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Burning Man Xtra: Origins: Mutoid Waste Co.

So, given that I devoted last week to Burning Man, I feel it's about time to cover what I consider to be it's ancestors. The most obvious in America has to be Survival Research Lab (SRL) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survival_Research_Laboratories) which was started in 1978 by Mark Pauline in San Francisco. That particular group deserves it's own blog, which will happen at some point in the future, but for now I am going to talk about the Mutoid Waste Co. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutoid_Waste_Company). The Mutoids were co-founded in London in 1984 by Joe Rush and Robin Cooke. I first joined them at Glastonbury in 1987 and subsequently co-founded the Mutoids in Australia with Robin in 1990. But that is a different story. For now, I want to focus on Mutoids in Amerika. Joe Rush, along with Alex, Scotty, Steve Bedlam and a couple of other mates, built this amazing Horse and the covered Wagon behind it (to carry the Sound System) over the course of 10 days for Burning Man in 2008. Joe tells me that Ruby Blues was the person most responsible for wading through all the Burning Man bureaucracy and so definitely deserves an honourable mention.

I took this picture of Scotty on the Horse last year at Burning Man. See if you can spot the original 1920's Rolls Royce body parts on it (hint: check the front end. And no, its not the grill. Let me know where you think they are - its a matching pair). I had the great privilege of riding around on it for the last few days of the Burn. And accepting kudos for it on behalf of the people who did actually build it. Scotty is from England but now lives in Northern California and he originally met Joe back in the days when Joe was doing Mutoid things and Scotty was managing Eat Static. Or Ozric Tentacles. Or one of those English PsyTrance bands. I can't quite remember which one. But it doesn't matter anyway.

Joe had wanted to go to Burning Man for many years but had never actually been. Scotty was living in NoCal when he decided to try and bring Joe and the Mutoids over from England. The Mutoids never made it, but Joe did. The Horse and Wagon was the brilliant result.

One of my principal hosts at Burning Man was an eccentric character named Daktarri, who is so attached to the Burn that he abandoned regular life a while ago and moved to Gerlach, the small town with a population of under 500 that is the closest 'civilization' to Burning Man. I stayed at his house for a few days before actually making it out onto the Playa and when he heard I used to be in the Mutoids, he insisted I meet his friend Scotty who had an amazing sculpture built by some English friends of his last year for the Burn. And of course, Daktarri told me that he was integral to the sculpture in some kind of way. I never did work out what he did to it apart from some minor repairs, but was happy to go along with his story as he was gracious enough to give me somewhere to sleep for a few days.

Once we got out to Black Rock City it turned out that Scotty and the sculpture were nowhere to be found as Scotty had not been given permission by the DMV (Department Of Mutant Vehicles - http://blog.burningman.com/metropol/the-department-of-mutant-vehicles/) to bring the Horse and Wagon onto the Playa. Scotty had not submitted the paperwork in time and so the Horse and Wagon were being held in a compound at the front gate whilst the Burning Man Bureaucracy worked out what to do with it. Yes, I know it seems like a contradiction in terms, but Bureaucrats love to raise their pointy little heads everywhere. Including Burning Man.

So after 3 days of intense debate (according to 'insiders'), they finally allowed the coolest vehicle in sight onto the site. Which is when I finally met Scotty. And realised that the vehicle Daktarri had been talking about for days had actually been built by Joe, the Genius and genuine Don of modern scrap culture. Scotty and I instantly bonded of shared memories and people and I became part of the rolling crew on the Horse & Wagon.

Riding around on the Horse with Scotty was definitely one of the highlights of the Burn for me. It was by far and away the most popular vehicle on the Playa and whenever we tooled around on it the floating freak show that is the majority population of Burning Man would flock to us in droves. They always assumed that I was one the people who had built it and I would always disclaim any credit and tell them about Joe and the Mutoids.

Started in 1984 by Joe Rush and Robin Cooke, the Mutoid Waste Co. ended up becoming enormously influential. I first came across them at Glastonbury Festival in 1987 when they built Carhenge. As I had already spent several years developing scavenging skills by hanging out at tips and scrap yards, I could completely relate to their scrap aesthetic. They were also the only thing in England at that time which had any real heart as Thatcher was running wild and everything was being flattened into conformity. Apart from the Mutoids.

This picture of Carhenge by the Mutoid Waste Co. was taken at dawn on the Summer Solstice in 1987 at Glastonbury Festival. I had been wandering around the Festival when I came across the Mutoids camp and ended up spending more and more time there. They were a mutant cross between Mad Max and Judge Dredd (not the Sylvester Stallone version) and I felt an immediate kinship. To such a degree that I ended up hitch-hiking to Edinburgh a month later and joining them at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. But that is a whole different story and they deserve more than just this one post. So come back tomorrow and I'll tell you some more.

And as a side note, I will be moving this blog over the next few days to my new website. But more information about that will be forthcoming when it is ready to go.

Today I am listening to the awesome World Domination Enterprises, who were the house band for many of Mutoid events I was involved with during 1987 and 1988 in London. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mKYGWvuM8w&feature=related

Burning Man Day 7: The Temple Burns

Now the Temple is something truly special. Some would say Magical. Certainly Spiritual. The Sacred Heart of Black Rock City, the Temple first appeared at Burning Man in 2000 when it was built by San Francisco artist David Best as a Memorial for a close friend who had died. Burning Man started funding the Temple the following year and it has since turned into an incredible expression of grief and celebration of life. Thousands of people now write on it every year. If you have lost somebody or feel the need to let go of something in your life, you can write on the Temple and on the very last day of Burning Man, the Temple is burnt. http://blog.burningman.com/spirituality/the-temples/

This picture was taken last year before the Temple was burnt. I was grateful for the opportunity to experience the Temple for myself and also write my own message to my brother Pete, who has passed from this life.

The Burning Of The Temple was an incredibly powerful experience. In many ways it was more powerful than the Burning Of The Man. Where the Saturday night Burning Of The Man is the highlight of the party element of Burning Man, the Burning Of the Temple (on Sunday night) is a far more solemn and substantial ceremony, rooted in loss and rebirth. Filled with stillness and sadness and release, the crowd was mostly silent as they watched the Temple burn. It was a truly unique experience and I feel enriched for having been part of it.

I thought I'd post this second picture here so that if you want, you can see some of the messages that people leave on this amazing structure.

Today, in recognition of the Burning Of The Temple and the official end of Burning Man, I am listening to Death Take Your Fiddle by Spiritualized: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vSsuAZiw5k

Burning Man Day 6: The Man Burns

So today is the day. The Man burns. After a week of burning bacchanalia the moment of madness arrives. Tomorrow people will start leaving, but tonight they party. Hard. On this night last year, I saw naked people running through the desert with wild eyes and wilder cries. Lost and found was much the same thing. We were all there. All together celebrating the Fire as it swallowed the Man and his surrounding desert thorns.

Burning Man started in 1986 when Larry David and his friend Jerry James built an 8ft tall man in San Francisco, carried him down to the beach and set him on fire.  To find out more about the origins and history of Burning Man check this link here: http://www.burningman.com/whatisburningman/1986_1996/

I first heard about it in 1991 when Robin Cook and I (as the Mutoid Waste Co.)  built Carhenge at Confest, a Hippie Festival on the NSW/Victorian border for the wildest New Years Eve I've ever had. But that is an entirely different story, which can wait for another time. Not long after we built Carhenge, I started hearing stories about Burning Man and resolved to go one day. It took 18 years, but I finally made it last year. I wish I'd gone in the 90's when it was still small, but am still glad I went and I will definitely be going back again. I saw some great art, met some amazing people and made some friends who I suspect I will know for the rest of my life. They are out there in the desert tonight and my thoughts are with them.

Those of you who have taken to reading this blog (is there anybody out there?) know that generally I only post one picture. Today that changes as it's impossible to show the true majesty of the Burn with only one picture. So here is a complete series of 12 images, from the initial fireworks to the final collapse.

And today I am listening to the single most appropriate song. The 1968 psychedelic classic 'Fire' by The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY1APSk0SS0

Burning Man Day 5: Raining Dust

I've heard that this year it rained at Burning Man. Really rained. Hard. Seems weird to have a rainstorm in the desert. But then again, we had Hurricane Earl bypass NYC today. The clouds were amazing, but it didn't actually rain. So given the current conditions, it seemed appropriate to have these people with umbrella's trying to outrun the dust storm blowing up behind them.

This picture was taken as I was riding my bike across the Playa. I'd stopped for a moment and this cluster of dapper cyclists dressed in white carrying Chinese umbrellas rode towards me so I pulled out my camera from the ziplock bag where I kept it for safe keeping and grabbed a couple of quick shots before the dust storm hit me.

Dust is a very serious issue at Burning Man. More than anything else, it makes life on the Playa very uncomfortable. Ziplock bags are essential. Before you get out to the Playa, work out what you are going to wear on each day, pack those clothes into Ziplock bags and write the day on the front so you have clean clothes to wear each day. If you don't, you will probably end up wearing clothes that are full of the fine grainy dust to be found out there.

And to make matters even more interesting, America's largest gyprock factory is based just up the road, so be aware that you will be breathing in what contractors use to build the walls of your house. So, add a serious facemask to protect your lungs and skiing goggles to that shopping list if you want to protect your eyes. Dark glassed ones for daylight and clear ones for night time. I made the classic mistake of only taking dark goggles, which made stumbling around at night in the midst of a dust storm even more interesting. If you are planning to go next year and haven't been before, it's a very good idea to download and check the Survival Guide which can be found here: http://www.burningman.com/preparation/event_survival/index.html

In recognition of the serious dust storms which roll across the Playa at least 3 or 4 times during Burning Man, today I am listening to In Dust We Trust by The Chemical Brothers from the album Exit Planet Dust: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXSDOkycc2I

Burning Man Day 4: Indemnifying Death

Now these guys give serious rides. First of all, they have the coolest warning signs. This thing is called the Teeter Totter Of Death and they have a really BIG roadwork triangle style sign which says 'Abrupt Decapitation'. It's enough to make the freaks froth at the mouth. As they line up to take a go.

This picture was taken just off the Esplanade on The Playa. Run by two guys names Tricks & Aja, The Teeter Totter Of Death is like a giant swinging see-saw with two people balancing at each end of a huge iron girder. As they come down to land, the car wheels under their asses help cushion the blow. A little bit. To get it going, one of the intrepid men manning the machine runs in a circle pushing the girder and then swings from it as swinging see-saw takes off with speed. To see it in (slower mode than when I was there) action, check this brief video on youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u9__KPgdX0

To find out something of the mentality behind this flying death trap, check the 'Pansies Need Not Apply!!!' link here: http://eplaya.burningman.com/viewtopic.php?t=27441. There is a reason why the disclaimer on the Burning Man tickets is so rigorous. I must admit I've never been to an event before where on the back of the ticket the following is written:

I acknowledge and fully understand that as a participant, I will be engaging in activities that involve risk of serious injury, including permanent disability and death, property loss and severe social and economic losses. These risks include, but are not limited to, those caused by: (a) the actions, inactions or negligence of Burning Man, participants, volunteers, spectators, event officials and organizers; (b) conditions of the premises or equipment used; (c) rules and regulations regarding the activities; (d) temperature; (e) weather; (f) condition of participants; and, (g) vehicular traffic. I further acknowledge and fully understand that there may also be other risks that are not known or foreseeable at this time. I KNOWINGLY AND VOLUNTARILY ASSUME ALL RISK OF PROPERTY LOSS, PERSONAL INJURY, SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH, WHICH MAY OCCUR BY ATTENDING BURNING MAN 2010 AND HEREBY FOREVER RELEASE, DISCHARGE AND HOLD BURNING MAN HARMLESS FROM ANY CLAIM ARISING FROM SUCH RISK, EVEN IF ARISING FROM THE NEGLIGENCE OF BURNING MAN, ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, AGENTS, VOLUNTEERS OR REPRESENTATIVES, OR BY THIRD PARTIES, AND I ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY AND LIABILITY FOR MY PARTICIPATION.

(Capitals are not mine - they are on the ticket). There is a certain thrill involved in going to an event where you know you might die if you don't keep your shit together. It's just amazing how few people do actually die at these events. Especially given how toasted most of them get.

In honor of the survivors, today I am listening to the Chosen One Mix of Woke Up This Morning by Alabama 3 - most of you will know it as the Theme Song for The Soprano's: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gbw60Iw-tA

Burning Man Day 3: Rocket In Your Brain

By now, at least half of the 50,000 people at Burning Man would have added their own individual choice of rocket fuel to help their brains break the barriers of the civilized society they left behind at the entrance. Even though there are many new choices available in the market place, psychedelics are a perennial favorite and I saw more than one person wandering through the desert air with a shit eating grin and eyeballs bulging.

This picture was taken on Day 3 of the Burn last year. The 40' tall Raygun Gothic Rocketship was built by a huge crew of 60 artists from the Bay Area of San Francisco led by Sean Orlando, Nathaniel Taylor and David Shulman. To find out more check it here: http://www.raygungothicrocket.com. They did a 'launch' on the Friday night which can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf6a-xwEvGM. The very cool Raygun Gothic Rocket can be seen for the next 14 months at the Pier 14 Tidal Plaza at the base of Mission St on the Embarcadero in San Francisco. http://www.raygungothicrocket.com/blog/2010/08/11/mayor-gavin-newsom-unveils-monumental-raygun-gothic-rocketship-sculpture/

In honour of all the intrepid space travellers found on the Playa, today I am listening to David Bowie singing Moonage Daydream from Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE4Mu_cZcIA