PJ Harvey reading Don Van Vliet's 'Man Can't Anticipate Cat'

PJ Harvey was recently invited to read a selection of Don Van Vliet's poetry at Michael Werner Gallery in London, as part of an exhibition of his paintings, Don Van Vliet: Standing on One Hand, from the 1980s and 1990s. The exhibition runs until February 17th 2024. More info here www.michaelwerner.com/
The artist, also known by the stage name Captain Beefheart, has had a significant impact on PJ Harvey's own music and art.
Polly says, "Thank you to the Michael Werner Gallery for inviting me to read Don's poems. It was a privilege to be able to give life to his words whilst standing amongst his paintings. Thanks also to Jan Van Vliet who helped me prepare for the reading, and for sending me a poem Don had written for me in 2001, called 'Man Can't Anticipate Cat', which I read at the end of the night."
Don Van Vliet - "Standing on One Hand", 1994 Oil on linen.
© The Estate of Don Van Vliet. Courtesy Michael Werner Gallery, New York and London.
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[@81leesmith]

One of the coolest people ever, reading a poem from another one of the coolest people ever, a real treat! =)

[@seanhennessey9869]

Agree but sort of lackluster word cluster here

[@mcbillygoat]

Don Van Vliet is still way ahead of any artist today. His music set the standard that still can’t be set by anyone else. He is the past, present and the future. Really his music is just now being appreciated by the younger generation years after his death.

[@FridaSophia817]

Polly❤ your beautiful voice and smile, black hair, poetry, and cats.❤️ ​

[@alabamaisyourdaddy6137]

Well thank you for this little surprise Polly❤

[@63worldseries]

i can listen to her read all day.

[@jonnymoadel1984]

PJ is the reason I became aware of The Captain. She spoke of him in an interview in 1995 and now I admire him as much as she does. It's cool she was able to know him

[@OhHamburgers0258]

I love you sm, PJ! In my 20s I even had your picture in my car on the dashboard, You are an absolute genius, and *every* single song of yours just blows me away

[@KonaMark1]

Captain Beefheart was how he was known to those of us that saw him perform 👍

[@photonotavailable7936]

🎵Diddy wah diddy!🎵

[@paulmartin3682]

Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa eating pineapple buns stolen from the Captains dad's bread truck and listening to doo wop on vinyl...a perfect evening.

[@AntonNidhoggr]

Realistic. Polly's smile definitely can keep a cat in control 🖤

[@sebastopprogre1979]

Lovely smile ❤

[@starmartir]

An incredible human ❤

[@spunky3183]

Awesome! Both are truly all time greats!

[@marttijousimo5695]

I knew PJ is Beefheart-fan, but really didn´t know he wrote a poem to her... amazing! Anyway I have been Beefheart-fan about 40 years and PJ-fan 30 years. Sometime after 2010 I understood that PJ is the greatest music artist of all time IMO! Sometimes student goes ahead of the teacher...

[@gobuns2]

first time hearing don's poetry having a daily-relationship context. thank you for sharing miss!

[@sebastopprogre1979]

Wonderful and magic woman. 😊

[@tonapittman]

Love Polly, love Poems, love Cats - a Trinity of Treats to me ~ 😸💕

[@andrewjohnstone963]

The cat was warmed by her smile Says it all ❤ for cool 🙄 re talent Its not how cool (shallow) its who you are Perception was a friend of exclamation ❤

[@roryprice8979]

Wow just Wow I'm speechless

[@liavch1]

Damn I love this lady

[@pomnichowski]

Bardzo Dziękuję! 🖐️

[@jonstclair3290]

Wow, what an honour, the Captain wrote you a poem, just wow

[@rnor3146]

🖤☀️ Sublime..... Many thanks for your presence...❤

[@joyousenoful]

Wow!!

[@ipc2393]

West country girl with a big fat cat ❤

[@HidingFromFate]

heh, that Cave song lyric is the first thing I thought of too, when hearing the line from Van Vliet's poem. Love that song.

[@andresnerinazi]

Wonderfull!!! 👏🏻🙌🏻

[@neilthorpe7650]

Lovely stuff. I’m almost inspired to write a poem about my dog, but I can’t think of anything to rhyme with nob’ed.

[@Elizabeth-zt8vg]

PJ YOU ROCK!!❤

[@tommygetsstupid3443]

Love

[@foxopossum]

Love pj. Don’t know Don. I’m sure if this poem were written for me i would treasure every word.

[@user-li9zc3ro5w]

May they walk with us forever .

[@dcashley303]

Wish I knew the exhibition was on sooner! Oh well.

[@adamvoviode4892]

She's so sweet

[@lunamorodon214]

I love you Polly ❤️

[@dimar7797]

Pj harvey❤❤❤

[@matthewmiller8048]

Could she be any more adorable?

[@willianchanrockin3952]

Polly is really a peach ❤

[@bloodyritual999]

❤❤❤

[@terrygreen2243]

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY POLLY JEAN HARVEY !

[@shutterant]

♥

[@chungwahcancion7870]

hell yeah

[@donwight233]

❤

[@mikee069]

🌹

[@user-fd4nj6ky3u]

😻

[@diodelrio]

Grace

[@PrimitiveInTheExtreme]

🤘😼🤘

[@msell8107]

Sweet

[@martinsjunior7731]

✌️😎🤘🇧🇷❤️

[@muzzamonroe6767]

Go Beefheart

[@Jooonas484]

From 🇸🇪

[@idiotusmaximus5530]

what a babe

[@oliverkalamata2753]

She has certainly aged well!

[@christossalikas6604]

💘👑🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹♾

[@maughan3061]

Imagine how dangerous a really really big cat would be.

[@Jooonas484]

👍😂🤗PJ.

[@1luarluar1]

Dr. Judy Wood+ Robert Brame (dustification)

[@ptrkbnkr4043]

More Van Vliet cat lyrics: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZO3kneiaLZrrc0

[@jorgepacheco9845]

😸

[@petertocher6845]

Do people have to do that 'whoop-yeah !' thing for everything ?

[@shoprintart]

😊 😜

[@alexanderclaylavin]

It feels like she’s an old pal or something

[@ArthurLWood]

That’s good is it?

[@davidwurm3308]

Ice Cream for Crow- at least Letterman gave him airtime.

[@1luarluar1]

Primarywater

[@andreaceschia9540]

Honestly PJ , I much more loved you when you were on stage in the late 90s first 20s doing great rock performances. I will always love "good fortune". Have a great future. I will always follow you ❤

[@lacrimis_solis]

🫶🫶🫶 big cat

[@DrGobii]

Ice cream for crow. Give it a listen.

[@1luarluar1]

there are no viruses: Dr Sam Bailey

[@tcr4451]

Such a beautiful voice! Technically, this poem is rather terrible but PJ makes it work.

[@DavidDatura]

I don’t get it 🤷‍♂️

[@dthorne4602]

You are correct

[@stephen3654]

Shame about Bart Simpson

[@partickaljamested5146]

Wow Terrible what passes for poetry

[@Sir_William_Marshal]

Well blame Don if you dont like it

[@rafagarciadelaserrana2375]

🌹

[@MinnieBlues4444]

😻

[@mariatontini6656]

❤