Bon Jovi Bawls, Gems Sell, Pregnant Man Shocks: London Weekend
Bon Jovi will be ripping the roof off the O2 again on Friday night.
The U.S. band is midway though a marathon of 12 shows at the 20,000-capacity venue, and seats are still available. Expect mass sing-alongs and greatest hits, from “Living on a Prayer” to “When We Were Beautiful.”
Music fans seeking an alternative can look further up the Thames at the Southbank Centre’s annual Meltdown Festival, which starts Friday night. It’s curated this year by guitarist Richard Thompson, and will include performances by Paolo Nutini and Elvis Costello over the next two weeks.
Information: http://www.bonjovi.com/tour and http://meltdown.southbankcentre.co.uk.
Saturday
Ever wondered what a pregnant man looks like? You can find out at the White Cube gallery in Hoxton Square.
The marble, life-sized statue of an expecting ex-woman greets you as you walk into Marc Quinn’s new exhibition. Smiling in baggy underwear, the sculpture is one of the many gender-bending, surgically altered figures on display.
Quinn, one of the original Young British Artists of the 1990s, also sculpts what appear to be a naked woman and a naked man, until you look down and realize it’s the other way around.
A poignant addition to this sexually confusing selection is Michael Jackson. The late singer’s head and gloved hand, separate pieces done in black and white marble, lie next to each other on the floor, as if fragments from an ancient Roman villa.
Information: “Allanah, Buck, Catman, Chelsea, Michael, Pamela and Thomas” is at the White Cube Gallery, Hoxton Square. Information: http://www.whitecube.com or call +44-20-7930-5373.
The Hoxton Apprentice, just across the square from White Cube, is a charity training unemployed young people to work in the restaurant business. The food is generally fine, the prices low and the service friendly. You can even book a table outside. Information: http://www.hoxtonapprentice.com/index.htm or +44-20-7749-2828.
Saturday Night
Visit the Fan-Dango Ballroom to hear “Hey Big Spender,” and to follow the dreams of an innocent blonde.
“Sweet Charity,” at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, is about a girl with a greeting-card name (Charity Hope Valentine) who is paid to entertain male patrons on the dance floor. Unlike her jaded peers, she clings to her virtue, and to her hopes of one day meeting Mr. Right.
Information: http://www.sweetcharitywestend.com or +44-845-481-1870.
Sunday
Browse for baubles on the final day of London Jewellery Week.
The annual event, which involves jewelers in different corners of London, is centered around “Treasure” -- a three- day selling show in Bloomsbury where you can meet designers face-to-face and buy items for as little as 20 pounds ($28.80).
Also on show will be highlights from Swarovski’s “Runway Rocks” couture catwalk jewelry show, with designs by the likes of France’s Jean-Paul Gaultier.
Information: http://www.londonjewelleryweek.co.uk or call +44-20-8986-1116.
(Farah Nayeri writes for Muse, the arts and leisure section of Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are her own.)
To contact the writer on the story: Farah Nayeri in London at farahn@bloomberg.net.
Jean-Paul Gaultier Jewellery
Jean-Paul Gaultier/Swarovski Runway Rocks via Bloomberg
A model wears catwalk jewelry by Jean-Paul Gaultier, commissioned by Swarovski for its Swarovski Runway Rocks: two bracelets, a headpiece, a necklace and a shoulder piece. It will be presented during "London Jewellery Week," which runs June 7 to 13.
A model wears catwalk jewelry by Jean-Paul Gaultier, commissioned by Swarovski for its Swarovski Runway Rocks: two bracelets, a headpiece, a necklace and a shoulder piece. It will be presented during "London Jewellery Week," which runs June 7 to 13. Source: Jean-Paul Gaultier/Swarovski Runway Rocks via Bloomberg
"Chelsea Charms " (2009) by Marc Quinn
Roger Wooldridge/Courtesy White Cube via Bloomberg.
"Chelsea Charms " (2009) by Marc Quinn, a marble sculpture exhibited at White Cube, Hoxton Square, London, U.K. until June 26.
"Chelsea Charms " (2009) by Marc Quinn, a marble sculpture exhibited at White Cube, Hoxton Square, London, U.K. until June 26. Photographer: Roger Wooldridge/Courtesy White Cube via Bloomberg.
Jon Bon Jovi
Outside Organisation PR via Bloomberg
Lead singer Jon Bon Jovi on the band's "Circle'' tour. The European leg of the tour includes 12 shows at the 20,000-capacity O2 in London.
Lead singer Jon Bon Jovi on the band's "Circle'' tour. The European leg of the tour includes 12 shows at the 20,000-capacity O2 in London. Source: Outside Organisation PR via Bloomberg
A black and white marble sculpture by Marc Quinn, ''Man in the Mirror (Monochrome Reversal),''made in 2010, is shown in this gallery photograph. The work is on display at White Cube, Hoxton Square, London. Source: Roger Wooldridge/ White Cube via Bloomberg.
From left, Tiffany Graves, Tamzin Outhwaite, and Josefina Gabrielle in "Sweet Charity" at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London. Charity works with her friends as a taxi-dancer in a seedy 1960s dance hall. They dream of getting out and doing something better with their lives. Photographer: Catherine Ashmore/Premier PR via Bloomberg
Bon Jovi members Richie Sambora, left, and Jon Bon Jovi and on the band's "Circle'' tour. The European leg of the tour includes 12 shows at the 20,000-capacity O2 in London. Source: Outside Organisation PR via Bloomberg
Tamzin Outhwaite
Catherine Ashmore/Premier PR via Bloomberg
Tamzin Outhwaite as Charity Hope Valentine in "Sweet Charity" at the Theatre Royal Haymarket London. Despite all the romantic setbacks she faces in life, Charity always bounces back smiling.
Tamzin Outhwaite as Charity Hope Valentine in "Sweet Charity" at the Theatre Royal Haymarket London. Despite all the romantic setbacks she faces in life, Charity always bounces back smiling. Photographer: Catherine Ashmore/Premier PR via Bloomberg
Rate this Page
Bloomberg moderates all comments. Comments that are abusive or off-topic will not be posted to the site. Excessively long comments may be moderated as well. Bloomberg cannot facilitate requests to remove comments or explain individual moderation decisions.