H O M E

GOOFIN!

2010-11-29T15:39:00.000-08:00

BANGERS & MASH THAT LEFT A HORRIBLE MUSTARD TASTE IN MY MOUTH AND ALPRO SOYA VANILLA YOGHURT THAT TASTED DISAPPOINTINGLY LIKE CUSTARD BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY... I WILL NOT BE USING THIS BLOG ANY MORE. SOZ!
GO HERE

CHIN-CHIN

2010-11-22T15:27:00.000-08:00

THESE ARE THE front covers to two newspapers that will make up 2/6s of MUSEUMS THREE and will be sent to print tomorrow. VERY EXCITING.

OBJECT LESSONS.

2010-10-29T15:26:00.000-07:00

THIS IS WHAT WE DID.

MUSEUMS ONE HAS SOLD OUT!

2010-10-14T16:31:00.000-07:00

FUCK! To soothe your ails, and mourn your losses, read about the good things in life, HERE

OH AYE: GROPETOWN ARE COMING TO TOWN 22ND OCTOBER

2010-10-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

OH AYE =

a screening of
SHIELD AROUND THE K: THE STORY OF K RECORDS
"The Shield Around the K tells the story of the birth and growth of the independent record label K Records: the punk rock DIY label from Washington.
...
The film played to a sold out audience at the 2000 New York Underground Film Festival and went on to receive invitational screenings at over 20 film festivals in Canada, England, Germany, Sweden and the United States.

Included are Super 8 music videos of Beat Happening, The Halo Benders, Lois, Mecca Normal and Tiger Trap directed by Patrick Maley and Lois Maffeo. The film also contains rare footage from the International Pop Underground Convention, a six-day festival held at the Capital Theater in Olympia, Washington in August, 1991."

plus live musical performances from

GROPETOWN, Glasgow
http://www.myspace.com/gropetown
Members of ULTIMATE THRUSH, THOTH, SKELETON FAMILY, & OTHERS bring some screaming and some troublemaking and play super loud and super fast just for you.!!

GUMMY STUMPS, Glasgow
http://www.myspace.com/thegummystumps
Sound a bit like The Fall & a bit like a band called Joeyfat if they came from Glasgow. One of their Myspace pictures shows them climbing a mountain with the guy out of Golden Grrrls.

SLOWCOACHES, Leeds
http://www.myspace.com/slowcoachessux
They played at Yes Way and hung out on the grass with us for a while, they could maybe be a 90s metal band but grew up on pop music and daytime TV.

NO WOMB, Manchester
www.myspace.com/nowomb
No Womb are close to home and not far out of the womb, Upset the Rhythm said "Uninhibited free vocal whirlwind vs. detuned punk"

FATHER MURPHY, Italy
http://www.myspace.com/reverendmurphy
Recently been on tour with Deerhoof & Xiu Xiu, sure to be a treat!

Followed by REGULAR EXERCISE DJs

FREE ENTRY,
DOORS OPEN AT 7PM
FILM STARTS AT 7.30PM

N

2010-10-11T14:29:00.000-07:00

CCA BOOKFAIR

2010-09-27T05:43:00.000-07:00

HELLO

2010-09-27T05:38:00.000-07:00

VERY HEAVY ZINE PACKAGE.

ICELANDIC BED DAY /// H

2010-09-11T18:26:00.000-07:00

WE MADE ZINES. WE'RE MAKING MORE. THESE ARE LIKE TINY BLOCKPRINTS AND TINY IDEAS AND NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CUT OUTS AND MEDICINE AND VINEGAR BOTTLES AND LITTLE INSERTS. THERE'S TEN COPIES AND SOME OF THEM ARE IN GOOD GRIEF FOR A POUND EACH! WHICH IS LESS THAN THE COST OF TWO CHOCOLATE BARS BUT EQUAL TO THE COST OF A CLIPPER LIGHTER.

1/10

2010-09-09T06:43:00.000-07:00

OFF-CUTS

2010-09-06T08:20:00.000-07:00

BLOCKS

2010-09-03T04:43:00.000-07:00

W

2010-08-23T17:23:00.000-07:00

ARROWS

2010-08-03T17:49:00.000-07:00

REGULAR EXERCISE TWO

2010-07-30T06:53:00.000-07:00

THIS SATURDAY! GUEST DJ... K-FLYNN! Avery of Avery & Higgins will be absent due to granny's birthday's. it'll be different ladies & gents! also, here's a couple of games... "spot the missing P" and "when in this poster was Jess drunk?"

see you at Trof!

NO WOMB

2010-07-23T16:46:00.001-07:00

WE MADE A BUMPER PACK.

1 X LIVE CD of recordings from our gig at the klondyke club

We sprayed the CD'S a delightful shade of blue and K-FLYNN arranged/took photographs of us all in various different states of undress, and various states of BEAN for the front & back covers AND for a wee 12 page booklet in photocopied glory. She also has done an individual embroidery for EACH package (or maybe just the first ten.)

MIRIAM DID A DRAWING OF HAIR.! AND PHOTOCOPIED IT FOR YOUR OWN PERSONAL ART PRINT COLLECTION

I DID A DRAWING AND PHOTOCOPIED IT TOO. IT IS THE MOST HONEST THING I HAVE EVER MADE. GET IT.

Head over to COMFORTABLE ON A TIGHTROPE, or GOOD GRIEF at some point for your own copy, OR come & see us play and head over to the merch stand

CATS

2010-07-05T14:39:00.000-07:00

NO MORE HEADACHES

2010-06-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

THIS took longer than expected, and will take longer to properly materialise. Originally planned in a much larger format with far more pages & 100% photocopied, NO MORE HEADACHES is now, due to financial reasons, an A5 book, 20 pages long, and comes in a variety of different colours (inside & out.) Half way through printing, the trusty canon from my early teens finally gave in, which is just about the worst thing to happen to me. Luckily a trip back home to deliver some GIFTS proved worthwhile on the printing front, and now FIFTEEN copies exist, most of the material comes straight out of the recent GOOD GRIEF! exhibition, but there is a couple more never seen before treats...

If you want one, e-mail jhessiggins@hotmail.co.uk, I've got about three copies ready to go.

OR pop into GOOD GRIEF as per usual in a week or so, when I've got my bag act together. But go there before then to pick up your copy of MZ-003, it's truly gnarly

speaking of GIFTS, remember that? well don't despair, part 3 will be coming, I'm about to move house.. again.

ALSO, NO WOMB now have a blog.

REGULAR EXERCISE

2010-06-27T10:14:00.000-07:00

On Saturday 17th July & fortnightly thereafter at TROF in FALLOWFIELD, Miriam & I will be playing records for the general public from 9pm until... whenever. EXCELLENT.

MZ-003 & D.I.Y D A Y

2010-06-25T17:26:00.000-07:00

OUT NOW!

TODAY!

YES SUH

2010-06-18T15:04:00.000-07:00

INCREDIBLE PROPS TO THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND, D BAILEY

YES

2010-06-14T19:33:00.000-07:00

The GOOD GRIEF GROUP SHOW opens WEDNESDAY NIGHT at Trof, from around 7.30, be in Fallowfield, go to McDonalds, then come & look at some excellent wallspace (installation began on Monday & it is looking INCREDIBLE. Record based entertainment provided by Beat Unhappening DJs, Former Bullies DJs and .... AVERY & HIGGINS RIDE AGAIN billed as NO WOMB DJs, YES BABY. NO WOMB will also be singing and playing instruments for you at the Klondyke Club in Levenshulme on Saturday.

Also, on the 26th June 2010, come to the Deaf Institute for C.O.A.Ts D.I.Y D A Y, there's gonna be bands (Please, Human Hair, Prize Pets, Mazes, Golden Grrls) a BBQ, zine stalls (GOOD GRIEF for buying &SALFORD ZINE LIBRARY for browsing), perhaps a bakesale AND the first ever Manchester screening of 'SHIELD AROUND THE K: THE STORY OF K RECORDS' a film that was made a few years ago by Heather Rose Dominic and really should've been around more, now it is!

It will also mark the release date of the third official MUSEUMS PRESS release, a reissue of the seminal story by RLPerry; 'SCARS OF THE NINETEEN NINETIES OR THERE IS NO US BUT THERE IS A VERY DEFINITE THEM'

It will be your first opportunity to get your copy & I cannot encourage you more to do so.

The whole day will be done by around seven o'clock so that everyone can get back to drinking beer and watching football. GOOD.

YYY

2010-06-11T17:57:00.000-07:00

NO MORE HEADACHES

2010-06-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

GOOD GRIEF GROUP SHOW

2010-06-06T17:45:00.000-07:00

NO FREAKIN' WAY. Dave 'The Legend' Bailey has only gone & got a group show on the go. This might be the best thing to hit Fallowfield since that McDonalds opened it's doors in 1986 (and it's a damn good McDonalds, for sure)

Top names from GOOD GRIEF'S mighty shelves will be getting their blu tac on for your viewing pleasure, and I for one am honoured and extraordinarly excited to be a part of it.

COME, ONE AND ALL! 16TH JUNE FOR BEERZ & MUSIC, and on and on until the 24TH PLEASE.! THANK YOUXXXX

OHIO

2010-06-04T09:36:00.000-07:00

BIG QUESTIONS

2010-05-30T20:42:00.000-07:00

RADICAL OPTIMISM

2010-05-29T18:19:00.000-07:00

NO CHARM

2010-05-25T19:40:00.000-07:00

BREAKFAST IS BEST

2010-05-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

THIS CHOCOLATE BAR TASTES INCREDIBLE

2010-05-20T17:55:00.000-07:00

MID-WEEK

2010-05-19T19:34:00.000-07:00

HOW YOU WILL ACT IN THE STORY OF MY LIFE: LESSON ONE

2010-05-19T19:19:00.000-07:00

ABOVE ALL I MUST NOT PLAY GOD: THE LASAGNA OATH IS PRETTY BORING

2010-05-18T16:30:00.000-07:00

LOUIS CESARE LASAGNA

RESPECTED PHYSICIAN 1923 - 2003

Lasagna was raised in New Brunswick by his Italian parents, fathered seven children, re-wrote the Hippocractic Oath, now known and widely used as the "Lasagna Oath", and wrote, directed and stared in the "MIGHTY LASAGNA PLAYERS" annual theatre production by the University of Rochester

PROPOSALS

2010-05-13T18:54:00.001-07:00

- a performance piece in which the entirety of 'the smiths' by The Smiths is sung, crouched & jumping over a series of drum machine samples

- a black & white film in which many everyday men smile (the act of, beginning with straight faces, without laughing)

- a series of picket signs created by a group of eighteen - twenty three(?) year old people about what they believe in, ie. 'for' rather than 'against' (the age range is important, people who are not old enough to have voted in a general election before the recent, 2010 one)

- a patchwork quilt made of the spare bedding donated by a grandmother, mother & daughter.

- 'something' entitled "tell me that i'm dying"

- 'the great exhibition' a show in which non-artists, preferrably public sector workers, create/think up & display inventions which ultimately make their life and work easier

note; the invention does not have to be a device, it could be a method of action/thought

- census 2010, a year ahead of the next census, spend time trying to recall and list all the people you have ever known, their occupation/situation at the time of "knowing" them, and what they are "doing" at the current moment, or if this information is unatainable, what they might be doing. full names are preferrable but in doubt, label them based on characteristics/situation ie "ginger, fair skinned boy from reception class who was my best friend for a few months (until he moved schools, upon leaving i gave him a multipack of chewits wrapped in paper with red roses on) because he was the only person who could connect on the same level."

- a short black and white film which alternates between footage of my mothers face in close up, portrait, profile & from behind, and slowed down footage of myself dancing, back to the camera, slowly, trying to do ballet, with large swooping gestures in an empty, white room.

- 'today is a new day' a series of manifestos based on every minor detail and action of a regular day in life, from waking, breakfast etc. to sleep

- get unofficially married (ie. change your last name to that of the person/persons - double barrel could be fine - you decide to unofficially marry.), hold a function in honour of the marriage, and 55 hours later, get an unofficial divorce (change your surname back to it's original). 55 hours is the length of time that Britney Spears' marriage lasted with her childhood friend Jason Allen Alexander

BIGGEST FAN

2010-05-11T14:26:00.001-07:00

YES!

FULL LOWDOWN HERE

BUY HERE

OR HERE

THANK YOU! BEAUTIFUL!

STOMACH PUMP

2010-05-08T13:18:00.000-07:00

THE SALFORD ZINE LIBRARY LAUNCH AND STOMACH PUMP EXHIBITION IS OPEN NOW! AND UNTIL WEDNESDAY 12TH MAY. Thanks to Matt, Craig and Kate (SZL) for making the room look absolutely beautiful, the opening was a great success, we had people and beers and tables and music and zines all over the wall.

It would be more than worth your while to go to Islington Mill one day and spend some time looking through all 788 of them. Really!

Also on display was an exhibition of things associated with MUSEUMS ONE, this brought feelings of 1) Pride 2) Full-ness 3) Joy.

The first fifteen copies of MUSEUMS TWO: BIGGEST FAN were given away free on the night, the other 35 copies will be distributed in this way; 25 - contributors (twenty-five!); 3- favours; 7 for sale, £10 a pop baby and totally worth it. Pictures & a beefed up bloWpost about that later

PUMPING STOMACHS

2010-04-29T18:01:00.000-07:00

This is a photograph of six of the seven current contributions to the previously mentioned, second official MUSEUMS release; BIGGEST FAN, released in time to coincide with the STOMACH PUMP exhibition of the 7th-12th May.

Thus far, titles include LUNCHTIME DIAGNOSTICS by KATY FLYNN; FLESH WORLD by CRAIG JOHN BARR & PALS (not pictured); WHEN I GET DEALT A LOW HAND I GO ALL IN ANYWAY by BETHANY HERMITT; I JUST LOVE PEOPLE by LIBERTY DENT; REGULAR EXERCISE & AMOTS CH PMUP (the latter was previously available for free pick up as an edition of ten from GOOD GRIEF & will be reprinted and included for relevance) and of course, the most recent addition THE SEXPLORER by MIRIAM AVERY & EDWIN STEVENS, perhaps the most shocking, gross and hilarious thing I've read in a long time. Also in the line-up is the half complete KNOW YOUR WOMB by members of NO WOMB who are to make their debut performance at SOUNDS FROM THE OTHER CITY this Sunday along with WAITERS, DINNER PARTY, SEX HANDS, TALK NORMAL, WAY THROUGH, PHEREMOANS & HOTPANTS ROMANCE at the Angel Centre for C.O.A.T, yeah baby! They're also showing CARTUNE EXPRESS films & there's a performance by GIRL MOUNTAIN. Hot tamale! Get a ticket! Really!

What is more urgent, though, is the MOUNT PLEASANT exhibition, which will be the event of the month for one and all, go to Islington Mill around Eight O'clock on Friday 30th April (in a few hours... real time) for some free wine and ART PARTY.

HOT TOPIC

2010-04-28T19:49:00.000-07:00

BODY LANGUAGE

2010-04-27T08:13:00.000-07:00

STOMACH PUMP EXHIBITION AND SALFORD ZINE LIBRARY LAUNCH

2010-04-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

ONCE AND FOR ALL! ALL AND FOR ONCE! The Stomach Pump archive is going to be exhibited. With help from the SALFORD ZINE LIBRARY and C.O.A.T, between the 7th May-12th May at Islington Mill, Salford, all 788 fanzines will be displayed for your perusal. The collection, which was breifly previewed on the walls of a flat in Glasgow last September, dates back from the 70's and spans right into the early 90's, each zine has been photocopied or mimeographed and they come from all around the world. There will be hand drawn covers, typewriting, letraset, letters, short stories, comics strips, jokes and general fandom. You are INNNNVITED, as ever, to come along and look and touch and photocopy your favourite bits.

Alongside Stomach Pump will be the official launch of the Salford Zine Library's collection, which has been growing for the past few months, tasters of which can be seen on their blog. It is a very important thing they are doing and so worthy of celebration!

Also for your viewing pleasure will be a small selection of original work from Museums One! Hot tamale!

Come party from 7pm on the 7th May 2010!

We'd love it!

HOME MOVIES

2010-04-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

FLAT, NOT FLAT

2010-04-12T09:39:00.000-07:00

COUNT YOUR CONCERNS

2010-04-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

KNOW YOUR WOMB

2010-04-10T16:54:00.000-07:00

NANS

2010-04-10T16:01:00.000-07:00

TATTOO PARTY-003

SELF HELP

2010-04-08T17:33:00.000-07:00

SETTING EXAMPLES

2010-04-07T16:32:00.000-07:00

REGULAR EXERCISE is a one-off, one-sheet fanzine, to be photocopied 50 times along with TWENTY-FOUR other fanzines, collated into pizza boxes & distributed at the Salford Zine Library & Stomach Pump exhibition, 7th May, Islington Mill... details forthcoming.

It's likely that if you're reading this I have already asked you, or am soon to get round to it, however, if you are neither of those things and would like to be in on it (there are still some slots unaccounted for), drop a line to jhessiggins@hotmail.co.uk and i'll let you know the score.

R.E

2010-04-01T18:04:00.000-07:00

SOME PEOPLE YOU MAY KNOW

2010-03-30T15:59:00.000-07:00

Is a beautiful zine by MIRIAM AVERY. And once she has fully got to grips with her computer, it will be wildly available for all, I urge you to get one, it has individually painted covers and is in an ingenious concertina format.

***

THE OCEAN WORLD

is a volumised encyclopedia of Jacques Cousteau's deep sea findings and a worthy investment.

***

I also went swimming and bought postcards today. Goodnight.

LIFE GOES ON

2010-03-24T22:07:00.000-07:00

Check the MUSEUMS blog for a full pictorial low down of my future in advertising and low key graphic design.

Also listen to THIS (an unnoficial recording of Matthias Connor reading for us on Monday, re-recorded badly with kitchen sounds in the background.)

LAUNCH PARTY - VERY PERFECT

2010-03-23T14:03:00.000-07:00

THANKS TOOO.... PERRY, LAETITIA, JULIA, DAVE, MIRIAM, MATTHIAS AND EVERYONE WHO CAME, IT WAS DEEEEELIGHTFUL! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

if you couldn't come but really want one go to GOOD GRIEF. please.

THANK YOU LUCY

2010-03-18T17:28:00.000-07:00

2010-03-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

MUSEUMS LAUNCH

2010-03-15T10:22:00.000-07:00

Very finally we are launching MUSEUMS ONE, next monday will be the pinnacle moment of the past nine months, the coming of spring and comes almost exactly a year after the launch of WE ARE YOUNG AND WE ARE TRYING. The ground floor of TROF (Fallowfield) will be occupied by a GOOD GRIEF distribution stall; a BAKESALE in honour and support of Zimbabwean street children (you are invited and encouraged to bring cakes to add to the table, all proceeds will be sent with love to people who need it more than we do); a pile of the first edition of MUSEUMS, hot off the press and available for the first time to all; & BEAT UNHAPPENING DJs spreading the good vibrations, which is a regular thing on a Monday night. If you were to go upstairs at 8 o'clock, you will be able to watch Beautiful Losers, this will be the first (to our knowledge) public screening of the documentary film by Aaron Rose in Manchester, it is absolutely necessary viewing and we are excited to be sharing it with you.

It will be part one of three celebratory events, the second part will be a week and a bit later at COMFORTABLE ON A TIGHTROPE'S show at TROF NQ, where La La Vasquez, Girls Names, Former Bullies and Waiters are playing live, all of whom are present on the compilation tape of the same curatorial background. It will be a party not to be missed.

The final installment will come part way through May (shortly after sounds from the other city) at ISLINGTON MILL. Thanks to the SALFORD ZINE LIBRARY, every single one of the fanzines from the STOMACH PUMP archive will be on display, alongside their extensive collection of contemporary zines and art books, an exhibition of originals will also be on show including work from MUSEUMS itself.

GIFTS TWO

2010-03-08T16:54:00.000-08:00

GIFTS TWO

1/10 PART TWO: EVERYONE LEAVES (approx. 7400 words, very unedited)

+ very slightly revised PART ONE

1/10 DEAR JOAN BAEZ (18 track, or maybe 20 track compilation CD)

1/10 of either (CO) (UN) (T Y) (OU) (R) (C) (ON) (CE) (RN) (S) (colours & stamps)

1/10 VERY IMPORTANT/FINGER PRINTS (A3 newsprint)

1/10 SIDE A/SIDE B (multiple drawings)

Go to GOOD GRIEF sometime after Wednesday

FATHER, I AM YOUR BIGGEST FAN

2010-02-25T19:23:00.000-08:00

DEAR NEW LIFE

2010-02-24T19:06:00.000-08:00

R.I.P FLAT EIGHT

2010-02-16T19:01:00.000-08:00

(the notable thing about this photograph is the bottom right hand corner. wild guesses accepted.)

Also.... here is an excerpt from PART TWO*

"The case was that I had spent the night before on the phone to my mother who was wailing, as mothers of men like me often do, wailing about men like my father who let her down time after time and women like her who care and care and get nothing in return, wailing for her sons, warning them not to turn into their father, and wailing for her daughters, worried that they may marry men who are like their father. "You are a good boy" She would wail. "I'm not a boy, I'm a grown man." I would say. "You are still my boy and no woman will change that." She would wail. "No woman will come near me." I would say. "Don't say that, you are a very handsome boy." She would wail. "That's not the issue." I would say. "I am a very sad woman." The wailing lasted for well over an hour and came with five more hours of bed time guilt. I wondered where I could find a pair of pyjamas, ones which were forest green and thermal and had EVERYONE LEAVES embroidered on the chest, I would buy a pair for my mother, myself, my father, my sisters who i never spoke to, my brother who moved away, his wife and his children, we could wear them together on Christmas Day.

I placed my briefcase on the small beech wood desk, opened the window behind me, even though it was cold outside and almost raining, pressed the "on" button on the chunky desktop computer, sat down and adjusted the chair so that my chin touched the rim of the table and banged my head against the desk three times. That day was the 21st November which had absolutely no relevance and meant nothing more than a quarterly team building activity for everyone in the administration department. The afternoon would be carefully and equally sectioned into three one hour long activities. On August 21st myself, Steve (a different, far yuppier Steve), Joan, Peter and Sheila spent the afternoon building a teepee in the conference room from bic pens, post it notes, elastic bands, duct tape and blue roll from the canteen, the point of this, we were told, was to improve our organisation strategies and resourcefulness in the face of the looming economical crisis. We spent the second hour sat in the blue tent working on our communication skills, we were asked to sit in a circle because "they are magical! you can see everyone!" (to quote Jerome, the hired help, or "Motivational Activities Co-ordinator") and discuss topics from a list of relevant and crucial subjects such as "Money" "Organisation" "Image" and "Poverty". We were supplied with a feather duster from the cleaning cupboard which was a prop meant to help balance the discussion, we were only allowed to speak if we were in possession of the duster, and if we wanted to speak we had to ask the current owner of the duster, very politely, if we may have the duster. We were also not allowed to hold the duster for more than three minutes, and if once those three minutes were up and nobody wanted the duster, it was passed to the person on the left, who then had to pick another topic to speak about. This happened to me at one point during the hour and the only remaining topic was "Facism". For the final activity we were asked to lie down in silence and meditate. This was very difficult to work out, as the floor of the teepee could only cater for the length and breadth of three grown adults and there were five of us, Sheila was also very very large and Peter smelt like burnt plastic. I opted to lie down outside of the tent, explaining that it would help me to be at peace by looking at what we had built from outside, I explained to Jerome that it made me feel a great sense of accomplishment and pride in our efforts as a team to see that we had made such a great thing, and if I was to fully appreciate its magnificence it would be better to see it from outside. Jerome seemed touched. Joan also lay down outside because she was afraid of human contact, which she explained quietly and at length to Jerome, who was a borderline misogynist and made a joke with Steve about skirts, when Joan began to cry (she was afraid of everything, not just touching people), Jerome said she could lie down outside too. I remember trying to smile at Joan but it made her cry even more.

I closed the window and walked to the coffee cart, with five hours to kill before team building, one of which being lunch time, that morning seemed hard to organise. First I drank a coffee and talked small with Steve the yuppie who was excited about the afternoon and made a sly comment about Joan, next I rode the lift down, smoked a cigarette alone, rode the lift up and returned to my office. During the half hour I had been gone I missed two calls. Before lunch I returned them, sent three e-mails and learned about the great depression on Wikipedia."

*which will be the focal point of GIFTS 2. it is also amongst many reasons why this blog has been quiet. These days time is divisible by work; Heroes; Madmen; a newfound love for eating out (a plea to all readers to visit SWEET BOX in Rusholme, Manchester. it is a Dessert Lounge); MUSEUMS (...museums museums...); building, deconstructing and rebuilding a home; late nights with the keyboard and sitting on the floor. I don't even use a desk anymore.

R.I.P

2010-02-11T15:15:00.000-08:00

Left; French Purse 2001 - 2010. You will be missed.

Right; temporary replacement.

RIGHT NOW

2010-02-04T15:05:00.000-08:00

I am sat in bed, drinking coca cola and listening to the MUSEUMS COMPILATION ahead of it's completion (one last track to come, imagine SILK FLOWERS sandwiched between WAITERS and ROLLIN HUNT) and it is AMAZING in every way.

THANK YOU C.O.A.T. THANK YOU FRIENDS.

Also, due to life situations, MUSEUMS ONE has no choice but to be ready by the end of the month. (i mean it this time...) party plans forthcoming.

LOVE. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

GIFTS

2010-02-02T08:10:00.000-08:00

80% photocopied (A5 zine "REASONS" 12 pages, drawings & a photograph; A3 poster of JD Salinger (r.i.p) / flip side = excerpt from "Franny and Zooey" + SPT ticket as bookmark; "The Twelve Healers" content page; 1/10 from "Track Plans"; "Part One: Two Thousand Years of Counting Sheep", 3400 words)

20% originals (1/10 postcards from "A Pictorial History of The Isle of Man Steam Packet Ships" w/ handwritten message (eg. "dear true love, will you miss me when i'm gone" "dear beyonce knowles, you are my spirit sister" "dear everyone i have ever known, i am sorry for everything (still)" ) ; 1/10 pages w/ typewritten, letraset or handwritten characters, using excess paper that was once used to print "These Are The Coolest Things Ever" (r.i.p) of 08/09)

Wrapped in an A3 photocopy of a collage which got left in photocopier No. 6.

Available from GOOD GRIEF, £4.

MOLLY'S FUNERAL

2010-01-20T19:36:00.000-08:00

This is a photograph of photographs from the second to last funeral that I went to. It is hopefully the last photograph of photographs because I am soon to inherit the Higgins family scanner, Ma & Pa are upgrading.

This is a photograph of the Twelve Healers, a very special little book which is on it's way, second class mail to JULIA SCOTT, of Glasgow and recently of Berlin, she is home safe now but we still miss her dearly south of the border.

The contents of which are remedies for the following;

- For Fear

- For Uncertainty

- For Insufficient Interest in Present Circumstances

- For Loneliness

- For Those Over-sensitive to Influences and Ideas

- For Despondency or Despair

- For Overcare for Welfare of Others

Expect a fanzine... soon.

This is a photograph of balls of clothes which were ready to be Tie-Dyed with bleach, very cool right now.

This is a photograph of a full run (41) of Marks & Spencers Sponsors Mark Ronson, DAVID BAILEY's top Clahs comic for MUSEUMS.

This is a photograph of all three of Tim Lahan's posters, screenprinted by myself and LUCY JONES, all folded and numbered, also 41 of each, ready to hang out with Dave's comic & the book from the previous post, all 41 copies of which are now stitched (with the help of MIRIAM AVERY) and ready to be bound.

This is a photograph of the red whistling kettle which Miriam got me for christmas. It is my pride and joy. Miriam & I recently played records at KATY FLYNN's birthday hoedown, which took place at Islington Mill, also on the bill was Irma Vep, Waiters & Former Bullies, who played all the hits and a sweet time was had by all. AVERY & HIGGINS would be interested in DJing again, we have many good qualities to offer.

Also in the news; a few people's favourite show HEROES is back to much relief and excitement, gracing everyone's saturday night with more drama than you'll ever find at TigerTiger. I will be going to PERRY & LAETITIA'S later today to watch it and drink Coca Cola, P&T managed to brave the digital switchover and post a really nice end of year list on their blog, as well as working on some sweet tape releases for 2010, AND compile their best mix yet LOVE MEANS GOOD NEWS FOR YOU. Yes! Also on our TV schedule, MADMEN returns to screens this Wednesday... double Yes!

See picture evidence for MUSEUMS progress, all components are completed (or there abouts..) and ready to go, there is still work to do, the screenprinted gatefold sleeves for example (big job), but it is on it's way, work has been slow due to

a) christmas

b) being snowed in (or ... out) for a week

c) the laziest holiday ever. Yes, I am on HOLIDAY, which has, thus far, meant a week off work to lie in bed, fine dine, run a few life errands, crash the Alan Fletcher opening at CUBE gallery (to mixed reviews, I thought it was fine and fully accept the inescapable downfalls of an extensive retrospective) and a trip back home for an injection (into my SHOULDER BONE, leaving my left arm out of action) and to visit my pa, who was in bed, so I ate crisps alone and watched half an episode of the Gilmore Girls.

Other exciting things are; THIS WEBSITE, a full archive of J.D Salinger writings, most importantly (to me) unanthologised works that can only be read in print if you a) lived fifty years ago & bought The New Yorker alot, or b) had the means to fork out a lot of money for back issues. THE COLLECTED STORIES OF LORRIE MOORE, which only set me back 80p and has every short story Moore has ever written including four stories which haven't been in any anthology previous, it is beautiful, tragic and funny. Spending money on records rather than rent (notably an original of THIS which has recently been reissued by Mississipi Records, found for £4 during a near clockwork weekly visit to King Bee with M.Avery (we mean it about the DJing..) and of course, SEINFELD series one through four and counting. Christmas was good too.

DECEM-BROTHER

2009-12-10T15:38:00.000-08:00

So the past week and a bit (and kind of the past month or more) has been spent slicing the hell out of hundreds of sheets of paper, watching my printer develop alzheimers while it chews and chews at all my hard work and shoulder pain (really! yeeeeeowch!), taking about ten trips to clahs ohlson for craft paper and ink, ordering more ink and more paper over the internet, feeling sick from having too much ink and too much paper but not enough food and "HELPING YOURSELF IS NOT A SIN: TRANSCRIPTS FROM THE "SHARON MAYFIELD TEACHES YOU HOW TO LIVE AND GET TO KNOW YOURSELF ALONG THE WAY" TAPE SERIES" but moreso "REASONS TO KEEP QUIET" in all those early hours.

Hooowwwweeeeevvvveerrrrrrrr

THIS is the very first completed and stitched and trimmed and bound copy of MUSEUMS 001.

Look at my hands, look how much bigger it is than my hands! That's big! It is approximately 12" wide and 11.75" tall, about a quarter inch thick and 46 pages long. FOUR of those pages hang out slap bang in the centre and are a seriously beautiful fold out spread of drawings by LUCY JONES depicting the HEROES OF NIAGARA FALLS (look forward to that, mamas and papas!), which can be seen printing in the photograph below

THEEEE Office! which is probably tidier in this photograph (believe it or not) than it has been in a while, not that I am a particularly messy person, just that t

he printing and the paper and the ink has mostly been my life and i live much of my life on the floor, beneath the table is a monstrous box full of 40 fully collated sets of prints ready to have the LJ drawings slotted in and be STITCHED. The second printer over there is designated for DAVID BAILEY'S new comic MARKS AND SPENCERS SPONSORS MARK RONSON, which is halfway printed already and RIDICULOUSLY FUNNY. Dave has also just opened a shop in AFFLECKS PALACE, it's called GOOD GRIEF and is the most exciting thing to happen in a while.

There are also two waste paper bags, two heavy things for trying to flatten paper that was once rolled, another box full of paper, a rug which needs respreading, more rolls of paper and a binbag and letterpress machine that have nothing to do with the zine. What's not in this picture but very much part of the MUSEUMS BEDROOM OFFICE is a very big cutting mat, a two foot long rule, a verr swish rotary blade, two big packages of A1 greyboard, pencils and rubbers, one template for cutting, one template for stitching, about a million different scraps of paper and mock ups of the sleeve, a thick thick needle, a big dried out ball of white tac, thread and two paper clips. as well as a load of newsprint and two/three screenprinted posters, but they're not here right now.

Street date? we'll see.

Here is a picture of my christmas tree, which is the other thing I dragged and decorated since you' been gone.

HANG TIGHT!

TOTAL GNARL

2009-11-28T16:58:00.000-08:00

I was going to make a cushion cover but instead i made a collage. T.F.I.Sunday huh!?

TATTOO PARTY.

2009-11-26T18:27:00.000-08:00

dear diary,

the well ran dry yesterday and museums work is on halt now until.... monday! what'll i do next? gee!

ALOHA

2009-11-24T10:23:00.000-08:00

SO the internet hiatus has finally come to a close, flat eight is now online. surf's up! initiating new food blog "what i ate at flat eight"; "how hot, how cold"; "find the loo roll" ; "pet cemetary" and my favourite "things that should go in the bathroom bin if we had a bathroom bin"

but mostly it means no more picture only/in a rush blog post and back to the old DEAR DIARY format.

HOT TAMALE!, next step is to find scan capability.

in other news, those are two paintings for MUSEUMS 001, which, (since you' been gone) has been roaring ahead and hopefully through a mixture of late nights, mutual favours, self imposed bankrupcy and one visit back to the old house should be done SOON, hopefully before christmas,

NO NEED TO HIT UP DEBENHAMS GUYS AND GALS, PRE-ORDER IT NOW!

if you've forgot, my e-mail address is jhessiggins@hotmail.co.uk,

DO IT

TWO POSTERS

2009-11-16T13:41:00.000-08:00

is all

2009-11-10T07:27:00.000-08:00

I'M SORRY FOR EVERYTHING, IDEALLY TWO TEALIGHTS, WELCOME HOME AGAIN, FOX HUNTING, THANK YOU, WE WERE WRONG ABOUT OURSELVES, WHAT MIGHT'VE BEEN A GREAT DEN, DEAR MINDY IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT, MOSTLY BAD DAYS, YOU BROKE MY HEART AND I CANNOT FORGIVE YOU FOR THAT, SOMETIMES IT'S HARD, I DO NOT FEEL PEACEFUL TODAY IT MIGHT NOT BE A GOOD ONE, WE DO NOT MAKE IT EASY FOR OURSELVES, EVERYBODY WANTS TO GO HOME, DEAR MINDY YOU NEVER MADE ME HAPPY, DEAR MINDY I'M NOT SORRY THAT I LIED, DEAR MINDY, YOU WEREN'T ENOUGH FOR ME, DEAR MINDY IT WASN'T OKAY, DEAR MINDY YOUR MOTHER IS NOT A GOOD WOMAN, DEAR MINDY I DON'T REALLY HAVE A SLEEPING PROBLEM, DEAR MINDY I'VE BEEN DRINKING ALOT LATELY, DEAR MINDY THAT PERM NEVER SUITED YOU, TOUCH , FIREWORKS

WE ARE MEAN

FENG SHUI

2009-11-02T14:18:00.000-08:00

WLTM.... SCANNER & A NEW CHIN

2009-10-21T07:49:00.000-07:00

ZZZINGER

WLTM

2009-10-19T14:00:00.000-07:00

2009-10-19T13:45:00.000-07:00

UUUUUNTIIIILLLL

IT'S A LONG WAY HOME

2009-10-07T08:16:00.000-07:00

It's about 8 pages, 7 ink drawings (some of which are in the last post) and a nice picture of some flowers on the front. Housed by two pieces of cards with INDIVIDUALLY HAND PAINTED COVERS! WOAH! There'll be ten (of course) but i've only done five so far (of course)

These'll be worth a bomb one day amaright? but can be yours for next to nothing (name yo price, jhessiggins@hotmail.co.uk, somewhere between £0 - £1,000,000)

aaaaand... here's another cute picture of my new best mate.

DINNER AT MA'S

2009-10-02T11:18:00.000-07:00

AND MORE... SOON TO BEEEEE..... yep.

SINCE YOU' BEEN GONE

2009-09-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

STILL NO INTERNET... SCANNER... PHOTOSHOP...

...got a cat though. what more could I want? l8rz

DOIN' IT

2009-09-29T08:52:00.000-07:00

GDIY

2009-09-09T07:34:00.000-07:00

These are photographs of the posters for the aforementioned events. They are hanging on my new POUND EMPIRE notice board, it is a beaut. The time & place of the BEAUTIFUL LOSERS screening has now changed to the CCA at EIGHT O'CLOCK on WEDNESDAY 23RD. it's going to be a dream!

GLASGOW DIY FESTIVAL

2009-09-05T16:08:00.001-07:00

Is going to be pretty pretty amazing, it will last for one entire week, A WEEK! which is a pretty nice and a long time but it could probably last a life time. that's fo sho'! It's gonna be ram jammed with non profit hippy shit (in the best way) like gigs and screenings and exhibitions and talks and workshops. I'm taking the week off work and the trusty old national express (this time round, same price as mega bus, plu' convenient times!) to be there. I highly recommend that you do the same.

There's going to be a whole itinerary on the WEBSITE fairly soon, but until then I am positive that these three things are going to happen;

1) A NEWSROOM.

me and julia are going to be ran off our feet rooming news. YEP!. there's going to be radio, print & television, broadcasts at breakfast lunch and tea, anchormen and women, costume departments, photocopying, rooftop transmitters and tv walls.

A DREAM! it's gonna be good news through and through, past and present, sweet sweat vibes.

THIS IS THE GOOD NEWS returns! and it will be hanging around the old hairdressers opposite STEREO

2) STOMACH PUMP

this will be an exhibition of photocopies from fanzines that my Pa made and collected from about '79-'94. there are over 400 fanzines in the collection, not even accounting related ephemera, copies of FRANK'S APA, and a selection of era specific mixtapes, also kindly donated by Pa. This exhibition will exist for juuuuust one day (WEDNESDAY 23RD) and will act as a north of the border prelude to a true library back down at home (which has been brewing for a while... soon!), it'd be a sweet deal to take everything up there, but i've only got two arms, so photocopies, background music and hopefully some freeeebie handouts will be a wee (and surprisingly filling) apeterif .

Please make your way to

FLAT 1.1,

49 WEST PRINCES STREET

G-L-A-S-G-O-W

3) BEAUTIFUL LOSERS

with any (financially shaky) luck there will be a screening of Beautiful Losers sometime over the weekend (25th or 26th). Which is pretty much the most exciting non-fictional cinematic outing since Spinal Tap... right? JOKE!

There's already some buzz about it over on the MUSEUMS blog, we're bringing it to Manchester less than a week after this one, i'm not going to repeat excitement, just BE THERE!

There is a venue TBC status on this one, but keep checking back and get yourself a download of that programme when it's up, we'll be making it happen!

SOUNDS LIKE A HOLI HOLI DAY, it'll be good clean (cold cold cold) fun.

yyyyes!

RANGE LIFE.

2009-09-05T06:09:00.000-07:00

OH, AND

2009-08-21T19:27:00.000-07:00

I know I said I wouldn't start a blog for MUSEUMS, but I have,
there's too much to keep in order in order!
CZECH IT. we've got exciting news.!!!!!

OL' MAN RIVER

2009-08-21T16:26:00.000-07:00

THIS is a little somethin' somethin' for these guys. it's to go hand in hand with a recording by this guy. thanks to this guy for asking me.

stay classy

LIVIN'

2009-08-20T17:17:00.000-07:00

A GOOD WEEK, SO FAR. LATERS!

SHEIKH IT

2009-08-16T16:07:00.000-07:00

This is a poster for these guys for a show they're doing for these guys
it's gonna be a total rrrriot!
it is also two days after my birthday. hot tamale!

TWO FRESH BAGS

2009-08-12T17:33:00.000-07:00

THIS is fairly spontaneous
it is b&w, 22 ink paintings/drawings & one double spread collage = 24 pages, inkjet printed on sugar paper, and comes free with a compilation of SONGS TO PLAY AT YOUR WEDDING.
it will cost £3.00

& THIS is something i've been thinking about for a while.
it is three A3 posters about & of manifestos, inkjet printed on newsprint. y'dig
it will also cost £2.00

note: above is only half the picture it is, if that isn't obvious

It might look like 90% of everything I do gets turned into a zine or something, this is for two reasons, the first is deeply psychological and boring, the second is that on FRIDAY NIGHT i will be selling things along with some other people at TEARS ON THE GOLF COURSE's third year anniversary & final show at KRO BAR. The line-up includes everyone's new favourite band WAITERS who are soon to be big in JAPAN. I am excited for them. There will also be some other good bands and some good records being played. I will be selling these two things, a cleaner colour version of THIS IS NOT MT.EVEREST, the much brushed over MT.LIFE and a few copies of WE ARE YOUNG AND WE ARE TRYING. Come along, enjoy the atmosphere, have a beer, spend some money, i am trying to save up for a tattoo.

In other news, MUSEUMS 001 is very nearly ready to PRINT! And there is also a museums solo zine by GEORGIA HARRISON in the pipeline, which i am seriously stoked about.
WOO

THIS IS NOT MT.EVEREST

2009-07-31T13:57:00.000-07:00

20 copies, no doubt.
maybe it's too soon to recycle old ideas but i know what this means and i'm fine with it, i ate four packets of fruitella yesterday. delicioso!
the cheapest photocopier in manchester is also the most hit & miss, this time round it was a major miss, they're even suckier than they would be anyway. whatevs, only love can break yo' heart. expect one in the post if you expect anything in the post. free buzz.

IF YOU'RE GONNA SPEW....

2009-07-26T19:26:00.000-07:00

IT GETS BETTER AND BETTER. (recent additions to a now complete museums line up)

2009-07-20T19:29:00.000-07:00

DRAWINGS FROM

CHELSEA R. WONG

MR.RED

THE INFAMOUS LUCY JONES

A POSTER SERIES FROM

TIM L AHAN

(three posters, screenprinted, as a supplement)

& LAST BUT NOT LEAST, COMPLETING THE SWEETEST LINE UP IN RECENT PUBLISHING HISTORY,
A COMIC BY DAVID FREAKIN' BAILEY

SWEET POTATO!

& more!

There has been GOOOOOD NEWS about a COMFORTABLE ON A TIGHTROPE curated COMPILATION to go with it all. WOAH-ZER! let's get funky.

MO' NEWS FO' MUSEUMUMS

2009-07-15T20:32:00.000-07:00

001 is on a mejores rollito.!
two new contributions from

JACK TEAGLE

& SONJA LUESCHEN

a couple more questions and answers are in the pipeline to (hopefully) build up to a 40 (ish) page beast of a volume, housed in 12" gatefold style screenprinted packaging, along with assorted supplementary ephemera. i can't wait, can you?

In other, more solemn news; everyone's favourite idealistic newspaper has pretty much gone ADRIFT. june/july is a weird time of year/life, and yours truely has been feeling the effects in a big way, which doesn't leave the best headspace for GOOOOOOD news. Keep believing though, it should be back, this isn't the end, it's just a night on the couch, a cool off trip back home, nothing to worry about. It was going to be 100% in the scrapper but hey thats not the right attitude kids, these things just take time, sleep and careful slow thought.

EXCITING NEW THINGS.

2009-07-12T19:34:00.000-07:00

Go to the STAR & GARTER tonight (MONDAY 13TH JULY), watch WAITERS, witness SOMETHING GOOD (history in the making?) and buy one extra special super limited edition lucy jones screen printed tshirt and one of these extra special super limited edition cds from the merch corner.

WHAT'S THAT?

2009-07-07T17:53:00.001-07:00

THIS IS one of ten copies of the ambiguously named but unintentional finale of AN OCEAN. remember one and two? no i didn't either until i was half way through making this. 24 pages, photocopied, a4, sewn together, sugar paper, blah blah, blah blah. each copy has a different title and fictional press name (fuuunny? no?)

It's just a quick jog around the park so it's totally on me, no charge, just send me a word of wisdom if you want one and i'll stick it in an envelope (song to pass the time? right?) and send it to you. yep. no sweat.

GONE FISHIN'

2009-07-07T14:04:00.000-07:00

GONE WITCHIN'

2009-07-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

MUSEUMS

2009-07-05T15:35:00.001-07:00

... I S ....
a no-concept back to basics show & tell artzine from the people (singular) who brought the nations favourite waste of time* (we are young and we are trying.)
This time round it is less REGULATED and more REGULAR. it won't (hopefully) take six freaking months to make. it won't be specific in number of contributors, size or shape. it won't have a blog (probably) and it won't have regular updates in the annoying real-time-wait-who-gives-a-shit fashion. it won't have rules about who can submit what. it WILL BE great. I think.

MUSEUMS 001 already has submissions from

KEN COLE

ERIN GILKES

& ALEX PIERCE.

AND SOME VERY EXCITING PROMISES

*joke

kind of

WAR. HUH. GOOD GOD.

2009-07-03T15:40:00.000-07:00

YEEEAAAAAAHHH

2009-06-30T08:10:00.000-07:00

the last day of the month means WORK BEGINS on june's issue of THIS IS THE GOOD NEWS. it ain't a habit, promise, it's not like i'm the first person in the history of the universe to have troubles getting some balls to roll. and it's not gonna be anything worth any kind of hype and suspense. it'll be what it'll be, june is a straaaange time. i spent half the month waiting for a typewriter ribbon that, when it came, was too freakin' big. no bother, a bit of home remanufacturing, inky fingers and selotape sorted that out

and yep you guessed it, this issue will be typewritten due to low self esteem in the handwriting department, and low respect for desktop publishing.

This is a photograph of the long forgotten typing desk, which has for many months, been left as a storage space, most currently for the remains of we are young and we are trying, remember that? it still exists. sort of. there are still copies. you can still have one.

T.I.T.G.N:JUNE ETA; NEXT WEEK????

SISTER ACT . YEP

2009-06-28T12:44:00.001-07:00

"......THAT'S WHAT DIANA ROSS SAID"

A HISTORY LESSON; PT.1

2009-06-23T18:09:00.000-07:00

MOUNTAINS.

2009-06-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

YEP. MT LIFE.
it's nothing much, but it fits in the palm of your hand (presuming your hand is bigger than mine, which is not hard, it is e-a-s-y.) it changed a little and i dumped a couple of the drawings, i'm not sure if it's called what it's called anymore either.... but it's alright alright, it's something and nothing and nothing and something or is it everything? uuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhh!, these days are mostly spent getting into bidding wars, toasting croissants and waiting for a typewriter ribbon. the real world is oooookay.

lets say: £1.50, (p&p included)
paypal; jhessiggins@hotmail.co.uk
please. thanks.

SWIMMIN'

2009-06-23T12:56:00.000-07:00

EVERYBODY LOOK AT ME I'M JUST SO FRESH SO CLEAN