Text Blurb
The following bio is written in what I hope is helpful 'bullet point' copy! For more info, bespoke words and quotes please do make contact.There is also a very useful page full of accompanying quotes and reviews here.
Darren Poyzer
(Singer / Songwriter, Manchester / Greater Manchester, NW England)
English born, of Welsh & Irish heritage, but his soul resides in Scotland
- Festivals played include Glastonbury, International Guitar Festival of Great Britain, Belladrum Tartan Heart and Acoustic Festival of Britain
- Peter Hook (New Order / Joy Division personally championed the Poyzer / Fluff / Farrell version of 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' on BBC Radio 5live, which has now scored over 20,000 plays online
- Darren has opened the show for an incredible range of artistes, from Lloyd Cole to Toots And The Maytals, from Eddi Reader to Ozric Tentacles
- He has played many notable and prestigeous festivals, events and venues
- By day, Darren provides music work with children in care
Singer and songwriter who combines loving emotion with socio-politics, humour and charisma, Darren has starred alongside many great contemporaries to wide and outstanding acclaim.
Raised on comedy, performance poetry and an understanding family, he turns the angst of a Thatcher-era teenager into a burst of musical theatre, using little more than voice and acoustic guitar.
Working as a special needs music teacher by day has given his songs, stories and performance a new edge and vitality. Darren himself states that this work has proved to be life changing both on a perosnal and an artisitic level.
The desire to write, entertain and be embraced as a charming story-teller has always been strongest. Darren Poyzer is a passioniate and powerful contemporary singer songwriter who has taken a happy-go-friendly independent road to success.
Acclaimed by fans and contemporaries alike as one of the most versatile solo acoustic
creative artistes in the UK, Darren has been actively involved
in playing, recording and promoting original music for over 20 years, since his debut in 1986,
and professionally since 1988. He
His very first gig with his own songs came in 1986, supporting the late great inspirational poet Adrian Mitchell, in a room above an Ashton Under Lyne pub. Since then, he's vibrantly supported as wide a range of artistes, stars and mavericks as anyone, ranging from The Saw Doctors to Steve Coogan, Llloyd Cole to Eddi Reader, The Tiger Lillies to John Cooper Clarke.
He has released 4 CD's and one live concert DVD - these being 'Bloody Love Songs'; 'Global' (CD & DVD); 'Brilliant Words'; and 'Passion & Conflict' - and has a very visible and audio web presence at www.poyzer.com, and all the usual social networking and music.
Darren is a pioneer, noted for sharing his energies to the benefit of up and coming musicians and writers. As well as co-hosting 'Stand And Deliver' in the mid 1980's, which was a catalyst to the rise of alternative cabaret and comedy, he launched the music programming for one of Greater Manchester's most prolific live music venues 'The Witchwood', and continued through 10 years at the heart of the Madchester scene and beyond.
Darren was also prolific at the outset of the Manchester acoustic scene at the end of the 1990's, fronting 'Acoustica' events all over Greater Manchester and producing the first acoustic songwriter compilation cd of that era 'Words & Pictures' for Raw Fish Records.
Darren continues to work with special needs children and adults providing music therapy and tuition, also running occasional music and songwriter workshops.
An ongoing list of famous and celebrated artistes whom darren has performed as invited special guest with includes:
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The Saw Doctors
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Steve Coogan
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Wishbone Ash
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Toota & The Maytals
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Walter Trout
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Nerina Pallot
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Hawkwind
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Hayseed Dixie
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Lancashire Hotpots
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The Alarm
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The Zombies
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Roy Harper
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John Thomson
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Focus
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The Mock Turtles
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John Cooper Clarke
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Michelle Shocked
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The Chameleons
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Eddi Reader
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Ozric Tentacles
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The Wonderstuff
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The Bluetones
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New Model Army
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Glenn Tilbrook
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Lloyd Cole
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Nick Harper
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Hazel O'Connor
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Johnny Bramwell (I Am Kloot)
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Josh Ritter
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The Tiger Lillies
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Kirsty McGee
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Kathryn Williams
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Dave Sharp
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China Crisis
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Martin Stephenson
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Limehouse Lizzy
Darren has also appeared at many notable festivals and events:
- Glastonbury Festival x 2
- Edinburgh Festival
- Acoustic Festival of Britain x 2
- International Guitar Festival of Britain x2
- On tour across Texas USA x 2
- Manchester International Festival
- Bradford Festival
- Raise Your Banners Festival
- Buxton Fringe Festival
- Adur Festival
- Glastonwick Festival
- Chorlton Arts Festival
- Independence Festival, Leeds
- Legendary Manchester Busker
- Inter-Action Disability Arts, Milton Keynes
- Paddington International Poetry Festival
- Glossop Folk and Roots Festival
- Nantwich Folk & Roots Festival
- Wigan One World Festival
- Lift Global Music Festival