We have been informed that we must wear black. The Photo shoot is with photographer Rankin www.rankin.co.ukand it is for the Royal Festival Hall Hoardings.www.rfh.org.uk . The Royal Festival Hall was built at The Festival of Britain and is presently undergoing it’s multimillion makeover. I’ll be writer in residence there for 2007.
Yesterday night went to The Curzon cinema on Shaftesbury Avenue just a hop skip and a punch away from Daddy Cool, The Boney M story. This was different to that. It’s A film about Al Gores “crusade” on Global Warming. The film clears the air of all polluting propaganda and presents an illuminating case. But it is shot like a presidential campaign film, without the irony. Here is the man who would’ve been president of United States of America presenting a campaigning film. And I don’t mean campaigning in the Michael Moore way. No shakey hand held camera here. The soft focus, slow fades and calm voice overs it makes me feel slightly queezy. Play it backwards and it will say “I was rwoOOobbed bbbbbyyyyyy boooooosh”. It’s High Noon at the ok corral. It’s the wild wild west. Bush spits into the dusty earth “boy draw your guns and take a pop” Gore sets up an easel and drinks coke.
Had it not been for Dubyas dubious vote counting friends in Florida then Al Gore would have been president. But he could be selling me anything in this film.. And in some ways it is a presidential campaign. Al Gore wants to be president not of America, but THE WORLD. The event was a screening for The London City Council “family” and began with a talk by its father Ken Livingstone – the mayor. In the Gun Fight Scenario ken would be the bar owner peering out. Sorry to bore the hell out of you with this whole Al Gore thing but I find America and Americans fascinating and I will be there in just a few days, in Arizona, so it was good for my foreign Policy.
Anywho, for the Royal Festival Hall photoshoot I requested a car to pick me up and drop me off. I thought the shoot was in west London, about an hour and a half away. I realise this morning that it’s actually in east London, ten minutes from where I live. I could have gone by bike. I have just contributed to Global Warming. Doh! Sorry Al.