Culture Diary w/c 16-04-12
Monday – An American Werewolf in London / The Thing Double Bill @ FACT 8pm
What a way to start the week, eh? An American Werewolf in London and The Thing, released a year apart at the beginning of the 80s, are perhaps best remembered now for their pioneering use of special effects. Though the sfx aren’t to be sniffed at, they’re more than the creature features this suggests. The two Johns; Landis (Werewolf) and Carpenter (The Thing) produced one hell of a pair of movies that look at notions of fear, identity and paranoia, but most of all tell great stories.
Jethro Fox @ The Kazimier 8pm FREE
With just a couple of tracks on his soundcloud account and set to play his first gig tonight at the Kazimier, details about Fox are pretty thin on the ground, so we’ll concentrate on the important things; those two tracks we mentioned. In Before, and Echo (the latter uploaded just a couple of weeks ago) Fox has delivered a pair of songs eminently listenable, soaked in pop references from decades gone by. That said, you wouldn’t describe them as derivative. One thing, at least, seems to be certain about Fox – he’s hard to pin down. Support comes in the form of GIT Award short-listed Loved Ones and the James Canty Band.
Tuesday – Demons @ FACT 9pm
What Demons lacks in taste, it more than makes up for in kitsch and schlocky-horror. This should come as no surprise; though directed by Lamberto Bava, the screenplay was provided by countryman and horror virtuoso, Dario Argento. Set against a cinema audience watching (what else?) a horror film, Demons is typical of Argento’s oeuvre, where sense is quickly discarded in favour of an onslaught of horror imagery.
Wednesday – The Staves @ The Kazimier 8pm £8
The Staves, who recently supported Michael Kiwanuka (but we’ll forgive them that) and next month embark on a North American tour with Bon Iver, have been making gentle (but far-reaching) waves. This week, the sibling trio, with their armoury of lush harmonies and rolling folk-pop sensibilities, continue a headline tour, supported here by Dead Cities.
Friday – Sea Odyssey – Giant Spectacular
Here at last, Sea Odyssey – Giant Spectacular gets underway on Friday in Stanley Park, with the little girl giant waking from her slumber. The extravaganza, scheduled to continue over the course of the weekend and through the city, is brought to us by street theatre company Royal De Luxe. It looks like being a blast, and one we’d wager, that shouldn’t be missed.
Saturday – Record Store Day Various Venues
In 2007 Record Store Day was created in the US as a means of recognising the unique culture and spirit independent record shops provide. Yeah they can be intimidating – that first time we went into the old Probe was a mixture of wonderment and fear (turned up to 11, obviously!) – But, good ones are as much a part of a city’s creative capital as your favourite venue or band. Saturday is an opportunity to discover, celebrate and appreciate the importance of something which, should we let it, could become an endangered species. With events taking place at Wolstenholme Creative Space, FACT and Mello Mello, there is ample opportunity to show your support and eventually struggle home with that ‘one last vinyl you couldn’t pass up’.
