Good On Paper Party vol.8

GOP PARTY VOL.8
03.02.24

Following its most triumphant sold outness back in February 2023 the annual Good On Paper Party returns once again, this time for its eighth outing, taking place on Saturday 3rd February 2024 at the Sub Rooms in the centre of Stroud.

First launched in 2016 the GOP Party (not the American one…) acts as a fundraiser for Good On Paper; a local arts and culture publication (long live the printed word) whilst bringing forth a hoard of artists, musicians, DJ's and more to celebrate the vibrant, creative scene which Stroud is increasingly becoming renowned for. As well as championing all things local the magazine also brings performers from further afield to join the line-up resulting in an eclectic mix of live music and art.

For this year? Well we are going back to the past…
“You see us as you want to see us, in the simplest terms with the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain…and an athlete…and a basket case…a princess…and a criminal. Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours…The Breakfast Club.”

The lineup for 2024 features the first UK show in over a decade by legendary French electronic composer and one of the pioneers of synthwave College (aka David Grellier) who provided Nicolas Winding Refn with the theme song for his acclaimed and award-winning film Drive with ‘A Real Hero’ feat. Electric Youth. From Brighton we welcome the fuzzed-up synths, delays and thunderous double drums of AK/DK  who describe themselves as “like a chunkier Devo”. And the nine-strong the Umlauts return to Stroud (which two of the members hail from) packed with twin vocalists equally competent in their skewering south-London drawl as they are in German, Italian or French - as in touch with the nostalgias of First-Generation post-punk or 80s pop as they are with the techniques of contemporary pop or big beat dance…

The Good On Paper Boy(s) will also be turning one of the rooms in the Subs into a Popup Retro Arcade featuring a hoard of original machines from the 80s ( Eat the dots. Avoid the ghosts. No coins needed. It’s going to be pretty rad) and Stroud based film poster artist and illustrator Mark Levy will be exhibiting a series of his re-imagined, alternative posters of iconic 80s films and TV shows including brand new work.

And there’s more to be announced soon….

COLLEGE
College is David Grellier, a legendary French electronic music composer, born in 1979 in Nantes. In the late '90s he acquired his first computer with which he produced several demos influenced by artists such as Jeff Mills and Aphex Twin, and labels such as Soma Records, Peacefrog and Warp. In 2007 he started Valerie, a blog that has evolved to become a record label and an expanding cultural network of international artists. 2011 saw Nicolas Winding Refn chose 'A Real Hero' by College feat. Electric Youth as the theme song for his acclaimed and award-winning film Drive, propelling College into mainstream consciousness and securing him support across publications such as Pitchfork, Consequence of Sound and The Line of Best Fit. College, in Grellier's words, was an attempt "to synthesise into my music the emotions of my childhood" and was greatly influenced by American 1980s pop-culture, "80's soaps and an aesthetic which I particularly like: colour, images, silvery films and the sun – images of Los Angeles, Chicago and all of the other cities that continue to fascinate me”.

AK/DK
AK/DK create improvised layers of fuzzed-up synths, delays and thunderous double drums. Known for their high-energy and structural abandon as a live act, their stream of largely improvised layers of fizzing arpeggios and crushing motorik drums has earned them places on stages and at festivals all around the UK and Europe. They've performed at Latitude, End of The Road, ArcTanGent and Green Man, and have toured with Dan Deacon, The Dandy Warhols, Fujiya & Miyagi and Zombie Zombie. The two-piece have always loved the motorik of Kraftwerk and Can, bands that revelled in the journey as much as the destination. They also describe themselves as “like a chunkier Devo” – and, yes, there’s a warmth to the textures of their music from the modular synths and other self-built pedals in their set up, while there’s a driving rhythmic constancy too.

THE UMLAUTS
There are few things in life quite as mesmerising or outrageously euphoric as the nine-strong Umlauts army effervescing in full force. Rebelling against labels, transcending borders of land and time - packed with twin vocalists equally competent in their skewering south-London drawl as they are in German, Italian or French - as in touch with the nostalgias of First-Generation post-punk or 80s pop as they are with the techniques of contemporary pop or big beat dance - the Umlauts are paragons of trans-europe excess, dripping with inarguable edge; ranging wildly from chaotic cool to bombastically exquisite order; invested with unhinging, socio-political bite, dancing in a rave of their own. The group played a memorable End of the Road Festival slot for their fourth ever show, and have since picked up slots at Wide Awake, Pitchfork Music Festival London and tour support with Shame, among others, as well as taking in airplay and plaudits from BBC 6music, NME, Loud & Quiet and more.

POPUP RETRO ARCADE
The Good On Paper Boy(s) will be turning one of the rooms in the Subs into a Popup Retro Arcade ft a hoard of original machines from the 80s! Step into something akin to Flynn’s Arcade in Tron, the Mall Arcade in Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Golf N Stuff Family Centre in Karate Kid or Cafe 80's in Back To the Future 2. Eat the dots. Avoid the ghosts. No coins needed. It’s going to be pretty rad.

MARK LEVY 80’S POSTERS EXHIBITION
Stroud based illustrator Mark Levy has been creating illustration, game design and animation within the entertainment and amusements industry for over 20 years. He has also contributed to the Poster Posse, Posterspy and Gallery 1988, officially licensed artwork for Stranger Things, Power Rangers and John Carpenter’s Halloween and featured in books including Film On Canvas: If Fine Artists Made Movie Posters, Underexposed: The 50 Greatest Movies Never Made, Stranger Things: Visions From The Upside Down as well as poster designs for the films The Remnant, As I Am (Philophobia) and Last Christmas. He is also co-curator of the annual Stroud Film Festival movie posters exhibition. For the GOP Party Mark will be exhibiting a series of his re-imagined, alternative posters of iconic 80s films and TV shows including brand new work.

AND THERE IS MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON...

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