Charlie Fudge: Get Your Lockdown Arts Fix For The First Weekend In February

Congratulations to everybody reading this for making it through all 184 days of January 2021. The longest month since December 1999 except instead of ending in a huge party and the death of the millennium bug, it ends in no parties literally ever and a brand new super strain of the same bug we’ve been dodging since this time last year. But cry not, because the weekend is here. And even if the only difference between Friday and Saturday is not having to get dressed (waist up only obvs) and listen to Karen from work arguing with her kids (can someone put her on mute?), it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself with some lovely, live arts – delivered directly to your sofa through the magic of wires, waves and pixels.

But don’t waste any more time painstakingly searching for fun things to do yourself. Allow me to wrap up the best of what the internet has to offer, leaving you more time for daytime drinking, unnecessary baking and endless scrolling. From Twitch to TikTok to the ‘Tube, whatever you’re into the Lock In’s got your weekend covered.

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Thursday 4th  Feb

Frank Turner

This “Irredeemable shitlib indie folk singer” (his twitter, not mine) is on a one man mission to save all independent venues from closing after a hard year of restrictions have threatened local music scenes everywhere. Tonight he’ll be playing in a benefit on YouTube for The Venue in Derby supported by Pet Needs. Gig will be streamed absolutely free here at here at 8pm but consider donating to a worthy cause here.

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Stewart Lee‍

Leicester Comedy Festival kicked off virtually this week and will be streaming tonnes of funny content from now until 21st Feb, arguably the best on offer being an interview with the 41st funniest comic and first worst enemy of Richard ‘The Hamster’ Hammond. You can watch it here for a fiver: An interview with Stewart Lee – Online | Leicester Comedy Festival (comedy-festival.co.uk)

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Friday 5th Feb

Rufus Wainwright

Prolific pop-folk poet Rufus Wainwright performs side 1 of his 2012 album “Out of the game” and muses on industry longevity and fatherhood from an intimate setting with his actor and comedian pal Zach Galifianakis. He’s doing six shows in total as part of his Rufus-Retro-Wainwright-Spective series so don’t miss out if you’re a fan. Tickets are $20 (about £14 or 604 Dogecoin) and are available here. Show kicks off at 10pm.

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The Staves

‍Watford’s answer to First Aid Kit are playing for one night only at Lafeyette in London at 8pm to celebrate the release of their new album ‘Good woman’ after having to cancel their Christmas gigs in Hackney and Clapham. Tickets are £12 and you can get them here.

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Mike Shinoda‍

Linkin Park legend Mike Shinoda teams up with Trivium’s Matt Heafy Friday night on Twitch to bring you a collaboration that sounds like “standing on a mountaintop with a falcon on your wrist who flies away and collects the bones of enemy clans” which I what I was planning on doing this weekend anyway so good to know my soundtrack is sorted. Completely free here at 6pm.

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Saturday 6th Feb

Flux Pavilion‍

Picture the scene. Its Saturday night, you’ve been drinking since midday and your neighbours didn’t clap for Captain Sir Tom the other night. What better way to get back at them than delving into the brostep “Fluxiverse” with an exclusive live stream of Flux Pavilion’s new album .wav, heavy on wobs and with more drops than the big dipper at Blackpool. Show kicks off at 7pm with tickets starting at $10. More info here: Flux Pavilion | Moment House

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The Little Prince‍

Your token weekly cultural offering comes in the form of a performance of Antoine de Saint-Exupèry's The Little Prince. A family version of the well-known children’s book, painted in sand, water and light and brought to life live for you from London for around £15. Galitsyna Art Group are doing tonnes of these artsy online productions, with this one being streamed live on Saturday at 5pm. Find out more here.

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Sunday 7th Feb

Miley Cyrus

‍Its Superbowl Sunday for our stateside neighbours, with Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs (thanks Google) taking the field to battle it out at 11:30pm UK time. Before that though, head over to your favourite attention-span sucking, time-wasting, dance-craze pioneering app TikTok for the TikTok Tailgate pre-show. Miley Cyrus is set to perform to around 7500 vaccinated care workers and will be joined by a very special guest. Can she do better than Janet Jackson’s nipple? Tune in to TikTok at 7:30pm to find out.

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Have we missed anything big? Should your event feature in our weekly run down? If so, get in touch charlifudge@gmail.com

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