If you don't know much about this kind of thing (which I still don't but it's kind of fun to dance to) read some of this and then go here and see what you make of it.
So I'm having a shit time at uni. 3 years of being taught how to remove yourself from Art and then be expected to re-engage with it and still produce something entirely subjective and heartfelt is very very difficult and, well, a bit pointless really. All the time in Sheffield, I can only think of my friends and relatives at home who produce work on both sides of this experience and have to say i prefer those who don't have a clue why or how or for whom their work is made, they just make it. That's not to say they're not conscious of their own contexts but...oh anyway, two of these types of people, two of my best friends, Jack and Stu work together in a little fun pop package of good looks and cheerful sounds called Casiokid. I don't have any skills on Ableton but I do have a decent enough eye for a photograph, and as a result I've sort of assumed the role of casual photographer at their gigs. This role is also aided by the fact that i own a 35mm Fisheye Lomo, which makes for really nice atmospheric images of their times on stage, and they seem to like what it comes up with.
Anyway, I heard they were going on tour with some other variations on this computer game-y dance/punk theme (Amy Can Flyy, Henry Homesweet & Shirobon) in mid February, and it just so happened I was going back to uni in Sheffield around that time after a break of megahangouts with my guys at home... I was pretty down about the whole situation. Knowing they were going to be in Manchester soon, so near yet pretty damn well far, I was lying in bed at about 3am and decided to text Jack as a bit of a laugh really, suggesting I could be their tour mascot/photographer/merch girl and hop on at the Roadhouse.
Jack agreed.
Here are some photos of the times we had.
MANCHESTER 15/02/09
Basically the only half-decent shot i got from the Roadhouse gig, as i bought the wrong type of film for the Lomo (much to Stu's slightly condescending amusement) so I had to make do with the digital SLR... DODGE.
After the gig Stu and Dale (sound guy on every level) had to leave tour due to work/uni stuff. So we hung outside the venue for a bit before saying our beautiful melodramatic goodbyes (we'd see them again in Brighton).
In an act of uncharacteristic foresight, Jack had actually booked a room somewhere on the outskirts of the city. Ian (roadie/victim) promptly fell asleep on arrival. Here are the fruits of our labour:
lovely.
DAY 2. Meant meeting the Amy Can Flyy boys and Tom [AKA Homesweet] hopping up front with Jack and me in our van, with Mikey [Shirobon] Ian and two seemingly random girls Jack didn't object to taking in the back, and our small convoy then collectively setting off to Scotland by mid-morning. Didn't quite go to plan. Something about a shop half of them had gone to, and half of us were late getting to. But eventually to two vans were packed with people and instruments and we could got on the behemoth of a journey to Glasgow.
Tommy (tuckered)
This involved the quickest hard shoulder stop ever, everyone piling onto the barrier (that overlooked about a 30ft drop) and my dodging the oncoming traffic while trying to get everyone in shot.
Left to right: Mikey, Jack, Ben, Fuzz, Tom, Chris, Tom, and sadly I can't remember the girls names.
IVORY BLACK'S, GLASGOW 16/02:
We packed up by about 11, once again had to separate 17 year old Shirobon from some suspicious sexual entanglement and found a flat party in someone's halls of residence.
got fucked
found a fake moustache and some glasses
and generally had fun till about 4am, at which point I decided to sleep in the van and I think we lost A.C.F to the local fried chicken bar. Good times!
Part II coming soon. Featuring The lonely drive back to Yorkshire, N-Trance, and the Streetwise resurrection...
