London vegan news, reviews & events
Have you ever sat there in front of your laptop/computer/smart phone/tablet and drawn a complete blank when wondering what a FGV sounds like? Live in ignorance no more!
This weekend marks my first foray into being a radio show guest. The wonderful, charming and talented Jose Maldonado is graciously allowing me to keep him company during his weekly show dedicated to all things Smiths and Morrissey.
You would think gifting the world with Morrissey is enough but no, Manchester just can’t stop giving. This time it isn’t a whip-smart, whimsical lyricist being served up by this generous Northern city but vegetarian and vegan delights in a stunning setting.
I’m not a fan of festivals. The thought of searing sun, overpriced booze and fools with flags has been deterrent enough for most of my FGV life. Up until a few weeks ago, I had only ever been lured to a music festival once in my life and that was by the promise of seeing Morrissey live. I suffered through a stifling Australian day back in the Summer of 2002 and was forced to listen to some truly dreary supporting bands.
Fast forward almost a decade and Morrissey managed to drag me back to my second ever festival. A few weeks ago, I found myself strolling around a rather pleasant field of people in Kent as a cavalcade of musical legends (including Morrissey) thrilled on stage. Patti Smith, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop and Prince (yes, Prince!) drew tens of thousands of people to the three day event known as the Hop Farm Festival. Morrissey and Prince were my major draw cards and both artists were close to the best I have ever seen them, but I must say I was also blown away by the copious amounts of vegan food on offer.
Long before I was fat and vegan (gay always), I spent a lot of time in a seaside town that Australia forgot to close down. My friends and I constantly lived on the verge of adventure and despair as we dodged the equally-dangerous obstacles of local thugs and mediocrity. The main attractions were an almost-dilapidated pier, a skate park and many drive through liquor stores that asked very few questions of disengaged teenagers with a few dollars to spend. We would walk through the idling cars filled with older-than-us locals buying cartons of ice cold beer before boldly placing our orders for the cheapest drinks in the store.
There is a place in the north of England with crooked lanes paved with old stones. This town knows a brutal and harsh history. Pubs are named after torture devices and methods of execution while a seemingly-benign grass patch hides the remains of a cholera burial ground. It is a location that both delights and astounds with its past of inglorious tales.
It is also a place where many fabulous occurrences take place. Within the space of a few hours in the city this past weekend I ate at a completely vegan Spanish restaurant, had my photo taken with superstar of screen and fashion Chloë Sevigny and witnessed Morrissey perform a stellar concert to a venue packed with adoring fans.
Welcome to York.
The Internet has been ablaze the last few days with heated debate. Vegan-aimed magazine VegNews has been exposed by blogger Quarrygirl for printing digitally-altered photographs of meals made using dead animals and presenting them as visual accompaniments to vegan recipes. The outcry from long-term and casual VegNews readers has been overwhelming, while a substantial amount of readers don’t seem to be offended much at all.
I am outraged as a vegan, but I’m about to take you on a different journey. My rant is not one simply of distress at having been fooled into looking at murdered animals while being tricked into thinking they look tasty. No, I am approaching the VegNews fiasco from a broader angle of certain misrepresentation and possible deceitful provision of product/services.
Back in the day, the early 90s to be more precise, I was a teenager madly into music. Madonna seductively clung to my bedroom walls, Public Enemy powerfully educated me via my stereo and Morrissey practically insisted I do nothing for days on end but listen to his releases. I knew what made me happy and I always got what I paid for. The same couldn’t be said for some of my friends.
One of my best friends was a guy named Glen Fox. Glen was the one in our gang who somehow always managed to be a bit behind the 8 ball. His taste in music was certainly eclectic. I recall music shopping with Glen on the day he bought a Milli Vanilli CD. I was vile and teased him mercilessly. You can imagine my sheer delight when the entire Milli Vanilli act turned out to be a sham and the two ‘lead singers’ (Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus) hadn’t contributed in any way to their Grammy Award-winning recordings.
I promise this story is going somewhere other than affording me the opportunity of getting another kick into poor Foxy. The Milli Vanilli case turned into a media storm of epic proportions. The band was stripped of its Grammy award, dropped by its label and subjected to ferocious hounding by the press. Class action lawsuits were filed across the US and a rebate scheme was devised wherein consumers were given an opportunity to claim back a percentage of the cost of Milli Vanilli CDs, cassettes, records and concert tickets.
Glen Fox was sad and dejected as he applied for some of his expenditure back. Milli Vanilli‘s management and record label conceded consumers were justified in believing the music videos, album sleeves and promotional appearances showed the two lead singers of the band, when in fact Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus hadn’t sung a note. Some money was returned to consumers because what was presented as a legitimate product was in fact fabricated, untrue and dishonest.
I understand my Milli Vanilli analogy was a tad wordy but I believe it hammers home the message rather clearly. When people are in a video mouthing along to lyrics and posing on album covers, consumers understandably imagine they are the legitimate performers. They have the right to demand an explanation and perhaps compensation when it is proven to be a false representation.
Enter VegNews. When a colour photograph is nestled beside a vegan recipe within a market-leading vegan magazine, readers will assume the photo is free of animal products. The visual and written texts, VegNews’ billing as a vegan magazine and the publishers wish to be known as “the best meat-free reading you’ll find anywhere” all combine to suggest that the paying reader is purchasing photos of cruelty-free meals. With no disclaimer stating otherwise, VegNews has for years presented its content as something it clearly isn’t.
Milli Vanilli were stripped of awards and companies that profited from the deception apologised publicly and profusely before offering partial rebates to disgruntled consumers. VegNews has offered an explanation for their practice but no apology and, so far, no talk of compensation for loyal consumers who have paid money for a product that isn’t what they were led to believe.
There is such an incredible amount of history and character crammed into London, it is sometimes difficult for a visitor (or a local) to know where to start. Well, I know a place… a place called Bermondsey.
Bermondsey is a true gem in an international city already bursting with (crown) jewels. Situated only walking distance from the heart of the capital, the district enjoys a rich and diverse history encompassing crime, pop culture and royalty. You could probably unearth a story featuring all of these elements at once. Morrissey exploited the darkened underpasses of the suburb in his Last of the Famous International Playboys music video. Tragic reality TV celebrity Jade Goody hailed from Bermondsey and upon her death, the market square was inundated with floral tributes. Musical icon Tommy Steele lived here, as did disgraced ex-gay comedian Michael Barrymore.
Have I convinced you to visit Bermondsey yet? How about if I tell you there is a traditional pub on the river that serves vegan cider and has one of the best river views in London?
If you visit this blog often, you could be forgiven for thinking my days are stuffed solid with cruelty-free food and alcoholic beverages. It is true I like to overeat and I do enjoy a tipple, but I also make a lot of room in my FGV world for music. If a band or singer I appreciate is also known for promoting the welfare of non-human animals, all of my worlds collide.
Many of the entertainers I admire care for non-humans. My life-long main obsession, Morrissey, has raised the profile of vegetarianism to untold heights. Thanks to Meat is Murder, I believe he is as well known for his animal-friendly politics as he is for his contributions to music. Nellie McKay has integrated her love and respect for all creatures into complex, quirky and irresistible pop classics. The card sleeve for her 2008 release Pretty Little Head was even produced with the aid of soy ink. And then there is Adalita.
Adalita Srsen is a phenomenally- charismatic and talented singer/songwriter who has emerged from Magic Dirt, one of the greatest alternative bands in Australian history, to forge a stomping solo career. After
Look good, feel gorgeous in a shopping mall up north.
There is a shady looking shopping mall in Leeds called the Merrion Centre. Strolling through the front door you could be forgiven for thinking you had been transported back a few decades. Retro fittings and gaudy shop fronts showcase discount grocery stores and tacky accessory outlets. It’s stunning. Additionally, this mall of the fantastic and grotesque houses two of the best kept secrets in Leeds; a run down bowling alley with a full bar and Morrissey songs on the jukebox and; a clothing store called The Third Estate featuring one of the largest collection of vegan shoes I have seen in the UK.
The Third Estate is an ethically-minded retail outlet that is a dream come true for vegan shoe