Hey Gang,
Happy Friday!
Vagrant Lovers plug in at Lion Coffee and Records in London’s Clapton at 8pm tonight. We’ll be honouring our show to freedom of mind, speech, and the lost art of ethics. Truth is the greatest torch. ALWAYS.
Life’s getting increasingly weird here, right, as we forget the olde worlde? The Omnicron matrix, something we cannot see and can only breathe, is pervasive with unknown danger. We stretch our minds out in preparation for a road ahead, measure to a horizon and are constantly having to re-animate how the road re-rolls afore us, ever changing like the superconscious. Masked, breathing like we’re floating in space, travelling through an unknown void. The despicable refugee situation increases, more homeless land on the streets, drugs are found in 11 of 12 cubicles in Parliament and government’s reflex is to tell others off. War on drugs, the war is on us. Climate depression is real and it’s too much sometimes, yet we are not alone with music, art and literature. x
Intense fun lies ahead tonight, like it’s lockdown in Parliament. We’re supporting our pal Chris Bianchi - of the illustration collection Le Gun (I generously lost his art in my divorce, aside half a house, a dog and a camper van)… and aside us, music is also coming from the infamous art-rock collective Silver Machine, heralded by composer magician Chris Rotter, with Personality Crisis on bass (who designed the last proper Cold Lips magazine) and the cover of the Now Is Now collection I made for paying subscribers here…there’s also a special appearance from steel pedalled Jonny Halifax. Power.
If you can’t make it this week and are still in London, never fear - The Amersham Arms (site of my first ever gig which I snuck out to as a teenager, for Wall of Sound’s Agent Provocateur) is next Friday, playing with our best tour buddies from this year, Band of Holy Joy. https://www.wegottickets.com/event/527841
My debut editorial as editor of Ambit dropped in the new issue. I spoke to MagCulture about what the dream job entails, and with a crew of reader poets I trust, we’re currently selecting the best work from over 500 submissions. (READ ALL ABOUT IT…)
Ambit annual subscriptions are £30 print + P&P, £20 digital. Nice gift. I’m happy to buy annual subscribers here their own, if you carry on supporting this page. Or give you a poster. Just holler. It’s been a busy year, and I want to carry this Substack on with better content. x
We also have some Stanley Donwood prints called Salaryman, inspired by JG Ballard’s years as fiction editor at Ambit. Thanks to the artist best known for work with Radiohead for supporting Ambit, which operates as charity providing ladders into literature and arts. These are £200 including a digital subscription.
I have a fresh delivery of Psychomachias for tonight’s show, they are £15 on Bandcamp signed with £2.50 UK P&P, £5 Europe, £8 Rest of World, direct from me, or a tenner on Amazon. Or sign up here to get a free one! x
Psychomachia posters are on Bandcamp, only £10 each - signed if you like. They’re created by Stephen Barrett who also designs Ambit.
Other Christmas presents you may want to consider include:
Gil De Ray’s new album with the special beautiful little lyric book I made to accompany it.
I also have book recommendations in the new Mu magazine.
The year is drawing to a close, and there’s always more that’s not been done than could have been, but I hope you’re also finding some joy, in books and music. I’ve lived my life to release Psychomachia - the best thing is the feedback from readers. I love you! And much as I can barely believe we were just getting back from Berlin a year ago, when it feels like it could have been the year before - I have loved visiting places outside of London in the UK, Sheffield, North Tyne, Leeds, Hull, Edinburgh - onwards.
Say hi.
x
Also, if you’re in London - I’d recommend the Caribbean-British show at Tate Britain, somewhat ironically, given the sugar.
x
MORE SOON x