This Saturday – Welcome To My Nightmare VIII

This Saturday, June 8th. I’ll be showing my art and have my work for sale at the Welcome To My Nightmare VIII show. Lots of artists and bands. Be there, or be whatever.

Welcome To My Nghtmare Flyer. Spring 2013.

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Scenes From Punk Island Art Auction Benefit May 2013

This past Friday was the benefit for Punk Island, taking place in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. There were bands which afterwards was an art auction. Local artists donated artwork to raise money for Punk Island 2013.

So not only have I not managed to make it to any of the Punk Island shows, I almost didn’t make it to this event. You see, I was exhausted and ready to call it a night. Yet my friend convinced me to go. Plus I had flyers to pick up and promote for the Welcome To My Nightmare show next month. Missed the bands but arrived just in time for the auction.

Rev. Wodka glitter painting. Created Fall 2012 by Michele Witchipoo. Mixed medium, acrylic and glitter. Sold May 2013 at the Punk Island art auction benefit.

I had donated a mixed medium painting created seven months ago titled Rev. Wodka. The acrylic and glitter painting was originally on sale at my Esty site, but I figured it would would be better off at the auction. In theme with all things Punk. So off went Rev. Wodka, who found a new home that night. I also included an old mini issue of my comic Psycho Bunny.

Phil Lentz starting the action at the art auction to benefit Punk Island 2013. Williamsburg, Brooklyn. NYC. May 2013.

There were lots of awesome artists who donated their time and talent to this benefit. There were original signed and numbered concert poster prints by Joe Simko, who did  illustrations for bands like The Misfits and GWAR. Original concert photography was also donated to the cause. The best was saved for last, when Justin Melkmann, comic book artist and member of the band WW9 donated a personal letter from G.G. Allen to the auction.

Here’s a few other photos from that night. Can’t say I know of the exact date of Punk Island itself, but it’s usually free and takes place during the summer on Governor’s Island. Best bet is to do a search for info regarding the exact time date and location for the event.

Art auction/benefit for Punk Island 2013. May 2013 Williamsburg, Brooklyn. NYC.

Actual flyer and letter sent to Justin Melkmann from G.G. Allen, when G.G. was in prison. Donated to the art auction to benefit Punk Island 2013.

Actual letter from G.G. Allen. Donated to the art auction benefit for Punk Island 2013. Photo taken May 2013 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NYC.

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Welcome To My Nightmare June 2013

Welcome To My Nighmare VIII. I’ll be here showing my work and selling my comics. Don’t miss it.

Welcome To My Nghtmare Flyer. Spring 2013.

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David Bowie Watercolor March 2013

Two weeks ago I had plans to do this Bowie sketch. Then came news of his new album going to number one in the UK. (http://www.nme.com/news/david-bowie/69250) So perhaps after being subjected to auto tune pop music crap, there might be hope for the human race. Perhaps not. We’ll see.

I really haven’t sat down and listened to the new Bowie release. Don’t matter. I will always be a fan of his seminar work such as Ziggy Stardust, his Heroes era, and right up to Scary Monsters. While I’m not that much of a Bowie fanatic, no one can deny his influence.

Here’s a quick watercolor piece done this morning. Basic glitter watercolor. It’s not my best, but it’s not my worse either. This painting looks a lot better in person. The scan didn’t do it justice. Now I’ll quietly curse myself for not being a teen or a young adult during the Glam Rock era. Meanwhile the song “Panic In Detroit” runs through my head.

David Bowie from his Aladdin Sane era. Glitter watercolor. Painting done by Michele Witchipoo March 2013.

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Electric Eye

Since early this year, I’ve been working on my photography. Taking one step beyond the beloved Instagram, I like to take the photo imperfections, and blend them into the process.

It all started when my good friend found a working manual film camera for under twenty bucks. He passed the goods onto me. Six months later as a belated birthday present, he also found an old digital camera. Added a bit of Photoshop skills to the mix for that unique look.

Here’s a brief collection of what I’ve taken so far:

Solo drum set from Evangelical Holy Drums, performing at the Space Porn Art Show. Hi-5 Bar & Gallery, located in Ridgewood, Queens NY. August 2012. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

Local NYC punk/post-punk band Dust Angel. Performing at the Hi-5 Bar & Gallery, located in Ridgewood, Queens NY. August 2012. Photo by Michele Witchipoo

Recent photo, taken this past weekend. Local band SuperFunFacePunch performing at Trash Bar, located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. September 28th, 2012. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

Also taken the same weekend. Gottscheer Hall, located in Ridgewood Queens NY.
Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

Necklaces for sale inside the magickal suppy store Enchantments.
September 2012. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

One of the resident cats inside Enchantments, East Village NYC. September 2012. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

More photos to be posted soon.

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Review of Space Porn Art Show At The Hi-5

Everything’s been going full steam ahead. Much so that I forgot to review the art event I took part of last month.

I had two painting exhibited at this show. The theme was anything to do with space, porn, or hey, why not both? Which is exactly what happened. Combining space, porn, bands and good times. Here’s a few photos I took from the night of Friday August 3rd, 2012.

Evangelical Holy Drums playing his set at the Hi-5 Bar and Gallery, August 3rd, 2012. Photo taken by Michele Witchipoo.

Evangelical Holy Drums playing his set at the Hi-5 Bar and Gallery, August 3rd, 2012. Photo taken by Michele Witchipoo.

Bobo Fett dancer from the Space Porn Art Show, taken at the Hi-5 Bar and Gallery, August 3rd, 2012. Photo taken by Michele Witchipoo.

Vagina sculpture you could climb into. Artist: Rael Lief. Exhibited at the Space Porn show at the Hi-5 Bar and Gallery, Friday August 3rd, 2012. Photo by Michele Witchipoo

Mixed medium paintings by Michele Witchipoo. Mostly acrylic and glitter. As of September 2012, the android/robot stripper painting was sold and shipped. The erotic rocket ship painting on the right is still available. Exhibited at the Hi-5 Bar and Gallery Friday August 3rd, 2012. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

There were great paintings by a variety of other artists. Most of the work was listed as ‘not safe for work.’ Well, the theme was space porn.

Above is a photograph of the two paintings I had exhibited at the Space Porn show. Both were mixed mediums, using mostly acrylic and glitter. After the show, the stripper painting on the left was sold. The other painting on the right is still available.

Not sure what the name of this band was. Performance at the Space Porn art show at the Hi-5 Bar and Gallery, Friday August 3rd, 2012. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

Local bands on the bill were: Spewing Cum, a  solo drum set by RYO of Gagakirise (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyNt1L13S_c&feature=youtu.be), Kool Skull w/ Ryo (special collaborative piece), Cum Blood, and a special burlesque performance by Miss Cherry Delight.

The show was covered by the press, featuring another artist: http://heyheychante.blogspot.com/2012/08/art-feature-space-porn.html

So now you have a bit of an idea what I did this past summer.

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Pin It On – 1980s Music Buttons

Continuing where I left off yesterday, (Yesterday’s blog post) now I’m going into music pins, buttons and badges of the 1980s.

My button collection started during my preteen years. It was around sometime during the early ’80′s, and I had just discovered rock music. The closest supplier of these badges was a local head shop called Yogi Lala, located in Astoria, Queens. For a small shop it was jammed packed full of juvenile delinquent merchandise. All sorts of hippie accouterments, silver biker jewelry, patches, drug paraphernalia, and hard rock band tee shirts. If you wanted the back of your jean jacket painted with a rendition of a particular Black Sabbath album cover, this was the place. For good measure, Yogi Lala mixed the sex, drugs and rock n roll wares with some 14k gold trinkets.

There was certainly a variety of genres covered within the rock music merch this place sold. Not only did they have your average classic rock groups like The Who, Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, etc., but they also had the burn out Hard Rock stuff, Heavy Metal, and the newer New Wave and some Punk rock stuff. Mostly the more famous, or should I stay infamous bands like The Sex Pistols.

If you couldn’t find what you were looking for in Yogi’s, you could always walk further down Steinway Street, which to this day is one of Astoria’s main shopping areas, and check out Jolly Joint. The Jolly Joint’s store was a bit more spread out. It was a head shop as well, with a tiny more emphasis on the music. Jolly Joint was pretty successful in its day, with a second shop on Main Street, located in Flushing, Queens.

Jolly Joint is no more. Yogi Lala is still around, but they mostly sell gold jewelry now.

Anyway, I would start to buy these small music pins from these kind of stores. The pins would be proudly arranged with style and care on my jacket before heading off to my crappy junior high. The other kids would make fun of me listening to rock music, but I paid them no mind. I loved The Go-Go’s, Joan Jett, Soft Cell, Human League and David Bowie.

Metal David Bowie pin from the 1980s. Let’s Dance era. Most likely brought at Yogi Lala during 1983. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

I was very fascinated with the whole New Wave and Punk subculture, even back in junior high, although my tastes at the time were more mainstream. Guess this is when I started observing different types of counter cultures.

Assortment of Culture Club pins from the 1980s. Check out the “Boy George for President” button. Maybe since it’s election year in 2012, should I start wearing this again? Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

Then came Culture Club. I loved Boy George so much, I even tried to dress like him. If you look in the photo, you can see a button that says “Boy George For President.” As I type this, it’s election year of 2012. Perhaps I should start wearing this one again?

Anyway, my attempts of emulating the Boy just resulted in more verbal abuse from my classmates. The comments got more ignorant too. My favorite one? “Are you a fag lover?”

Since I hated my junior high so much, I swore I would never continue getting my education alongside these ignorant f-heads. So I applied for a whole bunch of the NYC ‘magnet’ schools. To both my surprise and relief, I got immediately accepted into the High School of Art and Design. From there I met more like-minded peers. One of these kids would take me to my first ‘underground’ club, despite the underage factor. It was the original Danceteria, and I loved every second of it. Another girl took me to my first excursion into Greenwich Village. It was up and down 8th street to be exact. Eighth street at the time was the main shopping strip of the village area, full of record stores, imported shoe shops, clothing stores, etc. Located towards more going 6th avenue was The Postermat. That was my new found base for my button fix.

During my freshman year, my tastes in music was leaning towards mainstream rock, top-40, new wave and imported UK pop bands. I was still big into Culture Club then. For a brief time though, I was listening to the newer metal bands like Motley Crue and Twisted Sister.

Dee Snider, lead singer of Twisted Sister. 1980s pin. Possibly gotten from a button trade. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

Sometimes us A&D students would trade with one another. I traded something for the U2 band shot, as seen in the middle of the pic below. I think a friend gave me the Cyndi Lauper and Prince pins. A loner guy mysteriously gave me the Billy Idol one. I forgot where the Frankie Goes To Hollywood button came from. Check out the photo below. I’m surprised I still even have these.

Various 1980s music buttons. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

Needless to say this phase didn’t last long. I discovered Siouxsie and The Banshees. Right there everything changed. Went to Astor Place for a major haircut, dying my hair much to my father’s chagrin. My wardrobe completely changed. I discovered Bleecker Bob’s, purchasing a second hand pair of combat boots. Boy, did those boots piss my mom off.

Most importantly, my music tastes had changed. I embraced the classic 80s Goth and Post-Punk bands. I liked much of the seminal ’77 Punk stuff, like The Ramones, for example. Although I never got into the Hardcore or crossover genres that much. As you can guess, my button collection reflected this. Instead of Culture Club and U2, I had bands such as The Damned, Bauhaus, and Sisters of Mercy. Most of the classic 80s Goth bands found a spot on my schoolbag. Only I wasn’t going to school as much. I had also discovered playing hooky. That particular discovery is something I still regret to this very day. I’m making up for lost time now, but there’s still a ping of regret somewhere.

Unfortunately, most of my button collection from that particular time is gone. Don’t know where they went. Perhaps they’re in a draw somewhere at my parents’ house, but at this point I’m not going to bother looking. It’s the past after all.

I did find this, however. An X-Ray Specs pin, which I think I might’ve gotten from the original Manic Panic shop in St. Mark’s Place. Was it that, or was it the pin that said “Oh bondage up yours!” I think it was the latter. That particular pin was stolen by none other than this kid Mike Waste. He stole from almost everyone. Not only did he steal that pin, he also stole my Cure shirt and something else. A total creep who told tall tales. He had ratty hair extensions that clung for dear life from the brim of his cap. Yet I heard about the early Industrial bands through him. I always knew he lifted from me. I suppose twenty years later I’m kinda sorta getting my revenge by calling him out on a public blog.

Here’s the X-Ray Specs pin that escaped Mike Waste’s grimey paws:

X-Ray Specs badge. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

Now that I’ve blogged about these pins, perhaps its time to finally get rid of them. After all, they served their purpose. Maybe sell them on eBay or something. Besides, I’ve got my memories. You can never take that away.

However, if all else fails, you can tell people this:

Where’s the beef? Button from mid-1980s television commercial ad. The slogan was part of the Wendy’s burger campaign during 1983-84. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

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Cindy Ecstasy: The Accidental Chemical Muse

When discussing the history of Soft Cell, you’ll hear about a certain early ’80s club kid. This downtown vixen went by the name of Cindy Ecstasy.

“A few nights later I was to find myself in an after-hours club called Berlin. There I met the girl who had saved me at Studio 54 and who was to have a major part in changing my life. In fact she would change both my life and Dave’s profoundly, and our work in Soft Cell from then on.” – from the book “Tainted Life (the autobiography)” by Marc Almond.

As the story goes, Cindy Ecstasy was a drug dealer. Her moniker came about from what she supplied: Ecstasy. In 1981, it was a drug for the nightclub elite. Hence, the name Cindy Ecstasy. Somehow, someone came up with the idea of having Cindy sing back-up on many of the classic Soft Cell tracks. That way she’ll always be around. A decade after Cindy weaved her chemical spells, Ecstasy became known to the general public.

Yet despite me just being a third generation spectator, I somehow have to agree with record producer Mike Thorne. “In one book about the group, Cyndi is obnoxiously described as ‘a drug dealer’, which is glib and convenient journalistic nonsense. She was a camp follower who contributed to the general party energy level and had her own distinctive style and rasping Brooklyn sense of humor and delivery. She passed on wonderful substances to Marc and Dave et al, but in a street social way. Ms Big she was not. I wonder where she is now.”  – from Thorne’s website: www.stereosociety.com

Cindy Ecstasy became the electronic duo’s accidental muse of sorts. She made appearances in the Soft Cell videos “Memorabilia” and “Torch.” Cindy even went as far as appearing with Soft Cell on the classic British countdown show “Top of The Pops.”

Alas, fame was only fleeting for Ms. Ecstasy. She did background vocals for the first Marc and The Mambas album. When her friendship with Marc Almond dissolved, she formed her own band called Six Sed Red. The band had two members. It was herself along with musician Rick Holliday, formerly of the early 1980s band B-Movie. The single was co- produced by the seminal Electronic/Industrial band Cabaret Voltaire, and remixed by Depeche Mode producer Flood.

Never heard of Six Sed Red? Don’t worry – not many people have. The single failed to chart much, and soon Cindy disappeared. Since then, her whereabouts have been largely unknown.

“She had a band called Six Said Red, and that was, like, 1984. I don’t know what became of her after that. Someone told me that she had a guest house in some seaside town in Britain somewhere, that she’s running a hotel. But I have no idea!” – Marc Almond, 1999 interview from the online magazine Chaos Control.

Who knows what would’ve happened if Six Sed Red had been more successful. Cindy did have some potential. Personally, I think the single could’ve been a bigger hit. Could’ve, would’ve, should’ve.

Little known fact: right before her disappearance, Cindy and Rick Holliday wrote a song for 80′s pop trio Bananarama.

On the other hand, since she was dealing with drugs, perhaps she had to…”disappear.”

There’s really no new crucial information here regarding Ms. Ecstasy. What’s posted here isn’t any different from what anyone else has written. It’s more like wondering out loud; “where is she now?” Even if we never hear from her again, at least she already left a legacy of some kind. In the meantime, I shall leave you with a small watercolor portrait of the accidental chemical muse, Cindy Ecstasy. Created tonight in watercolor, pen and ink by me. Enjoy.

Small portrait of Cindy Ecstasy. Watercolor, pen, ink. Created by Michele Witchipoo, May 2012.

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Marc Almond/Marc and The Mambas

Lately I’ve been listening to Marc Almond. Been a fan of his since I was a kid, thanks to Soft Cell’s biggest hit “Tainted Love.” But Soft Cell was way more than a band who did Northern Soul covers. In fact, after the  “Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret”/”Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing” period, Soft Cell produced two more darker, brilliant releases: “The Art of Falling Apart” and “Last Night In Sodom.” Alas, all good things must come to an end. In 1984 Soft Cell disbanded until 2001. In 2002, a reunion album came in the form of “Cruelty Without Beauty.”

What stands out with Marc Almond is his ability to have one foot in the mainstream, and the other foot in the more avant garde/underground music circles. Marc makes it look effortless as he switches from one genre to another, depending on the project he’s working on. Perhaps another reason why I’m still a fan of Marc is that musically he’s constantly evolving. Instead of resting on nostalgic laurels, as with the case of some ’80s bands, Almond embraced different styles such as French chanson and Russian folk music. With this Marc Almond has proved to be a versatile artist again and again. In my eyes he’s an extremely underrated musician, especially here in the United States.

Right before Soft Cell broke up, Marc had two side projects. One was the very short-lived The Immaculate Consumptive. The members consisted of Almond, Lydia Lunch, Nick Cave and J.G. Thirlwell, better known as Foetus. The Immaculate Consumptive only lasted about three live shows. To my knowledge, no studio recording exist. Afterwards, Marc Almond formed his own off-shoot called Marc and The Mambas. Marc and The Mambas put out two studio albums. In 1982 was “Untitled” and in 1983 “Torment and Toreros.” This to me, is my favorite Marc Almond period. The other personal favorites besides the Mamba records is from his later solo years. There’s 1988′s “Stars We Are” and 1985′s “Mother Fist and Her Five Daughters.”

I remember buying “Untitled” used on vinyl years ago. It was brought on a lark, particularly since I had just gotten my first steady job. Later on, when I first got into Psychic TV, I was happy to find Marc Almond listed in the credits from the “Dreams Less Sweet” album. Also brought on vinyl was Marc’s second collaboration with Foetus called Flesh Volcano. Come to think of it, much of my teenage vinyl, ranging from PTV to Coil had Marc Almond doing guest vocals.

And so finally I get to the subject of the album cover art itself. After all, Marc’s portrait on “Untitled” helped persuade me to purchase this record many moons ago. That distinction goes to an amazing artist named Val Denham. If you don’t know who Val Denham is, well, you should. She’s a fantastic transgender artist and musician. She’s not only done work for Almond, but for Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV, and compilations put out by the Some Bizarre music label. Here’s the link to her work, and bio: http://www.valdenham.com/

Lastly, influenced by Marc and The Mambas and Val Denham, here’s my quickie artwork of Marc Almond. Here I used basic pen and ink, created tonight. Well, it is just a quick sketch. Enjoy.

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Upcoming Show: This Is What We Do Feb. 2012

Okay, first show of 2012.

Check out the 2nd Annual This Is What We Do event, taking place Saturday February 11th, 2012. The party starts at 8pm, in Elmhurst, Queens NY. Accessible by the M and R subway lines. It’s free admission, which means you have to come up with a really good excuse not to show up.

This What We Do 2012 Flier

I’ll be showing my artwork along with many other artists. Sergio Zuniga, Steve Pavlovsky, Thomas Doerrer, and Jose Rivera. The bands playing on the bill will be The Barrens, Air Academy, and Losing Constitution. Light show by Liquid Light Lab. Artwork and comics will be for sale. If this event is anything like it was last year, then this guarantees to be a lot of fun.

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