Jason and the White Lion

Jason finally caught up to me in age again. He invited all an sundry to a beer afternoon at a pub in Hampstead called The White Lion. It was really lovely to catch up with him and also to see Belinda again. A little bit of gossip, a little bit of food, a lot of walking (R, H & I walked there - ouch!), and a lot of relaxation later and a good day was had I think. Happy Birthday Humpy!

Michael Palin at the O2

On the 26th, saw Michael Palin at the Indigo O2 centre: 20 years of travelling, 40 years of jokes. I went with Jason & London Dave. It was fascinating. I’ve never been to the O2, let alone the Indigo but yet again, I forgot to take my camera, so no pictures.

The night was interesting and entertaining but also slightly uncomfortable and I had a restricted view of the stage, so it was a 70% night, not 100%.

It was a charity event supporting victims of torture and was introduced but a famous Indian guy who sported a very long-haired look and who gave us a rather chilling insight into the torture victims lives. Then Palin spent the first half of the night on happy snaps of his many world tours, all fascinating, and then the second half on stories of Monty Python.

But the evening started almost ¾ hr late due to the length of time it took to get everyone in. and they pretty much oversold the venue as where I was sitting ¼ of the screen was obscured by speakers, and many people weren’t as lucky, missing up to ¾ of the action. The second half was really just a history lesson on Python with amusing stories thrown in, but he did do some very funny readings, and had us in stitches with some anecdotes. … but I kind of wanted something more.

Michal Jackson also died, but to talk about it would only encourage the megalomania. His best hits were in the 80s and he should have stopped there I think. Although the man was a music legend, his personal life was not worthy so enough said.

So, yeah. A strange night.

A Little Night Music

I really liked this production. I went with Hannah, Paul and Jason. Desiree was absolutely fabulous. I love Sondheim, and ALNM is my second favourite next to Into the Woods. God, the tunes!!! I enjoyed it immensely. The sets were good, I loved how the swingers were part of the set moving and always interesting, and the costumes were fabulous.

This is the first time I’ve seen it live too. I’ve seen the film version and I know the music so well I didn’t think there would be much surprise in it for me, but it still managed to catch me. I had no idea the maid and major domo had a fling for one thing – which is why “And I Shall Marry…” is included. I always wondered where that came from. And I didn’t know that the old lady dies in the end either. Hannah cried.

The only thing I didn’t like was the Brigadier. He came off as silly and nonthreatening and unworthy, rather than the rather stupid but physically impressive and therefore actual potential rival for Desiree shown in the movie and in the music I’ve heard.

The countess was brilliant though, and so was the new wife and Frederick was great, so, yes, a fabulous production.

Gershwin at St. Martin-in-the-fields.

Just went and saw a guy called Warren Mailley-Smith play a piano in St. Martin-in-the-Fields church. Well, heard anyway. We (Hannah, Paul et Moi), were stuck behind the pulpit, but most of the time I prefer not to watch an artist at such events as it kind of detracts from the music.

It was very beautiful.

I love, love, love it when a piano is teamed with an orchestra. Some of my favourite pieces are concertos. I’m not such a fan of the lone piano – I have to be in the right mood in the right atmosphere to really enjoy that. But then, SMITF, was definitely the right atmosphere. It was sublime. He played four Chopin pieces (Nocturne in C#, Balade No 1 in G min, Waltz in E min & Souvenires de Paganini), Beethoven’s “Appassionata” in F Minor and the “Moonlight” (C# minor!) sonata’s, Rachmaninov’s Prelude in G Minor and the frontispiece – Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. He even gave us an encore – a Liszt piece.

It was really, really lovely. And it’s the first time I’ve been inside SMITH, as last time I was here they were still patching it up. I also saw the famous egg – and totally failed to remember my camera so I didn’t get any pictures of it. Although, weirdly, I had Déjà vu on the egg. I’m more than sure I’ve seen it before.

Anyway, divine concert, literally.

True Blood Rocks

So have I got a new series for you… if you enjoy black humour, southern American accents, vampires and gratuitous sex that is.

Whilst in Stockholm, I went for a tour of Sodermalm (the southern island) and had lunch with Anna B, who is best friends with Anna K, who is the sister of Johan, who is married to Helen, if you can follow that. Anyway, we were discussing which books and TV series we enjoyed as we have similar tastes in these areas, and she suggested I try out a new TV series called True Blood.

Well, I was getting very frustrated from the lack of job opportunities recently and so decided to give myself the present of a little escapism and try the series out. At $3 an episode from ITunes, I could afford it at least.

He he he… I loved it.

Brought to you by the guy who made the series ‘Six Feet Under’ (life and love in a Funeral Parlour!), it’s about a town in southern Louisiana called Bon Temps (good times) in an alternate reality where Vampires have come out of the closet so as to become legal, acknowledged citizens and are campaigning to receive the same civil rights as humans.

It is really macabre. The total body count in the first series was 14 and I lost count of the number of bare backsides you get to see. The overall impression is dark and seedy but it has loads of light and fluffy bits too. Kind of like Fanny Flagg’s Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café, meets an X-Rated Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Gory, gritty, real and yet totally surreal. Gratuitous sex everywhere. A perky lead, a brooding vamp, a shape shifter who goes around as a collie, a brother addicted to “V” (vampire blood) and some totally f***ed up friends, it is so bad, it’s great.

I even went so far as to look up the author of the book the series True Blood is based on, and now I am completely addicted to her too! Ms Charlaine Harris – I salute you!

A warning, though: You may just need my kind of sense of humour to appreciate it. I wouldn’t recommend it to Helen for instance. Remember, I’m the girl who left the cinema after seeing Sweeny Todd, grinning like a maniac and giggled at inappropriate moments all through it. Well, I’m grinning now.

Try it. You may just find it as cool as I did.