Forgotten Arts Collective
Getintothis writer and former Fish Tird Surprise member Del Pike, unearth’s some long lost album covers from some fiendishly mysterious bands, discover with him The Forgotten Arts Collective and their upcoming exhibition at Threshold… To Obscurity and Back.
This year’s Threshold Festival is the expected eclectic mixture of music, performance and art and as you would imagine, there will be a few surprises lurking in the dark corners, if you care to look for them. None so unusual as an exhibition, curated by The Forgotten Arts Collective at The Baltic Social, named “To Obscurity and Back”
The exhibition is centred around “Forgotten artwork of forgotten bands”, re-discovered in a dusty box under the stairs by the actual artists themselves. It’s highly unlikely that you will remember any of these bands, but you have our word, you’ll wish you had.
There is a great sense of mystery about bands with names like Imperial Metrics and Cat Spanker, or try The Barefoot Barbies, Druncles or Fish Tird Surprise for size. Where can these bands be now, and why were they so hard to find back then?
Fitsister member, Jeff (aka Fuku) describes these band members as “Part of a Perspex circle, Rock n’ Rollers who have fallen off the compass and really know how to disappear” This doesn’t really help. The featured artists of these hallowed album covers are Steve Threlfall, Keith Webber and Tristan Brady-Jacobs, who tell me they have desperately been trying to get in touch with these bands that have faded into obscurity, some they failed to contact, but those available are excited to be involved, others are simply agitated.
Chris Carney at Threshold is very excited to be hosting the exhibition: “It’s very important as ever at this time to protect our music culture, celebrating these great artists and their works.We appreciate the efforts that cover artist and curator Steve Threlfall has been making to bring these acts back into the limelight and celebrate would could have been and almost was..”.The show not only reveals the astounding artwork but also offers glimpses into each band’s history with an accompanying biog. You can discover tales of vegan pornography from Bureau of Shame, how Hard to Please maimed a fan and what happened when Escape Goats spent a night in an inappropriately named New Brighton house, naked and covered in white make-up.
Getintothis had a sneak preview of the album covers ahead of the show and they are something to behold. From the sublime to the ridiculous, there are works that cry out for wider attention.
Check out Getintothis’s previous coverage of the Threshold Festival here.
This writer is pleased that his own lost band, Fish Tird Surprise are featured in the exhibition and feels that this is a suitable conclusion to unfinished business of some 30 years.
Members of The Lost Tapes Record Club pointed us in the direction of this project and fans of their work will surely understand the link. (Its Art Del, but not as we know it).
If you visit the Forgotten Arts Collective facebook page you can vote for which band you would like to see play and there is a very strong chance that the winners will make a one off live appearance at Threshold. This bizarre mix of fantasy and dream realisation is well worth a pop and can be found behind a curtain at The Baltic Social for the duration of the Threshold Festival, culminating with a surprise live performance on the Sunday night.
Threshold runs from 1-3 April, check website for details of acts and venues.
Vote for your favourite band now on facebook.com/TheForgottenArtCollective/
[paypal-donation]
