Essential free iPhone apps for people who actually live in London

Everything that you need to know about this story is in the headline. Further, these are apps that not only are free, but are at least as good as a paid version.

You’ll notice that no media or music apps are listed—tastes vary too much, and you should really be getting your news from a website anyway.

Also, it’s not a slideshow. We promise.

Can a book save your life from a bullet? Let's find out

There are those that claim a book saved their lives. But they’re speaking metaphorically, right? Surely a book can’t physically save someone’s life, I mean, it couldn’t stop a bullet? Well those chaps at Electric Literature are taking this question very seriously and brought the big books of 2010 to a shooting range to find out.

David Mitchell’s The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet (480 pages) and Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom (562) are among the mammoth novels which find themselves in the firing line. Yet despite their hundreds of pages and thousands of words none are a fitting substitute for a flak jacket. They all get pulped.

Even the solid Kindle, which can hold up to 3,500 books, can’t halt a bullet. It may be the future of reading but it won’t save your life in fire fight. As the spokesman for Electric Literature, Tom Shillue, declares, the only consolation is you’ll die quickly.
So the advice is clear, don’t place a novel in your best pocket when visiting a bad neighbourhood, it won’t save your life.

Martin Creed

Turner Prize winning conceptual artist Martin Creed has released a video for his new song “THINKING / NOT THINKING”. Not only is it a music video, but it’s been numbered as “#1090” which, by the Creed system, also defines it as one of the artist’s works. The release of the single coincides with Creed’s forthcoming show, “Mothers”, at the new Hauser and Wirth space in Savile Row; Martin Creed will also play a gig at Café Oto in Dalston on March 2nd.

Snipe's Weekly Exhibition Guide: 17 - 23 January

Francesca Woodman – ‘From Space 2 Series Providence Rhodes’ Courtesy the artist and Victoria Miro Gallery

Figure Stuck, Stuck
Whitechapel Gallery, 77-82 Whitechapel High Street, Aldgate East, E1 7QX

For two nights only Dog Kennel Hill Projects present their innovative performance piece. A collaboration between modern dancers Henrietta Hale, Rachel Lopez de la Nieta and Ben Ask, Figure Stuck, Stuck was developed during the trio’s residency at the Gallery in November and was sprung to life by their shared interest in exploring new contexts for dance. Thursday 20 and 21 January, from 7pm. Tickets are available online.

www.whitechapel.org

London Art Fair
Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, Angel, N1

The London Art Fair presents an entire array of contemporary art-work taken from over a 100 galleries: from ‘Abstractcritical at Poussin’ to the ‘Zebra Gallery.’ Featuring work from leading figures to exciting emerging talent, the Fair also has solo and group shows in the Art Projects section where you will find galleries from across the world. Additionally Photo 50 is an entire showcase dedicated to contemporary photography. 19 – 23 January. For information on dates, times and tickets for London Art Fair 2011 click here.

www.londonartfair.co.uk

Francesca Woodman
Victoria Miro, 16 Wharf Road, Angel, N1 7RW

If you haven’t been to see Francesca Woodman’s exhibition yet, this week presents you with your last chance. Exploring but a snippet of the artists’ 800-strong archive, this retrospective encompasses 100 photographs that were taken between 1970 and the enigmatic artist’s death in 1981. Truly compelling, Woodman’s work often identified with the performative nature of photography, reflected in the blurred movement. Until 22 Jan.

www.victoria-miro.com

The Great Masturbator on Holiday
Gooden Gallery, 25A Vyner St, Cambridge Heath, E2 9DG

Neil Drabble explores his work through installation, sculpture, photography, performance and text. Dark and sinister, much of his surreal work draws obvious comparisons to Salvador Dali, from the title of the exhibition to the slightly disturbed imagery. Until 23 Jan.

www.goodengallery.com

Worst job in journalism is available: be the editor of Heat

Another year, another editor for heat magazine. An ad on journo jobsite Gorkana (some good stuff up on there now, incidentally, for you aspiring hacks…) went up on Friday seeking someone to take on one of the highest profile jobs in British journalism. A couple of editors have been and gone since the magazine’s great Arsene Wenger figure Mark Frith wound up his eight year stint in 2008 and upped stakes for Time Out. Are the glory days of celebrity saturated news well and truly behind us, or is there still a public appetite for gawping at sweat marks on ITV2 presenters’ dresses? We do have one helpful suggestion for whoever gets the gig: please capitalise that initial “h”. We’re in a recession now, this is no time to be pissing about with silly grammar.

Former Hefner Darren Hayman is recording a song a day, every day

Former Hefner mastermind Darren Hayman is currently halfway through his ‘January Songs’ project, an ambitious plan to record, write and release a new song everyday throughout January A man of lesser talents may have found such an undertaking daunting, not so our Darren, who, along with an array of collaborators has so far managed to be both prolific and imaginative. Each song is briefly available as a free download, before going on sale via Bandcamp. Check out Hayman’s video diary on the January Songs blog. Indie national treasure status awaits.

Darren Hayman – My Bedroom by snipelondon

London agenda for Monday 17 January

1. Examine a living book telling the history and the day-to-day struggle of life on the streets at Street Stories [Le Cool]

2. Coen double bill, Blood Simple and The Big Lebowski, at Riverside [Le Cool]

3. Celebrate women poets at the Poetry Library [Run Riot]

4. Park your bike at the London Bridge Cycle Park [Tired of London]

Goodbye Capital Radio: London’s original radio station sheds its hometown image

Think it’s a bit early for your new year resolutions? London’s best-known radio station has already made its promise for 2011—to outgrow the Big Smoke, and to end 37 years of being solely associated with London.

Put the kettle on: City Hall would like protests to be a thing of the past

When protestors smashed their way into the Conservative Party headquarters in Central London last month the Police quickly admitted that they had been caught off guard. For weeks similar scenes of uprisings in Europe had filled the news but for some reason the British had convinced themselves that nothing on that scale would occur here.

This Week in Books: Jazz poetry to Bang Said The Gun

David Telford photo

Jazz Verse Jukebox – 7pm Sunday 16th
Held at the famous Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club, this night has been described as “the perfect jazz poetry party”. So if you like jazz and poetry and partying then I guess this one’s for you.
Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club, 47 Frith St, W1D 4HT. Tickets £7

Jawdance – 7.30pm Wednesday 19th
Watch as the jaws’ of novice and seasoned poet’s jig at this spoken word night. If you have a sudden poetic rush of blood to the head there’s always the open mic slot at the end of the night.
Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA. Free

Islington Poetry Workshop – 7.30pm Thursday 20th
If your friends and family are tired of reading your poetry, then head to this workshop to discuss your work with a supportive and friendly group.
FHPC, 12 Pine Grove, N4 3LL. Free

Bang Said the Gun – 8pm Thursday 20th
Bang Said the Gun grabs poetry by its shoulders and shakes it until dirty, funny words fall out. It’s a stand up poetry night for those who don’t like poetry.
The Roebuck, 50 Great Dover St, SE. Tickets £5