A couple of previews and some thankless “promotional assistance” today, a couple of events coming up, one in Liverpool, one in London, one in May, one in early June, here we go…

“Five Days to Go: Outer Waves Festival Set to Ignite Liverpool’s North Docks” shouted the e.mail headline, “A boundary-pushing music and arts festival celebrating emerging and underground arts” so shout the event website.

“Any promotional assistance, sharing and shout outs would be massively appreciated as we enter the final push before the weekend! Thank you for your support!” Said the generic mass mailout of an email, this same e.mail has turned up a number of times now, never any indication that support might be a two way thing or a hint of something being shared when we do “support”, no actual human response when you reply to the e.mail. I don’t know, you spend so much time banging out thankless works about bands, gigs, events, art, artists and on the whole, with very very (very) few exceptions, it all gets taken total for granted.

Someone from some band has e.mailed me five times in the last five days demanding a review of an album that has already been reviewed on these pages, “Hello!!!?” said today’s mail, there wasn’t an inch of thanks for the previous review of said band, they haven’t bothered to check if their new album has been reviewed, let along a hint of a share to the link to the review…

Yesterday there a bag load of vitriol thrown this way is reponse to slightly negative tongue-in-cheek comment made on social media, the musician concerned claimed in her massages that nothing had been said about her music via Organ for at least thirty years, her music had actually been covered many times in recent years, if fact her latest release had been covered positively just a couple of weeks before (that review has now been removed).

Then there was the time about this time last year when I had to go have a rather serious rather nerve wracking last minute eye operation on my one working eye (that could have easily gone very very wrong) and had to cancel an interview with a painter/musician without much notice. Her response was “well that’s inconvienient and disrespectful, couldn’t you cancel the operation or come over and meet me afterwards, I have set time aside now?” She was perfectly serious (and no, I couldn’t go meet her afterwards, I didn’t go out or do that much for over a month afterwards…

We don’t get paid for any of this, we don’t make money out of any of this Organ stuff, are we just a free bit of marketing to be taken for granted? Just here for a bit of “promotional assistance”? Thing is, I’ve reviewed or written about albums and things the guy bugging me to write about his festival has been involved in, never a word of thanks or a share of a link, never a thanks for that or how can we support you in return from him? Never a… Oh forget it…

Oh forget it, it has always been thankless, often unpleasantly so. The inbox here is full of people asking, sometimes demanding coverage. Why should people support something like Organ and all that’s done here in return for the support or the “promotional assistance” they get you might ask? Actually, do I really have to ask that? Yes, Mr Outer Waves, Organ does just excist for your “promotional assistance”, yes, those two words really did annoy me, here’s some Mandy Indiana.

So what is this Outer Waves Festival that’s “Set to Ignite Liverpool’s North Docks”? about anyway? Well it has to be worth investigating for the always excellent Mandy Indiana (who aren’t really called Mandy and are probably from Manchester). I see the – quote – “legendary Gong” are on the bill, yeah well, hardly Gong is it? Older readers of our pages from back there will know Gong were once regularly featured, interviewed and more and well, we’ve politely chosen not to cover the current thing that goes by the name of Gong and well good luck to them and all who enjoy where there are and what they do now but hey, climbed down from that glorious ride some time ago, it ain’t really Gong is it.

There is the excellent thing that is Abstract Concrete on the Outer Waves bill and there’s Hyperdawn and Smote and “alongside some of the most exciting and boundary-pushing acts from Liverpool’s vibrant underground. The festival’s commitment to local talent is central to its vision, with appearances from Silverwingkiller, A Lesser Version, Coughin Vicars, Those Holy, Transmission Towers, and more…”  It does all look rather good actually and yes, guess the ticket price is kind of almost reasonable by these day’s overpriced standards?

The press release tells us that “as day transitions into night, DJ collectives Strike a Pose and Queensway will take the reins, curating immersive club experiences that channel the spirit of resistance and release. The visual arts programme is equally ambitious, with exhibitions and installations from ASIMETRIA, Kromavision, Sam Wiehl, Onomataposter, and The Wandering Library – bringing together experimental print, immersive visuals and subcultural design”.

The organisers would also like us to say “Outer Waves offers a rare platform for artists and audiences seeking something more provocative, more collaborative, and more alive. Final tickets are now on sale – don’t miss your chance to be part of this first edition” – there you go, more support from over here, up to you if you’d like a place at their table or not… here’s a link and our bit of thankless “promotional assistance” – www.outer-waves.co.uk

Next, meanwhile, whatever…

Meanwhile back in London, over in Bermondsey, over at the equally unfriendly Ugly Duck art space…

“This June, Ugly Duck is hosting A Collective Archive, a four-day celebration of artistic practices opening on Thursday June 12. Highlighting the creative vision, resistance and communities that have shaped this much-loved Bermondsey destination over the past thirteen years, A Collective Archive, curated by in-house creative producer Deen Atger, features an exhibition, a range of performances across the week and a party to celebrate. In addition, Ugly Duck will have a broadcast courtesy of Montez Press Radio and will also be running a free collage workshop highlighting the organisation’s emphasis on sharing and inclusion, all welcome.

Confirmed artists taking part include Biogal, Blanca Regina, Chloé Filani, Claye Bowler, Elodie Gatacre & Aster Munro, Fiona Albrow, Georgia Semple, Hazel Blair, Inès Michelotto, Jean Cleverley, John Lee Bird, Josh Quinton, Joy Kincaid, Martin O’Brien, Puer Deorum, Rough Fabrics, Svar Simpson, Shadi Al-Atallah, Sophie Brain, Oduenyi Nwike with more to be announced.

At the heart of the space will be a large-scale installation designed by artists and set designers Rough Fabrics and Fiona Albrow. The design will take over Ugly Duck’s warehouse interior, transforming it into a space which reflects and pays homage to the multitude of film shoots and events hosted over the years, setting the stage for new adventures. Fragments of Ugly Duck’s past including memorabilia, hidden artworks and subtle nods to previous happenings will reward those who look a little closer.

What began as a temporary project space has, for more than a decade, evolved into a home for experimental, interdisciplinary and socially engaged work. Ugly Duck has continually sought to champion underrepresented voices and ideas, providing a platform for creative exploration beyond commercial and institutional constraints. Year after year, the need for a place where artforms can be explored freely, without the pressure of ticket sales or access, has become clear. From the outset, Ugly Duck has always been a space where risk-taking, play and collaboration are not only possible but actively encouraged.

Ugly Duck invites audiences to join this summer gathering, gesture of gratitude and call to collective possibilities. The opening on June 12 features an exhibition plus performances from London-based live artist Biogal and artists from Southwark Pride curated by Bold Melon Collective, a multidisciplinary arts organisation dedicated to amplifying intersectional queer and migrant stories.

June 13 offers a rare opportunity to experience the work of renowned performance artist Martin O’Brien. Martin has not only hosted events at Ugly Duck but performed there over excessive time periods. He now returns with a 3-hour version of Fading Out of Dead Air (Transmissions for the Necropolis), a haunting, durational piece which premiered at Whitechapel Gallery in 2023 over a period of 12 hours. On June 14 following an afternoon collage workshop facilitated by Bold Mellon Collective, there will be the broadcast Gushing with Gabby hosted by Gabriela Cala-Lesina with Deen Atger and other guests to be announced via Montez Press Radio. Special evening event The Last Dance! sees the exhibition space transform into a dancefloor as DJs Josh Quinton and members of the Tribe Incorporated provide the sounds and Sophie Brain performs. The closing event on Sunday June 15 features performances from Chloé Filani, Puer Deorum and Joy Kincaid

With A Collective Archive, Ugly Duck reaffirms its core values, understanding that art spaces are shaped not only by artists but by audiences, organisers and communities. The programme offers four days to reflect on the future of underground practices in a gentrified city looking at change and collective creativity. This project is a celebration of what has been possible and what can be done again with the hope of inspiring others to carve outi ndependent cultural spaces, to build infrastructures of care and to continue resisting erasure through art and community.

Deen Atger says: “We are immensely proud of the work we’ve accomplished and deeply grateful to the artists, collaborators, funders, and audiences who have made Ugly Duck what it is. While our physical space is transient, the legacy of what we’ve built together will persist—in memories, in friendships, in future projects that are yet to come. This event is the culmination of a community-driven archival project we designed to honour & conserve our legacy of showcasing daring & avant-garde art crucial to London’s LGBTQIA+ and other underrepresented communities. Thanks to the support of Arts Council England this will include the publishing of a book, a mixed media archive and concludes with this week long exhibition, performances & talks event to celebrate the impact of UD together”

Full programme:
Thursday 12th June: Opening soirée, exhibition and performances from Biogal and Southwark Pride artists curated by Bold Mellon Collective, 6-9pm Tickets £8-£12

Friday 13th June: Exhibition open from 1pm, Free. Ticketed performance from Martin O’Brien from 7-10pm, doors 6.30pm, £8-£12

Saturday 14th June: Archive collage workshop 2-5pm, Panel talk live radio show 3pm Free. The Last Dance evening party 7pm until late plus performance from Sophie Brain. DJs Josh Quinton and members of Tribe Incorporated. Tickets £8-£12

Sunday 15^th June: Closing performances from Chloé Filani, Puer Deorum and Joy Kincaid – 2pm-6pm £8-12

Weekend Pass £40.00 Conc. £25.00. Tickets via this link

Ugly Duck is at 49 Tanner St, London SE1 3PL

There you go, some more of that thankless “promotional assistance” they all think we should just roll over and give them. Personally, as a working East London visual artist and curator, I’ve never found Ugly Duck that friendly, inviting or engaging and I have tried engaging with my artist or Cultivate hats on a number of times over the years. Hey, some of us might not wear the right hats, but they do, I must admit, do interesing things at Ugly Duck. Here’s some “promotional assistance” and now let me go make a cup of tea, throw some pink paint at a blue canvas and review this damn excellent record that’s pecking at my head that has just been sent it for something like the seventh time in the last few weeks, another band that have been covered recently who said not a word of thanks for or more importantly shared a link to that coverage as their people demand more more more. Why am I still standing here banging out words for this damn Organ monster? See, what I don’t get is why everyone wants support but no one sees it as a two way thing, why don’t people come together to makes things happen? Why is it never mutual, what is it always taken for granted, almost demanded? I bet my tea is well and truly stewed to the gills again now, and oh, I don’t give a damn, I should probably hit all this on the head and just piss off. Here some Albertos, the only band every worth being bothered about…