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Review of King Naat Veliov and the Original Kocani Orkestar; and A Hawk and a Hacksaw with the Hun Hangár Ensemble. Brighton Dome (Brighton Festival) 12 May 2007

How does one dance to a Macedonian wedding band? That was the dilemma facing the good people of Brighton in the second half of this double bill of Eastern European folk.

Although music of Romany origin is little known in Britain, film buffs will have heard Naat Veliov play on Emir Kusturica's film ‘The Time of the Gypsies’. A fat, charismatic Telly Savalas look-alike, the King’s music is highly influential in the ex-Yugoslavian republic of Macedonia. This was a one-off performance for the Orkestar, travelling to the UK especially for this appearance at the Brighton Festival.

In keeping with its use in weddings and festivals, Balkan brass bands play happy, high tempo dance music. The Orkestar is based on trumpets, (including Veliov’s brother Orhan) saxophones, tuba and percussion, which maintain a funky, syncopated attack. The King impressive girth swung with the rhythm, and his cocky skill with the trumpet was really quite sexual. The impression overall was akin to Herb Alpert on speed, and by the second tune the crowd were up doing an impression of string in a wind tunnel.

The music may as well have been local versions of the Birdy Song for all we knew, but with guidance from a few flag-waving Macedonians in the aisles, the audience picked up enough dancing tips to make it happily through a long set without dislocating anything. Encores were demanded and given, and it was a sweaty, smiling Festival audience who eventually spilled out into the street.

The first half was very different. Jeremy Barnes, the leader of A Hawk and a Hacksaw, failed to get people dancing despite repeated offers to join the band on stage. Backed with the virtuoso four piece Hun Hangár from Budapest, the music was just too complex, too dark and emotional – even on up-tempo songs such as ‘Ihabibi’ from their new EP.

Ultimately however, this was the most rewarding part of the evening, starting with a surprise Mariachi-style entrance from the back of the hall. Violinist Heather Trost – the ‘hacksaw’ half of AHAAH – and cymbalom player Balázs Unger struck up an eerie waltz, and Barnes and the rest of the ensemble wove their way to the stage wearing grotesque masks. Leaving an enormous football rattle with a bemused member of the audience, a short set began on a strange mixture of tools: cymbalom, trumpet, saxophone, violin, accordion and simple foot-operated drums.

'In the River’, from 2006 album ‘The Way the Wind Blows’ was the most straightforward of a varied mixture of songs. Reminiscent of the legendary ‘fuzz-folk’ band Neutral Milk Hotel that Barnes drummed for, the song was stripped down to showcase his percussive accordion playing. The rest of the set was based on their new EP with Hun Hangár, and included ‘Vajdaszentivány’, a warp speed cymbalom solo from Unger, and stirring Hungarian pipes from Béla Ágoston.

AHAAH’s contemporary edges and willingness to experiment showed through and made the performance stand apart from a textbook folk gig. The contrast between the two shows made this evening more complete - satisfaction for the head and the feet.

Other Brighton music reviews @ magazine.brighton.co.uk

Are we a nation obsessed with lawns? What happens when we stick them on the side of the National Theatre on the London South Bank? Will the dry weather kill it? Can sheep graze vertically?

All this and more explored in Ackroyd & Harvey's new installation 'Flytower' (May and June only). The did it at Dilston Grove inside a church - they've done it on warehouses in South Africa. So far, so arty, so shallow. I like the tactile timber effect concrete of the South Bank, but why not make these green walls permanent...that would be a radical statement, and may actually contribute something to the functioning of cities.

Politically, not bad (greens won 12 seats although control could still go the Tories' way if the Lib Dems side with them).

Environmentally...hmmm. Brighton & Hove Building Green are promoting planty things on roofs and walls as an architectural solution to common urban environmental problems. There are some good examples already in the city, and Building Green will promote these as well as push for green building techniques to become standard practice.

The Roundabout Children's Centre in Whitehawk will open its doors during Architecture Week at 4pm, 20 June. Get down there and see their green roof (and passive solar, wind turbine, pergola and garden etc).

Other good buildings include the Crew Club (Whitehawk), Hedgehog housing (Bevendean), Diggers housing, Varndean College, Downs Junior School, Sainsbury's Benfield Valley, New England Car Park, and Westergate Business Park.

Went to see Run Lola Run at the Brighton festival on saturday night, with a live soundtrack from The Bays.

Hadn't seen the film for a long time, and it was better than I remembered. The Bays did an excellent Orbital impression for the opening credits, and their acid techno got my spine tingling. I haven't listened to any techno for a long time and this made me want to dig out some tunes.

The band were glued to their monitors, and didn't communicate with each other once during the show. Somewhat unusual for a group based around improvisation - and perhaps explained why some of the music, especially the drum and bass workout over the reverse credits, didn't quite gel. But mostly the soundtrack was a success and added to the experience. I'd like to see them do a full set sometime.