craft day

Saturday night. Four young people sit around drinking and talking, listening to rock and roll and... making crafts!

heres my first attempt. Its an oystercard holder dont you know. and its rock.

Aids Day Concert

Proud Gallery Camden held Aids Day Staying Alive concert sponsored I think by MTV. Three newish bands played there.

I Blame Coco.
Although there was a feeling that these guys had just been swept together from some music school and moulded around the famous by proxy singer- is her name coco?
The youth surrounding us certainly liked them, and so did I. actually the more I listen to this song the more I really like it.


We Have Band
Its all about three name bands here it seems. These guys were good fun. It wasnt just we were a bit drunk by this time. honest.

The Plath Play

Not enough poetry on this site is there? To be honest I havent really checked into poetry for some years, but the upcoming opening of the Plath Play "Three Women" has reminded me. This is the first airing of this in the UK for thirty years or something, and though you dont expect it to be "Mama Mia" its surely a good night out.

Herr God, Herr Lucifer
Beware
Beware.

Out of the ash
I rise with my red hair
And I eat men like air.

Lady Lazarus by Sylvia Plath

Each virile bachelor dreads paralysis,
The old maid in the gable cries all day:
Never try to trick me with a kiss.
...
Sooner or later something goes amiss;
The singing birds pack up and fly away;
So never try to trick me with a kiss:
The dying man will scoff and scorn at this.

Never Try To Trick Me With A Kiss by Sylvia Plath

xmas hits work

yuletide mother fuckers!

Crystal

Had to mention this place. Coming home from Dylan Moran and I was H*U*N*G*R*Y. Now it must be mentioned I live above a perfectly good Kebab shop, but when needs must, its down the road and around the corner for me to Crystal Kebabs.
Now not only do they over do the delicous bread, vege and meat stews and delicious lamicuns but they also drop in a couple of free rice puddings.

I know.

Free. Rice. Pudding.

Art Alert

Extended but absolutely going to end this weekend is a third form science project gone horribly wrong! Its going to be a long wait, you have to shed your own boots in favor of theirs and its south of the river but... it looks ace!



Roger Hiorns presents Seizure his most ambitious transformation yet to create a crystalic wonderland from a former dull old estate house.

To quote

British artist Roger Hiorns makes exceptional use of unlikely materials: detergent, disinfectant, perfume, fire and copper sulphate crystals. Transforming steel poles, car engines and cardboard architectural models into crystalline forms, Hiorns effects surprising, physical and aesthetic transformations on found objects.

Weekend Round up: Tinselworms, Pies and Pandas

Monday already! How to buffer myself from work/play? BLOG!
Yes its a bit early, but I bet there are people out there who want to know what I have done this weekend... surely?

Went for dinner at the old HK Diner, it had good write ups, and all in all not dissapointing, L's hot pot (pork Belly) was the best, then F's prawns was second, my duck was the worst but still quite tasty! Then we went to Bill Bailey


Which was ace, he was less absurd than I expected. And you could tell he was on the back of his American tour. But his best joke was distintly English, (Spoiler alert not too high though./.._) and the joke was about him cringing from the future about how embarrasing the olympic ceremony is going to be! haha, true bro...


Saturday and we tried some pies. Now as I am sure you know the UK is sadly lacking in decent pies, so when I see them I am always torn between running in fear, or running for the promise of savory goodness withing those thin pastry walls. So when at Broadway Market on a freezing Saturday I saw them- I went for it!

"Thanks, can I have a chilli steak pie and a steak and cheese please>?"





Now they had take away pies, that you could bring home- and they cost about £3.50 each. (NZ-ers will balk!) and to make matters worse- they microwave them! bah. But on a chilly day, it was a delicous, home made filling filled tasty treat.

And then Sunday we took a walk in Crouch End, where we found an excellent print shop, which just shows where our aspirations lie because we so wanted to bring home art. haha. This was one of my faves.

Mitch Mitchell RIP

So its a bit late, but its one of those things that needs to be blogged about.
One of the best drummers ever, the connection between jazz and rock, and how to be everywhere on the skins without overbearing the guitar.
Mr Mitch Mitchell

Its neate ayhe Aunt?

Adam Neate is turning London into an art gallery on Friday. A quick check into the auctions and one of his pics reached over 40k so even though he is going for a *ahem "Warholian" technique of not actually touching canvas there might be an investment to be made from walking around the streets of London at midnight scoping for free art.

“I’m interested in that Warhol idea of the brand as assisted readymade. Apart from creating the master image in stencil, I haven’t had to touch these works at any point in their production, even the signature is rubber-stamped – and although they’re multiples, each one is compositionally unique.”

Now although I am sure that this is not the reason why he is doing it, but I am sure I wont be the only night prowler!

My lunchbox gets all the girls to the yard

How awesome is my home made cottage pie lunch box? Oooooohhhhh yeah...

pimp my loaf

Annoyed at myself for losing stuff, there was nothing to do on Sunday but to break bread...
L made some (!) bread! it is delicous, with basil and stuff! but although she looked at it wearily saying "thats a lot of mix" she loaded up the oven, and made 6 loaves! I know! Like jesus! only hot.

Remedy for a Chilly Thursday

I sat there wondering if there is really any point being there if I couldnt record it somehow for the blog. I mean sure I have a photo from the phone, but that lacks definition and obviously- movement and sound.

I thought of reviewers of the past and how they would rely on words and choice phrases to evoke the mood and setting of the night, but I think I can almost feel your eyes glaze over as my sentences grow...

But it was an old fasioned gig last night at the Old Queens Head. It was a lounge, with a glitterball; old leather couches; lushly upholsted lounging chairs and tables set up with plenty of room so you could sit and watch the band. It certainly is my new favourite venue. Even apart from the fact this was free it seemed to me had a real community feel to it, and I really enjoyed being able to sit back and listen to some live music! Each band had at least one amazing song, and although there was a screechy (and female singer) theme that ran between each band had stand out performances.

Here is my briefest take on the night
Young Paul
I mean they said it themselves when they said it was karaoke... Why is the mac the only thing I can hear? it's a common problem that the mac goes straight through the PA but the guitar just through the amp. At times I couldnt tell if it was plugged in. And I mean nice shirt and all but to me (and I know I am just being picky) wear your stage clothes all night, dont put the shirt on after soundcheck in front of everyone- wheres the magic? Stand out song was the one about the major chords.

Palpitations
Slightly wonky aethestic with guitarist and singer were glammed up and the rhytm section thought they didnt need to bother. However they held the band together with great restraint. Stand out song- the last one no doubt. I dont think its on their myspace? surely its a single. I was actually blown away by it (but I am a sucker for spectoresque intros)

The DeBrettes
"enjoy the show" she said, and I did- she was everywhere, however like a dog on a lead could only stretch as far as the lead would so we were safe, but I did think she shocked a rather sophisticated couple when she was on the table. Stand out song Rage was released at the start of Oct and produced by Gordon Raphael (BTW)

Chapter 24 rounded off the evening with surf guitar led choppy eccentric rhythms that would change without warning. I thought the singer was really cool for some strange sophisticate reason. Oh and young paul should note that the drummer wore his top hat all evening. oh and the girls were going to go until they turned the sign on- great little prop as with the teapot.

Hey and the website for the old queens head (which is really rather good) was apparently created by delete so if you want some, come and get it!

William Blakes Grave

You know how it is, you get use to a place and then from out of nowhere peers something you have never seen? well we were heading to brick lane on Sunday, the clouds split just enough to leave dappled light on one of the best poet/engraver's in the world's grave...

oh- cool new artist

With his Victorian etchings with a penchant for duplicity the dark fantasy art of Dan Hillier lept out at me in the up market. Check him out!

nude

ok, well so without turning this in to a coffee blog, had great coffee at this place in brick lane yesterday. Nude. Which no one was nude so apart from that let down had a great flat white just over the road from the upstart market on Hanbury street. Hey its good!

More Human than Human

Had a lovely breakfast with L. today (there was no milk at home!)

Hammersmith Tube Station is an unlikely place for a peaceful and pleasant dining experience, but Antonias really captures something with its hideaway position and fabulous service. Lunch is great as well with a choice of al dante pasta and tasty toppings. So if yr hungry around there> snubb Mcdonalds with its 5am start (!) and disregard pret, head to something human!

PS photos from the iphone- not too shabby with a small size hey?

Ringing the Changes

Washing down the Front of the Tate, originally uploaded by turoasaur.

Its a sad day as the art is washed away, to swirl into storm drains, filtered down to be one day drunk by someone... hmmm not too bad I suppose!

Wash em down!

all mortal until the first kiss and the second glass of wine

OK so its Jewellery time! Having just returned from Murano I am amped to make things. Oh here is an ace shop that I got my mum a necklace from, and thought you might like to have a look as well...

But I have just received 50 microscope slides, that I intend to make into brooches. I still need a few items (solder iron, clamp, pictures!) but the slides themselves are a step in the right direction. Looking on the net everyone uses stained glass foiled tape to hold the two slides together before you solder- but where am I meant to get that from? Obviously the "misc..." shops in seven sisters road will probably hold them! I am hoping they have solder irons!!

Rhyming slang learn during the weekend: Bag= bag of sand- Grand. £1000.

I am still looking for somewhere with a kiln to let me make glass bricks!

John Soames Rocks!

cleptomaniac, originally uploaded by gfitz36.

So ma has arrived, we have crossed off a few things from the list, old hallows, tate, trafelgar square, jewell tower, westminster abbey etc. But it was John Soames Museum that really blew my mind, so great to walk around the house to see what those fancy houses look like inside, and then the sheer volume of his collection is overwhelming. But for me the jewel is the collection of the hogarth "A rakes progress".
oh and the sweet t towel for a fiver. watch out people xmas presents coming yr way!


Havent seen Bex yet, but you know itsgoing to happen

Blogs around the world

Loving Blogs around the world at the moment, the puddlelicious crew has grown today. if you feel like reaching around this dark internet for a spark of inspiration, check some out now!_ oh wait, read me first- read me first-/oo\

Anyhoo.
I have been thinking. Lots of things really, and I know I dont usually rant here but do you know what? Posts have been pretty thin on the ground, and if I expect people to read me (I dont actually but you know what I mean) then I have to write something.


Now, like a lot of people, I want to get me an iphone. this is mainly because of the maps function, I just get a kick out of seeing -electronically- where i am- which would probably be a pub, and I could look out the window, but I will be showing everyone where we are on the phone... (I know how lucky my friends are!)... So you can then choose to see the restaurants around you- but (obviously) only the ones that have signed up and become iphone ap. 101 savy. Which is ok at the moment, but as the money begins to come in for this, it will soon only be the places that are chosen to be sponsored by which ever app it is.
Which brings me to my point. We are living in the wild west of the internet, but the later stages of the pioneering spirit. Very soon, our choices of what we want to view- or what we can view, will be limited by our providers in much the same way. I actually think that we will have to pay for the sort of things that we now just bump into, like peoples blogs- or user generated content. so a nominal fee for the huge products- but a larger fee for wanting to view content made from independant users.

the end, in short is nigh.

On the upside, I have sunburnt shoulders for the first time all year. Its September people!

This week sees the return of Bex- and the intial arrival of my mother!

and its a short week.