Live Literature - Tight Lip

Tight Lip is a live literature group run by two Brighton-based writers, Jay Clifton and Sam Collins, who go under the collective name of the Hammett Story Agency. “We are both fans of noir and fans of Dashiell Hammett and we like to bring a little bit of his hard-boiled style to our stories,” says Clifton. The pair perform together, Clifton reading a story to the accompaniment of Collins’ guitar (‘somewhere between Ry Cooder and Tom Verlaine’). They also invite three other writers from a growing stable who have become part of the group after being carefully vetted by the pair. “This isn’t like a poetry slam or an open mic night,” continues Clifton. “There is no improvisation. The main thing is that the writers are serious about their work.”

There are three others along tonight. “Miss Claudia Pouffot is a Tight Lip regular, who is an erotic storyteller. Simon Kossoff is a young beat-style poet, like an Alan Ginsberg updated for our times, who has just published his own collection, Meatwheel. Mike Russell is something of a surrealist. He wears a top hat and performs tricks, which doesn’t sound promising, but believe me it works. He gets away with it because of the power of his words.” This is the second time Tight Lip have performed at the HQ Gallery: word on the street is the first event went down very well. “I love the gallery,” says Clifton. “It has a sort of Oriental feel to it. Plus we are pleased to perform in venues which aren’t pubs.” DL