Octagon Court - Esthar

Dear Music Fans Of London,
Your next obsession has arrived.
When you have finished watching this video and lost your heart entirely, you have an opportunity to go and be in the same room as them here.
Best Wishes,
Snipe.

05 Apr 2012

Dead fish in London's river Lea caused by pollution after a storm

Artists impression of a fatberg on the 4th plinth

London home owners, private renters and social renters 1961-2011

Lilo Evans and Tristan Stocks in the Mikado

Chart showing how Londoners get to work across inner and outer London

Chart showing how Londoners get to work by mode, 2011 data

Chart showing how the way Londoners get to work is changing over time

Map of empty homes or second homes in London

London borough population changes 2011-2012

Map of red kite sightings in London, May 2014

Artists impression of the "Teardrop", as seen from Ridley Rd, Dalston

Poster against Chatsworth Rd market in London

Tim Cresswell's poetry collection Soil, published by Penned in the Margins

New York chef slams London's food scene and refuses to order our burgers

New York chef April Bloomfield insults our honour in an interview with Food Republic. Has she never heard of kebab shops? She also claims New York is better than London for cocktails, bars, farmers markets and coffee. “If I’d go back I’d probably never order a burger in London,” she says. Ouch.

HT @young&foodish

05 Apr 2012

London agenda for Wednesday 4 April 2012

1. Visit XO, XOYO’s contemporary, cultural hub situated on the venue’s upper level, launching with iD Magazine’s Monthly Mixtape Party [Le Cool]

2. Watch a brand new play each night by Cartoon de Salvo and the Brighton band The Adventurists at Made Up [Run Riot]

3. Hear RPHN and MEGO at Power Lunches Dalston [Don’t Panic]

4. Watch a magic show at Wilton’s Music Hall [Ian Visits]

5. See the Arctic Convoys Exhibition [Tired of London]

04 Apr 2012

AU Mixtape

This fantastic mixtape came to us courtesy of the lovely people at Leaf Label. It’s by AU, creators of difficult-to-describe, post-everything, symphonic, kaliedoscopic music as heard on their mind-blowing 2008 album, “Verbs”. This mix features a characteristically diverse selection that goes from Blackalicious to Skeletons to David Thomas Broughton along the course it’s 19-track journey.

The new album, “Both Lights”, is out this week, and they play the Shacklewell Arms on April 25th.

AU’s Clown Egg Stew Mixtape March 2012 by The Leaf Label on Mixcloud

04 Apr 2012

Dude, where's my ergonomic touchscreen? Ashton Kutcher is the wrong man to play Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs was a genius in the tradition of great men who have irrevocably changed the world. Is Ashton Kutcher the actor to capture that? Nope, says Mike Bonnet.

04 Apr 2012

Annoying habits of Londoners #6: Finding people dry

I don’t know when “dry” became synonymous with “boring” in contemporary London speak. No doubt it’s dry to even ask. But by the time I pitched up in 2008 the usage was well established.

There is no greater insult on the city’s twentysomething social circuit. By all means be rude, be stupid, be selfish, be sick. Be obnoxious, uncaring, unreliable and insincere. These sins are entertaining, and so forgiven. But if you’re dry? Ugh. Do you have to come?

Dull people are dull, you might say. And who likes that?* But dryness is typically not a judgement on a person’s conversational skills, interests or manner, but on their difference from the judges. Finding people dry is a way of asserting the primacy of your tastes at the expense of other points of view. Don’t share my music/clubs/jokes/drinking habits/fashion? There must be something wrong with you – oh yeah, YOU’RE DRY.

The dry can remoisten, but only by jumping into the river of conformism. Then they swell up like a sponge and are welcomed back with open, sopping wet arms. Perhaps it’s better on the bank. You’re nice and dry there, after all.

*I accept that some people you meet really are boring. I mean really. But “finding people dry” is a more loaded phenomenon.

She Said by The Shutes

Our obsession with this Isle of Wight four-piece is steadily reaching fever pitch. Finally … potentially … possibly we may have stumbled across a British guitar band to truly believe in. We heart The Shutes.

03 Apr 2012

FIELDS this Thursday

London’s best new club night FIELDS hosts it’s third party this Thursday at Electrowerkz with an epic lineup that includes performances from Ghosting Season, Raffertie and The Slow Revolt.

Vaetxh is latest lineup addition, responsible for, amongst other things, the “Boots and Cats” novelty dance record that’s gone a bit virulent recently.

DJ regular Max Cooper take a break this month, but check out the video below for an idea of what to expect from the assorted name DJs.

Tickets are on sale here.

03 Apr 2012

London agenda for Tuesday 3 April

1. Paint nude models with chocolate, if we’re reading this right [Run Riot]

2. Hear the sublime Low at the Royal Festival Hall [Don’t Panic]

3. Time Out says to see Damien Hirst. But they also say Mad Men is on tonight. This is worth £3? [Time Out]

4. Oh yeah, it’s Trees in the Religions of Early Medieval England [Ian Visits]

5. Book a ticket for the Theatre Royal Stratford East [Tired of London]

03 Apr 2012

The five worst ideas in the UKIP London elections manifesto

1. Impose a levy of 25p on all overseas visitors to raise money for the restoration of Big Ben.

How, why, when, where, and above all how will this be collected? At the airport? What tourists are going to have 25p in change on them at the airport? And what about those who drive/train/swim over, what about them? Does this include business visitors? What if they decide to make a weekend of it? How can this possibly be done?

2. Cut rates for local businesses employing local people.
What counts as a local business, and who counts as a local person?

3. Change operating procedures in the Met to support an easy system for people to effect Citizens’ Arrests for vagrancy, drunkenness, vandalism, weapons, low-level disorder, thieving, shoplifting etc. to help improve Met clear-up rates.
“You sir, are naught but a filthy vagrant. I shall arrest thee forthwith.”

4. 20 minutes free parking across London.
Why incentivise driving?

5. Stop spending public money on public sculpture when pensioners can’t afford heating.
I like this one. Burn the sculptures for fuel!

Here are a couple of ideas worth having a debate over:

1. 70-minute multiple bus journey tickets
Brian Paddick has proposed something similar, it’s attractive for a number of reasons, but I’ve yet to see a costing.

2. Cut Council waiting lists in half by filling empty properties from a central register and prioritising the needs of long-term Londoners.
Housing is long term problem number one for the city. Could more central direction help? Or are councils best placed to administer it locally? I don’t know, but it’s an argument worth having.

Here is the manifesto (PDF). And here is the campaign website.

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