Prepare for a night of poetry, performance and Punk as we celebrate the life and work of Wild Willi Beckett.
‘Wild’ Willi Beckett was a poet, performer, radical, teacher and Looney based in Bradford. He was deeply connected with the cultural output of Bradford in the 1980s and 1990s as General Secretary of The 1in12 Club and his involvement with Bradford Literary Festival. Local performers including: New Model Army, Chumbawamba and the “Chanters ‘n’ Ranters” (A mix of Bradford poets including Nick Toczek, Little Brother and Joolz), all came through The 1in12 during his time at club. He also was a founding member of The Monster Raving Looney Party and served as the Shadow Minister of Mental Health, standing in several Bradford by-elections. Willi’s band “The Psycho Surgeons” played for over 20 years and toured the UK and Europe until his death in 2007.
Our event is titled Divided Self, reflecting Willi’s many faces over his life and reference’s his song R.D Laing, whose 1960 book The Divided Self explored concepts of ‘madness’ and mental health. This is the first event in a series aimed at preserving Willi’s legacy and highlighting his contribution to The City.
Our performers have been selected from 1in12’s history: a selection of friends and band mates of Willi’s alongside radical new performers coming through the scene today. You’ll have chance to explore The 1in12 Club and contribute any memories of Willi to be archived in the project. Expect a night of poetry, performance and Punk!
This event is produced by Run of The Mill History, an artist-led project by Jude Kershaw, dedicated to highlighting and preserving radical, queer and minority histories. We will be taking dontations to help fund our work on Willi Beckett over the night.