Cans Festival – May 3rd-5th 2008
I decided to check out the Cans Festival which was publicised just a few days ago. The location had been kept a secret while Banksy, Bandit, Jef Aerosol and others transformed a bland tunnel near Waterloo Station, into a street art extravaganza.
I hadn’t been expecting queues, and was told they were an hour or so long 
I was told it was worth waiting for, and I can confirm that it definitely was!
I snapped some random graffiti while waiting in the queue.
This was even before I was in the tunnel itself.
Finally in!
I think everyone in there had a camera of some sort. It was actually quite a mission to get pictures without someone’s arm or head in view.
A couple of pieces by Jef:
This is by Hutch:
Most of these are best full-viewed in order to appreciate the intricate details.
These guys were still adding stuff to the exhibition
I guess this is Lily Allen
I’ve never seen a burned out car like this before:
I like noticing the small details..
This gorgeous piece is by Mark Jones aka farkfk
I saw a guy sitting and reading, and I asked if he was one of the organisers. He said he was an unofficial organiser. I asked him what he meant and he said he was one of the artists. I asked which one, and he said he couldn’t tell me his name, despite my efforts to persuade him Could it be Banksy?!
I asked to take a picture and he said that was fine. Of course I managed to snap him with his eyes shut. Go me!
He told me all the walls would be cleaned eventually, and the cleanup operation would cost £300,000. It seems like such a shame to get rid of it all though. He said the graffiti would still be on show for a while still.
[EDIT] I have just been informed by the genius that is Jef Aerosol that he is in fact stencil artist, Pure Evil – I guess the T-Shirt wasn’t a big enough clue for me! Thanks Jef 
Here is one of Pure Evil’s stunning pieces:
This guy below in the hoodie was just sitting on the sofa for ages , observing people walking past. Maybe this is Banksy!?!?
Or not.
I think the piece that impressed me the most was this:
The image was chiselled out of the wall itself – amazing. It was produced by Vhils.
It’s our new Mayor! The wonderfully competent Boris. I still cannot believe he got the most votes.. something must have gone seriously wrong!
The event was open to the general public to showcase their work, and artists were still working away.
What a great opportunity for these guys to have their stuff alongside major graffiti artists.
At the end of the tunnel there was a book for anyone to draw/write in. I couldn’t think of anything original enough so hey, may as well spam! 
Well that’s it – graffiti overload over!
I think this has got to be the best art exhibition I’ve been to. The atmosphere was electric – there was music blaring out from one of the cars, soothing piano pieces from the other end, and you could see ongoing art being produced. What I love is that this art is meaningful and powerfully projected. There were so many statements being made. It was thought-provoking, humourous, colourful, eclectic, and just ace really. There was so much to see.. I’m convinced that in the time I spent there, I must have missed a lot of the fine details. I could have spent the whole day if I’d had the time!
Thanks to all the artists who contributed to this spectacular arrangement – you guys have done a tremendous job.
I spent a lunch hour walking around Brick Lane, famous for its curry houses and large Bangladeshi community.
I couldn’t decide between these two shots of the street sign. I like the pink bins, but also the grubby windows. Hm.
Yesterday, local elections took place across the country, and in London, this included the Mayoral elections. The official result isn’t in yet, but apparently Boris Johnson is leading.. 
This shot just about sums up what I think of Boris.
As you’ve probably guessed, I didn’t vote for him. He’s a complete buffoon, along with this photographer.
All of these are taken with the 50mm.
Amy Winehouse seems to be everywhere these days.
What I love about this area is its artistic atmosphere – there’s graffiti pretty much everywhere, and even shops are quirky and different, like this jewellery store selling some interesting earrings..
.. and a shop specialising in funky baby wear.
The store (called Oh Baby) actually sued the police over the item above, claiming their design had been copied.
You’d think this is some kind of camera store, right?
Actually, it’s a vintage store selling designer clothes. I told the owner that I was misled into thinking it had something to do with cameras, and he said ‘Well at least it gets people coming into the shop’. Now there’s a tactic – draw in customers who are interested in cameras to buy vintage clothing.
The door of 10 Downing Street would definitely look cooler like this:
I was taking that shot when the guy on the right asked me to take a picture of his mate.
He was quite nonchalant, as you can see.
Indian sweets:
Hm, Fashion Street is not so fashionable. Then again, old is in now, right?
This shot demonstrates just how close this area is to London’s financial centre – literally a 5 minute walk. It’s an odd combination really.
I was looking at some graffiti when this man started talking to me about how the colours on the walls really liven the place up.
His name’s Joe, and he works in a nearby hostel for homeless people. He described his job as a handyman; fixing lights, making sure alcohol isn’t taken into the building, keeping the building safe, among other things. Very friendly.
So that’s a little snapshot into East London’s Brick Lane, one of my favourite places to walk around.
I went to the Zee Cine Awards in London on 26th April, which is like the Bollywood version of the Oscars. I was able to go backstage, which was very cool
Dia Mirza:
Karan Johar:
It was an experience being alongside pro photographers snapping people on the red carpet. They were shouting for the actors and actresses to look their way so they could get their shot. It was all really fake and made me realise just how unglamorous it is. Definitely not my kind of photography (at least not with the lenses I have!).
I asked one English guy next to me who he worked for and whether he knew any of the ‘celebs’. He said he’s with Getty, and he only recognised Shilpa Shetty, but that he specialises in the Indian market
Dancers preparing backstage:
These guys were amazing:
I bumped into the brilliant Monika Molnar whose dance class I go to 
I had no idea some of her crew were performing later on:
Chunky Pandey:
Arjun Rampal:
It was really dark backstage and since I’ve never really bothered to learn how to use my flash properly, the pics weren’t too great (such as this unflattering image of Karishma Kapoor). As soon as I’d taken a pic using flash, I couldn’t immediately take a second, and autofocus was useless. Gotta read the manual! I’m just glad I also took my compact digi.
Anyway, I’ll end with a shot from the London Marathon which took place on April 13th.
I have nothing but respect for this runners.
I’ve just heard the results of the London Mayoral Election. Well done London for voting in the biggest idiot (not to mention a Conservative..) to run this city! 
