EVENTS

Overdosed on wall-to-wall Irish theme pubs? Diddley-ayed-out? If you want to avoid St Patrick's Day, here are a few alternatives:

DRUMS (BUT NO BASS)

The Japanese taiko drum, carved from a tree-trunk, weighs a massive 1000lbs. The Wadaiko Ichiro Drummers (right) prepare for their "recitals" with months of training, involving weights and swinging their gigantic drumsticks about their heads. When they actually play, the music is far from a brute force workout. Trance-inducing and energising, it's a multi-layered fusion of Western and African sounds together with traditional Japanese rhythms. The 12-strong group was a banging success on its visit here last year, and is currently on a month-long, nationwide tour. Rhyl Pavilion (01745 330000), tonight 7.30pm; Peacock Theatre, London (0171-314 8800) Mon-Fri 8pm, Sat 22 Mar 5pm & 8.45pm; then touring to 13 Apr LOCAL HERO

Award-winning pianist Robert Markham goes home to Yorkshire this weekend. Following last week's concert at the Wigmore Hall, he'll be giving a recital of works by Haydn, Brahms, Schubert and Verdi-Liszt at a beautifully-preserved 14th-century church in Bainton this evening. St Andrew's Church, Bainton, East Yorkshire (01377 217100), tonight 7.30pm, pounds 7.50.

GLAD RAGS

New York, Paris, Milan, Spitalfields... The 5th Alternative Fashion Week hits the catwalks of the East End this week. Ten up-and-coming designers will be showcased each day, with their shows accompanied by the Ab Fab Four jazz band. There's also a fashion market for any brave souls ready-to-wear the exotic creations on offer. Old Spitalfields Market, London, E1, from Mon to 21 Mar. Shows at 1.15 daily; market open 12-3pm. Free.

HOW TO CHEAT AT ART

Find out at Snibston Discovery Park (tomorrow, 2pm), which marks National Week of Science with a series of talks, including Heather Couper and Nigel Herbert on their specialist subject Black Holes (Wed, 3.30pm), exhibitions and a kid's musical, The Big Drip, which explains the properties of water to those wet behind the ears. Snibston Discovery Park, Coalville, Leics, from Mon to 21 Mar. Info: 01530 510851

PASSION

The Leeds-based Black dance company RJC Dance Theatre bring their new production, Passionelle, a vibrant, sultry shimmy through the Latin American repertoire, to London this week. Cochrane Theatre, Southampton Row, EC1 (0171 742 7040), Wed-Sat 7.30pm.

LOVED UP

The London Sinfonietta will be presenting a rare, revised performance of Hans Werner Henze's lyrical opera of the early sixties, Elegy for Young Lovers, conducted by Markus Stenz. Symphony Hall Birmingham (0121-212 3333) Tue, 7.30pm pounds 6-31; QEH London (0171-960 4242), Wed 7.45 pounds 6-20.