I accidentally caught the Channel 4 reality show Seven Days last night, if you must know I had been watching something called Desperate Housewives (I don't own a TV so this was something of a novelty), and wish I hadn't but am glad I did.
Seven Days is typical of the sort of TV that causes me to not own a television; there is nothing remotely resembling reality in the show, it is merely a collection of smug, egoists (or is it egotists) serendipitously bumping into each other in the land of trite happen chance, talking about themselves in a seriously 'bigmeup' kind of way and the only reference point seems to be earlier episodes of the show.
This is television well and truly disappearing up it's own arsehole.
If you want to know about Notting Hill and the incredible cross section of people who inhabit it do not expect to learn anything from Seven Days.
Seven Days can only be seen to be attempting to follow (and failing miserably) in the footsteps of great shows such as Noddy, Camberwick Green, Trumpton and Postman Pat!
Seven Days..... Weak.
I am tempted to believe that aforementioned housewives desperation stemmed from having to watch the damn thing.
Monday, 25 October 2010
Saturday, 23 October 2010
What is Roughler TV?
I put that question to Piers Thompson (one of Roughler's movers and shakers) and as luck would have it, he had an answer:
The magazine was Sniffing Glue meets Tatler. The TV incarnation is a Rantblog meeting BBC4. It celebrates life in the shadow of the Westway. We try to rouse the ghosts of the past who made Notting Hill the most subculturally significant neighbourhood in the World, so they can inspire the young in the spirit of Rock n Roll rebellion. The channel started in 2007 during Portobello Film Festival in tandem with Roughler Gallery where you can buy yesterday's memories at today's prices. We have covered subjects as diverse as Unicycle Hockey under the Westway, to the opening of Poundland on Portobello Road; from Lily Allen's return to the Tabernacle to the Class War march on David Cameron's house; music includes Nick Laird-Clowes Greenpeace anthem Mayday, to Ray Roughler Jones' Recession Glee or John Bindon to Gaz Mayall and The Trojans. Interviews have included John Maybury, Peter Richardson, Tony Benn, Ian Bone of Class War, Molly Parkin, Jake Arnott and Rusty Egan.
Here's one they made earlier:
The magazine was Sniffing Glue meets Tatler. The TV incarnation is a Rantblog meeting BBC4. It celebrates life in the shadow of the Westway. We try to rouse the ghosts of the past who made Notting Hill the most subculturally significant neighbourhood in the World, so they can inspire the young in the spirit of Rock n Roll rebellion. The channel started in 2007 during Portobello Film Festival in tandem with Roughler Gallery where you can buy yesterday's memories at today's prices. We have covered subjects as diverse as Unicycle Hockey under the Westway, to the opening of Poundland on Portobello Road; from Lily Allen's return to the Tabernacle to the Class War march on David Cameron's house; music includes Nick Laird-Clowes Greenpeace anthem Mayday, to Ray Roughler Jones' Recession Glee or John Bindon to Gaz Mayall and The Trojans. Interviews have included John Maybury, Peter Richardson, Tony Benn, Ian Bone of Class War, Molly Parkin, Jake Arnott and Rusty Egan.
Here's one they made earlier:
Friday, 22 October 2010
Banksy Film at the Pop up Cinema W11.(Banksy has aerosoled out) And the Rotting Hill Gang.
Oi Banksy! The place for street art is on the street not in the cinema.
The minute you place Plexiglas over a wall painting is the moment you condemn it to mediocrity. The minute you put it on celuloid (or video) the same. Street art IS because of it's ephemeral nature not because of it's self importance.
I started to watch a film narrated by someone pretending to be Banksy about an extremely boring bloke with a video camera. The high point for me was a length of green rope about 15 minutes into the video... Sorry Fillum.
PHEW!
Having said that, the pop up Cinema under the Westway is Great and should be celebrated.
Pop up Cinema 10 - Banksy 0
There was a great tribute to Ari Up beforehand though.
Do I get an award for reviewing this before the thing has ended...No. But I got to meet Gary from the Rotten Hill Gang outside the Muse in Portobello Road who asked me along to a gig up the road which is just up my graffiti bedecked street!
The minute you place Plexiglas over a wall painting is the moment you condemn it to mediocrity. The minute you put it on celuloid (or video) the same. Street art IS because of it's ephemeral nature not because of it's self importance.
I started to watch a film narrated by someone pretending to be Banksy about an extremely boring bloke with a video camera. The high point for me was a length of green rope about 15 minutes into the video... Sorry Fillum.
PHEW!
Having said that, the pop up Cinema under the Westway is Great and should be celebrated.
Pop up Cinema 10 - Banksy 0
There was a great tribute to Ari Up beforehand though.
Do I get an award for reviewing this before the thing has ended...No. But I got to meet Gary from the Rotten Hill Gang outside the Muse in Portobello Road who asked me along to a gig up the road which is just up my graffiti bedecked street!
Thursday, 21 October 2010
Roughler Guide to Rotten Hill Bar & Grill 2
Just arrived in my inbox courtesy of Piers Thompson and Roughler TV.
A splendid afternoon in the heart of Notting Hill.
A splendid afternoon in the heart of Notting Hill.
Ari Up. R.I.P.
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
5X15 at the Tabernacle. Howard Jacobson and the Booker prize.
How do you humanise a writer?
In Howard Jacobson's case you give him (desevedly) the Booker prize then get him on the stage at 5X15 at the Tabernacle a couple of days later.To a layman such as myself; I am not a 'completist' of the Jacobson Canon by a country mile, Jacobson came across as a Man pleasantly surprised by the award and pleased as punch to boot... A joy to listen to and an incitement to buy his books.
5X15 have got it right; 5 literary types are each given 15 minutes in which to talk, not read but talk to (from what I could see) a healthy looking knowledgeable audience. 15 minutes is spot on; short enough to leave you wanting more but not long enough to allow for waffling induced boredom. The auditorium at the Tabernacle is the perfect venue in being neither too small or too large with a sense of being somewhere special.
Jacobson was preceeded by Rachel Johnson, Alexander Masters, Diane Athill; an absolute delight and Alex Bellow; a sum greater than his parts (this is a very clever joke designed to get me invited to take part in 5X15) talking about numbers and keeping every ones attention, even at the back!
5X15 is a regular event at The Tabernacle and a high point in the calendar.
Photo: Christopher Scholey:
In Howard Jacobson's case you give him (desevedly) the Booker prize then get him on the stage at 5X15 at the Tabernacle a couple of days later.To a layman such as myself; I am not a 'completist' of the Jacobson Canon by a country mile, Jacobson came across as a Man pleasantly surprised by the award and pleased as punch to boot... A joy to listen to and an incitement to buy his books.
5X15 have got it right; 5 literary types are each given 15 minutes in which to talk, not read but talk to (from what I could see) a healthy looking knowledgeable audience. 15 minutes is spot on; short enough to leave you wanting more but not long enough to allow for waffling induced boredom. The auditorium at the Tabernacle is the perfect venue in being neither too small or too large with a sense of being somewhere special.
Jacobson was preceeded by Rachel Johnson, Alexander Masters, Diane Athill; an absolute delight and Alex Bellow; a sum greater than his parts (this is a very clever joke designed to get me invited to take part in 5X15) talking about numbers and keeping every ones attention, even at the back!
5X15 is a regular event at The Tabernacle and a high point in the calendar.
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
Virtual Factory press release for Turf Freinz.
Due to the hijacking of Virtual Factory I no longer have any say. I wish the guys well and hope they can avoid unscrupulous types trying to make money out of them.
http://virtualfactoryone.blogspot.com/
http://virtualfactoryone.blogspot.com/
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