near death experience and chad.

Not really. Although Dylan will probably kill me for selling the story short.

After a good day's browsing at lovely prints and zines at the Salford Zine fair this weekend, I was offered a lift back to wales with my generous friend.
All was well until the tyre blew out about mid-journey. And then we couldnt even change it cos we were too close to the road. DANGER ADVENTURE.
Bit of hilarity really. This sort of thing has a habit of happening to me.
Some good news though - Dyl played me some excellent music en route home. A particular highlight was Chad VanGaalen. Here's a particularly trippy video (All the videos are excellent by the way)

feathers or fingernails?

Pencil.

I was looking at a book about birds in a charity shop today and a fingernail fell out. It was gross, but I sort of liked its perfect curved shape and the mystery - who's was it? The previous owner or a previous browser?

in other news

I paid £15 for these shit photographs for a new provisional; licence - the first machine was so terrible and pixelated they werent even worth using as roaches. Bleurgh.
Oh yeah. I'm going to learn to drive. I need an easier way to escape Bethesda from time to time. Best put the effort in.

November has been a terrible month, as it always is in our household. My aunt died which broke my father and grandmother's hearts, very hard to watch. And then of course two days after this sad news was the 2nd year anniversary of my grandfather's death. Painful for my mam. I was too ill (and if I'm honest too unwelcome) to attend my aunties funeral, and I wasn't even invited to go see my other grandma with her. So instead I went to the pub and drowned my sorrows like a real Briggs does.

It just brought back a lot of bad memories, not only from the last 2 years but from other family deaths which have happened when I was younger. And I live too far away from any of my closest friends now to even be able to talk properly about it, or just get wrecked and forget for a while.

Other bad stuff? Well maybe not as brutal or unchangeable as death but lets see. 

Heartbreak. Absolute depressing time at work. Lost/ stolen bank card (i think stolen personally). One of my best friends has moved away to London. There's lots more little petty ones but they're the major players.

Can't wait for tomorrow when it's all fucking over.

in time for winter

Finally finished my autumnal coloured scarf! 

100% real wool. I really like the colours. I'm a beginner which is why it's a basic stitch but it's so long and so wide that I don't really care. It's also very warm. And one of a kind. And mine.

This is another one I've done. 

This is more wintery in colour, and I really like it because it's like petrol in water - the colours change in different lighting. It's also just as warm, but acrylic - not wool (a lot cheaper though).

The scanner really doesn't give the colours justice but there we go. Next job - mittens.

Cass McCombs - Humor Risk

This man, Cass McCombs, bloody love him and his music. And as he hates the music industry and doing big tours etc etc, I feel blessed to high heaven that I've actually had the opportunity to see him live (this time 3 years ago actually). He's brillo.
When I got the opportunity to get an advanced copy of his new album, Humor Risk, and review it for Waxxx Magazine, obviously I jumped at the chance. Here's what I wrote - although seeing I went over my word-count maybe it got edited down. As long as they kept the score the same I don't care.

Cass McCombs – Humor Risk

As someone who has been a fan of Cass McCombs for many years, I awaited his new album with much anticipation. In fact, scratch that; it was more like full-on, salvating, hysteria. For those unaware of McCombs’ musical genius, let me give you a brief overview; an American singer-songwriter, he is quite unlike the stereotypical confessional and self-obsessed tits who grace most of the radio airwaves. He instead describes the lives and emotions of those around him, with love rather than judgement, and wit rather than despair, all wrapped up in well-crafted and generous songs. Described as “unobtrusively brilliant” by John Peel, or the more punchy “fucking boss” by my usual musical dealer, for a long time he has been a secret pleasure I shared only with my closest friends.

Did I big him up too much? Thankfully the little man from California did not leave me red-faced. The moment opening track Love Thine Enemy began, a humongous grin replaced the nervous grimace I had across my face. Roaring straight into a rhythmic tempo, a deep riff and an infectious melody, here was the promise of an album quite different to its predecessor. McCombs is known to be shy in person and incredibly mistrustful of the music industry, and this was made more apparent in the rather sparse and despairing album Wit’s End. Luckily for us, he has been extremely forth giving in his song-writing this time. Highlights include The Same Thing, Robin Egg Blue and Mystery Mail, all boasting a swift and joyous beat, a base-line to get the most immobile of limbs rocking and melodies to occupy your mind for days on end.

For all the die-hard Cass McCombs fans, or even those who just have one or two of his other albums, this is a return to the music we all know and love (we’ll just discount Wit’s End for now). If this is the first time you’ve ever come across his name, then all I can do is slap you silly and implore that you listen to this album and submerge yourself in auditory nirvana. And then listen to the rest of his discography. Do it.

8.5/10

photoshop lessons

Done this to accompany an article in Waxxx Magazine about how we treat our bits of tech like holy grails, and thus websites like facebook and twitter cause us to create false ideas about what true socialising and friendship really is. Murphs wanted me to draw a rotten apple (after the death Steve Jobs - geddit?) but I sacked it off.

Did not use photoshop because I had a very short deadline and I'm a novice at it. I need lessons - all skills earned at college disappeared ages ago.

In other news I've written another review, and an article (which will appear in a future issue). Dead lucky that Josh and Joe are nice enough to let me ramble on and squiggle in their paper.

inking

Writing

I wrote a music review for Waxxx, a bi-monthly paper/ magazine in the north west. FYI the image isn't mine, I'm just "borrowing":

R Stevie Moore (left) and Ariel Pink (right)

"I’ll be honest; I nearly wetted myself when I heard Ariel Pink was releasing a new single. A collaborative track with lo-fi home recording veteran R Stevie Moore, Dutch Me had all the promise of Pink’s previous freak-folk funk fests with the added maturity of one of the DIY music scene’s heroes. It’s been a long time coming; the pair has been touring the US West Coast for the best part of a year, plenty of time (and talent) to create a fine-wine of a track. Unfortunately instead of a fabulous bouquet, there is a distinct scent of piss in the air. And no, I didn’t lose control of myself.

As a fan of Pink’s song-writing I might have had too great an expectation. His back catalogue is incredibly colourful, and adorned with so much glitter and tinsel that this offering sounds as plain as a brown piece of paper in comparison. No sound clips from porn movies or mental keyboard effects here folks. A shame really as it’s these quirky inserts that added depth to Pink’s songs, offsetting the Glam-rock sound with a darkness which exuded intense psychedelics and extreme sexuality reminiscent of the 60’s and 70’s musical era.

Maybe I’m being too critical. I can’t deny R Stevie Moore his moment of glory as his vocals are incredible. Suddenly the stripped down sound makes so much sense as you can hear Moore’s yearning through his voice, which would no doubt be drowned out had Pink sprinkled his trademark sparkle. I’m not saying that Moore has influenced the track beyond recognition. His drum-machine beat and snare is off-putting but it’s definitely an Ariel Pink track, it still has the Ariel Pink charm; it just sounds a bit like an elaborate joke. It wouldn’t be out of place on a Mighty Boosh episode and it’s not hard to imagine Noel Fielding dancing along to it in a skin-tight outfit, yawning “Dutch me, Dutch me”, acting like a tit. This isn’t the end though. It’s just one track. Frankly, Pink might be crucified for this measly offering, but with news of a new album titled Ku Klux Glam in the offing, no doubt his resurrection will be swift and glorious."

beginnings of things

After looking at old work I decided to start again on multiple mark-making and patterns. These are quick drawings, ideas for a sculpture maybe.

hiya

foxgloves

Polaroid shot i took ages ago of some flowers in the garden. - the film's from the impossible project and alters with time. The photo used to be quite brightly coloured but with minimum definition/ contrast, now  the colours faded but at least you can see the shape of the foxgloves better.

Pretty.

I'm going to get the newer colour shade for my camera next, as it looks brilliant

20p treasure map

my turf

do the math

planning and equations for the childsplay exhibit - not a lot of drawing but a lot of making/ timekeeping.

ideas

more

needles and planning

not a lot of time

fuck you?

gcse math

pythagoras FUCK YOU

capital F

CHILD'S PLAY

This is work I put in an exhibition called Child's Play, set in Spring Bank Mill, Whitworth, Rochdale. It was organised by Lewis Brownlie and Jonny Boxall, included over 30 artists and was opened on July 30th 2011. (I think it's still on for viewing now if you ask very nicely.)
There was no brief so I decided to make something that drew inspiration from the exhibition space itself and the name of the show - I used wool (as the mill used to produce it back int day) to make a large net, which is something I remember hiding behind at my grandmother's house as a child. The language is in reference to my treatment for what I thought was innocent playing.

Size: 8 feet by 6 feet (approx)
Dimensions: variable with space.

More pictures:

ok tra xxxx

suck it

polystyrene and spoon printing

Plate was a piece of polystyrene block, carved with a knife. Inks are infact cheap poster paint as its all I had left at the time. Had to use a spoon to burnish the print on the paper as I don't have a press at home. They're a bit crude but I like the results. Top one's my favourite. I'm not sure you can tell from the photos, but the prints have a lot of texture; I think its a mix of the poly-plate and the paints.

*The imagery is a reflection on my upbringing in a rural environment, mixed in with nightmares I've been having recently.
**Its not about emotional turmoil, sod off.

KLAUS KINSKI

"They make the most unhinged and primal racket that I have ever heard. It's mercurial and surreal: the Birthday Party fronted by a psychotic Spike Milligan [in their own words, "cannibal hymns that smell of old sex"]. If you like your music unstable, bust into a thousand unexpected shapes and ultimately thrilling, this band are for you."

 - Adam Walton (BBC Radio Wales)

Went to college with these lads, seen them live a few times (missed them a few times as well - house parties, got too drunk, I'll stop there). They now reside in Manchester making wonderful, loud, frightful music. They really like horses. They really like eggs. They really like Friends. All of this is relevant.

Recently they've been touring the UK and Germany because apparently no-one will let them play in venues in Manchester anymore. Why? Because they cause riots, a ruckus. FANTASTIC. They truly are energetic, mad, theatrical in their performance. Check them out HERE.

* Just realised my favourite song, "Skelington Horse" isn't on their myspace so you'll just have to try find it somewhere else. I can't really type coherently anymore because I'm listening to "The Penguin (classic rock)" and it's hard to concentrate when your mind is melting.

Here's a link to their German tour diary. RIGHT HERE 

**These polaroids are from a homecoming gig in Rascals, Bangor, North Wales. My camera was almost broken in two whilst dancing/ photographing. The film is by The Impossible Project in silver shade. You only get 8 shots a film, gutted. It's not great but I like the discoloration, and the uncertainty of what you might get. A bit like their music. How fitting.