Feminists. They don’t shave their armpits and they bathe in toad spit and the pubic hairs of young boys. Right? Well, you could try asking that question at the European Feminist Summit, but we would advise against it. Part of the London Festival of Europe, the summit, titled The Future of European Feminism will discuss feminism in the 21st century, in the context of Europe, politics, art and media. With feminist blog The F......

It’s a common myth that Londoners get the best of everything: we don’t. Only 65% of the capital’s parents are getting their first choice of school for their sprogs. As opposed to 87% elsewhere. Neasden’s glorious Hindu temple wins the inaugural Pride of Place award. Rada best look to its laurels as a new acting school is coming to town. A Bollywood academy is to open in Ealing. Padded lamp-posts are being trialed in......

If you've not got plans tonight, then we're very excited by new-ish club night Now We've Got Europe. Held at the intimate Three Blind Mice (formerly Eastern-Euro styled Smersh), the night promises the best of French new wave, Dutch rap, German punk, Italo Disco pool-side classics and pop anthems from the continent. Tonight has an added Spanish theme from gothic punk icons Alaska y los Pegamoides and glamorous new romantics Glamour to the Stock......

Seems like Monday was a good day for album launch shows. Whilst Londonista Dave was experiencing the fragile ether-eality of Goldfrapp in Union Chapel, we were in the slightly less salubrious surroundings of HMV Oxford Street, where a reed thin moustachioed man is hopping up and down preaching hell and damnation, or at least something about scissors and prolix, next to some guru-esque sixties serial killer lookalike who's doing strange things to strange things.......

Aren’t old people delightful? So feisty! Such spunk! When they’re not threatening your five-year-old with an iron bar, they might be off practising kung fu on would-be teen muggers (and quite rightly – punks) or dispensing advice to lad mag readers. This much is clear: retirement just isn’t what it used to be. Witness Buster Martin, the 101-year-old with an invincibility complex. And no wonder. After first gaining notoriety for refusing to take a......

As we mentioned briefly before, Thursday brings the East 2008 Festival. For six days, a cornucopia of performances, exhibitions, workshops, food and other events ensures entertainment with emphasis on promotion of the best of East London. Here’s our pick of the mix: 6th March: F-EAST - artists Wiebke and Nicholas Morgan cook a meal from 12 recipes from a Nigel Slater cookbook, and serve it for visitors as an exploration into ownership and the......

There's masses going on for us culture vultures to choose from this week. First Thursdays As it's the start of March, it's First Thursdays this week. More than 80 galleries and museums will be open til 9pm across East London. We recommend John Squire's (yes, him from the Stone Roses) Re-engineered Garments; alternatively, pretend you're an alien at the Barbican. The Martian Museum of Terrestrial Art opens this Thursday. East is East East London's......

Even on its quietest weeks, London is something of a happy haven for bibliophiles such as ourselves, though we may be doing nothing more than perusing one of the city’s many lovely bookshops. This week, however, we’re in a veritable book geek heaven, as the London literary scene goes all glittery, playing host to some major names and fantastic events, leaving us tongue-tied and weak at the knees. Do we gush? Very well then,......

It’s been another bruising week in the London mayoral election campaign. Eccentric Tory contender Boris Johnson may have had the best of it. On Tuesday Ken Livingstone announced that drivers of gas-guzzlers will be charged £25 to enter the Congestion Zone from October – assuming he’s re-elected. The Greens support the move, but the Lib Dems’ Brian Paddick – he’s the gay, “cannabis cop” from Brixton, you’ll recall – was critical, notably of the same......

Photograph of Michael Strahan, coach Tom Coughin (holding the Vince Lombardi trophy) and quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning by Tien Mao Gothamist was amazed after the Giants won the Super Bowl, the city went wild, and it witnessed a ticker-tape parade.Barack Obama drew 20,000+ ahead of Seattle’s Saturday caucus.Londonist had Super Tuesday too.Elusive guerrilla street artist Banksy revisits Los Angeles.After the Patriots lost the Super Bowl and came this close to making......

If you like your art noisy, unconventional, mixed up with lots of other stuff, and against a whacky backdrop, and your music electronic and unpredictable, then this is one for you. Noise of Art is an umbrella label for a group of talented musicians under the loose leadership of founder Ben Osbourne. This performance (to celebrate the release of a new album, Picadilly Nite Version #1, this spring) sees them teamed up with the BFI......

Perhaps your New Year’s resolutions have all made their way to the rubbish bin by now. You’re sneaking ciggies again, you’re spending more nights at the pub than not, and you’ve worked out exactly two times, despite the shiny new gym membership. Don’t worry, you’re in good company. The history of literature is filled with stories of writers and their vices. It may just be a sign of genius. Still, you can up your......

Our weekly roundup of film reviews returns, courtesy of James Bryan… This week, the Coens’ masterful noir No Country For Old Men, the dire AVPR (don’t ask), a spoof musical biopic Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and Gwyneth Paltrow in The Good Night. No Country for Old Men arrives in the UK soaked in rapturous Stateside reviews. It’s the latest from critical darlings the Coen Brothers (The Big Lebowski, Raising Arizona, Fargo etc.)......

As you all know, Londonist doesn’t just enjoy sarcastically mocking aspects of our fair city. No, far from it – we also like to help people out from time to time. So, we were only too pleased to offer our help when San Francisco-based artist and comedian Marc Horowitz contacted us to assist him in setting up his forthcoming show at the Hayward Gallery. Not one to run from a challenge, Horowitz has agreed......

Greetings, FOBGs (that’s Friends of the Book Grocer to the uninitiated), and a belated happy new year to you all! After an extended holiday slumber (bad, lazy Book Grocer), we return to bring you our weekly picks for the best of London’s literary(ish) events. And so, without further ado, let’s jump right in, shall we? Today: One too many spoonfuls of sugar this holiday season? Counteract it with a Spoonful of Poisoning at Rhythm......

Londonist asks that most pressing of daily concerns: where to go on your lunch break. Here's our look back at the good, the bad and the hungry of 2007. Since starting What’s for Lunch? in May, we have reviewed forty lunch venues throughout London. We tried the arty, the hearty and the terribly farty. We stirred up a bit of controversy with a mildly approving review of an evil hot dog vendor. And, we......

It’s Christmas Eve already? How did that happen? Surely you’re all done your shopping now, so time to reward yourself with a few nice things to watch on TV. On TV, Londonist likes: Jamie at Home Christmas Special (Channel 4, 17:10-18:15) Say what you will about Jamie Oliver, he puts on an entertaining cooking show. And we’re guessing this Christmas episode will be chock full of amazing dishes that will look incredibly simple and......

It’s almost Christmas! Over the Christmas holidays, we’ll be here every day recommending the best of what’s on television. We’ll do the hard work, slogging through the TV listings, and let you sit back with a nice hot drink and a mince pie. Enjoy! On TV, Londonist likes: Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1, 17:50-19:15 and 21:25-22:10) While we haven’t been keeping up with the excitement of this year’s dancing fun, we know lots of you......

The cold weather - and holiday festivities - descended upon Gothamist. The Rockefeller Christmas tree was lit, Broadway stagehand finally ended their strike, and NASCAR decided to run their victory lap through Times Square. There were disturbing photographs revealing the working conditions in which many city manholes are produced and ninjas were also a hot topic, either robbing homes or entering into alibis. But the city was really rocked by how Rudy Giuliani's visits......

Londonist is not normally anal or prohibitive about stuff. Hey, we can do nipple tassles with the best of them. And we are utterly dismissive of most of Nanny Government’s patronising dictums. But today we are all up tight….about fireworks of all things. We must confess to a decidedly school-marmly attitude to the things. Sorry ‘n’ all if you’re having a party tonight – we don’t want to dampen your fun or anything. It’s just......

Remember remember the fifth of November Gunpowder, treason and plot. I see no reason why gunpowder, treason Should ever be forgot... We know that today is Halloween and Bonfire Night is not until next week, but the truth is, most of the fireworks displays in London will happen before the big day. We've already told you about the display on Clapham Common and we wouldn't want you to miss out on the rest of......

Now here’s a really good idea. Fishing as therapy for dysfunctional adolescents. Honestly – we’re not being sarcastic. Londonist thinks it is a splendid scheme. The initiative is called Get Hooked on Fishing, and has been operating with great success in different areas around the country: now a scheme has been funded just outside London at Darenth. Fishing is known for its therapeutic effects – the peace and quiet and sense of oneness with nature......

Some new research has been published claiming that Elephant and Castle will become a top retail destination in the next 10 years. Now, we're as optimistic as the next blog, as demonstrated by our views on the 2012 Olympic logo. But, even for us, this seems quite a stretch. While the odd stall outside the shopping centre adds a bit of character to the place, the centre itself is a bit of a dive......

After following up a superb night with The Field by bringing Gui Boratto a few months later, Allez-Allez have fastly become one of our favourite club promoters. If we're not dancing to the best in minimal techno at one of their Plastic People events, then we're likely downloading one of the many installments in their excellent podcast mix series. This Wednesday, Sam and Steve return to Plastic People with techno superduo Supermayer (Superpitcher + Michael......

….you’re just pootling along the high street, minding your (or everybody else’s, if you’re a Londonist) business, when what do you espy? A piano. Just perched there on the pavement. You rub your eyes, and make a vow to cut back a bit on the old Lambrusco/JD/what you will. It cannot be. Ah, you think, it’s a practical joke: there’s a hidden camera somewhere…. Well, this slightly Python-esque scene is likely to be played......

So sing the yeomen warders in Gilbert and Sullivan’s eponymous opera. (Actually, not quite eponymous, as they called it ‘The Yeomen of the Guard’, which any dedicated Londoner will tell you is not the same thing as the Yeomen Warders.)(Before you all e-mail in, like.) And this is a merry tale, a girl-done-good tale, a story of pomp and pageantry and a bit of fun. Nothing too complicated or controversial. What Sullivan himself called ‘No......

Fundraising events, for whatever cause, should always try to be novel and attention grabbing if they're going to reap the quids in. Londonist keeps up with the best of them. Lately, we've had the vet in a dog bowl, the bunny rabbit taxi and bid for a date girl. All excellent ideas to varying degrees. However, we've yet to come across a scheme that beats "Beards for Battersea". Yes, staff and volunteers from Battersea......

It seems that half the country (and Londonist staff) is on holiday at the moment. Still, here's the best of what's on musically across the capital this week.Jazz singer-songwriter Norah Jones  is the highlight of Bank Holiday Monday night, playing with M. Ward at Hammersmith Apollo. Tickets are sold out, however be sure to check out scarlet mist and other providers. Meanwhile hardcore punk stars Bane play Underworld, with £10 tickets available either on the......

As half the music biz is spread out in muddy fields across the country, expect few new on-sales this week. However the best of them are outlined below… UNKLE is back after a three-year absence from music for a show at London's Roundhouse on Friday 16 November in support of new album 'War Stories'. Tickets go on sale at 9am tomorrow. Prefer things a bit heavier? Then Avenged Sevenfold play an intimate gig at......

As has been the case for the last few weeks, very few new gigs have gone on sale this week, or are scheduled for tomorrow, but even so here’s the best of the new ones. The biggest perhaps is Marilyn Manson, who has announced a short three date tour of the UK, stopping in London, Manchester and Birmingham. His Wembley Arena date is on Wednesday 5th December, and tickets go on sale at 9am tomorrow......