Good evening. And apologies for the radio silence. Life getting in the way of life, a change of abode and circumstance.
Having now though settled back into the ample, warm, bosom of Hackney I feel once again like the IV mainlining an assortment of happenings straight to your boggling eyeballs.
Goddamn junkies…
Thursday, 4 February 2010
Thursday, 21 January 2010
Getting into the Swing of things
To kick off, I’ll enlighten you on one of my favourite people, in one of my favourite pubs with one of my favourite dances. That’s a pretty hefty combo…
Mouthful 'O' Jam once more brings you a night of 20's -50's hot Jazz ,swing and early Jump blues.
Dj'd by Londons Top 78 spinners Swing Maniac + Tim Hellzapoppin and Kid Krupa laying down original Shellac recordings on Vintage Equipment in a vintage environment.
Come early for a fantastic dinner in this famous Gastro pub,
Swing dance lesson with Gaia starts at 7.30 pm
Only £5 entry all night includes lesson
Location:
The Salisbury Pub Hotel
1 Grand Parade, Green Lanes
Haringey, London, N4 1JX
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=268120555129&ref=ts
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As time inevitably passes, we become only too aware of our own mortality and the relative blink of an eye that is our existence on this planet. Our mind drifts towars our old age and it is always prudent to be prepared.
With this in mind, a show of Granny force is in order. And our dear friend Hannah Terry is just the one to lead the way.
On the 27th February, she will be leading the march that is Grannycon.
Break out the sherry, bingo and crochet needles and we'll show London who the true heroes of our society are.
Our resident Chewbacca of Malaka, Stefano, will be hosting a Balkan Beats night at Passing Clouds that very same evening to which the Grannies will retire to for a nice cup of tea and a sit down.
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Another addition to this 'what our friends are up to' section is a film being shown at the ICA. In Moving To Mars, the director of Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll, Mat Whitecross, follows two Burmese families as they make an epic journey from their refugee camp in Thailand to their new home and life in Sheffield.
Look out for the title sequence from our friend Marc Knapton also of recent Ian Dury-related fame.
22nd January - 3rd February
Tickets are £9/£8 concessions/£7 ICA members/£5 for everyone on Monday
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To conclude this section on a similarly sophisticated air to that which commenced it, a special announcement to highlight the anticipated return of Madam George's Gin Palace, The speakeasy that speaks to all us cats.
With a new stellar line-up, a new range of cocktails involving copious amounts of, well, gin and some super, secret, special surprises in stall, The Gin Palace will return on the 6th March.
Join the group to stay one step ahead...
Mouthful 'O' Jam once more brings you a night of 20's -50's hot Jazz ,swing and early Jump blues.
Dj'd by Londons Top 78 spinners Swing Maniac + Tim Hellzapoppin and Kid Krupa laying down original Shellac recordings on Vintage Equipment in a vintage environment.
Come early for a fantastic dinner in this famous Gastro pub,
Swing dance lesson with Gaia starts at 7.30 pm
Only £5 entry all night includes lesson
Location:
The Salisbury Pub Hotel
1 Grand Parade, Green Lanes
Haringey, London, N4 1JX
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=268120555129&ref=ts
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As time inevitably passes, we become only too aware of our own mortality and the relative blink of an eye that is our existence on this planet. Our mind drifts towars our old age and it is always prudent to be prepared.
With this in mind, a show of Granny force is in order. And our dear friend Hannah Terry is just the one to lead the way.
On the 27th February, she will be leading the march that is Grannycon.
Break out the sherry, bingo and crochet needles and we'll show London who the true heroes of our society are.
Our resident Chewbacca of Malaka, Stefano, will be hosting a Balkan Beats night at Passing Clouds that very same evening to which the Grannies will retire to for a nice cup of tea and a sit down.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another addition to this 'what our friends are up to' section is a film being shown at the ICA. In Moving To Mars, the director of Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll, Mat Whitecross, follows two Burmese families as they make an epic journey from their refugee camp in Thailand to their new home and life in Sheffield.
Look out for the title sequence from our friend Marc Knapton also of recent Ian Dury-related fame.
22nd January - 3rd February
Tickets are £9/£8 concessions/£7 ICA members/£5 for everyone on Monday
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To conclude this section on a similarly sophisticated air to that which commenced it, a special announcement to highlight the anticipated return of Madam George's Gin Palace, The speakeasy that speaks to all us cats.
With a new stellar line-up, a new range of cocktails involving copious amounts of, well, gin and some super, secret, special surprises in stall, The Gin Palace will return on the 6th March.
Join the group to stay one step ahead...
Let There Be Light
On to our new dedicated 'art' section and this week I thought I'd highlight a sample of some of the amazing photography exhibitions on at the moment. Since this is my blog, these three are all after my own heart...
Opening tomorrow at the newly renovated and revamped Whitechapel Gallery, a range of images spanning 150 years of the Indian sub-continent. Documenting the social, political and cultural changes that have developed through India, Pakistan and Bangladesh through the eyes of Indian photographers, both professional and amateur.
Where Three Dreams Cross is a beautiful representation of lands and people that are forever evolving, changing, struggling and yet always with an element of beauty and wonder.
Tickets £8.50/£6.50 concessions
FREE on Sundays 11am - 1pm
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Amongst some of the 400 images in Where Three Dreams Cross, you will spy a handful of photos that have probably passed through your consciousness before. That is because they will have been taken by the wonderful Indian photographer Raghu Rai, who is responsible for some of the most iconic images of India and Indians over the last 40 odd years.
In reverence to this, The Aicon Gallery is hosting a retrospective of his work across this whole period.
I am a man who will freely admit his love for India and Raghu Rai's images really do convey the spirit of the country and even his simplest subject matter can hold one transfixed with his eye for truly capturing a moment.
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The final part of this photographical triptych is from one of the great album cover artists. William Eggleston has lent his work for use by such disparate musicians as Primal Scream, The Silver Jews and Joanna Newsom.
His themes often cover forgotten spaces and finding a certain beauty in drabness.
His new exhibition at the Victoria Miro Gallery will leave you in wonder at empty shower stalls and the creepy light inside of a freezer. Perfect hangover fare for us all, I would have thought.
Opening tomorrow at the newly renovated and revamped Whitechapel Gallery, a range of images spanning 150 years of the Indian sub-continent. Documenting the social, political and cultural changes that have developed through India, Pakistan and Bangladesh through the eyes of Indian photographers, both professional and amateur.
Where Three Dreams Cross is a beautiful representation of lands and people that are forever evolving, changing, struggling and yet always with an element of beauty and wonder.
Tickets £8.50/£6.50 concessions
FREE on Sundays 11am - 1pm
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amongst some of the 400 images in Where Three Dreams Cross, you will spy a handful of photos that have probably passed through your consciousness before. That is because they will have been taken by the wonderful Indian photographer Raghu Rai, who is responsible for some of the most iconic images of India and Indians over the last 40 odd years.
In reverence to this, The Aicon Gallery is hosting a retrospective of his work across this whole period.
I am a man who will freely admit his love for India and Raghu Rai's images really do convey the spirit of the country and even his simplest subject matter can hold one transfixed with his eye for truly capturing a moment.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The final part of this photographical triptych is from one of the great album cover artists. William Eggleston has lent his work for use by such disparate musicians as Primal Scream, The Silver Jews and Joanna Newsom.
His themes often cover forgotten spaces and finding a certain beauty in drabness.
His new exhibition at the Victoria Miro Gallery will leave you in wonder at empty shower stalls and the creepy light inside of a freezer. Perfect hangover fare for us all, I would have thought.
Lesser-spotted Museums
In yet another new section, I thought I would highlight a few of the smaller, yet no less fascinating and illuminating museums that are on our doorstep.
These are often free and tend to squirrel away some of London's greatest cultural wealth. If you haven't yet had a chance to check any of these out or haven't heard of any of them, again I would be only too pleased to accompany and enlighten any of you...
The Wellcome Collection is a well established hive of curiousities and they are playing host to a new exhibition on identity and our perceptions of ourselves and others.
Naturally this is FREE.
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The Sir John Soane's Museum is the former abode of said Mr Soane, a Professor of Architecture who determined to turn his home into a place where amateurs and students in architecture and, indeed, the rest of the public, might enjoy his collection of art and antiquities for no cost, forevermore.
There is even a free audio guide by everyone's favourite know-it-all, Stephen Fry.
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Something else that I find myself banging on about here and there is the history of the Jewish immigrants in London. In the midst of this, I am often want to bring up this little jewel tucked away just off Brick Lane.
It is called 19 Princelet Street and is now open as a museum to multiculturalism and immigration. It was originally a Huguenot house, who were the first immigrants into London from France, and since that time it has housed all the different minorities who have passed through this area from the Irish to the Jews to the Poles to the Bengalis.
One of the most fascinating stories about the building relates to the former caretaker David Rodinsky. You can read an overview of this here or there is a fascinating book by Rachel Lichtenstein (with the help of Mr London, Iain Sinclair) on the subject.
Entry is FREE but because the building is so frail, it is only open to the public on limited days. There is a long-term, ongoing fundraising project going to save this slice of London history which you can contribute to as well.
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A short walk from Princelet Street is the former home of Dennis Severs, an American who was drawn to London by 'English light'. He moved in to 18 Folgate Street and began a process of turning each of the rooms of his delapidated Georgian terraced house into it's own time capsule.
On his death he bequeathed the house to the Spitalfields Trust and requested that it be open to visitors who respect his intentions behind creating this and transport themselves back to another time. Silent tours and story-readings take place regularly in this beautifully and pain-stakingly recreated home.
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Another museum dedicated to recreationism of homes of previous epochs is The Geffrye Museum on Kingsland Road. Mapping the changes in furniture, textiles and artworks from the 17th century to the present day, the museum also has beautiful gardens to wander round in and a series of exhibitions and events.
It currently has 3 special exhibits on including an informed piece on ecologically improving our
homes.
FREE
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And finally...who'd of thought there would be a National Trust house right in the heart of 'ackney? Well, there is and it is a house from the Tudor age. Sutton House was built in 1535 by a courtier of that player of a king, Henry VIII.
Nearly 500 years of history in this house have seen a succession of occupants but the house itself has retained most of it's original features and is a simple stroll away from many of our front doors.
Admission is less than £3.
These are often free and tend to squirrel away some of London's greatest cultural wealth. If you haven't yet had a chance to check any of these out or haven't heard of any of them, again I would be only too pleased to accompany and enlighten any of you...
The Wellcome Collection is a well established hive of curiousities and they are playing host to a new exhibition on identity and our perceptions of ourselves and others.
Naturally this is FREE.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Sir John Soane's Museum is the former abode of said Mr Soane, a Professor of Architecture who determined to turn his home into a place where amateurs and students in architecture and, indeed, the rest of the public, might enjoy his collection of art and antiquities for no cost, forevermore.
There is even a free audio guide by everyone's favourite know-it-all, Stephen Fry.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Something else that I find myself banging on about here and there is the history of the Jewish immigrants in London. In the midst of this, I am often want to bring up this little jewel tucked away just off Brick Lane.
It is called 19 Princelet Street and is now open as a museum to multiculturalism and immigration. It was originally a Huguenot house, who were the first immigrants into London from France, and since that time it has housed all the different minorities who have passed through this area from the Irish to the Jews to the Poles to the Bengalis.
One of the most fascinating stories about the building relates to the former caretaker David Rodinsky. You can read an overview of this here or there is a fascinating book by Rachel Lichtenstein (with the help of Mr London, Iain Sinclair) on the subject.
Entry is FREE but because the building is so frail, it is only open to the public on limited days. There is a long-term, ongoing fundraising project going to save this slice of London history which you can contribute to as well.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A short walk from Princelet Street is the former home of Dennis Severs, an American who was drawn to London by 'English light'. He moved in to 18 Folgate Street and began a process of turning each of the rooms of his delapidated Georgian terraced house into it's own time capsule.
On his death he bequeathed the house to the Spitalfields Trust and requested that it be open to visitors who respect his intentions behind creating this and transport themselves back to another time. Silent tours and story-readings take place regularly in this beautifully and pain-stakingly recreated home.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another museum dedicated to recreationism of homes of previous epochs is The Geffrye Museum on Kingsland Road. Mapping the changes in furniture, textiles and artworks from the 17th century to the present day, the museum also has beautiful gardens to wander round in and a series of exhibitions and events.
It currently has 3 special exhibits on including an informed piece on ecologically improving our
homes.
FREE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And finally...who'd of thought there would be a National Trust house right in the heart of 'ackney? Well, there is and it is a house from the Tudor age. Sutton House was built in 1535 by a courtier of that player of a king, Henry VIII.
Nearly 500 years of history in this house have seen a succession of occupants but the house itself has retained most of it's original features and is a simple stroll away from many of our front doors.
Admission is less than £3.
Wednesday, 20 January 2010
Some Musical Cherries
A little aural selection of what I have been filling my ears with this week...
MJ A Rocker - The Drastics - Reggae re-workings of some Michael Jackson classics
The Swelly Express - Chiddy Bang - If you're mourning the lack of good new hip-hop then look no further than this duo from Philadelphia whose samples range from Sufjan Stevens to Radiohead.
Eels - End Times - The new album from Mark Oliver Everett, he of Unabomber-lookalike fame.
Colouring of Pigeons - The Knife - The Swedish brother and sister duo are going to be shortly releasing their opera based on Charles Darwin's 'On the Origin Of Species'. Sounds Fascinating and you can download a sneekpeek of this from their website.
MJ A Rocker - The Drastics - Reggae re-workings of some Michael Jackson classics
The Swelly Express - Chiddy Bang - If you're mourning the lack of good new hip-hop then look no further than this duo from Philadelphia whose samples range from Sufjan Stevens to Radiohead.
Eels - End Times - The new album from Mark Oliver Everett, he of Unabomber-lookalike fame.
Colouring of Pigeons - The Knife - The Swedish brother and sister duo are going to be shortly releasing their opera based on Charles Darwin's 'On the Origin Of Species'. Sounds Fascinating and you can download a sneekpeek of this from their website.
Master of Puppets
A small theatre section this week after previous elaborations.
A recommendation from one of our wizened stage correspondents is Three Sisters, which is currently showing at the Lyric theatre, Hammersmith. Based on Anton Chekhov's creation and involving the highly respected Filter theatre group, according to my friends of spies, it's definitely worth the trip.
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Last, but by no means least, as one is oft fond of saying, it is brought back to one of my other loves. The canal boat.
This is not just any ordinary canal boat though. This is the Puppet Barge! Yes! The barge moves around the canals in London and rocks up to present their marionette theatre every weekend.
The current show is called Joey's Fireworks and features Punch and Judy, Burglar Bill and a string of dancing sausages, apparently. Let's go!
Tickets are £10 or £8.50 for concessions.
A recommendation from one of our wizened stage correspondents is Three Sisters, which is currently showing at the Lyric theatre, Hammersmith. Based on Anton Chekhov's creation and involving the highly respected Filter theatre group, according to my friends of spies, it's definitely worth the trip.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last, but by no means least, as one is oft fond of saying, it is brought back to one of my other loves. The canal boat.
This is not just any ordinary canal boat though. This is the Puppet Barge! Yes! The barge moves around the canals in London and rocks up to present their marionette theatre every weekend.
The current show is called Joey's Fireworks and features Punch and Judy, Burglar Bill and a string of dancing sausages, apparently. Let's go!
Tickets are £10 or £8.50 for concessions.
I'm A Ramblin' Man...
For some reason, for which I am yet to fully comprehend, the oft forgotten and maligned walking tour sprang to my mind this week and I thought to include some in this weeks cultural digest.
They cover our beloved East London and will enlighten and entertain whilst bringing to life the rich history and culture of this part of the world. All for a little monetary donation and the use of ones pins.
Run by the Museum of London as part of this years EAST festival you can find out what the East End used to be like before Cantaloupe and Cargo...
They cover our beloved East London and will enlighten and entertain whilst bringing to life the rich history and culture of this part of the world. All for a little monetary donation and the use of ones pins.
Run by the Museum of London as part of this years EAST festival you can find out what the East End used to be like before Cantaloupe and Cargo...
London Mime Festival
Try not to shout about it but London's oft amazing Mime Festival is already underway and I thought I'd list a couple of evenings that look likely to continue in this vein of amazingness.
Combining two aspects that have become two of the unlikeliest zeitgeist things around into one incredible performace, Circus Klezmer present their colourful and frenetic show at The Queen Elizabeth Hall on the 23rd and 24th January.
Tickets are £12-£18.
The other host venue for the Mime Festival is The Barbican and the stand-out performer there would appear to be Jeanne Mordoj as the bearded lady in Eloge du Poil.
Frankly, this looks really exciting so anyone who similarly gets excited by circustry, beards and Frenchness, let me know and I'll get on it.
Combining two aspects that have become two of the unlikeliest zeitgeist things around into one incredible performace, Circus Klezmer present their colourful and frenetic show at The Queen Elizabeth Hall on the 23rd and 24th January.
Tickets are £12-£18.
The other host venue for the Mime Festival is The Barbican and the stand-out performer there would appear to be Jeanne Mordoj as the bearded lady in Eloge du Poil.
Frankly, this looks really exciting so anyone who similarly gets excited by circustry, beards and Frenchness, let me know and I'll get on it.
Gig Pig
Anyone who might have made my acquaintance will surely be aware of my propensity for musical geekdom. Spouting on and on about German electronica, record shops on boats and how I once got a stack of about 20 records for £1 from a hackney jumble sale.
Now as interested as you all must be in all that, I hope that I'm directing my enthusiasm for melodic sounds towards more universally beneficial purposes here, both with this gig section and with my musical recommendations section. So here are a few tasty assortments from the pick-and-mix of gigworld in London...
A bit of East Asia comes to Dalston as FEN (Far East Network) take up a 2 day residency at the Cafe OTO 4th February
Gabrieli Consort and Players - A Venetian Coronation at Christ Church Spitalfields 18th March
Wild Beasts at Koko Camden 22nd March
Trojan Soundsystem feat. DJ Vadim and The Dub Pistols at Koko Camden 4th April
Mos Def at Koko Camden 15th April
Efterklang at The Shepherds Bush Empire 21st April
Pavement at The Brixton Academy 10th - 13th May
Bonobo at The Roundhouse 29th May
The London Philharmonic Orchestra plays Philip Glass and Ravi Shankhar at The Royal Festival Hall 1st July
Phew. That, along with the previous elaborations of muscial concerts, should be enough to keep me going for a little while.
My name is Adam. And I am a melomane...
Now as interested as you all must be in all that, I hope that I'm directing my enthusiasm for melodic sounds towards more universally beneficial purposes here, both with this gig section and with my musical recommendations section. So here are a few tasty assortments from the pick-and-mix of gigworld in London...
A bit of East Asia comes to Dalston as FEN (Far East Network) take up a 2 day residency at the Cafe OTO 4th February
Gabrieli Consort and Players - A Venetian Coronation at Christ Church Spitalfields 18th March
Wild Beasts at Koko Camden 22nd March
Trojan Soundsystem feat. DJ Vadim and The Dub Pistols at Koko Camden 4th April
Mos Def at Koko Camden 15th April
Efterklang at The Shepherds Bush Empire 21st April
Pavement at The Brixton Academy 10th - 13th May
Bonobo at The Roundhouse 29th May
The London Philharmonic Orchestra plays Philip Glass and Ravi Shankhar at The Royal Festival Hall 1st July
Phew. That, along with the previous elaborations of muscial concerts, should be enough to keep me going for a little while.
My name is Adam. And I am a melomane...
Version 1.1
So, after a little bit of feedback from you all, a little change to the format of this beast. I'm going to start categorising things a bit better and so if you want a specific cultural area, you can click on the links on the left to see all the posts under that topic.
I hope that makes things clearer for you all. Simpletons... ;)
I hope that makes things clearer for you all. Simpletons... ;)
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