L&L No. 20. Deptfordia. 1994-1995
Sometime late in 1993
I met up with Ginger Mike and Andrea Joynson
for lunch in Deptford High Street....
They had just been on a guided history tour of the old town
with local Historian Jess Steele
and were so enthused by the experience they relived it again for me,
pointing out all
the sights-Ancient Roman Taverns, Francis Drake’s steps,
Marlowe's murder, Grinling Gibbons
house, John Eveleyn’s Private Zoo, The Victualling Yards,
the Old Rum Stores and so on….
I went home myself enthused by the majesty and wonder
of the place, now entirely
hidden by fried chicken shops,
tower blocks, scrapyards and ratty dead ends.
I wrote the text in one sitting and was performing it
with cellist Harvey Eagles within a
fortnight. Later, I constructed a book around the text…
cut down from a long fold out
river shaped drawing. The first seventy copies had a papier-mache
model of a hanged tar glued to the cover.
We developed the music over the next few years until it became the
centrepiece of our live shows,
incorporating an elaborate dramatic backing tape,
live cello with effects pedals, toy instruments and
costumes. I still perform it
occasionally when invited to perform without the band……
The original 100 or so copies have long since sold out,
but I recently found some
unbound pages in a dusty box in the corner of my studio,
and with a little rearrangement
and reprinting, have managed to rebind
20 pristine (-ish) copies.
if you want to buy one please email me at
hanksoake@gmail.com or paypal direct at:
£25 including inland postage and packing
