For Halloween, it is time for you to meet identical twin tattoo artists Matt and Ryan Murray who, from their shop called Black Veil Studio of Tattoo located in Beverley, Massachusetts (near Salem), create amazing black and white tattoos illustrating classic Gothic and horror images.
A Goth classic from 1981.
"Halloween" by Siouxsie and the Banshees. The night is still And the frost, it bites my face I wear my silence like a mask And murmur like a ghost "Trick or treat" "Trick or treat" The bitter and the sweet The carefree days are distant now I wear my memories like a shroud I try to speak, but words collapse Echoing, echoing "Trick or treat" "Trick or treat" The bitter and the sweet I wander through your sadness Gazing at you with scorpion eyes Halloween... Halloween A sweet reminder in the ice-blue nursery Of a childish murder, of hidden lustre And she cries "Trick or treat" "Trick or treat" The bitter and the sweet I wander through your sadness Gazing at you with scorpion eyes Halloween... Halloween
At London Fashion Week, Matthew Miller showed a sharp SS '18 collection in St. Sepulchre's Church. Miller said it was 1) inspired by the young generation who just became of age to vote and their "unadulterated freedom" (here is a staggering and encouraging statistic: a whopping 72% of 18 to 24 year-olds came out to vote in the recent British election last week, a sure sign that young people can prevent governments from veering to the Right, and creeping more and more toward Fascism)...and 2) a reaction against the current, oppressive, tired obsession with "streetwear" in fashion. While we optimistically celebrate #1, I personally thank you for #2, Mr. Miller! I have been bemoaning the "streetwear" and "sportswear" trend for several seasons now.
Although he playfully referred to his collection as "degenerate," with obvious references to Goth and Punk subcultures (bondage straps and smeared black lipstick), the garments themselves are elegantly tailored. Just take a look at the slim, well-cut trousers,tuxedo jackets, and that most-British of staples, the trench coat which in this collection was made in collaboration with British brand Hancock! Fashion journalist Sarah Mower says, "In a Brexit situation, supporting working-class specialist skills in local areas is among the most relevant stances a fashion designer can take."
I had the honor of being in the presence of the great Peter Murphy last night; he was in the pioneering, seminal Goth band Bauhaus and has had a remarkable solo career after Bauhaus disbanded (for the first of several times) in 1983. Murphy is currently on tour in the US to support a new release out in June.
I must say that I snapped up tickets to this show to right an old imbalance. Many, many years ago, when I worked at a record store here in the Bay Area, a coworker said to me one evening in 1982, "I'm going to see Bauhaus at the Berkeley Stone for $7. D'yawanna go?" I had to work a later shift and thought driving to Berkeley after a long day seemed unexciting... and I said no. IDIOT. It is one of the few small regrets I have harbored over the years. So when I read that Peter Murphy was coming to town, I thought now was the time to make a full circle and close that open ticket. And I am thrilled to have made the right decision this time.
It was one of the more unexpected concerts I have ever been to--and I've been to a LOT of concerts--for a variety of reasons. He opened the show with a chilling, ominous version of "Zikir," a song from the final Bauhaus release of 2008 titled "Go Away White," in which he drones, "Loves me...loves me not." In fact, the first half of the evening was pretty chilling and ferocious and happily included several Bauhaus songs such as the brittle, skewed "Silent Hedges," and the jagged, shrieking "Stigmata Martyr." And much to my surprise, and without any warning, he managed to weave the Bauhaus classic "Bela Lugosi's Dead" into a rendition of one of his solo songs!
The second half of the evening featured more of his solo work which tends to be a little more poppy and accessible as well as reflecting his interest in metaphysics, spirituality and Sufism (he is a practicing Sufi and has lived in Turkey for the last twenty years). He and his band performed his biggest hit "Cuts You Up" as well as "Disappearing," "Subway," "I'll Fall With Your Knife," "Marlene Dietrich's Favorite Poem," and "All Night Long" in which he spoke the French sample from the Cocteau film "La Belle et la Bête" in lieu of actually playing it! He also gave a nod to his friend and past co-performer Trent Reznor by covering the Nine Inch Nails classic "Hurt" (which, as many of you may recall, was also covered by Johnny Cash just before his death!).
But the true unexpected part of the evening came with the banter and stories in between songs. Since this was my first time seeing Murphy in concert, I was not prepared for how simply chatty he is! The creepy theatricality and musical momentum were brought to a standstill several times as the show morphed into a confessional/ stand-up comedy/ spoken word performance. At first he joked, “Surprise, we’re not going to play any more songs, I’m just going to talk for another hour,” which would have been fine with us since his chatter was so amusing and entertaining. By his own tongue-in-cheek admission, he apparently is a shy British Catholic who only wants to be loved and held! By turns silly, joking and dry and then disarmingly honest and sincere, he said he still gets blown away when he sees people mouthing the words to one of his songs while he sings: "Wow, someone else knows my song! Cool!" Several times, he expressed tremendous gratitude for his fans and for being able to do what he loves doing. Far from being the de rigeur "thank you" from a "rock star" to his audience, his expressions of gratitude were actually quite touching and intimate.
It was a marvelous evening all around, one I will not forget; you can see two pictures from my inadequate camera phone below.
Below is the 1988 video for his hit "All Night Long" in which the aforementioned Cocteau sample occurs. The visual style of the video is an homage to the Cocteau film as well...
And here is the beautiful and highly stylized iconic opening credits of "The Hunger" starring Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie. Bauahus was the group playing "Bela Lugoi's Dead" in the nightclub while vampires Bowie and Deneuve picked their victims for the evening. Peter Murphy performs the song to within an inch of its life... simply incredible.
...out of hell. Celebrating Halloween with my favorite Marilyn Manson video of all-time. The creepy, scary religious iconography, the androgyny, the 20s screen siren silhouette, the Art Deco references crossed with Gothic elements, the disturbing living tableaux... it's all so dizzyingly delicious.
"Oh, By The Way" is my digital scrap book of things I like, things I would share with a close friend and say: “Oh, by the way, do you know of this artist/ clothing or interior designer/ model/ singer/ actor/ gorgeous man… or, have you seen this video/ photo/ film... or heard (or do you remember) this song/ band... or, read this book/ poem/ inspiring quote... or, visited this place/ museum/ restaurant/ famous building... or, have you heard of this amazing new scientific discovery?”
I am dedicated to posting the positive, the fascinating, the beautiful, the interesting, the moving, and the inspiring and uplifting. Sometimes I post cultural as well as personal observations, milestones, and remembrances. And just like life, all of these things may often have a bit of melancholy or even sadness in them, which is what makes our time here so lovely and bittersweet and precious.
Some of the photos, art, poetry, and prose are my own original work, credited with my initials, JEF. When it isn't, I always try to post links to the original source material, but often I find photos on the web that are not linked or other material that is not sourced. In these instances, I post them without malice since it is assumed that such things, by being globally posted on something as uncontrollable as the internet to begin with, are in the public domain. If you identify the source of an image that is not linked, please politely let me know (without accusing me of theft, please) and I will be happy to provide a link. If you are the owner of an image and would prefer it be removed, I am happy to do that as well (again, without accusing me of theft, please).
I hope to inspire and entertain my readers with things that inspire and entertain me. There is a startling amount of beauty and creativity in the world and it enriches us all to participate in it.
All-time Favorite Films
2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick)
After Hours (Hysterical, hair-raising ride through NYC at night)
Amelie
American Beauty (Alan Ball)
Baraka (Stunning, transcending—the "spiritus mundi" on film)
Belle et Bete (Cocteau)
Big Sleep, The (The epitome of film noir)
Bringing Up Baby (Hepburn & Grant—the epitome of screwball comedy)
Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover, The (Greenaway)
Crash (Cronenberg—DIFFICULT subject, not for everyone)
Don’t Look Now (Nicolas Roeg—ultimate modern gothic horror)
Drowning By Numbers (Greenaway)
Easy Rider
Edward II (Derek Jarman)
Erendira (From magic realist Marquez’ brilliant short story)
Eyes Wide Shut (Kubrick's last film)
Fearless (Jeff Bridges—life and death)
Funny Bones (Leslie Caron, Jerry Lewis, and the brilliant Lee Evans)
Holiday (Hepburn & Grant)
Howard’s End (The ultimate statement of the unfairness of class systems)
