corner shops are now fucking Tescos), and see a copy of The Daily Fail on the newsstand in place of the Daily Mail. If I had any money, I’d actually think about buying up fifty copies of Andy Carrington’s latest and placing them there myself. ‘Cos, as we all know, the Daily Mail contains brainwashed middle suburbia bollocks. The Daily Fail, however, reflects modern Britain much more than any tabloid newspaper ever does. There are plenty of us out there who agree, sympathise and relate with Andy Carrington’s view of the world – you just don’t often see it in mainstream media. That’s why supporting independently published books like this is just as important as supporting things like independent corner shops, so you’d better get hold of a copy of this soon, before Tesco buy up Andy Carrington’s muse.

Alongside the anger about racist, fascist, Nanny State modern Britain, there are also a fair few poems that are quite romantic and sentimental, where Andy highlights crap situations like kids having nowhere to go in his rundown hometown, but how that means that memories like smoking dope at bus shelters become fondly remembered moments. Besides the balance of political and sentimental poems, you’ll also find warranted views about Skynet already being here and how robots/technology of the future is something to be very afraid of, and you’ll also find Andy opening his front door to the postman whilst being naked.

This collection is a combination of ire, bittersweetness and fun and The Daily Fail, contrary to its name, succeeds in every way.

This is anarchist-activist-protest-punk poetry for the underbelly of modern Britain at its very finest. Whether Andy Carrington is writing about immigration, fascism, Wetherspoon pubs and Starbucks taking over, roads being unnecessarily dug up, dumb-down T.V, or being skint and just trying to survive, he manages to acutely say exactly what most leftie intelligent people always think about the injustices of the world, and he says it extremely well. I found myself nodding in agreement or empathy with every poem, so much so that I wanted to make a placard right there and then and parade through my local High Street with a megaphone.

I also loved the fact that he links news stories with some of his poems so that the reader can get a better understanding of what he’s talking about; ‘cos, for instance, I guess some people might not even know that Cameron apparently did actually stick his small willy into a dead pig’s mouth.

But I don’t recommend this book to the protestors, punks and anarchists, as much as I’m sure they would feel as energised as I did from reading this collection. No – I recommend this book to the people who watch Big Brother, the people who slag off Polish people living in Britain, the people who shop at Ikea, the people who wear Keep Calm And Carry On T-shirts, the people who read the Daily Mail… because they’re the ones who really need to hear what Carrington has to say.

I’ve become a fan of Andy Carrington’s hard hitting, empathic poetry over night and I can’t wait to read more.

By Andy Carrington’s own admission, ‘Somewhere in-between Misanthropy & Anti-Fascism / PAKI LOVER’ isn’t his favourite book he’s written, perhaps ‘cos it’s one of his earlier works, and us artists often feel that old works aren’t as good as they could be, but it’s a hell of a lot better than Andy probably thinks. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that this collection contains some of his best poems.

Having said that, it’s perhaps not as rounded overall and a few poems missed the spot slightly, but I only say that in comparison to all his other books, which usually get the five star award from me.

A little trimming of this book could actually make it one of Carrington’s best.

This book feels a little like listening to Bowie’s first album, in that: if you’re a fan of the later works, you’ll enjoy going back to see where it all began, but if you’re new to the works, you’ll be better off starting with one of the later ones.

So, having read most of Andy Carrington’s books over the last year or so, and championing each and every one of them, it was interesting to read these early poems ranging from 2004 – 2011, which don’t contain much anti-fascist/anti-establishment sentiments as with his later books, but which instead give you an insight into Carrington’s struggle through the shithole arse-end of modern life, reflecting on the deaths of loved ones, suffering from Crohn’s disease, the temporary highs of women and sex, and his attempt to find meaning during the long lonely winter of self-reflection and being a writer/developing his poetic style.

Great stuff.

Having read most of Andy’s later poetry books where the main themes are to do with anti-fascism and the like, it was refreshing to read this double-bill which focuses more on the author’s personal world at a specific time in his life.

The Artist tells the story of a relationship between an artist and a poet, both of whom are in the early stages of finding their styles, and it works remarkably well. Andy Carrington isn’t afraid of sharing intimate details about his love life, and his poetry is shot out straight from his soul with no bullshit. I tend to find that poets who express honesty usually end up with pretty good poetry, and Andy’s is most certainly honest and telling it how it is. It’s better than ‘pretty good’ too.

The same can be said for the second collection: Just an Average Guy Born into Poetry, which crosses over with The Artist and is foremost about Andy finding his feet as a poet and developing his own style over a few bevvies in his local.

And don’t worry, for any fans of his later work, Andy Carrington’s still pissed off at the world and its everyday injustices.

The more of Andy Carrington’s poetry I read, the more I see him as some kind of anti-fascist superhero, more than a poet. That’s not to say his poetry ain’t any good – it’s great – but it really is refreshing to encounter a writer who doesn’t just stand up against oppression and fascism from the confines of the written word, but who writes about standing up against fascists in real life.

Carrington takes on racist twats on Twitter who troll him because of his “lefty” views, as well as fascists in pubs spouting their nonsense, and twats in the High Street who’ll give him and his girlfriend shit for being an inter-racial couple (Jeez, does that still happen? I’m glad I live in area where I don’t encounter much of that stuff).

This poetry will make you think, make you laugh, and make you cry – if only in anger at the EDL/BNP wankers who are out there.

There are plenty of quotes from this collection that I could give. Here are a few:

“I don’t think it’s right to have a go/at others for everything when you’re/quite obviously a cunt yourself.”

“So beer prices are up/ever since they cut out/smoking, and they wonder/why people don’t go out/and pubs are going under.”

“People talk about/this country being full/but never talk about British/people leaving their land/and going to live abroad.”

“I went 3p over the/other month – 3P! – /and they raped/me for all my money.”

“See, we were born/to be thinkers/and designers/of a better world/And I’m with all those/who say/’FUCK THOSE WHO OPPRESS US!’”

“Every corner there’s a Starbucks,/Costa, Gregg’s or McDonald’s/then you turn around the corner/and there’s another Starbucks,/Costa, Gregg’s or McDonald’s./Tell me, are people that desperate/for a coffee, pasty or cheese burger/that it is beyond them to walk/another hundred yards?”

“O.K., so we kick everyone/non-white and “FOREIGN”/out of the country/then where does/that leave us?/Bye, bye, NHS and your beloved take-/aways for a start/And there’d be no/Premiership football/anywhere near the standard/that we all see now.”

“(At the Airport)/Probably wasn’t my best idea/wearing the Immortal Technique/shirt with the AK-47 and red star on the front.”

“British? How about/HUMAN BEING.”

Long live Anti-Fascist Man, and his alter-ego Andy Carrington. The world needs you.

This is another hard hitting, justice seeking, saying it as it is, brilliant dose of underdog poetry from my new favourite poet Andy Carrington. He writes about issues that really matter – whether it’s being labelled ‘different’ or racism or the domination of media bull, Carrington’s words attack the ignorant bigotry and Tory-UKIP driven politics of modern Great Britain in a ferocious assault that make you realise Great Britain’s really not so great after all.

Fuck the same-suited political parties, the far righters and the designed-to-be-confusing referendums. I vote for Andy Carrington.

“Isn't it about time people all
stood up and fought the bigger fight?
Or are we gonna be forever stuck
in this endless cesspit of Tory
filth and greed
'cause no one can be arsed
to do anything?”

Protest poet Andy Carrington cuts through the bull of mainstream media propaganda and delivers straight talking verse that takes a big dump on corrupted politics and stupid fascism like he’s a bitter Billy Bragg mooning McDonald’s and spitting on Thatcher’s grave. And he has every right to be angry at the modern Britain portrayed in this book.

Carrington tackles sensitive topics like racism, immigration, homophobia, football hooliganism and English pride, with heartfelt frustration and anger, but he manages to hit the nail so exactly square on the head that his thoughts and observations will make you raise a smile just as much as they’ll make you want to burn down Number Ten.

“If we took some/of the passion/out of sports/and put it into something/more meaningful/we'd be a lot better off.”

“If it‘s cost effective/made for mass production/with the quality watered down/most likely it‘s/consumer Capitalism/-- made to benefit them/(never you or me).”

“Fear is what they thrive on:/fear of religion/fear of race/fear of immigrants;/fear of people/they never want to know.”

“It‘s ―BRITAIN FIRST they say when people come to this land/yet nothing is said about the empire crimes/or Brits emigrating to live overseas.”

“‘―CAN'T SAY BLACK/BOARD/NO MORE!/―CAN'T SAY BLACK/COFFEE/NO MORE!/―– IT'S POLITICAL CORRECTNESS/GONE MAD/I TELL THEE!’/Seriously,/never heard anyone/say that/(no one other than you).”

“I got a five pound note/the other day/turned it over and read it and said they were CUNTS./Something about Muslims being terrorists/(whatever)/picture me giving a damn
I said DO ONE.”