Here, in an exclusive and in-depth article, we explore one Mossley-based man’s journey, starting with a nervous breakdown yet quickly evolving into the start of an exciting new adventure which has seen him take to the stage alongside The Charlatans’ frontman Tim Burgess, as well as gaining an ever expanding fan base in the trendy Northern Quarter of Manchester. All within nine months of seeking medical help, and without ever knowing of his hidden talent, Jack Horner has attracted the attention of local bands, radio, as well as Manchester Indie veterans The Inspiral Carpets and popular band Cabbage have even written a song about him. What follows is a truly remarkable story about an incredible 50-year-old man from Mossley, who accidentally became a spoken-word poet. Jack just wants to help others, but he is rapidly becoming a popular and unique entertainment act, rubbing shoulders with Manchester’s finest musicians.
Jack’s story starts with a chance encounter at The Castlefield bowl in central Manchester. Here, he met his girlfriend Sachiko Wakizaka with whom he has just recently formed a musical project ‘The dirt’. After meeting Sachiko, discovering a mutual and shared love of music and having their first date watching The Cure at Hyde Park, Sachiko returned to her native Japan, and while their relationship was still going strong, Jack began to unravel mentally-something which had been building for some time. “I am a traditional Northern lad, stubborn, driven and was formerly in the army since joining, aged seventeen”, Jack told me. Even just last year he explained: “I was drinking excessively and didn’t realise that my weekend binge drinking was a problem” he went on. “I was forty-eight and living this one-hundred mile an hour lifestyle”. His problems quickly escalated. He started not talking and feeling completely disassociated from everything. He decided he needed help, and simply walked into The Pennine medical centre in Mossley.
His very first contact was a nurse, who told him to come back and see a GP, and to self-refer to ‘Healthy Minds’ – a website offering mental health advice. After a one-hour telephone assessment with Healthy Minds, Jack was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, acute anxiety and was prescribed an anti-depressant, citalopram. He was also advised to take time away from the workplace, and get regular exercise and fresh air, and together with reading the advice on the Healthy Minds website, he started “hammering twenty-mile walks” around Saddleworth Moor. “I was loving the nature all around me” he explained, and yet it was not all positive in the beginning.
During these regular enduring and long walks out in the hills, Jack began to unravel mentally, and his thoughts began as suicidal. It was only when he stopped walking, and sat down with his feet dangling over the edge of popular Saddleworth landmark, Indian's Head that he suddenly realised: “Life is actually ace” and it was out of this epiphany that his creative outlet was born. “After that I started walking again and I could hear a drumbeat in my head, a cadence, and all these words just started flooding and bleeding from my mind” he told me. “All these sentences started forming, and I began talking to myself, out loud”. “I was listening to all this psychedelic music”, he went on, “and the words I spoke were all about misunderstanding and anger, it was dark!”. Jack then started recording his ramblings, which by this point was starting to rhyme and sound like a rap.
What makes this story so interesting, and uplifting, is how much all of Jack’s creative process was helped along by a nurse, a GP and the Healthy minds website. He had read about how finding a creative outlet could help with his mental health, and he then discovered that he was drawn to the creative process of writing and in poetry form. He began a journal of his spoken word creations, and all of this was within just two months of that first visit to see a nurse at The Pennine medical centre. He showed his journal to his family and after being assured by them that it was “a bit good” he attended a creative event at a local library where he received some really good feedback. Having found the courage to progress to his first spoken word night at Sip Club in Stretford, he was terrified, and might not have gone ahead with it, however, on the way there, he bumped into friend and local musician Jake Fletcher. Jake is someone much admired and respected by Jack, since he had co-fronted Gramotones and Cupids, bands championed by Paul Weller. Incidentally, Jake is still a performing solo artist, currently. According to Jack, Jake told him he could be a bedroom poet, but if it’s that good, people need to hear it. “Jake inspired me to go for it” he explained. “So I thought, if Jake thinks I should go for it, then I’d better do it!”.
Jack’s debut gig in Stretford quickly served as a catalyst to more gigs just a few months later, and rapidly saw him progress to being booked alongside several successful Manchester bands in the city’s popular Northern Quarter venues. Prior to those, Jack “hijacked” a mini-festival in Stockport- Blackthorn Fest- run by 42 records and band ,The Maitlands. This was quickly followed by a Strange Days event, who invited Jack along to The Castle Hotel in central Manchester, supporting Average Sex- a band on Tim Burgess of The Charlatans’ record label Ogenesis records. That night, Tim Burgess himself appeared on stage with Average Sex, allowing Jack to meet and perform alongside one of his favourite ever Indie frontmen. This particular gig gave Jack a great write up in renowned Manchester music blog, Even The Stars.
Just a little while before this, Jack came up with a name for his act, having it suggested to him that he do so, by a male promoter. “I came up with the name Leon The Pig Farmer because firstly, it is an ode to my ex-military friends and army days”, Jack told me, “However, there is 1992 cult film with the same name” he explained.
So who else has Jack stumbled across in his as-of-yet nine month career as a spoken word poet? “Clint Boon has been very appreciative of me” Jack casually and humbly mentioned. And having featured on his XS Manchester radio show asked the question “Could this be the next John Cooper Clarke?” Others who have been keen to show their support have been Tom Hingley (also of The Inspiral Carpets with whom Jack has done two gigs) as well as Ricky Turner of Paris Angels and San Pedro Collective, Simon Wolstencroft of the same band and Dermo of band Northside, now Time for Action. Warren ‘Dermo’ Demody of said band also gave Jack some support slots, including Shine On Fest. But it doesn’t end there. Jack has also shared a stage with international psych bands for Astral Elevator Promotions, performed at Musicians Against Homeless gigs organised by Max Paley of Night People and The Rose and Monkey, and received further praise from renowned music website Louder Than War, while supporting 99 degree. How can this all be possible in just nine months? “I’m honoured within nine months to achieve guest slots at spoken word nights” he humbly told me.
Jack’s latest musical project ‘The Dirt’ will be explored the next time we catch up with him, and he has promised to explain why popular band Cabbage have written a song about him too, and tell us why bands such as The Blinders have had such nice things to say about him, but for now, if you take away anything from this article remember this: Jack is just a regular Mossley resident. A humble and friendly person at that. He is someone who felt so wretched and low that he had no choice but to seek medical help. Does this inspire you to access help if you feel desperate too? Or maybe, you just want to hear what he has to say with his spoken word act. I discovered him by accident, through friends and at a gig. He is not a forgettable person. Why don’t you press play on the links, here? Be sure to let us know what you think. This won’t be the last time you hear about Jack Horner.
