Bored of Brighton

Today's idea - Christopher Guild (piano) "Off the beaten track"

2010-07-02T04:55:00.000-07:00

Tonight we like the sound of some little heard and somewhat neglected gems of the piano repertoire alongside masterpieces of the musical canon with a few surprised on the way! There'll be works by Respighi and John White alongside Shostakovich's '10 Aphorisms', Beethoven's Appassionato Sonata and Chopin's 4th Ballad with food and wine. For classical music lovers or anyone who wants a low-cost delve into a live performance of the genre, this sounds good.

Time: 7.30pm
Cost: £4/6
Map: here
Location: St Luke's Church, Queens Park Terrace
More information: here

Today's idea - The Basement presents Quantick, AND Lighthouse's First Monthly Media Talk

2010-07-01T05:18:00.001-07:00

Today TWO fantastic sounding events are taking place. We recommend both wholeheartedly.

The Basement opens their doors to the author behind Brass Eye, the Day Today, and Charlie Brooker's Screen Wipe as he delves into his musical side, showing his face as the songwriter behind the legendary Ian Dury & the Blockheads. Tonight he performs in the Basement's artily titled 'The Space' alongside the Blockhead's Chaz Jankel, and will also provide a brilliant short set. If you don't know who he is, we recommend finding out more about the pop culture critic and finding him on Twitter @quaintick.

Cost: £7.50, £5 concessions
Time: Doors 7:30
Event information: here

SECONDLY, The Lighthouse is launching a Monthly Talks Programme to focus on moving image and digital art, with talks from some brilliant bigwigs from the BFI and art directors. Today's sounds well worth a visit as they invite filmmakers Semiconductor along who have just ended a NASA residency. If you're interested in video, sound and digital animation with a bit of a science spin, this is your thing.

More info: here
Time: Doors 6:30pm, 7pm start
Cost: £3
Tickets: here
Facebook event: here
Twitter: @lighthousearts

Today's idea - Canary, at the Theatre Royal

2010-06-29T06:49:00.000-07:00

Today, drama!

"In 1960's Liverpool Tom and Billy hide in the closet, then go their separate ways. As pits close and the dole queues grow, Mikey and Russell escape to find Heaven in 1980's London. But today the paparazzi turn judge and jury over a love story that could tear this family apart. And then there's Ellie, who's lost up a mountain with a vicar.

A deeply moving, funny, uplifting and often magical story about love, honesty and being brave enough to sing out at the top of your voice. With style.

Written by the multi award-winning Jonathon Harvey (Beautiful Thing, Gimme Gimme Gimme, Hushabye Mountain and Coronation Street) and directed by Hettie MacDonald who once again collaborates with Jonathon having directed both the original stage and film versions of his glorious Beautiful Thing. A stellar cast includes Paula Wilcox (Man about the House, The Smoking Room, Emmerdale) and Sean Gallagher (Linda Green, Heartbeat, Coronation Street).

A powerhouse of touring theatre, ETT stages thrilling and ambitious theatre that is vigorous, popular and entertaining. Following their triumphant production of Roger McGough's The Hypochondriac at Theatre Royal Brighton in 2009, ETT again joins forces with Liverpool's Everyman and Playhouse theatres."

It's a new play at the Theatre Royal. Bored of Brighton would quite like to go to see this - we think it sounds very good! It's by Jonathon Harvey, directed by Hettie MacDonald. Find out more information here. It's between £15-£28 depending on whether you're a student, your seat, and other things like that. We apologise for a bit of a PR copy today, Bored of Brighton's real-world meetings have overflowed.

Today's idea - Tea Dance Ballroom Workshop

2010-06-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

The Dome is often putting on tea party style events, and today's is a tea-party in training. In a dance workshop, you can expect to learn all the moves from the cha-cha-cha to slow waltzes under the professional eye of teacher Carola. For a more professional lesson in Brighton it's incredibly cheap, and you'll be able to continue throughout the number of Brighton dance venues that are dotted about town with weekly classes and freestyles. It's designed for all abilities, so don't be shy. Come with or without a partner and be frequently paired up, for £8 a single, and £15 for a couple.

Find more information here. Now, get your dancing shoes on.

Tea dance photo courtesy of Brigate.com.

Today's idea - Brighton Lions and Pavilion Gardens Cafe Charity Fun Day

2010-06-27T04:37:00.000-07:00

A fun and slightly quaint fundraiser in the sun is taking place today in the Pavilion Gardens. With a giant mix of Face painting, a Tombola, pig racing, stalls and games, cartoon caricatures and silent auctions, there'll also be live jazz and the Hangleton Brass Band. We love this and are excited about feeling about ten years old again to the sound of nice jolly music whilst sitting in the gorgeous Pavilion Lawn surrounded by bright flowers with the sun beaming. Perfect summer things.

It's in aid of the Downs View School, and we recommend you get yourself there in between the midst of shopping or sunny frolicking. What else are you up to today?

Time: 12-5pm
Cost: Free
Location: Pavilion Lawn
Map: here

Images via Cassia and Captain Bonobo on Flickr. Gorgeous, aren't they?

Today's idea - The Garden Gadabout

2010-06-26T04:40:00.000-07:00

This weekend and the next sees a Garden-style version of the Open Houses event take place with a city-wide trail extending all the way to Lewes. Instead of houses and artwork, today over 60 beautiful private garden and community spaces open their gates for this year's Sussex Beacon Garden Gadabout.

Coming into its 16th year gardens throughout Brighton are open to the public to nose about shady nooks, suntraps, blossoming dustbins, shed roofs spouting vegetables, overflowing allotments and our topical favourite; community gardens. This includes tours through the atmospheric Monks House and the Royal Pavilion Gardens.

Most are littered with cakes and teas and sweet things, and we love the sound of this in the sunshine. We love the sound of a couple of places on Richmond Road, for starters - and the Sussex Beacon, sponsors of the event, is worth a pop into - not only for the garden but for a look around the volunteer-organised centre helping people living with HIV which is putting on a couple of nice tombola-esque events.

Running until 3rd & 4th July.
Time: Most open 11am-6pm
Information: www.gardengadabout.org.uk
Download the guide: here
Cost: £2 a house, or £7 for a daily ticket
Get tickets: Dome box office on 01273 709709 or www.brightonticketshop.com

Today's idea - Reeling: new theatre at the Brighton Dome

2010-06-24T05:03:00.000-07:00

Today we like the sound of four new plays coming to the Brighton Dome. Today is the third in the series, seeing Artists Development come to the stage with Reeling on show tonight. Tonight, the story of Mabel Menzies, "an Austrian child star who suddenly disappears and Lenny Fyler the TV researchers assigned to find our why." Good old detective business in this modern production, which sees the best of theatre development come to the stage. It sounds good, and as part of the Arts Council England, perhaps a little surprising.

The unabridged plot is thus:

"Mabel Menzies had been an Austrian child star who made a faltering transition into British films as a young adult. She suddenly 'disappeared'. Lenny Fyler, a TV researcher, is assigned to find out why."

It's only £10 with £8 for concessions, and worth a good visit we reckon, with the Dome as perhaps a more surefire bet that you'll see the better of new talent. (Written by Jeff Thomson, directed by Roland Jaquarello, with a good cast of: Elizabeth Counsell, June Watson, Jenny Funnell, Marcus Hutton & Jos Vantyler.)

Continues until Sunday 4th July
Website: here
Cost: £10 (£8 concessions)
Tme: 8pm with doors at 7.15pm.
Location: Brighton Dome
Book:

Today's idea - Drop in Spinning Classes for Bike Week

2010-06-23T04:58:00.000-07:00

Today sees another event for Brighton Bike Week follow the London to Brighton bike ride for anyone feeling brave. They've got a number of pretty cool music and film-related events going on with melting Vinyl and with the Duke of York's Cinema. Today though, the focus is a bit more sports-related. Spinning Classes (as seen in Gyms, and on the Simpsons) are a form of exercise we've been curious about for a bit but sound slightly like military training. Essentially the premise is lots of fast peddling in a giant circle. So today, if you're interested in extreme work outs, meeting new healthy types, or just feeling brave, there's drop-in taster sessions taking place down by the bandstand. (img via microabi)

Pop down for 10-15 minute drop in sessions outdoors on the bandstand. It's all taking part from 6-7.15pm - and don't forget to wear appropriate clothing!

More info: here
Cost: Free
Time: 6-7.15pm
Location: Brighton Band Stand

Today's idea - Pop culture meets economics with Superfreakonomics Live

2010-06-22T07:39:00.000-07:00

Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt are the author behind Freakonomics, the giant pop culture meets economics book from last year. It's sold massively around the world, and dives off into a world of topics not normally looked at by economists.

Can we stop global warming with a hose pipe? They look at topics from 'Information control as applied to the Ku Klux Klan and real-estate agents' to 'The economics of drug dealing, including the surprisingly low earnings and abject working conditions of crack cocaine dealers.'

Unsurprisingly, it's pretty fascinating and 4 million people thought so too, buying the book. Today it comes to stage for the first time ever "in a bold, hilarious and entertaining evening. With super smart thinking and great storytelling SUPERFREAKONOMICS LIVE! challenges the way we think explores how people respond to incentives and show the world for what it really is.. super freaky."

'A humdinger of a book: page-turning, politically incorrect and ever-so-slightly intoxicating, like a large swig of tequila' - Times

There's a pretty good video about it all, if you can deal with the shiny ABC foreheads. It's definitely worth a watch.

Time: 8pm, doors at 7.15pm
Cost: £12.50, £10 concessions
Location: Brighton Dome

Today's idea - Bobby McGees + Special Guests, by TURDS

2010-06-21T09:04:00.000-07:00

Tonight for Ukulele fans comes a special show from The Ukulele Research and Development Society (T.U.R.D.S). They are, we suspect, less scientific than the name suggests. This evening they'll be presenting Brighton's own Bobby McGees + Special Guests, with open mic slots available until 9.15pm, "this promises to be a night to remember."

Bored of Brighton is has been having a bash at learning the Ukuele and is quite excited by this prospect. It's all a bit fun and if you're not convinced by the lovely above image, we recommend you check out a brilliant MGMT cover by the Ookes of Hazard.

Time: 7:30pm
Cost: £2/free to performers (slots will be limited to arrive early to avoid disappointment)
Location: Latest Music Bar

Today's idea - The Finishing line: London to Brighton Bike Ride

2010-06-20T05:07:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen or heard the stream of cyclists rushing into Brighton today, head to Madeira drive to catch the culmination of the London to Brighton bike ride. Essentially the Marathon on bikes (and in another direction), 27,000 people will be streaming into the city on two wheeled contraptions in today's yearly 56 mile mission from London to Brighton, all in aid of the British Heart Foundation.

The route sees enthusiasts assemble in the depths of London in the early hours of the morning, disperse into thick crowds of cyclists, finally spreading out as the route takes them nearer the coasts towards the tiring Devil's Dyke. It's lovely to watch everyone streaming down Lewes Road, towards the Pier and diving round to the finish line in front of the sea (and there's always some interesting costumes on bikes; remembering the arrival of

2010-06-18T05:07:00.000-07:00

Today we're excited about Quarter to Five Artists, an exhibition in Brighton which sees five artists create a two-week exhibition this summer at the seafront. They'll be presenting photography, paintings, ceramics and jewellery in a mix of surreal, natural, persian-inspired and antique art under one roof. There's also a side of occasional side of dead sea animal, but before we scare you off, it's only a small part. They've been showing off at the Artist's Open Houses and festivals, and now come to spend their two weeks at the Brighton Fishing Quarter Gallery (a place nicer than it sounds).

A description:

Miss Aniela's (Natalie Dybisz) high-impact, often surreal photographs are all self-portraits. Self-taught in photography, Miss Aniela's work has been exhibited in one-woman shows, and alongside other key emerging artists, in fairs in London, Madrid and Buenos Aires, and the cover of American Photo last year.

Nikki Black is a painter whose work is inspired by Persian rugs, Mayan ruins and Indian American patterns, painted using acrylics on texturised canvas. Nikki has regularly exhibited her work in Open Houses and festivals in Brighton.

Ceramicist Jessica Jordan's work is inspired by natural forms, found objects, and the natural erosion of surfaces. She produces vessels, wall pieces, jewellery and garden sculptures using the traditional form of hand-building, believing her work to blur the boundary between 'art' and 'craft'.

Peter Gosbe's jewellery is most definitely unique. Composed from antiques and sometimes found dead sea animals, his art becomes objects of curiosity, weaving the macabre and the scientific; the mechanical and the talismanic.

Ruth Schmidt uses photography to explore natural structures and textures, often abstracting the subject matter from a recognisable context. Her objective being to promote the 'art of looking closer' to enable us to question exactly what it is we are seeing. Ruth works with slide film, producing photos with no digital manipulation, presenting her scenes 'as nature intended'."

It sounds worth a good look, and Bored of Brighton will be taking along their adventurous and keen faces at the weekend.

Running until 29th June
Cost: Free
Times: Running during the day (assuming 10am-5.30pm)
Map: here
Location: Fishing Quarter Gallery, Fishing Museum, 201 Kings Road

Today's idea - Bad Science

2010-06-17T04:27:00.001-07:00

Tonight comes a fantastic talk from University of Southampton lecturer Phil Uttley. Talks at the Latest MusicBar are lovely and more intimate than a regular lecture theatre. It covers a pretty relevant topic of how the media covers new and as titled, 'bad science'. It sounds completely great, and involves no chalkboards.

"One of the most important things science has given us is the scientific method itself, which since its first rigorous application in the 16th and 17th centuries has pushed our understanding of the universe and our place in it to previously unimaginable levels. And yet, the majority of the population are completely unaware of these simple principles which underpin human progress. Much of this ignorance is down to the bad reporting and presentation of science by the media, which tends to portray science as arcane information handed down from on high, not a path to knowledge which most people can tread. At worst, the media actively pushes stories as `science’ when they are really based on pseudoscience or a basic misinterpretation of scientific data.

In this talk, I’ll use examples from science and the media to take a look at some aspects of the scientific method, how we can use them to make sense of the world, and show how without them, we can all be led astray. We’ll see how our unscientific ways of thinking may have been useful in the past when we lived as hunter-gatherers, but are really holding us back today. On the way we’ll look at cloud-creatures and nun-buns, the connection between superstitious pigeons and stock-market analysts, and I’ll also point the finger at some less-than-obvious culprits in the bad-science wars. Most importantly, I want to show how the scientific method is relevant to our daily lives and not just the classroom or laboratory."

It begins at 7:30 with free entry - but have change for a collection to cover costs if you're a kind type. Great talk on a cool topic, by a bar. Wholeheartedly recommended.

Website: here
img via: here

Today - Byrne, Koons, Coppola and others do illy expresso art

2010-06-16T05:16:00.000-07:00

Today Strada, in a great sounding event - surprisingly stemming from a PR stunt. A brilliant collection of artists including Jeff Koons, Robert Rauschenberg and Marina Abramovic have been rounded up to design their own expresso coffee cups, in "Strada presents the illy Art Collection”. 286 designs have been created not only by artists but by film makers, creative types, and a couple of famous faces with contributions from Francis Ford Coppola, David Byrne, Federico Fellini and Pedro Almódovar sounding worth a look.

"The Collection though is not just about ‘famous names’. Over the past 20 years illy has also collaborated with lesser known artists and students from all over the world to give them an opportunity to express themselves through its porcelain cups."

Essentially it revolves around illy's redesign of its expresso cup in 1990 and now, 20 years later, they're a bit pleased and are pulling in famous names to bring their interpretation to this event.

"The illy Art Collection began when the company changed the design of its espresso cup in 1990. Ernesto Illy wanted to create a new, exclusively shaped, cup that could also stand on its own as a work of art. He contacted the designer and architect Matteo Thun to design it and the "illy" espresso cup, as a signature piece, was born. Twenty years on and the exclusively shaped cup is now used in more than 50,000 of the best restaurants and coffee bars in the world, including Strada in Brighton."

This bring us to present, and Strada have got involved and will be host of the exhibition. Some rare designs from Thun in 1990 reach up to £2,500 in auction, so it's a pretty cool thing to be lurking about in the local coffee house.

“Strada presents the illy Art Collection” runs from 16th - 29th June 2010

Times: Open 7 days a week from 11.30 am-10.30 pm and is free of charge.
Location: Strada, 3 The Waterfront, Brighton Marina, Brighton, BN2 5WA.
Map: here
Website: strada.co.uk

Today's idea - Oscar Wilde's Salome at the Theatre Royal

2010-06-15T04:13:00.000-07:00

Today the Theatre Royale brings Oscar Wilde's Salome to life. In keeping with Wilde's dramatic writing, "Salome is a lyrical yet shocking piece of storytelling from one of the greatest writers of the last two hundred years. It is fragile, savage and shimmeringly beautiful, rendered exquisite poetry and unforgettable theatrical images. Headlong and Curve Theatre, Leicester present a vivid contemporary production of this rarely-seen masterpiece."

The plot is thus:

"The brutal power of ancient myth collides with twentieth century decadence in Oscar Wilde's dazzling verse tragedy. Salome, stepdaughter of King Herod, agrees to perform the mysterious dance of the seven veils but demands in return the head of the King's most influential prisoner - John the Baptist."

It comes from director Jamie Lloyd, one of the most critically acclaimed young directors in British theatres, and is performed by Headlong, a fantastic and innovative theatre companies at the moment. The Theatre Royal's responsible for a brilliant standard of production, and this sounds to be no exception.

It's running until 29th June.
Time: 7:45pm (Thurs and Sat matinee 2:30pm)
Website & tickets: here
Cost: £14-28
Map: here

Today's idea - Unite Brighton Exhibition

2010-06-14T05:07:00.001-07:00

Today we recommend a fundraising exhibition from Brighton and Hove artists in aid of a better future for Haiti. Today and until June the 30th artists Mandeep Birdy, Angela Huang, Felix Kunza, Steve Yeats and others will exhibit work in support of a volunteer-supported orphanage called 'The Future of Haiti'.

Taking in as many of the 70,000 children with no home or parents as they can, they provide shelter, clothing, education and comprehensive medical care. The orphanage was built following the disaster to reshape and help young lives.

So, in the tradition of good old British support, 'Unite Brighton' brings together local schools, artists, businesses, and more. With the Umi Hotel opening its doors as a supporting exhibition space, work comes not only from fully fledged artists but also from the local community. A large 50-canvas mosaic painted by local school children will be on display during June from a mass of schools around Brighton and others, to raise money toward The Future of Haiti cause.

Pop down, add a couple of coins to the Giant 'Unite Brighton' piggy bank in reception, and have a good old mosey around the art.

Running until June 30th.
Location: Umi Hotel
Time: Daytime (10am-6pm at a guess - for clarification call: 07929 979 073)
Map: here

Today's idea - Touch Art Touching You: BlindArt for the senses

2010-06-13T02:00:00.000-07:00

Touching Art Touching You isn't just an Abba-pun, it's a good exhibition currently going on at Hove Museum & Art Gallery. It sees a break-down of traditional barriers by actively encouraging visitors to experience and explore art through touch and other senses.

"The experience challenges the notion that sight is essential for creating and enjoying exceptional art. The exhibition includes paintings, sculptures and installations, including sound, drawn from the permanent collection of BlindArt. This comes from not only visually impaired artists but also sighted artists, and challenges the public to tell the difference."

All works in this exhibition are made accessible to a diverse audience through touch, audio description, large print and Braille labels. It sounds lovely: the curiosity of what differs between partially sighted and sighted artists, and what it's actually like: I've never seen anything quite like it and will be going to see it at the weekend.

It's running until 5th September 2010.
Cost: Free
Time: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10am-5pm; Sunday 2-5pm
Website: here
Location: Hove museum & Art Gallery
Map: here

Today's idea - Brighton Fashion Week's Couture Show

2010-06-11T05:33:00.000-07:00

This week sees Brighton Fashion Week take place until Sunday. It launched at an exclusive event (as all good things must) on Wednesday, and this week's seeing a lot of shows and events take place - most of which are quite helpfully open to the public. Tonight's even is a brilliant Couture Show taking place at the Brighton Corn Exchange, "showcasing innovation". (They've also got cheaper events taking place at the weekend if you're looking for something accessibly cheaper, where I very excited about this girly attire.)

"A highly innovative, visually arresting show featuring cutting-edge pieces and luxurious evening wear from up and coming designers including Andrew Bannister and internationally renowned designers. A must-see at Brighton Fashion Week, this show will be the spectacular climax of Brighton Fashion Week."

ALSO! Win a £200 Warehouse shopping spree in their fab competition:

"In order to bag this beaut of a prize, all you need to do is email your full name to competitions@brightonfashionweek.com with WAREHOUSE in the subject. The winner will be announced on our website on Saturday 12th June."

Find out more here

It's exciting: we have a lot of cultured things come to Brighton, but with London generally stealing the limelight with fashion from St Martins to serious designers, it's good to have this extend to Brighton - and the team behind it have worked incredibly hard.

Time: 8pm
Location: Brighton Corn Exhchange
Cost: £16, £14 with NUS
Tickets: here
Website: BrightonFashionWeek.co.uk
Facebook page: here
Twitter: @Bfw2010

Today's idea - Ariel Pink at the Freebutt

2010-06-10T02:00:00.000-07:00

Today's idea is Resident's gig of the week, and they're very excited about this low fi artist. Ariel Pink (Ariel Marcus Rosenburg) was signed up by Animal Collective after a rogue CD-R listening with "holy shit!" style reactions, and was speedily added as the first signed artist. Presented by Brassneck, he brings Haunted Graffiti in a return to Brighton before embarking on an incredibly intense world tour with one gig every day as he hops around the UK, Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Berlin, and USA

"Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti @ Freebutt - Thursday 10th June Mr Rosenberg is going home with all the glory this week… AOTW & GOTW! It seems the world has finally caught up with his way of thinking & he can be considered one of the godfathers of the current crop of underground pop acts that are variously described as chillwave etc etc. So his return to Brighton should be a triumphant affair & one we have all been looking forward to."

Find him on MySpace, Last.fm, and Facebook.

Location: here
Cost: £9 adv
Doors: 7.30pm.

Today's idea - Floetics and Facepaint

2010-06-09T04:45:00.000-07:00

Floetics excellent night of locally produced music, poetry, spoken word, drama and comedy return to night. They promise brilliant acts and lots of open mic slots, so if you're a budding wordsmith, this one's for you.

This month's is in aid of Brighton charity Hue Help and all funds raised will go straight towards furnishing a new orphanage in Hue Vietnam. The plan's too create a home for forty Vietnamese children - more info at Huehelp.org.uk

"There will be facepainting, coffee which = phwoar, colouring-in, and of course the inordinately anticipated and confundingly life-changing prize draw."

So, for a night of wordiness, expression, and happy locals, it sounds pretty good. They had us sold at colouring-in.

If you're interested in taking part, sign up on arrival (look for Jasmine).

Time: Doors at 8pm, starts at 8.30pm (until 10.30pm)
Cost: £3
Facebook event: here
Location: Redroaster Coffee House, St James Street

Today's idea - Museumaker's Black Butterflies at the Royal Pavilion

2010-06-08T02:00:00.000-07:00

Museumaker opens today. Artist Claire Twomey has ben commissioned to install 3,000 black ceramic butterflies in the Royal Pavilion for museumaker, spreading across the Banqueting Room, Great Kitchen and Entrance Hall, escaping throughout out other ground floor rooms.

The butterflies will cluster on the banqueting table, across window panes, in roof lights, on mantelpieces and other surfaces. Their sombre beauty will be a reflection on the excesses and frivolity of the past life of the Royal Pavilion.

Twomey is a ceramicist/artist who works with clay in large-scale installations, sculpture and site-specific works. Over the past 10 years she has exhibited at Tate, Victoria & Albert Museum, Crafts Council, and the Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto, Japan.

If you've never been the the Pavilion before this might be a great time to go, and I'm especially tempted towards it because it's been the fancy museums that I normally pop into and love.

Running until January 2011

Cost: £9.50 adults, £5.40 children, £7.50 students
Location: Royal Pavilion
Map: here

Today's idea - Hook, Line and Sinker

2010-06-06T03:17:00.000-07:00

Today Brighton University's art faculty displays an annual mass of over 500 graduating students' work, becoming the largest art gallery in the South East for a short time only! This year's show is titled Hook, Line and Sinker and will see over 15,000 visitors walk through the doors.

"Brighton is well known for its forward thinking and eclectic artistic talent; previous arts graduates include Turner prize-winning artists Rachel Whiteread and Keith Tyson. Fashion graduate and founder of the Biba label Barbara Hulanicki returned to Brighton last November to give a rare talk on her life as a legendary fashion designer. More recent fashion graduates have also embarked on successful careers since leaving Brighton. Julien MacDonald was voted British designer of the year in 2001, alongside Gresham Blake who has now become a tailor to the stars." - Rosie Rogers, Editor of the Verse

The Brighton University website does a nice summary of the 'best bits' of the show. Which is useful, but of course arguably unhelpful to other students:

"There are many student names worth remembering:
Steven Woodward, fashion with business student who was runner up at this year's Fashion Awareness Direct (FAD) competition had his work showcased as part of London Fashion Week. His designs were selected from more than 100 entrants in a competition described by Vogue.com as an 'undeniable springboard' for the next generation of talent.

Knitted textiles student Debbie Holman, who received a £2000 bursary from The Worshipful Company of Framework Knitters, will be displaying her clothing range, which is designed to help improve the quality of life for eczema sufferers. Debbie has worked with designers at Accessorize and her work has been sold in New York.
Also the recipient of a bursary from The Worshipful Company of Framework Knitters is knitted textiles student Sophie Penn. She will be exhibiting a range of work created as a result of her extensive research into the ways in which communication can be used in knitted textile design.

Textiles print student Laura Andrews, who has benefited from working in Ecuador, India and also at the design department of Accessorize, will be displaying her own range of fashion and textiles. With a great interest in fair trade, Laura is currently working as a designer for EcoChic, a company based in Hove, and she also contributes to the online magazine

Fine art print making student, Ania Zydron, jumped at the opportunity to take up a placement at the Nagoya University in Japan as part of her course. She had the opportunity to learn traditional Japanese woodcutting techniques and her exchange culminated in an international student exhibition." - Find more on the Brighton Uni Website

Rosie's written a brilliant write-up of the show, which we recommend checking out before you head out. It sounds brilliant - especially with the novelty as being the largest gallery in the south. There's also the History students whose show takes place at the Pavilion Parade, who always get a bit forgotten.

It's made up of a couple of 'exhibition within exhibitions' and you can find specific details of the Fine Art Printmaking and Lucid: the Photography Degree Show on Facebook. Lucid, very excitingly is off to FreeRange London this year which, having caught last year's, is brilliant.

Running until 10 June.
Time: 12 noon-6pm (find times for the entire week here)
Map: here
Cost: Free
Event Page: here

Today's idea - Brighton's Big Spoon & Handmade Brighton

2010-06-05T03:59:00.000-07:00

Two things today! Firstly at 1pm today Brighton's Big Spoon will be taking place: an attempt to have the biggest spoon with hundreds of people at the same time. There was a mention of the Guinness World Record chaps attending, but it's likely just for fun. Invite everyone you know, they ask - and you can find the facebook event page here.

Secondly Handmade Brighton's co-op shop on St james' Street is organising a craft fair "featuring the very best independent design makers from Brighton" at Komedia. The fair starts at 4pm with the promise of original artworks from the artists themselves along with "30 stalls of handmade items such as hand made books and self published zines, men's and women's fashion, acrylic and silver jewellery, limited edition screen prints, unique accessories" amongst the endless stream of things to look at, play with, and buy.

Catch it from 11am-4pm. It's free entry and good for an artsy poke around. Oh, and importantly they promise music, a fully stocked bar and refreshments. I'm sold.

Find it downstairs in Komedia and the Facebook event page here. More info here and you can find their blog here.

Have a lovely day.

Today's idea - Hove Champagne Festival

2010-06-04T02:00:00.000-07:00

Today is Hove champagne festival. The premise is is the potential of tasting over 50 of the best champagne houses and suppliers. Taking place on the Hove seafront between "the sparkling English Channel and the stunning Regency buildings" - otherwise known as lawns, but the setting should be pretty wonderful.

The day in the sunshine (we hope!) sees top local chefs serve up "glorious local Sussex fare" (om nomnom) including oysters and other local delicacies from Sevendials Restaurant, Riddle & Finns and Sam's of Brighton, live music, "indulgent shopping" and of course, the champagne.

Appearing in tasty sample-size form (that's 30ml) and buy the glass, you can try lots of champagnes and try you favourites (Bring cash they say!). Alcohol under the notion of tasting. Now you can out-posh your friends down the er.. local place of champagne consumption. However, it won't help you be able to counteract that chap who always rambles about his deep understanding of wine palettes.

It's running Friday 4th and Saturday 5th June, with Saturday split into morning and afternoon sessions.

Cost: £12
Location: Regency Hove Lawns
Further info: here
Tickets: here

Today's idea - Mystery Jets Pop Up Gig on the Pier!

2010-06-03T02:30:00.000-07:00

We accidentally listed this last week. It's TODAY though, so if you'd like to win two tickets for you and a friend, email boredofbrighton@gmail.com with your name! Winners will be picked by this afternoon and you'll be added to the Guestlist!

Without further ado, a description of tonight's brilliant event:

'First come first served' tonight as The Mystery Jets play a pop up show as part of the Chevrolet Spark Unscheduled Tour. The Mystery Jets pop in and around Brighton and tonight's somewhat exclusive (in grand terms) on the end of the Pier (sea-end) should be lovely. Yes yes, pop up's meant to have been done to death but this is a bit cool.

They'll be playing at Horatio;s Bar, "a traditional English pub with sea views like no other as it's at the end of the of Brighton Pier." Only 200 guests will be able to go to this and the event promises new swanky tracks from their third album. It sounds good even if solely for its pop-up novelty, and the band are rather lovely acoustically too (they did a nice stint in the Sussex Campus bar three years ago which was ace).

If you'd like to go (without entering our competition), you'll need to send off a quick 'get me in' type email here. You can find more info on Facebook and Twitter

All Free! Huzzah. Takes place at 7pm. If you want free guestlist entry on this exclusive gig, email boredofbrighton@gmail.com

Today's idea - Hammer and Tongue

2010-06-03T02:00:00.000-07:00

We recommend Hammer & Tongue's traditional poetry and open slam night. As eve hosted by Rosy Carrick and Mike Parker, the night is continually good for the best spoken word artists about the country. Tonight, they come to Brighton, having traveled about through Oxford, Camden, Cambridge, and Bristol - and they'll be heading to festivals this summer too.

The poetry/spoken word night pulls in diverse groups that the Sunday Times raves about with brilliance described as "wry controversy and sweet-natured sarcasm" says Danny Chivers.

If you'd like to take part in the "absolute sensation" (The Guardian) and sign up for the Open Slam, head down to Komedia at 7:30pm sharp. Unfortunately, tickets are on the door early so head down pronto to get them as the queue disappears halfway down the street as it gets later.

Location: Komedia
Time: 7:30pm
Cost: £5
Tickets: here

Today's idea - Two Spot Gobi at Komedia

2010-06-02T02:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a year since I last saw Two Spot Gobi play in Brighton and now they've moved up from Casablanca's to Komedia. "Fresh from recording and touring the USA with Jason Mraz, the energetic soul-pop group return to shake Komedia as part of their You Make It Easy single release tour."

Last.fm gushes their praise, praising the feel good factor they bring to shows, with a contagious energy bouncing around the stage and spilling into the audience, making people dance and smile. Yes, a bit cheesy but it sounds nice.

Have a listen on Myspace or last.fm and they bring support in the form of Frankie Young and Chukin.

You can find the even on Facebook, last.fm

Time: 7.30pm
Cost: £6
Location: Komedia
Tickets: here

Today's idea - Natty and Aruba Reda at Komedia

2010-06-01T02:00:00.000-07:00

Today, this should be very cool: North London's Natty (plus Aruba Red!) come to Komedia. Natty's spent his teen years producing hip-hop beats for local MCs and then leapt to engineering for the likes of Mos Def, Queen, and Razorlight.

This spawned a bit of free studio time, during which he's developed his own material. He's described as "Soaking up the sounds of artists including Neil Young, Fela Kuti and Bob Marley in his youth, this vast scope of influences can be heard within Natty's own compositions."

Expect an acoustic EP of songs merging reggae, afro-beat, folk, and soul. And expect it to be brilliant. My spotify's borked, so I'll point you at his Myspace for now.

Cost: £10
Time: 8pm
Location: Komedia
Tickets: here

Today's idea - 'Beyond Practice' Degree Show

2010-05-31T04:38:00.000-07:00

We're always banging on with praise about the latest Brighton Photography/Art/Digital production, but today we recommend Sussex's Media Practice and Theory Degree show which finishes Wednesday. It encompasses all the practical media courses (long list) and having seen some of the work, they're all really fantastic and I can't recommend them enough.

Made up of photography, screen drama, radio, digital media, and video documentary; I've had a peek at the trailer for one of the films, which acts as an indicator better than I can say.

I've had the pleasure this year of watching a couple of the projects come together and grow, and it's been a challenging sort of 'journey' and everyone's done fantastically. I've been in classes with a couple of the guys behind the excellent work, and it's sounded harrowing, rewarding and they've got no end of excitement for their projects. Especially Bob who shoots some of our gig photos and whose project sounds fantastically odd and wonderful. (Short plug over)

You can find the Facebook event here. I urge you to go. Sussex's main focus of academia is rooted mostly in books but when they do go practical, they do it brilliantly.

It's running until Wednesday June the 2nd, so I'm popping up to Falmer today before the week properly starts. It's open between 10am-5pm, and it's right by Stamner park which a gorgeous place for a walk.

Map: here

If you're hungering for more art after this, then perhaps check out Brighton's latest offering that we'll be featuring tomorrow (probably).

Today's idea - Japanese Street Festival

2010-05-30T04:29:00.000-07:00

Today Moshi Moshi creates another Japanese Festival, each of which I've really enjoyed so far. Today they're turning Bartholomew Square into "miniature Tokyo" which not only revolves around the eating and drinking of Japanese food and drink (both of which I, like many, am very good at) but also brings a couple of cultured bits along. Throughout the festival will be Japanese performances, free origami, calligraphy classes, and traditional Japanese games and events, with mentions about a theme focusing on 'the plight of the fish'.

"The whole of the square will be transformed into a miniature Tokyo, with street names and stalls selling Japanese goods and food."

It's lasting until bank holiday Monday tomorrow, and if you head there today you can catch some Taiko drumming at 2:30pm, but the entire event should be pretty lively throughout the day as they usually are. I think yesterday's may have shut down early from rain, but today is looking positively sunny (horray!) so everything should go without a hitch.

Running until May 31st.
Facebook event page:

2010-05-29T02:00:00.000-07:00

Today vintage pop up shop! I'm so easily sold on pop up stuff. Focusing on vinatge items Scarlett Rage and Oh So Retro proudly present their first ever Vintage Pop Up Show! There's not a mass of information on this one but: "We have something for the vintage vixens to the vintage virgins all at incredible prices!! Sick of seeing the same old vintage in the shops? Well come on in and get something one off and affordable!"

It sounds worth investigation and is on today until 6:30pm at 114 Church Street.

Map's here. Sorry we don't have much info on this, but Brighton's suddenly having a spate of popup ventures, and we for one are not discouraging it.

Today's idea - Watch the Royal Escape Boat Race launch from Brighton Pier

2010-05-27T22:45:00.000-07:00

Right, what with this being somewhat in the sea a lot of it may be out of sight but the starting point should be excellent so today we recommend the Royal Escape 2010. Essentially this means gorgeous views of lots of lovely little boats taking place in the largest offshore race on the South coast (that's not in the Solent). So it's not just Southampton that gets the fun.

It's all in celebration of the escape across the Channel of Charles II and starting from literally just off Brighton Pier on Madeira Drive, a giant mixed fleet will be starting their race of 67 miles here. Start on the Pier for a great view, wave flags - whatever's hip these days.

Illustrate picture of Charles II for you. Catch it at 8:00-8:20 which is terribly early but should be very pretty and won't be over immediately as they have to sail off into the distance.

Today's idea - A-B Exhibition at Boxbird

2010-05-26T02:00:00.000-07:00

Today Boxbird presents A-B Exhibition of contemporary printmaking and illustration "inspired by travel and foreign adventures. Last year's exhibition won the Argus Angel Award for Best Show in Festival.

This year's brings together 30 of "the most most exciting international designers to create a fresh and exciting exhibition jammed full of affordable prints and original art works by the likes of Graham Carter, Jon Burgerman, Lidia De Pedro and The Peepshow Illustration Collective. The exhibition will also showcase 10 new and emerging artists selected from over 120 applications to be part of A to B. This continues Boxbirdâ€™s commitment to support new and emerging artists, graduates and students by providing a first step into the commercial art industry with the support of the gallery owners Alice Teague & Illustrator Graham Carter."

It's running until Thursday 27th May as part of the the Brighton Fringe.

Time: 11am-5pmt
Location: Boxbird Gallery, 14 St John;s Road
Map: here

We're heading to this tonight: Quasi at the Freebutt

2010-05-25T07:19:00.001-07:00

Today, thanks to a bout of over-enthusiasm at Bored of Brighton Towers, we present a second suggestion for tonight's activity. Should you decide against tonight’s Eno show, we can also suggest an offering at the Freebutt which is that nicest of coincidences; a pair of local bands whose relative obscurity in no way implies that they are underwhelming, united with an international band of significant and deserved acclaim.

The local heroes are Bored of Brighton faves Foxes! (who play charming, high-spirited indie-pop which blends C86 jangle with ramshackle slacker-rock) and the recently relocated Hornblower Bros (whose equally ramshackle, equally exuberant pop recalls a meeting point betwixt The Coral and Half Man Half Biscuit). Both are worth the entry price either combined or individually – small, enthusiastic acts at least as good as more famous peers.

So make sure you get there early; missing either the onstage dynamism of the Hornblowers or the quirky, affectionate interplay of Foxes! would be a mistake. And if, like us, you’re a fan of wonderful and unlikely contrasts, make sure you appreciate the pleasure of watching Foxes!’s singing drummer, Kayla, whose loose, relaxed (and very effective )style is a perfect counterpoint to the experience of watching Quasi, the indie super-group headlining tonight.

Previously a two piece consisting of Portland legends Sam Coomes and Janet Weiss (who have between them played with the likes of Elliot Smith, Stephen Malkmus and, of course, Weiss’s old band Sleater Kinney), they have recently expanded to a three-piece and with the addition of Joanna Bolme, promise a night of forceful, noisy indie rock. The centrepiece is, of course, Weiss’s drumming. She’s a powerhouse – in my opinion the best, most interesting, drummer in alternative rock; combining an unbuttoned, unforced approach with tight, counter-instinctive precision. She makes any band she plays in at least 30% better – so given Quasi are already very good, you need to go.

The show is tonight at the Freebutt; doors open at 7.30 and it's £9.

Today's idea idea - Berlin Horse by Brian Eno and Malcolm Le Grice

2010-05-25T02:00:00.000-07:00

Today we recommend Brian Eno's Berlin Horse. His third exhibition piece for the Brighton Festival, Berlin Horse is based on two sequences - one shot originally in 8mm and re-filmed in 16mm - the other a piece of found early newsreel. Taking place at Lighthouse, Brian Eno creating the music and the film pieces by Malcolm Le Grice.

"The common subject is horses - a horse being exercised and horses being led from a burning stable. Le Grice made Berlin Horse in 1970, with both visual sequences being treated at the London Film Makers Cooperative.

The 8mm sequence was shot in the village of Berlin near Hamburg, northern Germany. It was re-filmed from the screen running the film at different speeds and directions and with the camera at different angles. Later it was re-coloured using theatrical lighting gelatins in the film-printer and subject to multiple superimposition. It was finally combined with early newsreel of horses being led from a burning barn. It is a poetic drama where the sequence of image transformations and the 'narratives' are integrated as the content."

Cost: Free
Time: Tue-Sun (closed Mon) 11am-6pm
Location: Lighthouse, 28 Kensington Street
Map: here

Today's idea - Mnich's Mix Festival Showcase

2010-05-24T15:20:00.001-07:00

Today's idea if posted late, but runs until May 25th. Mnich's Mix showcases work of twelve professional artists, and this year is its 10th. Made up of 6 Surrey and Sussex Guild artists, Jan Mnich's festival is filled with watercolours of colourful journeys of landscape, plants and architecture through the Mediterranean and Sussex coastlines.

This exhibition is a brilliant mix of disciplines and products with the best of creativity, style and art, so we are told. It all takes place in Rottingdean, just outside of Brighton. It's made up of:

JAN MNICH MA: Watercolours, Prints & Cards
GLENIS BOOTE: Jewellery
 PAULINE CROOK: Screen Printed Textiles
 PIERRE DIAMANTOPOULO ARBS: Sculpture  
JOHN EVANS: Raku Ceramics
 MICHELE FINDLAY: Ceramic Sculpture  
STUART JENKINS: Silversmith
 JESSICA JORDAN: Ceramics
 SARAH JOYCE: Glassmaker 
JOHN PLATER FSDC: Woodturner 
ANDREW PODER: Boxmaker
 LOUISE TURNER-CREASEY: Textile Accessories

Cost: free
Location: The Grange Museum & Art Gallery
Map: here

Today's idea - Free Circus Show and Django Spears

2010-05-23T06:19:00.000-07:00

Two free things today, both brilliant. If you're near the bandstand between 2-4pm we heartily recommend catching Django Spears busking for charity on Brighton Bandstand. They do lovely ska style versions of Mousse T's Horny. It's glorious. Facebook page's - picnic and dancing swimwear compulsory. A bit like Gogol Bordello.

The biggest thing today meanwhile is the circus: "It's circus, but not as you know it..." Yes, it's noisier for a start. No Fit State have been making noise and practicing for three or four days and tonight's their final and free performance to the public. We've heard a loud version of Popcorn and they've currently got FGhost Town on the go. Brilliant little live band with some sort giant double bass. Correct me if I'm wrong.

"NoFit State's mission is to become the circus everyone wants to join. Now with Park Life you can! Taking up a week-long residency on Brighton's Level, NoFit State circus company ditches the big top, rips up the rulebook and invites you to get involved. With a spectacular aerial circus playground and open house programme of taster sessions, rehearsals and workshops, NoFit State will be working with local artists and community groups to develop new acts and routines. From live music jams to bicycle ballets and displays of extreme sports - everything will be on show and up for grabs. Then, as the week draws to a close, all the elements come together in one largescale open-air circus performance in Park Life - The Finale on Sun 23 May at 9pm."

So, tonight - 9pm, at The Level, and it's free.

Today's idea - Red Mutha Children's Rave (and Jesus: The Guantanamo Years)

2010-05-22T03:03:00.000-07:00

If you're anywhere in the vicinity you'll have heard peculiar sounds from St Annes Well Gardens. Today, Red Mutha as part of the Brighton Festival are doing an "all afternoon, out in the open kids' rave." They'll have sets from top DJs for adults and kids to "have it large (or small)". Brilliant. It sounds very silly.

"Bring your picnic blanket and pitch up for the day. Get dressed up and you could win a prize or likewise if you bust a move better than anyone else!"

It's on from 12 (more like 11) until 5pm today and is completely free. You can find the event on Facebook. Find a map here

In other news, Jesus: The Guantanamo Years is great and it's the last night it'll be on at Upstairs at Three and Ten. Find more info here.

So that's day and nighttime sorted then. Soldout now!

Today's idea - Anagrams at the Prince Albert

2010-05-21T06:23:00.000-07:00

Today Anagrams, a Brighton-based band with lots of lovely reviews play in town at the Prince Albert before they head off to Somerset to play the Beekstock Festival later this year. Surprisingly unsigned, they're toted as much more than a demo band already and, if they continue in this way, could really take off. (-BBC South:Live) The Source, for one, loves them, calling them ""jaw-dropping" and "mind-blowing" and they've supported The Phantom Bnad, Wooden Shjips (brilliant at The FreeButt this month), The Joy Formidable and the Antlers.

"Rather intelligent, rather good alternative English indie rock, touches of Stone Roses in there with their falling Autumn Leaves, touches of lots of things actually, mostly about good songs and refined sounds, a band with a little more depth and a touch of indie rock class to them, lot of body and soul to their guitar rock.

They’re from Brighton and this early shot is well worth your time, sounds like someone should put this out as a single, they’re a little bit more than a demo band already, Saving Up is particularly good in a brooding broken hearted tearing up Elbow kind of way." - Organ Magazine

So, very good we conclude. For a listen find them on myspace or last.fm. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter @Anagrams_band. Find a nice video of them rehearsing and dancing here.

Tonight you can catch them at the Prince Albert where they're playing with 900 Spaces.

Find tickets here.
Time: 8pm
Location: 48 Trafalgar St
Map: here

Today's idea - Cinderella Project: Lucien

2010-05-20T06:21:00.000-07:00

Today we recommend the Cinderella Project: Lucien which sees brilliant Brighton artist Jake Spicer work with Sabotage theatre in "a combination of gripping audio drama, an interactive, site specific experience and the opportunity to witness live painting in an intimate and engaging setting."

"Imprisoned deep inside the industrial corridors of New England House is the Alchemist Painter, Lucien Yemie. A restricted number of spectators will be allowed to enter his chamber, listen to the stories ingrained in the art, and watch the painter at work.

This is the first in a series of Art/Theatre collaborative events entitled 'The Cinderella Project' discussing the nature of art, love and mortality. The Project seeks to bring together unique and challenging combinations of artistes to create original and unconventional work. Zöe Hinks, Artistic Director and Playwright for Sabotage Theatre Company, has followed the work of established painter and printmaker Jake Spicer since last June. They have been working together symbiotically to evolve a new way of exploring art and narrative.

The Project has spawned a love child; the mysterious and revolutionary Lucien Yemie. Lucien will be embodied by Jake Spicer, who will be painting live throughout the performance."

We're been interested in Jake Spicer's life drawing classes in Brighton for a while (more to come on these in future!) and he's been shortlisted for the AOH Best Artist Award in 2008 and won Fringe Report Artist of the Year in 2009. This year, working with Zöe Hinks, Artistic Director and Playwright for Sabotage Theatre Company, the exploration of art and narrative should be great. There's lots of good reviews:

“Sabotage Theatre are a young company worth your attention and Zoe Hinks is clearly a writer worth watching.”  ****Fringe Review on last year’s production of Ravens.

"This captivating play manages to make us question the meaning of longing and the abilities of love to overcome obstacles"  ****British Theatre Guide on ‘What all the Rabbits are Doing’

“From the haunting, relective. and mesmeric Portrait With Sewing machine to the silent mysterious In a Room With no door to his eloquent sketches: Jake Spicer creates worlds of mystery and delight.”  John Park Editor of Fringe Report on Jake Spicer’s Exhibition ‘Living in The House With No Door’

Cost: free (but tickets are limited so book early to avoid disappointment)
Time: There are 3 admittances a day between 15th to the 22nd May at 12.30pm, 7.30pm and 8.30pm. Audience meet 5 minutes before outside the main front door at
Location: New England House
Map: here

Today's idea - You Made me Gay

2010-05-19T05:17:00.001-07:00

Today we like the sound (and have been severely recommended) ‘You Make Me Gay’ - an exhibition of new works by Patrick O’Donnell. Bit of a press release today as have to dash to catch a couple of Brighton Festival bits!

'You Make Me Gay’ is an exhibition of personal icons painted by local artist Patrick O’Donnell. These are figures from his life who have influenced his gay identity. His subjects range from school friends who danced to Madonna with him in the playground, characters from 80s television programmes, figures from the music industry and performers from the Working Men’s Club circuit in Yorkshire where he grew up.

Showing at The Oriental in Brighton (formerly the Oriental Hotel) from 1 to 31 May, the show questions the notion of who a gay icon is. Do they have to be gay? Do they have to be real people or fictional characters?

O’Donnell says “Gay icons are usually famous people, whose iconic status is perpetuated by repeated exposure to carefully selected familiar images. My icons all have equal billing, regardless of media coverage and column inches. The act of painting each portrait has confirmed equal iconic status to each of my subjects and their actual level of fame becomes irrelevant. They are all famous to me. And they make me gay”

Running until 31 May
Cost: Free
Location: The Oriental Hotel
Map: here

Today's idea - Samuel Beckett's Endgame at @nvt_brighton #brightonfringe

2010-05-18T04:42:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen went around the country performing the sold out Waiting for Godot. Today another brilliant play by Samuel Beckett, the author behind 'Play' (which if you haven't seen I recommend ewatching the short film version starring starring Alan Rickman, Kristen Scott Thomas and Juliet Stevenson. it's very good.) comes to Brighton with "Endgame' as part of the Brighton Fringe.

"Hamm, blind and chair-bound, is attended to by the stiff and dutiful Clov. Hamm's parents, Nagg & Nell, legless from a bicycle accident, are relegated to living in dustbins, not even able to reach each other to kiss. Someone has fleas and a rogue rat is on the loose. Outside, all seems dead and 'something is taking its course', whilst inside, the four protagonists torment each other with apocalyptic visions of what may be occurring beyond the confines of their self inflicted prison."

Running until 22 May.
Time: 7:45pm
Cost: £9 (£8 members)
More Info: here

If nothing, watch Play. It's very good.

Today's idea - Resident's gig of the week; Tim Hecker @freebutt

2010-05-17T02:00:00.000-07:00

Today a very rare UK show from the Kranky signed sound artist as we've following Resident's gushing about the arrival of Tim Hecker. He's playing tonight at the Freebutt and it's their gig of the week, horray!

The Canadian based sound artist is making a very special appearance in Brighton & it's going to be a real treat - no doubt! His works have been described as “structured ambient”, “tectonic colour plates” & “cathedral electronic music”. Essentially, he focuses on exploring the intersection of noise, dissonance & melody so if you're a fan of Fennesz, Belong or Loscil, you'll most definitely want to be heading down to the Freebutt on Monday night.

Cost: 7.50 adv
Time: Doors 7.30pm
Last.fm: here

P.S. Today if you're a Sussex student you can catch the Dissertation Dash to Mandella Hall from 12-4pm. You'll notice it from the nervous looking people carrying fluttery bits of paper and there's always that terrifying brave guy who runs it at 3:58. Love Music, Hate Racism music thing will be on campus and Beat and Chips are doing a dancing drinking sort of business later in town as they normally do.

Today's idea - Sculpture Trail

2010-05-16T03:07:00.000-07:00

Today, a proper Sunday type thing with garden sculptures that are immensely better than the name suggests. This is just outside of Brighton, so breaks the rules a bit but looks so lovely and one of those 'traditional days out' it's too nice not to mention. At Bode Hill Garden, the strange shape of massive mushroom-like sculptures looks enticing, forming part of a 'sculpture trail'. Promising a stunning myriad of styles, materials and techniques it sounds like a good day out adventure.

"Installed by Surrey Sculpture Society and Head Gardener Andy Stevens in the tranquil setting of these beautiful landscaped gardens, the artworks will both challenge and delight spectators. As visitors follow the trail, they will discover the sculptures set against striking and varied backdrops within the series of garden ‘rooms’, demonstrating different styles of design and presentation. With changing natural light and memorable colour the trail will create a unique visual experience."

(The Green Tree Gallery will also be open for free displaying an enticing exhibition of smaller indoor pieces by Surrey Sculpture Society.)

Running until 31st May.

Time: 10am-6pm
Location: Borde Hill Garden
Cost: £7.50 per adult, £6.50 Group/OAP and £4.50 per child. Gallery entry is free.
Map: here

Today's idea - License, at Brighton Fringe (with 2-for-1 Tickets)

2010-05-15T02:00:00.000-07:00

Today we recommend the last night of Licence. It sounds fantastically acted, captivating, and a little bit interactive we suspect. Whilst part of me fears the idea of one-actor plays, the reviews sound a little bit gushing and epic, and I'm looking forward to seeing it.

"It’s rare, during the interval, for all the audience to get to the theatre bar first. But for Brighton audiences, a dream might be about to come true. During performances of “Licence” the in-house barstaff will appear to serve beer, spritzers, comedy and tragedy all in generous non-regulation measures as you witness the end-days of “the establishment.”"

Yes, well - the intro's not all the clear but the blurb suggests it'll be brilliant. Althouh that's a characteristic of 'blurb', small plays in Brighton can be absolutely fantastic and this one sounds quirky in the best way. I'm planning to see it tonight, so excuse the c&p-ing, it's to avoid to making any false assumptions about what you can expect:

“Licence” is the latest one-person theatre piece from local writer and performer, Jonathan Brown. ‘Set in Brighton, “Licence” starts out the gripping tale of the last days of a “hostel”, as told by Bernie whose drive, to shift units, and to be popular with his regulars severely undermines his intimacy with his son and his own inner world,' Brown describes.

'Indeed it’s the perfect distraction, enabling him to submerge ancient, forgotten and forbidden feelings. Through an emerging subplot, that carries subtle undertones of unrealised sexuality, we see how a terror of emotionality, can drive a man away from his feelings, and into whatever "industry" will happily help him bury them. I call it one man’s Odyssey, to save his son and his own sanity from the sinister forces he’s exposed them both to!’

“Licence” is Jonathan’s fourth successful one-person show. His previous trilogy ‘The Father Monologues’ is also set in Brighton and earned him a Best Male Performer Award nomination at the Brighton Fringe in 2007.  Brighton-born, Jonathan enjoys the autonomy of one-person plays, and is often told by audience members “I remember your show as though there were many more than one performer.” But he’s branching out for his next play, which is written for more than one. Set in Victorian East Brighton, it’s the story of the digging of the world’s deepest hand-dug well (at 1300ft, deeper than the Empire State Building is high.) Meanwhile, during Licence, it’s not water that’s welling up fast. But sweat, blood and tears!"

"Outstanding… a consummate actor… held the audience single-handedly in awe with his amazing multi-characterisations… Impeccably acted, completely convincing, extremely amusing, profoundly sad. Every nuance examined with finesse & intelligence. I cannot praise (it) enough. From the evident skill as an actor to the profundity & humour of his writing. A huge talent." Ian Reuben (Journalist)

"A huge writing and acting talent." (Nick Stockman, Brighton Fringe Manager).

 Contains strong language. Suitable for 12+ yr olds.

Cost: £7 concessions, £9 adult - a 2-for-1 deal is running tonight, horray!
Time: 7.30pm-9.30pm
Location: Brighton Town hall

Today's idea - Museums at Night: Late night museums, exhibitions, and open-air screenings

2010-05-13T23:37:00.000-07:00

The South East's having a cultural revelation tonight as Brighton's Museums open up after hours for a special night as part of the Brighton Fringe Festival. We're very pleased as it's in the same vein as the White Nights. The Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, Brighton Toy Museum, Dream Home Exhibition, and the Artists' Open Houses are staying open until later and Jubilee Library Square's opening up for an outdoors screening of animated shorts. Horray! Exciting stuff and most of it for free!

The Brighton Museum & Art Gallery are inviting Brighton dwellers into the 'From Sickert to Gelet: Modern British Art from Boxted House'. For this night only you can explore these treasures of 20th Century artwork for free. Find a good review here and catch it from 10am-10pm.

The Brighton Toy and Model Museum's bringing old toys to life with "spectacular '0' and '00' guage train layouts in working actions. Starring a vast assortment of trains from all eras." I for one find that everything becoming at least 10x more exciting at night and have never been more excited about trains.

The Dream Home Exhibition's also taking part. You can find our Dream Home feature here. I'm excited about seeing this because it sounds fantastic and I've heard nothing but good things about it. It'll be open all weekend from 7pm-9pm. Find info at the Phoenix Gallery.

The Artists' Open Houses are brilliant and on late today too, as Brighton artists open up their doors and let people potter around their carefully designed pieces. It's free and occasionally provides cake depending on which house you're at. Find a guide to the routes and more info here, although we can't guarantee this cake business. On from 12-8pm.

Lastly for the second year as as part of the Fringe and Museum night, Kanoti proudly presents Bamboozled 2. Jubilee square from 9pm onwards tonight bring another night of "kick-ass animated shorts". Open air screenings and animated things, yummy.

A brilliant round up of late-night things. "It's really exciting how many Brighton venues are opening their doors into the evening over Museums at Night weekend. We're hoping that both locals and visitors will check out some of the cultural and heritage attractions on the doorstep!" says Rosie Clarke, who masterminds much of the event.

You can find the blog over at http://museumsatnight.wordpress.com

(Image via Peter Castleton)

Today's idea - Hammer & Tongue @BrightonFringe

2010-05-13T02:00:00.000-07:00

A special Hammer and Tongue Festival Showcase today! The night sees beat-poetry come to Komedia and for this one month only they are "are deserting our regular formula and relocating from the Studio Bar to the Downstairs space at Komedia. BUT this is no idle show of grandiose pseudo-growth, for THIS month we are bigger and better than ever before!"

Hosted in inappropriately lascivious fashion by ROSY CARRICK and MIKE PARKER, with GIMLEY WHIPPLE conjuring tunes at every turn, tonight brings..

"SALLY JENKINSON - Sally is a poet who lives in Bristol, but she is from Doncaster, where they say poem like this: 'poym'

Eaves-dropping in bus queues, earwigging on bar stools, obsessively reading TV Quick despite being televisionless, and scrimping and saving for all the cider (yes, ALL the cider) are the main ingredients in her poem writing recipe process. The poems emerge like whirly, jumpy, lyricial peeks at the funny things people do, and they try to make space for tiny observations of the unusual and terrifying and magnificent things that go on between people everyday.

"Incisive, insightful and utterly delightful" [Apples and Snakes]

PETE THE TEMP - A stand up poet and a singer songwriter, since 2006 Pete has been performing his singularly high octane slap-stick poetry and musical comedy to consistently high acclaim. He has shared a stage with some of the biggest names in spoken word and comedy including John Hegley, Bill Bailey, Mark Thomas, Kate Tempest and Elvis McGonnagal. Beyond performance, he facilitates slam poetry workshops in schools and youth centres, and promotes and comperes events, as well as having recently launched Cabaret Clandestino in his home town of Oxford. This Spring Pete will be touring with Hammer & Tongue and throughout the Summer will be touring the festivals throughout the UK.

"A rabble-rousing one man riot of a performance poet!" [Poetry Kapow]

"His unbelievable energy seems the key to his success, with a powerful and funny physical stage presence. His material is engaging and ridiculous to the extreme. He makes you giggle, like a school girl who's just found out what a penis looks like." [Fringe Report]

RACHEL PANTECHNICON - A surprisingly alluring 40-year-old ingénue with a veritable cornucopia of verses, stories and observations, Rachel specialises in motivational poems for cats and for people. She is many things: the best-dressed woman on the poetry circuit; the woman who won the 2004 Glastonbury Festival Poetry Slam, although she only entered it for the experience (and was perhaps the only person on site wearing court-shoes); and the author of the well-known story-books about Cheesegrater Leg-Iron Lion. In short, a most peculiar talent.

“Technicolour suburban entertainment” [John Hegley]

“Rachel Pantechnicon of London was my favorite performer on the whole tour. Pure creative genius.” [Buddy Wakefield, US Poetry Slam Champion]"

Horray, but hurry to get tickets as they're incredibly popular anyway and the sounds of 'bigger and better' suggest bigger and better queues.

Cost: £5 (tickets in advance from Komedia box office)
Time: 7.30-11pm.
Location: Komedia
Facebook event page: here

Today's idea - Brian Eno's Speaker Flower Sound Installation

2010-05-12T02:00:00.000-07:00

More Brian Eno today as his Speaker Flower Sound Installation transforms the Grade I Listed Marlborough House on Brighton's Old Steine. "The installation includes fifty Eno-designed speaker flowers, each with its own sound created in response to the once-magnificent building." Sound-reactive installations make me happy. Kinetica this year had some lovely ones. Eno's been doing a lot of installation pieces as curator of Brighton Festival and the reaction's been great so far.

We also recommend his '77 Million Paintings' piece as part of the Brighton Festival.

The blurb also mentions the presence of exclusive prints and a specially commissioned CD of Eno's music. Hurrah, art and buying things.

Running until 23 May 2010.

Cost: Free
Info: here
Location: Marlborough House
Map: here

Today's idea - Brian Eno's '77 Million Paintings' Exhibition (free)

2010-05-11T02:00:00.000-07:00

Musician Brian Eno 'began his career as a visual artist and has always been interested in the synthesis of sound and image. 77 Million Paintings is an ever-evolving audio-visual installation that continues this creative exploration.' So today we recommend this Fringe exhibition - Jonathan's review describes it wonderfully:

"The cultural highlight was a trip to Brighton’s lovely Fabrica gallery, which for the duration of the Festival is hosting an exhibition by the season’s curator, Brian Eno. Rather misleadingly titled ‘77 Million Paintings’, the show actually focuses on one piece – a large, evolving graphic up on a large screen at the far end of the dark church.

The same aesthetic which drives much of Eno’s music is apparent in the work; it is neither instantly rewarding nor demanding, but instead a kind of slow, transformative experience for which the term ‘ambient’ (traditionally used to characterise much of Eno’s music) remains the best descriptive term I can conjure up.

It’s essentially a series of locked geometric shapes which move through a range of patterns and colours in a sequence determined by ‘generative software’ which is capable – as the title of the piece suggests – of 77 million possible permutations (which would take, apparently, over a thousand years to unfold). The transformations are slow but remarkably evocative.

Sat concentrating for ten minutes I was only dimly aware of perceptible changes, but when a conversation with Deb and Will distracted me from the screen for no more than sixty seconds and I returned my gaze to the ‘painting’, I found it had changed hugely. Such is the effect of the slow process of gradual change – I thought of the face of someone you love and see every day, which seems unchanging, and the shock of encountering friends with whom you’ve lost touch, and who you find much altered (as altered, presumably, as you are).

It’s hard to describe a work of art without showing it, and pointless to show a still of a work of art without being able to demonstrate the very movement which gives it purpose. So here’s a proposal, instead.

Imagine yourself sat in a church, half-dozing, glancing down at the cobbled floor. As the sun progresses slowly across the sky outside, light catches panes of the stained glass windows high above, and casts a reflection down on the floor in front of you. The light shimmers and shines, ducks behind a cloud, comes up for air. The quality of light changes, and different parts of the window are alternately obscured and revealed. What plays out on the floor in front of you is the combination of chance, nature and design, and it is playing only for you.

If you can imagine that, you might be able to picture Eno’s work. If you like the sound of it, the exhibition is running until the 23rd May.

Co-incidentally, I spent much of the time in the Church sharing a seat with Toby, a mischievous toddler who ultimately ordered me onto the floor so he’d have more space. He told me – and I trust his opinion – that the exhibition was ‘lovely’. He also made me take his socks off and at one point handed his Dad an empty food wrapper and yelled ‘rubbish, rubbish’.

I hope Mr. Eno wasn’t around, mistaking him for a high-voiced critic."

Cost: Free
Dates: 01 - 23 May 2010
Time: 12 noon-8pm throughout the Festival. Late night opening until 11pm on Sat 1 May and Saturday 15 May
Location: Fabrica
Map: here
Information: here

Today's idea - Origin of the Species, the Musical

2010-05-10T08:25:00.000-07:00

Today, a musical about Charles Darwin. Brilliant. Described as "Gloriously fun" by ThreeWeeks, the Edinburgh sell-out show comes to Brighton tonight. It comes with limited information but with gushing reviews:

"..by Means of Natural Selection or the Survival of (R)Evolutionary Theories in the Face of Scientific and Ecclesiastical Objections: Being a Musical Comedy about Charles Darwin (1809-1882)"

It stars John Hinton, who critics are also gushing about.

"John Hinton is entertaining beyond all belief" Educated Burgher

"19th-century science can rarely have been so fascinating and never so much fun" Stage

From Tangram, it's showing at Komedia tonight and runs until Wednesday 12 May. We are excited by a singing Darwin.

Time: 7pm
Cost: £6 or £10
Information: here
Tickets: here

Today's idea - Four Lions

2010-05-09T10:40:00.001-07:00

Tonight we recommend Four Lions directed by Chris Morris of Brass Eye and Nathan Barley fame in his first film. As the latest British political comedy that's as "tasteless as it is timely" it's also written by Peep Show's writing team of Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong - can it be anything but brilliant?

"Following four Islamic terrorists from the north of England, Morris's film depicts the transition of a group of young Muslim men from boisterous radicals to would-be suicide bombers.

This being Chris Morris, the jokes are razor-sharp and wryly tongue-in-cheek, as two of the men embark on an ultimately calamitous covert mission to Pakistan to train as bombers, while the other two recruit a fifth member and go about plotting their own martyrdom."

Starring: Riz Ahmed, Kayvan Novak, Arsher Ali, Nigel Lindsay
Information and booking: here
Location: Duke of York's

Today's idea - The Relentless Creative Exhibition (free)

2010-05-08T02:01:00.000-07:00

Today the Relentless Art Show takes place as part of the Fringe festival and it boats a number of creative and cool things, and I want to go. Inside-out stuffed toys and curious patterns? Yes please.

"As a creative environment, Relentless’ teams are no strangers to coming up with innovative ideas. Staff at the leading UK studio are invited to submit personal work for exhibit each year. Over the past few years we have had a range of work including figurative painting, automated pattern generators, cuddly toys turned inside out and everything in-between. The variety of the show is one of it’s strengths and the same variety remains this year with exhibits including paintings, drawings, sculptures, printmaking and objects.

The show is produced by Stuart Dodman, Operations Manager at Relentless. Stuart, who has a degree in Fine Art, commented: “We wanted to get involved in the Brighton community, and give our teams another creative outlet and from that The Relentless Art Show was born. Not only are our staff great at making video games but many of them have backgrounds and practiced in more traditional art forms. This is our third year and we continue to be amazed at the quality and variety of exhibits we receive.”"

Location: Bellis Gallery
Time: 10.30am - 6.30pm
Map: here
Website: here
Find them on Twitter: @relentless_sw
Runs until: May 23rd.

Today's idea - "Littlest Things" Tiernan Douieb @tiernandouieb

2010-05-07T07:49:00.000-07:00

"Hello! Do you live in Brighton? Near Brighton? Wear Bright Clothes? Are not particularly Bright? Or just come from Hove which is pretty much the same place? Then come along to my solo show at the Royal Albion Hotel as part of the Brighton Fringe. It'll be a combination of a preview of my upcoming new Edinburgh show 'Littlest Things' and some proper jokes which actually work. Yey!"

Today Tiernan Douieb brings his solo show to the Fringe before he jets off to show it in Edinburgh. It sounds very good, aimed at twentysomethings, and as a side note, cheap. A good combination.

"You look lovely today. No, really. The smallest things we say can really make someone's day. As a professional small thing, Tiernan knows this well. Douieb’s second solo show exploring good nature, unsung heroes, just how dangerous ants are and why, on the whole, he’s a really shit friend. This show contains some thoughtful bits, and the term ‘Liam Kneesons’.

‘Infective enthusiasm - he is instantly likeable and his anecdotes are amusing and uplifting. A prophet for the generation of twentysomethings…’ – Three Weeks
“Clearly a natural comic...an inherently funny person” - AllTheFestivals.net
‘Hugely Charming’ – Time Out

Official Brighton Blurb: Words! Who likes words? Well, here’s some that have been cleverly put into sentences, 83% of which are funny, by ‘natural comic’ Douieb. A short diabetic bearded man shouting his mind at things he’s seen, done, thinks and has nearly been punched by.

‘Small in Stature, not in talent.’ – The Scotsman ‘Hugely charming’ – Time Out"

Time: 7pm
Location: Royal Albion Hotel
Tickets: here
Website: here
Facebook event page: here

He;s also just been named as one of the Top 50 Twitter feeds about Arts and Culture to follow, according to The Observer. Follow him @tiernandouieb

Today's idea - Annual May Funfair

2010-05-06T12:37:00.000-07:00

Today we recommend the Annual Funfair, and this blog's realy late, sorry (I've been busying myself with a dissertation hand-in). The fair's right outside my window, and the week's been punctuated by screaming girlish noises flying past outside. There's some sort of giant pole poking out from above the trees which promises to hurl you through the air at uncomfortable speeds, and candyfloss. There's much more but that's pretty much the important parts sorted. It's nice but we are grumpy and stuck in the past, so the prices make us a bit sad.

Running until the 8th, namely Saturday, at The Level. Map: here.

Today's idea - Fire Tusk Pain Proof Circus

2010-05-05T02:00:00.000-07:00

Today the Fire Tusk Proof Circus comes to town with a WARNING: Controversial and adult themed. This avant-garde spectacular mixes aerial circus, neoburlesque and live art to create an utterly unique and captivating show. The youtube video makes me shudder but I am a sissy and they've been drawing crowds around Brighton in a host of street performances. We've had an ace review from @promette.

"Known as the Fire Tusk Pain Proof Circus, I witnessed their free street performance on Saturday on one of the stages on New Street. They were at pains to point out that their street performance was child friendly, but that their 10pm show is strictly adults only. The stunts they performed in the street were enough to give me nightmares, let alone the children watching. Although the children kept screaming for more!

The troupe wear unsettling freaky make-up and all of them seem to delight in inflicting pain on themselves and each other. The first performer started with some whip tricks with a willing volunteer who did not seem to be worried about the fact that the piece of newspaper he was holding was repeatedly slashed in half. The same man then lay on a bed of nails and two volunteers were dragged out of the audience to take it in turns to stand on him. They even let the woman jump on him before getting the man and woman to stand on him at the same time. The indentations in his back afterwards were very deep but he seemed to revel in it.

Then a female clown proceeded to cover a rug in broken glass and broke a few extra bottles to prove that the glass was real before standing, walking and jumping on the glass in her bare feet. Amazingly her feet didn't even have a cut afterwards.

The clowns then ended their show with the freakiest act yet and one that I think gives the best indication of how dark their 10pm show could get. A 1930s looking chap called The Baron took off his robe and stood in leopardskin tight shorts with nothing else on him except a lot of tattoos and two nipple rings. He then hooked a cement block to the rings and lifted it off the ground with his chest. While he stood holding the cement block from his tortured nipples, one of the other clowns cam running at him with a large pickaxe and broke it in two. The audience looked on in shock and awe whilst the kids in the front row screamed for more!"

"A runaway success" Time Out

"One of the most talked about and controversial acts of the fringe" Independent Weekly.

Time: 10pm-11:30pm.
Cost: £15/13 concessions
Buy online: here
Location: St Peter's Church Gardens, Brighton
Runs until: 8 May
Facebook event page: here

Today's idea - Brighton Festival does 'Icarus'

2010-05-04T02:30:00.000-07:00

Tonight the New Venture Theatre presents its contribution to the Brighton Festival with 'Icarus'. Based on Ovid's Poem the myth of Icarus' flight and fall is explored by three performers within a promenade setting (no seating 'immersive' stuff). I like Icarus, and the adaptation sounds good. The plot's this:

"Imprisoned in the labyrinth of the Minotaur with his son, the inventor Daedalus creates wings out of feathers and wax in order to escape. He warns Icarus, his son to follow his route and not get too close to the sea or the sun, as either would destroy the wings. Playing with the winds in excitement, Icarus gets carried away, flies too close to the sun and falls into the sea, where he dies.

Following individual stories relating to Icarus’ parable, an emotional journey unfolds using strong visual and physical imagery. Set within the intimate space of the studio, audience members are invited to create their own pathway and explore different stories and perspectives and ultimately become part of the journey."

Director Saskia Ulrike Schilling draws on personal experience, saying she wanted "to look at the emotional voyage of Icarus and give him a voice," citing an interesting history. "I was born in the communist and socialist East Germany, then lived in the re-united capitalist Germany before moving to England; a journey exploring a freedom my parents did not experience and hence living their hopes and dreams combined with my own.”

They threaten the arrival of some darkness and strobe lighting during the play. In immersion [no seating] plays, I'm a sucker for this stuff.

Time: 7:45pm
Location: New Venture Theatre
Map: here 
Reserve tickets: here
Runs until: Saturday 8th May (no performance 8th May)

Today's idea - Lyrebirds single launch at The Hope

2010-05-03T02:00:00.000-07:00

Today Lyrebirds launch their second single through Chess Club records. It would be too easy to peg them as somewhere between Arcade Fire and Joy Division, so have a listen. You can find them on Myspace, Lastm.fm and Facebook.

They come with support in the shape of slightly mad The Agitator (last.fm/Myspace) and Holy Vessels (Last.fm/Myspace) who pull of country rock in likable, knee jiggling way. If you want to listen to country rock without feeling like a redneck, this is the best way to go about it. There'll also be a Maccabees DJ set.

This all takes place at The Hope, one of the places in Brighton I can rely on to be lovely (most of the time) and one which I don't frequent enough. They describe themselves as "a bustling, music-led, watering hole popular with everyone from skinny, guitar-toting types to the after-work crowd" and The Strokes have even played there in the past. Cor 'eck, what a lovely evening.

Doors at 8pm
Tickets £5

Find the event on Facebook and Last.fm.

Today's idea - Glimpse into the Dream Home labyrinth

2010-05-02T02:00:00.000-07:00

Today the Phoenix Gallery is doing something a bit cool. Whilst the description initially makes it sound like either an open homes show, or a Through the Keyhole, it sounds far more interesting.

A "voyeuristic tour of a home which has been inserted into a public gallery space. Moving through a labyrinth of hallways, rooms, wardrobes and hidden spaces, visitors can catch glimpses of the private lives of its inhabitants," they say. Now, here's the bit we like:

"Sculptor Ben Thomson has designed a floor plan into which he and other artists have poured their dreams and fantasies in the form of installations, photographs, paintings, drawings, film, sculpture and animation. Rather than replicating a literal domestic interior, the spaces evoke a range of memories and qualities associated with notions of ‘home’ -- comfort, vulnerability, ambition, nostalgia, secrets and discovery." Secrets! we heard. The way that stories develop through the revealing of facts can be fascinating, intriguing. I'll cite An Inspector Calls and Jonathan Creek as two disputably good examples.

"Glimpsed through windows and heard through the walls, a cast of characters begins to reveal itself. From adolescent dreamers and nuclear families to time travellers and transients, the protagonists appear through the objects they gather and the environments they create. Visitors will encounter the house’s diverse occupants through the work of Gary Barber, Alvaro Collar, Fox & Gammidge, Jonathan Gilhooly, Caitlin Heffernan, Rona Innes, Kim L Pace, Natalie Papamichael, Jim Sanders, and Ben Thomson."

You can find a list of events here, and below is a video of the making which gives a good idea of how big the porject is but with admittedly has some painful narrating.

Times: Tue - Sun, 11am - 5pm.
Map: here.
Continues until June 6.

Today we also adore Steampunk's Gentlemen's Relish which we accidentally wrote on Wednesday. It's taking place today.

ALSO! We love the free sampling of sausages and 'sausage games' which makes me giggle, including a sausage and cider treasure hunt, sausage bobbing, sausage snap, and pin the tail on the piggy. This is happening at Sussex Yeoman Pub. I'm going to spend today recreating my own sausage games in the back garden.

Today's idea - Japanese Street Festival

2010-05-01T02:00:00.000-07:00

Today Moshi Moshi brings the city's first ever Asahi Anime Festival, a celebration of all things manga and anime. There'll be a major live Japanese band (although we do not know who), a gothic Lolita fashion show, game show, speed drawing competition, giant chalk manga artwork, manga merchandise from London's Tokyo Toys, group sing-a-long karaoke and of course "Japanese street food and wacky snacks". And drink. You too can acquire a good knowledge of Japanese alcoholic beverages through the store's frequent celebration of Japenese culture.

You can find details of all the above here, and if you'd like to be part of the Japanese Gameshow it's a the place to get information.

The big thing is likely to be Cosplay (costume + play = dressing as characters, most commonly Japenese fictional ones), growing steadily in popularity in the UK.

There's even a fashion parade, and one for kids too:

"Bleach, Naruto, Sailor Moon, Chobits, and Full Metal Alchemist will be just some of the anime personalities to be seen at the Festival. Others will come as their own outlandish creations. Cosplay is where the cult of the avatar meets fashion, and indeed a fashion show will take place during the day on Saturday, including one for children."

Time: Midday - 10.30pm.
Location: Opticon (opp. Moshi Moshi restaurant), Bartholemew Square.
Map: here.

Today's idea - WHITE MINK : BLACK COTTON. Electro Swing versus Speakeasy Jazz (and win a free CD!)

2010-04-30T02:00:00.000-07:00

Tonight the chaps behind White Mink : Black Cotton are bringing their "electro swing versus speakeasy jazz" to Brighton's Fringe Festival. As a number of one off nights in their own right, they promise "many of the very best electro-swing bands around."

The CD that spawns this birth of the retro rebirth is made up of the Black Cotton and White Cotton disks. One totes "rare and original vinyl 78's as heard at London's legendary Black Cotton Club" and the other "the very best contemporary music influenced by 20s and 30s sounds." Dragging it into the 21st century, combined they make a brilliant album. You can have a listen to it on myspace, and find a review here.

IMPORTANTLY! we've got one copy of the album to give away! If you'd like it, send an email to boredofbrighton@gmail.com telling us so! We'll find some sort of hat to pick from.

Tonight is organised through Freerange (I assume this is the same Freerange that visits London, which makes me a big fan) and opens the Brighton Festival (perhaps unofficially). Alongside local band Swing Zazou, they bring the fantastic Correspondents, who do the best dancehall version of Jungle book's 'Be like you' I've ever heard. You can find them on MySpace and Last.fm - they've definitely worth a listen.

"We also have DJ sets from Nick Hollywood (White Mink) incorporating live VJing with sexy 1920’s black and white silent era movie clips, burlesque, display dancers and our award winning Black Cotton Club partners in crime, El Nino and Lady Kamikaze spinning original 78’s. Plus Carnivaleque DJs and Continental Drifts of Lost Vagueness fame too.
This event will bring together all the prime movers and shakers of the new Electro Swing scene in the UK for the very first time and will be a chance to catch what’s going on before it hits Glastonbury, Big Chill, Bestival etc later this year.

"As we emerge from the freeze of 2010, we have HOT music to stir the adrenalin, and when we say HOT, we mean SCORCHING! Music from the era that defined HOT.” (Tunes)

“Yes this really is a new genre, and an exciting one at last!” TimeOut"

Find more information here and you can get tickets online from brightonfestivalfringe.org.uk.

Time: 7.30pm - 2am.
At: St Peters Church Gardens
Cost: £10, £12 on door.

Today's idea - Free Screening of Hitchcock's North by Northwest

2010-04-29T06:20:00.000-07:00

Today there's a chance to catch the Alfred Hitchcock's brilliant North by Northwest as it screens for free as part of City Reads, which has been taking place since National Book Week.

"Hapless New York advertising executive, Roger O. Thornhill, is mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and is pursued across the States by both spies and the government while he looks for a way to survive." (Find more at imdb)

Tonight, at 6pm, it's being shown at the very shiny Jubilee Library. It's free, it's a very good film. These things make us smile.

P.S. There's a deluge of soft rock, glam and drone at "Contort Yourself" taking place at the Jazz Place tonight, which looks rather good too.

Today's idea - Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution

2010-04-28T05:25:00.000-07:00

(Important notice: yesterday's event takes place on Saturday 1st May)

Today, this may stem from an affair with day-time TV at a young age, in which Agatha Christie seemed to be permanently on television, but I'd choose to see Agatha Cristie's 'Witness for the Prosecution'. It's taking place at the Theatre Royal Brighton tonight - and runs until Saturday May 1st, when all the Festival and Fringe events start taking off!

"Emily French, an elderly woman who plans to leave her considerable estate to the charming young Leonard, is found dead. Murdered. Though he protests his innocence, Leonard quickly becomes the prime suspect. His plea hinges on his wife’s testimony, until the sudden appearance of a mysterious young woman, bearing an unexpected clue. Will the truth be revealed in time or will Leonard be declared guilty at the hands of the Witness for the Prosecution?

In a world where everyone seems to be harbouring a dark secret, this gripping courtroom drama will keep you guessing until the final fatal moment."

We like gripping court room things (similarly I'm permanently head-over-heels with 'An Inspector Calls'). What's your favourite kind?

You can find tickets and information here. It costs £15-£28 and is on at 7:45pm (Saturday has a matinee too). Find a map here.

EDIT: ON MAY 1ST ..Today's idea - The Steampunk Hidden Laboratory Encounters Gentlemen's Relish

2010-04-27T07:59:00.000-07:00

EDIT: ON MAY 1ST

Today we like the sound of the Steampunk Hidden Laboratory, which today encounters Gnetlemen's Relish. I'm currently writing about Semiotics, so am going to be cheeky and stick the Facebook event description in, which describes it equally well.

"Myself and the curator of The Gentlemen's Relish Club have teamed up to create a Frankenstein's monster of an event. We have Victorian science shows, board games, live music, artsy stripping, markets and more. And because so much is happening for this event, we decided it needed in equally long moniker. Hence, we bring to you: The Steampunk Hidden Laboratory Encounters Gentlemen's Relish! Please feel free to abbreviate as you wish

We are going the extra mile this time, so as well as having the usual melee of markets and merriments during the day, we will be opening up the theatre from 3pm, where you will find befuddled scientists giving demonstrations of some once revolutionary inventions. Record sound on wax using an Edison Phonograph, or give yourself a jolt with the Violet Wand. More details on other side shows to follow!

From 7pm we have live bands, including the inspirational Sunday Driver, Perhaps Contraptions, Brother Goat and The Henry Brothers. Of course there will also be a variety of debauchery on stage, in the forms of nudity and even pipe smoking poetry. Yes, there will be poets smoking on stage! Just like the days of old.

Tickets are available from: here.

They are £10/8, and are slightly more pricey this time because we have more performances plus the costs of entering an event into the Fringe brochure. We do want you all to come though, so if money is an object that you think will get in the way of your attendance, please get in touch, and we will find a job for you for a couple of hours before, during or after the event.

So, just to remind you all:

1st May from 3pm
The Steampunk Hidden Laboratory Encounters Gentlemen's Relish
The Marlborough Theatre Brighton"

Find it on Facebook here.

Today's idea - We love Linocuts at Castor and Pollux

2010-04-26T02:00:00.000-07:00

Today nice Linocut prints from 'Chroniques de New York' are on show at Castor and Pollux in their first exhibition of 2010. Made as illustrations by Julie Doucet for 'Chroniques de New York' by Jean-Fracois Jouanne, the "small but perfectly forms group of prints" went on show three days ago, and continue until May 24th. Doucet's comics and graphic novels will be lurking about in the bookshop.

It looks like nice, well made art, without too much art guff (I laugh childishly because I wrote 'ass guff'.) But anyway, it looks really lovely.

"At the Université du Québec à Montréal she completed a degree in printing arts. During her studies Julie Doucet took interest into drawing comics, and eventually devoted herself completely to that funny art form. Her comic book, Dirty Plotte began life as a photocopied fanzine. In it Doucet would document in french and in english her day to day life, her dreams, angsts, fantasies. The series was first published in 1991 by Drawn & Quarterly, in the comic book form. Shortly afterwards she won the prestigious Harvey Award for Best New Talent. She left for New York city, where she spent a year related in ’My New York Diary’ In the 1990s, she abandoned the medium of comic books and went back to printing. Woodcuts, linocuts, silkscreen printing, followed by an abundant production of artist’s books. She took part in many group exhibitions and, finally, in 2006 she had her own solo exhibition of her print work at the galerie B-312. Julie Doucet now writes and makes collages. Mostly."

You can find some more of her work here.

The celebration of linocut prints continues with Paul Catherall, exhibiting as gallery artists during April and May.

"Catherall’s architectural prints draw from 20th Century poster design and focus on structures that are part of the urban environment with a clean and sharp palette inspired by commercial art of the 1950’s and 1960’s Catherall depicts various well-known landmarks from London, New York and Brighton.

Catherall identifies the established and continually developing skylines of his locations, treated equally in measure. Catherall displays an expert eye for composition and colour; and great draughtsmanship, achieving ultimately a delicate balance between classic commercial design and contemporary urban landscape. His linocuts have become synonymous with Transport for London and Tate Modern."

It's free, and can be found at:
Location: 165 King's Road Arches, Lower Promenade
Map: here.

Today's idea - Communion at the Prince Albert

2010-04-25T02:00:00.000-07:00

Communion, organised by Ben Lovett of Mumford and Sons, Kevin Jones of Cherbourg, and producer Ian Grimble, comes from the summer of 2006. It aims to provide a platform for the newest bands on London's circuit. Nights have seen the movement of nu-folk bands Noah and the Whale, Laura Marling, Mumford and Sons, JJ Pistolet and Peggy Sue grace the stage. Tonight, Communion returns to the Prince Albert, now instated as a monthly event taking place on every 4th Sunday of the month. It's responsible for helping the launch of Esser's, The Holloways's, and Example's careers, with an eclectic ethos and sell-out nights. (You can also find them on Twitter @Communionmusic).

Tonight they bring the lineup of Handshake, Holy Vessels, Sam McCarthy, and Ghosts You Echo.

Handshake are lovely, up-tempo quirky folk, getting on the nu-folk bandwagon with a guitar, banjo, harmonica, accordion, fiddle, bass, bodrhran, and drums. Find Handshake;'s MySpace for a listen. We really like them. They're are also on Twitter @HandshakeMusic and Facebook.

Brighton-based Holy Vessels can also be found on MySpace and are currently touring Brighton pubs, next heading to the delightfully yellow Gladstone.

We like Sam McCarthy's cover of Bob Dylan's 'Forever Young' over on his MySpace, and he's done a light little track with Eliza Doolittle. That's rather nice too, and you can find a bit by him on Spotify.

We really like Ghosts You Echo who is less folky and more electronic in places. Perhaps I'm a sucker for synths, and caught up in the release of The xx's album, but she's really interesting. The EP's coming out with Roundhouse Music in May and you can find her on Last.fm

We had a hunt for videos but couldn't find any :( Communion's also bringing out a compilation LP.

Doors at 7pm, It's £4 in advance from Resident, Rounder and We Got Tickets.com, and £3.50 for students.

Today's idea - Off the Cuff at Upstairs at Three and Ten

2010-04-24T02:00:00.000-07:00

Last time we listed Brighton comedy troupe Off The Cuff, they sold out before the event began. This time, if you're keen to see the Improv group hailed by Fringe guides and blamed for leaving people "heartened and exhilarated" return to Upstairs at Three and Ten we suggest you book in advance. N.b if you're interested in trying your hand at improv, they also gold an open rehearsal every week, which is free to attend (email sjduggan[at]googlemail.com).

The "most exciting, unpredictable and frequently just plain mental comedy your senses can feasibly experience. No script, no safety nets, no elbow pads; only your suggestions and raw, unpasteurised wit," rave the box office.

"The applause threatened to bring the roof down" ****1/2 Fringe Guru"

Sat 24th April
Start: 9pm
Tickets: £7/£5
Find out more at Otherplaceprodutions and book online here.

Today's idea - Beginner drop-in Trapeze/Ropes Classes

2010-04-23T02:00:00.000-07:00

The Brighton Circus Project is getting pretty busy around town. They've got upcoming events at the Level and the Theatre Royal, which on occasion combine traditional circus acts with a bit of contemporary dance and a skateboard thrown in for good measure. Have a look at their video, made for the Final Cut exhibition - it's completely lovely and gives a great idea of what learning's like.

Tonight, for those interested in learning how to hang and throw yourself about gracefully from rope, there's a drop-in class for beginners. Regardless of how good your ability to hang from monkey bars currently stands at (mine is terrible), this is open to all standards - even those who've never had a go and it looks like a great environment to have a try of it in.

They've got a Photo Gallery worth a look and if you're feeling a bit shy, have a peek at the video for an idea about classes.

Just turn up a 6:45. It costs £8, lasts until 8pm and we advise against baggy clothes. Find it at Hangleton Community Centre (Buses 5, 5a and 5b) - and a map here.

Today's idea - Good Shoes at Audio

2010-04-22T02:00:00.000-07:00

Today at Audio, Good Shoes are playing. They make happy jolly indie stuff and we have a soft spot for them, responsible for 'The Photos on my Wall' and 'Never meant to hurt you'.

The noisy pop will be coming to Brighton to accompany the release of new EP 'The Way my Heart Beats' this week. They've had a big history involving working with indie bands of the last six years such as We Are Scientists, The Rakes, Kaiser Chiefs, Pigeon Detectives which are bands you might recall from the admittedly changing scene (yeah, remember Art Brut?).

Regardless, Good Shoes age somewhat better and we're keen to see their dancey moves at Audio tonight. If their newest album - which we've been catching over on YouTube: it involves lots of floating bright confetti strips and hanging upside down - continues to run in the vein of previous album 'Think Before You Speak' it'll be a good night of somewhat nostalgic, hectic and gorgeous indie pop. Their sound's adapted slightly. How do you like it? We're curious.

Have a listen. You can find them on Spotify and Last.fm.

Find tickets on Ticketmaster for £8+BF or on the door for £9.50. You can find Audio Facebook group here. Doors at 7pm

"She wore too much Topshop." - Never meant to hurt you.

Today's idea - Spring Exhibition

2010-04-21T06:02:00.000-07:00

Following on from last year's first Spring Exhibition which was a big success, Brighton and Hove Arts Council presents this year's Exhibition takes place today with contributions from five art groups around town. Opening today, the exhibition will feature oil paintings, watercolours, sculpture and mixed media, showcasing from art societies: Dupont Art Club at Hove, In it for Life, Society of Catholic Artists (Sussex), Society of Sussex Painters and South Downs Art Society. "Work will also be for sale at reasonable prices."

It's taking place in the Brighton Friends' Meeting house, a nice building from 1805 with some lovely gardens that's about two minutes from the seaside - usefully accessible and not too far too walk out of your way. Running until the 24th April (Saturday). It's running 10am-5pm weekdays, and 10am-4pm on Saturday.

Today's idea - The Infidel starring Omid Djalili

2010-04-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

Today at the Duke of York's The Infidel is playing. Starring British-Iranian comedian Omid Djalili the film covers a full-scale Islamic and Jewish identity crisis.

Here's the trailer:

The plot:

"Meet Mahmud Nasir, loving husband, doting father and something of a 'relaxed' Muslim.
Does the 'F' word occasionally pass his lips? It's hardly worth mentioning.
Does he say his prayers five times a day? Of course! Well, usually..
Does he fast every day of Ramadan? Who's counting anyway? Mahmud may not be the most observant, but in his heart he is as Muslim as it gets.
But after his mother's death a discovery turns his world upside down.
He finds his birth certificate, which reveals that not only was he adopted at birth..
but he's Jewish, and his real name is Solly Shimshillewitz! As Mahmud tumbles headlong into a full-scale identity crisis, the only person he can turn to is Lenny, a drunken Jewish cabbie who agrees to give him lessons in Jewishness, which start with how to dance like Topol.
Oy vey."

And here's a bit of his stand-up:

Oy vey indeed. It's 104 minutes, starts at 9pm (or on Fri 28 May at 11:30pm) and costs £7.50for adults and £6.50 for students. You can buy tickets in advance here.

Today's idea - The Fishbowl!

2010-04-19T06:53:00.000-07:00

We love The Fishbowl so today we recommend you go to it, one of our favourite pubs in this gorgeous sunshine (horray)! Whilst we're stuck inside being grown-ups and dull, and can't wait for the evening to potter about in front of a setting sun! If you can make it we recommend a plod to the beach and a good old cotch in the Fish Bowl.

With low ceilings and giant beams, it's a lovely place adorned with fairy lights that manage not to be garish, wooden tables (we like our wood) and a giant fish bowls or two. Nestled in the south lanes with candles flickering away on every table lighting crevices beautifully, you get a nice view down onto the South Lanes, especially from the leather seats pressed into the curved windows. It's a little two-storey affair - upstairs a bit more mellow - with a present but not too pressing homey, natural feel, it's nestled right by the sea. We'll be there after a good gamble on the sea front because we are, at heart, children.

Find it on the map here!

Today's idea - Plant Portraits at the Booth Museum

2010-04-18T02:00:00.000-07:00

Today's Marathon Day. Notably there are other things on in Brighton, one of which is Frankie Boyle, the rowdy Scotsman, and another is the sound of the Cricket Club rousing itself into action. Our favourite thing meanwhile, is a return visit to the Booth Museum of Natural History.

A loved little gem worth a venture down Dyke Road to, today's exhibition dubbed 'Plant Portraits' hope to capture what photos cannot displaying collection of paintings by botanical artists. The paintings aim to convey a plant's technical form and structure as well as beauty. For scientists and art fans, the museum boldly declares:

"Art is important in understanding and communicating the natural world and plants are fundamental to our survival."

Botanical illustrators today are not just flower painters, but inheritors of a legacy of historical importance going back to the time of the ancient Egyptians. To be successful they must be technically highly competent in drawing and painting, with a good knowledge of botany and the ability to convey the sense of wonder of the plant world.

The beautiful works of art in Plant Portraits are complemented by magnificently illustrated botanical books and specimens from the Booth Museum collections."

Running until the 24th September this year, admission to the exhibition is free. Today it's open from 2-5pm (otherwise: Monday-Wednesday, Friday-Saturday 10am-5pm). We shall be dragging all our biology-interested friends on an outing to this.

Find a map here.

Today's idea - Record Store Day

2010-04-17T02:00:00.000-07:00

Today Resident, the infamously indie toting record store, is repeating their Record Store Day as part of the Brighton Festival of Shopping and as part of a country-wide phenomenon. As an "awesome celebration of all that's great about record stores" it's immensely busy and hectic (perhaps less-so in the shoe-gazing section). Excuse our cheap jokes.

Importantly, a number of titles are being produced for early release exclusively for the day and will be hitting only 100 shops, so if you're a music fan you'll probably want to politely queuing/rudely elbowing (depending on your shopping style) for some great CDs.

You can find a list of exclusive titles - and it's pretty long, prepare yourself.

There's a couple of rules:

• As you can see, some of the releases are stupidly limited & with over 100 shops taking part, you can see that there won’t be a lot to go around of some of these titles. You’ll have to get up early & get yourself down here for opening time (9am) if there are things you are desperate to get your hands on – the early birds were very much the winners last year.
• These RSD titles will only be available in the shop – no releases are being sold online or as mail order for this event
• There are strictly no preorders / reservations for anyone – no matter how hard you plead!
• Only 1 copy of any release per customer

On a personal note, it might be a good opportunity to grab that new Blur track titled "Fool's Day", the first track from the group on over seven years, that's been hitting the press all week.

Today's idea - My Arm at The Basement

2010-04-16T02:00:00.000-07:00

Today The Basement, of which we are rather fond, have a curious performance titled 'My Arm'. Having toured internationally since it premiered at the Traverse Theatre in 2003, this is the first time it comes to the public eye in Brighton.

"“At the age of 10, for want of anything more meaningful to do, I put my arm above my head and kept it there. Now, thirty years on, I’m so full of meaning it’s killing me.”

Told through performance, film and the animation of everyday objects, my arm is the story of an empty gesture. It’s the confession of a man who has lived for thirty years by the courage of his lack of conviction. In that process he’s become a celebrated medical specimen and an icon of the New York art scene. It’s about modern art, bloody-mindedness and how the things we do when we’re ten stick with us for life."

"Colossally powerful” says The Scotsman, singing its praise.

The Basement is often home to experimental performers, describing itself fairly accurately as "a vibrant hub for all things subversive and idiosyncratic". We're not sure if it'll be taking place in The Space, a large room with "unbound experimentation" or in the more intimate amphitheater known as 'The Pit' with a sunken stage but we expect a visit to the arty venue to be very much worth it.

Written and performed by Tim Crouch; film by Chris Dorley-Brown
Date: Fri 16th & Sat 17th April
Doors: 7.30pm
Tickets: £8 / £6 (Concessions)
Find it on the map here.

Today's ideas - Fistful of Dynamite & One+One Filmmakers Launch!

2010-04-15T08:26:00.000-07:00

Today we're excited about two things, yet again. One, at the less than swanky Hector's House where friends of Bored of Brighton, Fistful of Dynamite are playing. Find their Hammond Organ-Driven Funk, slap bass, G-Funk hip hop synths, stompy glam-rock attitude and tempo changes galore on MySpace, and the event listing on Facebook. We're rather keen on them and we're not the only ones.

"In Short, Fistful Of Dynamite are the infectious bundle of happy-faced talent everybody's been waiting for…"

Have a listen.

We're also a bit excited about the One+One Filmmakers Journal Launch. It's essentially the launch of the latest issue of the One+One Filmmakers Journal, but there's also some screenings we're quite excited on. Eight rarely seen Derek Jarman films are being aired with introduction from the films' producer James Mackay. There'll also be shorts from Jeff Keen, and an exclusive video interview with Ron Peck conducted for One+One including film clips from the seminar British Filmmaker.

I've lifted quite a few of those words from the Facebook event page, and perhaps I'm just excited by the zealous use of "Exclusive" and "super". Regardless, it sounds like a nice venture. The event is free and the magazine will also be handed out at the event for free.

This is all taking place at the Red Roster Cafe - doors at 7.30pm to start at 8pm.

Today's idea - 'In Flames' at the Brighton Little Theatre

2010-04-14T06:17:00.000-07:00

Today at the Brighton Little Theatre, In Flame, a new play by Charlotte Jones comes to the stage, followed by beaming quotes from The Sunday Times after its stint on the West End. “It has some of the best writing I have come across, vigorous, poetic and lethally funny, probing hearts with warmth, compassion and irony” the newspaper gushed.

The plot is thus:

"In Flame juxtaposes different periods. The present where we see Alex, a young woman, coping with a mother who has Alzheimer’s disease. Not only does she have to cope with her mother but Alex has to deal with a difficult flatmate and a selfish married lover. Meanwhile in 1908 Yorkshire, Alex's ancestors have a similarly stressful time: the simple minded Clara and the oppressed Livvy live with their stonily severe Gramma."

It sounds a tad unusual, presenting itself as "not only one play but two, with scenes intermingled from 1908 and the present day." Running until Saturday 17 April, it costs £7.50 a ticket and starts at 7:45pm. You can book tickets online or telephone the Box Office on 01273 777 748.

Find it on the map here.

Today's idea - Robert Thompson & Mick Jackson

2010-04-13T06:56:00.000-07:00

Today two authors, Rupert Thompson and Mick Jackson come to read and discuss their new books at The Old Market in Hove.

Rupert Thomson is the author of eight highly acclaimed novels including ‘Air & Fire’, ‘Soft’, ‘The Book of Revelation’, ‘Divided Kingdom’ and most recently ‘Death of a Murderer’ and brings his new book ‘This Party’s Got to Stop’. Described as "a moving and disarmingly funny memoir. It is an honest account of mismanaged goodbyes, of time lost and time wasted. It reveals the complexities of family life in graphic and often heartbreaking detail," he will be joined by Mick Jackson.

Jackson's "first book ‘The Underground Man’ was shortlisted for The Booker Prize in 1998. His second, ‘Five Boys’ was a wonderfully nostalgic and vibrant read. He is also the author of two eccentric delights;‘Ten Sorry Tales’and ‘Bears of England’.

His moving and comical new novel ‘The Widow’s Tale’conjures up the most defiantly unapologetic of narrators as she begins to pick over the wreckage of her life."

Tonight only you can come and hear the two authors read from and discuss their new books. Tickets at £6 and doors are at 6:30pm.

Today's idea - Pav Tav & Resident Free Gigs

2010-04-12T05:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry all, but Resident's just emailed to alert that Alexander Wolfe is canceled due to illness. Pav Tav meanwhile, is still on!

Tonight there's two free gigs about town; one at The Pav Tav and one at Resident Records. We can't decide quite which to go to at the moment.

At 6pm today ex-Brighton-Resident singer/songwriter/arranger Alexander Wolfe will be celebrating the launch of his debut album 'Morning Brings a Flood' with an in-store session. Likened to Guy Garvey, with songs echoing Elliot Smith, Nick Drake, and in the more raucous moments, Jeff Buckley. "You're in for a treat," say Resident, "We can't recommend the album of his live performance highly enough." He's brought along his cellist too, which should be a bit special.

Have a listen on his myspace.com/alexanderwolfe or find him on Spotify. It's free as usual, starting at 6pm.

On the other hand, for more lengthy music, The Pav Tav is holding a free folk pop show downstairs in Pav Tav. Admiral Fallow cites the fairly traditional influences of Tom Waits, Elbow, Low, Midlake, King Creosote, and Springsteen, and brings a clarinet, flute, double bass (and four voices) to the Pav Tav's traditional indie line-ups. Have Tav HQ describes them as "Joyous, heart-filled, orchestral-tinged and beautifully well crafted songs."

Previously they've been toting support in the form of Guillemots' Fyfe Dangerfield, chosen as support with a certain amount of lauding and rave reviews afoot. "Join us on a lazy Monay night with support from the fantastic Aaron King AND Paul Steel," the Pav Tav invites.

starts 7.30pm
ends 10pm
free entry/

Which would you pick?

Today's idea - Toby Whitehouse talks at The Redroaster Coffee House

2010-04-11T09:33:00.000-07:00

Today Toby Whitehouse, English actor, comedian and screenwriter comes to the Redroaster Coffee House, home of Floetics which we occasionally bang on about. He's best known for his writing for Doctor Who, Torchwood, and Being Human. You might also recognise him as Alastair from Bridget Jones's Diary. We don't have too much information on this one, but today, if you head over to Kemptown you can catch him giving a talk and answering a Q&A session. With his history and involvement in BBC Sci Fi, it should be good. Get your question-asking thinking caps on.

It's on at 7:30pm, and ou can find the event on Facebook

Alternatively, the Marlborough Theatre is holding 'Your Country Needs You' - "dragtastic song and dance for your titillation and aural pleasure from the era which had women wearing the trousers" but we thought the talk was something a bit different. Have a good Sunday :)

Today's idea - The King Blues

2010-04-10T05:21:00.000-07:00

I last saw the King Blues two years ago at a Ska Festival in Exeter. By then, they'd gone from unknown bashful types to famous after the launch and following success of their debut album. At some point between the two, a lout had stolen the lead singer's pork pie hat he told us when we asked, badgering him about the important fashion of today after the gig.

If you fancy some skanking tonight, the King Blues are good candidates. Labelled by Komedia as "acoustic punks" which is a tad perplexing (have a listen on their Myspace here) but regardless, there's still a few tickets for the gig so we're definitely recommending. ASAP, call Resident Records on 01273 606312 for the last tickets! They're £9.50 by the way, which should encourage you to grab the phone.

Support is Mouthwash and The Meow Meows. Doors are at 7pm with proposed finish at 10pm. It's for age 14+, under 16s with an adults.

Img via the guardian.

Today's idea - Jake Goss' Banyan at the Brighton Jazz Club

2010-04-09T10:46:00.000-07:00

Tonight we've voting for Komedia' Jazz Club. Jazz, we do not know much about, but we're very good at drinking and appreciating it regardless. We hope you are too. Every Friday the Brighton Jazz club takes place in the cosy studio bar featuring "an unparalleled collection of powerhouse performers and a wide selection of the jazz world’s most extravagant talents."

Tonight Jake Goss's Banyan take the stage with Kit Downes on piano, Sam Lasserson on bass, and James Maddren on drums. Tsh tsh, tsh tsh tsh.

The Jazz club closes during the May Festival, so we're popping down this month for an investigation. Catch it tonight for £12. Doors at 8:30pm with music until 11pm with tickets available from The Dome Box Office (01273 709709), and online through www.brightonticketshop.com or alternatively on the door.

Today's idea - Bedroom Bond: From 'Russia with Love' readings

2010-04-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

Today, as part of World Book events, Brighton's myhotel hosts 'Bedroom Bond'. With a 'reader in residence' the event invites guests to an intimate alcohol fueled reading of Flemming's classic From Russia With Love in a luxury penthouse suite. A personal barman will be mixing compimentary vodka martinis (shaken not stirred, of course) and the venue will overlook the city skyline which, with today's weather, should be gorgeous. All in all, a little bit swish.

‘Damian Barr is the new ringmaster’ Julie Burchill

Damian Barr has been a 'reader in residence' across the globe from London's Andaz Hotel to the Grand Hyatt in Manhattan, and we reckon he's probably got a bit of a gooey voice. Readings will be to groups of no more than 4 people and should be that little bit special.

Tickets are £5 per person with one free martini included. Unsurprisingly, it's 18+. Find tickets from Tickets: Brighton Dome Ticket Office (01273) 709709 or brightonticketshop.com with showings at 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, 9pm, 10pm &11pm, depending on how you like your city to look. If you can't make today, they repeat on the 15, 22 &29 April at the same times.

Today's idea: Peggy Sue at Resident

2010-04-07T02:00:00.000-07:00

The journey of Peggy Sue is a great lesson to bands who occasionally feel hemmed in by the geographical constraints of their early days; playing the same damn venues to the same, familiar audiences. Peggy Sue - the band who, recently signed to Wichita Records and this week released a brave, complex and beautiful debut album, 'Fossils and Other Phantoms' - once consisted of Rosa Rex and Katy Klaw, and traded as Peggy Sue and the Pirates. They seemed to play in Brighton constantly; bringing amateurish, good humoured folk to a band of amused but slightly perplexed punters.

For every moment that their two, perfectly calibrated voices soared, there was another where one drummed clumsily on the back of a stool while the other warbled about being Superman. For those of us who fell totally in love with them back in the early days, their lack of seriousness and musical skill wasn't problematic at all, and an early tide of interest led... nowhere fast. Something - their own ambition, in retrospect - stopped them from recording an album, and instead they added a drummer, began building their reputation nationally, and began crafting more complex, dark songs which counterbalanced their quirkiness and personal chemistry with heavy, heady lyrics about skin, bones, and broken relationships.

All of this has culminated, finally, in their new LP. It's brave not just because the band have come so far from their early days, but because there's not a thing about their sound they haven't worked on. Their arrangements are richer and more confident, their lyrics more beautiful, their old songs ruthlessly jettisoned in favour of newer tracks. In many ways they're an unrecognisable band, having long transcended the likes of Jeffrey Lewis who once inspired them.

Having been unsatisfied, then, with the role of local heroes, Peggy Sue have rowed out further and created real, substantive waves. They're back in Brighton tonight, however, and you can catch them at the perpetually wonderful Resident Records. It's free, and they're onstage at 6.

Today's idea - Sparks: spoken word and short stories

2010-04-06T07:02:00.000-07:00

There's spoken word today at Upstairs at Three and Ten, upcoming art and comedy bar in Old Steine. Tonight they're hosting their own version - for a simple comparison - of Floetics and invite you to come and read, or come and listen to, excellent short stories by local authors. Similar Brighton events have been massively popular in the past, sprouting in local cosy cafes, and Upstairs at Three and Ten is no exception. Their events have a tendency to sell out, so possibly Book Online before heading out for this one. It costs £5 with doors at 7:50 for an 8pm start.

"Flash fiction is the literary equivalent of hotpants: there are short shorts, and then there are short shorts... For those wanting to hear some new literary voices I recommend it" The Argus

Details for submitting entries for the next Sparks events can be found on the

2010-04-05T06:40:00.000-07:00

Today sees Gloria Cycles come to Resident in another of their brilliant in-store gigs. In-stores are lovely intimate things with attendees lining the CD and LP aisles and tonight sees the Brighton-based Gloria Cycles album launch show before they jet off to Italy and beyond (with a short return scheduled on April 18)

They've spent the last year touring and gigging in front of thousands of fans, and have now been noticed by the Radio 1 'Tastemakers.'

"The band have a true DIY ethic, they make their own dazzling artwork, promote their very own club night in Brighton and also direct their own videos."

ArtRocker says this of the band:

Personally their first track of MySpace takes me back to Night of the Trees by the Young Knives. Have a listen at myspace.com/gloriacycles. It's tonight at 6:30pm and Resident's notes they'll also be selling the album Campside Discotheque a week early. Around the web they're heralded as ones to watch.

Completely free, and always lovely.

Today's idea - Easter Bonnet Parade

2010-04-04T06:16:00.000-07:00

Today at 2:30pm a giant Easter Bonnet Parade is taking place from Western Street to Bedford Tavern. We don't have too many details on this but if you're looking to distract and engage kids in Easter-based things today, or just have a look at locals doing local-type things, this is probably for you. News sources tell us that Mayor Councillor Anne Norman is attending, but the main attraction really would be the hats.
Open to all for free.

Brighton Marina, on the other hand, also seems worthy of a good stomp around.

img via istolethetv

Today's idea - The Treason Show

2010-04-03T06:33:00.000-07:00

Today we recommend The Treason Show. Aside from a strange looked half-naked man in the picture, we suspect this may be quite good. It's on tonight at the Dome:

"The Treason Show team are back in their new home taking another satirical swipe at the world of politics, sport and popular culture.

Their irreverent treatment of all things topical leaves no stone unturned, nor is any famous figure immune from their biting satire.

This famous gag-a-minute sketch show uses strong language and adult themes, and may contain nudity. It is suitable only for adults... the more unscrupulous the adult, the better!"

It's on at 8pm and is strictly only for adults. Find tickets for £10 or £12 on the Dome site.

Today's idea - Kids Easter Egg Hunt

2010-04-02T06:20:00.001-07:00

Today, a kids-based Easter Egg hunt. Running until 30 April, Brighton & Hove's Festival of Shopping is organising a kids Easter Egg Trail around the city:

"Dotted around the city you'll find 29 giant painted eggs hanging outside shops and retailers. Follow the simple clues on the Kid's egg trail entry form, to fill in the names of at least 12 out of the 29 outlets.

Then simply return the entry form for your chance to win a family weekend break in Brighton & Hove courtesy of Hilton Brighton Metropole.

The prize is an overnight family sty at the Hilton Brighton Metropole, including two interconnecting guest rooms, dinner and breakfast."

You can download the entry form from here. Have fun running about the city, or keeping kids entertained whilst you shop.

Today's idea - Wild Planet Photographer of the Year Exhibition

2010-04-01T01:25:00.000-07:00

The sun's out! Today we recommend checking out the Wild Planet Photographer of the year. The touring exhibition features 80 of the most spectacular image taken from Wildlife photographer of the year and is spread along the promenade between the two piers. As the world's most prestigious wildlife photography competition and an international leader in providing new insights into the natural world, the photos should be brilliant.

"Displayed outside, on a large scale, the dramatic images will be available to enjoy throughout the day and will be illuminated by night for people to view while taking an evening stroll along the promenade.

Wild Planet will feature 80 of the most spectacular images taken from Wildlife Photographer of the Year – the world’s most prestigious wildlife photography competition and an international leader in providing new insights into the natural world. The special selection of past award-winning and commended competition images are captioned with the story of how they were taken, alongside insights into the species captured on film, inspiring and educating a new generation of wildlife photographers and nature enthusiasts."

Find it until 26 September between the two piers.

Today's idea - Pergolesi's Stabat Mater

2010-03-31T01:11:00.001-07:00

Finally, with the rain gone from last night (for now) we can advise a lunchtime classical music recital at St Nicholas' Church in the realm of Dyke road. Perfect if you happen to live/work nearby, it totes itself as "a perfect break" to have lunch. They advise bringing own sandwiches, but will providing music in the form of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater from Michele Roszak, Mzzo Soprano, Robert Chavner, Countertnor and Jonathan Leight. For non-musically minded types, it involves a piano.

It's on at 12:30 at St Nicholas Church, Dyke road - find it on the map here. - and wonderfully it's all free.

Today's idea - Precious

2010-03-30T00:46:00.001-07:00

Today, we recommend Precious - an exhibition at Hove Museum in which it is promised that "nothing is what you expect." The Museum commissioned eight artists and makers to create new pieces, and nine to exhibit existing works. Precious, therefore, is the result.

The pieces speak of art, and it is not always obvious how the materials started life. Waste paper and fabric are transformed, landscapes made from computer parts. Books, parts of furniture, drink cans are all reclaimed and re-made.
Coming from all over the country and selected from 300 applicants, the makers reflect all aspects of contemporary craft in Britain today. For anyone who has ever glanced at a second hand item and wondered where it came from, these artists explore where these objects can take you. Their work will inspire and amaze.

The exhibition runs until April 23, entry is free and Tue-Sun the Hove Museum is open 10am-5pm, and Sun 2-5pm.

Today's idea - Breaking The Code

2010-03-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

Tonight I'm off to see Breaking The Code, and I recommend it, hoping it to be in the same performance as Frankly Outrageous, which we featured a couple of weeks ago.

"The fascinating but tragic story of Alan Turing: mathematician, 'Father' of computer science and a gay man in an intolerant era.

Compassionate and often amusing, the play explores the life of a man who broke two different codes: the Enigma Codes during WWII and the gentlemanly code of sexual discretion. By making little attempt to disguise his sexual predilections at a time when homosexuality is illegal, Turing is ultimately destroyed by the State he once saved."

It's showing at 7:45pm at New Venture Theatre, and costs £8.

Today's idea - The Mayday's 'Tonight's Top Story' [with 'Argus Headline Man' homage]

2010-03-28T08:48:00.001-07:00

'The Man Who Writes Headlines For The Argus' has become famous over time, and now has his own Facebook fan page, which makes him pretty much an internet celebrity. Today, The Maydays at Komedia present improv comedy with tonight's show featuring the Argus.

"Each performance is completely improvised using local news stories cut out by you, the audience, from The Argus just minutes before curtain time."

A funny and no doubt strange hail to 'the Argus Man', with good reviews, an award or two and a couple of stars stuck about itself place:

Best Comedy Show Award Winners - Brighton Fringe
"A must see." **** Chortle
"hilariously funny" ***** Three Weeks

It's a studio bar performance, so buy tickets on the door. Said doors make their appearance at 8:30pm. Find it on the Komedia Site here.

Today's idea - The Recommender's third party

2010-03-27T11:19:00.002-07:00

Today The Recommender, Brighton-based blog for all new music of which we are big fans, holds its third Recommender Party. At Jam, expect great live music, Eleni's photobooth - fashion photography and posey galavanting for all with "Brighton’s hottest new talent" - and goody bags full of pleasing treats, surprises and The Recommender's monthly mixtape. All the good sort of ingredients are there.

Music comes in four fab forms: A Casiokids DJ set: "Scandanavia's finest purveyors of partying pop turn up to make our first Saturday night explode in ways only they can manage," - find their Myspace here

Foreign Office: "This tasty London four piece have selected us as part of their single launch. They bring some of the best, new, upbeat indie around," - find their Myspace here

The High Wire: "Bringing the sunshine into The Recommender party, this is gorgeous, blissful dream pop from a truly special London trio," - find their Myspace here, and lastly:

Battery Powered DJs: "Playing music selected exclusively from The Recommender blog." - find their MySpace here.

SATURDAY 27th MARCH 2010,
@ Jam, Middle Street, Brighton,
£4 adv
Doors 8pm

Find the event on Facebook here.

Today's idea - @The_Recommender's third party

2010-03-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

Today's idea - Wine Tasting

2010-03-26T07:57:00.000-07:00

Today, under the guise of intellectuality and a broadening of the palette, there's Wine Tasting. Sherdian Coopers Wine Cellar is putting on its second winery event and have invited Garech Byrne from one of their favourite wine importers, who "will take us through a variety of exciting and mouth-wateringly good wines."

It's £7 and is in-store - and it's best to call to reserve a place because of this. (Tel: +44 (0)1273 730 445) Find it on a map

2010-03-25T02:00:00.000-07:00

Today and until April 4th, the Grey Area plays host to 'Martha Rosler reads Vogue' from Alison Jones, Martha Rosler, and Milly Thompson. A thoroughly nice little arty spot in brighton, the installation:

"will consider the luxury magazine and the complex veils through which the amorous glances of commodities charm and fascinate with their illusions:

Identification, aspiration, wealth, social superiority, luxury, distinction, class appreciation of the finer things in life, are imbricated in an orgy of bourgeois values; the enduring symptom of women’s asymmetric relation to power insistently realised through the private world as to-be-looked-at-ness and being-for-others; the elliptic worlds of fashion, art, media, entertainment and the nexus of money; and the co-dependency of the artist producing recondite commodities which furnish glamorous lifestyles within this realm.

Martha Rosler Reads Vogue (Martha Rosler 1982) deconstructs the messages in Vogue and its advertising. It was created at the time of the first backlash of post-feminism and the values she interrogated then are now ubiquitous, making the questions Rosler raises prescient.

Alison Jones foregrounds the contradictions of post-feminism and power in ink drawings that feature magazine photographs of women collectors at home with their private art collections of Helmut Newton and Thomas Ruff.

Milly Thompson’s graphic digital prints are aestheticised utterances that play on the subliminal messages of contemporary aspiration and desire through the language of advertising."

There. Arty blurb better than I could ever put it. Finding the Grey Area is a tad like Harry Potter's Diagon Alley (look around the corner) but it's a good little spot.

Open Thursday-Sundays, 1-5pm.

Today's idea - Craftivists! Subversive sewing! And anarchist ceramicists!

2010-03-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

Today, the first in a short flurry of arty things. The Ink_d Gallery "goes all 3D for their next show" which brings a select group of British artists together to walk, with a subversive nature of course, the fine line between craft and fine art.

"These artisans working in ceramics, glassware, mosaic, embroidery and fabrics are not just making beautiful handmade objects but also have something to say. Their messages are political, social and hard hitting. Anarchist ceramicists! Craftivists! Subversive sewing! You get the idea.

All these artists are brought together as their work answers a nagging in all of us: The need for a bit of subversion! In the words of Carrie Reichardt aka The Baroness “The Revolution will be ceramicised”."

The gallery's open from 10am-6pm, Monday to Sturday, and Sunday from 12-4pm. More info on today's idea can be found here.

Today's idea - Emergenza Festival

2010-03-23T09:27:00.000-07:00

Tonight at 7pm, Komedia hosts the second of the three day Emergenza Festival, namely the biggest music competition in the world for upcoming bands each year prsenting 6,000 bands to 21 countries. These dates are currently the festival's semi-finals with eight bands aiming to impress within 30 minutes each.

"The UK winning band will play at the international final which it will take place at the Taubertal Open Air Festival in Germany; in front of 30.000 people. Also, the world winning band will get a professional recording or an International Tour."

Komedia is especially happy today on the matter: "We are very happy to announce two very Special GuestS - HILDAMAY & RED SHARK IN VEGAS who will perform during our Semifinal round," although beyond this information's a bit sparse. The best bet is to have a good investigation of the Festival's MySpace where they let more details and samples out. Tickets are £12 on the door.

Today's idea - The Joy Formidable

2010-03-22T07:18:00.001-07:00

The Joy Formidable last came to the somewhat stark venue of Audio last June and return again today after a year supporting the likes of Passion Pit, Temper Trap and Editors. They're now breaking out their own tour which today comes to Brighton in the run-up to their new single release.

"Melding Ritzy Bryan’s vocals to a gargantuan guitar hook and a wall of noise and melody that is rapidly becoming the band’s signature sound, 'Popinjay' comes backed by a stunning animated video."

Wonderfully animated video it is, and you can find it below or have a hop over to The Joy Formidable MySpace. Tonight the band come with the support of the Baddies, a lovely, noisy, guitar-laded and buttoned-up-shirt group, who NME and Clash have featured in their incessant list of 'next band's.

Doors at 8pm, we're missing the cost but image £5-9, and you can find the event on Last.fm.

Image via Litost on Flickr