Haarfest Memories

So.. it's been a couple of weeks since I took part in Fence Record's inaugural Haarfest, an arts and music festival based in Anstruther in Fife, and I'm finally about able to bring myself to write a small blog summary of what was an absolutely wonderful fortnight.

I arrived the week before, to help set up the arty whatnots. In between seeing King Creosote perform the whole of Sinead O'Connor's I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got album (apparently with no prior warning to the audience) and Gummi Bako performing at the nearby Pittenweem Arts Festival, I was helping a team of ne'er-do-wells paint locally-sourced boulders to look like fruits and cheeses, sew sports day bunting from pieces of parachute material, and occasionally applying the odd coat of paint to the odd oversized chair. This was all under the guidance of Clare McAllister and Nicolas Party (of Blakam).



A stoney lemon on Anstruther beach, care of Nicolas.


Come the second week, the festival proper got underway, as a local disused library (which also served as our workshop) reopened as the Haarshop, selling local artist's wares, with the National Theatre Of Scotland taking over the back room with a fully functional hairdresser's salon and a purpose-built living room (both part of the 99...100 Project - to which a slightly hungover rendition of Hardsparrow's Orange Dog Blues was contributed!).



RM Hubbert playing inside Caiplie Caves.


I didn't get the chance to have my hair cut (they were fully booked) but I did get my photo taken by Sean Dooley, and as well as seeing lots of amazing music, had the opportunity to play a Hardsparrow set outside nearby Caiplie Caves (alongside RM Hubbert and Dominic Waxing Lyrical), and to exhibit artwork in "The Washing Line Show", an exhibition which made use of the communal washing lines by Cellardyke Harbour.





"Sea Sides", acrylic and marker on vinyl + fishing line, a triptych (?) based on the tarot card of the Moon, by Pual N, Peanut Snake's contribution to the Washing Line Show.


I also staged my first ever workshop, a great experience - some of the, erm, rather interesting googley-eyed walnut creations will haunt me to my grave.



Just a selection of the many googley creations made during the workshop.



Googley mania!


Throw in plenty of drinking and merriment, an unforgettably hilarious "Potted Sports Day" at Kilrenny Common, a trip around the harbour with the local rowing club, and the odd bit of late-night swimming, and it was a wonderful, wonderful week.

Congratulations to all involved in staging such a fantastic event, and thanks to Fence for letting me get involved - here's to Haarfest 2011!



RM Hubbert playing outside Caiplie Caves.