The Damned 21-22 December 2008, Komedia, Brighton

Lucy Robinson, Lecturer in History at the University of Sussex, teaches a second-year history course, Thatcher’s Britain. Ash Arcadian is a second-year student on that course. Finding that they both have a lot in common, they find themselves going to watch the Damned: one band, two punters, two gigs, two experiences.

Peter Doherty at the Brighton Dome 19^th March 2009

Pete Doherty has been remarketed. He is now Peter not Pete. In a plain black sweater and jeans he as been deGuccified; he is no longer Kate Moss’s dirty little play thing. He is now something else – but after watching him at the Dome I’m not entirely sure what that something else is, and nor I suspect is he.

Something strange is happening in a city recently wishing to protect its citizens from ‘inciteful’ homophobic lyrics and the sensual charms of lap dancers (Burlesque doesn’t count apparently as it’s middle-class, sorry, art). These two recent council banning campaigns show a new puritanical Brighton emerging, yet it’s a city still happily hosting a comedian, magician and self proclaimed ‘psychopath’ at its annual festival, a man specialising in hate speech. But, believe it or not, Brighton is in good need of the refreshing shower of spittle and bile sprayed upon every touchstone taboo: race; rape; religion; paedophilia; disability; and sexuality, that is Jerry Sadowitz.

I first heard of ’silent discos’ at Glastonbury Festival a few years ago and was immediately intrigued. Party goers wear radio headphones and dance to a choice of at least two different DJ’s. If you take your headphones off, there is no music; it is literally silent. I was, therefore, very happy to see it make it onto the Brighton Festival and reach a wider audience.