Kate Tempest

“I thought poets were people who stood on stage wearing berets” said poet and rapper Kate Tempest in the live recording of her new spoken word album last week at Battersea Arts Centre
I first met Kate a few years ago when I bought her Cannibal Kids demo CD after watching her perform live onstage at Camp Bestival
The raw, lyrical beauty and brutality of her words haunted me with images that crowded my head

“These cannibal kids want to be kings
But there ain’t no royalty left
Because, round here, the sirens and screams float on the wind
And even the street shudders
Yes even the street shudders
Round here
These cannibal kids want to be kings
They don’t know that kindness is courage
Or that sympathy sings much louder than violence
They are bitter and drained
Eyes of ice stare from figures of flames
They, puff-chested, restless, nameless
They carry their pain to the point of being painless… ”

Since then I’ve been a diehard fan and last Thursday, as she prepared for her live performance, I got time with her on her lunchtime fag break to shoot this portrait for Flamingo Magazine

I’m not sure who created the mural on the wall but its faded beauty and pervading sense of ‘dreams in decay’ provided the perfect backdrop for such a raw, passionate and contemporary poet as the uniquely talented Renegade Kate Tempest

Dreams, Reality and Everything In Between

It’s a dilemma I often come across in my creative life.
When you meet someone who shows raw talent is it right for you to help them try to fulfill their ‘dreams’.
Because the reality is that talent isn’t anywhere near enough to ‘succeed’ and that can be a bitter pill to swallow.
Also how do you even begin to define success???
Is it just being good at what you do??? Trying to be as true and original as you can be whilst pushing the boundaries of your creativity or does it rely on making good money out of your craft???
Maybe it’s easy for me to say but I don’t think ‘success’ lies in the monetary value of your work but in the sense of personal satisfaction you get from producing it.
I don’t want to raise false hope. It’s a tough, ruthless industry and there’s no yellow brick road to fame and fortune.
A lot of the time it’s waves of rejection and disappointment before you ever get a ride of any kind and even then you never know how long the ride will last before it dumps you back out at sea – just trying to stay afloat.
I’m endlessly optimistic, passionate and upbeat – both for my own ambitions and also for those aspiring talents I come across, but I sometimes I question the journey we take in pursuit of our dreams.
Not so much for myself as the path I might set others on when the reality is that their dreams are better left undisturbed.

Lady Winwoods Maggot

recent stills from a short film I’m working on with Lady Winwoods Maggot – whose music is best described as
‘The Clash mating with Johnny Cash’.

The Short Film Suitcase

The Short Film Showcase has packed its Suitcase and moved to the Heart of Brick Lane.

This Wednesday 8th of February – 93 Feet East, 150 Brick lane will be hosting a night of the best short film and animation from around the world.

ENTRY IS FREE ALL NIGHT

Doors Open at 5pm – Films start at 7:45pm

Once again I’ve been lucky enough to get ‘The Hardest Fight’ on the big screen so please make sure you head down and support independent film makers.

Hope to see you there….