1 — Popped all the way down to London final week, primarily to see Ezra Furman on the Camden Roundhouse, however managed to squeeze in all kinds of extra-gigular actions whereas I used to be there. If there’s one factor I’m good at, it’s squeezing probably the most out of a topped-up Oyster card.
2 — Stuffing a random paperback from my tsundoku pile into my in a single day bag, I lastly bought round to beginning Stephen King’s On Writing on the practice down. Half memoir, half lesson; I don’t need it to finish. In case you write, learn this.
3 — The Chris Killip retrospective at The Photographers’ Gallery blew me away. A black and white journey via the commercial panorama and inhabitants of 70s/80s Northern England; it’s so good seeing these photographs off-screen and in all their printly glory. Massively advisable— it runs till nineteenth of February, do catch it if you happen to can. And if you happen to can’t, the mammoth e-book model of the exhibition is slightly good.
4 — Loitering within the gallery store (one in all my favourite pastimes) with bodily media nonetheless on my thoughts, I saved coming again to the brand new Polaroid Now+. Certain, it’s a way from the great thing about the collapsible SX-70, nevertheless it’s nonetheless satisfyingly actual. The addition of app-enabled guide controls lifts it above a mere point-and-shoot. Might need a phrase with Santa.
5 — After some getting misplaced within the shifting Darkish Metropolis streets of Soho, I managed to seek out Gosh! Comics and laid down my pocket cash for the slightly splendid first problems with the brand new Secret Invasion and Implausible 4 runs. Each written by Ryan North— after bingeing my means via The Unbeatable Squirrel Woman earlier this 12 months, I’ll gladly gobble up something he places his identify to. Which jogs my memory, I actually should study the right way to take over the world.
6 — Nonetheless clinging to that teenage notion that going to the cinema within the West Finish is the very peak of glamour, I popped into Picturehouse Central to see The Banshees of Inisherin. I’ve combined emotions about Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards… however this was simply lovely. Everybody in it’s nice, but when Jenny the donkey doesn’t win an Oscar, there’s one thing profoundly improper with this universe.
7 — Oh sure, and Furman was unbelievable. All of the songs I like, performed with soul and rage and love. Plus I firmly imagine all gigs ought to function one cowl— no extra, no much less— and her model of “As a result of the Evening” was sensational. Probably the greatest reveals of my life, up there with PJ Harvey at Somerset Home and That Time Dina Carroll Undoubtedly Made Extended Eye Contact With Me Whereas Singing “Don’t Be A Stranger.”
This was initially posted on In the meantime, a Substack devoted to inspiration, fascination, and procrastination from the desk of designer Daniel Benneworth-Grey. Header photograph by Tomas Anton Escobar.
