6th February 2012

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Illustration by Julie Khan

Carnival Pleasures

After the party is the after-party. And after Notting Hill Carnival this weekend, there's more after-parties than you could shake an exotically hued headdress at. We've got a majorly helpful guide to the whole Carnival shebang, plus a few little pointers for finding the best after-parties too.

If Carnival's not your thing however, maybe you'll be pleased to know that Interpol have just announced a one-off London date. Meanwhile, Sarah has replaced Emma in Edinburgh to bring you the best of the Fringe.

In art world it's controversy time, as notorious Corgi-eater Mark McGowan is planning to re-enact the death of Raoul Moat, while the current Stuckist show has been closed down due to a portrait of Charles Saatchi.

Oh, and we're planning a wee trip to South by South West. Please vote to help our dreams come true. There's sections for music and tech and we'd be most grateful. Thank you!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 from the likes of Durrr, Trailer Trash, Bugged Out!, Dagger, Vice, Twat Boutique and many more. It is another

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

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

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

Monday 30th

Underground political hip hop duo Dead Prez are comprised of stic.man and M1, the latter named after the brand of carbine Malcolm X used in his iconic Life Magazine photo.

The pair have been crafting revolutionary gangsta hip hop about everything from veganism to the education system since the '90s, tackling the struggles faced by contemporary black America. Influenced by groups like N.W.A and P.E, they're well known for their militant lyrics and dramatic performances.

This rather splendid pub hosts, as standard, one hell of a party for Carnival Monday.

With a pretty huge line-up that includes Fake Blood, Redlight and Katy B and Bashy both performing live, it'll inevitably fill up pretty quick, but the electrifying atmosphere with everyone in the carnival spirit will make the tight squeeze totally worth it.

Tickets can be bought from the bar.

Tuesday 31st

We've Elton John and Broadway to thank for his blazing hot blend of Latin and Ballroom dance. The global sensation that is Burn The Floor was originally performed especially for the big man at his 50th birthday in 1997 and by 1999 it was was making its world premiere on this side of the pond before it took off on Broadway.

Featuring 20 international dancers guided by choreographer Jason Gilkison, Burn the Floor guides its audience through passionate drama via slick and stirring dance including the Viennese Waltz, the Jive, Paso Doble, Tango, Samba, Mambo, Quickstep and Swing.

Wednesday 1st

Adapted from Kazuo Ishiguro's novel this is the story of Steven, long-time butler at Darlington Hall, devoted to the service of Lord Darlington.

Since Lord Darlington's death, Stevens faces the unhappy prospect of life under his new employer, the wealthy American Mr Farraday. He sets out find Miss Kenton, the one time house-keeper and bring her back to Darlington Hall.

Along the way we learn about the intellectual and emotional servitude of blind devotion.

Thursday 2nd

We just can't get enough of this kind of pseudo-corporate management jargon: 'at withyou.co.uk we provide Experiential Offsetting^_TM through the creation of Unique Life Enhancement Solutions^_TM'.

Sound like a joke? Well it is kind of. WITH are a kind of art/design collective based here in the UK who provide weird 'services' for their 'clients'.

Basically, you hire WITH and they provide an agent to do stuff on your behalf, like causing violence in a bar, having a spiritual experience, or becoming an expert in your chosen academic field.

Totally weird? Erm yes, and this month they're setting up shop at Rokeby. God bless these guys.

Friday 3rd

Marcus Coates is totally awesome. He's a contemporary performance artist who basically spends his time doing all manner of weird things. He's videoed people pretending to be birds at breakfast, performed a shamanic ritual dressed in a deer skin, and pottered around the streets of Elephant and Castle dressed only in his pants, with a badger on his head.

An exhibition documenting his bizarre, but ultimately fascinating oeuvre, kicks off this September at Kate MacGarry.

Featuring Bailey's trademark musical interludes (his re-work of Gary Numan's Cars played on bicycle horns is a must-see), whimsical observations and stories of the road, Dandelion Mind will be based loosely on the theme of doubt, as we follow Bill from his real-life saga of being trapped by the ash cloud, to his barely contained rants about celebrity, TV, creationism and Michael Winner.

Saturday 4th

Exciting news! One of Spoonfed's favourite galleries in London is undertaking its first off-site project, and it sounds like a cracker.

This September sees performance, installation and a collection of artists' books on show in the Sir John Soane-designed church, St John on Bethnal Green.

Alicia Canes Chved curates a collection of artists' books, David Sutton and Kaleid Editions founder Victoria Browne present some improvisational dialogue, and Victoria is also showing an installation that incorporates various bits of scientific weirdness like the large hadron collider and the "ever-elusive Higg's boson"...(?) Nope, us neither.

Tonight is a celebration of both CLR Records' ten years in existence and the birth of a new night representing its sound. They do so in the relatively unknown Jacks club, the smaller archways of this club ensuring an intimate raw raving feel.

Two of the label's stalwarts head the line-up and ensure that this will be a night to remember.

Soundcrash do it AGAIN with this simply incredible line-up. A handful of the most exciting and innovative acts in the world come together under the decadent mirrorballs of Koko to open your minds and move your souls.

Known as Los Angeles' 'Ambassador of Boogie Funk', Dam-Funk brings his full live show tonight. Witness his twist on funk and boogie; plugged in and electrifying.

Rustie is a producer whose intoxicating music fuses dubstep, garage, rave and genius. He plays his first ever live show tonight.

Tokimonsta is Brainfeeder's first lady - and a producer who has carved a niche in future bass. Dimlite is lauded as Switzerland's answer to Flying Lotus - wonky electronic soul played live people.

A day of West End photographic fun-times courtesy of the splendid folks at Shoot London.

To join in, all you have to do is form a team of between two and four, pay your £15 each, register, and turn up at The National Portrait Gallery at 10.30am.

As well as exploring the West End, camera in hand, the day also encompasses an innovative exploration of the NPG and its amazing collections.