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Monday, May 7th, 2012
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11:33 am - A bit of light entertainment
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| Saturday, May 5th, 2012
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10:42 pm - Writing about Dad
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the_beanio
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A little while a go I saw a call out for submissions on the Riot Grrrl zinesters page on wemakezines, asking for articles, pictures and stuff relating to 'feminisms and CHANGE', and so I offered to do a little piece on Dad for it. I thought I'd post it here because it reminded me of how much stuff he did and how many people he touched. I mainly had to focus on the Riot Grrrl aspect of Linus, which I actually don't know an awful lot about. I actually realised that I don't know much about any of his projects, because when he was alive I was too busy being a teenager and child. So this piece is not as great as I want it to be but I wanted to do it anyway. At the moment I'm working on a side project, looking at the letters my Dad sent me whilst he was alive, and I think since then I've wanted to do more things related to him.
ANYWAY, here's the piece-
My father was Andrew Roberts. He died in 2005, after being run over by a motorcyclist on Bethnal Green road, outside the Pleasure Unit. He has been featured in a lot of online and offline publications for his many talents- being a musician, cartoonist, writer and generally nice guy. By day he worked in Camden’s Waterstones bookstore, but by night he was prolific in his activities; attending gigs, organizing gigs, drawing illustrations and comics, writing music for his Mister Songs project and his bands Linus and The Shallows, and studying hard for his MA. All this and he managed to come and visit me on the south coast, or entertain me whilst I stayed in his flat in London.
From my perspective it’s very hard to write about him in a Riot Grrrl way, because although I knew that he was a part of the scene with his band Linus, I was still very young when it was all happening. I still think it’s important to write about him though, even with my limited knowledge. I know they played with bands like Huggy Bear and Bikini Kill and were generally active making zines and recording music whilst the whole Riot Grrrl scene was going on in the 90s. Linus was a four piece band, and at the end they were- Andy Roberts (guitar and vocals), Tammy Dennitto (lead vocals), Andy Withey (drums) and Deb Van Der Geuten (bass and vocals), the band was founded by Tammy’s sister Jen in ’89. Unfortunately I don’t know much more in regards to the bands connection with Riot Grrrl, but I do know that my Dad was always an active feminist, supporting female bands around the country and fighting for pro-choice. His participation in anything was important, so I feel that anyone looking into the history of Riot Grrrl should at least have heard of him and the members of Linus.
Since his death I have become more aware of how many lives he’s affected; the room his funeral was held in was bursting with people, and I still hear of people contacting my grandparents and the memorial page set up on LiveJournal page. Of course I’m going to say that he’s an important guy, mainly because I’m his daughter! But a lot of other people would agree with me on this (Charlotte Cooper for instance) and he was well known for being an extremely active person, always doing new projects and helping people where he could. If I were you, I would give him a look.
For more information on Linus, my Dads life and his many projects please have a look at these links-
o www.linusland.co.uk (The bands website, illustrated by Andy)
o www.linusland.co.uk/Andy93.html (a letter to Sara Marcus for the Riot Grrrl book Girls to the Front)
o rememberingandy.livejournal.com (Andy’s remembrance page)
o www.homocrime.org (a club night Linus played at and Andy helped organize)
o andypop.livejournal.com (his journal)
o www.flickr.com/groups/andyr/pool/with/23304009 (Photos of the band and Andy can be found in this flickr group)
o www.charlottecooper.net/docs/archive/andyroberts.htm (Charlotte Cooper’s tribute page)
o www.myspace.com/59522954 (his myspace page, with m
current mood:  blank
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(6 comments | comment on this)
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| Wednesday, October 19th, 2011
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10:19 pm - Remembering Andy
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bill_badger
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I found this site yesterday evening and I've spent all of today trying to put my thoughts into some kind of order.
I knew Andy at school in Weymouth in the 1970s. He and I were friends and I spent many happy times at his house on Portland. In my memories Andy was always drawing (he drew cartoons for a BBC Schools TV programme we did called Scene). I used to have some cartoons of his - Lionel the Lizard and Ronald Raven. Silly little things, but funny in their own way.
I'm sad and shocked to hear that he's gone. I'll be thinking of him.
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(5 comments | comment on this)
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| Sunday, October 3rd, 2010
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12:57 pm
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mzdt
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I found a CD copy of Yougli in the Chiswick car boot sale this morning. The event was already strange enough - small due to the rain yesterday, yet dry enough earlier for a lot of punters to have turned out.
Anyway, there it was. I've found CDs by friends in charity shops and such before, and always wonder how it must feel for the artist - but I like to think of the story of the CD, it moving on and having a new life. I told the seller about Andy and he said he'd bought it because he loved the cover artwork. He also tried to give it to me for nothing, but I paid for it anyway.
I was sorry not to have seen everyone the other weekend; it all got a bit unplanned, but did manage to include a gathering to (belatedly) celebrate the birth of a very much wanted and loved baby, so in my head I made a toast to Lea & Gemma, Jenni & Richard (and another less blessed), as well as Andy. Life, in all it's mystery, goes on.
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(2 comments | comment on this)
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| Sunday, June 13th, 2010
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7:39 pm - Thinking of you all
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andysdad
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Hi everyone,
Those of you whose e-mail addresses we know will have read what follows already, but we know that there are lots of Andy's friends that we unfortunately don't have direct contact with - so, good old LJ is at least part of the answer. Here is the message we e-mailed to about twenty people yesterday - and as some of those messages were returned as undeliverable, if you've changed you address recently (Tammy- especially) please let us have your new one. Message follows -
We're thinking of you all at this time. Five years have passed since Andy left us but we know you still remember him, still hear his voice sometimes, feel his loving kindness and share the sadness and terrible sense of loss that this time of year holds for us. The world here in France is very beautiful, the sun shines and there is a lovely freshness everywhere. Everything blooms and fills the eye with vibrant colours and we long for him to be here to share it with us. Perhaps he is.
We know that he would wish you all to be happy and enjoy all there is to see, feel and do. He would be particularly happy for the new lives coming along, as we are too: Mandy's wonderful little Violet, born 1st May, Oxford Jenni's baby expected in August, Lea and Gemma's just before that. And of course Tammy and Henry started the trend! We are so thrilled for you all and how delighted Andy would have been.
We are definitely coming to London for the w/e of 10th Sept, will be going to 'The George' on Friday evening 10th, his birthday, and will be on the Heath for a lunchtime picnic on Sat. 11th. We'll be so pleased if it's at all possible for any of you to join us. Of course we do understand that you all have busy lives and it's difficult to fit everything in but we'll be very happy to see you if you can make it. Anyway, hopefully we'll be there (unless THE CLOUD prevents us from flying.)
All the very best wishes in the world to you all,
Love,
Helen and Geoff
current mood:  sad
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(2 comments | comment on this)
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| Wednesday, September 9th, 2009
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11:06 am - Andy's Birthday
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andysdad
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Tomorrow, Sept 10, as many of you will remember, is Andy's birthday. He would have been 46. Imagine how many songs he would have written in the four and a bit years that have passed if those few fatal seconds of indecision had never happened - the world is a poorer place in consequence. Unfortunately we are prevented from coming over this year and shall very much miss seeing those of you who faithfully turn up to welcome us each year. But we know you'll all be thinking of him,of us, of Steve and especially Sophie. She starts at Plymouth University this week, doing a degree in Photography, so think of her especially, starting out on a new adventure.
Don't forget that Helen and I are always interested and pleased to hear from any of you about how your lives are going, your creative projects, joys and sorrows...so keep in touch. A brief e-mail from any of you at any time means a great deal to us.
Love to you all from both os us,
Geoff and Helen xxxxx
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(comment on this)
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| Friday, June 19th, 2009
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1:32 am
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charleston
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Last night, when I got in from work, I picked up my guitar and played Andy's song "What Does Love Mean To You".
I recorded it very quickly on my laptop. Was gonna try and re-sing it tonight as my voice was very wobbly but that didn't happen. Anyway - here it is - me & my guitar & my wobbly voice singing one of his songs, between eating my tea and rushing out to the pub.
What Does Love Mean To You
Edit: actually hearing it in on the speakers in the morning, I just have to re-sing it. I'll do it again next week, so you might wanna hold off downloading it until then!
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(1 comment | comment on this)
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| Thursday, June 18th, 2009
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9:23 pm
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guiripoet
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Here's a post from Mum that she had trouble posting, so I've copied and pasted it to my LJ so that everyone can read it:
Today I send a message out to everybody who loved/loves Andy, to ALL his friends everywhere. Looking back, I have this deep wish that I'd spoken to all of you who came with so much loyalty and feeling for Andy and sustenance for us, his family, to bear witness to your friendship at his funeral. I wish I'd given each one of you a kiss, a hug or just a word even. Anyway, I send them now to all of you who are remembering Andy today, feeling again the horror of his death. I did put a deep thank you on LJ afterwards but four years on I want to say it again and that the force of your presence, and all the many friends who couldn't make it that day but who were feeling for Andy, will always be with me. THANK YOU.
Browsing through our book "Remembering Andy" once again today and listening to his many songs I am stunned. Stunned by all his talents, by the brilliant man in there, all his lovely quirky humour. The fun. The OUTPUT! The so many facets that were my son, your father, brother, lover, friend. Thank you, Steve, for your wonderful, heartbreaking songs which express all we feel but are not able to say so perfectly. (See MySpace to share them). Looking at a beautiful photo of Andy and Sophie, we say "Thank you, Sophe, for being you and for all you gave your Dad - and give us now - joy, pride hope for the future..."
Andy says in one of his songs, 'Too much to do/Too little time,
Too much to do and not enough time...'
Think how much more the world would be full of his works, and the spread of his loving, generous spirit if he'd had the chance ot LIVE ON.
Helen.
To follow up here are a few quotations:
Tammy Denitto's assessment of Andy as 'an undiscovered musical genius with a guitar sound as distinctive as his voice' is by no means wide of the mark. Marco Rossi
I think of integrity when I think of him. Nine
...he was stubbornly loyal, stubbornly loving and stubbornly generous... Nikki
He has become a kind of touchstone for the peace and gentleness and creativeness that I would like to generate in my own life. Charlotte
I think he was someone who would winkle out the best in people and focus on that.
Anna Spivack
You don't inspire love, you don't get that love without giving it, and it's clear to me now that Andrew was a person who didn't block himself from giving love where he felt it, generously and passionately. Steve
Everything he has made has a unique quirkiness that grows out of his own detailed observation of, often the small things in, life. Jo
His art makes me feel glad, happy, entertained and amazed by his incredible talent.
Charlotte
My Lover's Hands
These hands, your hands,
Warm, swollen,
Feel no heat from summer sunshine,
Punctured by tubing,
The scent of our love
Scrubbed from your skin.
My hands, cold, grasping,
Thin air entwining my fingers. Sarah
Intensive Care
The hairy-knuckled paw with its spatulate nails that I clutch
Doesn't seem like the hand of an artist
But Helen and I, we remember,
Forty-one years ago,
The minuscule perfection of baby fingernails. Geoff
As Long as I'm Alive
Because life is short but love is long
Because lovers leave but love lives on
Because life is short but love is strong
Because loved ones die but love lives on...
As long as I'm alive
You'll be loved. Steve
One More Time
Wish I could hold you in my arms one more time
Wish I could keep you from all harm
Wish I'd told you that I loved you just one time
Wish I'd letmyself be kind.
I wish I'd known
That there would be no more time
Together no more time
Together nomore time... Steve
It Hurts Too Much
And the hurt's too deep to keep in touch
And it just won't go away
Because this kind of hurt never healed in a day
Never healed in a day. Steve
So here we are at number one, and I've put 'capacity to love' because this is what I so associate with my wonderful friend whom I love and miss so much. And it pervades everything - his creativity, his lust for life, his relationships that he just poured so much of his energy and intelligence into. Mandy
My Dad is the best man ever. I don't care what everyone else thinks, he just is.
Sophe
THANK YOU to our dear family and friends for another whole year of loving support. We are with you all today especially, as we remember with love.
We could go on but these are the ones we most wanted to share with you all.
Love from us both,
Helen and Geoff xxxxxxxxxxxx
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(7 comments | comment on this)
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10:31 am - What's in a name?
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pollitesss
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A couple of months ago - after about six years of learning and training - I was given a capoeira name. It was given to me by my teachers & friends Hannah and Mac. Normally people are 'baptised' into capoeira much earlier than this. Often given names in a slightly arbitary, commercial way at big events that cost a lot of money. But Hannah and Mac are the kind of people that take their time to get the right name. And they didn't even tell us it was a naming ceremony first - just a celebration of their time teaching and our time learning. A pause to mark the building of a community. With shared costs of room hire and bring your own food.
My capoeira name is Passeira. It's a slangy type word for a friend roughly equivalent to 'mate', me old mucker, 'y'allright mate?'. My mate. My friend. Someone you can rely on. Someone who's there when they say they're gonna be and if they're not they've sent a text message to let you know and say sorry.
Andy continues to inspire me in the kind of friend I want to be. The art of staying true to yourself without being any less of a friend. An art as tricky and contradictory as capoeira. I think I owe a little bit of my new name to him.
Cheers mate!
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(1 comment | comment on this)
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| Sunday, May 10th, 2009
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6:45 pm
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guiripoet
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Finally, nearly three years after starting on this project, in March we mixed some songs hopefully for the last time, and during the Easter break put them up on myspace. It's a random selection of things written since Andrew died, all 'inspired by' that event, whether they talk about it directly or not. Not really songs *about* Andrew, more about me trying to come to terms with his death. And one that slipped in there, a hymn to mediterranean hedonism that bears no relation to the general theme...but I think he would have liked it.
Wanted to call it 'songs for Andy' but found that already existed on myspace - some other Andy... - then I tried Steve Roberts and found over 10,000 of the same .... So I stuck my middle name in and the result is called Steve Bruce Roberts and this is the address:
http://www.myspace.com/songs4andy
As you'll see I haven't yet worked out how to stick an active link in here, if anyone wants to explain it to me!!
So anyone who has a myspace, if you want to friend me, feel free.
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(4 comments | comment on this)
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| Tuesday, March 17th, 2009
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11:36 pm
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my_name_is_anna
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Thinking about Andy a lot tonight. Dunno why, just happens like that sometimes eh?
And I wanted to say here that he often popping into my thoughts, in that I wonder what he would have thought of something in the news, or what he would have thought of my cat (I think they would have got on very well), or how I feel standing at the bus stop opposite the Camden bookshop, like no time has passed at all and if I go in there it will be like long ago.
You are thought of often and with much friendship, Andy.
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(4 comments | comment on this)
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| Sunday, March 15th, 2009
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1:21 pm
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| Sunday, October 12th, 2008
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12:06 pm - Picnic & The George
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| Thursday, September 11th, 2008
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2:33 pm - andy in the flash light
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cleanskies
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andy and the ghosts of queercore past
I'm going through photos at the moment, chucking a lot away, and I found this old photo among a pile of Holga shots. It's from a gig some time, upstairs in a pub, I think (I can't remember the name). Maybe you were there, from the photos, a lot of people were. |
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(8 comments | comment on this)
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| Wednesday, September 10th, 2008
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6:34 am
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| Thursday, July 24th, 2008
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7:17 pm
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| Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008
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9:47 pm
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| Thursday, June 19th, 2008
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9:16 am
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guiripoet
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Yesterday was irksome, from the work point of view, because I spent most of the day doing it and didn't stop, didn't really have time to think about Andrew or about how I feel about being three years away from him.
At least I spent 45 mins in the morning preparing a song for recording, a good way of remembering him, of projecting his presence into the present and future. If it hadn't been for him and his persistence with his music i probably wouldn't have been doing it.
Many thanks and love to everyone who's posted here. It means a lot me, to his family, to everyone.
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(3 comments | comment on this)
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| Wednesday, June 18th, 2008
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8:57 am - Music and memories
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jinty
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I'm glad Linus songs don't make me blub any more; they're too good not to listen to.
(Andy's 4-track demo of Camden Road Station, though - that's a kicker and still gets me sometimes.)
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(3 comments | comment on this)
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| Thursday, June 12th, 2008
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7:19 pm - Three years
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![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif?v=92.1){kind=small}
rememberingandy
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