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’

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!

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.

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!