Best of the Week Ahead

Friday, May 22, 2009

PHOTOGRAPHY:

SIXTY photographs, many not seen before in the UK, spanning from 1957 to 1971. When the subject is New York photographer Diane Arbus, it’s time to get moving. If you caught the V&A show just over three years ago, you’ll know what I mean, but if you missed it the Timothy Taylor Galleries just behind Bond Street are the places to go. The show will include a group of photographs from Arbus’s ‘Untitled’ series, incredibly beautiful photographs taken at residences for people with disabilities in the last years of Arbus’s life, between 1969 and 1971.

Diane Arbus is at the Timothy Taylor Gallery, 15 Carlos Place and 21 Dering Street, behind Bond Street, until June 27. Open Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-2pm. Free. Call 020 7409 3344. See www.timothytaylorgallery.com

EXHIBITION:

MINIMALIST? Abstract impressionist? Or just bits of old cupboards thrown together and painted black? Which ever way you see Louise Nevelson’s sculptures, just make sure you see them. The free exhibition at Ladbroke Grove’s hidden giant of a gallery, the Louise T Blouin, is Britain’s first solo exhibition given to an artist revered in America. Born in the Ukraine in 1899, Louise emigrated with her family to New York, where she died in 1988. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, her father was lumber trader. More surprisingly, however, was the fact that despite relative obscurity until her 50s, now her woodwork is now selling for up to $2.5 million a piece. Makes you think – try hard enough and there’s always more than one way to make a living.

Louise Nevelson: Dawns and Dusks is at the Louise Blouin Foundation is on Olaf Street, Ladbroke Grove, until June 14. Call 020 7985 9600. See www.ltbfoundation.org.

PARTY:

TOILET-turned-triumph. Shepherd’s Bush’s very own converted Victorian toilet, Ginglik, is celebrating again. Against all the odds the little venue that could is about to blow out with a fancy dress seventh birthday weekender. Successfully having staved off last year’s H&F council’s plan to have the venue filled with concrete as part of the Westway redevelopment package for the area, owners Colin and Tammi are planning three nights of midnight mayhem with everything from spoken word and gangster rap to swing and minimal electronica. Oh, and don’t forget the free cupcakes courtesy of Upsy Daisy Bakery.

Ginglik’s 7th Birthday Weekender is at Ginglik, 1 Shepherds Bush Green, from Friday May 22 until Sunday May 24. £6-8. Call 020 8749 2310. See www.ginglik.co.uk

GIGS:

BY FAR my favourite gig of 2008 was Antony and the Johnson’s with the London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican. It might be tough to top without the orchestra, but having seen him support Bjork as a solo vocalist, there’s no doubt in my mind that next week’s Antony and the Johnson’s gig at the Apollo Hammersmith will be every bit as momentous. Grab a copy of their new album, The Crying Light, and swot up. The New York legend rarely tours, so get your emotional fix while you can.

Antony and the Johnson’s play The Apollo, Queen Caroline Street, on Wednesday , May 27 at 8pm. £30. Call 0844 8444 748. See www.hammersmithapollo.net.

FILM:

BRICK Lane: curries, Monica Ali, bagels, Bangladeshis, Cafe 1001 – or perhaps you thinking destination DVDs? For both rental and buying, the two best spots in London are just waiting to be discovered. Right round the corner from each other, Close-Up (DVD rentals) and Cinephilia (DVD sales and excellent selection of books on films) cover all the bases that rotting mainstream culture so desperately needs. Films by Werner Herzog, Abbas Kiarostami, dcumentaries by the mighty Artefact Media, books by Marc Cousins – it’s all there. And if that wasn’t enough, owners Yoram (Cinephilia) and (Damien) Close-Up are expanding their filmic empires into the real of performance with screenings around town. Check out the details below and get in the loop.

Close-Up is at 139 Brick Lane. Call 020 7739 3634. See www.close-upvideos.com.

Anticipation and Memory – The Films of Larry Gottheim, presented by Close-Up plus Q&A with Larry Gottheim, is at The Working Men’s Club, 44 Pollard Row, Bethnal Green, on Tuesday, May 26 at 7pm. £7/5. Call 020 7739 7170.

Cinephilia is at 97 Sclater Street, off Brick Lane. Call 020 7729 9533. See www.cinephilia.co.uk

Audition, by Takashi Miike (Japan, 1999) will screen as the next monthly installment of the Electric Sheep Film Club, presented by Cinephilia, at the Prince Charles Cinema, Leicester Square, on Wednesday, June 3. £5/3.50. Call 0870 811 2559. See www.electricsheepmagazine.com/events

COMEDY:

MANY comedians are offensive. Many comedians are funny. Few comedians combine the two as well as Scott Capurro. On his latest pre-Edinburgh warm up he’ll be asking his usual incendiary questions, such as ‘is Obama really black?’ Whatever the answer, be sure you’ll be laughing, but also thinking. Caupurro shies away from neither the day’s big issues or his personal life’s dirty tissues. Don’t sat I didn’t warn you…

Scott Capurro – Goes Much Deeper is at the Soho Theatre, Dean Street, from Sunday, May 25 until May 30 at 9.45pm . £10-17.50. Call 020 7478 0100. See www.sohotheatre.com

Friday, May 15, 2009

PHOTOGRAPHY:

PHOTOS as junk? Not what you’d expect of the holy grail of photographic exhibition spaces, London’s ever evolving Photographers’ Gallery. Ok, not all of them, but in this exhibition dedicated to the photograph as an object (as opposed to a .jpg on your screen) the photos are bent, crushed and trampled into all sorts of shapes. Catherine Yass is a favourite: she even burns her pictures. It’s free; it’s fun – what more do you need.

The Photographic Object is at The Photographers’ Gallery, 16-18 Ramillies St, Soho, until June 14. Free. Mon: Closed. Tues, Wed, Sat: 11am-6pm. Thurs & Fri: 11am-8pm. Sun: noon–6pm. Call 0845 262 1618. See www.photonet.org.uk

COMEDY:

TIME again for the grand final of the Laughing Horse New Act of the Year competition. Hoping to follow in the footsteps of previously triumphant Russell Kane; Greg Davies and Matt Blaize, this year’s line-up pits the final 13 acts from 750 who entered the heats in January. And if your favourite fails to make the grade, you can always console yourself with the DJ and bar open until 3am.

Jason Patterson, Alex Maple, Helm & Taylor, Kai Humphries, Joe Lycett, Sam Gore, Tony Dunn, Andrew Ryan, Lambros Fisfis, Lady Garden, Fergus Craig, Michael O’Donovan, Martin Hill and MC Kevin McCarron are at The Dogstar, 389 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton on Sunday, May 17 from 7.30pm. £12/10 in advance. Food available until 8pm. Call 020 7733 7515. See www.laughinghorsecomedy.co.uk

EXHIBITION:

TIP OF the cap to you! More than 300 hats chosen with the expert eye of milliner Stephen Jones are now on display at the V&A. Expect anything from Egyptian Anubis masks dating from 600BC; 1950s Balenciagas; children’s tiaras and couture creations by Jones and contemporaries such as Christian Dior. Such is the glamour, I could name drop until the page ran out, but better to run out and see for yourself.

Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones is at the V&A’s Porter Gallery until May 31. £5. Call 0870 906 3883. See www.vam.ac.uk/hats

Friday, May 8, 2009

Critics in 1956 may have been divided, but these days it would be hard to find anyone who wouldn’t acknowledge the influence of John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger. First put on at Sloane Square’s Royal Court Theatre, the latest incarnation will be staged at Richmond Theatre next week. Centred around class and sexual warfare, the play asks what can and can’t be tolerated in relationships. Opening night will raise funds for Refuge, the national charity for women and children against domestic violence. See for yourself and help those who are suffering.

Look Back in Anger, by John Osborne, is at the Richmond Theatre, The Green, Richmond. Opening Night Charity Fundraiser for Refuge, Tuesday May 12, 7.45pm. £14-23. Play runs until May 16. Call 0870 060 6651. See www.ambassadortickets.com/richmond. For Refuge call 020 7395 7726. See www.refuge.org.uk

TO SURVIVE as a Native American in today’s world you’d almost have to have a sense of humour. Combining comedy and music, Chuquai Billy is the UK’s only Native American stand-up and just one of the highlights of the Origins Festival of First Nations. His show, An American Redwolf in London, will be just the kind of cultural criticism we don’t get enough of. At venues across London until May 17, make sure you get a taste of the film, comedy, theatre and workshops on hand to broaden your point of view.

Origins Festival of First Nations presents Chuquai Billy: An American Redwolf in London is at the Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, on May 8/9. £12/10. 9.45pm. Call 020 7478 0100. See www.sohotheatre.com and www.originsfestival.bordercrossings.org.uk

April 2, 2009

MUSIC:
‘HEY BABY. Come here often?’ It’s the worst line in the book, but thanks to Naomi Timperley children six month to seven years old will already be doing the do on the dance floor.

Baby Loves Disco, an initiative for parents and children who just can’t get enough, has danced its way across the country over the last 18 months.

Supported by Heart 106.2, DJs will spin their songs and compete against bubble machines and healthy snacks for attention.

Booze is on sale for adults at the bar, just beware of your kid having to carry you home.

• Baby Loves Disco is at the Bush Hall, 310 Uxbridge Road, Shepherd’s Bush, on  Sunday, April 5. 2-5pm.  £9. See www.babylovesdisco.co.uk

MUSIC:
THEY don’t call it London’s best underground beat bunker for nothing.

Hanging on by a thread as the council tries to clog the venue with concrete, Ginglik fights on with a new hardcore electronica and audio-visual night.

With short films and Nintendo & Sega arcade games, keep a special eye out for London busker Dave Osbourne.

He arrived from Australia last year, turned his bike upside down and into a convertible drum-kit.

Now he’s hit the clubs with electronic loops to lift his blistering beats into a full on rave.

• Techliks  is at Ginglik, 1 Shepherds Bush Green. Live AV Lounge 7-10pm. Ends 3am. £6 before 10pm, £8 after.
• Call 020 8749 2310. See www.ginglik.co.uk

THEATRE:
DON’T be fooled by the serene scene, if West End hit That Face is anything to go by, we know Polly Stenham’s plays are a ticking bomb.

In Tusk Tusk, the 22-year-iold’s second play, we meet three siblings – a boy of 15, girl of 14 and their seven-year-old brother – who are living together in a flat. Why they are all alone, however, is a darker matter.

• Tusk Tusk, by Polly Stenham, is at the Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square until May 2. 7.45pm, Sat mats 4pm. £10-15.
• Call 020 756 5000. See www.royalcourttheatre.com.

March 27, 2009

BURLESQUE:
The wait is over. There have been fundraisers and Valentine’s bashes, but now it’s time for the third full blown London Burlesque Festival.

Kicking off at Cafe De Paris, the ladies (and occasional gentleman) will be twirling their tassels through Madame Jojo’s, Scala Nightclub and Bush Hall. 60% of the tickets have already gone and it’s not hard to see why.

• The London Burlesque Festival runs from April 1-5. Prices and locations vary. See www.londonburlesquefest.com

FILM:
Mental health within the black and Asian communities. Not the easiest topic to turn into entertainment, but the Happy Soul Festival is about to do it for a third year running.

Coupled with an educational outlook, films from the European premiere of the award-winning US film Something is Killing Tate by Leon Lozano to special disability-friendly screenings of The Secret Lives of Bees make sure that there’s something for everyone to ponder.

• The Happy Soul Festival runs from 26 March to 8 April. Price, time and locations vary. See www.happysoulfestival.co.uk

ART:

A bronze medal is nothing to be ashamed of. Especially when the category is Royal Academy exhibitions to Japanese artists and printmakers.

Gold was Hokusai (1991-92) and silver Hiroshige: Images of Mist, Rain, Moon and Snow (1997). If you’re kicking yourslef for missing those then now’s the time to make up for it. He’s hailed as one if the pre-cursors to the Manga style, which literally translated, means ‘whimsical pictures’. Just don’t mention that to the giant carp!

• Utagawa Kuniyoshi is at Royal Academy of Arts until June 7. 10am – 6pm daily, Fridays until 10pm. £9/8; £4 12–18 yrs; £3 8–11 yrs; 7 yrs and under free. Call 0844 209 1919. See www.royalacademy.org.uk

March 20, 2009

MUSIC:
To see Anthony Hegarty of Anthony and the Johnson’s is to witness one of our generation’s greatest talents. To support the Teenage Cancer Trust is a wor thy gesture. Add Florence & the Machine and VV Brown to the mix and you have one irresistible night.

• Antony & the Johnsons, Florence & the Machine, VV Brown are Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, on Tuesday, March 24, at 7.30pm. £20-46, proceeds to Teenage Cancer Trust. Call 020 7589 8212.
• See www.royalalberthall.com, www.teenagecancertrust.org

FILM:
SHORT attention span? Try short films!All of the Baftanominated entries for 2009 will be screening over the following Monday evenings at Brick Lane’s cool and cozy Cafe 1001.

This year’s Bafta winner, September, directed by hot tip Esther May Campbell, is a short about breaking from boring routines – use this as an excuse to break yours.

• Short and Sweet is at Cafe 1001, 91 Brick Lane, Whitechapel, on Mondays. Doors 6.30pm, films 7.30pm. Free, but arrive early to grab a seat.

COMEDY:
Andrew Maxwell – the tallest member of his family at 5ft 6ins.

Forget social climbing, as an Irishman, apparently that’s the greatest expectation your parents can have of you.

If you get it, then this is the gig for you. Raised in Kilbarrack, in Dublin’s Northside, his accents and observations span the isles. In cahoots with Jo Caulfield, Pete Firman, MC Phil Kay – get ready to giggle.

• Andrew Maxwell, Jo Caulfield, Pete Firman and MC Phil Kay are at the Bush Hall, 310 Uxbridge Road, Shepherd’s Bush, on Friday, March 20. 7.30pm. £14. Call 08700 600 100. See www.bushhallmusic.co.uk

March 13, 2009

TALK:
INVESTIGATIVE journalism dressed up as comedy. Author of Belching Out The Devil, Adventures with Coca-Cola, Mark Thomas is now taking on the economy. The aim is to name, shame and tame the guilty bankers, so get ready to cry (with laughter as well) about the state of the world.

Mark Thomas is at The Tabard Theatre, 2 Bath Road, Chiswick on Sunday, March 15 at 7.30pm. £10. Call 0208 995 6035. Box office 08448 472 264. See www.tabardtheatre.co.uk.

ST PADDY’S:
HOW DO you spend yours? Flirting to the sounds of the fiddle or face down on the floor? Either way, make sure this St Patrick’s Day you’re not far away from the best crowds in town. For the real thing nothing beats the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith, but for some side-winding ska and a dance in the street get down to see local carnival legends Gaz’s Rockin Blues at the Cow on Westbourne Park Road. Slàinte!

Gaz’s Rockin’ Blues St Paddy’s Special is at The Cow Pub & Restaurant, 89 Westbourne Park Road, on Tuesday, March 17. 8.30pm. Free. Call 020 7221 0021. See www.thecowlondon.co.uk

St Patrick’s Night Party with Hungry Grass is at The Irish Cultural Centre, Blacks Road, Hammersmith, on Tuesday, March 17. 7.30pm. £15. Call 020 8563 8232. See www.irishcentrehammersmith.co.uk.

DANCE:
IF YOU have ordinary expectations of 15-17 years olds, get ready to let them go. Sixteen finalists will hit the boards at the Royal Opera House on Sunday to decide Britain’s best young dancer of the year. Know as one of the most inspirational evenings in British dance, it is open to private and vocational dance students who have been resident and trained in Britain for a period of three years or more. To mark the tenth anniversary of the competition there will also be a special performance by past winners including Royal Ballet dancers Lauren Cuthbertson, Sergei Polunin, James Hay and Ruth Bailey.

Young British Dancer of the Year Award is at the Royal Opera House, Sunday, March 15 at 7pm. £9-21.50. Call 020 7304 4000. See www.roh.org.uk arch 6, 2009

March 6, 2009
Best of the Week Ahead

FILM/MUSIC:

BE KIND Rewind - the Michel Gondry film that has helped transform the Nottinhg Hill Arts Club into a make-shift movie set.
“We remake a Hollywood classic live on the night with the crowd starring in our miniature masterpiece,” says the ingenious young lady behind the scheme, Harriet Knowles.
The fan-fare made film is then projected onto the big screen between DJs and live acts. E.T. and Back to the Future have had the treatment to rave reviews and next up is the wonderfully weird 1971 musical Willy Wonka & the Chocolate factory. Come dressed to nines or use the props  provided, it’s all about making movie magic and soaking up some good music.

Shock Defeat!, The Momeraths, National Club, Al Cool and the Stranger Wines, DJ Simon Stuart and Rockfeedback DJs perform for Videopia at The Notting Hill Arts Club, Tuesday, March 10. 7pm-2am, filming ends at 8.30. £5/4. Call 020 7460 4459. See www.nottinghillartsclub.com.

THEATRE:
WHAT’S miserly, erotic and mostly musical? Oliver back to back with La Ronde at the Riverside Studios, of course.
The new productions by ten-year-old theatre group Love&Madness will run in repertory (same cast, different plays), giving the actors a real chance to show off their craft. Leading lady Ellie Turner’s twist of fate sees her playing Oliver one night and a tango temptress in La Ronde the next. Sound tricky? Nothing’s impossible with Love&Madness.

Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens, in rep with La Ronde, by Arthur Schnitzler, is at the Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, Hammersmith, until March 22. £17/13. 7.30pm. Call 020 8237 1111. See www.riversidestudios.co.uk and www.loveandmadness.org

ART:
IT’S NOT a photograph. Hard to believe when you look at some of Gerhard Richter’s paintings.
A master of abstract art, the National Portrait Gallery has now singled out his portraiture for a retrospective exhibition. From his black and white works of the 1960s to the first viewing of the 2007 portrait of his daughter, Ella, his style has moved from near-perfect photographic replica to blurred and fading imagery.
It’s what he calls ‘persistent uncertainty’, but be sure that the show will certainly be worth it.

Gerhard Richter Portraits is at the National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place, until May 31. £8/7. Daily 10am-6pm. Thur and Fri until 9pm. Call 020 7306 0055. See www.npg.org.uk.

January 30, 2008
Best of the Week Ahead
THEATRE:
SPEND the evening with Simon Callow and chums at the theatre and you can help the homeless. Actors for Human Rights have been taking testaments of those affected and turning them into tales for the stage. There are eight scripts in total, which touch on issues ranging from asylum to debt. May sound like a bit of a downer to kick off your Friday night, but once you take a look from the pavement’s perspective, you might end up more grateful for what lies ahead.

● Voices from the Edge is performed by Iceandfire Theatre Company’s Actors for Human Rights at Union Chapel, Angel, on Friday, February 6. 8pm. £10, all proceeds to charity. Call 020 7226 1686. See www.unionchapel.org.uk

THEATRE:

NOT TO jinx a good thing, but the Finborough Theatre is the little theatre that could. It’s been 10 years artistic director Neil McPherson has been fighting to re-instate the golden age of the early 90s – where starlets like Rachel Weisz were born – and despite the lack of Arts Council funding, he’s arguably there. Next up is the love story of Wallis Duchess of Windsor. Threaded through 1980s Paris and the House of Windsor, expect a  sensationalstory and some faultless acting from Oliver-winning Nichola McAuliffeand Patrick Ryecart.

● Untitled, by Lena Farugia runs at the Finborough Theatre, 118 Finborough Road, Earl’s Court, from Sunday, February 3, until Saturday, March 14. Tues-Sat 7.30pm. Sat/Sun mats 3pm. £13/9. Call 0870 4000 838. See www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk

January 23, 2008
Best of the Week Ahead
SCREENING:
EVERY week Paddington’s Frontline Club is busy bringing audiences
remarkable tales from the unreported world.
Next Monday’s screening and talk with Louis Theroux is sadly booked
up, but Child Miners, an observational documentary by
director Rodrigo Vazquez this Friday might yet steal the show. Creator
of Inside Hamas, he now turns his camera on two
Bolivian kids whose life down the mines hopes to change with the
arrival of the new president, Evo Morales.
● Child Miners is at The Frontline Club, 13 Norfolk Place, Paddington,
on Friday, January 23. Plus Q&A with director Rodrigo Vazquez. £8.
7pm. Call 020 7479 8950. See www.frontlineclub.com

POETRY:
POETRY takes its fair share of hardknocks, but with Obama in the air,
the importance of oratory is breathing new life.
To get a taste of a woman who has a way with words, Valerie Bloom’s
the ticket. At Soho Theatre with a selection of rising stars from
poetry power-house Apples and Snakes, the evening promises a joyous
celebration of speech.
● Valerie Bloom (right) is at the Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, Soho
on Wednesday, January 28. 8pm. £8/6. Call 0870 4296 883. See
www.sohotheatre.com

THEATRE:
THE FACTORY is anything but your usual product line.
Creators of last year’s radical interpretation of Shakespeare’s
Hamlet, they are set to test out eight month’s worth of bitesized
plays in development. “As usual, the actors will know all the roles
and audiences will choose who plays who in which play,” says Factory
producer Liam Evans-Ford.
“With live music in between each 10-minute play, we’re hoping the
night will feel more like a live gig than a stuffy, black-box evening
at the theatre.”
● The Factory, Round 1, play at the Electricity Showrooms, Shoreditch,
from Sunday, January 25 until Tuesday, January 27. £10.
Sun 6.30pm. Mon-Tues 7.30pm. Friday, January 30, at Pleasance Theatre,
Islington and Saturday, January 31 at Hampstead
Theatre. 7.30pm. See www.factorytheatre.co.uk

December 12, 2008
Best of the Week Ahead
MUSIC:
LOUD and proud, The London Gay Men’s Chorus will be belting out a
Christmas concert next Saturday.
Equally at home on Top of the Pops, So Graham Norton or Comic Relief
as they are selling out the Barbican or Royal Albert Hall, next up is
the intimate Cadogan Hall.
Founded in 1991 by six gay men singing at Angel tube station, the
incredible success story has taken their members to 190 and counting.
But it’s no mafia – anyone can join and auditions are purely based on
your voice. Bass, baritone, first tenor, second
tenor and semitones will all unite to raise money for HIV and AIDS
charity the Terrence Higgins Trust.
Hosted by Gaby Roslin and Emma Noble on Friday and Saturday night
respectively, grab your ticket before it’s too late.
● The London Gay Men’s Chorus will perform at the Cadogan Hall, 5
Sloane Terrace, Chelsea, on Friday and  Saturday, December 19/20 at
7.30pm. Sat mat at 3pm. £15-35. Call 020 7730 4500. See
www.cadoganhall.com

FESTIVAL:
PORTOBELLO is reclaiming its roots. Always a reference point for
culture as well as counter-culture,
the Portobello Winter Festival is back to prove the area’s lost none
of its spontaneous and ingenious talents.
All of next weekend if you walk under the Westway, don’t freak out if
you’re caught up in an Alice in
Wonderland-style transformation – it’s all part of the plan. Bring a
mask for Ebony Bones’s gig and plenty of cash to rustle through Rough
Trade Records’ stall, world foods and The Notting Hill Arts
Club-run bar.
Subway Gallery will be on hand with the art; graffiti spray will fill
the air and DJ Dub will lay down
the bass. There’s really too much to mention, just come and see for yourself.
● The Portobello Winter Festival featuring The Thirst, Ebony Bones,
Riz MC Rotten Hill Gang, Rough
Trade and much more is under the Westway at the end of Portobello Road
from Friday-Sunday, December 19-20. Friday and Saturday 11am-11pm,
Sunday 11am-6pm. Free 11am-7pm, £4 after.

THEATRE:
IT’S NOT high-end, but it’s highly encouraging and highly entertaining.
Core Cuts presents the best new plays from the Soho Young Writers Core
Group. Designed to steer aspiring  playwrights aged 18-25 to complete
a full-length play for the stage, two of the group’s highlights will
be performed next week.
England’s Dreaming, by Natalie Mitchell, will take us to a Tory
government, unemployment and recession.
That’s Thatcher’s 1977 by the way, not a worrying prognostic. Moon
River, by Seiriol Davies, instead looks at the dynamics of Glad, Sandy
and Ron, when new-arrival Frank pitches up at their nursing home.
● Core Cuts is at the Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, Monday and
Tuesday, 15/16 December at 7pm. £5/3. Series runs
until Feb 2009. Call 08704 296 883. See www.sohotheatre.com

December 5, 2008
Best of the Week Ahead
MUSIC:
LOVE Gaz’s Rockin’Blues stage at the Notting Hill Carnival? Well then
get a taste of the man (below) and his band at the Tabernacle,
London’s underground gem, tucked away on Powis Square.
The fact such an imposingly beautiful venue could be described as
underground is set to change in the spring, when new artistic director
Michael Harris will relaunch the venue, which once hosTed Pink Floyd
and New Order’s first gigs. But before the whole world and their dog
descend on the place, keep your ear to the ground for intimate affairs
such as Gaz Mayall and The Trojans. Presented by Peirs Thompson of
Roughler TV, the sweaty ska-fest will be a part of a series of
warm-ups to remember.
● The Trojans with Cheyne Pride and guests will be at the Tabernacle,
Powis Square, Notting Hill, on
Wednesday, December 10. £10. 8pm-1am. Tickets on sale at Rough Trade
Records, Talbot Road.
See www.carnival village.org.uk and www.gazrockin.com

November 28, 2008
Best of the Week Ahead
SCREENING Q&A:
SPOILT, spoilt, spoilt for choice! Not only are some of the best films
from Africa and Latin America on the way to our finest cinemas, but
many of their directors are on their way to join us too.
Mauritanian-born Abderrahmane Sissako will be on hand at the British
FiIm Institute to discuss his illustrious career and Bamako
(2006), which takes a scathing look at international financial institutions.
Lucrecia Martel (below), Argentina’s finest director, will also be
talking at the Tate Modern, looking at Latin America’s role in world
cinema and her latest film, The Headless Woman. The list of privileges
is long – silent South African classics with live piano at the
Barbican; selections from Nigeria’s ‘Nollywood’; Pablo Trapero’s fifth
feature Leonera – find your favourite and book
before the house fills up.
● DLA Film Festival and the African Film Festival are at selected
cinemas across London. See www.discoveringlatinamerica.
com/dlaff and www.africaatthepictures.co.uk for full programmes

ART:
FUTURE MAP 08 is part of the growing initiative to show off the best
London arts graduates.
Similar to Tom Daly and Max Vallot’s excellent Patchwork Initiative –
which brought to light the art of Ian Bruce, photography of Wendy
Bevan and designs of Felipe Rojas Llanos at the Village Underground
last week –Future Map 08 will showcase 12 graduates from across the
University of the Arts London.
The panel who chose the artists includes Ekow Eshun, director of the
Institute of Contemporary Art, so expect to see much more of these
cats in the future.
● Future Map 08 is at the David Roberts Art Foundation Fitzrovia, 111
Great Titchfield, W1, until December 23. Free. Tue-Fri, 10am-6pm, Sat
11am-4pm. See www.arts.ac.uk

DANCE:
CAN’T quite scrimp for the flight to Argentina this Christmas? Neither
can I. But James Ogle on violin and Volker Summer on accordion will
trying their best to console us with an almighty milonga (dance
practice) after Bianca and Sacha’s regular tango class.
Come solo or with a partner and turn your heels to the sounds of Astor
Piazzolla’s lament.
● Live music and milonga with Duo Tanzango is at Latvian House, 72
Queensborough Terrace, Bayswater. Thurs, Dec 4. 8-9.30pm class,
9.30pm-midnight milonga. £5 milonga, £15 with class. Call 020 85202
726,
07748 648 322. See www.rojoynegroclub.com

November 21, 2008
Best of the Week Ahead
Music:
HEADLINED by the tender trumpet of South African’s Hugh Masekela, this
celebration of Africa’s best musicians should paint the sun back on to
our dreary skies.
Hugh will be joined by ice-cool singer Angelique Kidjo and Bassekou
Kouyate, master of the ngoni. Don’t worry if
you’ve never heard of it – the enchanting sound of this traditional
West African lute won’t be easy to miss.
● Stars of Africa is at Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, on
Wednesday, November 26, at 7.30pm. £15-35. All proceeds will support
charity VSO’s education work in Africa. Call 020 7589 8212. See
www.royalalberthall.com
THEATRE:
DRUNKS, evil cops and washed-out entertainers rule the 1930s, San
Francisco night – until Kitty Duvall walks into
the room.
The Time of Your Life, by US playwright William Saroyan, tore the
house down when it opened on Broadway in
1939. Winning both the New York Drama Critics Circle and the Pulitzer
Prize, it’s now the turn of Max Lewendel to bring out its best at the
Finborough Theatre.
His theatre group Icarus have proved to be one to watch on the fringe
circuit – expect some shady shenanigans as we try to decipher whether
Kitty’s a starlet or harlot.
● The Time of Your Life, by William Saroyan is at the Finborough
Theatre, 118 Finborough Road, Earl’s Court,until
December 20. £13/9. Tue-Sat 7.30pm. Sat/Sun mats 3pm. Call 0870 4000
838. See www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk

November 14, 2008
Best of the Week Ahead
TALK:
THE FRONTLINE Club – London’s best kept secret – has such a good
programme it’s hard to chose a highlight. Amid their latest season of
films, photography and talks which tackle HIV and AIDS, is a cheeky
night with Jon Ronson.
Known to many from his former Out of the Ordinary column in the
Saturday Guardian, he will discuss his latest book, which asks silly
yet serious questions such as ‘why are Iraqi prisoners  forced to
repeatedly listen to Barney the Purple Dinosaur’s theme tune?’ Be
prepared for some tough topics,sensibly handled by BBC Radio 4’s Peter
Curran who will chair the discussion.
And if you’re feeling the crunch, just drop in online for a free webcast.
●Insight with Jon Ronson: The Men Who Stare at Goats and Other Stories
is at The Frontline Club, 13 Norfolk Place,Paddington,on
Friday,November 14 at 7pm. £10 or free webcast. Call 020 7479 8950.
See www.frontlineclub.com

AUDIO-VISUAL:
WANT to see how far audio- visual technology has come? Look no further
than Onedotzero: adventures in
moving image.
The multi-media showcase has run for 10 years at the Institute of
Contemporary Art. It’s brought talents such
as directors Chris Cunningham (music videos for Bjork and Aphex Twin);
and Spike Jones (Being John Malkovich; plus Fatboy Slim music videos)
to the fore.
Now housed at the British Film Institute and the IMAX, expect even
more. Nitin Sawhney, Hexstatic and D-Fuse are among the better-known
names, but try to pay attention to the little ones – they won’t be
little
for long!
● Onedotzero is at the BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX from Friday until
Sunday, November 14-16. Call 020
7928 3232 or 0870 787 2525. See www.onedotzero.com/programme08 for
full listings.

JAZZ:
HERBIE Hancock, Portico Quartet and other hot tickets are already sold out.
But don’t give up on the London Jazz Festival – it’s bigger than you
can imagine. Taking
place at dozens of venues from Dalston to Richmond, check out the
website for full listings.
Our tip is Femi Kuti, the sax and trumpet playing son of the Afrobeat
guru Fela Kuti, supported by the soulful afro-gypsy sounds of
Paris-based songwriter Ayo (pictured).
●Femi and The Positive Force with support from Ayo is at the Royal
Festival Hall on
Friday, November 14 at 7.30pm. £10-25. Call 08716 632 505. See
www.southbankcentre.co.uk or www.londonjazz
festival.org.uk

October 31, 2008
Best of the Week Ahead
COMEDY:
TEN YEARS and eight London clubs – not a bad run for comedy impresario
Alex Petty.
Co-founder of the Laughing Horse with comedian Kevin McCarron, their
latest posting is Upstairs at the Goat Tavern
in Picadilly. “Neil McFarlane is making a rare London appearance at
our next show,” Alex says.
“He’s one to watch, a Glaswegian with a different take on things.”
Host of the 50-heat Laughing Horse New Act
of the Year since 2001, Alex’s talent-toting eye is not one to doubt.
● Neil McFarlane, Jay Sodagar, Snorri Hergil Kristjánsson, Jane
Bostock, John Soffe, Broderick Chow, Bobby Carroll, The Ham and Yard
Tourists and MC Sion James are Upstairs at the Goat Tavern, 3 Stafford
Street, Green Park on Saturday, November 1. Call 020 7629 0966. Doors
8.15pm,show 8.45-11pm. £7/6. Comedy every Friday
and Saturday. Food until 8pm,reserve table 07913 460 295. See
www.laughinghorse.co.uk

ART:
BONDAGE,Japanese women and flowers – sounds like my dream date. For
fans of photographer Nobuyoshi Araki, it’s even better. Handmade,
one-off diptychs, never before seen in the UK, are about to go on view
at Chelsea’s Michael Hoppen Gallery.  Leave the kids at home and soak
up some of Japan’s most sumptuous imagery.
● Hana Kinbaku by Nobuyoshi Araki is at the Michale Hoppen
Contemporary, 3 Jubilee Place, Chelsea, until January 10. Free.
Tues-Fri noon-6pm, Sat 10.30am-5pm, Sun closed. Call 020 7352 3649.
See www.michaelhoppencontemporary.com

MUSIC:
THE ELEVENTH London International String Quartet Competition begins now.
Set for end of March 2009, the fundraiser with past winners Casals
Quartet and the Atrium Quartet is on tonight, at the Wigmore Hall.
Haydn, Shostakovich, Beethoven and Brahms top the bill, let the season
begin.
● Casals Quartet and the Atrium Quartet play at Wigmore Hall, 36
Wigmore Street, Marylebone,on Friday October 31. £10-100. 7.30pm. Call
020 7935 2141. See www.wigmorehall.org.uk

October 24, 2008
Best of the Week Ahead
COMEDY:
MIKE WOZNIAKhas stormed the stand-up scene.
Working in scripted sketch comedy for 10 years, it’s a blessing that
he’s broken out on his own.
The secret to his success? “Part personality, part veneer and the
simple joy of a moustache,” he
says. Only a year in and his whimsical storytelling has won an
If.comedy best newcomer
nomination. Just watch out for his meaty breath!
● Mike Wozniak is at Ginglik,1 Shepherd’s Bush,on October 28,with Adam
Bloom and more. £8. Starts 8.30pm. Call 020 7348 8968. See
www.ginglik.co.uk

MUSIC:
DUOLOGUE are no strangers to the London Informer and BBC Radio 6 DJ
Steve Lamacq has joined the fan club. The resident talent-spotter
chose their single Talk Shopas one of the best singles this summer
from an unsigned band. It’s nothing short of breathtaking, so hurry
and check out an evolution of sound.
● Duologue play the Big Chill House, Pentonville Road, on Wednesday,
October 29. Free. 8pm. Call 020 7427 2540. See www.duologuemusic.co.uk

SCREENING:
CAPE VERDEand Angola – know a little or know a lot – Manifesto’s Mini
Film Festival is one for the diary.
“The history of Africa is something we all share,” says organiser
Alberto Tavares, 28. A native Cape Verdean,he has been throwing
Africa-inspired parties for three years. These two documentaries show
the little-known journey of P.A.L.O.P (Portuguese-speaking African
countries) through the joys of music and the plight of war.
● The Journey of Cape Verdeand The Hero screen at 19 D’Arblay Street,
Soho , from Friday, October 31, to Sunday, November 2. 6.10pm, 7.40pm
and 9.10pm. £5. Call 07944 900 664 to book.

October 17, 2008
Best of the Week Ahead
SCREENING:
LONDON-LOVERS unite! As part of the London Film Festival, Film London
will host free outdoor screenings in Trafalgar Square.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23
High Treason (Maurice Elvey, 1929) preceded by the 10min short The
Fugitive Futurist (Gaston Quiribet, 1924). Silent classics which
imagine London in the future.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24
Living London. Rare 1904 documentary. Plus selection of 15 archive
short films including Charlie Chaplin and a 1930s London wedding.
Both nights are free, begin at 6.30pm and are accompanied by live
music, improvised by pianist Neil Brand.
● The 52nd BFI London Film Festival runs until Oct 30. For more see
www.bfi.org.uk/lff

October 10, 2008
Best of the Week Ahead
MUSIC:
NEXT Friday,Shlomo (right) takes to the stage with his beatbox
orchestra. 7.45pm. £15. For both call 0871 663 2500.
See www.southbankcentre.co.uk
COMEDY:
IF IT’S a giggle you’re after, check out Rhys Darby (Flight of the
Conchords). His amazing sound-effects sketches will be at the
Riverside Studios on Wed/Thurs, October 15/16. 8pm. £14. Call 020 8237
1111. See www.riverside
studios.co.uk
TALK:
PUBLIC ENEMY’Spolitical poet Chuck D (left) will give a talk on the
state of the US at the Southbank Centre on Friday, October 10,at
7.30pm. £10. Returns only, be there early.

November 26, 2008:
Hot gig tip:
Acoustic Ladyland at the Vortex jazz bar, Dalston. Thurs, Dec 11. £10.
8.45pm. Call 020 7254 4097. See www.vortexjazz.

August 22, 2008:

I can’t believe they let you take pictures at The British Museum. Check out my first photo gallery for the London Informer.

August 20, 2008:

Trinity Mirror South have launched another London local paper website!

This is more focussed on central London and is where all my latest stuff goes up.

Check it out and get involved, we serialise stories, do picture galleries, run video clips, whatever you’re into, let us know at            London Informer.

July 15, 2008:

Trinity Mirror South have launched a London local paper website!

To see my latest articles and Sneak Preview blog with top tips for having fun in London, check out Hounslow Chronicle.

June 20, 2008:

Fresh Faced and Wild Eyed 08 opens

@ the Photographers’ Gallery 5 & 8 Great Newport Street, just off Leicester Square, London.

TWENTY five of the best of last year’s photography course graduates have been selected from across the UK.

This is the show’s first year, but rest assured it won’t be the last.

The selection looks great from what I’ve seen, for more you can check out the Art section next week.

Four of London’s last year graduates are interviewed, and their stories are anything but ‘rich-kid doesn’t know what to do with himself’.

Link: Photographers’ Gallery

April 21, 2008:

New Music Awards, Shoreditch Town Hall

Sound artist Jane Grant, musician and physicist John Matthias and composer Nick Ryan have won the £50,000 New Music Award!

Their proposal, The Fragmented Orchestra, will come to life across Britain for two months between December this year and February 2009.

24 microphones will be placed in different cities, which will fire fragments of sound backwards and forwards between themselves and their HQ at the FACT gallery in Liverpool.

The sound bites, between a tenth of a second and a second long, aim to musically mirror the sound effect of neurons firing signals in the brain.

“It will be like enourmous cascades of sound,” says winner Nick Ryan (pictured middle, above). Also adding that the coverage received in the London Informer (in music section of this site) was “terrific, the only artcile I saw that really took the time to try and understand what the New Music Awards is about.”
A task that was hardly easy! See the article and HERE for more.