Category Archives: Culture

Win a pair of tickets to the comedy event of the year

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Friends of the Earth has announced the comedy event of the year, and Frost Magazine has tickets to giveaway:

COMEDY STARS JOSH WIDDECOMBE, TONY LAW & DANNY BHOY JOIN ED BYRNE AND STEWART LEE

FOR LAUGH OR THE POLAR BEAR GETS IT 2012

Thursday 22nd November, Hammersmith Apollo

Tickets: 0844 2491000 www.eventim.co.uk

www.foe.co.uk/polarbear

#PolarBear

 

Three superb new acts have joined the stellar line-up at this year’s Laugh or the Polar Bear Gets It (a Friends of the Earth benefit gig), Hammersmith Apollo 22nd November. Set to be another year of world-saving japery, the line-up now includes: Josh Widdicombe- star of The Last Leg (C4) and Live at the Apollo (BBC One), Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Tony Law and Danny Bhoy, as featured on The Late Show with David Letterman & Live at the Apollo (BBC One).

Already on-board to create another show-stopping event are Stewart Lee, Ed Byrne, Dan Antopolski and Francesca Martinez, with more exciting names to be released.

Tim Minchin said of last year’s show: “This show’s titular threat is deadly serious. If you don’t come and laugh, we have an actual metaphorical polar bear and it is seriously going to get ‘it’. Luckily, we are not worried, because (a) the line-up is excellent, and (b) we don’t know what it’s a metafor phor.”

In its third year, Laugh or the Polar Bear Gets It will not only provide you with a whale of a time, but will go a long way in supporting Friends of the Earth’s mission to promote a positive relationship between people and the environment.

 

Friends of the Earth says:

“For more than 40 years we’ve seen that the wellbeing of people and planet go hand in hand – and it’s been the inspiration for our campaigns. Together with thousands of people like you we’ve secured safer food and water, defended wildlife and natural habitats, championed the move to clean energy and acted to keep our climate stable. Be a Friend of the Earth – see things differently. For further information visit www.foe.co.uk.

Please note that unfortunately due to a previous illness and the consequent rescheduling of tour dates Beardyman will no longer be able to perform on the line up. He is a huge fan of Laugh or the Polar Bear Gets It and continues to lend his support to Friends of the Earth and its causes.”

Laugh or the Polar Bear Gets It

Hammersmith Apollo, Tickets from £25.00, Doors open 6.30PM 0844 2491000www.eventim.co.uk

 

To win just follow Frost Magazine on twitter at @Frostmag and tweet, ‘I want to go to the comedy gig of the year with @Frostmag.’ or  join our newsletter. We won’t spam you.

BEAR CAVALRY AND CRUSHING BLOWS GIVE AWAY SPLIT TRACK TASTER PRIOR TO LIVERPOOL & LONDON SHOWS

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BEAR CAVALRY and CRUSHING BLOWS are giving away a split free download single as a taster for their free entry shows together on Sat 20th October at The Shipping Forecast, Liverpool and Tues 23rd October at The Old Blue Last, London.

 

Download, host and share the taster

 

CRUSHING BLOWS

RELEASE SELF TITLED EP Out 12 November  available as pay what you want here via Super Heavy Weight Records


John Robb, Louder Than War –  Kind of punky, kind of electro, a little bit thrash, a little bit pop. Crushing Blows may not be easy to describe but they are definitely worth your time to catch live.”

Artrocker – “Combining jaunty math rock with grungey 80s references and Battles-esque electro noise, they’ve managed to win over a host of radio fans, and it’s not surprising. This EP contains enough variation to keep the busiest of ears occupied.”

The noise pop band from Derbyshire have drawn comparisons to Battles, Broken Social Scene and Arcade Fire and have been championed by Tom Robinson, Steve Lamacq and Huw Stephens.

 

Said track, ‘The People Who You Will Never Meet’ was made ‘Track of the Week’ by Simon Raymonde (Bella Union) on his Amazing Radio show.


CB’s tour starts on Friday (19th) so they’ve decided to make their new EP available digitally on their bandcamp page –http://crushingblows.bandcamp.com. You can pay what you like for it. Pre orders of the CD still come with a free vinyl.

 

BEAR CAVARLY

NEW EP ‘Puryss’ on November 5th through Alcopop! Records

 

 

Rocksound – “Bear Cavalry’s music is an optimistic racket, merging math-rock rhythms with danceable sunshine pop.”

 

Musical Mathematics – “A bold statement of a band simultaneously having and eating their cake – a collection of sun-drenched hits in the making, filled to the brim with both angular guitar lines and unpredictable song structures.”

 

Previously championed by the likes of Rocksound who branded them ‘cheery summery math-rock akin to Foals and Tall Ships’,Edith Bowman and Steve Lamacq… Even Skrillex has got in on the act, loving their off-kilter cover of his hit ‘Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites’ so much that he used it to in his live sets.

 

Meanwhile, Nick Grimshaw, Annie Mac, Kissy Sell Out, John Kennedy and Tom Robinson have all pledged their allegiance too – not bad for a band only a couple of years in the making.

COLDPLAY No.1 Album Painting for Sale in London for Kids Company

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COLDPLAY AND PARIS FOR KIDS COMPANY29th November – 2nd December 2012

 

COLDPLAY AND PARIS ARE TO HOST AN EXCLUSIVE EXHIBITION OF ORIGINAL COLDPLAY ARTWORK AT PROUD GALLERIES, CAMDEN FROM 29 NOVEMBER – 2 DECEMBER. 100% OF PROCEEDS FROM ARTWORK SALES WILL GO TO KIDS COMPANY, A CHILDREN’S CHARITY WHICH PROVIDES EMOTIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT TO VULNERABLE CHILDREN.

COLDPLAY posted this about it yesterday:  www.coldplay.com/newsdetail.php?id=1106

 

Coldplay have arranged an exclusive exhibition in conjunction with Kids Company, a charity that the group have supported for the last four years. The show, to open at Proud Galleries, Camden on 29 November, will feature three original paintings on canvas by Coldplay and their ‘Mylo Xyloto’ artwork collaborator Paris, as well as the original 7m X 2.5m graffiti wall that became the album artwork. A second wall painted by young children from Kids Company and Paris will be displayed alongside Coldplay’s larger wall.
Also available to purchase: three high-quality prints of the ‘Mylo Xyloto’ album artwork (each a limited edition of 8 and signed by the band); three high-quality album artwork prints (each a limited edition of 650 and signed by Paris); and unseen photographs from Coldplay’s ‘Mylo Xyloto’ world tour taken by Miller (aka Roadie #42), the band’s official tour photographer.

All work is for sale, with 100% of proceeds going to Kids Company, a children’s charity which reaches out to over 17,000 vulnerable young people in the most deprived areas of London. Coldplay’s last public benefit for the charity was in December 2011 when the group were joined by guest artists including Tinie Tempah and Emeli Sande in a benefit show at the 02 in London.


Chris Martin said; “Kids Company is a phenomenal organization that is very close to our hearts. While we were making the last album we did quite a lot of painting with our friend Paris. We built a special wall in our studio and sprayed it, wrote on it and threw things at it until it eventually became the artwork for ‘Mylo Xyloto’. This exhibition will be the first time that the wall has appeared in public”.

Will Champion added; “The big wall and the three paintings are all one-off Coldplay/Paris originals. The money raised will make a big difference to some of London’s most vulnerable children”.

Camila Batmanghelidjh, founder and Kids Company CEO, said; “The support Coldplay have given us over the years has been amazing. Art plays a major role in Kids Company’s work with vulnerable children: kids who have experienced trauma often find it easier to express themselves using art materials rather than words. Our recent award-winning exhibition in partnership with the Royal Academy demonstrated this very powerfully and poignantly”.

Boris voted as UK’s favourite political buddy

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The Prime Minister is left at the airport, as Boris Johnson is voted preferred getaway companion for UK holidaymakers

We all dream about the perfect holiday destination, but when it comes to choosing a holiday companion who would you pick? When asked about which politician they’d most like to go away with, more than half of Brits elected Boris Johnson as their ideal beach buddy.

The findings emerged in a study carried out by social travel website Gogobot. 58.6% of the 1,400 people polled voted for the Mayor of London, with David Cameron coming in second place (14.5%), followed by Ed Milliband (9.9%) and Nick Clegg (9.1%) in fourth place. Despite coming in third, Ed can console himself with the fact that he beaten his brother yet again, with David coming in at fifth place.

What’s more, it seems that Boris’ charm spans the generations; he topped the polls across all age groups surveyed. He was most popular amongst 18-24 year olds, getting 65% of their vote. Young people also put Nick Clegg in second place putting David Cameron in third, perhaps suggesting that Nick would make a better drinking buddy? For holidaymakers aged over 65 David Cameron also slips into third place, behind Ed Milliband.

Men were more likely than women to choose Boris. He took 58% of the male vote, followed by David Cameron in second place with 15% of the male vote. Boris managed to pick up 54% of the female vote, followed by Ed Milliband (at 26%).

Across the pond the presidential election race is hotting up, but Obama is edging ahead in the holiday stakes. In a separate survey, Americans said they would prefer to go away with Barack Obama (54.6%) to Mitt Romney (45.4%). American women to dream of having Obama as their beach buddy; he collected nearly two thirds of their votes, whilst the male vote was split evenly.

Brits preferred the idea of a holiday with Barack Obama, with over 70% of people booking flights with the current President, instead of Romney.

Travis Katz, CEO of Gogobot said: “The survey shows just how important it is that your holiday companion has the full package; brains and the personality to match. This week Arnold Schwarzenegger backed Boris, clambering on board a Boris Bike to show his support for Boris as a Prime Ministerial candidate. Arnie seems to think it’s his intelligence and charm which make him a good political candidate, and It seems that it’s Boris’ sense of fun that makes him a popular great candidate for a holiday too!

Travis Katz continued: “There is so much choice when it comes to planning a holiday, whether it’s trekking in the Andes, shopping in New York or Skiing in the Alp’s, we all need someone there to make it memorable. Maybe Boris has a more relaxed travelling style than David, hopefully he’s got some travel recommendations he can share with us!”

Top five UK politicians to go on holiday with:

1. Boris Johnson (58.6%)

2. David Cameron (14.5%)

3. Ed Milliband (9.9%)

4. Nick Clegg (9.1%)

5. David Milliband (7.9%)


Top five UK politicians for men

1. Boris Johnson (63.3%)

2. David Cameron (13.2%)

3. Ed Milliband (9.2%)

4. Nick Clegg (7.3%)

5. David Milliband (6.9%)

Top five UK politicians for women

1. Boris Johnson (54.5%)

2. David Cameron (16%)

3. Ed Milliband (11.3%)

4. Nick Clegg (10.1%)

5. David Milliband (8.1%)

US presidential candidates

UK response:

Barack Obama (70.8%)

Mitt Romney (28.2%)

Men

Barack Obama (66.3%)

Mitt Romney (33.7%)

Women

Barack Obama (76.8%)

Mitt Romney (23.2%)

US response:

Barack Obama (54.6%)

Mitt Romney (45.4%)

Men

Barack Obama (51%)

Mitt Romney (49%)

Women

Barack Obama (58.1%)

Mitt Romney (41.9%)

3 Religions You May Not Know Much About

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Did you know that there are roughly 4,200 religions in the world today? Astonishing, isn’t it? With approximately 59% of the world’s population practicing a particular type of religion, for many it’s a fundamental part of everyday life.

Religion is defined as a collection of belief systems, cultural systems and worldviews that relate humanity to spirituality and to moral values. The five largest religion groups being practiced by population today are Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Chinese folk religion and Buddhism – with Christianity equating to 33% of the world’s population.

But, when you take away these 5, what about all of the other 3,195 religions?  There seem to be so many religions we don’t know a single thing about.

Understanding religions is a fundamental part of human existence, knowledge and communication. And, unless we hear snippets of information about them in the media, many of them seem to go unnoticed.

So, to brush up on your awareness of how others live around the world, here’s a little run down of 3 religions I bet you don’t know much about…

1. Kabbalah

Now, I know that often when the word ‘Kabbalah’ is mentioned, your mind probably first thinks of Madonna. And, yes, although the ‘Material Girl’ singer follows the religion, she isn’t what it’s all about.

Kabbalah is a Jewish mysticism religion that involves advanced understanding of religion in relation to the wider universe, the nature of God and man’s place within life.  This is done by analysing underlying meanings from a variety of Jewish scriptures, such as the Torah.

Although based on Jewish beliefs, non-Jews have been adopting the teachings of the Kabbalah since the 15th century due to many of the understandings constituting a lot of Renaissance thought. It’s through this that has made the religion so popular throughout the Western culture today.

2. Baha’i Faith

The Baha’i Faith is a monotheistic religion that was started by Siyyid Ali-Muhammad in 1844.

The religion believes that figures such as Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Jesus and Mohammad were divine messengers sent by God to lead the world’s spiritual development.

One of the main characteristics of the Baha’i faith is the belief that all of mankind should strive for a united world society. This intrinsic equal value of all human life is a primary goal of the religion, and is based on the reasoning that as God created all humans, they should all be equally valued. Those who follow the faith are strong supporters of equal treatment for women and minorities.

In order to effectively work towards achieving this goal, Baha’is engage in social education programs on a day-to-day basis. These promote racial and gender, as well a religious respect, environmental responsibility and help for those in need.

3. Bruderhof Communities

Bruderhof communities were founded in 1920 by Eberhard Arnold, his wife Emmy and Emmy’s sister, Else von Hollander. The religion is a faith in Jesus, which focuses its teachings on ‘love your neighbor as yourself’, with a focus on nonviolence, faithfulness in marriage and compassion for those less fortunate, in particular.

There are more than 20 Bruderhofs currently worldwide and half of these consist of self-contained villages of 150-300 people, where all individuals contribute to the upkeep and livelihood of their community, through a voluntary act of service.

Everything within these communities is shared amongst all members on the basis of equality. Income from all businesses is pooled and used for the care of all members and for communal outreach efforts.

The natural environment is also a fundamental aspect of The Bruderhof. Members strive to protect every aspect of the environment by using sustainable agriculture, recycling materials, as well as limiting carbon footprint through the use of solar power and geothermal heating.  As a product of God’s creation, the Bruderhof believe it should remain as natural and as untouched as possible.

 

A Liar’s Autobiography

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Anyone who knows me reasonably well will be aware of my penchant for Python (almost to the point of annoyance sometimes to those who don’t share my sense of humour), so, as you can imagine, I was looking forward to this film enormously. Unfortunately, I am still looking forward to it! Due to technical hitches with both the 3d and 2d versions, the press screening failed to take place at the allotted time, and the press conference went ahead with the majority of journalists present (myself included) not having seen the film. Which could be described as just a little bit silly …..
Director Bill Jones described Graham Chapman’s memorial service as the first time he got drunk, and spoke of the film as a way of celebrating Chapman’s life and achievements. Terry Jones spoke of Graham as a complex individual who didn’t really understand himself and who was looking for who he was. Michael Palin described the film as a homage to Graham, and confirmed that it was as close to a Python reunion as we were ever likely to get. Both spoke of Graham’s sense of stillness, and described him as their leading actor. As the press hadn’t seen the film yet, a lot of the questions from the floor were more generally about the Python oeuvre than specifically about the film in question, which led to some interesting reminiscing such as Terry Jones describing smuggling the tapes of Series I out of the BBC to copy on a Phillips VCR before they were destroyed.
The screening has been rescheduled for 4pm this afternoon, but unfortunately one of my other jobs prevents my attending (plug for The Castle at the Lord Stanley in Camden, opening tonight:) but I can tell you that the film uses audio recordings of Graham’s reading of his book, subtitled The Untrue Story of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman, combined with different styles of animation to reflect the different styles of humour, with fourteen different animation studios being involved in the production. Not having seen it yet, I cannot give an informed opinion as to it’s watchability, but with John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin and Terry Jones all involved (Terry Jones plays Graham’s mother, apparently), not to mention the late Graham Chapman (as himself) I know I definitely will be giving it a viewing as soon as I get the chance.
And now for something completely different.
A Liar’s Autobiography is showing tonight at 9pm at Leicester Square Empire and on Friday at VUE West End at 3pm as part of the London Film Festival.

Christmas in Kingston

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HISTORIC KINGSTON OFFERS FANTASTIC FESTIVITIES FOR CHRISTMAS

The historic town of Kingston upon Thames will be alive with festive activities and events this Christmas kicking off with a Tudor-style market, which pops up in the town’s Market Place from 7th November to 24th December.

Christmas light switch on

On 15th November Cinderella and Santa Claus himself will be switching on the Christmas lights at 6pm with activities for all the family to enjoy from 3pm. The Rose Theatre’s Christmas production this year is Cinderella. Shoppers can meet characters from the show, see a live ice carving of Cinderella’s Glass Slipper and have a photo taken in a giant Cinderella themed snow globe. There will also be the chance to see real reindeer, choirs and brass bands plus a street dance show for all the family at the Rose Theatre called “Locked In”.

Santa Claus

Children can visit Santa for free in his grotto in Bentalls, with the option to receive a Christmas Present for £2.95. Check bentalls.co.uk for opening times.  They can also post their letter to Santa in special letter boxes in the Eden Walk shopping centre.  Santa will answer every letter, with the best three winning a prize, closing date for entries is 7th December.

Kingston Spotlight – competition for performers

A wide selection of Kingston performers ranging from musicians to mime acts, poets to acrobats and dancers to clowns will be performing in Kingston’s town centre over the festive season adding a bit of sparkle to the town’s shopping experience.  Each Thursday evening and over the weekend (starting on 17th November), these acts will compete to be named Talent of the Week. Members of the public can vote for their Talent of the Week in Kingston’s spotlight competition, throughout the Spotlight period.

Christmas pocket guide

Shoppers can pick up their Christmas Pocket Guide on the Christmas lights switch on night and from local businesses. The guide offers lots of information on Christmas in Kingston as well as the chance to win Free Parking in the town for a year, six months or a month at the NCP Cattle Market. Also up for grabs is a Christmas break at the historic small hotel Chase Lodge with tickets to see Cinderalla at Rose Theatre. Other prizes on offer include: £100 worth of Bentalls voucher, a Hotel Chocolat Hamper worth £50, a two course meal for two at Pizza Express, and a Tartan Travel Rug courtesy of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill.

Arts, crafts and carols

Shoppers will have plenty of opportunities to buy different Christmas gifts.  In the town’s Market House, Kingston Artist Open Studios (KAOS) will be selling the work of local artists, sculptors, ceramicists and crafts people from 26th November – 8th December. Fusion Arts, another Kingston based collaboration of artists, will be selling their wares in Market House from 11th December – 21st December and on 22nd December visitors can shop at the Thames Market, an arts and crafts market.

The Royal Kingston Craft Fair operated by Eden Crafts will pop up on All Saints Lawn from the 15th November to 24th December offering a great range of unusual and unique Christmas gifts.

On 23rd December the Freshly Made Market comes to town. Freshly Made is a collective of urban artists, musicians and jewellery makers who will be selling underground urban products. In addition, Kingston’s daily Ancient Market offers a wide choice of gifts for more information visit: www.kingstonfirst.co.uk/touristinfo

All Saints Church will be holding Christmas concerts and carol services on 2nd, 8th, 18th, 22nd, 24th.  December.

Variety of shops

Kingston’s town centre is just 25 minutes from central London and easily accessible for locals and visitors. The town’s shops will be open every night until 9pm from 3rd December and Christmas shoppers will find something for all tastes and budgets, within a very compact area, a good proportion of which is pedestrianised.  The shopping experience ranges from designer brands and high street fashion in large retail areas such as the Eden Walk Shopping Centre and the Bentall Centre, to independent boutiques that appeal to those in search of special and unique gifts.

Old London Road, which is having its Christmas party on 1st December, is the place to go for unusual purchases and is marked by Kingston’s famous falling over phone boxes (officially named ‘Out of Order’ by artist David Mach). Here shoppers can rummage through antique and vintage items at the Kingston Antiques Centre, or hunt for stylish accessories and up-cycled furnishings at 37 London Road, recently featured on BBC2’s “Mary Queen of Shops”.  Friends and relatives of music lovers will be spoilt for choice at Hands Music in the town’s Market Place which offers instruments, music, accessories and more, while nearby Banquet Records on Eden Street is ideal for muso’s seeking new and cutting edge releases.

Parking in Kingston

Visitors to Chessington World of Adventures can take advantage of a free park and ride running from the theme park to Kingston from 10th November to the 5th January.  Also from 3rd December there is also free parking in the Bentall Centre from Monday to Friday and in John Lewis every night both from 6pm.

Accommodation in Kingston

Shoppers can enjoy a night’s stay at boutique property Chase Lodge Hotel, from just £125 per night, for two people on a bed & breakfast basis. To book call 0208 943 1862 or consult www.chaselodgehotel.com. A former magistrates house, Chase Lodge has 12 rooms, all unique and with free Wi-Fi.

The White Hart Hotel offers luxury accommodation at an affordable price. Double and Twin rooms start from around £120. To book call 020 8977 1786 or consult www.whiteharthoteluk.co.uk.

Dr Robert by Lee Miller | Fashion

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Check out these wonderful photos from Dr Robert by Lee Miller’s fashion Show held at the University Women’s Club in London, May Fair.

S DEAN PHOTOGRAPHY and SEE-LI photography.