Bonny Prince Billy, RM Hubbert, Unravel, Sound Thought and International Women’s Day Preparations

Quality quality gig tonight – Bonny Prince Billy. Pictures to come, along with drawings of RM Hubbert’s wonderful album launch gig at Stereo on Friday supported by the right rivetingly off the wall ‘Tattie Toes’, plus some drawings of an alternatively and equally fascinating scientific music, poetry and art night at Inspace with Unravel last Thursday evening in Edinburgh.

Had a lovely rehearsal on Friday with Jer Reid and Monnica Deioanni for our trio piece at Sound Thought, The Arches. Tomorrow having a meeting about the fourth International Women’s Day event I’m involved in, plus meeting with the rather fantabulous digital/animatory whizzkid Dave Sapien too for some projected digital drawing chat. All looking real good, enough to get rather excited about.

It’s been a busy few days my friends. A good few things to upload so look again very very soon for pictures. Soon as I get back to my lovely Stockholm tomorrow night. xx

Sound Thought, Wintercycle and Beyond

Good to see we’re up already on Sound Thought. Quite excited about the improvised collaboration (a trio) between myself, experimental musician Jer Reid and dancer Monica Deioanni. A development/continuation of the beautiful and epic project of separate duets over a one month period last winter by Jer Reid called Wintercyle. Look it up.

Also, our performance at the Sound Thought festival, The Arches, Glasgow, is Saturday 3rd March, 6pm.  See, hear, sense you there.

First Aid Kit, The Lion’s Roar, Bengan’s Music Store, Stockholm

 

The lovely First Aid Kit promoting their new album The Lion’s Roar at the fantastic music store Bengans.  My appreciation for these girls is growing all the time. And to think I had never heard of them when they came on stage at last year’s Polar Music Prize, singing ‘Dancing Barefoot’ for Patti Smith. I was blown away by their version of her song, gorgeous voices and clear passion for it, naturally delightful and entertaining though they seem a little shy.  It’s amusing however, that I appeared to get a bit shy myself when queueing up to get my album signed by them. They live in the same area of Stockholm that we do, so Mattias had some good ‘craic’ with them, getting a high 5 from Klara.

They are playing Debaser Medis (great venue! Drew Florence + The Machine there, as well as Mogwai, RM Hubbert and the Sian Alice Group) on the 4th of February which is sold out already.  I would definitely recommend going to see them, so if you can bag a ticket from anywhere, do it. Maybe see you there.

Art’s Birthday Party, In Timelapse Videos

Well now, I’m gutted that I missed so many others performing this very fine evening – Ida Lundén & Rei Nakamura, Lur, Sork and the Ectoplasm Girls (featuring Nadine Byrne of The Magic State who I drew at last year’s Art’s Birthday Party) for instance.

But I was very glad that I caught a piece of Marina Rosenfeld, sinking into her music and the darkness and for once, not drawing. It felt odd to not draw, but very peaceful.  I felt she should have had some visuals, but then if she expected everyone (it was quite late at this point) to be sitting in the room with their eyes closed, and taking a rest from sensory overload, then she provided a magical and engaging sound scape that created visuals in the mind anyway.

I’ve now uploaded all the timelapse drawings of at least one act per venue at Södra Teatern. You can see them here at my page on Vimeo – look for Ikue Mori, Rolf Enström, Roll The Dice and Family Underground. I also drew Hans Appelqvist, but I prefer it as a still image.  See below.

Art’s Birthday Party 2012

Alrite folks, it’s 04.01 am and I’ve just got in. Well, I’ve just had a bit of ‘dinner’ and a right good wash – necessary due to some pretty fantastic dance music courtesy of the Masskultur DJs finishing off a great night at Swedish Radio’s annual Electronic Music and Sound Art event.

Annoying that there were so many things on tonight – 4 different venues. But I got to experience each venue at least.  Though I didn’t draw her, I must mention that I really loved experiencing Marina Rosenfeld.  Beautiful, adept, magic, with the dust crackle of vinyl and the twinkle of celestial sounds in futuristic technicolour – and all without the aid of visuals. I felt her performance needed something else though, even if it was a close up video of what her hands were doing with all her gadgets. However, if Family Underground had not been on in Etablissemanget, I would have very happily stayed at the main stage/Stora Scen, to keep listening and watching.

Meanwhile, the drawings of Ikue Mori, Rolf Enström, Roll The Dice, Hans Appelqvist and Family Underground are up on my Facebook page. Check them out.  Will add more tomorrow – I mean – later today.

For those intrigued by the magic of last night’s Art’s Birthday Party, Stockholm’s fantastic electronic music and sound art festival.
Have a look here at Sweden’s Radio Website for clips and soundbites.

David Hockney, the iPad, oh, and London Drawing

Art, and the iPad -

Great little news piece on the ‘greatest living artist’ David Hockney, the ‘opportunist’ who quite frankly, isn’t too bothered by the moniker. He’s one of my biggest inspirations folks, and a fervent believer in drawing every day.

Expo opening in London at the Royal Academy on 21st January -

David Hockney RA: A Bigger Picture

Another reason to get to get to the Big Smoke, is  ‘London Drawing’ – especially this month, for many many drawing activities. Wish I was there. You never know though…

Finally, for some more drawing inspiration, I’ve just discovered the blog and website of Making A Mark, and look forward to discovering more on it.

Happy New Year! Gott Nytt År!

Check it out! It’s 2012.

Wow, what a fast year last year was, and Kaboom, here we are already. A new year. I’m excited – are you?

A few plans for this year – going to be drawing RM Hubbert‘s launch at Stereo, Glasgow on Friday the 27th January.  It’s going to be a beautiful gig, with a lot of musicians I hugely admire.  It’s already got a very nice review in Scotland’s The List.  But it is definitely Friday the 27th of January as opposed to what the List stated.

This coming weekend it’s Stockholm’s notoriously fab and alternative Art’s Birthday Party and I’ll be doing some drawing at that, iPad in hand. Here’s the drawings I did from last year’s.

At the beginning of March I will be one third of an experimental sound art piece as a development of innovative and experimental musician Jer Reid’s Wintercycle last year. It will feature as part of the Arches fascinating Sound Thought festival at 6pm, on Saturday 3rd March with Jer, myself and the beautiful dancer Monicca Deioanni.  The drawings I did with Jer as part of our Audio/Visual Duet featured myself doing an impromptu monologue and two separate drawings – the first with simultaneous thoughts and memories, the second describing process. You can see them here.

Last year at Sound Thought, I had the good fortune to be able to collaborate with Sound Designer and Engineer Gavin Fort. We did a piece that still hold’s fascination with me – an audio/visual duet with live drawing attached to sound, and live sound sampling/alteration. Really cool to do, and hopefully more developments in the future.

Regards fascinating artworks and items of intrigue around the world, you should check out www.thisiscolossal.com.  I found it via a post about an artist that carves books.  It’s lovely stuff, but I have to confess I was not as impressed as by the very beautiful, empathetic mystery artworks left hidden around libraries and other bookish places in Edinburgh.  The artist as yet remains unknown which is half the beauty of their work. You should read all there is to read about it at this link here.  And while you’re at it, support your local bookish location by utilising it more.  Spare a thought for the much loved Borders, not to mention all the lovely little independent shops that have had to close their doors.

I’ve been featured on the iPad Creative website - which is cool. If you want to see more iPad timelapse drawings you can Here.

My poster design for the Stockholm promoter ‘Mother’ is also featured in their 2011 ‘poster lineup’ showcasing some of the best gigs and artwork I’ve seen anywhere. If you want a little visual snatch of what the alternative music scene is here, check it out. It’s the one promoting Marisa Anderson, Bridget Hayden and Norberto Lobo. A welcome departure from the norm.  ’Mother’ has got a cracking line up to start off this year. Absolutely gutted to be missing Grouper on the 7th of April. If you’re around then, you should be there. No doubts whatsoever. Check out the other ‘Mother’ gigs Facebook page here for updates/gig listings.

Final note – Mattias has just forwarded me a link which looks fascinating about a folk music centre that began in New York and emigrated over here with it’s founder Izzy Young. It has moved since, but it used to be situated on the very street where I’ve now got my studio, and Bob Dylan has written a song about it. I’ll keep you updated on what I find.

Okay that’s all for now. Catch you at the Art’s Birthday Party tomorrow?