And behind door number 22... a guide to some music of the more traditional kind
Catherine Munn and Jacob Martin list their Top 5 programmes to watch over the festive period.
And behind door number nine... some dazzling musical delights
The complete arts guide, for week 9
By far the most exciting event in the York gig calendar, with an accompanying ticket rush and densely-packed venue, Zane Lowe brings his MTV 2 Gonzo Tour to York's Fibbers this Saturday. At the time of writing tickets are unavailable from Ticketweb, but the Fibbers website isn't showing a sold out banner, so if you are desperate to catch Jack Penate, Dan le Sac vs. Scrubius Pip (purveyors of this summer's unavoidable 'Thou Shalt Always Kill) and Operator Please (whose 'Just A Song About Ping Pong' can be found here in all its utterly incredible schoolyard brilliance), this is the night to beg, steal or borrow a ticket for this week. Even if you aren't too familiar with those bands, a quick look through previous performers, Klaxons, Hot Chip, Subways, Futureheads and The Go! Team, should be enough to make you want to check out something new. Even more exciting is that the size of the Fibbers backstage area, and his general affability, means that host Zane Lowe can be found hanging around the bar. Managing to stutter through a hesitant greeting at my first Gonzo at Fibbers two years ago the great man described the night as "fucking brilliant" - who'd want to miss that?
For an alternative source of music this week, why not check out an award winning Chinese singer at The National Centre For Early Music on Thursday? Yanchuan Zhang, from Sichuan Conservatory in Chengdu, China, will be performing a selection of songs tracing the history of China from the Han dynasty to the modern day, accompanied by traditional instrumentalists. The National Centre For Early Music is based in St. Margaret's Church in Walmgate, which has been renovated and fully fitted out for concert purposes. Student tickets are only £3.50, which makes this an unmissable opportunity to get a taste of a different culture before heading back to the surreal world of university life.
Talking about escaping, the fantastical Stardust opens at York Vue Cinema this Friday. OK, so it is a fairy story, but it was written by Neil Gaiman, and it's got Robert De Niro in it! And Michelle Pfeiffer! And Claire Danes! (And Ricky Gervais, but he looks a bit rubbish in this trailer) It looks like one of those brilliant children's films that can engage you as an adult whilst still making you feel like you are eight years old again. Like the Harry Potter films but better? You'll have to see for yourself:
As a precursor to this childish delight, you might want to head down to City Screen Basement Bar tonight to catch An Evening With David Almond. The Basement Bar is a wonderfully intimate venue, and its position under the streets, almost at the level of the river, makes it a perfect setting for discussion and reading of the Whitbread and Smarties Award winning author's dark but beautiful stories, the likes of Skellig, The Fire-Eaters and his new book for younger children My Dad's A Birdman. Tickets are only £4, available from City Screen.
Other happenings this week:
Gigs
Theatre
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