We're in the thick of it now: full-on tourist season is here, and while you may be fighting your way through thicker lunchtime throngs than ever, elbowing open London guidebooks and tube maps out of your way at every corner, we've got a round-up of decidedly non-touristy and inexpensive fun to be had this week. Monday: Free in-store gigs, hath sweeter words ever been written? The HMV on Oxford Street tonight is featuring a......

This Week In London’s History Monday – 30th June 1894: Tower Bridge is opened by the Prince of Wales. It would become an iconic symbol of London, and arguably the most well-recognised ‘bascule bridge’ in the world (even if tourists do sometime mistake it for London Bridge). Tuesday – 1st July 1858: Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection is presented at the Linnean Society at Burlington House, Piccadilly. Wednesday – 2nd July 1865: One-time......

Stiff Little Fingers' Inflammable Material provided a soundtrack for our teenage years, every single one of its three chords forever fused with our memories of youth. As we grew a bit older, it remained a favourite and was soon joined by Mark Stewart and the Maffia's As The Veneer Of Democracy Starts To Fade and the many productions of Adrian Sherwood. Trawlling through used record shops, anything with Sherwood's name on it went home......

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......

Now Londonist gets to see some pretty cool gigs in the name of keeping you apprised of stuff. But NME staff writers we ain’t, and quite often we can only blog and dream. Someone out there has gotta go see The King Blues supporting at this gig ‘cos we can’t and we’re real sore about it. Londonist was racking our rather small brain trying to think of how best to describe The King Blues’......

We've not done very well on the virtuous January front and seem to have spent all our money and most of our nights out on the lash with a flagrant disregard for propriety and our bank account. We don't mind though because, as usual, there are some excellent free things to do in town this week. Monday: British Asian gangsta folk ska punk is where it's at with the intriguing sounding Barbar Luck at......

About 18 months ago a band called Cazals had one spiky indie hit that we loved playing dancing to in the indie discos. It was called Poor Innocent Boy and then we never heard anything about them again. Friends with Doherty (boo) and Bloc Party (woo), we forgot about them entirely until an email appeared telling us they were supporting the mighty Daft Punk in Japan this week. Rather than just wallowing in indie obscurity......

Anarchists, nihilists, thorns in the establishment's side, punks, poets, property developers, reality tv stars, radio show hosts; if nothing else the Sex Pistols are a contrary bunch. So whether the 30th anniversary bollocks celebration/reunion tour is a final nail in the coffin or breath of life to that ephemeral thing they call Punk attitude, only history, possibly as written by the NME, will tell. Either way their initial batch of Brixton dates sold out......

Autumn is tussling with the tail end of summer. It's nearly time to start closing the curtains early, sticking the central heating on timer and making soups and stews. Bed socks on! Here’s your London related home based media entertainment for the week. On TV, Londonist likes: Monday, 24 September Withnail and I (C4, 01.30-03.25) Drink, drugs, debauchery and dirt in Camden Town. Need we say more. (Actually, just to confirm, that's 01.30 on......

Following it's postponement earlier in the year, a rescheduled date has just been announced for the annual Insomniacs Ball. Now held on September 29th at regular venue SE1, this year's ball has a distinctly Ed Banger whiff to it. This is by no means a bad thing, in fact if you're into your sleazy electro it's a run round the house hi-fiving people thing. First up from the Ed Banger camp, snarky American pop......

Part 1: Introduction Mods. Rockers. Teds. Punks. Ravers. Swingers. Skinheads. Suedeheads. Hippies. Yuppies. Rudeboys. Indie kids. Emo kids. Beats. Glam kids. Tribes. Subcultures. Neo-tribes. Groups. Bands. Movements. All of the above, and more, have - despite their points of origin - been magnetically attracted to the capital. To attempt to cover all of the ages of London’s youth might seem an exhausting task worthy of Peter Ackroyd who wrote of his biography of London......

One club event we've neglected to mention really (and we really should have) is the birth of the amazing Modular Weekly parties at Ditch in Shoreditch. Modular is the label home of some of our favourite electronic artists including The Presets, MSTRKFFT, Klaxons and Cut Copy, as well as looking after Jack Johnson & Yeah Yeah Yeahs. And when they put on a party, they rock it! Sure if you're not wearing skinny jeans,......

This year’s Wireless festival kicks off in style on Thursday for their third year in the centre of the capital at Hyde Park. Four days of quality music from big bands you know and love, and plenty of bands you won’t know but can grow to love. This year they’ve got one of their best line-ups ever, with such names as Faithless, White Stripes and Daft Punk all gracing their stage, and plenty of bands......

Would you like to see the Queen gagged and blindfolded? If monarchy muzzling is one’s thing, one should really get oneself to Barbican Art Gallery. There, in homage to Liz’s Silver Jubilee and the 30th anniversary of the Sex Pistols’ romp down the river playing God Save The Queen, is an exhibition of punk art like never seen before in Britain. Forget bringing a picnic lunch and wading knee-deep through sproglets in the gift......

Every day this month the Londonist team will be pointing you in the direction of a Christmas present that (with a bit of luck) you won't already have on your list. Climb up onto our collective lap and we'll see what we can move from our sack to your stockings... Fridge magnets...as a Christmas present? You're 'avin a larf, right? Not so, for this stunning set of 18 London scenes takes the medium to......

Every day this month the Londonist team will be pointing you in the direction of a Christmas present that (with a bit of luck) you won't already have on your list. Climb up onto our collective lap and we'll see what we can move from our sack to your stockings... Londonist: So do you think it's a bad thing to suggest to the readers that they may want to buy our book as a......

Every day this month the Londonist team will be pointing you in the direction of a Christmas present that (with a bit of luck) you won't already have on your list. Climb up onto our collective lap and we'll see what we can move from our sack to your stockings... Londonist has designed the Cornershop Christmas Hamper for those who really can't be bothered this year. Perfect for assembling on the way to a......

These stylish slip-on shoes will have you deliberately walking through puddles so you can leave an imprint of the streets of London...on the streets of London. Yup, that's a map of the Thames on the sole. The 'Kensington' shoe is available from Paul Smith for £162, and is also available in a taller, lace-up persuasion. Not recommended as a substitute for the A-Z. Previously: Punk Rock Baby, London in a Bag, Sultan's Elephant, Wardour......

Every day this month the Londonist team will be pointing you in the direction of a Christmas present that (with a bit of luck) you won't already have on your list. Climb up onto our collective lap and we'll see what we can move from our sack to your stockings... Got a comics geek you need to shop for? Not sure which issue of The Amazing Adventures of Testicular Chancer and Goatmonkey they're up......

Every day this month the Londonist team will be pointing you in the direction of a Christmas present that (with a bit of luck) you won't already have on your list. Climb up onto our collective lap and we'll see what we can move from our sack to your stockings... The Londonist Chinatown Christmas Hamper is the alternative collection of foodstuffs that appear this time of year. Though far from original as department stores......

Every day this month the Londonist team will be pointing you in the direction of a Christmas present that (with a bit of luck) you won't already have on your list. Climb up onto our collective lap and we'll see what we can move from our sack to your stockings... Until we saw the price tag on Madonna's coat of many souls we thought that fifty quid for a coat hanger was a little......

Every day this month the Londonist team will be pointing you in the direction of a Christmas present that (with a bit of luck) you won't already have on your list. Climb up onto our collective lap and we'll see what we can move from our sack to your stockings... This might be the most important thing any Londoner should have. Boring? Yes, a little, ok quite a lot. But if you constantly have......

Every day this month the Londonist team will be pointing you in the direction of a Christmas present that (with a bit of luck) you won't already have on your list. Climb up onto our collective lap and we'll see what we can move from our sack to your stockings... You're reading this so there's a fair chance you like London. But how much? We've got a present here that really separates the full......

Welcome to December! Every day this month the Londonist team will be pointing you in the direction of a Christmas present that (with a bit of luck) you won't already have on your list. Climb up onto our collective lap and we'll see what we can move from our sack to your stockings... First a warning: Oh God NO. If you even see this in a store let the police know so that they can......

Futurepunk. What’s that then? Yet another sub genre in the Goth/Industrial school of music? Could well be! It certainly seemed to cause a stir with the industrial crowd as The Purple Turtle in Camden was exceptionally busy for a Thursday evening, and The Purple Turtle feels so much more like a venue rather than a pub which hosts live acts every once in a while. Dark, Dingy, Cider flowing in large quantities – perfect......

Jagshemash! Borat is a hit. It's getting rave reviews, grossing millions, and definitely the most quotable thing we've seen in ages. But Borat seems to have missed most of the -ist cities, and we were all wondering how the film would have been different if he'd made his way around the world on the -ist tour. In Shanghai, Borat would be observing Inane Learnings of Penis Photos for Make Benefit Glorious Flat World of......

Apologies for the lateness of this piece - I went to the BT Digital Music Awards on Tuesday night and consumed more than my fair share of free wine. But more about that later... Earlier on Tuesday found me wandering through the rainy streets of Fitzrovia, A-Z clutched tightly, on my way to a music video casting. I haven't been on many castings for a while because I've been a bit too busy playing gigs,......

Muslim protesters disrupted a speech by John Reid in Leytonstone today after he urged Muslim parents to monitor their children for signs of 'radicalisation'. Several protesters were led from the room after describing Reid as an "enemy of Islam." Best local story of the day: ex-Simply Red singer strips off in a busy high street to protest about the lack of youth facilities. Next year the Barbican will mark the 30th anniversary of punk......

Celebrate Ben Franklin's 300th birthday with the Bikini Bandits and Phillyist! (NSFW). Speaking of Mr. Franklin, send in a picture of Ben (or Ed Rendell) with a red tongue and win a free t-shirt. And they might have the next YearlyKos in Philly. You know who's going to be upset about those Bikini Bandits? The Houston school system. Houstonist also reports on some redevelopment shenanigans over a landmark theater. LAist's sex advice column on......

These listings appear every Wednesday. If you want to let us know about any upcoming science or technology events, you can contact us on LondonistSciTech@Gmail.com This is going to be the final Cogito for a few weeks. Most of the main science venues are taking a summer break, so this column will too. Before we go, though, one final week’s worth of sci-tech events. The Dana Centre has two gigs to round off July.......