EXPELLED PEASANTS

“Scaramouche, scaramouche, will you do the fandango?”- Freddie requests that the rogue clown (famed for being beat by Punch and Judy) perform this flamenco dance.
Nuevo ballet espanol- a company of 11 dancers perform the full works at the Peacock theatre in Holborn. An hour and a half of ferocious twirling, stamping, swooping and elaborate hand gestures sufficiently charges the atmosphere. The woman wear some fab dresses. The men are best when they get their castanets out. The two male solo dancers wreck good performances with over indulgent bows and smug grins when they finish- tad arrogant me thinks.
Flamenco has its origins in Southern Spain and has North African influences. One possibility for the origin of the word is fellahmengu, Hispano-Arabic meaning ‘expelled peasant’. Not quite sure what this means but sounds appropriately black sheep ish.

Whilst on words -Magazine comes from the Arabic word makhzan which means treasure. It has since morphed through the French magasin for shop, the Italian magazzino for store to the English, originally referring to a storehouse for gunpowder. In relation to publications it was first used in “The Gentleman’s magazine” in 1731 which was suppsed to be “a storehouse or magazine into which were to be garnered all the treasures of wit, humour and intelligence that could be gleaned from the ephemeral press”. A storehouse of treasures is, of course, what The Black Sheep will be.

PUA? MORE LIKE PUT IT UA

This is probably the nastiest video I've ever had the pleasure to be sent. Greasy teen tells other greasy teens how to snog girls on the beach? That's not good advice, that's Newquay.




Good on ya, mate!

Naturally Youtube provides the ideal platform for this sort of quick-fire 'self-help' rubbish. I wonder how many boys, too tied to their computers to have picked up any sparkling conversation that doesn't feature emoticons, have actually had success with the PUA (pick up artist) technique. Ask for my porn star name and I swoon! Steal me away from my friend and I'm yours forever! Pretend you're going to whisper in my ear and then eat my face? Dreamy!

Firstly 'T', as he is known to his disciples, implies that women are an easily duped bunch - shallow enough to need a catchy chat-up before they see beyond the pimple or 'average' face (his words). Secondly, and even more contemptibly, he makes his friend with the hidden camera tag along for the ride.

The Black Sheep does not approve of this sort of rule-book living. But why should you listen to us? It's not like we've got a Youtube video of us waving our hands around very, very fast and telling you how to find 12 minutes of everlasting happiness.

AMERICAN GRAFFITI

According to the latest zeitgeist poll, you can tell a country by the films it produces - and presumably the art.

This graffiti artist has images of figures with blurred faces printed on paper and pasted to the walls, dotted all over downtown NY.

Go figure.

GET IT OUT

Yes, yes, past experiences and received knowledge point quite clearly to the fact that King's Cross is all about whores, dirty movies and that horrendous noodle restaurant outside the station. But wait! See that slightly fusty looking church round the back of St. Pancras? It's the home of The Crypt Gallery, a space created in the fine London tradition of violently trendifying anything that sits still and unused for too long. The current show, 'Vent' features the work of photographer Cameron Mcknee, who has got together with his method acting pal Dominic Kelly to create some nice Bill Viola-esque images of people working their way through emotional extremes. It's moving stuff, and, with free entry, better value than the local sex industry, let me tell you that.

Vent opens this Thursday.

Vent Website