7th September 2010
A free weekly ezine featuring the best events in London
Illustration by Julie Khan
Are you sitting comfortably?
So, apparently this week is National Storytelling Week. Cool, huh? From tall stories to bedtime stories, everyone likes to hear a tale or two. And, gee whizz, does London have plenty to tell this week.
First up, French fashionista-house duo Justice released a track. Or did they? Nope, it was actually a rather entertaining hoax. Then Egg's weekly free party Always Fridays announed the end was nigh, and Armando Iannucci scrapped plans for an election special of The Thick of It.
The news that the ICA may have to close by May was mitigated by their announcement of the forthcoming Billy Childish retrospective. Elsewehere, Michael McIntyre got a sweet deal from the BBC, Rosamund Pike looks awesome with duelling pistols, and Amy Winehouse's tattoo dude is building an ice sculpture outside Tate Modern. Quite the week for stories then.
First up, French fashionista-house duo Justice released a track. Or did they? Nope, it was actually a rather entertaining hoax. Then Egg's weekly free party Always Fridays announed the end was nigh, and Armando Iannucci scrapped plans for an election special of The Thick of It.
The news that the ICA may have to close by May was mitigated by their announcement of the forthcoming Billy Childish retrospective. Elsewehere, Michael McIntyre got a sweet deal from the BBC, Rosamund Pike looks awesome with duelling pistols, and Amy Winehouse's tattoo dude is building an ice sculpture outside Tate Modern. Quite the week for stories then.
Latest Reviews
Banana Klan at the Book Club
Tom O checks out Roots Manuva and his pals at London's most erudite venue.read on
February - London
The Spoonfed editorial team select their highlights for the month ahead. read onUpcoming
Friday 29th
Michael Landy - Art Bin
Artists have a history of destroying work that they're not happy with. Cezanne, Bacon, de Kooning, Monet: all are known to have destroyed pieces for a variety of different reasons. One of the most famous examples in recent years was Michael Landy's 2001 work Break Down in which the artist incinerated every single one of his possessions, including read onwhere:
South London Gallery
65 Peckham Road
SE5 8UH
65 Peckham Road
SE5 8UH
who:
Michael Landy
when:
12pm - 6pm
what:
Installation
cost:
Free
Police & Thieves
Skank out the mid-winter shadows with some of UK reggae's biggest names in Jamaican institution The Globe, Notting Hill as Police & Thieves put on a rankin January Blues Dance. Featuring Musclehead, the brains behind Saxon Studio International - the most influential reggae sound system in the UK; Lloyd Bradley, one of the world's foremost read onwhere:
The Globe
103 Talbot Road
W11 2AT
103 Talbot Road
W11 2AT
who:
Lloyd Bradley, Musclehead + more
when:
10pm
what:
Reggae
cost:
£10
Deadly Rhythm
Forward-thinking dubstep night Deadly Rhythm continues to impress with enviable line-ups. In 2009 Dutch producer 2562 released the LP 'Unbalance' to wide acclaim, becoming a standout in the experimental dubstep/future garage scene. As headliner for the night he's sure to dish up all kinds of glitchy, ambient, minimal-influenced beats. Meanwhile read onwhere:
Plan B
418 Brixton Road
SW9 7AY
418 Brixton Road
SW9 7AY
who:
Jackmaster, 2562
+ more
+ more
when:
10pm - 6am
what:
House, Garage, Dancehall
cost:
£10, £8 Concessions
Saturday 30th
New Act of the Year Final 2010
It's the annual 'New Act of the Year' bash at the Hackney Empire tonight - one of the UK's most prestigious competitions for discovering new talent on the British comedy circuit. Over the last 29 years, it's introduced several comics who are now TV stars including the likes of Harry Hill, Eddie Izzard and Russell Brand. Hosted by legendary comedy read onwhere:
Hackney Empire
291 Mare Street
E8 1EJ
291 Mare Street
E8 1EJ
when:
8pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£13
The Blitz Party
Once again The Blitz Party returns to Shoreditch for a night of 1940s reminiscence. Always a sensation, you can expect to step into a wartime East End air-raid shelter under The Arches at Village Underground with oil lamps and searchlights lighting your way. The night will feature some of London's finest swing bands and DJs, including read onwhere:
Village Underground
54 Holywell Lane
EC2A 3PQ
54 Holywell Lane
EC2A 3PQ
who:
Ta Mere, Twin Tonic
when:
8pm
what:
Retro
cost:
£15
mulletover January Party
One of the best promotions in London - mulletover celebrate the onset of another decade with a January sale.NYC house invigorators Wolf and Lamb join Soul Clap, Richie Ahmed and the main man Geddes. read on
where:
Secret Location
who:
Geddes, Wolf and Lamb
+ more
+ more
when:
10pm - 6am
what:
House, Techno/Minimal
cost:
£15
Sunday 31st
The Empire Strikes Back - Indian Art Today
2010 begins in earnest at the Saatchi Gallery with the opening of The Empire Strikes Back. After China, the Middle East and America, Uncle Charles turns his attention to the contemporary art being produced in India right now. Expect the usual works that Saatchi likes - big, bold, sculptural pieces and the odd painting, occasional political read onwhere:
Saatchi Gallery
Duke of York Square
SW3 4RY
Duke of York Square
SW3 4RY
when:
10am - 6pm
what:
Painting, Sculpture
cost:
Free
Funny Women Showcase
In a special charity gig for The New Victoria Medical Foundation, the producers of the Funny Women Awards present a one off comedy gig showcasing the best in female comedy. Featuring stand-up, sketch, character and musical comedy from some of the best new talent from the 2009 Awards and beyond, the event will be headlined by Jan Ravens, from BBC's read onwhere:
Orange Tree Theatre
1 Clarence Street
TW9 2SA
1 Clarence Street
TW9 2SA
who:
Jan Ravens, Carrie Quinlan
+ more
+ more
when:
7pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£20
Monday 1st
Russian Theatre Festival
A collection of plays set in Russia and/or originally written in Russian. All the shows have free post- show discussions from specialist speakers. Dreams by Natalysa Kolyada (1 Feb) Founder of underground Theatre group 'Free Theatre' whose patrons are Vaclav Havel and Sir Tom Stoppard, Kolyada's play brings to our attention four women whose hus... read onwhere:
Soho Theatre
21 Dean Street
W1D 3NE
21 Dean Street
W1D 3NE
when:
7.30pm
what:
Festival
cost:
£6
Tuesday 2nd
Nina Conti - Talk to the Hand
Barry Award winner and one of the UK's leading ventriloquists Nina Conti presents brings a host of new characters alive in a special preview of her new show Talk to the Hand.Anyone who think ventriloquism is a dead art or something best left for kids needs to see Conti. What really impresses aside from her funny dialogue is her deconstruction of ... read onwhere:
The Albany
240 Great Portland Street
W1W 5QU
240 Great Portland Street
W1W 5QU
who:
Nina Conti
when:
8.30pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£6.50
Miike Snow
At a first glance you could be forgiven for assuming that Miike Snow is some guy with a typo, but it is in fact a band who have taken their name from Japanese film director Takashi Miike.Their début release, self-titled album 'Miike Snow', has created a lot of hype, and the trio has been dubbed the next big thing in electro-pop. read on
where:
Scala
275-277 Pentonville Road
N1 9NL
275-277 Pentonville Road
N1 9NL
who:
Miike Snow
when:
7pm
what:
Indie
cost:
£10
Wednesday 3rd
Richard Herring - Hitler Moustache
Charlie Chaplin is one of Britain's greatest comedy legends so why is the toothbrush moustache no longer sported by men? Bloody Hitler that's why. He's always ruining things. Over the next two weeks, Richard Herring brings his critically-acclaimed Hitler Moustache to the Leicester Square Theatre; exploring iconography, racism and innocent facial h... read onwhere:
Leicester Square Theatre
Leicester Square
WC2H 7BP
Leicester Square
WC2H 7BP
who:
Richard Herring
when:
9.15pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
From £5 to £12.50
The Hostage
Whores, sailors, pimps and revolutionaries at the forefront of a war of identity. In 1958 the British announce the impending execution of an IRA man, the IRA retaliate by taking a cockney soldier hostage. They keep him at a Dublin boarding house with a circus of eccentric characters, each with their own views on the etiquette of war. Sure to be a brill... read onwhere:
Southwark Playhouse
Shipwright Yard
SE1 2TF
Shipwright Yard
SE1 2TF
who:
when:
Times vary
what:
Melodrama
cost:
From £8 to £18
Thursday 4th
Shhh... it's a Secret
What a wonderful idea. For the first time ever, a national museum has invited a group of children to curate an exhibition. Children from nearby St Vincent's Catholic Primary have delved into the eclectic and fascinating Wallace Collection in order to present an exhibitition at the venerable institution this February and March. Themed around ide... read onwhere:
Wallace Collection
Hertford House
W1U 3BN
Hertford House
W1U 3BN
when:
10am - 5pm
what:
Museum, Art
cost:
Free
Stage Fright
Abi Titmuss stars as Geraldine the deceptively vulnerable actress that comes between two best friends, who are both actors and happen to be co-starring in the same production. Pride, reputations and identity are at stake.Sion Tudor Owen (The Bill, Emmerdale) also stars. Expect comedy and an attempt at social analysis from writer Lyn Howes. read on
where:
Canal Cafe Theatre
Bridhe House Pub
W2 6ND
Bridhe House Pub
W2 6ND
who:
Abi Titmuss
when:
7.30pm
what:
Comedy
cost:
From £8 to £10
Friday 5th
Giacomo Brunelli - The Animals
The ever-innovative Giacomo Brunelli takes nature photography to a whole new level with his recent series of images that capture animals on patrol in their native London streets. The sometimes savage, eerie quality to his photographs, shot on black and white film with an old 35mm camera, intrusively depicts the instinctive ways animals inhabi... read onwhere:
Photofusion
17a Electric Lane
SW9 8LA
17a Electric Lane
SW9 8LA
who:
Giacomo Brunelli
when:
10am - 6pm
what:
Photography
cost:
Free
John Bishop - Elvis has left the Building
Liverpudlian stand-up John Bishop brings his latest, Eddie Award nominated show to North Finchley's artsdepot tonight. Bishop is now the same age as Elvis was when he died (hence the title). This fact has led him to reconsider the way he lives his life, since giving up his job in marketing to follow his dream of being a comedian. A married fathe... read onwhere:
artsdepot
5 Nether Street
N12 0GA
5 Nether Street
N12 0GA
who:
John Bishop
when:
8pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£14
Decked Out 10th Anniversary
Decked Out are the DJ agency which launched in 2000 as an offshoot of the infamous Bugged Out - and tonight is their 10th anniversary as well as being one of the most exciting club nights to rear its head in 2010. The DJs will be playing special sets: Justice's Xavier is playing with Erol Alkan, Busy P is playing a French touch set, Crookers are spin... read onwhere:
Coronet
28 New Kent Road
SE1 6TJ
28 New Kent Road
SE1 6TJ
who:
Busy P, Erol Alkan
+ more
+ more
when:
9pm - 6am
what:
Electro, House, Techno/Minimal
cost:
http://www.spoonfed.co.uk/london/event/decked-out-10th-anniversary/at/coronet/
Saturday 6th
Chew Lips
A grouping of three London youths signed to über dance label Kitsune, Chew Lips have been hailed as the saviours of 8-bit drone disco/synth pop.If your wondering what that's like, then try to imagine Gang Gang Dance fronted by Karen O doing a Debbie Harry impression. Yeah, it's as awesome as it sounds.
read on
Adam Riches
Character comedian Adam Riches brings his hilarious Rogue Males show to the Soho Theatre. An examination of the essence of chap, the show features a new line up of characters including Lottery Voice Guy, disgraced court minstrel The Lone Dueller, Hernan the angry Latino waiter and Ian Dustry, the Busiest Most Powerful Entertainment Agent in the W... read onwhere:
Soho Theatre
21 Dean Street
W1D 3NE
21 Dean Street
W1D 3NE
who:
Adam Riches
when:
9.45pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£12
Sunday 7th
Boo Saville - Totem
Anyone ever been to the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford? Man, it's cool. Set up in 1884 by the wonderfully named General Augustus Pitt Rivers, the museum houses his weird and wonderful collection of bits and bobs he found on his travels round the world. Stuff like Hawaiian feather cloaks, early japanese Noh masks, and - the best of the lot, we reck... read onwhere:
Trolley Books
73a Redchurch Street
E2 7DJ
73a Redchurch Street
E2 7DJ
who:
Boo Saville
when:
12pm - 6pm
what:
Painting
cost:
Free
Tim Vine - Joke-amotive
Punsmith Tim Vine returns with a new show, Joke-amotive. Train gags aside, expect more razor-sharp one-liners, first class punnery and pinpoint comic timing. If such one-liners as: "I was reading this book, 'The History of Glue'. I couldn't put it down." and "Exit signs. They're on the way out, aren't they?" make you guffaw like... read onwhere:
Bloomsbury Theatre
15 Gordon Street
WC1H 0AH
15 Gordon Street
WC1H 0AH
who:
Tim Vine
when:
7.30pm
what:
Stand Up
cost:
£17.50
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