Britain’s best loved and most important performance poet, John Cooper Clarke is as vital now as he was in the '70s. His biting, satirical, political and very funny verse, delivered in a unique rapid-fire performance style, resonated with the punk movement and he toured with all the seminal bands, from The Sex Pistols to The Clash, until he soon began to draw large crowds in his own right.

John Cooper Clarke is as relevant and vibrant as ever, and his influence just as visible on pop culture. His influence can also be heard in the satirical and keen social observations of artists such as Plan B and the Arctic Monkeys.

As well as his regular TV appearances on the likes of Have I Got News For You, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Would I Lie To You and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, John also host 6 Music shows and his own BBC Radio 4 Show 'John Cooper Clarke Live at the BBC’.