6th February 2012

gigs clubbing art comedy theatre blog competitions

Illustration by Julie Khan

Foolery shines everywhere

Yes, Wednesday of next week is April Fools’ Day. Interestingly, unlike Mother’s Day, the apostrophe here goes after the s of Fools – so feel free to make of that what you will... Over the years April Fools’ Day has seen an amazing number of people fall for a series of ridiculous ruses, like spaghetti trees, smell-o-vision and left-handed burgers. So be prepared for friends and corporations alike to come up with ‘hilarious’ things to try and make you look like a chump.

Before all that though, the clocks are going forward. So make sure you change your watch otherwise you’ll be late for all the amazing events lined up below. Then you’d really be a fool.

We'd also like to congratulate Bernard and Grosperrin who have each won a pair of VIP tickets to We are Live at Scala in our recent competition. You can still enter to win tickets to Grand Designs Live in April.

Friday 27th

Unlike some of the high-concept, low-skill gimmickry exhibited in Jay Jopling's spaces, Fred Tomaselli produces beautiful, intricate paintings of birds and butterflies. Each image is full of dazzling detail and covert symbolism.

Tomaselli has a solo show right now at the Mason's Yard branch of White Cube.

Whoa dude! Check out the line-up for Amused Moose's Comic Relief fundraiser: Big Brother's Big Mouth's Jack Whitehall, Stephen Merchant needs little introduction, Capital Radio's Greg Burns, C4's Mark Dolan, BBC presenter Kirsten O'Brein, Chortle New Comedian of the Year 2008 Holly Walsh, Funny Women winner Andi Osho, and Hackney New Act of the

Newly established monthly underground dance party at superfly intimate Vauxhall venue The Lightbox, named after the 10,000 LED lights that cover the walls. Cadence residents are Sweet and Vicious - the husband and wife duo who host the infamous cyber-based Kitchen Party, The Fix (Yeah:No Recordings) - a dance act who supported Booka Shade on tour, and

Fall to your knees and worship at Shoreditch's temple to binge drinking; that's right, BOOZEface is back with a vengeance and a raging thirst for debauchery.A fiendish feast which leans heavily on the key weekend ingredients of booze and bass, tonight's edition is - as usual - presided over by some damn fine musicians and DJs, including the

Saturday 28th

Well, this sounds totally brilliant. Record label and promoter Upset the Rhythm has joined forces with Peckham art space Auto Italia to present a weekend of live music and arty goings on. There's multimedia art things by some of London's leading names, including Amanda Dennis, Katie Guggenheim, Rachel Pimm and Olivier Castel, plus two days of

Legendary singer Jonathan Richman of The Modern Lovers fame has always been a bit of a weird one. On one hand the guy pretty much predicted punk rock by a few years, but his child-like persona makes him a little difficult to fathom.

Tonight he's at Bush Hall, expect moments of godlike genius, wild romanticism and abject chaos as always.

Legendary party starters and the people behind Notting Hill Carnival's best dance rig, Sancho Panza's Matt Brown and Jimmy K-Tel are digging up the basement again at East Village this Saturday. Joining them and playing back to back will be Rebel Waltz' Stu Patterson and Murray Richardson not to mention walking dance encyclopaedias Bill

Tonight's headliner Ricardo Villalobos needs little introduction, widely regarded as a pioneering electronic producer and one of the world's top DJs, he curries favour with many a dance nerd and it might be an idea to hit Fabric early for this one before the queues go round the block. At his last gig here at the end of 2008, the place was packed at 7am so be prepared to still be jabbing people in the eye with your elbow as the dawn approaches.

Sunday 29th

Two movies from The Paper Cinema, who use lanterns, puppets, film and live music to create a unique 'live film' experience. A show that pushes the boundaries of two dimensional entertainment.

The Carnival des Phénomènes is always a good bet for variety and comedy acts. Held in the lovely small stage room of the Wilmington Arms, you can expect anything from storytelling to character acts and magic. Because of all the organisers' busy schedules, this will be the last Carnival ever, so tonight will be an extra special gig with

Monday 30th

The Clinic is a new material night in Hammersmith. Each week there'll be 6 comics, plus a headliner testing out their latest jokes in front of a lively crowd.

Held in The Distillers Arms on Fulham Palace Road, this is undoubtedly the best pub on the road with really good food, a smart interior and a popular upstairs function room that gets packed out during gigs.

Tonight has a particularly notable line-up with softly spoken Aussie (yes we know it's an oxymoron) Mike O'Donovan, the surreal Paul F.Taylor and quick-fire Stuart Goldsmith on the bill.

Remember the sugary melodies Karen O used to bark out so brilliantly over the fuzzy punk of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' début record? Now picture those same mammoth dirty pop hooks over a whirlwind of electronics and synths, and you're starting to understand what Chew Lips are all about.

A real buzz is growing around them, as songs like 'Solo' suggest some real chart potential, but laced with a whole lot of attitude and emotion.

Tuesday 31st

Headlong and Nuffield Theatre's oddball co-production penned by Anthony Neilson is about a Victorian magician and freakshow custodian on the verge of retirement.

As he reveals the grisly, tragic, comic and heartbreaking acts in his final show, a picture of a troubled, lonely man emerges. This is a magic cabaret which focuses on emotional isolation and hope, or hopelessness. There's also plenty of dark magic.

I hate to say I told you so, but thanks to The Animal Collective, noise pop is fast becoming the sound the kids are shaking their booty to this year.

Fortunately, the effect of this new trend has been to highlight some of this great city's up and coming experimental bands and producers. They don't come much better than Trailer Traceys though, sounding like a combo of The Ravonettes and a knife fight, these guys will no doubt be one of the most talked about bands in London in a couple of months. Fact.

Wednesday 1st

You can always bank on the Wellcome Collection to be doing something interesting, and this exhibition looks like it might be one of their best yet.

Madness & Modernity is an examination of the relationship between mental illness and the visual arts in fin de siècle Vienna. Led by Sigmund Freud, Vienna was at the forefront of psychiatric innovation during this period and the exhibition - combining art, architecture and design alongside therapeutic equipment and pieces by asylum patients - emphasises the specificity of the era in terms of creativity and attitudes towards identity.

Cultures clash in wartime Nigeria following the death of the King. His lead horseman swears to honour the Yoruba tradition by committing ritual suicide and following his master to the afterlife, but the British colonial powers don't tolerate such behaviour. And Elesin Oba is torn anyway, as he celebrates his forthcoming death by flirting with girls, feasting and dancing.

This remarkable play by Wole Soyinka examines the rights of a people to live and die as they please, and the very nature of existence. The whole is wrapped in a fascinating, beautifully realised African culture.

Thursday 2nd

It's difficult to say why exactly, but it looks like botanical art is undergoing something of a renaissance at the moment. Maybe it's our increased sensitivity to the needs of the environment, or maybe it's the necessity for technical skill that places the genre in stark contrast to the conceptual hegemony that seems at last to be drawing to a close.

Whatever the cause, you should head to Rokeby as soon as you can to check out the exhibition of work by Raul Ortega Ayala. The Mexican artist has spent two years in London working as a gardener in order to produce this fascinating show.

Romeo Castellucci have created an innovative, immersive series of short plays representing the circles of Dante's magnum opus: Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso are all represented in separate walk-in theatrical spaces.

Audience members walk through artistic recreations of the circles, watching live action sequences that represent the epic text. Each visitation is only ten minutes, and most punters will probably book all three parts. (Discounted to £45.)

The overall experience promises to be hugely effective. In other words, as close as you are likely to come to a waking nightmare in the theatre, this year.

Friday 3rd

Aristocratic French fashionista Jean-Charles de Castelbajac turns his elongated and bejewelled fingers to the world of fine art with an exhibition of painting at Paradise Row this April.

Rest assured however that JC has not been getting paint on any of his notoriously wacky clothes. Oh no: for this show he's commmissioned a group of Chinese painters to paint logos on some reproductions of Western masterpieces, themselves produced by another group of Chinese painters.

You may have heard of Dent May and his Magnificent Ukulele already, but if you haven't, don't fret - you'll definitely be hearing a lot of him before the year is through.

Possessing a unique vocal style that's somewhere between Prince and Serge Gainsbourg, he makes songs that veer between '50s hop, country and, at moments, Brazilian bossa nova.

Chemical Brothers at Fabric. Yes and yes.

Even if you're not absolutely fired up by this proposition - you'll still know who these legends are and probably be able to name a good few of their brilliant tracks. Their reach is incredible - they lead indie kids and ravers alike into the dark realms of techno and hold their heads deep under the pounding surf till they've completely permeated their music tastes.

They're DJing tonight - which is very exciting as we've all seen their live show - and, whilst it's good, it's become a touch stale.

Saturday 4th

Live At The Chapel has been running on the first Saturday of the month since June 2007 when Simon Amstell, Russell Howard, Simon Munnery, and Steven K Amos put on a stonkingly good performance for its debut.

This night is all about quality control, taking the best acts most comedy clubs have over the course of a year and putting them all together on one bill. Tonight's line-up is particularly special, with a real mixed bag of comedy genres. Nutty sketch group We Are Klang take the headline slot and are supported by fantastic comic poet Tim Key,surreal stand-up Hans Teeuwen and if.comedy winners Phil Nichol and Tom Basden. AND there's a super special surprise guest. If you like your comedy twisted and unusual, this is the night for you.

OK so this sounds like it's going to be pretty awesome.

Cut&Paste is a digital design tournament that takes place in 16 cities across the world, and this April it plonks its bad self down for one night only at the Coronet in Elephant and Castle.

A digital design tournament, you say. What on earth could that entail? Well you get a load of the best 2D, 3D and motion designers in London, put them on a stage and make them design stuff.

There's music and judges looming over their shoulders and you can see their designs develop in real-time courtesy of come tech-wizardry projection. Sounds frantic!

Award-winning stand-up comedian Robin Ince talks about astronomy, evolutionary conundrums and how he ended up on a panel show arguing about Christmas with Vanessa Feltz and Konnie Huq.

Ince has appeared on BBC2's Lab Rats, Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Armando Ianucci's Charm Offensive but it is his live performances that are particularly special and have led to him supporting Ricky Gervais several times on tour. An intelligent stand-up whose brain often seems to be working quicker than his mouth, Bleeding Heart Liberal is the perfect comedy show for those of you fed up with moronic observations and knob gags.

Incredible Berlin-based duo Booka Shade land at Matter to make the brain-eating zombies dance tonight.

Their line-ups are consistently glittering, and their focus is underground house and techno. If you like it tough and bloody, then tonight is a party that will not disappoint.

Sunday 5th

Award winning circus troupe, NoFit State, return to London with Tabú. Swirls, twirls, and hire-wire theatrics mix with live music in a performance which has been referred to as "stunning" and "the future of British circus" by no less than the Guardian and The Observer. Sounds pretty good to us.

Oh, and if you're under 26, you may be able to see Tabú for free. Go here to find out more details.

Seminal New York No Wavers, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, come to town one last time to play their final UK show evaaa at Corsica Studios.

The band, including arch Poet Laureate of the No Wave generation Lydia Lunch, only existed for 3 years in their first, classic inception from 1976-79. Yet their influence has stretched far beyond their humble beginnings. These days they occasionally count alt-music godhead Thurston Moore amongst their touring party... will he make the trip? Who knows, but what you can be certain of is witnessing the death throes of a little piece of history.