The coming week

This week I begin to film my presence on the screen.
Having run through the films so far, I am getting the feeling I should play a lesser role and let the interviewees present the narrative for me.
My script will involve me as the anchor between the interviews, steering the narrative direction and setting up the phases of the film, the characters from the archive and introducing the material from the archive.

Interviews

Two more great and very interesting interviews this week.
Many thanks to Robin Rimbaud and David Toop.

Interviews

Two more successful interviews conducted today. Huge thanks to DJ Sugar Lips and The Right Honourable Mercedes Sutherland-Nash.

Interviews

All interviews now set up. 2 tomorrow and 2 more on Wednesday.
That keeps me on schedule for having the interviews completed in September.
Now I need to get the direct-to-camera pieces composed.

Interviews

David Toop and Scanner confirmed for recording their interviews next Wednesday, the 26th.

Posters

Still not really settled regarding these. Considering how important it is, its all getting pretty late in the day. Rather than be bold, I think it best for me to chose a topic I already have knowledge of.

Ray Russell / Spike Wilson

To get an idea of what might have been, do check out this blistering Ray Russell album on which Spike was due to play....

http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-the-ica-retrospective-mw0000057830

Interviews

Thanks a-plenty to Dusty Rutherford, Electra Fortune and Ray Russell for their insightful help this weekend. Some amazing information about the Albion Accord.

Show details

After months of uncertainty, we finally received the news we were to have our final show in the old nursery. Of course, it was locked so we couldn't see it.
I got the feeling from the presentations that we were all going to have to seriously reign-in our ambitions. The new gallery is smaller than the previous one, and we are all, naturally, ambitious.
I'm going to have to think hard about this. The final show is not really about having an exhibition, it sounds like it should be, but it ain't really. It's about cooperation, compromise, loop-jumping, keeping quiet and fitting in.
I may pursue Mark Jackson's idea about presenting all the archive elsewhere and making it, I suppose more enigmatic.
Not really sure even about the performance aspect.
A bit of a dulling day, one way and another.

Dates and planning

Have now got a schedule for the work. A hand-drawn calendar for September and October is helping a lot.
Most of the interviews are confirmed with a couple of dates to be cemented.
My supervisor is John Wynne which is good news.
I have much of my tool kit here now for the craft side of the installation.
The Phase 3 brief was given today. Straightforward enough.
The poster side of things is niggling me a bit, but some of that was cleared up today. I need to have a clear idea about its content in 2 weeks.

Preparation

Most of the interviews are now set up, some dates to be confirmed.
Curatorial Contexts essay completed. Re-reading and editing this weekend.
Powerpoint presentation begun.
Documentation almost complete. Revision and editing required.
Preparation of sonic and visual material to be completed.
Need to find a good physical presentation of material.

Sixto Diaz Rodriguez

Went to the Rich Mix to see the film Searching for Sugar Man this evening as it looked very close to my ideas for the project. As a documentary about an aspect of an overlooked musician it was perfect. I got some good ideas about the construction of a documentary and some editing ideas I had not thought about. It is an amazing story and a beautifully constructed film. I came away wanting to buy the LPs. What am I doing getting all wrapped up in 70s folk rock singer-songwriter music?

Spike Wilson's feedback experiments

Spike Wilson's feedback was the area that seemed to generate a lot of interest aroung 1970. Here is one of the first recordings I have cleaned up from his cassette collection. Feedback Experiments 1 by spikewilson

Poetry Library

What a wonderful place this is. Spent a happy few hours there yesterday investigating Sound Poetry.
Really helpful staff and an amazing collection of books.

They had quite a number of Bob Cobbing books and texts there which were very useful as well as a number of pointers to other poets from the staff.

Interviews

So far, three interviewees have agreed to participate in the film.
The essence of the story board is coming together. I also have the skeleton of a script.

Replica Wind Guitar

I have begun reconstructing one of Gizelle Fortune's Wind Guitars in my workshop. Plans are pretty vague and I'm trying to be faithful to them as much as possible.

Spike Wilson Archive 2

This cleaned up cassette tape recording of Spike from about 1970 also has a vocal from Spike which is very unusual. Summerlove Pitched by spikewilson

Brakewell Runnerby

Amongst the sound poetry, photographs and paintings of this reclusive man I found a photograph of his studio that he called The Hut.

The Albion Accord

There were just too many bands, clubs, bars, hotels etc called The Albions, so, I think this new addendum adds a difference and confirms the notion of a group of equal participants. Promotes the notion in one's mind of a left-wing agenda, too.

Web site

It'll probably be a good idea to get an Albions web site up and running in time for the show.
Damn, more work.