Monday, October 06, 2008
Technology: iPhone
I now have an iPhone which means that I can take more photos like this and in a very obvious way. No more sneaking a photo when people aren't looking. Taking a photo with the iPhone is a very obvious act... Still the best thing about it everyone is telling me is that they can see me at a party and then go home and see themselves on the internet... Well that's web 2.0 for you. One can take a photo and upload it via Posterous, Pixelpipe or Shozu so fast that you can totally disturb your friends and unnerve acquaintances...
Of course I will miss my Nokia n95. Sure it was even slower than the iPhone and had a rubbish web browser, awful mp3 player and did odd things with your contacts, calendar and task list, but over my last 18 month contract we learned to get along... After using it for a week I think the iPhone has an average phone, average camera, but an amazing browser and is afterall an iPod mp3 player... It could be the begining of a blurred but beautiful friendship...
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Comedy: Tina C Tick My Box
source: http://www.tinac.net/
Not content to see just one show this week at the Leicester Square Theatre, on Wednesday night I was back there with Richard to see Tina C's show Tick My Box. Having seen Dina Martina with Richard, I think he is becoming my drag act buddy. Well since neither of us are English we don't get so uptight about seeing men dressed up as women as much as some of the young gays on the scene seem to do... Anyway Richard is a bit of a Tina C fan and couldn't believe that as a gay man in London I had not seen her show before. Fortunately for me rather than suggest I should have my pink card revoked, he got me a ticket to her show.
The premise of this show is that Tina C - a self declared country music icon - is running for President of the United States of America and is after your vote. She isn't red (Republican) and she isn't blue (Democrat) but purple, and she want's everyone to vote purple. Hmmm... Sprinkled through the act are a smattering of songs about voting and ticking her box.
Having consumed a few sensible drinks and getting immersed talking to Richard about the US elections and whether Sarah Palin was a drag for the republican ticket, by the time Tina appeared on stage I was in the mood for this sort of show. Sitting so close it was easy to be distracted by Tina's legs. They were incredible. She must work out a lot. Her hair was fantastic too and her character was so sweet it was easy to fall in love with her... Even if she was a white trash redneck. Oh and the act of course was funny and just the sort of thing you need in a late evening show too...
Tina C is played by Christopher Green who also is a ginger and among his many talents has another character called Ida Barr... While Tina is a bit country Ida is a bit music hall... I'm sure Richard will soon fix that... Afterall, that's what drag act buddies are for...
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Hot news this week in London
This time Literally... Well at least the Circle Line will be chilled...
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Comedy: The Kransky Sisters
The Kransky Sisters tea towel, originally uploaded by Paul-in-London.
I went to see the Kransky Sisters Tuesday evening at the Leicester Square theatre and all I got was a lousy tea towel. Well actually... Being a boy from Brisbane I couldn't resist the cultural references. I'm sure growing up I saw that sign countless times on those long (and driving anywhere in Brisbane was long) family drives to dams. Of course you don't have to be from Brisbane to get their weird act, it only helps at the margins... Such as I saw the show with Stephen who is from Glasgow, and I had to explain that it was Wivenhoe Dam not Wife and Hoe Dam. He's going to Australia in a few weeks for a holiday so I figured the Kransky's were a good way to get him used to the place.
The Kransky's act starts with a montage of photos to take the audience on a journey to the place where they are from... Esk to be precisely (which is best described as a few hours west of Brisbane rather than a leisurly drive from the city centre). I had been there so the photos were not necessary, but they paint a vivid picture: steaks that cover a plate, dust, shops with unusual signs, more dust, dead kangaroos and still more dust. The Kransky Sisters then appear on stage and tell their story how they are sisters who listen to the wireless and hear popular music. Using a reed keyboard, musical saw, tuba and guitar they perform their interpretations of these songs.
I first saw the Kransky's back in Brisbane in 2002 and thought they were fantastic then and they have got better and weirder since. They are wonderful characters full of disturbing traits (including long silent pauses and creepy stares at men they fancy in the audience) that will surely remind you of your great aunt... Or maybe that is just if your great aunt is from South East Queensland. Of course they are also great musicians and singers too and their hilarious show is running through to October 12 before they head off to Europe. Not to be missed if you like that creepy sort of thing... It's worth staying to get a tea towell signed too... If you can handle their act up close... Just don't mention you're from Brisbane...
From a safe distance, more of their act can be seen on Youtube:
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Music: Favelization
It had been a while since I had been to the theatre, and so Felicity and I caught Afroreggae's Favelization concert at the Barbican on Thursday evening. Afroreggae have played at the Barbican a few times over the past few years, but this is the first time I caught them. Afroreggae began in Brazil in the shantytowns (favelas) and the music is a fusion of reggae, hip hop, soul, pop and latin rhythms. In addition to this the music also is a call to action about many of the injustices in the world, particularly among the world's poor and disenfranchised.
Of course being in Portugeuse this was lost on me. I checked with Felicity and she was a little rusty on it too. I guess most of the audience may have been in the same boat. While there were projections that accompanied the show the rapid fire words deserved to be comprehended. So after making a mental note to add language course to my new years resolutions, I could sit back and enjoy the concert. It was interesting that despite the music being a protest and a call for social change, there was also a message of hope and optimism about life.
The performances themselves were so full of life and engaging that it was easy to get into the groove of it all. The audience was soon on their feet dancing too, particularly when they did a set of classic soul and disco songs such as "Sexual Healing". Looking at those around us, Felicity made some comment about white men and their inability to dance (and she was right as some were absolute shockers) so I didn't dare get up. I just grooved with shoulders and hands and that seemed acceptable.
There is another element to the work of AfroReggae which is using their art for social change and to combat problems in deprived areas. The Barbican have been working with AfroReggae with schools in the East End and the concert culminated in a performance with young people from these schools. It was inspiring stuff... And definitely food for thought... An album of their music is available as well.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Hot news this week in London
A local candidate is even promising to arrive on scene and disrupt the goings on... Ron Davies should have thought about that as an excuse rather than badgers...
Rehearsals: week three
Rehearsals for the Christmas concert were progressing as normal as could be expected and then Sasha whipped out his fish...
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Theatre: 365
I wasn't quite sure what to expect from seeing 365. It played at the Edinburgh Festival to some very positive reviews, but a two hour play about children in care taking their first steps to independence seemed like an unusual way to spend a Saturday evening at the theatre. Since it was based in Scotland I dragged fellow chorister Stephen to see it since he was from Glasgow and I figured he could help with the translation (well of the accents anyway). I was hoping I would get away with nudging him and asking from time to time "Wha-did-he-say? Wha-did-he-say??" This sort of worked...
The play unfolds telling the stories of a group of children who pass through a "practice flat" as they gain their first steps to living independently and... adulthood. There is much scope for dream-like sequences, music and movement and these appear throughout and help make what could be a depressing subject a little more insightful and dare I say it... Even entertaining.
While at nearly two hours it felt a little long, overall the play was curiously enjoyable if quirky at times. I wasn't always engaged by the large cast of characters and it wasn't just because of their accents, but perhaps a deliberate attempt at realism. I could live with this, but even in this fractured state I couldn't help but think some of the stories within the play felt like they could have taken more time to unfold, while others could have done with a trim. It runs until the end of next week at the Lyric Hammersmith, a cultural oasis in the motorway wasteland otherwise known as Hammersmith. Well at least the pizza at the theatre wasn't too bad, but after the show Stephen and I couldn't get out of there fast enough to get a drink in a decent part of town. Well after all this realism we needed a drink so we settled for Soho. After an evening's entertainment about children in care being offered stolen dildos, and charlie hardly seemed like a big deal...
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Idle Banter in Soho Saturday
Man #1: How much is he selling it for?
Paul: I think he said £20...
Man #2: Will he throw in lube for free?
Paul: Only if you want his spit...
Paul: I think he said £20...
Man #2: Will he throw in lube for free?
Paul: Only if you want his spit...
Monday, September 08, 2008
Rehearsals: The view from the back
The first rehearsals for the London Gay Men's Chorus started Monday evening... And it was a packed house... The concerts are at Cadogan Hall on December 19 and 20.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
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