Resonance radio - Ken Campbell Archive

Daisy Eris Campbell and David Bramwell have worked on Ken's archive, and sampled his one-man shows, which have begun to appear online.  See link below.

Ken and Daisy Eris

On iTunes you can now find "Pigspurt, or Six Pigs from Happiness" and "Recollections of a Furtive Nudist".

‘Everybody You Know Is Some Kind of Arsehole’

Live from Epping Forest: KC performs his penultimate one man show, Ken Campbell’s Meaning of Life — A Letter to Robert Anton Wilson. With additional reminiscences from James Nye.   

Find it on the Frogweb.



You can also find some other recordings of Ken, at Playback Arts.  There are some fascinating and relevant books, there, too.

More on Ken Campbell

People in the UK can find a 45 minute programme on BBCiPlayer, about Ken Campbell.

Ken Campbell as never heard before.

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Currently, Ken's daughter, Daisy Eris Campbell (who has memorably staged Cosmic Trigger) performs a solo show - Pigspurt's Daughter.

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This three hour programme appears not to be available now, but had some wonderful content.

When Diane met Ken

May Our Minds Be Blown Just Right by Daisy Eris Campbell

May Our Minds Be Blown – Just Right — Daisy Eris Campbell
(MinorLits 02/05/2017 Essays & features)

I want to take you back to a moment I experienced about eight years ago. It’s a few weeks after my father, Ken Campbell’s, sudden and untimely death. I’m standing on the corner of two cobbled streets in Liverpool in the rain. And I’m looking at a bust of CG Jung. And that’s kind of weird because right at that moment I’m halfway through an essay about Carl Jung for a Master’s degree I’m doing. But that’s not why I’m there.

Stood next to me is Prunella Gee, Chris Langham and a guy called Peter O’Halligan. We’re all looking up at this bust of Carl Jung.

It’s there because Carl Jung had a dream about Liverpool and he wrote about it in his book, Memories, Dreams and Reflections. He said he thought it may be the most important dream he’d ever had. And he realised that in his dream, Liverpool was the Pool of Life.

I’m writing this essay about Jung’s ideas of the collective unconscious and synchronicity, a phrase he coined, and now I find myself looking at this bust of his head. And that bust has only been erected because of the tireless campaigning of Peter O’Halligan, who’s standing next to me. Because Peter O’Halligan is sure that this very spot is the exact spot that Jung dreamt about.

But just to the side of this bust is another unusual thing – it’s a plaque, set into the wall, which commemorates The Liverpool School of Language, Music, Dream and Pun.

This has also only been erected due to the tireless campaigning of Peter O’Halligan.

Because just over 30 years previously, which is when O’Halligan first found this illustrious Jung-Dream site, he also noticed that the building on the corner of these two streets – just along from where the Beatles first performed – was derelict. And so he adopted it, set up a caff, and called it The Liverpool School of Language, Music, Dream and Pun.

And the first production to be staged in a room above the caff, was an eighteen hour epic called Illuminatus!, directed by my father, Ken Campbell, starring (amongst many many others) my mother, Prunella Gee as Eris, Goddess of Chaos and Confusion, and co-adapted with Chris Langham from a novel by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson.

And there we all are now, and I say “It’s weird because right now I’m in the middle of an essay about Jung“, then I realise that, although I’m doing a distance-learning Master’s degree, I am actually studying at John Moores University, based in Liverpool.

And Peter O’ Halligan tells me that John Moores knew my dad’s dad, my grandfather, who I never met, they were both from just outside Liverpool, and John Moores offered my grandfather the opportunity to get involved with his new business venture, but my grandfather declined. It was the football pools! Which made John Moores a multi-millionaire, which was how come he’d had enough money to build a whole university, where I was right now studying Carl Gustav Jung.

Daisy Hilarious

Daisy Eris Campbell offers a breathlessly hilarious monologue on The Odditorium podcast. (no 34).

Daisy Campbell, (daughter of the performer Ken Campbell) takes us on a rollercoaster adventure exploring the ancient practise of gastromancy – divination from the stomach. It’s one of the most entertaining but weirdest talks we’ve ever had on the Odditorium so hang in there! Meanwhile in the studio, the two Davids appear to be having a spot of bother with the disembodied voice of Aleister Crowley.

Daisy's piece starts four minutes in...

Amor et Hilaritas!

Find The Others!

“Everyone carries a piece of the puzzle. Nobody comes into your life by mere coincidence. Trust your instincts. Do the unexpected. Find the others” 
– Dr Timothy Leary

Daisy Eris Campbell & Co. will stage the Cosmic Trigger play very soon, first in Liverpool and then in London.

To accompany the grand opening, an extraordinary gathering of heads called the Find The Others conferestival will manifest.

  Then the play will migrate to London for a few performances at the LOST Theatre - tickets through this link.

DJ Fly will offer a Maybe Logic Dome experience, as part of the festival...

I think he has something like this in mind...

New Biography of Ken Campbell

We may have previously mentioned Michael Coveney's book about Ken Campbell "The Great Caper".

There is a more recent biography by Jeff Merrifield, one of Ken's closest friends: "Seeker!: Ken Campbell - His Five Amazing Lives".

You may find it on Amazon, although they don't seem to have many copies.  Why not get it direct from the author, at Playback Arts?

Cosmic Trigger - The Play

Here is the brilliant video of Daisy Eris Campbell from the recent Horse Hospital gig:



The plan is for the play to start in the UK and then head to America.
In the meantime anyone who donates £23 or $23 (or multiples thereof) in this pre-launch phase will be on the guest list for
The Grand Discordian opening night. (One in the UK and one in The States).
Much of the money raised will contribute directly to The RAW Estate by securing the rights.

So write an e-mail now to get on the mailing list.
The E-mail address is: cosmictriggerplay at gmail dot com
You can use paypal, or if you would rather use online banking, E-mail Daisy and she'll send you the details.

Another Cosmic Trigger event along the lines of this one, looks likely for Liverpool on *UPDATE* February 23rd, 2014.
A Kickstarter with lots of fun incentives will launch, hopefully on April 23rd, 2014.

Event you missed at the Horse Hospital

Forteans and Discordians have a night out at The Horse Hospital.

We met John Higgs, who has written the definitive book on Tim Leary, and more recently a wondrous book about the KLF, who gave a great talk about Bob, and why his influence remains relevant.

 

Jon One took the opportunity to burn £20 as part of his ongoing rituals, and you can see his explanation here (to the person who shouted out about how many Syrian children that could have helped).

Bogus just destroyed £5 in the washing machine, death by water rather than fire.  Does that count for anything?

Daisy Eris Campbell enthused us with her plans to stage Cosmic Trigger, and we will post links to the second half when it becomes available.  She has already received over £400 in £23 contributions, which allowed her to set up This Book Changed My Life Productions.

Pang yourself to the infinitude of absolute mind

OK, here’s my current list:
Writing
Scripts (clues at least, to finding some)
Looking on AbeBooks I could see Skungpoomery, School for Clowns, Old King Cole, the Bald Trilogy (Recollections of a Furtive Nudist, Pigspurt and Jamais Vu) – those sometimes sold separately - Violin Time or The Lady From Montsegur.
Visual recordings

DVDs of performance from Merifela
YouTube clips of Ken at the RAW Memorial Event




Audio recordings

Official site Audio CDs available

DeepLeaf’s Illuminatus!
(Listening to Ken reading the Appendices as I type)

A radio clip talking about Beadle’s library

An excerpt from Jeff Merrifield's thesis (mentioned in the Beadle clip)
Illuminatus! Amazing adventures in putting Science Fiction on the stage


History of Comedy - Part One: Ventriloquism article in The Guardian

And finally, a quote from an interview with Ken three years ago, which you can find in the Guardian archive:

Not content with itemising his autobiography on stage, Campbell is currently engaged in teaching Doris the parrot her own. So far, he says, she can say, "'I used to be an egg and then I hatched out, didn't I? All fluffy at first, then the feathers' ... she's working on the next bit now." Sometimes, though, Doris comes out with unexpected bits of her own, such as "I'm up 'ere, you're down there ... shall I do my silly noises? I think I will ... whoops!" And as her limited repertoire also includes a formidable impression of the telephone, Campbell can't answer it for a while whenever it rings "because it's probably only her. She does three rings, then says "Ello!' like me. Parrots live for ever and she's nowhere near 10 yet, so she'll live way after me. At least I know my voice will carry on for a bit after I'm gone: 'I'm up 'ere, you're down there!' "


'I'm up 'ere, you're down there!'

Ken Campbell has left the theatre

Very sad news that Ken died suddenly (and unexpectedly) on Sunday August 31st, at the age of 66. He had performed in Edinburgh only a few days before.

You can find obituaries from the British Press online, which I may collate for you later - but you can handle Google, right?

In my initial scan this morning I found reference to a DVD set that Jack Phoenix made, of The Meaning Of Life: A Letter To Robert Anton Wilson. Anyone who hadn't seen Ken live (especially in his solo shows) missed something really extraordinary. I have literally dragged friends out, and got them to drive cross-country to see him working.

I haven't manage to contact Jack Phoenix yet, but found a couple of clips on YouTube...


He could reduce me to tears of laughter, and although that sounds like a cliche in his case that proved literally true - I would become hysterical.
. . . . . Ken continues his search for the Holy Grail of Comedy, the state of mind in which EVERYTHING IS FUNNY . . . . . .

ken campbell's meaning of life: a letter to robert anton wilson . . . .

. . . is it our mission in life to discover our adventure and pang ourselves off on it - or are we merely entertainment for deranged demi-gods, the butt of a joke of such cosmic proportions it may be necessary to travel through the Wall or on very personal orificular journeys in order to appreciate it? . . . . .

. . or is it dogs? . . . . .

"That there is a meaning to life can be peripherally sensed by being astounded and also by astounding others. And it may be fully glimpsed by astounding yourself" . . . . .

"the Gnostic thinking was that the Creator is a mad barmy deranged demiurge, and that everything which exists in our universe is evil, nasty, mucky and abhorrent . . . . whereas God Almighty they saw as gNothing . . or Eternal Ineffable Laughter . . hence the only really decent thing you could do with your life is to laugh or encourage laughter . . " - Ken Campbell . . .

. . . . . what links Jackie Chan, Anne of Green Gables and the 9/11 tragedy? . . . who is the mysterious Italian futurenaut Oberto Airaudi, and what is his mission on Earth . . . ? . .
whatever became of the Laughing Jesus? . . . Do you suspect you might be an arsehole? . . And what can you do about it if you are? . . . .

I like this interactive VR portrait of Ken at home....wonderful! Thanks to Jonathan Greet (some of you conspiracy types might enjoy his versions of Rosslyn Chapel, too!)

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing." — Macbeth (Act 5, Scene 5, lines 17-28)

As if it matters...

I always imagine our visitors as passing through - so rarely bother to explain the goings-on around here.

For 3 years we ran this blog as a semi-official students' site, linked to the Maybe Logic Academy, and supplementing the quarterly magazine output.

In the recent rebuild of the campus we got invited to move inside. So now we have a blog incorporated into the campus with (confusingly to some) the same name. It doesn't yet have a lot of bells and whistles, whereas this one seems like a coral-reef encrusted with useful or interesting links so I tend to drop back here, and can't quite abandon ship just yet.

Do I explain, or leave you to explore?

Markoff Chaney (for instance) remains a very subversive character in RAWilson's books (most notably Illuminatus!) who puts up vaguely insulting or threatening notices in public places and private offices, apparently signed by the Management (The Mgt) but really from MC himself (the midget).

Does that spoil or illuminate the joke?

Hey, these Blogger Labels work real nice!

I just tried The Mgt, and got a blog cut including RAW, PKD, Bob Dobbs, Bob Dylan and Ken Campbell, and all sorts. "Nostalgia isn't what it used to be", to quote Peter de Vries (who may never have even heard of E-Prime)...

(Note: you'll need your red-green 3-D glasses for October 14th)

Maybe this blog will just float now, become self-rererential and more complex...

Hot News

I just heard that the full version of the London Tribute to Robert Anton Wilson has gone online.

You can find it here.

Lots of stuff to enjoy. You may have watched excerpts here (Alan Moore, his exceptional second set), and elsewhere...but it's worth putting up with the sound quality (or is that just my PC?) [later: OK, it sounded fine on a Mac] to hear the astonishing Ken Campbell, hilarious Bill Drummond and two sets from Alan Moore, quite aside from the music and visuals, and Bob's wonderful words. Much hilaritas!

I only have one anecdote provoked by watching the whole thing (I missed the live moment). I saw the first show at the National, and I decided to take a friend to the shorter version they did in The Roundhouse. On the night I took my girl-friend of the time (who wasn't especially a fan of the material) an announcement was made that Prunella Gee was ill, and, at short notice, her part was going to be taken by Ken Campbell (!) I guess he remembers that night. She played (for instance) Mavis, so his opening routine was breaking George out of jail and giving him a blow-job (hidden only by a discretely placed prop plant...) It got even funnier, later.

Bruce Eisner's Vision Thing - RU Sirius podcast

Just added a link to Bruce Eisner's Vision Thing [right of the screen]. He has lots of stuff that might interest Maybe people...Sounds like family.

e.g: RU Sirius Podcast -- Tribute To The Still-Very-Much Alive Writer Philosopher Prankster Robert Anton Wilson

RU Sirius Radio Show #78: Robert Anton Wilson Lives!
[first section on Borat - UK Prankster aka Ali G. The RAW section starts at about 17:23]

We talk about the great writer/philosopher/prankster Robert Anton Wilson with Lance Bauscher, director of the documentary “Maybe Logic: The Lives and Ideas of Robert Anton Wilson” and the force behind the “Maybe Logic Academy.” And we talk to Eric Wagner, author of “An Insider’s Guide to Robert Anton Wilson.” And best of all, Bauscher brought in some reading/performances from the upcoming audio book version of The Illuminatus Trilogy!, which will be released by his Deepleaf Production company.
Hear Ken Campbell reading the audio book! Yeh! He put the stage show of Illuminatus! on in London

You can see Ken with RAW here - and what about this letter from Ken Campbell!