6th February 2012

gigs clubbing art comedy theatre blog competitions

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?

Friday 8th

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

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

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

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 directly, sometimes not so directly) with the ancient teachings of Buddha.

Saturday 9th

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

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.

Sunday 10th

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

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

Monday 11th

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 equivalent of running your face up and down a cheese-grater.

Playing what will probably be their last UK date for a few years, we recommend that you sell your mother/gran/girlfriend and get a ticket to this!

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 you who only know Merchant from his TV work with The Office and Extras, he is just as talented at stand-up as he is at script-writing and his BAFTA-winning photo piece is a must-see. This is a really small venue so snap your tickets up early and head down there by 8pm to grab a good seat.

Tuesday 12th

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 before zapping you with teeth-grinding punk rock noisiness.

Playing Dingwalls tonight, we're expecting to see a lot of confused people after.

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.

Wednesday 13th

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 Holly Walsh and hilarious character comedian Will Andrews, whose anti-comic routine as a hapless Geordie stand-up is a must-see.

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 it's the multifarious Madlib and J Rocc serving the West Coast styles.

Thursday 14th

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 present DIY electronics, home-built instruments and python. A python let loose on a horde of Peckham trendies? Result: either a bloody mess or some rather fetching loafers....

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!

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, experimental indie poppers The Fucks and a host of other apocalyptic arty types.

Armageddon? Armageddon outta here!

Friday 15th

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 around her see this as a best chance for democracy.

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 believed until The Hundred in the Hands' 'Dressed in Dresden/Undressed in Dresden' came into our possession after a trip to Puregroove. We loved that track so much, that many of us dreamed of taking it out to dinner, letting it order the lobster and mouthing inappropriate advances while we tried to touch its leg under the table. It literally didn't leave our office stereo for days.

Let's just say that a rare Spoonfed outing could be on the cards for this one.

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 duties in Room One with a live laptop show. Joining the assault is Mighty Robot's Operator showcasing his new 'How To Make Bombs and Influence People' album plus new BC recruit Wesley Matsell with James himself taking it home with an intimate closing set.

Saturday 16th

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-written story and you have to go out around London taking photos that in some way correspond to the clues you've been given.

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.

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 Ninja Tune's eccentric billionaire Daedelus.

Sunday 17th

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 Act of the Year win we wonder?

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 went on to score a major hit with Rent before dying tragically young.