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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

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.

Upcoming

Noel Fielding

11th April 2009
More info >>

Romeo and Juliet

23rd April 2009
More info >>

The Prodigy

16th April 2009
More info >>

Shoot London

16th May 2009
More info >>

Friday 27th

Fred Tomaselli

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. read on

where:
White Cube
25-26 Mason's Yard
SW1Y 6B
who:
Fred Tomaselli
when:
10am - 6pm
what:
Art, Gallery, Painting
cost:
Free
 

Amused Moose's Belated Comic Relief Show

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 read on

where:
Dominion Theatre
268-269 Tottenham Court Road
W1T 7AQ
who:
Stephen Merchant, Holly Walsh
+ more
when:
8.30pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£15
 

Cadence:1:2:3

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, a... read on

where:
Lightbox
6a South Lambeth Place
SW8 1SP
who:
Sweet & Vicious, The Fix
+ more
when:
10pm - 6am
what:
House, Techno/Minimal
cost:
£8
 

The Return of the Motherfunkin' BOOZEface

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 read on

where:
Gramaphone
60-62 Commercial Street
E1 6LT
who:
Count Skylarkin, Trol 23
+ more
when:
10pm - 3am
what:
Electronica, Hip Hop, Drum & Bass
cost:
£6

Saturday 28th

YES WAY

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 read on

where:
auto-italia
1 Glengall Road
SE15 6NJ
who:
The Shitty Limits, Gay Against You, Katie Guggenheim
+ more
when:
12pm - 12am
what:
Punk, Indie, Art
cost:
£5 per day, £8 weekend ticket
 

Jonathan Richman

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. read on

where:
Bush Hall
310 Uxbridge Road
W12 7LJ
who:
Jonathan Richman
when:
7.30pm
what:
Indie, Pop
cost:
£20
 

Sancho Panza

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 read on

where:
East Village
89 Great Eastern Street
EC2A 3HX
who:
Bill Brewster, Matt Brown
+ more
when:
9pm - 4am
what:
House, Disco
cost:
£10, £8 Before 11pm
 

Ricardo Villalobos

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 pack... read on

where:
Fabric
67-77A Charterhouse Street
EC1M 6HJ
who:
Ricardo Villalobos, Dave Clarke, Terry Francis
+ more
when:
11pm - 6am
what:
House, Techno/Minimal, Electro
cost:
From £16 to £25

Sunday 29th

King Pest and Night Flyer

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.
read on

where:
Little Angel Theatre
14 Dagmar Passage
N1 2DN
who:

when:
Times vary
what:
Performance Art
cost:
£8, £6 Concessions
 

Carnival des Phenomenes

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
read on

where:
Wilmington Arms
69 Roseberry Avenue
EC1R 4RL
who:
TheHip Hop Clown, Femme Ferale
+ more
when:
8pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£5

Monday 30th

The Clinic

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 packe... read on

where:
Distillers Arms
64 Fulham Palace Road
W6 9PH
who:
Paul F. Taylor, Mike O'Donovan
+ more
when:
8pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£3
 

Chew Lips

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... read on

where:
The Social West End
5 Little Portland Street
W1W 7JD
who:
Chew Lips
when:
7pm
what:
Punk
cost:
£5

Tuesday 31st

Edward Gant's Amazing Feats of Loneliness

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 isolatio... read on

where:
Soho Theatre
21 Dean Street
W1D 3NE
when:
Times vary
what:
Tragedy, Cabaret
cost:
From £8 to £20
 

Trailer Trash Traceys

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, sou... read on

where:
Bull and Gate
389 Kentish Town Road
NW5 2TJ
who:
Trailer Trash Traceys, Dead Wolf Club
+ more
when:
7pm
what:
Indie, Punk
cost:
£5

Wednesday 1st

Madness & Modernity

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 innova... read on

where:
Wellcome Collection
183 Euston Road
NW1 2BE
who:

when:
10am - 6pm
what:
Art, Science, History
cost:
Free
 

Death of the King's Horseman

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 ... read on

where:
National Theatre
South Bank
SE1 8XZ
when:
7.30pm
what:
Melodrama
cost:
From £10 to £30

Thursday 2nd

An Ethnography of Gardening

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 ... read on

where:
Rokeby
37 Store Street
WC1E 7QF
who:
Raul Ortega Ayala
when:
11am - 6pm
what:
Art, Installation, Drawing, Photography
cost:
Free
 

Paradiso / Inferno / Purgatorio

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. Ea... read on

where:
The Barbican
Silk Street
EC2Y 8BQ
when:
Times vary
what:
Performance Art, Thriller
cost:
From £19 to £45

Friday 3rd

Jean-Charles de Castelbajac

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 pai... read on

where:
Paradise Row
2 Wood Close
E2 6ET
who:
Jean-Charles de Castelbajac
when:
12pm - 6pm
what:
Art, Gallery, Painting
cost:
Free
 

Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele

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. read on

where:
The Betsey Trotwood
56 Farringdon Road
EC1R 3BL
who:
Dent May
when:
7.30pm
what:
Indie
cost:
£7
 

Chemical Brothers

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 pou... read on

where:
Fabric
67-77a Charterhouse Street
EC1M 6HJ
who:
Chemical Brothers, Scratch Perverts
+ more
when:
10pm - 6am
what:
Breaks, Drum & Bass, Electro, Hip Hop
cost:
£17

Saturday 4th

We Are Klang

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 togethe... read on

where:
Union Chapel
Compton Avenue
N1 2XD
who:
We Are Klang, Tim Key
+ more
when:
7pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£15
 

Cut&Paste

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 ... read on

where:
The Coronet
28 New Kent Road
SE1 6TJ
when:
7pm
what:
Design, Tournament
cost:
£10
 

Robin Ince - Bleeding Heart Liberal

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 ... read on

where:
Bloomsbury Theatre
15 Gordon Street
WC1H 0AH
who:
Robin Ince
when:
8pm
what:
As Seen on TV, Stand Up
cost:
£14, £10 Concessions
 

Zombie Soundsystem

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.
read on

where:
Matter
Peninsula Square
SE10 0DY
who:
Luke Solomon, Booka Shade
+ more
when:
10pm - 7am
what:
Techno/Minimal, House, Electro
cost:
£15

Sunday 5th

NoFit State Circus

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 ... read on

where:
The Roundhouse
110a Chalk Farm Road
NW1 8EH
when:
7pm
what:
Performance Art
cost:
From £13 to £20
 

Teenage Jesus and The Jerks

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 begin... read on

where:
Corsica Studios
Farrell Court
SE17 1LB
who:
Teenage Jesus and The Jerks, An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump
when:
7.30pm
what:
Indie
cost:
£15
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