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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

One Sandwich Short...

We’re pretty certain that you weren’t aware (and it’s also more than likely that you’re not in the slightest bit interested) that this week (from 10th-16th May) is British Sandwich Week. To mark this historic and illustrious date in the British culinary calendar, the British Sandwich Association (wonder what they have for lunch?) are launching The Great British Hammie - a triple pack selection of ham sandwiches made entirely from home grown ingredients.

Not only that, but they’re also holding The Sammies 2009 – a series of awards open to anyone in the industry. Amazing. On the subject of winning stuff, we’ve currently got some belting competitions going down: you can win tickets to an innovative new take on Chekov's Seagull, a Brazilian dance party and you can even get the chance to meet the lovely Knowles sisters – Beyoncé and Solange. And surely that trumps even the finest of chip butties?

Upcoming

Phedre

4th June 2009
More info >>

Broad Casting

11th June 2009
More info >>

Futurism

12th June 2009
More info >>

More Bums on Seats

20th June 2009
More info >>

Friday 8th

Joe Madeira - Light Lines

You know when you were a kid on bonfire night and used to try and write your name in the air with a sparkler? Well, that's kind of like what Joe Madeira does.The designer and photographer uses all sorts of light producing devices - LEDs, bike headlights, glowsticks and even keyring torches - in order to, as it were, draw with light. The resulting read on

where:
The Old Sweet Shop
11 Brockwood Road
SW18 5BL
who:
Joe Madeira
when:
9.30am - 5.30pm
what:
Art, Photography
cost:
Free
 

Poni Hoax

It's been three long years since the French Revolution began at 93 Feet East and their work is still not done. It seems that you thick-headed Rosbifs aren't getting the message that French music is amazing, so they're back with another three bands. This time they're taking no chances and have jetted over an amazing line-up headlined by hardhitting read on

where:
93 Feet East
150 Brick Lane
E1 6RU

who:
Poni Hoax, Nelson
+ more
when:
8pm
what:
Indie, Punk, Rock
cost:
Free
 

Gipsy Hill

Gipsy Hill Comedy, now held in the Black Sheep bar in Crystal Palace, is a fortnightly show held every other Friday in an intimate and comfortable venue. Tonight there is a fantastic line-up consisting of the eccentric Phil Kay, Hackney Empire New Act of the Year winner Fergus Craig and deadpan cult favourite Stephen Carlin. Hosting the gig read on

where:
The Black Sheep
23 Westow Hill
SE19 1TQ
who:
Phil Kay, Stephen Carlin
+ more
when:
9pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£8
 

International Buddhist Film Festival 2009

For the first time ever the International Buddhist Film Festival comes to London. From 7th-17th May the Barbican is hosting a broad range of visual arts displays, dance, artist discussion and, of course, film. It all kicks off with a screening of classic Buddhist silent film The Light of Asia and continues with a range of films related (sometimes direc... read on

where:
The Barbican
Silk Street
EC2Y 8DS
when:
Times vary
what:
Film
cost:
Prices Vary

Saturday 9th

Sister Act

Whoopi Goldberg is one of the producers on a feelgood musical version of her smash hit 1992 movie, which is sure to be one of the biggest hits of the year. Book early for this one. Sister Act tells the unlikely but uplifting story of Deloris Van Cartier, a disco club singer who witnesses a gangland shooting and ends up hiding out in a convent read on

where:
London Palladium
8 Argyll Street
W1F 7TF
when:
Times vary
what:
Musicals, Comedy
cost:
From £18 to £63
 

Perverted Audio and Gloss

Holland's house-loving homeboy and supreme producer Laidback Luke plays a rare set in Matter's main room tonight for Perverted Audio.

His upfront main room sound will be absolutely delicious on Matter's famous sound system.

Impressive back up in the shape of hot-property techy duo of the moment Filth and Splendour, Kanio and Kids of Funk. read on

where:
Matter
Peninsular Square
Se10 0DY

who:
Filth and Splendour, Kano
+ more
when:
10pm - 7am
what:
house, Techno/Minimal
cost:
£15

Sunday 10th

Seagull Project

actory Theatre are the most innovative, daring team producing regularly in London and this show takes their free-spirited ethos one step further than the acclaimed Hamlet they put on last year. This time around, characters and text are interchangeable - effectively, punters pay £10 to see a show which changes every time, and in which nobody read on

where:
Pleasance Theatre
41 Carpenter's Mews
N7 9DP
who:

when:
5pm
what:
Performance Art, Tragedy
cost:
£10
 

100% Dynamite

The beloved reggae night organised by Soul Jazz Records returns - this time to Cafe 1001 for a monthly showdown. Today is an all-day affair in honour of the Dub Echoes documentary and compilation on Soul Jazz Records. There's a screening of the film plus a discussion with director Bruno Natal, followed by an evening of the best bone-shaking roots read on

where:
Cafe 1001
91 Brick Lane
E1 6SE

who:
Clukid, Cotti, Don Letts
+ more
when:
3pm - 3am
what:
Reggae, Dancehall, Dubstep
cost:
Free

Monday 11th

The Jesus Lizard

One of the truly innovative bands to emerge from the US underground in the early nineties, The Jesus Lizard have gone down in history as one of the unfriendliest sounding bands to ever find widespread acclaim. A mix of scathing guitars, machine like drums, propulsive bass lines and deranged, psychotic vocals, they are sort of the musical equiva... read on

where:
The Forum
9-17 Highgate Road
NW5 1JY
who:
The Jesus Lizard, Grails, Harvey Milk
when:
7.30pm
what:
Rock, Punk
cost:
£23
 

Stephen Merchant & John Gordillo

Tonight is all about quality not quantity. Two of the UK's finest comedians preview their new shows tonight at the intimate Wilmington Arms venue and it's safe to say, this is a gig that won't disappoint. We caught some of Gordillo's new show very recently and he was easily the best act of the night; the man is on fire at the moment! For those of y... read on

where:
Wilmington Arms
69 Roseberry Avenue
EC1R 4RL

who:
Stephen Merchant, John Gordillo
when:
8.30pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£7

Tuesday 12th

Cursive

Imagine if Saddle Creek was Jekyll and Hyde. Whilst bands like The Faint and Conor Oberst would be its cute, cuddly, acceptable persona, Cursive would be its twisted, freakishly-shaped monster side. A devious blend of indie, post hardcore and jazz, they make music that sort of lulls you into an easy sleep with gentle, melodic flights of fancy b... read on

where:
Dingwalls
Middle Yard
NW1 8AB
who:
Cursive
when:
7.30pm
what:
Indie
cost:
£10
 

If That's All There Is

A mini-epic set over the course of a summer and following the relationship between an erratic therapist, her patients and her family. Will the simmering tension explode in an orgy of violence? Or will everyone calm down?

A surreal, witty piece of existential angst about love, life and disappointment. read on

where:
Lyric, Hammersmith
King Street
W6 0QL

when:
8pm
what:
Comedy, Melodrama
cost:
£12, £10 Concessions

Wednesday 13th

Paradise Comedy Club

Comedy club held in the wicked Kensal Rise venue (no irony intended) The Paradise. Hosted by James Everett, the monthly club is held in the music room - a lovely cabaret style room with tables for your group to sit at and its own bar. This month, the beguilingly dark comedian Andrew Lawrence will be joined by one of our favourite funny ladies ... read on

where:
The Paradise
19 Kilburn Lane
W10 4AE

who:
Andrew Lawrence, Holly Wals, James Everett
+ more
when:
8.30pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£5, £4 Concessions
 

Deviation

Benji B, BBC 1Xtra's man of unconventional tastes, takes his excellent monthly showcase to Fabric tonight for a Stones Throw special. With his shows taking in creative efforts from the fringes of hip-hop and nuggets of alternative disco among other things, it's no surprise that the Deviation night is fairly often something of a hot ticket. Tonight ... read on

where:
Faric
67-77a Charterhouse Street
EC1M 6HJ

who:
Benji B, Madlib, J Rocc
when:
9pm - 3am
what:
Hip Hop, Disco, House
cost:
£10

Thursday 14th

Beyond Signal 4

A night of experimental noise and audiovisual performance at Area 10 Project Space. There's DIY punk electronics, body performance, free software, 'hack live decoding' (whatever that is), 'harsh digital glitch' (ditto) and lots and lots of noise. Our favourite part though is the fact that Ryan Jordan, Luke Jordan and Patrick Tresset promise to pre... read on

where:
Area 10 Project Space
Peckham Hill Street
SE15 5JT

when:
7.30pm
what:
Performance Art, Installation
cost:
£5
 

Times New Viking

Some noisy font-inspired Ohio based three piece is throwing down at Cable Steet studios tonight, alongside Northwestern lo-fi popsters Mazes, who have an up and coming 7" on the excellent Sex is Disgusting.

Shhhhhhh! It's a secret! read on

where:
Cable Street Studios
Cable Street
E1W 2HB

who:
Times New Viking, Mazes
when:
8pm
what:
Punk
cost:
£5
 

End of the World Party

Ooh this sounds fun! Spring Projects hosts an End of the World Party to celebrate/commiserate/somehow acknowledge the imminent collapse of the good ship Earth and all who sail in her. Donning sandwich boards and hollering like there's no tomorrow (literally) will be innovative performer Leigh Clarke, oddball art chap Bob and Roberta Smith, experim... read on

where:
Spring Projects
1o Spring Place
NW5 3BH

who:
Bob & Roberta Smith, The Fucks
+ more
when:
7.30pm
what:
Performance Art
cost:
Free

Friday 15th

The Observer

Richard Eyre returns to the National to direct this hard-hitting political potboiler by Matt Charman. The topic couldn't possibly be more of-the-moment as the play follows a UN observer overseeing and preparing to discredit an African election. To her mind, the whole process has been irrevocably corrupted but many of the liberal, idealist people ar... read on

where:
National Theatre
South Bank
SE1 8XZ
when:
Times vary
what:
Thriller, Tragedy
cost:
From £10 to £31
 

The Hundred in Hands

If you've ever taken a meander over to the New Releases section of our website, you'll probably know that we're quite hard to please when it comes to reviewing dance-punk bands, and we're usually even harsher when it comes to ones from New York. Would you blame us? After The Rapture, it's all been a bit crap, right? Or at least that's what we bel... read on

where:
Barfly
49 Chalk Farm Road
NW1 8AN

who:
The Hundred in The Hands, Beast
when:
7pm
what:
Punk, Electro
cost:
£6
 

Border Community

Innovative breakthrough bedroom DJ James Holden leads a charge through uncharted musical territory with his Border Community label. Celebrating Nathan Fake's new album 'Hard Islands', Border Community and Allez-Allez take over Corsica Studios tonight for a night of cutting edge party mayhem. Lord of the Hard Islands Nathan Fake takes on headline d... read on

where:
Corsica Studios
Farrell Court
SE17 1LB

who:
James Holden, Nathan Fake
+ more
when:
10pm - 6am
what:
Electro, House, Techno/Minimal
cost:
£15, £10 Concessions

Saturday 16th

Shoot London

2009 sees the biggest Shoot London event yet, with more participants than ever before. To join in, all you have to do is form a team of four, pay your £50 (which sounds a lot until you realise it's only £12.50 per person for a whole day of fun) and turn up at Tate Modern at 11.00 on May 16th. Each team is given a word or phrase from a pre-wri... read on

where:
Tate Modern
Bankside
SE1 9TG
when:
11am
what:
Photography, Family
cost:
£50 per team of four
 

Rambert Dance and Orchestra London Musici

Rambert Dance and their incredibly versatile musical partners Orchestra London Musici combine to stage a double bill of new works.

Christopher Bruce's new piece is set to music by Bobby McFerrin and Yo-Yo Ma while Itzik Galili's A Linha Curva is a joyous fusion of Israeli and samba influences. read on

where:
Sadler's Wells
Roseberry Avenue
EC1R 4TN

when:
7.30pm
what:
Dance
cost:
From £10 to £38
 

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 N... read on

where:
Cargo
83 Rivington Street
EC2A 3AY
who:
DJ Kaos, Daedelus
+ more
when:
8pm - 3am
what:
Dubstep, Hip Hop, Reggae
cost:
From £6 to £12

Sunday 17th

Laughing Horse New Act of the Year Final

Tonight is the big live final for Laughing Horse's New Act of the Year comedy competition held in the Dogstar pub in Brixton. From a whopping 750 acts who entered heats in January, now only 13 remain. The line-up includes ace female sketch group Lady Garden and Fergus Craig from duo Colin and Fergus. Can he add another victory to his Hackney New... read on

where:
Dogstar
389 Coldharbour Lane
SW9 8LQ
who:
Fergus Craig, Ivor Dembina
+ more
when:
8pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£7
 

tick... tick... BOOM!

Jonathan Larson's poignant autobiographical musical about a 30 year old man about to celebrate his birthday and unsure whether he should be a musical composer, enjoys a brief run in the West End. Larson performed this as a solo show around New York and it was at least a minor fringe hit, restoring some of his faith. We now know of course that he... read on

where:
Duchess Theatre
Catherine Street
WC2B 5LA
when:
8pm
what:
Musicals
cost:
From £10 to £30
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