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

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

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Frank Skinner

2nd March 2009
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Metallica

2nd March 2009
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Sickert in Venice

4th March 2009
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We Fear Silence

6th March 2009
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Friday 13th

The Caravan

Summer 2007 saw record flooding affecting 48,000 homes across England. One year on, more than 2,200 families are still living in caravans. This eye-opening production invites you to join them. Look Left Look Right have teamed up with the Royal Court to stage an intimate production for audiences of just eight people in a caravan on Sloane Square read on

where:
Royal Court Theatre
Sloane Square
SW1W 8AS
when:
Times vary
what:
Tragedy, Comedy, Performance Art
cost:
£10
 

Crystal Stilts

The first ever and sure to sell out London show for these dark revivalists of '60s psych who have been busy freaking out the people of New York with their hypnotic blend of Guided by Voices and the Velvet Underground.With their début album 'Alight Of The Night' being one of the most anticipated releases we've heard about in ages, it's looking read on

where:
The Windmill
Blenheim Gardens
SW2 5BZ
who:
Crystal Stilts, Let's Wrestle + more
when:
7pm
what:
Indie
cost:
£7
 

Cocadisco Love Explosion

Piers Martin and Rodaidh MacDonald return with their biggest party yet - the Valentine's Love Explosion. The line-up is massive, headed up by Cocadisco favourite I-F, with Italo-research unit Heartbreak playing live, sultry disco sirens Fan Death plus a DJ set from the applauded synth-pop princess Little Boots. The Horrors freakier analogue side... read on

where:
Corsica Studios
Farrell Court
SE17 1LB
who:
I-F, Heartbreak, Little Boots + more
when:
10pm - 5am
what:
Disco, Electro
cost:
£10

Saturday 14th

Lot49

Lot49 kick off their East Village residency with a solid line-up, headed up by the simply excellent trio of newly installed residents Meat Katie, Kid Blue and Dylan Rhymes. Their Christmas party back in December was storming, securing them a bi-monthly slot and giving the London-based tech-funk label a chance to showcase the sounds which regularly read on

where:
East Village
89 Great Eastern Street
EC2A 3HX
who:
Vandal, Phil Kieran, Caninesounds + more
when:
9pm - 4am
what:
House, Techno/Minimal, Breaks
cost:
From £8 to £12
 

Defenders of the Faith II

So it's Valentine's Day, you can either take your missus out for Italian food where you can stare into each others eyes until you both pick the same piece of spaghetti and kiss oh so absent-mindedly.

Or you could take them to the O2 academy where Lamb of God will melt their face off. Hmm tough choice. read on

where:
O2 Academy Brixton
211 Stockwell Road
SW9 9SL
who:
Lamb of God, Unearth + more
when:
6pm
what:
Metal
cost:
£23
 

Rich History

Real Gold's tribute to disco in all its shades is back at one of the best venues in London, the simply divine Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes.

Karaoke, bowling, dancing, table tennis, football, a selection of stellar DJs handpicked from London's burgeoning disco scene and a hot tub where you can meet people wearing hardly any clothes.

Need we say more? read on

where:
Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes
46-55 Tavistock Hotel
WC1H 9EU
who:
Louis Enchante, Team Mega Mix + more
when:
8pm - 4am
what:
Disco
cost:
£7, £5 before Midnight

Sunday 15th

Laughter in Odd Places

Laughter In Odd Places is a monthly (ish!) club that was set up by quirky comics Terry Saunders and Tom Bell after they'd had enough of playing smelly little pub rooms full of noisy drunk people. So far, they've had comedy gigs in a record shop, a cafe, a library, a charity shop, a book shop, a heath, a museum, a gallery and even comedy reviewer read on

where:
a launderette
near Battersea Arts Centre
SW11 5TN
who:
Dan Antopolski, Holly Walsh + more
when:
5pm
what:
Sketches
cost:
Free
 

Black Lips

As anyone who goes to this will know, Black Lips are possibly the greatest live act to come out of anywhere in years. Banned from many venues in the US, they have a reputation for nakedness, violence and generally turning beer into chaos that is unmatched in modern music.Foolishly the NME has decided to put them on at the O2 Academy Islington along read on

where:
O2 Academy Islington
16 Parkfield Street
N1 0PS
who:
Black Lips, The Vivian Girls
when:
7pm
what:
Punk
cost:
£12

Monday 16th

On The Waterfront

Stephen Berkoff directs and acts in his adaptation of the 1954 film which won six Oscars including Best Picture and Best Actor for Marlon Brando as aging boxer and dockworker Terry Malloy. That role is taken on in this version by Simon Merrells, while Berkoff (Lethal Weapon II, Rambo, Octopussy) has the good sense to cast himself as the villain, ... read on

where:
Theatre Royal Haymarket
Haymarket
SW1Y 4HT
when:
7.45pm
what:
Melodrama
cost:
From £15 to £48
 

Mind Comedy Night

In aid of MIND, a charity which helps people with mental health issues, Leicester Square Theatre are holding a series of comedy gigs to raise money for it, with some of the top comedians on the circuit featuring on each billing. The first ever MIND comedy night will see (drum roll) Perrier winner, cult favourite and infrequent performer DANIEL KI... read on

where:
Leicester Square Theatre
Leicester Square
WC2H 7BP
who:
Daniel Kitson, Will Hodgson
+ more
when:
7.30pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£20, £18 Concessions

Tuesday 17th

Stage Fright

The creative practices of three exciting contemporary artists combine to produce Stage Fright, an orchestral work of electronic music presented in the form of a multi-part video installation. A video by Laura Buckley acts as the starting point from which Haroon Mirza and David MacLean can interact with both viewers and each other. The video is fragmen... read on

where:
Rokeby
37 Store Street
WC1E 7QF
who:
Laura Buckley, Doug Fishbone
+ more
when:
11am - 6pm
what:
Art, Gallery, Video, Installation
cost:
Free
 

Propeller Shakespeare

A small coup for the Rose as they play host to a week-long series of performances by the justly renowned Propeller group, whose faithful but fast-paced renditions of Shakespeare classics have won them fans around the globe. Propeller's unique compressed format has been hailed as a way of making the Bard more accessible to young audiences, and the ... read on

where:
Rose Theatre
24-26 Kingston High Street
KT1 1HL
when:
7.30pm
what:
Classic
cost:
From £5 to £27
 

The Invisible Dot Club

The Invisible Dot is a new club that crops up sporadically in various venues from art galleries to festivals. More than a quality line-up, the show promises SPECTACLE with comedy, music, poetry, film and magic tricks all on a different theme each time. The first ever show looks like a corker with a theme of Love, God and Evolution and a line-up of ... read on

where:
Proud Camden
Chalk Farm Road
NW1 8AH
who:
Daniel Kitson, Simon Munnery
+ more
when:
8pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£10, £8 Concessions

Wednesday 18th

Sandpit 8

Sandpit events are always bloody awesome! They consist of weird fun and games in public places and basically make you feel like a little kid again: a smart, scheming kid with a sense of adventure and no shame. Sandpit #8 sees the team take over the ICA as part of the institute's Feedback Season. There's loads of cool stuff to take part in like stal... read on

where:
ICA
The Mall
SW1Y 5AH
when:
7pm
what:
Gallery; Performance Art
cost:
Free
 

Richard III

A complex piece of civil rights theatre based on real life events in New York, 1821. The African Theatre Company was a hugely popular troupe, but when they staged a production of Richard III at the same time as a renowned establishment company, their white rivals had them evicted from the theatre. Undaunted, the African Company found premises ... read on

where:
Greenwich Theatre
Crooms Hill
SE10 8ES

when:
7.30pm
what:
Melodrama
cost:
From £13 to £18
 

Knock2Bag

Knock2Bag is now undoubtedly the best comedy night in Shepherd's Bush and regularly sells out each month. Line-ups feature leading comedians on the circuit, if.comedy winners and tipped newcomers. What really makes it though, is the variety of acts that perform there; from sketches to music, poetry, magic and the downright weird (resident Brian Git... read on

where:
Bar FM
184 Uxbridge Road
W12 7JP
who:
Josie Long, Fergus Craig
+ more
when:
8pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£7

Thursday 19th

DGV

DGV (Danse à Grande Vitesse) is a project which runs through popular favourites from the Royal Ballet's repertoire at a breakneck pace. A sort of adrenaline-fuelled highlights package usually featuring two of the company's best recent productions in action-packed form. This time, the two shows condensed are Kurt Weill's Seven Deadly Sins, as challen... read on

where:
Royal Opera House
Covent Garden Piazza
WC2E 9DA
when:
7.30pm
what:
Ballet
cost:
From £4 to £260
 

Root Ginger

Mick Hucknall, Prince Harry, Vivienne Westwood, that annoying kid in Harry Potter and whatsherface from Girls Aloud. Yes, that's right, they're all gingers. Nowt wrong with that. It's just the way it is. Just like any other feature, ginger hair can be beautiful and it can be horrible, but for some reason it always attracts more attention than p... read on

where:
Idea Generation Gallery
11 Chance Street
E2 7JB
who:
Jenny Wicks
when:
12am - 6pm
what:
Art, Gallery, Photography
cost:
Free

Friday 20th

Housing and Architecture

After the whole area from London Wall to Old Street was destroyed by the Luftwaffe in 1940, the Golden Lane Estate was the first significant re-development. Having won the competition to design the area, Geoffry Powell eventually completed work on the Estate in 1962. For some this is the epitome of Brutalism - functional and vile - but it was ... read on

where:
Exhibit
20 Goswell Road
EC1M 7AA
when:
11am - 6pm
what:
Gallery, Architecture, History
cost:
Free
 

Pens

Wow, not one but two of our favourite bands are playing 93 Feet East tonight, and it's free to get in. For the uninitiated, Pens are three lovely ladies with a penchant for creating minimal mayhem on half a drum kit and a guitar, whilst Friendship make looping death music with the aid of a temperamental iBook. Ice Sea Dead People aren't bad eith... read on

where:
93 Feet East
150 Brick Lane
E1 6RU

who:
Pens, Friendship
+ more
when:
7pm
what:
Punk, Pop
cost:
Free
 

Wifey

Wifey return in 2009 in the biggest way possible. Champions of the emerging funky movement, Wifey continue to be one of London's only clubnights showcasing the best in grass-roots bassline and other garage mutations. Tonight is headed up by the number one name in funky: producer collective Crazy Cousinz. They are primed to explode this year and... read on

where:
Visions Video Bar
588 Kingsland Road
E8 4AH
who:
Hard Target, Crazy Couzinz
+ more
when:
8pm - 4am
what:
Garage, Dubstep, House
cost:
From £2 to £5
 

Sad Day For Puppets

Wall of guitar? Check. Psychedelic, wave-like vocals? Check. Self-obsession? Check. Must be a shoegaze band.

Then again, shoegaze doesn't come much better than Stockholm's Sad Day For Puppets: it's so spot on you can close your eyes and imagine you're an NME journalist in 1993. read on

where:
Half moon Herne Hill
10 Half Moon Lane
SE24 9HU
who:
Sad Day For Puppets
+ more
when:
8pm
what:
Indie
cost:
£6

Saturday 21st

Friends & Family

Ahh, Friends and Family - the excellent longstanding showcase straight from the bleeding heart of bass culture; specialists in the music staples that are hip hop, funk, soul and jazz. F & F is organised by Fat City Recordings - a label which originated in Manchester as a record shop. The guests they attract are always stellar.Tonight it's a ... read on

where:
Cargo
83 Rivington Street
EC2A 3AY
who:
Kode9. Lukid, Dimlite
+ more
when:
8pm
what:
Dubstep, Hip Hop, Reggae, Indie
cost:
From £6 to £12
 

Real Feal

Remember that kid at school who used to wig out and have nose bleeds all over his history books? Real Feal sound like the inside of his brain.

Tonight they're turning their attention to The Bull and Gate and we can only foresee trouble on an epic scale.  read on

where:
Bull and Gate
389 Kentish Town Road
NW5 2TJ
who:
Real Feal, Perceval Gage
+ more
when:
7pm
what:
Metal, Punk
cost:
£6
 

Filthy Gorgeous

The 'Godfather of Techno' makes a rare visit to London to play for underground tech-house party-starters Filthy Gorgeous at excellent new club The Lightbox. One third of the 'Belleville Three' along with Derrick May and Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson is credited with inventing what we now know as techno in the motor-city of Detroit. Other techno t... read on

where:
Lightbox
6a South Lambeth Place
SW8 1SP
who:
Kevin Saunderson, Rebekah
+ more
when:
10pm - 6am
what:
House, Techno/Minimal
cost:
From £10 to £15

Sunday 22nd

D-Late 3rd Birthday

The D-Late mothership is a party juggernaut loaded with techno bullets, careering round London, aiming them at unsuspecting clubbers and making them go insane. Commandeered by international party machines, the guys behind D-Late have become very very good at what they do. Frequently in cahoots with Always Fridays at Egg, as well as storming the m... read on

where:
Club Aquarium
256 Old Street
EC1V 9DD
who:
Geddes, Rich NxT, Toni D
+ more
when:
4.30am - 11am
what:
Techno/Minimal, House
cost:
£10, £7 Concessions
 

Hexa

Hexa are an exuberant eight-piece from Manhattan whose music is rooted in doo-wop, girl groups, experimentalism and NY punk. Schizophrenically they lurch from haunting piano and voice pieces drenched in avant-garde, cinematic texture, to pheremonal Shangri Las-style garage-band punk and disco, laced with irrational lyrical juxtaposition and sybar... read on

where:
Cafe OTO
18-22 Ashwin Street
E8 3DL
who:
Hexa + more
when:
8pm
what:
Punk
cost:
£7
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