Cinema chat, some awesome live music of the rock and classical kind, some mind-bending science and a lot of Testosterone...

27th March - 2nd April 2017

Mark Kermode In 3D - BFI Southbank

The Lemon Twigs - KOKO

Trinity Laban Wind Orchestra with Karl Lutchmeyer - Blackheath Halls

Bragg Lecture 2017 : The Wondrous World Of Perovskites - Royal Institution

Europe's Strongest Man - First Direct Arena, Leeds

A VERY varied week this one, with a quite wide ranging spectrum of activities, so let's begin...

Mark Kermode In 3D

After having to skip last month's instalment as we were double booked with 'Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?' we were back on a Monday night for the latest round of movie discussion, news and guests from the world of film for a very entertaining evening.

The guests for this one, three in total, were also all great which made it all the more great.

Kermode's trademark style of reviewing and discussing film, (honed on his Radio 5 show, co-hosted with Simon Mayo), suits the format of these events perfectly as he answers audiences questions and offers his opinion on recent news and happenings in film, clearly displaying his passion for all things celluloid.

The first guest of the evening was director Allison Anders, who Kermode has asked along to talk about her criminally little seen movie 'Grace Of My Heart', (one of Mr C's favourites), a film focusing on the Brill Building songwriters of the late 50s/early 60s and is loosely based on Carole King. It stars Illeana Douglas, John Tuturro, Matt Dillon, Eric Stoltz and Patsy Kensit amongst others and has one of the best soundtracks every in my humble opinion, it was a project which saw established songwriters from the era paired with contemporary songwriters to pen homages to the music of the time, such as girl groups and Beach Boys-esque pop tunes.

It was a real treat to actually hear more about the film, its conception and behind the scenes info, and also to see a couple of scenes on the big screen, (especially the solo performance of 'God Give Me Strength'), Anders was a lively and interesting speaker and to hear how the film evolved with input from Martin Scorsese was a real surprise treat.

The film's available on DVD and is a must watch.

The next guest was the french director Julia Ducournau, who was there to talk about her new film 'Raw', a horror film of sorts which has been taking the film festivals by storm and is garnering great reviews.

Kermode spoke to her about how she got into making a film with such a dark subject matter and she spoke of her many influences, especially noteworthy was her recounting an incident when she was six and accidentally watched 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' on TV, which was a memorable moment in her childhood and formation as a genre director.

We were also treated to some clips of 'Raw' which looked well worth a watch so we'll hopefully track that down at some point.

Kermode's final guest was there in the capacity of presenting their Guilty Pleasure, (a regular segment of the show), a movie which they like but find is generally not known or unloved.

Tonight's guest was Bill Nighy, which was a pleasant surprise and made for an entertaining segment.

Nighy in full flow...

His film choice was 'Punch-Drunk Love', which might not tick every box of a guilty pleasure movie, but certainly is a divisive film nonetheless.

He spoke passionately about the film and his admiration for it and Adam Sandler's acting in the lead role, and was very eloquent and a joy to listen to.

Once again Kermode presented a great show, the calibre of guests seems to just keep getting better and better, and it all makes for a highly entertaining evening for film buffs.

The Lemon Twigs

On Wednesday we made our way over to KOKO in Camden for our second opportunity to see the awesome The Lemon Twigs.

We saw them towards the end of last year at the MOTH Club in Hackney, and they were back in the UK for a small tour at bigger venues.

KOKO is a funny venue, for club nights it's a great layout, however for gigs it's a little less ideal. It doesn't have a traditional seated circle or balconies, they're all standing and quite narrow and the first floor circle is also the floor into which you enter the venue, which means people moving back and forth to bars and smoking areas are constantly pushing by, the lack of a rake also means strategic placement is required to find places to see through.

The sound however was great and the venue isn't too big that it dwarfed the band.

Once again they brought their A game, and showed why they've become a favourite on the live circuit. Their debut album 'Do Hollywood' really showcases the brothers Brian and Michael's skills as multi-instrumentalists and vocalists, as well as their skill at writing mature fully formed songs with spectacular arrangements and playing throughout.

The fact that they pull all of this off live is a major achievement, backed with Megan Zeankowski on Bass and Danny Ayala on keyboards and backing vocals.

The Lemon Twigs, Brian obscured by a head!...

The brothers also switch places at half time, so the first half seas Brian on vocals and guitar and brother Michael on drums and vocals, and they swap over halfway through seamlessly. The more flamboyant Michael treated us all to his Leopard-skin jumpsuit which in itself was a wonder to behold, as he drummed furiously in a Keith Moon style or performed high kicks and jumps whilst playing a frantic guitar solo.

Michael complete with jumpsuit...

They played about half the album, 'These Words' being a highlight as always, along with a few new songs from their upcoming EP and a cover of one of their dad Ronnie D'Addario's songs, evidence of where their talent stems from.

As usual they ended with 'Queen Of My School' a full on glam rocker and a fitting end to the night.

They're back in November at the O2 Forum and we're already booked!!

Trinity Laban Wind Orchestra with Karl Lutchmeyer

Thursday night's excursion was sans Mrs C, so along with a workmate I headed to sunny Blackheath Halls for a classical evening featuring Trinity Laban Wind Orchestra featuring pianist Karl Lutchmeyer performing a new composition by composer Edwin Roxburgh in celebration of his 80th birthday.

The evening kicked off with an interview with Roxburgh, hosted by Lutchmeyer, discussing his career and this new piece which he had composed to be performed by a wind orchestra, (minus saxophones), with a soloist on piano. Roxburgh was keen to express his focus for the piece was on the piano and how he felt the concerto had evolved from it's origins.

The music then started with a performance by the orchestra alone of a piece called 'L'Homme Arme', conducted by Timothy Reynish, which was a commission by the conductor himself composed by Christopher Marshall.

This was a lively piece, according to the notes inspired by the hostilities in Iraq and the composer's feelings towards war.

This was followed by Lutchmeyer joining the orchestra for the centrepiece of the evening, the premiere of Roxburgh's new concerto.

Having only rehearsed the piece relatively recently, Lutchmeyer seemed completely at ease with the piece, and played passionately. The concerto itself had quite a cinematic feel to it and reminded me of some of the score by John Williams for Oliver Stone's 'JFK', with the kinetic piano weaving around the orchestra in a almost free form style.

Overall an entertaining programme.

Bragg Lecture 2017 : The Wondrous World Of Perovskites

Mrs C was also absent for Friday's event at the Royal Institution, one of their Friday evening discourses for RI members.

The subject for this one was about the crystalline material known as Perovskites, and concerned their uses, structures, and make-ups.

It was delivered by Mike Glazer a professor from the Oxford University Physics department.

Unfortunately this lecture was, (as they sometimes can be), a little too complicated for my tiny brain to fully comprehend, so there's not much I can report back, however it was delivered entertainingly enough just too complex for me! You win some you lose some I guess!

Europe's Strongest Man

On Saturday we ventured North from London to Leeds, and this year's Europe's Strongest Man contest at the First Direct Arena.

This is one of the vents leading up to the World's Strongest Man finals which air at Christmas on Channel 5 every year, of which we've always been fans since kids, so took the plunge and went along to see it in the flesh, and to cheer on British favourite Eddie 'The Best' Hall, who set the world record last year by lifting half a tonne in a dead lift.

Also competing were title defender Laurence Shahlaei, Icelandic giant Hafpor 'Thor' Bjornsson, (Of 'Game Of Thrones' fame), and British stalwarts Terry Hollands and Mark Felix.

Competing over six events, a Bus Pull, Max Axle, (an axle which is lifted like a traditional barbell with weights which increase until all contestants are eliminated), Tyre Flip, Dead Lift, Car Walk and finally the famous Atlas Stones.

The Bus Pull had been carried out the day before in an outside location so was shown on screen, then we were straight into the Max Axle, an event where the weight must be lifted overhead and the elbows locked to count as a lift. Newcomer Adam Bishop was eliminated first suffering a bicep tear during this event and most fell by the wayside by the time we had got to 180KG.

However those left persevered to 200KG, then decided to up it to 206KG to beat the current British record held by Shahlaei, which Hall and Thor did, at which point they then decided to go for a world record attempt of 216KG, which only Hall alone lifted triumphantly, and also led him to win that event.

The Beast's world record lift...

Hall also won the Dead Lift round completing ten reps of the bar in a minute, an event he's perfectly suited for.

Shahlaei by this point had left the competition due to illness and it became a two horse race between Hall and Thor, which Hall kept tight by unexpectedly winning the Car Walk, going into the last event just one point behind Thor and taking it down to the Atlas Stones.

The Atlas Stones...

Unfortunately a slight roll by one of Hall's stone and him having to steady it meant Thor just pipped him to the post, however The Beast definitely had the crowd behind him all the way and stated his focus is on his World's Strongest Man training for now.

So after an exhausting, diverse week we returned home to recharge the batteries for this week's shenanigans, which consists of some comedic and biographical theatre. Until then, get inspired...

Some stylish opera, an enthralling Gemma Arterton performance and the final bow for Bowie's Lazarus...

16th January 2017 - 22nd January 2017

Written On Skin - Royal Opera House

Saint Joan - Donmar Warehouse

Lazarus - Kings Cross Theatre

A theatre-centric week this one, spanning three types too with some opera, a play and a revisit of a musical, so without further ado...

Written On Skin

Miss, (soon to be Mrs), Culture was under the weather on the cold Wednesday night we'd decided to catch the revival of George Benjamin's opera, so this was a solo outing, (and also my second time seeing it, the first time being during it's initial run here in 2013), and it must enough of an impact to want to revisit it as a couple but alas it was not to be. Unfortunately as seems to be the case with operas it has quite a limited run so rearranging or booking again wasn't an option.

Now let me state this right up front, I'm no opera expert. I've seen around ten operas in my life, either at the ENO or here, (and one production of 'Tosca' by the opera group Opera Up Close which was pretty great at the Soho Theatre, but I digress...), and usually go because the production looks interesting or the story appeals, so I can't comment with any degree of authority on what is considered a triumph by discerning opera goer's standards I'm sure.

It also seems that people generally appear to be of the opinion that opera is a pursuit of the upper classes as many are in a foreign language, (although usually with surtitles above the stage), and tickets are prohibitively expensive for the layperson. I first took a punt on 'Don Giovanni' at the ENO and really enjoyed it, they perform all of their operas in English so for many that could be overcoming a barrier, also there are a huge amount of seats and standing spots at the Royal Opera House which are priced as low as £6, (obviously the stalls can be over a hundred pounds, but in my experience everywhere sounds good in the ROH, a feature of a good opera house I'm led to believe). In fact for this performance I had a £6 ticket up in the heights of the Upper Amphitheatre in a standing space, which was perfectly fine for hearing and seeing the production, which was only around 90 minutes with no interval. Also be assured, you don't need to be dressed to the nines either...

Tickets for £6 are a steal...

So the opera itself then, well firstly the set itself is superb, a real wow of design, it's a two storey construction which also slides sideways between acts to reveal different sections, so if nothing else it's a treat for the eyes.

The music is also very easy to listen to, it's quite film-score like in parts and the orchestra were being conducted by the composer Benjamin himself which is always a bonus, and not so common an occurrence.

The singers were universally excellent, especially the female lead Barbara Hannigan. The male lead Christopher Purves had a throat infection on the night so although he was on stage acting the part he wasn't singing, the part was sung off stage by James Cleverton, which didn't diminish from the performance one bit.

Set in 13th century Provence, loosely the story involves a wealthy landowner known as The Protector who lives in a farmhouse with his wife and employs an artist/writer known as The Boy to produce a book based on their lives, (the book is written on bound skin hence the title), and follows the wife Agnes falling in love with The Boy and the consequences/revenge that follow.

The brilliance of the production however is that throughout the people and settings are arranged and 'controlled' by angel-like figures who are always present in adjacent rooms to the farmhouse in modern styled office type environments. So while the action is playing out in the farmhouse they are moving in slow motion with slightly subdued lighting going about the admin side of portraying the story and sorting costumes and props to stage each scene and move the story along... It's quite difficult to fully explain and needs to be seen in action really, (there's videos floating about the interweb and a DVD/Blu ray does exist of the show).

It plays almost like an adult Grimm's fairytale of sorts, with a dash of Shakespeare, (primarily in mind was Titus Andronicus), with modern flourishes to the text and music which melded the 13th century setting and the more modern angelic universe.

I've always found even when the opera itself doesn't quite float my boat that I've enjoyed hearing and seeing the music performed live, and the staging so have never really experienced a wasted night, however after seeing 'Written On Skin' in 2013 it had stuck with me and I really wanted to see it again. It didn't disappoint.

As divisive as opera is I urge you to give it a go, you never know...

Saint Joan

The next night Miss Culture was thankfully back on her feet, and in time to see the latest production at one of our favourite theatres, the Donmar Warehouse in Covent Garden.

Usually we'll see whatever production is on here, via the now defunct Barclays Front Row scheme which although could be a bit of scrum come release day were a bargain at £10 per ticket for front row seats.

So onto the play, a revival of a George Bernard Shaw play from 1923 which depicts the life of Joan of Arc, based on information from the mass of records which still exist from her heresy trial.

Gemma Arterton is Joan, and once again proves herself to be a very versatile, captivating presence, (we've previously seen her in the criminally short-lived production of 'Made In Dagenham' and the West End transfer of the Globe's 'Nell Gwynn', both of which she excelled in having singing duties too). She's on stage already as the audience filters in performing prayer and personal meditation of sorts, which along with the sparse set backed by three framed screens and the orchestral chanting music sets the mood. Throughout the play the set revolves slowly and the action is set almost entirely around a large table which is dressed to suit the scene, something which allows the audience to see all the characters properly during every scene.

Arterton on stage before the play starts proper...

The story although unchanged in it's characters, locations and time period, is updated to use modern metaphorical devices to convey such events within the text such as 'the wind changing' in the French army's favour before they launch an attack on the English, and the fluctuations of stock markets to portray the effects of the hens not laying at the start seen as a message to encourage the army to instill faith in Joan and her messages from God.

Brian Cant also makes an appearance as a couple of characters and proves himself more than capable.

A shot during Joan's trial for heresy...

Although the play is nearly 100 years old we won't spoil the story arc, and the 2 hour 40 minute run time, (including interval), flies by and never drags, whilst examining an interesting look at Joan's religious condemnation and subsequent historical significance.

The show runs until the 18th of February and is well worth catching, if only to see Arterton at the top of her game in such an interesting piece and in an impeccably, intimate environment.

Lazarus

So we were back for our third visit to 'Lazarus', and the final performance of this London run, (it's not currently announced as transferring elsewhere so maybe the last time this cast will be together).

We'd booked the tickets for the final performance back on the day that ticket sales opened, along with the other two pairs and opted for the fantastic bargain of £15 tickets, although for this performance we were nearer the back, (perhaps having been a little spoilt by our front row experience last time), however it didn't diminish our enjoyment too much despite reduced sight lines due to the design of the auditorium, (which is now being removed).

A shot of the amazing artwork for the production...

This performance also allowed us the opportunity to see Sophia Anne Caruso as The Girl and again she didn't disappoint, totally inhabiting the role which has almost entirely been only hers, and providing just enough other worldliness and ethereal charm along with a sublime, pure singing voice which lent such familiar songs a new emotional resonance.

Again Michael C Hall inhabited the role of Thomas just as seamlessly as Bowie did in 'The Man Who Fell To Earth' and despite the character not initially being an outwardly emotional force, depicts the awakening of feeling and his deteriorating mental state brilliantly.

Amy Lennox also continues to bring heft to a role which be considered slight in the grand scheme of the plot, but proves herself more than capable of making every moment count, especially her chance to let go during her performance of 'Changes'.

Also Michael Esper once again proves his versatility in flitting between vulnerable and sinister in his role as Valentine and shine throughout.

Although it's now over for the time being it was filmed so hopefully a home release is on the cards, and maybe will transfer elsewhere to continue Bowie's legacy.

A section from the programme...

The director Ivo Von Hove is moving on to many projects including a production of 'Obsession' with Jude Law at the Barbican later this year, (we have out tickets already), and will also be directing Bryan Cranston in a production of 'Network' at the National Theatre too.

That's it for this week, but next week brings a film preview and some iconic movie scores brought to life at the Royal Festival Hall. Till then, get inspired...

A double bill of events inspired by the movies, some live music, a play and Gremlins...

27th November 2016 - 3rd December 2016

Activities :

An Afternoon with Sir Roger Moore - Royal Festival Hall

North By Northwest Live with The ENO Orchestra - London Coliseum (ENO)
The Lemon Twigs - The MOTH Club
Nice Fish - The Harold Pinter Theatre
Gremlins in 70mm with Zach Galligan Live - The Prince Charles Cinema

How best to spend our 3 1/2 year anniversary of meeting/1 year anniversary of our engagement? How about a live interview and Q & A with a previous James Bond and then a premiere screening of a Hitchcock classic accompanied by a live orchestra? Sounds good to us...

An Afternoon with Sir Roger Moore

So first up was An Afternoon with Sir Roger Moore at the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank, a nice venue where we've attended talks and performances in the past so we were familiar with the layout and what to expect, and being aware of Roger's reputation for story telling coupled with his trademark Bond-ian wit we were primed for what was a great 90 minutes.

The interviewer Gareth Owens has a good rapport with Moore and was obviously knowledgeable about his career having helped him write an autobiography so was a good choice, he kept the conversation focused and flowing, which especially helped during the audience Q & A section.

Moore's stories of how he ended up starring in The Saint and The Persuaders, plus his experiences with his co-stars ranging from Tony Curtis to Donald Sutherland were all delivered with fondness and humour. When pressed on his experience of working with Grace Jones on A View To A Kill, he would only offer 'My mother always told me, if you can't say something nice about somebody then don't say anything...'.

Reminiscing about past co-stars...

Once again, as is the experience at many talks we've been to the audience Q & A throws up at least one person who shouldn't be allowed near a microphone, in this instance a guy who felt the need to tell everyone he'd just driven from Monte Carlo in his Volvo P1800 and then proceeded to ask if Roger Moore would sign his replica of the car, however to Owens credit he immediately shut him down and moved the conversation on.

The legend in full flow...

He ended with a little bit about worthy UNICEF work and closed by delivering a heartfelt monologue relaying some of the last advice given by his friend Audrey Hepburn to her children regarding her passion for the work UNICEF carries out.

To rapturous, and well deserved applause he left the stage. Overall this was a fantastic opportunity to witness a true great, clearly in his element, doing what he's always done best, entertain his audience. Superb.
http://www.aneveningwithsirrogermoore.com/

North By Northwest Live

After a spot of dinner we then headed over to the London Coliseum in Covent Garden, home of the English National Opera, (the ENO), and the largest theatre in the West End for the premiere of a screening of Alfred Hitchcock's action packed, comedic spy caper North By Northwest with the Bernard Herrmann's iconic score being performed live by the ENO orchestra.

Jaime is thinking about taking up thumb modelling...

Having just had a mini refurbishment the Coliseum is a lovely old theatre with impressive architecture and artistic features and is the perfect venue for listening to live orchestral performances as it sounds great and the ENO orchestra are phenomenal.

Herrmann's estate have only recently allowed projects of this ilk to go ahead, (Psycho is being performed at the Royal Festival Hall in June too, we have our tickets...), so as a Hitchcock obsessive this was essential. The movie however is also one of Hitchcock's most accessible, with faultless performances from Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason, keeping the action moving breathlessly along.

Saint provided a video introduction especially for this production, recounting a few anecdotes about working on the film which was a nice bonus and then the show began...

A pre-show shot of the stage and orchestra pit...

And what a show, the cues were spot on, the sound was crystal clear and as ever it's a treat seeing a Hitchcock picture projected, (Jaime's third time for this particular one), just fantastic. This film never disappoints.

Even a slight fracas between a couple of audience members, caused by somebody talking couldn't detract from the night.

Having seen a couple of other films presented this way for the first time this year, Independence Day and Aliens at the Royal Albert Hall and 2001 : A Space Odyssey at the Royal Festival Hall we can wholeheartedly recommend experiencing a screening of a film in this way, truly something special. https://www.eno.org/whats-on/north-by-northwest-live/ 

Overall a great day, a couple of related but very different experiences, but a joy nonetheless. Roll on the 4 year anniversary!!

The Lemon Twigs

After a night off on Monday it was the much looked forward to gig by The Lemon Twigs at the intimate, original, but ultimately curious MOTH club in Hackney, which is a bit of pain to get to but was well worth it for this show. The venue was part of a working men's type club and the back function room had been converted with some gold glitter ceilings and tinsel curtains on stage, however the original trophies and club awards were still adorning the walls which was a nice touch! We liked the warning about kids on the dance floor and the photo booth provided a nice diversion during the support act Goat Girl. Their music wasn't without it's charms but the vocals and overall demeanour wasn't our cup of tea.

Glitter ceilings and kid control...

Old school photo booth...

The Lemon Twigs however were amazing. Their album 'Do Hollywood' is definitely our album of the year, and their single 'These Words' single of the year. With a sound which recalls 10cc, ELO, The Beatles, Bowie, The Cars to name but a few and perfect harmonies, they pulled off their songs amazingly, notably on the album they play everything.

Getting ready to start the show...

Oh yeah, they can also play the keyboards...

Roles reversed for the second half...

The band is mainly the D'Addario brothers who share drumming and vocal/guitar duties playing half the show on each instrument and are backed by a keyboard player and bass player, however they sound more like a 6 piece band as the songs are so complex and orchestrated, and the opportunity to see them in such a small venue was awesome. They're next over to play Koko in March, and our tickets are already booked. http://thelemontwigs.com/
https://www.facebook.com/goatgirlofficial/

Nice Fish

Friday night's entertainment was the surreal comedy Nice Fish at the Harold Pinter Theatre just off of Leicester Square and saw the return to the West End of Mark Rylance, fresh from his Oscar win for Bridge Of Spies.

It's based on poetry by Louis Jenkins, and was written by Rylance and Jenkins as a series of scenes based on and built around various passages, set around an ice fishing hole and mainly performed by two fisherman friends, however a couple of other characters, (maybe imagined, maybe real), also show up to add extra dimensions.

The stage design was brilliant depicting an icy landscape and was enhanced with puppetry and models to create depth and atmosphere which were brilliant.

The performances were great all round, and although sometimes the narrative, (of which there wasn't really one to be honest, although that's intended), was unclear it was still entertaining and quite whimsical for it's short 90 minute run time without an interval, which also meant it didn't outstay its welcome and kept the audience's attention.

Honestly Rylance could read a phone book and it would be interesting to we so were entertained, however don't go expecting a riotous mainstream comedy which the posters and review quotes may suggest, it's definitely a show which is best to let wash over you and feel the atmosphere as well as the performances. It's just extended it's run for a few more weeks until the 11th of February, we had £15 tickets in the centre of the Royal Circle which were good value as the theatre itself is quite small so the action was all visible and not too distant. http://www.nicefishtheplay.co.uk/

Gremlins with Zach Galligan Live

Finally our week was rounded off by a visit to the Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square for the now annual 70mm presentation of Gremlins with live appearance by it's star Zach Galligan who is on hand to sign stuff, take photos and give a quick Q & A before the film.

70mm. we know, geeky...

Zach and Gizmo, just look how happy we are!!...

Just a reminder that it's a Christmas movie...

Zach was great, very gracious when meeting the fans and his engaging and entertaining when giving the Q & A, his lack of roles since Gremlins 2 is criminal and he spoke a little about Gremlins 3 being in the pipeline, but his involvement is unknown as of yet.

Then on to the film, replete with scratches and pops just like when we used to frequent the cinema as kids its was great, the film still holds up and provides a slightly darker Christmas tale, full of laughs and mild horror, however the kids in the audience lapped it up, (that includes us). The animatronics and puppetry is also still full of charm and actually pretty advanced for the time, CGI would be a travesty!

The Prince Charles Cinema itself is also a great independent picture house which shows plenty of smaller releases and reruns classics of all descriptions, from documentaries to 80s action classics, well worth supporting, the prices are pretty good too for central London and it has a bar.

Our first Christmas film of the year, but what a film to start with!! https://princecharlescinema.com/

Roll on next week with some Bowie and a festive Christmas show!