Good Vibrations I s s u e . . . 2 F e b r u a r y . 2 0 0 9 G o o d . Vi b e s . A l l . A r o u n d
The green street, ethical shopping with a twist// - - - - Swingin Bricks at GV Club night - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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Good Vibrations.Issue 2 Welcome to another spellbinding edition of Good Vibrations. We all hope you had a ravishingly good Christmas and New Years Eve. I feel that a New Year is full of promise, like having a slate all year and getting a wholesome new slate and a fine set of New Year chalk to get you on your way. In this edition we talk to Andy at The Green Street about his eco-friendly clothes. We also pop into Claudia Pink Jewellery to find out about her decadent creations. We see how Swingin Bricks went down at the Good Vibrations club night in the Out and About section. We also see who’s like burning hot coals on the local music scene, with reviews of 6ix Toys and Barbieshop gigs.
Swingin Bricks Reviewed at GV club night
What’s the food like in Granada? Find out in Towellie’s Food Corner and last but definitely not least, don’t forget Cartoon Time by Ryan Davies. Many thanks to these wonderful people for their help and efforts on this edition of the magazine: Editor James Wilson Co-editor/designer Michael Prest Journalist/photographer Julia Gordon Journalist Anushka Tanna Proof reader Simon Keat Model for The Green Street shoot Emma Holder Photography for Swingin Bricks Mick Dolan from Ultraflow artwork’s
The Green Street
Claudia Pink Jewellery
Contributors.................................. Get in touch............................... Claudia @ Claudia Pink Jewellery, Andy @ The Green Street,Ryan Davies, Danny Towell.
Mobile: 07507844511 Headquarters: 0151-928-67-39
Thanks to all the advertisers for deciding to advertise.
Email: goodvibrations4@ googlemail.com
Also a mention for Keith Thompson (Room With a View Studios) for all his help with the sound on the GV club nights, despite being rather ill on one occasion.
Website: www.goodvibesbrand. com Myspace: www.myspace.com/ goodvibrations4
Advertise for a meagre £30 for 1/4 of A5 Page - Ring James on 07507844511
Pink Claudia
Jewellery
...Classy and stylish jewellery at Grand Central...
Tucked in the deepest realms of the basement at Grand Central, Renshaw Street, Claudia Pink Jewellery is making a name for itself with unique, glamorous jewellery, hand plucked from places far and wide. Our roving reporter, Julia Gordon, speaks to Claudia, the owner of this jewellery hotspot, and learns about the person behind the scenes. Do you make the jewellery for the shop? Yeah, it’s made with jewels sourced from all around the world. Wherever I go travelling I try to pick bits up. Places like Morocco, New York, India, Turkey. It gives it more of an eclectic feel. Who influences you? Beba; it’s a shop from the seventies that’s really decadent. They inspired a lot of vintage stuff. Also anything exotic: Sufi, Arabian, Asian, yeah anything exotic. Why do you think that is? My dad used to be an antique dealer. He’s got weird things like skulls and stuffed animals. When I was a kid I had a tarantula hanging off a mobile, like a stuffed tarantula. We had weird stuff all around the house, so I suppose that’s where I got my taste from. How did you learn how to make the jewellery? I did a degree in fashion but they didn’t teach me anything there. I’m self taught really, trial and error. What I do is try to get old things and then rework them but with different influences. Influences from Asian stuff, the decadence of the 1920s, but then give it a contemporary edge and make it a bit more modern. When are you open? 11am-5.00pm, Tuesday til Saturday every week. What is your price range? You can buy stuff that starts from £5, like a bangle, and then the most expensive thing is £55 and that’s a fancy body-chain I’ve made. It basically goes around your neck, meets by your bum and then goes round and hangs down your hips. It’s really seventies and no one else is doing them. What are your future plans? I don’t really have any plans… Apart from taking over
the world! (laughs cheekily). No, I’m joking. I’m going to get a shit-hot website made up; that’s in the process at the moment. So that will be my online-boutique. I am also collaborating with MAC makeup (who have a shop in the Met Quarter) as they have a metallic range coming out, so I’ve provided all the staff with jewellery and then I‘ll have things to sell on their counter. They approached me which is good as they’re international and make some of the best makeup you can get. They do all the catwalks and stuff like that. Apart from that I don’t really plan, just go with the flow. Take each crossroad as they come.
“What I do is try to get old things and then rework them but with different influences. Influences from Asian stuff, the decadence of the 1920s, but then give it a contemporary edge and make it a bit more modern.” How did you start out? I started by borrowing £70 off my mum and went and bought a load of old jewellery, made it into new jewellery and had a jewellery party. I sold loads and then started the shop with that money. Who do you think of when you are making your jewellery? Oh there a few people, but the people you might know are Alison Goldfrapp, Gwen Stefani and Thea Porter. Thea Porter’s dead now but she was a dress designer from the seventies. Are there any famous celebrities who have bought your stuff? Yeah some WAGS. Colleen Rooney, Alex Curran and Jennifer Ellison. I’m in OK! Magazine quite a lot too, so that’s good. I was in InStyle magazine and they credited me as shop of the month sometime last year. My stuff has been on GMTV as well.
Brilliant! It sounds like you’re flying! So now for my last and somewhat different question… If you could have a living miniature mascot for your shop, what would it be? What would you call it and what would it do for you? What?! Ok, well it would be a she, she would be a butterfly and she would be called Jasmine. Err… And she would clean up all my mess and organise my receipts and stuff. She would be multicoloured with turquoise spots and would sprinkle butterfly dust everywhere. She would be very obedient, not timid, but not loud and she would also go round polishing all the bangles and rings and things.
Interview by Julia Gordon
www. thegreenstreet. co.uk
Pushing the boundaries of clothes Shopping Interview by Julia Gordon
Above: wonderful winter coat’s Above (left): going running anyone?
I know it’s hard but we really should boycott the phenomenon of low cost, disposable style known as Primark. They take the piss out of us as customers and out of their employees massively. So yeah, you can pick up 91 items for under £50, but how many of them do you actually care about? And how many workers have had to endure appalling conditions to make those 100 generic t-shirts an hour for some measly amount of money? I admit they do have some great designs and the fact that the majority of it is under a tenner makes it hard to resist, but for the sake of the workers that made each product and the unsustainably of it all we really should try. GAP, Topshop, River Island and other such shops are pretty much the same apart from they charge more. So where (I hear you shout) are you supposed to buy trendy, ethical, quality clothing with a clear conscience? Well… tucked out of town amidst the swell of the famous Smithdown Road was a haven of recycled, home grown, organic, street wear and vintage clothing for all individuals called The Green Street (formerly known as Stoked). I went down there recently to speak to Andy, owner and father of this establishment. Unfortunately due to the credit crunch and ting, the shop shut last month. But fear not, everything will soon be available online and he will be attending local markets near you.
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J: How long have you been going for? A: Just over 2 years. J: The shop was formerly known as Stoked and has now changed to The Green Street. Why is that? A: The Green Street came about as I didn’t like Stoked in the end. I wasn’t that happy with the design of the font and image as it didn’t seem to give a clear message as to what we were doing. The Green Street came about as it’s a mixture of street wear, ethical fairly traded clothing, recycled vintage and then stuff we are making in store-local design stuff etc. J: Give us 7 words as a mission statement for the business: A: Ethical, funky, individual, homegrown (as in organic and locally made), friendly, vibed (musically) and different. J: What is your vision for the business, I hear you’ve started creating your own t-shirts? A: The future project is that I want to start our own label which would be called The Green Street. If it all happens like I want it to happen, it will all be organic cotton and it won’t be just t-shirts, it will be a whole range of stuff. J: So will you have people who can come in and be part of your label with different prints and ideas? A: Yeah, that would be the idea really, start it small like that, potentially going forward to produce it on a bigger scale, eventually making it into a brand in itself. J: In the past I know you’ve had bands come down and play for a shop party on a Saturday night. I’ve DJed at a couple and it was a right good crack. Where did this idea come from? A: The idea behind the parties was really to get a collective of people involved in the shop. It worked well. Of course it was always the plan on one side of things to get people into the shop to hopefully buy things,
but then on the band side of things, if they are unknown, it’s to get them on board, help them and give them a platform to start from. J: Yeah, it was good and I suppose it made the shop a whole lot more approachable. Ok… What do you think of Primark? A: (Laughs furiously) Ahh, love them! I love Primark (sarcasm-aflying). I mean they don’t interest me in some ways, I just think they’re rubbish, they’re quite clearly wrong and the quality is quite clearly shite. People will keep on going there because they think it’s cheaper and because they fill their bags for £50 and they’ve got like 300 t-shirts and here (at The Green Street) you’d get one hoody, or two t-shirts. The difference is how long it lasts and how it was made. It seems to be acceptable to buy fashion that you can throw away a week later. People don’t care if it even fits properly, it cost them two quid anyway, so just throw it away if it doesn’t fit. J: That’s so true. I’ve had that exact thought myself whilst being in there: ‘ah, it’s only a quid I’ll get it’. A: Yeah, yeah, but it’s the land fills ultimately that are going to fill up at some point, it’s just not sustainable
and therefore not good. But we will crusade against them-us little shops! J: OK, if the shop had a favourite drink what would it be and why? A: (Laughs stalling…) My favourite drink is just a good pint of ale, but maybe that doesn’t reflect the shop very well, maybe it should be something more flamboyant… No, actually I’ll stick with that, you know
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why? Because a good pint of ale is down-to-earth and nice and I think that’s fair to say that’s what we’re like. And you know, its home grown as well, it’s small brewerys making ale. It’s a nice thing to do. J: Supporting little brewery’s rather than big brands like Carlsberg or whatever… A: Yeah, exactly, if you look at it the same way as you look at Primark
and the independent shop then I suppose it’s a similar thing, so yes, I’d say The Green Street is like a good pint of local ale. J: Of what name? They have funny names don’t they… A: The Willow Bank (pub on Smithdown Road) do a good Summer Lightening, that’s a nice one.
Above: Vintage Glamour J: Ok that’s pretty much it, erm… What would you do if Gok Wan walked in? A: He’s who, who’s that? J: …You know, the guy who
presents How To Look Good Naked? A: Eeerrr (laughing)… Run? As you can tell I wouldn’t have known who he was. J: Oh yeah, so last but not least, what is the weirdest thing that has ever happened in your shop? A: Ooh, that’s a good one… The weirdest thing? One thing springs to mind straight away. It was when we had the vintage shop next door and a fellow came in. I left him alone in there for a while and looked in to see if he was ok. He had a couple of dresses and some womens boots in his hand. I asked him if he was ok and did he want to try those on, so he came through to try them on. I carried on doing whatever I was doing and then I just heard the curtains going back and he came through just wearing the boots and some tights with big Y-front pants underneath and a vest. He walked straight through back into the vintage shop to get
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something else (laughing)! No one would do that in the first place! Let alone a lad with boots and tights on! Clothes are not the only thing that is on sale at The Green Street. There are kooky cards, recycled folder, mouse mats, notepads, an extensive range of retro sneakers (I’ve well got my eye on a pair of them), ladies leather boots, scarves, hats, caps, rucksacks, bags. You name it, they’ve got it. It’s just generally a fun and interesting place to look round. It’s very reasonably priced and something that I think we should all support. So there you go, if you want to buy clothing with a clear conscience that you will appreciate and that will make you look well fit, then get online to www.thegreenstreet.co.uk to find out which local markets Andy will be at and get down there ASAP!
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OUT
& abOUT
Good Vibration’s Thursday 23rd October at Lemon Lounge Swingin Bricks, Alex and Jules and Potamkin
by James Wilson Good Vibrations went full steam ahead on the night of the 23rd of October at the Lemon Lounge with the riotous Swingin Bricks kicking up a storm, but more about that gutsy trio in a moment. Up first were the emphatic duo of Jules and Alex, playing acoustic covers of songs by artists like The White Stripes and Moldy Peaches. The vocal range of these two was something to treasure, like finding a treasure chest of gold, on a treasure hunt, but with many surprise delights along the way! The gritty vocals of Alex were complimented by the beautiful, passionate lullaby singing of Julia and they proved to be a real triumph. Next up were Swingin Bricks, who are a dirty, raw, rock ‘n’ roll three-piece that are making a firm impression on the Liverpool music circuit. If Swingin Bricks were a drink, they’d be a straight up triple Jack Daniels on the rocks with no apologies for the aftermath. Dressed to impress, Keith (front man), Liam (drummer) and Daryl (double bass) performed a perilous display of vintage good-times rock ‘n’ roll, which temporarily transformed the Lemon Lounge into a dingy saloon bar from a western film, filled with the pungent smell of good for nothing outlaws with attitude. The name of Swingin Bricks game was to get you to get down to some dirty, upfront dancing and if you didn’t then the
county sheriff would have you locked up for good. After Swingin Bricks had finished their excellent set, the wake was filled by the magnificent DJ Potamkin who went about his work planting techno landmines on the dance floor. Pacing his set with delicate precision, the crowd was constantly pushed higher and higher by the music and by the time the climactic ‘Water’s of Nazareth’ by Justice was dropped, sent orbiting into a frenzy. Good Vibrations is making a name for itself, bringing together the cream of the finest musical talent from across the board all under one roof. It’s making waves that you might just have to surf, and the surf boards are supplied at no extra cost! -----------------------------------------------------------------------Photo top left, supplied by Ultraflow Artwork’s. Contact Mick Dolan for excellent, quality photo’s on 07515640556. Next Good Vibrations is Thurs 19th February at the Lemon Lounge, 9pm-2am Lineup: Rebbeca Joy,Dj Marc Owens,Barbieshop,Ivan Campo, Jake(6ix toys) For information on future Good Vibrations nights: www.myspace.com/goodvibrations4 Facebook: add my name as jay willo, for detail’s of night’s and magazine
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6ixtoys Album Launch, 13th November, The Magnet
“I looked around and without hesitation the boogie lurgy seemed to have infected everyone.” Connie Lush with Liverpool funk Maestro’s 6ix Toy’s
This night was all set to be a major funked out glam launch premiere. As soon as I got in there I knew it was going to be Sir Weeeeeeeet! The Giant Pandas (American hip-hop tribe) were supposed to support 6ixtoys but due to working visa issues and a threat from customs that they might send one of spying monkeys, they were forbidden to mount the stage. Poor dudes, they’d come all that way for nothing! Fortunately 6ixtoys blew everyone away right from the off. This guy in front of me was pretty much motionless and then all of a sudden he did this full on head rotation wiggle to propel himself into a full throttle boogie skedaddle. I looked around and without hesitation the boogie lurgy seemed to have infected everyone. Limbs were flying about everywhere to the fast and furious funk vibes coming at us. The boys looked fit as always with glitzy waistcoats and there was some extra pizzazz coming off their hair, like they’d been attacked with a glitter gun. There were various special guests that joined them to add an extra dimension. A rapper called Green Tea (good name) who was awesome, Emma Walshing, who was a crazy but entertaining percussionist and then the astounding Connie Lush who grabbed hold of the stage by its balls and swung it round her head a couple of times-with all the boys on it as well… Amazing! That lass can belt, huh! (James Brown style) and sing stabbing soul with such animation I wouldn’t be surprised if the next morning she found she’d suffered minor whiplash. All in all it was a great night and as always after seeing them I was sweaty and pumped. I hope they sell loads of their new album. Definitely go and see them if you can! By Julia Gordon
Barbieshop,
The Caledonia, Thursday 30th October
“I take my hat off to anyone who can captivate an audience with twenty minutes of pure acapella.”
The terrific acapella trio- Barbieshop
by Anushka Tanna Mischief was let loose in the Caledonia on Catherine Street. The sweet and harmonious trio, Barbieshop, used a sassy and contemporary approach to recreate the wonders of the 1950s music scene. With their chic attire and (almost) perfectly matching harmonies, the girls brought acapella home with renditions of classics like Barbara Anne and Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Towards the end of their set they bravely attempted to cover some pop classics, with Kylie Minogue’s Confide In Me and Madonna’s Hung Up – a choice which seemed as bizarre as electing The Terminator to the post of Californian Governor, but for some unknown reason it worked and the audience loved it! I take my hat off to anyone who can captivate an audience with twenty minutes of pure acapella, which Barbieshop managed to do, but I’m still curious to see what they’d be like with a band behind them; either it would go against what the trio stand for, or it would add a layer of absolute funk, which was perhaps the missing link on Thursday night. Free Rock & Roll is a night of free live music that takes place at The Caledonia Pub, Catherine Street, Liverpool every other Thursday. Check out: www.myspace.com/freerockandroll for more details Check out the tremendous Barbieshop at: www. myspace.com/barbieshop Watch Barbieshop perform at Good Vibrations club night on: Thurs 19th Feb
Granada, go there!
Spanish province of gypsies, flamenco and the occasional SPRITE!
Review by Danny Towell and Michael Prest
Upon arriving on the 8th October, little did we know that we would be treated to an extra-special medieval treat. Though it was a comfy 25 degrees in the shade, the leaves were changing to golden orange and the aroma of chestnuts filled our noses with the smell of the season changing to autumn. In a little restaurant on a small, cobbled, back street in the Albacin, up the hill a little from the Sacromonte caves, we opted for the not typically Spanish, but Moorish cuisine of the tagine. The man behind the bar, also being the chef, showed us to a table of our choice. These small self-run places can be the best as there’s a lot of pride taken in their cooking. The starter was a mezze selection consisting of rustic hummus, salt cod bacola and aubergine and tomato (?), which was perfect to scoop up with the freshest homemade pitta we’d ever had. How should I describe the second course? Shall I say la tagine, or Moroccan tagine? I have no idea, but it was amazing. The lamb was as tender as melted jelly. Obviously cooked for a good few hours, the apricots, onions, garlic, mint and coriander had plenty of time to infuse with the lamb. With the lamb being so succulent, some almonds added that vital crunch to balance the textures and it was served with a fluffy, well seasoned cous-cous. Finally we were delighted to be treated to a true Spanish delicacy, Cognac, and the chef, barman and maintenance guy sat down and joined us for a friendly chat. Next day it was 30 degrees despite it being October... Fantastic! We wandered through the capital of Bohemia and the sights and sounds were pure medieval. Friendly, talented, untiring street entertainers and dancers soon became the norm, wandering the city, playing medieval instruments and enacting folklore stories in full costume. All this was accompanied by a medieval market selling gifts and foods in the traditional style. If only Sefton council would take note! We went to the market to see what wonderful produce we could find and came upon crimson lobster, which looked
outstanding but at 80 euros for two small ones, we thought “f**k it!”, let’s settle for the nice (but slightly less grand) locally caught prawns. We weren’t disappointed. Simply flash fried in garlic, Greek parsley and a squeeze of lemon and served with bread and olive oil... boss! On the street where we ate our last meal before returning home you could easily have the best meal of your life. We decided soon enough that we had no choice, because everywhere was so busy, that a small bodega would be our savior. Again we weren’t disappointed. We had ox-tail cooked in Rioja with garlic, onions and I’m sure a good, hardy stock anyones grandma would’ve been proud of, and it was the tastiest piece of beef, ox or buffalo I’ve ever had. A full description of Granada’s cuisine would, and has filled many books, suffice to say that if you like good food, culture, fine booze and beautiful friendly people then go. If a taste of the place is what you’re after then try Stamps Bistro in Crosby to sample the cuisine of the intrepid food explorer, Danny Towell. Renowned far and wide and armed with a tried and tested knowledge of Spanish and Moroccan cuisine, Danny offers an extensive menu in the evenings, a lunch menu from 12pm and also theme nights every Tuesday (where does he find the energy?).
For advanced bookings call (0151) 286 2662.
Above: yum yum! eat up spainish style Left: It’s like a pic n mix,but of a sea variety Check for cheap flight’s for Granada at:
www.ryanair.co.uk
or google your way there, ha ha whatever happened to high street travel agent’s sorting everything out at inflated price’s!
Sir: I want to advertise? Gv: That is not a problem sir-ring James on 07507844511, who is more than happy to help