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Invitation To A Music Movement

For the next picture book edition of TheZineUK story, we would like to tie all of our stories together. Started last year it is a multi media documentary of modern grass roots music and style culture. Here are video clips from the Once Upon Another Time surreality TV of a 21st century underground music movement . . . instinctiveness, resourcefulness and passion = these are “I was there moments” I lived.

Video Soundtrack: 'Expo Beats' by Little Death Machine who played our No3Expo event for the launch of their single, 'Pale', Earlier this year.

In around 72 seconds:

Dan Fatel of space punks, CuT, chatting candidly after their show at #TGE14 (Gabi Garbutt of The Sticklers in the background). We totally made the most of our trip to the seaside, and also got invited back this year (LOTS of love for @AltEscape and Brighton Latest Music Bar!)

Dizzy Spell (The Zine Music Editor is one of theatre's few female artist directors) and Jimmy Johnson of CuT hanging out, early hours, with Jimmy Hendrix in Grant Baines' studio at Number3London in Deptford when TryLife TV's Nicky Kaur and Paul Irwin arrive with The Zine's Fashion Editor, Ben Dodd!

I remember getting so out of it that night, then getting up again early next morning to open up the warehouse for lovely Heather Minx to make a video for Tony Steele & The Massacre. I lay on the sofa feeling like death as they filmed, until early afternoon when I could sit up. (A chance meeting with the artist, Ram Samocha, at the gate as I locked up, made the International Art Symposium weekend happen at Number3London a few months later). Later that day, not feeling like death any more, I went to Medway, where Ukrap had tried to march a few hours earlier but been defeated by humans. I had a totally brilliant punky rock n roll night out in Chatham followed by the most surreal night at the Mourning Birds nest, and a beautiful sunday morning riverside walk past Rochester Castle for the train back to New Cross.

Jean Genie and Bruno Wizard (both bona fide underground stars of London) at an impromptu gig in the office that Grant (Menace, Legend) and myself (McNaughty) shared at Number3London. We fucking rinsed being in the amazing space he created from an old warehouse. The Earwax Radio bruvs, Andy n Jamie, were making a show in the afore mentioned studio next door, so popped in and got an interview and session from Bruno, too.

Singer and writer, Rhiannon Carr, models Tahir Sultan on a Deptford council estate stairwell, photographed by Rupert Hitchcox and styled by The Zine's Fashion director, Ben. Our first fashion shoot! We also called into New Cross Inn and Little Nan's Bar (thank you both!) for the images which appear in Chapter 1.

Then there is a shot of festival favourite, LEKIDDO – Lord Of The Lobsters! at our live sessions in Deptford, rounding off December 2014.

Duncan Stafford photographs Japenese model, musician, actor and star – Shintaro Mizuno - who caught our attention as we drank (and drank) in Camden Market, Summer 2014. His steampunk hat did it for me – love at first sight. Shintaro stood out like a twinkling star to The Zine Team, we only found out he was famous when we looked up the flyer he gave us when we got home. As it was, we were impromptu, a session on a phone camera, but he was so gracious, patient and kind with his time.

Kosmic Troubadour and Firm Cult partying on stage at the live sessions – peace and fun breakout at our live sessions. Jean Genie's Massive Hugs also live in Session.

Dizzy blows us a kiss at Latest Music Bar, Brighton for our Alternative Escape stage at The Great Escape Festival 2014 in Brighton.

February 2015; Gordon Raphael joins TheZineUK on the back of the The Big Red (with arts editor, Chenaii A. Madhoo, a firm fan of The Strokes AND Gordon!). At the time, the bus is also an award winning pizzeria with a lorry container at the back where Trailer TV was made and all sorts of live entertainment happens. Not sure what is happening on The Birds Nest Corner (No3/The Big Red) at the moment.

Deptford is being vultured by gentrification at the moment. I hope destroyers/developers, will have as much soul as the folks who lay the local golden eggs (art, ideas, community spirit, gardens, beauty, eternal childhood, local businesses, excellent education) i.e. every day people extraordinare. Talking of which, back to some more.

Rhiannon The Nightmare spiced up our Camden Crawl Festival stage, and again when they were live in session. Going down a treat both times. Actual songs and stage presence. Get on that.

Multi music talent, and all round wonder woman, Lauren Neko being styled at HQ by Ben for the Chapter 003 cover shot shoot. Photography by Jason Joyce (who had recently been snapping Morgan Freeman and Pharell Williams – we are not worthy, but he came anyway and loved a very creative freedom in the gallery art a spade warehouse). Read the article by DJ Gavin Black (now starring with his Greenwich Films, also) in Chapter 3. Gavin is back on the decks again at this year's On Blackheath Festival. Hair & Make up by Danny DeFreitas, also going from strength to strength. Lauren wears Top Shop on the front page of Chapter 003 and looks glamorous enough for any red carpet.

We abduct Firm Cult for their first live show. Literally. They were already part of the ArtBeat audience of potential stars. At our first Warehouse Sessions they impressed so much that they found themselves performing at the second!

Savage Nomads rocking out for TheZineUK at The Great Escape Festival 2015, complete with the poundland back drop we made half an hour before doors (filmed by Giedre Padvaiskaite ). I was knocked out by the band supporting Carl Barat & The Jackals live debut (for This Feeling club's launch) on New Year's Eve at Amersham Arms and even exchanged poems to try to tempt them to a show. So double hooray.

Goodbye kisses from Dizzy and Jimmy in our Number3London office, and (with the gorgeous and legendary Heather Minx in the background) from Simon Price - award winnng journalist, presenter, Manics biographer and DJ (this day, for our stage) at The Great Escape Festival.

These clips are all interspersed with interactive art by L.E.G. at the No3Expo that TheZineUK curated in association with Estrella Galicia beer, filmed by Rupert Hitchcox, and papped/cut/pasted by myself, Caffy, into this collage of “I was there, man, it was all magic”.

We are grass roots. Through necessity not fad. Our ambition is to remain that way, but look increasingly professional so that we offer the best creative artist development to every talent that comes on board with us.

It's September 2015. All of the stories weaved into the tapestry so far come together in the next Chapter so that we can do that.

The Zine fused at Amersham Arms ArtBeat shows and hit cyberspace in 2014. Creating style sessions with musicians as models, exhibitions and installations with a live soundtrack. It's an unfilmed surreality TV show waiting to happen, while finding exciting talents and ideas via this situationist magical mystery tour.

As August 2015 ended, music lovers of all genres/genders/generations and other generalisations, we have staged riotous fun on official stages at national music festivals, viralled like media marmite (Xfm, Guardian Guide, NME, DIY Mag and more), connected, partied and swollen our ranks, which include multi-media/transmedia you also need to connect with.

We are chuffed that a mix of exciting up n comers, celebrity photographers, industry organisations and alternative media have given a bunch of DIY-dreamers the time of day and their support. Our audiences have a high percentage of mover shaker future makers. We wage peace and degentrification.

We've laid foundations around the UK and in Japan, Australia, USA and Europe. Our imaginations know no bounds. You are invited. Thank you for checking out / supporting The Zine UK.

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