by Glotime | May 7, 2020 | Featured, Glo Arts & Entertainment
Junior Tomlin: Flyer & Cover Art showcases the work of the mastermind behind some of the most iconic rave flyers and record covers from the 80s/90s and is a comprehensive insight into Junior’s incredible back catalogue.
Flyer & Cover Art
Junior Tomlin’s visionary capabilities led to a long-running career as a flyer artist. His fantastical projections of the future and often surreal imagery earned him the title ‘The Salvador Dali of Rave’. Tomlin’s iconic work was highly sought after, with ravers collecting his remarkable work and promoters queuing up to commission him to produce imagery for their flyers.
Junior’s imagination conjured up alternate worlds, references to outer space and gave us a peek into the endless possibilities presented by an unknown future. It was the perfect representation of the brave new world being cultivated by rave promoters and the community that sprung up around the culture.
The Valentines Ball
Junior worked with a range of seminal rave promoters from 1989 onwards including Telepathy, Dreamscape, Slammin’ Vinyl, One Nation, Dream Odyssey and Ravealation. 30 years since he designed his first flyer, Junior Tomlin: Flyer & Cover Art documents his work across 180 pages, with commentary and draft sketches provided by Junior himself.
DREAMSCAPE-23
Divided into two distinct sections – Record Covers and Flyers – the book will also feature an in-depth interview with Junior and a foreword by Chelsea Louise Berlin (artist, flyer collector and author of Rave Art) plus words from members of the public, former clients and, of course, the rave community.
Peace Fest 93
Chronicling the work of a pioneering artist whose art was intrinsic to early rave culture, Junior Tomlin: Flyer & Cover Art marks a critical time in British history. In a time where division and conflict seems to be more prevalent than ever, the book allows us to escape into Junior’s fantasy worlds and travel back in time to an era when social barriers were being broken down.
The book will be 25cm x 25cm, printed and bound on high quality 130gsm paper. It is the first time his work will be documented and presented in such a comprehensive, cohesive fashion.
Junior Tomlin: Flyer & Cover Art isn’t out until June 2020 but if you pre-order it now via the Velocity Press website, you’ll receive it in May, signed by the author and with your name in the credits.
https://velocitypress.uk/product/junior-tomlin-book/
http://juniortomlin.com/
https://twitter.com/juniortomlin
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by Dee | Feb 18, 2020 | Featured, Glo Arts & Entertainment
When I spoke to the inimitable Jim Davidson in the wake of the tragic untimely death of Caroline Flack, it was evident that he was reflecting the truth in a way only someone with his intelligence and ultimate familiarity could comprehend.
Jim Davidson
Jim has been involved with a commendable charity Care After Combat for a number of years providing professional assistance for the care of the Veteran and their family. So as well as his own legendary recognition and experiences in television, he is also familiar with the aftermath of a major trauma or threat to life, and so the most qualified to speak on the subject.
Here is what Jim has to say:
‘It is with great sadness that we read about yet another “celebrity” taking their lives. I did not know Caroline Flack and I’ve never seen her on television. This would probably come as a shock to young ladies under the age of 40 to whom Caroline would’ve been a big star. Today I’ve been reading about Caroline’s tragic life. Although it wouldn’t seem tragic to people with normal lives or the families and friends of veterans taking their lives as well, it is nevertheless a sad story.. One that is, I’m afraid, all too predictable… In hindsight of course! so.. Let’s look back…
Caroline Flack
One day, someone invented the reality show. We all know reality shows are not real, but what they are, is a money making machine. It is no good having a high rated television show if all the money goes to the stars that appear in it. One can imagine that Morecambe and Wise got huge fees. I bet the producers were thinking,” how can we get these ratings without Morecambe and Wise?, then, we can keep all the money. Producers then made their own stars. Lads like Ant and Dec..who were not an act but were nice and could read the auto cue. They were cheap..they were also brilliant and confirmed what the producers thought. Ironically, now they cost ten time what Morecambe and Wise got paid.
First of all the reality show took the style of following round middle-aged men building houses, and then people selling houses.. Or cooking. Then we had cameras following the police, the Navy, the army. All these programs deliver great ratings and best of all, are cheap to make.
Big Brother
Then along came Big Brother. Not only was it cheap to make, the stars were the public. There was no money to be paid.. Not only that, the viewing public would phone up and pay their money. The people with the most votes, or should I say the people that make the TV company the most money… won. I’ve often wondered if anybody on the phone in shows has published how many votes were made?, and in fact were the winners chosen by the public or the producers? If I was a television producer I would not let the public choose who was going to be on my show next week.
When I did the Generation Game I would ask the audience to vote on their little clickers. They weren’t plugged in… The producer would pick.
The Generation Game
TV companies aim to attract viewers in the 18 to 35 bracket. These are described as people with disposable income.The TV companies then started promoting in house runners and researchers to become producers. Reality TV is produced by young women mostly. They know everything about fake tan and drawn on eyebrows. They deal with people who have no talent apart from being pleasing on the eye. Young producers know what the TV execs want…big ratings and watched by the disposable income mob!
Programs like love Island are really just spin-offs from Big Brother. Everyone is looking for the pot of gold.Love Island promotes vanity. It tells the young viewer that you can aspire to be like one of these people. you don’t need talent, If however you’ve got a bit of talent, do not have a six pack, or eyebrows like a ventriloquist doll, you can go and do X factor and sign your life away.
That seems to be a few tragedies linked to Love Island, and I’m not surprised.
Let me for a second talk about what I actually know about. My best friend and superstar Keith Emerson took his life.
I’ve often wondered why did it. In 1978 Emerson Lake and Palmer played to 88,000 people in the Olympic stadium in Montréal. In California they were top of the bill to a festival that attracted 250,000 people.
Keith Emerson
Like all good things, that came to an end, the band split up and Keith nursing a damage right hand started to struggle with the fact that ELP were not relevant any more.
I believe the Keith could not make the transition from what he was, to what he had become. He was loved by many, had a fantastic family, but, everybody has their demons. Keith had his, and we tragically lost a friend, father and genius…….
I deal with many veterans that cannot cope with not being who they were. 99% of veterans make the transition to being a civilian with no trouble at all. Some however find it unbearable and the demons start circling.
Let’s look at Love Island and compare.
The people that appear on it, have, in their eyes, and in the eyes of their peers, made it to the top. They have achieved fame, something they always dreamed of. They were “on the telly” the trouble is, when you do nothing to achieve fame, and that fame comes along instantly, you must be aware that it can vanish just as quickly. Who programs these contestants to understand this?
Long ago we lobbied the Ministry of Defence to start training soldiers sailors and airmen to prepare themselves for when they leave the forces. Is anyone helping these kids cope with what follows Love Island and the three month honeymoon period of being famous?
Care After Combat
The more I read about Caroline the sadder I become and the more I feel for these poor sods there are paraded around in the search of stardom… But the reality is, all they are doing is filling the pockets of the TV executives and providing false roll models for the millions of young people who aspire to be just like them….. That is the reality of the reality show.
Rest in peace Caroline… I believe although having great talent as a dancer and presenter, and by all accounts being witty an attractive person… You were dragged into this falsehood that Fame last forever..
I don’t think we should blame anybody for her tragic death we should pray for her family and friends and hope that their love for her will never die.. But let us not forget the millions who aspire to be part of the machine that some could say attributed to this tragedy.
” we made you………”
Jim along with Bobby Davro will be appearing at Care after Combats Autumn Ball 2020 on the 27th November in
Nottingham – fun is sure to be guaranteed – check out ticket details and other events at https://www.careaftercombat.org/events
Jim & Bobby Davro – Care After Combat
Check out jim’s website here https://www.jimdavidson.org.uk/
and Care after Combat https://www.careaftercombat.org/
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by Dee | Feb 5, 2020 | Featured, Glo Arts & Entertainment
As I interviewed award winning actress Ann Mitchell recently – I was reminded that great work comes with enormous dedication and commitment, and Ann has that in abundance.
Ann as Cora Cross in Eastenders
Born in 1939 in London’s East End, Ann grew up in a tough but nurturing family environment. From a very early age, Ann had a passion for Drama and joined the Joan Littlewood workshops at the Theatre Royal as a teenager, and went onto win the first scholarship into East 15 Acting School at the age of 21.
Ann was already married with a young baby, and initially felt it impossible to pursue both motherhood and a career in acting, but her family rallied round, and told her to pursue her dreams and that they would provide all the support and childcare she would need to achieve them.
Ann described those early years as challenging and heart wrenching as she handed her baby to her Mum as she set off to learn her craft. But her hard work paid off as when she left Drama School Ann Mitchell was given the opportunities she needed to successfully launch her career.
The Glasgow Citizens Theatre was one of the most radical theatre companies in Europe at that time. With its ground breaking plays, performances and sets it challenged the Establishment theatre with gusto. Ann was a leading member of the Company whose roles included Mother Courage, where the great designer, Philip Prowse, made not the traditional cart for her to drag around the stage but a burnt-out ambulance, made fit for purpose, which was tied to a rope around her waist. She also played the title role in Mary Stuart and Eva Braun in Summit Conference, written for her by Robert David McDonald.
Mother Courage
Ann went on to play leading roles in major repertory companies throughout the U.K including the National and the Royal Shakespeare Company, for whom she played Hecuba in Peter Hall’s epic production of ‘Tantalus’ written by John Barton. The cast were on stage in masks for twelve hours. Ann describes her experience as ‘exhilarating and knackering’! Now perhaps we can begin to understand why Ann Mitchell is such a legendary actor.
Many of us will remember her award winning, iconic performance as Dolly in Widows, another evocative series from the 80’s written by Lynda La Plante who subsequently wrote “She’s Out” for Ann to reprise the role of Dolly.
Ann with “Widows” creator Lynda La Plante
Ann’s many television appearances span three decades and, as she says, she has guest starred in every series known to man!
Ann was also nominated for an Olivier when she starred in the West End with Simon Callow in ‘Through the Leaves’ and has received an Honorary Dr of Arts from UEL lifetime achievement award.
Recently Ann appeared in the role of Elsie, written for her by Heidi Thomas, in Call the Midwife. Elsie is a woman who had been administering abortions to young unmarried girls or women who were in trouble. Ann’s character was sent to prison, as abortions were still illegal in the early sixties, but we are set to see Ann reprise her role on the 16th and 23rd of February. Ann expressed her delight at being in a series covering so many issues of the time – racism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, domestic violence and abortion, with such compassion.
Ann as Elsie Dyer in Call the Midwife
Watch out for Ann when she will be interviewed on Lorraine on Friday 21st of February talking about her work on Call The Midwife.
Ann is also a political activist and human rights campaigner. She is a Patron of many organisations including Clean Break, The Citizens of the World Choir, WacArts and many others. She is passionate about this work.
After Call the Midwife, we will be seeing a lot of more of Ann Mitchell in another series of Year of the Rabbit due to hit our screens later this year, in which Ann plays the hilarious Gwendoline, landlady in the Bar of Gold.
Ann as Gwendoline in The Year of the Rabbit
When filming is completed on the series, Ann is determined to carry on with both her career and her charity work. So are there any signs of Ann Mitchell slowing down – absolutely not, she still has important work to do and I for one am delighted to hear it. Thank you Ann, you really are an inspiration to so many and a true legend in our lifetime.
https://www.annmitchell.net/
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