Being Johnny Ramone

I love it when you accidentally stumble on an idea.

I found these all on FlickR. Just typing in one subject, and seeing what it brings. When you've cleared the obvious and dross of an idea, these were the more interesting pictures surrounding the search. I'm sure I've got one to contribute, but I'll have to go and find it (maybe I'll post later).
Photo by 'girl with the golden gun'

I love this photo, because you rarely see JohnnyRamone in a candid shot, he was immensely professional, and knew image was everything. He was a big horror flick fan, so I'm presuming this was taken at a horror fair (where I bumped into him once), as the ladies in question are actresses of this genre. Photo by Eddie Mika
A more interesting take on the Ramones cartoon image. Just cute. Photo by Cusco.

This is an insight to the Ramones before the show from the bassist's perspective. Alas Johnny has his back to us.

I love this photo it was taken on an Kodak Instamatic. A classic shot of 1979. Focus on the stylish guy on your left and the guy between Johnny and the fan (it's Monte Melnick - loving the face). Photo by EFSB.

We think this guy looks a little like the creepy coupe from the Wacky Races.

A sad day for Weston

A sad day indeed for us who have many memories at Weston 'Grand Pier'.

I have spent much of my childhood in Weston, and many hours nagging my poor parents to give me money so I could go on the helter skelter, or penny slides. A couple of summers ago I revisited the same amusements and felt like I was '5' again. We still go to Weston regularly, as the pooches love to run the length of the beach (the banner photo was taken there).

If you have ever visited Brighton and seen the demise of one of their beloved piers, you just hope that this will never happen to Weston.
photo by G Bloomfield

Mighty Boosh Festival

A wonderfully insane weekend. Dolly Parton on Friday night (who was fantastic - well she would be). And on Saturday screaming down to Kent at 85 mph to catch Peaches, Gary Numan, Har Mar Superstar, Jarvis and Robots in Disguise booshing it up at the Hop Farm with the Boosh boys at the end of the night. Fantastic!

Vince Noir and Howard Moon

(BTW, Mini-Howard is not my son who I have hidden away from you for the past 6 years!, he was with his father who was dressed as Bolo the Gorilla)

Lucha at the Expo

So pleased to see my little Lucky Lucha's arrive safely for the exhibition 'Crammed Organisms'. (He's on the right hand side next to the orange cat geezer.

To see the rest of the exhibition and all the good works they did, check out their FlickR pix.

BooshFest

Yay! Heading off to the BooshFest in Kent - A festival entirely devoted to the wonderful world of the Boosh. For one day only you can be 'the hitcher' or 'old greg' with his mangina (euuyueck). I think this is the first festival I've been to where it's entirely devoted to one idea, which everyone buys into (does going to a Wurzels gig count?).

So in short, with 3 weeks to go, and in my true Virgo way, I have a lot of research to do to find my outfit which involves watching DVD's - oh the hardship.

I've currently whittled it down to a 'zoo keeper' from the 1st series, an outfit involving a lot of silver, but with my figure I don't think this will be doing me any favours. Or a Mod Wolf. Any suggestions grateful received.

Naboo : "don't mess with the occult"
Noel: "I thought it was good for you!"
Naboo: "No, that's Yakult"

Crammed Organisms

Hard at work - ready to ship!

Manchester

When I picked up my camera recently and saw on my viewer lots of lovely graff pix from Manchester, I realised I haven’t blogged in a while.

We’ve been to London, Manchester and 2 art exhibs (both on the same night) in the last month, so I though I’d start with a run down of the Manchester trip as it was the most photogenic.


Lovely Matthew Williamson at the Urbis.

Tado!

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We stayed in the very centrally based Travelodge, which was not bad at all for the money. When we got there, we were met by a large bunch of jazz musicians, and this was apparent by the heavy rimmed glasses, jaunty caps, and dashing little beardies. I was super curious to see who they were, and finally found out when I turned on to BBC2 last night to watch 'Later' and was greeted by Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings (the guys who helped Mark Ronson with his 'sound' - the Dap Kings have been hired for Amy's album and 'Version' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharon_Jones_&_The_Dap-Kings). I screamed down the phone to my better half, who I was on the phone to at the time, those were the guys in the Travelodge! Shame to the promotor of the tour who lazily stuck them in minimal hotel splendour!

David Wilkie, what more can I say!

Inner city Manchester.

And these guys were just 'Non-Stop'

Most adorable 'big breakfast establishment'.

Crammed Organisms - Exhibition

Text to follow!

Massive Attack - Meltdown @ SouthBank Centre

It's getting closer....We're excited!

We love Grant and Delj. Meltdown should be more than a music festival, and hopefully very visual. I can't wait to hear who's playing on Sunday.If you live in Bristol you'll encounter Massive Attack in one form or another, whether you see Grant driving around in his Westfalia VW or DJing at a venue in the city. If you keep your eyes open, they're very much part of the city I've been part of too, and they're never predictable and corporate.

My first big gig thing with them was I think in '94 at Ashton Court house, where you were greeted by a 5ft model of 'EuroChild' in all it's vinyl glory, and you then had a choice of going to the chill out room, where Grant was DJing or going to another room where there was a buffet (complete with vol-au-vents and things on sticks). It was a pretty strange gig, but at least it was memorable.

Roll on Sunday!

Spring-ey, Summer-ey Happy List

With Spring comes renewed interest in doing happy, summery things (it’s sort of like a New Year’s resolution list, but in April - here’s my list)

- give up my morning coffee which has 2 sugars in it – (replaced with lemon & honey teabags)

- cycle to work (which is getting to be a 2-3 day a week thing)

- Sort my blondish hair out (it’s got weird dark blonde stripes in it – I have such a love/hate relationship with it)

- Not spend so much money on buying lunch

- Draw something, anything every day, instead of reading about it – (it’s more like 2-3 times a week – I painted some mini Marshall amps the other day)

- Start a blog about famous Jack Russells (a Heat magazine blog for Dxtr and Dsy)

It's sunny, it's spring!

Lovely Ashton Court with the lovely Miss Daisy.

Weather's been a little weird at the moment, but it seems to be predominantly sunny (freezing as well), but this means very happy poochs.

Smorkin' Labbit - Kozik

I sooooo want this. Kozik is still producing fabulous toy-related artifacts even though he's changed direction in his work. The smokin' rabbit still lives on in this stool.




Get your smorkin' labbit sit-ey down thing here from KidRobot for $1000.

Loving the Etsy - Ramones Window Shades

I love Etsy, it brings together creative peoples mad ideas and finds homes for them all over the world.
I particularly like this little find. They also do Johnny and June Cash! (cute Boston Terrier too!)

The Seller is Drinkanddream.

Miss Nonchalant Daisy

Princess Daisy (as she is occasionally known) has expensive tastes.

Carnivale

I've become addicted to box sets - curse those HBO people for making damn fine TV. I started watching Six Feet Under before Christmas, and recently finished the final series (six). I felt bereft without the Fisher and Diaz family. So to fill the gap, I heard about 'Carnivale'. It had a fabulous old Americana 'washed out colour' sort of feel to it. And, although it is not the most gripping series, there is a certain charm to it, you care about the characters, and the visual aspect to it is wonderful. I can't wait for series two!

Truffles - ymmm

I love cute food stuffs (see previous posts about pretty cakes), and I came across these babies.

You can buy them here http://www.sailorjerry.com/detail.php?i=741&more=359

Zaha Hadid exhibition at Design Museum

And these are a few of my favourite things...(from 2007)

Here's my Top 5 lists of some fab things about 2007.

Films
1. The science of sleep
2. The last king of Scotland
3. The lives of others
4. 2 days in paris
5. Eagle vs shark / Pan’s Labyrinth

This year was a great for little indie films. I think we saw most of the films in Jan/Feb, and found the rest of the year didn’t have anything better to offer.

Music
1. UNKLE – War Stories
2. Raising Sand – Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
3. Bjork - Volta
4. Rufus Wainwright – Release the Stars

I found I haven’t really listened to a lot of new music this year, hence I can’t even think of a 5th album. The UNKLE album was a bit of a grower, and the last two had sparkling moments, but certainly weren’t great albums. The only thing that really knocked me out was the production on the Robert & Alison album. T Bone Burnett has done a cracking job (Gone, gone gone and Rich Woman are fabulous).
For 2008 I’m really looking forward to new albums by Portishead, Isobel and Mark Lanegan, Madonna and Courtney Love.

Food
1. Café Meitreya
2. Teoh’s
3. Pieminster

Books/Magazines
1. Bust
2. Fingerprint – the art of using handmade elements
3. Design it yourself – ellen lupton
4. The crafter culture – amy spencer
5. Fashion market 1 (Japanese book about London indie crafty businesses)
6. Craft Magazine – a cute A5 US publication. It even had an article on Phranc (lesbian folk artist from the 80’s) who makes everyday objects out of paper (shirts, boots).

Gigs
1. Bjork doing ‘declare independence’ at Glastonbury with all the flags waving.
2. Jarvis Cocker – Electric Picnic singing ‘boys are back in town’ to Phil Lynott’s home crowd.
3. Gossip – Glastonbury. This was the final gig of the whole Standing in mud all day and Beth Ditto showing us how amazing her voice is, and stage diving into the crowd.
4. Courtney Love’s birthday gig – mad, bad and dangerous to encounter.
5. Portishead’s acoustic thing at Mr Wolf and them doing new songs at Butlins.
6. Beastie Boys doing ‘Sabotage’ twice at their multi-gigged time at the Electric Picnic in Ireland.

RIP
Miss Isabella Blow (the fashion business is a poorer place without your eccentricity)

(c) David Lachapelle

Which modern bombshell am I?

You Are Most Like Liv Tyler

“I don't want to spend so much time obsessing about myself.”

What Modern Bombshell Are You Most Like?

Boo Hiss to the rain

Here at pooch villas, we don't like the cold and the rain. So we're staying in our duvets. In Daisy's case - literally in the duvet.

Electric Picnic - Ireland

I apologise profusely for slacking on the blog front. It's been a very busy September, and I realised I didn't get to share my experience of the wonderful Electric Picnic festival which was just outside of Dublin (it's the one I went to last year).

It's a much happier festival than Glastonbury, and the quality of the bands they get always amazes me. Lost Vagueness appear, and this year they had a mini graphics festival with some of my favourite graphicy-designery people giving talks (Ben Drury, Tim Biskup, Jon Burgerman). Here's a taster of the festival in picture format.

The wonderfully smiley Jon Burgerman drawing me in cartoon form!

Lost Vagueness
The very colourful and wonderful Ms Bjork

Beastie Girl
And Beastie Boys!
UNKLE

Just a happy pic of Miss Daisy

This was taken on one of the few days of sunny summerness this year.



For the rest of the time she took to driving.