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11th March 2010
A free weekly ezine featuring the best events in London

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Illustration by Julie Khan

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Cultural Quality Control: a free, weekly ezine featuring the best gigs, theatre,art, clubbing and comedy in London.

Upcoming

mulletover Recession Session

31st January 2009
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Swedish Fashion

6th February 2009
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The Indian Wants the Bronx

7th February 2009
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Russell Brand

10th February 2009
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Friday 9th

Edward Burtynsky

Edward Burtynsky's highly detailed and razor sharp photography has garnered him an international reputation. His works generally focus on places where human activity interrupts the existence of nature: quarries, industrial refineries and shipyards, for example. This exhibition at Flowers East consists of images of mines in Western Australia: the ba... read on

where:
Flowers East
82 Kingsland Road
E2 8DP
who:
Edward Burtynsky
when:
10am - 6pm
what:
Art, Gallery, Photography
cost:
Free
 

Kimono Krush

The Duchess of Pork and Al Dente, the 'naked stuntmen' behind Sugarlow, take over at the Royal Vauxhall for a night of well chosen music including '60s girl groups, '70s disco, '80s NY no wave, '90s indie and up-to-date electro. DJ duo Readers Wifes are resident guests and being as it's in the tavern, you can expect all manner of surprise cabaret, ... read on

where:
Royal Vauxhall Tavern
372 Kennington Lane
SE11 5HY
who:
Duchess of Pork, Al Dente
+ more
when:
9pm - 3am
what:
Electro, Disco, Indie
cost:
£4
 

Thank XXXX for Funny Business

Thank XXXX for Funny Business brings you four of the London circuit's best comedians on one billing. These people will have you laughing so hard, you''ll think that you've been subjected to the same gas the Joker uses in Batman. read on

where:
Comedy Cafe
66 Rivington Street
EC2A 3AY
who:
Bob Mills, Joe Bor, Martin Davis
+ more
when:
8pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£10

Saturday 10th

Chuckle Club Anniversary

Now in its 23rd year, the Chuckle Club is the second oldest comedy club in London, next to the Comedy Store. Held in the LSE student bar, it consequently has the cheapest drinks you will find at a comedy club and it attracts some of the biggest comedians on the circuit too. Eddie Izzard and Al Murray have appeared in the past and recent billings in read on

where:
The Three Tuns (LSE)
East Building
Houghton Street
WC2A 2AE
who:
Stewart Lee, Simon Munnery, Milton Jones
+ more
when:
8.30pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£12; £10 Concessions
 

Man Make Music

After a couple of years throwing parties around London, Man Make Music settles down for the winter at The Last Days of Decadence.  The night has a reputation for forward-thinking, bass-heavy music and an open-minded attitude to programming, two things carried over to the new residency. Over coming months you'll be able to see a variety of top-... read on

where:
The Last Days Of Decadence
145 Shoreditch High Street
E1 6JE
who:
Sketchy, Another Amit
+ more
when:
8.30pm - 2.30am
what:
Techno/Minimal
cost:
£8

Sunday 11th

Darwin

Charles Darwin's voyage aboard HMS Beagle was one of the most significant journeys undertaken in recent times. It was via the Beaagle that Darwin was able to visit the Galapagos Islands and from there begin to form the basis of what became his theory of evolution. 2009 represents 200 years since Darwin's birth, and that - combined with the Richard Da... read on

where:
Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road
SW7 5BD
when:
10am - 5.50pm
what:
Museum, History, Science, Nature
cost:
From £5 to £9
 

Too Much Is Not Enough

Gosh, they're a greedy bunch over at Transition Gallery. Apparently 'Too Much Is Not Enough' - I mean, will they never be satisfied? Probably not. Anyway, 'Too Much Is Not Enough' is the title of their first exhibition of 2009 and features work by five contemporary artists, including Sarah Doyle and Cathy Lomax. It's all about exploring fame, fan... read on

where:
Transition Gallery
8 Andrews Road
E8 4QN
who:
Cathy Lomax, Sarah Doyle
+ more
when:
12am - 6pm
what:
Art, Gallery, Painting, Sculpture
cost:
Free

Monday 12th

Every Good Boy

A unique piece of musical theatre written for actors and orchestra by a creative dream team of Tom Stoppard and André Previn. The piece follows two inmates in an asylum: one, a political dissident who must admit that his old ideas were wrong and he is now cured, before he can be released. Another, a genuine loony who is surrounded at all times b... read on

where:
National Theatre, Olivier
South Bank
SE1 8XZ
when:
8.45pm
what:
Musicals
cost:
From £10 to £30
 

Animal Collective

Guess what? According to some, experimental pop is going to be the sound of 2009. So to break you in gently, New York's incredible Animal Collective are playing a couple of dates around London. A collaboration of Avet Tare and Panda Bear, these guys hack around in the regions of folk, noise rock and ambient drone to create sounds that invariabl... read on

where:
KOKO
1a Camden High Street
NW1 7JE

who:
Animal Collective
when:
7pm
what:
Pop, Indie
cost:
Sold Out

Tuesday 13th

Free Fringe Benefit

If anything is worth the £20 entrance fare it's this gig.  Top comedians like Sean Lock, Dave Gorman, Robin Ince, Milton Jones, Lucy Porter and Tony Law will be performing and it's all in aid of the Free Fringe. Set up by Peter Buckley-Hill in 1996 and initially funded out of his own pocket, the Free Fringe puts on comedy shows over the Edin... read on

where:
Bloomsbury Theatre
15 Gordon Street
WC1H 0AH
who:
Robin Ince, Sean Lock, Lucy Porter
+ more
when:
8pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£20
 

Oliver!

Rowan Atkinson, perhaps the best loved comedy star in Britain, returns to the London stage in this gala production of the classic Lionel Bart musical Oliver! directed by man-of-the-moment Oliver Goold. The show is bound to draw huge crowds. Based on a Charles Dickens novel which was unusual for the time in that it focused throughout on the life... read on

where:
Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Catherine Street
WC2B 5JF

when:
7.30pm
what:
Classic, Musicals
cost:
From £18 to £65

Wednesday 14th

Brouhaha Comedy Club

London is fairly dry when it comes to the world of gay comedy, so trust the ever reliable institution the Royal Vauxhall Tavern to come up with a fantastic night showcasing the best in national and international comedy. Normally hosted by Zoe Lyons or Cathy P, the RVT Comedy Club is a friendly affair set in a purpose-built theatre pub with a sta... read on

where:
Royal Vauxhall Tavern
372 Kennington Lane
SE11 5HY
who:
Josie Long, Pete Firman, Zoe Lyons
when:
8.30pm
what:
Fringe, Stand Up, Improv
cost:
£5
 

Mimefest: Plug'N'Play

Kicking off the London International Mime Festival in explosive style, the Akhe Engineering Theatre out of Russia take up residency at the Shunt Vaults for two nights of explosive, messy experimentation. From mad, bad and dangerous cooking to quasi-scientific experiments that always end in disaster, this is physical theatre at its most madcap and inve... read on

where:
Shunt Vaults
Joiner Street
SE1 9SP

when:
8.30pm
what:
Performance Art
cost:
£5

Thursday 15th

Shitfish

Ooh, an exhibition with a strange (and slightly rude) title at Limoncello this month. Lordy, isn't Hoxton just the darnedest? Contemporary artist Josephine Flynn presents a series of works that involve a knitted character and a Mexican chap in hospital. God knows what it's all about, but it sounds like fun. (By the way, Spoonfed's Managing Editor sugge... read on

where:
Limoncello
92 Hoxton Street
N1 6LP
who:
Josephine Flynn
when:
11am - 6pm
what:
Art, Craft, Gallery
cost:
Free
 

Uzi and Ari

Essentially the project of Salt Lake City native Ben Shepard, Uzi and Ari combines typewriter beats, childlike melodies and office worker samples into hopelessly charming and heart-rending musings on battered relationships and modern living. Playing at Bardens tonight in the company of Tom Denney's avant-pop darlings Lonely Ghosts, this is the ... read on

where:
Bardens Boudoir
38-44 Stoke Newington Road
N16 7XJ

who:
Uzi and Ari, Lonely Ghosts
+ more
when:
8pm
what:
Indie
cost:
£6
 

Neon Noise Project

Warren Fischer and Casey Spooner equals Fischerspooner - the Brooklyn based art, performance and electro project. They are renowned for their live shows which explode with creative energy and stunning visual effects. Their music cuts a line between punked-up digital party pop and deep, intuitive fantasia. Tonight the pair play a DJ set alongside Je... read on

where:
East Village
89 Great Eastern Street
EC2A 3HX

who:
Isa GT, The Lovely Jonjo, Warboy
+ more
when:
9pm - 2.30am
what:
Electro, Pop, House
cost:
£10

Friday 16th

Not Waving But Drowning

Three new works by Alastair Mackie ensure 2009 gets off to a good start at the David Roberts Art Foundation.

There's a piece incorporating a '30s taxidermy display case, a wooden loom that weaves mouse hair, and a dolls' house made out of the wood pulp from 262 abandoned wasp nests. Sounds intriguing.
read on

where:
David Roberts Art Foundation
111 Great Titchfield Street
W1W 6RY
who:
Alastair Mackie
when:
10am - 6pm
what:
Art, Gallery, Sculpture
cost:
Free
 

French Revolution IX

The place to be right now is France! Musically it is spawning the very best of the new up-and-coming punk, rock, indie, dance and new wave bands and DJs. Combined, these artists are rapidly engendering an exciting and innovative music scene. Tonight's headliners are Poni Hoax, five French music nerds who party like only French music nerds can: a... read on

where:
93 Feet East
150 Brick Lane
E1 6RU
who:
Nelson, Poni Hoax
+ more
when:
7.30pm
what:
Electro
cost:
Free
 

Udio

The eclectic Udio night returns with an extra special January edition. Tonight the one and only Greg Wilson - encyclopedia discoteca - headlines. The Udio policy is to book names on their musical merit rather than household ubiquity - a method that has proved a storming success so far. Expect a cosmic mix of disco, funk, techno, hip-hop and more... read on

where:
Gramaphone
60-62 Commercial Street
E1 6LT

who:
Greg Wilson, Earfworm Jim
when:
10pm - 3.30am
what:
Disco, Hip Hop, Techno/Minimal
cost:
£7

Saturday 17th

New Act of the Year

Since it first began in 1981, the annual Hackney Empire New Act of the Year competition has been widely recognised as one of the best out there for discovering new comedy.  Some of the nation's finest and wittiest have been in the finals of this competition including Russell Brand, Joe Wilkinson, David Baddiel, Matt Lucas, Alan Davies, Ardal O'H... read on

where:
Hackney Empire
291 Mare Street
E8 1EJ

who:
Arthur Smith, Craig Murray, Moonfish Rhumba
+ more
when:
8pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£13
 

Ice Cold Lovers

Schtumm - Brighton's legendary warehouse party - have been spreading the love London's way every third Saturday down at the high church of electro mash-up-chaos that is 333. Tonight promoter Neal Lewis spins his italo-electro goodness, plus Pete Herbert (Reverso 68) gives you a Balearic bubble bath and Rekids' Toby Tobias shuffles his cosmic funk. Resid... read on

where:
333
333 Old Street
EC1V 9LE

who:
Pete Herbert, Toby Tobias, Klose One
+ more
when:
10pm - 4am
what:
Electro, Disco
cost:
From £5 to £11
 

Bugged Out!

Bugged Out! is one of those parties that's maintained its stupendously good reputation over the 12 years its been running. Their formula is simple. Book the very best. Always a couple of steps ahead of the game, they've got a knack for booking people just before they explode: Chemical Brothers and Daft Punk are just a two of the acts who played B... read on

where:
The End
18 West Central Street
WC1A 1JJ

who:
Justice, Erol Alkan, Severino
+ more
when:
10pm - 7am
what:
House, Techno/Minimal, Disco, Electro
cost:
£18

Sunday 18th

Transporter

A large-scale video installation this month in the basement project space at V22. Yael Schmidt presents multiple projections, each one displaying figures in a variety of - usually private - activities: sleeping, thinking, bathing. A Taylor Wood or Emin-esque exploration of the often uneasy relationship between the public and the private, this is inti... read on

where:
V22
10-16 Ashwin Street
E8 3DL
who:
Yael Schmidt
when:
10am - 6pm
what:
Art, Gallery, Video, Installation
cost:
Free
 

Captain Oates' Left Sock

A first London revival for nearly forty years of John Antrobus' therapy comedy. Originally staged at the Royal Court in 1969 (and starring Stephen Rea) this savagely funny but ultimately compassionate piece is surprisingly modern in its attitude. While therapy, patients and therapists are all satirised, the play supports the idea of healing th... read on

where:
Finborough Theatre
Finborough Arms
SW10 9ED

when:
3pm
what:
Comedy
cost:
£13, £9 Concessions
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