brogue magazine

BROGUE EST. 2013

Brogue Magazine

Book Four

-Build or Destroy-

“Passion is the bridge that takes you

from pain to change”

-Frida Kahlo

STARRING

The Resonators -Faye Houston

Joanna Nuutinen, Mark Stubbs, Ruby Blu,

Sophie Parkin, Alice Purnell OBE,

Beverley Glick, Tianyi Li

Amon Alt-Jafarbay, Wyvern Lingo,

Tobias Slater-Hunt, Dean Zeus Coleman,

Dize VMD, Yome VMD,

Conrad Armstrong

Alex Fox, Olivia Rosenthal,

Pascal Boucher

Inside cover:

‘Ivory Tower’ Illustration by

Amon Alt-Jafarbay

To stay informed about upcoming issues of Brogue Magazine please

follow us on www.issuu.com, where an on-line version can be viewed

and our social media pages listed below:

www.brogue-magazine.com

www.facebook.com/broguemagazine

Brogue on twitter: @Broguemagazine

Brogue on Instagram: @Broguemagazine

Brogue Magazine

Build or Destroy

Book Four

First Edition

Brogue Magazine

The official Magazine for the International Brogue Collective (I.B.C)

Editor-In-Chief: Spirit de la Mare

CONTENTS

Page 6– About Brogue

Page7– Editor‟s letter

Page 8– Wyvern Lingo

Page 11– Dan Rawlings

Page 16– Resonators, Faye Houston

Page 20– Dize

Page 21– Yome

Page 22– Dean „Zeus‟ Colman

Page 27– Ruby Blu*

Page 34– Olivia Rosenthall on Alex Fox

Page 36– Conrad Armstrong

Page 42– Beverley Glick

Page 45– Alice Purnell OBE

Page 46– Sophie Parkin

Page 48– Tianyi Li

9– Johanna Nuutinen

Page 62– Mark Stubbs

Page 67– Jamie Blackett

Page 68– Tobias Slater-Hunt

Page 76– Amon Alt-Jafarbay

Page 84– Useful links

Page 85– Invitation

Brogue magazine is an alternative, underground arts journal

made up almost entirely of public submissions. We are part

collective, part magazine although we also feature artists out-

side the International Brogue Collective (IBC). The Brogue

collective is currently made up of thirty seven working art-

ists, photographers, poets, authors, musicians and painters,

some of whom are featured within the pages of this issue. We

are constantly collaborating between us and actively encourage

new projects and additions to our troop. If you would like more

information or would like to collaborate with any of our mem-

bers please do get in touch following the contact details be-

low.

Brogue magazine is a bi-monthly publication that is predomi-

nantly viewed on-line. However there are a small number of lim-

ited edition hard copies available for purchase in our pop up

on-line shops and events. (See back of book)

BROGUE

Brogue Magazine was nominated for five Venus Awards this year. The categories are:

Influential Woman of the Year– To our Editor-In-Chief - Spirit de la Mare

Entrepreneur of the Year– Sponsored by British Engineerium -

To our Editor-In-Chief - Spirit de la Mare

New Business Award - Sponsored by Quality Solicitors Howlett Clarke - Brogue Magazine

Home Based Business Award -Brogue Magazine

Green Business Award - Brogue Magazine

Brogue magazine is now a proud finalist in the category - ‘ Business of the year’

The results are to be announced in October at the grand award ceremony.

FOR ALL SUBMISSIONS E-MAIL: [email protected] / ENQUIRIES: [email protected]

EDITOR’S LETTER

SPIRIT DE LA MARE

As usual the past couple of months at Brogue HQ have been extremely busy with

so many exciting new projects, events and future plans.

July saw Brogue Magazine make it through to the finals at the Venus Awards for a

start! We have been invited to the grand ceremony in October where we will find

out if Brogue is „Business of the Year‟. I am so truly honoured that an arts journal

has managed to make such an impact in such a short amount of time. Good luck to

all the other finalists that made it through too. I know how hard it is to build a

business from nothing and have an abundance of respect for everyone involved.

I am also delighted to announce that due to Brogue‟s continual growth and expan-

sion we have now moved to London. It feels great to be back in my hometown and

be so close to so many more creative individuals. We will be hosting regular par-

ties to announce the theme of the next issue at Vout-O-Reenees; a stunning private

members club “for the surrealistically distinguished”- Sophie Parkin has kindly

offered to open the doors to Brogue‟s readers on event nights.

The first of many incredible events will start with „Decadence and Menace‟ - The

London Launch party. There will be fantastic costumes, live performances, spoken

word, art, a chance to meet some of the contributors, an incredible raffle and much

more. We have been inundated with give-aways- everything from music to jewel-

lery. I hope you can all make it.

I would also like to thank Sasha Glynn for her continual support.

Read on Brogue Army.

Spirit. 7.

WYVERN LINGO

For the past decade, Karen Cowley, Saoirse

Duane and Caoimhe Barry, all multi-

instrumentalists and acclaimed vocalists,

have made names for themselves as being the

“go-to” session musicians/vocalists in Ire-

land. Racking up credits with acts like

Hozier, Zaska, Samuel Vas-Y and Trinity Or-

chestra - It’s hard to believe that this

trio of musicians has an average age of

just 22 years-old.

Despite stints performing alongside some of

Ireland’s top acts, viewing critics and

fans agree that when Karen, Saoirse and

Caoimhe are together, they are a musical

force to be reckoned with; proving that

there is no substitute for experience. The

band’s perfect synchronicity and angelic

harmonies are a product of a long standing

musical relationship which they have honed

since their school days in Bray, Co Wick-

low.

Since those formative years, WYVERN LINGO

have graduated to a new level of maturity

BROGUE PRESENTS

EP RELEASE

WORDS BY JANE CASEY

8

within their song-writing. The girls admit

to taking inspiration from all genres and

consider their tastes to be multi-

generational. From Fleetwood Mac to the Fu-

gees these are three young women with a mu-

sical prowess and knowledge far beyond

their years.

Known for their soulful, passionate and

somewhat emotional live shows, Wyvern Lingo

can still get you dancing. With a full band

of keys, guitar, synth bass and drums they

can flip from high energy to heart melting

a cappella in a moment.

While it's hard to pin down these musicians

to a single genre, their brand new EP is a

veritable cocktail of R'n'B hooks, blue-

grass licks, gospel harmonies and insight-

ful-beyond-their-years lyrics.

After two solid years of writing, record-

ing, performing (Groove Festival,

KnockanStockan, Electric Picnic) and making

plenty of mistakes along the way, WYVERN

LINGO are excited to release THE WIDOW

KNOWS EP- August 14th, followed by their

first music video in September 2014.

PHOTOGRAPHY

BOTH PAGES

WYVERN LINGO

BY LAURA B DOYLE

CONTINUED

THIS PAGE

ALBUM ART

“THE WIDOW KNOWS”

BY CAOIMHE BARRY

The Widow Knows is available on Bandcamp, iTunes, Amazon and all CD Baby Outlets

DAN RAWLINGS

INTRODUCING ARTIST

www.danrawlings.wordpress.com 11

Dan is fascinated with the natural environment and the way people inter-

act with it. Most of his work relates to the fractal beauty of nature or

the pragmatism of childhood, that fresh mind-set most of us tend to dis-

card in favour of houses, cars and bank balances.

He creates images that aim to remind people of times when everything was

possible and free, times when climbing a tree, or just sitting admiring

the way it's branches twist and curl seemed more relevant than anything

else going on.

In the past few years he's become obsessed with old tools, scrap metal,

rust and corrosion. Enjoying the way metals are thought of as inde-

structible; they're used for the frameworks of buildings, the bodies of

cars, the hulls of ships and the tools used to make just about everything

else. Yet rust serves to remind us how temporary it all is, like the

weeds growing up through the cracks in an unused car park, rust is slowly

working away reclaiming the land for nature.

„Autumn‟ - by Dan Rawlings

„Rope Swing‟- Dan Rawlings

„New Growth‟ -Dan Rawlings

„Building the Den‟ (1 of 3) - Dan Rawlings

FAYE HOUSTON - PORTRAIT BY RAIMOND KALJULAID/MUA: KATRIN KALMUS/ ASSISTANT:JANE PALM

FAYE HOUSTON RESONATORS

TALKS TO SPIRIT DE LA MARE

Can you tell our readers a bit about how the Resonators

came to be formed and how many of you are there?

Resonators has been going in some shape or form for about seven

years now. The drummer and bassist got things going, and the

rest of us joined along the way. I've been involved for five or so

years. There are nine of us now, one big family!

Brogue has interviewed other bands that quiet enjoy shifting

the line up around as it adds to important variations within

the music. Has the Resonators line-up been the same since

inception?

No, the line up has evolved to what is today; the current line up

has been together for a few years now. It feels more settled now

than it has been the whole time I've been involved with Resona-

tors.

I am told that your home-town is on the south coast in

Brighton- did you all meet in the city?

Basically, yes! A couple of the guys live in London, but we all

came together through Brighton based friendships and musical

connections.

Do you feel that location has any effect on your music style?

I think it can do, we‟re surrounded in Brighton by incredible

producers, DJs and musicians, from all styles and musical back-

grounds. There's so much musical activity going on, plenty to

feed off and be inspired by.

I am told by many of your fans that you are not to be missed

live. Do you find performing live enhances the energy of your

music?

Oh, for sure! It's definitely an intense and wonderful experience

for us when we're on stage together, and we hope our audiences

can feel that too. We don't necessarily try to re-create that vibe in

the studio - it's another world and would be extremely difficult to

do so - but if and when it happens naturally, it's a bonus!

Can an audience make or break a show for you?

It may have done years ago, but the more places we play in the

world, the more we learn about our audiences. Some rave out and

get with the party, others seem to be quite still, but are listening

to every note and lyric. We appreciate every type of listener, so I

don't feel a show can be spoilt by anything like that.

(Interview continued overleaf) 17

RESONATORS 2014 - PHOTOGRAPH BY ALEX FORSTER

On that note do you have a favourite venue to perform at? If

so where?

Ooh...well we always had a good old time playing at the Blind

Tiger - I guess that was the venue we've played at most regularly

in Brighton. As one off faves; it was a dream of many or ours to

play at Brixton Academy and we got to play for David Rodigan

at Glastonbury. Last year was pretty flipping special!

Your music is incredibly universal. Can you tell us about any

touring you have done plan to do?

We've been really lucky so far with playing out, having been to

Montenegro, Germany, Croatia and all over the UK. We've done

two mini tours in France this year, with another planned for No-

vember/December., We also have other European dates booked

in for next summer.

I am told that all your music is recorded and played live with

very little production/synthesized sounds. Is this true?

We certainly do have the digital element involved, but the major-

ity of it is stripped down; live instrumentals and vocals. Darren

Jamtone is now our ninth member. Being the incredible dub engi-

neer that he is, he has transformed our music, both live and rec-

orded. He is a legend!!

This is an extremely honest approach to music and perform-

ing, particularly in this day and age. Was it planned that way

or did you begin playing as a live band first?

Indeed, the early days of Resonators centred around playing live

- jamming in someone's front room, doing low-key gigs for

friends and local promoters etc . I certainly don't see that chang-

ing. Our music relies heavily on the tight relationship between us

all. We released our first album ourselves, once we had all these

original tunes we loved and created together in those jamming

sessions.

Can you tell us a bit about any new releases/ not to be missed

gigs that our readers can add to their calendars?

We are playing at our record label (WahWah45s)'s 15th birthday

party at the Oval Space in London on Saturday October 11th, and

hopefully a gig in Sussex in December. More on that to come!

Keep an eye on www.resonatorsmusic.co.uk for up-to-date gig

and release info. As we speak, Resonators are in the studio re-

cording album number three in the Welsh countryside, we'll be

telling you more as that adventure unfolds!

Are there any rising stars out there that get your seal of ap-

proval? If so who?

I reckon everyone should keep an eye on music coming out of

Brighton in general...it's a place that has been home to some of

the best sounds for years now, always evolving, always exciting!

LEFT: FAY HOUSTON - PHOTOGRAPHED BY ROMAIN

KEDOCHIM 2011

THIS PAGE

CUSTOMIZED ILLUSTRATION

FOR BROGUE MAGAZINE

“BUILD OR DESTROY”

BY DIZE VMD

20

THIS PAGE

CUSTOMIZED ILLUSTRATION

FOR BROGUE MAGAZINE


BY DIZE VMD

21

BROGUE PRESENTS

DEAN ZEUS COLMAN

ARTIST

For the past thirty years, London based artist Zeus has been

drawing inspiration from urban culture to create dynamic, experi-

mental compositions that have re-defined graffiti art. His latest

works represent an innovative fusion of graffiti techniques, ty-

pography, fine art and sculpture. All reflect his eclectic back-

ground formal training at Chelsea College of Art.

Born Dean Zeus Colman, his middle name naturally became his

tag. It could be seen across London throughout the 80s. Even as a

teen Zeus earned the reputation of being a prolific „writer‟. His

work caught the attention of many influential hip-hop artists at

the time such as Tim Westwood who commissioned him to cre-

ate designs for one of the first hip-hop clubs, Spatz, in 1984.

Through Westwood, Zeus also had the opportunity to work with

the Paul Oakenfold, making backdrops and posters for artists

signed to his Def Jam label, including Dougie Fresh and Whizz

Kid. When house music took off Zeus also created pieces for the

warehouse clubs that sprung up around the capital,. Clubs such as

West World at the Brixton Academy. All these contacts served as

an effective catalyst for his career encouraging him to think be-

yond the limitations of spray paint and walls.

Zeus has worked with numerous community centres throughout

London, teaching young offenders graffiti techniques. He helped

to establish the art form as an effective, positive outlet for the

creativity of many troubled teenagers. He was even invited to

teach Prince Charles how to spray paint as part of a Princes Trust 24

ABOVE: DEAN ZEAS COLMAN WITH ONE OF HIS 3D DESIGNS - ALL IMAGES PROVIDED BY THE ARTIST

initiative.

Zeus returned to college securing a place at Chelsea College of

Art to study for a degree in Fine Art, majoring in sculpture. This

took his art into three-dimensional form, creating graffiti sculp-

tures out of light wooden sheets.

Over the next decade interest in Zeus intensified. He was de-

scribed as a 3D graffiti pioneer by The Face magazine and his

work appeared at a variety of venues throughout the UK, includ-

ing the Victoria & Albert museum as part of its Street Style exhi-

bition.

CONT...

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UNTITLED

DEAN ZEAUS COLEMAN

PHOTOGRAPHY: SUPPLIED BY ARTIST

INTRODUCING SINGER SONGWRITER

RUBY BLU Known for your soul filled, buttery tones can you tell

our readers how you came into music or did it find you?

What can Brogue’s readers expect from you as a per-

former?

Music found me! Oh it found me alright and then persisted

in holding me in captivity, very willingly from a very

young age. My earliest memories of music are mostly

dancing in front of the mirror with my Mim (Mum), both

of us armed and ready with miscellaneous household ob-

jects- our substitutes for radio microphones, giving it

some, belting out whatever was our favourite track that

week. Standing on her toes, I‟d waltz around the front

room to Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Chet Baker and my

personal favourite Spice Girls. (Oh the shame) While other

kids were out playing football in the street, I was hoarding

copies of Smash Hits Magazines, memorising the playlists

for MTV Base and VH1, I was reading and writing poetry

a lot even then. I could write you a killer haiku before I

reached double digits.

Every birthday and Christmas present was some musical

gadget; a karaoke system, turn tables, a guitar, a clarinet or

pocket money that I would use to buy tapes. My walkman

was constantly attached to my head. I believe the love of

music finds you, imprisons and entangles you in the deep-

est, most organic and innocent of love affairs. Technique

on the other hand is something that you must learn. I had

more passion than I knew what to do with but my skills

needed to be honed. I needed training.

During my early teens I began auditioning for artist devel-

opment programmes, spending all of my time away from

school learning, practicing and developing what I loved. I

was most times unsuccessful when auditioning for a place

as a vocalist but would end up with a place as a songwriter;

it took me a long time to find my voice, an even longer

time to understand my voice. As a young black male, there

are a lot of stereotypes. There is a lot of expectation around

what you should sound like. Although my voice is soulful I

didn‟t sound like the other male singers I heard on the ra-

dio. If you couldn‟t rift, holler or adlib like a seasoned gos-

PHOTOGRAPHY TAKEN FOR DR MARTIN‟S CAMPAIGN

27

pel or R&B singer, you were kind of frowned upon, or at

least I felt like I was. I have really enjoyed getting to know

my voice and finding where it sits best.

“I believe the love of music finds you, imprisons and

entangles you in the deep-est, most organic and inno-

cent of love affairs”

It was on these artist development programmes I met my

big sister Ama. I would say she has played the biggest part

in my musical journey so far. She was a mentor for

„Hackney Empire‟. She heard me sing once and listened to

the words that I had written and has professed ever since

that she knew I was special there and then. I have advised

her to have her ears checked. Often when I was faced with

negative feedback, she would keep her faith in me quiet

and focused on educating me, training me vocally, encour-

aging me and helping me focus. She urged me to perform

fearlessly- powerful advice that I adhere to regularly.

At 18, I had my heart broken for the first time and was

struggling to believe in myself. However, like most people

a bit of heartache was the catalyst I needed to make chang-

es. I flew the nest and made the decision to enrol in univer-

sity; giving in to the pressures society places on the shoul-

ders of the young. Although I was in effect being cradled

by institutionalized education I assure you; not a lot of

work got done during that year! New Quaint and Alien

Bonds were also formed during that time.

Being a kid from London, all you know is London, and that

plays a big part in shaping who you are, if you allow it to.

Moving away, meeting new people, a more diverse range

of people was a culture shock. Again I‟m talking stereo-

types. I know London is diverse but I think in many ways

expectations of those of a certain age and culture are stuck

in a rut. Out of my new friendships came first time experi-

ences and discoveries. My music taste broadened. I began

listening to music by The Script, The Specials, The Smits,

Just Jack, Temper Trap, The Gossip and The Black Keys

just to name a few. I fell in love with the contrast between

beautiful melodies and raw sounding vocals. Singing along

to these tracks helped me find my own voice, for the first

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PHOTOGRAPHY OF RUBY & FRIENDS ARTIST‟S OWN

time my voice just sat smoothly somewhere. Artists such as

Amy Winehouse, Tracey Chapman, The Carpenters,

Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers, Stevie Wonder, Smokey

Robinson and Donny Hathaway had always resonated deep

with me. I found the combination of these soulful idols and

my new love of more indie music would reignite a flame I

was letting flicker out. Although I was skipping a lot of my

education I was never unproductive. It was during this time

that I was writing quite prolifically. I was writing songs I

was really proud of too. I swiftly dropped out and headed

back to London. I sang for Ama, just a few tracks I had

been working on. Needless to say she was delighted.

“I found the combination of these soulful idols and my new love of more indie music would reignite a flame I was

letting flicker out”

What should listeners expect? Listeners should expect f

honesty in its rawest form. As human beings we all live,

laugh, love and hurt. All of these experiences can seem

isolating. However through sharing many an honest tale- it

seems we all feel like that sometimes…often! There is al-

ways at least one person that can say „me too‟ with convic-

tion. Expect truth, expect grit, expect humour, expect love

and at all times expect a foul mouthed smart arse.

On that note you have a soulful tone far beyond your

years- have you harvested that level of emotion through

life experiences or empathy or does it just come natu-

rally to you?

Everyone has their own story. However I do love to people

watch and so naturally I reproduce other‟s emotional sto-

ries. If I feel it and it touches a nerve, it will most likely get

reproduced into a song. It is the only way I know how to be

I‟ve always been a little old soul. Thank you for the com-

plement.

Which of the UK's great cities are you from? Has it had

an impact on your music both stylistically and lyrically?

As I touched on before; London is my home. It will always

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be the greatest city in the world to me. London, in particu-

lar East London has inspired me beyond belief. I love the

history that lines our streets and the way so many cultures

rest side by side. I have a really strong London accent- it is

very apparent in the music I make. I know for a lot of art-

ists the temptation to become Americanized is pretty irre-

sistible but I wouldn‟t lose my accent for all the rubies in

the world. I like my identity and am extremely patriotic.

Some of the greatest musicians ever to have lived have

come out of Britain- I am proud to call myself a British

musician. I have also spent a fair bit of time in Sweden.

They have really got it going on. I love it there too.

“London, in particular East London has inspired me be-yond belief. I love the histo-

ry that lines our streets and the way so many cul-

tures rest side by side.”

How did you meet your band/did you hand pick them

or was it all formed organically?

The band; much like Jordan‟s breasts have undergone pro-

longed augmentation. Each new member has brought with

them a new flavour, completely propelling the vibe and

sound in a different direction. Shortly after singing my

new material to Ama she began putting together a full

band. We both called in favours from musicians we had

met along the way and others through extended networks.

We got a the band together and Ama even sang backing

vocals. I loved nothing more then looking round and seeing

my guys mid gig, especially Ama. There is nothing more

amazing then performing with someone you love so much

and owe so much to.

The line up at present has had a complete face lift. We have

James Kelly (band MD/guitar) Steven McKenzie (drums),

Sergio Barbati (bass), Daniel Taylor (keys), and Carmella

Love on backing vocals. I met James at university the

ABOVE: RUBY BLU PERFORMING AT SOMMERSET HOUSE

second time round, (Yes I went back and completed a de-

gree in pop music and song writing… no more skiving).

Steven comes from amazing family stock, geniuses. Daniel

smashes the keys and we poached Carmella after hearing

her sing at a gig in Hoxton back in 2012. These guys are

amazing. Ama no longer sings with me in the band after

falling seriously ill last year. She remains my biggest fan.

Do you write your own songs or are they a group ef-

fort? I‟m completely open when it comes to writing. Most of the

time; I write all the lyrics however I am never closed to the

idea of collaboration. No one but me can tell my stories,

but there is something magical when two stories and crea-

tive energies collide. James Kelly and I have collaborated

extensively on the forthcoming EP. We bounce well off

each other and hide out in his studio. I call it „the space-

ship‟. One of the tracks titled „Scared‟ was written in Swe-

den with a production trio called „Rocket Boy’. They have

since reformed as a band and go by the name „Kate Boy’.

They are doing awesome things all over the world. I‟ve

also had the pleasure of writing with „Mack and Tommy

Tysper’; part of record label TEN. They are responsible

for acts such as Erik Hassle, Niki & The Dove and Icona

Pop. My time writing in Sweden was some of the best in

my life… So Far.

“No one but me can tell my stories, but there is some-thing magical when two stories and creative ener-

gies collide”

What about the music itself?

The music itself I cannot take any credit for, I don‟t play a

musical instrument, certainly not like my fellow band

members. They can take the most simplest of my melodies

and transform them into a feast, with all the trimmings. I

really admire their skill. I have been learning to play the

piano for a few years now, I have the most amazing tutor

Julian Marshall (best known for his 1978 Marshall Hain

hit, Dancing in the City). I am getting better every day and

it‟s good to be surrounded by so much inspiration.

You recently performed at Somerset House, a massive

venue? Had you ever performed to an audience that

large before and how did it affect your music?

Until that day at Somerset House, I had never performed to

an audience of that size before and still can‟t believe I

have. When I first started writing songs I was convinced I

only wanted to play small intimate venues, the type of ven-

ues where the bar man could hand you a pint on stage.

Playing Somerset House blew the roof off my personal lim-

itations. It made me realise how much an audience can

build your music before your eyes. Somerset House made

me hungry. I performed one of my most popular tracks

„The Boyfriend Song´ last. I have to tell you; hearing more

than three thousand people sing the lyrics of a song you

wrote, having heard it only once really touches you. I guess

in many ways that inclusion and interaction with the audi-

ence was the validation I needed. I will never forget that

day. I hope there are many more big shows to come.

You have previously performed with Aloe Blacc, how

did that come about?

The last artist development programme I took part in was

for an amazing organisation called „What Next‟. They

scout the capital looking for talent, the ones they believe

was the next big thing. Thankfully I was one of the ones

they believed in. The first year I took part; twenty musi-

cians were split into four bands and had a couple of weeks

to devise fresh material to perform at a high profile gig. We

were to support artist such as The Wombats and Ms Dyna-

mite. Following the success of that gig, I was contacted a

year later and offered the opportunity to come and take part

again, this time as a solo artist. A solo artist equipped with

ABOVE: DR MARTINS CAMPAIGN FEATURING RUBY BLU

his own band. I jumped at the opportunity. The gig was an

absolute rage. After the gig I and a fellow support act had

an interview alongside Aloe for NME magazine. Aloe is

especially smooth, a modern day Al Green, I‟m a huge fan.

Do you prefer smaller more intimate venues or per-

forming to a heaving crowd?

I‟m not sure I could give you a straight answer. It really

can be such a different experience and both have their re-

deeming qualities. I think as a performer many songs are

your favourite songs, every gig is your favourite gig, every

audience is your favourite audience and every round of

applause is epic no matter how subtle. There is something I

love about being able to get intimate with my audience,

when you can look every single person in the room directly

in the eye, you really can feed off their emotions in relation

to your music. Then again; there is something equally satis-

fying about ramping your set up, letting your hair out and

moshing out on stage to a heaving audience.

You and your 'clique' seem to have quiet a fan base on

your various social media pages, all of which are highly

amusing. It seems like you have a lot of fun. Is there a

far more serous side to Ruby?

Absolutely! I was given the name Ruby Blu* by one of my

best friends. I have a very melancholy side. However I do

believe as an artist you have to be very careful with the

energy you give off via social networks. I never want to be

seen as someone glamourizing negativity and sadness. I

dislike that a lot. So, on Instagram and Facebook I am al-

ways Ruby, I save the Blu* for my music. We all have a

story to tell, it‟s for you to choose how to tell it. As for my

clique; they are crazy and I love them all dearly. We have

all been best friends for longer then I can remember. This

lot would do anything for me and it is that loyalty that

makes us family. They are bad ass!

What about Dr. Martens?

Last year I had the honour of modelling for Dr. Martens. I

fronted their AW13 campaign „Stand for Something’ as the

re-Invented male. I‟m a huge enthusiast of the brand, living

in the boots as a teenager. Obviously walking into a store

and seeing myself hanging in the window was both incredi-

ble and surreal. The campaign went global! It‟s a nice sur-

prise getting emails from Korea, letting you know you have

been seen out there on a bill board! I'm putting it out there

in the universe that Ruby Blu* will one day have his own

custom boot!

What is next for you and the band? Any more shows in

the capital/festivals or big gigs we can look forward too

or album releases?

What is next…Good question. Well, I‟m currently wrap-

ping up my first EP. This will be available as a free down-

load from all of my social media sites soon. (Date to be

confirmed) I also fully intend to stomp the stages of several

festivals next year- it has to be done and I cannot wait. All

other show dates can be found on my Facebook page:

I really want to thank Brogue magazine for the support and

freedom. Love fearlessly.

www.facebook.com/RubyBluOffical

http://www.facebook.com/RubyBluOffical

THIS PAGE:

PORTRAIT OF RUBY BLU

BY GREG WOODWARD

INTRODUCING

ALEX FOX WORDS BY OLIVIA ROSENTHALL

If you‟re a regular at local acoustic nights, or if you‟ve got

a friend who religiously plays a set at one every single

week, you‟ll be aware that sometimes they can be some of

the most boring Thursday evenings of your life. A lot of

the time, you have to sink at least two pints before your

friend is on, only to have to listen to the same set list

they‟ve played since they were fifteen, and by then your

ears have already begun bleed in horror at the sound of the

previous act. On the other hand, if you‟re the artist about to

go on, you have to battle against the sounds of loud conver-

sation and cheers from the unnecessarily large crowd the

guy before you brought along; as well try to offer sharp

witty comments between songs that definitely sounded fun-

nier in your head, and then try to actually sing having al-

ready had a few too many thanks to the free drinks tokens

at the bar.

So yes, sometimes acoustic nights can be God-awful. That

is unless you‟ve managed to see Alex Fox play. Because

remarkably, Fox is able to completely silence a room with

his music, rather than embarrassing jokes, (though be

warned, he does give them a crack). A classically trained,

grade eight pianist, Fox has been gigging as a solo artist for

just over a year. Though in that year, Fox has performed

countless shows across London and seen the release of his

first single, “Doctor Doctor”. When it comes to music, Fox

also has quite the resume: from fronting his first band

formed in school, Funky Loving Spunk Monkeys, (think

Red Hot Chili Peppers meets old tramp at a bar) to playing

alongside friends in the celebrated covers band, Winston

and the Lads (available for functions, weddings and birth-

day parties). Fox has even performed countless DJ sets as

part of The Beer Gees and Wallop! DJs.

However, Fox‟s most striking venture into the music world

so far has got to be his solo career. Combining striking im-

ages of bitter break ups, post-war greetings and accidental

overdoses, Fox sits at his keyboard and manages to stun an

audience into silence. And with a voice that sounds like a

not-so-unpleasant mixture of Morrissey and Cher, it is

something quite remarkable to see him live. “Doctor Doc-

tor” is currently available on iTunes, Spotify and Last FM,

whilst you can listen to many of his other songs for free on

Soundcloud and catch special sets on his YouTube account.

With his single recently hailed as track of the week on Best

of British Unsigned Blogs, gigs lined up across London

alongside local festivals in Essex, Alex Fox is a name to

remember, and a person to watch out for.

www.facebook.com/alexfoxuk

www.soundcloud.com/alexfoxuk

www.youtube.com/alexfoxofficial

http://www.facebook.com/alexfoxuk

http://www.soundcloud.com/alexfoxuk

http://www.youtube.com/alexfoxofficial

INTRODUCING

ARTIST

CONRAD ARMSTRONG 36

Conrad Armstrong is from South London.

Conrad is a multi-disciplinary artist, he uses a

combination of film visuals, sound, sculpture and

installation to communicate with the viewer and to

express his creative notions. He is currently working

on a body of work called 'Into the Forest' - a study

of trees and their spirit within the 21st century, he

does so with anatomical precision.

Conrad is also the editor of Vicious Magazine - a fel-

low art zine that showcases illustrations, photog-

raphy, poetry, political satire and magic.

Conrad as been a student of British artist Maggi

Hambling CBE since he was eighteen. He also attended

Central Saint Martins, The Prince’s Drawing School and

John Monk’s Life Drawing Classes at Saint Francis Xa-

vier in Clapham.

Conrad’s first solo exhibition was as part of a pop-up

gallery on Platform One of Wandsworth Common Station

in 2009, he then went onto appear in two other exhibi-

tions in the Peter Pears Gallery in Aldeburgh, Suffolk

and the Shoreditch Studio's in London. It was the huge

success of these shows which propelled him to notorie-

ty, having a firm grip on the London art scene and be-

coming the name on the tip of any good collector’s

tongue. Conrad’s continual progression as an artist,

incredible insight and sensitivity within his delicate

lines will no doubt ensure he will remain a force to

be reckoned with.

Conrad is currently working as a full time artist and

normally prefers to work 'en plein air' with intensive

studies directly from his subjects - rooting his work

firmly within nature. His current studio is in Hackney

Wick, London.

cargocollective.com/conradarmstrong

[email protected]

viciousmagazine.tumblr.com

37

TREE SKETCH II

BY CONRAD ARMSTRONG

TREE SKETCH IV

BY CONRAD ARMSTRONG

TREE SKETCH IX

BY CONRAD ARMSTRONG

TREE SKETCH II

BY CONRAD ARMSTRONG

BY BEVERLEY GLICK

BUILD

I recommence building works at the age of 20 when punk

rock drops by to scratch the record. One day, I‟m a secretary

- Know Thy Place; the next, I'm a staff writer at Sounds,

Britain's punkiest rock paper - Know Thy Destiny.

SKY-HIGH

The Eighties rise, encased in a glorious, gender-bending

wrapper. I am right there, in my frilly blouse, telling the sto-

ry of New Romanticism and bleeping electronic beauty. I

create myths for boys in bands, and for myself - as the faux

Betty Page - stiletto-heeled sex queen dressed in latex and

leather. Then the house of pop beckons: I become the kinky

editrix of Record Mirror, a magazine launched before rock

'n' roll was born.

DESTROY

In 1989, the Berlin Wall falls, and so does Betty. She threat-

ens my edifice and has to be demolished - straight into the

skip. Bespoke rubber dresses, six-inch spikes, studded peep-

hole bras, Morticia wigs – out with the rubble. No future.

BUILD

The Nineties dawn - dressed-down, baggy-jeaned and short-

haired. I‟m hanging with Happy Mondays, writing for the

NME - the place to be. Beverley is back - at the other ex-

treme, in another disguise as a po-faced feminist.

REBUILD

Reinvention time again. In 1993, suited and booted, I am

parachuted into Fleet Street to start a proper, grown-up job

on a serious Sunday newspaper. Here‟s my chance to climb

the career ladder – the lower the heels, the higher the rise.

DESTROY

A snake snatches the ladder and I fall, spinning to the

ground, with a tear in my management-level suit and a tear

in my eye.

BUILD

I find a new ladder at a venerable newspaper populated by

double-barreled princesses. They want me to be their Cin-

derella, but the glass slippers don‟t fit.

DESTROY

Fuck ladders. Who wants to get to the top of the damn things

anyway? The wall against which they rest is more important,

and that needs some serious renovation.

BUILD

I head downmarket, in flat shoes, to a midmarket tabloid – a

place of safety from which to construct a bigger narrative:

my story from 1979 to 1989 – the Betty Chronicles. Five

cathartic years later, a memoir is born but never published.

DESTORY

The sanctuary becomes a tomb for my creativity – I remain

hidden below stairs for a decade – an invisible mender, a

polisher of other people‟s words. I destory myself.

DESTROY

Bring on the demolition crew! I don‟t want to live in a house

built with other people‟s words! I just can‟t hack journalism

any more.

BUILD

I turn my back on the page to create a coaching practice –

helping women unleash their full potential, their architectur-

al blueprint.

RESTORY

I‟m in danger of committing an act of vandalism on the

house I‟ve been building for more than 30 years. I tell a wise

friend I‟m passionate about personal stories and want to help

people dig them up, dust them off and take a long, hard look

at them. And then he says: “I know what you are. You‟re a

story archaeologist.” And lo, after all those years of con-

struction and demolition, I turn to the art of sifting through

ruins in search of gold. And there, glistening in the ground,

are the narrative nuggets of a life less ordinary, waiting to be

told.

I am born a constructor of stories. It all begins

at primary school with an acclaimed Beatles-

inspired essay about an octopus and his garden.

But another brick in the wall squashes my crea-

tivity with facts and correct answers.

ABOVE: Beverley Glick tells the story of her shoes at The Story Party, March 2014.

43

During a 35-year career in publishing, Beverley Glick

(formerly known as Betty Page) has been a music journal-

ist, pop magazine editor and national newspaper all-

rounder. She now helps individuals and entrepreneurs dig

for the stories that will transform their lives and businesses

– and still works part-time at The Daily Telegraph.

Along with fellow storyteller and author Mary Ann Mhina,

Beverley also hosts The Story Party, a bi-monthly storytell-

ing soiree at The Rose pub in Vauxhall.

As speakers, writers and advocates of the power of story,

they set up The Story Party to create a safe space in which

to share personal stories that can deepen our connection to

each other – stories that are personal but also universal;

stories that speak volumes about what it means to be hu-

man.

Guest storytellers are invited to share inspiring, entertain-

ing and thought-provoking tales from their own Book of

Life while a receptive audience relaxes with a drink and a

bite to eat.

If you are interested in becoming a storyteller at a future

Story Party, please contact Beverley at in-

[email protected] explaining why you would like to

share a personal story. For more information about the

event and forthcoming dates, visit thestoryparty.co.uk

Photography:

Top right: Former Artist‟s model Hana Schlesinger at The Story

Party, March 2014.

Middle: Story Party co-founders Mary Ann Mhina and Beverly

Glick. March 2014

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

POETRY

ALICE KELLY PURNELL OBE

STRING THEORY

Now here's a funny thin, It seems I'm made of string,

For I am undone, going to bits, falling apart from my head to my tits.

Not a lose woman, but one who's lost

With a love that cannot live but never dies

With those tears that never dry and salted eyes

Ideals turned to stone, dreaming my dreams, but living alone,

Hope almost gone I still breathe in that pain,

Turn towards Nature again and again,

Knowing the universe is held together by string

I look at the sky, knowing that I and it will, some day, all decay,

Just fragments in the firmament. Nothing is ever permanent.

Stars sucked into a black hole like my mood, no longer whole

All matter and time surely will pass.

Hope's now all gone, so get off my arse

Leaving just a little light to still shine quite bright

So it does not matter if I'm mad as a hatter

All that was good will come to an end, but so then will all pain

Unless damn it, we have cyclic lives and relive it again and again

Love's red hot heat, Like so many big bangs, patterns repeat.

Everlasting love's a myth, Mister and Mrs or Ms and Miss

Heart strings were pulled, nearly tied that knot

What's love really about? Think I almost forgot.

We thought we could fly to the stars, believed in that joy

Who needs the others if with the right girl or even a boy?

Once moments of bliss were sealed with a kiss,

Pretend to be strong because now she is gone

Thought that we'd share but now she's not there

In my heart is a space so filled with her face.

Copyright: Alice Purnell

Still fighting at seventy-one

45

THIS PAGE:

PHOTO BY JOHN CLARIDGE

OF AUTHOR AND ARTIST

SOPHIE PARKIN

MADAME - VOUT-O-REENEES

PRIVATE MEMBER CLUB

„FOR THE

SURREALISTICALLY DISTINGUISHED‟

46

In 1964 John Birk „Dizzy‟ Gillespie, ran for President of the United States of America. John Hendricks (Hendricks Lambert &Ross)

wrote his Campaign Song called – Vote Dizzy - Which went something like –

Want a good president that‟s willing to run

Vote Dizzy Vote Dizzy

Want to make politics a bale of fun

If you want to know where it really is

Vote for democratic Dizz

„I Was The Only Choice For The Thinking Man‟

If Dizzy had become President

He would‟ve opened wide that door

Plenty of BeBop filling the floor.

Democratic Dizz would give Offices away

Malcolm X, Attorney General

Miles Davis, head of the CIA.

Vote Dizzy. Vote Dizzy


We‟d know what life was for

Charlie Mingus would be made Officer for War.

Dizzy said, there‟d be none of that

he‟d have to learn to manage peace

All war and fighting would have to cease

Vote Dizzy. Vote Dizzy.

If Dizzy became President

All trumpets would be B‟hai bent,

If John Birks Gillespie became US President.

Politics would be groovy, Ray Charles, head of Congress

Unity for all mankind,

And every girl in a beautiful dress.

Vote Dizzy. Vote Dizzy


Coltrane would be there instead of Ms Rice

And Mr Parker making sure everyone played fair and nice.

All nights would be Scat in Tunisia,

America would be Cuba‟s best friend

And global warming wouldn‟t ever, signify the end.

Vote Dizzy Vote Dizzy

But you didn‟t think – Vote Diz for Pres

You got Johnson, Nixon, Reagan and Bush,

Wars around the world, and nothing left to push.

„I thought I‟d run to promote change‟, he said.

„Change The White House to the The Blues House.‟

Too late, too late, now Dizz is dead.

Sophie Parkin is a writer of many published works and books and Madame of Vout-O-Reenee‟s Arts Club for the surrealistically

distinguished. The crypt of 30 Prescot st E1 8bb

DIZZY FOR PRESIDENT

BY SOPHIE PARKIN

Written on the 25 years of his anniversary of his

death.

BROGUE PRESENTS

I was born in China and moved to England with my

family when I was very young. For as long as I can

remember, I've always enjoyed drawing and painting.

My parents supported me by entering my work for

various small Art competitions and activities. Howev-

er, I started to take design more seriously after gaining

a Major Art & Design scholarship at my secondary

school in Brighton. During my time there, I had very

supportive and encouraging Art teachers, who allowed

me to experiment and further develop my skills. Later,

I decided to pursue a career in Fashion Design be-

cause I was fascinated at how two-dimensional de-

signs on paper can transform into three-dimensional

pieces.

During my undergraduate degree, I was fortunate

enough to have worked with fashion designers Jasper

Garvida and Gareth Pugh. Both internships gave me

valuable knowledge of how the fashion industry really

worked. My internships involved various tasks such

as; toiling, sewing show pieces, fitting clients, manag-

ing backstage for London Fashion Week and many

more. In addition, I gained valuable experience in

both the production and the business side of a fashion

company.

This year I showcased my graduate collection 'Viva

La Vida' at Graduate Fashion Week in London. My

collection gained a lot of attention and interest from

the press e.g. Browns Fashion, Vogue, Modeconnect

and MTV UK. Furthermore, I feel incredibly fortunate

to be scouted by Istituto Marangoni to be awarded the

one hundred per cent scholarship for their masters

degree in Fashion Design (womenswear). In terms of

future plans; I intend to work within an established

fashion company, I hope to collaborate with various

creative individuals in the fashion industry and even-

tually gain enough sponsorship to establish my own

label. I hope to create a strong sense of personal iden-

tity through my designs and to be able to make a real

difference in the fashion industry.

TIANYI LI GRADUATE FASHION

IN HER OWN WORDS

49

Graduate collection synopsis /

theory:

My graduate collection 'Viva La

Vida' was influenced by the life of

the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. The

main inspiration was derived from my

research into the dark side of

Kahlo's life, that was filled with

pain, suffering and restriction.

These elements are reflected through

the use of hard metal and rubber

body accessories which encase the

contrasting layers of sheer fabric.

I would focus a lot on the shapes of

my outfits in my design process and

I would use the colour palette to

reflect the mood of the collection

and to further emphasize the silhou-

ettes of the garments. For this col-

lection, I looked at how Kahlo's

bold and colourful exterior con-

trasts with her small and fragile

body and how she uses clothing as a

tool to mask her imperfections.

Therefore, inspiring the use of

oversized silhouettes and layering

techniques in my outfits.

OUTFIT FROM VIVA LA VIDA– THE COLLECTION BY TIANYI LI

BOTH OUTFITS FROM VIVA LA VIDA– THE COLLECTION BY TIANYI LI

JOHANNA NUUTINEN INTERVIEW BY SPIRIT DE LA MARE

For those of you that don‟t know; Johanna Nuutinen is the chore-

ographer of the cinematic triumph “ ME - Story of a Performance

“ as well as the performer in it. I was lucky enough to catch up

with the Johanna as the film continues to do the rounds at

festivals all over the world.

Firstly can I ask how you came into choreography?

Was it in your blood since birth? I did my first work for the National Ballet’s choreographic

workshop in 2007. It was simply just a challenge I wanted

to set for myself. I said to myself: “Darling, if you have so

many visions about how to stage a production, why don’t you go and dare to try it yourself?” So I went for it and I’ve

been hooked ever since. My dad is a professional photogra-

pher and for a long time I had been fighting against a ca-

reer in that field any way. When I was little I watched

closely how my father sketched out the pictures he wanted

to create for campaign shoots. The truth was I also enjoyed

drawing, I saw things as pictures and when I bought my

own camera at the age of twenty-four, I was sold. In one

way one could say some part of the choreographic process

might have been in my blood since birth: the way I see the

world I want to create as images especially when I’m on the

edge of starting a new creative process or project.

Have you studied extensively to reach the standard you

are at now? Yes. I started studying dance with a professional goal at the

age of nine at the Finnish National Opera Ballet School. If

you asked me then what I wanted to do when I grew up, the

answer was simple. I wanted to become a dancer. For ten

years I studied intensively; a wide spectrum of different

dance styles alongside my main subject which was classi-

cal ballet back then. In 2002 I got a contract with the Finn-

ish National Ballet and have been working as a profession-

al dancer ever since.

CHOREOGRAPHER & PERFORMER

59

Photograph: Jonas Lundqvist

I feed my body and mind with new variations on move-

ment constantly. This summer I was in China to study im-

provisation methods based on martial arts. On my leave of

absence from the National Ballet in 2012 I also travelled

around the world studying techniques I had been interested

in for quite a sometime; techniques such as Butoh and

Ohad Naharin´s GAGA- movement. All that research has

had a big impact on my work as a dance artist and the jour-

ney continues. I have an enormous curiosity towards the

delicacy of the human mind and movement and I will be

studying them, as well as life in general until I die.

“I feed my body and mind with new variations on

movement constantly. This summer I was in China to

study improvisation methods based on martial

arts”

Do you have a background in any other subjects that

have had a significant effect on your choreographic

work? I did some art management studies alongside my work last

season and it has given me more perspective on how dance,

as an art form is being seen from a business point of view.

How to sell and present your idea and how important it is

to be able to share the process with other people outside

your creative group, while all the time feeding the little

crazy monster inside of you with those wild ideas. On a

physical level; I continue studying different forms of mar-

tial arts and on the visual side I keep on exploring photog-

raphy and film. These all affect the way I process the

movement and scenery in a theatric space.

ME is a stunning piece of choreography and cinematog-

raphy, is true that it was you that conceived the original

concept/idea? Can you tell us a bit more about that?

There was a deadline coming up for art grants and I had a

week to figure out a production that could have as long a

life as possible and reach as big an audience as possible. I

also wanted to work on a film and use animation in it. I had

been following Jopsu and Timo Ramus’ work for a while

and seen the film URBAN ABSTRACT which they had cre-

ated for the television channel four in Finland. They had

just won the Gold Lion in the design category at Cannes for that particular film. Inspired and highly impressed by

their work I contacted Jopsu. We actually used to go to bal-

let school together, and I asked if she wanted to collaborate

on a dance film with me. She responded by saying not two

days earlier, she had been thinking of me and the idea of

working on a dance on film anyway. It was sugar for the

soul to hear that after not seeing each other for fifteen

years. I quickly wrote the grant application, we got a nice

lot of funding for the project and were able to go for it. I

sketched the script onto the application, but gave full pow-

er for Jopsu and Timo to change and re-write it according

to their needs. One of my aims was to give plenty of space

for creative change and create something that we could all

add to our own portfolios. I was more than happy to listen

to what they had in mind.

Was the entire piece choreographed by you alone? And

did you have to consider the conditions into the move-

ments you had written?

Yes. When I got to see the story board and the spaces

where we would be filming, I started to work on the move-

ment, directions of it and the character. I knew the studio

floor was rough on the surface, it would be very cold out-

side on the lake in February and it would be a challenge to

remain as long as possible underwater while dancing. I

tried not to allow the restrictions and complications of per-

forming in such conditions change the design or movement

I had in mind. It was more important to me to ensure the

next part of the script could unravel.

Had you had any prior experience to working outside in

the elements before this particular

project?

No. I was seriously afraid of diving; and so I wasn‟t able to

prepare myself for quite how cold it was going be. To per-

form for three hours outside in -22 degrees centigrade,

while only wearing an Issey Miyake PLEATS onesie is

incredibly challenging, so is dancing for fourteen hours on

a rough concrete floor. But as I‟m always up for a chal-

lenge, I gave myself just two weeks to learn how to relax

and deal with the water, the rest was just about tolerating

the uncomfortable physical feelings. But that was relatively

easy, since it is part of what they teach you when studying

for this profession ( “she said with a smirk on her face” ).

I can only begin to imagine the technical issues that

were involved in shooting ME. Dancing on the frozen

sea, dancing underwater and on the rough studio floor

in Tallinn must all have been incredibly challenging.

Did you have to undergo any special training to cope

with these conditions?

After I ended up sitting in tears on the edge of the pool

while trying to conquer my fear of diving, I took some les-

sons with a synchronized swimming teacher. By the time

we did the shoot I had figured out the right technique in

terms of breathing and I managed to enjoy the experience

of improvising fast tempo movements underwater. The

longest take was thirty-five seconds. I’m still not trying to

become the world champion in free diving but I’ve learned

to like it and it does plenty of good to my spine and lym-

phatic system among other things.

Out on the frozen lake while facing a strong snow storm I

quickly noticed how fast your feet, fingers and ears start to

freeze. Luckily we had an amazing team who came to

warm me up and cheer me on between the takes.

Do you feel that a cinematic interpretation of dance and

movement truly encapsulates the essence and emotion

that you are aiming to portray or do you feel dance is

far more honest when seen live?

I think when you make a dance film you need a director

that has an understanding of movement and the sensitivity

to feel the worth of bodily gestures. A director such as

Jopsu has that in abundance and we were also lucky to

have a great director of photography; Mark Stubbs. We

also had the amazingly talented steady cam operator Ants

Martin Vahur with us on the team. To be honest, the stage

is not always my favourite place to bring dance to. As a

dancer I’ve had plenty of great moments on the theatre

stage and I always aim for honesty in my interpretation

wherever I am however; there are times when I feel more

alive when the performance is taken off the stage onto an-

other location. I enjoy how multi-dimensional locations

affect my body, its perception and through that I can ex-

pand the landscape of my mind. In a freezing cold environ-

ment or on a rough concrete floor, each space has a direct

impact on my movements and can take a piece to a differ-

ent level. The space starts to lead you towards the un-

known, sometimes even in very a harsh way.

“Out on the frozen lake while facing a strong snow

storm I quickly noticed how fast your feet, fingers and ears start to freeze”

Do you find some audiences are far easier to build a

rapport with than others?

Indeed. If you perform the same production in North-

America, Latin-America, Europe, Africa and Asia you can

clearly feel the difference in feedback and what things the

public are attracted to. The same can be felt on a smaller

scale just changing the venue within the same country.

Do you find the venue or audience have more effect on

the intimacy of a production?

Venue.

Depending on the size of the stage, you have to use differ-

ent techniques of performance in order to build up a level

of real intimacy. On a huge stage where the audience is

sitting behind the orchestra pit you have to be aware of

which physical gestures will get the message right through,

even to the people in the last row of the third balcony. Per-

sonally I love to perform when the audience is on all or at

least three sides around the stage and I can see and sense

them. That gives a great three dimensional feeling and adds

to a performer‟s body awareness, while all the time having

eyes and energy on you from all directions.

On the same note the audience for ME is now global

having been shown at film festivals all over the world.

How do you feel about that kind of exposure and did

you ever expect this level of interest?

I felt that with this team and the captivating script which

Jopsu and Timo wrote, we could do a good quality, unique

and interesting work that have a good chance to fly. I want

to give a big thank you to our producer at Directors Guild

Helsinki; Juha-Matti Nieminen, who found the locations

and organized all the shoots as well as the filming gear.

With his help we were able to carry out every single detail

that was in the final script while using the highest quality

equipment available at the time. ME has now been screen-

ing at fifteen international dance and design film festivals

and I’m really happy the film has attracted this much inter-

est. I hope it will still be viewed at as many art venues as

possible. My aim is to expand the project into a bigger the-

atre production in the future as well.

ME has an incredible and unique sound track. Had you

chosen this piece of music prior to beginning choreogra-

phy or was it later added to the edited film. Was there

any particular reason for the rather experimental

choice?

The original score was composed by the real master of

sound, Jukka Backlund. Jukka came into the process fairly

late. I used other music in the rehearsals and in the shoots

while we were looking for the right person to create the

sound for the film. I’m really happy Timo contacted Jukka

who was eager to face the challenge! When the film had

been edited, Jukka composed a score which fitted perfectly

into the story. To be honest, we have still never met each

other face to face but I would love to collaborate with him

again in the future.

The clothing worn in the film also accentuates your

movements incredibly well. Did you have a specific de-

signer to work with and did you have a chance to re-

hearse within the fabrics.

We worked with stylist Minttu Vesala who has a fantastic

and daring taste in fashion. Jopsu and Timo had been work-

ing earlier for Issey Miyake and Jopsu suggested we use

the clothes from Miyake’s PLEATS collection. PLEATS

works beautifully with movement and Minttu had some

incredible ideas on how to modify and adjust the garments

so that they support the character we were aiming for.

Lastly: What is next for you? Do you have any more

projects coming up that we should keep an eye out for?

When it comes to the creative process, you never stop

learning. I keep on developing the way I teach, the way I

create movement and atmosphere on stage and most im-

portantly how I communicate through words and move-

ment, the messages I want to get across the creative team

and audience. I´m currently creating a solo work in collaboration with light

designer Joonas Tikkanen and I am also planning for another

bigger production which would include film as well. I hope we

will have a chance to bring ME - Story of a Performance to a

festival in the UK, so keep a look out for that!

http://9.me/

IMAGE ONE

STARRING JOHANNA NUUTINEN

PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN BY MARK STUBBS

STILL TAKEN DURING THE FILMING OF „ME‟

„ME‟- DIRECTED BY MUSUTA LTD

62

IMAGE TWO





IMAGE THREE





IMAGE FOUR





IMAGE FIVE





THIS PAGE


BY JAMIE BLACKETT

JAMIE HAS BEEN WITH BROGUE SINCE INCEPTION

HE HAS BEEN FEATURED IN EVERY ISSUE TO DATE.

[email protected]

67

BROGUE PRESENTS

TOBIAS SLATER-HUNT PHOTOGRAPHY

Tobias Slater-Hunt is a fine arts photographer living

and working in the UK. He completed his MA here in 2010

and has since been working on a large scale project

called Closer to God. This work has been widely exhib-

ited in group shows internationally and was short

listed for the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize in 2012.

Closer to God is a series of anthropological fictions

that seek to undermine the modern beauty myth and ques-

tion the role of the photograph as a document of truth.

The final images are constructed in sections in Pho-

toshop which allows the images to be printed larger

than life size at 150cm by 120cm. The series is

on-going and has so far been four years in production.

The giant naked portraits of Closer to God aim to con-

front us with our own preconceptions of the human body,

an attempt to balance the scales, and to re introduce

some discussion on the body back into an arts arena.

Though these images are fictions, they are deliberately

confrontational to raise awareness about the possibili-

ties of the human form and to disconnect us from our

preconceptions, also to remove the veneer of the me-

dia’s idealised form.

The human body is capable of all manner of forms, so

many of which are judged as undesirable, as are those

who inhabit these bodies. I have chosen to make these

images as fictions as I did not want to further exploit

or further en-freak anyone whose physicality stands

them on the fringes of society. Knowing that these im-

ages are fictions allows us to more directly scrutinize

them without guilt, and this scrutiny is what will re-

sult in a questioning of our attitudes to the body and

its representation within the arts and broader forums.

THIS PAGE

CLOSER TO GOD I

PHOTOGRAPH BY TOBIAS SLATER-HUNT

69

THIS PAGE

CLOSER TO GOD IX


THIS PAGE

CLOSER TO GOD V11


THIS PAGE

CLOSER TO GOD XII


THIS PAGE

CLOSER TO GOD XV


THIS PAGE

CLOSER TO GOD XX


THIS PAGE

CLOSER TO GOD XVII


ILLUSTRATION

AMON RA Amon Alt-Jafarbay

Amon Jafarbay is an artist, illustrator and graphic de-

signer from the UK. Since completing a degree in scien-

tific and natural history illustration he has worked

freelance with the Wildlife Art Agency.

Amon’s work has also been featured on national televi-

sion, as well as in several local and international

magazines.

He has also worked for London's Royal College of Sur-

geons.

Aside from anatomically correct drawings and incredible

dot work he also explores re-forming movie posters and

with a heavy interest in sci-fi there are some truly

fascinating works.

To view everything from marine life to the female form

visit piecesofpaint.com

76

ABOVE:

„LION‟

BY AMON ALT-JAFARBAY

AKA AMON RA

ABOVE:

„NEVERMORE‟


AKA AMON RA

ABOVE:

„‟CAPRICORN”


AKA AMON RA

THIS PAGE: „LEON‟- BY AMON ALT-JAFARBAY

THIS PAGE: PULP FICTION - BY AMON ALT-JAFARBAY

THIS PAGE: „WHALE SCALE‟ - BY AMON ALT-JAFARBAY

CULINARY TALES

WITH PASCAL BOUCHER BURGER BROTHERS 97 NORTH ROAD - BRIGHTON - BN1 1YE

Ask anyone in the south coast where the best burgers can be

found and nearly everyone will swiftly respond with „Burger

Brothers‟…even I was recommending them based purely on their

incredible popularity! Having worked with Pip, one half of the

Burger Brothers duo many moons ago, I wanted to agree with the

masses - that they do in fact make the best burgers in town. Why

I hadn't been before now, I do not know! My mother happened to

be staying with me at the time, and as a fellow foodie I thought it

would be a good excuse to treat us. So as the post work drinkers

were moving from pub to pub all we could think about was si-

lencing our grumbling bellies. Off we went in search of the finest

burgers in town. As we approached, I got a pang of excitement, it

looked empty which meant minimum waiting time for us. It was

a little sunshine trickery that has lulled us into a false sense of

security, the place was rammed and getting busier by the second.

Although it is predominantly a take-out stop, there is in-fact seat-

ing for bout 6-8 people but you‟ll be pushed to get a seat. The

swift flow of people in and out the door and crowds and queues

gathering outside only reassured us further that our choice was

on point. Eyeing up the menu, for maybe the fifth time that day,

my mouth was close to watering. My rule with burgers: Keep it

simple, easier said than done in this case. I honestly wanted it all,

every last burger on that whole goddamn menu. With choices of

meat together with just about every condiment and cheese combi-

nation, I was in foodie heaven! Stick to the classic I said to my-

self. It had to beef.

All I can say…Believe the hype!

Oh my, that first bite had me lose my mind. I was swiftly rising

into burger heaven. I had seen pictures of most of the range on-

line and on just about every food-lovers social media profiles.

The bread always looked particularly good, but this was some-

thing else! The outer, slightly glazed, seeded shell subtly turns

into a delicious airy interior so light, so fluffy yet still held

enough texture to distinguish where the bun ends and the patty

begins.

As for the patty, I had to stop myself mid chew to honour the

deliciousness that was currently resting in my mouth. Seasoned

to perfection; the moist, meaty, tender goodness had me making

sounds I never thought a simple burger could encourage. The

waves of black pepper creep in, followed by the sweet caramel-

ized onion. Juices are running down my hand – I don't even try to

wipe them. As I take another bite, the sweetest plum tomato en-

cased in melted mature cheddar and entangled in rocket bursts in

my mouth, a whole new taste sensation and total sensory over-

load. Devouring this prize was a spiritual experience. It is messy

and wonderful. My hands were covered in juices, not grease and

had I not been in public I would have licked them clean. The

juices were a combination of all the components creating a sweet

and spicy smoky cocktail. Every order comes with plenty of nap-

kins and the place is fully armed with sanitizer, all telling me that

this juicy free-fall is the norm. I was so reluctant for this delight

to finish that I managed to spend a considerable amount of time

slowly dividing the last quarter into smaller and smaller bites. I

wanted to savour each tiny morsel; each mouthful tastes as good

as the first. I dip the final bite into a delicious side sauce that

came with my companion‟s choice. The taste was incredible and

I would definitely buy a bottle if the sauce could be purchased in

store.

Normally by the end of a meat heavy meal; I'd be bloated and

slightly uncomfortable, desperately seeking a comfy resting

place, but not today. I felt content and well nourished, every in-

gredient was so fresh and so clean I was already looking forward

to my next Burger. I'll say it again, believe the hype – these boys

are going places.

Brogue magazine www.brogue-magazine.com

www.facebook.com/broguemagazine

Twitter: @broguemagazine

www.twitter.com/broguemagazine

Instagram: @broguemagazine

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Editor-In-Chief www.facebook.com/spiritdelamare

Twitter: @xspiritdelamare

www.twitter.com/xspiritdelamare

Instagram: @spiritdelamare

www.iconsquare.com/spiritdelamare

Email:[email protected]

If you would like to submit work for the next

issue of Brogue Magazine please contact our

Editor-In-Chief

Spirit de la Mare

Address on request

For all press enquiries please contact

Spirit de la Mare

Email and Google Plus:

[email protected]

For all submission enquiries please contact

Jodie Gough


[email protected]

For all general enquiries please contact

Emily Gould– White


[email protected]

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