Concert: Sounds of Iran with Delband at "Listen to the World"

Tonight, back with the World Music Meetup, for another concert at St. Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace - again, it's nearly a year since I was last here, or with this group. It's a lovely group, but so often clashes with other things.. This time, the concert was with Delband, who perform traditional Iranian music with a twist - and sold out quickly.

I planned to eat in the Lord Aberconway - cheers for another great eating suggestion, Laurence! But the concert was at such a time that I could choose to eat before or after. With work I wanted to finish, I chose after - and yay, managed to get what I wanted done! Happily, it wasn't far by bus, and I arrived at the venue in good time.

The t-shirts are cool - we discovered that the design incorporates lyrics from the songs, and were designed by a member of the band. As we waited for them to come on, I nearly fell asleep.. it's been a long day, a long week. By 'eck, I wasn't much in the mood for sleep when they did take the stage! They were quite - loud.

Unfortunately, the t-shirts were about all I liked about them. There was one song I liked - that turned out to be traditional, the audience singing along (many of them Iranian). To accompany some of them, they were broadcasting images to the wall near me - too close for me to see, but happily they were reflected in the glass wall opposite, so I didn't miss them. Nice touch. As for the other songs.. oye me. The melodies seemed all over the place - perhaps I was missing some facet of Iranian music. And as for the one and only song in English, written by one of the band - I'm afraid the lyrics were so banal, they were ridiculous. Seems they've written an album - well, good luck to them. I won't be buying it. I left at the interval - gratefully.

Approaching the Lord Aberconway, I was worried by the large crowd outside - but I peeked in the window, and saw a free table! Just nicely snuggled under the stairs, with a good view of the telly - perfect. I snagged it. And once again, blessed the order-from-phone feature that meant I didn't have to leave it to go to the bar. It took a while for me to be served, and she apologised, but I acknowledged the crowd - we agreed that it was very early for the Christmas rush! despite the decorations..

The chicken was delicious, the wine was lovely - and for once, I had time for dessert. And watched coverage of the election - in fact, there was an excitable American in the group next to me.. Just a lovely evening. In the end.

Tomorrow, I've been tempted back to the Horror Book Club, who are reviewing Out There Screaming, an anthology, edited by Jordan Peele, of short horror stories by black authors. Handily, of the specific stories they intend to review, two were on the free Amazon sample! and I liked enough of it to sign up. In the Prince of Wales again - Tube strike permitting.. Today, I finally finished the stories we'll be reviewing. And that's the last Meetup for a few days.

On Thursday, looking at film again - and I'm delighted to see that the Prince Charles has resurrected one I never had the chance to see! The Worst Person in the World is a Norwegian film about a woman searching for an identity, who it seems gets married, then has an affair. Looks beautifully quirky. It's interesting how much keener I am in this than in the higher-rated Anora - another love story with a conundrum, where the young son of an oligarch falls for an American prostitute and his family sends in the heavies - could have something to do with the age of the protagonists: they just look too young in that! The Worst Person in the World looks much more relatable to me.

Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again - and with the film listings finally out, it's Small Things Like These, where Cillian Murphy plays a man living in rural Ireland of the 50s. Unfortunately, he finds himself living beside a Magdalene Laundry.. determined to do something to help the inmates, he runs up against the implacable head of the institution, Emily Watson. Yes, and it isn't so easy to speak out if you're depending on the self-same institution to educate your little girls, in years to come.. and in those days, a religious education was the only choice. Showing widely - I'm seeing it in the Omniplex.

Having vowed never again to take a flight as late if I can avoid it, for the return leg to London I'm shunning Ryanair, and going Aer Lingus, who fly 2.5 hours earlier..

The next three days in London promise to be musical ones! The next two days back, I'm with TAC - first time in a while. On Monday, I'm going to see the Fibonacci Quartet, for the Kirckman Concerts at King's Place.

And next Tuesday, I'm seeing The Definitive Rat Pack tribute act, at Boisdale of Canary Wharf.

And on the 13th, I start a new run of Meetups with Over 40 Living the Life, for The Magic of Motown tribute show, at the New Wimbledon Theatre.

On the 14th, I'm back at Watkin's Occult Bookshop, first time in ages - this is for a talk from the author of a new book - on Book Curses! Eating afterwards at Bella Italia Cranbourn Street - delighted to be able to get a booking with them: they seem to be booked up a lot lately!

On the 15th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) for The Glorious French Revolution at the New Diorama Theatre! Eating beforehand at the nearby Greene Man, which is a Greene King pub, so good food should be had.

On the 16th, back with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpies, yay! This walk is Baker Street and its Quirky Surrounds.

As is becoming something of a habit, afterwards I'm joining Movie Roadhouse London for a film! This time, it's Gladiator II, at Picturehouse Central, with Paul Mescal replacing Russell Crowe as the gladiator who shows Rome the error of its ways, and a return by Connie Nielsen.. seems I mistook who was whom, and her son is actually the aforementioned Paul Mescal, by Russell Crowe! So yes, he IS his son.. Denzel Washington also shows up as a slave that wants to overthrow Rome.

On the 17th, I'm back with the Crick Crack Club! This time, it's Queen of Between, with Sarah Liisa Wilkinson, and it's at the British Museum again - which means I'd better leave a huge chunk of time for queueing!

And on the 18th, I'm headed to Reykjavik, in Hampstead Theatre.. which, ironically, UITCS went to last week..