2015 – THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS

Apologies for the crazy length of time since the last blog but been away a lot organising various projects for 2015. More on that later …

Kept in touch via the inescapable Twitter @andieairfix
with #MoodOfTheDay and #AirfixArchives. Twitter feed and follow …

 First … The Holidays. I hope you all had a wonderful time …

Secondly … I’d like to thank everyone who had The Inclination and The Taste to buy Airfix Editions over the holiday period.

Thank You all.

Some Prints and Editions are still available of course …
METALLICA, BOWIE, MADONNA, ROLLING STONES, DEF LEPPARD, LED ZEPPELIN, JIMI HENDRIX and more. Go on … you know you want to … andieairfix.com

To welcome you into 2015, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank my followers on Twitter and those loyal to my blog with a quote I love from the wonderfully anarchic and irreverent world of one of America’s greatest novelists and comic writers.

“HELLO BABIES. WELCOME TO THE EARTH.
IT’S HOT IN THE SUMMER
AND COLD IN THE WINTER.
IT’S ROUND AND WET AND CROWDED …

AT THE OUTSIDE, BABIES, YOU’VE GOT
ABOUT A HUNDRED YEARS HERE.
THERE’S ONLY ONE RULE
THAT I KNOW OF, BABIES
– GOD DAMN IT,
YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIND.”

More quotes at KURT VONNEGUT

A Happy, Healthy, Prosperous and Peaceful New Year to You from Andie Airfix at

 

I will leave you with an image commenting on the tragedy in Paris yesterday. It is poignant, wonderfully direct and implies hope and defiance in equal measure. Brilliant.

 

More very soon on Plans for 2015 … including taking a one-man show to Japan (and maybe more places!)
Finally on the road to publishing a novel
‘ I N V A G E N T S ‘

and a design book entitled – yes you guessed it
‘B*B G#LD*F STOLE MY SUNGLASSES’

Later and soon,
As ever
&ie

DOO DOO-DOO DOO-DOO DOO-DOO-DOO

What an extraordinary evening it was.

Thank you – all who were involved with my ‘gig’ at the ‘Moulin Rouge’ Spiegeltent as part of the Brighton Fringe – particularly Richard, Jo, Mandy and the guest keyboard player, Richard Clark-Monks. A very special thanks to Adrian and all those at the Tent who made the performance happen and run so smoothly.

Early on in my chat I was talking about Holly Woodlawn – the Warhol Superstar …

 

… and major player as part of  the Warhol Factory in New York.
Lou Reed immortalised Holly …

“Holly came from Miami, F.L.A.
Hitch-hiked her way across the U.S.A.
Plucked her eyebrows on the way
Shaved her legs and then he was a she
She says, “Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side”
He said, “Hey honey, take a walk on the wild side“

Halfway through my stories of spending 3 weeks with Holly in London,
(see Blog ’50: LOU REED – ‘Life-Changer’ for details!)
someone unexpectedly walked towards the stage. I did a real double-take. It was the legend HERBIE FLOWERS. Herbie Flowers was a founding member of the group BLUE MINK, featured in a mid-1970s line-up of T-REX and later played bass with many superstars including David Bowie and Paul McCartney. I had NO idea he would be appearing and I sat down on the stage and listened to his wonderful story about how the classic bass line was created in the studio with LOU REED. Watching him play his bass to explain how the riff developed was one of those moments of history for me

Thank You Herbie Flowers – you made my day/week/year …

The talks ‘Graphic Design as an Extreme Sport‘ will continue and who will show up next time I wonder?
Who knows? – not me – not yet.

Make sure you check out the rest of the blog for stories of working with ‘Megastars’!

Enjoy
&ie

 

 

Rock Gods and Spoilt Brats at the infamous Spiegeltent in Brighton

Hello All,

Preparations are now well under way for fun, drinking and debauchery at the ….

On Friday 16th May 2014 from 6-7 pm …

… I’m very excited and honoured to be asked to talk at the famous ‘Moulin Rouge’ Spiegeltent as part of Brighton Fringe.  After the country’s largest music festival ‘The Great Escape‘, I shall be chatting about how iconic designs are created for legendary music stars in the utterly insane world of Pop Music and Rock’n’Roll, and telling stories of what it’s like to work with music’s unpredictable ‘megastars’ …

Starting Out • ‘PYROMANIA‘ and 9/11 • Dealing with ‘difficult’ clients • Creating ‘HYSTERIA‘ • PETE BURNS tells a few home truths to Sony • Pre-computer Techniques • “You’ll never work in the music industry again” • Finding allies in business • With METALLICA honesty always wins • Buttock-clenching embarrassment at opening night of ROLLING STONES tour • Joys of Typography • Working at Clarence House • Get out and about • Designers ultimate nightmare • The pressures working on LIVE AID and LIVE 8 • Axl Rose flips out • Fans and Parties • Lessons from PAUL McCARTNEY • The wonderful Victor • Challenges from LED ZEPPELIN and much more.

The venue is hardly your average tent  …

… but this extravagant and colourful venue was erected in less than 5 hours !!!  The original Spiegeltents were the ‘domain of night-owls, heartbreakers and dream-chasers’. They were legendary and still are.

Don’t miss out.
Book your tickets now at brighton fringe website
or Box Office on 01273 917272

 

 

AC/DC Logo Explodes

It’s that time of year again …
(sssshhhh) – 

and so, naturally, you’re out there looking for ideal gifts to shower on your loved ones to celebrate the occasion. And can you find anything that’s cool enough. Of course you can’t – it’s all predictably dull and boring for us music fans.

Well – look no further – problem solved …

Sticking very firmly to the belief of creating …
art that DOES NOT match the sofa …
Here’s a solution for all you Rock’n’Rollers.

Click HERE to see Limited Editions

Andie Airfix Limited Editions bring something unique to Christmas. They’re cool, very affordable and ideal for music fans. Here’s a brand NEW edition.
available from November 18th 2013 …

Created from original pen and ink/pencil drawing of the logo for the Ballbreaker World Tour in 1995. This is pre-computer and was completely hand-drawn (very tricky to do!)

Don’t forget the recently released  ‘Ninja Star 1′ & Ninja Star 2’:  2 METALLICA editions created for the AIRFIX LOUNGE last March, editions Lars Ulrich, METALLICA’s drummer described as ‘AWESOME!‘ …

Editions also include:
LED ZEPPELIN  DAVID BOWIE  JIMI HENDRIX
THE ROLLING STONES  THE BEATLES  MADONNA
DEF LEPPARD and LITTLE RICHARD.

CLICK HERE to see Limited Editions

Order NOW to guarantee Christmas delivery worldwide.

All Editions are printed on the highest grade, heavyweight art paper by the latest digital technology to ensure the richest colours and to maintain the finest of detail.

Problem is – and I feel obliged to inform you – that many who purchase Andie Airfix Limited Editions, somehow forget (?!) to send them on to the people they bought them for. Shocking behaviour. The solution is obvious of course – buy one for yourself too – and everyone will be happy.

More very soon …
As ever
&ie

THE ROLLING STONES visit the Airfix Lounge – ‘Skippy’

Seems appropriate … after Glastonbury and Hyde Park

to remind you I created an edition for the Airfix Lounge launch in May …

I called the Dog ‘Skippy‘, inappropriate as it was – the design of a monstrous rabid dog fronting a Rolling Stones tour. The logo was for the brilliant ‘Urban Jungle‘ tour in 1990. I was commissioned to re-design all the elements of the ‘Steel Wheels‘ tour when it arrived in Europe. The band felt the corporate look which dominated Steel Wheels in the US needed to be much more ‘edgy’ for the European leg of the tour.

Much more on ‘URBAN JUNGLE‘ – PART ONE & PART TWO from blogs in 2012. They give an insight into working with The ROLLING STONES and there are some hilarious stories including serious embarrassment at the launch party for the tour in Rotterdam. Still makes me cringe after over 20 years.

Check out the website

to see the ‘Skippy’ edition and more
– including two editions Lars Ulrich described as ‘AWESOME!’
– the METALLICA ‘NINJA’ Stars, of course.

More very soon – I feel I need to catch up on some of the STORIES! and introduce you all to …

Now THERE’s a Pandora’s box that needed opening. some of it I’d almost forgotten about. I love the older artworks with the colour instuction overlay – amazing what you find …

Later,
&ie