Something for the weekend (August 1st-3rd)

Blame it on Rio
IT'S all about colourful costumes, glittering floats, live music, theatre and dance in Liverpool this weekend, and you'd be crazy to miss out.

The action begins in Newsham Park, tonight, with a folk-story telling of The Emperor and the Tiger, complete with a massive firework display and a roaring six-metre long mechanical cat.

Come Saturday, an energetic carnival parade will erupt on to the streets of the city, heading for Princes Park where the entertainment will continue throughout the day. As the sun sets, hundreds of samba-school performers will parade the city centre, propelling the party into the night.

Fri 1st Aug, the Emperor and the Tiger, 9pm, Newsham Park
Sat 2nd Aug, International Carnival Parade, starts at Mulberry Street, 12pm
Entertainment also begins in Princes Park from 12pm and Samba School starts in the city centre at 9pm. All of the events are free.

Carnival weekend comes as part of the ten-day Imagine festival, a packed programme of events, designed to give the kids a summer holiday they won’t forget. For more information visit www.liverpool08.com

Let's interface it
For the past 22 years, there has been an annual conference held on human computer interaction. Each year, the international interest is growing. Apparently, the top discussion comes with what’s new in the design and practice of user interfaces to digital technology.

The five day meeting- which has a special cultural theme for 08- involves discussing papers, submitted by the general public, which offer imaginative possibilities to the future challenges and progresses of human computer interaction. Unfortunately, it’s too late to submit your ideas as to how culture can affect progress, but you can still turn up and join the debate.

HCI 2008: Culture, Creativity and Interaction, 1st – 5th Aug, JMU School of Computing and Maths, Byrom Street. For more information, visit www.hci2008.org

They need you, you, you!
It’s time to dig out your black hats and shades, Jake and Elwood aka the Blues Brothers hit the Empire on Friday night and they’re known to like a lively audience. Hailed as the definitive Blues Brothers show, expect a packed house of people ready to party to a soundtrack of timeless soul and blues classics such as Gimme Some Lovin’ and Everybody, played out by the one and only Black Rhino Band. There are some tickets left, but you’d better be quick…

Jake and Elwood @ The Empire Theatre, Fri 1st Aug, 7.30pm, Tickets £16.50-£22.50, visit www.liverpoolempire.org.uk

Ding-dong Bella
If you are more into your electro indie, however, you’ll be pleased to hear that Flamboyant Bella will be taking over the Carling Academy 2 on Sunday night. The Hitchin four-piece- who resemble the sound of a duet between Kate Nash and Jack Penate after too much sugary pop- have chosen Liverpool as city if their official single launch party.

Touch will be available in stores the following day and the band are proudly releasing the worlds first Frisbee single, yes, a number of the discs will come harnessed to the underside of a Frisbee, on which the artwork will be printed. Kids, eh.?

Flamboyant Bella @ Carling Academy 2, Hotham Street, Sun 3rd Aug, 7pm, tickets £5, call Ticketweb: 08444 77 2000 or visit
www.myspace.com/
flamboyantbella

Do you have an event you think Confidential readers may be interested in? Email us the details.

postman@liverpoolconfidential.com