PRIS
'A NIGHT OF RAW FEMALE TALENT FROM SOUTH EAST LONDON'
THURSDAY 13TH MAY

In May, Focus 23 presents another smorgasbord of local talent, but this time it's feminine. We won't be turning anyone away and we won't be casting our collective nose at anything, but if you ain't down with the gals you better come prepared. Curated by Daisy Janes and sustained by a cohort of whooping, hollering lasses, Focus 23 comes at you with a mixture of live and DJ performances from the best in local female talent.

Notable for being the first, and probably last reggae singer to come out of Chester, Ava Leigh headlines with a luxurious blend of reggae sounds and unique English charm. Ava has already made headlines around the country with stunning performances nationwide, serving up a chilled blend of acoustic jazz and ska propped up by an amazing voice.

Charmaine 'BUNNY BROWN' Barker is an actor, poet and all round entertainer. After many years of full time experimenting, the moment has come for her to go back to school and train as a professional actor. At Focus 23 presents PRIS, Charmaine will showcase her very raw and very untamed talent and is hoping to gain the support of the community and her peers on a quest to foot a very expensive bill (no duck houses included). Bunny Brown is Charmaine's alter ego, sexy and playful divine. Be gentle, she won't bite!

Alongside this veritable array of female prodigies, we have DJ sets from Biscotty vs Rambo who will deliver a platter of 90s funk, dirty dancehall and soulful struts; Fumbalina who does anything but with a delicate fusion of tasty house riddims, sexy jazz beats, and wonky pop-tastic moments; and Sound as a Pound who combine 80s steel pans and synth party vibes to burn the night away in a warm glow.

This month Focus 23 features art work by Nicola Cook, Becky Allen and Kate Innes.

IMPROVISED ELECTRONIC MUSIC
'AN EVENING OF FREELY IMPROVISED MUSIC COMPRISING SETS FROM 3 GROUPS EACH EXPLORING DIFFERENT AREAS OF ELECTRONIC AND ELECTRO-ACOUSTIC IMPROVISATION'
THURSDAY 8TH APRIL

This edition of FOCUS23 sees three diverse ensembles bring their own approaches towards exploring sound, music and our everyday auditory experience through freely improvised performance.

Expect live-algorithmic manipulation of field recordings, purely electronic soundscapes, and everything in between.

RESIDENT DJ TAKE-OVER

'ONE FOR THE RESIDENT DJ'S WHO SO DUTIFULLY DEVOTE THEMSELVES TO THE CAUSE EVERY MONTH'

THURSDAY 8TH MARCH

In March, Focus 23 presents a showcase for the resident DJs who so dutifully devote themselves to the cause every month. They are the ones who furnish the songs that make up the background to our each and every thought at Focus 23, and a key determining factor in our enjoyment and experience of the evening.

As if the guys behind the wheels of steel don't get enough limelight as it is, I hear you say! Well, we'd be hard-pressed to argue with that assertion. Fawned over and admired in equal measure, DJs do have a rather romanticised reputation as well as a phone list bigger than Chris Moyles' ego. So why the extra coverage? Because they're worth it. For without music, where exactly would Focus 23 or any of us be?

Come join us for an evening of mix-magic, poised to descend into a night of mayhem. Free entry, unfree drinks. Big.

LIVE MUSIC

'FOCUS23 RETURNED TO THE SUN AND DOVES FOR A NIGHT OF LIVE MUSIC APPEALING TO FRESH-FACED NEWBIES AND WORLD-WISE ALIKE'

THURSDAY 11TH FEBRUARY

Focus 23 presents Focus: Live Music, a showcase of local bands who straddle the fascinating and dynamic divide between acoustic and electronic music. Whether it’s taking organic sounds sourced from the most unlikely of places, or mining the depths of the digital universe to shape masterful atmospherics, our artists have a way when it comes to combining different worlds.

So expect to be dazzled as Focus 23 brings its parade of bands and solo artists that keep on resisting categorisation. And walk away, proud and enriched, with the sound of the future safely stored in your ears, ready to brandish it as grace when the martians come.

Crewdson has been slamming it at a number of nights in and around London of late, bringing his much-vaunted brand of sampling wizardry and glitchy, hip-hop electronics to bear on a discerning and ecstatic crowd. If you like your Four Tet, Underworld, or your Matthew Herbert, then Crewdson is the man to glitch-hop your world. Never before has a pint glass been put to such constructive use! Mustac deliver a repertoire of uptempo, punchy art-rock with a dash of electronics.

Catherine Okada is someone we met on the street and whose identity we are unable to disclose for legal reasons...

 

WORD
'A FREESTYLE FREEFALL MELEE OF RHYME AND VERSE'
THURSDAY 14TH JANUARY

The Irreverent Bobby Tabernacle is proud to invite you to come and enjoy a host of south-east London’s poet preacher prophets bringing the page to the stage. All styles, forms and minds are welcome to engage, rage and worship the wonderful thing we call language.

Featuring a selection of some of the brightest and breeziest local poets, Focus 23 presents another feast of art and culture for your delectation and delight. So whether it be Blake or the Beastie Boys, if you like this thing called rhyme , get yourself down, and share the good time!

DESIGN DERBY

'CREATIVE THROUGHBREDS STRUT THEIR STUFF IN A UNIQUE PRINT EXHIBITION.'
THURSDAY 10TH DECEMBER

Continuing it's residency at the Sun & Doves, FOCUS23 presents a unique opportunityto get your hands on signed, limited edition artwork from the freshest design talent London has to offer.

 

The Design Derby sees creative thoroughbreds strutting their stuff and giving you the chance to bet and win exclusive one-off design beauties.

DIGITAL MEDIA

'THE 2ND FOCUS23 NIGHT IS UPON US AND THIS IS SURE TO BE BIGGER, BETTER AND BRASHER THAN THE LAST!'
THURSDAY 13TH MAY


This month we have a selection of Focus DJs and practitioners in the field of digital media. On show is visual artist Schwarz who will be messing with your cerebral cortex as he plies his tricksy graphics and live visual designs. Plastic Horse will gallop non-stop through some neat but creepy animations. And Linford Crustie is sure to be fast out the blocks, with some trippy films that go to show how the finest national treasures only better with age!

On the decks we have Ajantis who'll be subtly insinuating some subliminal sounds through your cochleas; Tony Blare who promises to reimagine the whole nu-labour thing for one last time; and Haze who'll have you gasping for more as he threads his irregular rhythms around your bonce.

Free entry AGAIN, but this one is an Oxjam (Oxfam music festival) fundraiser, so all donations are welcome!