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April 29, 2008
Come spring, come 1st May, come rough music and the Jack-in-the-Green: a leaf wearing London folk custom, with entourage, on a pub crawl. The Jack-in-the-Green evolved in the seventeenth century from milk maids in huge hats and garlands parading the street for money to a man dressed as a giant hedge, the Jack, roaming the street on May Day on the scrounge for beer money. Fowlers Troop revived the Deptford Jack-in-the-Green tradition in the...
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On Saturday 19 April, three of Londonist's bravest aural explorers arrived at ULU to undergo some serious sonic punishment in the form of Satori, Sutcliffe Jugend and the unmistakeable king of Japanese noise, Merzbow. For fun, naturally; people are strange, as Jim Morrison once said. Whilst Time Out placed the event in their "Rock, pop & dance" section, we assume that's only because the "My Cock's On Fire" section was full. Strange is probably...
Continue Reading "Londonist Live: Merzbow and Sutcliffe Jugend at ULU"April 28, 2008
A slightly later Music Choice, due to an unorganised Londonista. Three big events have dominated Londonist's musical week: The Camden Crawl last weekend (review of day 1 here, and day two here), we reviewed Radio Soulwax at this week's Ether 2008 festival, and previewed Meltdown festival, both at the Southbank Centre. Looking ahead to this week however, if you still have nothing to do this Monday night, then M83 and Sébastien Tellier both play sold...
Continue Reading "Music Choice: Monday 28th April - Friday 2nd May"Day 15: Still no closer to Mordor. Ring weighs a tonne. Really wish I had stayed at home - just cannot be bothered with this sodding quest. Day 24: Legolas sings Elvish songs to keep up our spirits. Makes me sick, the way he prances about on top of the snow. I'm the shortest person on this sodding quest, I don't think it's funny when I'm slogging away behind him, chest high in piles of...
Continue Reading "Win: Tickets To Lord Of The Rings All-Nighter"
Saturday's sun found Londonist in a local park with a well-thumbed paperback and a bottle of Scrumpy, relishing a summer's worth of idle weekends. Sunday's inclement weather dashed those dreams, but luckily there's a wealth of literary diversions to take our mind off things. Tuesday: Joseph Kony stands as possibly the most ruthless individual in a region that is sadly no stranger to slaughter on a mass scale. The leader of the Lord's Rebel...
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April 28, 2008
Hope springs eternal! Yes, spring has sprung at last, and it couldn’t have possibly come sooner. Sure, it’s supposed to rain all week, but at least it’s warm(ish) rain. Get out there and take advantage of the coming season of rebirth, and don’t forget to indulge in some illicit hugging (see what's on for Sunday). Monday: London writer/filmmaker Daniel Frampton, author of Filmosophy and host of the club of the same name dedicates evenings...
Continue Reading "London On The Cheap"April 27, 2008
The first time we heard David Thomas' take on punk vocals, we were sure the pitch control on our turntable was broken. We had similar concerns the first time we listened to My Bloody Valentine's Loveless, but that's a digression best saved for June. Thomas screamed from our speakers like a more frenetic Bryan Ferry, always ready to sacrifice fully pronouncing his lyrics in the interest of rhythm. He has the sort of voice...
Continue Reading "Review: Bring Me the Head of Ubu Roi"April 26, 2008
It might be today's sudden onslaught of barmy summer madness, but downright weirdness is most definitely going on down at Brockwell Lido, Lambeth's much-loved open-air swimming pool. We hear disturbing reports of pool-goers competing to make jelly-moulds of buildings, and others making seats - but inspired solely by the concept of, um, napkin-folding. Obviously, we were immediately concerned that the dodgy french art teacher from our old school had somehow taken control over the...
Continue Reading "Modern Design - Poolside"
Londonist was very upset today to learn of the passing of a London legend. One of the last jazz greats, Humphrey Lyttelton, has gone to that great jazz club in the sky. Humph was always special in Londonist’s eyes because of his dear and dogged refusal to take anything too seriously. In his own words:“As we journey through life, discarding baggage along the way, we should keep an iron grip, to the very end,...
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On Thursday night, Four tet headlined The Eat Your Own Ears series at the Indigo2 in Greenwich, an incredible space with a really terrific sound and lighting system. Before we get to fawning over Four tet, however, the opening acts deserve a mention here. First up was Kode9, whose pulsing rhythm set the mood nicely, but to be fair, we were concentrating more on the beer. Next up was the happy surprise of the...
Continue Reading "Review: Four tet Headlines Eat Your Own Ears Series"April 25, 2008
Ether 2008 is well under way, and last night Radio Soulwax Presents… made sure to kick it up a notch. For the UK premiere of the tour film Part of the Weekend Never Dies, Belgian electro band Soulwax had taken over the Royal Festival Hall, and as well as showing the film in the auditorium (twice), guest DJs such as UK DJ Riton played sets throughout the night. The film paints a picture of...
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With their Ether 08 festival still in full swing, Southbank Centre didn't take even a moment to rest this past weekend when they announced the line-up details for this year's Meltdown. Curated by Massive Attack, the 15th instalment of Meltdown will pack an incredible amount of talks, films and gigs into the eight short days from 14 - 22 June. Fans of the bassbin Bristolians will have an excellent opportunity to explore the band's...
Continue Reading "Massive Attack's Meltdown Tickets On Sale"April 24, 2008
After five hours of sleep (thank you Mr. Postman for waking us up) and an Eggs Benedict at the Camden Kitchen, we had mostly recovered from the first day of Camden Crawl 2008 and were once again hungry for more gigs. With several artists playing both days of the festival, there were a few acts we missed on Friday that we wanted to catch on Saturday, as well as many Saturday-only artists that we...
Continue Reading "Camden Crawl 2008: Day Two Review"April 23, 2008
Glum and grey though the skies might be, it's still party time for St George's Day. Not that George, we mean the other one. Also, happy birthday to the bard as today marks Shakespeare's grand 400+ year and various venues around London celebrate approximately four and a half centuries of theatre and poetry, including your last chance to hear shelf-stackers reciting sonnets in the supermarket. So, unfurl your umbrella, roll out the barrels and...
Continue Reading "St George And The Shakespearean Shindig"April 22, 2008
Announcing the fifth Londonist guided walk. When: Friday 9 May - walk leaves at 7pm. What: Troglodyte pigs and syrup of figs. Herds of feral swine, a well hung Italian, giant dogs, huge rats and the ghost of the pig nosed princess. What’s not to like on this stroll around Blackfriars? Along with the folklore there’s literature, politics and the law, and remember that underneath your feet is the Fleet. Walk lasts ninety minutes...
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April 21, 2008
With the Camden Crawl spanning two days and as loaded as ever with amazing acts, it's impossible to do it any justice in only one post. Whilst we easily could write at length about everything we saw, you just want the highlights: who rocked us, who we're dying to see again and how we came to love doing the Rolex Sweep. Without further ado, let's try to remember how we spent Friday 18 April...
Continue Reading "Camden Crawl 2008: Day One Review"
Is it just your imagination, or is Londonist going all literary on you for the second time today? No, it’s true: we’re just that geeky. But if the Bard’s birthday bash doesn’t have you all hot and bothered this week (speaketh it softly, or surrender thine literati creds), here are a few alternatives to keep you otherwise engaged. Tuesday: If you haven’t booked already, there are still a few seats left to hear Isabel...
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The day after mediums marched on Downing Street, to protest against their possible ruination by legislation, it seemed apt that some of the finest proponents of scientific scepticism held their own gathering. The event in Conway Hall was billed as “An Evening with James Randi and Friends”. Randi—possibly the world’s most acclaimed scourge of psychics, healers and out-and-out chancers—was making a rare trip to the UK. He topped a bill of five renowned science...
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T.S. Eliot wrote that “April is the cruelest month,” but we're officially endorsing Birthday Boy Bard’s more optimistic quote instead: “April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.” Feel young and sprightly in the warmer weather as you sample the Shakespeare-themed week ahead in honor of his “official” 444th birthday (his actual date of birth remains a mystery). Monday: And wilt thou be the school where Lust shall learn? One of London’s best...
Continue Reading "London On The Cheap"April 20, 2008
We've gone a bit music mad this week at Londonist towers. Last Sunday we reviewed Muse's amazing show at the Royal Albert Hall, before previewing this summer's Field Day and yesterday's Record Store Day and noise terrorists Merzbow at ULU. We also looked at this week's Ether '08 festival which goes through to 28th April. Finally, we mourned the loss of two thirds of the Pipettes and proof that music can come out of any...
Continue Reading "Music Choice: Monday 21st - Friday 25th April"April 19, 2008
For a brief moment earlier in the week, as it looked like summer was slowly creeping up on us, our minds wandered to the summer festival season, especially this Londonista’s favourite inner-city festival, the O2 Wireless Festival in Hyde Park. The headliners for this year have been announced, and the lineup as a whole looks to be the best since the festival began. You’ve got all the bands you know and love, and some new...
Continue Reading "Preview: Wireless 2008"
Five minutes walk from Chalk Farm Tube station, or Kentish Town Overground if you dare, stands the 176 Gallery - a former Methodist church turned exhibition centre. The building is worth a trip in its own right, but make sure you get along in the next 24 hours to catch a psychogeographic video installation from Gerry Fox. Living London has been showing since late January, but reaches the end of its run on Sunday....
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Londonist has been big fans of The Pipettes ever since their first polka dotted dress rolled off the production line back in 2004. We've banged on about them a hell of a lot so it's with some sadness today that we have to report the leaving of the two original members of the band. In a press release issued by Polydor Records (so they've obviously moved up in the world!) The Pipettes declared that...
Continue Reading "Prepare the polka dotted armband of mourning"April 18, 2008
Tucked away behind the Royal Academy near Green Park is Cork Street. A street of galleries. A street of expensive, established galleries. Well, it is technically Mayfair, you know. If you imagine the opposite end of the contemporary art scene from a group show in a Peckham squat, then you'll get the picture. What drew us here this time, was an exhibition of experimental photography by Rob Carter, put on by the Forster Gallery...
Continue Reading "Review: Rob Carter @ The Gallery"April 17, 2008
The Camden Crawl isn't the only festival in town this weekend. If the thought of braving the Stables Market even on an average Sunday sets your agoraphobia aflame, you don't have to miss out on great live music, as today marks the start of Ether 08, Southbank Centre's annual celebration of art and technology. With Ether running through 28 April, you could even attend both festivals, though Southbank Centre's stunning line-up this weekend means some...
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April 17, 2008
This Saturday, independent record stores up and down the country will be celebrating Record Store Day and the main celebrations in London seem to be taking place at Rough Trade East just off Brick Lane. Since opening last year the store has hosted loads of high profile instore gigs and won the title of Best High Street Retail Store of the Year at the Music Week awards. It's big and has so many different...
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Riflemaker is an incredible converted Georgian gunsmiths' workshop on a once seedy backstreet in Soho. Liliane Lijn, an artist who works on the often uneasy yet fascinating ground between art and science, is currently installed in the basement (with a compulsory ''nasty bump on the head" style low ceilinged doorway on the way down - you have been warned). The press release had primed us to expect 'fragile' installations. They were not exaggerating. On...
Continue Reading "Review: Stardust @ Riflemaker"April 16, 2008
O, that this too, too solid flesh would melt, Thaw and resolve itself into a dew! That would be the '20 per cent off' leg of lamb in the freezer section Hamlet is trying to defrost in time for Sunday lunch... And that's pretty much the kind of thing you can expect to bump into if you go to Supermarket Shakespeare in Lee Green this weekend and the beginning of next week. Teatro Vivo...
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Here at Londonist, we aren't too shy to admit our love for sweets. But that love apparently doesn't hold a candle to the dedication of food artist Prudence Emma Staite. To celebrate the return of blue Smarties, Staite has re-imagined famous works of art with Smarties as her chosen medium. The collection, including Warhol's Marilyn Monroe, Seurat's Bathers, and Banksy's Chalk Farm Maid, is currently on display at the V&A Museum of Childhood in...
Continue Reading "Sugary Artwork at the Museum of Childhood"April 14, 2008
London Book Fair may be the hottest ticket in town this week, but we've also delved deep to find a few other events worth the attention of the London lady or gent of letters. Monday: London Book Fair opens today at Earls Court Exhibition Centre, with the movers and shakers in publishing from across the world in attendance. There's far too much going on for the Grocer's quotidian basket to carry, so we suggest...
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Still a newcomer to the city festival circuit, Field Day returns for a second year to Hackney's Victoria Park on 9 August 2008. The recently announced line-up looks like it should provide a diverse sampling of some of our favourite acts. How could we miss a party that Richie Hawtin, Dan Deacon, The Field and Jeffrey Lewis are rockin'? Unfortunately that question seems to have loads of answers that all involve the word "queue"....
Continue Reading "Field Day 2008 Line-up Announced"
Rain, rain, go away…flirtatious spring-like temperatures and halcyon moments of direct sunlight belie this week’s forecast for April showers. At least that leaves plenty of time to soak up indoor activities on the cheap before we jet our wellies and get on with the picnic season. Monday: One of our favourite tucked-away speakeasy-esque bars is holding a book club tonight with the theme Dark Heroes. This ain’t no run-of-the-mill Richard & Judy-style book club:...
Continue Reading "London On The Cheap"