John J. Leahy was born in Leahy’s Corner Shop The Square Listowel Co Kerry and went on to live in Bromley, South London. He had a sometimes idyllic, sometimes turbulent, if unremarkable childhood.
He was educated at Bishop Challoner School in Shortlands Kent and much later at the University of Greenwich.
His love of literature originated from his father, who enjoyed reciting works from the likes of: Robert W Service or W B Yeats.
While at school, he would travel each weekend to the Kings Road Chelsea, to hang out in Malcolm Mclaren’s shop, Let it Rock. There he became influenced by the Situationist Movement.
This was the body which supplied a political Ideology to the then blossoming Punk Culture.
Has always drawn and painted, having a fascination for Art in general.
John J. Leahy started creating lyrics and music early 1976. He fronted a local Garage band. This was called The South London Band and they were better classified as early Socialist Oi!
Later moving on to an experimental unorthodox sound, when he discovered synthesizers.
During the late 70’s he was a political activist and a member of the Anti-Nazi League.
1981 saw him playing guitar on the, now cult album, From Bromley With Love. For The Limit’s A Tidy State of Mind released by Alternative Music.
In fact he was to write and record with a number of local bands. There was an exciting music scene manifesting itself in Bromley at that time. It was also a vibrant cauldron for new concepts and philosophies within contemporary culture.
He then formed the band Clutching at Straws and gigged extensively with a number of different line ups. It was at this time he started to experiment with the spoken verse supported by improvised live drum rhythms or a pre-recorded digital backdrop.
In 1983 he released his first single under the name of Pinkie and his Band as a triple A side; Hay Muerte en la Casa (3 Industrial Electronic tracks with poetry) through Fluffy Records, distributed by Revolver Records – Bristol and the Cartel – London.
John J. Leahy became a member of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers & Authors, as well as a member of the Performing Rights Society.
It was also during this period that he started to dabble in film. Writing and producing short experimental films. These were heavily influenced by Warhol’s work and the French Avant-garde of the late 60’s, usually in black & white format.
Then he worked from some years managing Indie bands and promoting venues across London, before becoming a DJ. He was a regular on the club scene in the UK and the Balearic Islands throughout the 1980’s. Playing a mixture of Hip-Hop & Electronic Dance.
During the 1990’s John J. Leahy continue to write, record and very occasionally perform.
In 1999 he met his fiancée, Carina Sheppard while working as a Software Engineer for a Newspaper Press Office. In the same year he released Welcome to the third Millennium. An Ambient Techno track overlaid with dystopian inspired Gothic poetry. This was released in CD format and had an instrumental B side.
In 2000 they moved to Kemptown and have lived there ever since. They both find Brighton to be inspiring, tolerant and exhilarating. He has always been passionate about civil rights and the need for Art to be both recognisable and accessible to the masses.
The poet has, long since weaned himself of off Kebabs and Skepticism. He now describes himself now as a Cynical Individualist; Still he does not reject the Existentialist label and it is this philosophy which underpins much of the Verses.
He is an ardent European and staunch supporter of the NHS.
Having spent his whole life battling depression, naturally several of the poems in this collect do reflect that emotional struggle.
John J. Leahy lists amongst his influences: Samuel Beckett, Lady Gaga, Leo Tolstoy, Guy Debord, Eric Cartman, Salvador Dali, Derek Jarman, Edward de Bono and Bertrand Russell.
In recent years the poet has financed himself by working in numerous temporary jobs in and around Brighton while compiling this collection.
His published works are in the scifi genre, and you can find them on Kindle…
Winds Of Neptune First Book in The After Clown Series Kindle ASIN B07P74JXSW
A University Paleontologist is drawn into violent encounters with miscreant elements on
Earth that are struggling to take ownership of a huge geode that he has discovered buried in
a field near Muddles Green in East Sussex. It transpires that this geode was used as a birth
sarcophagus by an advanced human genus in secret for many thousands of years on Earth.
Things heat up when an Alien faction then decide that they also want to possess the geode.
Unum Ex Duo Bus Second Book in The After Clown Series Kindle ASIN B0BZ637V9Y
Seven Spacenauts go on a three-month deep space mission in a Mapping and Intergalactic Survey
Vessel called Unum Ex Duo Bus. Three months later seven return to Earth? This after them having
the best costume Parties in the Entire Virgo Cluster. The story deals with adult themes.
