steven.vu

Weekly Media – Watch this space

Hey hey my little fruityliciousnessess…

This article marks a somewhat ‘comeback posting’ for me after my brief vacation in the land of exams: freak sunny weather, very little alcohol and equally stressed, demoralised and somewhat tetchy ‘natives’. BUT, since that is all now out of the way and I’ve returned home to the freedom of drab and dreary weather, mixed with the joys and freedoms of exam-less life, I have to say is: ‘Let the good times roll, and the frolicking continue!’ In essence, my summer (‘Of Love’?!) has begun very much in earnest, today being the first day in a week where I’ve had more than 5 hours sleep and in my own bed. Drawback is of course that I now have no money for all my ventures this summer. Now, knowing the spendings of more than one of the readers/writers/site owner of SPIELOFF I’m pretty damn sure that there’s a lot more people in the same boat: penniless, homeless and bloody hungry. Now it seems that Mr. Steven ‘site-owner’ Vu can help you, regarding the hunger with his new burger deals, and as for homelessness, try ‘Shelter’, they do a lot of good work around the country and especially in London, poignant methinks for my column…

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Watch This Space – Joanna Eden Quintet

Had such a lovley day wondering down southbank today. The annual National Theatre summer festival is in full swing, watch this space. It’s based just outside the Hayward Gallery and features a small stage with a patch of luxury fake grass. Much more fun than it seems.

Later on in the festival open air films are shown on the large square blocks on top of the Hayward. If you’re ever in London on a pretty summers day I suggest you pop down and see what’s going on.

Anyway, today a pretty lady by the name of Joanna was playing with her band. Nice cool relaxing Jazz mixed with singer songwriter stuff – never good at describing music. Her cute daughter was running amock in the audience plugging the CD.

I forgot my camera but here are a few pictures of what it looked like last year.

After went and met Jeannine for a relaxing chat in the park.

Watch this space is a summer festival which happens just outside the Hayward on the southbank. A small stage and pretty astroturf for all weather fun in London. Here are some entries from last year, I’ll fill it up in the coming week.

National Gallery – Watch this space calander

Freeloaders in perpetuity

As i’m sure i mentioned before i’m skint, i therefore thrive on all things free. I decided to spend as little money as possible today while maintaining a high level of funness.

Got on the train at Norbiton thereby not paying that £5.20 to get to London. I’ve learnt that if you forget your ticket is out of date so do they. Just wave that ticket like it’s todays and you want them to bugger off and stop harassing you, they usually do. The amount of money i’ve saved jumping the trains more than makes up for any fine i’m likely to get.

Met Graham at Raynes Park, forgot that Dave wanted to come so called him and we all met up at Waterloo. Down to southbank to “watch this space” where Nick Luscome of XFM Flomotion fame was to play. I wasn’t impressed. His diminutive figure and chilled tunes got me lethargic. I guess it’s good to listen to when your at home and the music is a background to something, but at midday with the sun blazing i wanted lively music.

I’d always thought DJ’s actually did something, but watching good ol’
Nick was like watching a man pretending read. it probably does take a lot of effort and skill but he might have just recorded his effort on CD and played back. I guess i like loud music, blasted at your ears. Takes less effort to listen to and i find loud music narrows the spectrum of music afforded to your ears, thereby making it easier for masterpieces to arise. Or some bollocks like that. Probably a reason to why i like Mad Capsule Markets, the Japanese Electronic Hardcore outfit.

As i mentioned, i got bored. Decided to drag everyone to some pretty non energetic Gospel music at the embankment. Got bored. Did i mention i’m easily bored? Had a Subway, regretted it, paid £5, the total of what i’d pay for the day.

Played Peeping Tom, thought of the song while at it. Then went to see a Samba band at Watch this space. Blew my expectations away, they got the crowd going with at least a quarter dancing. Quite an achievement for the people that were there. Guys can’t dance, we just don’t have that natural rhythm. All the girls looked pretty amazing shaking those hips, while the guys just stood there improvising. Obviously there are the poor soles whose significant others dragged them to salsa classes but overall it was pitiful. I especially felt sorry for the guy who was dragged to the centre but looked like a wooden pole amongst a backdrop of moving people.

The time was 7:30 odd, the music had stopped and Lucy had joined us. Such a cool girl. Decided to go watch a movie, for free. Yes, free. Turns out Dave’s sister was to deliver free cinema tickets with her newspaper round to the area for a new cinema just opening. The rebel decided to keep the tickets and use them. Watched Fahrenheit 911, better than Bowling for columbine but not mind blowing. I’m sure there are better reviews so i’ll leave it short. The film was hilarious in places but lacked pacing. Moore at times couldn’t decide whether it was a comedy or documentary. Cracking a joke one minute while showing a grieving parent the next. Stick to an emotion and play on it, don’t alternate. Also the ending seemed to be a botch job, they should have intertwined references to LofTF throughout instead of haphazardly sticking it on at the end.

All in all a great day for the princely sum of £5. I’m afraid i’ll get bored of free music at southbank quite soon. Oh well, there’s always free comedy.

Watch this space – Free events at the National Theatre

The great people of Bloomberg have sponsered a string of events running from 18th June – 21st August 2004 at the National Theatre on southbank.

I went down there a few days ago and picked up a flyer, gonna circle some things and go to them so i can tell myself all about them.

Saturday 24th July:

Sun Lounge 2.15pm – Nick Luscombe XFM Flow Motion

Should be fun

Saturday 31st July:

Waterloo Cines – The Lodger: A story of the london fog

So they project a good old film onto a massive concrete wall and u watch it standing up. On the level below is an orchestra playing the films score live. Should be fun.

More details can be had at the National Theatre

I’ll probably head down to embankment and see if anythings happening there. Jazz on the streets looks mighty good.

Reqiuem for a Dream – Soundtrack

Morning after the night before

I wake up to find the loo with piss all over it, after spending a week living in confined spaces with him (Wales) i concluded it was the work of Dave. Obviously he vehemently denied it but, what the hay.

The next 5 hours from 0807-1343 were spent on some sofas watching daytime TV with my fellow friends. CDUK being the highlight appearing at 1130. Cat Dealley never looked so lovely. I do miss Zoe Ball and Lauren Laverne. Managing to peel myself from that sofa and borrowing Deer Hunter and the Pianist i strode home.

Quick shower later and a new T-Shirt, i was out of the house again. By myself and not much of a plan to do with the rest of the day i decided a trip to London would do me good. A bit of introspection, a book and maybe a film wouldn’t go a miss. Walking down to Kingston with Lolita in one hand i felt like a star pseudo intellectual. I’d decided on the train to waterloo i’d traverse south bank then see if anything was happening at embankment or my favourite cinema PrinceCharles. Hectic drumming could be heard while on my way so i stopped to watch some Japanese drummers, or white boys and girls playing the ancient art of hitting drums in a Japanese manner. Was most exciting.

Thought i’d check out the Hayward Gallery and look at some pretty pictures in a most pretentious way but £4 kind of put me off it. A girl named Alissa from Holland stopped me and asked to take three pictures of my hair. I wasn’t going to stop her and it made my day, she was quite pretty and we small talked about hair and compared digital cameras. I felt emasculated with my paltry 2.0megapixel camera while she had a F828 5.0 megapixel Sony camera, thankfully she didn’t rub it in. Took a quick snap of her and made her look like an ogre to make up for it. Think she realised she was a tad older than me when i couldn’t come up with a uni quick enough so she left with the excuse of a meeting.

Southbank is pretty fun at this time of year, laughed at some buskers and moved on to the Barbican to watch some poor drama. Music would start at 1815 so i decided to have some lunch and come back later. PrinceCharles and Embankment seemed vacant so i noted down some times for my next outing and piddled back to the Barbican. As everywhere described everything as Eclectic i think it fitting i should to. The Eclectic mix of whatever nationality of music was playing when i got there, it was pretty good except for an ogre of a woman dancing provocatively. I mean, i know i like hot pants and all, but this was wrong. I’m not to sure if i got it on film. Don’t know if i wanted to. Had a pint of Carlsberg at a ridiculous price of £2.70 but i guess the music was free, it was a nice day and i was bored.