"Superduck Day" (2)

Since today is henceforth known as Superduck Day, here comes some very exciting news....

"The Posters Came From The Walls", the film directed by Nick Abrahams and Jeremy Deller about Depeche Mode fans around the world is going to be included in the BFI London Film Festival!!!!



"In Russia, May 9 is Victory Day, a national holiday. It’s also the birthday of Dave Gahan, lead singer with Depeche Mode, and a group of Muscovite fans have declared it Dave Day, gathering together to celebrate the group with homemade banners, mass sing-alongs and club nights. In Russia and countries of the former Soviet Union, the band’s music has been treasured since it was only available on illegal bootlegged cassettes in the 1980s, and it formed the soundtrack of the march toward freedom those countries embarked upon following the fall of the Berlin Wall. This situation is mirrored in Tehran, where fans take huge risks in listening to their music in a country that has banned all Western music since the Cultural Revolution. In Mexico, fans have seized upon religious inferences in the band's work, particularly after an image of the Guadalupe Virgin was used in a tour programme. In the UK, the church of St Edward King and Martyr in Cambridge holds services for goths where they play Depeche Mode records. Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller and collaborator Nicholas Abrahams tell these and other stories of faith and devotion from around the world in this fascinating and inspired documentary about fandom, which is at turns bizarre, funny, sad and often touching. The Festival is delighted to be adding the world premiere of the film to our programme."
Michael Hayden


I am so excited to finally be seeing this! First of all what a great idea for a film, but also it's incredible how HUGE Depeche Mode's effect has been worldwide....

Book early!
Tue 21 October 2008 at 6:30 pm NFT1
http://www.bfi.org.uk/lff/posters_came_walls

Madame xx

"Superduck Day"

An update on Nick Abrahams' Sigur Ros comings and goings.......of course we know him as Superduck, but let's get professional here.....

This Thursday (2nd October), as part of the Concrete and Glass music and art festival they will be running a short loop of "Vid spilum Endalaust" , a film Nick has shot on Super 8 of the band on tour, alongside photographs by Eva Vermandel at the Whitechapel Art Gallery, Whitechapel Road 6.30 - 9.00pm. Vermandel has spent four months with the band during the recording and performing of their latest album. You'll have to wait until November for a proper screening of Nick's film in its entirety but I for one will be nipping down to the Whitechapel pre-George and Dragon for a teaser.....



Madame xx

Can I make a prediction?

Between my sightings at Trannyshack, the George and Dragon and Ponystep during the last week, I predict an autumnal trend.....
goodbye no-make-up-make-up! As I have said before, I love a commitment to a look......






....a fearless attitude toward make-up is essential and I think everyone looks so amazing.....paint the face you want!

Madame x

Notice Anything Different...?

Don't know if you noticed but there's a new acquisition at M.Goldstein's....



The landlord had quite the opposite reaction than we might have expected.......he loves it! Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed Indian god of wisdom, and Goddess Lakshmi, the Hindu deity of wealth and prosperity are in the house! The presence of the giant elephant-head means we're a bit pushed for space and might have to crouch to pass, but wisdom, prosperity and good luck lie in store.....Come and visit, maybe gently touch a tusk for luck......

Madame xx

Isn't this lovely?

I always love to find out more about my ladies - you're all so creative....artistic.....bleeding talented!!!!

I went to see Mehrnoosh's pom-pom-fest (not to belittle a beautiful installation, but I love a pom-pom!) at B store which she did in collaboration with Caroline Smithson - our good friend Fergadelic designed the logo - and might I add they sold every piece! Now she tells me she designed her first ever fashion show during Fashion Week for Basso and Brooke.



That's one of their bonsai prints and she printed a huge backdrop of it....this Soho Madame is always so proud of her girls!

Madame x

I'm still in shock....

......at this amazing painting that Ron English sent over from America to Elms Lesters yesterday!

English is a modern pop-artist. He came to fame through pirating existing billboards, creating public artworks that inspired Shepard Fairey - one of our favourites, see previous Obey posts - amongst others. If you want to find out more go to his website here.

What's really fascinating is he uses his son and daughter as the subjects in his paintings.....
"People sometimes comment on the fact that I don't carry pictures of my kids in my wallet. I don't have to. Everywhere I go, there they are. On gallery walls in London or Japan, on billboards in Spain or New York, on movie screens in Indiana, Ohio or wherever I happen to be traveling. Since birth, they have been the subject of my art, be it paintings, billboards or whatever form my art takes at any given moment. Their participation involved weekly photo shoots that provided me with the raw material for the next week's work. Most recently, I have collected selected paintings of my kids, created over the last 10 years for a new book from 9mm Press titled Son of Pop. It's sort of an oddball family album. My children, Zephyr, 11 and Mars, 8, have been very patient with their artistic dad over the years. While I found posing for relatives' snapshots in my own childhood annoying and pointless, I can only imagine how my kids have felt, having had to dress up as Shriners, clowns or Kiss Kids for their whole lives. I always assumed they were having as much fun as me. It never occurred to me to ask them what they thought. "
...and now here he's done a painting of our kids! I'm speechless!!!!

Madame xx

Ima into this A.P.C.

Ima popped down the other day to have a browse at the new A.P.C. and ended up taking armfuls of the stuff into the dressing room! I'm no Sarah Lee but I snapped her in a few of her favourites. If you haven't been down to see the new collection, this gives you an idea of the goodies.....and another drop next week!










Madame x

Sunday Sunday

I've got a jumble stall at this on Sunday.....worth a look, they don't do them very often and there's lovely cakes, face-painting, good music and bargains galore!

See you there!

Madame x

For those of you who missed....

Ima Doll's amazing performance on Saturday night, and let's face it, you all did......Liza Angst just uploaded this great film....



Go Ima!!!!!!!!!

Thursday Nite...

How quickly these Thursdays roll around!!! Do come down, as always you're all welcome!

Madame xxxx

Recycling...

We had such a social day at M.Goldstein's on Sunday.....Nathaniel's been busy building shelves, utilising packing crates - but not just ANY packing crates!

Jose Parla is in town working on his exhibition at Elm's Lesters. Nathaniel's been assisting him and as they unpacked the huge paintings shipped over from New york, decided he could do some super-cool recycling....

Jose came over to Hackney Road on Sunday to check out the results, and took some really good photos, check out his blog here

In fact check out his website, the exhibition is going to be amazing, it runs at Elms Lesters from 10th October - 8th November.
Jose Parla

Madame xxx

Trannyshack!

Who's coming to see Jeyjon on Wednesday night??!!!

I most certainly am and anyone who wants guestlist please let me know by early Wednesday! This is Jeyjon's post-Dead-or-Alive solo project, he's already making waves in central and South America....let's go down and show our support!!!!

Madame xx

From The Blitz to "Blitz"

From lovely bias cut dress and white seamed stockings on Friday to this....

I truly look like a reject from Blitz circa 1979!!!! I should explain that the theme for Hip Hip on Saturday night was Green, and that they were sponsored by Absinthe.....there was a photographer there and he thought the lighting had gone nuts when he checked my photo! I had to tell him I had green lips by design! So anyway, I don't think I'll be rocking the sprout lips again anytime soon!

But the star of the night was Ima Doll. She did an amazing performance, really powerful, great choice of music, excellent knickers and green latex instead of pasties!





Oh, and also check her out on Showstudio, a beautiful film best watched with the sound down (there's a rather dreary commentary but the filming is exquisite).... research2stripping

Very proud.

Madame xxx

"I always cry at weddings...

...how I love to cry at weddings, I walk into a chapel and get happily hysterical!" in the immortal words of Stubby Kaye! But it's true, I'm a "soggy creep" at weddings! Never been married myself but get me in a church or registry office, a few well chosen words, a look of love and I'm pathetic......especially when it's such a couple of good 'uns like Paul and Caz....

Not only do they look so great together, they're practically perfect in every way! Sarah took these amazing photos.....the weather was photo-perfect, late afternoon autumnal back-lighting is the BEST!

You can see I was moved.....

We had dinner in the French House - which is where they met - and it was beautiful, really intimate and appropriately drunken.....It did rather look like a wartime candlelit dinner! With no conferring, everyone seemed to be dressed in a 1940's-esque manner, lots of three piece suits and braces on the men and beautiful frocks on the women in shades of eau de nil and rose....

Apart from Max in tie-dye of course!!

Beautiful day, wonderful people......Caz n Paul together 4 evah! Love you guys!!!

Madame x

Someone left their shoes......

.....outside the Wapping Project last week. Was a 50 ft Daryl Hannah going to come clumping around the bend in bare feet searching for her stylish accessories?

Even Gwen ran from the scene...

I know, hilarious....this was a sculptural representation of the Zaha Hadid shoes for Melissa, the rubber shoe-making company who are cleaning up on the designer hook-up front. Ima got the Westwood ones, Alex came by the other day in a fierce pair of rubber brogues and the Hadid ones are futuristic amorphous numbers, here's a yellow pair actual size....

And the fashion week party to celebrate them was fantastic! There were huge pieces of machinery, films projected on the walls, surrealist artwork behind curtains and cocktails and canapes a go-go!

Nuno and I had a drift around like we owned the place, particularly since he looked like lord of the manor in his blazer....
The nuttiest part for me was djing atop quite a huge scaffold. I made a glass of wine last the whole two hours, I was so scared of falling off to my death!
Lots of my favourite people were there....


Hannah and I talked eyebrows....

Nuno and I had such fun exploring and kept finding new places to snap each other...

He's my new boyfriend look....


Madame x

Here Beginneth.....

...........the A.P.C. photo-frenzy.....grabbing Sarah by the camera-strap as she strolls by seems to be working a treat!!!!! I only had to draw the shoot to a close because I was feeling slightly compromised in my Victorian urchin A.P.C. boots......you see I'm a madame who likes to give the illusion of stature, and happy as I am to find a flat I like, I felt like i was disappearing into the pavement somewhat...eyes seemed to be boring into me ...."why, she's tiny!!!" they seemed to be saying!!!....or of course it could've all been in my tiny mind!

But enough about me (actually never enough about me!)....here's the best....and more to come next week!





D.I.V.I.N.E.!!!

Madame x

Isis isn't safe....

....with two marauding six year olds in tow! At least not as long as the sculpture exhibit is in the house! Delicate...balanced...wafer-thin shards of mirror and logic-defying neon glow towers which are precariously balanced do not make a perfect playground ......but take a mosey down as we did - even if we made a swift exit on opening night so the creators of these beauties could breathe again!!


Madame x

All New Hotspot!!

This Saturday night i'm spinning at a lovely new venue called The Apothecary on York Way near King's Cross. It's the re-launch of Hip Hip and there'll be a floorshow, including a tantalising striptease by Miss Ima Doll, who regular readers of this blog will be familiar with......although maybe not as familiar as you will be after Saturday night I suggest!



I've got a guestlist so if you're interested let me know in the next couple of days, I'll be sending my list over by Friday....so be quick, it's gonna be a good 'un.....

Madame x

If...

Andy sent me this ridiculous link to a website called "If Celebs moved to Oaklahoma". He also sent me some youtube clips of people tripping up onstage which caused tears to roll down my face with mirth....



I don't know it just tickled me.....I'm so bored of celebrity endorsements, celebrity obsessives, celebrity fashion, celebrity "news", celebrity-based magazines......it was just funny to see Gwen Stefani, Tom Cruise, Jennifer Anniston and others transformed with a little photoshop....

It really is dreadful to laugh at others misfortunes......


I am a very bad person.

Madame x

Bette you'd love to come....

To the George and Dragon on Thursday night! I'm spinning and singing and getting merry like christmas, and I'd love you see you hoo!!!!



Madame x

On Friday Night

The new exhibition at Isis is a bit of a curveball! A sculpture show! Can't wait to see how John has managed to transform the space! I think I'll take a mince down there with the family on Friday night for the private view. Hope to see some of you there, you can't ALL come because there won't be room!


Madame x

The Horse Hospital....

.....is celebrating 15 years of existence!

I was invited to the private view about five minutes before it was due to start so wasn't able to arrange babysitting and missed a great party by all accounts but now I'm over it and I thought I'd give you a nudge in case you didn't know about the Horse Hospital or haven't been, this is a great opportunity to find out what they're all about.

The flyer is self-explanatory, I've never seen so many words on a flyer in my life!!! But it's saved me a job, so get thee to Bloomsbury!!!!

Madame xx

One of my ladies....

...sent me a link to this video by the Wild Beasts. The song's called "Brave Bulging Bouyant Clairvoyants" (!) and it's interesting because the concept is based on a lithograph Escher made in 1956 which remained unfinished due to the maths. The directors have run with the "Droste Effect" and made it move! Pretty impressive......although watching the video all the way through can lead to a slight feeling of queasiness.....

Wild Beasts - Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyants. Dir: OneInThree from OneInThree on Vimeo.
Quite the set of lungs, love a man who can sing falsetto yet serve masculinity!

Madame x

A Perfect End....

The boys went back to school yesterday. Duke came home with a blue card - not a good thing - and a "well done" sticker on his sweatshirt - to counterbalance the blue card perhaps. Joe was covered in yogurt and pronounced himself ill this morning. So none of us is particularly thrilled with the beginning of term.....

The last full day I spent with the boys was Monday. I was predicting a day full of name-tag stitching and gathering of school bits, but then Superduck called on Sunday night with a request for a band of singing children that he could film for his Sigur Ros projections project. A bit of phoning around and we spent a sunny afternoon on Clapham Common with seven lip-synching under 11's! It was fun. We went to the Italian ice cream parlour once everyone had given their all and then the kids had a bit of a climb all over the bandstand.....

Lovely, unexpected day out...and if the Super 8 turns out as planned we'll all be going to see their little faces behind the band in November at Alexander Palace.

The holiday ended quite beautifully actually. I drove down to Herne Bay for the last weekend where the boys were already, and while London suffered drizzle, we basked in Kent's micro-climate.


Between going to Gosport and Herne Bay, the boys probably spent about a week in London tops this summer, I'm really pleased, they look brown and healthy, had space to run around, messed around in the sea, on the sea....they seem to have grown about two inches, both schooldays I put Duke's uniform trousers on and they're whipping around his ankles! Even though we didn't go abroad or anything I feel rested after the summer for the first time since they were born!

Still, wish we could squeeze a couple more weeks of summer out....I'm not mentally ready for this jumper....

Madame xxx