Month: July 2022
Amyl and the Sniffers @ Forum Theatre
A last-minute ticket purchase turned out to be the best gig of the year so far! It’s been a long time since I’ve experienced a night of such pure unadulterated punk rock energy.
The Bachelor Party Except Everyone is a Cat
Louis Wain (1860 – 1939) was an English artist famous for the thousands of sketches and paintings of cats displaying human behaviour. They enchanted the Victorians who were more likely to see cats as a mildly irritating tool of pest control. Some of his art is too saccharine and cutesy for my liking, but I love this painting in which a feline bachelor party is clearly approaching an advanced stage of debauchery. I bet there’s catnip in those cigars!
Chéri – Film Review
A perfectly watchable and enjoyable period romantic comedy-drama, with gorgeous scenery, decadent costumes and a fantastic role for Michelle Pfeiffer. I still couldn’t help but feel that it was a bit of a wasted potential, considering the talent involved.
New Music 07/2022 – Dry Cleaning, Brandi Carlile, Tori Amos
Wiry and playful post-punk; classic songwriting and a great voice; a sparkling return to form, fifteen years in the making.
Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie – Book Review
I’m always delighted to come across a Christie mystery I’ve never read before. This Poirot and Hastings adventure, dedicated to Dame Agatha’s beloved dog Peter, is held back from the true vintage status by some glaring plot weaknesses, but still had enough ingenuity and light humour to keep me happy from page to page.
Beware of Pity by Stefan Zweig – Book Review
An emotional rollercoaster of a novel about the catastrophic consequences of well-intended pity, this was a somewhat exhausting read but a rich and gripping one too.
Zulya Kamalova @ Primrose Potter Salon
I enjoyed an intimate and nostalgic evening dedicated to Cruel Romance, the Russian ballad-style songs about the darker and sadder side of life.
MSO: Beethoven Symphony No. 9 @ Hamer Hall
yggdrasille.com 