Monday 16 July 2012

Wonderful London


Smoke - a London Peculiar and the BFI present... WONDERFUL LONDON FILM SCREENING LAUNCH at Rough Trade East this Wednesday 18th July at 7pm.


Henry B Parkinson and Frank Miller's breathtaking 1920s travelogues about our capital city. Travelling from Chelsea to Hackney and taking in the familiar landmarks of London town - Buckingham Palace, the River Thames, Big Ben, Tower Bridge and St Paul's Cathedral, Wonderful London also reveals the unknown nooks and crannies and parts of London rarely filmed; the poorer, over-populated districts of Clerkenwell and Whitechapel and the original Chinatown of Pennyfields in Limehouse. There are glimpses of buildings we can no longer see on the ground; the long-gone Crystal Palace and the recently vanished gates of White City, where London's first Olympic stadium now lies under the Westfield Shopping Centre; on a boat trip up the Thames we can see Fred Karno's legendary 'Karsino'. We can also take a trip through working-class London on a barge from Limehouse to Paddington Basin, via Camden and King's Cross. By bus or tram or foot, we can observe the thronging Sunday street markets and wander down the little alleyways, past the pubs and law courts - buildings that Dickens knew. And most poignantly, we can see a past generation of Londoners going about their business, complaining about the roadworks or looking with curiosity at us through the camera lens - all gone now - but strangely like the Londoners of today.

A Live soundtrack by Saint Etienne's Bob Stanley and Smoke: A London Peculiar editors Jude Rogers and Matt Haynes, plus BFI speaker Bryony Dixon.


Buy the dvd here. More info here.

Thursday 12 July 2012

Port Eliot 2012

Set in the beautiful grounds of the ancient Port Eliot estate (the oldest continually inhabited dwelling in the UK) in southeast Cornwall with a capacity of only 5000, this festival is a magical combination of books, food, music, art, comedy, fashion, films, flowers, photography, wildlife and water. Always inspiring and always surprising, Port Eliot has established itself as a matchless event on the arts calendar; things happen at Port Eliot you just don't find at other festivals. Last year, Kate Winslet gave an impromptu reading and Hollywood maestro Martin Scorsese curated the outdoor cinema.

Rough Trade Shops will be taking their legendary store to Port Eliot again this year and you'll find us in Caught By The River's area opposite The Boathouse with merchandise, vinyl and cds for sale. Check in with us at the beginning of the weekend to find out what time the signing sessions begin.

A huge hit over the last few years at the festival, Caught By The River returns with another stellar line-up lovingly compiled to evoke this much lauded and greatly loved online 'fishing and culture' magazine's playful spirit and celebrate the best things in life – from idling away an afternoon with nothing but fishing line and thought to great books, music and beer. Expect readings from Chris Yates and Tim Burgess (check out the video link below of his instore here at Rough Trade East), haircuts from Mr Natty, an installation from Andrews Of Arcadia, DJs such as Andrew Weatherall and Jonny Trunk and live music from the likes of Jeb Loy Nichols,DiagramsThe BeesRobert Ellis,Crybaby, new Heavenly signings Toy and Stealing Sheep plus an exclusive UK festival appearance from Beth Orton.

To see the full line up and to be kept up to date on all things Port Eliot, sign up to their mailing list here…
www.porteliotfestival.com


In Conversation... Tim Burgess from theQuietus on Vimeo.


Wednesday 11 July 2012

Jason Molina benefit show...

I've written on here and elsewhere about Jason and his medical problems over the last couple of year and so it was with a real warming feeling that I was pointed in the direction of this website a little while ago.

The people behind the show are also putting together a benefit album featuring the likes of Ed Harcourt and Alasdair Roberts, and the whole thing seems worthy of not just a mention here, like that matters, but of a moment of anyone's time who has had a day brightened or a sorrow lessened courtesy of Jason's beautiful art.

Get your tickets here, and we'll see you there.

Wednesday 4 July 2012

Holloway Book Launch



The next Caught By The River event here at Rough Trade East will be taking place on Wednesday 11th July at 7pm. It's a book launch for the very limited edition of 'Holloway' by Robert MacFarlane, Stanley Donwood and Dan Richards. The guys will be in for readings and a book signing on the night.

Click on the poster above to find out more information. To pre-order this very limited edition book click here...