Jonathan Wakely <cow@compsoc.man.ac.uk> writes
18th July - Is God A C***
Or is he just "BOB" in disguise?!? :-O
Asks Bill Drummond. Come and have your say on the great theological debate of our time. [The Foundry, free]
No mass debating... Some might disagree though! ;-)
According to the Guardian's guide to the clerkenwell festival (covering the literary festival too) the talk tonight is "Is God A Coat" I don't know how reliable this is, just passing it on.
It was far too hot that day to wear a coat I can tell ya! I got into London at something like 2pm and it took me something like 3 hours to get from Paddington to The Foundry by double decker bus (after literally fighting my way on outside Paddington Train Station after running down the road as soon as I saw this mode of transport since all of the tubes were on strike. I went and sat on the back seat upstairs and just stayed there and I don`t think that anyone else was allowed on after me!!! I arrived at The Foundry (http://www.fnord.demon.co.uk/foundry.jpg) just before 5pm and popped in to see what was happening and who was around and pretty much nothing was occurring apart from some of the staff/regulars/acquaintances of the place hanging around and some deciding whether to chalk or paint a line for people to stand/queue behind on the way in... When I originally peered through the front window the first person that I saw was Mr. Drummond himself looking back out at me which was a tad freaky and quite unexpected! I wandered up the road to make a few phone calls (which took a while as nearly all of the payphones were vandalised) and then back to the building to find the bar now open and a girl that I knew sitting in the corner (who hadn't come to see Bill, but ended up staying anyway!) but had been invited for an exhibition of foreign anarchists getting their heads kicked in during riots downstairs in the cellar. I wandered down to the toilets and spent a while reading all of the news, comments about Gimpo and all and sundry (more like a noticeboard than graffiti), around the photographic exhibition and then after encountering some mysterious 23rdians burbling something esoterric about www.twentythree.co.uk decided to stay put by the soundsystem (that had Irvine Welsh twiddling knobs apparantly...) and then waited and waited to find out where the 'debate' was taking place in the building as the place got more and more packed. http://www.fnord.demon.co.uk/packed.jpg About 7pm the sound of The Ride of The Valkyres was heard and Bill suddenly appeared (standing on top of a table on the other side of the room - which wasn`t much good for the camera and tape recorder that I had taken along in an attempt to try and record something of the preceedings. http://www.fnord.demon.co.uk/billtalk.jpg http://www.fnord.demon.co.uk/billread.jpg Bill talked about his recent short story 'The Daffodils' (published specifically for all of those that may consider answering the question 'Is God a Cunt?') http://www.fnord.demon.co.uk/daffodils.pdf that was littered about on every table in the bar-room and scribbled in its original form and photocopied on the wall by the window. He then read out a updated/extended story that complimented 'The Daffodils' that recounted him leaving his house, going down the A41, parking, climbing down the side of a hill and painting the words "Is God A Cunt" on a large piece of visible concrete by the side of the M25 Motorway. This, along with two phone numbers (inspired by his kids watching the first ever final of 'Pop Idol' and his frustration at not being able to vote for Gareth instead of Will with the result that Will won and all were disappointed. http://www.fnord.demon.co.uk/billbook.jpg http://www.fnord.demon.co.uk/billcxxt.jpg "Is God a Cunt?" 'To vote Yes phone 0870 240 4174' and 'To vote No phone 0870 240 4175' [The phone lines are now open and awaiting your comments. They will remain open until 21 March 2003. The results of this poll will be announced using the same medium of graffiti on the same wall of grey concrete under the same flyover of the M25 on 22nd March 2003]. The two telephone numbers allow you to record your votes/thoughts on the topic on answering machines that are in Bill's garage, which he checks most mornings. There is also a large book with gold embossing on the cover that you can add your thoughts to (or just e-mail him via: isgodacunt@penkiln-burn.com and he'll put them into a dedicated large black book with gold embossing). He then explained how he went back the next day only to find that the words God and Cunt had been pained over. Next was Bill`s promotion of this meme via writing and photographing the same heavenly question on 25 blue bicycle lane signs on a nearby road. Writing "Is god a cunt?" in felt tip on 24, then on the last, the two phone numbers for yes/no. He made a 'piece of art' by photographing all 25, and putting the photos in a 5 x 5 grid in a frame. http://www.fnord.demon.co.uk/billbike.jpg He was planning to see how they deteriorated with age and to take another set of photos, but was pulled over by a nice policeman for stopping too often along the road in his Range Rover (which then led to him fobbing off the copper with the tale that he was an art student and the officer saying that he could smell alcohol on the artist`s breath and other interesting and amusing anecdotes...) Finally, he put a large (6ft rectangular) painting of the words "is god a cunt?" on the wall at the Foundry, together with a notice http://www.fnord.demon.co.uk/notice.jpg explaining that the painting would only be complete when all people who wished to respond by adding to it had done so. Certain people then got rather carried away and took 'writing' to mean something else: http://www.fnord.demon.co.uk/godbob.jpg People can also request for it to be hung in a suitable location (their living room, street, school, church, etc). Ongoing information pertaining to this poll and its promotion may (!) be available by visiting: http://www.penkiln-burn.com/isgodacunt/ Unfortunately, I had to leave just after 9:30pm or so and then caught the first and last tube train that stopped miles short of Paddington and meant that I had to walk for a few hours (also getting lost!) until managing to get a train at midnight. There`s loads more that I've probably forgotten. Have to give the tape that I recorded a good listen to see how it came out and what else I might have wiped from memory. Very good to meet some old friends, people from the KLF list and elsewhere there too! :-)