Left in just about enough time to catch the 188 from Holborn - in fact, it was three minutes late, but actually arrived at its destination five minutes early, which is pretty good going! I kind of remembered the way from the last time I did this, which was handy, because on that occasion I did get a little lost. Twice. Anyway, I was in good time for the concert, and the organiser, Eleanor, showed me in and introduced me to another group member. And we chatted until the concert started - 10 minutes after the scheduled time, but there was a whole stream of people arrived late. What the hey, it's relaxed here! And we had her little girl to entertain us, too.
Kalia was the lead singer of a quartet - one on double bass, one on mandolin, one on lute. Two from Crete, twin brothers from Rhodes. And straight away, we were treated to - as someone remarked at the interval - a taste of the East. A mixture of new arrangements of traditional pieces, and completely new compositions, I can't honestly say I loved every single piece. Just most of them! What a breath of sea and sun. And what a perfect evening for it, warmth and sun back at last! Kalia has a beautiful voice, and I was frequently transported as I listened to her. Sorry, I know very little about what they were singing about, so can't give you much more info. But I do know they're putting their first album together, and if you like the video at the link at the top, do try to get to see them wherever you can.
The bus home took me right past Southwark Playhouse - gosh, there's a blast from the past. How many times the Man with the Hat took us there.. and how barren the Meetup landscape looks without him (with few exceptions) - I swear, I spent a load of time today booking mainstream shows for the rest of the summer, because there simply isn't a decent Meetup option.
Tomorrow, I was booked for free comedy in Hammersmith (!) with Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich, Random London, London Live Comedy, Hammersmith & Fulham Friends, and Discover LDN.UK. Did you think I'd actually go? ;-) Well, I'm not - but the reason is an unusual one. My new company is very nice indeed - and they have an annual volunteering day: gardening. I hate gardening. And it's tomorrow. For the whole day, they're at it. And last Monday week, the office manager kindly informed us that it was compulsory unless we were on holiday. Huh! Well now, I hate being told what to do. So I suddenly decided to be on holiday that day - and as it's a Thursday, the next too. Helen has suggested we get last-minute, half-price, day tickets for Death of a Salesman at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre tomorrow - sounds like a plan! And my, am I looking forward to a decadent lie-in tomorrow!
Then comes a weekend I've been looking forward to for a while. Long-anticipated, the European leg of U2's 30th anniversary tour of The Joshua Tree kicks off in Twickenham on Saturday and Sunday. 'Mare of a place to see them - after I saw them there in 2005, I swore - never again. Happily, I now know someone living down that direction! :-) Helen is also coming with me to the first concert, and I'm staying with her for the weekend (now starting on Thursday, as she kindly offered). Which sorts transport for the first night - she'll drive. The second night, I'll head back by bus - the train is an absolute nightmare. Anyway, this would have been a weekend in Ireland - hence the trips back two weekends in a row, preceding it.
On Monday, nothing had been appealing - until I tried the Meetup app again, and came across a Meetup group called, attractively, Let's Do This! Quite new - anyway, they have organised a trip to see La Voix Humaine, a 40-minute solo opera, performed in English by Opera Up Close. It's in King's Place, which I love. I'd already found it by the time the Man with the Hat took us there, but it was with him I went the last two times: so this'll be bittersweet. Lordy if I didn't then discover that it's co-run by a couple of the Man with the Hat's old members! So of course I'm going. Great to see the Man with the Hat has left a classical legacy - there are very few Meetup groups doing this sort of thing. And at a discount, yet! Unsure, at this point, whether they're marketing it as a dating site, what with age restrictions, and an insistence that members post their photos and full names. We shall see..
Tuesday started out with yet more free comedy in Hammersmith - the same five groups. But then Funzing (London Speaks Sessions and LDN Talks @ Night) rocked up and saved me, with a talk on Blitzed - Drugs in Nazi Germany. Has to be better, frankly.
Next Wednesday, I'm currently still looking at free comedy in Greenwich, with London Live Comedy, Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich, and Random London. (I do wonder what's happening with London Literary Walks, who used to have a walk almost every Wednesday over the summer..)
The 13th was more of the same - in Hammersmith - with the Famous Five (aforementioned) groups - Discover LDN.UK twice, as before. But you know, Eleanor did a good job tonight of selling upcoming events to us - so instead, I'm going to see The Good Soldier Schwejk - mainly because it's on upstairs at Sands Films, where I've never been. Then it's back to Ireland for the weekend.
On the 17th, more comedy - for £3.60, this time. Tez Ilyas is performing at the Pleasaunce, and I know he's good - saw him in Top Secret once, for free..
The 18th, the U2 tour continues - I fly to Barcelona that day, to see them that night! One of their crazy, one-night-only appearances, on what is a very limited tour. Turns out I'm seeing them at half of all their European concerts for the year!
I fly back on the 19th, and that night was - provisionally - booked for more free comedy (quelle surprise). Greenwich, the above three groups. There are some interesting Funzing talks that night, but I've already seen them. And then - why, Eleanor has another event! I listened to a clip of Hanitra, decided I liked her enough, so now I'm booked to see her in Sands Films that night.
The 20th, I booked another Funzing talk (the above two groups). This is a talk about serial killers, as given by a forensic psychologist (Jennifer Rees) that works with the police, and who also gives terrific talks about psychopaths. Highly recommended! She's a terrifically engaging speaker, and looks far too young to be working in such a murky area. Unfortunately, now I've had to cancel - turns out that the much-anticipated first Meetup of the Man with the Hat's other ex-members' group, Love London for Less, is happening that night, so of course I'm headed to that - we're going to the Icebar, where I've never been. Should be interesting. Just a pity the only other instance of that talk I'm missing is sold out - I've added myself to the watchlist.
Then I'm back to Ireland for a long weekend - first to Dublin (from London City airport, a first for me), for U2's (one-and-only!) concert there.. then down to see my mother for a couple of days, flying back on Tuesday.
On the 26th, I had booked free comedy in Greenwich - same groups as before. Then Funzing rode to the rescue, and instead I'm now headed to a Funzing talk entitled "Politics - WTF!" Appropriate, no? Anyway, I booked them on a once-only code "iwantfunzingagain". Or you could try "Funzing30" - both give 30% off, but are time-limited.
On the 27th, free comedy in Hammersmith again. So far.
I fly back on the 31st, and saw an interesting Funzing talk advertised for that night - "Are We Living in the Matrix?" Well, I'm well overdue a free talk, with all of them that I've booked (every fourth free), so I've contacted them to get a code to get this for free. Still waiting..!
And on the 1st, I finally get to see Jennifer Rees again, when she's giving a talk on The Psychology of Criminals. With dim sum, great! (Had to stick with a 10% discount for this one - Fun_Day10 or Fun_Week10 are the ones you want for that.) And it's walking distance from me for once, in Covent Garden. Excellent..
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