Desperate for some sort of organised musical event this coming weekend? There are three very different events are competing for your attention. How to choose? Simple - just read SOIWT’s pocket-sized* guide to the tempting trio:
Thurs 22 April – Art Plus Music
Got a spare £185 knocking around? Who hasn’t, right? In exchange for that piffling amount of pounds, Whitechapel Gallery contractually promises the following: odd collaborations including Bat for Lashes with a string quartet, and Bobby Gillespie and Jamie Hince teaming up with fashion designer and artist Julie Verhoeven, works by Jefferson Hack, Giles Deacon and Tracey Emin, a new song from Jack Peñate, an auction raising funds for the Gallery’s Education and Community programme and celebs DJing into the night. Best guesses say that it’ll be worthy, wanky and appealingly weird.
Fri 23 April – Land of Kings festival
At the opposite end of the poshery scale comes the return of this Dalston knees-up. Held across various E8 venues, it’s a cheerful, madcap melee of local talent, and one covering art, music, politics, poetry and more. Topping the audio side of things are rugged poppers Yuck, the mellow punk of Detachments and the psychedelic digitalisms of Gyratory System. There are big-name DJs (Tayo, Firas), bands on the decks (Little Boots, The Horrors) and well-regarded promoters hosting venues (Greco-Roman Soundsystem, Rory Phillips). It promises to be a right good night. Tickets are a tenner in advance or £12 on the day.
Sun 25 April – Music Mule’s Acoustic Consequences
Music Mule takes all the good things about SOIWT (London music), and throws in good writing, efficiency, contacts and, in Acoustic Consequences, a sometime live night showcasing acts they have the hots for. This time round, those acts are Paul Thomas Saunders, Royal Hunt Of The Sun and Round Ron Virgin. Respectively, they offer messed-up soulful warbles, psychedelic pop and folksy ditties. Frankly, anyone called Round Ron Virgin can’t fail to be brill. FACT. A few £5 concession tickets remain; afterwards, they’ll be £6. The venue is Kings Cross nosh-pub The Fellow.
* Unless you read this on an iPad