V&A CENSOR THE AGITATE! EDUCATE! ORGANISE! EXHIBITION THIS FRIDAY FOR BEING TOO POPULAR!!!!…new Veritable Alternative event details as follows….Having thrown the alternative arts a bone in the shape of the Agitate! Educate! Organise! Exhibition, the V&A decided, after receiving an unprecedented amount of phone calls regarding the event, to cancel at 48 hours notice. They claimed a “danger of severe overcrowding” which, in a venue that has held upwards of 4500 people, is a ludicrous statement. The irony of cancelling an event devoted to showing how artists have to find alternative methods of making themselves heard, because of an overly rigid establishment, has obviously not been noticed by the V&A.
So, in the original spirit of the occasion, the band The Others, will be performing a guerrilla gig at the original time of 7.45pm, but now outside the museum. They have also, along with other original exhibitors, managed to resurrect some of the exhibition at a new venue, The Polish Club at 55 Exhibition Road, three minutes walk from the V&A. Tom Sheehan’s film on Selfish Cunt will be shown around 8pm, as well as Mark Wigan’s installation on 20 years of British Club Culture, and The Others will perform a 2nd set later in the evening.
This new Veritable Alternative event at The Polish Club will run from 6.30 pm to 11pm, but there is a limited capacity. Moving an exhibition from a major museum to a drinking club in 48 hours is obviously going to create difficulties so please bear with us on the night and we apologise in advance for any overcrowding this may cause.
If anyone would like to comment on the cancellation of the exhibition feel free to email the V&A’s director at mark.jones@vam.ac.uk
The original press release….Agitate! Educate! Organise! - Friday 25 Feb 2005 at the V&A. 6.30pm-10.00pm. Whether it's the underground band The Others 'guerrilla gigging' on the tube, or spoken word performers Tell Tales turning story telling on its head, young British writers and musicians are finding new ways to present their ideas. Agitate! Educate! Organise! at the V&A celebrates this new wave of social protest, observation and documentary in the arts with spoken word performances, poetry slamming and impromptu gigs around the museum. Controversial female voice, Helen Walsh, and Whitbread prize-winner Patrick Neate, will read from their latest works, while Courttia Newland, Nii Parkes and six authors from the Tell Tales crew will be performing their unique short stories, each accompanied by specially composed scores. The Others will be performing in the V&A's beautiful galleries and their film 'Guide to Guerrilla Gigging' will run throughout the evening. Main entrance performance 7.45pm then Lecture Theatre onstage 8.45pm
The cancellation press release…FRIDAY LATE CANCELLED 25TH FEBRUARY With regret, the V&A is cancelling the Friday Late on 25th February. We have been surprised by the incredibly high level of interest in this event. We have been told by our security, health and safety advisers that when the numbers reach this high level for a single event with limited capacity, there is a danger of severe overcrowding and it is extremely difficult to guarantee safety. To avoid any risk to the public or the Museum's collections, we have therefore taken the decision to cancel the event. We apologise for any disappointment this will cause.
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Friday, February 18, 2005
WE WON AN AWARD!
At last night's NME Brat Awards The Others were presented with The John Peel Award for Innovation - it's very nice and very heavy - we're very proud. I also really enjoyed the The Laurie Arms pub gig before the nme awards it was nice to see so many of our 853 going so mental that the bouncers had to form a human wall-barrier - so many tough nuts holding hands in row was a comical sight indeed! Thanks you to everyone who came to that and tp everyone who helped with filming the video for William the day before - especially Fred McPherson (squirrel), Millwall Ant (panda) and (Lady) Alan Jewels (big brown bear) - you are all *special*.
After the awards had finished we went next door to do some photos and press and we even did an interview for the best music show on tv ever "Popworld" - Simon and Miquita were as funny as you'd expect them to be and turned out to be almost as big fans of The Others as I was of their show - which I try and catch if I'm awake that early. I'm not sure if we had been officially on their "to do" list but they asked us anyway and hopefully it will get shown soon. Am trying to drag them down to the V&A museum show on 25th Feb.
Biggest suprise of the night? Finding out that it's possible to sell 3million records (!) worldwide and instead of being caught up in a load of corporate crap, still be lovely, down to earth chaps with no ego at all. Step forward Franz Ferdinand.
Real for the T.V...
The nme awards show will be screened tonight (18th feb) at 11:35 on Channel 4 you will get to see a bit of the performance in the pub where we were presented with the award.
I spoke to Zane Lowe last night and he confirmed that the gonzo interview with me and Dom will definitedly be shown on MTV2 this monday (20th Feb)
Cheers
Johnny
xx
At last night's NME Brat Awards The Others were presented with The John Peel Award for Innovation - it's very nice and very heavy - we're very proud. I also really enjoyed the The Laurie Arms pub gig before the nme awards it was nice to see so many of our 853 going so mental that the bouncers had to form a human wall-barrier - so many tough nuts holding hands in row was a comical sight indeed! Thanks you to everyone who came to that and tp everyone who helped with filming the video for William the day before - especially Fred McPherson (squirrel), Millwall Ant (panda) and (Lady) Alan Jewels (big brown bear) - you are all *special*.
After the awards had finished we went next door to do some photos and press and we even did an interview for the best music show on tv ever "Popworld" - Simon and Miquita were as funny as you'd expect them to be and turned out to be almost as big fans of The Others as I was of their show - which I try and catch if I'm awake that early. I'm not sure if we had been officially on their "to do" list but they asked us anyway and hopefully it will get shown soon. Am trying to drag them down to the V&A museum show on 25th Feb.
Biggest suprise of the night? Finding out that it's possible to sell 3million records (!) worldwide and instead of being caught up in a load of corporate crap, still be lovely, down to earth chaps with no ego at all. Step forward Franz Ferdinand.
Real for the T.V...
The nme awards show will be screened tonight (18th feb) at 11:35 on Channel 4 you will get to see a bit of the performance in the pub where we were presented with the award.
I spoke to Zane Lowe last night and he confirmed that the gonzo interview with me and Dom will definitedly be shown on MTV2 this monday (20th Feb)
Cheers
Johnny
xx
Monday, February 14, 2005
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Hey!
Cheers to everyone who bought the album last week in a particularly tough chart week with many already-platinum-selling records (that's 300,000 sales!) still hanging around in the top 40 we eventually charted at:
Number 10 in the Virigin Chart
Number 15 in the HMV Chart
and Number 51 in the national chart
So we're very chuffed.
Our next single will be an Alan Moulder remix/edit of William and will be released on 28th of March. It will be backed with remixes of Lackey from Gang Of Four, and Hedman. We're currently also writing new tracks as b-sides for this release.
Me and Dom recorded an edition of MTV's Gonzo show with Zane Lowe yesterday - it was a lot of fun - managed to promote our favourite brand of mineral water (Abbey Well) and even talk a bit about the album - and there wasn't a puppet in sight! As soon as I know when this will be aired I will post details on here.
Cheers
Johnny
xx
Cheers to everyone who bought the album last week in a particularly tough chart week with many already-platinum-selling records (that's 300,000 sales!) still hanging around in the top 40 we eventually charted at:
Number 10 in the Virigin Chart
Number 15 in the HMV Chart
and Number 51 in the national chart
So we're very chuffed.
Our next single will be an Alan Moulder remix/edit of William and will be released on 28th of March. It will be backed with remixes of Lackey from Gang Of Four, and Hedman. We're currently also writing new tracks as b-sides for this release.
Me and Dom recorded an edition of MTV's Gonzo show with Zane Lowe yesterday - it was a lot of fun - managed to promote our favourite brand of mineral water (Abbey Well) and even talk a bit about the album - and there wasn't a puppet in sight! As soon as I know when this will be aired I will post details on here.
Cheers
Johnny
xx
Thursday, February 03, 2005
Some interesting new shows:
25th Feb 2005 - Victoria And Albert Museum (London) No support
Press Release:
Agitate! Educate! Organise! - Friday Late at the V&A. 25 February 2005, 6.30pm-10.00pm. Whether it's the underground band The Others 'guerrilla gigging' up a tree, or spoken word performers Tell Tales turning story telling on its head, young British writers and musicians are finding new ways to present their ideas. Agitate! Educate! Organise! at the V&A celebrates this new wave of social protest, observation and documentary in the arts with spoken word performances, poetry slamming and impromptu gigs around the museum. Controversial female voice, Helen Walsh, and Whitbread prize-winner Patrick Neate, will read from their latest works, while Courttia Newland, Nii Parkes and six authors from the Tell Tales crew will be performing their unique short stories, each accompanied by specially composed scores. The Others will be performing in the V&A's beautiful galleries and their film 'Guide to Guerrilla Gigging' will run throughout the evening.
Camden Crawl: We will be playing the Barfly on 10th March for John Kennedy. The whole set should go out live on the radio.
more news soon
Cheers
Johnny
xx
25th Feb 2005 - Victoria And Albert Museum (London) No support
Press Release:
Agitate! Educate! Organise! - Friday Late at the V&A. 25 February 2005, 6.30pm-10.00pm. Whether it's the underground band The Others 'guerrilla gigging' up a tree, or spoken word performers Tell Tales turning story telling on its head, young British writers and musicians are finding new ways to present their ideas. Agitate! Educate! Organise! at the V&A celebrates this new wave of social protest, observation and documentary in the arts with spoken word performances, poetry slamming and impromptu gigs around the museum. Controversial female voice, Helen Walsh, and Whitbread prize-winner Patrick Neate, will read from their latest works, while Courttia Newland, Nii Parkes and six authors from the Tell Tales crew will be performing their unique short stories, each accompanied by specially composed scores. The Others will be performing in the V&A's beautiful galleries and their film 'Guide to Guerrilla Gigging' will run throughout the evening.
Camden Crawl: We will be playing the Barfly on 10th March for John Kennedy. The whole set should go out live on the radio.
more news soon
Cheers
Johnny
xx