Atilla the Stockbroker is a punk rock poet and one man band from West Sussex, UK.
His career started with playing bass. Like many young men in the seventies, he was greatly inspired by punk and played in a number of minor bands that left no impression. He was a flashy bass player; there's no room for that kind of thing in '77 punk, so eventually he quit trying and got a job as a clerk in a stock trading company.
Then he realized that one didn't have to play in a band. So he got an electric mandolin (because it tunes like the violin, which he played since an early age) and started using his poetry. He played at gigs and shouted and ranted at rallies. Soon, this style became a fad--the NME gave his performances rave reviews. A tape of his got to John Peel, who listened to it and became a huge fan. He played it compulsively on his radio show.
Attila kept performing--in fact, he has forthcoming gigs listed in vast numbers on his website, www.attilathestockbroker.com. He has over 20 albums and 4 books of poems out, most recently last year's album "Live at Belfast."
His music is...odd. I've listened to the compilation Ranting at the Nation, and it's an experience all its own. Half of it is him making fun of a made-up Londoner named Nigel, whom he uses as a vehicle for social, political, and musical commentary, to great effect ("Nigel wants to see Depeche Mode. Depeche Mode plays bland, featureless pop. Nigel likes bland, featureless pop.") He has poems about Russians and the overblown Russian threat, all hilarious. At times, he is very reminiscent of Lord Buckley--another spoken-word genius. I recommend his work, simply because it's hilarious, and the rapport he establishes with the crowd is impressive.
Discography
- 1981 Phasing Out Capitalism
- 1982 Rough, Raw and Ranting
- Cocktails
- 1983 Ranting at the Nation
- 1984 Sawdust and Empire
- Radio Rap!
- Livingstone Rap!
- 1987 Libyan Students from Hell!
- 1988 Scornflakes
- 1990 (Canada) Live at the Rivoli
- 1991 Donkey's Years
- 1992 (Germany)This Is Free Europe
- 1993 (Australia) 668-Neighbour of the Beast
- (Germany) Live auf St.Pauli
- Attila the Stockbroker's Greatest Hits
- 1999 Poems Ancient & Modern
- 1999 The Pen & The Sword CD
- 2003 Live in Belfast
Books
- 1986 Cautionary Tales for Dead Commuters
- 1992 Scornflakes
- 1998 The Rat-Tailed Maggot and Other Poems
- 2001 Goldstone Ghosts
Sources: personal experience, www.attilathestockbroker.com.
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