Anyway. Alexei Sayle appeared tonight in the Queen Elizabeth hall, in the Southbank Centre. I already knew exactly where this is, I've passed it the last few times I've been to the National Theatre, and every time I've been down Bankside. It did occur to me this evening, however, as I hurried across the bridge, that I've never actually been inside. And that it looks every bit as complicated a building as the National, whose geography I haven't yet managed to figure out.
Fortunately, for once, I did a terrific job of it here! As I approached the end of the bridge, I noted that the bottom floor of the Southbank Centre seemed to be all restaurants, and the entrance was probably on the next floor up. And I knew that there were two sets of stairs leading down from the bridge. I'm already familiar with the stairs by the water, that lead down to ground level - so I wondered whether the other stairs mightn't lead to the first floor of the Southbank Centre. And do you know..!
First success. Then I saw the entrance to the Festival Hall, and over yonder the entrance to the Queen Elizabeth Hall. And I thought the venue name had royal connotations - so I checked my confirmation email, and sure enough that was the one. Passed the fountain that had formed a puddle in the courtyard, and I was in. Decided to try the ticket machines for once, only to discover that neither was working.. didn't even register my card. There was an employee watching me do this, who was most apologetic afterwards as I went to a human being to give me my ticket. Technology, eh? ;-)
I was second row from the stage - no price difference. Nice, comfy leather seats. Mind you, he compared them later to the seats in a Chevrolet.. Good legroom too, especially considering I was behind an empty wheelchair space. There would have been space for me to lie horizontal.. Opening act was good, and featured my second coughing fit of the evening - the first had been on the Tube. Fortunately, I was well supplied with mints, and it passed. I was worried about the main act, though.
Needn't have been - it might have been the frequent laughing I did, because the coughing started again afterwards - but I was fine for the main performance. Alexei told us how this is his comeback tour, he hasn't done a live show in 17 years.. he told plenty of anecdotes, and this ageing Scouse Marxist was most at home doing the political stuff. I did like the story about his Palestinian friend, who had spent time in the refugee camps, and when he was back in the UK and they were down the pub and asked him what he wanted to drink, and then why that particular drink, he said that was the only one available in the camps. What was it? Bailey's Irish Cream. As Alexei said - the Red Cross couldn't get through, the Red Crescent couldn't get through. Who could get through? The Bailey's rep, dressed as a Bedouin. "Hello, Mr. Arafat, try some of our Irish Coffee. I know you're Muslim, but it really warms you up on those cold winter nights!"
Indeed. (And he does a decent Irish accent. Which isn't easy.)
Coming out onto the terrace afterwards, it was just getting dark and the lights were on across the river. And it was beautiful. And a lovely warm breeze was blowing. And the busker who's always on the bridge was playing "No Woman, No Cry". (Mind you, it was better when he didn't sing along.) And there is the most gorgeous view from that bridge:
And with the beautiful view, and the warm breeze, and the busker playing (and mostly not singing), what was the conversation about that I overheard between two young men that passed me? Money, of course. Some people just have no soul..
So. Back to Ireland for the weekend, and on Monday and Wednesday of next week I'm at the City of London festival, which is staging some very interesting events. On Monday, I'm at a London Symphony Orchestra concert in St. Paul's cathedral, which is nice, because I have never been there, because of the exorbitant entrance fee. And - get this - since I have a cheap ticket for the concert, I actually get in for less than the regular entrance fee!! Heh.
And on Wednesday, I'm going to an event called The Return Flight of the Earls. This evening centres on the events of 1607, when Hugh O' Neill and Rory O' Donnell, the High Kings of Ulster, fled for the continent. Rebellion at home having failed, they decided to seek help abroad, but failed in their mission and never returned. The consequence was the loss of the Irish aristocracy of the north, the plantation of Ulster by British (mostly Scottish) settlers, and the foundations of what would become the political entity of Northern Ireland. Anyway, this event on Wednesday features Hugo O' Neill, current head of the O' Neill clan, who hails from Portugal and will tell us all about it. There's also music, in the form of 200-year-old traditional Irish songs, arranged by Beethoven, and we get a free glass of wine. And it's in St. Botolph's Church, which will be another first for me. Yes, London continues to surprise..
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