I’d heard lots of good things about the Barbican as a concert venue so I had high hopes for my first gig there and wasn’t disappointed.

Portico Quartet mesmerised the audience for an hour and a half playing mostly from their second and more experimental album, Isla. I felt hypnotised by their strange and wonderful sound, and my mind wandered into all sorts of bizarre territory during their set.

The gig was also notable for having the most polite and well-behaved audience I’ve ever seen! Everyone in the auditorium sat in complete silence, and barely moved, when a man coughed on the other side of the room, everyone in our row noticed. Was it the quality of the music, or is this just usual Barbican etiquette?

Portico Quartet’s gig was part of East festival, which encourages you to get out and explore the East of London. The Barbican is certainly not in my neck of the (London) woods and I think I earned my East credentials last night: a tube, a cancelled train, two more tubes and an overground train later, I was finally home!

In some places (Bulgaria, China, Russia, Vietnam) International Women’s Day is a national holiday.

Here in London, there are lots of events to celebrate IWD. We want to know what you’re up to on this special day.

International Women’s Day Events in London:

• Novelists Diana Evans and Benardine Evaristo are at Rich Mix tonight, talking about the theme of migration in their work. This event is also part of the East Festival.  7.30pm.
• Join Me On The Bridge is an international campaign promoting peace and development across the world. In London, a parade is gathering at Victoria Embankment Gardens for 10am, and walking to the Millenium Bridge at 12noon for a photograph. (The same thing is happening on bridges across the world from the Bahamas to Uganda, including the Brooklyn Bridge)
• Tonight at the Haunch of Venison, there’ll be a series of dance performances for International Women’s Day. Contemporary ballet, traditional Balkan and South Asian and Sufi whirlers as well as pieces from top female performance artists Eloise Fornieles and Kirstie Mcleod
• And, with Kathryn Bigelow’s fantastic, ground-breaking success at last night’s Academy Awards, don’t forget the Birds Eye Film Festival starts today: nine days of celebration and support for international women filmmakers.

What are you doing to celebrate International Women’s Day in London? Let us know in the comments below.

There’s been a few last-minute announcements. The always popular and very cool Song East, which involves a series of free music performances at various venues in East London, will now feature singer/songwriter Kami Thompson. Kami is the daughter of folk duo Richard and Linda Thompson and her music draws on these roots, while adding a modern rock sensibility.

East Festival also gives you the chance to walk in the footsteps of legendary engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel through the Thames Tunnel for the first time in 145 years! A new event, the Thames Tunnel Walkthrough and Underground Fancy Fair will be held just after East, but in conjuction with the festival.

Excitement is bubbling at VL towers over the fact that East Festival is just three weeks away. And it’s not just us, the Mayor of London Boris Johnson is looking forward to it too:

“I’m delighted to see the return of the East Festival. This year promises to be a real box of delights with a range of world class artists, exciting performances and activities that range from building your own home to bicycle polo in a festival that showcases East London’s brightly burning creative spirit.”

This year’s East has four major themes: Architecture, Minimalism, Travel and Asian Subcontinent. Highlights of East 2010 include:

• More than 100 specially curated artist-led events
• Cycle East‘s free music – by bike – including Soweto Kinch and Sweet Billy Pilgrim
• East London’s very own Commonwealth Games
• St Ethelburga’s Delhi Dharbar: a programme of events exploring Delhi’s religious diversity through music, stories, architecture and food
• Moonfleece: Philip Ridley’s new play, set in an East London tower block
• Ron Arad: As part of the Barbican’s Ron Arad season, a series of specially created events around the East Festival
• Céleste Boursier-Mougenot: Installation by French artist in the Curve gallery at the Barbican takes the form of a walk-through aviary inhabited by 40 zebra finches

Go to www.findeast.co.uk for the full East festival programme.

East, one of London’s most exciting, quirky and cool festivals, is just around the corner!

East is an annual festival that celebrates the cultural and creative life of East London. Next year it will be held from 4-9 March and, while we can’t reveal too much at this stage, we can tell you that it’s going to be just as interesting and diverse as ever.

East 2010 will explore four key themes:

1. Architecture
2. Asian Subcontinent
3. Travel
4. Minimalism

The six-day festival features around 80 events held at East London venues ranging from The Barbican to Brick Lane, Whitechapel Gallery to Spitalfields Market.

Previous East festivals have seen innovative new collaborations, work from world-class artists and performers, and record audiences. This is one London festival you really don’t want to miss.

In fact, why wait for March? The Christmas break is an ideal time to get out and about in East London. For inspiration, check out the East London Walks page, our Only in London East Itinerary and the DIY East guide. That way, when the festival rolls around, you’ll be fully prepared to enjoy East!