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Issue 238 |
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Your cultural event guide
Read our editors' weekly picks for things to do in London. Or find more events, updated daily, on Flavorpill.com. |
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IN THIS ISSUE
13-19 May, 2008
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Giveaways!
Keep your eyes open.
We'll hook you up. |
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R&B champ/chump Usher made a rather large gaffe this weekend, when he shouted "Hello, Manchester!" to a festival crowd in Kent. Although it wasn't quite as potentially life-threatening as Dave Lee Roth's exuberant "Good evening, Edinburgh!" at Glasgow's Barrowland Ballroom back in the day, it didn't endear Usher to many. Hopefully he won't make a similar Hackney/Hammersmith or Brixton/Brent mistake when he performs in London later in the year; we suggest he hit up Flavorpill every week until then to get the lay of the land.
- Kieran Wyatt, Managing Editor
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SPECIAL FEATURE
Watchdog.net
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Politics and the Internet share an uneasy alliance. But the "character" issues and PR minutiae that dominate this year's US election coverage inspired Aaron Swartz to forge a new kind of connection between the message and the medium. It's called Watchdog.net, and our sister publication Activate got the lowdown on exactly what it's trying to accomplish.
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Todd Osborn
The artist also known as Osborne drops his self-titled house and techno trip.
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ART: Design
The Story of the Supremes
| when: |
Tuesday 13 May (10am–5:45pm)
More times»
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| where: |
Victoria and Albert Museum (Cromwell Road, SW7, 020.7942.2000) Tube: South Kensington
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| price: |
£5 |
View on site»
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Relive the days of '60s doo-wop and soul at the Victoria & Albert Museum's latest exhibition. Hailed as one of the most successful performing groups ever (only the Beatles had more number-one hits during their reign), the Supremes, with founding members Diana Ross, Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson, flew through costume changes and makeovers. This display flaunts the outfits they wore over the years, from their days as high-school students in the Primettes to their glamorous wardrobes as Hollywood divas, ultimately substantiating the group as trailblazers of fashion, music and politics and celebrating their ongoing influence.
- Natalie Liechti
[Info Source]
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MUSIC: Rock/Pop
Laurel Collective
| when: |
Tuesday 13 May (7pm)
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| where: |
The Borderline (Orange Yard, W1, 020.7734.5547) Tube: Tottenham Court Road
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| price: |
£5 |
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The six-piece Laurel Collective are led by the sparing vocals of Nigerian-born Bob Tollast and Brit Martin Sakutu. Although the band has something of an international flavour, with members also hailing from Italy and Wales, the music is very much in this sceptre'd isle's own indie-pop tradition. Recently signed to Domino offshoot Double Six, the Collective have a new eight-song mini-album, Feel Good Hits of a Nuclear Winter. With angular melodies, banks of percussion, and wry humour, the band's sure to bring smiles to a few faces tonight. Support comes courtesy of glitch-pop songstress Micachu.
- Joe Rudkin
[Info Source]
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MUSIC: Classical
Soundings IV: Exploring the Score
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Wednesday 14 May (6pm)
More times»
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| where: |
Austrian Cultural Forum (28 Rutland Gate, SW7, 020.7370.7976) Tube: Knightsbridge, South Kensington
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| price: |
FREE |
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Tune in to contemporary instrumental music at the Austrian Cultural Forum's showcase for young composers and performers from Austria and the UK. Throughout the day, composers put the finishing touches to their scores, while visitors join in discussions with Annette Morreau — the writer and broadcaster who founded the Contemporary Music Network — and Soundings project manager Andrea Rauter. The evening show promises a fine mix of the contemporary and the experimental, from the world premiere of Judith Unterpertinger's …of Leaves (Part II), a piece for two vocalists, clarinet and flute, to solo pieces for piano and violin.
- Helen Holtom
[Info Source]
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MUSIC: Rock/Pop
Rif Raf feat. Frankmusik w/ James Yuill
| when: |
Wednesday 14 May (7:30pm)
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| where: |
Proud Galleries (Chalk Farm Road, NW1, 020.7482.3867) Tube: Camden Town, Chalk Farm
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| price: |
£5 |
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Vincent Frank hails from south London — Thornton Heath, to be precise — and under his Frankmusik moniker he's one of the brighter talents in the nascent nu-pop scene overrunning every student haunt around town. Having released his debut EP Frankisum (a triumph of Commodore 64 riffs and over-the-top vocals) on Apparent last August and worked up a national following on Popjustice's Wonky Pop tour with Alphabeat, Frank now has both the synthesized melodies and the retro-electro beats to lure anyone onto the floor. Also appearing tonight is Mac-and-guitar folk hero James Yuill, Southend indie crew Vinny Vinny and a secret guest who the organisers have promised will not disappoint.
- Joe Rudkin
[Info Source]
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ART
Charlotte Hopkins Hall: The Thinking Thing
| when: |
Thursday 15 May (10am–6pm)
More times»
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| where: |
Ferreira Projects (23 Charlotte Road, EC2, 020.7033.3788) Tube: Liverpool Street, Old Street
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| price: |
FREE |
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British-Swiss artist Charlotte Hopkins Hall's solo London debut explores the workings of the human mind — the title The Thinking Thing comes from a phrase coined by Descartes — through the instantly recognisable figures in her acrylic-on-canvas paintings. Largely rendered in monochrome (a black-and-white brick wall is a recurring motif) or muted tones with one bolder feature (lips, nails, a t-shirt slogan), Hall's characters are unsettling and their expressions are difficult to read, but this just makes her work more compelling.
- Lucy Davies
[Info Source]
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MORE FLAVOR: Festival
Stag & Dagger
| when: |
Thursday 15 May (6pm–midnight)
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| where: |
Various locations
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| price: |
£14 |
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Though music festivals spanning multiple locations have been happening in Shoreditch since the days of the Hoxton fin (remember that?), the Vice-curated Stag & Dagger festival may surpass all its predecessors in breadth of acts and locations. Picking highlights in a line-up this long isn't easy, but nevertheless, we recommend the Ed Banger, Warp and Moshi Moshi parties bristling with surprise guests; the über-cool A-Trak, Modular-signed Bumblebeez and Bang Gang at Cargo; the Diplo and Hot Chip DJ sets at Hoxton Bar and Kitchen; nu-funksters Primary 1 and hot Frenchies the Shoes at Bar Music Hall and last, but not least, Matthew Herbert's new signing the Invisible upstairs at the Vibe Bar.
- Joe Rudkin
[Info Source]
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MUSIC: Rock/Pop
Sparks: Halfnelson
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Friday 16 May (7–10pm)
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| where: |
Carling Academy Islington (16 Parkfield Street, N1, 020.7288.4400) Tube: Angel
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| price: |
£18 - 20 |
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The Mael brothers, better known as Sparks, embark on a marathon of 21 gigs in as many nights, with each event dedicated to a particular album performed in its entirety. It starts with their 1971 debut, Halfnelson, which includes classics such as the delicious "Kimono My House"; it continues with arguably their best album, the Giorgio Moroder-produced Italo-disco masterpiece No. 1 in Heaven; and concludes with an as-yet unreleased 21st album. Performances by the duo are surrounded by a theatrical aura, as the music covers diverse pop genres, from dance music and electronica to experimental and even opera.
- Graziela Pancheri
[Info Source]
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FILM: Documentary
Terror's Advocate
| when: |
Friday 16 May
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| where: |
Various locations
map
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| price: |
Varied prices |
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Jacques Vergès' job is a dirty one, but someone's got to do it. The French-Vietnamese anti-colonialist communist has acted as defense attorney for some of history's greatest pariahs: Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie, Carlos the Jackal, Slobodan Milošević, Algerian terrorists — he's even offered to represent George W. Bush (as long as he pleads guilty). In Terror's Advocate, new-wave filmmaker Barbet Schroeder (Single White Female, 1992; Général Idi Amin Dada: Autoportrait, 1974) searches for the motivation behind Vergès' enigmatic professional choices and examines the gap between his public and political personas, all while allowing shadowier themes to float to the surface.
- Joe Rudkin
[Info Source]
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ART
A Century of Olympic Posters
| when: |
Saturday 17 May (10am–5:45pm)
More times»
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| where: |
Museum of Childhood (Cambridge Heath Road, E2, 020.8983.5200) Tube: Bethnal Green
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| price: |
FREE |
View on site»
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After the recent debacle with our city's own 2012 Olympic logo, you might be tempted to dismiss this little gem of a show, but it deserves a visit. More than a century old, the modern games bring together countries that (let's face it) don't get along for the most part, to compete against each other in the spirit of good sportsmanship. This exhibition of posters, drawn from the V&A's collection, illustrates how artistic styles and trends, as well as politics, have changed over the years. But everything — from the art-nouveau paintings of the '20s to the pop-art pictures of the '60s — features the five iconic rings.
- Lucy Davies
[Info Source]
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MUSIC: Hip-hop
Shlomo and the Vocal Orchestra
| when: |
Saturday 17 May (8:30pm)
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| where: |
Queen Elizabeth Hall (Belvedere Road, SE1, 020.7960.4242) Tube: Waterloo
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| price: |
£15 |
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Southbank Centre's beatboxing artist-in-residence Shlomo is a true pleasure — every installment of his genre-crushing series Music through Unconventional Means has been exceptional, including the free-form jam session with Seb Rochford's Polar Bear back in March. But tonight's concert trumps them all. Shlomo and his Vocal Orchestra (an eight-piece voice-only backing band) join forces with some young London talent to form the world's largest beatbox choir. And… head to the Front Room at 11am to attend a workshop led by the mouth maestro himself.
- Joe Rudkin
[Info Source]
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MORE FLAVOR: City Gem
HummusFest
| when: |
Sunday 18 May (3–5:30pm)
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| where: |
Hampstead Town Hall (213 Haverstock Hill, NW3) Tube: Belsize Park
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| price: |
£5 |
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Though it's one of the world's oldest prepared foods, hummus has been part of British life for less than 50 years — but this homage to chickpeas is still overdue. Dreamed up by the Jewish Community Centre for London and chic Soho eaterie Hummus Bros, today's event invites any and all to come in, prepare their own version of the spread (ingredients and utensils provided) and try to convince the panel of expert judges that theirs is the perfect recipe. Besides garnering bragging rights, the winner's creation will be added to the menu at Hummus Bros for a week.
- Joe Rudkin
[Info Source]
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MUSIC: Rock/Pop
The Blakes
| when: |
Sunday 18 May (7:30–11pm)
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| where: |
Barfly (49 Chalk Farm Road, NW1, 020.7916.1049) Tube: Camden Town
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| price: |
£6 |
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Defiantly turning their backs on technical wizardry and lyrical obfuscation, the Blakes take to the stage this evening at Camden's Barfly in support of their self-titled debut release. The Seattle-based three-piece — whose members hail from regions as far-flung as Alaska and Maine — recall the sounds of early Who and the Kinks, revitalising the jangly rock of their forebears with an injection of carefree recklessness. Given the two-chord simplicity of "Don't Bother Me" and the swamp-swagger of "Two Times", it should come as no surprise that Iggy Pop has already proclaimed himself an admirer.
- Natalie Liechti
[Info Source]
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PERFORMING ARTS: Theatre
Ashington Group: The Pitmen Painters
| when: |
Monday 19 May
More times»
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| where: |
National Theatre (South Bank, SE1, 020.7452.3000) Tube: Embankment, Waterloo
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| price: |
FREE |
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In 1934, some enlightened colliery men in Woodhorn, Northumberland, formed an evening class on art appreciation. The group subsequently took up painting, drawing and sculpting, depicting their own known experiences and creating a fascinating record of working-class art. Selected works are now showcased in a National Theatre exhibition, which runs alongside The Pitmen Painters, a new play from Lee Hall of Billy Elliott fame. A joint production with Newcastle's Live Theatre, the play captures the earthy humour and realities of bringing up the black stuff, as well as the desire to understand avant-garde art.
- Joe Rudkin
[Info Source]
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MUSIC: Rock/Pop
Royworld
| when: |
Monday 19 May (7pm)
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| where: |
The Borderline (Orange Yard, W1, 020.7734.5547) Tube: Tottenham Court Road
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| price: |
£7 |
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Royworld were born in 2006, when four friends (oddly, none of them named Roy) at Goldsmiths College got together to update/resuscitate early-'80s stadium rock. The band blend the likes of Keane and the Feeling with Talking Heads, throwing in a dash of Futureheads for good measure. Like so many angst-free, feel-good bands these days, Royworld haven't seen much love from the music press for radio-friendly anthems such as "Man in the Machine" or epic new single "Dust". Disregarding journo pretense, though, this is really for anyone who likes their music sweeping, emotive and loud.
- Joe Rudkin
[Info Source]
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ART
Past-Forward
| when: |
Thursday 15 May (11am–3pm)
More times»
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| where: |
Project Space 176 (176 Prince of Wales Road, NW5, 020.7428.8940) Tube: Chalk Farm
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| price: |
£5 |
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French curator Vincent Honoré's exhibition at this fabulous NW5 art space explores conceptual art and manipulated media. Past-Forward features two specially commissioned pieces: one by German artist Claudia Wieser, who works principally with photocopied material, and one from Florian Slotawa, who created a fresco in the gallery. UK artists on display include Bethan Huws, best known for The Chocolate Bar, her 2006 short-film collaboration with actor (and Sienna Miller beau) Rhys Ifans; London-based Damien Roach, who works with found objects; and photographer Walead Beshty.
- Lucy Davies
[Info Source]
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ART: Multimedia
Laura Buckley & Alexis Harding
| when: |
Thursday 15 May (noon–5pm)
More times»
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| where: |
Bruuns Bazaar (48 Albemarle Street, W1) Tube: Green Park, Piccadilly Circus
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| price: |
FREE |
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Laura Buckley and Alexis Harding's collection reduces the boundaries between art and artifice, between media and space. Respectively producing video installation and the more traditional media of painting and sculpture, Buckley and Harding push these elements to new levels. Harding's paintings nearly take on sculptural forms as paint dribbles off the canvas onto the floor, and Buckley's multimedia projections examine the close boundary between studio effects and real-life performance. These two budding artists question accepted norms surrounding the artistic process by misappropriating their own means of creation.
- Oliver Spall
[Info Source]
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More Flavor |
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Editors
MANAGING EDITOR
Kieran Wyatt
DEPUTY EDITOR
Joe Rudkin
PRODUCTION EDITOR
Chelsea Bauch
SENIOR EDITORS
Anna Balkrishna
Doug Levy
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Lucy Davies
Natalie Liechti
Helen Holtom
Graziela Pancheri
Andrew Phillips
Lisa Rosman
Oliver Spall
IMAGE EDITORS
Adda Birnir
Sarah Steele
PUBLISHERS
Sascha Lewis
Mark Mangan
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About Us
FLAVORPILL LONDON
All events featured on Flavorpill LDN are pure editorial — we never accept paid promotions or advertisements. If you know about an upcoming event that you think should be covered in Flavorpill LDN, email us a press release at london_events at least two weeks prior to the event and we'll consider it.
To learn more about our staff and policies, see the credits and about us pages. If you'd like to respond to our editors about a listing published here, or have a general inquiry, please email london_feedback.
MORE PUBLICATIONS
Flavorpill publishes a series of email magazines, covering ART, BOOKS, NEWS, MUSIC and cultural events in five other cities — NEW YORK, SAN FRANCISCO, LOS ANGELES, CHICAGO and MIAMI. Coming soon: STYLE/DESIGN and FILM. Subscribe now.
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