HOW YOU CAN BUY THE WORK

Now this is the important bit.

Obviously, there’s going to be an auction on the night and the highest bidder will win.

However, not everybody will be able to attend but might still want to bid. So, in the interest of fairness, what you can do is place a bid for any of the work in the comment box below on this post. If no one exceeds your bid on the night – the work is yours.

Bidding on The Blog will end at midnight on Wednesday 6th April.

All you will have to do is donate to the Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal.

Then email me your e-receipt from the Red Cross for proof of payment and I’ll post it off to you. (You will also have to pay the postage.)

See below for a full list of contributing artists. (To whom I am eternally grateful!)

You can also buy raffle tickets in advance of the night and on the night itself for one of the works of art. Tickets are £5 each or 5 for £20. Drop me an email if you’d like some: dmc@anidealworld.eu

Tickets for the auction/exhibition are £10 each and also include entry to a Prize Draw for one of the works of art. (Not to mention some free sushi, wine and beer!) Again, drop me an email if you’d like to come along.

Right, let’s get on with it…

Untitled, by Mike McGinn, Scotland

I’ve only just got a ‘soft copy’ of this stunning piece by Edinburgh based painter, Mike McGinn. Full of energy and emotion. I love it. And was outbid for it on the night! If, like me, you’re keen to see more of his work, drop him a line at: memphisotool@hotmail.com

Imaginary City, by Molly Cockcroft

Imaginary City (detail), by Molly Cockcroft

Imaginary City (detail), by Molly Cockcroft

Molly Cockcroft’s Imaginary City is built on a precise 2mm grid with a 0.1 and 0.3 black pen after a pencil composition sketch, which lead to the more detailed piece. In this imaginary city, someone has hung a Japanese flag out of their window to show their support.

Lords of the Dust, by Nick & Chloe, Paris

Blood Sample 1, Art Director: Des Barzey, Photographer: Wilhelm Scholz, USA

Blood Sample 2, Art Director: Des Barzey, Photographer: Wilhelm Scholz, USA

Blood Sample 3, Art Director: Des Barzey, Photographer: Wilhelm Scholz, USA

BLOOD SAMPLE aka ” CIRCLE OF LIFE”

The diffusion of the blood in the water, compounds the effect the Tsunami had on the people of Japan.

Again reminiscent of the Japanese flag in its simplicity, this piece shows the dissipation of the notorious Japanese red circle. Combine that with the title ” The Circle of Life” and we are at least left with a feeling of hope and that life will return.

Fingerprint 1, Art Director: Des Barzey, Photographer: Wilhelm Scholz, USA

Fingerprint 2, Art Director: Des Barzey, Photographer: Wilhelm Scholz, USA

FINGERPRINT aka ” IDENTITY”

In the wake of the Fukushima Tsunami disaster we found it impelling to capture the human element. Images were constantly showing the Tidal wave wreaking havoc through Japan. What was left was cites and towns washed away and turned upside down.

To the eye it would appear that everyone in the path of the Tsunami has lost everything, loved ones, homes and personal possession’s. What we tried to portray is that the people of Japan still have their identity. A thumb print is the most personal possession all of us posses.

And you can never wash that away. The piece also evokes the patriotism and symbolism of the Japanese flag in with its simplicity and colour. For that reason we named this piece “Identity”,

Extraordinary and exquisite series of shots art directed by Des Barzey and shot by Wilhelm Scholz.

Des Barzey is an award winning Art Director / Creative Director based in NY. He is originally from England, where he studied Art & Design at Jacob Kramer School of Art and Falmouth School of Art. He’s applied his extraordinary creative skills in Ad agencies around the globe from London, Amsterdam, San Francisco, LA to NY. He now resides in NY as a freelance advertising creative consultant.

Des recently founded six degrees of creative separation, six soon became 950+. Six degrees of creative separation refers to the idea that, if a person is one step away from each creative person they know and two steps away from each creative person who is known by one of the creative people they know, then everyone is at most six steps away from any other creative person on Earth.

aka the Human Creative Web. Do you know him?

Wilhelm Scholz is a location photographer and commercial director based both in New York City and Frankfurt, Germany.

As a child, Wilhelm grew up in Germany, Chile, Spain and Venezuela .

Wilhelm has traveled the world producing imagery for advertising and editorial clients such as American Express, BMW, The British Virgin Islands Tourist Board, Geo, Conde Nast Traveler, T-Mobile, United Airlines, Alfa Romeo and his list of awards include the Advertising Photographers Of America Award for Location Photography, Moebius Award for Billboard, Best Ad for Travel Advertising, Masters Of Color Photography Award for Sports Image, The British Black & White Spider Award for Documentary Work.

Sunshine Mandala, by Sarah Jane Robertson, UK

Sunshine Mandala (detail), by Sarah Jane Robertson, UK

Sunshine Mandal (detail), by Sarah Jane Robertson, UK

Moonlight Mandala, by Sarah Jane Robertson, UK

Moonlight Mandala (detail), by Sarah Jane Robertson, UK

Moonlight Mandala (detail), by Sarah Jane Robertson, UK

Framed prints, by Sarah Jane Robertson, UK

Leeds and Edinburgh-based graphic designer, Sarah Jane Robertson, has donated this pair of A3 mandala letterpress prints. Entitled Sunshine & Moonlight, she worked with haiku poets of Alan Summers and Hidenori Hiruta, who created the poems in response to the Earthquake and Tsunami. Sarah then created the prints in response to the poems and letterpress printed them to give greater depth and definition, adding to the original artwork.

The artwork and collaborators

I first found out about the event through Creative Times, an online magazine for the creative community, and I was keen to put my graphic design skills to good use and help. I spent a weekend exploring ideas and coming up with concepts, then got in touch with haiku poet Alan Summers, who kindly created two haiku for me to choose from. I chose both!

The following weekend Hidenori Hiruta, Secretary General of the Akita International Haiku Network, translated the poems while I created the mandala graphics, which were letterpress printed by sponsors Blush Publishing on Bright White and Ebony 350gsm Colorplan, donated by sponsors and GF Smith, to give greater depth and definition.

What is a haiku and where does it come from?

Alan Summers summarises on his website:

“Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry that takes aspects of the natural world as its subject matter. Haiku typically contain a kigo (seasonal reference) and a kireji (cutting word).

English-language haiku is often written in three short lines and read out loud in about six seconds. Written in the present tense, they adopt ordinary language, and work well as two different images that spark off each other.

Haiku don’t tell, or merely describe, they allow the reader to enter the poem in their own way.

Haiku comes from a “first verse” called hokku; they often look incomplete as they originate from a linked verse poem, by different poets. Each verse is completed by the next verse and so on.

They have a special place in the range of poetry known as renga, or renku, that enjoyed a renaissance in 17th Century Japan and continues today in Japan and in the West.

Journalist, writer and poet Masaoka Shiki officially made hokku an independent poem in the 1890s called haiku (singular and plural spelling) and brought the form into the 20th Century.” Alan Summers

Alan Summers is a Japan Times award-winning writer for haiku and renku, and has been awarded a Ritsumeikan University of Kyoto Peace Museum Award for haiku.

He is the founder of With Words, a UK-based provider of literature, education and literacy projects, often based around the Japanese genres.

He is based in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, UK.

http://www.withwords.org.uk
Hidenori Hiruta

Hidenori Hiruta (pen name Shuutou Hiruta) is the founder and Secretary-General of the Akita International Haiku Network and a member of the Haiku International Association.

His haiku have appeared in various publications including Asahi Shimbun; Haijinx; Simply Haiku; and HaikuPix Review, and HI (Tokyo).

He is based in Akita, Northern Honshu, Japan.

akitahaiku.wordpress.com

What is a mandala?

As described by The Mandala Project:

The word “mandala”, from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit, can be loosely translated to mean “circle”. It represents wholeness and can be seen as a model for the organisation structure of life itself; a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relationship with the world around us.

The mandala appears in all aspects of life; the celestial circles we call the earth, sun and moon, as well as the conceptual circles of friends, family and community.

Untitled, by James O'Connell, UK

Irish poet, Patrick Chapman, has most generously donated signed copies of his complete works – five collections of poetry including a handwritten poem especially written for this auction and the victims of the Japan tsunami.

The Darwin Vampires, by Patrick Chapman, Ireland

A Shopping Mall on Mars, by Patrick Chapman, Ireland

Breaking Hearts and Traffic Lights, by Patrick Chapman, Ireland

The New Pornography, by Patrick Chapman, Ireland

Jazztown, by Patrick Chapman, Ireland

Japanese Lotus, by Grace Mills, UK

The Japanese Lotus flower is a symbol of hope and rebirth.
The lotus flower is revered in Japan for its ability to rise from the dirty, murky waters to bloom into a beautiful pure flower.

White Stag, 24" x 30", by Graeme Cooper, UK

Our Fragile Earth, by Lily Kenny & Katy Egan, Ireland

‘Our Fragile Earth’ is a window decal made from resin and food colouring. This piece will not be up in the exhibition, but is still available to buy online, or on the night, and will be posted to the buyer directly from Ireland.

Untitled, by Rachael Williams, UK

Scarlet Oak, by Michael Swallow, UK

Broken Land, Unbroken Spirit, by Craig Hebditch, UK

This Japanese Rising Sun depicted by a cherry blossom tree symbolizes that Japan will grow again and that their spirit is bigger than any crisis.

The Japanese wording translates as “Broken land. Unbroken Spirit”, which is the title of the piece.

Winter, 11 11, by Roberta Masciarelli, Brazil / USA

Untitled, by Patrick Goodwin, UK

A Space Inbetween... by Mari-Ruth Oda, Japan

Bony Holes, by Mari-Ruth Oda, Japan

Bony Holes, by Mari-Ruth Oda, Japan

My work is influenced by the traditional Japanese concept of worshipping nature. Many of the stone gardens in Japan deal with the idea of recreating nature and providing a contemplative situation in which the spirit can be purified. In a similar way, I try to recreate my experiences of nature through my work.

I work from observational drawings and photographs of fruits, vegetables and bones as well as the human figure and landscapes. Through these influences and observations I explore the anthropomorphic quality of natural forms. I aim to achieve in my forms and situations, a tactile quality that is serene and calm.
Mari-Ruth Oda

Hand-crafted rings by Junko Mori, Japan

Hand-crafted ring 1, by Junko Mori, Japan

Hand-crafted ring 2, by Junko Mori, Japan

Hand-crafted ring 3, by Junko Mori, Japan

Hand-crafted ring 4, by Junko Mori, Japan

Hand-crafted ring 5, by Junko Mori, Japan

Three Bottles, by Tone von Krogh, Norway/Switzerland

Born in Switzerland, grew up in Norway. Tone came to Manchester in 1994 to complete a BA in Three Dimensional Design at Manchester Metropolitan University and never went back.

Her work has been widely exhibited in the UK and abroad. Galleries and outlets include Liberty (London), Gump’s (San Francisco), Majlis Gallery (Dubai) , Haa Gamle Prestegaard (Stavanger, Norway) as well as Bluecoat Gallery in Liverpool , City Art and Design Gallery in Leeds and Royal Exchange in Manchester. The current collection can be found on the website www.madebyhandonline.com

Three bottles (20cm, 28cm and 37cm tall) is from the recent Winter Collection. They are hand made on a potter’s wheel and glazed to a satin finish. The collection draws inspiration from memories of snow covered landscapes in Norway. When heavy snow covers trees, rocks, paths and architecture; sharp edges become soft and everyday shapes may become unrecogiseable. Tone has tried to bring the same feel to her work by softly distorting pieces made on the potter’s wheel and giving them bulges and indentations. The colour range is reflecting the many tones of snow, ice and winter skies.

Lost Railway Carriage, by Paul Fosbury, UK

Hallmarked sterling silver bangle weighing 12.4gms, hand-forged and designed to go on directly over the wrist. By Prue Biddle, UK

Want to be immortalized?

Ella Griffin offers you a Zelig-like appearance in her second novel, a romantic comedy to be published by Orion in 2012. She will name a minor character after you or someone whose hand you want to hold. Please note: If your name is a Annette Curtain or Anne Ass or Amanda Huggenkiss this might be tricky!

This is an absolutely brilliant prize for a loved one from best-selling author, Ella Griffin. Immortalize them in her next novel! She’s a beautiful person both inside and out so don’t worry, the character won’t be an axe murderer or anything like that. You’ll also get a signed copy of her first novel: Postcards from the Heart. About which Marion Keyes said: ‘A fresh, funny new voice, Ella Griffin can make you laugh and then cry in the turn of a page.’

Maruzen, by John Shelley, UK/Japan

John Shelley studied at Bournville School of Art, then illustration at Manchester Polytechnic under children’s illustrator Tony Ross.

Debuting as a freelance illustrator in London, by 1984 he’d co-founded the artist’s collective Facade Studios with designer Andy Royston and illustrators Jane Ray and Willie Ryan. Fascinated by Japanese art, in 1987 he moved to Tokyo in search of the missing link between samurai and Sony, making it his home for the following 21 years.

In Japan his award-winning illustrations have been used in everything from animated TV ads, poster and newspaper campaigns to character merchandising and editorial illustration. With a unique insight into the Japanese creative market he has stood as a committee member of JAGDA (Japan Graphic Designer Association) and presented at colleges across the country.

Shelley’s work for publishing follows a more elaborate vein of pen and watercolour. His first major picture book The Secret in the Matchbox was shortlisted for the Mother Goose Award, since when his children’s illustrations have continued to gain steady recognition in East and West. As an author his own published stories include Hoppy’s New House (Fukuinkan Shoten) and The House of the World (Benesse).

Bilingual in Japanese, Shelley returned to the UK in 2008, but still maintains close associations with Japan.

Member of The Society of Authors, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and Picture Book Artists (PBA)

Just received some exquisite silver jewelry by Japanese designer, Junko Mori. Rings to be precise. Haven’t got shots yet, but couldn’t wait to tell you about them. They’re actually cast from Australian plants and look very organic. Absolutely unique works of art you can wear!

Thank you to ceramic artist, Tone von Krogh for asking Junko to donate something.

Signed Snare skin and drumsticks by Mike Joyce

Not only has The Smiths, Mike Joyce kindly donated a limited edition print from The Smiths early days by Stephen Wright. He’s also very generously auctioning a signed snare skin (courtesy of Johnny Roadhouse) and a set of signed drumsticks. Oh, and no, that’s not the actual drum and sticks in the pic. It’s just an artist’s impression of what a drum and some sticks might look like.

Joy Division, by Martin O'Neill, UK

Untitled, by Maggie Gibson, Ireland

Svartifoss (Black Falls) Iceland, by David Short, UK

Untitled, Oonagh Young, Ireland

Pete Postlethwaite, by Jonathan Oakes, UK

Tokyo Cityscape, 60cm x 100cm, by ParrisWakefield, UK

Studio Parris Wakefield
Howard Wakefield worked with world-renowned designer Peter Saville for nearly 20 years and in that time explored pushing the boundaries of Photoshop to pioneer digital abstract graphic art to create a large number of the digital imagery for the music industry including Joy Division, New Order and Suede.

He has also worked with fashion photographer Nick Knight to create a number of figurative abstracts. Sarah Parris and Howard Wakefield have worked together since 2001 and their recent project is their Cityscape series which represents the profusion of perceptions from a constantly evolving city. There will always be something new to discover – from the distinct, to the obscure, these cityscapes portray their unique infinite quality

Some of Howard’s work, collaborating with Peter Saville, is sold through Paul Stolper Gallery and the V&A have Waste Painting #3 as part of their permanent collection.

Yohji Yamamoto, by Robert Walker, UK

Interestingly, Robert said that he took this shot just 12 hours before the earthquake struck.

Vivienne Westwood, by Robert Walker, UK

Butterflies, by Kelvin Hudson, Ireland

Kelvin is originally from the UK where he incorporated his passion for photography with his career as a freelance commercial photographer. His first pictures were taken age 5 on a plastic camera from tokens on the back of a cornflake packet sent to him from his uncle in Brighton and then continued to take pictures on a Kodak 110 instamatic camera until he borrowed His Dad’s Pentax to acheive the cub’s photographers badge at the age of 10 (which included a complete portfolio printed in a darkroom and answering theory questions). After achieving an O level in Photography (one of the first to do it and independently from school), he pursued a Photography DIP at Salisbury College of Art and went on to assist photographers in Los Angeles and London, most notably with John Claridge . He was commissioned to work on assignments with the most creative London advertising agencies – Saatchi and Saatchi Abbott Mead and Vickers, BMP, Y&R, TBWA and Ogilvy + Mather to name a few. Work included British Airways, Smirnoff, British Rail, Citroen, Kodak, British Gas, Karvol, Tetley Bitter and Yorkshire TV, most of which were 48 sheet posters and press ads.

During that period he also worked on numerous Charity accounts such as NSPCC and Mencap . Editorial commissions include numerous portraits for The Sunday Times Magazine, The Observer, The Sunday Telegraph Magazine and Management today which lead to advertising assignments from New York – working on campaigns with Jaguar, New Balance, Chesterfield, Canadian Airways, Air France, Nenex and I.B.M. San Francisco agency Goodby Silverstein commissioned a total of 19 Ads for Hewlett Packard some of which won The One Show awards , SF Addy awards and Clio. He had other european clients in Germany and Holland. In I992 he relocated to Dublin where he presently resides . Whilst still working internationally Kelvin commenced working with Dublin ad agencies working on Guinness, Tourism Ireland, Ballygowan, Bank of Ireland, Bulmers (Magners,) Kelloggs, Tullamore Dew, BMW, Heinz, Vodafone and Lotto. Along the way he has received numerous awards – Ilford print award, John Kobal portrait awards, Benson&Hedges Photography awards , Epica’s, The Association of Photographers (UK) including a cover of the awards book , numerous Gold and Silver in the Irish Creative Advertising awards. Kelvin is continually involved in personal photography projects and individual images some of which are available for commercial usage and fine art print sales through Lens Modern. Exhibitions include Hamiltons Gallery and various group exhibitions such as the London Portrait Gallery, AOP, The Photographers Gallery and The Blue Leaf Gallery Dublin.

He is currently working on a new website as well as projects to include ‘Sweeps Re- Visited’ ‘Souls’ and Dublin South Wall. His Blog is continually active.

The Smiths, by Stephen Wright, Courtesy of Mike Joyce

Brian Cox, (National Portrait Gallery), by Paul Wolfgang Webster, UK

Manchester, by Michael Swallow, UK

Morrocan Water Seller, by Nicola David

Untitled, by Shane Hollohan, Ireland

Ugandan gorilla, by Simon Winnall, UK

Think Small, by Selina Yuk Tzang Pan, Netherlands

The Gardener, by Jean Smith, USA

By Dameon Lynn, UK

By Aidan Dowling, Ireland

By Hokusai. Poem by David Milligan-Croft, UK

Tsunami - A poem for Japan, by David Milligan-Croft, UK

JAPAN ART AUCTION CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

1. KATY EGAN Writer, Ireland
2. DAVE MERRELL Illustrator, UK
3. GRACE MILLS Art Director, UK
4. JOE COLEMAN Writer, UK
5. DAVID MILLIGAN-CROFT Writer, UK
6. MOLLY COCKCROFT Designer, UK
7. NICOLA DAVID Photographer, UK
8. CRAIG HEBDITCH Art Director, UK
9. JONATHAN OAKES Photographer, UK
10. OONAGH YOUNG Artist, Ireland
11. ROBERTA MASCIARELLI, Artist, Brazil

13. PATRICK CHAPMAN Writer, Ireland
14. DES BARZEY Art Director, NY, USA
15. AIDAN DOWLING, Illustrator, Ireland
16. EUAN MYLES, Photographer, UK
17. KELVIN HUDSON Photographer, Ireland
18. CAROLYN WALSH Artist, Ireland
19. LOU HUGHES Artist, UK
20. SARAH JANE ROBERTSON Designer, UK

22. SIMON WINNALL Photographer, UK
23. JOHN SHELLEY Illustrator, UK
24. SHANE HOLLOHAN Photographer, Ireland
25. STEPHEN HUNTER Art Director, Ireland
26. TONE VON KROGH Ceramic Artist, Norway
27. PAUL FOSBURY Photographer, UK
28. ELLA GRIFFIN Writer, Ireland
29. TREVOR HART Photographer, Ireland
30. JEAN SMITH Artist, USA
31. DAMEON LYNN Ceramic Artist, UK

33. SARAH PARRIS Digital Art, UK
34. ROBERT WALKER Photographer, UK
35. NICK and CHLOE Photographers, Paris, France

37. MIKE MCGINN Artist, Scotland
38. MAGGIE GIBSON Artist, Ireland
39. ALEX TELFER Photographer, UK
40. Mari Ruth Oda Ceramic Artist, Japan
41. Junko Mori Ceramic Artist, Japan
42. GRAHAME COOPER Photographer, UK
43. DAVID SHORT Photographer, UK
44. LYNTON HEMSLEY Artist, UK
45. BART O’REILLY Artist, USA
46. SELINA YUK TZANG PAN Designer, Netherlands
47. PAUL WOLFGANG WEBSTER Photographer, UK
48. MICHAEL SWALLOW Photographer, UK
49. STEPHEN WRIGHT Photographer, UK

Thank you to all the sponsors: Samsi Japanese Restaurant, Studio Manchester, Jonathan Oakes, Brave Music Agency. Kirin Ichiban, Wells & Youngs.

Mike Joyce, The Smiths

Mike is founder member of the legendary Manchester band The Smiths

Mike Joyce is a regular voice on BBC 6Music, where he has proved to be a very popular stand-in DJ for Marc Riley and Guy Garvey, and has a regular weekly show THE COALITION CHART SHOW on New York’s hip EAST VILLAGE RADIO.

Alongside Mike’s broadcast work, and Dj-ing at clubs worldwide, he has recently been involved in some exciting projects and advertising work:
2010 projects included: The JD Set (for Jack Daniels/Channel 4). Mike chose artists to collaborate on Buzzcocks tracks (Tim Burgess, The Whip, The Answering Machine, I Am Kloot, Twisted Wheel, Dutch Uncles and Jesca Hoop).

JD Set footage with The Whip.

http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f8/463901454

The Whip

JD Set footage with Jesca Hoop

Amplified Journeys interview with Mike Joyce.

Not content with kindly agreeing to open the Japan Art Auction, The Smiths legend is also going to be auctioning this fantastic limited edition print shot by Stephen Wright from the album ‘The Queen is Dead.’

Added to that, he’ll also be auctioning a signed ‘snareskin’ (courtesy of Johnny Roadhouse), and a set of drumsticks.

The Smiths, from The Queen is Dead, by Stephen Wright

“Stephen Wright’s original photograph, used for the inside gatefold of The Queen is Dead, clinches the prize for the most famous image of the Smiths”.

Will Woodward – the Guardian

A big thank you to Mike and also to Mike’s agent, Damian Morgan of Brave Music Agency for very kindly giving up his time to organize this for me.

Remember, numbers to the event are limited, so please drop me a line if you want to come along.

None of The Smiths had great experience before joining together in this particular little enterprise, Morrissey had briefly been a member of a couple of bands, although not always as the singer. Still, upon hitching up with Johnny Marr, Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke, he suddenly found himself with an outlet for his writing and dreams. And, nobody had ever quite matched lyrics like these before to what were essentially Rock songs, although quite out of step with other music of the era, especially commercial chart music. The Smiths signed to leading independent label Rough Trade, and released ‘Hand In Glove’ as their debut single. It failed to chart, but that was no real surprise. Morrissey felt as if it should have charted though, there was already a buzz surrounding the group, and ‘Hand In Glove’ with it’s see-sawing harmonica and eloquent lyric mentioning the sun shining out of someone’s behind was indeed quite striking! The second single was ‘This Charming Man’, and although it wasn’t originally on this debut album, it has been present on every single CD edition, so it makes up part of the album now. Fate accompli. Is it any good then? Well….. ‘This Charming Man’ is two minutes, forty two seconds long. Perfect pop single length. The opening guitar figure is VERY distinctive, immediately reminds one of Sixties groups such as The Byrds with it’s ‘jingle jangle’ nature and sound. Morrissey sings, and this is the thing. His voice is pretty, soaring, delicate, poetic. The lyrics are poetry, and good poetry at that. They speak of punctured bicycles, not having a stitch to wear. You know how it goes. A strong bass lines works throughout the song, Morrissey sings wordlessly at times, very beautifully if you allow your ears to hear it that way, without predjudice. An instant classic, and even The Smiths themselves would rarely match the perfect, concise glory of ‘This Charming Man’. I may as well mention the third single while I’m at it. ‘What Difference Does It Make’ isn’t as good a Morrissey vocal or lyric as ‘This Charming Man’, but now it’s Johnny’s turn to shine with a catchy, snappy, bouncy happy melody. The most striking Morrissey moment here is the falsetto ‘wailing’ through the songs close, and very nice and entertaining it is too.

‘Reel Around The Fountain’ opens the record, a six minute story that never quite catches fire musically, but the lyrics are interesting and the closing section of the song beautiful in particular thanks to the higher register of Morrissey’s voice. ‘You’ve Got Everything Now’ is good, “As merry as the days were long, I was right as you were wrong, back at the old grey school, I would win and you would lose”. And, that’s the thing. The song isn’t actually very remarkable if you forget the lyrical content. People could associate with these lyrics, associate with the image and allure of The Smiths as a group, and especially associate with Morrissey himself. “…and you’re a desperate one”, and nobody had ever sang songs for the desperate one’s quite like Morrissey sang them. ‘Miserable Lie’ switches between soft, pretty delicate sections and loud, noisy guitar sections rather uneasily, ‘Pretty Girls Make Graves’ is mid-tempo, with the sound of Johnny Marr to the fore, and Morrissey turning in another striking set of lyrics. ‘The Hand That Rocks The Cradle’ is absolutely gorgeous, delicate and swoon-some, poetic and genuinely touching. And that’s the first half of the album over.  ’This Charming Man’ arrives next ( at least on the CD edition ) and ‘Still Ill’ follows that, with a very identifiable lyric for the ‘desperate’ ones, but also a lyric jam-packed full of tongue in cheek humour. There is a common misconception surrounding Morrissey lyrics, dour and miserable they are not. Not really, and some of the lyrical imagery and scene setting is pretty much unsurpassed if you happen to be a lost romantic type. ‘I Don’t Owe You Anything’ is a beautiful song, enough to reduce The Smiths own drummer Mike Joyce to tears on more than one occasion. ‘Suffer Little Children’ is the second, unquestionable blast of genius on the album alongside ‘This Charming Man’. A lyric telling the story of the moors murders, a beautiful, understated music backing perfectly completing Morrissey telling the horrible tale, but telling it with compassion and sympathy. A genuinely great song, a genuine and often beautiful album.

iJunes – The Famous Junior Stopka Stopkast

In episode 2 my buddy stand-up comedian Junior Stopka and I cook bacon and gravy sandwiches with chocolate covered twinkies for desert.  Low-tech mayhem ensues.  Listen here.

Winners and Losers Podcast

Another friend and Chicago stand-up Hank Thompson hosts this weekly podcast.  I am an avid listner and appear in Episode 5 with Simmons McDavid and again in Episode 37 (with Simmons McDavid & Joe Fernandez).

Dates With Ever

Ever Mainard hosts the weekly Monday night open mic at Shambles (2050 W. Division) and scored this new podcast which is a spin-off of the “Wood Sugars” podcast.  In this podcast Ever talks about dates and wades through the vast scene of sketch, stand-up and improv in Chicago while highlighting a specific stand-up comic each week.  I get a shout-out in Episode 7.

Chicago Open Mic

Ian Ellis hosts this podcast along with sometimes co-host Maggie Ednie as they tackle the issues confronting Chicago comedians.  Taped on his iPod at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts I try not to be too boring in the Mike Joyce edition of Chicago Open Mic.

OINK!

Othy Schwering hosts OINK! one of Chicago’s premiere variety shows every Wednesday night 10pm at Studio BE (3110 N. Sheffield Ave).  After the show we sat down for a chat that Othy describes, “we talk about the Hi-Tops open mic, Bob Palos, and how a certain co-op improv theater makes my ass bleed! Plus, we muse about my golden-god status, the Globe Pub, and my six rampant followers.”  Listen to Othy chats with Michael Joyce, my nasally stoner laugh is in full effect.

The cover, featuring Diana Dors.

Please note that I’m not going to review this album because anyone with the remotest interest in the subject will love it whatever I say. I will note that it’s of amazing quality and offers the roughly equivalent thrill to you that the Beatles‘ Anthology might have done, except without Ringo. You need this, Dewy.

Someone needs to explain to me why, when Warner Bros. gained the rights to the Smiths back catalogue in 1992, they released two sets of Greatest Hits and decided not to include this disc of rarities which has surfaced on vinyl bootleg this month. Since then there have been several compilations, each as worthless as the last. The Smiths were a band that split before they gave themselves the chance to get shit; in actual fact they were just becoming even better. Here we have, if the devotees of the Morrissey forum are to be believed (and I for one would bet the house), said outtakes, nicely mastered so they don’t sound like demos at all, along with (again according to the site) a number of tracks put together for a 25^th anniversary release of The Queen Is Dead which has yet to see any sort of daylight. Their loss.

To understand the impact of the Smiths you have to remember singles. In my formative years, bands like The Jam, Madness and later The Smiths would churn out wonderful singles on what seemed to be a bimonthly basis. In the case of The Smiths I remember hearing This Charming Man, then watching them on The Tube (a hugely influential 1980′s music TV show). Later the hero worship of the effete man we now know as Stephen Patrick Morrissey became a little ridiculous and it’s stayed that way ever since. But for a while their music was completely new and, in many cases, polarising. You try writing a band’s name on your bag (with a fountain pen) when the lead singer was prone to wearing gladioli out the back of his jeans and quoting Oscar Wilde[1] and the guitarist Johnny Marr (whom I correctly thought personified cool) wore big sunglasses and and a necklace of beads.

The Smiths, circa 1984.

The world of The Smiths had references to rainy Manchester evenings that resembled Dublin ones, and undefined relationships and hurts which resonated much more fully than the self-contained Careless Whispers available in the pop world. They gave us Diana Dors, not Doris Day. DJ’s, it was asserted, hated playing Panic because of the Hang the DJ refrain; we loved it because another line sang of “panic in the streets of Carlisle/Dublin, Dundee, Humberside”. Quite what the cachet was in being referenced among “the provincial towns you jog round” I dunno….

I bought some singles and the Hatful of Hollow compilation of BBC sessions, known to the cognoscenti to have the superior version of This Charming Man. I can still smell the huge sleeve of The Queen Is Dead as I took it out of its Freebird Records bag. I knew my Ann Coates from my Craig Gannon. But I missed The Smiths in the National Stadium where the version they played of How Soon Is Now? became the stuff of legend. I’ve seen Morrissey a bunch of times but I think I know I’ll never see The Smiths. I’m too old, for a start. Their swagger remains, however, when Marr and then Morrissey denies David Cameron the right to like them. This from the band whose lead singer described “the ony sorrow…” of the IRA bombing of Brighton at the Tory Party Conference “that Thatcher escaped unscathed” (ironically, their management hid them from the bristling British tabloids by booking them a tour of pubs in Donegal).  Like their offspring The Stone Roses Morrissey and Marr realise that the band will never age unless it takes to the stage again, but that they can still trade off their image. You certainly can’t say that about U2.

In a similar manner to The Clash, although without a Cut The Crap, The Smiths left a beautiful corpse. History will forget the nastiness of the court case where Morrissey tried to welch out of paying the rhythm section their royalties. The singles will remain, however, despite how cack-handedly their legacy is played out in a succession of compilations. I love that this collection does what the official stuff couldn’t as the industry persists in its attempts to remarket The Smiths as some sort of greatest hits thing, repackage, repackage, repackage. This leak gives away the material that the band and its various record companies have dithered over for ages. See, I’ve already waited too long.

*but the boys and girls over at Morrrissey-Solo seem not to mind.

Domenick DiCicco

Assemblyman Domenick DiCicco, joined with Pennsylvania State Rep. Mike Vereb, R-Montgomery, to request a federal investigation of the Delaware River Port Authority, or DRPA, from New Jersey’s U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman and Pennsylvania’s Eastern District U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger.

The DRPA has been embroiled in controversy – most recently because its Public Safety Director received a small fine last week for giving his daughter a publicly-funded E-ZPass transponder for personal use. The agency has also been the subject of media reports alleging cronyism and pension padding.

The following is an excerpt of the letter sent to the U.S. Attorneys, which was also sent to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Attorney General Paula Dow and Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell and Attorney General Tom Corbett. A complete version is attached:

The public is entitled to know whether this episode warrants criminal charges and if the authority is engaged in any other practice that law enforcement should be concerned with. Separate media reports have suggested instances of cronyism and pension padding. All matters should be fully investigated.

This $300-million-a-year bi-state agency is funded by the $4 tolls of hard-working New Jersey and Pennsylvania families who cross the Delaware River for work and recreation. They deserve assurance that their toll money is not abused by supposed public servants.

—————————————————————————————————

Dear U.S. Attorneys Memeger and Fishman:

We were quite dismayed to read recent media reports about the misuse of a publicly-funded E-ZPass transponder by the Delaware River Port Authority, or DRPA, Public Safety Director Michael Joyce.

Mr. Joyce improperly gave an E-ZPass transponder that allows DRPA employees to cross authority bridges without paying tolls to his daughter who attends school in Philadelphia. For this misuse, if not theft, of public funds, Mr. Joyce was fined three days’ pay, plus the maximum amount of tolls his daughter could have used. The total fine and restitution for this egregious act was roughly $2,600.

We think that the cavalier response to this violation of the public trust, which included DRPA chief executive John Matheussen calling it “a judgment error,” is a strong signal that this authority needs to be fully investigated by federal United States Attorneys representing Pennsylvnia’s Eastern District and New Jersey.

The public is entitled to know whether this episode warrants criminal charges and if the authority is engaged in any other practice that law enforcement should be concerned with. Separate media reports have suggested instances of cronyism and pension padding. All matters should be fully investigated.

This $300-million-a-year bi-state agency is funded by the $4 tolls of hard-working New Jersey and Pennsylvania families who cross the Delaware River for work and recreation. They deserve assurance that their toll money is not abused by supposed public servants.

The actions of the DRPA has drawn criticism from the media and elected officials, and more importantly, from the public it is supposed to serve. We know you will share our concern and we hope you will launch a thorough and cooperative effort to make sure DRPA officials are held accountable for any improper actions and that the agency is working honestly and efficiently for the people of New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

We look forward to your responses.

Sincerely,
Domenick C. DiCicco, Jr. and Mike Vereb

Cc: Governor Chris Christie, Governor Ed Rendell, NJ Attorney General Paula Dow, PA Attorney General Tom Corbett

The Charlatans frontman and Joyce are heading to the studio with John Cooper Clarke, known as ‘the Bard of Salford’, The Whip, I Am Kloot, The Answering Machine and Dutch Uncles to create their own version of the seminal album.

Tim Burgess is reworking the Spinal Scratch album

They will then perform it live at Jack Daniels’ Manchester JD Set gig on May 27.

Joyce said: “After watching Buzzcocks perform in Manchester, they’re the reason I picked up drum sticks in the first place. No Buzzcocks, there would be no Smiths, simple.”

For information on how to win tickets to the gig, see http://www.thejdset.co.uk.

Can you remember what it was like to be 15? Unfortunately I still can… and there is no way I want to go back there. Yet one Manchester institution this year is celebrating their 15th birthday (just without the homework, heartbreak and spots!)

Amazingly in 2010 South nightclub are celebrating their 15th year of helping the good folk of Manchester get their groove thing on – somewhat a novelty in clubland. In order to mark the occasion South will be holding a number of special events throughout the year.

The first of these is ‘South’s Got the Love’ especially for Valentines Day, on the 13th of February 2010. South will also be welcoming a very special guest on the decks for the night in the form of Mr Mat Horne, of Gavin & Stacey fame. While the legendary Clint Boon will be hosting ‘Sid & Nancy’s Cup of Love’ a competition to find the most rock and roll couple that ever met at South. So if you and your partner have a South ‘love connection’ e-mail them your story. The best will get free entry on the night and be in with the chance to win some bubbly and a luxury hotel break in Manchester.

In other South news don’t forget to check out Clint’s ‘C-Word’ where guest DJ Mike Joyce of The Smiths will be celebrating 25 years since the release of ‘Meat is Murder’ on Friday the 19th of February.

c/o jessica.diamond licensed under Creative Commons.

Morrissey just doesn’t want to finish a gig at the moment! Twice in two weeks Morrissey has left the stage at the beginning of one of his own shows…..What are we going to get next…..? A fire breaking out at the back of the stalls? A bomb alert perhaps….?

If you didn’t like Morrissey enough to throw your pint at him, surely paying 40 pounds (plus 4 pounds for the pint) to go to the gig is an expensive way of expressing your dislike for the man.

Did I see Mike Joyce down the front?

“The boy with the thorn in his side 
Behind the hatred there lies 
A murderous desire for love 
How can they look into my eyes 
And still they don’t believe me ? 
How can they hear me say those words 

Still they don’t believe me ?”

Confession time. 

Today’s classics post is all about my favourite band. Ever. If you know me personally or more importantly if you don’t, you won’t go very far without my making reference to this band every chance I get. In fact, I already did in the Courteeners post a few days ago. If you somehow missed that then look at the video above and it’s all you need to know about the band and, to a large extent, yours truly. The song The Boy With The Thorn In His Side taken from the record The Queen Is Dead and the band is The Smiths. 

The pride of Manchester. A band whom many, including the great Tony Wilson (RIP), felt were responsible for the survival of the UK indie music industry. A band whom esteemed journalist  Nick Kent compared favourably to the Beatles in regards to their potential lasting impact. They were also a band that featured the greatest lead guitarist of the time and most notably, the great rock icon we’ll know.  I could go on but…I don’t want you to move on to another blog. 

Look. The Smiths aren’t some obscure band you’ve never heard of. If you call yourself a lover of 80s music, English music, new wave, post-punk or at least somewhat tuned in to the sounds of the new new wave or ugh…Emo then by hook or by crook, the name has smacked you in the face at least once or twice.  To me, they were the important band to come along in the last thirty years. Not Nirvana (UGH), and not U2 (GAWD!) and it’s not Radiohead (although I’d be willing to listen to arguments), it’s the Smiths. What made the band so good and so timeless was that fact they were the epitome of a “square peg” when you consider the time in which they came. The early 80s. You had all the new-fangled electronic pop bands around in OMD, The League, Heaven 17, Depeche Mode, Associates… You had the New Romantic craze in ABC, Ultravox, etc… Rock music, outside of the Jam was lacking to a certain extent. The Smiths were created out of a need to look back instead of ahead. Returning to the era of three minute singles that hit you quick but were stuck in your head. The ideal of four lads against the world, saving it one song at a time. 

“I was delayed, I was way-laid
An emergency stop
I smelt the last ten seconds of life
I crashed down on the crossbar
And the pain was enough to make
A shy, bald, buddhist reflect
And plan a mass murder
Who said lied Id to her ?”

Alas, like all great things, the Smiths did come to a crashing end. What did them in? Something as pithy, miniscule but eternally damning as intra-band squabbling. With a major label contract with Warners in hand, the fallout of a bitter divorce from their label, Rough Trade and wondering where to go next after carrying the indie scene on your back for the better part of five years, It’s safe to say very few bands could survive the latter two and the pressure that comes with the former. The rest as they say is history but the music will never be. They were the Smiths and they still very much matter.  After all, without them we wouldn’t have been graced with the music of a couple of influential bands in their own right….

Another personal favourite. 

A rumor that The Smiths would reunite for next year’s Coachella event was quickly pronounced untrue by sources close to members of the band. In one word: “Rubbish.”

The Sun released the rumor into the world earlier today, quoting a source as saying: “The split was a messy affair, but time’s a healer.”

It’s no secret that The Smiths are not fond of each other. Drummer Mike Joyce once said:

“I’d rather eat my own testicles than reform The Smiths — and that’s saying something coming from a vegetarian.”

Ouch. These vegetarians, boy, they can be nasty!

It’s too bad. Now that there’s no chance of ever seeing The Clash, I would love to see The Smiths. All involved need to swallow their pride.

The rock icons are “closer than ever” to putting their differences behind them and the Sun reports they may headline California festival Coachella in a one-off show next April.

Members of The Smiths have gone their seperate ways since the split

Singer Morrissey reportedly turned down a £2.8million offer from the festival organisers in 2006 but they have apparently upped the offer massively. Sources say he is now tempted despite vowing repeatedly never to work with guitarist Johnny Marr, bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce ever again.

A source revealed, however: “It has looked impossible in the past but suddenly it all looks like it could happen.

“The buzz around the people who used to work for the band is they could play Coachella for a ludicrous amount of money. It’s closer than it ever has been.

“The split was a messy affair, but time’s a healer.”

Former MCA records boss Irving Azoff is being credited with persuading the legendary band to consider a comeback.

Earlier this year Morrissey hired Azoff as his manager and he is rumoured to be tempting him to reunite with The Smiths.

The Smiths were alternative rock gods for five years until Marr quit in 1987. Then ten years ago Joyce successfully sued song-writers Morrissey and Marr for unpaid royalties.

Morrissey famously said: “I’d rather eat my own testicles than reform The Smiths — and that’s saying something coming from a vegetarian.”

In the past week, however, Wham!, Justin Timberlake and Elton John have popped up on the playlist. The change may be due to a decline in listening figures and rumours are circulating that the station has new part owners. And we’re not the only one’s wondering what’s going on. A spokesperson from The Revolution admitted to Metro: ‘We don’t know what’s happening.’ This doesn’t bode well, does it?

So the Music in the sun website has gone live, along with the usual MySpace plus Facebook fan and event pages. A few of the acts have caught my eye, and at just £9.50 for a two-day advance ticket, it seems good value.

However, it is frustrating that the line-up doesn’t specify when many of the bands are actually playing over the weekend. The arena performers seem to be better mapped out, but being more of an indie fan, it would be helpful to have a proper running order for the main stage on each day, too. Perhaps nearer the time this information will be made available.

It is good to see some local acts represented on bill. Here are some of the performers I will be looking out for:

Kings Have Long Arms
Described by Wikipedia as ‘rocktronica’, this Sheffield-based act has been around for a few years and collaborated with several well-known musicians including Phil Oakey (the Human League), Mira (Ladytron), Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce (former Smiths), Denise Johnson (A Certain Ratio) and Ray Dorset (Mungo Jerry). The excellent single Big umbrella (featuring Candie Payne) was released at the beginning of the year:

Tiny Dancers
Another Sheffield-based group, this indie-country-rock band signed to Parlophone in 2006 and last summer released their debut album, Free school milk. Their singles have had some airplay and entered the top 40 but they are yet to have a major breakthrough hit. This is the catchy and upbeat I will wait for you:

Levi Roots
If you watch Dragon’s Den, the you will know about Levi Roots’ (real name Keith) appearance in the last series of the show, where he was awarded money to produce Reggae Reggae Sauce. By the looks of things, he was a musician prior to this so he should definitely be considered more than just a novelty at Music in the sun. And if his performance successfully captures any of the charm and charisma that came across on television then we should be in for a treat. This is Reggae reggae sauce (the song) on Dragon’s Den:

Artery
If you listened to the recent BBC Radio 2 documentary in which Jarvis Cocker took listeners on a tour of Sheffield (still available to listen to here) then you would have heard 70s/80s post-punk band Artery being mentioned, as the former Pulp frontman was a big fan. Although they didn’t have any big hits, the band are seen as one of the big influential Sheffield bands from the time and reformed in 2007. This is John Peel’s favourite song, and by far their most well-known track, Into the garden:

The Artery and Tiny Dancers MySpace pages say that they are each playing on 2 August, so hedge your bets it will be the Saturday for those two bands.