On Friday, someone at my new job asked me whether I had a blog. Well, I replied, I have a few but I don’t update them often enough. When I came on to this one I realised how true that was so I really REALLY am going to make more of an effort to do blogging. Honest I will.
So, what have I been up to and what’s been good?
I went to see Submarine, written and directed by Richard Ayoade who I’m a bit of a fan of. What a refreshingly lovely, very ‘British’ film full of poignant humour and sweet surreal moments. I even liked Alex Turner’s soundtracking. Here’s a trailer:
I went to the Pick Me Up exhibition at Somerset House, a veritable visual feast from graphic artists around the globe with a bias towards the UK (and especially London-based artists). It was an inspiring and thought-provoking afternoon and I especially loved Anthony Burrill’s workshop room, complete with a DJ spinning some Jean Michel Jarre, and I even purchased a print from the Conrete Hermit shop. I’ll take a photo of it once it’s framed and up on my wall.
I went to see Interpol, naturally, last week at Shepherd’s Bush Empire. They played The Specialist, my favourite ever song which I’ve never seen them play live before. Some clever person filmed it and popped it on YouTube:
Whilst I don’t generally agree with people doing this at gigs (mainly as they out their cameras in my way so I can’t see), I’ll let them off just this once. They also dropped The New and NYC. No Stella or Roland though… but I still love them.
I’ve also recently had a little trip to NYC. We stayed in the lovely West Village, spent our time eating incredible food, wandering round lovely neighbourhoods and found some time to explore MoMA which I’d recommend to anyone who won’t find tourists exploring the museum via the art of taking iPhone photographs of EVERYTHING. Sometimes, technology really does irritate me. There was a cool little Andy Warhol video exhibition hidden away at the top – go see it if you’re there and it’s still on.
It seems like I have been neglecting Stella Was A Diver for so long now that almost a year has passed since my last post.
Bad me.
That’s what a new job will do to you. But, seeing as I am still getting traffic, I shall endeavour to get back into blogging. Poke me if I don’t do a very good job please.
Back to the old style of things, here’s a few interesting things I’ve been doing in the last few weeks…
I went to see the fab little French stop motion animation film called A Town Called Panic a couple of weeks back at my all-time favourite cinema Screen on the Green (it has sofas and they bring you wine to your seat, what’s not to love?). Trailer below:
Essentially a feature-length Cravendale advert written by someone with an over-active imagination and short attention span, this is a fab little oddball of a film.
When I was invited to go to Museum of Everything two weekends ago I was super excited. Tucked away on a back street near Primrose Hill, this place is a veritable rabbit warren of interesting things curated by Sir Peter Blake. Think Victorian fairground paraphernalia and freak show memorabilia, and a hodge-podge of children’s toys rubbing shoulders with an incredible taxidermy collection from Walter Potter’s Museum of Curiosity. Go see whilst it’s still there, if only for the boxing rats.
If you ever has the pleasure of visiting La Clique during their London residency then you’re pretty much there with La Soiree. In a temporary, wooden, saloon-styled big top on the South Bank I enjoyed a night of comedy and cabaret from the weird and the wonderful – think contortionists, hula hooping and leftfield comedy with a sprinkle of vaudeville, a touch of naughtiness and a generous helping of humour. Check it out here.
On a musical tip, it’s been a bit quiet on the gig-going front of late, though I did manage to catch Crystal Castles at the Roundhouse. On a Friday night and with a relatively late start, the shouty electro-tinged duo got the entire venue dancing. An awesome start to the weekend. Tons of exciting gigs coming up in the next month or so including The National, Fujiya & Miyagi, Soulwax and my beloved Interpol. Oh, and my first ever ATP too.
I’ve also been eating some delicious food recently (note my ever-increasing stomach) at the likes of Hix Oyster & Chop House, Giant Robot, Moro and best-steak-ever at Gaucho. My tummy’s starting to rumble even as I type.
Finally, I feel I should mention The Social Network, given my line of work. When I heard that they were making “The Facebook film” I decided it would be terrible. When I saw the trailers and (albeit rather nicely designed) website I still wasn’t convinced. Even the through-the-roof Rotten Tomatoes ratings and raving reviews would not move my scepticism. Then one evening, my friend who works for an unnamed popular film magazine told me that it was actually really rather good and suprisingly quite funny. So I went to see it and I must eat my words as I actually quite enjoyed it. I am now mostly looking forward to the next social network themed film, Catfish – trailer below:
Anywho, I think I’ve rambled quite enough for one day now. There’s plenty I have forgotten and plenty more to come.
Methinks this blog could do with a design refresh. Any thoughts/assistance welcome…
I haven’t been posting on here for a few weeks now, naughty naughty me. This is mainly because I have been busy at work, in the process of purchasing a flat AND working on some other little projects in the background…
Here are some things I have found, liked, done and thought about during my blogging absence…
Spending far too long creating a Halloween-themed Spotify playlist (which now seems to have disappeared?)
This is, quite possibly, the best use of new technology I have seen in AGES for a music marketing campaign…
For the release of their new album, In This Light and On This Morning, Editors have launched an online experience using Google Maps, specifically Street View. Users must navigate their way around Google’s virtual London to find the (naturally music themed) hot spots. Upon arriving at each they are treated to a song from the album.
Very excited at buying many gig tickets this month (not Glasto, too much fear after 2007′s mudfest), so here’s some nice music vids from people I’m going to see in the forseeable future…
Yet more happy days to come. Anyone fancy 2ManyDJs/Soulwax in December…?
Jack White/Alison Mosshart superband The Dead Weather are streaming their debut album ‘Horehound’ for 24 hours as of oday through Facebook’s Music app which is something I haven’t seen before. Nice.
Check out the debut album from VV Brown, her from those awesome video banners a while back, ‘Travelling Like Light’ streaming free on we7 as of now, ahead of Monday’s official release.
I was tres busy last week so stellawasadiver got a bit neglected. Sorry.
Here are a few of the things I wanted to blog about but just couldn’t find the time…
Cameron’s amazing house from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (in my all time top 3 80′s teen movies along with The Breakfast Club and The Lost Boys) is up for sale. More at The Cool Hunter…
Fresh Pics had a nice post on photorealistic graffiti. Take a looksie…
Finally, for all Spotify users, this website is pretty darn funny, though I find the “Everyone loves music, especially in the bedroom” ad more irritating than Jonathan…
I have just stumbled across this, an interactive music video for Empire of the Sun’s ‘We Are The People’. Rollover the glowing red and yellow orbs to find hidden content and access to competitions.
Whilst I think this is a “nice idea” in theory, in practice it’s just a bit annoying as the song keeps stopping and starting as you access content and new tabs/windows open, taking you away from the video. They could have thought this through a bit better.
Virgin Records are claiming that this is the first interactive music video. Correct me if I am wrong but I am pretty sure that Arcade Fire beat them to it back in 2007…
Went to see Yeah Yeah Yeah’s @ Shepherds Bush Empire. They were amazing. Karen O was charismatic as ever. Nick Zinner was his usual incredible guitar wielding, effects pedal laden pixie-from-a-Tim-Burton-film self. There was lots of pretty stage confetti. They played Y Control and Bang. This pleased me.
Bit slow on the uptake but The Guardian is running a competition for someone to win an original Damien Hirst, the very same painting as used on the album artwork for The Hours’ new album ‘See The Light’. Answer each daily question correctly for 20 days to be entered.
