“I wanted to give away a free blow up vibrator with the album,” says a belly-chuckling charismatic Frances McKee who talks to us with such warmth normally reserved for close friends.
Of course she’s talking about the album which took 21 years to follow debut Dum Dum released in 1989, a year the band perhaps regard with distaste if new song I Hate the 80s is anything to go by.But this is 2010 and their return couldn’t be more fitting with the supposed downfall of indie music.
The intimate affair rouses bopping heads and smiles all around as the scuzzy pop duo share their dirty thoughts and innuendos. Frances shamelessly comments on the pair’s former romantic ties but both satirically poke fun at this with album title Sex with an X.
Add jaunty pop hooks and endearing vocal harmonies and the twosome pretty much pick up where they left off.Frances face is filled with beaming joy as she plays those indie-pop gems from her younger years, including the hypnotic Rory Rides Me Raw and the subdued No Hope with its Lou Reed stylings.
But musically the new songs barely stand out and it’s those three classics covered by Kurt Cobain which inevitably receive the most appreciation. But as Eugene introduces Jesus Don’t Want Me For A Sunbeam the crowd stand alarmingly still as if four horsemen are on stage signalling the end of time.
Luckily Frances perks up the mood with her inane take on Molly’s Lips but she makes it quite clear she expects more enthusiasm.She makes a member of support act Haight Ashbury parp a toy horn in the most frivolous of places that it effortlessly produces muffled laughs. The perfect way to show that a dose of Scottish charm is all you need to win over our affections.
After mocking the laughable opaqueness of an encore they walk off for a matter of seconds before asking us what we want to hear, despite the crowd having already shouted suggestions all night. It’s soon decided we hear their eclectic version of You’re Not A Man followed by The Stooge’s-esque Dum Dum which finally brings out the dancer in us all.
Here’s to hoping we’ll hear more in the next 20 years.
After four years of coming to my favourite festival (probably because it was the first one I ever went to and signified the start of my freedom after going straight from getting my GCSE results) I decided to be an Oxfam steward. For three reasons.
1) A friend told me how much fun it was 2) It's one way to get a free ticket and 3) It gives me pleasure to help people. (Apparently we raised thousands of pounds for Oxfam. I don’t know how, maybe the money they would use to pay people is given to Oxfam instead?).
I got to Bramham site on Wednesday to pick up my shift times, with fingers crossed that I wouldn’t have to miss The Libertines or Guns 'N Roses. Phew. My music angel is looking down on me. Turns out my shifts were almost perfect. My first task on Thursday was to "crowd control" the showers. I couldn’t say there were many queues but I did find out I was more liberal thinking than the festival allows. After letting both sexes in the same showers I soon realised they were not supposed to be mixed at all. oops. I don't mean to be stereotypical here but I was quite surprised that more men than women were using the showers. For me baby wipes and deodrant do the trick.
On more occasions than I wanted I caught a glimpse of some very unflattering naked flesh. (I had to peek to see if there were any problems or queues to control, I'm not a perv!).
After a very 'eventful' shift I was happy to have all of Friday off which meant I could get as drunk as possible for The Libertines.
So from worker to punter I started the day with Rolo Tomassi. I’ve always liked their math-rock style and hearing Eva's impressive screams, which are as good as any metal-loving testestorone-fuelled bloke out there, but live it didn't really do anything for me. Parts were out of tune and the sounds didn’t really gel together. The vocals were too low so Eva's transition from screaming to airy sweet singing didn’t really work.
Next I saw Random Hand on the Lock Up Stage to get my ska-punk fix. Robin Leitch has so much energy, alternating between playing the trombone, the next grabbing the mic and singing. Anger Management was the highlight with folk singing back the words and they managed to get a bit of a skank pit going. Always a bonus that early in the day! But the best bit was definitley seeing four men dressed as nuns crowd surf in succession. The frivolities of festivals!
Next I saw a band I have waited years to see, Modest Mouse. (It was the days before student loans and overdrafts when they last played in Nottingham!!) Isaac Brookes has a genuine passion for his music that he almost forgets there's a crowd who are being heavily rained on! But it didn't put a damper on things at all, with the band playing some of their best tracks including Black Cadillacs, The View, Dashboard and Dramanine,which was a nice surprise.
Next it was the festival's 'worst kept secret' with Gallows posing as The Rats who played an afternoon set on the Lock Up stage. Frank couldn’t be arsed with any contract signing and just wanted to enjoy a show with his mates,and he seemed to be a better front man for it. His aggression and infamous pub gig banter came out showing he is much more comfortable when he’s playing with his real fans. Frank's stage presence ensures they aren’t a band to be tired of just yet, with the early singles Abandon Ship and In The Belly Of The Shark sounding just as refreshing every time.
Next was Trash Talk, the brutal hardcore band who don’t mess around in their live shows, with fans jumping from pillars and band members stage diving all over the place. But with most songs being only 30 seconds long you don't have long to let out your aggression.
After seeing one of the best hardcore bands around at the minute, I went to check out former System Of A Down front man, Serj Tankian. He apologised for having a fever but you couldn’t really tell. He looked genuinely happy to be there and kept smiling when he caught a glimpse of the crowds reaction when he wasn't immersed in the music. He was backed by a beautiful orchestra who he calls the Flying Cunts Of Chaos and while it's a long way from his SOAD days, it looks like orchestral jazz-rock is here to stay.
After seeing a fair few bands I decided it was about time to start drinking properly for The Libertines, so with a bottle of whiskey and an adrenaline rush I was pumped and ready to see the band who were the soundtrack of my teenage days.
I've waited since I was 14 to see the band after I fell in love with their poetic resonance and British rock and roll swagger. The first album reminds me of being 15, drinking too much, doing things I wouldn't do now and not caring what other people thought. Essentially what being a libertine was all about. Next came the joys of finding older tracks, demos and b-sides. I remember loving the fact I was drinking a pint in the Filthy Mcnasty's pub, for two reasons. 1) I was only 15 and 2) It was where The Libertines played a few infamously rowdy gigs. The second album meant a lot more to me lyrically and the only thing I needed to do was to see them live. But circa early-2000 over 18 gig bullshit stopped me. So to see their reunion, whether they were paid too much for it or not, was so invigorating to finally sing back every word. It was a special moment and it felt like it was just me in the crowd. But alarm bells rang when they went off after the third song!
I felt an enormous sombre feeling thinking that something was wrong and that I had waited all this time to only hear 3 songs! Luckily it was due to safety issues so when they came back on and launched with Last Post On The Bugle, every pulse in my body wanted to let go and give the gig all the raucous vigour it deserved. It was so heart warming to see Pete and Carl infamously sing into the same mic and you can tell how happy they are to be together.
I don't think it would have had the same feeling if they had carried on and had another two albums under their belt. Of course I would love to see them again in an intimate pub, close up and back to their rowdy days, but would it be too nostaligic? But whatever the future holds and which ever way albion sails on course, this will remain one of the greatest gigs of the year for me.
Next there was a bit of an anti-climax as I was dragged by my boyfriend to see the digital hardcore Atari teenage riot who I'm really not a fan of. It seemed to just be music for pill heads and the repetitive droning drum 'n bass just does nothing for me. I love their anarchist anti-facist ideals but it's just not my kinda music.
I walked past Arcade Fire and was pretty shocked at how thin the crowd was. I reckon it was the poorest turn out a headliner has ever had. I chose to watch Bad Religion instead but from what I heard, Arcade Fire were the festival highlight for many. I guess you shouldn't judge a band by it's crowd.
I decided to watch Bad Religion for a variety of reasons. 1)The fact that guitarist Brett Gurewitz is the founder of Epitaph records 2) They have been going strong for over 30 years and 3)They have influenced so many punk rock bands out there, they could be called the grandfathers of punk. The drumming is infamously fast and front man Greg Graffin (who founded the band when he was 15) sings in such an effortless and cool manner about political ideals.Okay their energetic punk antics are long gone with bare minimum movement but it's hardly a surprise after they've been doing it for so long. The highlights were Do What You Want, Los Angeles Is Burning, 21st Century Digital Boy and Infected but oddly they didn't play anything off their forthcoming album. But this shows that they've still got life in them yet, and quite frankly they don't want anybody getting bored of them.
On Saturday I had to work the evening shift which meant I missed Weezer, Cyprus Hill and Roots Manuva. But before my shift I watched The King Blues, who bigged up the punk-ska scene after proclaiming how happy they were to be playing the main stage. Their set was perfect for a sunny afternoon and it got people even standing as far back as the delay tower to dance away. After that I watched Thrice who didn’t really offer anything exciting, although it was great to see their progression which has evolved from their debut album.
On Sunday I worked the day shift but knowing I'd be seeing Queens Of The Stoneage and Guns 'N Roses pulled me through! There are only so many wrist bands you can check before your eyes blur and you start to care less and less about who manages to blag you with a fake wristband. Once my shift was over I watched a bit of Biffy Clyro, who can be difficult to watch when you’re an original fan and first saw them play six years ago, but when they pull out oldies like There's No Such Thing As A Jaggy Snake, it's always a nice surprise. But they seemed uncomfortable playing it, almost like they felt they were turning their backs on the new fans who propelled them to chart stardom. It was almost like it was their dirty little secret, but I must admit I was paying more attention to his white dyed beard!
Next it was time for Hatebreed, who were probably the heaviest band playing the whole festival so it was nice to see people there for some ‘proper’ music. They got the pits started by telling everyone to let out their aggression and to forget about the bullshit of going back to work. Tracks such as Live For This, Perseverance, This Is Now, and Diehard As They Come beg the question of why they have never achieved as much recognition as bands such as Machine Head.
After my hardcore metal dose it was time for the sexy Josh Homme and Queens Of The Stoneage. Josh has succeeded in being the only ginger I find attractive and he has a way of drawing every single person in the crowd in. They are a proper rock band and could teach hundreds of bands a lesson of how to do it properly. They have plenty of festival favourites to choose from and play some of the best including Feel Good Hit Of The Summer, No One Knows and Little Sister. Josh comments on how beautiful the day is before pointing to a girl's 'magnificent boobs'. Surprisingly they threw in Monster In The Parasol from their album Rated R which is the first time I've seen them play it. They chucked in a new song as well, but to be honest their wasn't anything invigorating about it and it seemed to have snippets of past hooks. I hope they haven't lost their touch! Maybe Josh needs to stop galivanting with his super group. The set was too short as ever which shows how easy it is for them to engage a crowd.
Next it was the waiting game for Guns N' Roses who were allegedly an hour late for their Reading performance the night before. Apparently they were half an hour late for us but I'm not sure if that was played up because it didn't feel that long at all. The light show was pretty spectacular with images from their latest album 'Chinese Democracy' as the band came out to the album's title track. DJ Ashba playfully played the opening riff to Welcome To The Jungle a few times before launching into it for a sea of happy faces. The stage show was complete with fireworks ensuring they get the attention they deserve. The set was full of classics including It's So Easy, Mr Brownstone and Nightrain.
The band did milk it a few too many times with solos from Richard Fortus, Dizzy Reed, DJ Ashba. Bumblefoot and even Axl Rose, who played his piano solo before going into November Rain. The fact is we don't really need to be reminded how good they are, it just adds to their notorious egoism! Never the less they try to keep grounded and not take themselves too seriously by playing the Pink Panther and James Bond theme. The most annoying thing was hearing a gaggle of people behind me relentlessly commenting on how DJ Ashba was trying to replace Slash, and after he did his solo he scraped an applause. Okay there are a couple of similarities, they both like to light a cigarette before their solos and both wear hats, but it doesn't mean DJ Ashba wants to be Slash! He adds the glamour reminiscent of the old Guns 'N Roses and is exactly what the band needs right now.
After all, there's only so long you can look the porky Axl Rose. Regardless of the fact that most people think he's a first class cock the band are here for the fans and play most of the tracks you would want from a Guns N' Roses gig. Strangely they only played two tracks from 'Chinese Democracy' which would have been more had the promoters let them play longer, apparently. But that's what makes Guns N' Roses. Hardly any bands have that Rock and Roll 'give a fuck' attitude anymore and telling the cops and promoters to fuck themselves is just part of their rock charm. Finishing with Paradise City it soon becomes clear that Guns N' Roses were one of the best headliners Leeds Festival has had. Hey, at least we didn't get the sound pulled on us!
This week it was announced that Chris Shiflett of Foo Fighters will be joining Taylor Hawkins and Dave Grohl in the side project world by fronting his own band The Dead Peasants.
This got me thinking about some of the best side projects of the year and it turns out you can probably see most of them at the festivals this year.
At Download festival last weekend Taylor Hawkins (drummer of Foo Fighters) graced the stage with his band the Coattail Riders. As most side projects go they usually consist of a few members from well-known bands and usually send people into excited spasms.
Joining Hawkins’ side project is bassist Chris Chaney (Janes Addiction, Alanis Morisette and Slash) and guitarist Gannin Arnold (session musician who has played with Cheap Trick, John Tesh and Kirk Hammett). The band actually released their debut album Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders back in 2006 but I think this is the year for them.
In April this year they released their second album Red Light Fever with guest appearances from Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen, Elliot Easton of The Cars and Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters.
Check them out on the Jimmy Kimmel show...
Hawkins might be cheating on Foo Fighters by swapping between bands when time suits but of course Grohl can’t really wag his finger as he is the King of side projects having worked with Killing Joke, Tenacious D, Nine Inch Nails, Slash and then forming Probot.
But past bands aside most recently Grohl joined one of the most exciting super groups of the year, Them Crooked Vultures, with guitarist Josh Homme (Queens Of The Stoneage) and bassist John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin). While some were disappointed with the watery epic guitar solos reminiscent of a familiar Queens Of The Stoneage. But with less attention on the music, it's still a thrill to see Josh Homme and Dave Grohl together with the bassist of one of the greatest guitar bands ever! Check them out at Reading Festival 2009.
Of course there are some side projects which cause a mere momentary blip of excitement. Bobby Gillespie, front man of Primal Scream, has announced a one off collaboration with members of the Sex Pistols and The Who, known as The Silver Machine. The band will play covers of The Troggs, MC5 and Creation at a one-off show at London’s 1234 festival on July 24th. Check out Bobby Gillespie in Primal Scream action.
Another side project worthy of intrigue is The Dead Weather, mainly due to Jack White’s track record of turning everything he touches into gold. White rounded up Alison Mosshart (The Kills), Dean Fertia (Queens Of The Stoneage) and Jack Lawrence (The Raconteurs) to create moody blues rock and roll last year.
But it’s only really been this year, with the release of second album Sea Of Cowards, that people are paying serious attention. The recent track Die By The Drop may have helped too. Check out Blue Blood Blues.
Damon Albarn's probably feeling pretty smug at the minute having successfully reformed Blur causing as much commotion as the first time round,getting Lou Reed and Snoop Dogg to work with him, not to mention being part of one of the most original acts in the UK. Gorillaz, Albarn's best side project, returned after Blur's reunion with their best album to date this year. Check out Stylo off the new album here.
Now when people ask you to think up your dream band I must say that this group of people would definitley cross my mind. Thom Yorke (Radiohead), Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Nigel Godrich (Radiohead producer), Joey Waronker (played with REM and Smashing Pumpkins) and Mauro Refosco (David Byrne) were discreet at first by simply putting Thom Yorke on posters for gigs, but they soon emerged as Atoms For Peace and threw in covers of Joy Division. Check out Harrowdown Hill here.
The winners of the indie pop side project of the year goes to Broken Bells, especially if you're a Shins fan.
Brian Burton (Dangermouse) and James Mercer (The Shins) came together last year to produce beautiful, melodic and experimental music. But it was this year they released their self-titled album and some of the most soothing music of the year. Check them out at SXSW 2010.
Now if you're a fan of Slash you'll know his famous post-Guns and Roses side project was Velvet Revolver but in the last two years he's worked with such an array of talent for his solo project. He probably has every band in his phone book and knows that it only takes one call to get people to work with him. This time he worked with Chris Cornell, Ozzy Osbourne, Fergie, Ron Wood and Iggy Pop. Check out Slash and Fergie-Sweet Children O'Mine.
But don't worry dance moguls. Look no further than Dave Sitek’s (TV on the radio) side project Maximum Balloon which will include Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs). The band will release the 11-track album on August 23rd and it could be one of the strongest dance contenders of the summer. Check out a snippet of track ‘Tiger’.
But will any of these bands still be talked about in a few years time?
Side projects may come and go but it takes something a little more special to be remembered. Some of the best side projects over the years include A perfect circle, Heaven And Hell and Audioslave but of course nothing good lasts forever. For now we'll enjoy those few minutes of overwhelming excitement when we see members of different bands we all love come together.
Dot to Dot festival in Nottingham on Sunday 30th May
I started the day with a dose of indie pop from The Cheek (formerly Cheeky Cheeky and the Nosebleeds). The young Suffolk boys inject energy into their life performance with lots of exuberant dancing around. They’re definitely a band that all girls seem to love and they’ve managed to craft the perfect disco tune. ‘For Just One Night’ is a catchy winner with its stomping pop brilliance. Other songs emulate the sound of bands like The Departure and White Lies. Their sound is so infectious that they have impressed Huw Stephens and NME and will be playing a bunch of other festivals this summer.
Next I went to get my fix of electronic dub at the Student’s Union main hall. Casey Dienel and Shawn Creeden come together as White Hinterland to fill the venue with their unpredictable sound. You can’t help but feel like you’re in a trance like dream and visually they create a hippie haven with candles next to the electronic decks. Casey sings like Bjork and Bat For Lashes and its obvious she enjoys experimenting with her voice. Shawn Creedon mixes Casey’s vocals and loops them on the spot to create layers which add an euphoric depth. The music hypnotises you with the tribal earthy rhythms and thumping bass influenced by hip-hop, dub and jazz. The pair create suspension and ensure an original sound by throwing in a ukelele in there too.
Next was De Staat at Stealth which was probably the highlight of my day. The Holland five-piece are a garage rock band that thrashed their way through the set with head banging and epic guitar solos similar to Queens Of The Stoneage. That’s the serious bit. Then infuse cheekiness with humour and you have a great band in the making. They manage to draw the crowd in instantly and almost everybody had a smile on their face. Think the energy of Eagles Of Death Metal and The Hives with a mix of noise rock and you have a band who know they’re bloody good but can have fun with it too. Then add a cowbell and a theremin and you have my new favourite band.
Next it was time for some punk rock with Sharks in the basement. The band who has often been described as one of Gallows favourites manage to bring together punk elements without trying at all. They don’t need tattoos or mohawks and they aren’t afraid to add melodic guitar riffs but the only problem was that more people seemed to leave as the set went on! This looked like it clearly annoyed the singer who pleaded with the rest of the crowd not to go but I think it was more the fact there were clashes than it being anything personal. They’re a pure British rock band who have mastered punk rock structures with songs like Common Grounds and Three Houses.
Next I went to listen to the big bold vocals of Peggy Sue in the pulse bar. On one level they’re a folk band with meaningful pop songs and on the other they’re a blues band with a ballsy and engaging stage presence. Both girls in the band are just as talented as each other and show this by singing powerful ballads and at the same time playing drums standing up. Add an accordion and you have a talented band whose only attempt is to draw the crowd into their Jeffery Lewis, Janis Joplin and Regina Spektor inspired sound.
Next was Wild Beasts in the main hall who had been creating hype all day with lots of people excited to see them play. Their experimental vocals takes them away from the indie drivel mix of bands very similar to them. Hayden Thorpe, known for his countertenor vocals, mixes deep vocals with vocals so high they could give Kate Bush a run for their money. Some parts are a bit sombre and fail to fully engage the crowd but when they do manage it everyone seems to go mad. Their lyrics might be nonsensical but musically they create a melodic wall of transcient uplifting music. Described as quirky and unique by most music moguls they play a mix of both albums and ensure that this is a band that will not be forgotten about any time soon.
Next was the most epic stage show of the day with The Chapman Family and their raucous sound. They aim to be as dark and noisy as possible so that in their words they can ‘get away from all the bands who sound the same’. After a day of seeing many bands who did sound the same it was definitely refreshing but they certainly love to cause a stir with their controversial antics. If dedicating a song to the crossbow cannibal wasn’t enough front man Kingsley Chapman strangles himself with his mic cable, pulls it tight like a noose and then attempts to scream in a chilling manner. They thrive off the crowd’s energy and immerse themselves in the mini moshpit at the front. With lots of jumping around clearly too mundane for them the guitarist jumps on the bar. When the set finished one of the band members saluted to the crowd before blindly falling into it. Luckily the crowd kindly held him up and it was clear that this cult band aren’t in any rush to please the bigwig record labels out there.
Laura-Mary Carter of Blood Red Shoes
Next was Blood Red Shoes who are known to be one of the loudest duos around. Together they manage to write singalong tunes with a dose of rock grunge and its obvious that Laura-Mary Carter is in her comfort zone with her guitar. She’s in her own world with the nirvana inspired riffs and head bangs like a true grunge queen. The pair blast their way through cutting edge songs that have a raw energy that everyone seems to love. ‘I Wish I was Someone Better’ showed the duo’s compatability perfectly with the pair singing at eachother. You Bring Me Down and It’s Getting Boring By The Sea were live favourites with people having a little mosh and it just makes me wish there were more women singers like this!
Next I went to see Ellie Goulding in the main hall to see what all the mainstream hype was all about and it was certainly clear why all the high heeled scantily clad girls were in town! Ellie Goulding the latest woman to grab the mainstream press by its throat might appear to be a girl’s girl but she counter acts this by playing her guitar well and maintaining a down to earth presence. Being very talkative and thanking the crowd after every song shows that her whirlwind success hasn’t got to her head. She appears to mean every word she sings and shows passion with her hand movements and intensity while playing her instrument. Also a fan of standing up playing drums she tries to add a little difference to her mainstream pop persona. She’s an honest lyricist with songs about making mistakes and boys and everyone seems to feed off this charm. She sings big ballads with synths and makes heart break songs sound fun. Her hits Starry Eyed and Guns and Horses went down so well that getting people to sing along to her songs was effortless. It’s obvious why she’s had success and I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of her in the coming months.
Blaine Harrison of Mystery Jets
Finally it was time for the headliners Mystery Jets who have played the festival twice before. The only difference is the sets are getting longer and the songs are getting better. Blaine’s 59 year old father Henry may no longer be part of the live set-up but the sound has actually matured into 70s inspired new-wave prog-pop. The set consisted of three quarters of new album Serotonin due for release on July 5th. Flash A Hungry Smile sounds gorgeously happy with its laid back high pitched vocals and the odd bit of whistling. From then on they alternated between old and new with the indie pop classics like Half In Love and Two Doors Down getting the best response. Lady Gray shows the love-induced lyrics are still there with ‘I hope you feel the same way/Will you still love me in the morning.’ The thing is with Mystery Jets is they manage to fully engage the crowd through out the whole set with everyone having as much as fun as they can jumping up and down and basically going mad. And the newer and slower songs are just as appreciated. Flakes was the ballad of the night with everyone waving their arms and singing along with Blaine. Melt, another new song, was heartfelt and dream like and aptly named, it sonically dispersed in the room with it’s uplifting chorus.
Check out the interview with Blaine Harrison and William Rees of Mystery Jets hours before their headline appearance.
Out Of The Wilderness was at Bloc Projects, Sheffield between 8th-15th May.
The bloc project collective of group members came together for the first time to produce an exhibition that could be the smallest in Sheffield. The room is tiny holding 8 pieces of work but it offers a wealth of inquisitiveness and ambiguity. Curator, Robin Close, chose work that showed exploration and negotiation through different platforms and most pieces were not what they seemed on first glance.
The photographed dead lizard jumped out against the plain white wall and showed Louisa Harris’ skill to inject life into death through colour and a sense of mischief.
Sean Williams piece might be called ‘Castle’ but it immediately strips away connotations of wealth and nobility by creating a fragile and awkward looking shed. Williams’s use of watercolours emphasises its delicacy by making it look as if it will collapse any minute.
Alternatively Luke Chapman’s homage to the Holmdel Horn Antenna stands out in the form of a cosmic sculpture, which juts out in the middle of the room. Ever sat down and watched static T.V. to pass the time? I’d like to think nobody does but Chapman tries to evoke the sense that people are actually watching radiation from the beginning of time when they do. He does this by placing a T.V. underneath a dominant foil model to replicate the discovery of cosmic microwave radiation.
Luke Chapman's and Susanne Palzer's pieces.
Competing for your attention is Susanne Palzer’s twisted and broken table with blank postcards on the floor. Aptly named Postcards from Bloc the piece is a working project by which the creator plans to create a set of postcards of her studio pieces. It almost teases the audience into the type of work we can expect by cleverly keeping you guessing by not revealing much at all.
After your eyes have scanned between the prominent pieces you almost miss a pencil sketch taken straight from its pad in raw form. It’s a small A5 piece yet is placed on a whole wall to subtly show desolation and it’s like accidentally walking into a room of a person’s deepest emotion and feelings. It shows an environment lost and forlorn and the monochromatic sketched lines highlight this.
Mark Doyle’s projection of shadows catches your eye but the obscurity of it asks the audience to decide what the shadows mean to them personally. The composition shows the battle between light and dark and meaning and identity while Daniel Fogarty asks for a philosophical understand to his art.
Named Spinario it’s a page photocopied from the book Taste and the Antique: The Lure Of Classical Sculpture which tells the myth of a shepherd boy he had to deliver a message to a Senate before he removed a thorn in his foot. The artist transfixes a stapler to the page to represent the thorn that needs removing and places by the door of the exhibition it fittingly suggests the end of the boys journey.
The Importance Of Being Earnest may have been written over a century ago but the platform festival managed to inject a fresh and lively approach.
The cast was a mixture of experienced MA theatre students to people who had never acted before in their life.
Every person managed to dive into character and immersed themselves in roles that showed off genuine talent. The set was very minimal but this allowed the acting and brilliant script to shine through.
The basic synopsis of the plot is that characters adopt a fictional identity so that they can escape from social obligations, while at the same time playing on the pun of the name Earnest.
The Platform version follows the same plot and chooses the best of Oscar Wilde’s witticisms that caused the crowd to burst into laughter.
Jack and Gwendolen
Angernon and Jack are best friends who soon find out that each of them make up the names Bunbury and Earnest, respectively, when they fancy a little break.
Two women, Cecily and Gwendolen, fall in love with the men believing that they both have the most desirable name of Earnest. Cecily is most impressed by Angernon while Gwendolen falls for Jack. But when the two women meet each other and both speak of marrying somebody called Earnest, a storm soon erupts when they initially think it is the same man.
The two girls who played these parts portrayed this friction very comically. Cecilly asks Gwendolen if she would like some tea and when her reply is “sugar is no longer fashionable” Cecilly proceeds to put as much in the tea as she possibly can. She also throws a piece of cake at Gwendolen when she snubs her offer.
Lady Braknell, the controlling upper class mother of Gwendolen who enjoys a sip from her hip flask, was played brilliantly with apt and believable face expressions in all the right places.
Cecilly and Miss Prism
The girl who played Cecilly quickly adopted the role of a pretty and desirable young woman, while the two lead men had a chemistry that evoked everything well-off bachelors should.
The play soon has its twists and turns when it emerges that Miss Prism, the governess of Cecily, is Jack’s mother who accidentally left him as a baby on a train platform.
Due to his adoption it soon becomes clear that Jack is not his real name and it turns out that his birth name was actually Earnest the whole time. The play ends with the line "I've now realized for the first time in my life the vital Importance of Being Earnest."
It certainly doesn’t sound like the easiest story to follow but the actors pulled it off so well that it quickly became an amusing and talented piece of theatre.
Angernon, Jack, Cecilly and Gwendolen
Some of my favourite quotes of the play...
"Literary criticism is not your forte. Leave that to people who didn’t go to university."
"The amount of people in London who flirt with their own husbands is scandalous."
"Hestitation of any kind if a sign of mental decay in the young."
"Never speak disrespectfully of society. Its only those who cant get in it who do that."
Forgive me for only just returning to the blogging world. For a while now I have been barricaded under a university deadline mountain and so I have had little time to do anything that would inspire me to share with the world.
The days of drinking at least three cans of red bull a day are over, as are the lonely nights where all I had for company was my ticking brain. Alas, I return to the world of culture, freedom, music, lights and people and so my fingers are more than ready to type away.
I will upload a few blogs that have been lingering in static for some weeks and from that point I will continue to convert my thoughts and experiences into a html bubble.
