Hey. Hope your New Year has gotten off to the start you all wished for.

Outward silence from me whilst indulging – recording and mixing – finding rooms, peeling back distractions whilst delving into the night lives of North London. ‘Tis a period of shadowy experimentation, the results of which will be with you at some point soon(ish).

If you already haven’t, here’s the material that I released last year, still available as download and physical -

• LUNACY (plus 3 b-sides)
• CHASING DRAGONS (plus 3 alternative versions)
• THE FIRE BRIGADE (single download)
• WAITING FOR THE POST-MAN (11 track album – download and limited CD’s)

Much thanks for all your support during 2011. Top of this post is one of my latest paintings ‘Festival Of Light’ which is currently being exhibited in Rochester’s Nucleus Art Shop, alongside some other pieces of mine and a whole host of other artists work. Worth a trip in you’re in the Kent area, if not head over to www.brokenarts.co.uk to see my work – new stuff to be  uploaded soon.

Lastly, though I’d share some photographs taken by Ian Rook, who’s worked with a whole host of interesting artists in the past – and is official photographer to Buzzcocks. I met Ian in Hull late last year, and before my gig we took a trip out into the old town. Many thanks to him for allowing use of these photos. Here’s a few from that shoot ….

… and whilst on the subject of photographers, you’ll notice a few changes around the site, one of which is the back ground – a live shot taken by Phil Dillon last year at The Slaughtered Lamb in London. Many thanks to him for letting me have use of it.

So … until next time, keep well and in touch.

Crook.

xxx

Been a busy few months, playing and painting and general crookedness, during which the pages of these days have turned over to welcome Winter. Strangely I feel glad for the dark light, am ready to bed down in a nest of noise, hibernation and total focus on new material.

However, before I shut my eyes to the world, there is still a fair bit still going on …

A Free Downloadable Album is now available to coincide with the LIVE TRANSMISSION event, my last Medway performance of the year. Over 3 days, a fine selection of Medway’s best bands will grace the beautiful stage at Royal Function Rooms. I’m very pleased to be playing alongside The Flowing, Stuart Turner and The Flat Earth Society and The Singing Loins, on Sunday 27th – that’s next weekend, a line-up not to be missed!

ARTROCKER have been showing their support and run a piece on the album and gig, so if you want to find out more and get the free download album, head over HERE.

Over to Broken Arts, and following the SCHISM exhibition at Bardens Boudoir last month, my first solo exhibition is now also up and running in Medway … 16 pieces, including many previously unseen, are hanging at the Deaf Cat Gallery in Rochester. The Gallery Cafe is open from 10am – 5pm everyday, and the exhibition runs until Sunday 27th – where then I’ll be hot-footing it over play Royal Function Rooms.

If any of you can, I’d love you to come along and check my work out. Seeing these Broken Artworks in the flesh is how they are meant to be seen, and I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback.

xxx

Crook.

Years ago, there was a Plot. Whatever did or did not happen, the memory has been trampled down between the pages of our history books, yet another reason for us to forget the weary revolts of our weekly board meetings, number punching recoils, school running backs and forths, and aren’t we glad for it? Any excuse to forget yesterday and to fall into the ‘morrow with swollen eyes and spiked temper heads.

Back then, a gaggle of men attempted to alter the course of their future, and our history. Fearless fools with dreams of revolution? Internal government bodies seeking to manipulate and fix opinion in their favour? Either way, these men sought to persuade their reality to the path they thought it best deserved to travel along. As the celebrated star of this ‘plot’ threw himself from the gallows and broke his body into paralysis, to avoid the inevitable humiliation of punishment, I wonder did he consider the attempt a failure? His dream stamped out days before his plan shook hands with an alternative fate? Or was it actually a success?

You and I will never know. All we do know is what we’ve been told, what they conspire to tell us, and most of that will be moderated by the very men who Fawkes and Co supposedly claimed charge against.

It’s 2011 now, and that moment has long since passed. More conspiracies, more plots, illusion and not so hidden agendas. 2 weeks ago, with this man and that mission on my mind, I dug up a patch of loose soil from my own yard of bones, and breathed life into a song that still raises both a smile in me, as do thoughts of old Fawkes.

The Fire Brigade was originally available, scrappy and symbolic of my then frame of mind, on the first Beast Reality release, a collection I called Old Books, Broken Bands and Other Little Treasures.

Here it stands again, in 2011, still scrappy, still symbolic of the frames in my mind, and perhaps closer to what my dream originally intended it to be. Re-recording this song also gave me fitting excuse to blindly throw myself into another previously untapped medium – cartoon animation.

You’ll be able to download this song from iTunes and Amazon over the next day or two, as soon as the spark has caught and the flames have been kindled.  However, I’d like you to download it right now, and you can do so by following this link … BUY THE FIRE!

It would be amazing if all you guys could assist me in promoting this, anyway you can, by either sharing this song and its video with your friends, or any other means you have to hand … let’s see how far we can spread this little fire!

I wish you all a happy Fire Night … stay safe, stay sure of yourself, and always keep a curious eye to possibility of an alternative (point of view).

Forever in flames, your f(r)iend, CroOK.

PS if you fancy reading these words again, here’s a burnt offering.

Halloween was my second single, released exactly six years ago in 2005.  The equally sinister, piano-led Phantom, My Friend and You is the b-side.

No other day like today to give this sickly-sweet song an airing …

Lupen Crook – Halloween by Lupen Crook

If you would like to own a copy, we’ve dug out the last remaining copies of this release, available on CD and 7″ vinyl … follow the links below to get yours.

• BUY HALLOWEEN CD SINGLE
• BUY HALLOWEEN 7″ SINGLE

Stay spooked people.

CroOK  x

PS – tune in tomorrow for some hot-off-the-printing-presses-of-hell details of a brand new release with another seasonal flavour.

Tomorrow morning I head to Bardens Boudoir in Stoke Newington, to meet, greet and set up shop with some other great artists from London. The exhibition entitled SCHISM showcases work by Ella Guru, Joni Deehan, Teresa Ferreira, Joe Whitney and myself.

You are all invited to attend the ’Private View’ which takes place this Thursday 20th October from 7pm. Performances from Marnie Scarlet and music by Duncan DeMorgan should make it an interesting evening all round.

The exhibition will be on for 4 weeks.

After that I’ll be taking some of this down to Medway’s DEAF CAT. There it will hang for 2 weeks as part of my first solo exhibition, which closes on the evening I perform alongside The Singing Loins, Stuart Turner and The Flat Earth Society, and The Flowing at Royal Function Rooms, Rochester on the 27th November.

Hope to see you soon. xx Crook.

PS - Here’s some photos taken today of new pieces I’ve been working on. Apologies for the dire quality of the photos – my hands are covered in oil paint, house is a complete disaster zone, I’ve lost the cat, perhaps my mind, and everything smells of white spirit and fag-ash. Oh well.

Hey … do like the little lady says!

Really though, all your support so far this year has meant so much.

This is the last single I’ll be releasing from the album ‘Waiting For The Post-Man’, before starting work on my new record, so I do hope you continue to enjoy the album and this single.

A mini-site has been made containing all the videos, versions and download details … share it around all you want … CHASING DRAGONS / MINI-SITE

xxx

Lupen.

It’s been a great fortnight of gigs, from playing Guildford the week before last, then a few times in Cardiff last week, onto the brilliantly shambolic evening at West Bank Gallery in Notting Hill, which celebrated the first major exhibition in the UK of legendary Lee Black Childers photographs. Amazing unseen images from the New York Punk Scene and beyond, including David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, and Andy Warhol.

Last Friday I played at the wonderful Bush Hall, in support of The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger - who were excellent, psychedelic-art-folk three piece pinned in place by the scatty charisma of their Conductor Sean Lennon.

Saturday I headed down to Folkstone and played at Googies Cafe, in support of OXJAM. Witnessed great performances from Stuart Turner, Unlucky Fried Kitten and Les Carter’s latest project Abdoujaparov.

The weekend also saw another OXJAM related event take place, when at midnight last Friday Medway Eyes released their 3rd album. An epic collection of Medway music which you can download for free right HERE. The video above, a live performance of the song ‘Tale Of An Everyman’ taken from my album ‘Waiting For The Post-Man’, is featured on the album.

If you do download the ME3 album (which I highly recommend) you are encouraged to donate as much as you see fit to the Charity OXJAM, details of which can be found whilst downloading – I know that Medway Eyes, and all the musicians who have provided music for this album would really appreciate it, however much you can in these hard times – it all counts!

Norwich this evening – see you there!

Lupen

You’ve seen the stop-motion, the live performance at Ranscombe and the lo-fi gothic bohemia of the Sunlight version … and so here’s MENACE, a remix by Dan Lawrence of Kids Unique. Many thanks to Dan for re-interpreting the original song, made surreal and strangely peaceful, something like a sun-set.

The video I made to accompany the song is a mood piece more than anything, simple and subtle, which I figured suited the vibe of the song. I was grateful to have been given permission to use previously unseen paintings created by Matthew Stephens Scott – many thanks to Matthew’s family for allowing me to use them.

Once again, any support you can give this song and its video is greatly appreciated. Share around this virtual maze we occupy as you see fit.

If you fancy downloading the song(s) that feature as part of the Chasing Dragons single release, simply click HERE. Come 17th October they will be available to download via iTunes and Amazon.

Not many copies of the album left now, so if you want to buy a physical copy of WAITING FOR THE POST-MAN, from which the original version of Chasing Dragons is taken, head over HERE.

More news soon. Love and Luck.

Lupen Crook.

As promised, here’s a video to accompany the Sunlight Garage Rock Version of Chasing Dragons – recorded live at The Sunlight Centre, Gillingham, Kent.

This version features guest performances from Wolfgang Riot on Bass and Chris Garth of Up/C/Down/C on Drums. Many thanks to them both, as well as the wonderful Greg Webster for recording and mixing the track.

Hg came along for the day and filmed this shot-gun style session, clips of which feature in this lo-fi video I’ve put together.

Thanks for all your support, I really hope you enjoy this little slice of chaos. Once again, if you like the track please share this video around – as far-fetched and wide-eyed as possible.

Chasing Dragons with it’s 3 b-side versions are officially released on iTunes and Amazon on 17th October, but you can get them via this site right now by clicking HERE! A very limited number of Promotional CD’s are available to purchase as well, you can order one for yourself via the SHOP.

Much love wonderful weirdos. See you at the gigs!

Lupen Crook.

As some of you will know, I’ve got a bunch of gigs booked up, which I’m really excited about. As is the way, the tour dates are evolving – more dates are being added and some minor alterations to the schedule also. Here’s some updates for you …

* Really pleased to have been invited to support Sean Lennon’s project ‘THE GHOST OF A SABER TOOTH TIGER‘ at London’s Bush Hall on 7th October. For tickets to this special evening head over HERE.

* I’ve also been booked to play at INSIDE, an art-music-film-comedy event held in the gorgeous Georgian surroundings of 33 Portland Place, London on the 6th October. Photographer Lee Black Childers is kicking off the evening with his unique photographs of Andy Warhol’s factory characters and the early days of Punk in New York. Screening of short films personally introduced by a fresh crop of up and coming directors follows, before acoustic sets including a performance from Awsa Bergstrom and yours truly. Lenny Beige will be hosting a comedy showcase including Craig Power, Jonni Music and John Daveron. Later on headlining band King Jacks, plus Josh Weller and Regency, will take to the stage on the mansion’s ground floor. Resident DJ Chris Sullivan – founder of the WAG club and regular DJ at the Ivy Club – will then keep the party going until the early hours. Gonna be an interesting evening! To get tickets for this unique event click HERE

* In Folkstone, Kent on 8th October, a great gig deserving of your attention is an OXJAM event at Googies Cafe. The night will see Abdoujaparov (fronted by Carter USM’s Fruitbat) alongside myself, Tim Ten Yen, Unlucky Fried Kitten and Phenomenal Cat. A great cause, a great evening. Find out more HERE.

* The gig that was booked in Cardiff has now changed to a new venue – 10 FEET TALL - and will take place on 4th Oct.

* The forthcoming radio session is being rescheduled, I’ll have more news about that when times and dates are confirmed.

* Sadly the Dirty Acoustic Nights gig at The Drop on 9th Oct has been cancelled… the pesky promoter has gone AWOL… left the country, so I’m told!

Other dates are coming in, so keep an eye on the gig listings on the HOME PAGE, or better still SUBSCRIBE and you’ll receive instant notification when new things are announced.

Many thanks for all the support and sharing that’s been happening with Chasing Dragons and the 2 videos. The 3rd video instalment is due this Monday – it’ll be getting pretty lo-fi, a little nasty and a lot raw!

Thanks to Roger Barnett for use of the photo above, taken at SOYO during the TRAMLINES Festival.

That’s about it for now. Long may this sunshine soak us through. Speak soon.

Lupen.

x