About Gary The Hat
Gary the Hat is a DIY performance poet who has lived in Sunderland for over thirty years. He has self released two handmade pamphlets, It Is Society That Is Ill… Not Me and Premeditated Ignorance.
Since he began performing in 2022, Gary has headlined and featured at numerous spoken word events throughout the North East and beyond. He has featured on BBC Radio Newcastle and performed at various festivals, including Lindisfarne Festival, Teeside Intersectional Pride Festival, and the Hockley Hustle in Nottingham.
Gary has a diploma in Herbalism and Natural Healing, which he received in 1998, and a Ba (Hons) in Philosophy from Durham University in 2012. He is planning to release his first book, a collection of poems and accompanying stories in 2027, as well as an hour long spoken word and poetry show.
Poetical Outlaws - Monthly Spoken Word & Music
Gary hosts and runs a non-funded monthly spoken word and music event called Poetical Outlaws - held at Diego’s Joint, usually on the third Friday of the month. Poetical Outlaws features three featured artists, dubbed ‘Wanted Fugitives’, and an open mic.
“We want to give anyone a chance to do a fifteen minute set that wants one, especially first timers. We are looking into a fun new way of presenting this opportunity on the night to replace the current mini slam.
“We also want to be able to pay performers, so we have a £5 or PAYF entrance fee which gets shared between the three ‘Wanted Fugitives’ at the end of the night.”
As well as poets and spoken word artists, Poetical Outlaws welcomes comedians, rappers and singer songwriters. They showcase local performers and have hosted acts from further afield such as London, Glasgow, Nottingham, Lincoln and Huddersfield.
“We are building connections with other spoken word nights and performers across the country with the aim of creating a loose network which will give artists the opportunity to perform in a different region. We have strong ties with Nottingham and some of our open micers have gone on to be featured artists or headliners at various nights that are held there. We are building further ties that will bring more opportunities for local performers to become more visible further afield, as well as bringing a variety of performers from around the UK to Sunderland.”
Anniversary at Diego’s Joint
Gary organised and hosted a free festival style event to celebrate Poetical Outlaws’ first anniversary in March 2026; a six-hour extravaganza featuring poetry, comedy, rap and music.
The anniversary is set to become an annual event at Diego’s Joint.
Poetical Outlaws In Conversation
Gary also hosts and produces an audio and video podcast called ‘Poetical Outlaws In Conversation’. Each week, he chats with a Wanted Fugitive (guest poet) to discover more about them.
As well as conversation, you can expect a showcase of some of the Fugitive’s work, before they take part in the ‘Wanted Dead Or Alive’ round.
“This podcast is an opportunity for performers to promote themselves and their work. As well as having local guests, we also have guests from further afield - so hopefully this will play a part in creating further visibility, and networking opportunities for performers.”