[Bracket THIS]

Friday March 17th brought a programme of short films curated by James Harding who lectures in Film Studies at Hope University at the Cornerstone followed by electronica music from the Hive Collective with Tom Q and Scrubber Fox.

The films were all 16mm reels so you get added tension of wondering how soon there will be the inevitable technical hitch and the sequence was titled 'UNDER THE FREEWAY/URBAN LANDSCAPES'. Artists' cinema often reveals the sections of a city which have been ignored in standard topographies.

Guy Sherwin's 'Under the Freeway was a (too long) 16 min. film of street-life at a busy intersection beneath a freeway in San Francisco. I found that rather boring to be honest but the other 3 films were more entertaining or short enough to at least hold my attention.
They were 'Money' by Henry Hills, 'Talking to a Stone' by Inger Lisa Hansen and 'Nocturne' by Emily Richardson.

Sadly I couldn't stay for much of the music and left while Tom Q was testing the quality of the speakers via his laptop.

Cornerstone Artists Cinema
Hive Collective

GOING NATIVE FINAL EVENT: CLOSING PARTY | Friday 24 March | 20.30pm-late | FREE
At Arena Gallery, 82-84 Duke Street, Liverpool (double doors down from The Monroe pub)

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HEADLOC – knob-twiddling Wrexham electronica
THE WOMBATS – melodic pop with a twist
STUFFED LOVE – broody, driving, psychedelic rock
KINETIC FALLACY – Ninja Tunes-esque classical take on hip hop
Plus poetry and DJ’s
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Over the last three weeks, the Arena Gallery has played host to our latest exhibition, )Bracket THIS( - Going Native.
Specially-commissioned pieces by international-but-Liverpool-based artists have jostled for elbow room with brand new quality poetics, North African drums, German comedians, Chilean guitars, Wigan electronica and freakin belly dancers.
Now it is game over, but not before one last blowout tomorrow night (Friday 24). If you’ve been already, then take the opportunity to say goodbye to it all, and if you haven’t made it yet, then this is your last chance...
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FREE to get in, all the drinks are a quid, and we have heating now!
Check dis:
<http://www.myspace.com/headloc>
<http://www.thewombats.co.uk>
<http://www.myspace.com/kineticfallacy>
<http://www.artinliverpool.com/bracketthis>

I have created a 'set' in flickr for the Bracket THIS photos. Just added several by Tom Harold. More to follow later.
See the fancy flash thing in the right hand column or click here

GOING NATIVE EVENT: LIVE MUSIC | Sunday 12 March 2006, 7-11pm | Arena Gallery, 82-84 Duke Street, Liverpool – look for the double black doors, just down from The Monroe pub
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JOHN SMITH & The Wooden Ducks
BLUE LANTERN
AMRO BILAL
OSCAR
1UP
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There ain’t no letup from the )Bracket THIS( team: there’s another event on tomorrow night, hot on the heels of Wednesday’s poetics (he really did say that), drums (man, the DRUMS!) and crazy, crazy German cabaret. John Smith is about to start a huge UK tour with John Martin – so this may well be your last chance to catch him before it all ‘goes off’, do not miss. If you’ve never seen him, he’s an acoustic expert, like nobody you ever saw, and with a super-guitar especially made for him like some sort of musical Samurai. Brilliant, basically. Add to that some new Welsh folk, latin sounds, Nintendo power pop and arabic instrumentals with a freaking belly dancer, and you have a Sunday night made for one an all...
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All drinks are a quid don’t forget, and we are arranging some heating improvements too!
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<http://www.acousticsmith.com>
<http://www.myspace.com/johnacousticsmith>
<http://www.artinliverpool.com/bracketthis>
<http://www.showmercy.co.uk>

From Helen Bryson (thanks Helen)....

"oh what a night... DAVE BAMFORD BLEW ME AWAY, did he really say all that? I'm so glad he did, some real stuff. The drums, by Mana Bozho WOW. THE GERMAN, Gonzo, actually funny, and other stuff poignant and witty and moving. So you can tell I really loved the night. Cheers Mercy, oh yea, and Nafes poems made me laugh, never a bad thing."

Sorry, I've been watching Madness videos this week.
So Arena on Wednesday was a good place to shelter from the rain and the depressing football match but not, unfortunately, the cold. Thank God for red wine on such occasions.
The evening kicked off with a drum band troop called Mana Bohzo. Can't remember all the drum names but Djembe were the main instrument I think. Great foot-tapping beats.
Lots of excellent poetry from the Fiction gang (or 'Massive' now); Nafe (Nathan Jones), Eleanor Rees and special guest Ayo Ogola who I haven't heard before but would love to hear again. I think Dave Bamford was on later but I didn't stay to the end, had to get home and defrost.
No Fiction gig is complete without a bit of weird stuff and this was supplied a-plenty by the Great Gonzo, a German comedian/singer/entertainer. Very funny but mildly scary.

Next event is Sunday 12th March 2006 with lots of acoustic music from John Smith and many others.

If you have seen the Bracket THIS exhibition or events why not tell us what you think. email your reviews, moans, ideas and low-res images to info@artinliverpool.com and I'll post them to the bracketTHIS blog.

You can also add comments to the blog by clicking on the 'comments' link below.

Looking forward to the Fiction gig tonight, see you there.

"For a crowd is not company; and faces are but a gallery of pictures; and
talk but a tinkling cymbal, where there is no love... Truth is so hard to
tell, it sometimes needs Fiction to make it plausible."
Francis Bacon.

Fiction @ )Bracket THIS( - Going Native, Arena Gallery, Duke Street Wednesday 8th March 7:00 till 10:30 FREE
Fiction is back for a mini-session in the Arena Gallery, hosting another night of brand new quality poetics, tunes and crooners to mince about and hold your glasses up to. Wine and dine your missus on. Drag your bloke to.
Sit and smoke to.

A year in the making, the new )Bracket THIS( - Going Native exhibition opened on Thursday to shitloads of acclaim and bravado. Come and check it out....

Fiction @ )Bracket THIS( - Going Native, Arena Gallery, Duke Street Wednesday 8th March 7:00 till 10:30 FREE

featuring:

Ayo Ogolo - Nigerian-born Toxteth poet, author of multimedia children's
publication Aku's Chair.
"Tailor-made for success", Daily Post

Mana Bozho - expert African drum troop

Gonzo and Noni Jackson Twist - German cabaret!

plus: Nafe Jones, Nick Holloway and Dave 'Dave' Bamford.

please arrive early, we don't have all night.
x

for more info call 07949162814

Brand new poetry, music and film events

THURSDAY 02 MARCH
OPENING NIGHT Private view, artists will be present 18.00 - 22.00

WEDNESDAY 08 MARCH 19.30 - 23.00
The GONZO Show inc. NONNI JACKSON TWIST - Cabaret
AYO OGOLA - Poetics
FICTION Massive - Poetics
MANA BOZHO North - American Drum Troop

SUNDAY 12 MARCH 19.00 - 23.00
JOHN SMITH & The Wooden Ducks
BLUE LANTERN - New Welsh Folk
AMRO BILAL - Arabic Instrumentals
OSCAR - Latin Folk
1UP - Nintendo Power Pop

FRIDAY 17 MARCH 19.30 - 23.00
The HIVE Collective bring the noise - Electronica
HOPE UNI FILM Showcase - UNDER THE FREEWAY/URBAN LANDSCAPES
Artists' cinema often reveals the sections of a city which have been ignored in standard topographies. The screening will also feature a selection of films about the artistic communities who inhabit this ignored landscape, producing their work outside of systems of gallery and institutional support.The programme which will include films by Guy Sherwin, Henry Hills and Emily Richardson is kindly supported by Liverpool Hope University.

FRIDAY 24 MARCH 19.30 - late
CLOSING PARTY: TRANSLATION KARAOKE

Info - Runs 2-24 March 2006,
opening times: Tue-Sun, 12:00-18:00
Arena Gallery, 82-84 Duke Street, Liverpool L1 5AA

From Community Newswire....

ART SHOW HIGHLIGHTS CITY DIVERSITY
By Ben Pindar, Community Newswire

ARTS Diversity Liverpool, 02 Mar 2006 - 08:51
A Liverpool gallery was today lifting the curtain on a major new multicultural art exhibition which highlights the city's diverse communities ahead of being named the European Capital of Culture in 2008.

The "Going Native" exhibition aims to address Liverpool's 2008 Capital of Culture slogan, "The World in One City", by providing a unique insight into the cultural experiences and outlooks of artists living and working in Liverpool.

Gallery chiefs will unveil five brand new commissions, alongside existing works, by Liverpool-based artists from diverse communities, backgrounds and disciplines....