Happy Birthday! The List's 25th Birthday Party

The List has been an indispensable publication regards finding out about things enjoyable, entertaining and enlightening in Scotland and beyond (up until The Skinny came along!). Friday night was it's quarter century birthday.

Fantastic Line-Up, a 'Loud Room' with Come On Gang (First experience of them - Excellent and fun!) King Creosote, Errors - as well as - curated by upcoming publishing company Cargo, a 'Quiet Room', which got less so as the night progressed.

So attached above are a couple of 'mobile phone' drawings, one of the acerbically talented Malcolm Middleton playing beautiful instrumentals with an occasional teasing amount of lyrics as his latest guise 'Human Don't Be Angry', with the other drawing of Alasdair Roberts legendary self.

This was a night off for me however, so I was merely there to observe and listen, not to draw. It was difficult though, and my lack of drawing distracted my attention.

Bear in mind these drawings are less than half the size when I'm actually drawing them. Disadvantage to Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is that it doesn't zoom like Brushes or Sketchbook Pro on your iPod/iPhone/iPad can. You just get what you see though it makes for some interesting stylistic mark making. (These particular pictures were lots of fun to make!) I can admit that. I will.

Sounded like a great line-up of DJs/dance music from the likes of JG Wilkes, Kris Wasabi, Joe Howe and the Pretty Ugly DJs, though I'll be honest, I missed most of them. Also missed Den Haan as spent most of the night in the 'literary' room where I saw the very lovely and superliciously talented Anneliese Mackintosh, RM Hubbert, playing a really heartfelt performance, as well as the young and gifted Allan Wilson who was selected for the very exciting new collection/book from Cargo Publishing - 'The Year of Open Doors'.

Left around 2.15am after the totally magic Graeme Ronald of Remember Remember, his many gadjets, gismos, pedals and guitar, not discounting his can of Iron-Bru. (Also, I swear to god, he has a pedal like the one from the spaceship in Flight of the Navigator, I kid you not!) I can't WAIT for his album launch coming up at Stereo on 5th of November (Remember Remember Kids, Remember Remember.) It will be AMAZING.

I wonder how Hidden Doors went during the weekend. I hate not being able to be in two places, or even 3 at one time, but a girl's got to do, what a girl's got to do. I also missed Ballboy, The Just Joans and The Bobby McGees as part of Edinburgh's Popfest. Grrrr.

Last Chance to See Expo: Sketching The Scene at Mono, Glasgow!

Hello there fellow gig-goers, yes indeed the exhibition should be rolling to a close now, with quite a few pictures sold - Wooo! - and other pictures with 'dibs' on them.

This is your chance to check out drawings of some of the best gigs and creative exciting original musicians to grace the stages in the past couple of years including David Byrne, Arab Strap, Bjork, Edwyn Collins, Mogwai, Jeffrey Lewis, The Phantom Band, Sigur Ros, Camera Obscura, Crystal Castles, Melt Banana, The Week That Was and more.

Contemplating putting up the catalogue here to let you know what is sold and what isn't tho' it is rather busy with rehearsals for a show I'm contributing to in the Arches Theatre Festival 'New Works, New Worlds'. Skye Loneragan is the writer/performer who's doing the show entitled 'The Line We Draw', with yours truly doing the sketchy stuff. Today's been a long day but productive! Last proper rehearsal on Monday. Will update on how it's going, but really enjoying the process so far.

Union of Knives, 20/02/09, The Arches, Glasgow

Union of Knives - Prelude - 'Perfume Exctraction', The Arches 20/02/09

Union of Knives - Full Complement.

Nuts and Seeds, Tinariwen, and Not Drawing

Nuts and Seeds, Nice and Sleazy’s
Tinariwen, The Arches
All in One Night

I felt a bit of a fraud last night when I was standing, dressed up, my redundant drawing materials bag at my feet, and my comp. ticket bent in my hot sweaty hand, watching one of the most 'recent' lauded rock bands from Africa. After having read clippings, quotes and viewed a short documentary, I was aware that Tinariwen, the 7+ group from Mali, were a much respected and followed group, playing their ‘Tuareg’ style guitar music, the main scraggy haired chap Ibrahim Ag Alhabib being the main driving force behind them all.

Ibrahim or ‘Abaraybone’ as he’s nicknamed - which apparently means ‘ragamuffin kid’ – stood elegant and stoic amongst his group. His long hair, a desert worn afro, seems to be emblematic of the music that is more challenging and contemporary than more traditional music from Mali. Not that they don’t draw on their musical heritage, but they question their existence more, and comment on daily life and troubles instead of lauding past warriors of old. Having been exiled as a young child after the execution of his father and their farm animals, these events are bound to have had a monumental effect in Ibrahim’s outlook and subsequent response.

The atmosphere was hot and heavy with a good mix of folks in the audience, a little subtle in their movements due to it being packed, but responded with warm enthusiasm to the other lead vocalist/guitar player Abdallah’s check to see if “y’alright?”
The projected visuals in the background added fire to the dark chasm of the Arches, while the lighting lit up their bright traditional costumes. I wondered if some of the band members’ choice to wear the desert garb was merely for show, or whether they didn’t wish to be scrutinized during their performances. It looked pretty authentic, but I have seen photos where they seem to be wearing more retro western rock garb. Did the Glasgow audience appreciate their cultural get up? Did it matter? I think it did.

However after hearing 5 or 6 songs, and getting a sufficient taste of them, I was pulled to another event happening elsewhere. I bowed out after half an hour, guilty of not drawing, and the desire to see what Nuts and Seeds had to offer at Nice and Sleazys.

Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed. I even paid to get in – 4 quid is a very decent price, tonight however I was on a mission just to listen and take it all in.

Note: (I do go on a bit here; if you’re looking for a simple review of the gig, scroll down)

Before I set on my epic collision course to ‘drawing the experience’ and translating what I sensed and witnessed of a music performance, I was one of those prattish types who just got down and boogied at the front, whatever type of music influencing my erratic flailing movements. I miss those days.

Now it’s a different sort of ‘elated improvised choreography’, and much more restricted. My juddering leg can still attempt to get the better of me at times, but I quell it with the strict instructions that my paper needs to be still in order to draw, any juddering must be translated via my hand. Adamant that my pictures must not be photorealistic, I aim to document the performance, with the style of drawing being affected by the music, character and energy. I’ve reached a point now though, where I don’t know if I’ve honed a formula that isn’t so much of a filter, as more of a stylized characterisation of the event.
I also haven’t figured out whether that’s what I want or not. I will continue to explore for now.

Getting back to the performances, (Crikey this is turning into a right tome! Stop rambling Jen!).

Okay I’m going to try to be brief.

Nuts and Seeds @ Nice and Sleazy’s

Sparrow and the Workshop – Only caught their last song – fun and creative, hill billyish, Bonny Prince Billyish, Cat Powerish, Jeff Buckleyish, 2 blokes and a girl. Look like they should be called a Hawk and a Hacksaw, but with more tools.

Drumkit, guitar, violin and saw. Good looking bearded drummer sings. Violin, guitar playing girl is cute and I heard the end of her lovely singing. Shyish looking young guy played guitar, could possibly play other instruments. Good vibes from this group. Apparently they’re playing Dunstaffnage Music Festival this year. Definitely want to check them out properly.

Foxface – I am a confirmed Fox Face fan. I can’t help myself; they’re raw, they’re arty, they’re multi-talented, they use their Scottish roots from which spring different slants on traditional songs, and organically grown hybrids of fairy tales and fantasies. They’re catchy and rare. There was only one song that my attention wandered on, but everything else had me hooked. They’re also a beautiful looking bunch. And their new t-shirts rock!
(Okay Jen time to wipe up your drool now…)

The Oh-Sees – I pity the elected gimp that had to wipe down the walls, ceiling and stage after the main man John? hawked up enough slev to serve in a soup bowl. Mingin’. (Hypocrite)

Yeah, just because ye think yer a wee genius from the States with an alternative hyped up tattooed band, their instruments up to their oxters, token ‘attractive rock chick’ on percussion and vocals, and drummer with downsized drum kit so he can tan his gangly arms up and down their skins, does not mean you can recoat the insides of Sleazy’s from your over stimulated saliva glands. Even with your possessed skinny jeans/broad shoulders/mad bangs/twisted energetics and sob story ‘bout your favourite twelve string Geetar that American Airlines violated en route.

That said, I thought these guys were fantastic - brutal, brash, jangly, melodic, well timed, tight, manic, surprising, challenging, ecstatic - even with all the little flaws, duct taping and overindulgence of ‘scottish beer’. The lovely ‘Shelley Duvall-like’ Bridgid is the Yin to their Yang. Oh, and the bassist is single…

All Praise Nuts and Seeds.

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.

Dr Sketchy Sunday!

Warning: The following may contain words that don't exist, are horribly misshapen or ill-used.

My my my what a day to behold. Well, day is not the word really, more a dark and captivating early evening spent in the deep cavernous 'tavern of theatro' in the resplendent decrepitnous of the Arches. I sat, my wonky chair in a puddle of water reflecting the dark brickwork that rolled above my head as myself and the expectant brethren of folks prepared for a few hours of burlesquian entertainment for the purposes of drawing.

Apparently the biggest Dr Sketchy session in the world - this may be a failing in disguise since a few folks on the outskirts couldn't get the detail of kinky nakedness up close. Materials also ran out due to the popularity of the event, but were gratefully replenished by the talented tap-dancing hand standing and stripping male model that was the subject for drawing in the first half. I have to admit I was mildly disappointed to get this comparatively boring offering for a burlesque drawing class, but to be honest, was very pleased to get the drawing practice in so that I was appropriately warmed up and prepared for the fabulous little number that graced the stage in the second half. I also reckon it's just a ploy to fish out the perves who're just there to slev or worse.

So after ‘bland boy’s’ session in his kiss infested, sorry, kiss print boxers, we had a break to get some drinking time in, sharpen our pencils, loo break for the bladderly challenged and sort out some more paper to draw on as preparation for the second half.

Appearing in black ballet point shoes with a spiked heel at the back, the Japanese inspired red and black PVC outfit of the tiny cabaret model crackled and squeaked as much as the giant red fans she flicked and cracked in her dance she performed for the gleeful onlookers. With delicate painted features and arched eyebrows she was certainly very striking, and anyone on the wrong end of those shoes would probably be just as struck.





Overall impression - for the virgin/beginner life drawer I think it would have been a fun filled and entertaining event, along with the intermittent 'drawing games' where you could win a shot (if you drank, or merchandise and free tickets to a show of your choice if you didn't).

However for the seasoned artist, it was merely a teaser of what could be done - poses were not long enough, and the hosts’ presentations were just in the middle of 'Should we be more debaucherous or Should we be more boring so that the audience don't get too turned on?' The male host’s suggestion to sit down in front was tempting if it wasn’t for the damp concrete and/or sitting on a chair and getting your fat head in the way of people behind.

Also, as pretty as the female host's voice might be, her live rendition of the song 'Valerie' should be left to Amy Winehouse, especially when trying to copy her note for note and failing.
Regards the choice of music they chose for drawing to, it seemed appropriate but I can't make much comment on it since I was too busy drawing to take notes.

The audience themselves were a great mix of old, young, student, professional, eccentric, unassuming, casual, Goth, Emo, arty; some members could have happily posed on the stage themselves.

Would definitely go along to the next one as it's a welcome break from the norm.