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.
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
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.
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
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, 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
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.
'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.
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.
A delightfully miserable photos but "Languid, sparsely arranged love songs that recall atmospheric 80s acts such as the Cocteau Twins and Mazzy Star ...they betray their south London roots [with] gentle, plaintive melodies framed by minimal beats that nod to dubstep and R&B" says The Observer. We're really rather rating The XX tonight supported by the equally wonderful These New Puritans. Tickets here and smiles on your faces to see these trendy music people please.
Unprofessionally hungover, but this sounds brilliant tonight. Russel Kane's award winning Fakespeare play entitled "The Tragickal Saveings of King Nigel" which has Time Out saying very good things.
Following a complete sell out run at this years Edinburgh fringe, nascent playwright and Triple if.comedy award nominee Russell Kane brings you his celebrated blank verse bonanza. Shakespeare has been reinvented in modern form many times. Russell turns this notion on its head: Why not take our silly modern woes and re-work them into Fakespearian verse?
"Wonderful play from this very gifted young comedian" Time Out
It's on tonight at Komedia - you can buy tickets here. 7.30pm (opens at 6:45 for the mad rush to bag seats with towels as all seating is unreserved), and £12/£10 depending on whether you are a concession or not.
Today, for fans of Irish singer-songwriters with curly hair, or for those also interested in Mercury Music Prize winners whose songs have appeared on Grey's Anatomy, Nearly Famous, and Skins, Fionn Regan comes to Komedia. In follow-up to debut album 'The End of History' he brings latest curiosity 'The Shadow of an Empire'. Komedia discusses his mixture of witty vignettes and complex soul-searching, which translates in musical terms to influences such as Bob Dylan and Neil Young.
The show's at 7:30pm, and tickets are £8 which can be booked online.
This video's from his first album, but you get the gist: man, guitar, rather nice music.
This comes to you in the afternoon because Beth Jeans Houghton was very good last night. Tonight for fans of adventure and mountains the Banff Mountain Film Festival comes to town at Komedia. Photos look fantastic, dramatic and beautiful. Official blurb says this:
"The tour is a collection of extraordinary short films from the worlds most prestigious mountain film festival. Traveling from remote landscapes and cultures, to up close and personal with adrenaline-packed action sports, the collection of films will inspire and exhilarate you."
There's prize giveaways too during the evening, but with the tour getting in sold out audiences, it sounds like a good film evening to head to.
Tickets cost £10 from Komedia, and it starts at 7:30.
Back when all I could think about was music, Steve Malkmus knew that sound was keyed in, whether intellectually or rhythmically, to our ordinary everyday lives - the city is built with bricks and sound, the hum of cars and car radios, the clap of feet on pavement. "The gum smacks are the pulse I'll follow if my Walkman fades", he sang. There are only a few moments in an ordinary day when some kind of music isn't playing in my head. Increasingly, that music is composed by Newcastle's Beth Jeans Houghton.
Which is ironic, because Beth's weird, wonderful songs run counter to the notion that music, as embedded in our daily lives as it is, is an ordinary thing. Her songs - and Beth herself, if you take her interviews as evidence - inhabits a creative world which is winningly magical. It isn't the wistful, wide-eyed universe of a Bat For Lashes, but rather an arch, colourful terrain which seems to owe more to Cindy Sherman or Tony Hancock than it does Kate Bush.
Her musical palette - she is a young, female, folk singer - may seem familiar at first glance, but she has practically nothing in common with the likes of Laura Marling, Emmy The Great, Florence Welsh et al. First, her voice is more interesting - an effortless, husky hum which recalls 70s icon Bobbie Gentry, and her music is informed by deeper, darker, more esoteric strains of folk, country and progressive rock; by the likes of Tunng, Pentangle and Melanie.
Her imagination is, shall we say, vivid. Her press-pack makes for colourful reading - the biographical details are too long to print here in full, but here's a sample picked at random:
"Until one day, she was on a family holiday with her albino wolves in buttermere in the Lake District. During a dispute about the severe lack of chewing tobacco Beth left the yurt and went for a late night trot around the serene lake. not serene for long though.... She soon heard a splishing and a splashing in the darkest corner of the lake. She carefully began bare-footing along the waters edge to take a closer look at the commotion. As the sun rose golden over the nearest mountains, the waters began to swell and curdle, and three delightful heads appeared. Seeing three boys rise from the lake, Beth stared in disbelief as they emerged to show their glorious furry hind-quarters and scintillating hooves. 'Jesus on a bike' she cried as the half men, half goats trotted gleefully towards her".
You get the idea, I hope. Beth is playing the Komedia tonight with hotly rated folkies Stornoway, and her own 'Hooves of Destiny', of course. It really is an unmissable chance to see one of the most colourful, creative songwriters on these fair Isles. Highly highly recommended - if only for the inter-song banter, which is likely to be worth the entrance price alone (a tenner, since you asked).
TWISTED FOLK PRESENTS STORNOWAY AND BETH JEANS HOUGHTON Komedia Brighton 10 Feb 2010 - 19:30, £10.
Today sees Handmade Brighton take place downstairs at Komedia. As well as panning to go myself, I've also been inundated with emails telling me about this event, so it's really pretty popular. As "A celebration of all that's handmade" it takes place today again as a bi-monthly event at 11am featuring craft and fashion in a market/fair type deal. There'll be over 30 stalls of handmade things, with clothing, accessories, prints, furniture, and other nice things.
"As we love an excuse for a theme we won't be ignoring the fact it's the week before valentines."
It should be very good for a poke about. There's a Facebook group, a blog, and you can find the Facebook event here.
Noisy poetry tonight as tonight sees Hammer and Tongue come to Komedia. A favourite social haunt with something interesting and different; today fabled (well, of rather good reputation) Poets vs MCs 7th annual event comes to town. It's Bards vs Rappers which is far better than I can put it. With Rosy Carrick who is essentially fabulous as host, it's touted as Brighton's biggest monthly spoken word & slam event, so if you're a fan of Floetics this might be up your poetical alleyway.
Tickets are £3 and better booked in advance as I missed last year's when tickets sold out to the queue stretched out of Komedia and off down the road. Buy them here or be early and try your luck on the door. It starts at 7.30pm.
A short, simple (and late-posted) one today. With an amusing picture and blurb involving the words 'Channel 4' and 'critically acclaimed' we are intrigued. If sketch shows and Fringe things are your thing, head to Komedia to see Pappy's Fun Club.
"Fresh from Channel 4 and a critically acclaimed, sell out run at the 2009 Edinburgh Festival, "the funniest sketch troupe on the Fringe" (The Scotsman) continue to take the UK by storm."
Today Pappy's are presenting a World Record Attempt: see 200 Sketches in an Hour. Sounds tiring. They also promise the joy of bonus sketches and an Interval. Horray for it all.
"Sheer joy" ***** Metro One of the Guardian's "Hottest Tickets for 2010" (Sat 2 Jan 2010)
It's ten pounds for a concession ticket, twelve for a proper grown-up adult, and it starts at 8pm. Grab a ticket here. Oh, and it's showing at that lovely Komedia place.
I was considering if writing a kids-related event was a bad idea, but I'm excited about this one as opposed to disinteresting kids' nonsense, although I feel I'm too old to attend. 'Penguin' is a lovely puppet show that's come to Brighton and become immediately sold out.
I saw the book 'Penguin' on which the show's based (I imagine it doesn't stray far from the plot line) in the Tate Modern bookshop during summer and got very excited. Kindly someone bought me the book for Christmas which whilst this may be going a tad too far, it's very nice and I'm not-so-secretly thrilled it's come to Brighton.
"Long Nose Puppets are proud to present their spectacular new show Penguin, adapted from the award winning book by Polly Dunbar. Ben is delighted when he rips open his present and finds a penguin inside. "Hello, Penguin!" says Ben. Penguin says nothing. What can Ben do to make Penguin speak? Follow the twists and turns of this wonderful tale, in which a silent Penguin turns marvelously eloquent and a little boy finally gets his heart's desire."
Twists and turns there are, and today is a good day to see it since it's one of the few that isn't sold out. Today you can see it at 11am and 2pm, and if you have kids they'll love it - get babysitting for the excuse to go. It's very cute and adorable, there's a lion involved, and you might like it too.
Every Final Cut held at the lovely Komedia plays host to a monthly film-roundup of short films from 'Brighton, Britain and around the world.' Today's show sees a massive round-up of films in a dramatically titled 'Film of the Year Show'. If ever there was a time to have a break from Hollywood and put some faith in Final Cut's choice in short-films, this would probably be it.
Unsurprisingly Final Cut reckons it's been dealt some "absolute gems this year and picking the creme de la creme from 12 months of superb shorts has been particularly difficult." As the biggest screening event of its kind and one of the most sucessful in the UK, we suspect they know what they're talking about when they say this.
In a mix of desperate assassination plots, romance and autopsy, experiments, illustration, beards, and shark obsessions, there's a serious mix of genres. I quite like the sound of the un-categorisable 'The Impossibility of Being an Apple.' Films vary from 4 minutes to 18 minutes and there's eleven for your viewing pleasure. You can locate a full viewing list on the Final Cut site here and we really quite recommend this one.
They also advise the wearing of Santa hats, although we aren't sure how metaphorical this is.
Final Cut is on at Komedia tonight only, and tickets are £4 available only at the door. You can find directions to Komedia on Gardner Street here.
IMPORTANT! The Freebutt is at risk of effectively shut down by the council! We love the venue and brilliant bands they put on! Please sign the petition to save the Freebutt here: here
Bored of Brighton brings you one thing to do a day in Brighton, telling you what's on. Bands, pubs, clubs, music, art, and the peculiar.
It's lovingly written by Claire and Jonathan. Let us know what your favourite bits of the city are - send us an email to boredofbrighton@gmail.com. We'll be very happy to hear from you.
