| friends & such |
[12 Jan 2010|01:10pm] |
Hello! All of my photos are unlocked, but any written entries are protected and friends-only. If you'd like to add me, sure, go ahead. Say hello!
Mister D.
x
|
|
| Colourful contentment |
[21 Nov 2009|09:48pm] |
|
Originally published at a.funnytimeofyear.com. You can comment here or there. I hardly took any photos in Paris. In fact, I took 84, mostly of us drinking champagne on the Eurostar at 7am. This is us before we went out for a night on the town – what a colourful bunch we are.
It’s early Saturday evening and there is a really nice boy asleep in my bed, a bit poorly, bless him. I feel really content today.
|
|
| Tech help |
[20 Nov 2009|01:16pm] |
HEEEEEEEEEEELP!
One of my external drives, the one that happens to be holding the most data - 7 years worth of photos and my entire music collection, seems to have died. It's making a whirring & clicking noise, I can't access the data even though it shows that it's mounted. Sometimes I can access data for a few minutes without whirring and clicking, then bam, it starts again and is unresponsive.
What to do?
Some people have suggested putting it in the freezer?
:(
|
|
| The magic of keys |
[14 Nov 2009|12:00am] |
|
Originally published at a.funnytimeofyear.com. You can comment here or there.  Keys have always played an important role in my life. I sometimes think it embarrassing how my love for keys came about, but such is the case with childhood memories and behaviour as you grow older. During the period where I was living in Barcelona with my family (around age 7/8), I became entirely engrossed in the magic behind keys. I say it is embarrassing because where most children would play with not only expensive toys, but each other, I become entirely interested in being alone and feeding my imagination with stories of giant castle doors that could only be opened by my key. My parents had made friends with a local bar owner, Juan, and we would often visit Juan’s Bar in the evening where my parents would socialise, and my brother and I would have the opportunity to meet the other children. I distinctly remember walking past a bollard and on top of it was this random key, balancing. I picked it up and became convinced that someone had left it there, bronze and smooth, for me to discover its magical powers. I remember being entirely content racing around the city, and much so when I returned home, with my magical key.
My mother always had a huge set of keys hanging in the hallway. The kind of keys that open grand church doors, a dirty deep bronze colour that when held up to child-sized hand, would dwarf them. I would often pick them up, jingling them and listening to heavy clunking sound of them, wondering what wonders they could give a person access to. There are few symbols that I find interesting (although I do love pi), but keys seem to jump out of me at every opportunity. I’m sure I’m not the only one that’s out there collecting keys of all sizes. I often wear a necklace of two/three small, beautifully crafted keys (as seen in this photo).
I have been thinking more and more about keys, and how I can work them into my skin, my being. Whilst I don’t mind tattoos on other people, I’m not interested in them myself. The idea of putting something (ink) into my skin, forever, is a really unsettling thought. However, the concept of scarification, or more specifically branding, is something that I have been thinking about for a long time but with no concrete idea of how I would like it to work. Becca, long time key and scar lover also (check out this photo of both her key & scar), recommended that I take a trip to see Quentin at Kalima Emporium to check out their diathermic branding. I think I may well do this.. The magic of keys continues.
|
|
| Martha Wainwright sings Piaf |
[13 Nov 2009|01:17pm] |
|
Originally published at a.funnytimeofyear.com. You can comment here or there. I am a huge Martha Wainwright fan and after seeing her in Brighton many years ago, as well as at Glastonbury, I’ve been committed to trying to catch up with her whenever she’s in the UK. This time, however, I had a pleasant surprise when I discovered that her performance was a dedication to Edith Piaf, France’s most famous singer. Being that I am also a Piaf fan, off I went with Lady C to The Barbican to see what Martha had in store for us. It was the perfect warm-up, considering I’m going to Paris for the weekend.
Written for Spoonfed:
 The mere possibility of anyone pulling off the raw emotion of Edith Piaf seems remote yet Martha Wainwright, an accomplished singer-songwriter in her own right, manages to pour out the strength and vulnerability that many of us know Piaf for. The vibrant personality that she brings to each track comes as a surprise from someone who when first approached by producer Hal Willner, wasn’t particularly taken with the idea of a dedication to one of the greats.
Piaf, arguably one of the greatest singers in the world, has long been recognised as France’s finest singer. Her rags-to-riches life story, saturated with tragedy and pain, saw her rocket from a street singer in Pigalle, Paris, to achieving lasting fame with her performances at the capital’s most famous venue: Paris Olympia. It seems fitting that Wainwright, who is no stranger to confessional, fiercely emotional songs of unrequited love, should take on and breathe new life into the words of a broken Piaf.
Though Piaf’s lyrics are in French, to understand the words to her songs is purely a bonus. This sentiment is echoed Martha herself who confesses to not doing much research into each song, and despite stumbling over the words of some tracks, it’s the musical arrangement and the character, the pain within each song that is understood universally. Despite hailing from French-Canadian Montreal, French isn’t Wainwright’s first language, but her attempt to cover songs as difficult as these is instantly admirable. Before each song she provides the crowd with a short translation drenched in cynical wit – stories of hookers, men, and of course, the loss of love. Wainwright’s performances are painfully emotive. Whilst she may not emulate Piaf physically – heavily pregnant in a colourful striped sparkly dress reminiscent of a liquorice allsort – her voice, so entrenched with an understanding of the subject matter, that lends itself so perfectly to the feeling of Piaf. Whilst all other factors may differ, the desire for love, and the observation of that love lost, remains present in both of their lives.
It’s interesting to note that many of Piaf’s greatest songs are absent tonight. This is a deliberate decision by Wainwright who was concerned that another mainstream revival shortly after the release of the Oscar winning biopic film ‘La Vie En Rose’, could incite limited interest. Hal Willner’s determination to produce a successful dedication record saw him provide Wainwright with 300 Piaf songs, allowing her to sift through and become further acquainted with the Piaf she thought she knew so well. This said it is tracks such as ‘La Foule’, with its waltzing accordion tempo that hasve not only myself, but half of the audience swinging from side to side, eyes closed, taken in the moment. The product of these combined efforts, ‘Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, A Paris’, recorded in New York, is Martha’s latest album offering.
Wainwright’s set finishes with an acknowledgement of the financial depression as she performs her version of ‘Can You Spare a Dime, Brother?’ before spilling over into a low-key version of everyone’s favourite, the classic ‘La Vie En Rose’ that has the crowds mumbling lalalas until the lights come up…
|
|
| Weekend Recap |
[09 Nov 2009|09:26pm] |
|
Originally published at a.funnytimeofyear.com. You can comment here or there.
The initial weekend plans kind of got left behind, sadly, but I still had a lovely weekend and I keep thinking back about things and smiling to myself, all a bit smug. After a terrible journey to Brighton I finally arrived to meet a nice boy. Went out for some delicious Japanese food (favourite) and had some champagne and nice times. Our sunrise adventure was aborted after the utter downpour on Friday night. Had sushi for breakfast (double favourite) and then with full intentions of taking some wonderful photographs, we headed off to Seven Sisters to explore the forests. After cramming on to a bus packed with nobody under the age of fifty, the bus promptly broke down in the rather weird little seaside village that is Rottingdean. Deciding against hanging around with the oldies for the next bus we had a mini Tuaca pub-crawl before settling for the afternoon in what was the epitome of a strange rural pub.
The day just got weirder and weirder. After finding out that they had a “meat raffle” I was totally into it! I’d never heard of a meat raffle before! Of course it’s totally confusing because I don’t understand why people don’t just go and buy the meat, but I thought it was really weird that people used meat as a prize, as opposed to a bottle of champagne or something equally as traditional. One of my favourite hobbies is just watching people and listening to conversations, so when two neighbouring tables started competing to see who could show off about their previous meat winnings I thought it a little hilarious. “Well we had the pork. And the chicken!” .. “Well we had the beef. It was gorgeous, GORGEOUS!” We didn’t win any meat, but needless to say we were inspired to have a good slab of pork when we got in…
After battling with ourselves about whether to go out or not (I was so tired, still got demon cough and was beginning to lose my voice), we decided to do something we hadn’t done before: go to a strip club! My old housemate is a stripper and ever since her moving in I kept meaning to go down to the club to see what all the fuss is about. I think since I saw a scene from Striptease when I was younger, I’ve always been really interested in pole dancing. I find it fascinating! It’s such a good sport – you’ve got to be really strong to hold yourself, yet also move fluidly to make it sexy (something I’ve not quite mastered yet). The club in itself was nothing like I expected it to be – I thought it’d be incredibly sleazy. The strangest thing was watching naked people being so overtly sexy, but being there in a completely non-sexual manner. I even got a special dance to ‘Daniel’ by Bat For Lashes which was great. Admittedly, I did freak out when a girl came and stroked my thigh and I thought I was going to cry with embarrassment and told her I was just here to see a friend. Most of the time I was just thinking, that’s a nice skirt she’s got on..
On the way home last night I had a big smile on my face and couldn’t stop thinking about the wonderful things that keep happening. I’m really super excited about going to Paris this weekend. To get myself in the French mood I’ll be seeing Martha Wainwright performing a dedication to Edith Piaf on Wednesday. Time to start planning places to go on the trip. Any ideas welcome!
|
|
| Brighton Visitor Magazine (ii) |
[06 Nov 2009|01:42pm] |
|
Originally published at a.funnytimeofyear.com. You can comment here or there. Here’s another shot from the Brighton Visitor mag shoot. Bethany looks super hot!
Model: Bethany (from BM Models)
Hair & Make-up: Jez Eaton
Styling: Lee Wright
In other news I’m back off to Brighton for the weekend. It’s ironic because I seem to spend quite a lot of time there, despite my recent move to London. I think it’s mostly due to my healthy addiction to seeing Kt! Tonight is champagne & sushi (not with Kt), then maybe an early sunrise photo adventure on Saturday morning. I’m feeling a wave of mischief coming over me this weekend…
|
|
| Brighton Visitor Magazine |
[05 Nov 2009|02:42pm] |
|
Originally published at a.funnytimeofyear.com. You can comment here or there. A couple of months ago, after working with BM Models on a couple of shoots, we had the opportunity to work with Brighton Visitor Magazine for a fashion shoot. It was a great team of talented people. The magazine is out now, and there’s also a digital version online (for what I think may be a short time) here. It’s always interesting seeing which images get chosen for magazines (and whether I agree). Here is most definitely one of my favourites. I’ll be posting some more over the next few days.
Model: Gozi (from BM Models)
Hair & Make-up: Jez Eaton
Styling: Lee Wright
|
|
| Halloween |
[04 Nov 2009|10:50pm] |
Halloween was, unfortunately, a bit of a blow-out this year. Which is a considerable shame because it's my favourite holiday of the whole year. I seem to have been struck down will some evil illness that had me coughing with a headache for five days straight. I tried painkillers, I tried alcohol, I tried simply ignoring it, but alas nothing helped. It really was disappointing because on Friday I went to the Hendrick's Halloween Ball at The Troxy, which is a really gorgeous venue, but didn't really feel it. Still, I did have a lovely red and black checked shirt that Kt & Roger made for me. Please ignore the fact that I look like the biggest homosexual known to man and that it is a terrible photo of me. It's only here for posterity's sake. Probably best to ignore the man with his cock out and a pheasant over his shoulder, too.
On actual Halloween I had the utmost pleasure of going to the Bloodlust Ball which was set in the beautiful grounds of Hampton Court House. It really was such a beautiful venue with yummy champagne, BBQ grill, cocktails and all sorts. A couple of celebs there but by this point I was feeling awful and left early. The gang were there dressed as zombies. When they scooted off to Torture Garden I promptly went back to the hotel room and passed out in an ill haze. Kt had even left a bottle of champagne next to me which remained unopened. Shock. Horror. I didn't manage to take many photos, which was a shame, because it was such an amazing opportunity. Here's some from their zombie performance:
Next year, there's always next year!
|
|
| Hello, autumn |
[30 Oct 2009|05:04pm] |
I love autumn. With the exception of last year, I really do find that I am my most happiness in the months of autumn. I think it's something to do with its almost sombre, middle-of-the-ground atmosphere. Weather-wise I don't really like summer as the sun is blinding and too hot, and in the winter I get cold too easily. I love being able to wear long-sleeve tops or a snuggly jumper but still being able to go outside and wander around in the evenings. It reminds me of the year that I spent in Barcelona as a child with my parents and we'd sit outside all night and we'd be wrapped in warm clothes, but the air was still warm enough to run around in t-shirts. I had a little moment earlier when I saw this abundance of the most beautifully coloured leaves being cleared up. Each morning I've been walking through this huge mound of orange, brown and red leaves and each morning it puts a huge smile on my face. When I saw some men clearing them up today I ran through them and kicked them all up, and, despite looking like an idiot, I really did have a big smile on my face doing it.
I was just looking back through the archives here, as I sometimes do, and I've realised that I do seem to photograph these same things each year. I don't ever find them boring. The colours at this time of year will always lure me in... Not to mention some of the most beautiful sunsets. It also seems to be the season when I visit the most graveyards. These photos bring back such nice memories.
( photos 2003-2008 )
|
|
| The Noisettes at Shepherd's Bush Empire |
[30 Oct 2009|04:37pm] |
Absolutely mind-blowing gig! As written for Spoonfed:
Let it be known that there's a reason The Noisettes are named as they are. Forming in 2003 - Shingai (singer & bass), Dan (guitar) and Jamie (drums) - have been causing an almighty scene since their meeting at the Brit School. You may remember them from their infectious track 'Don't Upset The Rhythm (Go Baby Go)', which was picked up for a Mazda 2 advert, and also crippled the charts this spring with heavy airplay, reaching the #2 chart spot.
Bringing an electro-hiphop vibe reminiscent of Santogold to proceedings is sassy South London hottie MPHO, an artist in her own right who is fast gaining recognition on this hybrid scene. Her tracks 'Box N Locks' and most recognisably 'Fix Ya Face' embody an unapologetic feisty attitude, combining singing with a Miss Dynamite-esque rapping. She even kindly offers an explanation of what a screw face gal is, for those needing to brush up on their saaf London slang. The crowd is pretty pumped, a mixture of bopping teenagers with a side portion of curious faced thirty-somethings.
As per usual the crowd are made to wait. Drummer, check. Guitarist, check. Backing singers, check. Shingai? Shingai, anyone? A moment of panic sweeps across the crowd, furrowed brows all around. Until a series of sharp gasps sweeps across the audience, heads raised and admittedly it takes me a while to work out what's happening here. I spot a lady up on the balcony, thick 'fro, the finest smooth legs, glitzy dress and a mic in hand. One leg over the side of the barrier, her pearly whites flash the crowd. Shingai has arrived.
 
Not one to do things by halves, Shingai is the very embodiment of versatility. Petite in frame with a highly recognisable 'fro (complete with fruit tonight), Shingai's energy is incomparable to other front women. After serenading the crowd from the balconies she bounds down the stairs, zooming across the stage with intense speed. Dressed in a killer black and red sparkly number, there's no need for a crowd warm up - her energy is highly contagious. The title track to their album, 'Wild Young Hearts', complete with audience participation clapping, fires up the crowd nicely and Shingai looks like she's hopping on hot coals - she seems to find it difficult to stay still.
The Noisettes are hard to pin down genre-wise. 'Don't Upset The Rhythm' has an identifiably upbeat indie-rock feel. 'Never Forget You' finds Shingai's voice suddenly age, producing a softer, bluesy feel as she crows 'What ya drinking, rum or whiskey?' Their style is genre busting and this is due not only to the group's versatility, but also Shingai's vocal range and energy. Whether she's using the stage as her playground, the balcony to serenade, or even when she's in the crowd, she commands attention, delivering a flawless high-energy performance, all the while backed by the band. And it wouldn't be right to not mention the band - Dan plays guitar with his teeth, Jamie is lost in a fury on the drums, the backing dancers bump and grind and I'm sure I've spotted a few violinists and a celloist. Oh look, another costume change. Wonderful.
Tonight's show is being filmed for a tribute to The Carpenters and their bands interpretation of the tragic track 'Goodbye To Love' is heartwarming and hopeful - difficult considering the song. Finishing with a T-Rex cover, it's not long before the crowd are chanting in unison 'you won't fool children of the revolution', before Shingai and her noisy troops shrink away, leaving a trail of silence as they go...
 |
|
| new satchel |
[28 Oct 2009|11:42pm] |
I've been meaning to post this for a while. A few weeks ago I bought the most beautiful satchel from Cambridge Satchels. They're a great company that offer all different types of satchels (and batchels). What I love most about them is their range of colours - obviously I loved the red, instantly. I got a 13" red satchel. It's my new favourite. You can't see it in the photo, but I got it personally embossed on the front with "mr d". Doubles the cuteness factor, I feel.
|
|
| Tease at The Pigalle |
[28 Oct 2009|08:14pm] |
I couldn't remember the last time I did something with purpose on a Saturday afternoon. Admittedly, it's usually spent either nursing hangovers with bacon and orange juice, tidying up or doing this pesky errands that I can never get around to during the week. So when Gina invited me to Tease at The Pigalle, I lapped up the offer! The Pigalle is a rather lovely little venue just off Picadilly Circus. It's plush interiors are very welcoming and it's like slipping back in time once inside, what with all the waitresses wearing retro maid outfits. The event is run by Zoe (who runs Time For Tease) whose motto, she commented, was "have tea will travel". How cute.
The lovely Zoe:
The layout of the afternoon is incredibly relaxing. Champagne, sandwiches, tea, scones and cakes, all the while interspersed with burlesque performances. It's an incredibly laid-back atmosphere inside with a diverse clientèle ranging from couples enjoying a romantic afternoon to larger groups of friends. Despite having a little bit of a post-Friday headache, I didn't feel so bad after a sip of bubbly and a cuppa tea. And I don't even like tea, much. Twas a lovely way to start the afternoon, warming me up for the evenings adventures...
|
|
| Max Richter at Union Chapel |
[27 Oct 2009|01:29pm] |
So I'm still trying to catch up from the weekend. It was another busy one. On Friday evening I had the immense pleasure of seeing Max Richter at Union Chapel. I have been wanting to see Max for quite a few years now, ever since I somehow came across his album The Blue Notebooks. It is one of the most beautiful pieces of neo-classical music I have ever heard. I fell in love with it within minutes and I still listen to it a couple of times a week. The album holds significant importance for me for personal reasons. The rest of his discography is equally as beautiful and I was intrigued to hear the new score that he had composed to go alongside some of Derek Jarman's unseen Super8 footage archive. I went alone and sat in the front row. I have been going to quite a lot of gigs and most of them I enjoy, of course. However there are some artists that it becomes a dream to see and Richter was one of those, one that I can now cross off of the list. This is what I wrote of the gig on Spoonfed:
Whilst the name may seem foreign to many, you may well have heard Max Richter's beautiful classical music accompanying many a TV commercial (namely the piano track 'Vladimir's Blues'). A thoroughly accomplished composer, musician and producer, his second and perhaps most notable album, 'The Blue Notebooks', is a stunning composition of neo-classical music. Blending traditional classical instruments with electronica, its sporadic and soft narration by actress Tilda Swinton lends itself to the dark and often complex musical landscapes that Richter creates.
In conjunction with the re-release of his first album, Memoryhouse, and in support of the Union Chapel's in-house charity scheme Margins, Richter's performance takes place on one of four nights devoted to raising both money and awareness. Margins is a charity that opens its arms to support people living on the fringe of society, helping the homeless, those with drug and alcohol problems as well as mental health problems and beyond.
As a precursor to the show we're shown a short video introducing both the voluntary support workers at Margins as well as providing an insight into the lives of those who use the charity and how it has transformed their lives. Their frank and heart-warming testimonials form a perfect segue into Richter's soft and emotionally intense music. The Union Chapel's calming atmosphere resonates amongst the audience who are silent in anticipation, aside from a few whispers.
Opening with the title track to 'The Blue Notebooks', a soft piano introduction, we're quickly introduced to the five string usicians that Richter has chosen to accompany him tonight as they seamlessly slip into 'On The Nature Of Daylight'. This track epitomises Richter's style - a soothing melancholic arrangement of strings with a heavy reverberating bassline in the background. The searing pitch of one of the violins conjures a haunting and heavyhearted ambience. It tugs at your soul, this flawless blend between modern and classical. A quick glance around the room and it's clear that I'm not the only one with goosebumps.
Max Richter's appearance throughout each performance is endearing. The slight nod of his head after a long note, eyes wide and grin smeared across his face is testimony enough to the passion he has for his music. During the closing tracks he gently discards each music sheet with a look of accomplishment on his face. It's his track 'Shadow Journal' that, at 8 minutes long, creates the most atmosphere. Fusing electronica, his trademark eerie strings, and a bass so heavy that your heart bounds around inside your ribcage. For those in the front row, like me, it's so intense that the hairs on my arms begin to stand on end.
Richter has recently composed a new score to accompany previously unseen footage from avant garde film-maker Derek Jarman's Super8 archive. These strange visuals are perfectly matched by Max's style - ethereal musical landscapes carefully layered over double exposed images of forests and constellations. The videos are old, jumpy and crackling, and Richter delivers the perfect musical counterpart, all the while interspersed with sporadic narration. It's easy to drift in and out of thoughts, becoming lost in both the visual and auditory overload.
Now I may not be a classical music connoisseur, but I know enough to see that Richter is here for the long-haul. And that's quite alright with me.
|
|
| navigation |
| [ |
viewing |
| |
most recent entries |
] |
| [ |
go |
| |
earlier |
] |
|
|
|
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
funnytimeofyear's journal
