Entertainment

By John S. Locke I first saw Robin Williams on ‘Happy Days’, the classic American TV sitcom when I was a wide-eyed kid – he was electric! He was like a comedy Elvis! He was a comedic whirlwind – he changed comedy completely from that point onwards. This lightning rod, who zapped out of the big telly box and lit up our small 1970′s North Walian living room, was a laughter bolt which energised, enthralled and entertained like none before him. He literally...

By Alex Lodge @alexlodgemusic Everyone loves a back-story with their music – it puts everything in context – and as back-stories go, there’s nothing better than a rags to riches, underdog-takes-the-prize back-story. In today’s world of the relentless digital information tsunami, pop music has become much more this type of package deal, which is why everything you read about Tahliah Barnett aka FKA Twigs debut full length LP1 (Young Turks) plays on the fact that she began her career as...

By Dan Sampson @dan_sampson The debate over what constitutes ‘art’ is as old as art itself. Quite why there is such a divergence of opinion is difficult to tell but personal taste, whether admitted or not, is probably the most significant factor in the discussion and is also why it continues: people have different standards, dispositions, and preferences, and these drive their reaction to (and judgment of) works of art. A better question than what art is could be what...

By Jonathan Hatchman, music writer With Field Day, Wireless and last weekend's LeeFest having passed us by, the Capital's live music spotlight is now shining brightly upon this weekend's Lovebox Festival. Held in East London's Victoria Park, the event boasts two days of live music from a range of acts with a embracing a broad spectrum of, slightly more mainstream, musical tastes. Set to open its doors on Friday afternoon, we've compiled a handy guide of ten great acts that...

By Guy Dorrell @GuyDorrellEsq Sir Thomas Beecham, born in St Helens, Lancashire in 1879 will forever be associated with London. Grandson of the famous founder of the company behind Beecham’s Powders, Thomas was born into a family of immense wealth and of immense expectation. The path that his family had mapped out for him was stellar, following in his father’s footsteps to further enrich the family business. Ambitious though this path was, Thomas was to turn his back on it,...

By Harry Bedford  The Union Chapel in Islington provides a stunning setting for a music concert, especially on a summer’s evening when the dimming sunlight shines through the stain glass windows and the chatter from the crowd resonates up to the rafters. The old wooden pews surround the stage allowing the entire audience a perfect view of the stage where the artists deliver their musical sermons. Tonight is the turn of country music songstress Caitlin Rose on the eve of...

Jack Peat reviews the musician’s musician at the 606 Club, Chelsea. There’s no better way of exposing the absolute mundaneness of everyday chart music than an evening with Bobby Wellins. Indeed, it is altogether impossible to fathom how such music exists when there is such a rich musical alternative readily available. Structureless in nature, but all the more intriguing for being so, tonight was the evening I fell back in love with jazz. The 606 Club in Chelsea is a...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor  “Everything you can imagine is real” said Pablo Picasso, a concept which contemporary auteur Danny Passarella has embraced. He has just unveiled his first ever art exhibition, Fantasy Scenes, in The Gallery at Forge & Co this summer. While Danny is noted for his Passarella Death Squad project spanning fashion and music, his Fantasy Scenes show consists of science fiction-esque images that evoke the wonder of adolescence. These ‘Fantasy Scenes’ themselves are ten hyper-real coastal...

By Jonathan Hatchman Not dissimilar to the assassination of JFK, it seems that everyone can recall exactly where they were when Michael Jackson was pronounced dead on June 25th 2009. Regardless of personal preferences and stances towards his music, there can be no denying that Jackson was, indeed, one of the most famous and iconic musicians to ever grace our planet. Dying tragically at the young age of just 51, it seems unbelievable that five years have passed. So tying...