Afternoon:
9°c
NEW: David Miliband rejects the chance to become the EU's high representative and 'sees his future in British politics', according to reports
More...
With a single dessert and just two glasses of wine our bill was kept in check - but the effort of doing so was not much fun
Babbo
Film
This is a film with beautiful performances and a visual style that urges you towards reflection
Bright Star
Theatre
Although the first half of Kwei-Armah’s production is pacy, funny and intelligent, the energy level then drops off
Seize The Day
I loved this film from start to finish. Take the girlfriend, tell your mum - I'd see it again tomorrow and will buy the dvd.
I saw this last night and can't remember the last time I was so moved in the theatre.
I have been to many of London's so-called best Japanese restaurants and none have been as good as the food that I've had at Aqua Kyoto
London,
Evening Standard rating
Reader rating
Flag it up: Amy Winehouse
Light and bright: a happy Amy Winehouse brought her own lamp to the Camden gig
No event involving Amy Winehouse seems to go as planned, and the 24-year-old soul singer's first foray into the world of DJ-ing and club promotion was no exception.
But it was a pleasant surprise that for once, the weird spectacle surrounding Winehouse was caused not by the singer herself, but by members of her adoring public. Barely advertised and billed as a "DJ battle" between her and DJ Bioux, a wellknown Camden scenester and childhood friend of the singer, the party was at The Monarch, one of the last hostelries in the area to join neighbours such as the Lock Tavern in transforming itself from a rough old pub into a trendy nightspot.
The tension mounted, as always with Winehouse, as young fans filled up the bar. Looking lively and sober, she arrived an hour late (which is half an hour early in rock'n'roll time). This alone provoked spontaneous cheers from the faithful.
Then things got weird. It was hard to see who was actually putting the records and CDs on, so intense was the throng around the DJ booth. It might have been wiser for the organisers to have placed Winehouse out of reach of her fans, who seemed far less interested in dancing to her music selection than in grabbing as much close-up footage as they could, much of which will no doubt be uploaded to the internet by the time you read this.
The fans remained huddled round the DJ box, flashing their cameras relentlessly in the star's face, until eventually, she seemed to resign herself - with remarkable professionalism - to the situation and began posing for the cameras. To see the UK's greatest living singer gyrating on cue for a baying crowd like a cheap stripper was mildly depressing.
The fans clearly loved being so close, but I couldn't help wondering what she hoped to gain from all this. If her only aim was to prove that she was healthy, clean and lucid enough to conduct herself like a normal person, Winehouse succeeded. She seemed happier and healthier than she has appeared to be in recent times. For a DJ set devoted to soul and Sixties sounds, her music choices could not be faulted, including Shocking Blue's classic Send Me A Postcard, Chuck Jackson's Little By Little and many other credible choices.
Crowd reactions were mixed. One female reveller saw Winehouse doing her makeup in the ladies' lavatories. "All these girls were just crowding round her. One said: 'You look lovely.' She said: 'No I don't. I've seen drag queens that look better.' Then the owner herded them all out. She was loving all the attention, though."
A more cynical clubber felt that her DJ-ing rarely appeared to take place without assistance, wryly remarking: "She must be a magician to change the CDs without touching them."
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
