What Happened Will?

Oh Canada! You’re like America’s kooky, more loveable cousins and your comedians are absolutely mental. Take masked weirdo Baconface for example, who is playing Soho this Friday. In what other country could produce a guy telling joke with pork products strapped to his face? Well maybe Denmark.

On the music front of things, Birmingham’s Jaws bring their laid-back slacker rock to this week’s edition of Bloodshake. Recalling everything from New Order to The Fall, bands don’t come as carefree as these guys.

Like a mass accelerator colliding sci-fi, science and conceptual art together, The Hayward’s new show The Alternative Guide to the Universe features a range of contributors from fringe physicists to the inventors of new languages, from artists who map cities of the future to others who design imaginary technologies.

Meanwhile up at KOKO, The Bug are playing a massive show with Mala and the Mad Professor. With shades of dancehall, noise, grime, and hip hop, it’s time to party like it’s 2002.

Oh look more Canadians, and this time they’re playing music! In fact they don’t come much bigger than the mighty Neil Young who is celebrating his recent reunion with Crazyhorse with a show next week, but if you’re the sort of person who likes their gigs up close and personal, then Austra’s show at the Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen on Monday is well worth checking out.

Always throwing up the very best in contemporary arts, the 2013 BP Portrait Prize gets underway at the National Portrait Gallery next week, showcasing the works of this year’s finalists. Over at the Tate, next week also sees the start of a brand new retrospective of iconic Northern artist Lowry, the only painter we can think of who inspired two cult hits in the '60s.

Lastly, if the weather ever cheers up then the Open Air Theatre’s production of Pride and Prejudice will be kicking off next Thursday. Oh Mr Darcy...