liverandlights: Liver & Lights No 20 Deptfordia...from 1994. New Copies £25 each

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

liverandlights