Smash 'N ... Stick?
I live about a 10 minute walk from my nearest train station. There's a busy underpass that I go past every time I head in that direction, usually full of posters and promos for gigs, new albums, theatre shows, even warehouse sales etc. I'm not as on-top-of upcoming gigs as I used to be, so I have to admit there have been a few times when these bill posters have done me a favour and alerted me to something I otherwise wouldn't have had any clue about. I know bill posters are a scourge to councils, and the main complaints seem to be that they create an eyesore, not to mention a lot of litter being generated from the repeated stripping off of old posters, to be hastily replaced by new ones.
Much like stencil art and other graffiti though, there is something about these posters that tells you more than what's presented at face value. At any one time, it can tell you a lot about trends, like the inexplicable resurgence of groups from the '80s and '90s embarking on tours (eg. Roxette, The Pointer Sisters, Cold Chisel), and especially at this time of year, it also acts as a reminder of the so-called "festival" season coming up (eg. Queenscliff, Golden Plains, Future). Another thing about these posters (that's always puzzled me anyway) is the question of when the phantom bill posters actually ply their trade. So many times on my way to work, I'd look over at the underpass and notice a proliferation of new posters that had apparently popped up overnight.
One of the first things I used to say to folks when they asked me what I was up to once I stopped working (apart from doing the mandatory daily job search), was "actually finding out what happens during the day". At first, it's a bit like playing truant, getting to see what goes on during business hours when you're not part of any business anymore. From watching the comings and goings around my block of flats, to strolling over to the post office or bank without having to sprint there after work to make it before they shut. So you can imagine my amazement when I was on my way back from getting some groceries and walking through said underpass this afternoon. Two fuzzy-faced guys leaped out of a white van and proceeded to swiftly stick up a couple of posters with ninja-like speed. This took no longer than a couple of minutes, after which they jumped back into the van (which they left running) and went on their way.
It probably says a lot about the quality of my life (or lack thereof) at the moment that I've actually devoted time and effort to write about it, not to mention that I did get some wry amusement from it. And after all the banging on about what these posters convey to us, I didn't even get a good look at what theirs were advertising. No doubt when I go back and find out, that will serve as fodder for another post.
Much like stencil art and other graffiti though, there is something about these posters that tells you more than what's presented at face value. At any one time, it can tell you a lot about trends, like the inexplicable resurgence of groups from the '80s and '90s embarking on tours (eg. Roxette, The Pointer Sisters, Cold Chisel), and especially at this time of year, it also acts as a reminder of the so-called "festival" season coming up (eg. Queenscliff, Golden Plains, Future). Another thing about these posters (that's always puzzled me anyway) is the question of when the phantom bill posters actually ply their trade. So many times on my way to work, I'd look over at the underpass and notice a proliferation of new posters that had apparently popped up overnight.
One of the first things I used to say to folks when they asked me what I was up to once I stopped working (apart from doing the mandatory daily job search), was "actually finding out what happens during the day". At first, it's a bit like playing truant, getting to see what goes on during business hours when you're not part of any business anymore. From watching the comings and goings around my block of flats, to strolling over to the post office or bank without having to sprint there after work to make it before they shut. So you can imagine my amazement when I was on my way back from getting some groceries and walking through said underpass this afternoon. Two fuzzy-faced guys leaped out of a white van and proceeded to swiftly stick up a couple of posters with ninja-like speed. This took no longer than a couple of minutes, after which they jumped back into the van (which they left running) and went on their way.
It probably says a lot about the quality of my life (or lack thereof) at the moment that I've actually devoted time and effort to write about it, not to mention that I did get some wry amusement from it. And after all the banging on about what these posters convey to us, I didn't even get a good look at what theirs were advertising. No doubt when I go back and find out, that will serve as fodder for another post.
posted by yossarian | 3:16 PM
2 Comments:
Ah, so the question is: What did they stick up there and did it work... did you get tickets?
turned out the poster was advertising some sort of new computer game! it was replaced within about 48 hours by a fluorescent yellow promo for the Arctic Monkeys ... no tickets purchased, but if (and this shows how far down my head has been stuck in the sand) their sound resembles any of the soundtrack to Submarine (which one of the band members put together), it'd be worth going.
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