A handy guide to what’s happening in Brixton this week
Monday 15 February: The Brixton Library sees the opening of the National Army Museum’s touring Empire and Commonwealth exhibition. More than 3 million people from more than 60 countries served alongside British troops during the First World War. The exhibition explores their stories. Closes 28 February. Free.
Tuesday 16: Laugh Out London comedy club returns to Brixton’s Dogstar for a night of alternative comedy with Sara Pascoe, Tom Parry, Jordan Brookes and Joe Davies with MC Tom Webb. Doors 7.30pm, start 8pm. £5 advance, £7 door.
Wednesday 17: Brave? Think you can sing? Then try Karaoke Rumble at Pop Brixton. Each contestant has two minutes to sing a song of their own choice with the possibility of being booed off by the audience or the host himself. Followed by karaoke disco. 8pm to 11.30pm. £8.
Wednesday: A new alternative group for parents launches at the Brixton Pound shop. No Kidding invites local parents to come along, nipper in tow, to drink tea and speak about more than just your offspring: whether you want to talk about life in Brixton, life before maternity leave or life on Mars. 10.30 to 11.30am.
Thursday 18: The Hand in Hand on New Park Road runs weekly open mic nights on Thursdays from 8pm. All styles and abilities welcome.
Thursday: Stand Up Tragedy presents a double bill of hour long comedy and spoken word shows which look at issues around gender and identity at the Dogstar. Doors 7.30pm, What About the Men? Mansplaining Masculinity 8pm, A Last Dance With My Father 9.15pm. Pay what you like.
Friday 19: Cohala’s House is back at Brixton Jamm with nostalgic Hip Hop, RnB, Garage, Funky and Grime and house party vibes across two rooms. At 2am they’ll switch to a power hour of everything that’s hot right now. 10pm to 4am. £5 to £8.
Saturday 20: Adrian Stone returns to the Black Cultural Archives for a series of two-hour practical family history workshops. “Tracing you Jamaican Family Tree”. Adrian is an experienced genealogist who researched his own family tree from his African ancestors to Jamaica. These workshops offer the opportunity for people to search their family trees and learn about the tools needed. Space is limited to eight per session, so booking is advisable. 27 February too. 1pm to 3pm. £10.
Saturday: Movimientos is back at Hootananny next Saturday for its monthly show case of threeLatin flavour bands. This month is Latino-Congolese champions Grupo Lokito, plus anarchic samba from Sambattalion and multi-lingual lyrics with conscience from Fedzilla. 9pm to 3am. Free before 10pm, £4 after.
Sunday 21: Its the last week of Absolute Beginners flamenco taster sessions at the EuroLink Centre on Effra Road. Sutiable for complete beginners or those wanting to refresh their technique. To book email info@lamorenitaflamenca.c.ouk or call 07944 447904. 3.45pm to 5.45pm. Ring doorbell 011 to be let in. £13.
The Vintage Furniture Flea returns to South London at the Territorial Army Centre, 73 Kings Avenue. Featuring everything from Ercol to cocktail shakers, the Flea celebrates the kitsch to the collectible. Grab yourself textiles and prints; sideboards and book cases, glass and ceramics, crockery and fabrics, radios, record players and posters.
Sheesh looking at that pic of the samba band made me sad. 2015 and still the girlys are playing hand instruments and dancing, the boys on the surdo’s big drums. In the mid 90’s it was the same but I had thought that the likes of Shebang and Boom or Bust had changed things just a little bit, lamentably it seems not.