Off the KERB

As usual, it all started with a tweet. I started following my favourite street food stalls on Twitter and one day they happen to be next door. Hashtag KERB Peckham, and I starred it and followed it up to hear more about it.

 

It all happened quite organically: some friends are in town, Friday night... shall we go to Frank's? Hang on, night out in Peckham?

But I could go back in time even further, when it all really started with a tweet more or less a year ago. It came from Le Cool in one of their summer newsletter. I went to read it, a year ago, back to when it was still sent in horizontal format. That's when I found out about Frank's. I was still living in North London, and venturing it down South to Peckham seamed rather outrageous, specially for a night out. But still, the concept of a terrace, a bar, in a multi-storey dodgy car park was really appealing (I have a thing for Brutalist Architecture), but the terrible Summer and other social events did not allow me to attend in 2012. I must admit though, that I manage to brave up and go to the Rye to visit the stunning Old Waiting Room, and tried to, quickly, find the location of Frank's for further reference, but I felt sort of unsafe for me that day.

So my third impromptu visit to Frank's happened this last Friday, in an attempt to get away from the weekday mayhem, for a well deserved drink after work and to have an excuse to be outdoors with my friends. Safe as usual, I took the bus 37 (bus 37 is the new 29) and got off at Peckham Rye high street to wait for my first friend to show up. My friend T took the wrong overground, so I had half an hour to spare in an unknown neighbourhood. This time I had things planned a lot better: as preventive measure, I decided to follow up my starred tweet and find out where the KERB was. Last Friday at Frank's involved an hour queue for not arriving at the right time, and this time, considering the amount of friends expected to come at different times, it was going to be quite a hard work logistics operation.

The entrance for the Kerb was opposite to the station, at The Bussey Building, opposite to Blenheim Grove, and trust me, rather hidden unless to follow the stream of hipsters towards it. A very narrow entrance lead to an also narrow corridor to a backyard. To my surprise, street artist Phlegm had been there before, at the entrances of the CLF Art Cafe (which hey happens to be the house of the famous Roof Top Cinema). But this time, I turned to the right, to proceed to be checked but quite big bouncers (really good guys though). Right next to the fenced entrance, I also saw ROA on the walls. Double divine signs to reassure me that I was going to the right place.

 

 

 

 

 

And there I was, at the KERB. After a few seconds I realised: No matter how much I love the Street Feast in Dalston... well, I have it right at my doorstep now.

It was just 6:45 and already look pretty exciting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then I saw some steps, and some signs signalling a Roof Top.

I followed them. A bit like Alice in Wonderland.

 

 

 

And whoa... second Roof Top of the evening and then it al clicked. It is exactly the same roof top I could see from Frank's (I know, it takes me a bit of effort to figure this kind of things out). So more music, more food stalls (Fleishmob... Schnitzel!) and more drinks.

 

 

And after exploring, I went back to Frank's. Did not queue. Gathered with my friends and moreover, I enjoyed the stunning views from the top. And back to the Kerb, this time for real, until it shut at 24h00. Nobody wanted such summer night to end.

 

 

 

 

But recapping to the important bit. What is Frank's?

Well, somebody a few years back, had an idea. Peckham, the new Dalston (?), unexplored territory until not long ago. It is located in a multi-storey car park next to the Pekchamplex. A place which you would not think to go in winter, for the fear of probably being stabbed or to interrupt a drug deal in one of its floors. But in summer it changes: you can feel the stream of hipsters going towards the stuck-in-the-past cinema. Just follow them to the right... am I going in the right direction? There is a yellow door. The pedestrian access to the Multi-storey park, and just because it is not dark you don't feel like you're going somewhere dangerous, but there is no way you can explain those directions to a friend that is coming 10 minutes after, because your friend would never think is going in the right direction.

So you open the yellow door and start going up the concrete stairs and think for a second that at some point in your life you had a car, but you know for sure that you did not park it there. Keep going up and you see what it looks like Malarky has drawn a cheeky monster on one of the windows. Keep going up and you exit the stairs.

Now you are in the parking space. Cars, a few cars...

Oh, a queue!

Ok. You feel reassured, you are not in the middle of a drug deal, but in the place to be down South on a Friday night, and hence the hour-long wait to get inside.

 

 

 

 

But what can I say? It is definitely worth it.

 

 

 

And mind you, the views are the most stunning views in London. Forget about The Shard.

 

 

 

 

 

And because it is a British Summer, the clouds come and threaten to ruin it all. But it doesn't matter.

 

 

But this is the great thing about the British Summer. You have to embrace the sun and the outdoors, because you certainly don't know how long will it last. In London, we don't have a beach, but we certainly have the vibes, and the places.

 

On the way back home, I got lectured about great pubs around the Rye and I can't wait to see them all, but that will be another story.

 

Urban Masters 2012

Right in the middle of Shoreditch, right off Curtain Rd, in a little alleyway behind Hewett St, behind doors that could perfectly belong to a backstreet car hand wash, just signalled by a handmade cardboard and white chalk: Urban Masters, organised by The Opera Gallery. Quite an interesting offset from the usual white wall gallery but in the shape and form of what street art is: something more warehouse-y, in an old Victorian Factory. 13 Hearn Street.

To warm up, a classic 80s tag in blue and green neon by Risk.

One of my favourites pieces from the exhibition was actually right at the entrance. Remarkable in its bright magenta background, there it was: a portrait of Chairman Mao made out of more than 9000 plastic soldiers, by Joe Black. Brilliant.

And right next to Mao, there it was ROA, with his usual animal pieces and bit à la Gunther Von Hagens, showing the internal bits of the dog (titled Canis), and a hint of anatomy class for kids. Brilliant as usual, bone included.

Kan was also there, with his puntillistic approach to emulate Warhol's signature pieces. Made with markers.

Interesting dynamic piece by the German Mentalgassi, consisting on the parallel slates of a fence: different angles, two different pieces, or nothing, depending on the perspective. It reminded me of the very famous garage door on Curtain Road that showcases the pieces with the same concept of different angles.

Love, Crash and Burn by Zevs. It reminded me of thehuge crashed car at the Sunday Upmarket.

And yes, before anybody asks, Bansky was also invited to the party, but in my opinion, his piece did not bring much to the table. So was Blek Le Rat, but still, the Parisian is not my cup of tea anyway. Bleh, let's move on.

And the night was all about the portraits. Shall we call this piece 'Portrait of Picasso with an Oomph'? Because everything looked pretty normal from afar, but the close up look was another story. Also by Joe Black, and definitely an artist I am going to keep following.

Badges, definitely not suitable for work.

The brilliant Colombian Stinkfish was also there in the house to showcase his art. He just left discrete piece in wood and black ink, shy in comparison with his usual colourful pieces that we are used to see, but still terrific. Powerful. One of my favourites.

Nick Gentry, new for me, gambled for the portrait again, taken me back to childhood, given a far more functional use to the loathed floppy disks. It was quite entertaining to spot the programs on the labels. Actually a Londoner: Social art from the obsolete, that's what his biography says.

Piece on wood by ZeZão.

More Graphical and sober was ---- with the use of nails and string, which by the way, reminded me of the London-based artist Perspicere, who uses a similar technique. Good stuff.

The exhibition was starting to be a retrospective thing, a return to my childhood in terms of the materials used by the artists: string, floppy disks, markers, and now painted toy trains, by Gris1.

A reinterpretation of Picasso's masterpiece Guernica by Ron English. Still dramatic, but in another different tone. Cowgirl Guernica.

David Shillinglaw. Impressive too.

The very famous around East London streets C215 didn't want to miss the opportunity to hang one of his pieces in a disused road sign.

Free, exciting and sufficient. A good wrap up for all the Street Art that has been blooming around on the last year.

We want more.

Masters indeed. This was a good lecture.