They started work this morning down at city square

It's been a good Christmas season for me generally, and I finished the year with a brace of great gigs, including New Model Army at the Astoria, for what I figured was going to be the last time.  I don't want there to be 'a last Astoria gig' but if there has to be, that was a good one.

Turns out I was right - Closing Day has been announced as the 15th January. London's now short two great venues, and more memories than I can begin to document are now homeless. 

(I said a while back that I didn't care overly about the small Astoria 2, but over the last year I've seen so many excellent shows there, I'm upset to loose that too.)

And then, to continue the less-than-happy music news over the holidays, I read this article: How Form 696 could pull the plug on the capital's music scene. OK, so that's not the snapiest title ever, but the story behind it really bothers me. Demanding personal details about all musicians makes me very uncomfortable (most contracts treat bands as single objects, and if you want to get hold of a musician, mobile's about the only contact detail that's going to be useful to you, so this goes well beyond the basic Data Protection principle of collecting and holding the minimum relevant information needed) but asking venue owners and promoters for the ethnic background of the likely audience? I'm sorry. Is there a world in which that isn't discriminatory and racist, not to mention asking the venue owner or promoter to typecast their punters? 

The actual wording on the form is "Who is the target audience' but I imagine they would not take kindly to all the forms from all the venues always reading 'fans of live music', although it would be true ...   (want to bet that would constitute not offering 'full co-operation' and come back around to bite venues in the ass?)

If it bothers you, and you're a UK citizen, there's an online petition but I suspect letters sent to your local Police, MP, London Assembly members, and to the Met commissioner will have more chance of effecting things.  (As always - They Work For You - your one-stop shop for identifying your elected representatives.)

Down towards Glasgow she descends

I love travelling by train - especially the moderately long distance stuff - so this video of the newly upgraded route between London to Glasgow in five minutes made me smile today.

It's not nearly as pretty as the East Coast York / Edinburgh route, and the film itself is no Night Mail, but still!

These are our streets

These are The King Blues.

I finally saw them live for the first time at the Astoria2 last week.

They are every bit as good as their most ardent fans had given me reason to hope.

I've just heard that they're busking in Covent Garden tonight from about half five, raising money and awareness for Crisis (A London homeless charity).

I know which way I'll be heading after work ...

(This is The King Blues at Last.fm , and this is The King Blues on youtube if you want to hear/see more.)

Warrior in Woolworths

The BBC ran an article at the end of last week called What is the point of Woolworths? which spawned a Diamond Geezer post on the subject where he visits three of his local branches, one of which is also my local branch.

Interesting, for one thing, because so many of the comments are talking about the competition from Tesco or online retailers and so on, and I don't think anyone's mentioned Wilkinsons, which is - I realise now I think about - the chain I tend to end up in when I'm looking for cheap *stuff* with an emphasis on kitchen equipment or other house-based or DIY things. Or, in other words, the sort of thing I might once have into Woolworths for.


Interesting, also, as people point out the (fairly obvious) fact that a catch-all shop like Woolies has most benefit in small shopping areas - I've probably used the branch in Whitby, where I've stayed for a handful of four-day visits, far more often than the branch in the large shopping centre that I've lived near for eight years.

It's a small town thing, a suburb thing (in the UK rather than the US sense of the word), a 'we've got to get out of this place' kind of thing*. And yet, it serves a purpose. Or it did ...

*subject line for this post is from the X-Ray Spex song of the same name.

Take my hand, divine or damned

Saturday 15 November 9am-10pm

To mark the 400th anniversary of the birth of John Milton, Patsy Rodenburg will be leading an all-day marathon reading of the epic poem Paradise Lost in St Giles Cripplegate, the medieval church in the Barbican where the poet is buried.

I'm not a committed enough Milton fan to try and listen to all eleven hours, but I am going to try and pop in for an extract, at least.

With your feet on the ground

I am forced to admit that, unless someone invents free,
instant transportation inside the next hour or so, I am not going to make it to this Films On Foot guided walk this evening.

Instead I plan on borrowing Movie London, by Tony Reeves - which is helpfully organised by area rather than by film - to use as my guide at some point in the future, when I'm less busy, and it's less freezing cold.

(If there are any of 'my'; students reading, it's just been added to the London Collection in the LUP Library.)

Olympic parade tomorrow

Ah - so that's what they're building the big stage for in Trafalgar Square.

Murder by numbers, one, two, three

In an emergency, call 999.

I remember being taught that, over and over, in infant school, junior school, in the brownies (our required uniform pocket contents included two 10p coins to make emergency phone calls with, even though 999 calls are free).

I also remember the first time I needed to put that piece of information into action - a road traffic accident in London I witnessed, when I was a post-grad student - and the moment of sheer disbelief when I was put on hold ...

The 999 teams do a phenomenal job, but there are only so many lines, so many call takers, so many crews that can be sent out. Unfortunately, some terrifying number of people have no real idea of what constitutes an emergency (note: ingrowing toenails, not being able to hear the tv, and needing to know what year the internet started are not emergencies.)

For health related 'I don't know what to do' moments, where the problem's probably not ambulance-worthy but you don't know what it is, NHS Direct has been doing sterling work for years now. (0845 46 47)

Now the London Met Police have launched a similar non-emergency single-point-of-contact number, so instead of having to find a yellow pages and look up your local police station, there's a (relatively) easy to remember phone number to call. 0300 123 1212

Here's hoping that both helps out the folks who need to contact the police that way, and frees up the 999 lines for genuine emergencies.

(See also http://www.neenaw.co.uk/ for a glimpse at life on the other side of the calls)

NHS Direct: 0845 46 47

London Met Police: 0300 123 1212

Gunpowder, treason, and plot

Planning ahead - Guy Fawkes Night, or Bonfire Night, is midweek this year, and it looks like there's a fair split of weekend before, on the 5th, and weekend after fireworks displays to take advantage of.

Time Out has started collecting details already, although neither Wanstead Flats (my local) or Woolwich Arsenal (for the most explosions) are listed yet, so it'll be worth checking back as we get closer to the 5th November.

In the dead of night

Chills in the Chapel - the Union Chapel's Halloween Horror season - is booking now. The Union Chapel is an active, working church, who use their fabulous listed Victorian gothic building (designed by James Cubbitt in the 1870's) to host live music, and other arts events to help restore the building and fun their work with the homeless.

This is a great opportunity to see some horror classics on the big screen, in a suitably spooky setting.

cause they're playing my favourite song

Passing this on, un-edited in any way, because The Holloways are fabulous. I'd love to be there, and I can't so - other people should go and enjoy!

WANT TO SEE THE HOLLOWAYS FOR FREE? (Over 18s Only)

SEE THE HOLLOWAYS AT PROUD CAMDEN courtesy of Intel

Intel, in association with Proud Camden, is giving you the chance to see The Holloways headline the sixth round of Intel Studio, the stage for unsigned artists, on 24th September 2008.  Doors open 7:30pm.

We're offering The Holloways' most loyal fans the chance to attend this intimate event, alongside two unsigned artists who are both vying for a record deal with one of the UK's top independent music labels on www.Intel.co.uk/studio.

Places are limited for this free gig , so get your name on the guestlist for this must-see event by sending your name,  e-mail address and how many spots on the list you need, to intelcompetitionwinners@hillandknowlton.com.  Please include 'Holloway Tickets' in the subject of your e-mail.

Any remaining spots will be filled by the first to the door on the night, and entry is free.

See you down the front!

Alfie, Rob, Bryn & Dave xx
www.the-holloways.com

It is written in the stars above

I know - two posts in a day, and this one not even London based. Tough.

This news makes me smile especially, because I was part of the chain of connections that took this book from the donation bins of an Oxfam bookshop, to becoming one of the jewels in Reading's collections, saving the book from being broken up, and raising a goodly sum of money for Oxfam's work at the same time.

Not a bad outcome for my putting my mum in touch with a friend of mine in Reading, really.

Understated is how we prefer to be

The Streets' fourth album, 'Everything Is Borrowed', is coming out on Monday - I linked to the free teaser track a couple of weeks back - and they're continuing to celebrate the free, with an instore show :

<I>On the day the album is released, Monday September 15th, The Streets will be playing a free instore show at HMV on Oxford Street in London at 6pm. There will no wristbands, just first come, first served mayhem. In other words, get there early. We're very much looking forward to experiencing the joys of a "go low" amongst the CD shelves.</i>

I won't be able to get there in time - I finish work just as they'll be starting - but people with more fluid schedules should take advantage.

I live by the river

Read Neverwhere! - Actually, this instruction is one I'd like to give more often, as Neil Gaiman's story of an alternate London is one of my all time favourite London books. As Harper Collins have kindly made it available as a free e-read for a month (download or online) I have a good excuse to do so today.

Richard Mayhew is an unassuming young businessman living in London, with a dull job and a pretty but shrewish fiancee. Then one night he stumbles upon a girl lying on the sidewalk*, bleeding. He stops to help her, and his life is changed forever.

Soon he finds himself living in a London most people would never have dreamed of - a city of monsters and saints, murderers and angels.

London-under-London is such a vivid and a rich place, and Neil's love of the city shines through so strongly - highly recommended.

* their blurb -- the word's pavement. Sorry.

one more step

It' a bit last minute, but this looks like both an enjoyable evening, and an excellent pair of causes:

Sunset Walk - 14 September - 5 miles - Central London

Don’t miss your chance to join this short stroll with a big heart a week on Sunday.

It’s your chance to take part in the season of Ramadan, making new friends as you walk and talk. It’s the most sociable and laidback fundraising you’ll ever do. We’re asking for a minimum of £50 per person to go towards food projects* around the world. And when the sun goes down, you’ll share a fabulously tasty meal at the London Central Mosque.

Sunset Walk: Sunday (5pm) 14 September 2008

Sign up by Tuesday 9 September :
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/get_involved/fundraise/sunset/

You’re more than welcome to turn up on the day and register but pre-registering is the surest way to guarantee your place - and saves our admin costs.

We’d love to see as many of you there as possible, so please pass this along to friends, family and colleagues who might like to join in.

* Money raised is split equally and goes towards both Oxfam and Muslim Aid projects.