Upstairs For Thinking, Downstairs For Dancing - Show Recap

With a host of awesome shows under their belt, The Pure Gallery is quickly gaining a reputation for showcasing awesome alternative art, and their current show, featuring the work of Mister Millerchip definitely doesn't disappoint.

The exhibition features a number of black and white pieces, linked together by a flowing storyline, as Millerchip himself explains.

"Upstairs for Thinking, Downstairs for Dancing, is my first solo show and it depicts an oddly mundane 24 hour period in the life of Lars Arraday, a determined street preacher by day and a successful ballroom dancer by night. Lars is a fictional character I created to illustrate a 24 hour period in the life of someone who believes the world is ending and treats every night like it is his last.  But unfortunately for him the 24 hours ends disappointingly in more than one way."

Using a striking, high contrast style, and strong comedic elements (particularly towards the end of the story told by the pieces), Millerchip has not only created a number of accomplished works, but succeeded in drawing them together, making The Pure Gallery's relatively small wall-space into a cohesive, engaging piece of art in its own right.

With the show now in its final week your time, much like Lars', is running out, so if you've not had the chance yet get along to The Pure Gallery and check it out.

Massive thanks to The Pure Gallery and Mister Millerchip. Prints and a show-exclusive t-shirt are available direct from the gallery and from their online store.

The Pure Gallery - Baby Angels With Guns

Carrying on their tradition for showcasing awesome artwork, Whitley Bay's The Pure Gallery outdid themselves with their last show, 'Baby Angels With Guns'.

The opening night crowd

Featuring work from Northside Tattooz artists Low, Hash, Andy, Jo, Ferank, Bri, Chris, Rhonda, Alan, Wayne & Lewis, as well art by Mr. Owl, Ric O'Shea, Creative Ginger and more, the exhibition pulled together a mix of traditional flash, Japanese-inspired work and a host of other tattoo influenced art.

'Lucky' - Northside's Jo Hall

With every opening night at the gallery gaining larger and larger crowds it was no surprise to see the street filled with people waiting to check out the art on display (and those wanting to see if there was any beer left).

Traditional Japanese back piece design - Andy McNally

With not one but two future exhibitions on the way, The Pure Gallery is going from strength to strength and proving that the North East really can contend with the rest of the U.K.'s alternative art scene.

'Sailor Jeffrey' - Mr. Owl

Thanks to The Pure Gallery, Northside Tattooz and all of the artists involved in the exhibition.

Let's Get This Going

Welcome to the first ever post on the Musical Scares blog!

Hopefully you'll soon be pawing at the screen in a junkie-like fashion, waiting for the latest news, reviews, ramblings and interviews, from the worlds of music, art, horror and more.

So, to get things started, here are the answers to just about every question you could have about Musical Scares and myself:

Q: Who are you anyway?

A: I'm a writer, did the writing not give it away? I live in Newcastle, a friendly city in the North East of England and home to Newcastle Brown Ale. I enjoy candlelit dinners (in castles) long romantic walks (around castles) and listening to / playing music (seriously, if someone has a castle, I'll be there in a shot, unless it doesn't have spires, then screw you, you spireless bastard).

Q: Are you slightly castle obsessed?

A: I just like castles is all! I blame just about every old horror film out there, I swear, according to those films you couldn't get moved for castles, they were like city centre pigeons but without the love for bread.

Q: Okay, enough castles, what's this blog all about?

A: To be honest it's just an excuse to write about everything I like and interview some cool people. Musical Scares will cover music including Punk, Hardcore, Metal and straight up Rock.

The blog will also cover art, essentially anything that tickles my fancy (and oh how it likes tickling) with features and interviews on a range of artists from a range of mediums, from painters to illustrators and sculptors to tattooists. Of course there's one more thing that'll be covered, the greatest form of cinema ever, Horror. This might stray now and then and the pretentious horror buffs will probably choke on their fake blood at some of the things that are featured, but I aim to cover anything that stands out, even if it just makes me laugh.

Q: So what's lined up for the blog?

A: Just like any good horror movie, I'm not going to break the suspense until the last minute, that and to keep you checking on my blog at all hours just in case I've added something that you just can't live without.

Q: Speaking of adding things, how often will the blog be updated?

A: The blog will be updated daily (roughly). This does not account for catastrophic computer failure, disinterest or the blog developing a demonic personality of its own, causing it to post messages of hate against old people, babies, old babies (ala Benjamin Button) and the dreaded 'Ginger One' from Girls Aloud.
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Hopefully that clears everything up, thanks for reading and come back tomorrow for another harrowing installment of Musical Scares!