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Frome based art and music. If you want to know what's what in Frome, get the Furball.
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Issue No.5 July/Aug 2009It’s a Frome thing...
It’s our party and everyone’s invited!
Friday 3rd July. The Masonic Hall. Frome. 8pm. It’ll be brilliant.
The Furball Page 3
Scene by yourselfA big thanks to Nick Wilton for this photo. “The roadside really comes alive at this time of year. I was lucky to capture the red of the roses with the vibrant yellow of the dandelion, all with those beautiful rolling hills in the background. Summer is really here.”
What are you listening to?
‘Foundation’by Kate Nash
Molly Cox
We’re taking a break.We’re going bi-monthly. It’ll be better for everyone that way.The main thing is for you to dust off your velvet jumpsuit, slap on the brylcreem, put that comb in your back pocket and make your way to the Masonic Hall for the Furball launch party.The date and time are on the front cover. Bring your smiles and enthusiasm. The rest takes care of itself!
We’ll be back in September, so until then keep doing interesting things so we can come and write about them.
ThanksMatt Wellsted | Editor
[email protected]@thefurball.co.ukwww.thefurball.co.uk01373 300 600
The Furball |July/August 2009 www.thefurball.co.uk
The Furball4 Wallbridge
FromeSomerset
BA11 1QY
Contributors:Barry MacDonald, Will Angeloro, Henry and Paul for Butt’s Bugle, Guy Tayler, Jenni Day, John Richards, Nick Wilton (great pic, by the way.) Many thanks.
Party! Competition winner!
Chocks
away
On the subject of climate change, we at Furball HQ know shamefully little and understand even less. We do, though, know quite a lot about supermarkets and cars and not liking being in either very much. So we were delighted, a month or two ago, to come across Vallis Veg who deliver a box of fresh local veg to our door every week (for a modest fee). Not only does it feel really nice to eat something grown just down the road, but it means we don’t have to think about what to eat - just work out how to cook what we’ve been given. Apparently we were a bit slow on the uptake as they’ve been going for a whole year. Think of the trolley miles and queue hours we could have saved...It’s our party and we’ll cry if
we want to, cry if we want to, cry if we want to, you would cry too if Will Angeloro was standing on your toes.That’s right ladies and germs, we’ve finally gotten round to having our launch party. It’s only taken us half a year! I suggest that if you’re at a loose end on Friday 3rd July, then shuffle over to the Masonic Hall in Frome (opposite the museum) and prepare to boogie on down to the musical choices of The Furball team. Expect heavy doses of funk, soul, rare groove, and general sounds to get you moving. It’s only £2 as well.
Well done to Theo Cox who submitted this as his caption. He wins the two tickets to the Off Grid festival in wherever it was. Congrats! Our runners up - Drift Snowbarger, Rachel Haupt & Jeremy Wild will all recieve signed framed prints of Martin’s fantastic photo. Commiserations to all those who didn’t make the cut. Better luck next time.
If you like your sounds to have a bit more of an experimental tinge then get yourself along
to this little gem. reSonate @ the 2009 FROME FESTIVAL
- Wednesday July 8th - £5 entry - Masonic Hall. Frome.
Somerset. 8.00pm - till the bar closes
Performers and Installations confirmed so far...
Matthew OldenJoseph Hyde
Radio_2‘Tangiblocks’ installation
Matt JacksonPaul Bradley
Pete JudgeTim Manning
We know it’s wrong diddly wrong to covet other people’s stuff, but we’re doing it anyway - with In The Woodshed’ s stuff. It’s certainly not cheap but it’s very lovely and right up our vintagey / retro-y / slightly industrial street. You can make an appointment to visit their workshop or check them out online at www.inthewoodshed.co.uk
Millie Moon is turning one and they are having a little party on Sunday 5th July from 2-4pm. Apparently there was some mention of cake. We don’t need asking twice. You can find Millie Moon on Catherine Hill in Frome.
Page 4 The Furball
It might not even be new. Or in Frome.What’s New In Frome?
Bob’s Budget Chimney Sweeps:
The Best in the South West
Cube challenge
Millie Moon is 1!
Stackridge
What we’relistening to...
reSonate
New Tennis Coach
Phil, up the Little Red Cafe reckons that if you can do
the Rubik’s cube that he has kicking about up there, he’ll
give you a free ice cream. I managed to get 95% of one side done, which I was pretty chuffed
about and he wouldn’t even let me lick the scoop. tsk. See if you can do any better.
No sticker peelers.
I was chatting to Muir MacKean of Frome tennis club the other day and he seemed pretty excited about the arrival of new Coach Joseph Henriques, who intends to set up a Junior Coaching Academy in Frome. I’ve missed my calling as a world class tennis pro, but some of you might have the energy. www.frometennis.net (See what they’ve done there? nice-ed)
Our daughter’s school’s headmistress’s husband plays in a band called Stackridge and that is reason enough to mention their new album, A VICTORY FOR COMMON SENSEComing out on the 13th July. Go lend your ears.
My new favourite band, The Impellers are making life good for me. Check out “How Am I” on whatever internet device you can get hold of and you’ll see what I mean.
Section Header
It’s a fashionista’s bonanza this issue, so we thought we’d hop on the
bandwagon and offer up some snazzy Furball branded glad-rags for your
consideration. It’s brand-name madness for the kids, so get your orders in
now!
Souks you sir!
Chocks
away
Shazzam! Buy one of our traditional Moroccan style head-smarteners and you’ll be ‘rocking the casbah’ and full of eastern promise. 95% felt, 5% unspecified animal hide. Made in Wiltshire.
The Furball Fez
The Furball bomber jacket
The Furball Fanny pack
£6.43 £8.36
£31.27
The much-coveted luxury containment pouch with adjustable strap. Impress your friends by putting things in it, and taking them out again. Rad.
Our fantastic wingsleeve design complete with inner-mesh lining, pockets and a zip. 80% Polyester 20% Nylon. Perfect when worn with striped muscle kecks (not included).
Send to -The Furballc/o General Mlembo
Democratic Sunshine Bank of
Lagos, Flat 1/47 3900
Turnip Alley Lagos
Nigeria 1-800-Id10t
Disclaimer- these products may or may not be despatched, and we will happily take the money. Please don’t call us to complain about the poor quality of the garments. We don’t answer the phone anymore since the Watchdog feature. No refunds. Your home might be at risk if you’re actually seen out wearing any of this stuff.
Bankrupt stock clearance!
Cash Only.No Cheques
Kanyé Westcountry
Proper job.
Tat’s what I’m talking about!
The Furball Page 5
Page 6 The Furball
Cheap St Fun Day
Cheap funand the luck of Jude Kelly
Richard Kennedy kicked off proceedings in his extremely accomplished style, warming up the increasing numbers throughout the morning.
Pippa and Sue (The Benjamin
Baker appreciation crew) sporting their Benjamin Baker ‘taches. (actually, I just photoshopped them on without their consent. I hope you don’t mind ladies?)
Sunday the 7th of June witnessed a brilliant day out in the town as King Street was closed, the shops were open and Cheap Street was transformed into an entertainment zone packed with loads of things to see and do. The sun was shining, then it rained. Heavily. Followed by several minutes of furious “sundancing” in the La Strada kitchen by the tireless Jude Kelly (organizer), the rain clouds promptly scarpered and it turned out to be a glorious day!
With a full programme of live entertainment including music from local favourites Richard Kennedy, Dominic DeCicco, Leonardo’s Bicycle and the fabulous Lady Sings Jazz, among others. However, a special mention has to go to the ‘codpiece and cucumber’ genius of The Sunday Afternoon Theatre Company who dazzled the crowds by puffing around in circles, and fluffing their dance moves to comedy effect! (we’ve got some video of that lot, soon to be posted up on www.thefurball.co.uk so go and check them out. Very funny. ed)
Food wise, we were well catered for with a fine selection of meaty treats, grilled up by The Jolly Hog and Sausage Company, and Tristan was on hand to serve up some lovely homemade lemonade to quench the
thirst. A big well done to everyone involved in
making it happen, we’re
already looking forward to next year’s event!!!!!
On a festival tipCatch Richard,
Wed 8th at The Olive Tree
After a forecast of torrential happenings on a biblical scale, Frome seemed to pretty much slip through the net as far as soakings were concerned. Brollies away and sunnies on!
Dom DeCicco and friends keeping the sun shining
Despite the forecast it was a spiffing day
The Furball thinks that this sort of day shouldn’t just be a one off or special occasion. No, let’s do it every weekend! Come on Frome! Let’s lively up the joint! Oh yeah, we should pedestrianise King Street as well while we’re on.
We find out how many people fell in the little stream thing, next page!
With a spring in our step we stop unsuspecting passers by and ask, “How many times have you fallen in the culvert today?”.
Cheap St Fun Day continued
That’s right - No-one did! (although the Punch and Judy bloke said he’d seen a couple of kids go in the drink whilst gawping up at his puppet show.)
Fun for all the family?
Neil - None, because I’ve lived here for 20 years. My daughter on the other hand... (see right)
Lucy - Er..as a baby, quite a few.
Max - Never have, and I’ve been p**sed here more times than you’ve had hot dinners.
George - None, although last time I was here my son, Rory, fell in.
Carl (or maybe Karl?) - Not today, but my son, Isaac, has fallen in several times.
Page 8 The Furball
We had a good time at the Fun Day, but we’re quite old. So we sent DJ, our junior affairs editor aged 5 and three quarters, into the fray… and then quizzed her about it.
What did you like about the Cheap Street Fun Day?DJ: I liked the bit when I got my face painted as a blue butterfly with a red outline. I don’t normally like having my face painted because it turns my bogies the colour my nose is painted.
Was there anything you didn’t like?DJ: No
How would you make the Fun Day better for kids?DJ: Maybe another puppet show as well… done by me possibly.
Did you have some healthy nibbles during the day? Some seeds or fruit and nuts?DJ: No. I had some candy floss and a burger and maybean ice cream but I was so high on the sugar from the candy floss that I can’t really remember…
Paul, Paula, Alfie and Bagpuss - Not yet!. Ian - Not once.
The Furball Page 9
Formula 1 shirt fastening fun with...
Jenson’s Buttons
Things haven’t been quite so rosy this month… Again tempted out of my comfort zone and I lost out on some rare 12mm faceted crystal shanked lovelies on ebay after some highly suspect
sniping. So, no more novelty or costume and back to basics with these 22mm horn classics. Cheered me up no end. Of course, you won’t hear from me for another couple of months but rest assured, I’ll be back in September with a brace of new stock to tell you all about. Toodle pip. Jx
BAN THIS DESPICABLE PRACTICE.
I don’t know what Somerset Council think they‘re up to letting this sort of vile practice go on. I do need my dog’s leg off, though. I wonder if they’ll diversify?
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To advertise in this magazine call, 01373 300 600 or 07747 125578 and ask for Matt. The next issue will be out at the
beginning of September. Space goes fast so get in there early. I’m putting my feet up for a week or two.
Page 10 The Furball
Home
The Furball Page 11
Robert Golden
An exhibition of black and white photographs, films and texts by Robert GoldenI think I’d be really interested in Robert’s photos, I’d love to watch his films but I’m not sure I’m that bothered about what texts he’s sent, and I’m sure they’d be a little bit personal as well. Come on Robert, your pictures are good enough without relying on a gimmick to get people to come along...
“As tourism, fast food joints, brands, movies, language and music travel across borders without constraint, a homogenization of culture is occurring in which people lose not only the sense of where they belong but the memory of belonging, the sense of HOME itself…the place which is distinctive and theirs. Today, with the global credit crisis and rising unemployment, the loss of HOME is more than ever, tragically relevant.”
Silk Mill Gallery, 2 – 15 July 2009Opening hours: 11am – 5 pmFree admission
Page 12 The Furball
In memory
The Cheese and grain raveIn memory of Robin Jefferies.
We went along to the C&G rave organised by Jane and Ellen . I’ve never seen so much fluorescent garb in one place before, apart from Barry’s sock drawer, that is. We get involved and ask the happy crowd, “What do you think of the party?”.
Out and about at ...
Abi & Amy,“Amazing!”
Tuggi & Joe, “It’s sh*t hot mate. Representing Jefferies.”
Colin, “When parties are run well, like this one, they’re great.”
This pic was taken just after Jane (right) and Ellen (left) had just refused access to the stage to three grown men. “I want doesn’t get where I was brought up.” she said. Cool.
Anna, “A good way to remember Rob.”
Charlie and Nathan, “It has a real good energy.”
Amy and Ashley, “Banging.”
Onion, “wicked.”The Furball didn’t ask why he has the nickname ‘onion.’Probably because his personality has many layers.Either that or he smells and makes people cry.The organisers
We have some nice words and a few photos of Rob posted on the site (www.thefurball.co.uk). Matt (Editor)
The Furball Page 13
Saturday 4th JulyLight lunches, live music and cream teas served in Monmouth House 12noon to 4pm for Positive Action on Cancer Sunday 5th JulyLight lunches, live music and cream teas served in Monmouth House 12noon to 4pm for Positive Action on Cancer Sunday 12th July - Teddy Bear PicnicVictoria Park (bandstand), Frome. 2pm to 4pm. Bring a teddy, a blanket and a picnic and enjoy the fun.Positive Action on Cancer and Macmillan Cancer Support
As part of the hugely successful Cheap Street Fun Day on Sunday 7 June, Frome writer John Payne signed copies of his new book outside Hunting Raven bookshop.
‘The West Country: a cultural history’ is a fascinating trip round the cultural highways and byways of West Country culture from Avebury in Wiltshire to Zennor in Cornwall.
John devotes two chapters to each of the five south western counties, with an additional chapter on Bath and Bristol – Bath is John’s home town.
The book has nice things to say about Frome, in the context of Frome’s determined partying spirit – the Festival, Carnival and Cheese Show especially. John also records the little known story of how Frome Festival’s founding director, Martin Bax, saved the Glastonbury Festival from possible extinction.
Bath comes in for sterner treatment, as when John records the very mixed feelings that Jane Austen had about the city. She much preferred life in the country. He does mention, however, the contribution of Twerton to English literature – it was there that Henry Fielding wrote most of ‘Tom Jones’.
“I am thrilled with the reception of the book so far”, said John. “Writing about the area in which you were born and brought up can be tricky – you don’t want to be disloyal – but I hope I have used all my inside knowledge to give a balanced view of just why the West Country is so special and so much loved.”
The book is published by Signal Books of Oxford as part of their ‘Landscapes of the Imagination’ series. It is illustrated and costs £10. It is available at all good bookshops. John added “I hope Frome people will buy it at Hunting Raven Bookshop, though. Their support for local authors is superb, and much appreciated.”
John Payne signs copies of his new West Country book
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The West Country: a cultural history
Litri Litrit Litterat Books ‘n that.
Jane Elmor
Page 14 The Furball
I really enjoy meeting new people, especially when they are as downright lovely as Frome author and dog talent tapper, Jane Elmor. The book writing thing is easy to understand, and might we say, something the Furball team are slightly jealous of, but the singing dog stuff?... I think we’ll let Jane do the talking...
10, no, 5 questions we ask everyone!Do you have any funny stories about dogs and Lou Reed?
No, not that I can think of . . . Hang on...actually I do com to think of it. Isn’t it amazing that everyone has a funny story about dogs and Lou Reed? You must get so bored of hearing them all. Probably
about time you changed your five usual questions. But since you asked...Before I became a Very Serious Author I was an Even More Serious Composer/Arranger/Popstar (albeit Failed). My greatest oeuvre and finest achievement was an arrangement of Lou Reed’s Perfect Day, performed by a choir of barking dogs. (Well, I say choir –
harmony singing wasn’t their forte actually, so they all took a turn at soloing a line each, like the BBC version of the song with all the rockstars. We had an incredibly talented Staffordshire Bull Terrier doing the Bono bit.) By popular demand it was all set to become a charity Christmas
single to give Cliff a run for his money, but because of some terrible Dickensian copyright law we had to get permission from Lou Reed himself. The Old Scrooge wrote a note saying ‘Regrets, no’. Not only did he ruin my career as a purveyor of quality Christmas number ones, he condemned an entire generation at Battersea Dogs Home to the doghouse. By rights I should have reported him to the RSPCA. But it was a difficult choice to make between his animal cruelty and musical integrity, and filled with Christmas spirit, I let him off.
Do you still have that record and can we put it on the Furball website?
Erm – no, I’m pretty sure every single copy of it was burned on a pyre, under the command and watchful eye of Lou Reed’s management company. If
you happen to find a bootleg on the black market, I should warn you that the dogs got themselves a top music lawyer before they signed their contract, and the royalties you’d have to pay them for each play may well put you out of business.
Are there any other songs you think are crying out to be sung by dogs and / or cats?
Not any more. We’ve already done them.
Battersea Dogs also put on a brave face and performed ‘Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life’, as well as a heart-rending version of ‘I Want To Be Loved By You’, with a poodle taking the lead Marilyn Monroe part. Sadly, on playback, we realised however much of a looker the poodle was, she couldn’t hold a note and I had to step in and lipsynch with my own dulcet tones. Actually, being Voice Of Poodle earned me an Equity card. Which would have been really useful if I’d been an actress.As for cats... don’t talk to me about them. Absolute Divas, before they’ve even sung a note. Impossible to work with. Strutting around, preening, refusing to take any constructive criticism. And when they do start up... Have you heard the expression ‘A Cats’ Chorus’? It’s called that for a reason, you know.
This latest novel of yours...Did you write it yourself or did you get Katie Price to do it?
Boy, you’ve really done your homework for this interview. I’m obviously not going to get away with anything. And you do it so cunningly too, all funny and sweet natured like you’re a jovial TV chat show host and
“I’m pretty sure every single copy of it was burned on a pyre, under the command and watchful eye of Lou Reed’s management company.”
Litri Litrit Litterat Books ‘n that.
The Furball Page 15
not a hard-nosed journalist determined to get to my evil truth at all. It’s just like Frost/Nixon. I can feel those tell-tale beads of sweat on my upper lip. Can we break for a minute? Where’s my hanky?
It’s actually very good, as was your first novel. We’re a bit jealous because we haven’t achieved anything longer than 48 sides (including ads and other people’s articles). How do you do it?
I have no idea. Naturally I passed this question to Katie, but to be honest she’s a bit all over the place at the moment, so her assistant asked me to ghost-write her reply. Basically, when I’m resting in between boob jobs and can’t go anywhere or do anything worthy of getting in the papers, I have a meeting with my typist and she tells me how many words I’ve written since I last saw her and if they’re any good. I tell her a few more celebrities I’ve slept with, and she goes away and types, and when she comes back there’s another ten or fifteen thousand words on the page. It’s almost like it happens without me even thinking about it. I guess that’s just what it’s like when the muse takes you.
Thank you Jane. Better actually mention your books eh?
Jane Elmor has written two novels published by Pan Macmillan, and is currently working on her third. The first, My Vintage Summer, is a coming-of-age novel about a girl band in an 80s underground music scene (and lots of other deep things), and came out last year. Her second, Pictures of You, is published on 3rd July 2009. It follows Luna, an artist who was raised on a 70s commune, on her quest to find her family. Her hippy mother, Angie, met her father at the Isle of Wight music festival of 1970. We have 5 signed copies to give away. All you have to do is answer the question below and sit back and wait.
Q: What was the name of the farm where the legendary 1970 Isle of White festival took place?
Competition
Pictures of You, is published on 3rd July 2009. It follows Luna, an artist who was raised on a 70s commune, on her quest to find her family. Her hippy mother, Angie, met her father at the Isle of Wight music festival of 1970.
email your answer to : [email protected] ‘book competition’ in the title, and good luck.Competition closes on Friday 31st July. We’ll pick the winners at random from some sort of hat, I imagine.
5signed copies
up for grabs
Section Header
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The Furball Page 17
Heritage and History
Local Ancient Traditions.Frome. As spring becomes summer, it is traditionally the time of year that English country folk drink a little cider, go a little nutty, and indulge in ancient pastimes such as cheese rolling, nettle-eating and shin-kicking. Frome is no exception, and many of its quirky traditions survive to this very day.Here are a handful of the more printable examples: a) Nunney fish punching.Dating back to the late 16th century, locals gather at the river’s edge on the first day of July, where fish are caught
by hand, placed beneath the arm in a headlock position, and firmly punched.An RSPCA investigation in 1971 nearly ended this event, but a compromise was reached and competitors now adhere to a strict ‘not the face’ rule, and fish must be struck behind the gills. b) Wallbridge anvil raceThe river at Wallbridge is the scene for an annual event which holds a special place in the hearts of Frome people.Originally started by the cotton mill owners in the late 1700’s, the race was used to motivate the work force and improve morale. Competitors jump from the road bridge into the River Frome with anvils attatched to their ankles. They then make their way upstream, until they reach the finish line at Willow Vale.The future of this event is in jeopardy, mostly due to an increasingly apathetic public and falling competitor numbers.Many put this down to the fact that only three people have ever finished the race.
Only one of these three was still alive. c) Councillor rolling.A relatively new event by these standards, Cley Hill near Frome plays host to this popular local past time.As the financial year reaches it’s end in late March, the natives gather to roll under achieving, over spending councillors and local government officals down the west face of the hill into a thicket of brambles, nettles and barbed wire fencing.A victim of it’s own success, the event may have to move due to record attendances and a surplus of rubbish councillors. c) Frome glass smashing night.Not so much an individual event as a regular display, the young people of Frome carry on a tradition handed down through many generations.Entrants gather at town centre hostelries, usually on a Friday or Saturday night, and proceed to imbibe large quantities of cheap alcohol before attempting to smash as much glass as possible.The rules have been relaxed in recent years to allow bottle and pint glass smashing, as well as the traditional shattering of a shop window.This event has proved so popular that it has been co-opted by almost every other English town. Dr N.CapableLocal historian
Coming next week.Frome Tunnels :Arms smugglers’ passages or Neolithic sewer?
5 Catherine Hill Frome Somerset BA11 1BY
...to be adorned
Telephone: 01373 454145 e: [email protected] www.annettegabbedey.com
The Furball Page 19
Chuckles
The LeekistWink
As the credits rolled on the BBC’s showing of ‘Lady in the Water’ - M Night Shyamalan’s last but one offering, I pondered both the wisdom of letting a successful director do what they like, and also the nature of the backlash.
Like many, I loved Shyamalan’s debut offering, ‘The Sixth Sense’. I still vividly recall sitting in the cinema as Bruce Willis’s wedding ring fell from his wife’s hand and rolled across the floor, and how the seemingly disparate events of the proceeding 2 hours suddenly fell into place. I also love ‘Unbreakable’, his strange take on the superhero movie, and ‘Signs’, which is as good a film about alien invasion and the question of religious faith as you’re likely to see.
Then came ‘The Village’, (which I also enjoyed) and suddenly the critics turned sniffy. “Every one of his movies is essentially the same,” they said. “We’re all just playing ‘Spot the Twist’!”
So he then came up with ‘Lady in the Water’, and that’s when things started to turn nasty. It’s a film packed with lots of good ideas and some fantastic actors (Paul Giamatti, for example) But… it’s a mess. It’s essentially a kids’ film but with some horrific moments. The script drifts into blatant exposition on numerous occasions and it requires an absolutely huge suspension of disbelief. ‘Lost the plot’ would be a great tag-line for the film.
I must confess that I’ve yet to see his latest offering, ‘The Happening’. But, from reading various reviews, it would seem that the Night graph isn’t on an upward curve, with it picking up one-star ratings, and the critics queuing up to put the boot into it.The backlash is such that a number of critics are questioning whether he has any talent at all. This really gets up my nose. You can’t make three great films in a row if you’re a talentless hack. It seems to me that maybe he just needs a kindly critical eye when he’s making the films to make sure he stays focussed and to pull him back down to earth on some of his more outlandish flights of fantasy. I look forward to crashing out on the sofa soon and seeing if ‘The Happening’ really is that bad…
We’ve had a superb response to our offer of helping out with those tricky pub quiz questions. Colin from Coleford is the lucky fella who’ll be scooping the pot this month. Here’s the answers, Col. ‘Video killed the Radio Star’; ‘Richard Beckinsale’; ‘Victor Kiam’ and ‘Table Mountain’. Bank! JR
Page 20 The Furball
SartorialThe
Section
Clothes and hats and knickers and stuff
GeorgieWhere do you live? Bridport, Dorset
I love the mixture of styles you’re wearing. Where did you get your dress?
I bought the dress from a charity shop a year or so ago. You can pick up the best things second hand because, even if the clothes aren’t always bang on trend, you’re guaranteed no one else will be wearing what you are. I also like swapping clothes and accessories with other people. A friend of mine gave me this handbag.
Is your dress sense influenced by a particular celebrity?
There are quite a few musicians that I think have an interesting style - people like Debbie Harry and PJ Harvey. I used to go to school with PJ Harvey. Even back then she looked edgy and stood out from the crowd. Me and my friends have always looked up to her.
What do you think of the shops Frome has to offer?
Frome has a great range of charity shops. I love picking up a bargain and finding something interesting and different. I’ve just finished studying at Brighton University, so I do most of my shopping in second hand stores. I think people in Frome have a unique style so I love to come shopping here.
We sent our newly appointed sartorial hack, Jenni Day, onto the streets of Frome to spot out some of the more style conscious members of our community. On one of those particularly lovely days last month she collared Georgie who was in town doing a spot of shopping...
Polly Jean, from Bridport.
“I used to go to school with PJ Harvey. Even back then she looked edgy and stood out from the crowd.”
The Furball Page 21
Clothes and hats and knickers and stuff
My beautiful wife to be, Kate, says that if I’m not hanging ‘round ladies who sell cakes, I’m hanging around ladies who sell hats, and that if I had free rein to spend money on anything, I’d come home with lots of skateboards and a big pile of hats on top of my head.
Anyway, I’m with a hat lady today...
Firstly, Tina, how do you pronounce your second name?It’s like Martini in June – ‘June-tini’. I’ve never seen The House of Eliot but I presume that’s what you’re named after?I started my business at the same time the show was running. Normally milliners work under their own name but I had an agent in the States, where the whole scene is run very differently, and she said I should change the name to Bea and Evie. She thought I would sell more hats, because the programme was a huge success in the States. And sure enough sales were phenomenal, so I’ve kept the name ever since. Also, my style is very much based on the period. You sell all sorts of hats. Do you make them?I do. We make all the ladies’ hats but not the men’s. We can size hats, we can repair hats and bring new life to hats. Many men come in here and say to me that they have a hat and they’ve sat on it… well we can fix it. We’ve always sold men’s hats but we’re getting more daring with them. You’ll see it with the June collection and in the winter. There’ll be a little bit of the Elmer Fudd hat, that comes down over the ears with a little bit of fleece. I’m a big fan of hats and I quite fancy one of those trilbies at the front. I’ve got quite a big head though…With the men’s hats we have all sizes available but with the women’s we just have one of everything because they’re more expensive. But you can have a hat made to order at no extra charge. Would you sell a hat to someone if they tried it on and it looked terrible?Usually not. I have to say I don’t think that’s ever
£48
£35
£25
£45
A small selection of hats. Go and talk to Tina if you want to snoop about a bit more. She’s very nice.
Page 22 The Furball
Up on the hill
Based on Catherine Hill, Truly Sopel is the fabulous Frome based fashion label and designer of all things girlie, with a range of clothing inspired by the fabrics and styles of her childhood. Truly is currently in the process of moving her London workshop back to Frome in time for the creation of her exciting new autumn and winter capsule range. Featuring a selection of handmade dress coats and made to order knickers using Liberty fabrics with a range of floral and geometric designs and elegant long maxi dresses, it’s shaping up to be a truly great collection!
happened. Normally they look really good and say ‘Oh, I look awful in this’ and throw it off. She should try more of a shallow crown, not too deep. You see the way some of these shapes swoop up – they’re very masculine and I don’t think a lot women really want that… unless you’re Marlene Dietrich. And even she wore a trilby which I sell quite a few of to women. So the thing is to wear it cocked to the side and a little bit more forward. Many women like to put a hat on to the back of their head but that just makes us look like schoolchildren… just bring it forward and slightly tilt it. A beret looks good on anyone – whether it’s a floppy beret or a straw beret. A lot of women say they don’t look good in hats because they’re self conscious. There’s also the style issue as we’re a lot more casual these days. (Ahem - At this point, the editor agrees that his partner – who is also the mother of his children and is transcribing this interview – is quite casual and doesn’t like getting too dolled up in heels and dresses etc… while his partner would like to point out that the chance would be a fine thing).
27 Catherine HillFrome(01373) 453 250www.bea-eavie.com
32 Catherine HillFrome(01373) 472 789www.trulysopel.co.uk
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Page 26 The Furball
Ed ThomasThe Furball was lucky enough to receive an email from a local photographer offering his services to if we were interested. After a quick look at his work it was clear that that the best way he could help was by agreeing to be our featured lensman in this months mag. He did. Intoducing Ed Thomas...
Hi Ed, I love your work. Do you only work in stills photography?
No, I also work as a film-maker and a designer. My films are short, usually for online distribution: corporate promotional pieces, behind-the-scenes documentaries, music and advertising. A lot of my design work is for online too - particularly fashion brands.
A few years ago they were two completely separate strands to my business, but it’s all merging now – clients want funny viral videos and
serious documentaries all packaged up and delivered online.
You have some lovely shots of Paris, do you have a special relationship with the city, or is it just easy to get to?
I try to find the time to spend maybe two days there a year. It’s a wonderful place to just walk around with the camera, finding new angles I’ve never seen before. I find Paris convenient too, it’s close, but still far enough to feel like I’m going away and leaving my problems behind – it always takes me a few hours once I’m there to slip back into the rhythm of shooting, to become an observer again.
What type of equipment do you use?
I’ve recently switched from Nikon to Canon. They’re both the same really, but I’ve just bought the new Canon 5D mark 2, which also shoots proper
ViewFinderInterview by Matt Wellsted
The Furball Page 27
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Page 28 The Furball
HD video - beautiful quality. That’s really helped my film-making because I can travel to a video shoot with all my kit in a shoulder bag; and I’ve been getting into backstage films - where I can move around almost unnoticed, because nobody realises I’m filming. I use three lenses: a 17-40mm f4, 50mm f1.4 and 85mm f1.8
What advice would you give to anyone thinking about embarking on a career as a photographer?
For someone who’s just looking to improve their photography skills first, I’d suggest buying a good 50mm f1.8 lens (under £100) or f1.4 lens – and leave the kit lens at home. You can start experimenting with shallow depth-of-field shots. The majority of my stills and films are using the 50mm - it’s what I keep on the camera much of the time. Because it’s not a zoom lens, it’s a fixed
focal length, it forces you to move around to frame your shot - and be more active and engaged in the shooting process.
To those looking to make a living from photography – you probably need to decide what sort of photographer you are, because all the careers are so different. I’ve found myself shooting corporate work, but usually with a bit of an edge, often in my slice-of-life street photography style. There’s many other avenues for photographers: Photojournalism, shooting for Stock libraries, Landscapes and Nature etc.
I think over the next few years we’ll see Living One Sheet posters take off – advertising boards with just a little movement in the photography. The fact that so many of the tube stations have replaced their posters with TV screens means there’s
a big market for footage that’s a few seconds long – this is virgin territory somewhere between a still photograph and a short film.
The RED One camera is exciting too – not just because it’s a low-cost cinema camera, but because stills photographers are beginning to use it. They can shoot full-motion video of their models at 24 frames a second, then just scrub through the footage and use the high-resolution frames. It’s revolutionary.
What have been your favourite projects (film or otherwise)?
I’ve made a couple of behind-the-scenes films recently on my Canon 5D. One was a backstage film at London Fashion Week, which went down really well with the client. I’m now cutting a ‘making-of’ film I shot recently at a film shoot in London. Closer to home, I filmed a TV advert for Frome-based singer Cara Dillon.
ViewFinderInterview by Matt Wellsted Ed Thomas
The Furball Page 29
ViewFinderInterview by Matt Wellsted
Do you get to visit some exotic locations with your work?
Oh yes - Swindon, Slough, Milton Keynes, the list goes on.I shot some stills in Sweden recently, that’s a beautiful place; and a few months ago I was filming a documentary in Poland at the cinematography festival Camerimage.
Have you ever made a pinhole camera?
No. Have I missed out? (not really, they’re a bit rubbish-Ed)
Years ago, I was into the whole Darkroom thing - developing my own negatives and printing them. It’s great fun to be part of the whole process, but having used digital for so long it’s really hard to go back. I know I could spend a whole morning in the darkroom trying to achieve what’d take me ten minutes in Photoshop.
Page 30 The Furball
Ed Thomes continued
Frome gets FLAMArtmusic is ten years old this year. As a special birthday present, partners Helen Ottaway and Steve Ehrlicher have organized a treat for themselves which they hope you will also enjoy.
They have invited Melanie Pappenheim and Rebecca Askew to bring their highly acclaimed performance of FLAM to the Frome Festival. This virtuosic piece of voice theatre was composed by Orlando Gough and directed by Emma Bernard.
FLAM will be performed at Rook Lane Chapel, Frome on Sunday July 5th 2009 at 2.30 and 4.30 in the afternoon. Rook Lane Arts Cafe will be open, serving delicious traditional teas created by Foodfrome from 2.00 - 5.00pm. What a wonderful opportunity to feed body and mind exquisitely for under a tenner! (FLAM tickets up to £5, food up to £4)
exhibit aAn exciting new art gallery and shop has recently opened in King Street. Some of you may remember O’Shea’s Menswear used to be there, opposite the chippy? Well, owner Julia decided the menswear scene, while very cool, was not for her. Instead she has launched exhibit a, sinking her expertise into areas she knows best as a designer, art historian and mystic. With such a diverse and vibrant artistic community in and around this arty little town of ours, exhibit a aims to promote local artists while also pulling in new talent from further afield.
The current exhibitions feature a selection of paintings by local artist Tristan Stevens but also exotic handmade jewellery by Grace and Stephanie Johns; “Droollery” is an eclectic collection of handmade jewellery and tiaras with contemporary and vintage influences, incorporating different textures and vintage materials into many unique pieces. Also at the moment there is a selection of glass by Phaedra and prints by Sholto Walker, whose name you might know from his work with the Frome Festival. More individual shows are lined up over the coming months including some amazing furniture.
exhibit a would be happy to hear from any artists wanting to exhibit their work (whatever media is your fancy) or indeed just anyone who would like to be added to the mailing list to be
kept informed about upcoming events. Drop in for an informal chat or email [email protected].
exhibit a 25 King Street, Frome BA11 1BHTelephone 07855 387025
Above, art and design replaces menswear at 25 King Street and left, one of many original prints for sale.
exhibit a Left to right; a selection of Droollery and a detail from a Tristan Stevens’ painting, Sweet Nectar!
FLAM was originally commissioned in 2004 by the Visions Festival, Brighton and premiered at the Komedia Theatre. These Frome performances will be its West of England premiere.
The storyline is deceptively simple. The piece is set in a cafe. Two women meet for coffee. They greet each other and sing together - a unique duet, exploring the vocal, physical and comic skills of two extraordinary performers. Critics have described the work as “hilarious”, “accessible”, “provocative” and “a little gem”. The piece is full of wit, drama, tension and beauty. This is definitely an event not to be missed.
Tickets for FLAM from Frome Festival Box Office 01373 455420 or [email protected].
FLAM was originally commissioned in 2004 by the Visions Festival, Brighton and premiered at the Komedia Theatre. These Frome performances will be its West of England premiere.
The Furball Page 31
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exhibit aAn exciting new art gallery and shop has recently opened in King Street. Some of you may remember O’Shea’s Menswear used to be there, opposite the chippy? Well, owner Julia decided the menswear scene, while very cool, was not for her. Instead she has launched exhibit a, sinking her expertise into areas she knows best as a designer, art historian and mystic. With such a diverse and vibrant artistic community in and around this arty little town of ours, exhibit a aims to promote local artists while also pulling in new talent from further afield.
The current exhibitions feature a selection of paintings by local artist Tristan Stevens but also exotic handmade jewellery by Grace and Stephanie Johns; “Droollery” is an eclectic collection of handmade jewellery and tiaras with contemporary and vintage influences, incorporating different textures and vintage materials into many unique pieces. Also at the moment there is a selection of glass by Phaedra and prints by Sholto Walker, whose name you might know from his work with the Frome Festival. More individual shows are lined up over the coming months including some amazing furniture.
exhibit a would be happy to hear from any artists wanting to exhibit their work (whatever media is your fancy) or indeed just anyone who would like to be added to the mailing list to be
kept informed about upcoming events. Drop in for an informal chat or email [email protected].
exhibit a 25 King Street, Frome BA11 1BHTelephone 07855 387025
Above, art and design replaces menswear at 25 King Street and left, one of many original prints for sale.
exhibit a Left to right; a selection of Droollery and a detail from a Tristan Stevens’ painting, Sweet Nectar!
ROOK LANE CHAPEL | BATH STREET | FROME | JUNE 13 - JULY 24 | MON - SAT - 10AM - 4PM
FROME MUSEUM | NORTH PARADE | FROME | JUNE 16 - JULY 24 | TUES - SAT - 10AM - 2PM
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More amazing local talent
Making light work...
When it comes to giving a night out the ‘wow factor’ the quality of sound is essential, and lighting, and decor; but it’s not the whole package because these days we expect a high tech visual show too. So, if you’ve ever wondered how someone had managed to turn your local village hall into a flashy super club for the night or create a useful distraction to a Coldplay gig; look no further than the viz artists that make it happen. Did you know that we have two of the best in the business living right here in Frome? No? That’s ok, you’re forgiven. Let’s step behind the scenes to find out more from local legends Dumb Robot and VJ Ultra.>>
Getting the lowdown on some of the more psychadelic music stages, The Furball talks to Dumb Robot, VJ Ultra and Dave Fuller. words by Barry Macdonald
The Furball Page 33
Page 34 The Furball
Dumb Robot/VJ Ultra/Dave Fuller
How long have you been vjing?
DR: I first started creating visual effects for parties back in ‘88 when I was 16. My friend had a sound sytem called ‘The Alien Riddim System’ which we used to drag all around the westcountry we created party enviroments with backdrops, sculptures and lighting we were using Optikinetics Solar 250’s and creating all our own lens effects and colour wheels, from there I moved into creating club enviroments and in 1993 I started touring with the techno band Eat Static where I got to experience video projection for the first time with Crom from Fruit Salad Lights we were using an analogue video mixer and two VHS video players to playback our footage and a video projector we combined with this 2 carousel slide projectors which gave us more time to cue the visuals for each track the band played.
VJU: I’ve been vjing for the last 5 years, and i’ve just got back from my annual vj session with creative music producers and other artists at the Cologne Commons Festival in Germany.
What type of equipment do you use?
DR: I use the Edirol V4 video mixer which is a beautifully simplistic video mixer and is great for beat matching & has lots of nice effects, anyone intrested in visuals could pick up this mixer and start playing straight away and come away feeling truly satisfied, it has 4 channels which is enough for most applications, I playback contiuous footage from portable DVD players and I playback loops from the laptop on a program called Resolume which is an excellent program for running loops and effects, you can run up to 3 layers of video footage at the same time and it has tons of effects, You can also add 3rd party freeframe effects written by other people giving you even more effects.
VJU: Same as really, I use a Laptop with Resolume vj software, a dvd player, Edirol v4/v8 vision mixer, camera, and video camera!
The Furball Page 35
Dumb Robot/VJ Ultra/Dave Fuller
Tell us a bit about how you make your images?
DR: This is really the core of what I do for a living, primarily by day I am a motion artist and I work for an American based company called motionloops.com where I create animations and visual effects for the VJ industry. We will usually discuss a certain theme and style we want to create then I may scribble a few ideas of what I want the finished animation to look like on paper, I will then start sculpting the models in 3ds Max (a 3d modelling and animation program for the PC) this can take anything from 2 to 30 hours depending how complex the imagery I want to create is. I then have to map the models, paint textures and then animate and light the scene, I will then do
a test render to make sure everything is ok before I do my final render most of the time this will be the finished animation but sometimes it may require an additional effect or some compositing with other footage & I use Adobe After Effects for this.
VJU: My approach is with simple video footage and photo graphic images effected and played out live.
Do you pre mix the footage at home or do you mix it live at a gig?
DR: I create mix disks for continuous playback from my DVD decks and beat sync this with the mixer I also have speed control for all the loops playing in resolume and can drop them in and out as needed, as far as live is concerned it is always very organic and a good VJ will be able to match the visuals to the music, this is not as simple as just beat matching the visuals to the BPM of the music but also the visual content needs to match the vibe of the song and the visual energy needs to match the energy of each track being played so all my gigs are mixed live as pre mixed footage would not give you the synchronization required for a good show.
VJU: Mainly create video loops and I play them out live using the Resolume software, I also pre-render video loops to DVD and mix them with video camera footage and Resolume software.
Dumb Robot/VJ Ultra/Dave Fuller
How did you manage to get involved in the festival scene?
DF: Originally going to free party’s, helping out to get a ticket I then worked through the ranks to Stage Manage at the Glade stage at Glastonbury Festival, I started really analysing the architecture of the staging, from a sculpturing point of view and started planning something more interesting visually, just new ideas really.
What’s the most challenging thing about putting a festival together?
DF: Keeping it original, every time you really have to be on your toes! The logistics involved in making sense out of miles of electric cable and thousands of meters of scaffolding for instance. Dealing with issues relating to the local authorities, and keeping the general public safe by complying with all levels of health and safety regulations are huge challenges. It’s all good though.
How many people are involved in working on each stage, And what sort of things do they do?
DF: We have teams of riggers who assemble the infra-structure, P.A (sound system) and aspects of the decor and lighting. Decor artist’s, stewards and security, the Stage Manager who organizes the band as soon as they arrive on stage, the Production Manager and assistants who deal direct with the artists and make sure they are well-fed and refreshed, satisfying their riders (a wants list of things they need!) and litter pickers. These guys are seriously the single most important people there. Trust me, if they weren’t there to do their job, the festival would be closed down!
So what do you have planned for this year?
DF: As you might have guessed Glastonbury Festival and The Glade, Play the Field at Ikington Manderville near Somerton. That’ll be amazing, it’s a classical concert conducted by Charles Hazelwood, he’ll be mixing modern songs by Goldfrapp and the like with classical music. I can’t wait to see it visually and hear these new acoustics that on my stage. It should be a proud moment! What band are you looking forward to seeing most this year? DF: Underworld, who’ll be playing exclusively at the Glade this year. It’ll be mind blowing, they will blow the crowd away! BM
Being the stylish and discerning bunch we are at the furball, it’s obvious that we wouldn’t be seen dead at a party or festival unless the venue looks amazing. And neither would you. So the next time you’re at a festival, like Glastonbury or the Glade take a look around at the awesome stage constructions. It just so happens we know someone who puts it together! Meet Dave Fuller from G-Stages.
Dave:www.gstages.co.uk
Rob: AKA dumbrobotwww.motionloops.comwww.myspace.com/dumb_robot_tv
Jack: www.vjultra.co.ukwww.myspace.com/vjultra
The Furball Page 37
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Page 38 The Furball
Barry’s on about vinyl again
Here at the furball we listen to the finest grooves known to man. And our taste for exquisite vinyl mastepieces is beyond reproach. But sadly our cash flow has taken a serious pounding recently, so its off to the bargain bin for us this month. The thought of digging in mouldy charity shops through a back breaking amount of weather beaten Dire Straits records may give the amatuer collector cold feet, but not so us. We’re pros in the vinyl game here, and know that there could be gold in that quid bin. So whether we’re finding amazing tracks by crap artists or weird and wonderful obscurities its all the same to us! Elbowing in on this trip into the parallel world of ‘fifteen for a tenner’ music salvage, are fellow turntable hobos Chris gringo and Benj. Here are some of our best worst finds!
Here at the furball we listen to the finest grooves known to man. And our taste for exquisite vinyl mastepieces is beyond reproach. But sadly our cash flow has taken a serious pounding recently, so its off to the bargain bin for us this month. The thought of digging in mouldy charity shops through a back breaking amount of weather beaten Dire Straits records may give the amatuer collector cold feet, but not so us. We’re pros in the vinyl game here, and know that there could be gold in that quid bin. So whether we’re finding amazing tracks by crap artists or weird and wonderful obscurities its all the same to us! Elbowing in on this trip into the parallel
Bargain hunter
Rediffusion sampler.Selected by barry.
Bizarre. If you had a few quid in your pocket, and you didn’t know you wouldn’t even bother listening to it. Just look at the thing, it screams out marching band rubbish, and by and large it is. However beyond the dragoon guard, and highland band piping schlock, wedged in on side two is a tune from one of the most killer albums of the 70’s, by the Birds and Brass. Otherwise known as the Mohawks/Kpm drum maestro Keith Mansfield and his phenomenal session band, ‘Sort of Soul’ is a swinging big band funk instrumental that just rocks. If you’re lucky enough to find it, the Birds and Brass album would cost you a lorra lorra potatoes and rightly so. This would cost you one. I mean a quid.
Geoff Love Orchestra Themes for Super HeroesSelected by Benj
Music For Pleasure is an ‘orchestral’ record label that will be familiar to anyone who scours the dump bin and this nifty fifty-pencer showcases, you guessed it, a random smash of covers from all of your favorite comic book films etc. and it’s well worth a pop. ‘Batman’, in particular with its ferocious b boy drum breaks, makes the pansy original sound as though its been recorded in a studio hewn from kryptonite, and check out the Klaus wunderlich inspired ‘Wonder Woman’!!! Hammond heaven, and the perfect accompanyment to getting spandexed up at fondue parties. That said, the rest of the record is shit.
The Cool Notes, Down to Earth Selected by Chris Gringo
Picked up from a car boot lot of 3 for 5 quid, this oddity was chucked in as an additional freebie. That’s right, it cost nowt! The Cool Notes are mixed bag reggae-meisters, with a quality ratio of one part great to 9 parts terrible. And you really don’t have to wait long for the terrible. The good news is the opening tune ‘Travelling’ is without doubt the albums finest moment. With an awesome steppers riddim, bassline and obvious dancefloor appeal, it’s got the classic Third World type groove, that makes this worth the money alone. But make sure you remember to cut the stylus after that, because it descends into shiny Aswad sounding lovers rock. Horrible.
The Furball Page 39
...and on...
Bargain hunter
Section Header
James GrantStrange Flowers
So James, ‘Strange Flowers’ is your 5th solo album and sonically very different to your last acoustic album. Are you pleased with the result? And how do you feel it compares to your previous records? I am pleased with the result; I think it compares favourably with all my past work, although I am not the judge of such things. To be honest I don’t waste much time considering things like this. It is what it is.
Are there any plans to release a single from the album? Not really, This Could Be The Day will probably be a ‘radio’ single. I’m not really in that market as such, it costs a lot of money to make singles, unless you think they’re chart bound its a bit of a waste of time.
It’s been over 4 years since the release of your previous album, ‘Holy Love’. How prolific a songwriter are you these days? Back in the Love & Money days you recorded in the region of 30 songs over a 3 year period. Does that mean there’s another album’s worth of material you’re sitting on? What I write and what I record are very different things. When I record something, I regard it as ‘ready’. Insomuch as I am happy with it. It varies from week to week, day to day sometimes...last week I wrote a song for a Channel 4 three minute film on Darwin and it took me half an hour to write it, I then went into the studio and lashed it down that night and that’s it, done. On the other hand, something like My Father’s Coat, although the initial idea was quick to come, it probably took me around two Page 40 The Furball
James Grant is a Scottish singer-songwriter with a voice likened to that of Scott Walker. Disbanding his group Love & Money - who had some chart success in the 80’s and 90’s – to go solo in the mid-90’s, James subsequently released 4 solo albums. His fifth, and possibly best yet, has just been released on Vertical Records. Having seen James play an acoustic gig at Frome’s Masonic Hall last year, the Furball decided to catch up with him to discuss the new record and other bits and pieces…
Interviewed by John Richards
Section Headeryears to hone it, I tried other musical settings for it that didn’t work and eventually found what I wanted… Some weeks, as I say, I might write 3 or 4 songs, it may be that they will all be masterpieces, but that’s pretty unlikely and its probably truer to say that I might get the odd good line or the germ of an idea that leads to something more significant. I have to work at it and I am extremely self critical...I may be sitting on a lot of material but that does not mean that (I think) its good enough to let people hear.
How do you tackle the craft of songwriting? Do you sit down with a guitar everyday, or do you just wait for the muse to strike? Again, it varies…when the muse strikes you have to go with it but I don’t have the luxury of waiting for inspiration so I tend to have periods when I regard it as something that I just do daily. Also, I like to finish things, even if I don’t think they are that great...I think it helps somehow with structure. There’s always something I’m working on, some half finished idea, so its not like you’re starting from scratch. The process is cyclical and to use a word I have come to despise: organic. It kind of works for me so I don’t really over analyse it in case it unravels or becomes prosaic...what I seek is some sort of alchemy and my methods
are empirical as opposed to scientific.
Which artists inspire you, and whom do you listen to from the current crop? Satie, Dylan, John Barry, Scott Walker, Neil Young, Tim Hardin, Steve Cropper, Aretha, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Murikami, Carson McCullers, Cormac McCarthy, JD Salinger, Philip Larkin, Matisse, Wiliam Blake, Emily Dickinson...I could go on and on I like Feist, Fleet Foxes, The Hold Steady, Gorillaz..After concentrating on acoustic performances over the past few years, did it feel good to strap on an electric guitar again, and will you continue in that vein for the foreseeable future? I like both. I would love to tour with the band more widely but I couldn’t afford it, nor do I have the fan base to do so. I like to rock, yes, but I love the discipline of acoustic performances also. I will be touring in October, but probably only Manchester and London in England, there will be more shows in Scotland where I can draw bigger crowds.
When you’re not writing songs or gigging, how do you spend your spare time? Out driving the kids to one thing or another listening to shit radio phone ins on football. Doing the Guardian crossword, reading - last book I read was The White Tiger, thought it was great btw..worrying about the
music business and how much longer I can continue to function in it, trying to think of other ways to earn a crust...
You played a solo acoustic gig at Frome’s Masonic Hall last year. Had you heard of the town before? No, but I thought it was a beautiful place and I love Bath.
Frome holds an annual cultural festival of which the town is very proud. This year one of its famous sons is being celebrated centre stage, Sir Benjamin Baker. Have you heard of him and if so, what is his most prominent claim to fame? (Hint – once you’ve finished it you need to start it again) I have never heard of the geezer, something which I am sure is said when my own name is mentioned, so I won’t dismiss him out of hand.
What are the chances of you doing a full band gig at somewhere like the Cheese and Grain? I believe I contacted said venue recently and have had no reply, therefore I would have to say, chances are slim.
The Furball Page 41
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Page 42 The Furball
The OperationYou’ve been to America several times, why would anyone want to go there?Because everything is bigger. Bigger food, bigger people, we pretend we are Borrowers when we are there.
After being together for all of these years, are you familiar with each others odours?Yes, very much so. Alex smells like frankincense, Oli smells like Myrrh and I smell of Gold.
The new album is a big step forward, musically and lyrically. How much better than Led Zeppelin are you now?We are way better than Led Zeppelin because there is only three of us, there was four of them! Although Robert Plant has much better hair than any of us.
Please list all Operations band members have had.Appendix removedHernia operationBlocked salivary gland Tell us about the CD release party at the Cheese and Grain. Will there be an 18” high Stonehenge monument?The launch party for our debut album “Beautiful Days” is at the Cheese and Grain on Friday the 31st of July. Support comes from our friends The Joe Public and enemies Jakarta. Doors are at 8pm and tickets can be booked from the Cheese and Grain box office on 01373 455420. There will be a 18” high stonehenge monument if Oli can chew enough gum between now and the gig to make it.
What drives you to write the kind of music you do, instead of, say, Brazilian hip hop, or Senegalese metal?We tried both of those genres and found out we weren’t very good at them, so we decided to play rock music. Although we have dabbled in Iranian doom-folk with surprising results
When you start selling millions of CDs and going on big tours, which friends in Frome will you ditch for new celebrity friends?We will ditch everyone apart from Mike from Mike’s Sandwich Engineering, he makes the best sandwich in the world.
We’re five issues in now and we’ve hardly mentioned these boys, so we thought it was about time to collar the hard working trio and pop a few questions. Anyway, they’ve got a new album to plug as well so now seems like a good time. Ladies and gentlemen, we give you...
Questions carefully crafted by Will Angeloro
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The Furball Page 43
The OperationDoes the Operation endorse any kind of exciting underwear brands?I endorse the signature “Wilton over-the-shoulder-crotch-rocker” which was designed by myself and made by cheap labour in the far East. It is available in all good retail stores.
How has being a Somerset band affected the band’s business or music, or both?It means we have to travel quite far to play gigs. We run all our business affairs from Iota Recordings HQ, a shed in our garden.
If you could open for any band at any point in history, who would it be?AC/DC circa 1978 or Led Zeppelin circa 1974
In a perfect world, how would the music industry be different?It would be run by musicians
Is the Operation available for children’s parties?No, because we’ve done too many.
How would you say the band members diverse personal tastes in music affects the songwriting?It has a big impact. Normally Alex brings songs in that he’s written on his acoustic and then Oli and I do our thing and it takes shape. We all like different stuff and aren’t afraid to show our influences, there is a middle ground though called rock ‘n’ roll.
How would you say the band members diverse personal tastes in curry affects the smells inside the tour bus?We are immune to it, but Alex and I like Jalfrezi whereas Oli will go for anything with salmon in it. WA
“Alex smells like frankincense, Oli smells like Myrrh and I smell of Gold.”Nick Wilton
BEAUTIFUL DAY’S
ALBUM LAUNCH PARTY
FRIDAY 31STJULY
CHEESE & GRAIN
SUPPORT FROM JOE PUBLIC
AND JAKARTA
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designer & builder28a catherine street frome
01373 302 639 or 07966 132 555
Threads - part twoSpinning still in circlesVision is filledBy each other’s eyesDizziness is kept at bayThe chaos turned to danceUntil a stumbleA separationA letting go of handsI continueSpinning in circlesFeeling dizzyLost and alone
Scott MacKillican
Nina Camacho Portraits
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Threads - part oneSpinning in circlesYou’re feeling dizzyLost and aloneGrab hold of my handMaybe I can hold you stillOr At the very leastSpin with you
Scott MacKillican
The Furball Page 45
“Static, Static, Static...We’re on a video rage”, the opening lines to the apocalyptic title track of The Misfits debut album. Who knew that when Glenn Danzig first barked these lyrics in 1978 that they would still be eerily relevant today. “We’re all blue from projection tubes...This is the static age we live in”, it’s easy to see why this dark gem still sounds fresh and continues to find young audiences. In an era where punk is polished, parent friendly and merchandisable, Static Age still sounds very much alive. As a whole, the album presents us with 17 tracks of pure buzzsaw punk, but with an added 50s rock ‘n’ roll twist. Singer Glenn Danzig croons like an angry Roy Orbison whilst the fog-horn tones of Jerry Only’s bass hint at a modern sonic assault. The mechanical 4/4 drumming reminds us that this band was around at the same time as the early Ramones but twisted the formula with their own minor chord doom. The guitar playing is stark and choppy, accenting the very organic sound of the band that recorded during the graveyard shifts at C.I. Recordings in New York. The odd thing about this album is that it never saw the light of day when it was originally recorded in 1978. Due to a line-up change and a lack of label interest, only a few of the tracks were released via different EPs and singles. But in 1997, because of the reformed Misfits’s increasing popularity, the band decided to reissue it in it’s entirety, including all the tracks recorded during the sessions. This included the never heard before “In The Doorway” which sat lurking on the original master tapes for 19 years. With topics ranging from being casualties of television to presidential assassination and old Vincent Price horror films, this album paints a bleak picture of life during late 70s America but does it with a smile on its face. As the first from the band, it sets up the aesthetic and subject matter to come, but unlike later thrashier albums such as Earth A.D (brilliant for completely different reasons) it offers us a sensitivity towards melody and the rock ‘n’ roll of its forefathers much in the same way as The Clash looked back at Jerry Lee Lewis as a bleary-eyed, drunken Grandfather with “London’s Calling”. So if you think you know you’re punk, own every dusty old LP and every bootleg of John Lydon’s intimate telephone conversation with Her Royal Highness (don’t bother looking for it, I have the only copy) but don’t have this, then get out there, pick up a copy and succumb to the “radiation blue diseases” of the Static Age.
Classic Albums Revisited...By Nick Wilton
Page 46 The Furball
Obscure treasures and forgotten funk curios
To examine this incredible record properly, first of all you have to consider the origins of the record label that released it.
The recording industry in Russia was a state owned monopoly between 1919 to 1989, and Melodiya Records was established in 1964 as the “All-Union Gramophone Record Firm of the USSR Ministry of Culture Melodiya”, or in other words ‘the record label of the Soviet Union’. At it’s disposal, the label had access to enormous resources, numerous recording studios and manufacturing facilities throughout the USSR as well as a powerful centralized distribution and promotion system. Releasing over 60,000 albums with the total circulation of 190-200 million per year, and exporting its production into more than 70 countries, with the vast majority of releases being either jazz, classical or traditional folk music from Russia and other ‘satellite’ countries in the Union.
The group Melodiya Ensemble, led by arranger Georgy Garanyan were essentially the house band for the Soviet state. The most accomplished jazz musical group representing the entire CCCP, famed in their homeland for an incredible versatility, recording dance and jazz music and backing a range of artists including Vladimir
Melodiya Ensemble - Familiar Melodies
(Melodiya Records)Vysotsky, Alfred Schnitke, David Tukhmanov, and Alla Pugachova. Like other albums from the country the largely unreadable Cyrillic can be translated a number of ways and you’ll see this group listed as the Melodia Ensemble, Melodiya Ensemble, Ensemble Melodija and a raft of other combinations, however this particular release is extremely rare even in Russia.Typically, as with other Eastern European records during the 70’s the musical trends on display lagged ‘unfashionably’ behind their western equivalents, and this release is no different. Retrospectively, that’s what makes this set so interesting, this release has a first rate Big Band sound, chocked-full of funky and progressive arrangements and original
compositions.
Far from being a one-off, I’d estimate that around 40% of the Ensemble’s releases are of a similarly high quality, including the fantastic album ‘Labyrinth’ among others, but the reason this is the one to catch is down to this albums highlight track ‘The daisies hid’.In my opinion, it’s the funkiest piece of music ever to have come out of the Eastern Bloc. With killer drums and an amazing bassline, tight jazzy horns and flutes it’s wildly exotic and further proof, should you need any, that if you seek ye shall find- even the Soviet’s knew how to get their groove on.
Dos Vedanya!
Tracklisting A1: Song of crocodile chena A2: Poplar fluff A3: Song of the bears A4: The white birch tree A5: Sparkling baltic spaces A6: But love is ever firstB1: Melody B2: Fine evenings on the ob B3: Love will keep on living B4: The daisies hid B5: Lapwing by the road B6: Woman’s fate
Barry MacDonald
The Furball Page 47
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