With the ever moving force towards 'regeneration', the purpose and use of buildings around London are constantly changing. This sometimes means eyesores and affronts to local history and community. However, it cuts both ways and there are also buildings made manifest by the definition given by the people who inhabit or access them, rather than the owners, by their potential rather than perceived utility.
This often leads to amazing opportunities and one such opportunity has arisen.
Using an abandoned and soon to be demolished housing estate on Caledonian Road, the Market Estate Project will be full of artists, site-specific pieces and, more simply, empty flats, once homes to many people, that can be explored as you wish. Alonside this will be a packed-to-the-rafters line up of music, performance and dance to keep your soul feeding all day.
These monolithic buildings once served their purpose as housing, if in a very utilitarian manner. Now, at the end of it's life and so-called usefulness, it will have a moment of expression and exhibition.
This is London we love.
6th March
FREE to attend. Tickets can be booked on the website.
Monday, 22 February 2010
Friday, 19 February 2010
Our Cola
One of the reasons I consider myself most fortunate to call Hackney my home is the theatrical treat that is the Arcola Theatre.
One of the top fringe theatres in the country, with a pay-what-you-can policy every Tuesday and it is walking distance from where I and many of m'colleagues reside.
Their latest productions, Knives in Hens and Heldenplatz, have been ratcheting up the laudings and praise and seem well worth the stroll. The fact that one can feast in Mangal's or, indeed, 19 Bos Cirrik beforehand is a huge but mere bonus.
Knives in Hens runs until the 27th February
Tickets are £14 or Pay What You Can on Tuesdays.
Heldenplatz runs until the 6th March
Tickets are £16 or Pay What You Can on Tuesdays.
One of the top fringe theatres in the country, with a pay-what-you-can policy every Tuesday and it is walking distance from where I and many of m'colleagues reside.
Their latest productions, Knives in Hens and Heldenplatz, have been ratcheting up the laudings and praise and seem well worth the stroll. The fact that one can feast in Mangal's or, indeed, 19 Bos Cirrik beforehand is a huge but mere bonus.
Knives in Hens runs until the 27th February
Tickets are £14 or Pay What You Can on Tuesdays.
Heldenplatz runs until the 6th March
Tickets are £16 or Pay What You Can on Tuesdays.
Totally Non-Heinous!
The most excellent and always superbly attired, Mr Edwin Flay brings us the next instalment of his excellent adventures through the world of cabaret entertainment.
Thursday 25th February sees Flay and DeVille moving to pastures new at The Royal Vauxhall Tavern to present an evening that will amaze, astound and allure in equal, overflowing measures.
All while you look your most foppish and dandyish with that martini in one hand and hat doffed with the other.
Tickets are £10 in advance or £12 on the door.
Doors at 7pm
Thursday 25th February sees Flay and DeVille moving to pastures new at The Royal Vauxhall Tavern to present an evening that will amaze, astound and allure in equal, overflowing measures.
All while you look your most foppish and dandyish with that martini in one hand and hat doffed with the other.
Tickets are £10 in advance or £12 on the door.
Doors at 7pm
Thursday, 18 February 2010
Ping Pong? Ding Dong!
It is a lesser known fact about me that, as a young man, I harboured ambitions of table-tennis glory. These ambitions went about as far as winning my family synagogue's tournament but nonetheless the light was undimmed.
If, like me, you still hanker after those glory days of yore, then I have news! Cinderella, you can go to the ball and in style too.
In collaboration with the social table tennis club, Ping Pong of the Bethnal Green Working Men's Club, The Barbican will be hosting a weekend where one can go play for FREE on ping-pong tables designed especially for the occasion by artists and, well, designers.
Schnicketyschnick!
If, like me, you still hanker after those glory days of yore, then I have news! Cinderella, you can go to the ball and in style too.
In collaboration with the social table tennis club, Ping Pong of the Bethnal Green Working Men's Club, The Barbican will be hosting a weekend where one can go play for FREE on ping-pong tables designed especially for the occasion by artists and, well, designers.
Schnicketyschnick!
Love Haiti
Lest it be forgotten of the struggles still occuring half a world away in Haiti.
The earthquake and it's consequences have reverberated around the planet but have also fuelled a greater sense of the collective with aid, assistance and donations being found as much through people's own gestures and effort as through governments.
One such event, being organised by previously lauded rockstar, Rachel Stubbings is Love Haiti at the beautiful, not to mention historic, Wiltons Music Hall.
With an absolutely stellar line-up including Rich Fulcher the REAL star of the Mighty Boosh , Pete Firman and a VERY special mystery guest, whose name we dare not utter, this would be a standup stand-up show already.
The fact that ALL of the money will be going to the laudable charity Medecins Sans Frontieres to support their ongoing work in Haiti, surely puts this head and shoulders above any other comedy gig this side of Chuckletown.
Get your little hands into those long pockets, kids!
Sunday 21st February 6pm
Tickets £17.50
Call 020 7702 2789 NOW to book
The earthquake and it's consequences have reverberated around the planet but have also fuelled a greater sense of the collective with aid, assistance and donations being found as much through people's own gestures and effort as through governments.
One such event, being organised by previously lauded rockstar, Rachel Stubbings is Love Haiti at the beautiful, not to mention historic, Wiltons Music Hall.
With an absolutely stellar line-up including Rich Fulcher the REAL star of the Mighty Boosh , Pete Firman and a VERY special mystery guest, whose name we dare not utter, this would be a standup stand-up show already.
The fact that ALL of the money will be going to the laudable charity Medecins Sans Frontieres to support their ongoing work in Haiti, surely puts this head and shoulders above any other comedy gig this side of Chuckletown.
Get your little hands into those long pockets, kids!
Sunday 21st February 6pm
Tickets £17.50
Call 020 7702 2789 NOW to book
Monday, 15 February 2010
Ecstatic! Hexstatic!
Another gig to look out for shows one of my favourite live acts around today. Hexstatic shows are incredible not just for the constantly innovative and, well, downright whoopee music but also for the awe-inspiring visuals that they create on stage.
Mixing film and images live while they mix tunes make them the best mixing combo this side of Kenwood.
To mark the release of their new album, Trailer Trax, the duo will be playing a special live show at Cargo on the 13th May.
Be absolutely blown off your dancing feet for less than a tenner.
Mixing film and images live while they mix tunes make them the best mixing combo this side of Kenwood.
To mark the release of their new album, Trailer Trax, the duo will be playing a special live show at Cargo on the 13th May.
Be absolutely blown off your dancing feet for less than a tenner.
The Tennessee Three
The term Leg End is thrown around these days as though it were a yo-yo given to an ambitious and tenacious child attempting to learn 'Around The World'.
Fortunately, we'd be on safe ground were we to apply the term to The Man In Black. No, not Will Smith or, indeed, Tommy Lee Jones. I'm talking Cash. Johnny Cash.
The one and only band he worked with throughout his entire career, the lesser-known but still celebrated Tennessee Three are playing a rare, rare gig in the UK, in London, on the 22nd May.
If you want some music with a lot of history and no little soul, then come feed with me.
Fortunately, we'd be on safe ground were we to apply the term to The Man In Black. No, not Will Smith or, indeed, Tommy Lee Jones. I'm talking Cash. Johnny Cash.
The one and only band he worked with throughout his entire career, the lesser-known but still celebrated Tennessee Three are playing a rare, rare gig in the UK, in London, on the 22nd May.
If you want some music with a lot of history and no little soul, then come feed with me.
East Innit Blud
Having made a brief allusion to this in a previous post I thought I'd fully big this up now that more details have been released about it. Drum roll please....................The East Festival!
This is a six-day event that celebrates, promotes and educates about the creative, multi-cultural, diverse jumble that is East London.
There are 4 main themes across the 6 days which are the Asian Sub-Continent, Travel, Architecture and Minimalism. Hmm, so covering random bases there but some of the events planned across venues including The Barbican, The Rich Mix Gallery, The Whitechapel Gallery and The Bethnal Green Working Men's Club look frickin' awesome and are, invariably, FREE.
And all on many of our doorsteps. By which I obviously mean, my doorstep.
Yesblud!
This is a six-day event that celebrates, promotes and educates about the creative, multi-cultural, diverse jumble that is East London.
There are 4 main themes across the 6 days which are the Asian Sub-Continent, Travel, Architecture and Minimalism. Hmm, so covering random bases there but some of the events planned across venues including The Barbican, The Rich Mix Gallery, The Whitechapel Gallery and The Bethnal Green Working Men's Club look frickin' awesome and are, invariably, FREE.
And all on many of our doorsteps. By which I obviously mean, my doorstep.
Yesblud!
Praying At The Altar of Free
One of London's most beautiful venues, The Union Chapel has been back up and running with renewed vim and vigour, following a temporary hiatus a little while back.
To celebrate this and to open up the space to a whole new audience, they are running free daytime gigs every Saturday, called Daylight Music.
The next instalment of this amazing opportunity sees three exciting new bands to go check out, Gilded Palace of Sin, The Doomed Bird of Providence and City Reverb.
All a bit of a mouthful but hopefully a bit of a handful as well.
To celebrate this and to open up the space to a whole new audience, they are running free daytime gigs every Saturday, called Daylight Music.
The next instalment of this amazing opportunity sees three exciting new bands to go check out, Gilded Palace of Sin, The Doomed Bird of Providence and City Reverb.
All a bit of a mouthful but hopefully a bit of a handful as well.
The Dawn Chorus part II
The excellently monikered Theo Bard's evening of folk, food and fuel for the soul returns on the 25th February to Passing Clouds.
The Dawn Chorus should be another complete array of good music and good people and what better surroundings could there be for a thursday evening?
Grab the hot toddy while you can...
The Dawn Chorus should be another complete array of good music and good people and what better surroundings could there be for a thursday evening?
Grab the hot toddy while you can...
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