Tag Archives: Brighton

A busy weekend

Posted on by Standard Reply

This weekend went really well for pre-tour experience! Saturday we were in the middle of a.huge street party where there were many stalls to match. The Kemptown carnival was a bustling booze up with live music and hardly a space to put one’s elbows!

image

We pitched in a side street which was nice at first only to find that we were out of the.main traffic flow and that the mouth of out street served a a perfect stage forth local samba band! Whistles and drums beat loudly making communication near impossible… So I went for a walk instead. I met the badge lady who inspired me to make some of my own using my spin painting as a design template – I made 8.
image

The day wasn’t brilliant by a long shot yet I did learn that many hands do not brisk trade make when so many other services are on offer, including and especially the dreadful alcohol! Human wreckage was strewn about the street like litter by 6pm and, as we were one of the last to pack up, found ourselves the focal – or should I say vocal – point of their mind-meander. :-/

Sunday came upon me by surprise, despite the fact that I knew for certain that it follows on from Saturday. On Saturday, we were told of an event being held at Stanmer Park. We had no idea what it would be so rolled up anyway. The guard at the gate phones ahead and directed us past an event dedicated to nature where arts and crafts were being exhibited.
image
There was a huge marquee housing photographers, jewelry makers, textile artists and character designers, to name but a few.
The day began very quietly in spite of reports pouring in of a hectic event down the road. I enjoyed the sun, chatted and showed off Rameses to a lazy flow of lunchgoers whom were lulled into sleepiness by the weather, the atmosphere, and the sweet melodies of live bands.
image

Today has taught me that I need to spend some time educating my attendees of my plans! Whilst it is nice to engage in competitive bicker over the worth of a pound, my knowingness of my own project’s needs does sour the bantering experience for me, somewhat. I suppose I’d best get on to telling you about that one!

Up till now…

Posted on by Standard Reply

In spite of a strong temptation to dash on to writing current events, I feel to express the history of the Viz-Usual Spin.

The event came about during the ‘Out Of The Ordinary’ Festival in East Sussex, UK, in late September 2011. I was running an event at that festival involving spraypaint demonstrations and workshops with artist SPQR. Whilst he painted throughout the days, I would hold spraypainting workshops – teaching kids about safety and use of a spray can, spray painting and the use and application of stencils (with a little bit of wall painting thrown in where I could). We had a small gallery displaying artwork for sale and ran a raffle to be drawn by Rameses Crow where ‘a one pound per ticket wins the pick of the stall’

Workshop in action!

By the time Sunday arrived, art sales were nought whilst a throng of bored kids wanting free paint workshops for a second and third time around was beginning to bite into one’s mental view of pocket. SPQR had completed his wall painting and was spinning records on the end of a pen, much to the delight of onlooking children. They paid a small sum to have a go which carried us from the doldrums to the lower end of breaking even. As we were doing this, an events organizer for the Lantern Fayre in Brighton  invited us to spin records at her event (October 2011). As SPQR was from the other side of the country and recognized my gift of the gab to pull the event off cleanly, and wished me well.

At Lantern fayre, I was overrun with requests!

Record Spinning

Since then, I have performed at White Night 2011, Mini Maker Fayre 2012, Over the moon 2012, Lantern Fayre 2012, Brighton Fringe 2013, Small World 2013 and the list goes on to include birthday parties and art gallery events.

Here we go!

It was following the Lantern Fayre 2012 that I realized I had an event worthy of promotion in my hands and, from that time, collected vinyl LP records from every source I could find.

I have quite a lot of vinyl records now and, I sometimes cringe at the thought of having destroyed a once rare gem in the process, yet… that doesn’t get me down too far – Ahhh such ignorance is bliss!