PUNK poet, presenter and performance artist John Cooper Clarke will be delivering his trademark biting, satirical verse in Bingley next month.

He and special guest Mike Garry will be at Bingley Arts Centre at 8pm March 19. This keenly anticipated evening has already been sold out.

John specialises in political and very funny verse, delivered in a unique rapid-fire performance style.

He has previously toured with all the seminal bands, including The Sex Pistols, The Clash and Buzzcocks but in the 1970s he began to draw large crowds in his own right.

He became one of the leading voices of punk and youth culture of the late 1970s, and was known as the Punk Poet or The Bard of Salford.

John later released a massive collection of his poetry and words –Ten Years In An Open Necked Shirt – which became the bestselling poetry book of the1980s, and is still reprinted every few years.

Aside from his interesting fashion sense, which has spawned copy-cats all over the country, his effect on modern music has been huge.

John's influence can be heard in the satirical and keen social observations of the songs of the Arctic Monkeys.

Alex Turner has cited him as a huge inspiration and John’s work appears on the sleeve of one of the band's singles.

In the film world, UK rapper Plan B even asked John to appear in his directorial film debut, the unforgettably grim, dark and gritty Ill Manors.

Plan B and John's duet, Pity The Poor Fellow, appears in the movie and also on the soundtrack.

John had his own documentary, Evidently… John Cooper Clarke, networked on BBC4. He regularly features on BBC television and radio programmes, as a presenter, performer and a socio-cultural commentator.

The punk revival scene has seen a whole new generation clamouring for his distinctive work.

Continuing to write fresh work from his Essex home, he has a plethora of new poems and monologues which he performs solo, alongside his best known works such as Beasley Street and Evidently Chickentown.

John regularly goes on tours across Europe and Australasia. Earning his informal title as the "hardest working man in show business" he still averages over 100 shows a year worldwide.

He was awarded an honorary doctorate in July 2013 by the University Of Salford, and is studied by many college and university students throughout the world, ensuring he will be forever ingrained in the psyche of the world’s youth.