Hi All,

Thought it was about time I did an update!

POETRY STUFF

I’m quite close to finishing the new book.  It’s got illustrations by someone who’s a best-selling author, cartoonist, TV script writer and more and a Foreword by a longstanding poet (we’re talking decades here) who I have the utmost respect for and whose work I enjoy very much.  I’m not going to reveal either name yet (what a tease!), but perhaps you can guess! I’m chuffed to bits!

On April 20^th I headlined at Get Mouthy in Leicester (highly recommend checking that out if you’re nearby), and in May I’m doing the same at the long-running Fen Speak in Ely, Cambs on the 20^th.  I’m also teaming up with Andy Riley again at The Bell in Ticehurst, East Sussex, on the 21^st (the top-notch Tim Barlow opens up so don’t be late!). Get yourself a ticket here:

On Friday June 5^th I’m supporting the legendary Attila The Stockbroker at Sudbury Arts Centre. More info and tickets here.

Oh, and here’s a video of new-ish poem, The Ballad of Sticky Steve:  https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zNcO2soamso

THE DOMESTICS

Tickets are selling well for the 15 Years gig on 27^th June (I’m not surprised, it’s going to be a great day with a ton of great bands!).  Sadly, as you may have seen, the legend that is Gabba (Chaos UK / FUK) died a few weeks ago (RIP). Always enjoyed having a little chat with him when we crossed paths. Aside from the shock at his loss, this understandably means that FUK are not on the bill anymore.  We are working on a replacement though. Tickets here (save a fiver if you buy in advance)

The Spanish tour with BUILD ME A BOMB back in March was a ton of fun.  You can watch a video of new song, Mug Punter, here:

We also had a great night at Akedo Bar in Lincoln for the Fenland Hardcore Collective a couple of weeks back, and are headlining Threadsfest in Sheffield on 30^th May, so we’re keeping our hand in!

As always, do check the Live Dates page for poetry, band, and DJing gigs. I do try to keep it up to date, but I'm constantly chasing my tail…

See you down the front somewhere!

James

ADVANCE TICKETS: £15

ON THE DOOR: £20

BUY HERE

On the 27^th of June 2026, we, THE DOMESTICS, celebrate 15 years of being a band. We're celebrating this at The Steamboat Tavern, Ipswich on Saturday 27th June with an alldayer consisting of favourite bands from around the UK that we've played with over the years…it's a stellar lineup!

Anyway, you can come and celebrate (commiserate?) this milestone with us there may even be a special guest or two…we’ll say no more for now!

Here's some blurb…

FUK

Bristol’s FUK are the real deal, with punk rock legend, Gabba (CHAOS UK / INSTANT RUIN) on guitar and Cliff Vicious up front, their relentless hardcore punk attack will smash up your kitchen! The first time THE DOMESTICS played with them, someone got knocked out by a sofa.

VOLUNTEERS

We never thought it’d happen, but Bury St Edmunds’ favourite hardcore sons, VOLUNTEERS, have reformed for this gig! A gateway band for so many in this part of the world, and sometime touring partners with THE DOMESTICS (they also did a split 7” together), it really wouldn’t have been the same without ‘em! Holy shit!

PIZZATRAMP

You know that Welsh lot, PIZZATRAMP, right? They’ve done two split records with THE DOMESTICS, and the two bands have toured together a couple of times.  Fast, loud, obnoxious and funny. How drunk will Jimbob be? Will Danny Banger play fast enough? How many times will they play the same song? You’ll have to get a ticket to find out!

PREY

Now with two blistering albums under their belt, this lot will drop a HC bomb and no mistake. From High Wycombe and featuring Eddie from THE SHITTY LIMITS, PI$$ER, and THE FILAMENTS, this band sounds quite unlike any of those bands, but it’s proper tasty stuff! Scottish tour with THE DOMESTICS coming up later in 2026!

JAMES DOMESTIC

A bit of “culture” *cough* from THE DOMESTICS frontman.  Like a halftime orange or something.  A little breather. Steve Ignorant, Jerry A from Poison Idea, The Shend from The Cravats, and Dick Lucas from Subhumans have all said very nice things about his words and if it’s good enough for those punk legends then it’s good enough for you lot! Poetry for people who think they don’t like poetry.

CHESTBURSTER

Hard-gore heroes, CHESTBURSTER, hail from Essex have slayed more or less every venue in the area at some point over the years.  Nasty sounding guitars, ripping vocals, songs about Nicolas Cage…what’s not to like?! Teamed up with THE DOMESTICS on the ‘Dombursters’ split cassette release many years ago now.

HAEST

This Hastings band serve up massive bludgeoning riffs, shifting tempos and punk-rock-as-fuck vocals and make a noise all of their own. DIY to their core.  Ex-members of MATILDA’s SCOUNDRELS, BARRACKS and BOTCHED TOE (which also featured James from THE DOMESTICS)

KEROZINE

Dystopian synth-punk from THE DOMESTICS’ drummer, Simon. Nightmare visions swathed in electronics, raw vocals and of tons of energy. A thousand volt shock to the system that you won’t forget in a hurry!

THIS IS NOT A DRILL

DIY lifers from Sheffield and thereabouts.  Recently toured with OMEGA TRIBE and put out their excellent ‘Heresy’ album. THE DOMESTICS have played with them a number of times (in this band and others the members have been in).  Top fellas. They may also have a special guest on for a song during their set!

Hello All,

Happy New Year an’ all that (is it too late to say that when it’s a fortnight into January?  Probably…).

A few updates for the coming months:

Speaking:

First up is a headline show at HotBox, Chelmsford on 4^th March.  The last time I performed at this brilliant venue was with comic genius, Andy Riley and we sold the place out.  If you hurry, you can grab a ticket here. Leon the Poet (also published by Earth Island), appears as support along with the always brilliant Laura Bradley and newcomer, Nancy T. As it says on the poster: “Poetry for People That Think They Don’t Like Poetry!”

Talking of Andy Riley (BAFTA and Emmy winning comedy writer on TV shows such as Black Books, Big Train, Smack the Pony, Veep, Trigger Happy TV, bestselling author, Private Eye cartoonist…and that’s just the tip of the CV iceberg!), two days after the Chelmsford gig (6^th) we perform together at Sudbury Arts Centre. You can get a tickets here. It’s always a pleasure to share a stage with Andy – he’s a nice bloke and funny as hell.

On April 13^th you can catch me headlining at the regular Get Mouthy night in Leicester, and in May I’m doing the same at the long-running Fen Speak in Ely, Cambs on the 20^th and I’m teaming up with Andy Riley again at The Bell in Ticehurst, East Sussex, on the 21^st (the top notch Tim Barlow opens up so don’t be late!).

On Friday June 5^th I’m supporting the legendary Attila The Stockbroker at Sudbury Arts Centre.  I was extremely chuffed when Attila shared a new poem (a work in progress really!), Poor Ol’ Nigel Farage, on his socials. Made my day. Tickets available here. If you want to check out Poor Ol’ Nigel Farage you can find it here.

Hollerin’ (i.e. with The Domestics):

More details emerging in a few weeks, but we have a new 7” E.P. coming out in the latter half of March, that will be up on pre-order from mid-Feb. 200 hand numbered copies only.  No fewer than 11 songs. A few different colour covers.  Released via Kibou (UK) / Smiling Is Not A Crime (Spain) / Engineer (UK). The 7” will be out just in time for our Spanish mini-tour with Build Me A Bomb.

Kee checking here for news.

SAVE THE DATE!

We have various other gigs popping up through 2026, including Lincoln, Sheffield, and some others (including some Scottish dates in the works), but the one I REALLY want to make sure you know about is on 27^th June at The Steamboat in Ipswich. As a band we turn 15 in the summer of 2026 (how is that even possible?!?!?!) and so we’re having a big celebration – an alldayer with some of our favourite bands that we’ve played with over the years – the lineup is AMAZING!!!! A couple more bands to confirm, then tickets and details will be revealed.  We’ll try to keep ticket prices as low as possible, but there are bands coming from all corners of the UK so a lot of costs to cover.  It promises to be a very special day indeed!

Right, that's all for now

JD

Hi All,

Just a quick mini-update from yours truly…

Well, I’m done for the year – have been for a couple of weeks really so no more gigs until March, when it all starts kicking off again, including supports with Andy Riley and Attila The Stockbroker.

There are some gigs from THE DOMESTICS, including a return to Northern Spain, Manchester Punk Festival, Lincoln and some others in the pipeline…more details next time, I’m sure! Oh, and we’ll have a new 7” out around the time we go to Spain…more details nearer the time.  We’re also pretty close to having all the songs together for a new 12” (GFFO), so watch this space!

As you might have seen, I did my first hour long show at Colchester Fringe Festival (two nights) and it went really well! Usually, I’ll do up to forty minutes, but I felt that I should push myself.  My only regret is that I painted myself into a bit of a corner with the premise I’d given the show, which meant that I had to leave a few bangers out ‘cos they just wouldn’t have worked with the flow of it all.  But the intro music worked well, the visuals too…and I made some converts, and it was a good learning experience.  I know I can hold an audience for a full hour, and that’s good to know. PHEW!

So yeah, I’m in hibernation mode.  The Seasonal Affective Disorder is kicking my arse really hard this year and I don’t really want to be amongst people much at all. Any socialising at this point in the year is a mental drain of the highest proportions; I just can’t do it. I’m 6 months off the booze and eating better, and exercising a bit too, so with any luck I’ll be a leaner meaner fighting machine(er) at next year’s shows.

Message me if you want to book me (or The Domestics).  Here’s what’s already in the bag (with some others TBC):

2026

WEDS 4 MARCH: HOTBOX, CHELMSFORD (w/ LEON THE POET, LAURA BRADLEY & NANCY T)

FRI 6 MARCH: SUDBURY ARTS CENTRE (w/ ANDY RILEY, LEON THE POET & LAURA BRADLEY)

MON 13 APRIL: GET MOUTHY, THE BIG DIFFERENCE, HIGH ST. LEICESTER

WEDS 20 MAY: FEN SPEAK @ CENTRE E, BARTON ROAD, ELY, CAMBRIDGESHIRE

THURS 21 MAY: THE BELL, TICEHURST, EAST SUSSEX (w/ ANDY RILEY & TIM BARLOW)

FRI 5 JUNE: SUDBURY ARTS CENTRE (w/ ATTILA THE STOCKBROKER)

THURS 25 JUNE: GOB @ HUNTER CLUB, BURY ST EDMUNDS (w/ ANDY RILEY, LAURA BRADLEY & SAM MARSH)

WEDS 2 SEPT: HOTBOX, CHELMSFORD (w/ ANDY RILEY, LEON THE POET & LAURA BRADLEY)

THURS 3 SEPT: GOOD SHOUT @ HERE WE AREN’T, PETERBOROUGH

FRI 4 SEPT: SPEECH THERAPY, BUNKER’S HILL, NOTTINGHAM

See you on the other side….

J

Hi All,

Been ill, so am pretty behind with everything! 

If you hadn’t seen it on the socials I was in Hastings a couple of weeks ago doing a book signing with punk legend, Charlie Harper of the UK SUBS. We started off at Printed Matter and then went over to The Observer Building where we joined the Earth Island Books crew on their stall at the Book Fair. Charlie’s a famously nice and down to earth fella, and we had a lot of laughs and went for pizza afterwards. A top day.  Oh, and then I did a couple of poems at the evening event in the same building.

A couple of days ago I compèred the GOB night run by Sam Marsh and Matt Carter (now known – by me at least – as ‘Cat Martyr’”) and tonight I’m DJing reggae, ska and whatever the hell else I fancy at The Bell Hotel in Clare, just outside Sudbury.

NEXT SATURDAY (4^th October) – The Domestics play our final gig of 2025 at Here We Aren’t in Peterborough. It’s a small venue, so I’d recommend getting a ticket in advance (it’ll save you a couple of quid too). Then we’ll retire to our winter cave and finish working up the songs for the next record. Tickets here.

After that, you can find me in London on Friday 10^th October in Deptford, London doing a couple of sets at the launch party for the Scrotum Clamp / Scuts 7” split release party at Jam Circus. Bit of art-punk and some punk poetry?  Hell yeah! Free entry too, I believe. 

My BIG NEWS about my BIG SHOW!!!! I have a one hour show at Colchester Fringe Festival – it’s called ‘That’s Not Poetry!’.  I like to think of it as poetry for people who think they don’t like poetry, and it’s the most ambitious thing I’ve done in this non-band arena.  There are visuals, there’s a timeline running through it, there are some pieces you’ll know, some you definitely won’t have heard before, some band-related stuff, and plenty of laughs too. I can’t recommend it highly enough!!!! HAHA! More info and tickets here (don’t hang about, the venue is pretty small and thus tickets are limited): TICKETS HERE!

Then the big hibernation until March next year. S.A.D. sufferers understand.

J

Hi All, hope you’re enjoying your bank holiday weekend (unless you have to work, in which case you have my sympathies).

Just a quick update on the last activities of this year (there’s plenty booked for next year from March onwards – i.e. after my enforced Seasonal Affective Disorder hibernation)…

Friday 29^th August – I’m doing a co-headline with Courtney Ward for Rushen Rhymes.  It runs 7pm – 9pm. There are some open mic slots too I believe.  It’s at Scribble Studio, Church St, Rushden NN10 9YT. Only £5 entry.

Friday 19^th September – in what will hopefully be the first of a series of collaborations between Word Habit and  Suffolk Poetry Society, I’ll be making an appearance alongside some other high quality (and in some cases, hilarious) wordsmiths at Sudbury Arts Centre. Six poets, all doing around 20 minutes each – something for everyone! Check here for details and tickets (£9).

There’s a Domestics gig on 4^th October at Here We Aren’t in Peterborough…keep checking the band Facebook for details as and when they appear.

Friday 10^th October – I’m at Jam Circus in Deptford doing a poetry set for the Scrotum Clamp/Scuts split single launch party.  It’s free entry too!  Come on down!

FRINGE FESTIVAL SHOW!

This is a really big deal for me! I’m doing an hour long show as part of Colchester Fringe Festival at the end of October.  The show’s called That’s Not Poetry! and it uses poetry and humour to trace a wonky line from my first memory to where I am now, with many diversions in-between. There will be visuals.  There will be some old “classics” (*cough*) woven into the timeline, but also stuff that’s been published but I’ve not done live before, and even some stuff that’s been written especially for the show.

There are going to be two performances of That’s Not Poetry! one of Sunday 26^th, and another on Tuesday 28^th. Both are at Coda in Colchester High Street. Tickets are limited, so if you want one – and I really hope you do! - grab one here. It’s going to be fun, I can assure you!

October 31^st – the annual Reggae & Ska Bank Holiday event at which I DJ alongside Craig Cooper from Iceni Soundsystem), was its usual success on Bank Holiday Sunday. Packed pub, great tunes, nice people, plenty of dancing, jerk chicken, rum punch, Jamaican curry…the lot.  Always the busiest day of the year for The Brewery Tap (a cracking, award-winning pub, just up the road) and for HALLOWEEN I’m back DJing some soul, funk, Motown and whatever else I feel like, alongside my better half, Lu.  You should come.

All of this stuff and more at https://linktr.ee/james_domestic

Cheers

James

Hi All,

Just a quick update from me on a few bits:

I’m doing a gig with the brilliant Andy Riley in Chelmsford tomorrow (Thursday 31^st July).  Unless you have a ticket you’re out of luck though as there aren’t any left! Further support from the excellent Leon The Poet and Laura Bradley.

One thing you can – at the time of writing – still get a ticket for is the gig at The John Peel Centre in Stowmarket on Friday 15^th August, as one of the flagship events of Foreword Festival.  The headliner is award-winning poet, battle-rapper, children’s author, podcaster, and star of Channel 4’s Mr Drew’s School For Boys, Mark Grist. What a privilege to be sharing a bill with him! I’m warming up for him alongside Sam Marsh, Amy Wragg, and Lorna Mackinnon – all of whom are top performers!  It’s a quality line-up and you can get yourself an advance ticket for just £8 here (they’re £11 on the door). The train station is a stone’s throw away so it’s really easy to get to if you’re from out of town. There’s loads of other stuff going on as part of Foreword Fest (the UKs first Fringe Literature Festival!), including author talks (including one from actor Larry Lamb), stuff for kids, book fairs, adult story trails, art installations (including one from Colin Latter, ex-Flux of Pink Indians – which will either mean something or nothing to you, depending on whether you’re partial to a bit of 80s anarcho-punk!!!) and much more. Check out the website here.

Oh, there’s an interview with me on Heather Moulson’s website if you want to know what my best and worst gigs have been, what The Domestics are up to, and loads of background stuff too. It’s a great site so take a look here.

Check out the Live Dates page for gigs in Rushden, Sudbury, and Frinton. I’m itching to tell you about my last two dates of the year (something a little different) but I’m sworn to secrecy for the time being.  They’re towards the end of October in Colchester, and I’ve probably already said too much! 

Grab yourself a ticket for the Sudbury Arts Centre showcase gig here.  A cracking venue and a brilliant lineup, with Edinburgh Fringe regular, and very funny man, Ben MacPherson, headlining.  It’s only £9!

Right, that’s it for now, gotta go!

Cheers

James

Just a quick one to say that due to an administrative error (in simple terms a date mix-up) that I now won't  be performing for Fen Speak in Ely on the 18th.  It will be reorganised in due course though.

Andy Riley + me + Leon The Poet + Dawn Vincent at COLCHESTER ARTS CENTRE next week (19th June) - please grab a ticket here if you haven't already!

Hi All,

A little update on some bits ‘n’ bobs…

HEALTH STUFF

As you may have seen, I’ve had a few health issues recently.  I’ve had some crippling back pain, which now – fingers crossed – seems to be on the way out, and I’m now diagnosed as pre-diabetic, so I’m a Rizla away from actually slipping into diabetes. Plus, I’m now on medication for chest pains (luckily, the hospital thinks it’s gastric rather than my heart as the ECG came back OK). I’m off the booze entirely again and this may even be a permanent state of affairs.  It’ll certainly be a long break at the very least.

STAND-UP-POETRY

But aside from that, things are rolling on as usual-ish. The Domestics are rehearsing songs for a new record (7 down, 3 to go), and I’ve been doing a ton of stand-up-poetry gigs (someone suggested what I do is “stand-up-poetry” and I think it describes it pretty damn well!). 

ESSEX

If you’re in or around Essex, I cannot urge you strongly enough to grab a ticket for this gig at Colchester Arts Centre on 19^th June. The headliner is Andy Riley, and extremely funny man who has  written for a whole host of beloved comedy shows, including Big Train, Smack The Pony, Armstrong and Miller, Black Books, Spitting Image, The Armando Iannucci Show, Veep, Trigger Happy TV, and Year of the Rabbit to name just a few. He’s won not only a BAFTA, but an Emmy as well, and is the creator, author and artist of the best-selling series of Bunny Suicides cartoon books (thus far selling around one and a half million copies).  Not gonna lie; he’s fucking hysterical.  Just brilliant.

I’m supporting, alongside the excellent Leon The Poet, and the equally excellent Dawn Vincent. Info and tickets here.

If you can’t make 19^th June in Colchester, then there is one more opportunity to catch Andy, me and Leon (opener is the very funny Laura Bradley) at Hot Box in Chelmsford on July 31^st (it’s a pretty small venue, right next to the train station, and tickets are 75% sold out already. Grab a ticket while you still can here.

I’m also in Ely, Rushden and a few other places over the coming months.  Check here for details.

Cheers!  Hope to see you in Essex (or anywhere)!!!!

James

Just a quick update as I’m laid up with an excruciatingly painful back (tour injury!), amongst other ailments that all seem to have arrived at once. The back is so bad The Domestics had to pull out of playing Manchester Punk Fest this Friday, which is bad news. You might catch me briefly tomorrow at The Brewery Tap, Sudbury for the Easter Soul Party that Lu and I bring there every Easter, but in all honesty, she’s going to be doing the – metaphorical and actual – heavy lifting, as I’m just too bashed up to do it.  Bless her!

Anyway, TOUR DATES! I’ve got a bunch of new spoken word dates in the diary – check here for the full list – including a couple with world class comedy writer, Andy Riley (Black Books, Big Train, Smack The Pony, Spitting Image, Veep…I’ll stop there as it’s an insanely long list of amazing stuff he’s written for).  The Andy Riley gigs are at Colchester Arts Centre in June and Hot Box in Chelmsford in July.  There are VERY limited tickets for the Chelmsford date, and I believe they’re going pretty damn quickly already.

My poetical mate, the interesting and hilarious Leon The Poet is on at both dates, and the opener switches between Dawn Vincent and Laura Bradley (both brilliant!)

Aside from that, I have a headline “book launch” set at Patch for the Essex Poetry Collective on 24^th April (if my back’s not better Lu will have to wheel me in on a sack barrow!), am the feature headliner at Good Shout in Peterborough on 1^st May, and am doing several poetry/compering slots at a PET NEEDS gig for Love Music Hate Racism in my old hometown of Clacton-on-Sea. The night after that I’m once again supporting the legendary Luke Wright at Sudbury Arts Centre on the 9^th.  The rest of May looks like this: Festival of Suffolk Poetry at The John Peel Centre in Stowmarket on the 17^th. Word Habit at The Brewery Tap in Sudbury on the 18^th, Two Sisters Arts Centre in Trimley-St-Mary (near Felixstowe) with the outstanding Virginia Betts on the 23^rd, the brilliant Boho Banter in Clacton (again!) on the 27^th, and at The Hunter Club in Bury St Edmunds on the 29^th I’m headlining the inaugural Gob night, which promises to be a lot of fun (though it's not on their website yet!).

Like I say, there’s plenty more here, but that’ll do for now. 

Please do support venues by buying tickets if/when you can.  Venues are under a lot of pressure at the moment (I know; we all are), and when a venue closes it often isn’t replaced, leaving that town with no hub for music and the arts, which you don’t need me to tell you is a very bad thing.

OK, see you out there. I’m off for more codeine and stretches.

Laters

J.