News: Melon Shrub Launch Party 24th March, Dream Bags Jaguar shoes

It's news time here on the rally, and we all really need something to celebrate. So why not get yourself down to you guessed it, Jaguar Shoes in the thumping tweed clad heart of Shoreditch to witness the beautiful, painful and probably sticky birth of Melon Shrub 2!

A while back we let you in on the fact that it was coming up and whet your appetite with the tasty Micro Shrub and it is now finally upon us, replete with various tree and shrub related activities and goodness.

So here's a bit of info about what is going down from the irrepressible Murray Somerville:

• Exhibited signed artwork from the zine in true framed glory (and available for sale! ) as well as one or two unseen illo's and an AWESOME NEW illo from Dazeray!!!

• Video Art installations projected throughout the night including the promotional videos up on youtube, but as well as the currently being filmed new "Lemon Tree" video and other strange oddities!

• LEMON TREE have reformed to play this one off gig, promising a more unusual and musically diverse gig than ever before. The Alternative Noise Rock band plan on releasing a promo video and new song out in the next few weeks before the party to prepare people for what they're gonna be getting!!!

• And of course it's a party so there's gonna be lots of DJ'ing and Music going on throughout the night so we can all party off our melon chunks! Expect everything from HEALTH, Echo and the bunnymen, The Replacements, Daft Punk, Justice, The Smiths, Animal Collective, Gold Panda, Pixies, Sleigh Bells, The Knife, Beastie Boys and other musical legends!!!

Well now you know so you better get your sharpest vintage gear, your best clothes and your most oblique expressions and make your way down to Jaguar Shoes before the cool timer runs out.

Tweet

Ballad Of..... Event!

When?
04 March at 19:30 - 05 March at 03:00


Where?
Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes

32-36 Kingsland Rd, E2 8DA

London, United Kingdom

What goes on?

Live Drawing from Rally regulars iamanoctopus, Sandra Dieckmann, Jamie Mills, Murray Somerville and Natsuki Otani.

Epic event that will be kicking all night long with T-shirt based live art allowing you to grab a steaming piece of hot Shoreditch action for your very own, with the artists hard at work through the night bringing everybody some fresh art best enjoyed with hard liquor and live music.

Ear joy to be provided by REVERE, who in their own words "incorporate violin, cello, keys, trumpet and glockenspiel into a guitar-led sound, combining elements of gypsy songs, funeral marches, klezmer, post rock, film scores and gospel producing a dramatic orchestral soundscape, moving from tiny, music-box openings, through heart-wrenching melodies to epic finales."

"[Revere has] a great live reputation, their cacophonous multi-layered sound along with stunning live visuals setting them apart" Q Magazine.

And not forgetting those with more energy than sense, mixing it up till 3 it's Twat Boutique and the Ballad Babes. "Twat Boutique is an eclectic mix of underground party tracks and lost classics."  Twat Boutique join the Ballad of crew for just one night and then they will return to throwing packed out parties at Dalston Superstore! "The Ballad Babes are going to throw out the best in retro pop and new indie." Having been DJs at Camp, Dalston Superstore and Jaguar Shoes previously, They are the perfect fit for all your vintage, new age fun needs!

So, If you would like to attend the event, check out Ballad Of's event info here and contact them to be on the guestlist and see you there! If not, don't you worry, we'll have a full report for your viewing pleasure.

Tweet

Zine Feature: Micro Shrub

It's feature time again and this time its a magazine slash online pdf which will rock your collective socks off. Micro Shrub is an online collaboration between illustrator Murray Somerville and writer Jack Burston. The online shrub is a tasty precursor to the weird and vibrant world of Melon Shrub 2, which is poised to break onto the scene in early 2011.

Murray and Jack have been collaborating since their days in the band Lemon tree, which although dead and gone planted some very interesting seeds indeed. The art style is impressive and coupled with strong typography and snappy writing this new zine is sure to make waves for the impending Melon Shrub 2.

As Murray says, "The point of Micro/Melon Shrub is to create a new and subversive zine full of oddity writings/ short stories/ illustrations/ posters and comics (which will be in melon Shrub 2) - merging Jacks writings and my drawings into a combined black comic, intriguing and bizarre feature!!!" And we really cant wait to see the results.

Its a refreshing new experience that offers the visual satisfaction of Rob Zombie with added punch brought by Jack's writing. With strong colours and bold work its flavour is reminiscent of Oz, king of the counter-culture vibe but it has a more considered freedom (and much higher quality artwork) 

One to watch, and eventually buy, we are waiting with baited breath for the launch of the more bushy shrub, which deserves a party in our opinion! Great zine getting us in the mood for the massive year that will be 2011!

Contact info
twitter 
Blog 

Tweet

Live Drawing Retrospective: Ballad Of at Jaguar Shoes

Remember the days before the icy snows set in? We do! Its a brief retrospective here of a rainy evening in deepest, darkest Shoreditch where only the pointy of shoe and quiffed of hair dare to tread. The warm friendly atmosphere, in the otherwise too cool for school Jaguar shoes was met with great appreciation and some Posca mashup action. Hard at work behind a barrier of sofas and well dressed people, the illustrators created a great piece of ephemera, there for only one night the work of some great IR regulars was themed around the phrase "don't forget to write" and formed a great backdrop to some awesome partying. 

The group was: iamanoctopus, Jamie Mills, Natsuki Otani, Sandra Dieckmann,  Murray Somerville and Thomas Bates.

This new group is looking for more opportunities to bring their brand of live drawing goodness to a wall near you, so if you can think of any places we can be please get in touch with any of the members!

That was Ballad Of at Jaguar Shoes! 

Tweet