EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Pretty self-explanatory
sheeptotheslaughter
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Re: EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Post by sheeptotheslaughter »

The Lord Wellington in Waterloo Road isn't a bad pub to meet for the RFH. If it's a nice evening the bars in the venue are good if not slightly expensive. Some nice areas to stand outside and watch the river go by. And if you're into celeb spotting you normally get a couple in the main bar.
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Boy With A Problem
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Re: EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Post by Boy With A Problem »

The Wellington looks to be an excellent choice.

http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/pubsandbars ... 13827.html
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Re: EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Post by sulky lad »

Yeah, looks o.k. for me !!
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Re: EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Post by verbal gymnastics »

Has there been any background PMing going on?

If you are around and fancy the meet up then PM me and I'll give you my contact details. It would be good to meet some new faces as well as catching up with the stalwarts! Ladies, as ever, form an orderly queue...

I'll be emailing those stalwarts later in the week.
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Jeremy Dylan
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Re: EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Post by Jeremy Dylan »

Just landed in London in anticipation of my EC-laden trip. Any tips on things to do/visit in London before June 20th?
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Re: EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Post by terryhurley »

Jeremy Dylan wrote:Just landed in London in anticipation of my EC-laden trip. Any tips on things to do/visit in London before June 20th?

Abbey Road - for THAT photograph

Soho Square - visit Kirsty Maccoll's bench & contemplate in a small oasis of greenery in central London (just off Oxford Street)
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Re: EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Post by Neil. »

Hi Jeremy,

If you're in the South Bank area a lot, for evening shows at the Festival Hall Meltdown, then catch a movie matinee at the BFI - the British Film Institute Theatre (also known as the National Film Theatre) under Waterloo Bridge

http://www.bfi.org.uk/whatson/bfi_southbank

Also, just along from that, the National Theatre is excellent - apparently the Terrence Rattigan play, After the Dance, is matinee on 2.15pm Saturday or 3pm sunday - and meant to be ace!

http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/29/li ... -week.html

If you have time to get to Camden Lock markets (Camden is where Blur, Oasis et al used to hang out in the mid-90s), that's fun to wander round on Saturday in the day, or Sunday in the day - go all the way up from Camden Town station, to the canal markets, for all sorts of stuff to buy, wear, eat etc.... loads to see, eat and drink, and buy. DON'T GO ON ANY OTHER DAYS, as the markets aren't open then.

I love The Wallace Collection in Manchester Square, near Bond Street station. A private collection of armoury and art, the rooms are absolutely gorgeous, even more gorgeous that the paintings hanging inside! Makes sure you wander round the whole of the upstairs galleries - the green room is the best - amazing gorgeous gold mirrors, chandaliers, chests of drawers, and a weird cyberpunk gold grandfather clock, to boot!

The West End has tons of theatre to enjoy - Sweet Charity at the Haymarket is ace - but if you don't like showbizzy musicals, you might not like - but I loved it! Arrive early at any theatre (1.5 hrs before the show starts) and ask for the cheapest seats they have. They may then offer you a full-price seat to fill up the block (but if you ask for the best seat straight off, they will charge you full price). Time Out magazine has all the details of shows.

Avoid Oxford Street, Leicester Square - shitty, horrible, ugly tourist traps, not the 'real' London. In fact, not much of central London *is* the real London - if you must, Trafalgar Square at least has the National Gallery and the wonderful National Portrait Gallery (just off Leicester Square). Also, get an A-z map of Central London (if that's where you are staying) so that you can see how pointless it is getting the underground train (the 'tube') from, for example, Tottenham Court Road to Leicester Square or Covent Garden - they're all five mins walk from one another, so walk above ground with a map, rather than getting the horrible underground, if it is a matter of the desired place being one or two stops away.

And so many places outside central London have lots to offer, but impossible to know where to begin!

Great views over Waterloo Bridge of the Thames, of lots of landmarks, if you're into that. Have a great time, Jeremy! Wish I could show you round but am mad busy this whole week! Have a great time - wish I could be at the meetup on Sunday.

Neil
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Re: EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Post by scielle »

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Jeremy Dylan
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Re: EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Post by Jeremy Dylan »

Neil. wrote:Hi Jeremy,

....


Have a great time - wish I could be at the meetup on Sunday.

Neil
Wow! Thanks for that enormous travel guide, Neil. Will look into those options and add them to my schedule. I've got a lot of gigs booked in for my time here, but most of my days are free, so will fill them up with your suggestions.
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Re: EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Post by Jack of All Parades »

Remember what Dr. Johnson said -"when a man tires of London, he is tired of life". If I may offer a small choice should you have time during the day- visit his home off of Gough Street and say a prayer for his favorite cat, Hodge. Not far from there off of the Strand you should see some of the only remaining Elizabethan facades still standing and spared from the Great Fire-go inside the court yard and you will be transported back 500 some years in a few steps. Also well worth it to ramble around the Temple/Inns of Court area near by- explore some Crusader graves, look for 'redtape' and the bewigged barristers- and best of all it is free. Enjoy! I am jealous.
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sheeptotheslaughter
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Re: EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Post by sheeptotheslaughter »

Take a couple of boat trips down the Thames. A great way to see some of the sites. One goes towards Kew Gardens, Richmond Twickenham etc. Going east towards Greenwich see Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf, etc. Also you will see plenty of areas you might fancy 'having a drink'.

Royal Ascot is on at the moment if you fancy dressing up and you like your Horse Racing.

London is steeped in history and the usual tourist places are worth a visit
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Re: EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Post by johnfoyle »

You will, doubtlessly, be checking out the London locations on

The Elvis Costello Heritage Trail

http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... he_streets


John, off to Africa ( until July 3) tomorrow. Enjoy the shows and give Elvis my regards!
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Re: EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Post by verbal gymnastics »

Will do John.

Enjoy your trip and let's hope there is another "end of tour" karaoke spectacular :lol:

I'll give Elvis your regards. And ask him when hell froze over...
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Re: EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Post by terryhurley »

Just checked the south bank website.

Some good seats in the stalls available.
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Re: EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Post by so lacklustre »

What time is anyone getting to the Wellington?
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Re: EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Post by sulky lad »

Aiming to get there sometime between 4 and 5 pm !!
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Re: EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Post by so lacklustre »

OK I'll do the same
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Re: EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Post by Jack of All Parades »

Richard and Linda Thompson remember Kate McGarrigle-first time performing together on stage in some 30 years:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAIpf1Agb1A
"....there's a merry song that starts in 'I' and ends in 'You', as many famous pop songs do....'
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Re: EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Post by verbal gymnastics »

Bwap is getting there sometime before 3pm.

I'll be there as early as possible!

Anybody else joining us? Cone on, don't be shy!!!
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Jeremy Dylan
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Re: EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Post by Jeremy Dylan »

Enjoyed two of the Meltdown gigs already.

1. ISIHAC taping - great fun, with Jeremy Hardy as the 4th team member and Rob Brydon as host. I got to perform a solo kazoo version of Bohemian Rhapsody, which really made me appreciate how good the acoustics are.

2. RICHARD THOMPSON'S 1000 YEARS OF POPULAR MUSIC - what a show! Absolutely killer. What a wonderfully unique singer and guitarist the man is and so warm and engaging with the crowd. Did a wicked Easybeats cover in the 2nd act.

Can't wait for EC tomorrow!
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Re: EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Post by Jack of All Parades »

Mr. Thompson may well be the most 'engaging' stage performer I have ever witnessed- ironical, self-deprecating, satirical, lyrical and solidly musical- nice to hear you saw and heard a 'killer' show and what a musical history tour! The best show I ever saw was him and his guitars in a small theater for 3 hours-my eyes and ears never left the stage and I never wanted it to end.
"....there's a merry song that starts in 'I' and ends in 'You', as many famous pop songs do....'
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Re: EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Post by King Hoarse »

See you at the Wellington.
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Re: EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Post by sulky lad »

Brilliant, looking forward to meeting up.
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Re: EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Post by verbal gymnastics »

King Hoarse wrote:See you at the Wellington.
I'll be somewhere between tenderness and brute force...

Hope you can remember what I look like!
Who’s this kid with his mumbo jumbo?
sheeptotheslaughter
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Re: EC in London (Meltdown Festival), June 20

Post by sheeptotheslaughter »

Still in work trying my very best to get to the Wellington. Elvis is on at 20.30 if any of you read this beforehand. According to the box office anyway.
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