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10th 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.

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Fiona's Shoe

7th March 2009
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Gouranga

20th March 2009
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NOFX

2nd May 2009
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Press

28th May 2009
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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 - 3am
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
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
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

Monday 23rd

Electrical Warehouse

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... read on

where:
Ada Street Gallery
Ada Street
E8 4QU
who:
Richard Starbuck, Jackie Clarke
+ more
when:
11am - 6pm
what:
Art, Gallery, Drawing, Printing
cost:
Free
 

First Aid Kit

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 l... read on

where:
The Enterprise
2 Haverstock Hill
NW3 2BL
who:
First Aid Kit
when:
7.30pm
what:
Folk, Indie
cost:
£5

Tuesday 24th

Burnt by the Sun

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 ... read on

where:
National Theatre
South Bank
SE1 8XZ
when:
7.30pm
what:
Melodrama, Thriller
cost:
From £10 to £41
 

Micha Wertheim

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 wo... read on

where:
Battersea Arts Centre (BAC)
Old Town Hall
SW11 5TN
who:
Micha Wertheim
when:
8pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£10, £6 Concessions

Wednesday 25th

Daniel Kitson

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 ... read on

where:
Hob
7 Devonshire Road
SE23 3HE
who:
Daniel Kitson
when:
8pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£4
 

Amadou & Miriam

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... read on

where:
KOKO
1a Camden High Street
NW1 7JE
who:
Amadou & Miriam
when:
7pm
what:
World, Pop
cost:
£17.50

Thursday 26th

Carmen

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. read on

where:
Royal Albert Hall
Kensington Gore
SW7 2AP
when:
7.30pm
what:
Opera
cost:
From £21 to £55
 

Solid Gold

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... read on

where:
The Buffalo Bar
259 Upper Street
N1 1RU
who:
Solid Gold, Ex Lion Tamers
+ more
when:
8.30pm
what:
Indie, Electronica
cost:
£6
 

Spin Thing

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 re... read on

where:
Bar Rumba
36 Shaftesbury Avenue
W1D 7ER
who:
Mr Thing, Spin Doctor
+ more
when:
8pm - 3am
what:
Funk/Soul, Disco, Hip Hop
cost:
From £3 to £5
 

Breakspoll 2009

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. read on

where:
Fabric
67-77A Charterhouse Street
EC1M 6HJ
who:
A Skillz, CTRL-Z, Drummatic Twins
+ more
when:
9pm - 6am
what:
Breaks
cost:
£14

Friday 27th

Hackney, That Rose-Red Empire

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 Marlbo... read on

where:
Danielle Arnaud
123 Kennington Road
SE11 6SF
who:
Iain Sinclair, Stephen Gill
+ more
when:
2pm - 6pm
what:
 Art, Gallery, Media, Photography
cost:
Free
 

The Good, The Bad, The Belle

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 i... read on

where:
Spring Projects
Spring House
10 Spring Place
NW5 3BH
who:
Barnaby Barford, Alice Hawkins
when:
12pm - 7pm
what:
Art, Gallery, Sculpture, Photography
cost:
Free
 

Russell Kane

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 perfe... read on

where:
Soho Theatre
21 Dean Street
W1D 3NE
who:
Russell Kane
when:
8pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£12, £10 Concessions

Saturday 28th

The Rain Emperor

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 pr... read on

where:
Village Underground
54 Holywell Lane
EC2A 3PQ
when:
8pm
what:
Performance Art
cost:
£15
 

Yucatan

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 rel... read on

where:
Slaughtered Lamb
34-35 Great Sutton Street
EC1V 0DX
who:
Yucatan, Thee Single Spy
+ more
when:
8pm
what:
Indie
cost:
£5
 

Circuit

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 Lu... read on

where:
Sosho
2 Tabernacle Street
EC2A 4LU
who:
Clive Henry, Enzo Siragusa
+ more
when:
9pm - 6am
what:
House, Techno/Minimal
cost:
£12, £10 Concessions
 

Saved

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 Shapeshift... read on

where:
Matter
Peninsula Square
SE10 0DY
who:
Francois K, Nic Fanciulli, The Shapeshifters
+ more
when:
10pm - 7am
what:
House, Techno/Minimal
cost:
£15

Sunday 1st

Rootikal

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, pa... read on

where:
East Village
89 Great Eastern Street
EC2A 3HX
who:
Stuart Patterson, David Rodigan
+ more
when:
2pm - 1am
what:
Reggae, Dancehall
cost:
£5
 

Eonnagata

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. H... read on

where:
Sadler's Wells
Rosebery Avenue
EC1R 4TN
when:
7.30pm
what:
 Dance, Ballet
cost:
From £10 to £40
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