Billy Bragg at the Ampere
Billy Bragg, English folk-rock legend, was on fire this past Monday night at the Ampere. He started off strong with his second song into the set already a big sing-a-long with "To have and to have not." The set then meandered through his career from songs about relationships to labor unions as well as covers of Woody Guthrie. He could have nearly passed as a comedian as he had witty stories and jokes between nearly every song throughout the set which gave insight into the songwriter's view of each song. The last song of the night was the expected "New England" which is always a crowd favorite and was a very loud sing-a-long ending. In the end, Billy Bragg still proudly holds the torch of a true folk singer in line with Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie while staying truly relevant to the times.
Bragg's latest album is a compilation entitled "Fight Songs" which was released in 2011 and is available from his official website.
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Cherry Docs by David Gow
"In an ideal world I'd see you eliminated. In this world I need you more than anyone."
Cherry Docs, which is getting its area premiere in Munich by the BeMe Theatre (Munich's English Language Theatre), is named after a pair of steel-tipped, cherry coloured Doc Martens combat boots. Gow's 1998 play, which was made into the 2006 film Steel Toes, has been performed around the world, not so much because it's a great piece of theatre but more as a result of its fiery call for tolerance. It revolves around a neo-Nazi skinhead, Mike Downey who, in a drunken rage, repeatedly kicks a Southeast Asian in...
Cherry Docs, which is getting its area premiere in Munich by the BeMe Theatre (Munich's English Language Theatre), is named after a pair of steel-tipped, cherry coloured Doc Martens combat boots. Gow's 1998 play, which was made into the 2006 film Steel Toes, has been performed around the world, not so much because it's a great piece of theatre but more as a result of its fiery call for tolerance. It revolves around a neo-Nazi skinhead, Mike Downey who, in a drunken rage, repeatedly kicks a Southeast Asian in...
Unexplosive Crowd at the Atomic Cafe
Discreetly sandwiched between high-end clothes stores in the centre of Munich, The Atomic Cafe is almost an easy venue to miss. Nevertheless, word of mouth from friend to friend seems to draw a steady crowd to this small club. Yet, though they arrive in their droves, they arrive quietly.
After a quick search on Google Maps, this Irish reporter was a little nervous about showing up to a venue that has been reviewed online as "foreigner unfriendly" and as having a reputation of turning away non-locals at the door. Thankfully, I did not find this to be the case. My error-ridden Deutsch did not...
After a quick search on Google Maps, this Irish reporter was a little nervous about showing up to a venue that has been reviewed online as "foreigner unfriendly" and as having a reputation of turning away non-locals at the door. Thankfully, I did not find this to be the case. My error-ridden Deutsch did not...
"Hanna": One of the truly few great original blockbusters of recent years.
So few big budget films these days are truly original. Whether based on a book, a TV series, or a remake or sequel (or even prequel) of a pre-existing film, most blockbusters these days are not entirely original. Joe Wright's "Hanna" (2011) is an exception. With a fantastic leading performance from one of the most promising young actresses of our generation, Saoirse Ronan, a truly gripping story and gorgeous scenery and visuals, "Hanna" is a film I would recommend to any movie-lover - though perhaps not one of delicate constitution.
Hanna (Ronan) and her father Erik (the brilliant Eric Bana)...
Christmas Pudding Recipe
After a couple of Christmases here in Munich, I began to miss things from home that I'd never even particularly liked before, Christmas Pudding being one of them. I thought I would try to make one, and apart from being time consuming, it really wasn't that difficult. So I began a new tradition in our house which is now an essential part of our Christmas lunch. All the ingredients listed are easily available from most supermarkets here, the only fiddly thing is the bowl or pudding basin. I ordered one online, but any heatproof bowl will work, one with a lip round the edge will be easiest to fix...
Ten Minute Tiramisu
I have never attempted a Tiramisu until two months ago; the thought of the complicated and tedious preparation put me off several times. Only this year, when I visited my aunt in Frankfurt, did I realize how easy it is to make this dessert.
As it needs to sit in the fridge for at least three hours, this is something you could prepare the night before you have dinner guests.
Ingredients:
2 fresh large egg yolks
50g castor sugar
8g vanilla sugar (1 sachet)
500g mascarpone cheese
100ml espresso or strong coffee
50ml Amaretto
12 Savoiardi biscuits (sponge fingers)
Cocoa powder for dusting
...
As it needs to sit in the fridge for at least three hours, this is something you could prepare the night before you have dinner guests.
Ingredients:
2 fresh large egg yolks
50g castor sugar
8g vanilla sugar (1 sachet)
500g mascarpone cheese
100ml espresso or strong coffee
50ml Amaretto
12 Savoiardi biscuits (sponge fingers)
Cocoa powder for dusting
...
"A Beautiful View"
"A Beautiful View" written by Daniel MacIvor and directed by Ross Manson
"A Beautiful View," a funny and insightful play written by Daniel MacIvor, premiered Tuesday night at BeMe Theatre. M (Becky Johnson) and L (Amy Rutherford) first meet at a camping store, Outdoor Outfitters. M is in a band and L is a bartender, or at least that is the story they tell each other. Later on, while they are looking back at their past, they confess to having been liars. This is one of many instances that make it easy for the viewer to relate to M and L.
Not only do M and L share a love of camping, but also a...
"A Beautiful View," a funny and insightful play written by Daniel MacIvor, premiered Tuesday night at BeMe Theatre. M (Becky Johnson) and L (Amy Rutherford) first meet at a camping store, Outdoor Outfitters. M is in a band and L is a bartender, or at least that is the story they tell each other. Later on, while they are looking back at their past, they confess to having been liars. This is one of many instances that make it easy for the viewer to relate to M and L.
Not only do M and L share a love of camping, but also a...
Restaurant Review : Le Cezanne
After having travelled the last two years to several parts of France and indulging sinfully in the heavenly food and mouth watering wines, it is hard to find somewhere in Munich that offers the same comparison. However, there is a hidden part of France in the heart of Munich which one can find nestled amid the lofts and buildings that pepper the city's trendy Schwabing area - in Le Cezanne.....
The friendly owners Patrick and Martina Geay have been running the restaurant since 1998 and somehow always manage to provide a very pleasant dining experience each time we go there. To top it all the...
The friendly owners Patrick and Martina Geay have been running the restaurant since 1998 and somehow always manage to provide a very pleasant dining experience each time we go there. To top it all the...
Les Misérables: From the stage to the screen
Tom Hooper (director of the critically acclaimed "The King's Speech") has taken what has become one of the world's best-loved musicals, pulled-together an all-star cast (including Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway), thrown in a script containing very few lines of un-sung dialogue (reflecting the style of the musical itself) and created one of 2012's most-anticipated films. Now that it has been released, does it live up to the hype? Has Hooper succeeded in translating the stage-musical to screen?
As far as the plot is concerned, this is no light, easy-going subject-matter. "Les...
Review: Safety Not Guaranteed
"Safety Not Guaranteed" stars Jake Johnson, Aubrey Plaza and Karan Soni as a newspaper reporter and his two interns who decide to respond to a newspaper ad requesting a companion for an unusual voyage - a voyage back in time. "Must bring your own weapons... Safety not guaranteed."
Darius (Plaza) is chosen as the official applicant and befriends self-proclaimed time-traveller Kenneth (Mark Duplass), who puts her through rigorous training to prepare her for their journey! Is he a genius, a prankster, or is he just nuts? Meanwhile Jeff (Johnson) attempts to reunite with the girl who got...
Skyfall: Less Bond, more Mendes
"Skyfall" is the 23rd "Bond" film but what's more significant, it marks the 50th anniversary of the 007 franchise. This film also appears to mark a turning point in the life of James Bond - arguably even more so than Daniel Craig's first stint as the eponymous hero in 2006's "Casino Royale". "Royale" presented a notably more intelligent "007" film than usual and introduced a completely made over Bond: Craig added a depth to the character never seen before and, what's more, he was the first blond Bond! Craig's third outing as James, "Skyfall", has been called by some "the best Bond yet". Whilst...
Interview with Michael Mittermeier
R: Hello, Michael.
M: Hello!
R: So you just finished a busy month-long run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Are you happy to be home from Edinburgh? Did you like Scotland?
M: I'm happy to be home, but not because I'm happy to be away from Scotland. It's more that four weeks is enough. It's a tough job for everyone at the Fringe. But for me, I think that the first cut was the deepest. English is a second language for me. So you have to work a lot harder than an English comedian or someone who is just going to see a show there.
R: You did a show at the Pleasance, how was that? What about...
R: So you just finished a busy month-long run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Are you happy to be home from Edinburgh? Did you like Scotland?
M: I'm happy to be home, but not because I'm happy to be away from Scotland. It's more that four weeks is enough. It's a tough job for everyone at the Fringe. But for me, I think that the first cut was the deepest. English is a second language for me. So you have to work a lot harder than an English comedian or someone who is just going to see a show there.
R: You did a show at the Pleasance, how was that? What about...
Bantering in Bavaria
Banter. Maybe it's a British thing, but I miss it.
I miss making trite and utterly inane observations about the weather just for the sake of it to a stranger at a bus stop, and receiving an equally platitudinous reply with a knowing smile. Ah, Blighty...
When I first moved to Munich, I couldn't help but insert a few little snatches of home-grown banter in bad German into my daily interactions.
You know the score: sometimes in those vacant moments of silent, sullen waiting, you yearn for a few seconds to feel the fleeting vitality of a human connection, however small and pathetic it is.
Even...
I miss making trite and utterly inane observations about the weather just for the sake of it to a stranger at a bus stop, and receiving an equally platitudinous reply with a knowing smile. Ah, Blighty...
When I first moved to Munich, I couldn't help but insert a few little snatches of home-grown banter in bad German into my daily interactions.
You know the score: sometimes in those vacant moments of silent, sullen waiting, you yearn for a few seconds to feel the fleeting vitality of a human connection, however small and pathetic it is.
Even...
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