This gig is a relative rarity in that both bands are united in the obvious sense of fun they aim to bring to live music. One of John Peel's favourite bands, ten-piece collective Misty's Big Adventure specialises in a unique brand of loopy pop, influenced equally by lounge, jazz, punk and pop. Expect a live spectacle -- band members are dressed in various garish costumes and often invade the audience. The Chalets have acquired a word of mouth buzz as "Ireland's best kept secret"; their sound is spiky and twisted, yet utterly sublime, clearly influenced by the '60s. Music that is so catchy and addictive will never stay a secret; hence this is a great opportunity to see them before everyone else finds out.

A key figure within the Californian anticon collective, Alias (aka Brendon Whitney) is particularly renowned for his production skills having collaborated with artists as varied as Saul Williams, DJ Krush and Will Oldham. Whilst his earlier solo releases were rap heavy, poetic, brooding and introspective; later material, notably recent album Lillian, have been largely wordless mood pieces crafted from electronic instrumentation. It should be enthrallingly atmospheric and intense. Equally as fascinating will be the appearance of Scottish artist Christ.. The history of the artist is genuinely secretive, linked to Boards of Canada, Christ. is thought to have been a member of the group in the early '90s. Although no one really knows. What is certain is that his music is a compelling mix of melancholic beats and lush soundscapes.

The grey skies, brown wasteland and colourless faces of an industrial town in Belgium are the unlikely setting for Bouli Lanner's debut film, Ultranova. The film loosely follows the burgeoning relationship between a quiet and lonely young estate agent and a furniture packer called Cathy, and the bizarre relationships they have with their colleagues. The dry humour is fuelled by awkward silences and mundane conversations about marriage, the attractiveness of pregnant women, airbags and company policies, but the contrasting minimalist score, often used with shots of winter trees and industrial wastelands, gives the film a much more poetic quality.

NB: Ultranova is released in London at the ICA on 16/12. Others films of note being released are Screaming Masterpiece on 16/12, RIZE on 30/12, Brokeback Mountain on 06/01/06 and Soy Cuba (I Am Cuba) on 13/01/06.

Ari Alexander's Screaming Masterpiece is an ode to Iceland music, tracing its sound from its viking roots to its modern day stars Bjork and Sigur Ros. The documentary's strongest quality are its live performances from Icelandic artists at home and on tour around the world. Footage of Bjork's show in New York's Central Park, which climaxes to an explosion of fireworks is truly incredible. The documentary also includes interviews, music videos and special performances recorded for the film from Mum, Mugison, Minus and Slow Blow. The relationship between Iceland's landscape, pagan history and ability to very easily morph Western music trends are also discussed by the bands.

NB: to celebrate the release of the film there will be an live musical introduction to the film by former GusGus front man; Daniel Agust performing songs from his forthcoming debut album Swallowed A Star. Screaming Masterpiece is released in London on 16/12. Other films of note released are Ultranova on 16/12, RIZE on 30/12, Brokeback Mountain on 06/01/06 and and Soy Cuba (I Am Cuba) on 13/01/06.

Ahhh... Christmas! Chestnuts roasting on open fires, small children skating through the streets filled with seasonal cheer, stockings loaded with shiny coins, walnuts and tangerines and filthy acid house and electro in smoke filled railway arches; there's a lot to be said for tradition and there's few things more traditional than The Poke's Xmas Rave. Joining forces once again with Warp, promoter Furthur have assembled a line-up of the label's finest talents including Plaid, Chris Clark, Milanese and Radioactive Man. Add to that bleep pioneer Unique 3, gabba-glitch-crunk (surely next year's big little thing) mixmaster Zilla, half a dozen more DJs and live acts, an electronic carol service and Santa's Grime Grotto and you have a party that would even have Ebenezer Scrooge throwing open his windows and scattering his rare Aphex Twin promos down onto the huddled masses whilst declaring "God Bless us, every one!".

Larry Clark is recognized for upsetting and disturbing the Western middle-class culture of youth-worship by constantly reminding us that youth and innocence are connected only by nostalgia. Kids don't want to hold hands, they want to do as much damage to themselves and those around them as possible and still survive their teens, if they're lucky. An excellent if fatalistic representation of young people getting away with murder, Bully is told with all of the "magic" of Hollywood, but with all the frank sincerity and stark shock value of Clark's previous films. If you want to get a bigger picture, catch Clark in conversation after the film with the ICA's curator Jens Hoffman.

NB: make sure you also stop by Sprueth Magers Lee where Larry Clark is exhibiting some of his photos (till 20/01/06).

Out on the piste this weekend? Then look no further than Sancho Panza's Snow Joke extravaganza. A winter wonderland set in a warehouse, Snow Joke promises three peaks of pleasure for house music junkies. With the likes of Digs & Woosh, The Idjut Boys and Matt Brown providing the apres ski entertainment and a cocktail cabin laid on to keep the crowd lubricated, everything should be in place for a night of serious partying. Just don't forget your long-johns.

James Yorkston is a singer songwriter who specialises in sweet melodies and haunting lyrics imbued with a dark humour. His music is beautifully crafted and evokes a strange warmness reminiscent of Will Oldham and Nick Drake. According to the Eat Your Own Ears promoters Yorkston will play an acoustic solo show of new and old material from recent release Moving Up Country and recent album Just Beyond The River. They also promise that mulled wine and mince pies will be freely available, an extra enticement which makes the gig an attractive prospect.

London based quintet Hot Chip have been gradually building up a loyal following and tangible buzz since the release of their debut album Coming On Strong -- a stunningly understated and eclectic fusion of prominent beats, electronic soul and mesmerising hypnotic melody. With a new album to be released in the New Year, immense critical acclaim and rapid popularity undoubtedly awaits. Whilst their earlier album is relatively mellow and subtly crafted, the new album is louder, more intense and -- exemplified by future single "Over And Over" -- a better representation of their powerful live show. To summarise: this band is amazing and unlike anyone else around at the moment. In six months they will be massive; catch them in an intimate environment before they break.

NB: Trash still maintains its ridiculously outdated and imperiously vague dress code "based on the effort people make". The vast majority of people should not have a problem (regardless of effort), but it's something to be aware of.

Troy Pierce, slowly and stealthily moving up the minimal ranks. Having graced Richie Hawtin's M-nus label with some cracking techno numbers, Pierce moves into a different musical space with his Louderbach project. His debut album on the excellent Underl_ne marks him out as some maverick producer with one eye firmly on the dancefloor. His flashy technical setup (Decks, FX, FinalScratch and Ableton Live) should make the slick interiors of the AKA bar shudder with joy. Plus it's free before 9pm! Xmas cheer for everyone!

One of the true behemoths of techno returns to these shores on the 23rd for a genuinely intimate date in that most bijou of Shoreditch dens, Plastic People. Derrick May was an originator back in the late '80s, when the initial explosion of new Detroit sounds occurred. A robotic, otherworldly sound was created which somehow managed to be both highly emotive and intricately textured, as well as brutally and infectiously danceable. May continues to produce and innovate to this day, although on a more low key scale in recent years. Nevertheless, the Lost team have pulled off a real coup in gaining his services and the evening promises to steer slightly away from a continual techno assault and embrace other genres which have proved influential in forming May's tastes.

Many things Madonna does would just make most of us look damn ridiculous; a photo book exploring our sex life, sitting through the whole of a Guy Ritchie production and most recently... krumping (the pop-culture class' latest buzzword)! Super-cool photographer slash film-maker David LaChapelle has made a documentary about the craze, featuring creator Tommy the Clown, but most importantly a bunch of bona fide kids from the "street" who have used this African-inspired, tribal-like dance to express themselves and fight oppression. LaChapelle (who was discovered by Warhol) is slick and stylised (think J-Lo, Moby and Elton John videos -- he has directed for all of them); if you had a dream list of directors to direct a video on dance he would definitely be on it somewhere. So a great film, about something "so now", so... go!

NB: RIZE is released in London on 30/12. Other films of note released are Ultranova on 16/12, Screaming Masterpiece on 16/12 and Brokeback Mountain on 06/01/06.

Sud manage to trounce all the other minimal chancers in London with another stellar line up to see us out of 2005. The usual suspects of Portable, Lump, Marco and Sud boss lady Lakuti are all present and correct. But if London clubbers have got any sense, they'll join us to hear one of the true stars of the minimal scene: Oliver Hacke. We can't say enough good things about this guy. Stellar releases on all the top labels culminated in the killer album Subject Carrier for Trapez. Rich; melodic and sexy, this was house music at its purest. The super friendly £7 door fee flies in the face of over-inflated London NYE events -- all they gotta do now is find a venue!

Whilst most sane human beings consider 1st January to be a day best spent hiding from the consequences of the night before under a duvet, there is a select band of rabid, bug eyed beat junkies that don't know when to quit and, judging by the startling amount of New Year's Day parties currently being advertised, their sweaty, deranged ranks have swelled considerably this year. Should you feel the need to further abuse your bodies one of the best looking events on offer comes courtesy of The End, where minimal electro house from the likes of Steve Bug and the Mulletover crew will keep that nagging hollow dread of the return to work at bay for another night.

Lots of people in London try to start their own nights. Whether it involves DJs, bands, art or film, most of these nights start with a bang and quickly end with a wimper leaving the "promoter" thankful that they didn't give up their temp job. Not so for Halloween; the film festival, event, whatever, has blown up like an oil plant in Hemel Hempstead! From short films in bars, to proper awards and everything at the ICA, to bands like British Sea Power, Ladytron and Kaito joining in with live soundtracks and gigs, to Harry Hill, Guy Ritchie and Phil Mitchell, to Halloween Short Film Festival 3 at the ICA and the Curzon Soho -- wowee -- a success story! Expect four days of splendid new short films, plus Club Motherf*cker and Artrocker, music and live events. As Art Brut may have put it -- short films make me wanna rock out!

NB: the festival runs from 05/01/01 till 09/01/01 at both the ICA and the Curzon Soho.

If the first few years of the 21st century are to be remembered for anything it should be known as the "we are like so totally cool with gay guys" decade. First comes the sitcom and like magic suddenly everyone goes "well, hey, why don't we let them get themselves married?" And somewhere in between a famous director called Ang Lee goes and makes a film about gay cowboys, or so everyone thinks! The much-hyped Venice-winning film Brokeback Mountain stars the yummy Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger as two sheep herders, who had an affair as youths. When the two married (to women, which isn't like that "gay", right?) men find themselves herding together again they get it on. So, are they simply confused, or bi, or just having a bit o fun on the side? Well, it isn't set in our "totally cool" time but in the '70s with fabulous sideburns plus a large dash of prejudice and ignorance, so you can imagine how these things happen. Based on an Annie Proulx story the film is beautiful, thoughtful and outs the classic western from its 100 year closet of homoerotic denial.

NB: Brokeback Mountain is released in London on 06/01/01. Others films of note being released are Ultranova on 16/12, Screaming Masterpiece on 16/12, RIZE on 30/12 and and Soy Cuba (I Am Cuba) on 13/01/06.

Now is the time when theatres turn festive, but the Soho Theatre eschews Christmas fare to present a fascinating collaboration between theatre director Mick Gordon and neuropsychologist Paul Broks, who writes more beautifully than even Oliver Sacks on the neurological extremities of mental existence. On Ego stages a thought experiment: a neuropsychologist teleports himself to his wedding anniversary dinner but is accidentally duplicated in the process. Should he (or we) be attached to his original self or is that just a story we're programmed to embody? Though it sometimes feels over-dramatised and more "well made" than the bracingly simple theatre of ideas it aspires to be, it is still a provoking and at times moving exploration of self-identity that will leave you looking quizzically in the mirror afterwards.

NB: On Ego runs till 07/01/06.

Their private tow-away island (complete with an inflatable beach!) was featured in Wallpaper* as early as in 1997, their sliding block puzzle hotel (millions of possible combinations!) a year later, as was both their lightweight tree house and their supersonic private jet (fitted with flat panel video monitors connected to a trompe l'oeil observation gallery!). A lot of Softroom's projects to date have been about those exclamation marks, a seemingly endless series of architectural expletives: robotic butlers! A building shaped like a Swiss army knife! A "flexible and responsive domestic environment" camouflaging as a kitchen! In between conjuring up such futuristic lifestyle concepts, the group has, however, managed to mix in other professional punctuations, including a handful of awards, some exhibitions, and a range of lectures in places such as the ICA and the RCA. Free your mind and the slabs will follow, kind of.

NB: this event is but entry is on a first come, first served entry -- doors open 6:30pm.

Ten years is an eternity in the ephemeral world of digital media, yet London club Sprawl celebrates a decade of exploratory sounds with rare live sets by two of the key "Microscopic Sound" (that's somewhere between silence and barely perceptible sound) musicians. Supporting experimental culture since 1995, co-producers Douglas Benford (Si-cut.db) and Iris Garrelfs perform alongside Taylor Deupree and Richard Chartier, co-founders of the influential LINE label (a sub label of 12k founded by Deupree). Taking references from architecture, design and photography, they produce a music ideally suited to headphones where a zoom lens picks out the finest detail and amplifies it. Take a deep breath, try not to swallow too loudly and immerse yourself in a night of digital bliss.

Soy Cuba is a lengthy, experimental communist propaganda film depicting the transition from US imperialism to revolution. Shot in long-takes on black and white film, the extraordinary camera-work catches the sounds, culture, people and style of '60s Cuba. A sense of the stifling heat is visible in every shot, whether it's girls in bikinis, the bright sunlight, or tropical foliage both outside and inside clubs and houses. Re-released in the '90s, this new print is subtitled in English, with Spanish-speaking characters and Russian dubbed sound. (Screens at the ICA till 26/01/01.)

NB: alongside this re-release, the ICA will be screening Soy Cuba, O Mamute Siberiano (I Am Cuba, The Siberian Mammoth), a feature-length documentary that explores the making of the film. Others films of note being released are Ultranova on 16/12, Screaming Masterpiece on 16/12, RIZE on 30/12 and Brokeback Mountain on 06/01/06.

Some of the most sophisticated theatre is ostensibly made for children but blows much adult-fare away. It takes centre-stage at Christmas when the family audience congregate but you don't need kids to appreciate the best of it -- just like The Simpsons. BAC's contribution to the feast is a darkly-tuned version of the Pied Piper tale -- with bells on. It's been commissioned from Cartoon de Salvo, whose best work here has been deliriously brilliant and with qualities you expect at the BAC: utterly engaging, unerringly playful and occasionally fabulously messy. It might not yet be a tale of perfect shape but this kind of theatre grows into itself and whenever you drop in -- kids or no kids -- it's a good night out.

NB: Ratcatcher Of Hamelin runs till 14/01/06.

"And if I'm ugly then, so are you, so are you". Wise words from the Sugababes in their homage to TLC's "UnPretty", in their new new hit... er ... "Ugly"! Ugliness and beauty, let's be honest, pretty much all of us don't like to think we judge or put pressure on others to conform to a restrictive ideology or make others feel useless because they can't, but we are nonetheless bad beauty fascists, only most of us keep the thoughts in our head like "thank god she's uglier than me" and "Christ how much space does her arse need"! Naomi Wolf knows how bad we are. Famous for bestseller The Beauty Myth, a Yale sex scandal and advising Clinton/Gore on how to attract "soccer moms", she's coming to London and going back to her roots by talking about the ideology of beauty, its trappings and how we can address it. A must if you consider yourself any kind of feminist, new wave or not.

The new works in this exhibition by Israeli artist Nogah Engler and Berlin-based artist Peter Stauss are far more complex than they initially appear. At first glance, the drawings and watercolours of both of these painters look beautiful and simple in their subject matter. However, a closer examination reveals disconcerting details in the works of both artists. Engler's nature drawings include haunting touches -- drips of red watercolour in a lovely forest, dead deer, a watchtower and nooses hanging off tree branches. Her visit to the Ukraine to find the places where her father and grandfather hid during World War II is evoked in these tranquil scenes. Likewise, Stauss' large-scale watercolours and black-and-white ink drawings reveal much more up close -- a cast of bizarre and disturbing historical characters lurking in the background. An intriguing exhibition -- not to be missed.

NB: runs till 21/01/06.

Turner Prize 2005
Now that the ballots are counted and the white smoke deciphered, it's the perfect time to see the Turner Prize show -- saying "should have" is much more in spirit with holiday hangovers than "perhaps". Simon Starling's precisely titled Shedboatshed is the big winner, bringing the former Glaswegian £25,000 and heaps of popular scorn. Darren Almond soothes headaches with his gorgeous video installation, Gillian Carnegie cloys with her paintings and Jim Lambie revives with his disco-esque installation -- getting you right back in the mode for the next glass of bubbly.

Jeff Wall
At Tate's cooler sister, the Jeff Wall retrospective -- one of many critics' favourite shows of the season -- is still up, with his inimitable light boxes and deft reconsideration of the terms "filmic" and "photographic".

Araki
Striking a blow for Hugh Hefner, Japanese photographer Araki shows his portraits at the Barbican. Love him or hate him, but even over-the-top indecency has its place in the holiday season.

NB: the Turner Prize exhibition runs till 22/01/06, Jeff Wall till 08/01/06 and Araki till 21/01/06.

At the cutting edge of the sophisticated French avant-garde, the Fauvist painter Andre Derain spoke warmly of the British romantic painter Turner: "He authorises us to create forms that go beyond conventional reality." Like his Impressionist predecessor Monet, he was drawn towards Turner's free use of colour, which liberated painting from the constraints of historical representation. The year was 1906 and the place was London. By this time, Derain had already established his radical reputation, alongside Matisse, with an exhibition of primitive works at the Salon d'Automne the previous year that garnered him the accolade of a "Fauve" or a wild beast. When his Parisian art dealer fixed up a trip to London with grand plans in mind, he lived up to his promise, applying his characteristically exuberant style to create some brilliant, large-scale views of the city. These are in stark contrast to Monet's hazy pastel scenes of London, that were on display at Tate Britain this year, in how Derain transforms our grey city into a French flaneur's multi-coloured paradise: a space of the imagination. The resulting paintings form a striking group, on show together for the first time in this groundbreaking exhibition at the Courtauld Institute Gallery of Art.

NB: runs till 22/01/01.

The common perception of contemporary German architecture is that they put all their energy into their cars, leaving it to foreigners to design the buildings to make them in. But Germany's stand at the last Architecture Biennale aimed to provide a different perspective, and for those that didn't get to go, it's been reassembled at the V&A. It's tempting to make a comparison with the SuperDutch and Swiss Made+ shows, including as it does some of the new generation of architects such as Carsten Roth, but this is an exhibition as much about the grimness of peripheral areas of our cities and what to do with them, as it is about architectural glamour shots.

NB: runs till 29/01/06.

Poor old Bob and Roberta Smith! Not only must our favourite schizophrenic artist continue his quest to protest against the unfairness of this crazy world on our behalf, but now his two halves are fighting each other; Roberta's militant feminism coming out in such phrases as "religion was devised by men to say to women you will never have power", while Bob challenges Roberta on world poverty. Bob and Roberta's slogans are as mordant as ever in this brilliant first solo show at Hales, painted onto wooden panels for a battle between two works called 110% Pessimism and 75% Optimism (guess which side wins), or part of Big Nest, a magpie-style installation onto which the Smiths have painted phrases "collected during the recent bombings in London". 110% Funny, 75% Terrifying, we say.

NB: runs till 24/02/06.

The Stanley Kubrick Archives
By definition, a coffee table book should provoke conversation and be generally of a heavy construction, given that one needn't carry it around. At almost 15 pounds, Archives defies all odds to even lift this weighty tome. With over 800 film stills scanned directly from the original prints, collectors will be further enticed by the inclusion of an original 70 mm film strip from 2001: A Space Odyssey and an extremely rare CD interview with the late film director. Elegantly designed and abundantly illustrated, and given that Kubrick kept such static camera shots in his movies, the images are outstanding. If you've been fortunate enough to catch the touring Kubrick exhibition from the German Film Museum in Frankfurt, then you will be prepared to explore the open doors of his expansive archive, with essays, correspondence, props, screenplay drafts, storyboards and notes. This is the definitive tribute book.

Stanley Kubrick Drama And Shadows: Photographs 1945-1950
Though widely known for his seminal movies, Kubrick the photographer was a shyer creature, though gathering by the wealth of material in this new publication, he was no less prolific. With a hint of Gary Winogrand and Lee Friedlander about them, the bulk of these pictures were taken whilst he was a staff photographer for New York magazine Look. A healthy late teen fascination with the darker side of life -- street bums, show girls, convicts -- suggests a rigor and provocation towards his art that anticipated his cinematic style. Experiments in composition and subject, narrative and the "truth" of photography (he wasn't unknown for manipulating his set-ups) combine to produce a body of work that is commanding in an often mysterious and dramatic way. One tip: immerse yourself in the images and bypass the obfuscating and distracting introductory essay...

To buy both The Stanley Kubrick Archives and Stanley Kubrick Drama And Shadows: Photographs 1945-1950 online click here and here or buy them through Walther Koenig Books at the Serpentine Gallery (020.7706.4907).

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