Hollywood Comes to Hackney

 Well, kind of. Allow me to elaborate...

That little Hackney treasure, The Arcola Theatre, is currently hosting 2 plays, as is usual with their continuing success and subsequent expansion.

Both of them seem worth a butchers but for differing reasons.

The first is 1936, focussing on the run-up to the controversial, but also now legendary Berlin Olympics. On all sides a tense affair, the story unfolds through the eyes of an American journalist and touches on the unmistakeable American unease at the occasion and Jesse Owens spectacular embarassment of the supposed Aryan dominance that Hitler was expecting to parade.

The second struck me simply because it is a play written by Laurence Fishburne. Yes, he of Morpheus, Matrix and other subsequently rubbish films since.

This is the UK premiere of Riff Raff and by all accounts is a coarse and blistering ride through the story of two Lower East Side gang members.

It might be rubbish but it might, equally, be brilliant which in itself intrigues me enough to want to go.

It's at least got to be an improvement on standing next to Keanu Reeves telling him he's The One...

Punch Upside The Head

The last few years has seen the inexorable rise of the immersive, interactive theatre experience. Audiences wanting to be transported to other worlds, to feel a part of their encountered surroundings and to really get their noses and hands in the dirt.

Leading the way has been the Punchdrunk Company who from their earliest shows in 2000 have steadily ramped up the vision, scope and imagination of their productions.

Personally, my first experience of the Punchdrunk world was The Firebird Ball that really saw Punchdrunk make a name of itself and since that point the magnitude of each subsequent show has unequivocally expanded to the point where they are now one of the most well known and oft spoken of theatrical collectives, with every new show being discussed in hushed and hallowed terms.

Now despite my tendancy to dismiss anything that suddenly comes to the verge of being popular culture, I am GENUINELY FUCKING EXCITED to hear about the next Punchdrunk project.

Aligning themselves with the English National Opera (ENO), they are currently hard at work squirreling words down, badgering routines and foxing plotlines for a collaboration that will give birth to a captivating, consuming and undoubtedly conspicuous production of The Duchess of Malfi.

Here's where I shoot you all a creepy wink, a sly nod and an unnecessary nudge by directing you to where you can be among the haughty few to find out when tickets for this will go on sale as soon as they do.

Now don't say I don't spoil you...

Have a Butchers...

                                          Photo by George Best

Ah, London's East End. Culturally and historically one of the most interesting, vibrant and diverse bits of Europe and many of us are fortunate enough to call this our home.

I am constantly reminded of this fact by the sheer amount of opportunities and new avenues to explore that pop all around us. Just when I thought I had my finger on the pulse, another previously unknown and untapped vein ruptures in my face.

Just such a spurt, is the East End Film Festival which has previously avoided my gaze and looks to be a veritable treasure trove of cinematic delights. A showcase for new stars pushing through and homegrown, independent releases, films will be shown, events will happen and music will be played all round some of East London's institutions including The Genesis in Mile End, The Rio in Dalston, Spitalfields Market and The Whitechapel Gallery.

Also taking in some of the shinier venues including Rich Mix and Vibe Gallery, this aims to be a forum and exposure for those who have created and an inspiration to those who aspire to and all within walking distance of many of our doorsteps.

How could one resist?

22nd - 30th April
EAST END INNIT

Music For Your Faces!

 

 I've been lagging a little with my sporadic digests of lyrical, rhythmical and, indeed, musical delectations but with the new season upon us and after a weekend of opening all the windows and blaring out the years first King Tubby, it seemed appropriate to pick up the aural baton once more and cover it in advisory post-it notes of what I have been feeding my ears recently.

The Books - The Lemon of Pink.
The Books have been around for a little while now yet their experimentations always manage to sound fresh and innovative. This is a beautiful song, from the album of the same name, that incorporates some old-style country vibes into a wonky, beguiling and heady mix. A perfect accompaniment for any sunny day.

The Hot 8 Brass Band - Sexual Healing.
Now this is by no means a new tune, having been hardily blasted out and celebrated at the Hot 8 Brass Band's much talked about Cargo gig. Hailing from that boiling hotpot of jazz, New Orleans, this band were propelled into consciousness after Hurricane Katrina and Spike Lee's subsequent documentary When the Levees Broke, featuring them. This is a cover of the Marvin Gaye classic that, in my humble opinion, puts the original in the shade. All blaring horns and soulful, hiphop basslines.

Little Dragon - Twice
Hailing from Sweden and fronted by a Swedish-Japanese singer. Sounds like my kind of band already. This is the first track from their recent eponymous album and although the album has it's peaks and troughs, this is one of the most beautifully elegant songs I have heard in a good long while. The music video ain't bad either...

Susanna and The Magical Orchestra - Enjoy The Silence.
Unwittingly, I seem to be following a thread here. Another band of Scandinavian origins and another interpreted cover song. Susanna and The Magical Orchestra seem to make songs that run for no-one. Time seems to slow and grow and every note played or sung is deliberated over and perfected. This very personal cover will bring you a whole new dimension to the Depeche Mode classic...

Lambchop - Up With People
This will, undoubtedly, be extremely familiar to some of you already. In fact, I know it is. However, this is one of THE summer soundtracks and if I can turn just a couple of those unaware of it's presence, over to the genius of Kurt Wagner, then it'll surely put an extra half inch spring into my step today. Oh, yes...

Piece of Cake

So, it turns out sunshine makes everything better and, being in an unfeasibly good mood for a Monday, the week brings yet more excitement which I am, in turn, excited to write about.

This very Wednesday evening sees the return of The Cakewalk Cafe, featuring everyone's favourite pub-based musical genius, Ewan Bleach and his incredible Smokey Taps band.

The evening will further unfold with the genial and horrendously talented Jim Ydstie on double bass or perhaps accordian, accompanied by a hullaballoo of jazzmen and surely many troupes of you willing dancers.

Where else will you find all this for the small charge of £5 or the even smaller charge of £3.50 if appropriately dressed? Nowhere, that's where...

Wed 14th April
7:30pm
Passing Clouds, Richmond Road, Dalston

Proper Tea

                       Picture from the Taschen book 'Japanese Beauties'   

For those of you fortunate enough to be able to set your own agenda during the day, a sneaky freebie for you here.

We British have our own obsession with that esteemed and often life-resolving beverage, tea. However, the Japanese have taken the whole thing to a higher aesthetic plane, as is often their way.

In keeping with the precise, delicate and not-a-little beautiful way of Japan, their ceremony around tea gives a whole different perspective to the milk-and-sugar ways.

Go see for yourself at The Way of Tea, a demonstration of such subtle beauty.

Friday 9th April
2pm and 3pm
FREE (just drop in)
Mitsubishi Corporation Japanese Galleries in The British Museum

Chiddy Chiddy Bang Bang

What a beautiful morning to wake up to today! Suddenly everything seems right and good with a little more Vitamin D in the world.

And to cheer the mood yet further, it appears that one of my 'new favourite bands' Chiddy Bang are bringing their (shockhorror!) original and good hiphop to London! Ah, good times...

For those who are uninitiated in the talents of this Philadelphia duo, make sure to grab yourself a copy of their debut Opposite of Adults EP, and prepare yourself to revel in some superbly choice samples and cuts.

If this should so tickle-your-fancy, then these few words to the wise.

Scala. 27th May. 7:30pm. £10.

Who's in?

Hope for Haiti

It's all flooding out after a weeks absence and the news keeps rolling in.

This time it's a little something for all those kids who are south of the river, y'poor souls ye...

Although it might be out of the headlines, Haiti is by no means out of the woods. Not by a long shot. Total worldwide donations are hovering around the 750 million dollar mark which is an incredible response but still far short of the estimated billions of dollars it will take to rebuild this most stricken of countries.

Every small bit counts.

With this in mind, I know there have been a myriad of events towards this goal but given that they have all been, on their own merits, excellent evenings, what excuse is there, if you're in the area, not to go?

The Hope For Haiti Sunday Session will take place at the superbly monikered establishment, The Jackdaw and Rook on Balham High Road and will feature a whole day of aural pleasures with the likes of ToyFace, Kabuki Mono and Zac Rogers plus a raffle and an auction with super things for you to win and money raised for those without such opportunities.

Enjoy and play your small part.

Two birds, one stone.

2pm Sunday 18th April
FREE entry

Rise of The Jabberwocky

With the days stretching out ever longer and the sun rising higher and clearer in the sky, one can't help but cast at least one eye to the summer. And summer, as we all know, means festivals.

One such festival that I guess would come under the 'boutique' umbrella is the cute and welcoming GocStock. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to attend last year and it was evident that the seed of friends gathering and enjoying surroundings, company and music had been cultivated and bloomed here.

This year, having outgrown their previous site, KitKaboodle, the organisers, have picked out a beautiful new venue in Kent, Eridge Park. Set against a backdrop that spreads over 1000 acres and under a canopy of royal oaks and beech trees, GocStock will be bringing it's all pervading sense of fun, silliness and escapism to this corner of England's garden.

The theme for this year is the Lewis Carroll nonsense poem, Jabberwocky and costuming, mudlarking, fairy-hunting, prancing, dancing, lollapaloozing and hullaballozing are all suitably encouraged.

I know how many of you prefer getting your hands dirty when it comes to festivals, both metaphorically and, well, actually and GocStock seems to embrace such kind's of do-ocracys. Ideas for performances, projects and pieces embraced and welcomed by she with the moniker Goc.

For those of an impatient nature or for those who simply might wish to get a taster of what's to come, there will also be a GocStock warm-up party at the Amersham Arms in the much underrated area of New Cross.

GocStock Warm-up party - 29th May
£5 in advance, £6 on the door

GocStock Festival - 18th -19th June
£35 (£30 for concessions)

Go, be merry. And for less than the cost of a decent bottle of single malt...

Resuming Radio Contact

Ah, now that's better. Feeling refreshed and rejuvenated not just with the advent of Spring but after a superbly relaxing and excellent time in that bastion of inexpensive and effortless krautcool, Berlin and a memorable weekend to welcome me home to that centre of expensive and try-hard britcool, London.

So, to get the ball rolling again here I thought I'd indulge a little passion of mine that, well, I know is not everyone's bag. Jazz.

Controversial.

Nice.

Arriving on our shores in June though is a ever-rising legend on the jazz scene and using the opportunity to have the first major Jazz residency at the Barbican, Wynton Marsalis will celebrate 80 years of American Big Band with a series of concerts that should entice even the hardest of indiekid hearts.

The standout evening of this run should be the opportunity to check out some of the best swing bands and dancing from both the US and the UK at A Midsummer Night's Swing, in the newly renovated and revitalised Stoke Newington Town Hall.

If nothing else, it is a grand opportunity to get out there looking like the goddamn money...