After collecting work over the previous week, we sat at in 42 New Briggate, the day before our opening, looking at the prepped walls and knew the work was just getting started. Our team grew, friends had already been pulled previously, we got lucky with volunteers. Stephen Langdon came in to finish dropping work off, he got drafted in to help, Liz Minns with fresh experience from the Brudenell social club exhibition 'Prime Cut' and Test Space's best find- Debi Holbrook; with her drill, her drive and ability to just not stop helping.
We got to work.
With Test Space cataloguing and storage system working to perfection, furniture more or less in place, a free-standing flyer rail (that Neil of Test Space insisted we use), we started to lay out the first exhibition. Some manoeuvring later, some work went up, some more manoeuvring later and more work went up.
9pm rolled round and we were getting round to finishing. It looked good. Mr. Yen's delicate cut-outs, Ferre's big painted canvases Tom Morris and Jay Maude's photos and of course the amazing image by Justin Gratsy made us feel we were ready for the first opening night. Not to forget Catherine Chialton and her Deep Dark Voyages print, so, so cool.
Only Crash Records exhibition to do then.
Friday morning and the Test enlarged team arrived bright and early to create another exhibition. The work was laid out, equipment arrived and the work, almost smoothly, went up. Furniture was place and replaced, moved and tried out, items were laid out for sale, relaid-out and moved one more time.
Suddenly 3pm came round the corner and we so close to finishing. Anybody who turned up was then drafted in to finish, as on time as possible.
ABC Club kicked things off, shortly followed by the acoustic songs of Charlie Bath. The music was great, a five piece band on a tiny stage, rocking out in the afternoon. Charlie slowed things down nicely, her guitar stylings calming us all down.
Lastly, not long before we were to close the Crash opening, our crack team of Sound guys helped Laura J Martin organise her equipment for her unique and beautiful musical creations.
Test Space did falter for a second as Laura gently let us know we did not have a piece of kit she really needed. 'Shit' was the only response we (I mean just Steve of Test Space) could manage. Gratefully she soldiered on, only stopping half-way through the first song due the the lack of said kit. Laura carried on, undaunted, and was, as usual fabulous. Her flute playing classy, singing soft and sweet, ukulele fun and her ability to do all this while looping the sounds she is making at the same time was, as usual, staggering.
You can not beat a bit if Laura J Martin's music.
At Crash you would have seen the amazing composition of Tom Martin's photos, the graffiti influenced photos of Moenipulation and the pretty mindscape prints of Steph Says Hello. 42 we have already mentioned.
Then onto the grand opening of our take over of 42 New Briggate.
We laid on some booze to help things start at Crash, more was on hand at 42, some kind people even brought their own to share and some lovely Test Space buns had been made. The relaxed atmosphere of a gallery opening descended and we finally began the relax. The first day of the festival was almost done, it had gone almost to plan. We could sit, talk to people, drink just a little (remembering there was more to do tomorrow). Or watch the feverish drawings of Limn X Limn as they drew using an Over-head-projector each, displaying them for all to see and listen to I Dream in Metaphors play her songs in the back room of 42.
The only little problem was the heat of the evening. In the back room Limn drawing over what is basically a hot light bulb, stuck behind a plastic sheet, looked like they were working in a sweat-shop. When asked if anything could be done to help them, water maybe? There response was 'no, its alright we've got cider'.
But for a glimpse of the whole event take a look at our flickr.
Before this post finishes we must remember to mention Rabbit Portal for his hard work and beautiful window picture, he created for us all evening (and some of the day after).
We had just eight more days of events to go.
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