Miss Prince?

The double meaning in the post title is deliberate. In the mid seventies I got an album "The Book of Invasions" by Horslips. That album didn't leave the turntable for two weeks, and it kept all my other music off the record player. This was before I had a walkman so music wasn't really that portable, but if I had had one that would have been taped and on continuous play.

I wrote about "Dirty Computer" two posts back in my PAINT DRAW WRITE post about my friend Nicky's Event Exhibition.

This week I took delivery of "Dirty Computer" by Janelle Monae and I have been impressed by here previous output and to be quite honest this is more of the same, except even better. The opener , the title track fades far too soon and is a surprising duet with Brian Wilson supplying heavenly backing.

Every song you want to keep playing but when the next one starts you know you want to hear that.

A lot of this is in a similar realm to Prince so if you miss Prince Janelle can be your Miss Prince , but for me she is Janelle Mae and amazing visionary artings.

Song like "Pynk" and Screwed are pure single entendre but absolutelty great songs. "Make Me Feel" is "Kiss" rebuilt and reimagined by Janelle.

Today I watched the"Dirty Comuter [Emotion Picture]" which is a film to accompany the album and features all the music from the album and is very impressive, very female power orientated and with impressive setting and some great American calssic style hover cars in the "Pynk" and "Crazy,Classic Life" sections and there is a a wonderful line:

"Mansplaining - I fold 'em like origami"

I know my friend Craig Puranen Wilson / Sheena Revolta would have loved this, but we said farewell yesterday.

Watch this film, it is 45 minutes but you will want to watch it again and then get the album. I really need to listen to something else but at the moment this will not move from my player. I think you may find the same.

SHEENA IS A PUNK ROCKER

Probably the main reason for writing on this blog is as a diary so I can record things that happen and that I want to remember.

Although I have written one post about our great friend and inspiration Craig Puranen Wilson here I want to record some memories from what was a wonderful day today. I reconnected with Bethany, Andrew and Katie and and hugged Krista for the first time since Craig left us. I hadn't intened to write this but part of me wanted to remember today permanently.

I came with Ange and Andrew and we were not sure if we wald all fit into the Chapel for the service. We did do and I didn't get to meet up with Sophia and Nicky but shared hugs with Jon, Hedley and Bethany remembering why we were there.

It was a humanist celebration of Craig's life and his achievements including books, bands, music and travel and his work with the Comfrey Project that helps refugees and asylum seekers, and if you want to help visit their site for more information. There was a collection box at the service so Craig and Krista are still helping.

There were emotional readings and Bethany sang two songs beautifully, "Wild is the Wind" and "Jerusalem", accompanied by Kit Haigh (Thanks Jon and see his Art installation at Art In The Barn) which garnered emotional responses.

There were tributes and readings and at the end the Ramone's "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker" was played and the congregation joined in very vocally before finishing with tumultuous applause.

After saying goodbyes we met up at the Cumberland Arms although I couldn't see anyone I definitely knew until I spotted Jon Lee's pink "Hello Kitty" socks, and realse Hedley and Jon were there along with Andrew and Michael.

A beautifully emotional ceremony and was so happy to see Krista laughing at the end as we all sang Sheena out.

I just felt I had to write this down. If anyone wants their name removing let me know, but it's a small way of remembering what happened on the day we said goodbye to someone who will never be forgotten.

PAINT DRAW WRITE

Last night I went to the opening of PAINT DRAW WRITE an exhibition and event  which the first solo one by by friend Nicola bringing together elements of words, poetry , art and photography with live readings by people including a poet I met and chatted to Richard , and the excellent Arch 16 Cafe.

This is the intro written by Nicola to gove you and idea, but the exhibition is running til the 20th June so there is plenty of time for you to vist:

"Paint Draw Write....is an exhibition of pictures and poems celebrating the way in which people express their innermost selves via the creative arts."

 I loved being able to walk round enjoying the images and spending time reading the words on the wall and will no doubt drop in again to take in the experience once more.

It also brought a lot of people together to see something new, I was talking to a skateboarder when I got there and found out that they have skateboard themed gathering.s

The Arch 16 space is airy and open and ideal for this sort of exhibition, there is space to show images and I did take a quick instagram video which is here. 

I was decided to write a Haiku for this to keep in the spirit of the event:

Paint, Write, Draw, Enjoy

Create, Share and Experience

You Know It Makes Sense 

Nicola worked with my friend Craig who we say farewell to today (my tribute is here  and here is a post which touched on one of his great exhibition which he colloboarated with Nicola on), and this os just one example of his insrirational legacy., and I am looking forward to many more.

While there I was talking with Richard about the brilliant new Janelle Monae album, and the song "Make Me Feel" which reminds me so much of Prince's "Kiss" so that is the song I will use for this post because thais whole thing made me feel great. I've also included the Dirty Computer Emotion Picture a 45 minute video to accompany the album, well worth taking your time to watch.


 

In Loving Memory

This is difficult to write although in some ways it isn't . Today we all lost a wonderful personal friend who inspired us, loved us, made us laugh, made us feel included, made us feel wanted, fought injustice and was anything but average. Where he was Craig Puranen Wilson or she was Sheena Revolta we we always in wonderful company.

A fan of great music, grat films , great art, and well as a creator in most art genres. Most people have been far more eloquent than I but Craig and Sheena will always be with me, from the number of times I saw Women in Revolt to sharing coffee or a drink in town or watching trashy films you alway were part of the gang.

Craing and Sheena organised events that you wanted to go to and was instrumental in the resurrection of The Star And Shadow.

I'm sorry I can't speak but you will alway be an inspiration to us all on how life should be lived.

A BIG THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING CRAIG AND SHEENA.

We must keep all the thing that Sheen helped start such as Mondo Weirdo, the happenings , the gatherings keep going in the spirit of Sheena.

And this is my 100th Post this year, is that a coincidence.

Keep on keeping on

Sounds,Pictures and Letters

I've just finished Alexei Sayle's "The Weeping Women's Hotel" and must say that the title is probably opne of the biggest McGuffins I've ever come across. This isn't a put down of the book, becouse the title is where it starts and then you har pushed back into the story of how the protagonist got there, and are soon into a completely different place. While the situation is fairly ordinary , the way that Alexei Sayle presents it keeps your attention and wanting to find what happens next and when you end up where you started it almost comes as a shock, although it shouldn't be. I am really glad I picked it up and thoroughly enjoyed it and think you will too.

I'm just listening to 6Music and have just heard that Alexei Sayle is DJing on there tomorrow afternoon, another coincidence in the tapestry of life.

I'.m now reading "David Bowie: A Life" by Dylan Jones , ex Loaded editor and a birthday present from Fiona and it's a fairly hefty volume , and I was worried I already had a copy but was getting it mixed up with the Paul Morley biography. As Jones says Bowie's departure has unleashed a tsunami of books. While it still has to really grab me there's a couple of bits that caught my attention.

When Bowie's death was announced he was covering a mens fashion event and as the news spread he said everyone was in tears. Part of me railed against this, thinking most of those people probably would even know the title of a song (Q:"What's your favourite song on the album" A:"Track 4", that answer is only acceptable for Blur's "Song 2" and Scott Walker's "Track 3" and "Track 5") , but Bowie himself was a fashion icon and everyone has a different take on everything.

In th eintroduction to the book, Jones tells how he ws talking to his dad about the book, saying how when he first saw Bowie on Top of the Pops with his orange hair and rainbow body suit, he was totally hooked. His dad's reply was a killer. "You know we only had a black and white telly". That gem made sure that I will read the book , I am expecting more.

Anyway after the number of bland albums I've chosen over the last few days, I decided to play it safe with Halm Man Half Biscuit's "Cammell Laird Social Club" which I managed to mix up with "McIntyre Tradmore and Davitt" and was rewarded with song after brilliant song which also brough a lot of smiles to my face, such as "The Referee's Alphabet" the night after the pedestrian torpor of the England match at Wembley.

Last night  I was privileged to attend my friend Sheena Revolta's "Garageland" photographic exhibititin in Arch Sixteen, with Lady Annabella looking lovely and DJing opening with the excellent "Rumble" Link Wray. I don't think Arch Sixteen has ever had so many people in (it is a lovely place just over the High Level Bridge in Gateshead) just showing the love that her fans have for Sheena's work. Most of the photos are black and white and are beautifully presented. The exhibition is on for a couple of weeks so get yourself along there and enjoy a visual feast.

So what song to choose, I am torn between a Half Man Half Biscuit song and something to celebrate "Garageland" and trying to think of someting that will merge the two, but I think "27 Yards of Dental Floss" will be just fine, have a brilliant Saturday.