Culture Diary w/c 19-08-13

Monday – The Man Who Fell to Earth 6pm @ FACT

Adapted from the 1963 novel of the same name by Walter Tevis (The Hustler, Mocking Bird), The Man Who Fell to Earth follows the eponymous alien Thomas Jerome Newton, on Earth to source water for his dying planet. Prescient, existential – themes of loneliness and isolation loom large – and flat out weird, Nic Roeg’s (read our director profile) 1976 picture sees a perfectly-cast David Bowie in the lead role. For a double dose of Bowie this evening, catch the is happening now Encore at 9pm.

Smoke Jazz & Supper Club 8pm @ MelloMello £15

The name got us. Smoke Jazz & Supper Club – it sounds at once exotic and nostalgic, which can’t be bad. With late dining, an “extra special menu” and accompaniment from the MelloMello Jazz Collective, who said Monday night had to be dour? An air of exclusivity – there are just 20 places (so be sure to book) – and drinks deals makes it nigh on irresistible.

Tuesday – Discover Tuesdays Film Club 8pm @ FACT

FACT have been running the superb, off the beaten track Discover Tuesdays film strand for some time, and the addition of a movie club makes great sense; an opportunity post-screening to get together with the rest of the audience to discuss the themes, meanings and any questions the films throw up over a glass of something nice in the bar. This week, Wadjda, which we reviewed here.

Wednesday – Sheffield Doc/Fest A Fragile Trust 6.30pm @ FACT

The second – following last week’s Google and The World Brain – of a pair of films selected from Sheffield Doc/Fest, A Fragile Trust tells the story (a very apt word in the circumstances) of disgraced New York Times ‘intermediate reporter’ Jayson Blair, who rocked his employer and the world of journalism at large following a plagiarism scandal.

Thursday – Michelle Harrison and Stuart Farr @ Cornerhouse Cafe/Bar FREE (Manchester)

The Cornerhouse curates its small social space very well; rather than being an afterthought as in many cafe/bars, the temporary exhibitions are often excellent. Grab a beer and ponder Stuart Farr’s surreal painting, hovering “between the absurd and the real”, alongside Michelle Harrison’s exploration of CCTV and our “camera-conscious existence.”

Stanley Brinks 9pm @ the Kazimier Garden £2

Stanley Brinks will be better known to some (certainly us) as André Herman Dune, formerly of the French band Herman Dune. Going solo (when not playing with The Wave Pictures) and changing his name in the process, Brinks is now based in Berlin; if you, as Jeffrey Lewis does, still “miss Herman Dune with both brothers in the band”, console yourself with this highly affordable appearance. 

Friday – Classic FM Summer Live 7.30pm @ Sefton Park FREE

Part of the Liverpool International Music Festival, Classic FM Summer Live boils down to Vasily Petrenko conducting the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra through a concert including everything from John Williams’s Jurassic Park Theme to Holst’s Mars From The Planets, in the lovely summer evening surrounds of Sefton Park.

Drop The Dumbells Festival 8pm @ Drop The Dumbells £3/£5

With programming from Deep Hedonia and Upitup, as well as the Dumbells crew, this weekend’s blowout – or in polite company, Drop The Dumbells Festival – is guaranteed fun. Acts over the long weekend (Fri-Sun) include Union Jacques, Kepla, Tomasu and Tony Loco, and with a daily donation of £3 or a fiver for the weekend ticket, we’re struggling to see a downside.

PICK OF THE WEEK: Saturday – Summercamp 2pm @ Camp and Furnace £33/£55

From one under-one-roof Liverpool bank holiday weekender to another, and Summercamp offers something different again. Boasting festival circuit staples such as Martha Wainwright, The Joy Formidable and Ghostpoet, a Liverpool Biennial-curated music school and a screenings programme courtesy of FACT, happily wave goodbye to downtime!

Saturday Talks: Anthea Hamilton 3pm @ Serpentine Gallery FREE (London)

Part of the gallery’s regular Saturday Talks, artist Anthea Hamilton (main image) talks about her practice and the term ‘interface’ – ”the place and ways in which we encounter an object and make use of it”. Widely exhibited, most recently in Tate Modern, Studio Voltaire and Bloomberg Space, she’s also been a Guardian Artist of the Week. Be sure to check out Sou Fujimoto’s summer pavillion while you’re there.

Sunday – Dial M for Murder 6pm @ FACT

Hitchcock favourite Grace Kelly stars as the intended victim in this restored 1954 classic of the thriller genre. Featuring those other cornerstones of Hitch tropes: jealousy, greed and resentment, we watch on as Margot’s (Kelly) ex tennis pro husband (played by Ray Milland) discovers his wife’s affair and plots to have her bumped off. It was never going to be that simple.

Posted on 19/08/2013 by thedoublenegative