I nearly went to a film tonight; then I checked out Kamilya Jubran on YouTube - since the Kensington Classical Music group was headed to see her - and thought her very good. So I booked for that instead, delighted to see that it was walking distance from me! Not so delighted with the venue website, which pops up a dialog on every page, asking whether you want to join the mailing list - even if you already have! Very poor.
It was a drizzly evening, but not too bad, and I was curious to see the Mosaic Rooms, which I'd never been to before. Turns out it's a white building, just on the corner of Cromwell Road and Earl's Court Road, across from the Metro bank. A brisk walk got me there in about 15 minutes, and I was delighted to discover a new venue, just as I'm planning to move from the area. People thronged the steps, barely moving enough to let me inside - where someone checked my name off a list and told me the house was open and I could go straight in. Which I did, passing, along the way, lines of people chatting as though it wasn't about time for the concert to start!
It's a tiny room, apparently generally used as an art gallery. About five large paintings graced the walls - I'm afraid to say I brushed off one as I took my seat. The room was filled with chairs, most of which seemed to be reserved by people's coats - I took a seat at the end of the back row. I saw no-one I recognised.
It didn't stay the back row very long. People scoured the building for chairs, forming two rows behind that - and when they ran out of chairs, people sat on the floor, and stood in a crowd at the back of the room. Honestly, did they not limit the number of tickets they sold? There was no air-conditioning either, and it soon became uncomfortably stuffy. Not to mention the hard seats..
The artist took her place onstage eventually - at least 20 minutes late. I think they were waiting for people to stop chatting and come in. She was very softly spoken, and had no mic, and when she wasn't playing music I could barely hear her - which was a shame. Because her music was beautiful. She's Palestinian, the music is Arab-influenced, and it was sensual and otherworldly. I'm biased, but this sort of music always reminds me of Andalucía, and the Alhambra in particular. Or maybe that reminded me of the music. Whatever, it's a hypnotic combination (and I guess, in that context the heat of the room was appropriate). She only played for an hour or so, in the end - and I was so glad to get out of that room (once I squeezed past the people who'd started chatting again) - but had it been a more attractive venue, I'd have stayed all night. I absolutely loved it.
And was home delightfully early - the great advantage of going to something local. Gee, that's two early nights now! I could get used to this.. except, of course, I shan't. I fly to Glasgow tomorrow for the first of two U2 concerts. I did a power of organising today - checked in for tomorrow's flight, and the hotel, booked a return shuttle bus from the airport to town, researched my walking route to the hotel. On Sunday I fly to Dublin (there being no direct flights between Scotland and Shannon any more!), and today I booked my train ticket from there. I fly back to London on Tuesday. And today I also printed tomorrow's boarding pass, bus ticket, map of the city centre, and hotel confirmation, the concert tickets, the details of my other flights and the train ticket. I ask you, my life ain't complicated at all, now is it?!
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