The Alley Theatre is
currently hosting a new exhibition by Mike Absalom and Paul
McGuckin which you should really check it out, it's truly exceptional.
This exhibition has been one of my highlights this year, mainly due to finding a truly hidden PR gem for a marketing officer.
In preparation for the PR for the exhibition, Googling the artists backgrounds, I soon became aware that one of the artists, Mike Absalom, had a terrific back story, which would generate exceptional interest in the local and regional press. After getting the green light from Radio Foyle, The Derry Journal, The Strabane Chronicle/Ulster Herald and the Strabane Weekly/Tyrone Con for interviews, we arranged for Mike to travel down from County Mayo for an afternoon of interviews and tours in the Alley's impressive gallery space.
So what was his back story?
Well after growing up in England and Canada, Mike went onto Oxford to study German and French, however a meeting in a train carriage with a Cambridge student studying Classical Persian, Mike changed courses. However University wasn't what you'd expect, "I went to a few lectures, read a few books, then partied the next 4 years". After completing University Mike decided to launch a music career, after a dubious "Rugby Bar room anthem album", he went onto release a number of folk albums in the mid-late 60's. Success soon followed him, including performances on the Old Grey Whistle Test and the Royal Albert Hall, where David Bowie came back stage to talk to him about his performance. He also had the honour of playing on the same bill as the Sex Pistols in the early 70's at a University Student Union gig, "I have to admit I didn't think much of them, their guitars were un-tuned and their dress was rather unpleasant!".
After his music career went quiet, he had various jobs including a job in Iran selling English courses (thanks to his connections with the Prime Minister of Iran and the son of Afghanistan), busking in Paris and Greece, teaching in Canada, performing in an all-female harp group in America, teaching in Sweden, a children's entertainer......the list goes on. Throughout the day Mike had a great habit of talking about his life and dropping into the conversation some incredible facts and stories about his life, for example "Oh that was the time when I travelled across Europe in a old school bus which fell off a cliff, then took a train carriage where I was attacked by a mob not for money but my body, thankfully saved by a Russian, who let me live in her house in Tehran" As many commentators stated "How he survived the party lifestyle of the 60's and the music scene in the late 60/early 70's is a truly remarkable story in itself". I could agree 100% with that comment by the end of the day.
So after a impressive music career, travelling the world, teaching the harp in South America,
mixing with every type of social class, learning several languages including Irish, Swedish, Spanish, French Persian, producing poetry and escaping a mob on a train, Mike thought he would take up painting around 6 years ago. Since then he has major exhibitions around Ireland and the UK, creating a new network of people interested in the creative genius of this mild mannered yet passionate artist. His artwork is now
highly valued and has been purchased across the UK and Ireland, including a couple of paintings to major TV stars.
After 6 years of painting he now feels interested in developing his understanding of ceramics, so in typical Mike style he told me "I have never done it before, however I have bought a kiln and intend to make pottery artwork in the next few weeks". For many people this would be a major investment and career step to take.....for Mike, its just another adventure to add to a very long list.
Speaking to one journalist, we came to the same conclusion after speaking to Mike, "this guy needs to write down his life story, because the tales he has to tell would fill 1000 newspapers not just a column." Why not make your mind up and check out Mike's exhibition at the Alley Until May 29th 2009.
Currently on the podcast site are interview with Mike Absalom (if you don't know him, have a look at Ambrose Blog, his life story is on here!) and Barry Clarke, who stars in Martin Lynch's new show, the Chronicles of Long Kesh, which I had the pleasure to see at the Alley last week. Fantastic, heartbreaking, funny, moving, painful, the show had everything, and justified the standing ovation it received.
