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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

Colour Party, Halt!

Twitter huh? Good for self-promotion and time-wasting, but what else? Well the Guardian’s innovative use of Twitter to cover the G20 thing obviously got people thinking, and last week a group of comedians got together (virtually, not literally) to create the first Twitter Comedy Club. We sent our Comedy Editor Emma to sit at home in front of her computer and watch it. Why not check out her review?

In more traditional circles, this Saturday sees the Queen’s Birthday Parade, or Trooping the Colour. If you like Busbies, flags, cannons, horses, queens and inexplicably awarded medals, then this is definitely the overblown ceremony for you. If, on the other hand, you don’t, then may we suggest you scroll down and take a look at all the other things going on in London next week.  

Upcoming

Laughter in Odd Places

2nd July 2009
More info >>

Corot to Monet

8th July 2009
More info >>

White Denim

9th July 2009
More info >>

Sleeping Beauty

14th August 2009
More info >>

Friday 12th

The King and I

Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic about a British governess who ends up capturing the heart of a Siamese king comes to the Albert Hall for a short run this June. A lavish production directed 'in the round' by Jeremy Sams, this production has a stellar team behind it and features well loved British vocalist Maria Friedman as Anna, and Daniel read on

where:
Royal Albert Hall
Kensington Gore
SW7 2AP
when:
7.30pm
what:
Musicals, Classic
cost:
From £20 to £65
 

Le Tetsuo

The product of art school and sweaty drunken rehearsals, Le Tetsuo have survived broken amplifiers and shows in peoples living rooms to become one of the loudest bands ever. Serving up their off-kilter shouty-shouty thrash pop to the people of Kilburn tonight, this is one of those free shows that make London great. read on

where:
Power's Acoustic Room
332 Kilburn High Road
NW6 2QN

who:
Le Tetsuo
+ more
when:
8pm
what:
Indie
cost:
Free
 

Utah Saints present Sugarbeat

Utah Saints' massive night Sugarbeat continues with their third party of the year, tonight presenting none other than electronic mastermind duo Hybrid.

They're joined by Toolroom's first lady Toni Jarvis and Bombstrikes Records Mooqee.

Added to the line up tonight are Supatronix residents Jurassik and Miss Max. read on

where:
Jamm
261 Brixton Road
SW9 6LH

who:
Utah Saints, Hybrid
+ more
when:
9pm - 4am
what:
House, Electro, Breaks, Techno/Minimal
cost:
From £8 to £10

Saturday 13th

Open Sailing Open Day

Anyone see that Kevin Costner film Waterworld? It got totally panned, but secretly, we know you loved it. It's possible that this is in some way relevant to the listing of this event, but it's hard to know for sure. 13th June sees an open day at Area 10 in Peckham. There's speakers, activites and displays all designed to explain the concept of read on

where:
Area 10 Project Space
Peckham Hill Street
SE15 5JT
when:
1pm - 8pm
what:
Art, Science, Family
cost:
Free
 

Rich Hall is Otis Lee Crenshaw

Perrier and Emmy Award-winning grouch Rich Hall will be performing a week long stint at the Soho this June as both himself and white trash alter ego Otis Lee Crenshaw (who breaks out of jail for the second half of the show). Since Hall started performing his routine as the country music singing, redneck jailbird from Tennessee in 1998, he's been read on

where:
Soho Theatre
21 Dean Street
W1D 3NE

who:
Rich Hall
when:
9.45pm
what:
Stand Up, Music
cost:
From £10 to £18
 

Night Music - Trentemoller and Moby

Trentemoller returns tonight, bringing his pal Moby with him to play an exclusive DJ set. Both artists have new albums on the way, Trentemoller has 'Harbour Boat Trips 01 - Copenhagen' on its way and Moby's fifth album 'Wait For Me' is due out in June. Yousef joins them, also on the brink of an album release - his debut artist album 'A Collection read on

where:
Matter
Peninsular Square
SE10 0DY

who:
Moby, Yousef, Trentemoller + more
when:
10pm - 7am
what:
House, Electro, Techno/Minimal
cost:
From £8 to £10

Sunday 14th

Vauxhall Art Car Boot Fair

The Vauxhall Art Car Boot Fair returns to the Old Truman Brewery this June for the fifth installment of this art fair extravaganza.

All manner of contemporary artists are involved - from old-timers like Gavin Turk, Sir Peter Blake and Bob & Roberta Smith to first-time 'booters' Natasha Law and Donald Urquhart. read on

where:
Old Truman Brewery
Brick Lane
E1 6QL
who:
Peter Blake, Gavin Turk, Stuart Semple
+ more
when:
12pm - 6pm
what:
Art, Design
cost:
£3
 

Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band

The Royal Festival Hall plays host to the first ever UK appearance from this conceptual supergroup formed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1969 before the dissolution of The Beatles as Ornette Coleman's Meltdown Festival gets under way. In this one-off performance Yoko Ono appears with Sean Lennon, Chimera Music artists Charlotte Muhl, Yuko read on

where:
Royal Festival Hall
Belvedere Road
SE1 8XX

who:
Yoko Ono, Mark Ronson
+ more
when:
7.30pm
what:
Rock
cost:
From £20 to £25

Monday 15th

A Certain Ratio

Similar to Joy Division insofar as they had a crypto-fascist sounding name, came from Manchester and formed around the same time, A Certain Ratio blazed a trail that was much more dance-floor orientated than most of thier compatriots.They took funk bass lines, added them to latin and jazz influences and made something that kids could flail aroun... read on

where:
Dingwalls
Middle Yard
NW1 8AB
who:
A Certain Ratio
when:
7.30pm
what:
Punk
cost:
£12
 

Pete Bentham and the Dinner Ladies

Despite their obvious need to move on from their student days, there is something hopelessly loveable about Pete Bentham and the Dinner Ladies.

Describing themselves as a Kitchencore band from Liverpool they are a pretty good garage rock band, a way more fun version of Pulp, and a Victoria Wood sketch all rolled into one. What's not to love? read on

where:
Hope and Anchor
207 Upper Street
N1 1RL

who:
Pete Bentham and the Dinner Ladies
+ more
when:
8pm
what:
Punk, Rock
cost:
£5

Tuesday 16th

Orwell - A Celebration

Celebrating George Orwell, not one, not two but four classic pieces come to the stage at this brilliant studio venue. Hal Cruttenden reprises his solo performance as George Bowling, the ultimate middle class anxiety case, in Coming Up For Air, plus there's the Ministry of Love interrogation scene from Nineteen Eighty Four and two other essays dramatised... read on

where:
Trafalgar Studios
14 Whitehall
SW1A 2DY
when:
7.45pm
what:
Comedy, Tragedy, Melodrama
cost:
From £15 to £25
 

Brian Gittins

You know you're onto a good thing when Ricky Gervais is pissing himself at your act. Brian Gittins is a hilarious comedy character with a predisposition for silly masks and bad jokes. On paper that may not sound funny but trust us, he is brilliant. Recently we saw him warm-up for Ricky Gervais ahead of his Science tour and when Gervais came on s... read on

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

who:
Brian Gittins
when:
9pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£5

Wednesday 17th

Poor. Old. Tired. Horse

Have art and language always been inextricably linked? Certainly, figures as diverse as George Herbert, Laurence Sterne and William Blake were fascinated by the relationship between the visual and the linguistic. But it was proably in the 1960s that this kind of area began to be more widely explored. Jacques Derrida - probably the most important th... read on

where:
ICA
The Mall
SW1Y 5AH
who:
David Hockney, Carl Andre
+ more
when:
12pm - 7pm
what:
Media, Installation, Performance Art
cost:
Free
 

Mincemeat

A tough-as-nails World War Two espionage drama staged in a crumbling warehouse space in Shoreditch, Mincemeat is the story of a nobody who changed the course of the war. Sadly, our hero never knew how much he had contributed. It was his corpse, disguised as a crashed pilot and handed over to the Nazis by 'neutral' Spanish agents, which was used to d... read on

where:
Cordy House
87 Curtain Road
EC2A 3BX

who:

when:
7.30pm
what:
Thriller
cost:
From £10 to £20

Thursday 18th

Nanta (Cookin')

Korean dance spectacular Nanta is the country's most successful show which has played to millions of fans in 23 countries including a smash hit run on Broadway.

Using conventional instruments but also kitchen utensils, knives, fire and circus stunts, this is a spectacular and frequently hilarious show.
read on

where:
Rose Theatre
24-26 Kingston High Street
KT1 1HL
when:
7.30pm
what:
Dance, Performance Art
cost:
From £10 to £25
 

Brendon Burns

Winner of the 2007 if.comedy awards, Brendon Burns previews his new show at the Leicester Square Theatre  from Thursday to Saturday this week. From Jade Goody's death to the Australian bushfires, no subject is a no-go zone for Burns. The title of the show An Hour and a Half of Bullshit with Jokes and Shit may sound base enough but don't let that f... read on

where:
Leicester Square Theatre
Leicester Square
WC2H 7BP

who:
Brendon Burns
when:
7.30pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
From £10 to £16
 

T.I.T.S

So you think San Francisco is all rainbows, Golden Gate Bridges, disused island prisons, trams 'hey there, how you doing!?', 49ers fans and generally nice people? Wrong! Residing in those lush green hills are 4 ladies who you definitely don't want to get on the wrong side of. A super group formed from members of Meow Meow and the Meow Meows and ... read on

where:
Bardens Boudoir
38-44 Stoke Newington Road
N16 7XJ

who:
T.I.T.S, Katie Stelmanis
when:
8pm
what:
Metal
cost:
£6

Friday 19th

Warm

Disco kingpin Prins Thomas joins the Warm residents tonight for a six hour marathon into the lush fields of cosmic disco. As a DJ, Thomas is unbelievably eclectic, shoehorning a wealth of artists and unlikely genres into his sets. Some you'll have heard of, masses you won't. The rarity of his cuts is part of the aural pleasure, so come and be led as... read on

where:
Plastic People
147-149 Curtain Road
EC2A 3QE
who:
Prins Thomas, Warm Residents
when:
10pm - 4.30am
what:
Disco, House, Electronica
cost:
From £8 to £10
 

Maxwell's Fullmooners Moonlanding Moontacular!

Andrew Maxwell's cult late-night comedy show has certainly attracted a hardcore gathering of fans over the past few years and has seen some first rate comedians stop by from Noel Fielding to Russell Brand and Doug Stanhope. This cabaret/comedy night hasn't had one bad line-up since it started so you can expect a cracker of a bill for this Udder... read on

where:
Udderbelly
South Bank
SE1 8XX

who:
Andrew Maxwell
when:
11pm - 1am
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£15
 

DnA Presents

DnA Presents throw down a simply massive techno-electro party topped by a 5 hour set from the one and only Stephan Bodzin. The German DJ and producer holds musical authenticity above all else and his set tonight is certain to be mind-blowing. King Roc headlines room two, following the success of his album 'Chapters', with McQueen (resident of exce... read on

where:
Lightbox
6a South Lambeth Place
SW8 1SP

who:
Stephan Bodzin, King Roc
+ more
when:
10pm - 6am
what:
Techno/Minimal, Electro
cost:
£15
 

The Hothouse Review

The Hothouse Revue landed earlier this year as the most decadent, elegant ballroom mess around to hit London for 80 years. Their West London launch was a back-to-back whirlwind of variety cabaret, sultry burlesque, gramophone DJs and unbelievable live music. Tonight's East London edition is a sexed-up, whip-cracking evening of blue rhythm stomp, ... read on

where:
Last Days of Decadence
145 Shoreditch High Street
E1 6JE

who:
Ben De Vere, The World's Tallest DJ
+ more
when:
8pm
what:
Blues, Funk, Jazz
cost:
£7

Saturday 20th

Picnic in the Past

Scotch eggs, coronation chicken, gingham table cloths, ginger beer, strawberries, trifle, cucumber sandwiches, Pimm's... sounds like a picnic!

But add in multimedia art shenanigans - poetry, film, animation, performance, photography... - and you've got yourself a Picnic in the Past. Sweet. read on

where:
Newington Green Now & Then
Mayville Community Centre
Woodville Road
N16 8NA
when:
6pm - 8.30
what:
Family, Art
cost:
Free
 

Dead Pets Society presents... Top Of The Pops!

If there's anything better than a good fancy dress theme, it's the order of what to wear for this little party at Elevator Gallery in Hackney Wick. Potential visitors are encouraged to 'dress like a rockstar on Jimmy Savile Row' - haha, superb! There's gonna be live music from Sculpture, YOU? and The La De Dahs as well as DJ sets from a host of ... read on

where:
Elevator Gallery
White Post Lane
E9 5EN

who:
Sculpture, Clinker. YOU?
+ more
when:
8pm
what:
Country, Electro
cost:
Free
 

Bugged Out!

Crazy big beat party that started out in Manchester and headed south to take over The End via massive parties at locations across the country. Bugged Out! enjoy a nationwide reputation for stonking good times and this is one night that everyone wants to attend. The music is varied, with an emphasis on fat disco beats and electro house. Toni... read on

where:
Cable
33a Bermondsey Street
SE1 2EG

who:
Simian Mobile Disco, Radioactive Man
+ more
when:
11pm - 6pm
what:
Electro, Indie, Disco
cost:
£15, £13 Concessions
 

Family Affair Summer Solstice Party

Super special Summer Solstice party tonight from Family Affair. Come and celebrate the season of sun with minimal men of the moment, Scottish techno duo Sandeman and Mr Dickie. Very hot property indeed. The Ifidota label crew and Platinum residents will be joining the fun.Manchester label and party starters Back To Front are in charge in the gu... read on

where:
Platinum
23-25 Paul Street
EC2A 4JU

who:
Sandeman, Mr Dickie
+ more
when:
Midnight - 10am
what:
Techno/Minimal, House
cost:
Free

Sunday 21st

Limitations Permitted

'Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they're not out to get me.' Who first said that? Nobody seems to know - darned internet, why don't you know these things?! Anyway, with over 4 million CCTV cameras across the UK (that's according to a 2002 paper - it could be many more by now...) the issue of public surveillance is of extreme importance and imme... read on

where:
Peckham Square
Peckham
SE15 5QN
who:
Neal White, FLIX, Manu Luksch
when:
10am - 6pm
what:
Video, Installation
cost:
Free
 

Throbbing Gristle

Abrasive, aggressive and unapologeticly art-house Throbbing Gristle have always been a band that has balanced precariously over being a post-punk band and a sonic art project exploring themes of death, mutilation, fascism and the dehumanising of industrial society. Called both the pioneers of industrial music and the 'wreckers of civilisation' b... read on

where:
Heaven
Under the Arches
WC2N 6NG

who:
Throbbing Gristle
+ more
when:
9pm
what:
Metal, Punk, Rock
cost:
£18
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