As it happens, I casually entered a competition during the day to win tickets to a cabaret. Well, the question was to do with royalty, and I knew it easily, so just fired off a response. Could be I was first with the answer - because I won the damn thing! And wouldn't you know it, it was for tonight. I did consider it - but no, I wanted to go to this concert and meet the people from the group. I could have predicted that nobody would take the tickets off my hands, but I did try anyway.. sure enough, for one reason or another, I could find no-one. £25 value per ticket, too. But it's true what they say, you can never find anyone to do anything. Their loss - I just hate to see tickets go to waste.
Well, I set off in good time. I had had visions of walking, but it turned out to be a little far from the office, so I didn't. A #214 arrived at the stop as I did - but I couldn't remember whether that would do me, and it left while I was consulting my phone. And damnit, it would've done, too! Never mind, a #205 was along shortly, which would do just as well. It was stifling on the bus though - much hotter than outside. It was a relief to get off, at last.
A short walk then, and I got to King's Place first of the group. Collecting my tickets, I had some fun with the postcode - I knew I'd just booked it recently, but had forgotten that the system didn't accept my change of postcode, so I had to stick with the old one. The guy at the box office asked me for my postcode, I gave him my current one, and he showed me the tickets and said, "Is this you too?" So I did get them, at least. I then had time to listen to (some of) this 1000-year piece of music they have on devices in the lobby, which you can listen to on headphones. Apparently, it takes 1000 years to repeat any of its component parts. Can't see it entering the charts any time soon!
Anyway, I'd just done that when the organiser arrived. We took a sofa in the lobby, and another couple of folks duly arrived. With food - which I thought was a good idea, so I got myself a chicken leg. Tasty, if not exactly huge. And then we made our way downstairs for the first concert, by Frigg.
Quite a lot of them on stage - four on fiddles, one on guitar, one on double bass, one on a variety of guitar-like instruments. And yes, they assured us, they could all speak English - although it took a while for most of them to do so, and some didn't bother saying anything. I can't vouch for the Finnish, but the English they spoke revealed a lovely, dry humour.
About 90 minutes they were on stage, without interval, and boy, did they entertain us! With all the fiddles, it sounded very Irish - as one of our group remarked, she wondered whether she was at a céilí! As an Irish person myself though, I can testify that there was something of a twist to the tunes. The most Irish-sounding piece was, apparently, inspired by a Glaswegian pub - other influences included a certain pub in western Finland, and, eh, ACDC. Yes, there were pieces where you could see that influence. Fantastic concert, which had people up dancing at the end. As they assured us, the dancing was easy - you just jump up and down. And there were people in the aisles doing just that.
A short break - less than half an hour - and we were into the second concert, in Hall Two. This was performed by Tuuletar, who describe themselves as a "vocal folk hop" group. Named, like the first band, for a Norse goddess (this one is goddess of the wind), they have a very different style - the goddess they've chosen is appropriate, because the four of them perform acapella. Straight away, I was blown away, to be honest - their music is so intense. And acapella tends to be more intense in any case - particularly when you're sat nice and close, as we were. One spent most of her time beatboxing - but they're all great singers.. Good audience interaction too, first getting people to pick a page from the Kalevala (Finland's national epic poem), from which they'd improvise, then getting us to sing along, for goodness' sake!
Afterwards, there was a lengthy queue for their debut cd - just as well they brought enough copies. And it gave me time to dash upstairs to the cash machine, then down again. Because yes, I did buy one - as did another of our group. I think their sales went pretty well, tonight! Happily, I had no problems with my Visa, despite the Europe-wide chaos..
Some of us went for a drink afterwards, and ended up in The Lighterman, beside the canal - which was still serving, despite the late hour. And we chatted convivially, heading our separate ways afterwards. A great night, and I was delighted I hadn't gone to the cabaret! What with having gone to the pub, I was now slightly too far from home to walk - so I schlepped up a hill to catch the #153, remarking to myself, yet again, that it's not that long since I wouldn't have been capable of it. And spied the most interesting outfits I've seen in a while:
Sadly, not the best picture, but I was trying to be discreet. They were fascinating - the lady in red had a pot of gold on top of her head, her face and arms covered in gold glitter, and gold, thigh-high boots. The other's face, neck and frontage were painted purple, while her arms and hands were painted greeny-blue, to match her legs. I'd assumed those were tights, but perhaps not.. Lord knows what they were meant to be, but the quizzical expression on the face of the guy on the street where they got off, as he stared after them, was priceless..
Tomorrow, it's a film - would you believe it, with none of the films at the very top of the list showing over the weekend, A Quiet Place - which has held a high rating for ages now - finally came to the top! Awesome - I've been dying to see it. Stars Emily Blunt and her real-life husband, John Krasinski, who also directs - they're trying to keep their family safe in a dystopian future where something is stalking them that hunts by sound. Supposed to be terrifically suspenseful - the best kind. And it's showing near me, in the Vue Islington! which means I can walk again. Need the exercise. The only showing tomorrow is very late - but what the hey, it's Saturday! I booked it, as it's cheaper on the website - and it certainly is the least I've paid in years for a cinema ticket. Looking forward to the lie-in, and the lazy day, almost as much as the film.
On Sunday, a film called Raazi has slipped into the top spot - it does actually look good, but the closest it's on is in Vue Westfield Stratford City, at 10pm. A bit far out, for one so late. Instead, I've decided to accompany Anthony's Cultural Events and Walking Activities Group to the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival. Someone in the group was quite interested in my description of that - there's more than racing going on, with tai chi, food, music, dance.. hope we get the weather for it!
We've got a colleague visiting from abroad on Monday and Tuesday, so I'm leaving those days free, although I must keep an eye on what's on, in case she's interested. Then I'm back with London Literary Walks at last on Wednesday, for another Sculpture in the City walk.
Thursday is the company's monthly social - this month, it's in Junkyard Golf Club. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.
On the 11th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats for the first time in weeks! Another performance of Showstopper! The Improvised Musical - different every night. At the Lyric again.
On the 12th, another Funzing talk, courtesy of London Speaks Sessions and LDN Talks @ Night - Inside North Korea. I see the code crazy_fun is still getting a 10% discount.
On the 13th, London Literary Walks is taking us to A Circus School and Shakespeare's Dark Lady.
On the 14th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats - at the Bridge Theatre this time, for My Name is Lucy Barton, starring Laura Linney. I got the very last £15 seat!
And on the 15th, would you credit it, I'm back with London Dramatic Arts! to see Monogamy, at the Park Theatre. Well, it sounds interesting - and they've sold their allocation for this showing, so we're free to buy our own (gee). My good God, it's August since I was last with them..
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