Culture Diary w/c 20-08-12

Monday – Stealing Sheep: Into The Diamond Sun

If you can find a review for Stealing Sheep’s debut album (out today on Heavenly Records) which doesn’t reference The Wicker Man, you’ll have done well. If you can find one that isn’t glowing, we don’t believe you. Described by The Guardian’s Tim Jonze as “a delightful bag of pick ‘n’ mix”, there’s been a lot of love in the collective music journo room for Becky Hawley, Emily Lansley and Lucy Mercer. And following this weekend’s appearance at the Green Man Festival, we’d bet on them adding to their growing reputation.

Tuesday – The Ugly Spirit 7.30pm @ the Bluecoat £8/£6

There’s more to DaDaFest than the exhibition currently on show at the Bluecoat. There are events and happenings running alongside the showcase until the 2nd September at venues across the city. One such performance is The Ugly Spirit, a play exploring the sometimes fraught relationship between performing Siamese sisters in a touring theatre.

Wednesday - Artist Cine Club: Africa in Science Fiction 6.30pm @ FACT

When you think about earth-bound science fiction and which cities are represented, visions of Washington devastated in Independence Day and a wreckage strewn London in War of The Worlds spring to mind. But what about Africa? From Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey to the more recent District 9, representations of Africa in sci-fi seem to be on the rise, and likely to sidestep typical third world-isms. Africa in Science Fiction features films from Mark Aerial Waller, Crystal Beacon and Neil Beloufa.

Thursday – Everyone Everywhere 7.30pm @ Mello Mello £5

Everyone Everywhere, particularly on their self-released self-titled new album, are an example of the kind of pop British bands are so rarely capable of (or interested in?) producing. It is pristine without being vacuous, driven and heartfelt without being earnest. It’s a great package and one that Philadelphia’s EE are clearly adept at delivering. Like the Postal Service with more guitars and drums than electronics, it’s a heady mix.

Friday - Alien Anthology All-nighter 8.30pm @ FACT £25/£20

Prometheus, Alien, Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection. It’s certainly a challenge, but one the completist is likely to jump at, particularly if – like us – you’re yet to see prequel Prometheus. If we’d named it, we would’ve been tempted to call it an odyssey rather than anthology – it’s that much more grand and uncertain sounding. At the risk of mixing film metaphors any further though, your mission, should you decide to accept it, is 609 minutes long.

Saturday - Krunk–adelic 3pm @ The Kazimier £4

Subtitled August Bank Holiday Garden Party, Krunk-adelic conjures balmy, arcadian images of slow-moving hours spent relaxing in the sun with nothing but friends, a can of red stripe and tunes to worry about. In a nutshell this is what the Kazimier has planned for the long weekend that awaits us. Music is provided by bands including a.P.A.t.T and Australia’s Orchestra of Spheres.

Sunday - King Kong 6pm @ FACT 

There’s an increasing tendency amongst pop-culture producers to re-hash ad nauseum  the ideas that worked a generation or more ago. As long as they sold the first time, let’s repackage them in twinkling CGI is the well-worn formula. Such was the case when King Kong was remade in 2005 by the usually dependable Peter Jackson. Rarely do they improve on the original. After all, how do you compete with iconic scenes and luminous stars whose names are known still? In this case, we get the chance to see the original King Kong clambering up the Empire State Building, clutching a scared out of her wits Fay Wray.

Posted on 20/08/2012 by thedoublenegative