Flower Power

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

Set up in 2008, the Electrical Warehouse is an artist-run organisation that seeks to showcase the work of emerging contemporary artists and curators.

This week they're holding an exhibition in Ada Street Gallery (just on the corner of Broadway Market) with work on display across painting, drawing and printing by six emerging artists.

Because of the nature of the organisation there's no particular unifying theme or group style (which is often a good thing)

Sweden. A land famous for forests, snow, blond people, saunas and cutesy indie rock. Yes, it seems that while their Norwegian neighbours are throwing down hard-rock bands like they're going of style the Swedes are using their rampant cuteness to devastating effect.

One of the sharpest weapons in the arsenal is First Aid Kit. A duo of sweet-looking ladies who possess some of the most incredible voices you'll ever wish to hear, they make music that is so twee that you could play it to an angry berserker and bring a tear to their eye.

A brutal thriller from the moments when Stalin's leadership of the Soviet Union descended into the Great Terror. Adapted by Peter Flannery from a screenplay by Nikita Mikhalkov and Rustam Ibragimbekov, this is a story of vindictive blackmail to make the blood run cold.

Colonel Kotov, a decorated revolutionary hero, is on holiday with his family when his wife's former lover appears, hellbent on destructive revenge. He has wormed his way into Party confidence and proposes a diabolical deal. The Colonel must confess to treachery against Stalin in order to save the lives of his family.

This thoroughly unpleasant premise serves to highlight the descent of a regime from ideological to tyrannical. It also makes for a visceral, gut-wrenching theatrical thriller.

Dubbed 'the Fringe's most controversial act' by the Scotsman in 2007, Micha Wertheim is as smart as he is edgy.

In March last year he was involved in a dispute after a handicapped man wheeled out of his show after he made a joke about the disabled.  The audience then turned on him and forced Wertheim to leave the stage. The venue declared they would never hire him again which induced other respected Dutch comedians to support Micha and declare in which case THEY would never work for the venue again.

If you are a Daniel Kitson fan, the fact that his new 'work in progress' shows are to be held in Forest Hill shouldn't deter you. If you live in Forest Hill - lucky you.

The cult legend and comedian's favourite will be performing some new bits and pieces including stand up and story ideas at the Hob over the next couple of weeks. And tickets are only £4!

As Mark so succinctly pointed out in last week's Buraka Som Sistema interview, the decline of western influence in Africa has led to a flowering of impressive musicians who are effectively blending the best of western pop with their own musical traditions to create music that is just shy of mind-blowing.

West African husband-and-wife duo Amadou and Mariam are a perfect example of this trend. Peddling a new sound that blends their original afrobeat, roots and pop qualities with chilled-out acoustic, funk and electronica, plus some production wizardry from Damon Albarn, our Music Editor spat his coffee all over his keyboard when he first heard this.

A springtime treat at the Royal Albert Hall sees Carmen return in a spectacular in-the-round production created by Director David Freeman for the venue.

Bizet's masterpiece is a tale of poverty, lust and revenge with an instantly recognisable score, great set pieces and a heartbreaking finale.

Not a bad line-up at The Buffalo Bar tonight. US new wavers Solid Gold make avant-garde electro pop that is sort of a cross between Yeasayer and a driving scene in Miami Vice.

But that's not all, first support are the excellent post punks Ex Lion Tamers who have to live up to being named after the best Wire song - and you know what? They do it, and more.

Tonight is the launch of Spin Thing - a brand spanking new weekly opportunity for getting down brought to you by The Doctor's Orders.

Each and every Thursday, the accomplished and wise combination of Mr Thing and Spin Doctor will drop a mix of anything and everything that will make you move.

They will be digging deeper into the more obscure regions of their phenomenal collections to give you breaks, Latin, house, funk, soul, boogie, jazz, house, rock, disco, reggae and a slug of hip hop.

Your resident wonder DJs will be joined by Khy Boogie and weekly guests from all fields.

The biggest baddest breaks awards in the world started life as an online voting competition amongst a small group of breaks fans and producers.

Six years on and they're at a rammed Fabric for a third year running.

Everyone who's good in breakbeat will be playing. Seriously massive. For voting details visit the site.

With the Olympics coming to change London forever, interest in the affected areas of Hackney has never been higher. The concept of psychogeography is something that Iain Sinclair has been exploring for years, but - in part thanks to the Olympics - the subject has seen a resurgence of late, as highlighted by Laura Oldfield Ford's exhibitions at Marlborough Fine Art in 2008 and Hales Gallery earlier this year.

Sinclair (a leading proponent of psychogeography) is launching his new book - Hackney, That Rose-Red Empire - at Danielle Arnaud this month. Interestingly the local council banned him from holding the launch at Stoke Newington Library because the book is critical of the Olympics - for the ensuing controversy, click here - hence the Vauxhall location.

The sinister and the trashy combine at Spring Projects this month with works by kitsch snapper Alice Hawkins alongside ceramic sculpture and film, courtesy of Barnaby Barford.

Whilst Barford's work is ostensibly the darker - his works draw upon a kind of Tim Burton-esque gothic - there is also something slightly troubling about Hawkins' posey images of Gisele, Marilyn Manson, herself, and, amusingly, Miss East Anglia.

The grim and the glam have never been closer.

This show got Russell Kane nominated for the 'Best Newcomer' award at last year's fringe and garnered him stacks of 5 star reviews across the board.

Observational is what Kane does best and this show demonstrates his skill in finding the comedy hidden in the most mundane of topics. The premise is about human flaws and why ultimately, we reject perfection. From why we enjoy a good moan to the differences between the Brits and the Yanks, Kane has us summed up in a nutshell.

This sounds like one of those things that could either be a tangled-up and over-ambitious mess, or a ground-breaking 'I was there'  kind of event. Here's rooting for the latter.

The Rain Emperor is a project by visual arts company Beggars Velvet that takes its inspiration from a series of rare scores by composer and musician Robert Jacob.

The project fuses performance, film, installation, music and theatre into a mysterious exploration of the elements, and, in particular, rain. There's a host of different people involved, including Scottee, the Elysian Quartet, Gerard Cousins and Jacob's daughter Judy.

The brainchild of Welsh sorcerer Dilwyd Llwyd, Yucatan has managed to come up with an expansive, psychdelic shoegaze sound that almost beats Sigur Rós at their own game (in fact it was recorded at Sigur Rós' studio in Iceland).

Playing on the eve of St David's Day, if you own at least one Explosions in the Sky record and half a distant Welsh relative you should really be at this one. It's practically the law.

Resident Enzo Siragusa keeps the house warm and deep at this weekly party, which has now moved to Sosho.

The Circuit crowd is a committed, bang-up-for-it one, and when you take a look at their guests, you'll see why.

Taking the bull by the horns and launching his monthly Circuit residency is Circo Loco hotshot Clive Henry. He will be joined by Luna City Express who stole the show at the Moon Harbour party last month.

House, house and more house is on the menu at yet another mouthwatering line up at Matter. If you haven't been to Fabric's new sister venue yet then now is the time, with huge names such as Green Velvet and Francois Kevorkian making exclusive appearances.

Also playing are residents Nic Fanciulli and Andy Chatterley, who are joined by The Shapeshifters, Joel Mull and Simon Hawes.

The legendary reggae and dancehall radio DJ David Rodigan curates Rootikal - every first Sunday of the month.

Tonight he is joined by reggae soundsystem Channel One. Anyone who has attended Notting Hill Carnival in the last 25 years will be familiar with the Channel One sound and selector Mikey Dread. Mikey's father, a soundman from the '50s, passed on his system to his sons in 1979. Since then they've consistently pumped out their brand of revolutionised reggae production to crowds far and wide, including Glastonbury and the University of Dub.

Strictly vinyl, the system 'aim to break down barriers via conscious roots and culture rastafari music.'

This will be a monumental night for reggae fanatics as well as those newer to the sounds.

A stellar production based around a fascinating story at Sadler's Wells this springtime sees dancer Sylvie Guillem, choreographer Russell Maliphant and theatre director Robert LePage team up to tell the story of Charles de Beaumont, the Chevalier d'Eon.

This extraordinary figure was a diplomat, author, warrior and spy in the court of Louis XV. He, or she, was also a noted cross-dresser whose gender was never really settled. This sexually ambiguous and hugely daring figure is an inspiring subject for a new production fusing live action and brilliant new choreography.

The production fuses classical dance with Kabuki techniques from Japan which employ highly stylised male dancers dressed as women. The finery and costumes of the French court will be brought to life by none other than Alexander McQueen.

An evening of '60s counter-cultural shenanigans at the South London Gallery this Saturday.

In association with Flat Time House, they're hosting a restaging of John Latham's 1965 performance piece Juliet and Romeo, that involves a male and a female character in costumes made out of hardback and paperback books.

In addition, writer and artist Stewart Home presents a series of events including readings, music and film from a host of '60s radical types.

Gouranga are back, the house and techno protagonists who've been slipping you their mixed bag of electronic sub-genres for nigh on three years.

After a storming launch at Lightbox with chief wrong 'un Mr Tim Sheridan, they bring you one of the finest techno outfits of our times; the Swedish duo whose productions capture the elegance of classic early '90s techno; Minilogue. They will absolutely blow you away with their live show in the glittering confines of the Lightbox, while in room two, Y I deliver a stark and heavy contrast to the main room smoothness.

Seminal Californian punk band NOFX arrive in London for two dates at the Shepherds Bush Empire this May.

Join the crowd of aging punks and new converts and shout 'fuck the system' or something.

Another chance to see this incredible one-hour masterpiece of contortion, escapism and dance. Why not read John's review of Press at the Gate Theatre?

Pierre Rigal is the visionary choreographer and performance artist behind last year's Érection, described by La Nacion as 'an incredible experience'.

His London debut combines escapology, contortion, dance a physical theatre, all beautifully staged within a small grey box which shrinks throughout the piece.

Last year was a hugely successful period for Michael McIntyre after a smattering of sell-out shows across the country, TV appearances on the Royal Variety Performance and Live at the Apollo and a nomination for 'Best Stand-Up' at the British Comedy Awards last December.  Now he returns to the road with a brand new show stopping in London's Wembley Arena for two dates at the beginning of October.