It’s cold, it’s wet and it already feels like winter, but here at The MALESTROM we’re not ones for excuses. Especially with the abundance of fantastic (and indoor) events taking place in the UK this week. There’s a host of booze festivals like RumFest happening to warm you up, some wonderful wildlife photos to gaze at and a chance to hear some of the finest folk going. It’s all music to our ears, here’s The Weekly EDIT.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition (Natural History Museum, 18th – May 31st, 2019)
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition is in its 55th year, and it continues to be an incredible source of images that showcase the breathtaking diversity of the natural world.
The world’s best photographers, as ever, have pulled out the stops to capture the beauty of the wildlife on this planet, from species you’ve never heard of to domestic animals. And there’s plenty of incredible animal behaviour to feast your eyes on (the photo above being a case in point).
This year’s exhibition goes on display on Friday, but the winners, selected by a panel of international experts, from almost 50,000 entrants, will be announced at the awards ceremony on Tuesday.
Affordable Art Fair (Battersea Park, 17th – 20th)
There’s art to suit wallets and purses of all budgets at the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea, which turns 20 this year. This four-day event hosts original contemporary art from over 1,000 artists from the established names to the up and comers, with all the work priced at a modest £50, up to £6k.
The fair opens on Thursday, where on the opening night they’ll be a live DJ and plenty of champagne on offer to help loosen you up and part with your hard-earned cash.
London Literature Festival (Southbank Centre, 17th – 27th)
Bringing new resonance to timeless narratives, Southbank Centre’s London Literature Festival returns for its 13th year with an exploration of fairy tales for our times with today’s leading writers, thinkers and cultural observers.
There are over 11 days of talks, readings, poetry and performances to enjoy, with the festival featuring the likes of Armistead Maupin, Brett Anderson, Heather Morris, Lemn Sissay and Anthony Daniels (C-3PO). This year follows the theme of disruption.
Manchester Folk Festival 2019 (Manchester, Various, 15th – 20th)
For its third year, Manchester Folk Festival is back to present an imaginative programme of folk and acoustic across the city. The fest opens with the BBC 2 Folk Awards, at Bridgewater Hall on Wednesday after which there will be gigs from the likes of Kate Rusby, who’ll be bringing her two decades of songs with her, Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys and alt-folkers The Breath (pictured) who’s beautiful songs will leave you spellbound.
Motorcycle Live (NEC, Birmingham, 16th – 24th)
Bikers will be flocking to Birmingham this week to hang out with kindred spirits at the UK’s largest motorcycle show. Supported by major manufacturers such as Honda, Kawasaki, Ducati, KTM and BMW, you can expect to find the very latest bikes, opportunities, products and services, with the most brands represented at the same time than anywhere else.
There will be opportunities to ride bikes, try them for size and if you have a few quid in your bank account maybe by your dream machine. You can also check out the Moto Cirque – the free to watch Arena show, which will offer immense biking stunts from hugely talented riders – featuring FMX aerial action, trials, and BMX skills.
Shot In Soho (Photographers Gallery, W1, 18th February 9th, 2019)
With Soho being one of the most fascinating little bohemian enclaves in the country, it’s little wonder the area and its residents are such good photo fodder.
This new exhibition showcases pictures by photographers such as William Klein, who’s candid 1980s Sunday Times photo essay will be on show, Anders Peterson and Corinne Day, whose images take us off the streets into her Brewer St. home where some of her most iconic editorial and personal work was shot. It’s a look through the lens at a truly unique place.
Gigs
Slowthai (Various, 14th – 18th)
If you saw the Mercury Music Prize show you’ll know a couple of things, firstly that UK artist Slowthai is one of the most exciting musical prospects to hail from these shores recently and given his performance waving about a severed head that he doesn’t like Boris Johnson that much! He’s currently on tour showcasing his brilliant debut album, Nothing Great about Britain, with all tickets for his show on sale at just a fiver. Catch him in Glasgow, Manchester, Bristol & Brixton this week.
The Murder Capital (Various, 14th – 19th)
This Dublin based five-piece post-punk group are currently touring their self-released acclaimed debut album, When I Have Fears. It’s a record that has a bit of everything, from the driving first single ‘Feeling Fades’, to more somber efforts like Green & Blue. They’re known for being a fierce and exciting live act. The lads are playing dates in Leeds, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester, Cardiff & Oxford this week, and aren’t to be missed.
Eats & Drinks
Restaurant of the Week
The Old Stamp House (Ambleside, The Lake District, Tuesday – Saturday)
Having just earned a coveted Michelin star we thought it was high time to extol the virtues of the rather wonderful Old Stamp House in Ambleside. With its charming stone-walled dining room it’s an inviting place to eat even before you’ve got a sense of the delights your about to taste. The focus here is on seasonal cooking, using locally sourced ingredients and wild pickings from the surrounding terrain.
Currently, you can enjoy roasted scallops with pumpkin puree, seeds & pickle finished with parmesan & Cumbrian ham or wild mallard duck with parsnips & hen of the wood in a red wine sauce. The desserts aren’t too shabby either with Cumbrian gingerbread cheesecake, served with brambles and a blackberry sorbet to die for. Add in some seriously friendly service and you can see what all the fuss is about.
RumFest (Earls Court, 19th – 20th)
This 13th annual RumFest is ann unmissable event for spirit lovers, with 400 premium and exclusive Rums from all over the world ready for you to try. With expert bartenders from some of the globe’s finest rum bars mixing cocktails throughout the weekend.
RumFest will also feature an array of intimate seminars hosted by industry aficionados, chocolate and rum pairings and exciting cocktail competitions, plus there’ll be entertainment with salsa dancing during “Carnival Hour”! For the chance to win 2x weekend tickets to the event and a premium bottle of rum, see the details below at the end of this week’s EDIT.
Camden Oktoberfest (Electric Ballroom, Camden, 19th)
Always wanted to go to Oktoberfest, don your finest lederhosen and sink steins, but can’t be bothered with the effort of getting to Munich? Well, let Oktoberfest come to you as it takes over Camden’s Electric Ballroom this Saturday.
The space will be transformed into a traditional Bavarian beer hall complete with long wooden tables, bunting and a 10 piece drum and brass ensemble playing covers, classics and oompah favourites. Herman ze German will provide endless sausages and German beers supplied by Spaten, Löwenbräu and Becks. Prost!
Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival (Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, 16th – 19th)
There’s more beer on tap at the Great Welsh Beer & Cider Fest than you can shake a leek at with over 130 Cask Ales from the country and its borders. And that’s not even counting the craft beer, ciders & perry’s on offer.
Along with all the booze there’s street food, such as Mr Croquewich’s grilled cheese sandwiches and plenty of live music, pub quizzes, raffles and even morris dancing! And on Saturday where better to watch Wales take on France in the Rugby World Cup quarter-final.
London Restaurant Festival (Various, till 31st)
London Restaurant Fest returns for its eleventh year and is currently in full swing across the capital. It sees over 250 restaurants from all across London offering up special menus, some conceived by famous guest chefs and putting on special events from foodie tours to one-off tasting experiences. Along with masterclasses, collaboration dinners and even film nights there’s plenty to sink your teeth into over the next couple of weeks.
New Podcast
Tunnel 29 (BBC Sounds, Out Now)
In time for the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall comes this new BBC Radio 4 podcast by Journalist Helena Merriman, who after six months of exhaustive research retells the extraordinary and rather unpredictable tale of a 22-year-old university student who in 1961 dug a tunnel from West to East Berlin, right under the feet of Nazi border guards, to help friends and strangers escape.
New Music
Foals – Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 2 (Warner Records, 18th)
You certainly can’t say that the band Foals aren’t productive. After the critically acclaimed release of ‘Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1’ in March, filled with its apocalyptic lyrical themes, the group are now releasing Part 2, their sixth studio album. And this one is even heavier than the last filled with bigger riffs and even more guitars.
First single ‘Black Bull‘ was clearly a sign of things to come. And while recently released track ‘The Runner’ is more melodic, all in all, there’s not much let-up in the rock stakes. And we’re definitely not complaining.
Battles – Juice B Crypts (Warp, 18th)
Art-rock band Battles return this week with their fourth album Juice B Crypts, to follow their complex, mind-bending album La Di Da Di. The group, now a duo, here deliver a sensory overload of information that throws everything you thought you knew about Battles into flux once again.
The native New Yorkers have been influenced by the cities rhythms for this record, with synthesizer loops, crazy drum patterns, and riffs that go in more circles than the carousel in Central Park. Have a listen to single Titanium 2 Step featuring Liquid Liquid’s Sal Principato here, and don’t forget to dance around your kitchen.
New TV
Living With Yourself: Season 1 (Netflix, 18th)
Age-defying Hollywood A-Lister Paul Rudd embarks on a new Netflix original series in Living with Yourself, which is a promising looking comedy/sci-fi amalgamation. The story follows downtrodden Miles, a man struggling with his life, and his place in the world when he comes across an opportunity.
A company offering a revolutionary treatment that promises to reveal, or should we say create, a new and improved ‘you’. This experimental and largely untested solution appears at first to have been successful until we learn that Miles is actually a clone of the real Miles who must now compete with himself.
Dublin Murders (BBC One, 14th)
We flagged this one up in our guide to the best Autumn telly, and for good reason. This eight-part adaptation of Tana French’s internationally bestselling Dublin Murder Squad novels hits our screens on Monday. It’s set in Dublin in the early noughties, and follows ambitious police detectives Rob Reilly and Cassie Maddox, who investigate the murder of a young girl whose body was found in the woods.
What at first appears to be a standalone case may in fact be linked to another macabre killing. Dublin Murders is a taut psychological thriller that airs toward the dark side with a very talented Irish cast.
New Movies
Zombieland: Double Tap (Cinemas, 18th)
It’s taken a decade for this highly anticipated sequel to the hit comedy Zombieland to arrive, but thankfully it’s been worth the wait. The original cast of Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin, and Emma Stone all return as the makeshift family thrown together thanks to the zombie apocalypse that’s hit the planet.
This time the group have to face off against different versions of evolved undead, as well as some new human survivors. Fans of the original won’t be disappointed here with the same inventive zombie kills, humour and at least one cameo to die for.
The Peanut Butter Falcon (Limited cinemas, 18th)
This big-hearted drama sees Shia LaBeouf play a struggling fisherman turned small-time outlaw, who joins forces with Zak (newcomer Zack Gottsagen), a young man with Down Syndrome on the run from a nursing home with the dream of following in the footsteps of his idol, ‘The Salt Water Redneck’ in becoming a professional wrestler. Together the pair embark on an epic journey and form a life-changing friendship. LeBeouf & Dakota Johnson who plays Zak’s carer are on top form here, but the star of the show is Gottsagen who’s nothing short of a revelation.
Eli (Netflix, 18th)
With Halloween just around the corner, Netflix release this rather creepy looking new horror. It follows the Millers, a desperate family, who as a last resort to cure their son’s mysterious auto-immune disorder, move into a sterile manor during his treatments. Young Eli is tormented by terrifying visions, which are deemed hallucinations, but it becomes clear that something sinister may be lurking within the walls of the house. Watch the trailer below… and sleep with the light on for the rest of the week.
Competition Time
WIN 2x Weekend Tickets to RumFest in London’s Earls Court + A Bottle of Premium Rum worth over £200!
We’ve teamed up with the good people of The UK RumFest – the world’s longest-running rum festival – to offer our readers the chance to win this great prize.
To be in with a chance of winning, all you need to do is follow The MALESTROM here on Facebook and LIKE this RumFest competition post.
The 13th annual RumFest takes place this weekend, the 19th – 20th October at London’s Earls Court.
For more info visit: http://rumfest.co.uk/
Best of Luck!
Full Ts&Cs here: https://tiny.cc/shbbez
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