IAMX is the Solo Project Of Singer/Songwriter/SynthPlaying/Mixer/Producer/GuitarPlaying/VideoArtist/Performer CHRIS CORNER…
I Went To See Them Perform at The Electric Ballroom, Camden Last Night (Thursday 18th of April 2013) & It Was A Spectacular Show Of Music, Improvisation, Performance, Visuals & Costume, With Chris’ Voice Sounding Just As Strong Live As It Does On His Records. A Truly Wonderful Performance.
These Are A Few Photos From The Night, They Aren’t My Best Work, Admittedly, But Through All The Dry Ice & The Hectic Crowd, This Was The Best One Could Do, However I Do Rather Take To The Grainy Black & White Shots.
Buy “The Unified Field” At
Watch The Video For The Single “I Come With Knives”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt0MkotVIEc
one day, I’ll hopefully be one of the photographers at the front of the stage, with a nice big camera, working for a band, but … until then …
… A Musical Genius Who’s Talent Is Currently Being Celebrated By Not Only The Release Of His Recent Album “The Next Day’ But Also By The Exhibition “David Bowie Is…” At The Victoria & Albert Museum, London. (until the 11th of August)
With It Only Being The Beginning Of April & Tickets Already Having Sold Out There’s No Doubting Just How Popular This Exhibition Has Been. I Decided I Wanted To Write A Review Of My Own Experience But I Was Put Off By The Thought Of Writing A Long Winded, Formal Article About How AMAZING It Was… So, Here, Inspired By Bowie’s “Cut Ups” Method When Writing Lyrics, Is My Review… Taken From Notes That I Wrote Whilst At The Exhibition.
David Bowie – The Stars (are out tonight) – http://vimeo.com/60615337
Buy “The Next Day” - http://store.davidbowie.com
After Meeting The Beautiful COURTESANS Last Friday, This Week We Get To Learn A Little Bit More About The Man “Behind The Scenes”, How He First Got Involved With These Four Wonderful Ladies & His Views On The Current Music Scene.
Being The Only Guy, It Must Be A Tough Task Trying To Be Heard, So Lets All Have Read & See Things From His Prospective…
Everyone… Meet HOWARD TOSHMAN
How Did You First Get Involved In The Management Side Of The Music Industry?
Kind of fell into it really, I was managing a recording studio and writing music at the same time, so made a few connections through the studio, but then was offered a publishing deal with Polygram/Island so the first deal I negotiated was my own and I just winged it from there.
What Was The First Gig You Went To & The First Record You Bought?
The first gig I went to see was The Jam at The Rainbow, London in 1980 I think, I nearly died twice, initially outside escaping from a group of skinheads and then a friend thought it would be a good idea to get front row seats which we did, the seats lasted about two minutes into the first song, destroyed completely and considering the venue was previously used as a cinema they were heavy, metal constructions in rows covered in red velvet, blood everywhere, one guys ear hanging off and I lost a hush puppy!
The first record I bought was a year earlier, I was going through a Gay disco phase, I think it was Sylvester or something like that. My parents were confused at this point
How Did You First Come Across The Courtesans?
I was involved from the start, I had been working with Saffire a couple of years earlier on a some tracks, I met Sinead through another project I was working on and Agnes hmmm we had been close for years, finding Victoria was a bit of a search for the band as there are only about 17 female drummers in the UK!
In Managing The Band What Is The Most Stressful Moment You Have Encountered…?
Most stressful moment, you know what they say about women spending time together start becoming in tune periodically, well it’s true so there is always one rehearsal a month that’s a little bit more tense than others.
…And The Best Moment?
Honestly it’s great pretty much all the time, I love all of them and spending time with them, they are great people.
The Band Is Very Unique In The Way They Present Themselves, Both On Stage And In Their Photo Shoots, Do You Think This Adds To Their Charm As A Group?
Charm yes but I think it’s about being themselves, it makes a change from the way most pop music is gift wrapped in some plastic sexuality type wrapper with the public on the whole just accepting that as the norm, when you make a statement as a women it becomes so much more of an issue, erotica currently is either delivered to the public as young girls desperate for sex a la Babestation, or homogenised Burlesque, acceptable to the middle classes with balloon popping and waving feathers around with a quirky sense of humour added in but neither are erotic, the public actually deserve better and are certainly interested judging by the sales of 50 Shades of Grey.
What Are Your Future Hopes For The Band?
Future hopes… make some great records, increasingly larger and more spectacular live shows, get around the world and bringing something new to the table and continuing to enjoy each others company.
Do You Find It Hard To Organize Gigs For The Courtesans Because They’re Unsigned, Or Do You Think That The Audience For New, Up And Coming Music Is Just As Big As The Audience For Mainstream Music?
I feel signed or unsigned will eventually become a thing of the past, it’s always a slow build to get an act out there and known, with The Courtesans we really want to play venues that suit the vibe of the band.
You’ve Set Up A Pledge Music Site For The Band, That All The Members And Yourself Seem To Be Heavily Involved In, Could You Explain How That Works For Those That Don’t Know?
Ok, briefly, the band sets a budget for whatever activity they are working on, record album, make video etc. a fan can then pledge an amount starting with around £8 for the album download, once target is hit, the funds are debited from the fans account and the band get to work, so really it’s like an advance advance order on the bands work.
Do You Think Sites Like Pledge Music Might Effect How Musicians Go About Getting Record Deals Nowadays, Especially If It Cuts Out The Middleman Giving More Creative Freedom To The Artists?
Yes eventually there will not be much need for a record company, record companies essentially are loaning money to the band to make an album, which is kind of how Pledge works anyway, two things record companies supply 1) Money 2) An international network for promotion, that is on its way to being covered independently but we are not quite there yet!
HMV’s A Store That’s Been On Our High Streets For 90 Years And Is Under Threat Of Disappearing, How Do You Feel About This? Did You Hope To See The Courtesans’ New Album On HMV’s Racks On Its Release Date?
On one hand it’s a bit sad but inevitable, also record stores never really did justice to the artist in terms of profit, although saying that iTunes profit split could be a somewhat more balanced but they pretty much have a monopoly.
Any London Venues You’d Recommend People Check Out For New, Up And Coming, Bands With A Difference?
There is always so much going on, more of a recommendation for bands about where to play, try and avoid the promoters who put on 5 bands a night who have nothing to do with each other and where you will make no money, build your audience online then put your own night on somewhere, talk to the venue owner, create something unique.
You Can Help Support The Recording Of The Band’s Debut Album At –http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/thecourtesans
You Can Also Watch The Band, Sat Around A Kitchen Table, Playing Their Track ‘Genius’ Whilst Drinking – In True Courtesan Style At –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzK0kL4zO7s
UP & COMING SHOWS
Friday, March 22 2013.
The Green Room,
Church Road,
Welwyn Garden City AL8 6PR.Saturday April 06 2013
Satans Hollow,
101 Princess Street,
Manchester M1 6DD.
My Next Two Posts Are Going To Be Dedicated To The Wonderful COURTESANS, A London Based Band With An Enormous Amount Of Talent.
Back In Late January I Did An Interview With Themselves & Their Manager, Howard Toshman, To Find Out A Little More About The Band’s History, Their Influences & What Their Hopes Are For The Future. I’m Going To Introduce The Girls First Followed By An Update In A Weeks Time Of How Howard Got Involved With These Lovely Ladies.
The Courtesans Are Made Up Of Sinead La Bella – Vocals, Saffire Sanchez – Guitar, Agnes Dominique Jones – Bass & Vix – Drums
Having Described Their Music To “Come Alive In The Halflight Of The Bedroom… Feeding On Scents That You Know And You Long For… Undressing You Without You Knowing It” You Can’t Be In ANY Doubt Of It Being An Interesting Read.
Sinead La Bella @ Candy Bar, Soho, London – Thursday 7th March 2013
On The Band & The Studio…
How Did You Meet, Did You All Know Each Other Before You Became “The Courtesans”?
We had bumped into each other in and around London, crossing paths constantly. Saf and Jones knew each other from a project a couple of years earlier. Sinead and Jones met in Soho and got talking just to discover connections running far beyond UK borders. Victoria our little gem, we found on the dark web.
When Did You Start Making Music, And Why? (Is There A Message You Are Trying To Send Out Through Your Lyrics Or Is It Your Way Of Understanding The World On A Different Level?)
Music is delicately woven into our lives since we were kids, for each one of us there is a slightly different colour thread… Jones’ genesis started in a church choir discovering sacred harmonies of eternity (how far can an apple fall from the tree) Sinead, worthy hair of Salome had begun her dance of the seven veils as soon as she could walk and never really stopped (especially after a few whiskeys). Saffire’s classical training in her childhood was later mixed with a healthy dose of madness. Victoria was the local punisher beating other kids for sweets but then she discovered that she can hit the drums and still get sweets for that.
About our message hmm… The face of feminism is currently rather an ugly one, to be perceived as a serious musician, businesswoman, mother you have to be adorned in baggy t-shirts or suits fastened to the last button. Breasts shown equal intellectual incapability – we want to change this perception. We also want people to see what is really important in life, in the world where money, prestige and power became the ultimate measure of success and our conscience is purposefully sedated with colourful high-tech gadgets. We’re forgetting that true happiness comes from kindness and freedom to love and being loved, freedom of expression through any means – art, music, science…pick your own.
Who Are You’re Musical Inspirations?
Deftones, Rammstein, Slayer, Letlive, Thomas Newman, Velvet Underground, Nirvana, Enter Shikari, Beth Gibbons, Hope Sandoval, tooooo many
You Have Recorded A Cover Of “Venus In Furs” By Velvet Underground, Why?
It’s the epitome and embodiment of sado-masochism, erotica in its most intense form. What better song to cover than Venus in Furs? Everyone feels this track on an immense sexual level and it perfectly represents what we are about as a band.
You All Look Amazing In Your Photo Shoots And Your Stage Performances Are Far From Dull, Where Did It All Come From, Do You Girls Have Any Style Guru’s?
It came from our desire to be strong, fierce and independent but at the same time stay feminine, guess we have very little inhibition that leads to not giving a fuck.
Do You Have Any Pre Show Rituals, Doesn’t Matter How Bizarre Or Obvious They May Be…?
Well, apart from a few large whiskeys we also have a mouldy good luck cake that Vikki bought Saff for her birthday. Saff then took it everywhere intending to eat it… Now it’s a good luck cake.
What’s Your Favourite Song To Perform & Why?
The one that we hit the least bum notes hehehehe, but seriously each time we rehearse or perform it varies with the energy that goes with it.
This Is Your First Time In A Studio Recording A Full-Length Album, How Are You Feeling About It All?
Makes us feel funny in our nether regions.
Is It Strange To Be Making Tracks That You Have Been Playing Live, For A While Now, Into A Static Recording?
It’s just like playing live but no one’s there. It also allows you to go for a piss in the middle of the song and you never should underestimate that kind of opportunity, everyone with a weak bladder would tell you that, wouldn’t they Jones?
Do You Think You’ll Be More Experimental In The Studio And Try New Things That You’re Not Able To Try Out First Hand, On Stage?
Let’s be frank. We like a drink and things, and the meaning of life is not known but to exist… Right? WRONG! We’re here to get hammered and enjoy life so that means we will definitely experiment.
Will Everyone Have A Fixed Role Whilst Recording The Album, Or Can Agnes Play Some Guitar & Sinead Try Her Hand At The Drums?
We tried that last week, we’ve now tried on each others shoes.
Who’s In Charge Of Writing The Lyrics Anyone? Or Everyone?
Everyone. We’re collaborating with other writers too, expression through songs is important to us but we are not too precious about OUR stuff, if someone brings something amazing to the table and it’s a great song then why not!
How Does It All Come About? Do You Write About Your Own Experiences Or Are They About Observations Of The World Around You?
Anything and everything.
On The Concept Of “Making It’ …
Are You Fussed With “Making It” … Or Is Making Enough Money To Live & Pay The Rent Enough For You, As Long As You’re Playing Music?
The music industry can be very pretentious place and we think we might be lying if we said some part of us didn’t want to make it big in the mainstream. Obviously lack of privacy would always be a bug bear for some of us, for some not so much…True that Sinead? Ideally we would like to make enough money to live on comfortably and bring dinosaurs back to life… Oh and a cryogenic religious lab so we could freeze souls.
Where Would You Girls Like To See The Band In Five Years Time – Would You Ever Want To Go Mainstream, Even If It Means Changing Your Style To Adapt To Modern Day Conformity?
Conforming doesn’t inspire people, there are no aspirations there and we are looking forward to the day when our style and personal freedom becomes a “modern day conformity”.
Quite A Few Musicians Have A Connection To Brixton Academy And Feel They’ve “Made It” When They’ve Performed There, Could You See Yourself Ever Playing A Big Venue Like That Or Do You See Yourself As A Band That Suits More Intimate Venues?
Maybe a working mens club in the middle of nowhere on a Sunday night. You’ll know you’ve made it if people turn up.
On Dreams & Achieving Them …
Where Would Be Your Dream Venue To Perform At & Why?
That’s like saying ‘chocolate or cocaine?’ hard choice. Vlad the Impaler’s castle in Romania is up there on the list of most awesome places to play.
If You Could Go On Tour With Anyone, Dead Or Alive, Whom Would You Choose?
Rammstein!! Dead Or Alive is debateable, Marylin Manson is a definite, that man oozes sex and we think we would get on with him on many levels
What Do You Think You’d All Be Doing Now If You Weren’t Musicians?
SAFFIRE: I buy aircraft parts, although I’d probably be a paramedic so I can put my hands in peoples guts, failing aeroplanes and music.
SINEAD: DEAD – I live, love and breathe, music… it’s all I’ve ever known.
AGNES: I would be a cleaner… apart from streets I’ve got a mile-long list of people that this world could do without
VICTORIA: Being musician was always what I wanted to do. Probably I’d gone down the route of being a nurse or paramedic – that’s what I did in college as a back up plan whilst in the band.
Which Do You Believe In The Most “Burning Your Bridges” Or “Playing It Safe”?
That’s like saying ‘What would you like to travel in? This Kia Rio or a push bike with a jet engine?’ Jet engine all the wayyy!!!!! Not that Kia is bad…. They’re just too safe so…burn baby burn!!
You Can Help Support The Recording Of The Band’s Debut Album At – http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/thecourtesans
You Can Also Watch The Band, Sat Around A Kitchen Table, Playing Their Track ‘Genius’ Whilst Drinking – In True Courtesan Style At -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzK0kL4zO7s
Agnes D. Jones @ Ginglik, Shepherds Bush, London – Friday 7th December 2012
UP & COMING SHOWS
Friday March 8th 2013
Tamworth Rock Bar
Rock-It
22 George Street,
Tamworth B79 7ll.
Friday, March 22 2013.
The Green Room,
Church Road,
Welwyn Garden City AL8 6PR.Saturday April 06 2013
Satans Hollow,
101 Princess Street,
Manchester M1 6DD.
Yes, I Am 20 & Yes, You Are Now 40. But I Do Still Love You Dearly & Always Will. My Memories With You Will Never Die. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Brian Molko, You Gorgeous, Fucked Up, Mess Of A Musician!
Both Nina and I have been living in London for 3 months now, and within those 3 months we’ve both had our first birthday away from home. We both turned 20 over the last month and for the first time ever neither of us had our families around us, just each other.
Yesterday was Nina’s 20th birthday and to celebrate we decided to stay in as we both had had a busy day in College. Nina opened her presents from her family, from me and from my mum and dad then we ordered a chinese that both of us had been saving ourselves for all day.
I had spent the morning decorating a cake and realised it was no where near as easy as drawing with a pencil on a nice flat piece of paper. I then laid out all her presents on our dinning table and decorated it with lots of ‘happy birthdays’, which we are now trying not to drop on the floor or eat the ones that have accidentally landed on the cake.
I’ve realised that sometimes people don’t know how much they mean to you until you have the chance to show them and even when you tell them they don’t always take it in to be the truth. This birthday was my chance to show Nina how much she means to me and i’m happy to say i successfully made her cry, I didn’t even write anything soppy in her card either!
Here are a selection of photos from last night, …some of the cake, some of the presents, a photo of Nina on the phone to her grandma after being beaten by the chinese in front of her, and one of Nina before she blew out the candles on her cake.
I decided that taking photos of last night was a MUST, not only for her parents to see but for us to keep as a memory …
Your first birthday away from home…one to remember I think.
Happy Birthday Nina,
Lots of Love, Your Annoying Flat Mate and Best Friend xxxxx
It’s been a while since I last updated here, I’ve recently started studying Fine Art: Drawing at Camberwell College of Arts which is a part of University of the Arts London, I’ve been there just over 3 weeks now and have started to continue with my projects from my foundation course as we’ve not been set any topic specific briefs.
I’ve manage to make all my print making workshops relate to my project with only the specific topic based workshops not being related, which has allowed me to build up quite a few different areas that i could carry on into my project. Over the last few days i’ve been piecing together all the work i’ve been doing to try and make sense of it all, and these small, biro sketches seem to be where i’ve ended up at the moment. My project is still heavily based on Mother and Child, but looking at a parental relationship between Father, Mother and Child. I’m also looking at the human anatomy in the hope that it will help my understanding of the body as i continue to study it, finally I’m looking at different ways of representing a personality within art – this came from a tutorial i had earlier in the week, where i got challenged to draw boring everyday objects with the same level of detail as i do my portraits, i then decided to think about drawing items that relate to a person and that might help to explain why the person is the way they are without drawing the person.
The drawings below measure at 7cm and 9cm in height, and are drawn in black biro on tracing paper, they’re drawn from photographs, I’ve done a series of 3 other drawings to go with them, but these specific two are of a Father and his Son … Brian Molko and his son Cody.
