Well, looking back to the last blog, I can understand you thinking I’d disappeared again on one of the ‘I N V A G E N T S‘ secret missions working for the IBI in Mumbai or I’d been off again adventuring in the Himalayas but, unfortunately the reasons for my disappearance are far more mundane and far more painful and debilitating … there’s nothing cool, exciting or adventurous about a broken arm and pneumonia!
Eight weeks ago (feels like eight years) I had the misfortune to break my right arm – on the first day of a holiday would you believe – pretty much putting everything I’d been doing on hold up until now. From trying to brush my teeth, putting on shoes, working on the computer and attempting to cook – to carrying shopping, showering, opening letters and trying to avoid people heading straight for me at 100 miles an hour every time I stepped outside the front door – it’s been a bit of a shit few weeks to put it mildly. To add insult to injury (ha-ha) – two weeks ago, after a chest infection which seemed to drag on and on – I was diagnosed with pneumonia and admitted to hospital for treatment. Not funny. Not funny at all
But …
Thankfully circumstances DO change and I’m pleased to say things are now on the up and I’m trying to pull together various projects I last enjoyed working on nearly two months ago. The blog of course needs attention and, as one of the things I enjoy doing most, it will blossom once again very shortly …
I’ll keep you posted with the IMMINENT return of METALLICALIVE.
Also … Check out ‘I N V A G E N T S‘.
Chapter Three – ‘Thaddeus‘ now posted
One article I read, amongst the acres of considered and ill-considered comments, on the causes of the recent riots and looting across the UK struck a chord. It may not be the only ’cause’ but one which made perfect sense on a very fundamental level …
Illiteracy is a powerful driver of bad behaviour. The US Department of Justice concluded that ‘failing to read at school meets all the requirements for bringing about and maintaining the frustration level that frequently leads to delinquency. This sustained and ever-growing frustration causes aggressive anti-social behaviour.‘
It’s difficult, being literate, to even imagine a life without reading or writing. Just thinking about the frustration levels it must cause on so many levels makes me feel desperate. ‘Education, education, education‘ everyone shrieks but the system itself needs a serious overhaul. Prisoners between 15 and 17 years old have doubled in the last ten years and ONE QUARTER of total prisoners has a reading age of less than seven. Terrifying. Most teachers when discussing an unruly child, question what is wrong with the child or blame his or her background, rarely their own teaching. This needs addressing too. As one of my favourite Tibetan sayings goes – ‘It’s easy to blame external circumstances for our failings but it is clearly far easier to wear a pair of sandals than to cover the entire road in leather.’
Check out these guys – a refreshing and welcome originality to the music scene … They decided to use YouTube to promote themselves from the start. Music & video is the perfect combination. To do it all themselves showcases their multiple talents and a surprising variety of musical influences.
I love this … “That’s how I deal with things – I set them on FIRE!”
More of tripping the light fantastic with The Boyz …
Then there was what I call the ‘Disaster’ gig. The staging was as innovative as ever. In the round. Massive 15,000 seater venue. Four gigantic robotic gantries were attached to the four corners of the stage and they moved around slowly and menacingly well before the band appeared on stage. Think Terminator. Think futuristic – laser beams and spotlights slicing through the darkness, the gantry suddenly swivelling and ‘aiming’ at various sections of the audience. Think four arms of some monstrous beast about to rise up from underneath the stage – cameras on each of them relaying images onto giant screens around the venue. Pretty impressive stuff.
When the band played the four arms seemed to hone in on the four band members in robotic swoops, swivels and turns. Then something appeared to be wrong with one of them. Sparks flew, cascading onto the stage. There were walkways above the stage and one of the lighting crew ran across one to the ailing gantry. More sparks – then an explosion. Another explosion and James fell down, holding his face. The crew member fell off the walkway – falling towards the stage. The damaged gantry began to fall towards the stage. One of the crew, in flames, ran across the stage. The band were whisked away by security. Two ambulance guys tended to the guy who’d fallen on the stage. CHAOS.
Suddenly ALL the lights went out.
Before audience panic set in Lars, standing next to his kit, reached up and turned on a single swinging light bulb and there were METALLICA tightly grouped together around the drums. ‘It’s all fine,’ shouted James on a faint and struggling sound system. ‘Are you all ok?‘ ‘YES,’ roared the crowd still fuelled by adrenalin from the ‘disaster’ but slowly beginning to realise the whole scenario was part of the show. It was all planned. They know how to wind people up those boys!
Everyone strained to hear a distant Metallica, for some a barely audible sound in such a huge venue. Then, halfway through the song, in an assault of the senses – the lights and the sound kicked in. We were off again.
What’s scary is that I’d been told about the show’s set piece months before at Lars’ house in San Francisco. He’d actually TOLD ME about a brilliant staging idea the band were working on. When I actually saw the gantry explode and collapse it was done so well I’d completely forgotten I already knew it was going to happen! Brilliant.
You can even watch it … terrifying!
We’re off to Berlin now to see a live performance of …
For the penultimate METALLICA Blog … No! NO! I hear you cry … (don’t worry there will be more) … we’ll go into the design of the S&M sleeve and artwork and the joys of working with the amazing Anton Corbijn as well as some design work for Metallica no-one has ever seen. There’s always additional artwork which is cool but obviously there can only be one ‘final choice’ and therefore there’s a lot that doesn’t reach the public domain. We’ll have a browse through some of that I reckon.
S&M, 1999, the Velodrome, Berlin …
So glad rags on and off to Berlin. I loved Berlin – exciting, edgy, amazing sights to see that were behind that WALL for years. Amazing place. GO.
S&M was only performed three times – in San Francisco (where it was recorded) in New York and in Berlin. It was an awesome project. Approached by Michael Kamen (now, sadly, no longer with us) to orchestrate some of Metallica’s work, the band, true to form, jumped at the chance to be involved in the challenge. Rock bands have tried before to combine heavy rock with an orchestra and, for me at least, it’s never really cut it. The orchestra somehow never had the attitude to pull it off successfully – too restrained and too formal to allow the combination to be successful. With Michael Kamen and Metallica – NO CHANCE of that.
Apparently the band hadn’t had much time to rehearse with the 150 classical musicians. Yes – 150! That’s a huge orchestra by any standards. However all were professionals determined to dazzle and to ROCK. The orchestra clearly had no idea what a Metallica gig was like and what an awesome welcome fans always provide. From where we were sitting on the front row it was amazing to watch how they all changed as it got nearer to Showtime. I’ve no idea what ‘HOLY SHIT!‘ or ‘WHAT THE FUCK!‘ is in German but whatever it is you could see it spreading across the 150 faces of the orchestra as the atmosphere and tension reached fever pitch. By the time James appeared on stage and began to play the first notes on his guitar, the musicians were psyched up probably like they never had been before – urged on by roaring fans to produce something spectacular. They delivered Bigtime. The band generate a massive amount of energy and with the support and expertise of a 150-strong ‘backing band’ who all rocked up the occasion, energy levels were phenomenal.
Try this one – only the second song into the set!
The after-show party was fantastic too. I can’t remember exactly what the venue was but it was a major historic building. Vast and architecturally stunning, I felt I was in some kind of time-warp arriving at a centuries old palace populated by heavy metal fans and guests. Weird but both were giving out extreme attitude in very different ways. The VIP area was in the middle of a huge hall, roped off and patrolled by a dozen very glamourous female security. People who tried to enter the VIP area without passes were totally phased by the Amazons. They just stared icily, hands on hips, giving off an extreme ‘Don’t even think about it!‘ vibe. No-one did.
Berlin was one of the very best of METALLICALIVE. Unforgettable and with so many remarkable images that will stay with me for ever.
There may be a couple of additions to this post but not til after the weekend. Stay tuned … &ie
We were fortunate last night to meet two remarkable young men from Grimsby in northern England … who have set themselves a daunting task … to travel around the borders and coastline of England raising money for CANCER RESEARCH UK …
Adam Stewart and Jason Hare with models at the launch of Brighton Fashion Week.
… the thing is – they left Grimsby 16 days ago with a small bag of essentials (toothbrush, a change of clothes etc), a tent, BUT WITH NO MONEY AT ALL to see if they could complete their ambitious journey WITHOUT SPENDING A SINGLE PENNY – while at the same time collecting donations of which ALL goes to CANCER RESEARCH UK.
Jason said: “We’re doing this for all those people who have been on their own long journeys in the form of cancer. These people and their families, often have to rely upon others for care and support. This event will test our endurance and I’m sure our friendship, but we aim to raise a great deal of money for Cancer Research UK and hope to see some good examples of how friendly, polite and hospitable the good people of England really are.”
Remarkably, they’re still going, have not spent a single penny, have been given hotel rooms to stay in for nothing, eaten in restaurants for free, been bought supplies, travelled at no cost – and have, including donations along the journey, raised over £4,000.00 so far.
Follow them on twitter @aroundengland
Help them reach their £8,000.00 target by CLICKING HERE – Come on Everybody they’re halfway towards their target ! DON’T DILLY-DALLY – DO IT NOW – AND SAVE LIVES
No … not that one … although I did spot a couple of (absent) people after the world ended at 6pm on Saturday who’d been whisked heavenwards by the RAPTURE …
I do find it incomprehensible still (you’d think I’d have learnt by now) that there are those who actually believe such nonsense. The Earth is still flat, the world was created in seven days, evolution is a creation by non-believers and that nowhere – in the billions of galaxies that swirl around us – is there anywhere but here that may possibly nurture Life …
No … not him … the other JC. I couldn’t decide whether or not to get tickets to see him in Brighton but thankfully Tim bought me one. There’s always that fear that your youthful role-models and heroes may disappoint – they may be past it, may revel in nostalgia or, worst of all, simply pander to expectations.
No chance at all with John Cale – none at all. Musically the gig was faultless. The Man, at 69, on keyboards with THAT voice, two other keyboard players, drums, a dazzlingly talented lead guitarist, 3 violins and a cello are hardly a conventional band line-up but – my God they delivered. I wept through 2 songs, danced to a few and was jaw-droppingly stunned by others. There was funk, country, rock’n'roll, gospel and orchestral – a nod of course to Velvet Underground and even one to Kraftwerk – but most of all it was about lyrics and songs.
It was a concert of great dynamics and surprises, of the occasionally familiar and the brand new. Any artist who can successfully pull off a song’s chorus of …
‘Afghanistan, Afghanistan, Whatever happened to you?’
… followed by one of Thomas’s most profound poems, set to music …
‘Do not go gentle into that good night, Do not go gentle into that good night … Rage, rage against the dying of the light’
… is, by any standards, incomparable. Absolutely brilliant so thank you Mr Cale – substance, accessibility and wonderfully intoxicating. If you get the chance – just go – you may not be fortunate enough to have a Tim who over-rides your unjustified hesitation.
ROCK GOD QUOTES : “Where can you find a decent cup of tea round here?” (Lemmy, backstage at Lollapalooza Festival 1996, Metallica headlining)
EARLY DAYS …
If someone asked me ‘What’s the best METALLICA concert you’ve ever been to?‘ it would be impossible to answer. Any band worth its salt just HAS to be Amazing Live. It’s the benchmark for me how good an artist is. How could it be any other way? However good albums are – live performances have to be better. There’s nothing like the rush of adrenaline being with thousands of like-minded fans, nothing more exciting than the build-up to artists appearing on stage, (more on that a little later), getting totally wasted in preparation for A Big Night Out (not me obviously – how dare you suggest such a thing!), and then, if that weren’t enough, you get to hear your favourite songs LIVE, performed by your HEROES. Genius – what could be more inspiring?
Metallica of course is ALL about live performance. Their astonishingly loyal fans have always been aware of how loyal Metallica are to them. They may deviate musically sometimes, are always up for experimentation, are never afraid to be innovative and, as far as staging a show goes – they’re right up there with the most distinguished and acclaimed. Unless you’ve SEEN Metallica live you haven’t experienced the complete Metallica.
Having said I couldn’t choose ONE gig, there are several which stand out in my memory for all kinds of different reasons. Having the ‘Go Anywhere You Fucking Like‘ pass is such a bonus. I arrived at Earls Court in London for a meeting with the band. It was mid-afternoon and the huge venue was heaving with hundreds of people setting up for the concert that night. I think the most shocking and awesome thing to see were The Trucks – twenty-odd massive black pantechnicons, some with trailers, immaculately parked in rows inside the vast venue. They looked like a fleet of vehicles from a sci-fi movie. Humans swarmed around them like insects, unloading tons of equipment and moving it into place on and around the stage which was almost complete by then. With the precision of rocket scientists, crew members built lighting platforms and gantries, speakers were stacked, set components were slotted together, hydraulic drum risers for Lars were fitted, and hundreds of miles of cable were miraculously placed where they needed to be. We’ve all seen time-lapse photography where our perception of time is altered …
(… speaking of time-lapse photography … I came across this yesterday – a minor diversion but relevant (kind of) and well worth the couple of minutes. D-click for HD large format …)
… building an awesome stage set had that kind of time-distortion vibe. I sat mesmerised for a couple of hours.
It always amazes me how a crew can construct and deconstruct such a complicated and intricate set – then build it again the Next Night somewhere else! It was a revelation to witness one of the worlds most professional road crews in the world strut their stuff.
Tension and excitement are what METALLICA shows are all about. Again, in London, the band took anticipation of their arrival on stage to a whole new level. For at least an hour before the first song, the band was followed around by a camera crew backstage as they got ready for the gig and the images were projected onto gigantic screens all round the venue. It was a brilliant idea to communicate directly with fans and reactions were sensational. After watching the band rehearse briefly, mess about (constantly speaking into the camera to wind up their fans), having something pre-show time together wandering in and out of each others dressing rooms – by the time they headed through the endless corridors, heading for the stage, the audience was in a total frenzy. The reception they received when they finally appeared in front of their fans was one of the most amazing I’ve ever seen. The noise level was unbelievable and the excitement made spines tingle.
Access to a band is fundamental to fans. Somehow METALLICA always find a way to allow the fans to get seriously close to them without actually meeting them. (except for the lucky ones of course). The wonderful ‘Some Kinda Monster‘ …
… although at once disturbing, voyeuristic, embarrassing, moving and confrontational – it’s also totally compelling because of its brutal honesty. The no-holds-barred final cut, considering the seriously full-on material is testament to the band’s integrity. Despite reservations from many concerned quarters about releasing the DVD at all, the band insisted on it and, whatever you think of the content – you sure as hell get to know the cast VERY intimately.
Like watching the band from the mosh-pit. You get pretty close! THEN you get an idea of what it’s actually like to play on a stage at a stadium. For fans lucky enough to be invited, or who have the very rare tickets, it’s a close as you ever get to performing with the band on stage! I remember heading, doubled-up, in near total darkness, for a hundred yards, towards a hole in the stage in front of me. The stage floor above me shook, the music thundered and lasers blasted occasionally into the pit. All I could see as I approached it were dozens of pairs of legs. I finally got there and stood up in the heaving mass of fans going absolutely nuts. As I adjusted to the stage spectacle all around me I turned to face the front of the stage and the audience. It was such a shock being right there and hearing the cheers and applause from tens of thousands of fans aimed directly at the stage. Quite something.
After that I think I need a lie-down!
48. METALLICA Part Eight – ‘METALLICALIVE (2)’ … by the end of the week.
As ever,
&ie
Visit andieairfix.com for cool stuff. Metallica to be added soon. Can’t wait – aa
(YOU try getting him off the largest, most lethal, stealth-cruiser on the planet – it’s more than a five-minute mission you must realise !) …
… working on the ‘LovePower‘ album … MUCH more on this soon … … preparing for an exhibition of original art from my archives … details soon …
… and delivering the newly customised HENDRIX Flying V to replace the one that was nicked from the HENDRIX SUITE … bastards
So … putting it mildly – it’s been pretty full-on.
Now though, at last, I have a little time to create …
METALLICA Part 7 – ‘METALLICALIVE’
Some great stories of the band on tour and the joys of having those ‘GO ANYWHERE YOU FUCKIN’ LIKE‘ passes. I’ve SO enjoyed writing this one and with only an hour or two ’til it’s finished. I’m sure you’ll all enjoy it too. Collapsing stages, mosh-pits, tour-buses, set-building, and of course – the BANDBACKSTAGE!.
Many apologies for the abrupt ending to ‘METALLICA Part Five‘ but urgent personal matters insisted I travel to Mumbai to help Ray. Ray – Agent Raymond Page, affectionately codenamed ‘Double Oh-Fuck‘ by his colleagues – is in serious trouble and, fearing for his life, I had to take immediate action – abandoning commitments here, to see what I could do.
In a nutshell … it’s like this. Ray is held captive and being interrogated aboard ‘THE ISCARIOT‘ (the largest and most dangerous stealth-aircraft on the planet) by Thaddeus, a self-confessed meglomaniac and sociopath. Thaddeus has a terrifying agenda – he believes the human race must be sacrificed to save the crippled, dying Planet Earth. (Quite!)
Ray – chaotic and crumpled, but a brilliant agent – works undercover in Mumbai’s notorious underworld of vice and corruption, where murder, betrayal and revenge run riot. Along with fellow agents Lincoln Hamilton and the beautiful Emerald Lake – the outcome of their mission will determine the survival or destruction of the human race …
Ray’s now been captured – so not a great scenario really. Sometimes there really is no choice but for me to rush off and help resolve pressing international situations. Ray’s still in deep shit but – there may be a way out. Maybe.
‘ I N V A G E N T S ‘ (malayalam)
– a 21st-century detective cyber-thriller by Andie Airfix to be published in November 2011
Now … back (slightly battle-scarred after Mumbai) to ‘THE BIG 4′ …
Not only did the simple ‘scratch’ idea connect the four disparate logo styles, it was effective in other elements of the packaging to create an overall ‘style’. (It always sounds pretentious to describe ‘style’, ‘graphic devices’ and ‘concepts’ in an area that’s usually for me something totally intuitive but this is an exercise in explaining the process involved in creating artwork – so bear with me. There will be enough visuals to clarify the words) So, still concentrating on finalising the most important design element – THE COVER – the ‘scratch’ was used for more typography needed for the cover/back cover and for other items in the packaging …
We then had ‘type’ elements (including James’ BIG 4 logo), and now we needed an amazing image to hang it all on. METALLICA had a great idea. What I love about the final choice of photograph for the cover is that it appear, at first glance, to be a close-up shot of a guitar pic – which it is – but on closer inspection we realise the shot is on a massive stage-screen. When you see Lars’ drum-kit on the lower right of the photo the perception of the image suddenly shifts – the scale now huge and entirely appropriate to the ambitious nature of the project. I experimented with a choice of different ‘pic’ photos and crop variations, assembled all the elements (it really wasn’t easy – SO MANY different elements) and sent the final composite to the band. Again, with a few minor amendments, the cover was approved almost immediately. We were on a roll …
Then came the rest of the packaging – an unbelievable number of different elements for the box-set – DVD’s, CD’s and wallets, a digipak for the DVD’s, a set of black and white photos, a poster, a 24-page booklet and a replica guitar pic. There’s nothing more exciting for me than the challenge of designing box-sets which really deliver the goods to fans. The joy of opening a package and discovering more and more and more is my design ambition – and certainly an ethos METALLICA have always nurtured to their credit. I HATE buying what’s supposed to be a ‘deluxe’ version of a commercial release to find hardly anything original inside it – just a re-hash of the basic elements used on the cover. Metallica could never be accused of not giving real value for money.
Here are three other DVD box-sets I loved working on.
Each was incredibly difficult creatively for so many reasons but … they all have one thing in common. Each artist I worked with appreciated the value of art and design and stretched my talents and capabilities to the limit – forcing me to solve problems and learn something new. Without such creative ‘clients’ I know I would not be so excited by what I do, or as satisfied and proud of what I have achieved. Sadly, the music industry is a different animal now. Opportunities for challenge on such an intense level are less frequent. The nature of instant access to music, via various websites, inevitably relegates the visual side of music to a much more basic, and therefore less exciting, level of creativity. Thankfully though, thanks to the METALLICAs of this world, who still recognise the value of great packaging …
… I’m still able to do this … Thanks guys!
Still to come on METALLICA posts …
… Hanging out with the band in Berlin for S&M,
… the Viper Rooms in LA,
… Lars at his most generous,
… mayhem as the METALLICA stage collapses in London,
… dinner with Lars at Nobu in London with two Very Special Guests,
@metallicanews @Metallica . See Metallica portrait on view soon in London's West End. Watch this space & andieairfix.com for dates. 1 month ago
ANOTHER CHANCE TO SEE ... Airfix Metallica painting in a London West End gallery. The 10' x 3'. 5-panel 'DEDICATION'. Details follow soon. 1 month ago
Well done Dougie. Did a 'double' bet at bookies over a week ago. You to win IACGMOOH, Harry to win SCD. your turn now Harry and make my day. 1 month ago
So meet Emerald Lake http://t.co/UY3cXu6I and Jesus what a gal she'll turn out to be on the trail of assassins. Start at Chap 1 of INVAGENTS 2 months ago
