The first in a series of events celebrating 20 years of The Wire starts this weekend: JOHN CALE & THE BOREDOMS Saturday 13 July at 8.00pm Royal Festival Hall Japanese thrash stars THE BOREDOMS roll into town for one night only. Experimental rock/punk/tribal shamanism tinged with more than a hint of surrealism, THE BOREDOMS' beautifully crafted chaos has been admired for the past two decades, with John Zorn, Julian Cope and Sonic Youth amongst their many fans. Few artists display such head-first propulsive madness. Musical visionary JOHN CALE headlines the evening with a characteristically exploratory set. The dark star of the Velvet Underground, the producer of the Stooges, Squeeze, the Modern Lovers and Patti Smith, Cale also has an unparalleled reputation as a songwriter and experimentalist. His influence on musicians today continues unabated (Mercury Rev are the latest band to pay homage with a version of Cale's Close Watch). This concert is part of the Rhythm Sticks festival at the Royal Festival Hall. Tickets: £12.50, £15 and £17.50 Box Office 020 7960 4242 www.rfh.org.uk/rhythmsticks Hope to see you there, The Wire -- _______________________________________ Rob Young Editor THE WIRE: Adventures In Modern Music 2nd Floor East 88-94 Wentworth Street London E1 7SA UK Tel 020 7422 5010 Fax 020 7422 5011 Direct line 020 7422 5012 http://www.thewire.co.uk _______________________________________