Logo for The Spammed

Keith Sargent is Creative Director at "building number one." (b#1) is a highly skilled full service design agency based in North London and Kent. (b#1) provides creative graphic design services to clients of many shapes and sizes located all over the world. Previously Keith was the owner of the graphic design company immprint. Keith may have done lots of things in the past and may even do lots of things in the future but ultimately he will be remembered for being the man who designed the logo for The Spammed.

Artwork for Micko Westmoreland's "Yours ETC Abc" album

A new album by Micko Westmoreland called "Yours Etc ABC" is being released on Landline Records this September. Ian McDonnell designed the album sleeve - I think he's done a great job. On the front there is a cropped version of a Harry Pye & Kes Richardson painting from 2009 called "Every Relationship Comes With a Clock Attached." The album has a gate fold sleeve - so when you open the album you see a brand new Team Beswick & Pye painting of Brian Jones in his swimming pool. And on the back cover there's a painting based on Robert De Niro (as Rupert Pupkin in The King of Comedy).

Micko Westmoreland is best known for his role as "Jack Fairy" in Todd Haynes' Bafta award winning film Velvet Goldmine. In 1998 he signed to Interscope Records under the moniker The Bowling Green. and released two albums of Drill'n'bass electronica: "One Pound Note" album (1998) and "Fabrication" (2003). Impressively NME magazine awarded Micko "Single of the Week" 3 times. Having decided to change direction completely by abandoning dance music and writing songs with lyrics instead he signed to Terry Edwards's Sartorial records and released "Wax & Wayne" under his own name in 2009. "Yours ETC Abc" has been a long time coming. I'm looking forward to the launch party at The A-Side B-Side Gallery in Hackney. The album features guest musicians including Mark Bedford (of Madness)and Mickey Gallagher (of The Blockheads). Style wise the music is 1966 meets 1980. Micko writes very well constructed songs. His album deserves to do very well indeed.

Image Above: Micko with Ian McDonnell

Image Above: Micko with Team Beswick & Pye

In The Studio with Howard Dyke

I first got to know Howard Dyke in 2008 when he, Geraldine Swayne and Iavor Lubomirov invited me to be in a big group show they were curating called "Fresh Air Machine" that took place at Calvert 22. I've always enjoyed his company and his paintings so I was pleased he was up for making some work for me. Our collaboration will appear in my "Life of Pye" event that will take place at The Angus Hughes gallery in mid August.

Above: Howard Dyke 1

Above: Me making a start before Howard turns up

Above: Howard making a mess

Above: Harry holds up half of the Dyke/Pye masterpiece

Above: Early Days

Above: Detail 1

Above: Detail 2

Above: Detail 3

Above: Detail 4

Great times at Brattwell Recordings/Lightship95 Studio

Yesterday Team Beswick & Pye climbed aboard Lightship95, a recording studio on a ship, permanently moored at Trinity Buoy Wharf, East London. They were there to drink tea and document the recording of "Revolution" by The Spamned and extra special guest Neil Innes. The footage will be screened at a Beatles themed charity event in aid of House of Fairy Tales.

One: Scabies at The 02

Two: The cat in the hat

Three: Micko in the studio

Four: The Spamned

Five: Ship Ahoy

Six: Rat and Rory at the controls

Seven: Praying "It's Gonna Be All - Right"

Eight: Rat Reading

Nine: "If you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao"

Ten: Gordon "Cameraman" Beswick

Eleven: "The Pye's The Limit"

Twelve: "All - Right"

Thirteen: Bit of a Blur

Fourteen: The Inspirational Mr Innes

Fifteen: "Nothing like a nice cup of tea"

Sixteen: Neil and Kevin. ------------------- The Spammed (A.K.A. Scabies, Eldon, Westmoreland, Panter) have also recorded a cover of The Clash classic "Tommy Gun." The track will appear on a compilation CD called "Specialized 4: Combat Cancer" which is sold in aid of The Teenage Cancer Trust. More news soon.

Chalkie Davies at National Museum Cardiff

Chalkie Davies is responsible for many of my favourite photos of my favourite bands. I'm really glad a collection of his early works, taken during his days with the NME and The Face magazine, is being displayed at the National Museum Cardiff from May 9 until September 6. Chalkie was recently interviewed by The Guardian and told them he's doing the show as he feels the time is right for his story to be told... “(My tale is)how a kid from Sully can go to London all alone, and end up getting the one job he always wanted, and then to work with all the people he admired, to help shape and mould them visually, to create the images the fans would see, and most importantly remember.

“That’s the key to it all, the images must be definitive, iconic I guess, and if kids put those photos on their bedroom wall then I had done my job properly.” Yesterday I was in the company of original Damned drummer Rat Scabies and 2-Tone legend Horace Panter. I brought copy of Chalkie's excellent book ("Pointed Portraits") along. Scabies and Panter both had very positive memories of Davies both of them were saying they thought he was a great photographer and great person to hang out with too.

Chalkie's exhibition has been supported by the People’s Postcode Lottery and entry is free.