Fancy something completely different for the weekend? Next weekend that is? Howzabout a preening and prancing, full-blooded Persian pop concert? We thought that might grab your attention, for one reason or another.
Most Londoners tend to forget that for every ex-pat community living in London, there is a similarly ex-pat music scene catering for them. Well, this is what a lot of Iranians do for entertainment…
And because Iranians are a funny bunch, after six months of concert drought, there are now two rival gigs on the same evening – Sunday October 28th.
Londonist highly recommends a triple line up which is on at the Coronet Theatre in the New Kent Road. It features Andy Madadian, the original Iranian medallion king. This guy really knows how to get ‘em up and dancing, and, Cliff Richard style, has weathered well over the (many) years for which he has been singing. Also strutting his v. funky stuff is Jamshid, who will really have them whooping it up – his Kurdish origins lend his melodies a wild, irresistible note. And then we have Sepideh, who for all her, er, blonde, nubile charms, has a voice like pureed mulberries. All that and a couple of hip and happening DJs (DJ is the new train driver for young Persian men – an astonishing number aspire to DJ-dom), and you’ve got yourself a very jolly Sunday indeed.
On the same night, but with a slightly different tempo, you could also take in the legendary Dariush (see left; think Jack Jones, Persian style – soulful ballad crooning) and Mansour, who is actually great – big hair, big music. Details of this concert are scantier, but it is most likely to be on at the Hammersmith Palais.
Tickets for Londonist’s recommended concert are £30.00 (£35.00 on the door), and are available by dialling 07944 104334, or from most good Iranian supermarkets.
Photos courtesy of i) Jim Callender’s flickr stream
And ii) Sh.N's flickr stream.
Iranians aren’t too good at PR yet, so we had to improvise.
