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ENGLISH JOURNEY REVISITED: IAIN SINCLAIR AND ALAN MOORE

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Live Performance at The Sage Gateshead
(NewcastleGateshead)

Sun 14th March from 8:00pm until 11:00pm

In 1933, during the Great Depression, JB Priestley travelled from London to the North East to write his legendary book English Journey. His social commentary influenced the thoughts of an entire generation, inspiring George Orwell and informing both the creation of the welfare state and the birth of CND.

Over 75 years since its publication, in a new era of recession, AV Festival 10 brings together leading writers and musicians to perform moments from a contemporary journey, offering new social observations and predictions of the future. Award-winning authors and psycho-geographers IAIN SINCLAIR and ALAN MOORE undertake their own journeys across England through the darkness and light. This special North East journey draws on influences including ghosts on Lindisfarne, Morden Tower poets, the paintings of John Martin and Jimi Hendrix busking in Newcastle – invoking and re-animating these spirits and memories.

Iain Sinclair is one of Britain’s most original writers and filmmakers. Since the 1960s his work has presented a new vision of the modern city. His seminal work London Orbital was based on a walk around the M25. Alan Moore is a British writer most famous for his acclaimed work in graphic novels including the acclaimed series Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell.

The performance is underscored by a specially commissioned soundscape performed by musicians:

FM EINHEIT, the percussionist and long-time band member from legendary 1980s German band Einstürzende Neubauten, renowned for playing custom-made metal instruments.

STEPHEN O’MALLEY, guitarist and founder of leading experimental and drone doom bands Sunn O))), KTL and Gravetemple.

SUSAN STENGER, leading performer of music by John Cage and Christian Wolff and co-founder of Band of Susans, The Brood, Big Bottom. Stenger has bridged the rock and art music worlds throughout her career, composing and performing for flute, electronics and electric guitar.

The event also features a new projected moving image work by visual artist GRAHAM DOLPHIN, including material gleaned from the Northern Region Film and Television Archive.

Special guests include: poets Tom Chivers and Tom Pickard the Newcastle-born poet who co-founded Morden Tower.

Co-commissioned by AV Festival 10 and Aldeburgh Music Faster Than Sound. Produced by AV Festival 10, blatfirstpetite and The Sage Gateshead

£12 / £10 concessions. Tickets available direct from The Sage Gateshead or call 0191 443 4661


Vintage interview with Iain Sinclair from 2000

Greetings,

just to let you know that I posted an interview with Iain that i did back in 2000. I took him up on the london eye for the idler. Thought it may be of interest given the 10th anniversary of the eye, today, and the screenings tonight.

It is here http://bit.ly/London_Eye

on my blog.
sincerely,
Tony White

Comments on the event at the Swedenborg House

Last night’s show at Swedenborg House was well received. Amanda Schiff commented: ‘I half-expected Brian to produce clouds of ectoplasm after he swallowed the film – and a rapt audience induced into that kind of silence is rare. The idea of the illustrated lecture seems to be making a comeback (if it ever really went away) and the Hall was a great venue. Something genuinely strange about the place. I love the idea that some people were there as followers of the Catling/Sinclair enquiries and some were Swedenborgian mystics but you couldn’t tell by looking at them. I wonder how many have been converted one way or the other?’

There is a comment on the Jonathan Jones blog.

Iain

Londra chiama

An Italian publication of interest to the website. ‘Londra chiama‘ by Valentina Agostinis. il Saggiatore, Milan. I received a copy this week. There is a chapter-long interview with me. Also (and especially): JG Ballard + Will Self, Hari Kunzru. Nicely produced, clean setting, illustrated with photos and maps.

Iain