London (un)covered – The Insider Jan 24-30

French electronica act Turzi play The Social on Thursday evening. Photo: Benoit Nilles /Flickr

The Insider is The First Pint’s expert on all things cool and London. Picking out the best of the week’s events and activities; one-off or regular, unique or mainstream. So we have a day-by-day selection of the best events to keep you occupied all week long. Enjoy.

January can be a tricky month financially, so to ease the pain and see you through to February The Insider has included plenty of freebies this week.

Monday

There is no harm in going to see bands just because you are drawn to the name; for the record the first band I watched this year were called Bastard Sword and their name certainly added to the experience. With that I suggest you all go and see Divorce and Child Abuse to noisily kick off proceedings this week, I mean how could you not? Just six quid to get in, at The Victoria in Dalston.

Tuesday

Lighter agenda today, for those of you with a free afternoon the Birkbeck School of Art have regular London on Screen film screenings at 2.30pm in the main Malet Street building, room B34. Oddly this week the film is French, Drôle de Drame, a farce set in an imagined London, directed by Marcel Carné who would go on to make Les Enfants du Paradis.

Wednesday

Was going to suggest Saul Williams at the Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen tonight, but sadly that seems to have sold out. Diverting instead to The Social on little Portland Street, the final stop on the First Pint’s underground pub crawl, for Sonics Cathedral Broad Church. Shoegaze inspired DJs, cult films and tonight a live set from “alphabet-obsessed French electronica oddballs Turzi”. Free, from 7pm.

Thursday

A scrawled sign in the window of Cafe Crema in New Cross describes The Vanishing of the Bees as the most important documentary since An Inconvenient Truth, and as it lacks the stench of Al Gore then I’m prepared to give it a fair go, Free screening from 8.15pm, doors open 7.30pm, and should you feel moved afterwards you can sign up to help them develop a bee friendly garden at the Cafe.

Friday

It is fair to say that it is the building, a converted Methodist Church, that draws me back to the Zabludwicz Collection in Chalk Farm. The latest exhibition opening, Time Scale, is just an excuse to go back – but whatever the motivation an evening of shifting exhibits and curatorial experimentation should yield some additional interesting returns.

Judd Books, a treasure trove of second-hand books. Photo: deargdoom 57/ Flickr

Saturday

Popping in for a free talk, Looking at Japanese Art, at the British Museum at lunch time, then making the financially perilous journey up the road to second hand and remaindered academic text heaven that is Judd Books. Hopefully not too weighed down by purchases I’ll be making my way across town to the Institut Francais to check out Thérèse, a film depicting the life of Saint Theresa of Lisieux, showing as part of their Spirituality in Cinema season at 6.15pm.

Sunday

The Birds Nest in Deptford are hosting an evening for Berlin based label Avachorda; can’t say I’ve ever heard of them before, but a cursory glance at their website and the flyer is enough to suggest its worth giving them a shot, its a free Sunday evening of entertainment after all.