6th February 2012
gigs clubbing art comedy theatre blog competitions

Illustration by Julie Khan

Nerd Alert!

Today is the 10th Annual System Administrator Appreciation Day. 24 hours devoted to the wizards who make emails go and the web work. Distinguished by a fondness for Sepultura and Buffy, their First Commandment is 'Try turning it off and on again'.

If you have a Sys Admin, make them a gift today. If you're rich, a Star Trek box set. If you're poor a cake or similar food item. Or call them over on the pretext that you've got a problem with your mouse, then give them a big hug.

Meanwhile in London, it's hot, and wet. There's a groundbreaking play about terrorism, the first ever Twitter gig, Talking Heads legend David Byrne, comedian Sean Hughes and a selection of banging club nights. Have fun – and give thanks for the geeks who make it all possible.

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Friday 31st

OMFG LIKE TOTALLY AWESOME! A night of food, fun, music, poetry, art and design at John Jones for the last Friday in July. Plus, and this might be the clincher, cocktails AND cupcakes. Could anything be better than that? 'Assemblage' sees the whole space taken over by a host of exciting creative types - there's live poetry
 
As part of this year's Hackney Wicked, Ingrid Z of The Residence presents The Wrecking Ball. St. Mary of Eton Church has announced that it will knock down Verger's Cottage (Ingrid's home and that of The Residence) in 2010 and replace it with a block of flats. The aim of The Wrecking Ball then is to combine creativity with destruction. Dancers
 
Three promoters unite to bring you another edition of Balance: Split, Wang and Base - stalwarts of London's dirty underside - make it bigger in all respects this month. Their launch party placed them firmly on the map with one of the best techno line-ups of the year. Tonight they dish up another who's who of techno, with The Advent playing a live

Saturday 1st

The day after the tremendous Underage Festival, Victoria Park hosts Field Day, a day of music in a field (or a park, to be precise). This year, they have the incredible Mogwai headlining. Eleven years on and these guys still sound like the future. There are no words to do them justice. Go and listen instead. Fingers crossed, the weather will hold
 
For one day only Katie Guggenheim dons her apron to serve up a veritable feast of deep-fried contemporary art in the 1930s splendour of Hackney's Savoy Cafe. Responding to the original nature of the space, MENU features work by a host of brilliant young artists, including Rachel Pimm, Amanda Dennis and Patrick Shier. Visitors take a seat and
 
Undoubtedly one of the best young performance poets in the UK, 4 Talent Award Winner and Aisle16 founder Luke Wright previews his fourth solo show at the Hen and Chickens Theatre. Set against a backdrop of grotty Travelodges and London stages, Wright tells the story of his last ten years behind the mic. Featuring some embarrassingly bad teenage

Sunday 2nd

Leeds' favourite after-party starters KeToLoCo make another pilgrimage down south to service the Ket-hungry people of London with some decent tunes and an all-round belter of a party. Tonight is another special at the Light Bar with subterranean ravers turned Manc promoters Micron and Remote Area - the Dutch imprint of 100% Pure and Intacto
 
Steam Industries are putting on two pieces of free theatre this summer at the Scoop. The first, designed for kids, is Jason and the Argonauts, a lively musical adventure with puppets and a full scale pirate ship. The second also features Jason (now King Jason) but is altogether grimmer, full of sex, betrayal, murder and revenge. Adapted by Stella

Monday 3rd

Probably best known for his work in seminal '80s art-rockers Talking Heads, David Byrne's solo work may not have been as successful as his previous band, but in many way it's been just as artistically brilliant.

Throwing together influences seemingly at random, Byrne has dabbled in everything from classical orchestration, ambient noise to afro-jazz and world rhythms. However, his most recognisable periods are the ones he spent with Brian Eno, and it's this part of his back-catalogue he'll be exploring at the Barbican tonight.

A pretty special night with a very special man.
 
Comedy can often be informative - just think of Bill Hicks and his political diatribes. Robin Ince's School For Gifted Children show is less of a rant and more of a funny and at times, musical lecture by various comedians on anything and everything from things they have found out about dinosaurs to nebulae and wig powder.

Its style is haphazard and off the cuff with unplanned diversions and twists and turns. Ince himself informs us: 'It's for people who like watching documentaries about ants with odd behaviour, books about rebellious librarians and who enjoy the idea of enthusiasm.'

Tuesday 4th

A sublime summer show featuring longtime collaborators Jean-Baptiste Thierree and Victoria Chaplin, Le Cirque Invisible will delight young and old alike.

Using a bare minimum of props, some magic and considerable dexterity, the two performers create a jaw-dropping series of illusions and spectacles, recalling the magical circuses of the pre-television era.

Hmm, sounding a bit gushy there, maybe it's because we once saw Victoria (daughter of silent movie legend Charlie Chaplin and a celebrated mime and acrobat in her own right) doing Le Cirque Imaginaire and it was one of the best things ever! Seriously, check it out.
 
Similar in form and style to No Age, Wavves and all that, Crocodiles differ from their LA compatriots by the sheer amount of  dark, psychedelic weirdness they manage to cram into their lo-fi noise pop.

Using the logic that No Age are like the Decendents played through a telephone, then these guys are kind of like Jesus and Mary Chain sound-tracking a really dark acid trip.

Wednesday 5th

This summer, GV Art is showing an exhibition exploring the various internal goings on of the human mind.

There's contemporary art across a range of media - video, installation, painting and sculpture - linked by a shared interest in memory, perception and pyschoanalysis.

A more intimate take on topics similar to those covered in the Hayward's Walking in My Mind (and this one's free!) - could be an under-the-radar cracker.
 
We're looking forward to this. As theatreland goes to sleep over the summer, the Tricycle is putting on an ambitious, powerful new play by acclaimed writer Simon Stephens (Harper Regan, Motortown). The theme? One week in July, when London played host to the G8 leaders, won the Olympic bid and suddenly found itself the victim of terrorism.

Stephens' writing is visceral, realistic and harrowing. This portrait of a city under siege promises uncomfortable, but emotionally resonant theatre.

Thursday 6th

The youngest comic ever to win the Perrier award in 1990, sardonic Irish stand-up and star of Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Sean Hughes is back with a brand new show.

After a seven year hiatus, Hughes returned to stand-up in 2007 but to mixed reviews, with many saying he lacked the wit and enthusiasm so prevalent in his early days. Recently however, he's been getting a much warmer press, winning over audiences with his laid-back delivery and snappy punchlines. Maybe he just needed some practice.
 
Technology and music have had a long and illustrious history that began when some dude realised you could make a piano play itself. Since then we've had laser shows, electronic drums, Kraftwerk, synthesisers and head mics, all things that, as we're sure you'd agree, have made music better and enriched our lives.

In fact, it was all going fine until the internet came along and wrecked the music industry like an information super hurricane. Yeah, on one hand it has given the opportunity for rubbishy named bands from Sheffield to make it big, but on the other hand all the people illegally downloading albums from Limewire have eroded Madonna's record sales to the extent that she has been forced into cruddy PR stunts like kidnapping African children to actually make a buck.

Friday 7th

'James Mullinger was a fully paid up member of the feminist movement when he studied for his degree in Women's Studies at university. But ten years on, having worked on a men's magazine retouching women within an inch of their lives and as a stand-up comedian telling jokes that some deem misogynistic; he's worried about his feminist credentials.'

Writer and stand-up comedian James Mullinger presents his first full-length solo show as part of the Camden Fringe Festival.
 
As befitting a band whose last UK hit was a duet with Peter Doherty, Littl'ans are no strangers to chaos. In fact their last British tour was cancelled thanks to a teen movie's worth of disasters, including a drug bust, exploding gas canisters and a double booking with Echo and the Bunnymen.

When they do play, their doo-wop influenced pop has all the dazed, dark charm of a Syd Barret or a Nick Drake, and is possibly one of the best things to come out of the English indie scene in what feels like an eternity.
 
 We Fear Silence make the journey to the underground confines of Corsica Studios for an exclusive London takeover by Subloaded - Bristol's answer to FWD/DMZ.

Tonight's bass heavy badness features a stellar cast of West Country dub-heads. Leading the charge is tectonic lynchpin Pinch, plus Appleblim, Peverelist and Headhunter.

Joker and Gemmy play a two hour back to back exclusive (showcasing the Purple Wow sound) and in room two, Gilles Peterson will be playing one of his legendary four hour marathons.

Saturday 8th

An hour of fast-paced sketch comedy with The Intimate Strangers, featuring the all-singing, all-dancing James Bond Musical Casinos are Forever.

This is a new show from the Strangers who performed with aplomb at last year's Camden Fringe, pulling off some really strong and innovative sketches.
 
Supernova launched last Sunday at Sosho, and this week they welcome the simply fabulous DJ Justin Martin to dish out his upfront brand of house and techno.

Resident of Buzzin' Fly, co-owner of DirtyBird, this guy is SERIOUS.
 
Former Faction residents Chris Low and Jason Faction launched a new residency at The Bathhouse - the brand new East London club venue which is a former Turkish baths.

Expect punk, funk, Italo disco, ghettotech, and other bouncy, bassy bits and bobs.

Tonight's special guests are Beppe Loda (Typhoon Club, Italy), Dan Phuong and Emil Grelck.
 
Basic land to bring intimate, house party-style clubbing back to London.

They feel that clubbing has become too focussed on the DJs - and so they never release their no frills line ups prior to the party - preferring it to remain a surprise.

They revel in the old fundamentals: good tunes, friends, smiles, dancing - the house party vibe.

Expect underground deep and tech house, minimal and impromptu treats. Basic is all about feeling....

Sunday 9th

Smith and Priestley's summer institution is a true original which contrasts the dingy atmosphere of most daytime parties and still retains a considerable edge over similar efforts.

The shift of venue to the Light Bar has been a happy one - marrying discerning beats to a brilliantly thought-out venue.

Helping to supply the sunshine techno and stripped-out house - and also making his debut this month - is the remarkable Efdemin, Detroit's newest megastar.
 
A straight edge hardcore band, The Effort blend the modern youth crew sound of late '90s Boston with the socially conscious lyrics of artists like Inside Out, 108, and Boy Sets Fire.

So that'll be one beat down followed by a hug and a collectivist lecture afterwards.

Next week

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