Sara's Birthday

We had a birthday in the house yesterday. Cake was made. Happy birthday, Sara!

White Pilots

Hull's favourite quintet, White Pilots, just happened to have a gig in Bristol last Sunday. Having not seen them play in well over a year, I wouldn't have forgiven myself if I missed the opportunity to see them again. They've asked me to take photos for them at past gigs quite a few times now, but I've never been able to make it. Hope this makes up for all those times missed!

Also, the band have a new single out soon, Back Bone, which I did the cover art for over the summer.

Watch this space.

Riverside, Newport

Jeffrey Lewis & the Junkyard - The Thekla, Bristol

Keep

Viva Voce - Bristol Diving School

Matt Simmons graduated from our course this summer at the University of Wales, Newport. He's now a member of the third resident group at Bristol Diving School. His first collaborative show at the BDS, Viva Voce, looked at the history of the site through video art and installation. These images were taken at the opening night last month.

Splashes of Azure interspersed with flashes of vermillion.

How best to explore past histories and changing personalities of a space; to experience them as one? It became clear that the only way to communicate a plethora of identities was to depict them all at once, to overwhelm in the hope of reaching clarity and understanding.

Scattered, dancing light illuminating a multitude of histories in black and white.

As Ben Highmore states in his text ‘Everyday life and cultural theory’, “In a number of ways montage is the most appropriate form of representing everyday life as the pell-mell of different worlds colliding.” (2002 p.93)

And sound; abstract echoes and reverberations tied together through the steady pulse of a Tango rhythm.

Plans and maps mark a starting point, the conception of a place or in the case of maps, its context in time. What better place to begin than at the beginning, before the existence of the subject? By starting here we are able to chart and explore the space as a whole, from before its birth up to the present day, assimilating years into a single night.

The tap of a foot, a rustling of cloth and the sound of breaking water. A dancers dress blurs with oxidised metal.

From the cold meticulous nature of the plan, to industry; oil, grease and the sound of machinery. From industry to sport, and from sport to the passion of dance, all ultimately leading up to this show, which in itself will ultimately be a memory, fragments of remembered noise and colour within a space continually transforming in time.

A forgotten scale of numbers and a 2x4 beat.

ÜBERSONG

The three of us were invited to attend and document the launch of ÜBERSONG last night at Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff.

Chapter Arts centre plays host to ÜBERSONG, a one-night event where the audience are invited on stage to sing their favourite song, regardless of their vocal ability.

The event aims to get people out of their comfort zone and perform in front of an audience. Choosing a song and taking to the stage can be a daunting yet reflective experience. “It’s something that makes us aware of how we live and shows us how songs can be linked to our identity.” said organiser Yvonne Buchheim.  “ÜBERSONG is also about expectations and what happens when we don’t perform to the high standard we set ourselves.”

(via alt.cardiff)

As well as this, the night showcased a selection of video art pieces and also launched the book of Yvonne Buchheim's Song Archive Project. It was a brilliant and surreal night. At times hilarious, touching, and thought-provoking, and a very good excuse just to let your hair down.

The premise of the night seemed simple enough - get on stage, sing a song of your choice unaccompanied, feel better about yourself - but it was a long way away from your average go at kareoke. As the book highlights, a lot more goes into the choosing of a song than you might think. Without peer pressure, the influence of alcohol, or really any consequences whatsoever, what song would you choose to sing given the opportunity?

Artist Simon Whitehead sang Heaven by the Talking Heads, explaining it was a song he most associated with his teenage years. One audience member sang the Irish national anthem, another a tradition Welsh folk song. The Feral Choir asked the audience to write lyrics for them and then interpreted them in a free-jazz vocal explosion. Some sang funny songs, other sang songs with their own personal anecdotal introductions,...

It was a night of all sorts, but made me think particularly of a comment I had read on The Guardian early yesterday morning. A music teacher at Eton criticised the X Factor, saying it inspired a generation of aspirational singers wanting to be famous, but missing out on the sheer joy of singing; singing as an expression of happiness (or sadness, if that's your bag)...

He should tell that to those at ÜBERSONG.