My website had a spring clean and starts into the sunny season with a fresh design. I want to see that!

Give my love to the city, Ron

In the bling-blinging world of 90’s hip-hop, Anti-Pop Consortium was a short-lived alternative band that brought the aesthetic of punk to rap. They split at the beginning of the noughties, but one of the founding members, Beans, rose from the ashes with a solo career. He brings his confessional lyrics and minimal beats to Exil tonight, so if you prefer your rappers to grab your mind rather than their crutches to get the message across, Beans means business. I also have 3x2 tickets to give away.
E-mail me.
Thursday 8 pm, Exil

Ok, how many Swiss cantons can you name? Hmm, anyone who only said Zurich, whilst I admire your loyalty, really needs to get on a train a little more. However, if you do want to learn, skip the map reading and head on down to Helsinki. A concert series, organised by kuenschtli.ch, will have a band from each of the 26 Swiss cantons playing every two weeks. This Friday is the first one, The Windows from Canton Uri, and if you collect all flyers from the concerts they will create a Jass card set. Cantons and Jass - think of this as your fast track to Swiss-ness.
Friday 9.30 pm, Helsinki

Every year the four Zurich designers - Simone Gugger, Katrin Lucas, Therese Müller, Maria van Rensen - jointly present their year’s work to the public. The exhibition will take place this weekend at Maria’s new shop where you’ll find the clothes, jewellery and ceramic designs for sale in the future as well. 
Friday to Sunday, Dolderstrasse 18

If you like your pop stars to be a little darker than the usual shine, and a little left field rather than middle of the road, Patrick Wolf is the pop star for you.  He’s just finished recording his latest album and is doing his only gig, in Switzerland, at Plaza.
The music is as surprising as ever but still with something in the chaos to call a melody and have you whistling the songs the next morning.
Saturday 7.30 pm, Plaza

If the thought of an exploding snowman doesn’t quite do it for you (see below) then wait until you hear about pre-Böögg build up. On Sunday, Stall 6 are having the Lauter Festival, where Swiss and international bands are playing for your delight, and all for free. Bands include Black Box Revelation, Alvin Zealot, Les Yeux Sans Visage and local talent like Ian Constable. After the festival, it’s all over to X-tra for the after-show party. And if you’re not ready to see a snowman explode after all that, you need to take a good look at your life’s priorities.
Sunday 4 pm, Stall 6

Sunday 9.30 pm, X-tra

If you think jazz has nowhere new to go as a genre, get down to Moods and try listening to Schneeweiss und Rosenrot (Snow White & Rose Red) for a while. This jazz quartet, made up of members from different European countries, with their singer coming from Zurich, incorporate jazz, pop and avant-garde influences into their sound. While this may not be for every one, if you do like jazz or are looking for something a little different to entertain you, this fairytale may end with a happy ever after.
Tuesday 8.30 pm, Moods

On Monday, it’s that time of the year again, where a part of Zurich’s male population plays Robin Hood – or at least men in tights. Sächseläuten starts with the children's parade on Sunday but the highlight is on Monday with the guilds marching through the centre. When the church bells start to ring at 6 pm (hence the name) it's time to burn the Böögg, a snowman effigy stuffed with firecrackers. The sooner its head explodes , the better the summer weather forecast. If you want to avoid the crowds, you can also have your own private Sächseläuten with a pocket sized Böögg. For the rest, Bellevue is the place to be. From Mascotte you have the perfect view. It opens at 4 pm for invited guests only and I have 3x2 tickets to give away (incl. after-party). Afterwards you can grill a sausage on the still-hot coals of the Böögg’s pyre. Or chose one of the many stalls to get a bite to eat or a drink. Of course, there is also the infamous party at Mascotte starting at 7 pm. For that I have 5x2 tickets to give away. 
E-mail me for tickets for Böögg-watching
E-mail me for tickets for after-party

Zurich seems to love their curry. So, Kings Kurry, who’s been pampering our palates with Indian delights at their locale near Bahnhof Wiedikon for years, just opened a new branch at Langstrasse. There you get lunch served for 16 francs. Much cheaper than going to India, and with the sun, Langstrasse is often nearly as colourful.
Freyastrasse 3 & Langstrasse 213

Russia's criminals have developed a system of complex tattoos which show the story of their criminal life. It usually starts with a rose on the chest and then spreads all over the body. Fuel has published an encyclopaedia of the 3600 tattoos that were listed by Danzig Baldaev, a photographer and prison guard in Leningrad.