Culture Diary w/c 22-04-13
PICK OF THE WEEK: Monday – Archiving the Arts Centre @ the Bluecoat
As we’ve discussed elsewhere on the site, this year sees the fifth anniversary of the refurbishment of the Bluecoat. A perfect opportunity then for creative director Bryan Biggs to trawl through the archives and present “slides, films, sounds, photographs, posters and other documents, the display will reflect curatorial developments and highlight key projects, artists we have worked with, and the changes that have taken place to the Bluecoat’s physical spaces”. The results should be an intriguing, perhaps surprising, look down memory lane.
Tuesday – I’m So Excited! Preview and Satellite Q&A with Pedro Almodovar 6.30pm @ FACT
Now 63, Pedro Almodovar’s international reputation is such that, each new release from the (Penelope Cruz-starring) Volver director is greeted as something of an event. That being the case, the screening of I’m So Excited! this Tuesday is given extra import with the add on of a satellite Q&A with the man himself.
Wednesday – K-X-P 8pm @ the Blade Factory £6
The latest bookings from Liverpool Psych fest as the second International Festival of Psychedelia approaches, this week sees the visitation of Helsinki band K-X-P. A new name to us, Mojo described them as an “intense Finnish post-kraut/acid house hybrid”. We don’t know about that – they’re a difficult band to pigeonhole too easily – but one thing’s for sure, the reviews of second album II have been uniformly positive, the Guardian calling it “a bold, dazzling leap towards the mainstream”. With support from Gigantes and Gorp, this looks a more than decent midweek jaunt.
Thursday – Liverpool Art Prize 6pm @ the Grand Hall, Albert Dock
Returning for its sixth year, the Liverpool Art Prize recognises local contemporary artists who have made a ‘contribution or impact on the Liverpool art scene’. The 2013 celebratory exhibition will be held at its new home, the Grand Hall, Albert Dock, and will be a good chance to get to know the artists more before the award cermenony in May (see our profiles of the shortlisted artists published daily this week).
Friday – Cowtown & Other Earth 8pm @ the Blade Factory £3
The self-acclaimed “Dynamic over-stimulated indie-rock” of Cowtown, it’s fair to say, is a nice way to ease oneself into the weekend. Touring new record Dudes Vs. Bad Dudes, the band (with support from the ever-reliable Other Earth) offer a great value for money Friday night.
Saturday – Darkness Into Light in conversation with Colin McKeown 3pm @ Camp and Furnace
Join Darkness Into Light host DW Mault and BAFTA-winning filmmaker Colin McKeown as they discuss Terri Hooley (who discovered Belfast band the Undertones) biopic Good Vibrations (for which McKeown was the scrip-editor), screenwriting and filmmaking in Northern Ireland. Expect industry chatter, film clips and some of McKeown’s shorts.
Natalie McCool Album Launch 7pm @ The Picket 61 Jordan Street £5/£7
Natalie McCool has been on The Double Negative radar for some time now, so it is with some expectation that we look forward to the launch of the singer-songwriter’s debut album. McCool will be performing snippets from the record with some great support provided by the likes of Bird and GIT-Award shortlisted Nadine Carina.
Sunday – Bugsy Malone 6pm @ FACT
We could’ve been anything that we wanted to be… so goes the well-remembered (and recently dusted-off by virtue of a TV ad) song from the 1976 gangster pastiche Bugsy Malone. Starring Jodie Foster, Scott Baio, and Dexter Fletcher, the all child cast (directed by Alan Parker) play cops and robbers using splat guns, amongst other things. A nostalgic romp, it’s perhaps most notable for Foster’s performance as world-weary cabaret star Tallulah.
