David Lammy
“I come from Guyana, or at least both of my parents did. The sound of crickets and the taste of fresh sapodilla is probably what I miss most when parliamentary life reaches its most chaotic. In fact, my roots in Guyana were part of the reason why I decided to write my latest book Tribes, an exploration of both the benign and malign effects of our very human need to belong. Diagnosing deep wounds of division in our societies, I search for ways in which we can we can all move beyond our own tribes.”
Art: Andy Warhol @ Tate Modern
Andy Warhol is a global art icon who led the pop art movement and whose works are recognised instantly for their distinctive style. They explore the relationship between artistic expression, advertising, and celebrity culture that flourished by the 1960s, and span a variety of media, including painting, silk-screening, photography, film, and sculpture. He was born in 1928 in present day Slovakia then in 1949 he moved from Pittsburgh to New York. Initially working as a commercial illustrator, his skill at transforming the imagery of American culture soon found its realisation in his ground-breaking pop art. From the 12th March until September the Tate Modern will open its first major retrospective showcasing his iconic work in 20 years, including many that have never been seen in the UK before. Visitors can also play with his floating Silver Clouds and experience the psychedelic multimedia environment of the Exploding Plastic Inevitable. A homage to a radical and popular artist that will no doubt have queues round the block. Without wanting to detract attention from Warhol, it is also worth mentioning briefly that tickets for Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Rooms at the Tate Modern go on sale this month ahead of its opening in May so if we were you we’d confirm your entry to both at the same time!
Event: FutureFest 2020
Marty McFly and Doc Brown in Back to the Future were actually pretty spot on with their predictions for what technology we would have available to us in 2015 with drones, tablets, hands free gaming and video phones. But now we’re in 2020 so what can we expect from the years ahead now that McFly hasn’t given us any updated suggestions? FutureFest is here to give us some insight and is a celebration of our power to shape the future, bringing together interactive experiences, performances, talks and debates so you can reset the clock on doomsday and build your own survival kit. With questions such as ‘How can the planet sustain us?’ or ‘What will Alexa do with your biggest secrets?’, we need a map and a compass to point us in the right direction. Speakers at the event include household names such as Louis Theroux and Richard Ayoade as well as activists like Gail Bradbook, founder of Extinction Rebellion, David Lammy, this month’s hotlister and Anil Seth, a neuroscientist. So head to Tobacco Dock on March 20th for a day of thought provoking, sometimes reassuring, sometimes fear inducing but all round intelligent discussion, on what to expect.
Food: Larry’s, Peckham
Following the success of Halpern favourite’s Salon and Levan, the 19th March see’s the opening of their third venue, Larry's in Peckham. Taking cues from the corner bars, diners and cafes of New York, Larry's is the “naughty little brother” of the trio. As with its next-door restaurant Levan, Larry’s is named after 1970s dance music pioneer and DJ Larry Levan, and will stay open from breakfast until late into the night, playing music from its vintage Celestion Ditton sound system while guests settle in for dinner. Larry’s breakfasts are inspired by the Big Apple’s Italian-American and Jewish deli’s with layered foccacia sandwiches with meatballs melts for lunch and sharing plates for dinner inspired by NYC’s diverse dinner scene and including: XO cabbage with clams and house-made XO chilli sauce; and pig’s head ragu with pappardelle and Szechuan pepper. Add into that a daily changing cheesecake, gelatos made in house, as well as Babkas, doughnuts and pies all on rotation, it’s a week-long feast thanks to Larry. The wine list is lean with simply two wines of each colour (white, red, orange, rosé, and sparkling) in the form of a quality house wine and a guest wine from interesting, low-intervention winemakers. The interior design is a nod to Larry Levan’s 1970s heyday with orange laminate tables and Eames chairs. Head Chef Nicholas Balfe says of the new venture “Larry’s is somewhere we’d expect Larry Levan to go to after playing one of his sets.” Make that Larry and now us too.
Festival: Women of the World Festival
WOW London 2020 is the 10th anniversary of the Women of the World Festival and will be their biggest and bravest festival yet so we couldn’t not include in the Hotlist! For those unfamiliar with WOW, it’s an annual arts and science festival based in London, that celebrates the achievements of women and girls, as well as looking at the obstacles they face across the world. As a global feminist movement, it seeks to inspire new generations. Founded by Jude Kelly, former artistic director of the Southbank Centre, it will come as no surprise that this is where it’s hosted each year, and always around International Women’s Day. Each day of the Festival features a different line up so you can either attend both or pick your preferred option. This year's events include a special International edition of Letters Live, Conversations On Love with Susie Orbach, Badass Women from Poetry, Women’s Parliament, The Kindness Method and a host of special guests. To date, WOW has reached over 2 million people worldwide and the WOW Foundation produces WOW festivals across the world so carry on spreading the word and get yourselves down there for an incredible weekend, tickets available here.
Bar: Timeless
A lot of us will know that feeling after one too many cocktails when you feel like you have time travelled, usually straight to bed via a kebab shop and through to next morning. Now thanks to a brand new bar in Hackney, you can hop on board an “actual” Cocktail Time Machine and journey through the last 100 years solving a variety of mysteries as you sip on cocktails from days gone by. When you have a time machine it’s always Happy Hour somewhere so the team is as jovial as you would expect as they welcome you into the fold and take you on this mystery journey. (As you can tell it helps to have a vivid imagination for this one). The whole production is from Funicular, renowned for their immersive events, such as The Murder Express, the theatrical dining on a train carriage with a murder-mystery storyline. With them we can be present for the birth of some of the last centuries era defining drinks such as the Mojito, Long Island Ice Tea and the Espresso Martini. The ticket gets you 75 minutes of time travel adventure and three drinks, but you can make yourselves cosy in the Timeless Bar and Kitchen after and enjoy some food from Masterchef finalist Louisa Ellis. Bon Voyage!
Event: MILK at the King’s Head
Concealed beneath a derelict old pub, The King’s Head private members’ club may look more than a little shabby chic from the outside but pass through the doors and you’ll find East London’s best kept secret. Founded in 2013 and located in the heart of Shoreditch near Old Street tube, the venue comprises multiple large rooms with eccentric decor including a secret (or not so now) basement club, lounge bar, restaurant and more. The venue therefore is home to a host of events of which MILK is one. Now...are you a fan of burlesque and a little debauchery? Then keep reading. MILK return once more to the Kings Head thanks to Hooray Cabaret, on the 6th March for “The best of the capital's x-rated neo-burlesque and sexiest DJs, with retro dancefloor classics and MILK's very own brand of debauchery till 3am”. Oh La La. Tickets are available from Design My Night and they say the Club has to be seen to be believed so grab a ticket asap.
Film: Rivoli Pop Up Cinema
The Rivoli Ballroom is one of the last remaining intact 1950's style ballrooms left in London. Designed by Henley Attwater with a simple barrel-vaulted auditorium, it first opened in July 1913 and to this day it maintains the elegance and magic of that time with the same interior and exterior fittings that it opened with. Whilst Saturday night dances may have changed hugely, the ballroom is still used for other adventures including disco’s and a monthly pop up cinema! You may not get the massaging, reclining, sofa seats that we often encounter these days but you get an atmosphere and venue like no other. And for that we will sit on a normal chair thank you very much! On the 19th and 20th of the month the pop up cinema is showing Fight Club and Pulp Fiction so head to the website for tickets and if you don't fancy those then check out the roster for the upcoming months too for more cinematic classics.
Charity of the month: Samaritan’s
“In a world where you can be anything, be kind” and that can mean kindness from human to human, kind with your time, kind with your advice and kind with a donation to those in need. Greatly unfortunate recent events have shone a spotlight more than ever on the importance of kindness and how important it is to speak to those close to you for you never truly know what is happening in someone's life. With that in mind we felt it only right to talk about the Samaritan’s in this edition of the Hotlist. They provide emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope, or at risk of suicide throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, often through their 24/7, 365 days a year telephone helpline. A simple £5 donation covers the cost of a call on their helpline that could save someone’s life or you can also volunteer your time and be there for someone who desperately needs you.
App of the month: Pzizz
Many of us struggle to drift off to sleep thanks to overactive minds, imaginations, anxiety or even insomnia so if you ever find yourself having problems catching the Zzz’s then download Pzizz. Pzizz promises restful sleep without changing habits, keeping a sleep diary, or limiting your activities. The app’s patented system plays sleep-optimized “dreamscapes” that mix music, voiceovers, and sound effects. Try the nap module to boost alertness and improve your mood, or the “focuscapes” in the focus module to help you get more work done. This app is recommended by the NHS and also has many celebrity endorsements that testify Pzizz will help you quickly calm your mind, fall asleep fast, stay asleep, and wake up refreshed. Sounds dreamy...in every sense.