Amelia’s Magazine | Foale and Tuffin: Made in England

With our current fixation with everything 80s and 90s, ask patient it’s easy to see why the 60s have become a little side-tracked, order a little blasé, drug and so ‘a few’ years ago, when the shift dress silhouette was last in vogue. But what do we know, as a common consciousness, about the 60s anyway? Twiggy was hot, the Beatles were big and sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll were prevalent, right? But isn’t that a little bit one-dimensional and something we could have learnt from Austin Powers?

foale-and-tuffin-spotlightImage courtesy of Fashion & Textiles Museum

Fast forward to 2009 and to the Fashion and Textile Museum, who in their continual efforts to thrill and excite (as well as educate), are exhibiting a retrospective: Foale and Tuffin: Made in England. No doubt the aforementioned names mean very little to those unfamiliar with this great exhibition. However, this design duo was heralded as responsible for “Youthquake”, the creation of a youth movement encompassing teenagers who wanted to dress, shop and live differently from their parents.

Upon graduating from the Royal College of Art, the two designers decided, with only £200 to their names, to open a new shop aimed at a younger clientele. Following their own tastes in constructing simple shift dresses, trouser suits and biker jackets, their clothes were soon selling out. After Woollands stores started stocking their brand, Vogue’s new darling photographer David Bailey shot some of their pieces, and stardom was born, with their clothes gracing the editorials of Vogue, Queen, Honey and Nova.

IMGP1121

All photographs courtesy of Becky Cope

Despite starting out by utilising their RCA background for constructing high fashion garments in high quality fabrics, they soon began to adopt a simpler, stream-lined approach more suited to their customers. Major trademarks of the pair include their creation of trouser suits for women, their use of light lace, their peter pan collars and graphic, pop prints inspired by the art of the period. Particularly famous is their double D pocket shift dress, a reference to Double Diamond ale advertising of the time.

IMGP1111Pieces that feature all of these signature trademarks are well-represented in the exhibition, with its layout mimicking their store off London’s iconic Carnaby Street. Mannequins showcase their most popular and successful designs, such as the navy lace dress with key hole neckline and peter pan collar, as well as some of their most radical, such as “Geoff’s Jacket” inspired by their boyfriends’ clothing. Sportswear was also an early inspiration, reflected in their range of light weight, coloured jersey dresses with white piping detail. Liberty prints were also important, utilising them in their designs through to the 1970s.

IMGP1122The key to their reign of success, from 1962-1972, seems to lie in the fact that they were catering to a previously ignored market and tapping into the consciousness of the period in doing so. Indeed, Tuffin has commented for the exhibition, “We made our own clothes and we realised there was a gap. So it was very much that people would make their own clothes, people would dress themselves and style themselves with bits and pieces… and we sort of jumped in and made the bits and pieces for them.”

IMGP1110When the design duo finally hung up their measuring tape, it was only to pursue families and other personal dreams. This landmark exhibition is highly significant because it dispels the myth of a singular London youth explosion more commonly associated with Quant and Biba, and instead showcases the diversity and range of changes taking place within the decade that brought us so many freedoms.

Foale and Tuffin: Made in England is showing until 24 February 2010.

Categories ,Austin Powers, ,Beatles, ,biba, ,Carnaby Street, ,David Bailey, ,Double Diamond, ,Fashion and Textile Museum, ,Foale and Tuffin: Made in England, ,Honey Magazine, ,Nova magazine, ,Quant, ,Queen magazine, ,Royal College of Art, ,twiggy, ,vogue

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Amelia’s Magazine | Joe Worricker and his Finger-Waggers

Joe Worricker_by_Renato Pequito
Joe Worricker by Renato Pequito.

Joe Worricker was turned away from X Factor but that didn’t prevent him from being snapped up by the coolest of labels Rough Trade. He’s just released single Finger Waggers so I thought I’d catch up with him on twitter and find out what gets Joe ticking…

You’ve just released Finger Waggers. What’s this song about and why the name?
I wrote Finger Waggers when my hair was so shockingly large people used to pull at it in clubs and take the piss. It’s about the importance of self-love and not letting people tell you how to be. Each of us are only here for a short time and we should be whatever we want to be

What’s the idea behind the video?
It’s set at a tupperware party with posh ladies who are the finger-waggers. The director Lily Smith did a fantastic job, viagra order she has made it look amazing.

YouTube Preview Image

Your sound is a pretty unique combination of pop, indie and soul. How would you describe it and why?
The songs are Beatles, The Marvelettes, Debussy and Kate Bush mixed and the vocal is a weird soul voice I suppose. 

You’ve already been hailed as a new soul sensation – how does this feel? What do your mates mates say to you on the subject?
It’s an amazing feeling when someone appreciates your work. What’s important is how you feel about it. For my first album I’m proud and think I’ve set good starting ground for future things to come. My friends are really supportive and always come to my gigs.

When did you start singing, and how did you end up signed to Rough Trade?
I started singing to Disney songs when I was a baby and haven’t stopped since. When I was gigging round London some music peeps got talking, Rough Trade heard about me and came to watch me in Soho. They then invited me in and offered me a deal

What was it like growing up in Essex – did you live the life of a typical “essex boy”? PS what do you think of the new real life soap The Only Way is Essex – is this the Essex you knew? is it an apt representation of life in Essex?! or not at all….
I probably lived the Essex girl life more. Went out every weekend to binge drink underage with my girl mates and wore and still wear excessive amounts of fake tan. Although I get St Tropez now which is the best in the business, where then it was very cheap rub on tan; I’ve matured. I haven’t seen the show yet, but everyone has been banging on about it. Yes, there are people like the people you see on the programme for sure

X Factor: what’s your opinion? Did you ever enter any talent competitions as a teenager?
Talent competitions can be amazing platforms for people. Jennifer Hudson being the best example, who is totally sensational and may have never been discovered otherwise. I entered the X-Factor when I was 18. I didn’t get through though, I think they were scared of my voice.

Where are you living at the moment and why? 
Fitzrovia. I only live in areas where I can walk to Soho in 5 minutes or less.
 
JoeWorricker_by_Sandra Dufour
Joe Worricker by Sandra Dufour.

You’re a proactive twitter user – what do you use twitter for?
It’s good for letting people who are interested in your music know about gigs, singles and the generally rubbish you are getting up to. Perfect for potential stalkers.

When can people catch you live? What can they expect from a Joe Worricker live performance and why should they come to see you?
My London headline show at XOYO on 16th November in Old Street. They should come see me coz I’m better live and i’m extra gifted at talking rubbish between the songs.

What makes the best kind of party?
Vodka, hilarious music, getting naked in the early hours…

When can we expect a debut album, and have you got a name for it yet? go on… give us a bit of a clue…
It is released in the new year. It is the title of the 1st song I wrote for the album. The song is about a moment of profound beauty and clarity when every fear and worry about life fell out of my head and I could see the world clearly.

Catch Joe soon before he goes massive: X Factor be damned, this Debussy loving Essex boy is going places. Read our gig listing here.

Categories ,Beatles, ,Debussy, ,Disney, ,Essex, ,Finger-Waggers, ,Jennifer Hudson, ,Joe Worricker, ,Kate Bush, ,Old Street, ,Renato Pequito, ,Rough Trade, ,Sandra Dufour, ,Soho, ,soul, ,The Marvelettes, ,The Only Way is Essex, ,Tupperware, ,X Factor, ,XOYO

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Amelia’s Magazine | Malachai – Ugly Side Of Love – Album Review


Do you remember Woodstock? It’s said that, page if you were there, you shouldn’t. Something like six million more people claim to have been there than actually were, if I remember rightly – I’m not sure. A number somewhere in that region, I imagine. Can’t be bothered to check exactly, and Malachai probably wouldn’t either, so I’m acquiescing to their style. Ugly Side Of Love is a rough-hewn 60s throwback that sounds like (what I imagine) what waking up at Woodstock on the final morning felt. I say waking up, I mean coming up with the dawn as Jefferson Airplane stumbled through their set at around 8am, Grace Slick’s voice distorted by many things more than just the distance and the tent canopy and a whole bunch of reverb. Malachai have managed to make an album that is, no word of a lie, entirely summed up in the album cover. Just look at that blue-smoke psychedelic vision (capturing the sound of blue smoke is a terrific achievement, it must be said), those terrible eyes, those colours. Just look at them. Wow.

Malachai are one of those extremely loud duos, a couple of guys who sound like a whole bunch of pissed-off bastards making deliberate noise. They’re from Bristol and have been championed by Geoff Barrow of Portishead, and that makes a lot of sense by the 1:30 mark on opener ‘Warriors’. I say this because they’ve reminded me just how limited, how narrow-minded, most of the current ‘alternative’ music I’ve been listening to is – I may wax lyrical on ‘breadth of influence’ or some similar critically pretentious descriptor, something that is essentially just a re-hashing of ‘they’ve got horns/strings/lots of members/synths’, but we’re talking about bands who pretty much listen to nothing outside of a narrow range of post-punk, 80s indie, 90s indie, and a few token world acts (or possibly just Paul Simon) for good measure.

Malachai – coming from a city that is arguably most famous these days for being something of a hippie outpost, a place spoken of with reverence by those who are really into their psychedelics yet find procuring them a frustrating experience – don’t exactly keep their cards close to their chest, revealing themselves as dedicated acolytes of this intoxicant culture. Ugly Side Of Love reminds me intensely of the (occasionally maligned) Magical Mystery Tour EP by The Beatles – a lot of people only listen to that soundtrack for I Am The Walrus and Strawberry Fields Forever and all those big hits, but there are a couple of instrumentals on there that are pretty, well, weird, even by the standards of the Beatles’ LSD phase. Lots of tape loops and odd psychedelic twinges, and that kind of attitude gets stretched here to something approaching the length of an LP. It’s even got the feel and texture of something you might expect served up by DJ Shadow, but it’s also undeniably a straight-up rock record – a strange combination, but one that clearly isn’t tried often enough if this is indicative of the potential in such experiments.

So we have the stoner-rock and garage-rock foundational stones, but adorned with the tricks and treats that can be found within Bristol’s various musical communities. Barrow’s influence, being producer and all, is evident, and certain tracks bear familial resemblances to Portishead’s trip-hop (‘Only For You’), but there’s also a fair bit of turntablism (‘Fading World’) and hip-hop sample play (‘Meeches Theme’). There are horns lifted straight out of the Arthur Lee playbook on ‘Lay Down Stay Down’, and dancehall drum patterns on ‘Only For You’. In fact, the only place where it’s nothing more than just a plain ol’ garage-rock record is on ‘Snowflake’, which could easily pass on any new Nuggets compilation.

Ugly Side Of Love is, as the name suggests, ugly. It’s all over the bloody place, but, by god, it’s wonderful for it. Every listen suggests new hooks, an extra level of depth that you’d never expect from music that’s usually something so simplistic. A lot of care has been paid here – this sloppiness, it’s intentional. Give it the attention it deserves.

Categories ,Arthur Lee, ,Beatles, ,bristol, ,DJ Shadow, ,Garage-Rock, ,George Barrow, ,Hip-hop, ,ian steadman, ,Love, ,Magical Mystery Tour, ,Malachai, ,Portishead, ,Psychadelia, ,Psychadelic, ,the beatles, ,Trip-Hop, ,Ugly Side Of Love

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Amelia’s Magazine | Mary Epworth at St Pancras Old Church: Live Review

Mary Epworth by Gemma Cotterell

Mary Epworth by Gemma Cotterell

Hidden away between Mornington Crescent and St Pancras railway station, in that relatively little known area of London that is Somers Town, St Pancras Old Church seems to be undergoing a bit of a reinvention. A church with a long and interesting history (and that’s before we get to the impressive churchyard, with its links to the Romantic Poets, the American Revolution and The Beatles), over the last couple of years it has begun to put on small gigs by many an up-and-coming artist.

Mary Epworth by Sylwia Szyszka

Mary Epworth by Sylwia Szyszka

Escaping a bitterly cold evening, I was immediately struck by how small the place is (apparently a capacity of only around 100 people), especially compared to Union Chapel, another church-cum-music venue about a mile or so to the east. With the scent of incense wafting through the door, I could see that all the seats were already taken, with any late-comers making do with standing room only at the back.

YouTube Preview Image

Mary Epworth by Gilly Rochester

Mary Epworth by Gilly Rochester

Playing a venue such as this must have been a bit of a contrast for Mary Epworth, having been at SXSW in Texas a couple of weeks before. Tonight was the first appearance on a whistle-stop UK tour, before some festival dates into the summer. Epworth has been ploughing her own particular musical furrow for a couple of years now, influenced by as much by English folk as by 1960s West Coast psychedelia. She gained recognition following an appearance at a tribute concert to Sandy Denny, and the release of her debut album, Dream Life, last year received widespread praise.

Mary Epworth by Rhi Pardoe

Mary Epworth by Rhi Pardoe

With a slightly reduced version of her trusty Jubilee Band (certainly compared to the gig I saw at the Lexington last summer), Epworth took centre stage in a sparkly black dress and with drum sticks in hand, leading the beat on a snare drum and (drummers may correct me here) a tom-tom placed either side of her. With support from Jim Hanner and Will Twynham, variously swapping bass, keyboards, drums and an upright piano and the redoubtable Citizen Helene supplying guitar and harmonies, she led us through a selection of songs largely drawn from Dream Life.

Mary Epworth by Gabriel Ayala

Mary Epworth by Gabriel Ayala

Playing with a more compact band meant that a lot of the songs felt more, not necessarily stripped down, but intimate, which certainly suited the setting (especially with the low level lighting, which added to the atmosphere). That said, Epworth’s soaring vocals, particularly on Heal This Dirty Soul, could more than fill the room. There was a mournful Two For Joy, with its simple organ chords feeling suitably “churchy” (as Epworth quipped when describing some of her set tonight), and the country tinged Sweet Boy, which sounds not unlike something that Caitlin Rose might come up with. Rather unexpected was a cover of The Four Horsemen by Greek prog-rockers Aphrodite’s Child. Don’t think anyone saw that coming!

YouTube Preview Image

Mary Epworth by Sam Parr

Mary Epworth by Sam Parr

The most well known songs, Black Doe and Long Gone, popped up towards the end (Epworth admitting that she actually wrote the latter about a dog), and there was a brief encore, accompanied solely by Twynham on keyboards, to round off the evening for a most appreciative audience.

Mary Epworth by Carley Chiu

Mary Epworth by Carley Chiu

After a bit of a break, Mary Epworth and the Jubilee Band will head off to play at the Great Escape Festival and the Wood Festival, followed by the Lounge On The Farm Festival. There don’t appear to be any new records ready for release on the immediate horizon, but I’m sure that when they do appear, they will be just as special.

Categories ,Aphrodite’s Child, ,Beatles, ,Caitlin Rose, ,Carley Chiu, ,Citizen Helene, ,folk, ,Gabriel Ayala, ,Gemma Cotterell, ,Gilly Rochester, ,Jim Hanner, ,Jubilee Band, ,Lounge On The Farm Festival, ,Mary Epworth, ,psychedelia, ,Rhi Pardoe, ,Sam Parr, ,Sandy Denny, ,St Pancras Old Church, ,sxsw, ,Sylwia Szyszka, ,the Great Escape, ,The Lexington, ,union chapel, ,Will Twynham, ,Wood Festival

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Amelia’s Magazine | Slo Light: an interview with Neil Davidge

Neil Davidge by Gemma Cotterell

Neil Davidge by Gemma Cotterell.

Bristol based producer Neil Davidge has worked with the likes of Sandie Shaw, Cate Le Bon, Karima Francis and many others to produce a stunning debut album. Slo Light came out last month and builds upon an action packed career, which includes highlights such as co-writer and producer for Massive Attack, score composer of Halo 4 and collaborations with David Bowie, Snoop Dog, Damon Albarn, Primal Scream and Mos Def. The album is deeply-schooled in Bristol beats, electronica, soundtracks, orchestral music and more, creating a fantasy world in which tension, darkness and beauty find the perfect equilibrium. I asked Neil about the creation of Slo Light...

Neil Davidge portrait

How did you pull together such an amazing roster of artists to work with?
It took a fair amount of patience and belligerence. I didn’t want to accept anyone with a good voice who could spell their name correctly. The list of potential collaborators grew over the course of the last 10 years, some I’d met whilst working with Massive (Attack) and some I bumped into in train stations. On each occasion meeting the people I’d eventually ask to sing I felt a connection that went beyond a purely musical appreciation and gravitated towards those I could talk about life and love and who I felt were tapped into something beautiful other than music.

Gallant Foxes feat. Cate Le Bon.

What were your ambitions when you set out to make this album?
For it to be honest and unguarded. I don’t find it easy to be authentic in my daily life, much of the time I find myself being polite and accepting stuff I really should take issue with. The studio is the one place where I feel brave enough and selfish enough to stand my ground and expect better of the world and myself. I also wanted to make it quickly (comparatively, the last album I made took 7 years).

Neil Davidge by Simon McLaren

Neil Davidge by Simon McLaren.

Can you describe the Bristol music scene in 2014, who do you hang out with and where would we find you making music and finding inspiration?
I hang out with Drew with who I made the album and works with me on most of my projects, and Tom, our wipper-snapper programmer… 7 days a week, sometimes 17+ hours a day in the studio. It’s a rare occurence for me to stray further than the 4 walls of our converted loft apartment studio or my house on the edge of the city. I’d love to tell you about the current Bristol music scene but I’d bet you good money that you know more about it than me.

Who were your biggest influences in your formative years on the music scene?
I’d have to go further back than when I first started making music, back to childhood, hearing Bowie, Debussy, the Beatles, Marvin Gaye, that stuff gave me a measure for what’s worthy I still use today. When I began playing my tastes shifted slightly, listening to bands like The Pop Group, Gang Of Four and A Certain Ratio, but I’m influenced by pretty much everything I hear, including sounds that are not traditionally considered ‘music’, in some way or other and always have been.

Sleepwalking feat. EMI Green.

What is the secret to good production (any tips)?
Wow, If I knew the answer to that one… Working really fucking hard, staying open minded and listening to my gut is how I do it. I’m envious of those who seem to have it sussed but I’m sure that’s me being hard on myself. When it comes down to it I’d guess no-one achieves and sustains a successful and creatively exciting career without a lot of effort and many sleepless nights.

What underground artists do you recommend for us to look out for in the coming years?
I don’t know how ‘underground’ they are. I’m currently listening to Benoit Pioulard, Low Roar (who sang on ‘Home From Home’ on my album), Stars Of The Lid and Emptyset (from Bristol).

DAVIDGE SLO LIGHT

Slo Light by Neil Davidge is out now on 7Hz Recordings.

Categories ,7Hz Recordings, ,A Certain Ratio, ,Beatles, ,Benoit Pioulard, ,Bowie, ,bristol, ,Cate Le Bon, ,damon albarn, ,David Bowie, ,Debussy, ,EMI Green, ,Emptyset, ,gang of four, ,Gemma Cotterell, ,Halo 4, ,Karima Francis, ,Low Roar, ,Marvin Gaye, ,Massive Attack, ,Mos Def, ,Neil Davidge, ,Primal Scream, ,Sandie Shaw, ,Simon Mclaren, ,Slo Light, ,Snoop Dog, ,Stars Of The Lid, ,The Pop Group

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Amelia’s Magazine | Joe Worricker and his Finger-Waggers

Joe Worricker_by_Renato Pequito
Joe Worricker by Renato Pequito.

Joe Worricker was turned away from X Factor but that didn’t prevent him from being snapped up by the coolest of labels Rough Trade. He’s just released single Finger Waggers so I thought I’d catch up with him on twitter and find out what gets Joe ticking…

You’ve just released Finger Waggers. What’s this song about and why the name?
I wrote Finger Waggers when my hair was so shockingly large people used to pull at it in clubs and take the piss. It’s about the importance of self-love and not letting people tell you how to be. Each of us are only here for a short time and we should be whatever we want to be

What’s the idea behind the video?
It’s set at a tupperware party with posh ladies who are the finger-waggers. The director Lily Smith did a fantastic job, viagra order she has made it look amazing.

YouTube Preview Image

Your sound is a pretty unique combination of pop, indie and soul. How would you describe it and why?
The songs are Beatles, The Marvelettes, Debussy and Kate Bush mixed and the vocal is a weird soul voice I suppose. 

You’ve already been hailed as a new soul sensation – how does this feel? What do your mates mates say to you on the subject?
It’s an amazing feeling when someone appreciates your work. What’s important is how you feel about it. For my first album I’m proud and think I’ve set good starting ground for future things to come. My friends are really supportive and always come to my gigs.

When did you start singing, and how did you end up signed to Rough Trade?
I started singing to Disney songs when I was a baby and haven’t stopped since. When I was gigging round London some music peeps got talking, Rough Trade heard about me and came to watch me in Soho. They then invited me in and offered me a deal

What was it like growing up in Essex – did you live the life of a typical “essex boy”? PS what do you think of the new real life soap The Only Way is Essex – is this the Essex you knew? is it an apt representation of life in Essex?! or not at all….
I probably lived the Essex girl life more. Went out every weekend to binge drink underage with my girl mates and wore and still wear excessive amounts of fake tan. Although I get St Tropez now which is the best in the business, where then it was very cheap rub on tan; I’ve matured. I haven’t seen the show yet, but everyone has been banging on about it. Yes, there are people like the people you see on the programme for sure

X Factor: what’s your opinion? Did you ever enter any talent competitions as a teenager?
Talent competitions can be amazing platforms for people. Jennifer Hudson being the best example, who is totally sensational and may have never been discovered otherwise. I entered the X-Factor when I was 18. I didn’t get through though, I think they were scared of my voice.

Where are you living at the moment and why? 
Fitzrovia. I only live in areas where I can walk to Soho in 5 minutes or less.
 
JoeWorricker_by_Sandra Dufour
Joe Worricker by Sandra Dufour.

You’re a proactive twitter user – what do you use twitter for?
It’s good for letting people who are interested in your music know about gigs, singles and the generally rubbish you are getting up to. Perfect for potential stalkers.

When can people catch you live? What can they expect from a Joe Worricker live performance and why should they come to see you?
My London headline show at XOYO on 16th November in Old Street. They should come see me coz I’m better live and i’m extra gifted at talking rubbish between the songs.

What makes the best kind of party?
Vodka, hilarious music, getting naked in the early hours…

When can we expect a debut album, and have you got a name for it yet? go on… give us a bit of a clue…
It is released in the new year. It is the title of the 1st song I wrote for the album. The song is about a moment of profound beauty and clarity when every fear and worry about life fell out of my head and I could see the world clearly.

Catch Joe soon before he goes massive: X Factor be damned, this Debussy loving Essex boy is going places. Read our gig listing here.

Categories ,Beatles, ,Debussy, ,Disney, ,Essex, ,Finger-Waggers, ,Jennifer Hudson, ,Joe Worricker, ,Kate Bush, ,Old Street, ,Renato Pequito, ,Rough Trade, ,Sandra Dufour, ,Soho, ,soul, ,The Marvelettes, ,The Only Way is Essex, ,Tupperware, ,X Factor, ,XOYO

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