Jade's Music Blog

2008-a unique chance for Liverpool to cast off the role of cultural theme park, and reinvent itself as a centre of creative innovation and a modern European city.

Talking to people in the creative industries, I hear much pessimism, perhaps not all of it entirely unfounded. We have been let down by our political leaders so many times over the years, and the infighting over the leadership of the Culture Company, the cancelation of this years' Matthew Street festival and the resignation of Robyn Archer did not bode well.

But we should recall what the focus of next year is-CULTURE, not administration.

This city and people has always had a massive creative spark, something that I believe has its' roots back in the oral storytelling culture of our celtic forefathers-our DNA is the same as Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett, James Joyce and Flann O'Brien! These men were rebels and revolutionaries-Joyce was the first man to abandon linear narrative in 'Ulysses'- and THAT is our heritage.

In conversation with a journalist friend of mine, I argued that if creative forms are to change, artists must look at structure rather than style- an architect from the Bahaus school put it beautifully when he said 'the style is the lie'.

For example Picasso was able to take painting forward by abandoning linear perspective, giving a sense of 'walking around' the subject rather than viewing it head-on. So I urge artists, musicians, writers, comedians, dj's, anyone to take this on board.

The future is about changing the very building blocks of what we do, not dabbling with stylistic collage approaches, which in reality is tantamount to eclectic plagarism. One of the problems of our times, certainly in the western world, is the growth of 'ironic art'. The bottom line mentality is 'this is rubbish but we both know it, so aren't we clever.' For me, this is artistic cowardice of the worst kind, a way of hedging bets with a built in escape clause-'it's irony, don't you get it?'

Best example-the Darkness-remember them? A post-modern version of Queen? No thanks.

All great art has influences-nothing is created in a vacuum-but the greatest works are a product of synthesis, not a cheap copy. We all need role models at first, but who could be happy eternally cowering in the shadow of Pablo Picasso, Bill Hicks or John Lennon? When reading a book, watching a film, listening to music, ask yourself this question-what does it say about the time in which it was created?

Part of the problem of Liverpool within the artistic community is the perception of our recent history-crushed by the weight of our own legend. We now have to cast this aside, and make new history for our children to revel in.

The legacy of the Beatles is something to savour-not reproduce slavishly. The beautiful thing about the fabs is that they were catalysts for change. If the Beatles had the attitude of Oasis, they would have sounded like Louis Armstrong! Remember Joyce? Wake up! It's the future...

I recently encountered the remarkable Anton from the Brian Jonestown Massacre, who is a real creative, charismatic zealot. Will not be bought and sold. He is from San Francisco, HE believes in us as a city. Do YOU?

Here is the point. With the eyes of the world upon us, we have a chance to kick start a new renaissance-but we have to take risks. We cannot be bought and sold. It's about STRUCTURE, stupid! So learn the lessons of the past, but always look to the future-and CREATE DANGEROUSLY!

...now lets go get 'em!

Fabian Rothschilde, Cultural Assassin, October 2007