Kate Moss by Mario Testino

Just when you thought Kate Moss couldn't become any more iconic...

Well, she surpasses herself, again! It seems that she has this uncanny ability to maintain prominence within the socialite ether/public eye, even when she is trying to live a bit more of a low-key, normal(?!) existence!

Here, fashion snapper Mario Testino has recaptured the 'sexy' that ultimately led to the explosive birth of Kate Moss! There's a glamour about these new shots that calls-home with when she was first noticed as a model!

These images carry a phenomenal allure; a consequence of an extraordinary 20 year friendship between Testino and Moss. The intimacy established from the trust and familiarity between the pair is on show for all to see, giving an honest insight into the lives and minds of two of the world’s definitive style leaders!

Taschen have lovingly produced Kate Moss by Mario Testino, and unsurprisingly so! The German publishers have always taken a risk on content, The Sunday Times Style Magazine uncovered how, 'for 30 years now, this prolific company has been publishing what it darned well wants to.'

Having finished being shown (and sold in limited editions of two) at Phillips de Pury & Co’s South West London showroom, the super-size shots will be on view for a longer stint at The Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea. Definitely worth a look!

A Field. A Day.

I had been looking forward to this for too long! But, as usual I have managed to cock it all up, and have made myself unable to attend this years Field Day festival, Victoria Park (31.07.10). Just great! Seriously, I'm so hacked off. Pulling a sicky is so tantalizing, but Beni, although being ridiculous, burnt a bit of a hole in my pocket!

Basically, the main reason for being so bummed out is that all the bands that I have been championing, more or less, are playing on various stages throughout the day! Whether it's Atlas Sound, Toro Y Moi, Caribou, Silver Apples, Mount Kimbie, Moderat, Fake Blood, These New Puritans, No Age, and Egyptian Hip Hop, to mention a few...

To quote... "East London’s finest festival is back for it’s 4th year with yet another spectacular line up. Field Day has firmly cemented it’s place in the UK festival calendar with a plethora of aural delights and rustic merrymaking... whilst off-the-wall Village Green area, 'Village Mentality', will supply plenty of rural fayre".

All I would say is... Just GO! Tickets are still available for around £30. I know how much I am missing out already! Plus, I was going to go with a mate I hadn't seen in a while! Please, if anyone wants to A) stump up some cash to finance the day B) cover my shift at work - well, then, that'd be lovely! However, reality bites. Next year?!

Boy & Bear

A band from Australia. Boy & Bear were introduced to me through a girl I met in Barcelona. When she said, "My boyfriend is in a band", I just hope my eyes didn't roll too obviously... Especially as, since being back, I found Boy & Bear were not the poor man's Wolfmother (not that I have a problem with Wolfmother) that I was expecting! Very far from it! Folk-revival, or Nu-Folk seems to be all the rage currently, and with an essence of Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver, this Sydney five-piece are staking their claim!

Oz has offered up something far more tentative and caring than it's traditional rock and dance stereotypes. Surprisingly, soft and melodic sounds drench The Storm, which has a real organic and hearty feel about it. Whilst a mix of harmony and perky guitar deliver Mexican Mavis! After a successful Spring-time UK Tour with Laura Marling now behind them, and a string of sold out home shows with Mumford & Sons approaching, Boy & Bear seem to have things right where they want them!

Check out their recently released debut EP - With Emperor Antarctica

Festival Internacional de Benicàssim

Well... I survived! FIB Heineken 2010 was resoundingly awesome! A quality experience. Sure, I had a bunch of UK festivals behind me, but on departure to Spain, I was a bit unsure about what to expect of this much hailed Summer event - viewed as one of the gems in the festival crown! Time for some Euro-style...

Nothing to worry about! After recovering from a couple of heavy nights in Barcelona (due to meeting two fun Aussie girls, and the small matter of a victorious World Cup final for Spain) Beni had a great deal to offer. The scrum for a spot to set up a homestead in BeniCamp on the Monday was interesting, as the Spanish stewards (trying to be hardline) eventually succumbed to the British willingness to wait!

After acquainting ourselves with the neighbours, and the shopping in the nearby Lidl (yes, Lidl) was done (Rachmaninoff voddy at €4!!! And, equally cheap rum!) the party began to commence! A solid 4 days of excessive drinking, occasional smoking, extreme partying, beach-towel sunning, new meeting, aqua-parking, paella eating, etc. This, all before the festival had even opened its doors!

Thursday night. The music starts! It was so weird being at a festival were everything literally goes on all night, and well on into the next day, well... the recovery anyway!

Big acts enthralled the crowds! Indie and alternative acts headlined the 9/10/11/12 PM slots, bowing out to let the dance/electro/d'n'b/teckno posse's to aggressively take over! Magnetic Man, Scratch Perverts, DJ Shadow, Scream, Funkagenda, Benga, and Boys Noize smashed the early hours to pieces! (The amount of people on Class A's it was unsurprising that the crowds swelled as each night went on!)

The Specials, Kasabian, Cut Copy, Midnight Juggernauts, The Prodigy, Vampire Weekend, Gorrilaz, Ellie Goulding, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Foals, Klaxons, among many others all took to one of the three stages, and subsequently tore them apart! The whole musical acts/surroundings seemed to fit quite poetically, and created a really calm and chilled festival vibe! Dancing was high on the agenda!!

The campsite, daily, kicked up new surprises, such as rats, snakes chucked in the shower, vom in places, loutish Scousers, swim-short theft, shit-sprayed toilet cubicles, angry Macunians, topped by the general mess of heavy boozing and littering proved testing. It seemed to become a non-issue though as each day went! I ended sleeping on a abandoned tennis court, gazing at the stars. Nice!

All in all, as I sit here, clean, I miss it. It was the best festival I have been to by far! The atmosphere, angry people aside, was spot on! People just seemed to want to chat with anyone, have fun, make friends, and be merry! 2011, hurry up!!