RETURN OF THE BRISTOL CULTURE-VULTURE

I have been reminded that your previously devoted and (mostly) assiduous Cultural Attaché has been silent for a while. This digest of one-liners is an attempt to reverse that shameful trend.

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Health & Safety warning: I make no claims of objectivity. The items listed here are simply those I fancy.

All events are in Bristol (that’s the UK one) unless otherwise stated.

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NOVEMBER

9th                    ConnectOne exhibition preview at the Create Centre, 5-8 pm. Includes work by Angie Kenber, who’ll be there from 6 pm.

until 10th           “The Ides of March” (film) at the Watershed, Harbourside. I don’t normally plug movies but this one is on my personal wish-list! 0117-927-5100

10th                   Hot Club of Cowtown at St George’s Bristol, 8 pm.

0845 40 24 001

11th                   Kirris Revere Blues Band: music for dancing at the South Bank Club, Dean Lane, Southville. No other info available at this time.

12th                   Carmina at Colston Hall 2, 8 pm. 0117-922-3686

14th                   Lilian Boutté at the Coronation Tap, Clifton, 9 pm

 14th-16th            “A Clockwork Orange” at the Tobacco Factory, Southville, 8 pm. I’ve never seen a stage adaptation of that ground-breaking novel; probably worth a look! 0117-902-0344

17th                   Denny Ilett & Ruth Hammond at Rainbow Café, Clifton. Dinner show, so booking essential: 0117-973-8937. Further details on Facebook.

20th                   The Randy Swindlers at the Coronation Tap, 4 pm

24th                   Jeremy Paxman at the Watershed, Harbourside, 1 pm: “Empire: what ruling the world did to the British”. A Festival of Ideas event.

www.ideasfestival.co.uk

26th                   “Hannah’s Concert”, charity event at Tockington Manor School.  Buffet; music by Chimera featuring Ruth Hammond and special guest Pete Josef. jenny.king@edgecumbe.co.uk

27th                   Instant Wit improv comedy at The Brewery Theatre, North Road, Southville, 7.30 pm. 0117-902-0344

30th                   Steeleye Span at St George’s Bristol, 8 pm. 0845 40 24 001.

DECEMBER

3rd                    Chumbawamba at the Folk House, Park Street. 07855 826 228.

 

ANOTHER BRISTOL CULTURE-VULTURE

I’ve been reminded that your cultural attaché has been silent for a while. To correct that situation, here’s a selection of items I favour.

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STOP PRESS: TODAY! (Sun 28 Aug) at the Coronation Tap, from 12 midday. MINI-FEST in support of the Charlie Derrick Bursary.

Jan Gale at the Cori says: “It’ll be a day packed absolutely full of sensational performances by hugely talented musicians from Bristol, exciting newcomers from London, and very special guests who are all giving their time to raise awareness of and support for this very special cause.

“There’ll be plenty of CoriTap ciders and a scrumptious buffet”. [The latter is supplied, by the way, by the world-famous Rainbow Café]

Ffi: www.thecoronationtap.com for the lineup, also www.footprint.org.uk. This is a wonderful cause.

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Thurs 1 Sept at View Gallery, 159-161 Hotwells Rd: Postcard Art Auction in aid of The Prince’s Trust.

6 pm for 7; complimentary ale, wine and cheese.

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Sat 10 Sept, all over Bristol: Doors Open Day. Vultures of long standing will know I am a fan of this:  http://www.bristoldoorsopenday.org/

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11 & 12 Sept (Sun / Mon) at the Brewery Theatre, “Telling Tales of Drunkenness, Cruelty and OFSTED”

A one-man show by former professional actor (ex-RSC), teacher and poet Tony Rowlands. Music by the Henri Passat Band, with vocals by my daughter Madeleine.

8 pm, 291 North St, Southville, Bristol BS3 1JP. Tickets via the Tobacco Factory Box Office: Tel 0117-902-0344, or go to: http://tobaccofactorytheatre.com/shows/detail/telling_tales_of_drunkenness_cruelty_and_ofsted/ .

 

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Thursdays throughout September: music at the Rose of Denmark, Hotwells, Bristol. This is a newish innovation as a regular event and it’s being programmed by the ubiquitous and brilliant Pete Judge. Some of our faves in Sept: Dave Griffiths with Brejeiro; Jim Reynolds with Gina Griffin; John Pearce with Dave Newton; finally Moscow Drug Club. Sounds good!

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Fridays throughout September: music at El Rincon, North Street, Southville, Bristol (that’s opposite the Brewery Theatre; see above). Note that gig times are still 8-10pm sharp and the bar has to close at 10pm too!

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… and for poetry fans:

Sat 17 September, midday to 3 pm: TWENTY POETS PERFORM at Bristol Central Library, Cafe Area. They will be reading their own work for slots of either 5 or 10 minutes.

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Finally: you may well be aware of Bristol University’s Public Engagement programme. I’ve just received a weblink that’ll take you to their September calendar:

<http://bristol.ac.uk/public-engagement/pdfs/whatsonguide.pdf/>

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Finally finally: REMINDERS DEPARTMENT. Items already mentioned in an earlier edition of The Culture-vulture

September

5-7        “Acting for camera”: one of several short courses at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School throughout the summer. http://www.oldvic.ac.uk/short-courses.html

8 “TEDx Bristol” at M Shed. Don’t know about TED? You are missing out! This Bristol version is an innovation. See link: http://tedxbristol.com/about .

11-12        “Telling Tales of Drunkenness, Cruelty & OFSTED”, at the Brewery Theatre, 0117-902-0344. One-man show by Tony Rowlands (Buckingham in Richard III at the Alma). Music by the Henri Passat Band, featuring my daughter Madi. (Several people have asked me to remind them, so here it is!)

17         The Unthanks / Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band at St George’s Bristol. I gotta hear the “Briggus” and anyone who loved “Brassed Off” will too. 0845 4024001

“Bewitching, dream-like, down-to-earth … music as tough as it is gentle, as ancient as it is modern, as coldly desolate as it is achingly intimate … joyous, virtuous and luscious un-folk” (The Observer)

30         “Recession” Fashion Show at the South Bank Club, Dean Lane, Southville, Bristol.

 

WORLD BOOK NIGHT, SAT 5 MARCH

If you live in the UK you might have heard of World Book Night, when a million books are being given away by volunteers in one day. If you live elsewhere you probably won’t have heard about it; despite that “World” tag, it seems to be an exclusively UK event. (I suppose this is our answer to the Superbowl being called the “World Championship”)

Anyway, I’ve been chosen as an official “book-giver” for the event, which is on Saturday 5 March. So I’ll be giving away copies of my chosen book, “Toast” by Nigel Slater, all that day at Rainbow Cafe, Waterloo St, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 4BT.

When they’re gone, they’re gone.

Looking forward to it!

Want to know more?

I can do no better than to quote the back-cover “blurb” for this brilliant book:

“Toast” is Nigel Slater’s multi-award-winning story of a childhood remembered through food. Whether relating his mother’s ritual burning of the toast, his father’s dreaded Boxing Day stew or such culinary highlights of the day as Arctic Roll and Grilled Grapefruit (then considered something of a status symbol in Wolverhampton) this remarkable memoir vividly recreates daily life in sixties suburban England.

Go to Toast | World Book Night