It may be six weeks until Christmas, but festive events are properly ago across the UK this week. Whether you want to get your skate on, walk a spectacular light trail, or enjoy a more sedate mooch around an Xmas market, your fully covered. For non-festive fun there’s a huge jazz festival, top tennis action and some great new exhibitions. It’s The Weekly EDIT.
EFG London Jazz Festival (Various, London, 15th – 24th)
Now in its 27th year, the EFG London Jazz Festival is still London’s largest citywide music event with over 350 individual shows, and as you’d expect there’s plenty to look forward to again this time. Highlights include sets from the likes of legends Herbie Hancock and Iggy Pop, who’ll be showcasing his new jazzy, spoken word LP. There will also be shows from Gazelle Twin, MC/saxophonist Soweto Kinch, Chrissie Hynde and hundreds of others.
Winter Festival (Southbank Centre, 9th – 5th January 2020)
With Christmas just around the corner, it’s that time of year to get into the spirit by basking in the warm glow of a traditional Xmas market, where you can peruse some festive fare and get some mulled wine down you. This Winter Market at Southbank Centre is all that and more, with it’s cosy looking German-style wooden huts lining the pavements, all filled with food, drink and glimmering gifts.
Cornwall Film Festival (Falmouth, 15th – 17th)
It’s Cornwall Film Festival time in Kernow, with the 18th edition pitching up in Falmouth showcasing the region’s filmmaking talent, this year around the theme, ‘EVOLVE’. The fest will be showing loads of shorts and features, including Premiers System Crasher & zom-com Little Monsters (reviewed later in this EDIT). There will also be a chance to hear from some of the directors, attend skills workshops, educational events and professional development opportunities.
Nitto ATP Finals 2019 (The O2, 10th – 17th)
This huge, big money tournament at The O2, pits the very best tennis players in the world against each other, in a round-robin competition. Over seven days, eight players including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, along with first timers Daniil Medvedev and fellow debutant Stefanos Tsitsipas, will do battle to be named champion and more importantly end the year as the No. 1 ATP Ranked player.
The Clash: London Calling Exhibition (Museum of London, 15th till 19th April 2020)
The seminal album London Calling by The Clash, celebrates its 40th anniversary next month, and inspired by that milestone the Museum of London is putting on a free exhibition showcasing a collection of more than 100 items from the band’s personal archive, including instruments played by the band, images, handwritten notes and more, many of them previously unseen. Read our full exhibition preview from last week HERE.
Enchanted Woodland (Syon Park, 15th – December 1st)
This dazzling light trail through West London’s Syon Park, returns for its fourteenth year, where once again the 600-year-old woodland will become even more enchanting when illuminated by floodlights, and special effects. The mile-long trail through 400 different species of tree, includes a laser show as you go around the ornamental lake, all ending at the magnificent Great Conservatory. This one sells out quick, so book ahead.
Rob Bremner British Culture Archive Exhibition (The Social, Fitzrovia, London, 15th)
We spoke to the very talented Scottish photographer Rob Bremner this time last year about his striking images of Liverpool in the 1980s. This week The Social in the heart of London will be hosting the debut show from the British Culture Archive, featuring Rob’s incredible images. The online archive documents and highlights different elements of British culture and society through documentary and social photography. Their first-ever exhibition also features the work of Tish Murtha.
Edinburgh Radical Book Fair (Nov 14th – 17th)
Running since 1996, The Radical Book Fair is Scotland’s leading alternative political & literary festival. Over four days the free fest showcases a huge variety of publishers and speakers, exposing readers to new and diverse voices, and offering a real flavour of radical and independent publishing. 2019’s theme is ‘Radical Hope’, and the many ways we actively build a kinder, fairer, greener future for all.
Skate at Somerset House (Somerset House, Nov 14th – January 13th, 2020)
Apart from the bombardment of Xmas ads on telly, you really know the festive season has arrived once the nations skating rinks open for business. One of the finest in the country, not least for its spectacular setting, is SKATE at Somerset House. With its large rink and 40ft Christmas tree, it’s a great place for a glide (read fall) around the ice before indulging in some champagne and chocolate fondue at the Fortnum & Mason Lodge and watching how everyone else gets on. We recommend the Skate Lates nights where you can enjoy live music through the evening.
Gigs
Daft Punk Performed by a 16-Piece Orchestra (O2 Academy Bristol, 12th)
RE:IMAGINE’s orchestral rendition of Daft Punk is a musical experience to behold. Rogue Symphony have taken the music of our favourite French robots and given it their own unique twist with this brilliant show that utilises a 16-piece orchestra, immersive visuals and an elaborate light show to dazzle audiences wherever it goes. Catch them in Bristol this week, with a handful of other dates to come this year.
Yak (Various, UK, 12th – 15th)
Rockers Yak are a band to be heard live. They have the unique ability to veer between a laid back psych sound to full-on thrash. And it’s quite an experience in the flesh. Lead singer Oli Burslem started out selling antique furniture, where two of his best customers, Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and Spiritualized’s Jason Pierce, encouraged him to form a band. We’re very glad they did. Catch them in Edinburgh, Hebden Bridge, Sheffield and London this week.
Eats & Drinks
London Oktoberfest 2019 (Moorgate, 15th – 16th)
Hold on we hear you saying, it’s November, there can’t be an Oktoberfest happening now! Well, like us the people at London Oktoberfest don’t play by the rules, bravely clinging onto the lederhosen despite the date. At this Moorgate location, you can expect your usual selection of succulent sausages and steaming steins all enjoyed while sitting in a huge bench-filled beer hall listening to traditional Ompha-Ompha music. Prost everyone!
Liverpool Whisky Festival (Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, 16th)
There’s a treat for Whisky fans in Liverpool this week as The Whisky Lounge’s annual fest rolls into town. At this event, you can find the finest distillers from as far afield as Taiwan and India and sample plenty of drams of the hard stuff from the hundreds of different brands of spirit on offer. As well as trying global tastes along with the best home-grown whiskies from Scotland, you can sign up for masterclasses with the whisky-world’s most renowned experts and experience some rare ‘under the counter’ drams.
ChocFest (Melton Mowbray, 16th – 17th)
Although associated with the pork pie, this November its all about the chocolate in Melton Mowbray, with a fest filled with the sweet stuff. The aptly named ChocFest will see tastings, professional demos, talks, and workshops where you can whip up your own chocolate bar or Champagne truffles. And while there you can purchase the finest food and drink from some of the UK’s best local producers.
New Podcast
Slow Burn (Slate, Out now)
Having covered huge political events in previous seasons, such as the impeachment of Bill Clinton and the Watergate scandal, this time around the Slate podcast team puts its focus on the unsolved murders of two of rap’s biggest ever stars, Tupac Shakur and The Notorious BIG. Both of these hip hop giants were shot dead within a year of each other at the height of a feud between East Coast and West Coast rappers. The series looks to find out if their deaths were linked.
New Music
DJ Shadow – Our Pathetic Age (Mass Appeal, 15th)
DJ Shadow’s new double album is very much a tale of two halves. The first half of the album features 10 instrumental works filled with menacing sounds, with one track making up his first fully composed orchestral piece. The second half veers towards more familiar territory with collaborations with some of raps biggest names. We’re talking three of Wu Tang’s members in Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon, as well as Nas, Run the Jewels and more. And we’re pleased to report it’s all brilliant.
Juliana Hatfield – Juliana Hatfield Sings The Police (American Laundromat, 15th)
Alt-rocker Juliana Hatfield has form in the covers department, only last year she took on the songs of Olivia Newton-John for an album. This time around she’s covering a band who were also important to her growing up in The Police. She’s deconstructed a number of their greatest hits like ‘Every Breath You Take’ and ‘Can’t Stand Losing You’, creating takes on the famous tunes that are genuinely fresh feeling.
New TV
The Man In The High Castle: Season 4 (Amazon Prime, 15th)
It’s final season time for Amazon’s big-budget adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s brilliant book that looks at what an alternate American future might have looked like if the Nazi’s had won WWII. This time around the resistance becomes a full-blown rebellion, driven by Juliana Crain’s (Alexa Davalos) visions of a better world. And a new Black insurgent movement emerges to fight the forces of Nazism and imperialism.
The Toys That Made Us: Season 3 (Netflix, 15th)
Hit Nextflix series The Toys That Made Us returns for a new nostalgia-heavy four-episode third season, and as children of the 80s ourselves, we can’t help but be a bit excited about this one. This time around the documentary style show will delve into the origins of those Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, My Little Pony and old school wrestling figures. We wish we hadn’t sold ours on eBay.
New Movies
Le Mans ’66 (Cinemas, 15th)
Big hitters Matt Damon and Christian Bale star in this true story about one of motor racing’s most famous head-to-head battles between Ford and Ferrari at Le Mans in 1966. It shows how visionary American car designer Carroll Shelby (Damon) and the fearless Brummie driver Ken Miles (Bale), together battled corporate interference, the laws of physics, and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford Motor Company and take on the dominating race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the world-famous 24-hour race.
Little Monsters (Cinemas, 15th)
This smart horror-comedy follows a washed-up musician named Dave (Alexander England), who volunteers to chaperone his nephew’s kindergarten class field trip after taking a serious liking to their fearless schoolteacher, Miss Caroline (Lupita Nyong’o). On the trip Dave is forced to compete for her affections with the world’s most famous kids’ show personality Teddy McGiggle (Josh Gad). And aside from any romance, there’s also the little matter of a zombie outbreak to deal with.
Competition Time
Here’s your chance to WIN an Official Peaky Blinders bundle.
The bundle includes the first tie-in book, the official Peaky Blinders board game, t-shirt, glass stein and a 2020 calendar.
To be in with a chance of winning simply head to The MALESTROM on Facebook ‘FOLLOW’ us, ‘SHARE’ the Peaky Blinders competition post & ‘TAG’ in a mate who likes the show.
All the bundle items are available to buy at: https://peakyblinders.shop
Best of luck!
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