Brighton Lights – What to do in the city: w/c 7th February
Music & Entertainment with Joe Fuller
1 Local band grasshopper are disarmingly young, especially considering how good they are. There are post-punk moments as well as a shoegaze sheen, and some songs remind me of Broadcast. Tuval & Strings and Murder Boys support, and it’s at a great small venue in Coachwerks so should be an atmospheric gig.
Coachwerks, 11 Feb, 8pm, £5
2 Thought Forms plunge deeper depths tone-wise than many other guitar bands with a hazy ambiance and Stone Roses-like drawling vocals. Fans of early Velvet Underground’s chiming guitars or the languor of The Brian Jonestown Massacre might well find much to love at this gig.
The Hope & Ruin, 13 Feb, 8pm, £8
3 The Worthing Symphony Orchestra present some big melodies this Sunday. I always love the dynamic of the piano and orchestra in a concert setting, and it will be exciting to see what Ukrainian pianist Olga Paliy brings to Mendelssohn’s first piano concerto. Also featuring will be Beethoven’s second symphony and the wedding cake caprice by Saint-Saëns.
Assembly Hall, Worthing, 12 Feb, 2.45pm
4 Playwright Gail Louw directs her own play Two Sisters, set in Israel at the turn of the century. The sisters are played by Anne Kavanagh and Norma Cohen, and the play has been praised by Broadway World as “an exquisite play that will resonate with anyone who’s ever been part of a family”.
Rialto, 8-9 Feb, £8-£12
Comedy with Victoria Nangle
5 The maestro of mirth brings his Casio keyboards and a new show to town, hot off the back of touring the US with Flight Of The Conchords, and being nominated for the best show awards at the Adelaide Fringe and Melbourne International Comedy Festival. We give you – David O’Doherty
Concert Hall, Brighton Dome, Friday 10 February, 8pm, £19/17
6 More Casio chuckles – this time from fringe comedy veteran and firm favourite John Shuttleworth. After a mild health scare John’s thinking about the bigger questions (masquerading as smaller ones) and has a whole load of new songs to boot. Marvellous title says it all – ‘My Last Will And Tasty Mint’.
The Old Market, Tuesday 7 February, 8pm, £16
Arts with Brighton’s Arty
7 Seeking an arty escape from the winter chill? Then hot foot it to Rottingdean. I can’t promise it will be any warmer. But if you pop into JaxMar Gallery on the High Street, its vibrant celebration of African art will transport you to sunnier climes.
Opened last autumn, this welcoming, family-run artspace showcases an eclectic collection of art works, mixed media and ornate beadwork. The current group of artists on display are all from South Africa – bringing passion and illustrating diversity as they share intimate raw depths of emotion. Look forward to a peek into community life that reflects on both the past and present.
jaxmar.co.uk
www.artymagazines.com
