Sofar Sounds

You may remember my waxing lyrical about the new music movement Sofar Sounds in a post some time ago. So it was with some excitement that I received my invite to another magical evening of music, this time in the home of a nice girl called Alex out in the depths of Stokey. 

And by the sounds of things, this movement is really taking off with last night being the 152nd event, the 153rd happening simultaneously in Manchester and the 154th kicking off in Mexico as our evening drew to a close. No mean feat. 

As always, the effervescent host, Ralph, welcomed us - encouraging us to listen with open minds to the acts who were set to perform. The audience listened like a cult to their leader.

Joe Innes & The Cavalcade

First up were Joe Innes & The Cavalcade, a nice looking line up with a babe on violin (I love bands with violins). Their lyrics were hilarious, the humour of front man Joe carried through the songs with the audience participation required for album title track The Frighteners having us howling to the moon.

Ali Warren

We were then treated to an impromptu performance from the angel-voiced Ali Warren. Bare footed and bearded, the sound that came out of this unassuming man was truly beautiful. He lulled us into a smiling revery.

Hedoniac

After a stretch (and another glass of rosé), the heavy metal band Hedoniacs were up. I have to say, heavy metal is perhaps the one music genre that I would make an effort to avoid listening to, but the pared back set that the band played last night was incredible - the shouting and screaming replaced with softly sung harmonies. 

Emily and the Woods

Another surprise treat followed, with the Emily of Emily and the Woods tugging on our heart strings with her husky, almost whispered, tones. Just a girl and her guitar, she was very sweet, playing both songs stood on tippy toes. 

Pearl and the Beard

The final act of the night was the Brooklyn born Pearl and the Beard - an amazing trio with a babe on cello (I love bands with cellos). I can't really describe how great they were - the combination of their voices in their faultless harmonies sending tingles down my spine. Their presence was just overwhelmingly 'feel good' with funny chatter between songs and their clear love of performing spreading smiles throughout the room. The encore only left us wanting more - I had no idea you could even do those things on a cello. I need to see these guys again. 

And so another amazing Sofar evening drew to an end and we traipsed back down from cloud 9.

Running on donations, Ralph's hat was filled with crisp notes - testament to how much we'd all enjoyed the night. 


I've told you once, I'll tell you again - get yourself signed up, you'll never look back.

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Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

Set off the inner circle of my favourite of London's parks the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre has become somewhat of an institution, with this year marking its 80th season. But still I had never been...

And so, last week, as a treat from Tommy, he and I made our way through the rose gardens, champagne in hand, ready to lose ourselves in A Midsummer Night's Dream.

And lose ourselves we did - walking into the auditorium, we were confronted not by a fairy lit woodland, but more of a construction site, burly builders and all. Matthew Dunster's take on the romance resembling more an episode of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding than a Shakespeare classic.

But it worked. Surprisingly well. Twists to the relationships provided a new perspective - with Theseus portrayed as a wife-bashing lout and Titania a softer and more vulnerable (sewer)fairy Queen to her (sewer)fairy King Oberon. 

And it was funny. The climactic performance before the wedding party more of an operetta culminating in a dance routine to the likes of Beyoncé. The contrast of style and script strangely brilliant.

It was just very cleverly done, from the elaborate, gaudy wedding dresses to the effective yet simple set design. Despite both Tommy and I being zonked, we were gripped from beginning to end.


The theatre is open until early September with A Midsummer Night's Dream running 'til then. Definitely worth a trip.

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Saturday Night Fever

Last night saw the opening night of Saturday Night Fever at the Old Vic Tunnels and Hydes and I headed down for a little 70's flava.

I'd never been to the tunnels before and as I walked, a little nervously I have to say, down Leake St I was excited to see what I'd find.

I mean this place is cool - all brickwork and winding passages. All the cooler for the rumbling sounds of trains overhead, reminding you that you're just metres below one of London's busiest stations.

Dry ice was pumped out to give the impression of downtown New York and the lights of pin ball machines flashed gaudily, reflecting scenes from the film. Sadly the set design and detail just didn't quite hit it. The overall effect underwhelming, failing to convince us or immerse us in the disco dancing world.

I heard that the pizza served at Lenny's wasn't even up to much, though the Pussy Parlour wasn't so bad - offering a little Veuve on the menu, along with hourly pole dances.

The Everyman cine set up was sweet - rows of deck chairs lined up under the dramatically curved ceiling. But, as the film kicked off, it quickly became apparent that the levels needed tweaking - the voices of the New Yorker characters sounding garbled and at points the dialogue completely unintelligible.

Sadly, Hydes and I didn't even make it to the disco dancefloor room, where the audience were due to be led post film - our keenness to catch up outweighing our enthusiasm to stay.


I feel a little bad for my scathing review  but, if I'm honest, it felt like nothing new and certainly not even a patch on productions of the same ilk (ahem, Secret Cinema). We left feeling a bit ripped off - the tickets aren't cheap and we'd even nailed the deal for under-25's.


My advice - DON'T go to this show. DO, however, get yourself down to the tunnels to the next halfway decent thing going on there. I'm hoping for a gig - the acoustics in that place would be unreal.

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Lantana

Around Fitzrovia you are spoilt for choice when it comes to nice little eateries for a salad and a glass of wine at lunch, but few compare to the lovely Lantana.

Tucked away on Charlotte Place, their lunch menu is filled with the tastiest of 'light' bites, from their infamous corn fritters (served with smashed avocado and crispy bacon) to the amazing BERT (a toasted sandwich piled high with bacon, fried egg and rocket with a side of creamy aioli).

Daily specials keep it fresh and today I was treated to an amazing goats cheese, fennel and rocket tart, served with aubergine cous cous and a courgette, red pepper and feta salad. Dee-lish.

Top off with a take away coffee (their flat whites are killer) and a treat for the afternoon slump. Today the 'Hello Dolly', a white chocolate, almond and coconut square - I can feel it calling to me already. 

A perfect lunch break treat, or even for brunch on the weekend. So nice to side-step the ever growing chains and go truly independent. The kind of coffee shop we'd all like to one day own.

Good bye Dolly...

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Wyndstock Revelry

'Ill met by moonlight proud Titania', Oberon greets his fairy queen, and oh what a chat up line that would have made at Wyndstock's dreamy Midsummer Night's Ball last weekend.

Houghton Hall

Pulling into the grounds of the amazing Houghton Hall, the tone of the evening was immediately set - one of glamour, decadence and a nice touch of the debauched thrown in. 

The party opened with lunch (running inevitably late, we sadly missed this), followed by lawn games and tea. There was even a yoga lesson for those wanting to get their stretches in.

A girls affair, Jessouin, Em and I wandered the gardens, glasses of fizz firmly in hand, soaking up the atmosphere. It felt more as though we were at a friend's wedding than ticketed soirée and this lent the evening a lovely intimate feel.

An amazing swing band and accompanying tap dancer soon got us on the dance floor and swinging our legs like goons, working up our appetites for supper.

At 9pm we sat down to eat, long tables laid out, fellow revelers mixed and matched and ready to tuck in.

The food was good - simple, but hearty, the venison stew warming us as the night cooled.

Darkness fell and the bonfire was lit. The hot tubs nearby were opened for dipping and a fair bit of nudity ensued - not by me (somewhat uncharacteristically).

As midnight struck, we hoarded into a small nearby tent for ghost stories told by the mesmerising Giles Abbott. I'd forgotten quite how lovely it is to be told a story, and the still silence of the tent suggested that everyone else felt the same.

Fireworks called us back outside and marked the real start to the night, the impressive display perking us up and pulling 'ooh's' and 'ah's' of appreciation from the crowd.

The ultimate Fourth Wall

As the night danced on, the party moved to the woodland, where this week's Fourth Wall bar had popped up. The best saved til last, Elderflower cocktails and some neatly mixed 90's hip hop had us dancing 'til dawn. 


It was only when the sun was up that we finally traipsed back to our tent, giddy from the night's magic and wrapped in our Midsummer dream.


'Lovers, to bed; 'tis almost fairy time...'

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