Bank holiday Glow-ed

Glow was an amazing multi-media and modern dance performance as part of the Brighton Festival. Held in Fabrica we were seated looking down at a white gymnastic white floor. The sound effects and eerie music kicked off and a dancer crawled out as if trapped in a padded cell. The projected light effects interacted with her as she squirmed, stretched and writhed around. Some of the lights were pulsing, other created a phased or shadowed pattern around her. The shadows were particular effective at simulating what could be described as demons possessing the dancer and actually scared the crap out of a small girl who's mum quickly took her away. Hopefully the YouTube video will give you a better idea.

Saturday was more DIY with the evening watching the Euro-politics - what the f*ck is up with that! No wonder Terry Wogan is quitting.

Sunday was a packed day of hosting mates and family to a lamb roast, killing and burying rats in the garden (found a large one amongst the flowers and another got dropped half-dead on Kev's leg from the sky - Kev had nothing to do with it's death but four blows to the head with a brick did), watching fireworks from a friend of Sue's sailing boat at the marina then back to ours for more booze.

Tom Tom Club

The Tom Tom Club had been on almost every day throughout the Fringe and, for a 2 for 1 ticket deal, it was one of the best for value and entertainment. We were half expecting a small crowd but all seats were taken for this hip-hop spectacular. The Aussie club were made up of a DJ, drummer/musician, human beat-boxer and a number of acrobats and kept the crowd entranced and pumped up with a high energy show.

It was hard to pick what were the highlights as they were all so good but the beat-box bloke was incredible as he replicated a pitch perfect drum'n'bass DJ sound switching over to a hip-hop sound.

The Terrible Infants

I can see why we chose this. The Terrible Infants was billed as:
'Roald Dahl meets Tim Burton in this award-winning show that blends puppetry, live music, storytelling and physicality into a highly sensory theatrical feast.'

However, after ten minutes into the performance it was more like Playschool meets Jackanory. Don't get me wrong, the actors playing it were hugely talented all singing, all dancing, all acting, all playing an array of instruments. We just wanted something more adult. It was relief at the end though the same Fringe lovee who awarded the Moustache thing did the same at this show.

The Last Resort and I, Lear

No DIY on Saturday as we were fully booked for Fringe events. The Last Resort was an unusual but full of charm play using one or two puppets but mainly actors with masks. The acting, production, music, everything was really well done creating a unique creepy and sometimes dark fairytale world. Personal highlight was the naked devil puppet.

Straight after was I, Lear - two thespian actor characters named Hugh (or Huge) and Chesty taking us through different types of writers' plays and generally mocking their style. Overall it was very funny but couldn't been funnier if I was more clued up with playwright stuff.

We actually had another set of tickets for Catchy! a musical about the plague but we couldn't really find the venue and couldn't be arsed either.

Sunday was a long slog at laying the laminate floor but returned to the Fringe with a ticket to The Haunted Moustache. Strange title and a local real story of David Bramwell inheriting his aunt's moustache explaining the history and trials along the way. Basically, he felt this moustache from a freakshow host from the 1900's was affecting his life joining cults, doing drugs etc. whilst finding out why he'd been given it. Very entertaining and he deserved the award given at the end by some Fringe lovie.

Le Scandal of vet fees

I knew it was too good to be true. Having checked my holiday leave entitlement, HR had fudged up the numbers and I was now in minus figures with the Glastonbury week off and proposed week off for DIY. Instead I have three days off to do the laminate flooring and prepare the new extended room for next week's visitors. Glastonbury has also been cut short of it's recovery period

The local B & Q and Jewson store's' profits must have jumped this month with me buying all sorts of tools and materials. By the end of the day we'd leveled off the front room floor to match the dining room floor height plus a hatch cut out ready for the electrician to change the socket.

Sasha, my adopted cat was taken to the vet for another whoppingly high bill. Pure little geezer had been squeezing out blooded poos which meant a blood test, injection, pills and poo analysis. £172 later the vet announced that the blood test revealed a clean bill of health, surprising for an old man like him. The stool sampling isn't that pleasant.

The evening's entertainment was Le Scandal at the Brighton Fringe. It was a burlesque variety show which was okay overall. The houseband did cover versions with assistance from the crowd who'd been equipped with free kazoos (although we missed that freebie). Some of the acts were hilarious including the two pictured - a forbidden love affair of a girl and her hate-monkey. The escapologist was intriguing being hung upside down then doing maths magic. The juggler was funny but maybe the wrong the reasons with the crowd seriously heckling for requests to strip.

Justice get Stress

Like the new Gladiators TV programme, you couldn't get away from the media promotion of the Radio 1 Big Weekend - seriously Sky Broadcasting, showing an advert every frigging minute you can is a serious overdose of sugar-coated shite down our throats. Anyway, ignoring all the major acts it was interesting to hear that Justice had to pull out last minute. Zane Lowe announced it in the BBC3 programme saying it was due to some French court action for their latest video 'Stress'. I can see how the video could have upset some people as a gang of hoodies go on a rampage. However, I've found zilch on any news to do with this. If anyone finds anything, please tell me.

Marriage made in Bridport

James, a good mate from my Uni days got hitched at the weekend and we went along to join the ceremony. Couldn't make the Friday night Fringe gig as James' DJ (another Uni mate) pulled out last week so I had to prepare accordingly. There was a strict playlist of typical wedding tunes based on old disco but I refused to play The Nolan Sisters, even for a mate. Not that I own anything by them but all tunes were supplied by CD.

Bridport in Dorset was a long 3 and half hour drive but a cute country market town. Our evening's stay was the Tiger Inn which was ok apart from no car park and very little off-street places either. With a 4pm start there wasn't alot to see really but found out we should have booked nearer the coast for an amazing beach.

The Bull Hotel was an amazing place with tasteful Georgian decor. The main function room had a double height ceiling and a minstrel balcony where I spotted the DJ booth! Everything went without a problem although James looked very pale and worried. Speeches all very entertaining including another Uni mate, James (or to his mates, Drunk Jim) who only took up the Best Man duty two days ago due to another James letting him down (confused yet?).

The DJ duty was split between me and another guy (not called James) and went quite well sticking to the strict playlist. At around 1am Kerry wanted to go back to the B & B whereas I'd promised to do the last shift. However, returning to the function I found myself locked out with no doorbell, knocker, phonecall could allow me entry. Only by chance was someone leaving I was able to slip in and do my last 40 minutes of DJing. I was surprised that Oops Upside your Head was danced properly or at all i.e. rowboat style but a couple of tunes later it was over and time for bed. A sleepless night was followed by whats seems to be never-ending decorating.

The Joy of Sox

Another Fringe event last night at Komedia to see the Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre. Managed to get front row seats though was slightly distracted at being able to see the bloke behind the screen preparing his socks.

My previous post included a link to a YouTube video of their opening song, 'I'm a sock'. This led to some inter-sock banter and the misunderstanding of Halloween as hello Ian. The postcode conversation was very funny which went along the lines of 'do you know the postcode for Sheffield?' with the reply of 'S', 'Will you tell me the postcode for Sheffield?', 'S'. This went on with another postcode 'OK'...you get the idea. There were a few one dimensional jokes and scenes which could have tested anyone's patience but the puppets came back with some cracking content like a Brighton special performance of Sock Mods and Rockers and EMOs. The last scene was a sock version of Romeo & Juliet.

Kerry reminded me of a free event we're doing tonight. Jonathan Kay performs his 'jester/fool' type performance tonight. This isn't the Scottish bearded guy you might have seen on TV that I've always got confused with. I've seen him before at Glastonbury where he somehow got the audience to follow him out of the tent pied piper like to preform tricks on unsuspecting festival goers en-mass.

Potted Potter

Our Fringe experience continued with another visit to the E4 cow themed arena. This time it was a parody on Harry Potter as two guys presented their version of all 7 books within 90 minutes. The cast had to be on their best behaviour for the kiddies attending. They managed to get some adult humour joking about Dumbledore being the only one in the village. There was some fun audience participation with their re-enacted Quiddich game which was basically a scrappy game of beach volleyball. The guy in glasses looked very much like a Dick or Dom, he could be related. Potted Potter website

Booked a couple more events straight after the performance. Here's a full list of what we're seeing (anyone' s welcome to join us):-

• The Bell
  
• The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet - see this YouTube video
  
• Le Scandal
• The Last Resort
• I, Lear
• Catchy! The Great Plague Musical
  
• The Haunted Moustache
• The Terrible Enfants
• Glow
• Eyes Down! Bingo with Ida Barr (not sure yet)
  

Pacman explained

Brighton Fringe benefits

Image by trainman74 via FlickrThis weekend launched our first Brighton Festival and Fringe - possibly one of the best benefits of living in Brighton. There's so much going on and we've already clocked up over £150 worth of tickets mainly bought on their unusual content or title. Take Friday's play, 'The Extraordinary Mugging of Mr Winterbottom' at the Three and Ten, 10 Steine Street. The venue was great little drinking hole with a small but cosy stage upstairs. The play itself was very well scripted and the two main actors did a fine job capturing the intense but witty atmosphere of a tube train journey. I'm sure there were some Street Fighter II references in there. Shame there were so little of us in the audience. They've done a YouTube video if anyone's interested. After that we got chatting to the box office lady, Nicky who was directing another event at the venue called the Haunted Moustache, another ticket we've bought for later this month. She explained it was based on the writer's actual true life experience inheriting her aunt's moustache. More event details here.

Saturday we tangled with the shopping and festival crowds in town and actually bumped into the actors who did the 'Mugging' play as they promoted with flyers. The one we met seemed a bit shocked but pleased to meet someone who'd seen the play. Later we went over to the Udderbelly tent, a giant-purple-cow-on-its-back inflatable marque next to the fountain on Old Steine. Apart from the well picked catering of Asahi beers, Bailey's milkshakes and more, we were there to see the X-Files Improv show. I wasn't the biggest fan of the show and didn't realise that Dean Haglund, the improviser was actually in the TV show as the geeky, Garth-from-Wayne's-World like character. Still, the improv idea seemed too good to pass up and was possibly the most painfully funny thing I've seen in yonks. He picked out the audience various members to assist his improv sketches with the first guy setting a high bar of funniness providing sound effects to Dean's intro scene. Another example was lady providing the arms to Dean's press-conference spokesman, flailing her arms according to the dialogue. Highly recommended.

Less than a Grand House Advertising

Not much socialising lately or going out. Jake’s birthday bash wasn’t quite what we expected. A lot of his so-called mates didn’t turn up and the after-party didn’t really happen. The builders’ visits have becoming more and more infrequent but all the big changes have been done including the plastering of the lounge ceiling.

My mum’s house is finally on the market. I’ve completed the HIP myself and found a really cheap online estate agent called Hatched.co.uk which can advertise on Rightmove. Instead of paying the 1 to 2% commission using a high street estate agent I only pay about £250 to advertise and another £250 on completion. All this should save me a packet. Thing is, it was the For Sale sign that’s generated the actual interest from people walking by! Two of them lived on the same street and one noticed it from viewing another. Quite amazing for a road that’s less travelled.

Grand Theft Auto 4 has arrived though disappointingly we’ve played it just once. With the amount of tidying, decorating and other boring stuff I’m surprised we’re being so restrained. First impressions are very good though. The characters and humour are top class, the driving takes some getting used to, the fighting part a little clumsy to handle but the environment looks great as well as the lighting effects and overhearing pedestrians' abuse. The whole gaming experience has similarities from the last GTAs which may start to test my boredom levels but we’ll see. The special edition goodies are worth the extra cash too.