London Afrobeat Collective - Off the Chain
Ahead of their free entry gig at London's Southbank Centre this Friday, London Afrobeat Collective spill the beans on their latest release Food Chain. After solidly cooking up a storm amongst London's...
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Charlie Dore Comes Full Circle
Charlie Dore, singer, songwriter, actress and multi-instrumentalist, brings her tour (in support of Milk Roulette, her most recent album) to The Pheasantry, King's Road, on Wednesday 17th June. It's a...
View ArticleYou Are Dead: Peter James' Latest Blockbuster
Drat! He's done it again. But how? You Are Dead, the best-selling author Peter James' 11th annual offering about a fictional British detective, Roy Grace, may just be his best yet. Well, his publishers...
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The Pleasure and Pain of Shoes Examined at V&A
Shoes are a popular subject and it could have been so easy for the V&A to pull together a couple of hundred pairs of shoes, place them prettily and charge an admission fee for still, visitors...
View Article'Inspiring Birds' - A Beginners Guide to Birdsong
I've been living in the Oxfordshire countryside now for 10 years, surrounded by woodland on one side and open fields the other. These, apparently, are perfect 'birding' conditions. We have a resident...
View ArticleChristopher Lee (1922-2015)
Christopher Lee (1922-2015) Some years ago now, I forget how many, I was invited to present at the Sony Radio Awards; I forget to whom and for what. I remember being slightly irritated because it was...
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Film Reviews : West - Jurassic World - London Road - The Look of Silence -...
West (Westen), Christian Schwochow's insightful and powerful tale of one womans escape to the West - Jurassic World is an all claws and jaws fun adventure spectacle - London Road is an impressive,...
View Article'Violence and Son' at the Royal Court
Violence and Son, by Gary Owen, has given me 24 hours of full brain gymnastics. It turns up another secret or question or punch to the face every time it ticks back through my thoughts. Teach it in...
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The Best Children's Picture Books Summer 2015
The 5 Misfits by Beatrice Alemagna (Frances Lincoln, August) The 5 Misfits each have a physical or personality flaw, and their self-esteem is low. But when 'The Perfect One' arrives and announces how...
View Article3D is Ruining Movies for the Rest of Us
Ok. Own up. Who is it? Which of you is it that keeps buying tickets to watch films in 3D? There must be some of you out there that have been to see more than one movie with the added dimension, because...
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'Jihad': My Journey Into the Roots of Islamic Radicalism in Britain
I have watched the spread of violent extremism and jihadism across Europe and the UK with dismay, particularly given my history of experiencing threats, abuse and harassment by Muslim fanatics. This...
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Secret Cinema: Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Review
Image: Olivia Weetch Shuffling between an underground gambling den and a pair of wily Bedouin traders passing off prohibited booze as "potatoes", I'm confronted by a belligerent stormtrooper who wants...
View ArticleWelcome to Generic Park? - 'Jurassic World' Review
There's a scene in the original Jurassic Park when Samuel L Jackson decides to re-boot the eponymous complex's computer system. It takes place within a matter of seconds, but as any fan of the series...
View ArticleWho Am I Now, You Ask the Wardrobe Mirror?
Don't you just hate it when people seek to define you by your age, and even the latest kick in the face that life has just doled out? Just because I know my way around a computer (hey, I even mastered...
View Article5 Soundcloud Tracks Of The Week
@Stikmatik, one of North London's most prolific producers, describes his sound as a blend of "DnB, desi, Hip Hop, RnB, Folk, Grime and Dub all wrapped into a secret formula" He displays his...
View ArticleA New Hope for Traditional Cinema?
Apologies for the corny title. I promise I wasn't just struggling to think of a Star Warsy title. Although the Secret Cinema this year is titled 'The Empire Strikes Back', it's 1977's 'A New Hope' (the...
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Join the Race to Turn the Lights on in Africa
Akon Lighting Africa from David Monfort on Vimeo. You're probably reading this post on a computer or mobile device via a vibrant glow emitted by the screen. So readily available to many of us, light...
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Life In The Arts Lane - Week 106 - Buzz Buzz Buzz Go the Art Fairs
Buzz buzz buzz. The fairs are in full swing in London, The Olympia Fine Art and Antiques Fair opens on the 18th June and Masterpiece opens a few days later on the 24th. Like industrious worker bees...
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Fifteen Juggling Facts for World Juggling Day
(Image: D McPherson) Grab your balls, because this Saturday, June 20, is the 20th World Juggling Day. To celebrate here are 15 facts about juggling. 1 - The earliest depiction of juggling is painted...
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Review: Oresteia, Almeida Theatre 'Gripping, Relevant'
Greek tragedies are an unbelievably tough challenge for modern audiences - everything is literal, characters say what they mean, and the Gods are involved in everything. But these stories of revenge,...
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