Outsider is Cancelled.

Well this frees up my potential time. If our current weather is anything to go by, I'd have had to built myself a tree hut, or invest in a hovercraft. Or both. Or maybe just become a professional mud wrestler.

Complementary little article here:

HINTERLAND FESTIVAL 2009
May 07, 2009, 0 comments
Written by Will Slater
Date: 30th April - 1st May
Day 1

On the eve of the festival we had been invited to the bar/restaurant, Mono, to check out Jenny Soep’s solo show, ‘Sketching the Scene’. Soep is known for drawing bands live at gigs with whatever water based media she has at hand, and having heard that she had captured the likes of Björk, Arcade Fire and Jeffrey Lewis, this show sounded promising and worth searching past all the derelict buildings on King Street, wondering if we were too late and that Mono had miraculously closed down. Upon discovering the exhibition I wondered what the curator was considering when using such an awkward space and whether or not they knew that there would be diners blocking the views of most of the work on display. The work itself, which we viewed while sidestepping through the narrow walkway between the wall and the dining area, had a very primitive and rushed appearance, which is what you could expect from someone if they’re supposedly drawing while being bumped and knocked around, and having beer spilt on themselves while trying to stand up. This was a thought that kept playing through my head as I viewed Soep’s work and that kept me from disliking it, as well as ignoring Aaron’s outrage at the absurd prices that the drawings were going for. What stood out the most for us was the drawing of Edwyn Collins’ come back gig, where one of his backing musicians was drawn as both a figure and a silhouette. As I studied this I was annoyed that other people standing around, blocking the space were forcing me to stand awkwardly close to it, but then I realized that standing in this cramped environment was very fitting for the Jenny Soep experience; why not view her work in the conditions of a gig?

You can see the rest of the Hinterland Review in full here:

I must also state I have not drawn Arcade Fire, but would definitely like to.

By the way, I also happen to have sold a couple of pictures, so get ye down to my expo, see if you want any of the originals that are there, or prints, or investigate what originals I might have that you may fancy!

Today (Tuesday) I drew Maren Strack and Art Raid

MAREN STRACK. LATEX Tuesday 15th - Wednesday 16th 7.30 - 8pm

Fwubbah-wubbah-wubbah-wubbah. Skrrrriiiiiiik-wubbah-Skrrrriiiiiiik-wubba-Ribbubahbuhbah-Ribbubahbuhbah-Skrrrriiiiiiik-wubbah-Skrrrriiiiiiik-wubba-Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaeeeeeeeeeeewwww!

Maren Strack has vivid orange hair, bright eyes and chews gum watching the audience come in. With all the to-ing and fro-ing and rubbering about, I'm surprised she doesn't accidently choke on her gum. But she also has a big hefty bright blue old sewing machine attached to a piece of rope attached to her hair, which swings wildly and you wander how that doesn't smack her in the head.

However, it all seems well planned, structured and designed. Minimal entertainment that easily pleases. Highly intriguing, and though not as big a visual impact as her MuddClubSolo would have been, it's a good alternative for the uninitiated and creative minded.

ART RAID Tuesday 15th + Wednesday 16th 8.40pm - 9.40pm

From the shadows I drew and listened to the expectant audience who really didn't believe they were expected to steal all the artwork in this show? But what will people do when you've got a bunch of neanderthal security guards and snobbish curators who suspect you anyway? Have to say, it was fascinating to see people getting edgy, suspicious, and cunning. The dj music lent a certain 'panic/adrenalin rising' kind of an atmosphere. An intriguing exercise. My impressions are that 'stealing' the artwork makes it seem much more fun/special/exciting than the actual artwork itself. But I'm stating the obvious I'm sure.

Tonight (Saturday) I will mostly be drawing...

The Cabaret Acts - The Creative Martyrs - The Laurel and Hardy of Cello, Banjo, Ukelele/Mandolin with their acerbic observations and a big projected eye hanging over their heads.



Unfortunately, tonight was an odd one, and I didn't notice many people giving this group the attention they should have got. It was a tough crowd tonight, a feeling of being rushed - Whatever monster club night was on meant sets had to shape up and ship off double quick smart - last night (Friday) was much more relaxed and enjoyable, and there was I traipsing around Glasgow trying to catch Gi stuff that frankly I could have happily missed just to see TNF's Dias de las Noches again. Note I have spelt the title wrong a couple of times on the pictures. Yes, I'm a div.


New Art Club - This is Modern - 7.10pm - 1 hour 10 mins




These guys were brutal; but a very enjoyable intense and educational 1 hour and ten minutes, beautiful choreography from two visually unassuming loveable beardy dancy chappies. 'This is a Repeat' actually keeps cropping up in my head, as does 'This is a Canon' just a little later.






Coming from my completely illiterate dance terminology, I just thought it was all very bloody clever, definitely energetic, NEON BLUE! and yup, highly amusing. My laughter was a canon in all the wrong places due to me being a little slow on the uptake - I blame it on the 'drawing live' process. Apparently when Pete and Tom (New Art Club) got the email detailing what I was going to be doing, they reckoned it was going to be, well, sh*t. Apparently Tom was pleasantly surprised when they saw my drawings of the other acts (which are currently being projected after 6.30pm every performance night - Tuesday - Saturday 19th - Free Entry!). Ah wait wee Tom till you see my drawings of you!


Tim Crouch - An Oak Tree - 9pm - 1 hour

I could draw this guy for hours; he's got such a beautiful face and demeanor. During this 'show' I really was aware of the limitations of what I do - it was a pretty intense performance full of nuances which occasionally I missed due to drawing it. This is one performance I would quite happily watch again a few times, seeing as how everytime it's different. As an observer, I felt wary, perturbed, and morbidly intrigued (and Oh my God! Didn't my mobile go off in the middle of the performance! Very nice girl beside me offered to hold my sketchbook while I hunted to find the little f****r.

Still, I think it added to the whole improvised feel of the show...).

However, it was a strange experience this one. Even though I felt Tim Crouch was brilliant as an actor, I didn't engage like I normally do, since during the other shows, there's an element of the actors/performers being aware of what they're about to do, whereas in this one I felt as delayed as the actor getting instructed by Tim. It was a different kind of flow.


Licence Pending - 10.15pm - Um, who knows?!

This was an interesting end to the evening. After being kicked out of the main festival area for the goliath club night brewing up, a lot of bewildered and herded festival goers found themselves in the arena of Licence Pending, a quartet of poetic misfits that apparently habituate Glasgow.

Sitting at the side, I couldn't quite hear everything that was uttered, and I felt the audience engagement was a little lost from the girl in the frilly dress, and the tall chap in the braces. They seemed to rush a bit, compared to the girl dressed up as an old (Cornish?) Sea Captain who was relaxed enough to deliver her pieces successfully. The comedy of her pieces (and her sidekick) certainly helped. I do believe the first two's material was as worthy, but I don't think they allowed the audience to take in what they were doing, and at times it felt like being machine gunned without time to die.

So that's the end of the first week

- what will next week bring??!!

'Dias de las Noches' by Teatr Novogo Frontia

Sinister, Beautiful, Black, Spectral, Tense, Explosive. There's some words to describe my experience of this show.


Dias De Las Noches - Spectral Scene



Dias De Las Noches - Finale

Dias De Las Noches - Characters

Dias De Las Noches - Spectral Scene ii

Dias De Las Noches - 'Mask' and 'Lanky Devil'

Not since watching Roberto Benigni's 'La Vita è Bella/Life is Beautiful' have I laughed from the gut with such stress and anticipation of being horrified in the next instant. It wasn't their best show due to only a couple of technical hitches, but otherwise everything - the acting, costumes, use of the stage set - was brilliant. It was an absolute feast of visual delights with the accompanying sounds/music ripping right through you, and I couldn't draw fast enough.

(Just want to note the pratt who got up during the performance - my row of all rows! - and twice I had to shift all my materials and me. He better have had the shits or something equally as pressing...)

The following pictures were done in darkness as I didn't want to take away from the performance with my little 'Mighty Brite' reading light. So pretty much all the scribbles you see were done during, and the colour was added afterwards from memory.

I also just want to add this in - a review I found from 2004:

- Fringe 2004 Reviews (29)
Dias de las Noches Theatr Novogo FrontaAurora Nova @ St Stephens****
Teatr Novogo Fronta of the Czech Republic/Russia brings us into the world of two immigrant actors performing while war rages outside. More than being beautiful and, at times, funny, this is a production intoxicatingly energetic. The five performers, Ales Janak, Irina E. Andreeva, Robert Janc, and Yury Gertsman, work flawlessly together. The music by Vladimir Franz, Viktor Amalev, W.A. Mozart, and Roman Dubinnikov pulls it all together. Exciting and engaging.
Catherine Lamm

And now for something completely different -
Cabaret Act
H.Bomb (Harry Wilson)

Sixteen, by Rob Drummond, From a Different View

Well, I finally made it to the audience, or rather an extra seat put aside for me since 'Sixteen', due to it's small audience capacity - and rave reviews I'm sure - has been sold out both tonight and last night and apparently looking that way for the rest of the week - get your skates on people as there may be a slim chance you can snag a ticket!

So back to the play - I reiterate what I suggested from last night, only this time from the other side of a crack in a door. I saw that the 3 main characters where sitting on 3 chairs, not a sofa as I had thought; I think it would have been more uncomfortable if there had been a sofa, though it would have blocked the view somewhat of the activities going on behind it.

The play was excellent - slick, well engineered, and well put together. I think I just repeated myself.

Anyway, there were beautiful little phrases that were repeated in different situations that gave them a whole new and more poignant meaning - ' Just 2 drops, three's too much'.

The power struggles and suggestiveness were illustrated through the clothes, mannerisms, posture and intonations of the words; the actors themselves seemed to have experience on their side and you felt yourself getting roped in to their worlds. I've been told that every great story has at least one adrenalin moment, and there were quite a few in this tense, morbid and electrically charged little drama.

Ah how the pride of a man can destroy what he holds dearest. That's all I'm going to say about that.

The Severed Head of Comrade Bukhari, Daljinder Singh

Can you see the guy lying on the floor?
So, this is my live illustration from the show - all done during it I might add.
However, I might further 'accentuate' it - it's a bit light don't you think? And for such a deliciously dark humoured show, I think it deserves more.

(This is incidently the play whose rehearsal I had unwittingly clomped in on earlier during the poignant penultimate scene. I checked with the actors and director later - no hard feelings...)

The character Comrade Bukhari plays a good guy who seems a little too grown up to be playing with the mates he's got. I wondered why the writer chose to have them call each other Comrade when there seemed to be no other relevant matter, but I guessed it might have to do with the non-altruistic 'efficiency' of a certain communist country where the word 'Comrade' seems an obviously less friendly way of calling each other 'Brother' or 'Friend'.

It had a certain 'Lord of the Fly's' hits puberty feel to it, with all the angst, tests of heirarchy and helpless sensitivity of adolescent males. Excellent use of the set and their big little friend the Jukebox named 'W' apparently after George Dubblya himself since the voice on it is Texan. However, I found it quite hard to hear any particularly consistant character feature from the machine other than, well, it's inconsistancy and stubborness to be 'efficient'. (Look Jen, do you see that? - you've just figured it out...)

Anyway, enough from me. It's worth a watch. Go see it.

Arches Theatre Festival 08

Sixteen, by Rob Drummond

(This was the page I drew through the crack in the door - felt like such a voyeur! The top picture is half drawn at the time, half from memory and the initial sketches.)

So here I am, and here's the first two images of the day. Been sorting out technical and management difficulties - mainly my own!

Managed to clomp in at the end of one performance while 3 young lads were trying to deliver a poignant moment with a stumped head (heh heh) and they were talking about having a nice cup of tea. The Director Daljinder Singh came up to me at the end of the rehearsal and asked 'if she could help me?' in a manner that was obviously pissed off with my late entrance, spoiling the magic. - 'it put's the actors off'. I apologised and innocently replied that 'I had been told there was a 3 pm showing which I was supposed to be drawing at'.

I then realised I was late for the real 3pm showing and once I'd located it in the mass of corriders in the Arches, there was no chance in hell I was going to squeeze my way subtly into that!

Rob Drummond's play 'Sixteen' is played out in a tiny claustrophobic stage/theatre with 3 out of the four main characters all sitting together(what appeared to be one couch, but that was out of my view!), no-one really listening to each other, or explaining themselves properly. It's a stomach churning toe curling cringeworthy experience of a father's bid to stop his 'about to be legal' daughter openly committing the act under his own roof, with this charming good looking but 'foreign and 30 something' chap once midnight has chimed.

From the father's point of view, his bid to get rid of the unwitting 'young' man, has about as much speed, efficiency and disgust you might have at trying to squeeze a skelf out of your own skin.

I'm looking forward to seeing it properly before Saturday hopefully - it looks really good, and I don't think my viewing it through the crack in the door will ruin seeing it again from the specifically designated audience seating!

And just for a little throwback -

I've learned to use the old digicam somewhat, so here's some images from that fab chap Aidan Moffat's performance at the Arches on April 1st - no joke! He'll buy a picture from me one day so he will...!

The Support 'Band' - Remember Remember - Very very impressed with this chap and his saxophone playing sidekick. It was like the Desktop Symphony with the main man sampling bubblewrap, a lighter, scissors, hole punch, stapler, sellotape; seriously, I don't know if this guy has a desk job, but someone's missing their life's hoard of stationary! He meanwhile clapped, sang and played the electric geetar over it. Yep. I very much enjoyed the 'warm up' to Aidan. Much slicker too. But that's also what I love about Aidan's performances/music.

Anyway, time to go people. A festival to draw at/see etc. Come along and check it out!