Entertainment

Our guide to enjoying yourself in Madrid

Click here to jump to: movies, live music listings, clubs, stuff for kids

concerts

GIG OF THE MONTH: Marc Ford
Fri 26 Feb
Sala El Sol, C/Jardines, 3 (Metro: Gran Vía). Tel: 91 532 64 90. www.elsolmad.com
€18 from www.ticketmaster.es
Former member of both Burning Tree and the highly successful Black Crowes, LA-born singer-songwriter Marc Ford is really rather good. In fact, he’s more than just good: Ford is one of those rare people who can actually play the blues like they were supposed to be played, with deep, dirty riffs; long, drawn-out guitar squeals and enough charisma and attitude to keep you rooted to the spot for the entire gig. If you’re sick of the seemingly never-ending rotation of too-cool-for-school indie bands that pass through Madrid, and up for watching a true professional breathe new life into one of modern music’s oldest genres, Marc Ford at El Sol on the 26th is an absolute must.

The Raveonettes
Wed 3 Feb
Sala Heineken, C/Princesa, 1 (Metro: Plaza España).
Tel: 91 547 57 11. www.salaheineken.com
€21 from www.ticketmaster.es
Danish rock duo The Raveonettes are now on their fourth studio album, In and Out of Control, which sticks to their tried-and-tested formula of gloom, doom, and just a little bit of Velvet Underground-style rock ‘n’ roll. If you were in any doubt about their dark influences, just one look at the track listing of their latest album will convince you. With gems such as “Oh, I Buried You Today”, “Suicide”, and “Boys Who Rape (Should All Be Destroyed)”, the band’s jet-black lyrics seem oddly juxtaposed against their relatively simple and sometimes upbeat 50s- and 60s-style rhythms. Slick live performers, they will be hitting Sala Heineken early this month.

Amy Macdonald
Mon 8 Feb
Joy Eslava, C/Arenal, 11 (Metro: Sol). Tel: 91 366 54 39
€18 from www.ticketmaster.es
Bursting on to the UK music scene in 2007 with her debut album This Is the Life, Amy Macdonald seems to offer a little more to music fans than your average starry-eyed teen singer-songwriter. Although undoubtedly classed as folksy pop, Amy scruffs her music by channelling the likes of The Killers, The Strokes and Pete Doherty (to whom her latest single, “Poison Prince”, is dedicated). Admittedly, it may not be groundbreaking stuff, but if you would like to see a young singer-songwriter who can both sing and pen a decent tune, then Miss Macdonald is definitely worth checking out.

Arctic Monkeys
Fri 5 Feb
Palacio Vistalegre, C/Utebo, 1 (Metro: Vistalagre). Tel: 91 422 07 81. www.palaciovistalegre.com
€35 from www.ticketmaster.es
I’m pretty sure these guys don’t need an introduction, but for those of you who’ve had your musical heads in the sand for the past few years, I’ll provide one anyway. These four unassuming boys from Sheffield, with their adolescent acne, zip-up hoodies and insanely good gritty indie rock tunes about life up north, have finally grown up and moved on to bigger and better things. With lead singer Alex Turner now sporting the obligatory rock-star hair and fashionista girlfriend, it was surely only a matter of time before the lads waved goodbye to their humble beginnings, jumped on the fame bandwagon and picked up the accompanying handbook. Despite the slow replacement of their northern roots with their new inner-city style, the lads have most definitely not lost their ability to produce a stonking good album. Combining new songs with the best of their previous two efforts, this is guaranteed to offer gig-goers one of the best nights out of the year.

booking ahead

Cornershop Tues 2 Mar, Moby Dick, Avda de Brasil, 5 (Metro: Santiago Bernabeu). Tel: 91 556 17 44. €15 from www.ticketmaster.es
Adam Green Wed 3 Mar, Sala Ramdall, C/Ferraz, 38 (Metro: Ventura Rodriguez). Tel: 91 435 85 08. €18 from www.ticketmaster.es
Josh Rouse Thur 4 Mar, Joy Eslava, C/Arenal, 11 (Metro: Sol). Tel: 91 366 54 39. €18 from www.ticketmaster.es
The Cranberries Fri 12 Mar, Palacio Vistalegre, C/Utebo, 1 (Metro: Vistalegre). Tel: 91 422 07 81. €45 from www.ticketmaster.es
La Roux Fri 12 Mar, Joy Eslava, C/Arenal, 11 (Metro: Sol) Tel: 91 366 54 39. €20 from www.ticketmaster.es
Florence + The Machine Mon 15 Mar, Sala Heineken, C/Princesa, 1 (Metro: Plaza de España). Tel: 91 547 57 11. €20 from www.ticketmaster.es
Marlango Fri 26 Mar, Circo Teatro Price, Ronda de Atocha, 35 (Metro: Embajadores). Tel: 91 527 98 65. €25 from www.teatrocircoprice.es
Sepultura Tues 6 Apr, Sala Heineken, C/Princesa, 1 (Metro: Plaza de España). Tel: 91 547 57 11. €25 from www.ticketmaster.es
Nada Surf Thur 29 Apr, Joy Eslava, C/Arenal, 11 (Metro: Sol). Tel: 91 366 54 39. Tickets from www.nvivo.es

live music listings

Rock/pop

BOITE C/Tetuan, 27 (Metro: Sol). Tel: 91 522 96 20. www.boitemadrid.com
5 Feb: Ama
11 Feb: Corinthians
12 Feb: Eliah
18 Feb: Hola a Todo el Mundo
19 Feb: Paraelissa
25 Feb: Bitter Mambo
26 Feb: The Album Leaf

CAFÉ LA PALMA C/Palma 62, (Metro: Noviciado). Tel: 91 522 50 31 www.cafelapalma.com
4 Feb: Haiku Cuervo
5 Feb: Mi Animal
6 Feb: Olga Rossando
11 Feb: Patricia Ferro Olmedo
12 Feb: EA!
13 Feb: EA!
14 Feb: Maratón de Magia
18 Feb: Flamenco Eléctrico
19 Feb: Mayor Tom
20 Feb: Hermanas Sister
25 Feb: Marcus Doo & The Secret Family
26 Feb: Becool
27 Feb: IKHA

SALA CARACOL C/Sebastián Elcano, 18 (Metro: Embajadores). Tel: 91 527 35 94. www.salacaracol.com
3 Feb: Sunn OJJJ + Eagle Twin
5 Feb: Mesh + Ultraviolet
6 Feb: En Espera + Doxa + Bocanda
19 Feb: Ars Amandi
20 Feb: Leo (37)
25 Feb: LA + Alex Ferreira
26 Feb: XXL
28 Feb: Jedi Mind Tricks + Snow Goons

CIRCO TEATRO PRICE Ronda de Atocha, 35 (Metro: Embajadores). Tel: 915 279 865
28 Feb: Vampire Weekend

COSTELLO CLUB C/Caballero de Gracia, 10 (Metro: Gran Vía). Tel: 91 522 18 15. www.costelloclub.com
4 Feb: El Mundo de Murphy
5 Feb: Marta Tchai + Chico
6 Feb: Tom Cary + Lentejas los viernes
9 Feb: Shh + Dana Lee + Lo de Nacho
11 Feb: Showpay
12 Feb: Los Perros
13 Feb: Suaan + Los irrepetibles
18 Feb: Volador
19 Feb: Basonautas
20 Feb: Ray Rumours + Trash Kit
25 Feb: The Waptones + Los Comeback
26 Feb: Básico Permanente
27 Feb: Panico Speed
 
SALA GALILEO GALILEI C/Galileo, 100 (Metro: Islas Filipinas). Tel: 91 534 75 58. www.salagalileogalilei.com
1 Feb: mensO
2 Feb: Atenpe (Marwan,Luis Ramiro, Andres Suarez, etc.)
4 Feb: UHF
5 Feb: Coti
8 Feb: Ramon Prendes
9 Feb: Help! Haiti
10 Feb: Primital
11 Feb: Olga Roman
12 Feb: Gladston Galliza
13 Feb: Los Madison
15 Feb: Abbey Road
19 Feb: Jaime Cordoba
20 Feb: Pajaro Sunrise
21 Feb: Noche de Al-Andalus ( Mohamed Kazafi)
22 Feb: Sther Aranda
23 Feb: Angel Petisme y Los Hijos del Cierzo
24 Feb: Ron Lala
25 Feb: Ochenta y cuatro
26 Feb: Javier Krahe
28 Feb: Cuartetos en armonia La Gran Fiesta Barbershop Singing (19 horas)

GRUTA 77 C/Cuclilo, 6 (Metro: Oporto). Tel: 91 471 23 70. www.gruta77.com
2 Feb: Mark Tortoricci and the Lazy Jumpers
3 Feb: The Rare Sound Machine + Mother Maythen
4 Feb: Los Coronas + Twin Tones
5 Feb: Hirurko + Atake Urbano
6 Feb: La Mala Cabeza + Hyam + Benson
7 Feb: Engendro
9 Feb: La Moto Sierra + Bedoac
10 Feb: El Sobrino del Diablo + La Rural Blues Band
11 Feb: A Palo Seko + Victimas del Jaus
12 Feb: Tete y los Ciclones + Forty Nighters
13 Feb: Hot Dogs + Against the Odds
14 Feb: Duct Tape
17 Feb: Mata a tus Idolos + AK-97
18 Feb: UK Subs + The Vibrators
19 Feb: Waldorf Histeria + Debutant Disco
20 Feb: Dixie Boys + Megatones + Jacpots
23 Feb: Suicidal Drivers + Molim
24 Feb: Crazy Lucky Stars
25 Feb: Three Chords Club + Norton Comando
26 Feb: Guitar Mafia + Antigua
27 Feb: Inem Killers + Bajo Klero + Faber Pugna
28 Feb: Comando Cachima + Sarja Tambaj

SALA HEINEKEN C/Princesa, 1 (Metro: Plaza de España). Tel: 91 547 57 11. www.salaheineken.com
3 Feb: The Raveonettes
7 Feb: The Gathering
10 Feb: Dinosaur Jr
11 Feb: Fiesta Demoscópica
12 Feb: Joss Stone
13 Feb: Richard Hawley
19 Feb: O’funk’illo
21 Feb: Killfest Tour
26 Feb: Berri Txarrak
28 Feb: The Swell Season

JOY ESLAVA C/Arenal, 8 (Metro: Sol). Tel: 91 366 54 39. www.joy-eslava.com
5 Feb: Tracy Gang Pussy
8 Feb: Amy Macdonald
12 Feb: Pink Tones
13 Feb:Vive la Fete
17 Feb: Fangoria
18 Feb: Fangoria
24 Feb: Airbourne
26 Feb: Milow
27 Feb: Marwan

LOW CLUB Plaza de los Mostenses, 11 (Metro: Plaza de España/Noviciado). Tel: 91 547 57 11. www.intromusica.com
5 Feb: Gui Boratto (live) + Ico
6 Feb: Felix Da Housecat + Homeboy
12 Feb: Buffetlibre Djs + Jeneseipop DJs
13 Feb: Underworld (dj-set) + Monkey Brothers
19 Feb: Amable + Homeboy
20 Feb: Calvin Harris + Homeboy
26 Feb: Late of the Pier (dj set) + Homeboy

MOBY DICK Avda del Brasil, 5 (Metro: Santiago Bernabéu). Tel: 91 556 17 44. www.mobydickclub.com
4 Feb: Fu Manchu
6 Feb: El Hombre Linterna
22 Feb: Thalia Zedek Band
23 Feb: The Fiery Furnaces
24 Feb: The Glorytellers + Ainara Le Gardon
26 Feb: The Album Leaf

NEU! CLUB C/Galileo, 100 (Metro: Islas Filipinas). Tel: 91 534 75 58. www.neuclub.es
6 Feb: Cola JetSet
16 Feb: Dent May
20 Feb: Wendy McNeill
27 Feb: Joe Crepúsculo

PALACIO DE CONGRESOS Pº de la Castellana, 99 (Metro: Santiago Bernabéu). Tel: 91 337 8100.
20 Feb: Kevin Costner & His Modern West Band

PALACIO VISTALEGRE C/Utebo, 1 (Metro: Vistalegre). Tel: 91 422 07 81. www.palaciovistalegre.com
5 Feb: Arctic Monkeys

SALA SIROCO C/San Dimas, 3 (Metro: Noviciado) Tel: 606 421 750. www.sirico.es
5 Feb: Delamarca + Sapiens
6 Feb: Buena Esperanza + Allfits
13 Feb: Ikah
20 Feb: Blueberry Hill

SALA EL SOL C/Jardines, 3 (Metro: Gran Vía). Tel: 91 532 64 90. www.elsolmad.com
3 Feb: The Marzipan Man
4 Feb: Delco
10 Feb: The Hi-Risers
19 Feb: Jonston
25 Feb: Brian Hunt
26 Feb: Marc Ford
27 Feb: Cohete

SALA TABOO C/San Vicente Ferrer, 23 (Metro: Tribunal). Tel: 91 524 1189. www.taboo-madrid.com
5 Feb: Cronómetrobudú
6 Feb: Amaro
11 Feb: Funkomatic + The Wildstone Band + Mr Kilombo
12 Feb: Jardín de la croix & Moongardening inc
13 Feb: Venueconnection
19 Feb: La Agonia de Pat
20 Feb: Nine Girls From Outer Space
26 Feb: La Taberna de Moe
27 Feb: Volador

Flamenco

LAS TABLAS Plaza de España, 9 (Metro: Plaza de España). Tel: 91 542 05 20. www.lastablasmadrid.com
CARDAMOMO C/Echegaray, 15 (Metro: Sol). Tel: 91 369 07 57. www.cardamomo.es
CASA PATAS C/Cañizares, 10 (Metro: Antón Martín). Tel: 91 369 04 96. www.casapatas.com

Celtic/folk

Dubliner’s tel: 91 522 75 09
O’Neill’s tel: 91 521 20 30
Triskel Tavern tel: 91 523 27 83
The Irish Rover tel: 91 597 48 11
Taberna Elisa tel: 91 369 74 26
Finbar’s tel: 91 548 37 93

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clubs

€: Cheap
€€: A bit more pricey
€€€: Damn! That’s expensive!

spotlight
WE Party Tokyo
@ La Riviera

It has to be said that the big Madrid clubs are, for various reasons, losing their core base of gay and polysexual clubbers. So thank the lord for WE Party! Following last month’s New Year’s Day event—a wonderful concoction of the best uplifting house, lights shows, Tron-style gogo dancers and, of course, beautiful party people—this fifth event is set to be even better. Are you a manga freak? A console addict? Hold on to your hats as WE Party is going east—to Japan! Brought to us by Victor Pallás, whose attention to detail and excellent organisation have made him one of the most important names in the Spanish club scene, WE Party Tokyo gives you the chance to dance all night to the gutsy rhythms of DJ Nano and guests. At last we have a club that realises it is us, or rather WE, who ARE the party!
WE Party Tokyo @ La Riviera, Pº Bajo de la Virgen, s/n (Puerta del Ángel/Príncipe Pío). Fri 5 Feb, 10.30pm-6am.

dance & mixed

CLUB COLORS, Laydown, Plaza de los Mostenses, 9 (Plaza de España). First & third Fri of the month, 12.30am-3am.  www.myspace.com/clubcolors

dance & mixed

CLUB COLORS, Laydown, Plaza de los Mostenses, 9 (Plaza de España). First & third Fri of the month, 12.30am-3am. www.myspace.com/clubcolors Dance, sit, or even lie down while listening to the beats inspired by different electronic and dance genres at this new “sexy groove session”.
COPOLACLUB, c/San Hermenegildo, 7 (San Bernardo/Noviciado). Wed-Sun 11pm-3.30am. www.copolaclub.com Funky disco-bar with jazz, soul, pop and chilled house upstairs and electronica and techno downstairs. Test out your DJ skills on weeknights. €
Forocio.com Fiesta de Intercambio, Sala Torero, c/de la Cruz, 26 (Sevilla). Wed. www.forocio.com.
Meet people from all over the world at this awesome international party. €
JOY ESLAVA, c/Arenal, 11 (Sol). Daily 11.30pm-6am. www.joy-eslava.com. Hosting lots of guest bands and DJs, Joy attracts a very mixed crowd who get all dolled up to dance to an eclectic mix of music. €€
KAPITAL, c/Atocha, 125 (Atocha). Thur-Sat midnight-6am. Over-the-top seven-floor macro-club playing everything from house to hip hop to Spanish pop. €€€
NEU!CLUB, Sala Galileo Galilei, c/Galileo, 100 (Islas Filipinas). Sat 9.30pm-5.30am. myspace.com/neuclub. Electronica, bluegrass, Motown, 60s, rock and pop during the musical, cultural and audiovisual nights, plus live music and DJ sessions. €€
OCHO Y MEDIO, c/Mesonero Romanos, 13, corner of Gran Vía, 34 (Callao). Fri 1-6am. myspace.com/ochoymedio. Popular night featuring electro-disco, bastard-pop, punk-rock, new wave and post-punk. €€
OUI MADRID, c/Jorge Juan, 99 (Goya). Thur-Sat midnight-3am. www.ouimad.com. Start the night off right at this chic restaurant which turns into a nightclub around midnight. Take the elevator to the top floor and dive into the crush of people. Don’t forget to dress to the nines! €€€
PACHA, c/Barcelo, 11 (Tribunal). Thur-Sat midnight-6am. www.pacha-madrid.com. Ultra-classy Pacha, a major force in Madrid since the 80s, now plays house, hip hop and commercial music on three floors. Worth a try, but leave those Converse at home! €€€
REINA BRUJA, c/Jacometrezo, 6 (Callao/Santo Domingo). Fri-Sat 11pm-5.30am. www.reinabruja.com. Well-mixed, popular hip hop and R&B for the fashionable youth of Madrid. €€
YA’STA, c/Valverde, 10 (Gran Vía). Thur-Sat midnight-6am. www.yastaclub.net. Thursdays are jazz, funk and soul, Fridays are dirty rock and electro, and Saturdays are techno and psychedelic trance. Talk about a complete weekend! €€

indie pop & rock

ELÁSTICO FLÉXICLUB, Sala Moon, c/Aduana, 21 (entrance by Montera street) (Gran Vía). Sat 1-6am. myspace.com/elasticoflexiclub. From the creators of the epic Ocho y Medio comes Elastico Flexiclub. Every week DJs, plus residents Scream, Luiliminili and Smart, play upbeat indie pop tunes with an electronic twist. €€
ESPIRAL POP, c/San Andrés, 23 (Tribunal/Bilbao). Wed-Sun 11pm-3am. myspace.com/espiralpop. Pop and electro pop at this funky café with featured DJs. €
INDEPENDANCE CLUB, c/Santa Engracia, 26 (Alonso Martínez). Thu-Fri-Sat midnight-6am. www.independanceclub.com. New venue playing popular, danceable indie-pop and rock. Email info@independanceclub.com with your full name, number of people and day attending for free entry! €
SALA TABOO, c/San Vicente Ferrer, 23 (Tribunal). Thur-Sat 11pm-5.30am. www.taboo-madrid.com.
Hosting both concerts and DJs, this Malasaña venue has it all, from funky electronica to punk-rock to trip-hop by upcoming artists. Watch out for its indie night, Dots Club, on Thursdays. €€
TRANSMISSION CLUB, Sala Star Studio 54, Plaza del Carmen, 3, lower floor (Sol). Fri 11pm-3am. myspace.com/ transmission_club. Here’s a bar with a heavy musical focus, even mixing up the styles—post-punk, gothic, 80s and more—depending on the night. €
TUPPERWARE, c/Corredera Alto de San Pablo, 26 (Tribunal). Wed-Sun 10pm-3am. myspace.com/tupperwarebar. Super-kitsch design and an indie-pop vibe that gets everyone dancing. €
WILD THING BAR, c/Martín Machio, 2 (corner Padre Claret) (Alfonso XIII). Sun-Thur 9pm-close, Fri-Sat 10pm-close. www.wildthing.es. DJs rock this artsy bar every night of the week with 90s and indie greats. Make sure you take advantage of its happy hour on Thursdays from 9pm to 1am, when beers are only €2! €

electro, house, techno & drum’n’bass

AUDIUM, c/Ventura Rodríguez, 7 (Ventura Rodríguez). Sat 1-7am. myspace.com/audiumclub. Non-stop techno and deep house music from RedSonja,Miguel Mendoza, Xpansul and more. €€
CAPOTE, c/Santa Teresa, 3 (Alonso Martínez). Tues-Sat 10pm-5am. This little gem of a bar puts on a good show with resident DJs Timo and Roberto Jean. Enjoy some tasty house music to whet your appetite. €€
CASSETTE CLUB, Sala Boite, c/Tetuan, 27 (Sol). Sun midnight-6am. myspace.com/clubcassette. Electro to help ease you into the working week with a smile on your face. A cool night for a cool crowd. €€
DARK HOLE, Sala Flamingo, c/Mesonero Romanos, 13 (Callao/Gran Vía). Sat 1-6am. myspace.com/darkholegothicclub. Madrid’s unofficial gothic headquarters. Listen to dark ambient, electro and goth music until dawn. €€
DOMINION CLUB, Sala Ya’sta, C/Valverde, 10 (Gran Vía). Sat 9pm-1am.
www.myspace.com/dominionclubmadrid
Before heading over to Dark Hole, begin the night early at Dominion Club and make the most out of the mixes provided by resident DJs Fran Raven and David Akelarre. It offers affordable prices, plus the option to get in free before 10.30pm with a flyer. €€
DU:OM, Sala Heineken, c/Princesa, 1 (Plaza de España). Fri-Sat midnight-6am. www.duomclub.com. Dress to impress and dance the night away to house and progressive house provided by some truly talented DJs: Hugo Serra, Iván Pica and Pombo. €€€
ELIXIR, Changó, c/Luchana (corner of Covarrubias) (Iglesia/Bilbao). Sat midnight-6am. A classy venue with good-looking people, hot go-gos, decadent design and dance music till dawn. €€€
LOW CLUB, Sala Pirandello 1, c/Princesa, 3 (Plaza de España). Fri-Sat midnight-6am. www.intromusica.com. Spend your weekends dancing away to resident and international DJs spinning the latest electro and techno beats. €€€
MOMA 56, c/José Abascal, 56 (Gregorio Marañon). Wed-Sat midnight-6am. www.moma56.com. Dance to resident DJ Koke’s tunes at this recently reopened
disco bar. €€
MONDO, Sala Stella, c/Arlabán, 7 (Sevilla). Thur-Sat 0.30-6am. www.web-mondo.com. Funk and electronica feature in this fantastic venue located smack dab in the centre of town. Fridays lean more towards house, techno and electro under the night’s pseudonym, The Room. This is a place you night-owls won’t want to miss! €€
OHM, Plaza Callao, 4 (Callao). Fri-Sat midnight-6am. myspace.com/ohmclub. Great house DJs, great people and a great vibe. And don’t miss Weekend on Sundays, which features funky house. €€
SUPERKLUB, Sala COOL, Isabel la Católica, 6 (Santo Domingo). Sun midnight-6am. Sunday evenings just got better than ever, with Superklub spilling non-stop house music into your Monday morning as if the weekend was never going to end. €€€
TWIST CLUB, Sala Wind, c/Montera, 25 (entrance in Plaza del Carmen) (Gran Vía). Thur midnight-6am. myspace.com/ twistmadrid. By far the best drum ‘n’ bass night around. Head over and get hooked on music from Xol and you’re sure to have your Thursday nights booked. €€

reggae, funk, jazz & world music

LA BOCA DEL LOBO, c/Echegaray, 11 (Sevilla). Wed-Sat 10.30pm-3.30am. www.labocadellobo.com Rock, funk, electronic jazz and rare groove served up four nights a week, plus live music. €€
COSTELLO, c/Caballero de Gracia, 10 (Gran Vía). Daily 6pm-3am. www.costelloclub.com. Everything from funk and electronic jazz to pop, rare groove and rock music. €€
EL JUGLAR, c/Lavapiés, 37 (Lavapiés). Daily midnight-3am. www.salajuglar.com. Get your daily dose of funk, house, reggae and breaks at this neighbourhood hotspot. €
EL JUNCO, Plaza Santa Bárbara, 10 (Alonso Martínez). Daily 11pm-6am. www.eljunco.com. Late-night funk and electronic jazz. €€
MARULA CAFÉ, c/Caños Viejos, 3 (La Latina). Daily 10.30pm-6am. www.marulacafe.com. Come and get your funk on at the palace of funk, also known as Marula Café. €
SWEET FUNK CLUB, c/Doctor Cortezo, 1 (Sol/Tirso de Molina). Thur-Sat midnight-6am. sweetfunkclub.com. Feel free to get a little dirty at this hip-hop club near Sol. €

SPECIAL NIGHTS

Goa: Carnaval @ Fabrik, Avda de la Industria, Fuenlabrada, Humanes de Madrid (free shuttle buses from Fuenlabrada Central and Plaza de España). Sun 14 Feb, 1pm-1am. www.goaclub.es.
Goa is always worth the trip out to Fuenlabrada on a Sunday afternoon. Venue Fabrik has, in my humble opinion, the best sound system in Madrid. If you haven’t made it out on the free bus, it’s about time you did, as once tried, you’re sure to be back for more! The last “Animal Magic” party was utterly brilliant—this is another club that makes a huge effort to entertain. It attracts people from miles around, especially those who are serious about their music. For Goa’s special Carnaval celebration, you have Timo Maas, Marcos Indub and Gerardo Niva in the main room. In the Crystal Club, there are Real Tone Records from París and Sole Channel NYC, while on the Upper Floor you’ll find the residents of Granada’s Industrial Copera with Junior; Loft.Co (Gijón) with Jairo Catelo; Mathias Valmondt and Jorge Sánchez; Fever from Bilbao with duo Autosoun and Sevilla Rullz with Gonçalo, not to mention French DJ D’Julz finishing off. €30 incl copa

DJ2D2 @ Cafe del Palma, c/La Palma, 62 (Noviciado). 13 Feb, midnight.
Having just turned 15, Café del Palma celebrates Carnaval with DJ2D2, a visual clubbing night inspired by DJ Yoda featuring video as well as audio loop scratching. Free

Felix Da Housecat @ Low Club, Sala Pirandello, c/Martín de los Heros, 14 (Ventura Rodríguez/Plaza de España). Sat 6 Feb, midnight-6am.
Chicago’s Felix Da Housecat, one of the most influential names in house music, will be touching down in Madrid this 6 February. 2009 was a fantastic year for him, following the release of his tenth—and quite possibly best—album. He’s also just graced the cover of clubbing bible Mixmag with hip-hop maestro Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and headlined the mag’s Main Event II at Cameo alongside DJ buddies Simian Mobile Disco, A-Trak, Junior Sanchez and DJ Mehdi. Yeah, this guy is the real McCoy! €15

Sal 1 Jueves al Mes @ Sala Heineken, c/Princesa, 1 (Plaza de España). Thur 4 Feb, midnight. 
The first Thursday of the month is becoming a firm fixture in the party calendar. This time doors open at midnight for a special DJ set from Kaiser Chiefs, along with our favourite resident, Homeboy. Head to www.salunjuevesalmes.com to get your free invitation, but with everyone doing the same, make sure you get there early! Free

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movies
Jessica Cogan tackles the tough job of previewing all the movies in the States before they reach us across the pond.

Invictus
Who doesn’t love a sports underdog story? Especially one that also functions as a feel-good civil rights film? Man, I want to high-five somebody right now! Directed by Clint Eastwood, Invictus is based on the true story of South Africa’s unlikely victory in the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Led by team captain Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon), the South African squad is weak and unpopular with the country’s black population (rugby is the sport of the colonisers). Then Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) steps in and asks that the Springboks (as the team is known) help him unify South Africa as they move past apartheid. Francois is game and rallies his team, their fans and the nation to victory. Over the top at times? Yes. Rather sanctimonious? Sure. But a lot of fun to watch? Oh hell yes. Out now

A Single Man (Un Hombre Soltero)
Tom Ford, fabulous fashionisto of Gucci fame, is known for making beautiful things. And A Single Man, his first foray into filmmaking, is no different. Starring a stony Colin Firth, the movie focuses on a man facing his final day of life. George (Firth) is a homosexual college professor who lost his lover of 16 years in a car accident a few months ago. His days are filled with nostalgia and painful memories—so much so that he’s decided to end his life. So we watch as he spends his day packing boxes, seeing his one friend Charley (Julianne Moore), and remembering his days with Jim (Matthew Goode). Colin Firth’s repressed grief is moving from the start. And Ford’s breathtaking production is a wonderful counterpoint and backdrop for Firth’s performance. The pace is plodding, deliberately so, and sometimes a bit wearing, but this is a soulful, sad and beautiful film. One you won’t want to miss. 12 Feb

The Soloist (El Solista)
In an effort to save most of you some time, here’s my quick review: crap. But for anyone interested in knowing a bit more about this awful film, I’ll oblige with a bit more—but don’t say I didn’t warn you. Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.), LA Times columnist, meets Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx), a homeless man with musical talent. He can play Beethoven on a two-string violin and attended Juilliard before he was overcome by mental illness. Thinking he’s chanced upon a miracle (and a great story), Steve sets about saving Nathaniel, who, lo and behold, ends up being a real person with real issues that no amount of practice time with the LA Philharmonic can remedy. Foxx is fine as Ayers, but his character is hardly engaging; Steve, meanwhile, is exploitative. Together with a pat storyline, these elements combine to make a terrifically underwhelming film about a pretty interesting real-life story. 19 Feb

An Education
Like Jenny, the wide-eyed star of An Education, I learned about love the hard way. Of course, I wish my teacher had looked like Jenny’s David (Peter Sarsgaard) instead of my own first love, a JoJo the dog-faced boy lookalike. In the film, David seduces 16-year old Jenny (Carey Mulligan) after rescuing her and her cello from a rainy commute. Charming David wheedles his way into Jenny’s heart and pants, as well as sweeps her folks Jack (Alfred Molina) and Marjorie (Cara Seymour) off their middle-class feet. But the focus is really on Jenny, her dreams of going to Oxford, her seduction by David and the golden world he represents. But, alas, Jenny soon learns the limitations of a woman’s options in the 1960s and becomes a wiser, if sadder, person for it. This is a wonderful film filled with subtle, thoughtful performances especially by the two leads. Mulligan’s performance in particular screams “nominate me”. I smell Oscar… 26 Feb

Also Out

Amreeka (Amerrika) Winner of the Critics Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Amreeka also won hearts at last year’s Sundance and earned acclaim for debut director Cherien Dabis for its bitterly comic story of a Palestinian woman and her son transported to the United States on the back of a green card. Drawn from her own experiences as a Muslim growing up in smalltown USA, it’s set in the anti-Arab climate that characterised the country after 9/11, authentically exploring the experience of otherness and illustrating American ignorance of the Middle East. Out now

The Hurt Locker (En Tierra Hostil) Point Break director Kathryn Bigelow’s gripping study of a US bomb disposal squad in Iraq is well worth a look. Out now

The Road (La Carretera) If No Country For Old Men was the first successful adaptation of a Cormac McCarthy novel, The Road is the second. Director John Hillcoat teams up with Viggo Mortensen to bring the terse, post-apocalyptic novel alive in all its greyness. McCarthy’s bleak story with a silver lining of sorts is woven around a father and son wandering around ravaged American landscapes trying to defend themselves against wild gangs of cannibals with only a pistol and their love for one another. 5 Feb

Precious Another solid adaptation of a novel (Push by Sapphire), and a big winner at Sundance (Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award), Precious is perhaps even darker than The Road because, well, it’s real. “Precious” is the nickname of 16-year-old Claireece, an overweight mother of two children, both of whom are the result of her being raped by her father. Suspended from her Harlem school in 1987, she is sent to an alternative institution where she learns to read under the tutelage of her new teacher. But this is not your typical Hollywood feelgood story. Things do get somewhat better, but they also manage to get a whole lot worse. 5 Feb

Shutter Island Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio team up again, this time taking on a twisted plot that includes Ben Kingsley as a frightening doctor in a hospital for the criminally insane. DiCaprio plays Teddy Daniels, a US Marshall in the 1950s, who lands on the titular Massachussetts island to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a patient. While there, he’s exposed to a slew of bizarre mental cases and the disturbing treatments they’ve been submitted to. Everything becomes terrifyingly entangled when a hurricane cuts off communication with the mainland and Daniels struggles to maintain his own sanity while fighting to stay alive. 19 Feb

The Lovely Bones A not-so-solid adaptation of Alice Sebold’s 2002 novel, Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson’s new film has been roundly criticised as self-indulgent, special effects-crazed and emotionally empty. Too bad, because the premise is promising: a 14-year-old girl from suburbia who has been murdered watches how her death has affected her family, while she tries to help them solve the crime and reclaim her disappeared body. Youngster Saoirse Ronan (Atonement) stars alongside Mark Walhlberg, Rachel Weisz and Susan Sarandon. 26 Feb

kids

InMadrid and kidsinmadrid.com bring you a selection of activities for the younger crowd. Check www.kidsinmadrid.com for more

Mitos y Tradición Oral: Los Mitos Clásicos @ CaixaForum
The Greeks and Romans knew how to create and transmit useful myths to give answers to some of the essential questions about the human race. This show at the CaixaForum uses dramatisations to teach children and parents about these ancient stories. For ages six and up.
CaixaForum, Pº del Prado, 36 (Metro: Atocha). Tel: 91 330 73 00. Tickets: €4 (reservations recommended). Sat 20 Feb. www.laCaixa.es/ObraSocial

La Escuela de Magia
Murphy the magician is celebrating his fourth tour in the Spanish capital with magic for the whole family. A show where children become magicians, and adults become children! 
Pequeño Teatro Gran Vía, Gran Vía, 66 (Metro: Plaza de España). Tel: 91 541 55 69. Tickets (www.elcorteingles.es, 902 400 222) €15. Sat 5pm, Sun 12.30pm. 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21 Feb.

Mercado del Juguete Antiguo
Held every first Saturday of the month, the Antique Toy Market sells everything from 19th-century tin antiques to Star Wars figures. Well worth a look. Mercado Puerta de Toledo, Ronda de Toledo, 1 (Metro: Puerta de Toledo). Tel: 91 366 72 00. www.mercadopuertadetoledo.es. Free. First Sat of the month, 10.30am-3.30pm.

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