Wednesday 17 December (7 - 9pm)

@ V&A Museum, Cromwell Rd., SW7 (020.7942.2000) Tube: South Kensington

Hidden within the flurry of Wednesday's Late View activities (song, drink, no dance, but lectures and food) is a rather special activity: Drop-in and Draw. Quite literally. With the help of tutors Al Johnson and Imogen Stewart, the V&A is providing a free evening of drawing by the Gothic sculptures. With a friendly mix of amateurs and hobbyist thrown in with the slightly-more-knowledgeable, what could be better than carving out space with graphite to a background of clinking glasses and classical music. Drawing is hot right now; witness the success of NYC's Drawing Center and our own Drawing Room, not to mention the various drawing shows all over town, but it's the non-conceptual, problem-solving, haptic pleasure of the activity that'll addict you! For the month of December, it is set in the cool Gothic gallery. Where will it be next year, we wonder? So why not get down there, grab some pencils, and tell 'em KF sent you.

NB: For other Late View activities, check the V&A site for details. The adventure is set for 7 - 9pm, and materials will be provided.

Wednesday 17 December (7:30pm)

@ 291 Gallery, 291 Hackney Rd., E2 (020.7613.5676) Tube: Liverpool St./Old St./Bethnal Green

Although he wrote the dark-glasses Benzedrine-fuelled book on the subject, Dylan isn't just a rock star. As Leonard Cohen once said, Dylan is best judged alongside Picasso, or to paraphrase Christopher Ricks, Keats is a better comparison than The Beatles. But even Keats doesn't quite cut the mustard, he popped his clogs at 26 while Dylan at 62 is tearing up the stage in over 200 shows a year and making music as heartbreakingly true to aging ex-radicals and their grand-kids as his barnstorming '60s songs remain. Ars Longa Vita Brevis, indeed, and there're plenty who have talked through their ars when it comes to Dylan. Tonight focuses on the "political" years, so you'd expect interpretation to be simple. When Hattie Carol meets her undeserved end, the listener knows who to point a finger at. But with Dylan, subtle ambiguities lurk; the finger is pointing back at you. And that's the problem with political readings of Dylan. The radical movement of the '60s was blighted by the simplistic politics of "us & them". Even Dylan's most earnest protest songs endure because they deal in shades of moral grey. Dylan himself grew tired of the radical left's adoption of his voice in about '64. Now in 2003, Mike Marqusee wants to claim him back, an exercise that has its place but runs the risk of reducing the work to its basic social source material at the expense of its unique grasp of the eternal human struggle.

Wednesday 17 December (8pm)

@ The Arts Cafe, 28 Commercial St., E1 (020.7247.5681) Tube: Aldgate East

French 27-year-old Cecile Schott teaches English in secondary school in the suburbs of Paris while cultivating her artistic field through music making. Although her work -- recalling Vincent Gallo's album When -- emanates from a single computer, it feels as if all sounds are played (like Four Tet or DJ Spooky's approach). Indeed, Colleen samples existing sources found in Parisian public mediatheques using the acid software. Her delightful first full-length album Everyone Alive Wants Answers embodies the melodic warmth she continuously seeks. While playing live, to avoid laptop performances (which "bore her to death"), she fuses real instruments such as a melodica, a glockenspiel or a harmonica, producing sounds from scratch and hence distancing herself from the album. Two separate music modus operandi influencing each other. Considering the beauty and innovative (electronic) manipulation of sounds on record, her (real) live performance can be nothing but unpredictable... The young James Rutledge, aka Pedro (melodic), more famous for his collaboration with Kathryn Williams on last year's Moshi Moshi release, will open the evening. DJs from Leaf will be playing in the intervals. Not to be missed...

Giveaway: We have one copie of Everyone Alive Wants Answers to give away. It'll go to one randomly picked Flasher who can tell us which other Leaf artist KF mentioned a few issues ago (hint: Mexico).

Wednesday 17 December (Wed 17/12 & Thu 18/12 at 8pm)

@ Royal Festival Hall, South Bank, SE1 (020.7960.4203 or 4242) Tube: Embankment/Rail Waterloo

A Clockwork Orange and Brave New World are two of this choreographer/performer's favourite books. Essex-born Darren Johnston has a dark outlook on the future, and that's exactly where Silicon Sensorium is going to take you. The UK Premiere is an arcane study of artificial life that'll immerse you in a cinematic journey to a secret subterranean location where a lone scientist and his worker-clones fine-tune the latest artificial creation -- a lonely sod. Grim stuff. But then, so was the Matrix, kind of. Since graduating four years ago, Johnston has worked with dance contemporaries Charles Linehan, Jamie Watton and Kenneth Tharp OBE, and has created installations for the South Bank Centre as well as the new Laban building (winner of the Stirling Architecture Prize) where he trained. This event launches his new artistic collective "array" and includes electro-drum-'n'-bass sound by Squarepusher (Warp), aka Tom Jenkinson, who's renowned for fusing unusual melodies with a rhythmic assault, pushing the BPM (beats per minute) to the max! Performed by Johnston, Silicon Sensorium will be an intense experience furiously morphing choreography, scenography, electronic sound and computer-generated imagery -- this solo prodigy rocks, check for implants!

NB: Silicon Sensorium will be performed on Wed 17/12 and Thu 18/12.

Thursday 18 December (6:45pm)

@ ICA, The Mall, SW1 (020.7930.3647) Tube: Charing Cross/Piccadilly Circus

Theodor Adorno -- the German philosopher -- once famously postulated that there could be no poetry after Auschwitz. But like all difficult, let alone tragic things, life goes on, as does philosophy, art and, of course, poetry. One thing he could never have imagined was comic books after Auschwitz... One of NYC's best-kept secrets is that Art Spiegelman and his wife Francoise Mouly had been the cartoon editors for the New Yorker, and that, more importantly, during the '80s they published that great indie comic anthology RAW. Fans of the Dark Knight and Spider-Man, read no further! It was in those pages -- following the success of MAUS in Funny Animals ('72) -- that Spiegelman drew his way to his Pulitzer ('92). With Jews as mice, cats as Germans ("Katzies") etc., this is a biographical comic book of his parents' concentration camp survival, and by using this "light" and lowbrow format, Spiegelman -- a Swedish migrant born in 1948 -- is able to speak of things for which we have so few words, things we hate and fear. Currently working on 9/11 events, he's speaking with another author who says things serious in another format: the well-regarded, Oxford-based, children's fantasy author and arch-competitor to la Potter, Philip Pullman.

NB: This event was originally supposed to take place last month but had to be re-scheduled.

Friday 19 December (10pm - 6am)

@ Electrowerkz, 7 Torrens St., EC1 (020.7837.6419) Tube: Angel

Well, the weather outside is frightful... so why not spend the last raving weekend until Xmas in everyone's favourite bunker, Electrowerkz, conjuring the bastard ghost of Hardcore's Past? In the "Rephlex Braindance Grotto", DJ AFX invites you to sit on his knee while D'Arcangelo, Astrobotnia and K-Rock hand out drill 'n' ragga for the boys and bass-heavy electro for the girls. While in the "Planet Mu Elves Workshop" you can actually see where the rave is made as mu-ziq and Leafcutter John bang it out with tiny hammers. No pissing about in the perfunctorily named "Room Three" as Rob Hall (Skam) goes head to head with AI Records in a rare DJ performance. There's only a few shopping days left... go on, fuck one off lying in bed with a vicious comedown. Hold tight revellers!

Saturday 20 December (5:30 & 11pm)

@ Everyman Cinema , Holly Bush Vale (0870 066 4777) Tube: Hampstead

The quintessential Xmas movie is playing in Hampstead over the festive season. Capra's multi-layered classic satisfies the viewer on many levels. On the one hand, it's a resonant, almost Dickensian depiction of small town America in the '40s, before the film truly takes off into the realms of the comic, then tragic and finally fantastical, until ultimately settling on a heart-warming ending. "Cheesy Schmaltz" we hear you yell... not when it's a work as human, evocative, funny and beautifully crafted as this. Jimmy Stewart quite simply is George Bailey, the hero of Bedford Falls, a man unaware of the overwhelmingly positive influence that his life has on the inhabitants of this small town. Bailey's is an honourable but unexceptional life, or so he thinks, until a magical little "man from above" makes him realise the importance of his efforts. The warmth this film leaves you with is lasting and it would take one curmudgeonly mo'fo not to realise this. Altogether now: "Hee Haw."

NB: The film will also be showing on Sun 21/12 (6pm), Mon 22/12 (6pm) and finally, Tue 23/12 (8:30pm). For those Flashers that like their classics a little darker then be sure to check out the double bill of The Apartment and The Sweet Smell of Success playing on Sun 21/12 at the Curzon Soho.

Sunday 21 December (Daily 10am - 5:30pm)

@ British Museum, Great Russell St., WC1 (020.7323.8000) Tube: Holborn/Tottenham Court Rd.

Imagine a time before measurements... before metres, fluid ounces, genera and species-boring-you-senseless with science. A time of stuff: mad, mad stuff. Out of such chaos came Hans Sloane with display cases... and lo, the British Museum was born. Now the BM brings you back there, back to this big bang of museology. In the Enlightenment Rooms, the magnificently refurbished King's Library becomes an entire universe. In this room is the birth of classification, of order -- and, boy, is it messy. Just off the Great Court, this serene space stuns yet houses such total carnage of collecting it beggars belief. It makes no sense, indeed half the stuff isn't even labelled -- but that of course is half the point. Visually stunning and fascinating by the inch, this is a free jaunt that will pay your enthusiasm back in yards.

Monday 22 December (7:30pm)

@ Barbican Centre, Barbican Centre, EC2 (020.7638.8891) Tube: Barbican

Much like Will Young, Cecilia Bartoli's singing career was launched by a talent show on TV. And we owe a big thank you to this Italian precursor of Pop Idol because she nearly became a professional Flamenco dancer instead. Another thing you might not know about the mezzo-soprano from Rome is that she was, and still is, taught entirely by her mother. Named after the patron saint of music, Bartoli is a respected and un-commercial professional who is admired world-wide for her technical brilliance and knockout good looks. Part of the Great Performers series at the Barbican, for this concert she'll be accompanied by The Orchestra of the Age of the Enlightenment, who play with Eighteenth Century period instruments. The music, also from this era, is a selection from a musical tradition that fostered and influenced Verdi, Puccini and other godfathers of Italian opera. It should suit her voice beautifully, and you'll be crying out for encores -- Viva la Diva!

Tuesday 23 December

@ Rhythm Factory, 16-18 Whitechapel Rd., E1 (020.7375.3774) Tube: Whitechapel/Aldgate East

If there is such a thing as a limit to seasonal revelry, then the East London spoken word collective Bring Your Own Poison are doing their bit to push us closer this coming Tuesday at the Rhythm Factory. The organisers of this senseless empire are (perhaps unsurprisingly) able to recruit many big names for intimate solo sets and DJ duties at these increasingly popular club nights -- the main crowd-puller for this evening being Pete Doherty from current NME darlings, The Libertines. The band are fast becoming BYOP regulars, judging by their performances at other similar recent events; but how Pete's performance will differ from the band's normal rekindling of an indie-punk spirit very much reminiscent of The Ramones is certainly something that is worth checking out.

Friday 26 December (8pm)

@ Jazz Cafe, 5 Parkway, NW1 (020.7916.6060) Tube: Camden Town

Like a man with a mistress, Roy Ayers is doing the dirty on Ronnie Scott's and whoring himself in the Jazz Cafe for 8 nights over the New Year. Repeating this successful formula of previous years, the legendary vibesmaster will be headlining until 02/01/04. As relevant as ever, Ayers has continued into a fifth decade with his prolific and inimitable output. Commencing his career with the likes of the Herbie Mann (RIP), before vibing through the years along with Herbie Hancock, Dee Dee Bridgewater, MAW and countless others, Ayres remains the epitome of credibility and perhaps the foremost character in the jazz-funk-soul movement of the latter half of the twentieth century. Happily slapping away with his vibe mallets and swooning to his stream of dreamy, funky and unforgettable melodies, Ayers is a compelling performer. Extra incentive to attend comes in the form of new unreleased material (Ubiquity) due to be reissued by BBE in the New Year. Recently aired on Gilles Peterson's World-wide show, and compared by Peterson to finding lost Lennon/McCartney proves that Ayers is still a major force to be reckoned with. What better way to herald in a New Year...

NB: Roy Ayers will perform at the Jazz Cafe from Fri 26/12 till Fri 02/01/04.

Wednesday 31 December (7pm - 3am)

@ Cargo, Kingsland Viaduct, 83 Rivington St., EC2 (020.7739.3440) Tube: Old St./Liverpool St.

If it's likely that you'll be seeing in the new year in the "Ditch", the club of choice could be Cargo who are cashing in on the celebrations by offering a fairly imaginative line-up which includes live music and an audio-visual extravaganza. They have booked The Bays to perform one of their notoriously impromptu live sets, despite having previously banned them for blowing up the club's sound system. The Cargo crowd and the band themselves were so wowed at the genius of their gig back in September that they've been given this coveted slot. Those crazy Coldcut guys will also be cutting up their Xmas videos and counting down those exhilarating last seconds to the New Year. Only 96 more to go until the Y3K. How many seconds is that?

NB: Each ticket purchased entitles 2 people entry into a Friday Champion Sound night at Cargo of their choice throughout January and February.

Wednesday 31 December (7pm - 7am)

@ Rivington Studios, 75 Rivington Street (0870 020 1599 ) Tube: Old Street / Liverpool Street

Hoxton Pimps have the solution this NYE, for those who can't make up their minds about what to do, where to go, or what vibe they're looking for, on a night that, quite frankly, reigns in history as a bit of an anticlimax (oh, maybe that's just us)... Hoxton-o-phobes turn away now, but for those willing to walk their day-glo stilettos proudly into wonky-hairsville for the night, the HPs give you a 4-for-1 deal, offering the moves, grooves, art, food and drinks of four walking-distance venues in the heart of Shoreditch. Cocomo, El Paso and Reliance -- all Old Street -- open their doors at 7pm, with the late-night action pinnacling at Rivington Studios, where live acts and an arm's length of disc-spinners will keep you going till 7am. With a line-up of 40 DJs and live acts in total -- including Attica Blues, Steve Mackie (Pulp), Johnny Reckless, Fat Truckers (live), X List (live), Slam and more -- there's enough variety to see all demanding party heads into the small hours of 2004. Just don't get too fussy, and end up stuck between the heaving hotspots, greeting the new dawn sat on a cold, wet curbside.

NB: Tickets can be purchased from various Hoxton bars (Cocomo, Reliance, Hoxton Bar & Kitchen) and also from Smallfish or online at ticketweb.co.uk.

Wednesday 31 December (8pm till late)

@ The Garage, 20-22 Highbury Corner, N5 (020.7607.1818 ) Tube: Highbury and Islington

Stage sets covered in stuffed badgers, military clothing and spiffing '50s war movies starring David Niven as a backdrop; these are just some of the reasons you should see British Sea Power. Other bloody good reasons are that their music channels the ghost of Ian Curtis and re-released single "Remember Me" -- it's as welcome a confection to the jaded musical palette of today as the chocolate bars handed to starving kiddies in circa '45 liberated Europe. So it's chocks away for BSP, and a dandy doff of the cap to their super album The Decline of British Sea Power. Having sharpened their skills opening for greasy yank types The Strokes, the chaps are sure to be in fine fettle, indeed. And, a New Year's Eve party in the company of such exceptional young coves is bound to recall the fervour of D-Day and remind a fellow of the days when the sun didn't set on the British Empire before first asking permission.

NB: To purchase tickets call the Mean Fiddler booking line on 0870.906.3777 or book tickets online at meanfiddler.com and ticketmaster.co.uk.

Wednesday 31 December (9pm - 6am)

@ Ocean, 270 Mare St., Hackney, E8 (020.8533.0111) Tube: Hackney Downs/Hackney Central Rail

The world's another year older and it's time, in true British spirit, to get drunk and try to pull. Now obviously you KF readers are way too classy and mould-breaking to have it that simple. Why, your palettes are used to the finest in couture clubbing, so get ready girls and boys for one of the true uber-cool East End parties (it may be the last, we hear Plaistow's next to be "in"!). Ocean's throwing Bugged Out meets Boutique again this year. The list of DJs is pure gluttony for those who like their music dirty, a bit bent and very entertaining. Trash's Erol Alkan, Jockey Slut's Chris Blue, Electric Stew's Nathan Gregory Wilkins, Ivan Smagghe from Black Strobe, Freelance Hellraiser (bootlegger royale) and, leading the party by the reigns, 2manydjs. It's gonna be messy and unlike that spider-hole in Tikrit there may be casualties, but this isn't ya work Xmas do, so let ya hair down, loosen ya bra straps and down those tequilas.

Thursday 1 January (4:20pm, 6:30pm & 8:45pm)

@ Curzon Soho, 93-107 Shaftesbury Ave., W1 (020.7439.4805) Tube: Leicester Sq./Piccadilly

Members of the Academy take note: American Splendor may very well be a true underground contender for Best Picture of 2003. Composed of an intriguing mix of multilayered vignettes splashed with vibrant documentary footage, the Sundance Jury Award winner offers a slice of the crumbling true life of everyman Harvey Pekar in all its file-clerking, coffee-swilling, Gillespie-digging, self-obsessing, comic-writing, neuroses-spouting glory. While Pekar is famous (in an Underground-Comix-circles-way) for the identically titled cult series within which he detailed the tribulations, and mainly trials, of his daily grind, this is most definitely not another "comic book movie" -- much in the same sense that When We Were Kings (another broadly undiscovered jewel) is not "just about boxing." Fret not if you don't know your Eisner from your Ennis, your Kirby from your Crumb, American Splendor is far more than a celebration of Comixdom transposed; it's an unflinching view of a life more ordinary -- touching, yet humorous -- expressed with wrenching honesty by the man "living" it. In stark contrast to the frenetic world of orcs, elves and "My Precious" that is bound to dominate the box office into the New Year, American Splendor highlights that the seemingly mundane has never been more enthralling -- in the words of Harvey Pekar, "ordinary life is pretty complex stuff".

NB: This Thu 01/01/04 advance screening of American Splendor is being shown at 4:20pm, 6:30pm & 8:45pm at the Curzon Soho and also at 8:45pm at the NFT.

Friday 2 January

@ ICA, The Mall, SW1 (020.7930.3647) Tube: Charing Cross/Piccadilly Circus

"No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." Many artists have those words on their studio walls, but no one knows better about failing again and failing better than the man who wrote them: Samuel Beckett. Many are just familiar with the Man's great play Waiting for Godot but it wasn't just the plays or novels, Beckett was also involved in films and liked -- in particular -- Buster Keaton. We wonder why... The two got up to failing better. And what better space for mouths moving in a void, men running, falling, and failing to fall than in a cinema; what better space to work out the existential than in the dead of dark. So, perhaps Channel 4's ambitious projects of committing Beckett's plays to film is entirely appropriate. With big names like Damien Hirst -- yup, he drew Waiting for Godot -- David Mamet, Neil Jordan, Julianne Moore's mouth, Alan Rickman and Juliet Stephenson throwing their talents in, this massive adventure was screened on TV at odd hours. Finally, you Flashers have a chance to get Beckettian, and the wait may be over for the moment.

NB: The Samuel Beckett Film Season runs from 02/01/04 till 23/01/04.

Friday 2 January

@ ICA, The Mall, SW1 (020.7930.3647) Tube: Charing Cross/Piccadilly Circus

We all know that Scandinavians generally like their movies dark and disturbing, and what others have found "existential", rest assured that them Scandis will think it amusing. The Norwegians seem to have narrowed their international appeal from dark and disturbing (but clearly funny), to dark and disturbing about lonely men who find beautiful friendships (with each other). Following in the footsteps of Oscar nominee Elling, and his own film Eggs, Bent Hamer is back with a -- need we remind you -- dark and disturbing little tale of lonely men with beautiful friendships. And it's funny. In all its wackiness -- the premise for the film being the study of a bachelor's movement in the kitchen through close observation by an independent surveyor -- Kitchen Stories is a rather profound comment about people, their ways and their relationships. Do wear enough clothes to the cinema -- the camera panning over snow-covered landscapes is literally chilling.

NB: Kitchen Stories runs from 02/01/04 till 12/02/04.

Ends Thursday 8 January

@ Odeon Wardour Street

We have only God to thank for the fact that Stanley Kubrick never thought of this. Bodysong is not for everyone, and certainly if Kubrick had set his mind to creating a feature-length music-documentary about the cycle of life, then he would have set everyone to shame and we'd still be in the cinema. Beginning with that cellular square dance, and moving rather rapidly through birth, growth, life and death, this unusual "nature film" is constructed entirely out of other documentary footage. It shows how different our various cultures are, but how under all this we're really the same old human beings with the same old human needs: food, shelter, mmmlovin'. From Hans Namuth's footage of Pollock dripping paint to that famous execution in Vietnam, Simon Pummell's unique little genre-transgressions should certainly put those usual Xmas anxieties to rest. Scripted to the sounds of Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood and related to films like Koyaanisqatsi, it exposes our need for story-telling and narrative, as -- in a sense -- our lives seem so completely linear and, in a way, senseless. Fortunately, you lot have KF to keep you occupied during them existential moments.

NB: Bodysong is being screened at the Odeon Wardour Street till Wed 24/12 and will be screened for a week from 02/01/04 at the Ritzy in Brixton.

Giveaway: We have five copies of the Bodysong soundtrack to give away. They'll go to five randomly picked Flashers who can tell us who composed the music to Koyaanisqatsi.

Ends Thursday 8 January

@ Various cinemas across London

At long last, an Xmas thriller in this -- what seems to be the -- year of the return to the slasher movie. Dead End follows the trail of a family most definitely on Santa's shit list. Combine some holiday family squabbles (so venomous it's hard to believe they're not actually related) with all of the "dont's" from the driver's handbook, and you will come up with something like this. Ray Wise (Twin Peaks' Leland Palmer) plays Frank Harrington -- his second Daddy Demento role -- on his way with the wife and kids to Grandma's house for Xmas dinner... and look at them go. This is a reasonably tasteful and genuinely thrilling ride that is certainly reminiscent of the old Twilight Zone. In the end, and somewhat predictably, the moral of the story is never, ever take a shortcut, and if you do, stay in the bloody car.

Ends Saturday 17 January (Tue to Fri 10am - 6pm; Sat 11am - 5pm)

@ Stephen Friedman, 25-28 Old Burlington St., W1 (020.7494.1434) Tube: Piccadilly Circus

Play With Me, a new work by Yinka Shonibare continues his exploration into decorative yet socially critical paintings. This series of round paintings in vibrant acrylic colours addresses issues of cultural stereotypes and what is presumed, as compared to what is presented, within the context of the artwork. Shonibare's "Toy Paintings" mix the painting's cultural iconography with that of fast food and super-hero commodity culture by extending haloes of plastic toys out from the edges of each work. The paintings themselves done in acrylic on round canvases, are decorative and minimal, depicting vaguely identifiable organic shapes in brilliant colours; and the plastic toys range from the familiar figures of simple tractors to grotesque generic fast food figurines. The two elements combine to create an uncanny tension between the spiritual and cultural symbols reinforced by the style and texture of the paintings and the somewhat more menacing symbols alluded to by the presence of the toys. Much of the other work in the exhibition plays on a similar aesthetic principle, using "African" textiles popular in West Africa and more acrylic paint, again in tondo format. His classically optimistic decorative style collides with a subtle undercurrent of perhaps more complicated issues referenced by Shonibare's choice of materials. (Show ends 17/01/04.)

NB: Be sure to pop into Rocket for Frank Breuer, aspreyjacques for Robert Mapplethorpe, Spruth Magers Lee for Stephen Shore, Haunch of Venison for Jorge Pardo and Sadie Coles for Raymond Pettibon.

Ends Sunday 18 January (Daily 10am - 5:40pm)

@ Tate Britain, Millbank, SW1 (020.7887.8008) Tube: Pimlico

You can buy a lot of Kirby grips for 20K. And presumably that's just what the potty tranny Grayson Perry is doing for his female alter ego, Clare, after winning this year's Turnaround-shrug-and-go-home prize. Although Perry's sick ceramics are now alluring and intriguing, KF must admit a personal bias -- verging on blind deificatio -- for the Brothers Grim and their intellectual prick-teasing. But whichever way you bat, this year's Turner Prize showcases contemporary art at its most provocative, thoughtful, visceral and just plain beautifully made. After the you're-having-a-laugh malarkey of flashing lights a few years ago, Tate Svengali Nick Serota and his panel have this year embraced craft (of all unlikely things! How will Tracey ever survive such a frightening trend?) Now go get your hands dirty... (Show ends 18/01/04.)

NB: If you're in a serious Tate kinda mood then hop on the Tate Boat, head over to Tate M, lie down by Olafur Eliasson's sun, see Common Wealth before it ends (28/12) and last but not least, catch a little wild west action with Sigmar Polke.

Ends Thursday 22 January (Tue to Sat 10am - 6pm)

@ Sadie Coles HQ, 35 Heddon St., W1 (020.7434.2227) Tube: Piccadilly Circus

The text states "it is never finished till I have stood in front of it myself admiring my work for a good long while...", and the image is of a ginormous fire, people running away. One feels that way sometimes when confronting a Raymond Pettibon installation of ink drawings. Where Ruscha stands for one generation's LA cool, Pettibon (bn. 1957) stands for another. Having been part of that LA underground music scene -- you Flashers are probably familiar with his seminal Sonic Youth and Black Flag album work -- Pettibon's been making drawings long before drawing became hip. His rough inkwork, punctuated here and there with text, reads like a collision between Dan Clowes, Robert Crumb, early Masami Teraoka, and a New Yorker cartoon, all galloping on acid or e. For those concerned with Pettibon's steady progress, just ask to go upstairs and check out the buncha '80s classics, but it's those new wild coloured tidal waves in which the LA punk attitude still surfs. (Show ends 22/01/04.)

NB: The gallery will be closed between 22/12 to 6/1/04. After seeing this show be sure to pop into Rocket for Frank Breuer, Stephen Friedman for Yinka Shonibare, aspreyjacques for Robert Mapplethorpe, Spruth Magers Lee for Stephen Shore and Haunch of Venison for Jorge Pardo.

Ends Sunday 25 January (Daily 10am - 5:50pm)

@ Tate Britain, Millbank, SW1 (020.7887.8008) Tube: Pimlico

It's impossible to say what you'll make of these... Some you might find beautiful, others amusing, some self-indulgent and possibly entirely pointless. What's interesting about this exhibition is its diversity. Grouped thematically, the films bear no resemblance to each other in their treatment of ten subjects, including Conflict, Metaphor, Dailyness and The Body Observed. You'll see image work and animation, celluloid offerings from as far back as 1929, and home videos made by Gilbert & George, Sam Taylor-Wood, and Tracey Emin in the days before they became artworld celebs. There's a sense of watching lost footage; many haven't been shown since their first screenings, and there's a notable absence of airbrushing, professional filming, editing, and other glossy tricks we're used-to when catching things on the big screen. This is the third in a four-part series of screenings at Tate Britain, how do you figure they rate next to the paintings?

NB: A Century of Artists' Film in Britain Programme III runs until 25/01/04 and Programme IV follows it and ends on 18/04/04.

Monday 2 February (6:30pm)

@ Astoria, 157 Charing Cross Rd., WC2 (020.7434.9592) Tube: Tottenham Court Rd.

The most recent news to slip out about The Streets is that Mike Skinner has been in a Mayfair recording studio collaborating with Coldplay; the mind boggles. But October's internet-only release of the EP We All Got Our Runnins showed that Skinner has stuck to what he knows -- stories and skinning up -- for his new material. "Streets Score" and "Give Me Back My Lighter", as well as the EP's title track, show that critical acclaim hasn't sent Skinner into permanent chill-out but kept him busy with the mic. His full-length follow-up to the Mercury nominated debut Original Pirate Material is scheduled for release in early 2004, so expect this NME Awards Astoria gig to be punctuated with new tracks. The Streets debut live performance at Reading this year attested to the genre-blending appeal of the music, summed-up best by avoiding tags like garage and rap and focusing instead on Skinner's poetry and promise.

Ends Sunday 29 February (Daily 10am - 5:45pm; Fri until 9pm)

@ Design Museum, Butlers Wharf, Shad Thames, SE1 (020.7940.8790) Tube: Tower Hill

The Design Museum's exhibition on the Smithsons is a delight. Alison and Peter Smithson have been compared to Charles and Ray Eames for their method of working. Labelled as part of the Brutalist movement, this exhibition demonstrates how much wider their scope really was. Their work stood out with projects such as Hunstanton primary school in Norfolk, 1949-54, and The Economist Building in St James' London. The exhibition focuses on their private house projects with anecdotal material from clients and photographs of work in progress. The original plans and images of their House for the Future, part of the ideal home exhibition, is a wonderful insight into the '50s and their perception of the future complete with futuristic fashions. (Show ends 29/02/04.)

NB: On 20/02/04 be sure to catch a panel discussion on the Smithsons' influence (led by Peter Cook).