Issue 83 / November 2017

Shame
+ The Rhythm Method
+ Mincemeat
Harvest Sun @ Buyers Club – 13/10
If your finger’s on the pulse of the indie world, then there’s no doubt you’ve heard of
SHAME. There’s also little doubt that you’re in attendance tonight, Friday 13th no
less, for their latest wrecking ball of an outing in Liverpool. Part of the South London
punk scene that also includes Goat Girl and Meatraffle, Shame are unapologetically
bringing politics and satire back into the alternative music scene, with singles such
as Visa Vulture (a love song to Theresa May, penned when she was Home Secretary)
and Gold Hole standing out as examples of their unashamed intent. It’s easy to see
why people love Shame: they’re somewhat refreshing after having to endure years
of publicly apolitical bands; but it’s also easy to see why people think it’s exactly
what came out of indie 12 years ago, just repackaged slightly different for the new
generation.
First of on tonight’s line-up are Scouse outfit MINCEMEAT, who set the tone of
the night perfectly. Kicking off wonderfully with a ballsy mix of post-punk and punk
itself, they’re certainly a band to keep an eye on within the rising North West punk
scene. Next band on are THE RHYTHM METHOD, and I’ve never seen anything quite
like them. The only way to describe them is like a punk Phoenix Nights-esque karaoke
style, with song titles such as If You Voted Tory, You’re A Nonce. They command your
attention, make you laugh, and leave you thinking ‘what the fuck did I just see?’.
With Shame, you get exactly what you expect: a shouty, aggressive sweat-fest,
teenage boys bashing into each other as lead singer Charlie Steen loses his shirt
halfway through. Instrumentally, they’re even tighter live than they are on record and
it’s amazing to see a band perfectly nail that simplistic post-punk sound. It’s a sound
that is gradually being ushered back into the forefront of indie – yet, I still get the
feeling that something’s missing; that, lyrically, lines like “The four chord future” and
“You’ve got a gold hole, sugar” make me laugh rather than enthuse me to snarl and
fight the system. Maybe that’s the intention and I’m missing the point, as my friend
completely loved them after hearing them for the first time. Divisive they may be, but
they’re a band that you can’t really judge until you’ve witnessed them for yourself.
Perhaps that’s the point all along, whether it’s Shame or any other band. And that’s
nothing to be ashamed of.
Georgia Turnbull / @jurrjurrtbull
Lubaina Himid: Meticulous Observations And
Naming The Money
Walker Art Gallery – 07/10
On the walls of the café in the Walker Art Gallery, Turner Prize nominee LUBAINA
HIMID writes: ‘Now I find myself in dialogue with Edmonia Lewis’. She is speaking
of her latest project, Meticulous Observations, which begins with Lewis’ – a
pioneering 19th Century African American sculptor with Native American heritage
– sculpture of Henry Longfellow (1872). In response, Himid has chosen ten pieces
of artwork by women artists, alongside her own Scenes From The Life Of Toussaint
L’Ouverture (1987). The pieces complement one another, and together they depict
the extraordinary detail of everyday life. Dialogue – particularly that between women
artists, past and present – is central to Himid’s work.
Scenes From The Life Of Toussaint L’Ouverture is a series of watercolours
depicting the heroic life of former slave turned military leader, Francois-Dominique
Toussaint L’Ouverture. Himid juxtaposes historical military events with everyday
occurrences; her focus on the ordinary brings this legend-like figure of black history
to life. Her work asks the audience to consider those who have not made the history
books, the women integral to, yet overlooked by, L’Ouverture’s famous story. She
educates the reader through an accessible mixture of painting and text, but is careful
to distance herself from the role of historian: she writes, it is “an artist’s view, for
historians to use and share”. Again, Himid pushes for a dialogue to extend beyond her
work and continue to tell black history.
Naming The Money originally encompassed 100 life-size figures painted with
affluent, vibrant clothes. They are revealed as African slaves; their appearance is a
way for Europe’s elite to display their wealth and gloss over the reality of slavery.
Each figure is named twice, their black, individual identities persisting against the
homogenous mass of slavery. It is worth seeing in its entirety (at the International
Slavery Museum) to feel the impact of the full installation.
In the Walker, Naming The Money takes on a new meaning. Himid places 20 of
the figures around the gallery and invites the audience to draw links with specific
paintings. In the Sculpture Gallery, the blues and greens of Rashida’s skirt provide a
marked contrast with the classic, marble white statues. Ever more poignant is this
display of black identity amongst the Gods, kings and upper classes traditionally
represented in the marble statues. It is not hard to imagine that the latter are the slave
masters.
As visitors are taken on a chronological journey of European art, Himid’s figures
are a stark reminder that slavery has always been present. The installation is
immersive, but the relative ease with which you can bypass the figures is a comment
on our collective complicity in the slave trade. Her exhibition marks an important event
in Liverpool’s Black History Month: both a celebration of Himid’s achievements as an
artist and a woman of colour, and a reminder of the struggles of many before her.
There is hardly a better time to visit the Walker Art Gallery. Whether you’re
familiar with Himid’s previous work, or are looking for an accessible and powerful
exhibition, Meticulous Observations and Naming The Money, which runs until 18th
March 2018, is not to be missed. Her exhibition offers an exciting glimpse into the
contemporary art scene, and proves that Himid is more than deserving of her Turner
Prize nomination.
Maya Jones / @mmayajones
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