6th February 2012

gigs clubbing art comedy theatre blog competitions

Illustration by Julie Khan

Power Plants

Now we don’t wish to brag, but the Spoonfed office really is a nice place to work. Everyone is young and fun and, although we work seriously hard to keep you guys up to date with all the things going on in London, we occasionally do cool stuff ourselves. We go to gigs, get invited to gallery openings, get sent presents (one of our lovely Twitter followers even turned up at the office bearing cake). The only slight trouble is the office itself, which has occasionally felt a little, well, office-y. But not anymore! Our brilliant managing editor Joe braved the hordes at Ikea and brought back some lovely plants to brighten the place up. Woo!

Ahem, if you’re not interested in any of this, then may we instead offer up a load of cool things to do next week in our fair capital? There’s a brain-devouring comedy quiz, Burning Man warm-up party, and Texan garage rock in a secret Hackney warehouse. God bless London.

Friday 14th

One of the most proflific artists of his generation, Billy Childish has haunted the dreams of musicians for neigh on 20 years with a never ending conveyer belt of paintings, poetry and LPs. Seriously this guy is like the Simpsons in so far as that as soon as you think you've come up with a orginal idea, you can bet your life Childish has

Utah Saints night Sugarbeat has been rocking Leeds, Edinburgh and Bristol and now they come to London.

They have been rocking Jamm on a bi-monthly basis and tonight they welcome XFM breaks junkie Eddy Temple-Morris and Finger Lickin' hotshot A Skillz.

Saturday 15th

All the fun of the fair at Limoncello Gallery this Saturday. Of course, being an art thing though, there's a bit of a twist on the usual WI marrow-judging contests. As well as fun stuff like a fashion show, jelly-eating contest, and assorted live music, crafts and tombola, there's also 'sponge the gallerist' and the amusingly entitled 'pin

Milk in the Park is a great, big musical disco in the heart of The Vauxhall Gay Village in Lambeth. Horse Meat Disco, Carpet Burn, Deep Inside and Tonker unite to celebrate equality and freedom. Milk In The Park commemorates the life of Harvey Milk - the first gay American politician and pioneer of gay rights. It's also 40 years since the

The Tattershall Castle is not actually a castle at all, but a boat permanently moored on Victoria Embankment that has hosted some of the best comedy acts for the last seven years. A favourite with fans and comedians alike, it's not unknown for them to announce a surprise big-name guest at the start of a show, so whatever the line up, it's always

Sunday 16th

We challange you to find anyone who doesn't like Elvis just a little bit. Yeah people will harp on that he was a talentless junkie who never wrote a song, but bang on 'Suspicious Minds' and they'll be like putty in your hands. That's why he's the King and we're all just lesser mortals. The guy is so powerful that his reach extends from beyond

A Fete Worse Than Death launches at the fabulous Queen of Hoxton for a day of relentless revelry. Expect a 'village green' on the roof terrace, with a BBQ, tea and cakes, and party games. As if this wasn't enough, you'll bathe in the warming glow of disco, courtesy of some of London's most notorious figures on the disco circuit, including Disco

Monday 17th

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.

Is it a pub quiz? Is it a comedy night? No, it's both you numpty!

The Quiz That Ate My Brian is a splicing together of two beasts to create one. Hosted by Adrian Poynton, the audience compete in teams answering questions just like a pub quiz. BUT, like a comedy night, the host will introduce different comedians, who, instead of performing their usual sets, will curate a round, asking questions on whatever subject they choose.

Tuesday 18th

Hailing from Brooklyn, Grizzly Bear are a four piece indie band whose music is seductive and intimate, deep with hazy-eyed choruses, whistles, piano and banjo.

Originally the solo project of Edward Droste, playing as a four piece allows the complexity of their sound to be played live.

As part of the Brazilx2 series at the Old Red Lion Theatre, celebrating Brazilian Theatre, comes The Assault, looking at how greed and lust generate social destruction.

Set in 1969 it tells the story of Victor, a man slowly losing his mind in a job circulating around greed and power. Given one opportunity to escape, he must find another man to become a victim, but at what personal risk?

Wednesday 19th

Acclaimed Bilbao physical theatre collective Gaitzerdi Teatro present a grown-up, electrifying take on Red Riding Hood following the relationship between a girl and a wolf.

With spectacular aerial tricks and a menacing forest created in the square, this is scarifying modern myth suitable for anyone aged 10 or over.

Psychedelic Texan garage rockers, a warehouse and the first UK band to be signed to Subpop since Medieval times? This must be This is Music's doing.

Taking over a warehouse space on the Hackney Road alongside Rockfeedback, this party will be your last change to catch Strange Boys before they jet off back home (barring a visit to Rough Trade) and will also be the perfect opportunity to throw moves to Male Bonding and the incredible Deep Shit.

Thursday 20th

As seen on Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle (BBC2).

Join award-winning Tony Law for an hour of laughs, half-baked ideas and sausage dog jokes. He'll even tack on a vague theme so it seems like he's making a point (he's not).

Funny. For an hour. Easy.

Multi-media party Digital City return to the T Bar. Beatsmith CSY headlines with his genre-melding fidget, Bmore, jackin and techno leanings, plus residents fuse diverse electronic styles.

Big Chill's resident VJs Mach V and Parallax provide the visuals.

Friday 21st

For her first London solo show contemporary artist Marina Kassianidou is fiddling about with the very fabric of the Tenderpixel gallery space.

Adding stains to walls, scratching the flooring and rejigging various elements, Kassianidou's art is of the hidden, barely-there kind. Intriguing.

IMT presents an interactive exhibition of musical compositions by Polish contemporary artist Wojciech Kosma.

Visitors are encouraged to perform some of these experimental scores alongside video performances. One wonders if Kosma's performance piece Blow Job is part of the proceedings...

The second part of the Brazilx2 programme at the Old Red Lion Theatre to promote Brazilian Theatre, The Last Days of Gilda is an erotic, eye-opening ghetto poetry.

Already a cult hit in Brazil, this one-woman show about the seductive power of food and the conflicted but yearning soul of the favelas starring Gael Le Cornec (Frida Kahlo) as the temptress Gilda.

Saturday 22nd

Vice always have a habit oflaying on amazing line-ups for their parties, but this time they've managed to outdo even themselves and land an exclusive of epic proportions.

Taking over Village Underground (yep, that place with the tube trains on the roof), the guys have managed to coax not one, but two sets from The Bronx, who are no doubt the world's best punk band not called Fucked Up.

What that means is that not only will you be able to get your sweat on to the regular Bronx show, you also get to dead leg your mate to a set from Marachi El Bronx, the LA quartet's bizarre latino incarnation.

London’s very own festival kids the Sugar House Crew join forces with burners far and wide to throw down London’s first ever pre-compression party.

In other words, this is a Burning Man warm-up – a mess around to get you going for the biggest most glorious event on the planet. Meet other Burners, plan your attack and get excited together at this pre-compression debut.

The dance-punk enthusiasts at DFA Records, home to the likes of The Juan Maclean and Hercules and Love Affair will be staging their first official DFA Party since James Murphy (co-founder) curated Matter in Oct 2008.

Are we excited? Yeah, you could say that...

Sunday 23rd

One-off DIY comedy night where whoever turns up decides how to run the night, who performs, and so on. Will the night descend into comic anarchy? Or will it be the perfect, utopian open mic show?

Interesting and fun idea from comedian and MC Dale Lately. See if it works in the Queen's Head this Sunday.

Award-winning writer and star of BBC2's Lab Rats and We Are Everything stages his version of the Battle of Waterloo at the Etcetera tonight. Expect gunpowder-drenched antics and 19th century renactments from this smart comic.