'People In A Film'

I love crowdfunding. I think it's a brilliant idea. Artists raise funds for projects without any interference or oversight from The Man. Some of the best albums I've heard over the last couple of years have been made this way: emboldened, uninhibited, and uncorrupted. 

Wire are currently crowdfunding a film about the band's history and today there was an event in Shoreditch to show the work done so far and to encourage further investment. I'd been planning to go with my friend, John, but this morning I noticed that the gathering started at three in the afternoon: I'd assumed it was an evening do. 

So I had a slightly more pressured journey from my folks' - where I'd stopped for a run with Milly, who's visiting them, and lunch - than I'd anticipated: up to my AirBnB in Barking, dropping Milly off en route, and then across to Shoreditch on the Tube. (John was out on an epic bike ride and couldn't get back in time.) In the end I arrived half an hour after 'doors open' just as everything was about to start. Apparently. 

Well, there was a large yard, full of men and a handful of women, all roughly of my age, tending to be slightly older, standing around drinking, interspersed with members of Wire. Just inside the old warehouse building were two rooms: a smaller one with a free bar (thank you!) and a larger one, where it appeared the actual event would take place. 

I took a seat and people-watched for a while before grabbing a beer and going through to the larger room. Nobody appeared to be in a hurry for anything to happen and I sat there long enough - occasionally nodding and smiling at people in a friendly yet 'please don't talk to me' kind of way* - that I went to get another beer. 

Eventually, the film makers came on stage and talked a bit about the film and made a gentle plea for more pledges before showing us some of the footage that had already been filmed. I really enjoyed it. 

Then there was another break, maintaining the unhurried vibe of the afternoon, before we went into a Q&A with the members of Wire themselves. (You can see them in my extras. The slightly poorer photo is the one that better demonstrates the warmth between them.) All in, it was very enjoyable. It was slightly awkward but in a good, natural unpolished way that I preferred.

And after that, I stopped for a pizza on Brick Lane, and took the Tube back to Barking to finally start a new book!

*It's all about swiftly truncating the eye contact.

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No scales
Finished reading: 'Pauline Boty: Pop Artist And Woman' by Sue Tate. 
I know I appear to have been reading this for weeks but in fact I've barely picked it up. I seem to have had no time for reading. The pictures of Boty's work are all wonderful (albeit to varying degrees: the Monroe was my favourite) and the story told is the predictable one of a pioneer who was airbrushed out of history because she was a women. However, it does appear that she is emerging from the sexist mists and I'm hoping there might be another exhibition soon.


Now reading: 'Case Histories' by Kate Atkinson