The Isaac Wood Cocktail Bar (see body text for the scoop!)
So here’s the scoop on the whole cocktail art installation!
I got the train up there on a whim cause fuck it I had nothing else to do, and ended up meeting a few fans at a bar across the road from the address before hand.
From there we all ended up wandering around the estate, not knowing whether or not to line up and weirding out the neighbours a bit lmao, we eventually got ushered up into the block of flats and were the first few in to where the bar was at the front door. Isaac was right at the front and guided us upstairs.
We were escorted up into this freshly painted room with exactly what you see in the picture. A white rectangle that was covered in a bed sheet and some wood support to the side. (Literally, a cocktail bar with painting support).
Afterwards, Isaac came up and the first few of us got to have a nice convo with him. And honestly what a really lovely down to earth guy. From what we chatted about he seems to be just having fun, making art, working in carpentry, said he had been creating a musical for the last 2 years but that ended up not working out (lord knows what that could of been but sounds cool), wrote the latest songs over the last few months for the Phoebe gig, didn’t actually do any of the art there besides building the bar but was just supporting friends and is still 50/50 on if a new album is going to come from the new music just yet.
Then, the actual artist of the piece (I didn’t get her name, sorry, but she was also really lovely!) came up and started explaining the piece some more (which you can read about in the bio paper I took a pic of) and that the bar was there to help fund new supplies for further projects.
After that IT GOT PACKED QUICK seemed like some people were expecting more and were a bit baffled, Tbf it was a very Lynchian experience at times, but everyone seemed to either get the hint that this is what it was, thought there may of been some deeper social experiment at hand or think that any moment Isaac was gonna bust out basketball shoes, which didn’t happen, but the fact that this took place regardless, and we all got to hang out and enjoy the weird yet exciting atmosphere that was created out of this, was enough to make it worth it!
I ended up getting the pic of us together as I was leaving, since the slightly more enthusiastic side of the fanbase started coming in, who pretty much only wanted a signature for vinyls, to know where he lived! (which was an actual question that was asked, like jeez chill guys!) and kept asking if he was getting back with the band. But fair play to him for handling it all well, he was super chill and kind to everyone from what I saw regardless of some over excitement.
Overall, it was a fun artsy time, I didn’t go into it with any expectations, just wanted to see what Isaac had up his sleeve in terms of a new project and ended up having a really nice chat with him, hanging out with some fab people around the art and having few bevvies afterwards. Brilliant day out!
Ps: there was some girlies like myself there, not just a COCKtail bar! 😂