‘So Here & Now’

I been so busy so far this year so this is my first blArt of 2018, so there or should I say ‘So Here & Now’ (It’s the only place to Be).

In the Düsseldorf 2017 review (below) I mention that I had a Book Launch scheduled for 26Jan2018 at Bookartbookshop in London which was last Friday and thanks to the wonderful select group of folk Tanya called in it went really well. Thank you all for coming and for the love & attention. All the photos of the gig are taken by Tanya Peixoto and I am forever grateful, to her. I have made some slight alterations to some, which I hope she doesn’t mind.

taf side sm — **Patrick J. Kennedy 1918-92**

I had been honing the Performance Art lifted from the story in my book The Shrewd Idiot ever since my gig at CAC. At Tanya’s suggestion we also celebrated the centenary birthdate of my dad Patrick J. Kennedy (Taffy).

a YSI + redress sm — Young Idiot dancing with The Red Dress

Above photo by Maxine Wynne

iggy hansupIMG_4910 sm — Old Idiot blinded by the light despite the shades

Photo by Tanya Peixoto

So to the ‘Red Dress Dance’ & ‘Shades Song’ (After Iggy) commemorating some (3) beautiful girls I knew in the days I was at college

ahed IMG_4931 sm — Apulhed sneaks up on unsuspecting guest from whom the light which blinds the Idiot shines

and an Apulhed Appearance (Photo by Tanya Peixoto)

I added a reading of all the mentions I made of my dad ‘Taffy’ in The Shrewd Idiot. To top it off I read some words appropriated from Annie Lennox cd Diva which had a special place in my memory of the final day of my dad’s life. He lived from 1918-1992. He had a ‘colourful’ life interrupted by WW2 when he joined the Air Sea Rescue section of the RAF. He was a Steeplejack* and a very successful amateur football coach & he instructed many in the Burnley area in what was called back then ‘physical culture’ (doing weights) and he introduced me to Mr Universe Earl Maynard at a show in Manchester around 1965 where he told me to show Earl my six pack which as a 14 year old was highly developed. Earl said, “Keep it up!” and, being a teenager, I immediately dropped the weight training. Look at me now!

I COULD HAVE BEEN SOMEONE…Instead of a bum (Thanks Marlon).

So, instead of Mr Universe I became Master Puny of Verse! Goodnite.

[*DON’T mention Dinber my dad thought Dinber was a clown because of the careless dangerous lacks of precaution he allowed, according to Taff]

I never did a summary of my 2017 so here are the highlites of my 2017 year:

April1st2017 BABE at Arnolfini:

https://apulhed.wordpress.com/2017/04/09/an-idjet-suckseeds/

Sept2017 in Dusseldorf with Vest & Page:

https://apulhed.wordpress.com/2017/09/25/sound-seeps-thru-ma-very-soul/

Nov52017 My First gig at Colchester Arts Centre:

https://apulhed.wordpress.com/2017/11/06/shrewd-idiots-book-launch-at-cac/

I mentioned Jo Bannon in a blArt last year but could not post any images then but she contacted me after her National Tour and said yes I can use some.

She had various leads which led from her table to electricity sources as she boiled a kettle and poured hot water into a stainless steel bowl with some cooler water in then washed her silken white locks then [for me the best moments of the gig] she used a powerful hair dryer to blow her hair away (almost).

Jo Bannon http://www.jobannon.co.uk/Home.html