Deconstructing the weekend

A very busy weekend...

Friday night we were at the South Bank for Pere Ubu's 'Bring Me the Head of Ubu Roi'. It didn't quite hit the mark but did feature a great performance from Sarah Jane Morris and son, as well as some added amusement as avant-garde curmudgeon David Thomas got increasingly exasperated with his under-rehearsed band and crew.

Saturday's 'Hello Goodbye' was an altogether more congenial affair. The show was an Easycome special featuring Post Modern Antiquarian Andy Hankdog along with Jason McNiff & band, Indigo Moss, and Petra Jean Phillipson, all playing separately and then together for a rousing finale of 'Bella Ciao', which it turns out is a revolutionary call to arms and not a tribute to a South London pizzeria. Good to see my old engine room-mate from the Glint days, Mr Steve Brookes, alive and well and playing drums for Jason.

All that live music gives a man a thirst so I then sauntered up the road to the Parquet Mortar to meet T-Lo and Judge Ed for the nearest we get to a Crops rehearsal these days - a fez-wearing five-pintathon.

Worked off the hangover yesterday with a brisk 108 lengths in the pool and a large dose of constructivism at the last day of the Rodchenko exhibition at the Hayward, inspiring stuff indeed. As if that wasn't enough culture for one weekend, we then pedalled up to the Barbican for a screening of 'I Served the King of England', a Czech film based on the novel of the same name by Bohumil Hrabal. There was a Q & A with the director Jiri Menzel (of 'Closely Observed Trains' fame) afterwards, involving a very amusing translator. The film is the story of a waiter in Czechoslovakia before during and after WWII and is showing at the Barbican for a couple of weeks in May and is well worth seeing, though the book (inevitably) is even better.

Mai Lai, Hiroshima, know what I mean?

Here's the quite extraordinary Iron Pirate at another superb Jlesh Munce at the Windmill last night. Actually, I think that technically the feller at the back on the drums is Iron Pirate, but they were amazing anyway, and perhaps the best band from Norwich since the mighty Higsons. Check out their midi-metal mayhem for yourself.

Jeff Lewis was also on the bill but there are no pictures of him as there were two many earnest young men in glasses in front of the stage while he was playing. He did a great trio of Crass songs - Do They Owe Us A Living/Banned From The Roxy/Big A Little A - they certainly don't write em like that any more.

Blood, Filth & Suicide

A deXter Bentley triple this week - out for Ric's birthday and a spot of shoegazing at Acoustic Suicide on Thursday, with a special guest appearance from bon viveur par excellence Monsieur Brodie. Then the Half Moon on Friday, with another great set from Captain Blood Blood and the Sea Dogs (pictured) as well as Le Shark and Le Tetsuo (is 'le' the new 'thee' I wonder?). Ex-XX Teen Seb's new project Gypsy Girl Filth were live on Saturday's show and very good too.

Krakow Dawn!

Back from five days in the land of Po, where soup is served inside a loaf of bread. Did a bit of teaching but mostly mooched around the old town and the Jewish quarter, which is now the location of some very fine drinking establishments. This is a city that hasn't forgotten its past, but which is determined to move on. Na zdrowie!

Spring is in the air

Dogshit Park, SE1 9:15am

Saw Point

Corker of a show today. I know I always say it's good, mostly because it almost always is, but today was a particularly good one. Our old friends Fireworks Night played a great set, with the musical saw making a very welcome appearance. Apparently the saws that are best for performing music with are generally not that great for sawing with, so musicians and carpenters don't have to fight it out in the ironmonger's over who gets the best one. Le Tetsuo's four live songs were short sharp songs of blistering energy and wit in equal measure. Their new EP on the excellent Parlour label is well worth investing in and I nearly managed to avoid mentioning that they come from Norwich, which I will no longer hold against them. All this plus a quite beautiful live song from Jason Mcniff made for a quality 90 minutes of music, and you can't say fairer than that.