Anna Claus

This week has seen possibly the best 2 shows I’ve done in a long time if ever. I’m my own harshest critic so I rarely think I’ve done well but I got lucky with audiences on Monday at Spangled Cabaret and Saturday at the 13th Note.

Monday was very special indeed as after a few songs people started dancing and by the end the words were being shouted back at me! Awesomely exciting stuff. It was videoed as well by a friend called Jon the Hat of Haufcut Video Productions. The full set can be viewed on Youtube via this link –

Anna Secret Poet Live at Spangled Cabaret 3/12/18

Action shot by Ruth Booth

I got to wear one of my newest purchases which is a lovely wool-effect Mrs Claus dress from Primark. I coveted it last year so leapt at the chance to own it this time round. Yes I fully realise I’ll only get to wear it a few times a year but it was so worth it. In a few spare moments today I posed for a few pics in the house. It got a bit cheeky 😉

An early Christmas treat for you 😘

I also videod myself singing a Christmas song I wrote at the beginning of this year specifically dealing with the aftermath. I call it ‘Coming Down From Christmas’ ❤

The gig last night was even better. I was invited by The Red Lite District to join a bill at the 13th Note – my oldest surviving stomping ground. It’s a lovely big vegan cafe in Glasgow’s Merchant City. One of my favourite places, especially when it’s busy! The first time I was there was in April 1999 to see Biffy Clyro and Aereogramme. To have seen them in such a tiny venue was amazing in fact they impressed me so much that I felt like giving up music all together. When I got home I wrote a song inspired by their ‘Hope for an Angel’ which included the same quiet/loud bursts, gentle riffs and high singing voice. I called it ‘Hollow’ and it became a live staple for my teenage band at the time called ‘Guavara’.

‘Hollow’ by Guavara

There were 4 bands in total. The Limbo Scene, myself, The Red Lite District and The Performance Enhancing Suppositories. I was on second which turned out to be the optimum time to go on and I probably had the densest crowd. That made it magical. I reckon I played pretty well. Possibly I played it too safe with my set but I’ve not had much chance to practice recently. I’ve been hoping to add a few new tracks into the set but hopefully I will next year.

Action shot by Pat McGuire @ PMG Photog

I’m still peddling my new album. You can also now stream it in its entirety on Youtube from the following handy link…

Anna Secret Poet – Party on, Papillon! (Full Album on Youtube)

I’m also hoping to do a few more Christmas shots next week when I have my last show of the year. Drag-Opticon at the Britannia Panopticon – I cannot wait! I may even bring 2 costumes this time 😄

Galactic Carnival Photoshoot 19/8/17

I am very excited to be able to share photos from my shoot with the amazing Galactic Carnival (AKA Debbie McCall) from a couple of weeks back. I also got photos from my first one in July which I shall share in a later post. It was a really fun and relaxed afternoon we had shooting at the Britannia Panopticon. Also in attendance was a most gregarious Panopticonite called Peter Crilly who helped out with some of the setting up and provided copious puns for our collective pleasure.

The guitar posing all done, we gained access to a creepy spiral staircase backstage that members of the public wouldn’t normally get to see. Apparently it used to lead to a freakshow on the top floor!

We the creapt back into the main audotorium where I posed for some pics at the pianola.

…and then Debbie and Peter took me to the Moon!!

…but I lost my guitar up there! 

After a brief break we ventured outside and down the street to Tontine Lane where we took some urban shots.

It really was a great day! Topped off by Debbie and Peter coming along to my gig at the 13th Note afterwards – well it was only just round the corner. That went really well too! Debbie took some pics of that and filmed the climactic ‘Eyebrows!’ in it’s entirety.. here is a handy link to view it on Youtube 😉

‘Eyebrows!’ Live at the 13th Note 19/8/17

Hot Sweaty Mess!

Apologies for the slightly lurid title, it seems to sum up my summer gigs rather well. Particularly that last one I did on Friday. I’m pleased to report another successful gig and that I seem to be getting the hang of whatever it is I’m doing!

It was a great night in general I should stress so as not to appear to be wallowing in some Anna-scented pool of smugness. Perish the thought. The 2 bands were excellent (The Joules and Quiche), the comedians were exemplary (Kavita Bhardwaj and another gentleman whose I sadly didn’t catch) and the opening acoustic act was charming (Raphael Cartoons). Getting changed in places other than the house is becoming normal as well and I’m getting quicker. I left it a good 10 minutes after changing before applying make-up as it was so warm downstairs in the venue. And that was before it was filled with people!

That was before obviously – what a state!

After I had transformed I took a couple of cheeky pictures before heading upstairs to the busy bar. It’s still a rush I can tell you. The venue is called the 13th Note Cafè and is one of my favourite places. I have played there so many times over the years. The food is awesome too and it’s vegan. They do excellent spicy chips and their cheesecake is to die for. I ordered a pint of cider then found a little spot by myself to plan my set. I turned a few heads which always uses me. Not long after that my wife arrived and we sat in the restaurant area to get dinner. The waitress was a consumate professional and didn’t miss a beat asking if we ladies needed another drink. Heading downstairs to the venue again I was struck by the heat and had to improvise a fan from a random piece of cardboard I found. The gig ended up running a little late and by the time I went on I had to cut my set from 30 to 20 mins but I didn’t mind. That increased my drinking and socializing time and gave me a chance to cool down a bit.

The crowd were awesome and totally up for it which excited me greatly. I treated them to a bunch of daft poems and sung them a few songs, including ‘Spoonful of Sugar’ which went down a treat again…you could say it went down in the most delightful way 🙂

When I came off I was especially pleased to see one of my friends whom I haven’t seen for ages had turned up. He was especially chuffed as he got to feel my breasts the cheeky swine – there was also talk of motorboating! Oh dear…the things us girls put with. I was able to remain dressed for a good hour or so afterwards but inevitably the drabbing down time arrived. I took another couple of cheeky pictures (which I don’t think I look too bad in actually considering) and then normalized.

Next weekend I’m all set to play a monthly night that The Creative Martyrs put on in the southside of Glasgow called ‘The Sinister Wink’. I played that last November as B-Side Boy and it was a terrific night, possibly one of my favourite ever gigs. So intimate and NO mics or amplification. You could’ve heard a pin drop. I wore a dress and heels that night actually – 2 dresses in fact (and a big top hat with no make-up and a beard). The sets were split in two so I did a costume change during the interval. Looking forward to going all the way this time!