DESCRIPTION:
Derrick D is one of Birmingham's most eclectic spoken word artists. The Backbones, his band consist of Cath Reaney on Djembe drum & vocals, Andy Preece on guitar, Mick Jeynes on bass and the backing vocals of Tamar Whyte.

Biography

Derrick D is one of Birmingham's most eclectic spoken word artists. He's done solo performances and performed with a variety of musicians, including John Morris' jazz trio. Most recently he has teamed with The Backbones, his own band consisting of Cath Reaney on Djembe drum & vocals, Andy Preece on guitar, Mick Jeynes on bass and the backing vocals of Tamar Whyte.

Derrick performs spoken word in a way you probably haven't heard before. His boundless energy sees him moving between speech, rap, song and sound effects. Each time he performs is slightly different, with his band listening and reacting to improvise to whatever mood he creates on the night. Derrick's background as a radio DJ for Newstyle Radio undoubtedly aids his ability to keep his audience entertained with endless anecdotes that have inspired his writing.

Derrick's recent performances of 'She Mixes The Ingredients' - inspired by Kate Knight's attempted murder of her husband by poisoning him with antifreeze, and 'The Hand of the Star' - an ode to Barry Knight, were well received at two separate performances at The Yardbird.

With the atmospheric sound effects of Andy, funky bass lines from Mick, haunting vocals and beats from Cath, and the variety of vocals from Tamar that range from sweet sounds to manic laughter, this is something you won't have heard anywhere else.