A weekend that’ll go down in history, despite the country being in national mourning following the death of Queen Elizabeth II there’s still plenty going on, including a Bowie doc, innovative design and some Dior brilliance – how very royal.

Hunky Dory
Five years (starts singing: “Five years, that’s all we’ve got“) in the making, Brett Morgen’s highly anticipated David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream is hitting cinemas this weekend. Granted unrestricted access to Bowie’s archive by the musician’s estate, Morgen’s documentary sets itself apart from the endless stream of films focusing on the icon’s shapeshifting demeanour and pioneering sound with the inclusion of rare, unseen footage. Bowie’s narration plays over the on-screen action as footage from defining moments such as the Ziggy Stardust Tour during the early 70s and the Serious Moonlight Excursion of 1983. Morgen is no stranger to holding a microscope up to a famed musician, having previously directed Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, charting the life of the Nirvana frontman.

Moonage Daydream is out in cinemas now. 

Top of our charts
Margate-based troubadour Dan Lyons returns with a new record, and new band: The Tenants. Along with Dom Hall (drums), Henry Gabbott (bass) and Freya Warsi (vocals), Lyons and his group moved into Margate’s iconic Tom Thumb Theatre, closed for business during Covid, this became The Tenants’ Big Pink, their Villa Nellcôte. Amongst Wurlitzers and Mellotrons, the band channelled their energy through their amps, realising a new album titled Shuttered Dreams, released today on Shaker Records. We’ve already heard the record and it’s a belter.

Dan Lyons and The Tenants’ Shuttered Dreams is out 16th September.

Body talking
Renowned performance artist Carolee Schneemann’s retrospective has arrived at the Barbican, known for creating some of the most well-known performance art of the twentieth century, the American visionary is finally getting a full-scale deep dive into her archive. Using her interdisciplinary approach over the past six decades to address topics such as sexual expression, the objectification of women and the violence of war, it is often her own body that is the main subject. Body Politics will bring together her early paintings alongside experimental sculptures, immersive installations and of course, her pioneering performance work. Combining over two hundred objects and rare archive material, it’s the first time a major survey of Schneemann has arrived in the UK – so this is special.

Carolee Schneemann: Body Politics will run at the Barbican until January 8th 2023, more info here.

Kicking off on Saturday, London Design Festival lands at the V&A for its 20th anniversary. An annual event celebrating some of the world’s best designers via a series of installations, exhibitions and events that push the boundaries of what we know design to be. Not just confined to the walls of the V&A, districts of creativity will be scattered across the city for the coming week, with highlights including an outdoor installation from Rotterdam-based designer Sabine Marcelis celebrating the beauty of Brutalism, a Neolithic stone structure titled Henge in Greenwich Peninsular and a series of 20 Things by Sam Jacob in which pieces of art are hidden throughout Earls Court.

London Design Festival runs until September 25th, more info here. 

Dior by Donovan
Hosted by Gray MCA, American fashion illustrator Bill Donovan’s latest exhibition The Art of Elegance is making a pit stop in the capital this weekend. Known for being Christian Dior’s first and only artist-in-residence since 2009 and appearing in publications globally, the brilliance of Donovan’s craft has given him a reputation as a legend in his field. Bringing together thirty original works, including a series especially commissioned for the show, it’s a unique retrospective of elegance.

Bill Donovan’s The Art of Elegance will run at Cromwell Place until September 18th, more info here. 

Dirty books
To mark its 65th year, London’s Rare Book Fair is turning X-rated. Known for always showcasing a plethora of hard-to-find works of literature, memorabilia and artefacts, the fair is taking over three floors of the Saatchi Gallery across the weekend to focus on the beauty of banned books. Unique censored works are not just on display but for sale, including a 1933 edition of Ulysses featuring an original erotic painting inspired by Circe, and a scandalous first edition of D.H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover. Here’s a hint, the top shelf is usually best…

Firsts Rare Book Fair runs at the Saatchi Gallery until September 18th, more info here. 

West London has a new wine bar, and we’re big fans. Pairing a carefully curated wine list with hearty dishes cooked over an open grill by head chef Jessica Donovan. Expect to see experimental European cuisine in the form of monkfish in sweetcorn sauce, smoked potatoes with borlotti beans, crispy chicken skin and indulgent chocolate éclairs to finish. There are seats overlooking the grill for all you kitchen voyeurs, while the basement below boasts a dimly lit haven, with a vinyl selection on rotation curated by independent record stores such as Stranger Than Paradise, Phonica Records and Honest Jones.

Caia is located at 146 Golborne Rd, W10 5PR. More info here.