5 x 15

One of the best things about London is the assortment of neat and quirky events that are always happening around the city. Last night, I had the pleasure of attending 5 x 15 -- an evening of entertainment that features 5 speakers, each telling a 15 minute cross-section of their personal stories or areas of expertise. Somewhat reminiscent of TED talks.

The topics ranged from how to get into Oxford on blind luck, what it's like to grow up with an eccentric gay dad, the reformation of a hardened criminal, a behind-the-scenes peek into a documentary on Peter Mandelson, and the sexual nature of cars. Quite an eclectic mix of subjects, and an equally eclectic mix of personalities.

I think I was most touched by Noel 'Razor' Smith's account of how he turned to a life of crime after having been victimized and harassed by the police. He spent the majority of his adult life in prison, where he taught himself to read and write, and eventually realised he could raise more havoc by writing complaints than he could by punching out the guards. The real turning point, though, was when his son died and he wasn't allowed to attend the funeral. Despite never having done any public speaking before (except "from the witness box at the Old Bailey," he quipped), he had a captivating presence and I didn't want him to stop. Alas, the bell rang and he was cut short. Just to give you an idea of how enraptured I was, the bell apparently rang several times and I never even heard it.

To give the evening a little more texture, there was also a musical interlude. Lulu and the Lampshades were absolutely enchanting. Their creative use of instrumentation, rhythm, and melody sucked me right in.



This little number is their most popular on YouTube. I think I might have preferred some of their other songs, but I love how they've incorporated the cup game here. Their stage rendition was even better, backed by a flute, guitar, and more percussion.

This all took place at Union Chapel, a Gothic church souped up with red stage lights, candles, and strung up number cut-outs. There was even a proper trendy bar upstairs where we hung out with a diverse crowd of hip 20-somethings, middle-aged professionals, and the retired elite during the intermission. A perfectly quirky venue for a perfectly quirky evening. They run these events regularly, and I think I might be hooked.