Marc Almond - 'Deities & Demons' Exhibition Opening, TCFE Gallery, London, 16/4/2024

  by Steev Burgess

published: 19 / 12 / 2024

Happily asleep on my sofa recovering from a bout of flu, I was awoken from my slumber by a pinged invitation to the opening of an exhibition of the collages of Marc Almond in a new gallery space in an alley off of Denmark Street. Being a collage artist myself and an admirer of the songs of Almond, this was so much up my street that my name could have been thumbed in the grime. So, dosed up with meds, I made my way to town. On entering, it was clear that I'd have to revisit on another day to get a good look at the art as the place was crowded, full of art world notables and Soho faces having a catch up. There were seventeen of Marc's "pagan self-portraits and mood boards", plus some large Nineties portraits of the singer by Matthew Stradling, Pierre et Gilles prints from the ‘Enchanted’ album and a large red sleazy neon seeking a new home. The mood boards - with titles like ‘Paralysed by Paranoia’, ‘Fanatics of Evil’ and ‘A Winged Malevolence’ - had a kind of chaotic symmetry about them. At the far end of the room there was a motorbike, and a small stage set up for performance. Quickly grabbing a couple of gin and gingers generously provided by the gallery (to make sure I didn't cough through the performance, you understand), I took my place stage right. Considering Almond came close to death in a motorbike crash, there was something triumphant about the leather-clad singer taking the stage and perching nonchalantly upon the machine. He was flanked by Kimberlee and Martin McCarrick on violin, cello and accordion and, being very much a fan of Cabaret Marc, I was delighted by what this little ensemble promised to deliver. I was not to be disappointed. Marc quipped that he gets well paid elsewhere to deliver the hits as he reached into his back catalogue to perform songs from his Marc and the Mambas days and the ‘Mother Fist and Her Five Daughters’ album. The set lasted over half an hour and included such gems from his own pen as ‘There is a Bed’, ‘The Hustler’, ‘Ruby Red’, and ‘Mother Fist’, the only song I can think of that celebrates onanism. He is, of course, a great singer of the songs of others too, and Lou Reed's ‘Caroline Says’ from the ‘Berlin’ album was done to perfection. With Martin McCarrick in the room and he being a long term contributor to the work of Siouxie and the Banshees, they powered their way through Siouxie's ‘Love in A Void’ with Almond, an artist that I've never seen give less than 101%, seeming to enjoy every moment. At the end of the evening I walked down Tin Pan Alley with the slightly smug satisfaction that I'd witnessed something special - one to remember.

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