ENO 'Death of Klinghoffer' at the Coliseum.

10.00 am I was at the coliseum in London for the dress rehearsal of the controversial opera ' Death of Klinghoffer'. An odd time for opera, but perhaps the ENO thought it wise to stage it then to avoid the possibility of demonstrations against it; 10.00 am is far too early for demonstrators to do anything other than rail against the alarm clock. On its debut the opera attracted an amount of complaints due to it's subject matter. The opera centres on the 1985 hijacking of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro by the Palestinian Liberation Organisation. The hijackers killed one of the passengers, a retired, wheelchair-bound 69-year-old American Jew named Leon Klinghoffer. Goodman's script imagines what happened on the ship.

The English National Opera (ENO) is putting on seven performances of the opera at the London Coliseum over two weeks. It is being directed by Tom Morris, best known as the co-director of The National Theatre's smash-hit adaptation of War Horse and helming the controversial musical satire Jerry Springer: The Opera.

Originally opening in Brussels in 1991, the opera courted controversy even before a single note of John Adam's music was heard. Critics condemned the artistic merit of the play, questioning whether art should be made out of a tragic incident. 

From what I saw and heard this morning I can only assume that the piece relies on controversy rather than content. Sure it was good enough, save a weird disco-beat moment, but there was nothing there to captivate, no character to empathize with, no romance and no great songs. the best of it was to my mind the hard working chorus who had the biggest role... It was disappointing to note that, in the blurb handed out pre-show, the production team got name checks down to assistant hair and make-up and the women altering and dyeing the frocks whereas the chorus were left un-credited. Very odd indeed.

Alan Opie, playing Leon Klinghoffer holds a grenade during the dress rehearsal Photo By DYLAN MARTINEZ/REUTERS

The set relied heavily on projections with bits of deck and superstructure wheeled on and off during the production, Is that normal in opera?

The band was great, I sometimes felt that the singing detracted from my enjoyment of the music. The libretto was clunky and decidedly un-lyrical (something one can tolerate in work translated from German or Italian but disappointing in a work written in English), I am by no means an expert but as a poet I hankered after a bit of poetry. I was expecting gun shots so was not surprised by them apart from the moment when the harpists string broke with an unscripted bang.

All in all interesting to witness rather than a great joy or great art. More like a wacky modern history lesson with music. 


Have I said that I enjoyed the chorus?


This is what Rabbi Shmuley Boteach has to say about it in the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rabbi-shmuley-boteach/does-the-english-national_b_1273025.html
In case you were wondering, Shmuley is the bloke who brought us 'Kosher Sex: A recipe for passion and intimacy'. People often ask me if I make stuff up, with material like this I don't have to.

Tutu. Harp. Wishful thinking.

What is it about tutu's?  I spotted this one in St Martins Lane this morning.

And Harps? I found this one in Notting Hill.

All that is needed now is someone to wear the tutu while playing the harp. That's not asking too much is it!

The bathroom of Elvis's death.

Walking past this window in Kensington Park Road a five year old boy said to me, without preamble, 'That is where Elvis Presley died'. I asked him why he thought that. He replied: 'People always put flowers where someone has died!'

There was also black loo paper (I'll go back and photograph that another day) present.

There we go then... Pretty conclusive evidence.

Westway Development Trust. HSBC and discrimination.

I received this by email from Westways Development Trust... It looks innocuous enough; a gallery show on the theme of disabilty, until you have a good look! One definition of disability in the blurb is 'Inability to pay' yet there is a submission fee for participating artists. OK! so it is not open to the disabled.  Then look again at who is sponsoring it: HSBC the multi squillion profit making bank who pay their directors obscene bonuses while shutting down vital community banking facilities because they say it is too expensive, ensuring that the handicapped need to travel further in order to find a bank. HSBC probably don't care because the handicapped don't have much money anyway.

Why do Westway need to charge an entry fee if the thing is sponsored by fatcats? Why is there not a concession for those financially handicapped? Is the entry fee refundable  should ones work not be accepted? How much money exactly is HSBC providing in return for this blatent advertising?

Who the hell advises these people and do they really think this is doing them any favours. And westway development trust need to decide exactly what role they play in the community... They seem concerned only with making a profit at the expense of local needs.  Discussion please.

Guaranteed next day delivery. A valentines day poem.

I killed my love on valentines day

I didn't chose the date

especially...    To kill my lover, my only and forever, my darling, my soul mate

It just happened that on valentines day

love simply turned to hate

If you could ask him he'd blame my husband

and the fact that I still drank from the marriage cup

even though I'd long left him

was well nisi'd up

But his mother was the problem

I knew he would never leave her

So I gave him a poisoned chocolate orange

then segmented him with a cleaver

Chopped him up then boxed him up

sent him to his mother

along with his valentine card

that assured me he loved me like no other.

I chopped him up and boxed him up

and sent him DHL

to his needy spiteful mother

in her surburban hell
but they took a week to deliver him
and were alerted by the smell

that was my undoing

the disposal of my dear dead ex

I should have chopped him up and boxed him up

then sent him by FedEx.

Guaranteed next day delivery.

ENO Tales of Hoffmann at the Coliseum.

To the Coliseum last night along with the muse, Mister Pounce the barrister and his delightful squeeze; Wilhelmina for the dress rehearsal of the ENO production of  Jaques Offenbach's 'Tales of Hoffmann'.

What a delightful thing it was, beautifully designed and lit, plenty of humour, wonderful singing, plenty of dying women, student drinking songs and a gorilla....What more could you want.

Romance in Notting Hill.

Much better to be obese than a smoker as far as the government goes.

A guest blog from Jan Nieupjur. As usual his views are not necessarily my own.

        This is what the government and the supermarkets want to see.

I'm horrified. Supermarkets are now obliged to hide cigarettes from the public. Smokers finance the NHS, the armed forces bombing the fuck out of oil rich countries in order to pander to Uncle Sam and smokers finance the government. Why must fags be hidden when I can see fuck mags, gun mags, racist shit etc on clear sight for children.

What is the age you can buy cigarettes at? Address that.
Why are we poodling up, at great cost, to the Americans?
Why are supermarkets freely offering, in open view, buns, cakes, lard, donuts, crisps, more lard, sweets, sad bloke meals, all that shit at discounted prices to hordes of obese fuckers clogging up the aisles, the pavements, the hospitals and their arteries.

FACT: Smokers pay for the treatment of fatties and their revolting obesity. Smokers are the most generous people in the country. If ever an arse needed kissing it is a smokers arse and a smokers arse is a damn sight more kissable than a fucking great obese arse. I know I've kissed enough arses in my life.

It is a shame that Cameron won't step up and tax all his coke snorting buddies... There is the answer. That and disbanding the armed forces and using the spare guns to kill fat people.

Western civilisation is in decay; we are, metaphorically, obese, lying on chaises longue, eating grapes and buggering small boys while the rest of the planet suffers. Shame on us!





Editors note: Whoa there Jan. 

Jackie Kennedy nee Bouvier. What did she see in Aristotle Onassis?

Andy Warhol 1983. Albert Watson?

I found this print. It appears to be signed on the back by someone and is described as 'Unique Vintage printed by Albert Watson. 1983.

Who is Albert Watson?

Blue door. Portobello Road. Notting Hill. Bollocks!

In reality the 'blue door' in the film 'Notting Hill' no longer exists; it wasn't on Portobello road but on Westbourne Park Road and was sold long ago for an obscene amount of money. Yet the tourists continue to swarm down from Notting Hill Gate in search of the holy grail. I have picked up, from the street, written instructions from tour guides on how to find the door. Amazing! I shall be, from time to time, adding images of other blue doors in the area.

I've walked past this door on All Saints Road many, many times but only now have noticed the Number.

The owners of this one have rebuilt the wall, cut back the plant but thankfully left the door as it was.

Snow in Portobello. Loco at Retro the pope and Trellik tower..

It snowed on Saturday night but this did not deter the hardy crowd who turned up at LOCO. Including, it appeared, God's representative:

It appears that Rob Alder has seen the light. It was a great night. The full line up was, according to James Simmins, as follows: Delphi Newman and 7 Glorious Minutes (featuring Tino Troy), Phil Ram & The Great Outdoor Experience, Resident Poet Tristan Hazell, Roxanne & The Painkillers, The Freak Elite, Paul J Riley, OJ Jennings, Tim Gill, Conrad, Wills, The Dave, The Retro Virgins and Simon Billing's Jazz Trio!!! Rob Alder rocked the show!!! 

He went on to say:  Special thanks to everyone that braved the elements and supported the event!!! Next Saturday artists will include Chrystina Tomlin, Cuthbert 80 (AKA Darnell Ibraham) & George Frakes!

                                             Snow, not cocaine!

Trellik tower in an unusual light.

Always Never. A valentines day poem.

I met my love on Wormwood Scrubs

he was running for his life

'Hide me from the law' He says

and I'll take you for me wife.

Now, I'm a middle aged shy spinster

and I've never had a man

at this uncertain time of life

you've got to grab it where you can.

I put my coat about him

my hat upon his head

when the old bill came running up

'He went that way' . I said.

My first man was true to his word

his loyalty didn't falter

six weeks later in Turnham Green

he met me at the alter.

Standing there in the eyes of god

the union about to be blessed

up stepped a copper in a shiny suit

cuffed him... 'You're under arrest'.

I says to the copper 'You can't do this,

You're destroying our future lives'.

'He's got his life'. He says with a grin

'For the murder of his last three wives'.

I now visit my love in wormwood Scrubs

It is a love that will last forever

for when I ask the board about parole....

The reply is always never.

David Cameron and a mysterious death.

GUEST BLOG by Lachlan.


One day at school I had the pleasure of meeting David Cameron. It was weird because the temperature was 60 degrees Celsius and there was an atmosphere full of terror. There was a failure because one of our classmates died in a mysterious accident. People say that someone captured him and gave him the disease.

Der Rosenkavalier at the London Coliseum.

I'm not an opera fan, not because I don't like it but because I had never been.... Until Wednesday night when I was lucky enough to snag a ticket for the dress rehearsal of Der Rosenkavalier at the Coliseum.

I had expected to be bored (it is nearly four hours long) but far from it, it was great. I felt that the first act was overlong but the girl on girl snogging throughout held my attention. Things got better in the second and third acts culminating in not one fat lady singing but three slim ladies singing together. This 'trio' is, I am informed the famous bit of the opera.

The set was delightful, the music splendid and I lasted the full four hours.

Walk off the earth: 'Somebody I used to Know'.

I'm late posting this... It is great!

Photography in the Amazon at the Tabernacle W11

Friday - January 27th 6.30 - 10.00 - Open View

Campbell Picks presents...Photography in the Amazon
Following the journey of photographer Eloise Campbell through Peru, the Amazon basin and into Brazil at the end of 2011. This exhibition brings the people and places she encountered on her journey to one of West London's premier galleries. 
Whilst working as part of the team for music-based charity Keys of Change (www.keysofchange.org), Eloise encountered the continents powerful beauty, it's wonderful people, and it's awe inspiring hold over any who journey there with a camera.
The photographer will be in attendance for this one night only viewing to talk about her experiences.

Portobello Music, Pete Doherty and smashed guitars

Walking down All Saints Road this morning I stumbled upon this scene:

Neil; Proprietor of 'Portobello Music'  strumming a guitar in the street.

Turns out it is Pete Doherty's guitar which had arrived at the shop wrecked (it would be interesting to know how it got smashed in the first place) and Neil had the thing reconstructed. I witnessed it's first public strumming in the January sunshine!

Neil can be heard performing at 'LOCO': https://www.facebook.com/groups/344865642191981/ at the Retro Bar on Saturday nights from the 4th of February onwards.

Portobello Music's website is here:http://www.portobellomusic.net/

Black Cock...

Eurozone crisis and the solution. Self burying undertakers.

Friday the 13th and Europe is bust. The Euro is now worth 10 pence. Great news for us as our holiday in Torremolinos will now cost peanuts and Fiats will be given away with the purchase of a jar of Dolmio sauce.

However. What about the 50 euro note I changed for a bloke in the pub last week, now worth nothing rather than being my retirement nest egg.

Looks like I'm going to have to continue working long after my death. As will the rest of the population of Europe.

 Undertakers will be burying themselves soon!

The Portobello Bitch.

The following link arrived by email this morning: http://portobellobitch.wordpress.com/  I shall be looking forward to its development.

Portobello panto 2011. Mick Jones sings 'Should I stay or should I go'

The last night of Robin Hood, this year's Portobello Panto at The Tabernacle, saw local hero Mick Jones, of the Clash, play Good King Richard and do an impromptu version of "Should I Stay Or Should I Go". The evening also saw Keith Allen and Tom Hollander do turns alongside the regular stellar cast.

Rusty, the Diva and weeping into whisky!

Rusty called round last night close to tears and within five minutes I understood why he wanted no water in his whisky; he was copiously diluting it with tears.

"What's up? Rusty". I asked. He told me the following tale.

"I've met a woman, her name is Estella, she is an opera singer, she is my love, my sun and moon, my compass, my mettle detector, I was born for her and she for me and now I have lost her.

My friends warned me about her. Told me that she was hard as nails, a bitch, a diva like no other but I ignored them for she was none of those things to me. The only problem I had was that she would not let me hear her sing, when I asked her she flatly refused and asked me not to press her on the matter. I have to admit that I became jealous of all the other people who were able to hear her sing; such was the beauty of her voice that all men would forgive her divaish behaviour in order to hear her golden voice.  She would not sing for me!

Until last night, fired with jealousy I demanded she sing for me. I threatened to leave her if she would not sing.

She, tears streaming down her cheeks, sang for me. There are no words to describe the beauty of her voice, I must leave it at that!

When she had finished I dried my eyes and said: "That was beautiful. Why could you not sing to me before? What was the problem?"

She replied: "Right you arsehole, you have heard me sing, you are no different from the others now. Fuck off!"

She will not speak to me or see me.

Rusty and I spent the rest of the night weeping into whisky listening to the Diva on the CD player.  Bitch!

London Soundscape on Radio 2

London Soundscape

LISTEN :

Next on:

Today, 22:00 on BBC Radio 2

SYNOPSIS

Charles Hazlewood and Mick Jones lead an impressionistic portrait of London between the 1948 Olympics and today, mixing voice, archive, and music to create a beguiling introduction to Radio 2's Olympic year.

Other voices heard include those of Barbara Windsor, composer Lionel Bart, architectural historian Dan Cruickshank, and many ordinary Londoners, from cab drivers to costermongers.

The songs featured in the two shows are a veritable greatest hits of England's capital. They include London Calling by Mick Jones' own band The Clash; London's Brilliant Parade by Elvis Costello; Carnaby Street by The Jam; Streets Of London by Ralph McTell; Soho Square by Kirsty MacColl; and London Is The Place For Me by Lord Kitchener.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b019444k

Thandie Newton and Noel Fielding read Go the fuck to sleep.

A charming video made by Piers Thompson. The poem is by Adam Mansbach. I love it!

Cannongate Books are also working with that naughty Russell Brand and his 'Tricksters Tales'. Check it out:





There is also a series of videos from David Byrne worth checking out:

Destructive criticism on Portobello Road.

What's this all about then?

At the north end of Portobello (between Cambridge Gardens and Golborne Road) there is a wall; formerly part of the convent, which is used as an exhibition space on a regular basis and jolly good it is too. Last year we had a massive record collection running the length of the wall.

 This was recently replaced by a similarly sized hoarding produced by a local gallery:  http://www.kensingtonandchelseatoday.co.uk/arts-and-culture/exhibitions/cqfz8ufwqy.html Three days later the thing was partially torn down, seemingly an act of mindless vandalism.

"Fucking yobs" I hear you cry!

But wait, there is there more to this than meets the eye (or doesn't meet the eye any more)? It seems that the Gallery in question has a very dark past (and present), earning itself a lot of detractors. This thoughtless act of vandalism is in fact a considered and premeditated comment on the Gallery and its principal.

Who writes:  “This neighbourhood is a catalyst to a wide range of creative expressions. The diversity of cultures, ideas and languages creates a climate that stimulates contemporary creative tensions and why we chose to locate our gallery here. 

It is interesting to see that the installation has indeed stimulated contemporary tensions! There will be more about this emerging over the next few days I'm sure.

A curates Annus.

2011 certainly was something of a Curates Egg; part Annus Horribilis (the best place for that is behind me), part joyous (hopefully continuing).

Ken Russell dead, Oliver Reed, Alan Bates and a body double.

Ken Russell has died. I for one loved his films, his sense of fun and rebelliousness.

Both Oliver Reed and Alan Bates refused to use me as a body double in 'women in love' for a reason I will not go into... It was a size thing!

Ken was a bloody good photographer too.

Photo: Ken Russell.

John Thaw, Drakes Venture, Leonard Cohen and sacred monsters.

In my early twenties I worked as an assistant director/gofer at Westward TV in Plymouth. We made this film which was famously screened the day that Westward lost it's franchise. It has never been screened since that day to my knowledge.

During the filming I worked with one of the best men I have ever met: John Thaw, surely a sacred monster, gave me a great deal of his time and taught me a lot. I did however spend a lot of my time sneaking vodka into his trailer. I experienced being mobbed by middle aged women when driving John; he was still very much the star as a result of the Sweeny....

I married for the first time at the end of filming. John was in Africa and unable to (and probably wouldn't) come to the wedding but sent us a wonderful telegram promising to drink a bottle of vodka in our honour.

John is one of the three men I miss and think of frequently.

It was a very happy summer that year.

the video below is a collection of clips from the movie with a soundtrack from another sacred monster... Leonard Cohen. I have not seen this before.

Zappa. Stairway to heaven... For M

Lola the scariest dog in the world...

A new poem from Murray Lachlan Young.

October: To all those who went before.

A month of thought and word and deed
To cultural Olympiad
From booker prize to art at Frieze
Of what is good and what is bad?

Who would spray paint out a ‘Banksy’?
Who could be so crude and rash?
Good graffiti bad graffiti?
Post, post-modern cultures clash

While Ralph gives us his Prospero
And punters flee the Marat Sade
Michael Sheen his Dane to show
So what is: Just too avant-garde?

The Shakespeare, Dickens fests announced
Or, King’s Speech coming to the stage
Strictly makes the extra factor?
And what would Tintin have to say?

Of Madge, Madonna hair and shades
In arch red carpet attitude
A master class in marketing
No matter what the latitude

Ah names and names so many names
So many rise, so many fall
So many stars, so great the sky
How did we ever name them all?

A question perhaps for Grayson Perry
British Museum, Shamans robes
His tomb of the unknown craftsman
Installation, ancient road

To all of those who went before
To all of those and all the more
Who carved and cut and chipped honed
The dawn of time through Ancient Rome

To all of those whose time is now
Their names so great upon the tongue
Will in the blinking of the eye
Discover that their time is done

And what is left is craft its self
When all the names are stripped away
Upon the tomb that craftsmen made
The craft of time will endless play?

Zoe Martlew at the Giant Olive Theatre, Kentish Town.

I've been tipped off that this will be worth attending. I don't know the venue but it sounds good. I'll report back.

REMI KANAZI's first UK tour.

Remi Kanazi's UK tour kicks off with a fundraising event at the Tabernacle W11 on November 12th.

REMI KANAZI  Palestinian-American Performance poet, writer, and activist based in New York City, he is the editor of Poets For Palestine and the author of Poetic Injustice: Writings on Resistance and Palestine.  His political commentary has been featured by news outlets throughout the world and his poetry has taken him across North America and the Middle East.  He recently appeared in the Palestine Festival of Literature as well as Poetry International.  He is a recurring writer in residence and advisory board member for the Palestine Writing Workshop.  www.poeticinjustice.net.

RAFEEF ZIADAH is a Canadian-Palestinian spoken word artist and activist.  Her debut CD Hadeel is dedicated to Palestinian youth, who still fly kites in the face of F16 bombers, who still remember the names if their villages in Palestine and still hear the sound of Hadeel (cooing of doves) over Gaza. www.rafeefziadah.ca.

OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American Hip hop artist, author and producer- born in the KSA, raised in the USA, and repeatedly hassled by the TSA.  His solo release in 2010 was affectionately dubbed "SyrianamericanA". www.offendum.com.

ZITA HOLBOURNE is a poet, artist and activist.  Former member of Brothaman Poetry Collective she campaigns for equality, freedom, justice, and democracy through activism, art and poetry. www.myspace.com/zitaholbourne.

Ticket details HERE

SYMPTOMATIC presents THESE REIGNING DAYS + SMOKE FEATHERS + EVELYN BURKE + CRASHING FLOWERS

I feel my leg is up to going out and about. tomorrow night I am off to Archangel to see 'these reigning Days'; a band from Devon up in the smoke for the night. I'll report back.

8pm – £7/£5adv
Symptomatic presents a night of the up and coming indie, rock and folk happening in London. With newly established bands, they present quality sounds and a foot stomping, bliss inducing night of music.

Having started work on their debut album, Dan Steer (formerly of the Quails) Jonny Finnis and Joe Sansome aka These Reigning Days have already been creating a stir, and are set to have a blinding 2012 already securing Major festival slots accross the UK, Europe and US, as well as supporting fellow Devon based band Metronomy at their Torquay show this September. Later this year the band will also be headlining an Alpine tour of France and Switzerland.

Smoke Feathers

Evelyn Burke

Crashing Flowers

AAA @ Archangel,
11-13 Kensington High Street London W8 5NP

Woman with a harp. Who is she?

Does anyone recognise this image. It is a Victorian print titled: Woman with Harp. According to my harp expert her pose indicates that she is more than just a model posing, she has technique,

Help! Who is she?

UPDATE: It is ok. I found her. It was painted by Leonard Campbell Taylor (English) in 1937. I have found his grandaughter and will be contacting her for details.

From the Portobello Blog: JC Carroll on Winning.

Jc Carroll from The Members on winning a 'Golden Trellick' at The Portobello Film Festival for his opera 'The Golborne Variations'

25 years in the making, Jc from The Members looks back on the creation and staging of his critically acclaimed multimedia opera 'The Golborne Variations', which premiered at The Portobello Film Festival on Friday 2nd September this year. Received with a standing ovation by a full house at the Portobello Film Festival, 'The Golborne Variations went on to win a Special Award, which was collected on Jc's behalf (he was on tour in France with The Members) by cast members Simon Godley & James Simmins from festival organiser Jonathan Barnett.

It is hoped that another staging of this award-winning opera will take place somewhere in the Portobello vicinity very soon. Watch this space...

Joanne Calvino. Carry that weight.

15 times British Champion and current record holder Joanne Calvino was in the Tabernacle for lunch today... chicken salad is obviously an important part of her training regime; she is currently preparing for 2012.

I have never met anyone who looks less like a weightlifter than Joanne, she is tiny and slim. It was interesting to learn that a lot of our athletes are totally self funded and must fit their training around full time jobs. A laudable ethos.

I shall be following joanne's path to glory and wish her every success.

Troy Davis and the obscenity of the death penalty.

If a state or government does not value human life how the fuck can a state or government expect it's people to value human life. The USA appals me in its ability to kill its own.

Civilization my arse.

Bianca Jagger has written on the subject in the Huffington Post

The Ryan O'Reilly Band need an artist.

Ryan O'Reilly Band write:

I've sat here for ages trying to draw our album cover and it turns out I can't draw anything except cartoon eyes... If there are any artists out there who would be interested in helping me out by designing our album cover please send a message to theryanoreillyband@gmail.com and I'll give you some more information.

THE COLOURS OF AFRICA THROUGH HER CHILDREN'S EYES

In the Tabernacle gallery this week is an exhibition of art by Ugandan children. A colourful collection full of life and vitality. All are for sale at affordable prices. Highly recommended.

More HERE

Portobello Film festival Award winners.

The full list of the prize winners are as follows:

FILM
The King Is Dead (Ishmahil Blagrove)
SPECIAL AWARD
The Golborne Variations (J C Carroll)
ODDBALL TV 72 HOUR FILM CHALLENGE
Marcelo Paganini
DOCUMENTARY
From Patient To Pin Up (Michelle Hallak)
COMEDY
The Beardless Garibaldi (Nicola Piovesan)
MUSIC
I Chopped Her Up (Divian Ladwa)
FOREIGN FILM
The First Rasta (Helene Lee)
ANIMATION
Fantoon Gaga (Alberto Hadyar)
LONDON
Wreck (Cara Pickton)
DRAMA
Ebony Road (Maia Krall-Fry)

5 X 15, the loss of genius and hacking Misha Glenny's conversation.

A packed house for 5 X 15 last night for a particularly strong line up of speakers, even standing room was at a premium guaranteeing a partial standing ovation for all concerned.

Misha Glenny opened proceedings with 15 minutes on the rise of cybercrime, more on that later. He was followed by Simon baron-Cohen, Lucy Worsley, AS Byatt and finally Alexander Masters talking about the subject of his latest book, The Genius in my basement.

After the event I was sitting in my usual place in the bar when I was joined by a group including Misha Glenny. I was able to both tweet him live as well as hack into his conversation (otherwise known as butting in).

I shall be reading both alexander's and Misha's books.

                                           Alexander Masters

                                           AS. Byatt

                                           Simon Baron Cohen

                                                         Misha Glenny

                                                        Lucy Worsley                 


Photographs: Thomas Pegoraro

The next 5 X 15 is on October 17th. probably best to book now.

Chris Durkin, 1966 and all that.

I met Chris in 1966 as 11 year olds. We lost touch for over 40 years until I discovered him living less than a quarter of a mile away from me. we had been neighbours for years, drank in the same pubs, attended the same gigs. funny old world.

Chris is exhibiting his paintings at The Tabernacle Gallery next month.

Below is a taste of his work.

Sylvie guillem.

While discussing a collaboration with Ballerina Layla Wiseman, she introduced me to this video.

Trellick Tower humanised.

This image come courtesy of Collette Shields. Are we to look at Trellick... I wonder. Thanks collette and thanks for the hospitality.

Taking the piss (or not) on Talbot Road.

Clochemerle comes to Portobello Road.

Last week the Mayor, armed with a brass band, opened the newly refurbished lavatories on Talbot road. I now learn that the loo's will only be open at the weekend for the tourists. What about the Market traders and the locals who use Portobello road throughout the week?

The elements of French Farce are congregating on Talbot road.

Taking (or not taking) the piss or what?

From the Archives. Self portrait.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2008

Self portrait
The middle child.

As a young child I was given my own set of plastic tableware: plate bowl and beaker. these objects were yellow! I did not chose the colour yellow, I was told that the yellow ones were mine. From then onwards I would frequently be given yellow things; toys, clothes and the like. These objects were accompanied by the statement that yellow was my favourite colour, that had I the choice I would have opted for the yellow.

Yellow was not not my favourite colour. I would be hard pressed to name a favourite; I was never given the opportunity nor the luxury! I have a feeling that the colour was assigned to me in some kind of attempt to introduce a little brightness into an already dark and troubled child.

Even now, years later, if I am asked what my favourite colour is I am instinctively drawn to the word yellow... not to the colour but the word, as if yellow means favourite.

twenty years ago I made a picture of my childhood; It said everything I wanted or needed to say. It was both a portrait and a summary.
It consisted of a glazed, shallow wooden box. the box was lined with silver leaf upon which were placed a black and white image of myself aged three alongside a yellow plastic spoon (which I had taken from the Hayward gallery cafe; the artistic integrity of the object was important). The outside of the box was wrapped in mattress ticking to emphasise the comfortable environment that I appeared to inhabit. Unseen to the observer the back of the box was covered with an image of a mass of writhing snakes.

The choice of the plastic spoon was important in that accurately represented MY own self-regard; It was a valueless disposable item, even the colour was chosen on my behalf yet within its context it is transformed into something lyrical and poetic in its use of metaphor!
Something of no value is suddenly imbued with emotional importance. It has something to say. the rest of the symbolism is hackneyed and obvious but no less important for that.

This image was the first of a series of portraits using plastic cutlery of various colours, all taken from art galleries to ensure the Artistic integrity, culminating in a self portrait as a black plastic spoon. This consisted of nothing more than the spoon (from Tate Modern) mounted on a stark white wall! Again the cheapness and ephemeral nature of the object was central to the work. The black is self explanatory and its placement: Unbounded, in a vast white nothingness emphasised the lonliness and insularity of the depressions I had been subjected to from an early age. I laughingly refer to this work as Abstract Depressionism.

To me something miraculous happens: An object of no worth becomes invaluable in its ability to convey the lonliness and despair of depression. It appears to speak from experience.

Sadie Jemmett.

On Thursday night I visited our local rip off bar. the only good things going for it were Sadie and Rebecca. Video of Sadie below was shot that evening. Hopefully sadie will come and do a set at Loco when she is finished touring.

More about Rebecca later.

Sadie is touring with Aled Jones (I know) : Sept 17 Shrewsbury Severn Theatre, Sept 21 Croydon Fairfield Hall, Sept 22 Rhyl Pavilion Theatre, Sept 23 Kings Lynn Corn Exchange, Sept 27 Harlow Playhouse, Sept 29 Skegness Embassy Theatre, Sept 30 Stevenage Concert Hall, Oct 02 New Brighton Pavilion Theatre, Oct 03 Darlington Civic Theatre, Oct 05 Worthing Pavilion, Oct 11 Derby Assembly Rooms, Oct 12 Tunbridge Wells Assembly Halls, Oct 15 Swansea Grand Theatre, Oct 16 Christchurch Regent.

http://sadiejemmett.com/