Mastering the harmonium. Touring Europe with our rag tag bunch of players
Music
Song List for NICOICONPLAY
Keep it with MIne...Bob Dylan
Venus IN Furs...Velvet Underground
Sunday Morning...Velvet Underground
Europian Son...Velvet Underground
Frozen Warnings...Paffgen/Cale
All Tomorrows Parties...Acapella
Niebeulungen...Rework, Harmonium
Saeta...Paffgen
The End...Morrison
Alone...Paffgen/Grundy
Ultraviolet Productions
present
NICO ICON PLAY
By Stella Grundy
An exploration into the life and times of Christa Paffgen;
Model, Actress & Singer with the Velvet Underground
Through the use of live music, film & theatre.
nico icon play's Companies
Ultraviolet Productions Manchester, UK
nico icon play Is clearing the decks Posted at 5:37 PM Feb 26 view more
About me: This play as become an obsession...to tell a story.
Nico Paffgen was a woman who occupied a man's life. accused of theft, violence and racism. She sang like the angel that was banished to hell, she could never stop performing because she had no money and didnt know what else to do.
Spending the last 8 years of her life in Manchester and touring the toilets of the world. we follow some of her less well known adventures. From dancing with Allen Ginsberg to pissing in sinks. A proper rock and roll adventure.
Reveiwed by Kevin Bourke M E N ' Many years ago, I found myself in a South Manchester flat, not far from Southern Cemetery, attempting to interveiw the singer Nico.
it was a strange afternoon, not at least for the sheer incongruity of finding the former top model, Warhol 'superstar' living a hand to mouth existencein the dark days of the mid eighties.
Former Intastella singer Stella Grundy has now been inspired by that intriguing footnote to pop culture history to come up with this tremendously inventive and entertaining new play.
Although it's endorsed by Nico's son Ari, this is far from being a bland hagiography, with the drug-addicted sqular of Nico's later years and the rueful reporting of disastrous tours and off-message petulance playing as much of a part in the story as the superficial glamour of the Warhol years. Grundy, who plays the former Christa Paffgen herself, has crafted an ingenious narrative that strikingly blends theatre with live music and film.including an improbable appearance from Arthur Browne and other local luminaries. It's compelling story, featuring the lkes of Lou Reed, Andy Warhol and Allen Ginsberg along with the irrepressable Alan Wise. Although there are some grotesque goings on and the music can be dangerously convincing as a realistic representation of a shambolic live performances, this is a play
that boasts great copassion as well as searing honesty, despite it's non-naturalistic approach.
sporting a variety of wigs and making a pretty decent stab at Nico's teutonic tones, Grundy is utterly engaging and convincing as the iconic singer and the rest of the cast are also exellent. NICO ICON PLAY is highly recommended.
From New York and Andy Warhol sequences on film, Noco Icon Play veers over to Salford via live tracks and drawling yank Velvet Underground musos who, with a flick of the hair and tongue, turn Manc wasters. As the action prigresses a cavalcade of local characters enter the scene, from Factory's Alan Wise, whose spirit is portrayed to perfection, to an addled John Cale, to Terry Christian on radio who asks nico why she is here...'because of the drugs...' she pouts.
Part film, part play, part zeitgeist capturing, squeezebox squeezing, guitar frenzying, pill popping, needle smacking, torch song dropping drama of the highest calibre. Nico Icon Play is not to be missed.
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NEW EVENTS...NEW EVENTS....NEW EVENTS...........
Live music even at Tiger Tiger Lounge in on 30th October at 9pm till 2am.
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For more information visit
www.thelowry.com
www.nicoiconplay.com
www.nicoiconplay@yahoo.com
Also Next month is theLowry Show www.thelowry.com 12th – 22nd November 2008 and if you book online there is 10 tickets available per for £5I.00
Ticket Hotline: 0870 787 5790 or Group Bookings: 0870 220 2003
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I edited my profile with Thomas' Myspace Editor V4.4
Who I'd like to meet: UPDATED NICO IC0N INFORMATION
Ultraviolet Productions
present
NICO ICON PLAY
By Stella Grundy
An exploration into the life and times of Christa Paffgen;
Model, Actress & Singer with the Velvet Underground
Through the use of live music, film & theatre, Ultraviolet Productions
present three decades capturing the glamour, hedonism & coldness of the
Warhol years through to the drug addiction and squalor of the 1980s.
It chronicles her meeting and close friendship with Manchester svengali,
Alan Wise and her many ill-feted attempts to re-surge as a credible artist.
Written by Front Woman of the '90s band Intastella, the fascination with
Nico began after the discovery of how little was known about the artist
during her Manchester years. Through extensive research and interviews
Nico Icon Play reveals, to a new audience, the dark uncompromising
humour and tragedy of a city familiar to those who grew up in '80s Britain.
In the words of the writer....
"Nico Paffgen was a woman who occupied a man's life, accused of theft,
voilence and racism. She sang like the angel that was banished to hell.
She could never stop performing because she had no money and didn't
know what else to do. Spending the last eight years of her life in
Manchester and touring the toilets of the World. Through interviews
I've discovered many fabulous stories which has enabled us to
document some of her less well known adventures; from dancing with
Allen Ginsberg to pissing in sinks - a proper Rock & Roll adventure."
"I've always thought Stella to be very talented...a true bohemian. She is
Nico's natural successor." - Alan Wise, Music Promoter & Manager
"I am glad she has written a play about my Mama." - Ari Paffgen, Nico's son
www.myspace.com/nicoiconplay
nicoiconplay@yahoo.co.uk
WRITER: Stella Grundy
For more information visit
www.thelowry.com
www.nicoiconplay.com
www.nicoiconplay@yahoo.com
Also Next month is theLowry Show www.thelowry.com 12th – 22nd November 2008 and if you book online there is 10 tickets available per for £5I.00
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WHO ID LIKE TO MEET
John Cale in Berlin@ the 2070 festival in honour of Nico.
we met Artur Browne...God of Hell Fire. He's a gentle man with an amazing voice.
He is appearing at The Islington Mill with Nico Icon Play as part of the launch of Salford film festival.
William Shakespear and Johnny Depp minus his missus...
Cease to know or to tell Or to see or to be your own Cease to know or to tell Or to see or to be your own Have someone else's will as your own Have someone else's will as your own You are beautiful and you are alone You are beautiful and you are alone
fuck the press! looking forward to saturdays performance stella and company x
thanks for the add, saw the play saturday, its fantastic, brilliant cast, especially Stella and Ian Curly as Alan Wise, the multimedia works brilliantly
Stella! hehe. I finally found a copy of the Dream Some Paradise single. Now my Intastella collection is complete! I hope you are doing fantastic, over there. xo
Hi and best wishes from Fruits de Mer Records, a very small but almost perfectly-formed new psych/folk/prog rock label.
Keep checking out our site for old and new videos, all the latest on our first release (The Small Faces' Ogden's Nut Gone Flake meets Van der Graaf Generator's Theme One - both by the brilliant Schizo Fun Addict - a very limited coloured vinyl pressing, just 300 copies worldwide)
PLUS early news on our next two projects, with Mellow Candle's Alison O'Donnell, featuring new versions of classic Nico and Nick Drake songs (especially a great version of 'Frozen Warninings') and Spanish neo-psych band called 'Stay' covering tracks by The Rolling Stones, Graham Nash and Strawberry Alarm Clock.
Both releases will be very limited, colour vinyl issues.
Hope you and your friends enjoy the site and what we're doing, do let us know!
Nice to see we are in your top friends.message us your details and u r on our guestlist for Jun14th. DUB57 : A Brand New Night of Roots versus Electro-Dub. Featuring DJ Brainfood (Suite57 Productions)and DJ Murd (Dusted Sound System) battling it out with vintage vinyl, blending samplers/drum machines/vocal FX . Anyone who wants to bring percussion instruments gets in for half price. £6 on the door they £5 with flyer. 10pm til 4am. The Attic, Oxford Rd.Manchester.M1 5NP LET THE DUB BEGIN...!!!
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NEW TO THE PRESS GANG DISCO MYSPACE - MASSIVE 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE REMIX
DONT FORGET TO CATCH US LIVE AT THE STAR AND GARTER IN MANCHESTER ON THE 23RD MAY 2008 ALONG WITH BANDS SUCH AS GABRIELLES WISH AND THE STALKER PROJECT THIS GIG IS IN AID OF ROCKERS AGAINST RACISM
it's so wonderful that Nico is not completely forgotton and I feel these days more people are interested in her life and her music. She was really UNIQUE and I will always love her
