Neil Hilborn at The Glee Club - review

With the queue snaking around The Arcadian centre, it’s clear the popularity that Neil Hilborn has reached among the spoken word community but also to the power of modern technology and social media.

Opening the show was Birmingham’s Jess May Davies, who’s half an hour slot did well to make people aware of the Birmingham spoken word scene which will surely see an influx of people following the show with many people experiencing their first spoken word show in the fine setting of the Glee Club.

Hailing from Texas, Hilborn is a slam poet perhaps best known for his poem ‘OCD’ which has gained him critical acclaim online with over 75 million views. Touring in promotion of his second book ‘Our Numbered Days’ for the first time on UK shores, Hilborn’s material references his own battles with mental health and his experience with OCD and bipolar disorder.

But that’s not to say that the evening follows a sombre tone, with Hilborn’s sense of humour filling the gaps between the poems with tales of his experiences in Birmingham, his mental health struggles and his home life. And it’s this sense of humour and personality that makes the evening so fantastic, with a light and dark approach throughout the content matter that means within the hour performance you’re taken on a journey.

Performing poems from both his published books as well as a new collection, fan favourites such as ‘OCD’, ‘Me, But Happy’ and ‘Joey’ were all performed in an engaging and emotional manner that had the audience completely silenced in admiration of the spoken word.

A truly entertaining, thought provoking and emotional performance, it’s no doubt that Neil Hilborn will be welcomed back with open arms upon his return to the city.