Looking for contacts/venues in West Mids (UK).

[iMartin]

I am a photographer and film maker who has just discovered VJing..yes I know where have I been! My personal work is politically motivated - visually I have loads of ideas but they are probably not suited to the 'club scene'.

I am more interested in using my own visuals, than using stock stuff.

Are there any events/people/venues in the near future in the West Midlands that I should be attending/meeting. I am looking for 'Arty/Narritive' stuff rather than just flashing lights. Any help would be appreciated.

Martin


My latest project (http://www.strike84.co.uk)

[PilotX]

hi Martin,

nice photos :) I really like b/w photography, especially when it fits with my politics.. are there plans for a brum show at a future date?

I reckon you're in the right place for arty/narrative visuals.. there is a definite west mids scene springing up based around visuals that are more than flashing lights.. many of us are going to be at The Big Chill if you are going..
Unfortunately Zoetrope is on hiatus now as our venue has been rebuilt under us and doesn't look suitable for contuing the night, but I hope you made it down to one of them.. we hope to start it up again but need a venue that is right for pushing a/v and visual stuff that is not what people think of as standard club visuals.. we had no problem with getting local residents who play different stuff

for ourselves, we tend to base our visuals round a concept, that is usually based around the feel of the night.. Supersonic, for instance, is going to have wrong, twisted funny visuals - mostly it will be stopmotion plasticine stuff which will hopefully make people laugh in a confused way (which is what the music does as well)..
in November, Drop Beats Not Bombs should be back, and we curate the visuals for that.. it is a cnd awareness raising event so all the visuals have to be pro-peace/anti-war/politically aware visuals.. last one in March saw 6 vj crews from as far away as Newcastle-upon-tyne and Brighton join 4 of us from the west mids and put on an amazing show.. the music is club stuff but with political overtones and a speakers room (although this didn't happen in march because of the weather.. long story).. if you were interested in doing something for drop beats not bombs let me know..

oh, and if you see Visualnaut on a flyer somewhere, go and see his visuals (he's plymouth based)

[iMartin]

syzygy

Thanks for the reply.

There are no plans at the moment for a Bham showing of the exhibition as its booked pretty solid at the moment. It is in my plans though.

I would be interested in seeing the Beats not Bombs stuff, I worked for CND for a while in the 80's (thats a give away to my age!). I might even try sorting some visuals, but as I mentioned I am very new to this stuff. I am working on a piece about the Miners' Strike, but its very much in its infancy. I am only just coming to grips with software (currently trying Archaos and Resolume) with some rostrum camera clips of my stills. Its good fun experimenting but I am quite a bit off a live show!!!!!

If any gigs come up, anything at all please let me know. I am really curious about what other people are doing.

Cheers

martin

[PilotX]

we have lots of gigs coming up, and yuo'd be welcome to come down and see how and what we are doing at any of them..
at the medicine bar:
this sat (17th) - Softly, DJ Food - breakbeat..
Fri 23rd - Supersonic - Luke Vibert (Wagon Christ) - wierd electro..
Sat 24th - Supersonic - very wierd electro and rock
Fri 6th Aug - Autumn - Marcus Intellex - drum and bass,
fri 21st - Tumbledown - Cut La Roc - breaks and hip-hop..
Fri 28th - Shaanti - asian/british fusion
also 13-15th Aug Shambala Festival which is somewhere in the south west

also we are going to host a BBQ for west mids vjs to get together.. see this thread (http://www.vjforums.com/showthread.php?threadid=7338) and let Dan know if you can make it..

if not, then perhaps we could arrange a time to meet up? where in the west midlands are you based?

[iMartin]

Thanks for the info, I am away when you are having the BBQ and for much of the next month. I will come down to Birmingham when I get back......there are some interesting gigs you have listed.

I am based in Staffordshire. As I mentioned I am a stills photographer by profession and am looking to develop narrative pieces, being 'middle aged' some of the club scene won't appeal. However I am into fusion music of all kinds, I play a midi wind contoller.

Cheers

Martin