Creature Feature Success!
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Contents: CABLE Creature Feature Success Introducing... Rialto Burns Contribute: Josie Jenkins’ TV Triumph Send your news stories to: Introducing... The Thespians [email protected] Introducing... Rebel Play Follow us on: Plus Creative Opportunities, www.twitter.com/elevatorstudios 09 Pacific Stream and the new cafe. or www.facebook.com/elevatorstudios CREATURE FEATURE SUCCESS! Elevator resident Stuart Lanceley’s virtual pet shop Creature Feature received And his personal highlights from the Creature Feature? “It’s hard to get feed- applause and acclaim during its month long run in the former Lewis’s building. back about how the public feels about your work on a project like this. We tried our best to make it easier, via social networking, but I think the most honest Video artist Lanceley worked with illustrator Zoë Darnell to create the interac- feedback was simply seeing anonymous people playing with our interactive tive piece which was housed in the windows of the Renshaw Street building installation. Watching people show us that it worked in unexpected ways; it’s as part of the Shops Upfront scheme. “It was a wonderful experience,” he a busy stretch of pavement, and quite often pedestrians would hurry past the explains, “to see a project so long in the making come to life. I’ve wanted to window, unaware it was interactive, but the commuters on the buses stuck in produce an interactive piece for years, and it’s finally happened. traffic would get a clear vantage of what was happening. I enjoyed the giggles of these bus-bound viewers especially. Also kids would often notice when Token Films previous endeavors have included making music videos for the their parents were too busy. Getting the seal of approval from my Gran is of like of The Coral, The Zutons and The Beautiful South. “Strangely, it has used a course, the icing on the cake though!” lot of the skills I’ve learnt making music videos and animating to make it hap- pen,” he explains, “along with vital contributions from the drawing genius of And what does the future hold for Shops Upfront? “It’s a great scheme, sup- “Mmm…biscuits!” Zoë Darnell of course! porting local artists by giving them a platform to reach a public audience and at the same time helping to keep empty shop windows from looking drab, life- “A lot of the work was preparation. For example, the software needed to be less and depressing,” explains Lanceley. “I haven’t heard yet what lies in store programmed from scratch, and Zoe designed the creatures from scratch too. for the future of the scheme, in terms of funding, but I’ll be keeping a keen eye Then we tried to animate the creatures in a way that suited their image, to out for the possibility of working with Shops Upfront again and I encourage give them character. anyone with a creative idea to apply too. I just hope that our project will have done some small good in helping them secure funding to continue the scheme “We set up a test installation in The Box at FACT, which was not hugely suc- in future. It’s definitely has a positive influence on the city. Perhaps Creature cessful, but we learnt a lot of important lessons about what works and what Feature could go on tour and find a home in other cities with similar schemes. doesn’t. Thankfully Shops Upfront & FACT saw through these teething prob- lems the potential in what we were trying to do and gave us the support we “Now that Creature Feature has been packed away for the moment, I am now needed. This allowed us to hire one of MITES big powerful HD video projec- tors. This was important as it was the biggest cost of the project, and vital if the video screen was to be viewable during daylight. “It all started to come together very quickly as the launch date approached. The strangest feeling was just to leave it running and head home, our baby all grown up and fending for itself!” Left: Stuart Lancely and collaborator Zoe Darnell are proud as punch of their excellent installation. Right: The public gather on Renshaw Street to take in Stuart and Zoe’s masterpiece. The project drew the attention of the press who showered the project with free to catch up on all the other work I’ve been neglecting,” he laughs. “I’ve praise. Did Lanceley expect the media to get behind the project? “I knew that been promising local band a.P.A.t.T. a music video for ages, for their amazing Lewis’ department store holds a special place in the hearts of many scousers, song ‘Mumbo Jumbo’. I’ve got a few other less exciting projects on the go too, so I was a little apprehensive that our project might interrupt the mourning pe- but that’s the one I’m looking forward to most! riod for this Liverpool institution,” he says. “I hoped that even if people didn’t like what we were doing, that they could appreciate a scheme facilitating art- “Our installation wasn’t without problems but we got a huge amount of help ists to bring some life and colour back the windows of the building whilst it and support from Jenna Beatty and the Shops Upfront team at Culture Liv- was being renovated. erpool, as well as various friends and colleagues (Stephen Clarke and Gavin Wood especially). Barry & the Merepark staff were very patient and helpful “It was a delight to get the support of local press, who seemed excited by what too. We also had the help of Alex Mountaineer, who provided the music for we had planned, and followed it up with lovely articles once it was up and run- our promo video for Creature Feature. You can see it online, and it probably ning. We were busy scrubbing the inside of the windows one day during the explains the installation better than my words ever could…” set up when an old fellow stood outside staring in. He tapped on the window and to our relief shouted “Is this the pet shop thing?” and gave us two thumbs Watch Creature Feature in action here: http://youtu.be/Y9HuB9UR_Tc?hd=1 or up. He’d read about it in the newspaper apparently, before we even knew we’d for more information email: [email protected] been featured.” 01 INTRODUCING...RIALTO BURNS Drawing comparisons with the likes of the Bunnymen, New Order and In- “The new EP is a 10 track bundle. The label wanted to do something bit different terpol, the dark and brooding soundings of Elevator based quintet The Ri- than just releasing a single,” says Pottsy. “There are remixes and live tracks as well alto Burns have been rousing interest nationwide with the release of new as the new material.” EP ‘For The Asking’. “They wanted us to put out something that introduces us,” explains Adam. The Gung-Ho signed outfit straddle the depths of curtains drawn, lights-off deso- “We stalled a bit as we’ve had the album ready since last June but we didn’t have it lation and heart poundingly contagious euphoria. Fuelled by the self-scrutiny that mixed,” says Pottsy. “We went into Elevator with Darren Jones and went in for a cou- rules day to day banality, but lifted by fervour and disquiet, the band’s intriguing and ple of dates with all the WAV files; it didn’t work as we were up against it with time.” life-affirming physical debut has been worth the wait. “They were the demos that got sent to Gung Ho. The reason we got signed was Heart breaking and uplifting in equal measure, the band’s release features a live ver- because they like the lo-fi sound and they wanted to keep the magic,” explains Al. sion of last year’s single ‘Radiate’ as well as five new tracks. “We thought we’d strip it down and build them back up, we didn’t re-record. It was a nightmare for us as we’d mixed the demo, but none of us are engineers. It didn’t Comprised of Ads (vocals), Al (guitar), Cogsy (guitar), Pottsy (bass) and Dan (drums), work when we tried to transfer everything over, so basically he ended up coming to the band formed two years ago, getting together when their previous endeavours our room and using our computer and that’s when we finished it off and it worked. concluded. “Me and Al came out of another band and kept writing and using Q base The album is now finished and ready for the summer.” together,” explains Pottsy. “Cogsy met us in a pub, we found Adam from an ad on Gigwise and then we had a band minus the drummer. We got a set together using Primarily an electronic label, The Rialto Burns are one of the first crossover bands on drum machine and went out gigging. It looked unusual, all four of us stood in a line Gung-Ho. “They’ve been really flexible with us as they’ve seen it’s not just a simple with no drummer!” process,” explains Al. The surprising stage formation wasn’t enough to deter the attentions of their future “You’re constantly trying to second guess a music industry in crisis,” says Pottsy, label however, the band signed to Gung Ho after their seventh gig. “We spent a “but people still like a physical release. It’s a limited edition with just 1000 copies.” year without a drummer signed,” laughs Pottsy.