This site shall not be getting updated anymore, so head on over there

A major key to the exhibition is its interactivity, with visitors actually affecting its nature, and becoming part of the work.

Damavand Mountain is a three-screen video installation, created as a response to the time Wallworth spent in Iran in 2004. A series of beautiful images far removed from the news bulletins normally associated with the region, slowly morph on the screens -sitting to view the piece is a haunting, yet calming experience.

In another work, Invisible by Night, we encounter an eerie image of a woman. She holds out her hand, beckoning towards us and if the viewer responds by placing their hand onto the glass, she makes eye contact with us, in a chilling exchange.

However, a work, called Hold: Vessel 1 is perhaps the most successful in the exhibition. In this piece, films of images varying from microscopic creatures to expansive galaxies are projected down towards the floor. Visitors are invited to take a bowl into the darkened space and ‘catch’ the images, by holding it underneath the projection.

The work is extremely powerful, with strength of image and sound combining to deliver an intense experience.

Describing the piece, Wallworth said: “I like the idea that the bowls can be shared and handed from person to person. It reflects the fact that we are all responsible for the environment and what happens to the seas and oceans.”

Lynette Wallworth is on display at the National Glass Centre until 17 June.

 

An exhibtion of new work by Australian artist Lynette Wallworth will be opening at National Glass Centre, Sunderland this Saturday. Wallworth is displaying installation based work following her residency at National Glass Centre last year.

 Lynette Wallworth’s practice spans video installation, photography and short film. This exhibition brings together three works that employ glass as both an interface for intimate interaction as well as surface for projected imagery across these mediums. The artist describes her intention as ‘bringing together technological advances and ancient understandings, new media and old practices, electronics and the electricity of human touch’.

Wallworth’s work is about the relationship between ourselves and nature, about how we are made up of our physical and biological environments, even as we re-make the world through our activities.

She creates immersive environments which offer a tactile gateway and often rely on activation or participation from the visitor; the interplay between moving image, sound, space and visitor is central to her work.

For more information, go to the National Glass Centre website. Expect a full review by perimeter in the next couple of days.

The East Durham Artists Network’s current exhibtion, EDAN@theOGDEN, has been extended until 30 March, giving you all a final chance to go and see the work on display. The exhibtion consists of a range of two and three dimensional artworks in a variety of media themed on the artist’s response to the Ogden Centre and science in general. It is on display at the OGDEN Centre, part of Durham University’s department of Physics.

More information about the East Durham Artists Network can be found here: EDAN website 

Directions to the OGDEN Centre can be found here: Directions to OGDEN Centre

It’s been pretty good going for SHITDISCO recently. With their debut album being released on the 16^th April and them gracing the doors of THE CLUNY on the 19^th, we just had to have a chat.

So, PERIMETER managed to grab hold of JOE REEVES and ask him just what was happening with the band at the moment.

Hey Joe, firstly let’s talk about the album coming out. Did you have any trouble writing it or has it been pretty smooth sailing?
Well, the writing process was one of the best parts, really. Half of the songs on the album, like ‘Disco Blood’, ‘I Know Kung Fu’ and ‘OK’ are songs we’ve played for about a year, and the others, such as ’72 Virgins’ and ‘Fear of The Future’ are brand new songs part-written in the studio. Having all been to art school, we found that process really fun because it brought creativity right back into the equation without getting too “muso“. The older songs were formed differently – played at live at gigs and at parties – they were catered more to the audience reaction.

So have you been playing many of the album tracks in recent gigs?
Yeah, all of them. It’s been great seeing them transform from an idea in the studio and then to hear them after the gestation period, through a huge P.A. It’s an amazing feeling…. especially when the audience reciprocates it.

And how have they been received, have you had much feedback so far?
Amazingly, they’ve been a success so far. Generally, an audience will latch onto the songs they know, like the singles for example, but I think the release of the album will consolidate the newer songs. Personally, it’s always good to hear ‘that’ song you heard on the radio or you discovered, and I think that’s why we understand that. However, a fundamental part of our writing process is related to how the audience relate to, and interact with the songs. If they dance – it stays!

Your band is getting quite a reputation for its live performances – do you still recommend experiencing SHITDISCO at a gig, or do you think that the album manages to reflect this major aspect of your music?
Yeah, completely. I think the involvement of Luke Smith as producer has been a massive help. He helped us work both structurally and creatively with the new and old songs, whilst trying to retain the energy of the live show. We got into some strange situations once inside the studio, Joel played a guitar part completely upside-down, once suspended from a chair and another time held on from my shoulders. Another instance was when we decided to move into his house and record some vocals in his bedroom. Because we left the studio, there was a complete sense of abandon and were we able to loosen up and sing the song as if it was live. Generally speaking, I couldn’t be happier with the album as it is.

And which tracks are you happiest with?
The new versions of ‘Disco Blood’ & ‘Kung Fu’ are much more fierce and vibrant. The ones released on the first single were always under par as far as we were concerned so it was great to re-work them and to have them realized to what we saw as their full potential. Also, there are the new songs on the record, particularly ‘Dream of Infinity’, ‘Fear of The Future’ and ’3D Sex Show’. They show a darker side to our song writing both lyrically and musically. So how’s the tour been going?
I love it! It’s amazing to see how different audiences react. The best part of being in a band is being able to travel around the world and for it to be part of a project that originated at art school. We never expected to go to Thailand, USA and Europe on in a band called SHITDISCO…. A constant amazement to all of us!And have you had much time to do anything else?
Not really, it’s more than a full time occupation. You work both day and night doing the physical things such as performing and interviews, but then there’s the creative part such as writing. Beyond that, I’ve also been involved in the design process for the album cover and website. As I said earlier, the design process interests all of us especially after art school and an interest in design.So what about the summer? Are you intending to do the festivals?
Yeah, I reckon it’ll be a big summer for us this year. The festivals were al brilliant last year, particularly Leeds & Reading. We’re doing Glastonbury this year too. Can’t wait. Also there’s European festivals, like Benicassim and Sonar in Spain plus some others on the horizon.

Any stand out moments for you on the last tour?
Too many. All our tours seem to go awry from the moment we leave. I think it’s the inclusion of parties within the structured tour. We toured Europe in January and we played the last show in Frankfurt, Germany. It was a party held by Vice magazine. It was in the old police headquarters of Frankfurt. We arrived and half the building, all the old prison cells, were full of skaters jumping down staircases. We playing in what I think was perhaps the old court room. Before we even got onstage There was dozens of crowdsurfers, beer all over the floor and the walls and everyone was having a really good time. No violence or anything. Then we played, and the crowd went wild. Legs up at the height of other peoples faces and liquid and chairs flying through the air. Almost an identical recreation of the parties we used to have in 61 in Glasgow.

Also, the house party in Leeds this week was incredible. It’s quite a strange phenomenon to let a band turn up and play their songs live in your living room. It’s like having your own club night, in your house, with your rules (or not), on your terms, but it’s also a completely new thing too. We brought some lasers and smoke machines along. We recorded it for Channel 4, and you really have to see the footage. It’s insane. It could be from a night at Optimo or Trash – absolutely amazing.

With live music going fucking mental at the moment are there any bands that really stand out for you? When you’ve got the chance, which gigs will you be going to? – Which tracks have you been listening to?
There’s loads of new stuff at the moment. In Glasgow, there’s Haunted House who played their first show in Darren’s living room. They’re like a homemade bedroom version of Daft Punk. Also, Gay Against You. They really must be seen to be believed, they play “casio-core” performance glitchy dance music wearing anything from tennis skirts to bear costumes.Beyond Scotland, we’re also big fans of To My Boy, from Liverpool & and a great band called Mit from Cologne. Loads of French stuff on the Ed Banger and Instittubes labels, like Justice, Para One, Kavinsky and Uffie. Tracks like ‘Waters of Nazareth’ (JUSTICE) and ‘Testarossa Autodrive’ (KAVINSKY), ‘Sorry’ (YUKSEK) or something like ‘Good book’ (MIT) or ‘Europoof’ (HAUNTED HOUSE). We’re also huge fans of stuff like Soulwax (INTEVERSIONS) & Bodyrox – always played when we DJ.

Look out!

Oh… and one final question – what’s next?
We’re looking into the logistics of air-dropping ecstasy into the middle-east. Get the warring factions loved-up then play the first acid-rave in Jerusalem. A small ambition.

SHITDISCO are playing The Cluny on April 19^th alongside MOIRA STEWART and TO MY BOY

Bergholzli, an exhibition of work by Nadia Hebson, will be on display at Vane Contemporary Art, Thursday 8 – Saturday 31 March.

The preview is Wednesday 7 March, 6-8pm

Expect a Full review to be posted here very shortly.

For more information, go to www.vane.org.uk

Get queuing kiddies!!!

Nothing has been officially confirmed yet, but if it’s the same deal as their other recent secret shows then it will probably be announced tomorrow (Monday) with tickets going on sale from the Town Hall box office at midday on Tuesday.

If you want to get tickets, however, you’ll have to queue early!!!!

Remember, you heard it here first!!

With the Guillemots set to perform at Newcastle Academy this evening, DAVY SMITH took a few minutes from the band’s busy schedule to speak to lead singer, Fyfe Dangerfield.

The Guillemots are very much a band to be looking out for. With their debut album, Through the Windowpane, being nominated for a Mercury Music Prize, they certainly had a successful 2006.

I managed to catch Fyfe while he was on a short break from doing final checks before setting out on the road. Surprisingly, he seemed quite relaxed, assuring me that everything was ready to go. “Well,” he said, ” we’ve just got our final checks to do, but the preparation for the tour has gone really well, we’ve been enjoying rehearsals.”

I asked Fyfe what the band was doing differently on this tour, and he told me excitedly about how they were venturing into new ground. “We’ve written some completely new songs.” He said, “It’s very different from the last set, we’ve developed a lot and with each new tour you can step up things a bit.”

And with their next album already in the pipeline, Fyfe tells me that it isn’t just the live performances that are rapidly changing. “I’ve already been writing things, but we are getting back in the studio to start our next album properly in March.” He says, “We’re trying out a lot of new stuff. I hope that we develop with each release – we don’t simply want to repeat ourselves.”

I began to wonder if going back into the studio would leave any room for the band to play any of the festivals in the summer, but Fyfe was quick to tell me that they certainly would be. “We will definitely be doing a few festivals, though we’ve got nothing fully confirmed yet.” Fyfe said, ” I am hoping that we will be able to do Glastonbury, especially now that Bjork is rumoured to be playing.”

Fyfe was happy that the band was able to have a rest at the end of last year after a massive amount of gigs. I thought, however, that out of all of the performances the band did last year, there must have been something that stood out. “Our best gig of last year, hmmm”, he ponders, ” well, I thought that T in the park was really exciting. We didn’t expect that many people to be there. The tent that we were playing is was full to capacity, there must have been around seven thousand people and the atmosphere was fantastic.”

With live music going through a renaissance at the moment, there are a lot of bands that are currently on the scene. I asked Fyfe who he was listening to. “There’s a load of good bands around at the moment, but Larrikin love and the Noisettes are fantastic.” He adds, “If you can get a chance to see the Noisettes live I would definitely recommend it”.

The latest single, Annie, Let’s Not Wait, was released on January 15, coming in at 27 in the UK charts. Fyfe was more excited, however, about the amount of airplay that it had generated. “I’m glad about how well the new single has been received.” He says, “It got a lot of radio play and was put onto the play list at radio 2. Most of the regional stations also picked up on it.”

The Guillemots have spent a lot of time supporting other acts. Most recently they supported the Scissor Sisters, who have gone on to achieve global success. However, Fyfe is quick to add that they are still completely down to earth. “It was really good touring with the scissor sisters – they’re a good band – really good pop music. It was Jake that asked us to do the tour in the first place. He was really enthusiastic about it, a great guy.”

With such a tightly packed schedule, the band won’t have much time to spend in Newcastle, which they are dissapointed about, As Fyfe says: “It’s a shame that the tour is so hectic, because I would like to spend a lot more time looking around the city – I’ve heard from a lot of people that it’s got a good vibe at the moment.”

But even after all of this, the band is definitely all set to play. “I really hope people come along to the gig and enjoy. We are all feeling relaxed after Christmas – we’re all fired up for it.” Fyfe adds, “Dibidim will be support – check them out as well – they’re our friends on Myspace.”