Despite my best efforts I just haven't been able to catch a break with both the lead up to Nuart Aberdeen and the aftermath being incredibly busy. In early March I saw that Foals were playing a double headliner show at Dundee's Fat Sams in May and tickets were relatively cheap so I figured why not. I'd seen Foals at NOS Alive in Lisbon a few years ago and they were a real highlight on a festival of amazing acts so having the chance to see them locally and to be home in bed by 8pm seemed like a good shout. Of course if you're going to head to Dundee you might as well make a day of it and that we did!
I've always been a fan of Dundee and with amazing creative spaces like the DCA and of course the new V&A Museum, Dundee has quite a lot to offer in the way of art and design. That said it does sting a little knowing that for the cost of our two open return train tickets we could have flow to Milan or pretty much any destination in Europe had we been based in London but £60 for an hour journey does seem extortionate. But once in Dundee I was pleased to see the new railway station development drops you right at the doors of the V&A so headed in for a look. Having heard mixed reviews of the building and its layout I have to say its an interesting piece of architecture. The main atrium inside did feel strange with the sloped wooden panels but people seemed to be buzzing and the café and shop we're full. We quickly made our way up stairs to check out Videogames show.
As with most major museums you'll face an entry fee to get into the latest exhibition and Mary kindly treated me to a ticket. The show's full title is Videogames: Design / Play / Disrupt and showcased a host of leading video games from the early concept sketch phase right through to the final product. Designer notes and mock ups littered the walls and display cabinets, each section separated so the viewer could take in the specific title with see through fabric walls. I found myself watching a host of revolving videos that looked at the rise of gaming culture, both the positive aspects and the negatives. Indeed this section featured a lot of videos dealing with the portrayal of women both in the industry and ephemera for selling consoles and as desirable objects only worth of playing pawns to help continue the narrative of certain games. Although there has been a shift in the last few years as game makers acknowledge the huge female market of gamers I'd imagine there's still a way to go.
I only recently got myself a PS4 along with the new Red Dead Redemption 2 game and it blew me away how much has changed in the 10 years or so since I last picked up a joy pad and many of the exhibits on the wall helped me get up to speed on what I've been missing. We spent a good 10 minutes watching a stunning giant video screen showcasing the evolution of the gaming world with features on Minecraft and the gaming championships, I guess the world cup equivalent for the gaming generation. The final room gave us the opportunity to play some custom painted arcade games with the exterior shells being painted by a host of Scottish artists including good friends Elph and KMG. Elphs 'Humminbird' machine allowed the user to create his own unique soundtrack based on subtle adjustments of the control dials, paired with a series of ever changing visuals which floated across the screen like a dreamy asteroid. Another game allowed the viewer to make decisions based on gender identity while my favourite required 5 players, two acting as a recently split up couple and the other 3 as friends who must keep the two apart for fear of further toxic relations. I wish I'd played this game 20 years!
We popped along to see Stuio N_Name who were finishing up a new mural along with Rachel Miller as part of the Dundee Design Festival at the Keiller Centre. The festival has taken over the Dundee equivelant to the Aberdeen Indoor Market and embedded creative stalls into the market including a live letter press studio, arts library, design store and coffee shop to name a few. The stalls were scattered through the centre and integrated well with the existing stalls. I didn't take many snaps but the festival created a cohesive feel to the Keiller and seemed to strike a good balance between the spaces which all benefitted from a design touch. We left to find the new murals finished, a final touch for what seemed like a great set of events.
No trip to Dundee is complete without a visit the DCA Dundee. With its open plan exhibition space, café, screen printing studio, cinema and art shops it highlights what can be done when you look beyond just exhibitions. And the exhibition by David Austen was a beauty! Repeat paintings, large scale canvas works and mini watercolours all come together to form an impressive body of work spread out across both exhibition rooms. I spent a bit of time looking into each of the 36 portraits, initially appearing to be the same with different backgrounds but subtle details seemed to create imaginary back stories for each character. It became easy to impose your own narrative onto many of the works in the exhibition and we left feeling ready for the last stop on our trip, to see Foals!
It felt a bit strange to be queing up for a gig at 3pm in the afternoon, probably the last time I went to a venue that early was to see Idlewild at One Up when my mum let me skive off for the afternoon and we got free t shirts and our CDs signed. And having seen Foals a few years back in Lisbon I was quietly excited to see how the new songs would hold up live. The gig was co organised by Assai Records who did a great job in making the record shop an integral part of the process as you had to pick up the physical album to get a gig ticket at the shop. The room quickly filled up and with no support act the anticipation in the room was high. Being seasoned pros they took to the stage a little after the start time and ripped through their new album from start to finish. Foals live bring an interesting dynamic to their studio sound being both musically tight but also with an added rawness that makes them one of the most exciting live acts around. In true middle age style we kept up the back and we're ready to dash out the door as the final note was played. Long gone are the days of waiting next to tour buses for autographs but I did pick up a gig poster to commemorate the day. A great gig, good people and a good venue. And just like that we we're on a train back to Aberdeen. It proved to be a busy day with lots to see and a great reminder that Dundee has a load to offer anyone willing to spend an hour either way on the train!
You can listen and watch the latest singles from 'Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost' below.
I've always been a fan of Dundee and with amazing creative spaces like the DCA and of course the new V&A Museum, Dundee has quite a lot to offer in the way of art and design. That said it does sting a little knowing that for the cost of our two open return train tickets we could have flow to Milan or pretty much any destination in Europe had we been based in London but £60 for an hour journey does seem extortionate. But once in Dundee I was pleased to see the new railway station development drops you right at the doors of the V&A so headed in for a look. Having heard mixed reviews of the building and its layout I have to say its an interesting piece of architecture. The main atrium inside did feel strange with the sloped wooden panels but people seemed to be buzzing and the café and shop we're full. We quickly made our way up stairs to check out Videogames show.
As with most major museums you'll face an entry fee to get into the latest exhibition and Mary kindly treated me to a ticket. The show's full title is Videogames: Design / Play / Disrupt and showcased a host of leading video games from the early concept sketch phase right through to the final product. Designer notes and mock ups littered the walls and display cabinets, each section separated so the viewer could take in the specific title with see through fabric walls. I found myself watching a host of revolving videos that looked at the rise of gaming culture, both the positive aspects and the negatives. Indeed this section featured a lot of videos dealing with the portrayal of women both in the industry and ephemera for selling consoles and as desirable objects only worth of playing pawns to help continue the narrative of certain games. Although there has been a shift in the last few years as game makers acknowledge the huge female market of gamers I'd imagine there's still a way to go.
I only recently got myself a PS4 along with the new Red Dead Redemption 2 game and it blew me away how much has changed in the 10 years or so since I last picked up a joy pad and many of the exhibits on the wall helped me get up to speed on what I've been missing. We spent a good 10 minutes watching a stunning giant video screen showcasing the evolution of the gaming world with features on Minecraft and the gaming championships, I guess the world cup equivalent for the gaming generation. The final room gave us the opportunity to play some custom painted arcade games with the exterior shells being painted by a host of Scottish artists including good friends Elph and KMG. Elphs 'Humminbird' machine allowed the user to create his own unique soundtrack based on subtle adjustments of the control dials, paired with a series of ever changing visuals which floated across the screen like a dreamy asteroid. Another game allowed the viewer to make decisions based on gender identity while my favourite required 5 players, two acting as a recently split up couple and the other 3 as friends who must keep the two apart for fear of further toxic relations. I wish I'd played this game 20 years!
I only recently got myself a PS4 along with the new Red Dead Redemption 2 game and it blew me away how much has changed in the 10 years or so since I last picked up a joy pad and many of the exhibits on the wall helped me get up to speed on what I've been missing. We spent a good 10 minutes watching a stunning giant video screen showcasing the evolution of the gaming world with features on Minecraft and the gaming championships, I guess the world cup equivalent for the gaming generation. The final room gave us the opportunity to play some custom painted arcade games with the exterior shells being painted by a host of Scottish artists including good friends Elph and KMG. Elphs 'Humminbird' machine allowed the user to create his own unique soundtrack based on subtle adjustments of the control dials, paired with a series of ever changing visuals which floated across the screen like a dreamy asteroid. Another game allowed the viewer to make decisions based on gender identity while my favourite required 5 players, two acting as a recently split up couple and the other 3 as friends who must keep the two apart for fear of further toxic relations. I wish I'd played this game 20 years!
Further along we found another game that required some interesting shaking of a joystick to fire colour bolts up a digital wire while strange sounds came from the machine. The show was finished off by a stunning neon mural by Glasgow based Ursula Kam-Ling Chen. I've been admiring her illustration and mural work for a while but my photos don't really do it justice so check out her instagram and website for a proper look!
