Culture Diary w/c 14-10-13
What’s hot this week? Our pick of the listings from around Liverpool, London and Manchester…
Monday – Bright Phoebus 7.30pm @ Liverpool Philharmonic £22/£28
Billed as a “fine folk package” in The Guide, Richard Hawley and others take to the stage to pay homage to a lost classic album by ”folk luminaries” Lal Waterson and Mike Waterson, members of the original line-up of award-winning ’60s Yorkshire folksters The Watersons. Tonight’s show stars Eliza Carthy and Martin Carthy, members of the group in its latest incarnation Waterson:Carthy.
Tuesday – Exhibition Encore: Vermeer and Music 12pm @ FACT
Vermeer is probably most famous for his painting The Girl with a Pearl Earring. What you may not know was that his artwork often depicts musicians, music being a popular theme in 17th century Dutch painting. This behind-the-scenes look at the exhibition focuses on his art in relation to music, revealing an awful lot about the painter’s subjects and their society (more on the exhibition here inc trailer).
Wednesday – A Closer Look: Contemporary Art and War Tour 2.15pm @ IWM North (Salford Quays) FREE
A guided tour around major new special exhibition Catalyst: Contemporary Art and War. Featuring over 70 works all taking a hard look at modern conflict, by international artists including Steve McQueen, kennardphillipps and Edmund Clark (the latter focusing on Guantanamo force-feeding equipment). Well worth an hour of our busy lives to think more deeply about current events.
PICK OF THE WEEK: Thursday – Frieze Art Fair @ Regent’s Park (London) £34.40/£24.75
The big daddy of art fairs returns for its 11th year. As with all of these events, the vibe is spectacle; the selling of art, artists as entertainment, mega-galleries showing off a bit, lots of money sloshing around, and an overwhelming amount of artwork to see. But aside from the ‘main’ exhibition, make sure to navigate the potentially more interesting ‘frame’ and ‘focus’ areas for emerging artists and solo shows, and see why Frieze is so popular.
Deerhunter 7pm @ East Village Arts Club £17 CANCELLED
We recently described Atlanta, Georgia’s Deerhunter as a “mash-up of art-rock, psyche, shoegaze and bubblegum”, while the band themselves prefer the less messy (if more vague) “ambient punk”. We heartily recommend seeing them Thursday to find out what fits best.
What The World Needs Now… The Music of Burt Bacharach 7.30pm @ Liverpool Philharmonic £17-£40
A night of easy listening? Not everyone’s cup of tea, granted, but Bacharach must be the exception. It’s impossible not to know his catalogue of hits: Magic Moments, Do You Know The Way to San Jose?, Close to You, I’ll Never Fall in Love Again, What the World Needs Now… pair this with Liverpool Phil’s full symphony orchestra and some of the West End top singers, and you’ve got yourself a classy evening. Turtleneck sweaters are a must.
Friday – Deaf School: The Art School Dance Goes On Forever 10am @ the John Lennon Art and Design Building
According to journalist and author Paul Du Noyer, “In the whole history of Liverpool music two bands matter most, one is The Beatles and the other is Deaf School.” Formed in 1973, this year marks Deaf School’s 40th anniversary, celebrated with an exhibition –curated by the Bluecoat’s artistic director, Bryan Biggs – featuring original art works, posters, record sleeves, photos and rare footage of live performances.
Saturday – Alison Goldfrapp: Performer As Curator @ The Lowry (Salford Quays)
The first exhibition within The Lowry’s new Performer as Curator series (think the Hayward Touring programme, but with actors, dancers and musicians instead of visual artists) sees musician Alison Goldfrapp take the lead. In selecting 20 international artists’ work, the aim is to represent her personal inspirations in an exhibition form. Expect painters, filmmakers, illustrators and photographers exploring ‘the darker side of fairy tales and folklore’.
Sunday – Dracula 6pm @ FACT
“I bid you welcome”… Starring screen-legend Bela Lugosi in a defining role as the Count, chasing love interest Mina from the Carpathian mountains to London, with Renfield, Van Helsing and John Harker in tow (watch the trailer here). Glorious.
