Theremin viruoso, Pamelia Kurstin teams up with award-winning composer, pianist, multi-instrumentalist and producer Pete Drungle in this premier live performance in a lovely Dalston setting. Kurstin creates layer-upon-layer of exotic otherworldly noises and haunting improvised melodies, with an almost operatic, voice-like quality. A sound to behold!
This guy looks set to be the next young Londoner to make it big. All the credentials are there; signed to Young & Lost, backed by Adele, DJ support provided by Laura Marling, has opened for Florence & the Machine and he does a blinding cover of Beyonce’s Singles Ladies, above. Not to name drop or anything.
This is so bizarre, that it’s got Amelia’s Magazine’s backing. Weirdo Gest hosts an evening of music including classic soul and R&B singer, Ben E ‘Stand By Me’ King, free newspaper pin-up Peter Doherty and indie boys, The Rumble Strips, above. You couldn’t make this stuff up.
Amelia’s Magazine are overjoyed to have the original female punk band back on our stereos – read the album review here – and think this gig will be unmissable. Support is in the form of chaotic, darkwave pop from former Test Icicles man Rory Brattwell’s new band Kasms and instrument-swapping, all-gal group Pens.
Venture to this South East and you will experience the most unique night out of your life. Playing at this ramshackle folk night are north London husband-and-wife duo Peta Webb and Ken Hall singing unaccompanied traditional Irish and American songs presented in a warm and beguiling way, ably assisted by folk activist and banjo player Ed Hicks.
Staying South East, why not pay your dues to Oxjam and check out Rubella, punky girl rockers fond of dressing in school uniform, along with riffy alt.rockers We The Faceless and pop-punkers Stick Man Army. That’ll round your gigging week off nicely.
Written by Katie Weatherall on Monday October 12th, 2009 1:28 pm
“It’s nice everyone getting dressed up and making an effort, hospitalstomach round Christmas time ‘n that”, generic slurred an old man at the bar after telling me this was his local. Halloween did he mean? A gaze and a nod.
Peggy Sue (there were some pirates but they’ve long since fled to the Caribbean to find themselves) have a knack of adding a distinct flavour to everything they do. Brewed in soulfulness and peppered with giggles, they are an intoxicating concoction of many lovely things; compared to the likes of Lauryn Hill and Regina Spektor in a single breath, all manner of genres tossed in their direction.
But references aside, that tend to reduce everybody to something regurgitated, there’s lots of other good stuff – like a compilation CD released for every month (100 copies only, complete with artwork), like how their voices emulate astonishing power and soft effortlessness all at once; or that their low-fi sound is brought together with honeyed harmonies, punctuated Spektor-like noises and an unending supply of bizarre percussion instruments. It is finally exquisitely tied together with lyrics that detach our body-parts as things to be stolen, tell stories of the woes of superheroes, and give life to ‘those fragile little things’ that live inside. It all feels very refreshing, and nicely homemade – ‘Peggy Who?’ asks the drum-face.
The Horror Movie Marathon had the Peggy stamp all over it, made apparent in its details. A projection screen hung behind them playing classic horror gems; a new horror song, complete with screams had been written for the occasion; and the widely acclaimed ‘superman’ was illustrated by a live puppet-show on stage. The wide-eyed Alessi’s Ark and feet-shuffling Derek Meins were there to support, marking the beginning of the Triptych Tour – one bus, two weeks, three acts. Catch them if you can in a venue near you! But what oh what does Triptych mean?
Be Prepared, sildenafil long the motto of the Scouts, is now being added to by The London Climate Camp Social Group with Be Inspired and Be Involved. A series of nights around town broadly divided into these three headings encouraging all to socialise and fund-raise for Climate Camp.
Be Prepared nights fund-raise with bands, djs and comedy. It’s one to bring your friends who may not be into all the “eco stuff” but would be interested in finding out more about Climate Camp.
Be Inspired focuses on what’s going on at the moment. Film screenings, speakers and debates wil inform people what is happening and why Climate Camp is doing what its doing.
Be Involved is the actions based adventures, such as Climate Rush, the forthcoming Day of Action and what ever else happens in the future.
The first one is tomorrow and is a Be Inspired night held at The Old Crown, 33 New Oxford St starting at 19:00. The line up consists of Alistair James playing music, Leo Murray introducing his excellent animation Wake Up, Freak out and Get A Grip, a short presentation from Climate Camp about what is being done right now and where it’s going and why, including two ladies instrumental in organising Climate Rush. Plus plenty of music to dance the night away.
The Old Crown
33 New Oxford St (corner of Museum street),
London WC1A 1BH.
Between Holborn and Tottenham Court road tube station.
It wasn’t so long ago that I really thought I’d had it up to my neck with you. I think it was one of your columns in the Independent that did it. You’d had a bad day, page you know, one of those ones when you don’t particularly feel like getting out of bed in the morning and then when you do, you burn your toast, or scald yourself in the shower or something. And instead of having a quick cry, or swearing, or generally getting on with things as most people might do, your especially bad day led you toward one overarching question: ‘did my dad ever really love me?’ I thought it was a tad dramatic. So upon hearing about your retrospective at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art I was expecting 20 years of torment in the space of a few rooms. And you didn’t disappoint. But what I wasn’t expecting was that I was going to leave the exhibition liking you. Feeling for you, maybe. Being critical of you, definitely. But actually liking you? No, I wasn’t expecting that. But there is a reason that we hear so much about you Tracey, because you know what, you’re actually a pretty good artist.
Emin’s exhibition opens much like one would expect it to, throwing the viewer head-first into the deep-end. The first work we encounter is a tribute to her deceased grandmother; the second, a graphic description of a traumatic abortion. All the staple Emin classics are here: the neon signs, the tapestries, expressionist etchings, and of course, the infamous bed. And yet after the piss-stains, the used condoms, the confessional video diaries, the purging of torment and the sheer tragedy of it all, something beautiful remains. Emin’s letter to her uncle Colin is a striking example of this. Lucid and incredibly moving, Emin succinctly describes her emotions as she learns of the horrific accident that caused her beloved uncle’s death. Exploration of the Soul, a work comprised of 32 sheets of handwritten text, is similar in its expressive eloquence. You may baulk at the several spelling mistakes, shudder at the sadness of other people’s lives or smile at the moments of humanity within it; Emin will fail to leave you unmoved.
My Bed 1998
The further we continue through the exhibition the more we feel as though we are Emin’s confidante; her scars are ours now and they are weighing us down. To enter, toward the end, a room removed of much of the abject excess of the others, comes as welcome relief. Two sculptures in particular reveal the diversity of Emin’s talent as an artist. Self Portrait (Bath) comprises a rusty bath filled with bamboo, barbed wire, chicken wire and a contorted neon streak entwined to create a work of great textual interest. In the same room a rollercoaster of reclaimed wood, It’s Not The Way I Want to Die from 2005, dominates the space. Constructed entirely from old crates, the past life of the wood seems to echo Emin’s own (one plank retaining it’s FRAGILE label), but is here reworked into a somewhat rickety yet undeniably beautiful piece.
It’s Not The Way I Want to Die 2005
Emin is a chameleon, expressing herself in several mediums and seemingly mastering them all. Love or loathe her – you won’t easily forget her, and to my mind, that’s what makes her continue to be worth talking about.
The Perfect Place to Grow 2001
Images courtesy of Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
September marked the official UK launch of the new shopping/networking website, ampouleShopStyle. Already popular amongst fashion followers in the US, viagra the best way to describe this new digital phenomenon would be a ‘Google for fashion with a MySpace twist‘. Shopstyle offers a unique online shopping experience, which enables users to browse the rails of thousands of brands through a simple search box option. Just like Google, ShopStyle carries out all the hard work trawling through shopping sites in order to bring you any matching items to your keywords. Users can also narrow down their searches by price, brand, store and size so only the most relevant results are displayed.
The site proved to be heaven sent in my own hunt to unearth a descent pair of gladiator heels, presenting me with options from new and smaller brands that I wouldn’t usually consider in my shopping choices.
ShopStyle’s nifty social networking twist means even those of us a little strapped for cash can still muzzle in on the spirit of fashion. The StyleBook tool allows users to play around and create their own fashion look books based on their own personal tastes and styles. These can be viewed by fellow users who are free to comment and discuss ideas. Unlike other virtual stores, ShopStyle embraces a love for fashion and creativity, moving beyond the simple idea of consumption.
Keep an eye out next month as three emerging designers, selected by stylist to the stars, Bay Garnett, get the opportunity to display their collection on the site.
Creaturemag sets out to bring together artists from all around the world, adiposity and produce an online publication, which works as one big collaboration. Being the arty literate types that they are, they’ve also created a sort of character out of the Creaturemag concept. This has led to an entertaining, if not ever so slightly confusing, interview with themselves, or Creaturemag – you kind of have to read it to understand.
They have just released Creaturemag festival edition – a diary of their activities over the summer. Its content though is a little more in depth than trudging through mud and drinking cider though. The wonderful cover has been done by long time Amelia’s contributor Nikki Pinder! It also features interviews with up and coming musical geniuses Alessi and Zombie Zombie.
Being the creative types that they are though, no pages go without a little artistic decoration. A group of top notch illustrators have contributed – bringing the entire thing to life.
Crafty pirate
Floating from festival to festival over the summer, the creatives behind Creaturemag have compiled pieces on the more out there festivals like Secret Garden Party and End Of The Road. The festival edition acts as a sort of guide to how they have often created their own arty fun at festivals this year. Perhaps the most intriguing of which is the feature on concrete mushrooms that were taken to festival all over the country. It is also a testament to how devoted they are to their art. The idea of dragging massive concrete mushrooms on top of the mounds of bags and tents I always end up hauling to campsite doesn’t appeal to me.
Concrete mushrooms
The whole thing just makes it look like the guys behind it have had the best summer ever, and it really makes me want to go back to a festival.
As an entity we usually take in music that is self-consciously/appointed art-rock. It is often forgotten that this art-rock did not just pop out of Andy Warhol’s arse as he stood watching the Velvet Underground, more about he just brought an audience to Reed, buy Cale, see Morrison and Tucker’s genius. Although visual art did have an influence, it is the avant-garde classical that clashed with rhythm and blues to start this musical mongrel. LaMonte Young and the Fluxus movement popularised drones; Cage, Reich and Glass atonality and chance. Karlheinz Stockhausen is another visionary whose contribution cannot be forgotten. The great German- who sadly passed away last year- was a key contributor to the zygote cell stage of electronic music and developed his own musical language of complexity and rapturous transcendental irregular noise. Without him the work of- to mention a few acolytes- Kraftwerk, Zappa, Bjork, Can, Aphex Twin, Faust and Sonic Youth would be very different and have a few less words to rely upon in their collective musical lexicon.
The Royal Festival Hall and Purcell Rooms hosted Klang which was intended as a tribute for Stockhausen’s eightieth birthday. I was privy to two nights of the retrospective which proved to be one of the most amazing musical experiences I have ever had. The Friday night in the smaller Purcell Rooms began with Joy the second hour of Stockhausen’s incomplete twenty-four hour cycle. This was a piece composed for two harpists. The two former students of Stockhausen sat illuminated by a single spotlight dressed in white. They completely subverted my expectations of what a harp could do as the cut up fragments of a medieval German hymn mixed plucked or bashed arrythmic textures with youthful voices making strange phonetic noises. Subsequently, Cosmic Pulses (the thirteenth hour) was archetypal Stockhausen electronic music on 24 different tape loops played at differing speeds through eight surrounding speakers in the dark with a single moon like spotlight on stage. Bjork says Stockhausen mixed modernity with the primordial and natural ferocity of a thunderstorm. This displayed that contradictory dialectic as it buzzed brilliantly with unpredictable electric whip crack on rumbling menace.
I feel privileged to have seen the final night at the Royal Festival Hall. First as short electronic work was played, a token gesture for what was to follow. Lucifer’s Dance was utterly batshit. Performed by the Royal Northern College of Music Wind Orchestra, a solo drummer, flautist and opera singer dressed up as Lucifer himself. It was a comment on the spirit of contradiction and independence via the conduit of an orchestra pretending to be a grimacing demonic face. However, Stockhausen made people use their instruments idiosyncratically and it wasn’t a conventional (not that I have been to many) classical concert. The musicians had to dance, uncomfortably, in their chairs as they blew discordant squalling devil’s frown lines. The cameo from the amazing jazz drummer was particularly good, he represented nostrils. Weirdness. As we left the hall from the rooftops Michael’s Farewell was trumpeted over the Thames, a stunning experience, older fans were getting visibly emotional it may as well have been Karlheinz’s farewell for them. Many of his students, collaborators and friends were in attendance. People left with sad smiles and general wonder from what they had just experienced.
I realised the other day that it had been quite some time since I had rocked out – it kind of just fell out of favour. Mainly because rocking out became so cringeworthy all of a sudden. The connotations appeared to have fallen into something deeply uncool, capsule instead of being the epitomy of it.
The answer to this life problem comes in the form of two bands. Rolo Tomassi; a band that are undeniably too fun for metal and too out there for indie, more about and Fucked Up!; a relentless hardcore band whose live show is almost more about what the lead singer is doing physically, rather than their ear punishing music.
Rolo Tomassi took to the stage and instantly impressed with their musicianship. The music skips from segment to segment with time signatures that befuddle the mind. They’re like some experimental jazz band, in the way that they take an anything goes approach, only more like a jazz band that has been raised by wolves – or something equally ridiculous.
Their set was simply fantastic, though with the catalog of songs they have on their album that came as no surprise. Their keyboard player came into his own during Abraxas, his assault on the keys reproducing something of an assault on my ears. They leave the audience thoroughly shaken, and all I could think about was how I couldn’t wait to see them again some time.
With a name like Fucked Up! there is a certain amount of characteristics expected. They live up to, if not exceed, any kind of expectations imaginable. As soon as the lead singer hoists himself on stage he is something of a dominating presence, like some jurassic being – I was genuinely scared of this guy. On first hear they sound like a pretty standard American hardcore band, and it’s not until you see them live that you get a full understanding. The lead singer’s nonsensical ventures into the crowd, his hilarious jibes between songs and the general raucous in the crowd caused by their show somehow allows it to make sense.
I left the gig with a level of adrenaline that I haven’t felt whilst walking away from a gig in years. I’d recommend some time at a metal gig of this calibre to anyone, it is still a case of being careful though. As a genre it deals with both end of a spectrum. Prepare to listen to an awful lot of guff before you find the genre’s best bits.
Here at Amelia’s Magazine we’re all about nurturing design newbies, advice particularly if they’re as innovative and inspiring as Karen Karem. We first encountered Karen way back in the days of issue 6. Fresh out of Central St Martins and brimming with ideas, for sale she caught our eye with her funky range of horse shaped bags inspired by childhood dreams of magical fantasy lands. After two long years of hard work and some good ol’ fashioned elbow grease, information pills she’s now back to launch her debut Spring/Summer 09 clothing collection, Hard Cover Candy.
A peak into Karen’s treasure trove of inspirations reveals a concoction of nostalgic teenage memorabilia combined with a haphazard assortment of British items from eras past. Kitch accessories and pastel coloured cupcakes bump shoulders with jars of jellybeans, fluffy cotton candy, 60′s platforms, teenage heartthrobs and images of elegant ladies at brunch.
The collection itself consists of a range of dresses. Each contain a childlike quality but still manage to maintain a sense of femininity and elegance. Like her playful horse bags, Hard Cover Candy is for women who remember raiding their mothers wardrobes and dressing up in pretty frocks for birthday parties at the age of 9. They’re for women who like to daydream and still feel like little girls at heart.
With a mixed colour palette of soft pastels and vibrant electrifying tones, Karen’s selection of baby doll dresses and floor length evening gowns use chiffon and ruffles to ensure a high level of grace and movement.
With Vogue and Vanity Fair already showing an interest in the collection, it’s likely that Karen Karem will soon be sweeping us all along into her magical daydream world.
To make music relaxing without descending into something boring requires great amounts of skill in arrangement and more often than not melody. These are two things that Finn has in milk tanker sized loads.
The music on this album rises and falls like a souffle. Beginning with the settling whispers of Half-Moon Stunned. Perhaps not the most exciting song on the album it introduces you to the subtle yet brooding voice of Finn. The restrained yet beautiful melodies of this song have an air of Sigur Ros, illness though on a much smaller scale.
Midway though the album things become a little more unsettled, with the romper that is Julius Caesar. All semi off key, there is a sense of panic in his voice – a device that reminds me of Thom Yorke‘s solo efforts. It pulls at the heartstrings purely through it’s melody, even without the hard hitting, blood spill heavy lyrics.
One of my favourite selections from the album is The Truth Is A Lie, again opting for those obtuse melodies, only this time with some very 60s percussion. This sets it off magnificently, making it far less dreary even though it’s steeped in melancholy. Only problem is, about halfway you remember what it really reminds me of. It does sound kind of like Duffy, if she was in a fowl mood and had a record label who had a conscience and would stop forcing that drivel upon us all.
Here’s one for the fashionettes, pharm the glam goddesses, purchase the couture collectors and anyone who dreams in fairytale fashion time. Make way for a new fashion address. Wembley is now the place to head for a truly avant-garde adventure.
Come December, a distinctly unfashionable warehouse on the outskirts of the city, in Wembley, should expect a style onslaught in the form of savvy shoppers and gracious costumiers, each of them on the hunt for a piece of design history. Think hand-sewn sequins and starry silhouettes. Or you might spy a vintage muse in second hand leather and spiky heels falling over flapper dresses and wartime headwear.
For the first time ever, Angels, Europe’s biggest, brightest and most iconic film and theatrical costumier, stages a mammoth clothing sale. More than 30, 000 items of vintage clothing, accessories and jewellery, including pieces featured in films, TV dramas and pop promos, are set for a starring role as a bargain addition to your wardrobe.
The timing couldn’t be better. Bang in the middle of the credit crunch party season Angels have dropped the frou-frou price tag in favour of a far more festive payment system. You purchase an empty shopping bag on arrival, costing between £10 and £20, and fill it up with lush, lavish or downright ornamental day and eveningwear.
Tucked away in the fashioned up folds of this supersize event are gowns by Christian Dior and Jean Muir. Perhaps you’ll even come across a corset fresh from its debut on the silver screen. More exciting still for anyone inspired by street style looks are the High Street labels of yesteryear, including Chelsea Girl, Bus Stop and Artwork Blue. The sale acts as an archive of fashion’s forgotten favourites and is a snapshot of retro design pioneers.
Whatever you find, the event has widespread appeal, from members of the bargain hunter public to history of design scholars. The shopping elite can snatch at consumptive fulfillment in these credit crunch climes without having to settle for the mindless monotony of minimalism, a look traditionally touted by fashion forerunners in times of economic hardship. As the trend for re-wearing, recycling and reworking style statements from the past continues, fashion, at least, can still be fanciful and frivolous. This authentic collection of costumes stalks a precious historical timeline and offers the chance for you to put a new slant on generations of style. So steal yourself away from the urban high street shopping throng and spin North in your second hand heels. This is could be one of the shopping highlights of the season.
Baddies, Dan Black – Hoxton Bar & Grill, London
Metronomy – Rough Trade East, London
Little Noise Session feat. Ladyhawke, Noah and the Whale
The Notwist – Club Academy, Manchester
WEDNESDAY 19th November
TV on the Radio – Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London Tony Christie – Cadogan Hall, London Jay Jay Pistolet – The Enterprise, London Fucked Up – Roadhouse, Manchester
THURSDAY 20th November
Micachu – Corsica Studios, London Jay Reatard – The Faversham, Leeds
Sway – The Syndicate, Bristol White Lies – Guildhall, Gloucester
Last week the high-rollers were flashing their cash at Frieze, about it but there’s also space in the art world for those of us who aren’t Russian oligarchs. If you love the idea of owning original art but don’t have the in depth knowledge necessary to spend thousands of pounds on something, rx the Affordable Art Fair is a brilliant place to go: new artists from 120 galleries will be displayed and prices start at just £50.
October 22-25
Battersea Park
Carlos Garaicoa – The Point, unhealthy the Line and the Plan
Brand new gallery East Central is holding a free-to-enter exhibition of Cuban artist Carlos Garaicoa’s manipulated photographs. Garaicoa hails from Havana and his work seeks to shed light on the now fading idealistic glory of the city’s buildings, sometimes by contrasting them with American icons like the Empire State Building, or implanting words into views of the city (one sinister message can be seen above). Politics doesn’t sit lightly on Garaicoa’s work, it is an integral part of its message: images of the Pentagon and Cuba’s intelligence buildings drive this home.
Matthew Brannon – Nevertheless
Sculptor Matthew Brannon’s large-scale “I know now no one won” work at the Approach Gallery takes the form of an exquisitely formulated stage set for a play to be performed aboard an ocean liner. A trained graphic designer, Brannon uses the language of shapes and objects against a crisp white background to make his sense known – some works also make use of this skill, with bits and pieces of text shedding light on the artist’s intent. Happily, he also created and crafted each of the objects himself, proving himself a man of many talents.
The Museum Of Everything
Witness the birth of a brand new museum that promises to be London’s first ever space for artists to work outside our modern community. ‘Exhibition #1’ features the whole spectrum of art with over two hundred drawings, paintings, sculptures and installations from these “untrained, unintentional and unseen creators”. Amongst others are Calvin and Ruby Black, a husband & wife team who will exhibit hundreds of figures made from recycled materials. Painter, potter and dancer Ann Stokes is inspired by ballet and presents creations including animals, tableware & trees of birds. There’s free admission and a free shuttle for all visitors to and from Frieze.
October 14th-December 23rd
Drawing The Line: Political Cartooning In An Inoffensive Age
This event will see speakers such as Dave Brown, Martin Rowson and Sarnath Banerjee among others, discussing the rights and wrongs of political cartoons past and present. In an age when anyone who so much as utters an un-PC comment is condemned, do we need cartoonists who are willing to take a chance on good taste in order to make sense of the world we live in? This and other questions will be answered in this Thursday evening.
October 22nd DACS, 33 Great Sutton St, London
Mr Almos’ Big Pen Ship – The Rag Factory
This Thursday will see the opening of an illustration exhibition that showcases the art of thirteen (magical) illustrators such as George Mellor, Ali Campbell, Chris Martin (not that one) and Matthew Hams. Set in the Rag Factory off Brick Lane, this is worth a look if you appreciate illustration that’s quite charming, a little bit fantastical and very curious. Expect an eclectic cross of styles.
Last week the high-rollers were flashing their cash at Frieze, approved but there’s also space in the art world for those of us who aren’t Russian oligarchs. If you love the idea of owning original art but don’t have the in depth knowledge necessary to spend thousands of pounds on something, advice the Affordable Art Fair is a brilliant place to go: new artists from 120 galleries will be displayed and prices start at just £50.
October 22-25
Battersea Park
Carlos Garaicoa – The Point, more about the Line and the Plan
Brand new gallery East Central is holding a free-to-enter exhibition of Cuban artist Carlos Garaicoa’s manipulated photographs. Garaicoa hails from Havana and his work seeks to shed light on the now fading idealistic glory of the city’s buildings, sometimes by contrasting them with American icons like the Empire State Building, or implanting words into views of the city (one sinister message can be seen above). Politics doesn’t sit lightly on Garaicoa’s work, it is an integral part of its message: images of the Pentagon and Cuba’s intelligence buildings drive this home.
Matthew Brannon – Nevertheless
Sculptor Matthew Brannon’s large-scale “I know now no one won” work at the Approach Gallery takes the form of an exquisitely formulated stage set for a play to be performed aboard an ocean liner. A trained graphic designer, Brannon uses the language of shapes and objects against a crisp white background to make his sense known – some works also make use of this skill, with bits and pieces of text shedding light on the artist’s intent. Happily, he also created and crafted each of the objects himself, proving himself a man of many talents.
The Museum Of Everything
Witness the birth of a brand new museum that promises to be London’s first ever space for artists to work outside our modern community. ‘Exhibition #1’ features the whole spectrum of art with over two hundred drawings, paintings, sculptures and installations from these “untrained, unintentional and unseen creators”. Amongst others are Calvin and Ruby Black, a husband & wife team who will exhibit hundreds of figures made from recycled materials. Painter, potter and dancer Ann Stokes is inspired by ballet and presents creations including animals, tableware & trees of birds. There’s free admission and a free shuttle for all visitors to and from Frieze.
October 14th-December 23rd
Drawing The Line: Political Cartooning In An Inoffensive Age
This event will see speakers such as Dave Brown, Martin Rowson and Sarnath Banerjee among others, discussing the rights and wrongs of political cartoons past and present. In an age when anyone who so much as utters an un-PC comment is condemned, do we need cartoonists who are willing to take a chance on good taste in order to make sense of the world we live in? This and other questions will be answered in this Thursday evening.
October 22nd DACS, 33 Great Sutton St, London
Mr Almos’ Big Pen Ship – The Rag Factory
This Thursday will see the opening of an illustration exhibition that showcases the art of thirteen (magical) illustrators such as George Mellor, Ali Campbell, Chris Martin (not that one) and Matthew Hams. Set in the Rag Factory off Brick Lane, this is worth a look if you appreciate illustration that’s quite charming, a little bit fantastical and very curious. Expect an eclectic cross of styles.
Last week the high-rollers were flashing their cash at Frieze, help but there’s also space in the art world for those of us who aren’t Russian oligarchs. If you love the idea of owning original art but don’t have the in depth knowledge necessary to spend thousands of pounds on something, the Affordable Art Fair is a brilliant place to go: new artists from 120 galleries will be displayed and prices start at just £50.
October 22-25
Battersea Park
Carlos Garaicoa – The Point, the Line and the Plan
Brand new gallery East Central is holding a free-to-enter exhibition of Cuban artist Carlos Garaicoa’s manipulated photographs. Garaicoa hails from Havana and his work seeks to shed light on the now fading idealistic glory of the city’s buildings, sometimes by contrasting them with American icons like the Empire State Building, or implanting words into views of the city (one sinister message can be seen above). Politics doesn’t sit lightly on Garaicoa’s work, it is an integral part of its message: images of the Pentagon and Cuba’s intelligence buildings drive this home.
Matthew Brannon – Nevertheless
Sculptor Matthew Brannon’s large-scale “I know now no one won” work at the Approach Gallery takes the form of an exquisitely formulated stage set for a play to be performed aboard an ocean liner. A trained graphic designer, Brannon uses the language of shapes and objects against a crisp white background to make his sense known – some works also make use of this skill, with bits and pieces of text shedding light on the artist’s intent. Happily, he also created and crafted each of the objects himself, proving himself a man of many talents.
The Museum Of Everything
Witness the birth of a brand new museum that promises to be London’s first ever space for artists to work outside our modern community. ‘Exhibition #1’ features the whole spectrum of art with over two hundred drawings, paintings, sculptures and installations from these “untrained, unintentional and unseen creators”. Amongst others are Calvin and Ruby Black, a husband & wife team who will exhibit hundreds of figures made from recycled materials. Painter, potter and dancer Ann Stokes is inspired by ballet and presents creations including animals, tableware & trees of birds. There’s free admission and a free shuttle for all visitors to and from Frieze.
October 14th-December 23rd
Drawing The Line: Political Cartooning In An Inoffensive Age
This event will see speakers such as Dave Brown, Martin Rowson and Sarnath Banerjee among others, discussing the rights and wrongs of political cartoons past and present. In an age when anyone who so much as utters an un-PC comment is condemned, do we need cartoonists who are willing to take a chance on good taste in order to make sense of the world we live in? This and other questions will be answered in this Thursday evening.
October 22nd DACS, 33 Great Sutton St, London
Mr Almos’ Big Pen Ship – The Rag Factory
This Thursday will see the opening of an illustration exhibition that showcases the art of thirteen (magical) illustrators such as George Mellor, Ali Campbell, Chris Martin (not that one) and Matthew Hams. Set in the Rag Factory off Brick Lane, this is worth a look if you appreciate illustration that’s quite charming, a little bit fantastical and very curious. Expect an eclectic cross of styles.
Last week the high-rollers were flashing their cash at Frieze, drug but there’s also space in the art world for those of us who aren’t Russian oligarchs. If you love the idea of owning original art but don’t have the in depth knowledge necessary to spend thousands of pounds on something, the Affordable Art Fair is a brilliant place to go: new artists from 120 galleries will be displayed and prices start at just £50.
October 22-25
Battersea Park
Carlos Garaicoa – The Point, the Line and the Plan
Brand new gallery East Central is holding a free-to-enter exhibition of Cuban artist Carlos Garaicoa’s manipulated photographs. Garaicoa hails from Havana and his work seeks to shed light on the now fading idealistic glory of the city’s buildings, sometimes by contrasting them with American icons like the Empire State Building, or implanting words into views of the city (one sinister message can be seen above). Politics doesn’t sit lightly on Garaicoa’s work, it is an integral part of its message: images of the Pentagon and Cuba’s intelligence buildings drive this home.
Matthew Brannon – Nevertheless
Sculptor Matthew Brannon’s large-scale “I know now no one won” work at the Approach Gallery takes the form of an exquisitely formulated stage set for a play to be performed aboard an ocean liner. A trained graphic designer, Brannon uses the language of shapes and objects against a crisp white background to make his sense known – some works also make use of this skill, with bits and pieces of text shedding light on the artist’s intent. Happily, he also created and crafted each of the objects himself, proving himself a man of many talents.
The Museum Of Everything
Witness the birth of a brand new museum that promises to be London’s first ever space for artists to work outside our modern community. ‘Exhibition #1’ features the whole spectrum of art with over two hundred drawings, paintings, sculptures and installations from these “untrained, unintentional and unseen creators”. Amongst others are Calvin and Ruby Black, a husband & wife team who will exhibit hundreds of figures made from recycled materials. Painter, potter and dancer Ann Stokes is inspired by ballet and presents creations including animals, tableware & trees of birds. There’s free admission and a free shuttle for all visitors to and from Frieze.
October 14th-December 23rd
Drawing The Line: Political Cartooning In An Inoffensive Age
This event will see speakers such as Dave Brown, Martin Rowson and Sarnath Banerjee among others, discussing the rights and wrongs of political cartoons past and present. In an age when anyone who so much as utters an un-PC comment is condemned, do we need cartoonists who are willing to take a chance on good taste in order to make sense of the world we live in? This and other questions will be answered in this Thursday evening.
October 22nd DACS, 33 Great Sutton St, London
Mr Almos’ Big Pen Ship – The Rag Factory
This Thursday will see the opening of an illustration exhibition that showcases the art of thirteen (magical) illustrators such as George Mellor, Ali Campbell, Chris Martin (not that one) and Matthew Hams. Set in the Rag Factory off Brick Lane, this is worth a look if you appreciate illustration that’s quite charming, a little bit fantastical and very curious. Expect an eclectic cross of styles.
Coal power is the biggest source of carbon emissions, with over 200,000 people dying each year from climate change alone, the government still isn’t taking it seriously. With only a one seventh of the amount bankers received in their bonus packages being put towards green stimulus projects shows we need to take action into our own hands to get the government to do more.
The Great Climate Swoop is happening this Saturday the 17th and 18th October; the plan is to take over Ratcliffe-on-soar coal-fired power station for at least 24 hours. There has already been a wave of international protests against coal power stations this year from Australia (an action we covered at Amelias magazine) to Denmark and we aim to make our action even bigger and better.
With the recent back out by E.ON on creating two new coal power stations at Kingsnorth, as well as the end to plans for a 3rd runway at Heathrow which were coincidentally both venues for past Climate Camp shows that we can really make change.
It is an exciting time to be involved in activism with the climate change issue really heating up it is time to get involved and be part of the movement.
With a group of volunteers spending months working hard for the swoop to be an success, the plan is in place and it is sure to be an engaging action that will spurn many new activists as well as pushing the debate on for no coal power. Maps are available to download and a text message service has been set up to keep everyone informed about what’s happening on the day.
Local neighborhoods meet up regularly and have organized a range of activist cut-price buses from around the country to descend to Nottingham at the end of the week. There really is no excuse not to be there.
The action has been split into four blocs, and each offers different objectives to suit every activist. FOOTSTEPS TO THE FUTURE will get to the main gate and create a vision of a better future, TAKE THE POWER BACK mission is to get to the control room and take back the power, FALSE SOLUTIONS will go to the coal pile and expose the false solutions and CAPITALISM IS CRISIS is the decentralized bloc which means affinity groups can take there own actions. The power station is going to be inundated with young and old, students, weathered activists and all in between to show we want to kick start massive transition to a low carbon future and we don’t see coal power as relevant in today’s world.
If you’ve left sorting out transport with your local group too late, don’t worry just get to Nottingham train station for 10am this Saturday and join the hundreds of protesters there ready to swoop. There will also be bike blogs setting off from Leeds on the 15th, and Sheffield on the 16th and Nottingham on the 17th all leaving from the train stations at 10am, the critical mass will even have boom pedal powered tunes to spur you on and bloc any of those high vis vehicles on the day.
We have been gathering, viagra order preparing, viagra joining with hundreds of others and almost ready to swoop for the most exciting mass action of the year.
Coal power is the biggest source of carbon emissions, see with over 200,000 people dying each year from climate change alone, the government still isn’t taking it seriously. With only a one seventh of the amount bankers received in their bonus packages being put towards green stimulus projects shows we need to take action into our own hands to get the government to do more.
The Great Climate Swoop is happening this Saturday the 17th and 18th October; the plan is to take over Ratcliffe-on-soar coal-fired power station for at least 24 hours. There has already been a wave of international protests against coal power stations this year from Australia (an action we covered at Amelias magazine) to Denmark and we aim to make our action even bigger and better.
With the recent back out by E.ON on creating two new coal power stations at Kingsnorth, as well as the end to plans for a 3rd runway at Heathrow which were coincidentally both venues for past Climate Camp shows that we can really make change.
It is an exciting time to be involved in activism with the climate change issue really heating up it is time to get involved and be part of the movement.
With a group of volunteers spending months working hard for the swoop to be an success, the plan is in place and it is sure to be an engaging action that will spurn many new activists as well as pushing the debate on for no coal power. Maps are available to download and a text message service has been set up to keep everyone informed about what’s happening on the day.
Local neighborhoods meet up regularly and have organized a range of activist cut-price buses from around the country to descend to Nottingham at the end of the week. There really is no excuse not to be there.
The action has been split into four blocs, and each offers different objectives to suit every activist. FOOTSTEPS TO THE FUTURE will get to the main gate and create a vision of a better future, TAKE THE POWER BACK mission is to get to the control room and take back the power, FALSE SOLUTIONS will go to the coal pile and expose the false solutions and CAPITALISM IS CRISIS is the decentralized bloc which means affinity groups can take there own actions. The power station is going to be inundated with young and old, students, weathered activists and all in between to show we want to kick start massive transition to a low carbon future and we don’t see coal power as relevant in today’s world.
If you’ve left sorting out transport with your local group too late, don’t worry just get to Nottingham train station for 10am this Saturday and join the hundreds of protesters there ready to swoop. There will also be bike blogs setting off from Leeds on the 15th, and Sheffield on the 16th and Nottingham on the 17th all leaving from the train stations at 10am, the critical mass will even have boom pedal powered tunes to spur you on and bloc any of those high vis vehicles on the day.
Read to the bottom to find out exclusive details about a really exciting competition!
Having recently been on tour with Richard Hawley, these bewitching girls settle back in London to headline their own show at The Borderline. Their sultry vocals and penchant for slide guitar will seriously turn you on.
We’ll be chatting to this New Mexico chap who’s friends with Zach “Beirut” Condon and A Hawk And A Hacksaw and now spends his time in Berlin making really great electro pop. An extra reason to attend is that proceeds from the gig go to Wateraid.
Seems a bizarre entrant into the Electric Proms schedule, but after Amelia’s Magazine saw his Glasto 09 performance we have no doubt that this talented MC can rise to the challenge. Micachu and Efterklang have done it recently so now Dizzee gets his chance to perform against an orchestral backing.
What would a gigging week be without a handsome dose of folk? Well, we won’t give you the option. Join the finest singers – including Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys, the U2 of folk (in a good way), Martin Carthy and longtime collaborator and personal idol, Norma Waterson – from the field recordings on Will Hodgkinson’s acclaimed travelogue The Ballad Of Britain come together for a unique concert that shows just how rich, various and creative the British folk experience can be.
There’s not many Hollywood actors that have switched to music and enjoyed the longevity that Lewis has. We put it down to her leather clad style, and sweat drenched, shrieking to rival Karen O performance. That’s not a bad triumvirate of reasons to check this gig out.
Wile away the woes of the plunging temperature with actress, burlesque dancer and general East End scenester turned quirky retro diva, Faith, performing tracks from her soulful debut album alongside Amelia’s Magazine folk troupe faves, Mumford & Sons. Not to be missed.
The moment you’ve been waiting for, Amelia’s Magazine is proud to present an exclusive opportunity to see desert blue Mali collective, Tinariwen at this gig. Not only will you and a friend attend the gig, but you can also go down early to the Koko show to watch the band sound-check, meet the band post sound-check, have photos taken with them, and watch a couple of the set’s songs from the side of the stage. Follow us on twitter to find out how to enter the competition.
Written by Katie Weatherall on Monday October 19th, 2009 3:24 pm
