THE 5POINTZ

New York's mecca for graffiti. Take the 7 train from Times Square into Queens (it's opposite Moma's new PS1 space for modern art and you will see a huge city block sized warehouse (which have been converted into artist spaces) that is regularly converged on by some of the worlds best artists so pieces change very frequently, and painted top to bottom, inside and out. It is run by a very respected old skool NY writer called Meresone (?) who keeps everyone in check. For those who write who are on their way here email Mersone at Meresone@aol.com to organise day, date, etc and he'll give you a spot. Some AMAZING stuff and a good way to spend a sunny Saturday. My friemnd Georgie visited recently and her boyfriend Sacha put up. Niiiiice. Jonas, i expect greatness when you get here..represent Melbourne town!

ROLLER DERBY...I'M HOOKED..

My friend mentioned late last year he choreographs the cheers squad for the all girl Gotham Girls Roller Derby cheer squad and that I should check it out. So one hot summer night we trundle deep into Harlem to see a game. Aaaaaaaand I'm hooked! These gorgeous tattooed metal girls skate FAST, beat the shit out of each other and tear the place down for two hours! And it is one of the best ways to spend 20 bucks.

It's a bit tongue in cheek and humorous (the girls have names like Blue Bonnet Plague, Beyon-slay, Suzy Hot Rod, Gogo BaiBai, etc) but it's a serious thing - there is a team for all five boroughs of New York, and from ther states and they do a year long season. And it's all played to a fine music selection by a DJ spinning Bad Brains, Ramones, Stranglers, Black Flag, etc. If you have the means and you're in town -check it out!

Studio B

Studio B is one of those impossibly trendy gig venues in the industrial area of the hipster tragic area of Williamsburg Brooklyn. The parties there are seriously awesome, and you see some great shows for $10. For chump change I've been able to catch CSS, Crystal Castles, MIA, Fiery Furnaces, etc. It's more or less a venue for indie electro bands and DJ's, and is pretty much the size of Melbourne's Palace (which if I am not mistaken was burned down recently). So if you are passing through NY and into that scene chances are you'll see one of your fave bands do an amazing show. Playing Ny always makes bands a bit crazy so you get the goods. I embedded a few YouTube clips (not mine.. sorry their are no really good quality ones available) but they really don't capture the vibe. It's ALWAYS hell crowded and the crowd gets very rowdy.... just watch you don't trip over the hipsters irony and their iphones - they do try SO HARD - bless them!!

http://www.clubstudiob.com/

CSS (This show was INSANE. I was jammed up in the front row. It was a boiling hot summer night and a storm erupted outside drenching the punters, causing steam to come off everyone. Shit quality sound but they absolutley tore the place apart (their cover of L7's Pretend We're Dead was great.)

Crystal Castles (great show like 8 bit Nintendo and vocals..)

Saul Williams is the shit

Caught the New York leg of this guys tour last night. Never seen a crowd of drum n bass steppers, hip hop fans, metal heads and shakers come together like this. His band was manic, new shit is produced by Trent Reznor. Awesome.. For me, he drops bombs on Pharell, Kanye, etc for originality in hip hop. It was metal, fused with reggae, hip hop, industrial, spoken word and more.

FUEZABRUTA - Like nothing I've ever seen..

Ok. So this is a little hard to put into words. Not everyday do you get to see something that makes you think "I have never experienced anything like this in my entire life"...and that is what FUEZABRUTA is. I was lucky enough to be taken by a friend who was a cast member of a previous production, and I am now in awe of how this guy got to do this 8 times a week.


It is a show that is at once, beautiful, violent, graceful, ferocious and magic. The audience stands in the centre of the auditorium as the performance, a study of breaking out of life and into our dreams and want of freedom (well that's how I saw it), takes place overhead and from all corners of the space. A giant perspex tank of water swims overhead as performers swarm through the water which lowers just high enough to come face to face with one of these swimming girls. She stares, you put your hand to the plastic separating you as your hands meet for a second, and then she swims away. Performers walk at head height on an unseen treadmill before violently running through walls that smash apart with such ferocity and scatter the audience in debris.



You actually become a part of it as the audience is ushered around the performance (it takes place 360 degress around you). An incredible scene involved the entire auditorium suddenyl being encircled by a giant silver curtain some 30 feet tall and performers suspended on cables ran and flew around these billowing walls (think the gravity defying stunts of The Matrix series and Crouching Tiger happening right around you - FOR REAL). The scenes changed and varied different emotions and intensity, ending with the entire audience becoming involved as the cast, after curtain call, jumping into the audience to dance and scream along as water rained down on the crowd. All there were elated by the experience, and I FORBID ANYONE to come to New York and not to see this show.



We departed to a Japanese restaurant with my friend and a current cast member who relayed stories of performing, and I was floored by how humble they both were to be a part of something so unique and incredible. All in all a great night; an amazing experience, a new friend and a new appreciation for a current one.


http://fuerzabrutanyc.com/

KAIJU BIG BATTLE! HAAAAAII YAAAR!

Ok so this is a little hard to capture in words. Saturday night saw the Kaiju Big Battle land in NY.

Think 1950's Godzilla, Ultraman rubber monsters, or even those cheesy battle scenes in really early Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers (you know two guys beating each other up in robot suits while destroying a cardboard city) all in a wrestling ring (decked out in miniature skyscrapers) smack bang in the middle of the ornate Webster Hall in downtown Manhatten and you get the idea.

Basically a bunch of bouts involving insanely costumed crazies and robots and royal rumble style match for the world Kaiju Big Battle Championship. Throw in a guy who looks like Dragonball Z in a suit as the announcer, soundtracked by metal bands and anime style pop techno and this is one hell of an awesome night out. It is a very strange phenomen but an insanely popular show as it was a sell out and comes through New York rarely. Oh and the winner was a giant spiked lobster by the name of Call-Me-Kevin..
Maybe check out the site... it'll some it all up!
http://www.kaiju.com/home.htm

HEADLESS LAMBS & MAPPLETHORPE PORTRAITS

It's getting colder but me, Danielle and Aly declared Saturday will be our day to see new things. We lasted about three hours before retreating into the warmth but we trekked up Lexington Avenue and braved the wind to see the new commissioned installation by UK artist Damien Hirst. A challenging artist, he uses the core themes of the human experience and it's uncertainties; life, death, love, loyalty, etc through unconventional media.
Hirst used dead animals in various states of preservation, decomposition and sculpture.

And, surisingly, through the presentation it is calming and quite beautiful. His latest was a 'classroom' made of rows and rows of headless lambs preserved in water tanks on pristine autopsy tables all facing a 'teacher'; a scultpure of among other things, a cow carcass split in two inspired by Francis Bacon's paintings.

Surrounded all the while by cabinets of pills (representing our blief of the preservation of life through medication) and a series of backwards running clocks (which looked creepy). There were several other elements alluding to the susuatining of life and the inevitable road to death. Heavy....



The next stop was a series of portraits by legendary photographer David Mapplethorpe. It's amazing to view these soft portraits of a young Patti Smith or Iggy Pop and other New York notables of his time when you are aware of some of the more hardcore and graphic photos he produced revolving around his homosexuality and the series of flowers he worked on over the years of his career.

And, like the Irving Penn portraits I saw a few weeks ago, just as incredible to see them as real analogue black & white prints, after seeing them for years reprinted in books.

Stefan Sagmeister and those banana's...

Jan 31st and after work we hop on down to Deitch Projects in Soho (some 4 or so blocks from the sad memorial at Heath Ledgers apartment) for the opening of Stefan Sagmesiter's 'Things I Have Learnt in my Life So Far'. Even on a cold night it was balmy on the inside and VERY cramped. A typographer and type artist, he presented words in a variety of media and contexts, including a wall made entirely of bananas.

A sentence spanned a wall comprising of photographs for each word and even a motion senseitve screen that allowed you to pull and stretch words across a spider web.

Talking Heads lead singer David Byrne was wandering around much to my excitement...and who can not love a giant inflatable ape..

After that we checked out the 'New Museum' on the Bowery near Chinatown and I recommend if you are visiting NY to check it out. Super modern and a little 'huh?' with the work on show and a beautiful minimalist design.

Sasha & Andy's Excellent Adventures

Sasha has breezed into town (well two months ago) and since returning to NY it's been a blast to hang out. A few of you know her from way back she's an old mate of Jess Goh. And I most annoyed at her return to London town next weekend. Last night it was Fat Cats's jazz club which is an awesome basement venue filled with live jazz bands, pool tables, ping pong, fooz ball, air hockey, scrabble, chess and even a stray dog or two. And you can bring your burgers in too. it's in the west village which is picturesque part of town (where Friends is set). Beer, burgers, jazz and pool. Nuff said... After that it was off to Magnolia Cupcakes - no visit to NY is complete without eating there amazing cupcakes. If you can do more than three your insane. I believe Sex & The City made this place well known as the girls from the show eat there in a few episodes..tasty (the cupcakes not those damn women!!)...alas I shall loose Sasha to London town this week...booooo hiss!

Trouble I'm sure...

Fat Cats.. shoot some pool - $5 an hour..

Oh God....Magnolia Cupcakes...to -die-for

Irving Penn

Wandered into the Morgan museum and Library last week on Madison Ave and there was a show of portraits by the master Irving Penn. This guy has shot some of the most iconic fashion and portraits of the 20th century and worked with the likes of Pablo Picasso, Truman Capote and Rodgers & Hammerstein. To see these as original prints was something else.. The library was crazy - it contained a collection of bibles dating back 500 years and in the lobby was the deceleration of independence..nice piece of paper it was too..



exterior of The Morgan

Interior of the original library - books in here are ancient...hands off kids...