“You made it if you played here”: Antony Szmierek dedicates poem to Independent Venue Week

“Without these little rooms there’d be no one to fill the ones that are bigger,” writes Manchester-based spoken word and hip-hop artist Szmierek in the verse, which premiered on Steve Lamacq’s Teatime Session on BBC Radio 6 Music. The poem recognises the importance of the simple act of buying tickets and showing up. “We’re just custodians of these places,” Szmierek says. “Let’s make sure they still exist for the next ones.”

Independent Venue Week sees the UK celebrate independent music and arts venues – and the people that own, run and work in them. Over 200 independent venues all around the UK will participate in this week’s nationwide event, hosting hundreds of live gigs and events from artists of all genres. To find the nearest show to you and join in the celebration, visit the IVW website for details and ticket information.

In just 12 months. Szmierek has gone from working as a teacher and writing songs in his spare time to becoming one of 6 Music’s Artists of the Year and appearing on Later… with Jools Holland. You can hear and read his poem for Independent Venue Week in its entirety below.

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no need for LEDs to replace the view when you can see the white’s of the eyes of the artist in front of you

but it’s another year of eulogies

the bar used to be over there, says the owner

and the stage two times smaller

and still the band are walked through the crowd from the green room by torch and trained promoter

crowd and artist together no film no filter

without these little rooms there’d be no one to fill the ones that are bigger

a pipe says ‘watch your head’

a steel beam in the middle of the floor

it blocks the view and it’s impossible to ignore but

it’s somewhere to leave your coats

and they accumulate around the base like fallen leaves

but what happens when the goodwill leaves?

the red right hand wants this church turned into rental properties

in the shadow of the megaplex pyrotechnic principalities

there’s little we can do other than buy tickets and show up

for those four bands that share the same guitarist

on that dancefloor where your mum and dad first kissed

we’re just custodians of these places

let’s make sure they still exist for the next ones

this is for all the bands that never made it

and for the venues that scream, proudly:

you made it if you played here