My goodness this first week of May has certainly been an eventful one! Not only did we get a new heir to the throne in the shape of Princess Charlotte, but we also witnessed the most profitable boxing match in history. And not only has David Cameron won a second term but Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg are out on their ear! And what about our youngest MP since 1667, 20-year-old Mhrairi Black?
This month has certainly kicked off with an impressive cultural explosion in LA. Mr Musichead’s opening reception ‘A Lad Insane’ by Brian Duffy was my first arty stop of the week and it was packed to the rafters – I am planning to pop back and take a proper look before it ends on the 23rd. There is no charge to get in so feel free to go along and check out their new location on Sunset Boulevard, aptly positioned opposite Guitar Center.
Salford Bard Dr John Cooper Clarke was my intellectual entertainment the following night. His northern wit and banter for almost two solid hours was a great reminder of what I love about the UK – I didn’t expect to have such a giggle at an evening of poetry but I guess that is why he is called the Punk Poet. I hope he comes back soon as I really want you all to go along and see him live. Brits in LA Key Members met for their first Sunday Supper Club at our one of our favourite haunts, Cecconi’s in West Hollywood. It was a great chance to relax for once and find the time to have real conversations over great food and wine. It is worth going just to see the Damien Hurst Butterfly installation.
I got a last-minute invite to the LA premiere of Soul Boys of the Western World; a fantastic documentary about Spandau Ballet that was first screened at SXSW in 2014 – it took a long time to make it to California but it was definitely worth the wait! I was just a bit too young to be a huge fan of Spandau Ballet back in their heyday, so I didn’t quite realize what an impact they had on the 80’s. Not only was their music a new sound for that era but their fashion sense was seen as quite outrageous and groundbreaking too – the film also examines the politics of the time which was heavily overshadowed by Margaret Thatcher, along with massive unemployment, the miners strikes and the Falklands War. Director George Hencken also examines the bitter fallout and court battle the band went through in the 90’s and it is pretty brutal to watch, even more uncomfortable when the band members are sitting just a few feet away from you! It makes it all the more impressive that they have manage to reunite and are currently on a World Tour (with a show scheduled here in July). Hencken has succeeded in making a film that will appeal to the masses not just diehard fans – my only regret upon walking out of the theater was that I wished I was ten years older, (a rarity in LA!), mainly so I could have experienced the exciting time that my home town of London went through in the 1980s.
Soul Boys of The Western World opens in LA on May 8th – May 14th at the Arena Cinema in Hollywood (1625 N Las Palmas Ave, Hollywood, CA 90028 (visit arenascreen.com) for showtimes . I highly recommend you watch it on the big screen if you can.
That is all from me for this week, – make sure to find us on Facebook @BritsinLA as we have lots of great events coming up and tons of concert competitions courtesy of Goldenvoice. You’ve got to be in it to win it!
Cheers!
Eileen
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