Outlandish!
Jan. 6th, 2007 10:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
imomusThe true eccentric never believes herself to be so; all she sees is that other people seem increasingly bland, and have a tendency to brand her in increasingly exaggerated, lurid ways. The same day I was berating the world for wearing jeans, the London Evening Standard's free commuter paper London Lite ran a review of my Thursday night show at the Spitz which, while essentially positive, painted a rather frightening picture of a person way out on the margins of society, flirting with madness.
For reviewer Joe Muggs, my performance was "tiring, even uncomfortably close to insane". "Scotsman-turned-world-citizen Nick Currie - aka Momus - took the stage in pyjamalike suit, ludicrous Beatle-wig and his trademark eyepatch, with only a laptop for accompaniment," Muggs wrote, mentioning my "mind-boggling" blog and "unashamed wonkiness". The headline to the piece ran "Mad Momus is an inspiration".
"You do look pretty close to madness!" commented my mother, who famously refuses to walk down the street with me these days, afraid that people may throw a straitjacket around her. "Glad they are saying some good things though."
At the Tate Gallery last night the "uncomfortably close to insane" line was running through my head as I lay face down on a table in the august and imposing Room 9 of Tate Britain, filled with heroic Victorian military and naval scenes, early Turners, and a screen showing scenes from "Funky Forest". My hands, bound at the wrists by invisible ropes, twitched violently as I simulated being anally raped by an invisible medieval knight. In my mind it was perfectly clear that I was playing The Lady of Shalott, and that exactly such scenes could well appear in any one of the paintings hanging on the walls nearby. Early Momus songs were inspired by exactly the kind of perversity I'd see in paintings at the Tate and the National Gallery.
Apparently when No Bra played this same room, the sudden appearance of Suzanne's breasts almost made the organizers halt the performance -- again despite the fact that many of the paintings and sculptures nearby featured scenes of bare-breasted women. The Tate also requested the artists performing to "please decline from using any pornographic or violent video footage within their performence". I immediately cancelled plans to show images of The Rape of the Sabine Women and Judith with the Head of Holofernes, or make any reference to The Bible or, indeed, the new Stephen Fry comedy series, the trailer for which features a parrot shouting "Fuck me! Fuck me! Come on my tits!"
A great range of normal human behaviour veers "uncomfortably close to insanity"; even the most eccentric or extreme art doesn't show the half of it. Still, I'm grateful to the Tate (in the shape of funky culturepreneurs Adrian Shaw and Dexter Bentley) for letting me perform under the paintings. You can also hear me today live in session on Hello Goodbye, Dexter's show on Resonance FM, between noon and 1.30pm UK time. The webstream is here. I promise not to sing any rude words or be at all mind-bogglingly mad in the interview.
For reviewer Joe Muggs, my performance was "tiring, even uncomfortably close to insane". "Scotsman-turned-world-citizen Nick Currie - aka Momus - took the stage in pyjamalike suit, ludicrous Beatle-wig and his trademark eyepatch, with only a laptop for accompaniment," Muggs wrote, mentioning my "mind-boggling" blog and "unashamed wonkiness". The headline to the piece ran "Mad Momus is an inspiration".
"You do look pretty close to madness!" commented my mother, who famously refuses to walk down the street with me these days, afraid that people may throw a straitjacket around her. "Glad they are saying some good things though."
At the Tate Gallery last night the "uncomfortably close to insane" line was running through my head as I lay face down on a table in the august and imposing Room 9 of Tate Britain, filled with heroic Victorian military and naval scenes, early Turners, and a screen showing scenes from "Funky Forest". My hands, bound at the wrists by invisible ropes, twitched violently as I simulated being anally raped by an invisible medieval knight. In my mind it was perfectly clear that I was playing The Lady of Shalott, and that exactly such scenes could well appear in any one of the paintings hanging on the walls nearby. Early Momus songs were inspired by exactly the kind of perversity I'd see in paintings at the Tate and the National Gallery.
Apparently when No Bra played this same room, the sudden appearance of Suzanne's breasts almost made the organizers halt the performance -- again despite the fact that many of the paintings and sculptures nearby featured scenes of bare-breasted women. The Tate also requested the artists performing to "please decline from using any pornographic or violent video footage within their performence". I immediately cancelled plans to show images of The Rape of the Sabine Women and Judith with the Head of Holofernes, or make any reference to The Bible or, indeed, the new Stephen Fry comedy series, the trailer for which features a parrot shouting "Fuck me! Fuck me! Come on my tits!" A great range of normal human behaviour veers "uncomfortably close to insanity"; even the most eccentric or extreme art doesn't show the half of it. Still, I'm grateful to the Tate (in the shape of funky culturepreneurs Adrian Shaw and Dexter Bentley) for letting me perform under the paintings. You can also hear me today live in session on Hello Goodbye, Dexter's show on Resonance FM, between noon and 1.30pm UK time. The webstream is here. I promise not to sing any rude words or be at all mind-bogglingly mad in the interview.
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evening standard are renowned for their insight into things cultural
Date: 2007-01-06 10:17 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-06 10:59 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-06 11:01 am (UTC)Best of luck, keep being insane.
The Wonkiness Of Momus
Date: 2007-01-06 12:04 pm (UTC)Thomas S.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-06 12:05 pm (UTC)Overhead:
"This appears to be getting out of hand. We could have our 2008 funding compromised. And the repercussions if the press get hold of this...shall I pull the show, sir?"
"Hmmm....no...no...let her continue..."
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-06 12:09 pm (UTC)Thomas S.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-06 12:23 pm (UTC)I did take some photos at the Tate gig, too, but they were, without exception, very blurry. I might upload them, anyway.
Nice version of The Rape of Lucretia I just heard there on the radio.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-06 02:09 pm (UTC)~*~*~*~
Whilst I do realize that the true eccentric doesn't do things mearly to be strange, but rather out of a true sense of calling, I do understand why other people can call people like us clickOpera-ers (for lack of a better noun) "eccentric" or "nuts" etc. But like the true "eccentric" I am, I dismiss such accusations.
w00t w00t.
And for the record, I think simulated anal rape and things like parrots saying "fuck me! come on my tits!" are perfectly in keeping with and sane in light of today's social scene.
Kudos, Mo-Man.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-06 02:25 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-06 02:38 pm (UTC)Here's the album:
http://my.opera.com/quentinscrisp/albums/show.dml?id=184621
Sorry it's so blurry. I blame the camera.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-06 04:36 pm (UTC)get over yourself
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-06 05:11 pm (UTC)Did you hear the 'band' that opened the show? You could expend some of the bile you inflict on harmless denims on far more deserving targets, y'know. Charlatanry..
Ah well. Are you planning to post the remix of Summerholiday1999? Cause that was bitchin' poignant.
Eyepatch & Lyrics
Date: 2007-01-06 05:22 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-06 05:45 pm (UTC)Re: Eyepatch & Lyrics
Date: 2007-01-06 05:47 pm (UTC)I always enjoy your dancing and miming. I especially liked the mime for 7th Wife at the ICA, when you pretended to play a keyboard: but now I see you with a huge silver cloak. Which shows that the mime was effective.
RESONANCE FM = JOHNY BROWN!!!!!!!!!
Date: 2007-01-06 06:00 pm (UTC)I WONDER WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THE BAND OF THE HOLY JOY WHEN YOU WERE A YOUNG THUG COMING UP IN THE HOOD
23.00 Mining For Gold Johny Brown
there is a soundscape involved and guests with words and instruments and stuff and....
ideas actions memories dreams and what have you
sometimes it occurs in other manifestations like live gig or play or drama but mostly it is radio...
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-06 06:23 pm (UTC)That said, it's very amusing to see where people now draw the lines in these homogenized times. In the words of Mr. Thompson, "It never got weird enough for me".
Makes one wonder how a young Bowie would be received today. Would he be seen as mad? Eccentric? Threatening? A calculating poseur? Inauthentic?
That wig is possibly the most "punk" gesture I've ever seen Nick adopt. Keep the freak flag flying, Nick, you wonderful poseur--people need a little shaking up.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-06 06:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-06 06:47 pm (UTC)"please decline from using any pornographic or violent video footage within their performence"
Date: 2007-01-06 07:08 pm (UTC)bowie wouldnt raise an eyebrow
Date: 2007-01-06 08:10 pm (UTC)Re: RESONANCE FM = JOHNY BROWN!!!!!!!!!
Date: 2007-01-06 08:41 pm (UTC)YOU ARE BLOWING MY MIND MOMUS
Date: 2007-01-06 09:29 pm (UTC)I AM MAD ABOUT THIS BAND THAT NEVER MADE IT "ACROSS THE POND"
SERIOUSLY THERE IS NOTHING OF/ABOUT THEM OVER HERE
URLS, EBAY SELLERS, SOULSEEK USERS ETC: ALL BRITS!!!
IM CANADIAN SO I LOVE DISCOVERING THE MOTHERLAND
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-06 09:34 pm (UTC)DONT BITE MY POSTS, LITTLE ANONOMOUSE
Date: 2007-01-06 09:36 pm (UTC)5:07 A.M.
TRUE STORY
MOMUS FAKED HIS EYE INFECTION
BECAUSE HE'S SO VISUALLY ORIENTED
THAT HE KNEW THAT IF HE TOOK ONE EYE OUT OF COMISSION
IT WOULD ENHANCE HIS SENSITIVITY AND PLEASURE
HE REALLY PULLED THE WOOL OVER OUR EYE (http://mimic.livejournal.com/1742322.html)
OR MAYBE YOURE JUST IN A DIFFERENT TIMEZONE AND WE THOUGHT OF IT AT THE SAME TIME IN WHICH CASE I APOLOGISE