Concert: Chicago Blues Explosion

Tonight, I headed to Chicago Blues Explosion in the January Blues Festival at the 100 Club. Tickets from See Tickets (ST) - just a shame their early bird tickets were sold out. My companion from last night thought that sounded good, and booked too - we planned to eat beforehand at Bistro1. Lordy, it's years since I was last there!

I made it there early - and, cold as it was, went straight in. I was seated straight away, and ordered a bottle of wine to be going along with, as well as a starter for myself in due course, she not having arrived yet. I had it half eaten when she came through the door - apparently her internet had stopped working (a common complaint in these parts) and she'd got lost.

I had calamari, which I wouldn't have again - it was very rubbery. I see that on previous occasions I had the deep fried brie - must remember that in future! The beef bourgignon, I'm happy to report, however, was as delicious as ever. She was feeling a bit off after last night's meal - had two starters, rather than a starter and main, and proclaimed them exactly what she needed, nice and light. We both squeezed in an ice cream dessert. Conscious of time, we noticed that asking for the bill was the first time all night we'd had a delay in service..!

Well, we scuttled off to the club, about a 10-minute walk away - on Oxford Street, we weren't quite sure where it was, until I spied a queue. Sure enough, that was it.. and what a frigid night to make us wait outside!

We shuffled in, showed our tickets, and gave our names, to the guy with the checklist, and got a stamp. For some reason, it wouldn't imprint properly on my wrist, so I got it on my palm! Anyway, downstairs has a cloakroom, with a £2 per item charge. I wasn't going to bother, but was glad I did, in the end - when the club got full, it was stifling, and it was good not to have to carry my coat!

Photos of famous previous artists line the walls - this place has been around a while! We got drinks at the bar, and positioned ourselves near the stage. There is limited seating, but you'd have to get there by 7 at least to get a chair! (We kind of managed 7.30). A DJ played for early arrivals - live music started at 8.15. Despite dire warnings from someone in the queue, the ladies' toilets, at least, were quite sanitary - covered in interesting graffiti, yes (such as the life advice for ladies in one cubicle, one nugget being never to vote Conservative..). Not much toilet paper, though.

First of the live acts was Jamiah Rogers - a lively guitarist, who put my companion in mind of Jimi Hendrix. Quite the performer, he was constantly interacting with the audience, to the point where I really thought he'd jump offstage at one point. Terrific music, though.

And so to the bigger hitters - we had John Primer, who's played with many the great performer:

He was then joined by Billy Branch. And I swear, they fairly raised the roof!

Fantastic music. Unfortunately, the press of the crowd was something I'm not used to, and I had to retreat to the rear for the latter part of the concert, where there was a bit more oxygen. But wow, this is a great blues venue! Great to see them all gather for a jam at the end.

Tomorrow, with TAC for a classical concert at King's Place (nice and close). This is the Kirckman Society for young artists, presenting Connaught Brass. 

On Thursday, Ken's Green Walks for Health (aka Ken's Events, to those of us who know it from before) is off to see the Winter Lights at Canary Wharf. Now, I wouldn't go with them in a fit - but there's nothing to stop me seeing the lights myself for free, eh? I don't see the point in paying Ken £5 to lead a group around.. Mind you, the lady that sold me my ticket for Mandela was in touch afterwards to say that the theatre is offering a free link to a livestream of the full show! and she was asking me what day would suit. This being one of the options, I figured it'd be a good way to avoid the cold of Canary Wharf..

On Friday (unusually, it's usually Thursday), back with Watkin's Bookshop for a book launch. This is Fifty Forgotten Books by R. B. Russell. Occult theme, as usual. Let's see whether I can avoid falling asleep this time!

On Saturday, back at King's Place - this time it's the Crick Crack Club, with Stories in the Dark. Told in darkness, by the sound of it - sounds divine!

On Sunday, back with Cultureseekers for the Hieroglyphs: Unlocking Ancient Egypt exhibition at the British Museum. Assuming it's not curtailed due to transport strikes - there is a warning on the museum website that galleries might have to close early!

On Monday, I've finally booked for Best of Enemies at the Noel Coward Theatre. This play concerns a series of debates on US television between liberal writer Gore Vidal and conservative William F. Buckley in 1968 - the interesting twist here, given the time and place we're talking about, is to cast William Buckley as black! Had my own seat review on Seatplan to guide me in picking a seat - this is one of those restricted view/legroom theatres. And despite all the theatre offers flooding my inbox, I found the cheapest tickets for this on the official website! Mind you, what with ST doing the selling, I found myself with a second, unexplained, booking fee..

For the next week or so, it's all Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS)! Next Tuesday, for some reason, I hadn't seen their advertised event to see Orlando, based on the book by Virginia Woolf, and showing at the Garrick. For this, however, I found the cheapest tickets from Official London Theatre (OLT).

On the 25th, we're off to see John Bishop at the Leicester Square Theatre. Love him, so I booked as soon as I saw this advertised - one of the few things for this month that I booked last month! Not that it seems to be selling out..

On the 26th, we're off to The Vaults Festival - specifically, The Welsh Lxdies, a bilingual show about the women of Wales. Then back to Ireland for the weekend again.

On the 30th, we're heading to Noises Off, starring Felicity Kendal, at the Phoenix. Again, cheapest tickets from OLT.

On the 31st, with a group I haven't joined in a Very Long Time - I'm back with London Dramatic Art, from whom I've got a front-row ticket for Sylvia, at The Old Vic; this is the story of Sylvia Pankhurst, and stars the excellent Beverley Knight. Completely sold out - this was my only way to get a ticket!

On the 1st, back with the Horror Book Club - Lordy, that means I need to read a book! :-) I suppose I can use my flights for that. This time, it's The Ballad of Black Tom, based on the Lovecraft story, The Horror at Red Hook, but told from the perspective of a black man. Which means I should really read that, too.. Nice, I'd like to get back to some Lovecraft! I've read the summary of that, and am a decent way through the book club's book. Again, it's in the Prince of Wales, Covent Garden. Question is, will the kitchen be open..?

On the 2nd, I'm on my own for My Son's a Queer (but what can you do?), a musical at the Ambassadors Theatre.

On the 3rd, my first meeting of the year with London Classical Music and Theatre Group! We're off to Wigmore Hall, to listen to the Hagen Quartet play Mozart. They're Austrian, so that's appropriate.. I just need to remember not to drink the ultra-expensive sauvignon blanc!

On the 4th, well, Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners are back to Greenwich again. Now, I have been there with him before.. not sure how "new" this one will be, but hey, it was a great day last time!

On the 5th, nothing on Meetup appeals massively at the moment - I might go for a walk along the Ken's Events route, if I feel like it! (on my own). Or Over 40 Living the Life has advertised a walk along the New River.. I'll have to see, as I have to pay to sign up (refunds given to those who then come). And I might well change my mind..

On the 6th, my first actual event with that group. We're off to How Not to Drown at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East - the first event of theirs for which I couldn't get a cheaper ticket! So I decided, if I couldn't beat them, I might as well join them. True story of an unaccompanied, 11-year-old asylum seeker.

On the 7th, excited to be headed to see Derren Brown in Showman, at the Apollo Shaftesbury Avenue. Modern magic! Cheapest tickets with OLT again.

On the 8th, off to The Lehman Trilogy, at the Gillian Lynne Theatre. Based on the true story of the bank that collapsed. Got the last £39.50 ticket!

On the 9th, back with UITCS for Winner's Curse, at the Park Theatre - an interactive show about a peace negotiation. Turns out North London Friends are headed to it the same night - what, are they now copying this group, as another group did some time ago? (since closed down). And then I'm back to Ireland again.

And on the 13th, I'm headed to Allegiance, starring George Takei in a musical based on the true story of his time in an American internment camp during the Second World War. Showing at the Charing Cross Theatre.