New In Town: May 2010

Maxxi Soundsystem

DUKE OF NORFOLK
The Duke Of Norfolk on Western Road are set to tantalise tastebuds by serving some deliciously hearty fare. As part of their menu overhaul, you, the diner, are invited to choose from a selection of pies, variations on mash and types of gravy too. Head down there to find out the ultimate combination, or if you're in a hurry, snap it up to takeaway. Scrumptious.

MAXXI SOUNDSYSTEM
After last years summer of disco-lovin', champions of the scene Maxxi Soundsystem return to Brighton. They're launching their residency at Funky Buddha on Saturday 1^st with a warm-up party at The Globe, with limited free entry wristbands for Funky Buddha after. Come catch some of the action every Saturday, expect some extra-special guests. If you're more of a 24-hour party person though, Saturday 29^th sees Maxxi Soundsystem launching their free all day outdoor terrace parties at LIFE. Pretty good huh?

UK OK! LIVE
From the man behind eccentrically brilliant club nights Shameless and Snap, Crackle and Britpop, expect riotous evenings at new night UK OK! Live at Jam. Launching Friday 7^th in grand style, showcasing a genre-bending medley of unknown talents from around the country to play alongside a Brighton favourite. Watch upcomers Rob The Rich, Welsh lad Caesar's Rome and LDN's Dolphin Parade perform, and an as-yet mystery Brighton headliner. £3 entry before 9pm and an open-ended closing time, first Friday of every month.

CRAFTY RELOCATION
For those of you who may have spent many a Sunday afternoon at Felt Up! Craft club at The Freebutt, they have relocated to artsy new hang-out the Marwood Studios Cafe. Every Tuesday as of tomorrow, Rachel String and her crafting crew will be there from 6-8pm making whatever takes their fancy. Bring projects you've been working on, or come get inspired over a cup of tea, slice of handmade cake and the assorted eccentricities that jut out of the walls.

IN THE FACE
Not your regular dubstep night; In The Face has put together a tag-team of off the wall DJs. Playing an inspired mix of mash-up bassline, ghettotech and fidget wobble, “totally p**sing on NME style trendy dance music” says Sheffield messers The Squires Of Gothos, playing on Friday 28^th May. CryoGenix spins downtempo dub and grime along with Brighton's Dead Fader. Gash, Zemon will also be stopping by, as well as ravecore fanatic Katch Pyro, all the the Al Duomo.

HANDMADE CO-OP
A crafty new co-operative opens up onto the fair streets of Kemptown from the beginning of this month. For those of us who revel in the unique charm of hand-crafted goods, the Handmade Co-op may just be the ticket. Featuring 20 local artists' work in-store, from silver-smithing to screen-printing, these guys make it all, sometimes in the shop too. There's also a downstairs space set aside for holding workshops in different crafting techniques and other happenings coming soon, for more info visit handmadeco-op.blogspot.com

GEISHA ARTS
Saturday 1st sees the final day of Madame Geisha's re-emergence as a happening space for the most cutting edge urban artists. The three-day launch extravaganza in aid of the International Childcare Trust plays host to renowned artists Goldie, Matt Small and Zac Walsh to name a few, working to the beats of Ninja Tunes' Andreya Triana and The Dandylions. Kids are also invited to get stuck in with making their own works of art to hang in the exhibition.

BLEEDING HEARTS CLUB
What started out as a successful night at The Prince Albert, promoters of The Bleeding Hearts Club have gone into the record label business. In their sincere interest to showcase the very best of Brighton's downbeat folk acts, Bleeding Heart Recordings will be releasing The Robot Hearts' debut six-track mini-album ‘Dust’. Coming out on CD and 10” vinyl on Monday 31^st, the launch party at The Hanbury precedes it on Tuesday 25^th with support from Sam Genders, formerly of Tunng.

MIND
Leading mental health charity Mind have set up shop in St James Street with some fine goods in tow. Fashion students from UCA have designed outfits for the store, as well as sprucing up the interior to create a glorious charity shop boutique, the first of its kind. Stocked up with rare vintage and retro pieces, Mind boutique is a must to dip into for hunting down that one-off bargain.

RETAIL THERAPY
The ever-ethical Retail Therapy has added another link in the fairtrade trading chain, opening up a sister shop in Ship Street. A shop so green, Green Party MEP Caroline Lucas herself came down to the grand opening. The sustainably refurbished shop offers a whole host of local and fairtrade goodies, from holistic therapies to lovingly handmade bags from the infamous baglady of Brighton – check her here at bagladyofbrighton.com. The first stop for a guilt-free shopping experience.