Culture Diary w/c 26-08-13
Monday – Othello 7.15pm @ the Kazimier £10/£8/£5
A week-long run of Shakespeare’s compelling tragedy Othello begins tonight at the Kazimier, proving once again this venue isn’t just the home of some of the best gigs in town. Seemingly performed endlessly, due in part no doubt to audiences’ insatiable appetite for it, but also to the timeless themes of racism, love, jealousy and betrayal at its core.
Tuesday – Darkness Into Light: The Central Park Five 8pm @ Camp and Furnace £3
This week marks the 50th anniversary of the famous Martin Luther King Jr. ‘I have a dream’ speech. That things have improved over the course of those years is certain, but that race relations is still a term in frequent use goes to show there remains a ways to go. The Central Park Five is just such an example of how far. It documents and examines the scapegoating of five black and Latino teenagers convicted of raping a white woman in Central Park, resulting in their wrongful imprisonment.
Wednesday – Gogo Penguin 8pm @ the Kazimier Garden
Drowning in praise (The Times called them “adventurous, accessible and melodic,” while BBC Music said they’re “destined for great things”), the wonderfully named Manchester-based piano trio Gogo Penguin arrive in Liverpool this week in support of their (aptly titled) debut album, Fanfares.
Thursday – Liverpool Pride: Any Day Now 6.30pm @ FACT
Starring Alan Cumming and Garrett Dillahunt, Any Day Now explores the struggles faced by drag queen Rudy (Cumming) when he takes in Marco, a teenager with Down’s syndrome abandoned by his mother in 1979 America. Full preview.
BFI Monster Weekend 8pm @ The British Museum (London)
Gothic: The Dark Heart of Film, a season of film at BFI Southbank and across the UK launches in October. No doubt making for a seductive taster is the BFI Monster Weekend, whereby the British Museum plays host on consecutive nights to a trio of genre classics, beginning on Thursday with director Jacques Tourneur’s Night of the Demon (above).
Friday – An Evening with Graham Jones 7pm @ Waterstones £3
The author of Last Shop Standing, a look at the plight of the humble record shop, Graham Jones returns with Strange Requests and Comic tales From Record Shops. Sharing over-the-counter anecdotes and insights – including the truth behind chart hyping – join Jones at Liverpool 1 Waterstones for a look at an increasingly bygone, endlessly fascinating culture.
PICK OF THE WEEK: Product Records Launch Party 7.30pm @ Static Gallery
Which leads us nicely to PRODUCT Records (above). Is there a model post-2oth century for a label? Never mind a label whose first release is a vinyl-only limited run. It’s too early to know the answers, but PRODUCT – a collaboration between Ade Blackburn and John Hartley (CLINIC), Paul Sullivan (Static Gallery) and Sam Wiehl (Artist/HIVE) – beguiles and excites. Along with hints of its direction, there are performances from pianist Matthew Bourne and Howie Reeve; plus, you can get your hands on PRODUCT numero uno in the pop-up record shop.
Saturday – Whitworth Weekending 4pm @ Whitworth Art Gallery FREE (Manchester)
Ahead of its impending temporary closure for £15 million worth of redeveopment, the much-loved Whitworth Art Gallery sets its sights on going out with a bang rather than a whimper – with performances from its monthly late-night programme, After Hours, Acid Brass, spoken word and film in the mix, it promises to be a celebratory weekend to remember. The gallery remains open until midnight Sunday before it bids us goodbye, for now.
Howl’s Moving Castle 3.30pm @ FACT
FACT’s Ghibli season continues with the Japanese anime studio’s 2004 hit, Howl’s Moving Castle (adapted from English author Diana Wynne Jones’s 1986 novel of the same name). Ghibli Season previewed in full here.
Braids 7pm @ East Village Arts Club £8
That Braids hail from current indie mecca, Montreal, can only be slightly coincidental. Earning rave reviews for debut album, Native Speaker, the Quebec-based three-piece’s sophomore effort, Flourish // Perish, has been subject to similar fanfare. Reliably informed that they’re a sight and sound to behold live, the band recently made our 10 best autumn gigs playlist.
SPACE IS THE PLACE 8pm @ the Kazimier £7
Though jazz composer/musician and bandleader Sun Ra died in 1993, he continues to be remembered (and with great affection) for his pioneering contribution, leaving his indelible mark on the worlds of soul, psychedelic, funk, hip hop, electro and beyond. His Arkestra, of course, abides with some verve, and SPACE IS THE PLACE pays due homage with performances from United Vibrations, We, The Undersigned and more. Plus, there’s a screening of the Sun Ra-starring sci fi of the same name.
Sunday – The Godfather 5.30pm @ FACT
Coppola’s 1972 epic of family values mob-style, which sees Al Pacino’s Michael start his journey on the road to absolute corruption, bears up remarkably, we find. Though labouring under the baggage of all of those well-worn references (almost rendering its dialogue cliche) and the undying lads’ mag plaudits, The Godfather has earned its place in the pantheon for a reason. It’s an offer, if you know what’s good for you, which shouldn’t be refused.
