Beat Magazine article - 60 years of making musical history at the Half Moon Putney
A huge thank you to Beat Magazine for the mention of my art on the walls of the legendary music venue The Half Moon Putney in an article which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.
It's been a complete joy over the past seven years to be the venues resident artist, portraying some of the amazing musicians and comedians who have played there.
I was there on the night the journalist Ian Woolley mentions to capture Nick Mason and his Saucerful of Secrets come to play the Half Moon in the supergroup's launch week.
Frankly I've never seen as much 'gear' in the venue, needed to create the atmosphere of those early psychedelic 'The Dark Side of the Moon' years that Mason wanted to bring to a wider audience. There were impressive sound systems and projectors raking coloured lights over Nick Mason, Guy Pratt (bassist who has worked with a stellar collection of artists), Gary Kemp (Spandau Ballet), Lee Harris (The Blockheads) and keyboardist Dom Beken. It was quite a challenge - but fun - to paint! You can find my paintings here
I have painted Ralph McTell who Ian also mentions, twice. My latest drawing of him hung on the walls during his recent residency where, on the night I went along, he played the songs he wished he'd written. What a great idea. I guess it's the same as discovering who an artist's influences are. Mine, perhaps surprisingly, include Ian Drury of the aforementioned Blockheads. If you haven't seen his '60s pencil drawings, check them out online.
To read Beat Magazine's full article click here.