6th February 2012

gigs clubbing art comedy theatre blog competitions

Illustration by Julie Khan

Wright Back Atcha

On this day in 1871, the pioneering brother of flight, one Orville Wright, was born. And what a dapper looking and inventive fellow he was.

Talking of flying and things, we interviewed the Klaxons this week. And they claim to have seen UFOs over the North Sea – surely it's too cold there, right?

In other news, Axl Rose cancelled the Guns N Roses tour – oh no, wait it was a Twitter hacker, thankfully – Scott Capurro shocked us all with his outrageous humour, and Scrutton Street Studios is closing – luckily they're having a big old closing bash next week.

We've also put together our predictions for the Mercury Music Prize and spoken to various art and theatre big wigs (like, um, Dylan Jones) about the cultural impact of the coalition's funding cuts.

Meanwhile, Emma's still up in Edinburgh keeping everyone up to date with the best of the Fringe. Phew! Another busy week...

Thursday 19th

A heady collision of people, drama, decadence and social breakdown pervade this fast-paced look at a fearful future and the excesses of the present.

Three sisters meander through their dislocated lives while their dysfunctional father predicts global catastrophe.

FWD returns to Thursdays and to Plastic People after its refit.

This legendary night has been one of the major showcases for the emerging dubstep scene over the last ten years.

Still hosting big dubstep names it now often has UK funky DJs on the line-up and always has its fingers on the underground scene.

Friday 20th

Contemporary photographer Toby Smith takes some of the most eerily beautiful images you could imagine - nuanced views of industrial structures (mines, tunnels, piers, turbines) bathed in rich cold phosphorescent light. This August he has a solo show at Printspace which features a selection of works from The Renewables Project - there's

Awesomeness. But also a bit of sadness. The former because this sounds like a rather delightful evening; the latter because it's the last in the series of summer-time late night openings at the Enchanted Palace.

One-time palace resident Peter the Wild Boy (according to Wikipedia, a "mentally handicapped Hanoverian of unknown parentage") is throwing the party, and as you might imagine it's choc-a-bloc with madness and assorted oddball fun-times.

Basically it's a big masked ball, but with costumed characters, unexpected encounters, origami making, and a some thoroughly enchanting dancing through the night.

Saturday 21st

Tate Britain's annual day of arty/music fun times returns this August with a whole host of entertainment for your delectation. A live performance from Ebony Bones and sets from Ramadanman, Dollop DJs and the Rinse FM Academy respond to Fiona Banner's colossal hanging jet sculptural installation, while the day also sees loads of other interactive

Ah thrash metal. Has there ever been a genre more suited to suburban teenagers and their double garages? Back in the '80s there wasn't and Sabbat was the closest Britain's ever came to producing a Metallica of our own. Emerging in 1985 to critical acclaim from both Kerrang! and White Dwarf magazine (honestly), the band stormed through the late '80s

Shogun boss Friction and the juicy selection of his main artists fill room one with some high quality 175 bpm broken beats. The line up in the bar will make you want to stand in the connecting doorway to try and sample both sound systems. Instra:mental heads it up with jungle legend Kenny Ken in support.

Massive.

Sunday 22nd

Senseless Records bring the BASS to Cafe 1001 with a two room, all day Karnival. The line-up is stunning; from Planet Mu's Slugabed to a bass set from techno legend Billy Nasty via glitch hop badboys Beat3 and label boss DeVille.

A day of innovative, heavy bass music and all for free.

Monday 23rd

For the first time ever Charles Thomson's renegade painting troupe, The Stuckists, are putting on a show in Mayfair, the centre of London's art dealing world.

On display are works by all the Stuckist big shots - Ella Guru, Paul Harvey, Edgeworth Johnstone and Thomson himself. Stuckist art is characterised by figurative paintings produced in a kind of faux-naive style - it's the antithesis of the continuing vogue for high-concept pseudo-theoretical claptrap.

Tuesday 24th

Irish act So Cow is the brainchild of one Brian Kelly, playing indie-pop with elements of rock and roll - he has been described by some as "Swell Maps meets Abba". Supporting him at the Barfly tonight is Kamikaze Practice.

Wednesday 25th

A new play adapted for the stage by Natalie Abrahami from the self-help parodies in Lorrie Moore's book 'How to be an Other Woman'.

Strong, intelligent, witty women who are all tremendously fallible and in their own way a little naive have a lot to learn about love, the loss of love, and ambition.

Thursday 26th

As part of the Barbican's brilliant Surreal House exhibition, this August sees a night of avant-garde performance weirdness entitled, coyly, Erotic.

Curated by Johnny BlueEyes and Lara Clifton, the night sees all manner of performance-based pieces by leading figures from London's underground art/club scene. Plus, it's all taking place amid the exotic greenery of the Barbican Conservatory. Which is rather lovely.

Hailing from Sweden, Wildbirds and Peacedrums are an experimental folk outfit comprising of husband and wife team Mariam Wallentin and Andreas Werliin.

Peddling a mutated hybrid of blues, gentle folk, drone, death metal and Björk style experimentalism their sound hinges on the impressively soulful of Wallentine and the berserk drumming/percussion of her partner.

Tonight they celebrate the launch of their new album with a low key show at the Lexington.

Friday 27th

Stanhope is a raging, no-holds-barred stand-up and is probably the closest thing you will see to Bill Hicks working in comedy today. He himself describes his act as 'fetish'; a kind of comedy that's been beaten until it's both black and blue. It's wrong, it's sick, but you're getting a kick out of it at the same time.

NOT for the easily offended, he has an enormous cult following of 'hardcore' enthusiasts who pay top dollar to hear his scornful, nihilistic views on life.

Get your selves in to the mood for the Notting Hill Carnival tonight at Corsica Studios. Heading the bill are Congo Natty and Dj Derek, two huge names of the reggae and ska scene.

Congo Natty, otherwise known as Rebel MC, Conquering Lion, or any of a massive selection of equally grand names, is one of the giants of the scene with over twenty years in the game.

If you haven't yet heard the legend of DJ Derek then where have you been? A 72 year old white Bristolian with a Jamaican accent, brilliant.

Other draws include a BBQ outside and a silent disco., a perfect start to the carnival.

Oh sweet. Literally. The whole art as food/food as art thing has really been taking off in London of late - so much so that we keep meaning to write an extensive feature about it, but never seem to find the time.

Anyway, this looks amazing. Tate and Lyle present the brilliantly entitled Cake Britain at the Future Gallery this August, featuring edible art by the likes of Lily Vanilli, David A Smith, Prudence Staite and the ubiquitous (in a good way) Bompass & Parr.

Interestingly, did you know that it was Sir Henry Tate (of Tate & Lyle fame) who actually founded the Tate Gallery, back in the 1890s? Interesting, huh...

Saturday 28th

A weekend of summer family fun at Camden Arts Centre this August.

Various artists like Serena Korda, Emma Wolukau-Wanambwa and The Gluts are leading a whole host of activities: you can build your own sculpture, learn to dance like a rock star, and help to shoot a music video.

It's all taking place in the Camden Arts Centre's delightful garden and promises to be an idyllic weekend of arty fun and frolics.

A musical legend in his native land, Omar Souleyman has emerged as the archetypal Syrian folk-pop artist with over 500 recordings littering the shops of Damascus.

Known for his inventive arrangement and interesting space-age instrumentation, this is the closest the Middle East will get to rivalling the genius of Serge Gainsbourg.

Fancy something to get you in the mood for carnival? A massive all night rave in the Hewitt Street Car Park should do the trick!

It's a battle between North and South, London's Urban Nerds Vs northern raver's Bigger than Barry, who will bring a mash up of dub, electro, grime, garage and UK bass meets dancehall madness, over a Funktion 1 soundsystem (of course).

Early bird tickets are already selling out, it's going to be huge.

Limited capacity party by Dollop! - the final party at Scrutton Street Warehouse before it closes for the last time. Variously known as Black Lotus Karate Club and Scrutton Street Studios, the venue has played host to countless raves form the likes of Durrr, Trailer Trash, Bugged Out!, Dagger, vice, Twat Boutique and many more. It is another victim of the constant redevelopment.

Dollop hosted the first party in 2009, and tonight have put together a staggering line-up of leftfield electronica, techno and house headlined by Parisian DJ Ivan Smagghe.

The supporting cast includes Nathan G wilkins, Miloo Smee, Thomas Von Party, Russ Tannen and the Dollop residents.

Sunday 29th

A ear splittingly loud duo who sound like Blood Brothers meeting some Japanese performance art piece, the secret to Comanechi's success is all in the dynamics.

While singer Akiko belts out train crash drumming while singing like an orgasmic nutcase, Petrovitch provides bowel loosening brutally heavy guitar riffs from behind his low slung fringe. Sounds simple right, well it never fails to have our heads banging and our bowls heading south.

Tonight they play the Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen supported by similar minded Scottish artcore maniacs Divorce and the super cool classic-rock-meets-wafty-shoegaze of A Grave with No Name.

The Eastern Electrics bank Holiday smasher this year features a Dirtybird room - the San Francisco based tech-funk label run by Claude vonStroke and Justin Martin. Both chaps will be spinning tonight - a treat indeed.

Mulletover and Kompakt are in control in room one, with Michael Meyer and Thomas Fehlmann at the helm. Resident Advisor host room three, with man of the moment Joy Orbison and Scuba.

Mistinguette 'Fandango' party is a brand new night from the team behind The End, AKA and Clandestino. High-end, chic and glossy, the formula includes performance art, vast white day beds, cocktails and excellent music.

They have brought together a bumper crop of stella DJs for their first edition - which doubles as a Carnival After-paty. Layo of Layo and Bushwacka! fame has been laying it down at the cutting edge of dance music culture for over two decades.

He is joined by Russ Jay - son of the legendary Norman Jay - a hip hop, funk, disco, and rare groove aficionado like his dad, plus Shake It resident Omri H and FEON - a Louis Vuitton house model and delectable DJ de jour.