May 2015
www.brumnotes.com music and lifestyle for the west midlands
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COM E ON FE E L TH E NOI S E
G O D DAMN E X P LO D I N G O U T O F T H E B L AC K C O U N T RY W I T H T H E I R D E B U T A LB U M
INSIDE:
BELLE & SEBASTIAN THE MACCABEES YOU ME AT SIX
PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING CLARE MAGUIRE AND MORE…
PLUS: YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO MAY’S BEST ALBUMS, THEATRE, ARTS, GIGS AND CLUB NIGHTS May 2015
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Thurs 25th June • £29.50 adv
Primus
- An Evening With
Over 18s only - Proof of age required £3 early bird tix available Fri 1st May • £26.50 adv
6pm - 10.30pm • Rescheduled - original tickets valid
Mobb Deep
“The Infamous...” 20th Anniversary Tour + Rodney P + DJ 279
Sat 2nd May • £18.50 adv
Pentatonix
Sun 3rd May • £15 adv
Motion City Soundtrack
Fri 8th May • £16.50 adv 6pm - 10pm
Twin Atlantic Sat 9th May • £7 adv
6.30pm-10.30pm • Rescheduled - original tix valid
Modern Minds
+ Shooze + Deco + Chase The Deer + SLTP
Tues 12th May • £31 adv
Boyz II Men
Weds 13th May • £19.50 adv
Alabama Shakes
Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox
+ Lagwagon
NOFX & Alkaline Trio
Weds 2nd Dec • £12.50 adv
Electric Six
FOR FULL AND LATEST LISTINGS CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE
perform David Bowie’s ‘The Man Who Sold The World’ + Morgan Visconti + Jessica Lee Morgan
Sat 2nd May • £7.50 adv
Sat 11th July • £6 adv
Thurs 6th Aug • £17.50 adv
Beholder
Tony Visconti & Woody Woodmansey with Glenn Gregory
+ Pierre + Merkage + Complex
Sat 19th Sept • £12.50 adv
Sat 9th May • £13 adv 6.30pm - 10.30pm
Sat 18th July • £15 adv / £25 VIP
UK Foo Fighters
Ultimate Genesis
Jake Quickenden
Sat 26th Sept • £21 adv
Sun 10th May • £9 adv
Weds 5th Aug • £12.50 adv / £40 VIP
The Bluetones
Fearless Vampire Killers
6pm - 10pm
Rescheduled show • original tickets valid
Hollywood Ending
Weds 30th Sept • £16 adv
+ Annisokay
Thurs 20th Aug • £17 adv
Annihilator
Sat 3rd Oct • £28 adv
Weird Al
Sat 3rd Oct • £18 adv
The English Beat
15th Anniversary Tour
Marcia Griffiths & Friends
Thurs 8th Oct • £19.50 adv
+ From Indian Lakes
Sun 24th May • £12.50 adv
Boot Led Zeppelin
present Earls Court ‘75 Revisited A night of Rock History recreated
Fri 19th June • £18.50 adv 6pm - 10pm
The Movielife Tues 23rd June • £17.50 adv
Dead Kennedys
Brendon Manders
Kate Veogele and Tyler Hilton
Wheatus
9pm - 3am • over 18s only
Rx Bandits & Circa Survive
6.45pm - 11pm
+ Morgue Orgy + Haerken + Destroyed Beyond Belief
Sat 16th May • £27.50 adv
Sat 23rd May • £13.50 adv
6.30pm - 10.30pm
Mon 29th June • £20 adv
Tues 6th Oct • £15 adv
Ozric Tentacles
Shed Seven + Inspiral Carpets Fri 18th Mar 2016 • £22 adv
Swervedriver
Weds 20th May • £15 adv
6pm - 10pm
Sound Affects 35th Anniversary Tour
Fri 15th May • £15 adv
ft. Bob Andy, Judy Mowatt, Tanya Stephen plus special guest Richie Spice Backed by the 809 Band Hosted by Daddy Ernie & DJ Daddy Fringe
Sat 21st Nov • £22.50 adv
Fri 18th Dec • £21.50 adv
From The Jam
featuring Dave Wakeling
6pm - 10pm
Fuse ODG
6pm - 11pm
Sat 27th June • £25 adv
10.30pm-3.30am • £4 / £5 adv
Sat 21st Nov • £16.50 adv
James Bay
Sun 25th Oct • £23.50 adv
Ella Henderson
Thurs 5th Nov • £22.50 adv
Death Cab For Cutie
Fri 15th May • £12 adv 6.30pm - 10pm
Cloudbusting (Kate Bush Tribute)
Sat 12th Sept • £10 adv
Sat 16th May • £6 adv
The UK’s no.1 tribute to the music of Paul Weller
6.45pm - 11pm
Eradikator
+ Trivax + Decimate + Paraletica + Toward The Grave
Tues 19th May • £12 adv
Jesse Malin
Sat 23rd May • £10 adv
Novana
(The Ultimate Nirvana Tribute) + The Insomniacs + Interrobang
Weds 3rd June • £5 adv
Fri 6th Nov • £28.50 adv
There & Back Again
Happy Mondays
Fri 26th June • £5 adv
6.30pm - 10pm
Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches 25th Anniversary Tour
Sat 7th Nov • £22.50 adv
Quadrophenia Club Night
Big Screen Film Show with DJ Drew Stansall (The Specials) + The Atlantics (playing the movie hits)
Sun 8th Nov • £20 adv / £50 VIP
6pm - 10pm
Orchard Hill Sat 27th June • £7.50 adv 6.45pm - 11pm
Amarantus
+ Torous + The Black Hounds + Black Diamond + Avalon
Tues 30th June • £10 adv
Doomtree
Bars And Melody
Sat 4th July • £6 adv
Sat 14th Nov • £17.50 adv
+ Red Light Room + Harmfool + Tides Apart + Seasons
Everything Everything
Slim Jim Phantom Of The Stray Cats
Respublica
The Modfathers Fri 18th Sept • £11 adv 6.30pm - 10pm
Definitely Mightbe
Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of “(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?” - playing the album in full plus a 2nd set of Greatest Hits
Fri 25th Sept • £24 adv / £12 early 7pm - 10pm
The Burlesque Ball UK Tour National Burlesque Club Dance Party
Sat 3rd Oct • £10 early
Knotslip
(A Tribute To Slipnot) + Skies In Motion + Rise of Athena
Tues 27th Oct • £12 adv / £35 VIP
Jahmene Douglas Fri 30th Oct • £11 adv 6.30pm - 10pm
The Clone Roses Sat 7th Nov • £11 adv
Antartic Monkeys Fri 11th Dec • £12 adv 6.30pm - 10pm
The Doors Alive
16-18 Horsefair, Bristol St, Birmingham, B1 1DB 2
Doors 7.00pm unless stated • Venue box office opening hours: Mon-Fri 12pm-4pm, Sat 11am-4pm • No booking fee o n cash transactions
Brum Notes Magazine
ticketweb.co.uk • seetickets.com • gigantic.com • ticketmaster.co.uk
CONTENTS
Swampmeat live at the Hare & Hounds for Record Store Day. See P22. Photo by Daisy Blecker Brum Notes Magazine Unit 12 The Bond 180-182 Fazeley Street Birmingham B5 5SE info@brumnotes.com 0121 224 7363 Advertising 0121 224 7363 advertising@brumnotes.com Distribution StickupMedia! 0121 224 7364 Editor: Chris Moriarty Reviews Editor: Dan Owens Arts Editor: Dan Cooper-Gavin New Music Correspondent: Guy Hirst Writers: Lyle Bignon, Courtney Blount, Matthew Burdon, Tom Clabon, Andrew Gutteridge, Sam Lambeth, Jack Parker, Ivy Photiou, Becky Rogers, Kitty Sadler, Lucy Thompson, David Vincent Photos: Daisy Blecker, Jonathan Morgan, Rob Hadley, Andy Watson, Sam Wood Design: Adam Williams, Andy Aitken Twitter: @BrumNotesMag Facebook: www.facebook.com/ BrumNotesMagazine Online: www.brumnotes.com
Regulars News 4-5 Fresh Talent 6-7 Food & Drink 24 Album Reviews 20-21 Live Reviews 22-23 What’s On Guide 26-30 Features Behind the Scenes: JJM Studios Clare Maguire Public Service Broadcasting The Maccabees Belle & Sebastian You Me At Six God Damn
8 10 11 13 14-15 16-17 18-19
All content Š Brum Notes Magazine. Views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Brum Notes Magazine. While all care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of content, Brum Notes Magazine will not be held liable for any errors or losses claimed to have been incurred by any errors. Advertising terms and conditions available on request.
May 2015
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DJS AND CLUBBERS TO STAND UP AGAINST RACISM WITH TWO-DAY RAVE
news
THE REP ANNOUNCES NEW SEASON PROGRAMME AS THEATRE AUDIENCES HIT 20 YEAR HIGH Birmingham’s Rep Theatre has unveiled an eclectic programme of events for autumn and winter, with highlights including the world premiere stage adaptation of Meera Syal’s Anita and Me, Mike Bartlett’s Olivier award-winning future history play King Charles III (pictured), Ruby Wax headlining Bedlam Festival and the Birmingham debut of an eye-catching production of Lord of The Flies. The theatre also revealed that it enjoyed a 43 per cent increase in audiences for 2014/15, leading to its highest attendance figures in more than 20 years. Other successes have included premiering nine new plays from a wide range of voices, working with 138 writers and over 600 local artists, as well as touring the UK with six Rep productions. Other standout shows planned for the autumn/ winter season include Kneehigh Theatre’s Dead Dog In A Suitcase (And Other Love Songs),
FULL LINEUP REVEALED FOR ONE BEAT FESTIVAL We can now reveal the full lineup for One Beat Festival, with the final acts now announced for the new music showpiece, returning to the Mac’s Outdoor Arena this July. Youth Man, Jagaara, Kagoule and Field Harmonics have all been added to the bill, joining the likes of headliners God Damn, slacker pop outfit The Magic Gang and reggae and ska party-starters Kioko. Cold Ocean Lies and Faux Palms complete the live lineup, while local heroes and last year’s headliners Jaws will return to DJ on the day, alongside Tom Holloway. One Beat Festival takes place from 1pm–10pm at the Mac’s Outdoor Arena on Saturday, July 25. Early bird tickets are on sale now at £15 for a limited time from www.macbirmingham.co.uk.
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a modern interpretation of musical satire The Beggar’s Opera soundtracked with with folk, ska, grime and dubstep in a twisted morality tale of our times. National dance company Rambert returns to Birmingham to bring the rock ‘n roll swagger of the Rolling Stones to life in Rooster in October, while The Rep will also premiere two-time Olivier Award-winner Kim Brandstrup’s Transfigured Night. The Christmas season will include a brand new version of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, the return of family favourite The Snowman (20 to 24 January), as well as a ‘saucy alternative Christmas night-out’ in The Door: Dirty Grotto. Tickets for The Rep’s Autumn and Winter 2015/16 Season are on sale now on 0121 236 4455 or birmingham-rep.co.uk.
THE GLEE CLUB HOSTS NEW FREE ENTRY ACOUSTIC SESSIONS A new weekly series of free entry acoustic gigs has launched at The Glee Club in Birmingham city centre. Hosted by Birmingham Promoters, the shows take place every Saturday afternoon from 2pm-6pm at the popular music and comedy venue in the Arcadian. And we will be working in collaboration with Birmingham Promoters to help showcase some of the best emerging talent from the Midlands during the sessions. If you’re interested in playing, just email your details to gigs@brumnotes.com with some links to your music.
A huge lineup of DJs and live acts will perform over two days for a brand new festival aimed at raising awareness of the fight against racial discrimination. The two-day Rave Against Racism takes place at Alfie Bird’s in Digbeth’s Custard Factory on June 26 and 27, running from 9pm to 6am on the Friday and a marathon 12-hour stint from 6pm to 6am on the Saturday. The mammoth musical lineup will cover a variety of genres and styles, with DJs announced so far including Bentley Rhythm Ace, Mr Switch, Free School, Adam Regan, Sam Redmore, Jock Lee, Jam Jah Sound, Young Warrior, UB40’s Brian Travers and many, many more. There will also be live performances from the likes of 2 Billion Beats, Automaton, Culture Dub Orchestra and Single Mum. More lineup announcements are expected over the coming weeks. Tickets for the event are just £15 and available now from www.theticketsellers.co.uk.
ALT-ROCK FESTIVAL OFF THE CUFF TO RETURN THIS JULY Off the Cuff Festival will return to canalside venue The Flapper this summer, serving up two days of alt-rock and leftfield noise. Dinosaur Pile-Up (pictured) and &U&I will headline this year’s festival, which runs from July 25-26 at the pub and basement live venue in Kingston Row, Birmingham city centre. Also on the bill will be Tangled Hair, Them Wolves, TIGERCUB, Ludovico, Sunshine Frisbee Laserbeam, Constant Waves, Falls, Frauds and The Broken Oak Duet, with more details set to be announced over the coming weeks. Tickets cost £15 per day or £25 for weekend tickets and are available from here.
GIANT WATER SLIDE HEADING FOR BRUM It was only a matter of time, but a giant water slide is making its way to Birmingham city centre. Slide the City promises the ‘biggest water party of the summer’ when it unfurls its 1,000ft slide, although dates and location had not yet been announced when we went to press. You’ll no doubt need to get in quick for tickets though, which start at £10 and will be available from slidethecityuk.co.uk. Brum Notes Magazine
Love is Enough
25 April – 6 September 2015
WILLIAM MORRIS
ANDY WARHOL Curated by Jeremy Deller
SUMMER EXHIBITION Birmingham Museum &Art Gallery Plus, Pop Art for Kids!
birminghammuseums.org.uk Funded by:
Admission charges apply Exhibition conceived by:
A Modern Art Oxford Exhibition in Partnership with Birmingham Museums Trust Left image: Marilyn Monroe, 1968 by Andy Warhol, The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh; Founding Collection, Contribution The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. The Collection of Marla and Larry Wasser, Toronto, Canada. © 2015 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York and DACS, London. Image: Maciek Linowski.
May 2015 Love is Enough 184 x 125_Brumnotes.indd 1
5 16/04/2015 16:34
fresh talent
ELEPHANTINE soundcloud.com/elephantineuk WORDS BY GUY HIRST
It’s seemingly all systems go this year for Elephantine, as 2015 sees the Birmingham trio ramp things up with a gig alongside God Damn and Bad Girlfriend at The Sunflower Lounge on May 15, a new EP to be written and recorded this summer and a blitzkrieg of shows thereafter. Anna Palmer (bass, vocals), Tom Ford (guitar) and Seb Maynard Francis (drums) continue to collaborate in each other’s side-projects (most recently in Anna’s new band Dolcha), but maintain that Elephantine is still very much in focus.
recording over six months it took up a lot of time. Apart from Abreast, which features Kaila (Whyte, Youth Man), there wasn’t really any recordings apart from iPhone voice memos. I came to all the songs fresh so it was free range for me, which was really good because I felt like part of the band rather than a session player. When we get back to working [on the next release] we’re quite open to see what happens. The main thing is we just wanna keep gigging a lot again, and get out of Birmingham a bit as well.”
“Collectively we feel that Elephantine is the most important [project],” says Anna. “Elephantine and Dolcha are kind of level-pegging but I want to pour a lot into both of them. Once Dolcha’s finished by the summer, we’ve got gigs lined up and we’ll go full pelt at it again,” she says.
It’s unsurprising that Elephantine should want to expand beyond Brum, given that their participation in the scene over the last 10 years has been extensive, collectively counting I Am Anushka, Tantrums, Fistful of Dynamite, Tempting Rosie (now Kioki), and Evil Alien among their past projects. But after returning from Boston, Massachusetts, where Tom studied Jazz at the College of Music, his enthusiasm for the Second City goes undiminished.
Elephantine’s Glimmer EP, released October 2014, made for an auspicious start, featuring five gnarly and high-octane tracks that exhibit the astounding quality of their songcraft. It’s a genredefying sound which is well worth your attention, and has continued to develop as the band’s dynamic gets ever-tighter. “The writing is much more collaborative now,” continues Anna. “The songs on Glimmer are tunes I had already written so I’m really excited to start pushing new stuff. We’ve talked about albums, but the sound’s still evolving so it would be great to put out another EP.” “The way we went around Glimmer was kind of sporadic,” says Tom. “With different dates of
“Birmingham’s got an amazing scene, I really like it here,” says Tom. “In America there are too many people, but in Birmingham everyone’s interconnected somehow. I’d much rather be here than Boston.” “Case in point, I know those guys [God Damn] from years ago, they used to be in a band called Your Biggest Fanclub,” says Anna.” We gigged with them in Tantrums and I’m chuffed their doing so well ‘cos they’ve worked really hard. And when it was the three of them we did a song together, so I’ve actually had the ‘privilege’ to play in God Damn once upon a time. I’m really looking forward to playing with them again.
“I think it’s the best way for a music scene to be,” she continues. “Because if you have these clique groups that only stick to their bands, that’s when things get stifling, if you keep collaborating with people everything comes together nicely. The best way is to learn from other people.” Anna’s collaborative spirit isn’t only confined to music either, she also co-runs an all female arts and music collective, Alto, which raises money for the local Women’s Aid charity. And although feminism shouldn’t be blindly stamped on to every band that features a female member, it does play a role in Anna’s identity as a turbulent (and totally badass) musician. “The enjoyable thing with Elephantine is that I don’t really have to give a shit [about image], I just want to show that I care about the music. It’s more of an allowance for me to be pretty masculine, actually, and to be outlandish. The main thing I wanna show is you don’t have to be all pretty and girly to be in a band, you can just do whatever the fuck you want.” Elephantine support God Damn at The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham, on May 15. Glimmer EP is out now via iTunes and soundcloud.com/elephantineuk
ONES TO WATCH KROH
MUTES
THE BAGHDADDIES
JAM TIDY
Kroh play as part of the Doom for the
Birmingham shoegaze outfit Mutes are
The hot-jazz-klezmer-ska outfit The Bagh-
These dudes from Moseley are all about
Doomed Festival, a brutal all-dayer that
about as hard hitting as a ghost on vali-
daddies headline the first Balkanic Erup-
positive vibes, upbeat-offbeats, and bass-
brings the heavy metal genre home to
um, each track off their 2014 EP No One
tion this year, an event organised by Ellie
heavy stoned skanking rhythms. And as
Brum by hosting established (Moss) and
is Nowhere is a freeform ambient chim-
Midhani, who, after living in Budapest and
they bring their hip hop and reggae-balkan
upcoming (Dune, Bleak Zero, Mammoth-
ing of electronic swells, distant whisper-
travelling around Serbia and Romania
amalgam to this electro swing festival,
wing) sludge, psyche and stoner bands
ing voices and shimmering guitar tones
brought her passion for balkan and tradi-
be sure to note the amazing and cohe-
from across the UK. With their sluggish
– highly recommended for tranquil listen-
tional Romani music back to Birmingham.
sive on-stage chemistry between MCs
down-tuned riffs and operatic vocals the
ing. They play alongside rock‘n’roll trio
This Balkanic Eruption boasts a Balkan-
Stefan Quarry and Morgan Lucas, whose
Birmingham four-piece fly the flag, along
Happyness (Moshi Moshi Records) and
Columbian soundclash while celebrating
double-fire vocals always seem to leave a
with Acid Goat, for Birmingham’s doom
noisy-pop outfit Crushed Beaks (Matil-
the Latin Cumbia genre. Reckless dancing
party in their wake. Recommended tracks:
metal scene. For excessively bassy music
da Records). Turn Mutes on, tune in and
guaranteed. Recommended tracks: Nice
Rise Up, How We Do, Get Funked, Popo
full of impending dread, look no further.
drop out. Recommended tracks: Memo-
To Be Nice, Not Drowning But Raving,
Swingamajig Festival, May 3
Recommended tracks: Precious Bones,
ry Saves (Bedroom), Horror, Soberless
Shri. Hare & Hounds, May 2
Heaving Earth. The Asylum, May 2
Hare & Hounds, May 5
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Brum Notes Magazine
PQYLR
PLAYLIST
soundcloud.com/pqlyr WORDS BY JACK PARKER
soundcloud.com/brumnotes WORDS BY GUY HIRST
The awkwardly spelt but easily pronounced pQlyr (pronounced peculiar) are a pair of loveable weirdos that accentuate the odd and celebrate the creepy within music. They are comprised of lead singer Ansa Luna Khan and multi-instrumentalist Faisal Bhatti, who met eight years ago as art and design students. Faisal had been playing in bands for as long as he could remember when he met Ansa, who would perform poetry with just her voice and a piano in intimate spaces across the UK. After their first initial meeting that cemented their friendship, the two spent a lot of time apart before coming together again to make music as a joint force. And it seems when they reunited a switch was flicked on and their musical chemistry gave way to the beginning of pQlyr. Although music isn’t the only thing taking up their creative energies. “When not making music we tend to delve into surrealism via the mediums of film and photography,” explains Faisal. “[But] music is unique in that it can describe the indescribable,” continues Ansa. “The visual is not as important as the sound but it is naturally vital.” Their collective music taste takes inspiration from classic bands that never quite fit in amongst their peers, such as Pixies, Cocteau Twins and The Cure. So pQlyr are the latest in a long line of musical oddballs aiming to upset the rhythm of the norm. But what made them want to start making music together in the first place? “A need to exorcise the demons inside and a desire to dream” explains Ansa. Indeed, pQlyr are pedalling a refreshingly imaginative sound that gives a knowing nod to the odd. Faisal and Ansa communicate through a language altogether their own. They share ideas and often argue through mood-boards and mix CDs. It’s a defiantly DIY approach to being a band, opting to write, record and produce their own music rather than let anyone else tamper with their unique vision. That’s not to say they aren’t open to sharing their world with those who dare to delve in. So what can local music fans expect? “Expect nothing and be pleasantly surprised…or bewildered,” suggests Faisal. PQlyr have opened the doors to their unique universe. Step inside if you dare. PQlyr headline The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham, on May 27. Demos available to stream now at soundcloud.com/pqlyr.
MALARKEY RIZLA Bizarre, hectic and a little frightening – Digbeth dwellers Malarkey are more of an erratic reggae nightmare than a sedate peace’n’love vibe-fest. Malarkey’s frontman, suitably called Juggernaut, belts out rougher-than-roughneck dancehall vocal over distorted punk and ska-brass outbursts, making for a wicked leftfield soundclash. Rizla comes ahead of the release of their debut album, Kebabylon, due for an imminent independent release. www.facebook.com/MalarkeyBand
HE IS A PEGASUS MIGHTY LONG CLIMB Coventry solo performer He Is A Pegasus (David Butler) is extraordinary. This live recording of a stomp-and-clap a capella piece sees Butler ascend from a low bluesy murmur to the summit of a high falsetto howl. Climbing from vocal checkpoint to vocal checkpoint in a delta blues fashion, he receives hollers and yelps from his stunned London audience, making this a powerful and moving performance that captures the essence of blues music in just over three minutes. soundcloud.com/heisapegasus
PLEASURE HOUSE SUNRISE Birmingham’s Pleasure House fuse their native style of indie-pop with warm toned African soukous guitar, composing Sunrise as their most carefree and upbeat track yet. From its daydream lyrics to its honeyed hook-laden chorus, there’s a definite carpe diem overtone that soundtracks Sunrise for warm and drunken summer nights and hazy daytime meandering. Highly recommended for any indie-flowerchild with an affinity for summertime dancing. soundcloud.com/phukmusic
POPES OF CHILLITOWN OPOOM Hosting punch-drunk brass sections, off-beat minor key ska grooves and rapid-fire King Prawn-esque vocals, Opoom is a high-energy and tight tune with boundless live potential that comes with a 101 per cent skank guarantee. Co-released with Hey You, another track from their second album To The Moon, due May 15, London’s Popes of Chillitown are one of the tightest ska-punk outfits in the UK right now, and certainly boast the best name. soundcloud.com/popes-of-chillitown
THE RAVENS SEEK THE TRUTH After a year-long hiatus, The Ravens are gearing up again having announced that Seek the Truth is the first of many tunes set for release in 2015. They’ve always had a vintage 60s air about them, with their previous demos being nothing short of rockabilly revival, but the Brum band cut out that grease-and-leather sound and have kept the same sedate-rock-psychedelia, Lennon-esque vocal and surf-strat tone that made them cool to begin with. soundcloud.com/theravensmusic May 2015
7
behind the scenes
Photos by Jonathan Morgan
Tucked away just outside the centre of Walsall, JJM Studios has been a mainstay of the town’s music scene for more than a decade. And after launching its own monthly club nights, it’s now serving as a much-needed live venue for the area too. Owner Jay Mitchell tells us more.
“The club nights started out due to the amount of great bands in Walsall and the lack of any decent venues,” explains Jay. “The opening night was a sell out and since then we’ve done about 10 shows – always featuring live bands but sometimes we’ll throw in a drum’n’ bass room or an indie DJ room just to mix it up a bit.” With top end equipment and versatile facilities, the space has become widely used, not just by bands for rehearsals and equipment, but also for live events daytime classes and courses, including schools using JJM for live performance workshops and Walsall Studio School also making use of it 8
as an extension of their own centre. But as well as helping educate the musicians of the future, Jay says they do welcome plenty of talented bands to keep an ear out for as well. “There’s loads of great bands from Walsall – over the years we’ve worked with hundreds. Some names to watch out for are Dead Sea Skulls, Pleasure House, Summer Loving Torture Party, Regale, The Assist, Faith, Modern Minds, Dirty Little Lies. “On any day of the week the studios are bustling with bands that are rehearsing, recording, performing, networking and hanging out. It’s been like that
since day one and with the start of the clubnights the whole place has really come alive. Everyone that works at the studio are musicians themselves so we all know what the score is.”
JJM Studios (Pool Street, Walsall) hosts its biggest live event so far, the JJM Weekender Festival, on June 19 and 20, featuring live bands, acoustic music and DJs, including Regale, Dead Sea Skulls, Ed Geater, The Stirs, STLP, Pleasure House and more. Full details at www.facebook.com/jjmstudios. Brum Notes Magazine
May 2015
9
Out of the darkness
After a four year absence, Brum vocalist and songwriter Clare Maguire is set for a return. She talks to David Vincent about addiction, new music and her home city residency. “Where have you been since 2011? That’s the question on everyone’s lips! Everyone’s!” cries Birmingham-born singer Clare Maguire. She has a point. Four years ago, Clare was tipped for greatness. Choice appearances with The Streets and Chase & Status were followed by her own top 10 album, Light After Dark. But despite the widespread acclaim, including a placing on the BBC’s seminal Sound of 2011 list, a follow-up failed to materialise. However, 2015 sees her unexpectedly back in the limelight with a new EP and her first Birmingham appearances in four years. So what happened? Where has she been since 2011? “I came off the last record early,” she explains. “I was going through a lot of personal issues at the time and I was also dealing with an addiction problem. I was in bad place. So I took a break and I went to rehab – that was three years ago. I got myself sober and went back into writing. I wanted to do it truthfully, so I’ve taken my time. Actually getting used to being sober – that takes a long time. The writing, sessions, gigs, I’m doing it gradually…it’s been a massive life changing thing. It’s just taken this long to know what I wanted to say. “I have the personality of an addict, I’ve always had the personality of an addict, I’ve always been manic,” she continues. “The pressure…I was out 10
of my depth. I thought I was in control, but I was being controlled by my addiction. I thought I had a handle on it, but it was only after, when I was sober, that I realised that I wasn’t in a right state of mind, I was battling every day.”
record out [Yeah Yeah Yeah]. And they’re all really excited too. I think because they’re doing different stuff from what they usually do, it’s a chance for them to try something out. They’ve all been really supportive.”
Today, she says that battle has been won. She’s sober, strong, happy and “really ready” to pick up her career, edging back into the limelight with fashion show appearances in London and LA, and now a stint on home turf.
So how does her new music, and the forthcoming as-yet-untitled long-player, compares to material from Light After Dark? “I liked what I did before, but now, there’s a rootsiness which is more me. There’s more of an edge to it. There’s definitely big pop moments, but also more intimate moments, it’s a lot more organic.
“The idea of the three Glee Club gigs was that I wanted to just try out new material away from the glare of the London scene, play in front of people who support me, to go back to my roots,” she says of the residency, which will see her play tracks from planned EPs and her second album. “I’m happy with it, but definitely nervous.” As support, she’s enticed three DJs: High Contrast and Jax Jones (who’ve both worked with her on the new tracks), and BBC jock Huw Stephens. “I’m very excited, they’re definitely bigger names than me! I keep asking myself, how did I pull that out of the bag?” she laughs. “Huw will be playing some hip hop, then Contrast will be playing some Northern Soul, and Jax Jones will be on the third night. He’s on the Duke Dumont record [number one single, I Got U] and has his own
“The EP [Don’t Mess Me Around] is in part representational of the album, but there’ll be two more EPs. Mess Me Around I wrote eight years ago, I got signed with that. Boomerang is more ballsy. “Nothing is calculated, I just write what I’m feeling on the day. Some of the album is leftfield, from ballsy, angry…to emotive, softer acoustic music. The thread will be clearer when you hear the album. It’s more pop I guess, but I don’t know how to describe it. Maybe it will make more sense as we get closer to the album release.”
Clare Maguire is live at The Glee Club, Birmingham, on May 1, 8 and 15. New EP Don’t Mess Me Around is out now. Brum Notes Magazine
Out of this world For their second album, Public Service Broadcasting explore the Cold War space race. “To me this is the most extraordinary period of history there ever was,” says ‘frontman’ J Willgoose Esq. David Vincent documents their journey. Their 2013 debut album Inform - Educate - Entertain found Public Service Broadcasting recounting a variety of individual tales, from wartime engineering successes (Spitfire) to feats of human endurance (Everest). But when it came to working on their follow-up, multi-instrumentalists J Willgoose Esq and Wrigglesworth returned to the template of their earlier War Room EP for a collection of tracks on a single subject. Their chosen topic? The incredible Cold War battle between the Americans and Soviets to conquer space. “To me this is the most extraordinary period of history there ever was and quite possibly ever will be,” states Willgoose. “The story’s part of trying to understand, literally, what on earth we’re doing. What is the point of us? Why are we here, on this strange blue and green orb? And what did the first ever journeys leaving this planet tell us about ourselves, and our place in the universe?” The resulting nine-track collection, entitled The Race For Space, finds the duo broadening their musical template with more complex arrangements and instrumentation. Rock riffs, electronica, horns, strings, dance elements and a choir, it’s an album filled with real drama and genuine excitement. “It felt harder to write and harder to play live, but one of the things we wanted to do was stretch ourselves, not settle on doing the same thing again,” Willgoose says. “We really wanted to do something different for the second album. The space race is epic.” As with previous excursions, the archives of the British Film Institute
(BFI) played a key part when it came to sourcing audio samples. “I gave them a call to see what high quality NASA stuff they had as there are lots of things online, but nothing that’s high quality. They didn’t have anything but had just inherited a load of Russian stuff, which I was also looking for. That was an amazing stroke of luck. The NASA stuff is widely available, they seem to have taken that ‘for all mankind’ edict to heart and you can download entire missions, but the Russian stuff is harder to track down. It was great hearing that. My broad history of the Russian stuff is not as detailed as the American. They’ve kind of been written out, even though they did everything first – apart from land a man on the moon – though they were first to hit the moon with an unmanned craft. They won the space race.” But does it mean the music is shaped first, or by the subsequent discovery of samples? “It’s probably 50/50,” he says. “Sputnik and Gagarin formed in my head before the samples. Go was a way of telling the Apollo story without going over old ground. It was quite nice to hear things from a different perspective rather than the astronauts’, to hear things from the Mission Control perspective. It appealed to me. So we’d sometimes find a sample, and work that way, but others were from a music idea and we’d have a track 80 per cent finished before we used the sample.”
Alongside tracks about satellite Sputnik, Yuri Gagarin, the moon’s Sea of Tranquillity and the 1967 Apollo 1 disaster is Valentina. Dedicated to often overlooked Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova who, in 1963, was the first woman in space, the reflective track features guest vocals from brooding folk twosome, Smoke Fairies. “One of the biggest problems with the material we use, from the period we address, is that it is almost totally devoid of any female voices,” says Willgoose. “Rather than yet more men – us, in this case – attempting to speak on [Valentina’s] behalf, it seemed more appropriate to ask a guest singer to provide a female voice. They pushed it a bit further than I would have done, which is something you want from a collaboration.” The album was officially launched in February with two special shows at the National Space Centre in Leicester, both of which sold out in under 12 hours (“We thought we’d be trying to shift tickets for months”). Without an up-front singer to grab audiences’ attentions, the associated visual element of the band’s performances remains core to the PSB experience, and alongside a series of on-stage screens The Race For Space tour sees the introduction of a new prop. “[We have a] new centrepiece, our own Sputnik, which is very dangerously close to Spinal Tap territory,” Willgoose chuckles. “Mr B, our set designer and visual artist, did it, which was no small feat. It was hard work. It’s bigger than the Sputnik that they sent into space – which was actually only about 50cm. Ours is about twice the size, so a lot bigger.” Public Service Broadcasting’s Race For Space tour lands at The Institute, Birmingham, on May 6, with support from Smoke Fairies. They also play Lunar Festival, Warwickshire, on June 6. New single, The Race For Space, is released on May 11.
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PROVING THEIR WORTH Back after a three-year gap, The Maccabees are raring to go. “We cannot wait,” they tell David Vincent. The arrival of new track Marks Prove It last month marked the end of a three-year silence from The Maccabees. “You can’t believe how much of a relief it feels to get it out there after all this time,” declares guitarist/vocalist Felix White with a strong sigh. A crashing fury of a track, it’s the first taster from the quintet’s forthcoming fourth album. “It’s a fun track, almost flippant, completely different to other tracks on the new record,” Felix continues. “We didn’t want it to be too considered. There’s not a whole lot of songs like that on the record – loud, punky songs – but the aesthetic ties in with the rest of the songs. There are tempo shifts, swapping guitar lines, a clarity to the vocals, but Marks Prove It is the most frantic thing on there.” Getting the album completed has been a rocky road for the band, who’d announced its imminent arrival back in 2013.
and we’d be doing that every day. We just got lost down that wormhole.”
Sam Doyle, are desperate to get back in front of a live audience.
But after clambering out of the wormhole, the latest single marked a turning point.
“I cannot wait. It’s part of the celebration, there’s so much depth of detail in the record, in each of those three-minute songs, and to have people there, it’s a celebration of being in a band.
“Marks Prove It was a moment of clarity, a catalyst for us,” Felix says. “There’ll be a second single soon, which is more soulful, and then the album late July, which has 11 tracks on there.
“Marks Prove It was a moment of clarity.” “And,” says Felix, after stressing he’s been sworn to secrecy by the band’s management so is unable to reveal any real details, “there’s going to be more things, things we haven’t done before but I can’t talk about them! There’s quite a bit more stuff we recorded that isn’t on the album.”
“We came off touring Given to the Wild and we were so confident, we felt we were the best we’d been and that we’d go straight in [to the studio] and smash the record out,” explains Felix of the lengthy gestation period. “But everyone was exhausted, everyone had slightly different ideas of how it should sound and everyone needed to piece their lives back together again. We gave ourselves a year…it was all well intentioned, but we should have taken three-to-six months off, had a break.
But what he will say is that several new tunes will be performed live on the band’s mini comeback tour this month.
“So it took a long time to work it out, what bits of music we were going to use, how it would sound,
Felix says that he, vocalist Orlando Weeks, guitarist Hugo White, bassist Rupert Jarvis and drummer
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“There’ll be as many new songs as possible, probably about five, with tracks split across each album. We supported Kasabian a while ago and we did four new songs then. It was a tough environment, but they worked, which was reassuring. [The new songs] have got that atmosphere, but they translate to gigs – live, they sound their best.”
“We’re going to be playing with the dynamics, so there might be certain extra instruments – we’re just working it out now. It’s been so long – three-tofour years since we’ve been to these places. We did a warm-up recently before the BBC 6 Music Festival, and the atmosphere was just brilliant.” The four dates – Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester and London – will be followed by a North American trip which will see the chaps reunited with Mumford & Sons. “We actually took Mumford & Sons on their first ever tour, it was just before their first record Sigh No More blew up,” says Felix. “It was on the tour for our second, Wall of Arms, in 2009. Now look at them. You cannot believe how big they are in America. They’re playing in front of 20,000 people a night – they’re pretty well off the radar. But those shows, as a support, they are the least nervewracking. You’re so far away from the audience, it’s like it’s not happening. Playing an acoustic guitar in front of 100 people is more stressful than playing for an arena of people munching popcorn as you’re more exposed.” The Maccabees are live at The Institute, Birmingham, on May 11. New single Marks Prove It is out now. The band also play Glastonbury and Leeds/Reading festivals. 13
STILL DANCING
After a period pursuing outside interests, Belle & Sebastian have reconvened for a surprising new record. Violin player and vocalist Sarah Martin tells David Vincent more. “Responsible pop music in a revolutionary age,” is how frontman Stuart Murdoch describes Belle & Sebastian. It’s a description which takes B&S multi-instrumentalist and co-vocalist Sarah Martin by surprise. “I don’t have any idea what he meant by that,” she declares with a giggle. “He talks some nonsense doesn’t he? That’s funny. I have no idea what he means. Do I feel responsible? I do feel responsible, but, no…I don’t know. You’ll have to ask him. Or maybe his two-year old.”
of their perceived silence. “The thing is, it was an inevitability that there would be two-to-three years between albums. When you make a record, you have to go on tour for about a year, at least.”
“The times when things feel like they’re going to fall apart, when someone’s heart isn’t in it, those people have left.”
What Sarah does know is that the Scottish indie darlings are very much back in action with a brand new album, Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance, that’s brimming with classic B&S and more than a few surprises. It’s also their first studio long-player since 2010 – their longest gap between albums.
Though B&S may have been officially on leave, the band were far from idle.
“I think it was four-and-a-half years from Write About Love to this one, which I suppose seems a while, but it didn’t seem excessive,” says Sarah
“Richard [Colburn, drummer] was good friends with Snow Patrol so was off helping them with extra percussion; Chris [Geddes, keyboards] and
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I did odd bits’n’bobs, soundtracks for little films; Stevie [guitar] made a solo album – I Can’t Get No Stevie Jackson – and went on tour, so he’s been involved doing all that. So there was a lot of periphery stuff going on, but also, we were all involved in Stuart’s film, God Help the Girl. Bob [Kildea, bass and guitar] and Chris are in the band in the film, so they were on screen all the time.” Of the musical drama, written and directed by Murdoch and debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2014, Sarah says: “[Stuart] had to draw a line in the sand and just do it. He buckled down and got on with the film, which we were all actually involved in in one way or another. And we were limited with what we can do without Stuart.” Eventually the band reconvened with “all these songs that folks had been singing to themselves.” Once rehearsals had started, further tracks developed quickly resulting in what is undoubtedly the most stylistically diverse and arguably the most surprising B&S album to date. Brum Notes Magazine
“We never set out to do anything in particular, ever. We like to be led by what’s in our heads and hearts,” says Sarah, elaborating on the record that was made in Atlanta with Ben H Allen III (Animal Collective, Deerhunter, Bombay Bicycle Club). “We really did want to work with a new producer this time. We did amazing work with the guy who we did our last two albums with [Tony Hoffer], but there was maybe a sense that we felt that we’d gotten a little too comfortable. There’s something said for the element of surprise and that led to the diversity of the record.” Having explored electro-pop on key album tracks Enter Sylvia Plath and Play for Today, does this mean the next record could see the band fully embracing their dance/pop side? Sarah chuckles at the prospect, but thinks not. “It’s almost like the laws of physics – for each reaction there is an equal and opposite reaction. So we think, ‘that’s done well’, but we don’t stick to it, we’ll do the opposite, something different. It’s better to be dogmatic, to do the best thing for the music.” Fresh from hefty gigging abroad, the band return to the UK for a series of dates that includes a special show at Glasgow’s Hydro Arena accompanied by the Scottish Festival Orchestra.
“We’ve done a couple of things with orchestras before but not for a while. The Hydro Arena is particularly big,” says Sarah, with a slightly nervous tremor. “The SECC was where all the big gigs were, but it wasn’t great. Then they built this purpose-built venue. We went on a site visit when they were building it, we all put on hard hats and had a look around, so it’s been in our minds for a while that we could do something there. There’s not anywhere else really that could accommodate all of us and a big orchestra. “It’s a one-off,” she continues. “We’ll be doing things that specifically kind of work particularly well with an orchestra. That’s why it’s a one-off. There are a few songs that won’t appear on this tour that we can do, but the [setlist ] isn’t set yet, it’s too soon…” While there’s no denying the noticeable gap between official B&S studio records, there’s been no shortage of releases. Two years ago saw the arrival of rarities compilation The Third Eye Centre, and the back catalogue was re-released on vinyl last year, with 2003’s Dear Catastrophe Waitress getting a new cover image courtesy of Mr Murdoch. “I think Stuart just wanted to use another picture he’d taken,” says Sarah of the changeover. “The
whole band were on the old sleeve, with a waitress, and it was a very cluttered picture, we just felt that another picture would make a better cover. It’s kinda nice. It’s something for the collectors. It’s a better image for a sleeve.” Nineteen years on from their debut, Tigermilk, and breakthrough If You’re Feeling Sinister (which regularly ranks in ‘best of the 90s’ lists), B&S are still breaking new ground musically and also geographically (their recent dates saw them play Bangkok and Hong Kong for the first time). Reflecting on what has kept the band together and still friends after all this time together, Sarah says: “Just the fact that we all want to be in the band. The times when things feel like they’re going to fall apart, when someone’s heart isn’t in it, those people have left. “You’re never going to get six people with exactly the same ambitions, but everyone wants to be here, everyone wants to be themselves.” Belle & Sebastian are live at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, on May 10, with support from Lower Dens. UK festival dates include Glastonbury and Portmeirion’s Festival No 6 (Sep 5). Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance is out now via Matador Records.
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You Me At Six will headline Slam Dunk Festival when it takes over Wolverhampton city centre this month, marking an 10-year association between band and festival. Guy Hirst talks to guitarist Chris Miller about the group’s long relationship with Slam Dunk, their chart-topping latest album Cavalier Youth, and their loyal fanbase. There’s a history between Slam Dunk and You Me At Six, could you just take us through what the festival means to you guys? Slam Dunk has always been a big part of the band. The head of Slam Dunk Records, a guy called Ben Ray, was our first ever manager. When we were 16 he was the guy who thought we were good and let us open for bands at The Cockpit in Leeds, giving us our first jump on the ladder. He’s still an amazing friend and it’s nice to have that relationship with a person and a festival. It’s great history for You Me At Six. And how have your past experiences been playing Slam Dunk? The first time we played Ben Ray was nice enough to let us open up the main stage when we weren’t 16
really well known, which was really cool. The festival was a lot smaller then but now they’ve upgraded it to all these city and town centres [in Leeds, Hatfield and Wolverhampton]. If the weather’s great it just has the perfect atmosphere. Even though it’s fairly small they still manage to pack in loads of different types of bands. It’s probably one of my favourite festivals in the UK because it’s so chilled, not too big not too small, and the after-parties are loads of fun. You’ll be paying homage to your debut album Take Off Your Colours. Why is this an important occasion to play songs like Save It For The Bedroom? With this being our 10th anniversary at Slam Dunk along with the label that put out our first record,
it just made sense to bring back some of the oldies that people haven’t heard in a while. I think we’ll play about half of the album, and we haven’t played anything like this for a while, like, as a part of the scene we used to be a part of. It’s exciting to come back and just show everyone that we haven’t gone anywhere. In past interviews you’ve said that 2014’s Cavalier Youth pushed You Me At Six out of your comfort zones. What did you consider your comfort zone to be and how did you experiment to get out of it? Our comfort zone was always writing and recording with the same people. We’d turn up and be like ‘right, these are the songs, let’s record,’ whereas with Cavalier Youth we were lucky enough to work Brum Notes Magazine
with Neal Avron (Fall Out Boy, Linkin Park, Say Anything,) who’s an amazing guy, we clicked with him straight away. Before we even went to the studio we spent two-and-a-half weeks in a practice space playing the songs to him, just so he could get the vibe of how it was working. It was a bit of a lesson and change of scenery really. We analysed the songs which we had never took the time to do before. Cavalier Youth went to number one in the UK last year, how have you dealt with its huge level of success? We’ve been lucky enough to be one of those bands that have had a slow rise to success, it’s always been a constant ramp upwards, instead of being one of those bands that everyone goes crazy about for 10 minutes and then they disappear off the face of the earth. We’ve managed to get bigger, bigger and bigger without anyone really noticing. You just have to keep at it and just stay level-headed at all times. Even if you are in a massive band you can’t be like “oh we’re in a massive band, we can do what we want,” because people don’t like that, you know? There’s no room for egos in rock‘n’roll anymore.
“There’s no room for egos in rock‘n’roll anymore.”
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When can fans expect new material? We’re not putting any pressure on the next album because we’ve had such success with the last one. We’re also still struggling with record labels and that’s always a minefield that puts a lot of added time onto what would be a very simple process. The music industry sort of ruins the flow of a band. Anyone can write an album in six to eight months, it’s not a hard thing to do, it’s whether what you’ve got is any good or not. It’s about taking your time and being really comfortable and believing in what you’re doing 100 per cent. What do you personally want to hear on the next album? I’d really like to continue in the vein of Room to Breathe off Cavalier Youth and really dwell on that Foo Fighter-ey and Kings of Leon side of the band. We also want to put more attitude into the music, maybe like with a bit of swagger akin to the Arctic Monkeys or something. You guys are touring Australia before Slam Dunk Festival, what’s it like for You Me At Six beyond the realms of the UK? Australia has our second biggest fanbase after the UK so we always love going there. I feel that fans outside the UK really appreciate seeing a band come all the way from England just to play for them. We’ve built our [international] fanbase by touring a lot, rather than being one of those bands that [suddenly] appear because loads of labels have put a lot of money into them. We like doing it the proper way by touring our arses off, and the fanbase you create from that is a much more loyal and genuine one.
You Me At Six headline the main stage at Slam Dunk Festival, taking place on Bank Holiday Monday, May 25, across Wolverhampton’s Civic and Wulfrun Halls and a series of outdoor stages in the city centre. Also on the bill are Taking Back Sunday, Lower Than Atlantis, Architects, Don Broco, Reel Big Fish and many more. Visit slamdunkmusic.com for ticket details. May 2015
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Gods and
monsters Photo by Andy Watson / DRW Images
Full-throttle duo God Damn unleash their hotly-anticipated debut album this month. Lyle Bignon meets the Black Country band ready to take on the world. The 8ft stack of Marshall and Orange amps being assembled on the makeshift stage looks pretty menacing considering its only 11am. A worker from a nearby shop eyes the set-up with caution: “It’s going to be loud, isn’t it?” Yes mate. It’s going to be very loud. When Ash Weaver and Thom Edward kick off a 45-minute set to a crowd of 150, the sheer mass of sound produced could wake the dead. The duo are playing outside the Left for Dead record shop in Birmingham’s Custard Factory to promote an exclusive Record Store Day split single with buddies Baby Godzilla. Fresh off the back of an extensive UK tour, a bunch of European dates and a trip to the US for showcase gigs in Austin and New York, God Damn are looking pretty damn chipper. “It stretches us but it’s not punishing, it’s been fucking amazing,” Ash buzzes enthusiastically about the band’s recent work schedule. “We’ve had a grand total of an afternoon off recently – actually we had more time off at South by Southwest than anywhere else,” says 18
Thom. “We played a bunch of shows but then had a good chance to walk around Austin and party. There was one taco place there whose slogan was Damn Good, and they had the sign in lights – we forgot to get a photo in front of it.”
Performing to new audiences across the world has been quite the experience for the bandmates, as Thom explains. “New York was ace, and Berlin too – we supported Therapy? at a place called Bi Nuu which was under some railway arches. The crowd just got it straight away and were going mental.
“People over in the States got us for definite,” continues Ash. “And it’s always good to hear the band name said properly.”
“If you’d told us when we started this band we’d be opening for Therapy?, Turbowolf, Hawk Eyes, Slaves, Pulled Apart By Horses and The Wytches in a year…wow, well they were the bands who influenced us and who inspired us to start making this kind of music. Then soon after we’re playing with Baby Godzilla and other bands that we look up to. It’s crazy that we’re part of that gang now…almost!”
“Yeah they like their classic rock in the States,” Thom chips in. “There’s a whole market out there forever buying rock…we loosely flirt with that whole sound from time to time.” Not everything ran smoothly but both the boys and their audiences still had a blast. “Everything went wrong for me at the British Embassy show,” the guitarist recalls, “all my pedals bust up but I managed to play the show with one pedal so I know I can do that now.” “The best show we played was at the Carousel Lounge, which was like something out of a film,” laughs Ash. “It actually was out of a film – Dazed and Confused. It was exactly how you’d expect a Texas bar to be.”
If there’s even still a question mark around God Damn’s place in the new wave of acts making heavy music in the UK, then the release of their debut full-length album Vultures later this month only confirms what we at Brum Notes HQ have known for a while – this is a band who deserve the hype surrounding them. “Getting a 12ins copy of the album was amazing,” Thom smiles. “We were all tied up in the making of it – when we finally listened back to the whole thing, Brum Notes Magazine
we were like ‘this is a monster’. There isn’t a record that sounds like it – and that’s what we wanted to do from the start. It’s a balanced rock album, it’s got some heavy bits, some acoustic bits.” Recording early takes of material in their lockup in Wolverhampton was an important first step for the duo, before the hunt for a studio and engineer/producer took them to London. Eventually Ash and Thom settled at Metropolis Studios in Chiswick – in Ash’s words, “the total opposite of where you’d expect us to record.” “We spent a week there getting the main bits of the album down then spent the next six months putting it all together,” explains Thom. “The album has been ready for 12 months really, it was finding the right person to mix. “We tried so many people, friends, people in bands and producers that we really loved but the person who could physically do it and knew the record well enough was Xavier Stephenson (Metropolis engineer). He understood what we wanted and what was right for the record. There’s so much going on in the album, he got it. He’s absolutely nailed it.” Fans who have been following the band for a few years will agree that the 13-track release is well
May 2015
overdue. What they won’t know yet, is that it is more than worth the wait. Independent record label One Little Indian (home to Bjork, Dan Sartain, Kathryn Williams and Olof Arnalds, among others), who signed the band early last year, are a good fit for the God Damn operation.
“People over in
Discussion turns to the apparent current trend of big-noise duos like Slaves, Royal Blood and Drenge. Thom reflects on the obvious comparison. “There is a wave of two-piece bands, yeah people might think it’s the new punk rock and all that. Through circumstance we’re a two-piece band [God Damn started as a trio before former guitarist Dave Copson suffered life-threatening injuries in 2013], though that doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll always be a two-piece band. For now it works out pretty well as we’re at an early stage and have no money. But it’s definitely not a gimmicky thing.”
the States
A possible hint at what lies ahead for the sludge metallers? Maybe, but before the ranks of the hard-working duo swell beyond two, there are a few small projects to complete.
definite”
“We’ll be recording the next album before the end of the year,” confides Thom. “We never really stop writing songs and we’ve been back in the studio again recently. We want to write like 30 songs and then pick from those. That said, I’ve never been more prouder of anything in my life than Vultures.”
“Their ethos is like ‘where do you want to go, what do you want to do?’,” says Thom. “And Derek (Birkett) the top guy is a punk, so there’s a shared outlook and he’s really pro-artist.”
God Damn are live at The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham, on May 16. Debut album Vultures is out on May 11, via One Little Indian. See our review on page 20.
got us for
19
album reviews
God Damn Vultures Out May 11 (One Little Indian)
It begins with the sound of guitarist Thom Edward unlocking the gates and doors to the lockup in Wolverhampton’s Horsley Fields that he and drummer Ash Weaver have rehearsed in for the five years or so of God Damn’s existence. But this 30-second intro to the duo’s much-anticipated debut album is one of just a few moments of downtime across its 13 tracks. When the thumping tom fill and brutal guitar riff announce When The Wind Blows, you’re soon reminded that this is a band who have always been about making heavy, loud and exceptionally powerful music.
Speedy Ortiz Foil Deer Out Now (Carpark
Records)
Specialising in a style of angsty lo-fi that met its zenith as the 80s became the 90s, Boston’s Speedy Ortiz can count Sonic Youth, Pixies and Nirvana amongst their most immediate antecedents. First announcing this buzzsawing melancholy as their signature sound on 2013’s Major Arcana, every song on Foil Deer sticks itself to a similar college rock template. Yet, in amongst the guitar shreds that recall the most memorable, bilespewing elements of the aforementioned bands, Speedy Ortiz’s second album proves the New England outfit far more than a sickly imitation of those from whom they’ve taken so much. Fast establishing a reputation as one of the sharpest wordsmiths on the scene, the blistering and caustic lyricism of Sadie Dupuis reaches new heights on Foil Deer, with Raising the Skate acting as a sharp missive-cum-manifesto that slices away 20
The sound energy produced by Edward’s stack of amps and Weaver’s punishing stickmanship, so integral to generating the colossal wall of sound that makes up a God Damn live performance, is captured here on record, in all of its crushing force. So too, is the band’s solid work ethic, unmistakable on Silver Spooned, Shoeprints (an adapted version of 2014’s Shoeprints In The Dust), By The Wayside, Horus and the exceptional title-track Vultures. The latter, a track that opens and closes with an absolute behemoth of a riff, really shows off God Damn’s ability to pen and produce songs that are both tender and cataclysmic in outlook. There are nods to speed metal, sludge, classic rock and even alt-indie throughout the whole album, and in production terms Xavier Stephenson has engineered a consistently solid feel.
at the sexist dinosaurs that continue to plague our supposedly-modern society. A loaded issue that crops up again and again, these bigots are most notably put to bed on the feedback-swamped Dead Girl and the wiry, insistent howl of Ginger. Yet, in addition to unconsciously declaring herself the ringleader of a savage new breed of toughtalking singers, Dupuis is also quick to blow raspberries at such voice-of-a-generation claims, with standout track and lead single The Graduates, a devil-may-care and organ-touched romp about dropping out of law school, seeking to re-champion slacker culture. Elsewhere, the punk thrash of Swell Content offers up a handful of fists-in-theair flashpoints, whilst Dot X, heavy with poisonous and cocksure caveats, is a statement of intent that anyone with sense would be best advised to follow. Not simply a gateway record to the most exhilarating facets of lo-fi pop, but a near-flawless record in its own right, Foil Deer marks a career best for Speedy Ortiz. ‘Don’t ever touch my blade, you fool. You’ll be cursed for a lifetime’, Dupuis threatens as the album clicks into gear. Danger never sounded so appealing. Dan Owens
With vocals that run the gamut from soft and searching to dangerously ear-splitting, this is music-making at its most raw – the bastard child of Led Zeppelin, Deafheaven, Nirvana, Southern Whiskey Rebellion and everything in between. God Damn have been threatening to make a serious impact on heavy music for some time now. With Vultures, that moment has arrived. An immense record. Lyle Bignon
Hot Chip Why Make Sense? Out May 18 (Domino)
Since the release of their second album The Warning in 2006, Hot Chip have always been known as a band that don’t take themselves too seriously. Mixing kitsch lyrics with experimental electro-pop and inhabiting the groove between Daft Punk and LCD Soundsystem, they never quite managed to square the circle of commercial success with critical acclaim. After a three-year gap filled in with other musical projects, including DJ outfits (2 Bears) and avant-garde jazz groups (About Group), the band release Why Make Sense?, their sixth studio album and arguably the one that could solve their geometrical quandary. Pulling on what they do best, the album teems with their genre-busting style. Within the opening tracks (Huarache Lights, Love is the Future) we go from four to the floor house, to disco and hip-hop, encountering robots and bursts of harmonium, Brum Notes Magazine
guided by Alexis Taylor’s whimsical vocal. And if that isn’t enough, the stirring 70s soul of Started Right, with its percolating funk and sunny Stevie Wonder disposition, might quite possibly be one of the greatest things that they’ve ever done. On Dark Night, which glides along in the slipstream of Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories, master technician Joe Goddard takes up lead vocals, proving that his forays in front of the mic can give the group another prize tact. When Taylor sings of “a miracle that’s hard to bear” on the down-tempo So Much Further To Go, we are reminded that the group can peddle a nice line in sensitivity too, tinged with their own astute definition of heartbreak. As with most Hot Chip albums, one track stands out due to its crossover club appeal and for WMS?, this track is Need You Now, which bears all the hallmarks of Goddard’s Greco Roman imprint. Try as they might to keep tongue in cheek, when an album’s this good, there’s no option but to take them seriously. Andrew Gutteridge
Palma Violets Danger In The Club Out May 4 (Rough Trade)
Building on the sloppy rock’n’roll of their last record, Palma Violets have fallen far from making the mistake of producing a try-hard follow-up to 180. Hollywood (I Got It) instigates the primal prepunk hooks that don’t show any sign of backing down on Girl You Couldn’t Do Much Better (On The Beach). The jerky, slapdash melodies show a hint of maturity as the record goes on, becoming much more than just youthful, unruly rock, and instead showing signs of growing up. Not afraid to slow things down on The Jacket Song and Matador, Samuel Fryer’s earnest pleas of forgiveness detract from their punk, unsophisticated façade. However, still wanting to show their fun and arduous side, title track Danger In The Club and Gout! Gang! Go! flip their new found maturity on its head. Though far from revolutionary, riffs full of vigour bounce alongside basslines tough enough to do some damage, letting the punk influences of the album ring out loud. Ending with a mumbling drawl on English Tongue, there’s a nod to The Clash and early Libertines, but the record still seems somewhat lacking in the notorious ear-worming shouts and riffs that Palma Violets have been rightfully hyped for. Danger In The Club was all about avoiding the second album clichés and retaining the simplicity and youthfulness of 180, but, by doing this, there’s a new found confidence here. It’s the same good old Palma Violets bashing out the clanging melodies, bellowing harmonies and solid beats, but it’s all a bit more fun. With not much more to prove, May 2015
the garage-indie rock quartet can go home happy that they’ve managed to do it right. Becky Rogers
Django Django Born Under Saturn Out May 5 (Because Music)
Django Django, a band who met at art school and write songs with titles like Waveforms or Firewater, could quite easily have made the most pretentious album of the year. Thankfully though, Born Under Saturn is an album full of neo-psychedelic fun, and is the sound of a band who are completely in love with what they do. For all of its strangeness and eclecticism, Born Under Saturn’s greatest moments are its inexplicably catchy choruses, best shown off in singles First Light and Reflections. With their use of offbeat polyrhythms and gurgling synthesisers, it’s clear that Django Django try to create escapist music that sounds like it comes from a different planet. The album opens with sci-fi disco workout Giant, before switching to alien rockabilly in the form of Shake and Tremble. This band refuse to pin themselves down, yet, at the same time, have carved out their own neat little art-rock niche. Born Under Saturn begins to tire in the second half, its choruses falling away and becoming eclipsed by obtuse chord progressions and enthusiastic percussion sessions. For the casual listener, this makes for a mixed bag that would be easy to disregard as ‘hipster’, but it’s everything that faithful Django Django fans have come to know and love. Tom Clabon
The Vaccines English Graffiti Out May 25 (Columbia)
With their debut album What Did You Expect from The Vaccines? becoming, for many, the soundtrack to 2011, the lads managed to pull off a marginally over 30-minute album that wasn’t exactly the next Pink Floyd, but was the answer to every indie teenager’s dreams. An accolade somewhat blighted by their rushed and disappointing follow up Come of Age, The Vaccines have nevertheless become a must in almost any indie diet. Behold their third LP English Graffiti, and the four-piece seem to have finally figured out just who they want to be. Tracks such as 20/20, Denial and Radio Bikini take us back to 2011 with their familiar catchy guitar hooks and fast drums that are reminiscent of a young Strokes.
Elsewhere, the Londoners appear to have experimented with a pinch of the 80s, especially during grooved-up love song Want You So Bad, whilst recent Black Keys material is drawn upon in the Dream Lover – the “biggest song we’ve ever written”, according to lead singer Justin Young. The 11-track album takes us down a rocky road, from slow, gazing songs such as (All Afternoon) In Love to upbeat and signature Vaccines tracks in, once again, just over 30 minutes. Expect at least a few tracks from English Graffiti to be included in your summer soundtrack, whilst you’ve got a can of warm cider in your hand and a random person’s arm in the other at a festival. Like many bands, The Vaccines are faced with the difficult task of surpassing their spectacular yet effortless debut – they haven’t just yet, but they’re a bit closer this time. Lucy Thompson
Youth Man Hill of Knives EP Out Now (Self-released)
“Music should not always be easy to listen to,” their press release reads, and too bloody right. Youth Man aren’t radio-friendly sycophants, they’re antagonists. And, as the name suggests, Hill of Knives will be an impossible climb for most, even if it’s only 16 minutes long. But if you thrive on hatred, distortion, gnarled punk riffs and lyrics about tyranny and isolation, then it will all go down swimmingly. Opening track Skin is ironically the quickest and heaviest but most accessible track, and it launches this five-song release in an abrasive chord after abrasive chord fashion. The metalesque breakdown in its last 20 seconds alone sets the bar extremely high. But, from here on out, Youth Man become a little more niche, and a little more interesting. Riffs become more obtuse, the timing a little more odd, and Kaila Whyte’s vocals chop from semioperatic to obnoxiously out of tune via being softly spoken, in other words – Youth Man are unpredictable, and this is why the latest EP is not an easy listen. As soon as you get used to Hill of Knives’ steep incline, it stabs you in the eardrum. Always the Same is the best example of this, starting with a hectically timed intro that leads into a dissonant bassline and into Whyte’s wailing and so forth. The only constant is the chorus, everything else is well strung together mayhem with predetermined malice, and this frees them of any confining formula. Don’t be mistaken, Youth Man are not punk as in cliché three-chord punk, they’re punk as in you-can-like-this-noise-or-fuck-right-off. And if you do manage to reach the summit of Hill of Knives, step back and appreciate all of it, it’s well worth the view. Guy Hirst 21
LUCY ROSE The Institute, Birmingham 25/03/15
live
02/04/15
If there’s one thing that Charli XCX knows, it’s the art of the tease. Carefully spreading snippets of her pop genius over two stomping collaborations (Icona Pop’s I Love It and a guest spot on Iggy Azalea’s Fancy) before seeing her sophomore album Sucker suffer push-back after push-back, tonight her tardiness – appearing 10 minutes later than scheduled – is somewhat expected, almost planned. What amounts to a mouth-watering wait for her crazed fanbase doubles as a smoothly-executed move by a hyper-aware 21st century pop star. When she does finally arrive, middle fingers aloft and midriffexposed, to the agitated synths of her new record’s title track, her followers are already fawning in unison – utterly in thrall to her shrewd caricature of pop princesses past. Working through Sucker’s mock-pop highlights under an ostentatious disco glow, her customary choker and comically-high heels cast her as Girl Power awakened from a deep sleep. A tongue-in-cheek style further 22
Photo by Jonathan Morgan
CHARLI XCX The Institute, Birmingham
demonstrated by her strumming along to the sneering Breaking Up on an oversized inflatable electric guitar, the retro video game clink of billionaire’s daydream Gold Coins cements her carefully-cultivated bratty demeanour. The super-charged bounce of Break The Rules is, with its playful and insouciant chorus, an updated, just-as-impish version of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. In a show often saccharine enough to satiate even the most sugar-hungry primary schooler, the chipmunk-high pairing of Need Ur Luv and Superlove, the former interrupted by intermittent bursts of bubblegum organ, showcase Charli at her sweetest – her paean to soured love So Over You serving as a well-placed reminder of her pop’s sharper, more acidic edge. Outlandish, brash and with energy to burn, a rapturous encore of glowing breakout solo smash Boom Clap ends the night on a romantic high, the last euphoric words of the freshest pop act in years. Dan Owens
“If you’ve seen my new video, you will have seen different animals eating different kinds of food off my body…not in a weird way… well, actually, no, in a very weird way…” Lucy Rose goofily gushes at her equally-gushing audience before submerging them into punchy new single Our Eyes. Tonight’s sold out show in the Temple room is so intimate, that if it wasn’t for Rose’s witty and silly chitchat between songs, it would have probably have the feeling of an awkward first date between two strangers. Her quirky humour, modest charm and stunningly soothing voice all have her audience yo-yoing between fits of laughter and open-mouthed mesmerisation, all in a mere few hours. Showcasing an array of new material from upcoming album Work It Out, she timorously apologises for the set being ‘so long’, unnecessarily so as the crowd listen enthusiastically and devotedly. Tracks such as Cover Up and Köln are infused with instrumental experimentation, driven by pulsating rhythm and sharp guitar chops, giving each of them a less innocent façade when compared to previous work. Nevertheless, it’s one of her quietest and calmest songs that proves itself as the most impressive part of the night. Admitting that she never has trouble deciding to perform this track, the audience are hurled into bittersweet ambience with old favourite Shiver, Rose’s flawless vocals swirl sensually around the room, slowing down the pace completely and leaving the whole room latching onto every word murmured. Rarely has a crowd at a gig been so silent, it’s as if a spell has been cast and the audience hypnotised, transfixed by the huge voice that arises from such a dainty frame. The 25-year-old Surrey-born sweetheart may well be deemed too ‘nice’ or too ‘samey’ by some, but everyone at The Institute tonight witnesses an artist that really is much more than that. Ivy Photiou
SUPERFOOD The Rainbow, Birmingham 08/04/15
There’s no doubt that Superfood deserve that special place you reserve for them in your heart – their horribly catchy songs are matched only by the band’s own incorrigible charm. So it’s no surprise to find The Rainbow packed with fans for their biggest homecoming show to date. First though are up-and-comers Black Brum Notes Magazine
Honey who seduce the early birds with their sexy songs. Next up, and riding in on a wave of hype, are YAK, who whip the crowd up into a frenzied state with a sonic assault. And whilst both of these bands are worthy headliners in their own right, as soon as the second act leave the stage you can feel a shift in atmosphere as a mixture of anticipation and excitement takes over the venue. If there’s anything that this show proves it’s that Superfood are more than ready to go on and command larger and larger audiences, and with rumours of a second album flitting about, the future is looking very bright indeed. From the first bar of opener You Can Believe to the final refrain of Superfood, their stage presence demands attention and keeps the crowd dancing. Old favourites like Bubbles, TV and Melting might make up the meat of the set but it’s the rarer live tracks that really shine. A performance of It’s Good To See You really shows how far they’ve come, and a rendition of Houses on the Plain make the show a truly memorable experience. Whilst the album material on show is just as interesting as their earlier output, Superfood round off the night with their instant classic of a self-titled belter. It may be predictable at this point but that doesn’t mean it’s any less enjoyable. A triumphant return to the venue where they first met and played their debut show together, tonight’s performance shows that the endless praise that Superfood earn is very far from coming to an end. Matthew Burdon
THIS IS TMRW RECORD STORE DAY ALL-DAYER Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath 18/04/15
Record Store Day has been blessed with a premature summer blaze, and while most punters are outside a toddler’s thwarted stage invasion marks the most anarchic response to the events launch. But Crawlin Hands start the showcase with a faultless amalgam of psych, blues and garage rock nonetheless. Dong Fang kick shit off truly. Frontman Thomas Hughes and lead player Joseph Gatsby headbutt soloing like some animalistic stand off. It’s all pentatonic delirium and every song’s stamped with at least one orgasmic breakdown, they’re a playground for any guitarist to watch. Taking rock‘n’roll back to its origins is Swampmeat Family Band, hosting 50s nostalgic lyrics about Cadillacs, girls name Suzi and a bloody huge double bass for swingin’. They’re the tightest band so far, and the twist is introduced among the audience, rightly so. Initially vexing but ultimately awesome, May 2015
Black Mekon’s rock‘n’roll is a brutal twist from Swampmeat’s origin story, they’re industrial blues blasphemy, with distorted harmonica beatboxing, convulsive yelps and a guitar tone sounding like a AM pirate radio station. As the sun goes down the freaks emerge to The Castillians, one fan clutching a bottle of wine in one hand and a beer in the other, dancing glassy eyed. The Castillians reinforce the rock‘n’roll theme and definitely receive the most love. Highly recommended. “I’m Laserbeam, nice to meet you,” announces Sunshine Frisbee Laserbeam guitarist Pete Dixon. Their quirks are matched by their amount of great songs, each one seems like a chant to the low rumble of Fender Jaguars, “in auto” is chanted 129 times throughout the track, for example. Eight hours (and pints) in, Them Wolves throw the rock‘n’roll motif to the, well, wolves and are so sonically-abrasive the set could feature in Guantanamo Bay’s ‘disco’ chamber. The tempo and volume overwhelms every atom, they deserve the title as Brum’s heaviest trio. From its dirty rock’n’roll, to rootsy rock‘n’roll, to filthy rock‘n’roll, to inexplicable noise, this was scene education, as eye-opening as it was it was near-impossible to try and encapsulate in just 350 words. Guy Hirst
CIRCA WAVES The Institute, Birmingham 14/04/15
You always think that indie music is dead. But every so often, just when you begin laying a wreath in the shape of Luke Pritchard and tying it to a scrap of Johnny Borrell’s white jeans, a band comes along that sniggers in your face. Providing the boyish titters tonight are Circa Waves, an outfit who come straight out of 2005 and don’t care if you’ve never listened to Attack / Release. Fittingly, for tunes so bouncy, the four-piece waste no time in jumping around with reckless abandon, particularly to the pounding,
Superfood Photo by Rob Hadley
Strokes-esque So Long. The bulging Birmingham crowd, a healthy mix of the indie appreciation society and elder statesmen, oblige in a youthful fashion, jumping and swaying about to a song ironically titled Catch My Breath. Musically, the band stick to a winning formula – T-Shirt Weather, and its exploits of long-lost summers, has an anthemic hook that fellow indie tykes Catfish & the Bottlemen would appreciate, whilst Good for Me gets some much-welcomed chants echoing around the packed-out venue. Bringing the first set to a close is classic single Stuck In My Teeth which, chock full of breezy, jittery melodies that mix Vampire Weekend drums with singer Kieran Shudall’s bittersweet yelps, ensures that Circa Waves are not just another band jumping onto the indie landfill. Closing with a gorgeous rendition of 101, they leave a crowd dressed in Topman and M&S gear drenched in sweat, beer and appreciation. In other words, a ruddy good Tuesday night. Sam Lambeth Them Wolves Photo by Daisy Blecker
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The BOTANIST 14–16 Temple Street, Birmingham, B2 5BG www.thebotanist.uk.com
Cuisine: Price:
0121 600 7430
Barbecue, British £20-25 for three courses, excluding drinks
Service: Atmosphere: Food: Overall:
make-or-break of a meal, never intruded. It is clear that none of this is accidental, and it is both heartening and flattering to experience such care. No expense was spared – the live band, placed in a cubby hole to play to no real audience, was, fittingly, utterly superfluous. The sun never sets…
The Botanist is the first foray into Birmingham of Living Ventures, the slick Cheshire-based hospitality moguls behind Manchester House (think million-pound factory chic) and many others. If you watched Restaurant Wars you’ll have admired Tim Bacon and his team’s totalitarian brilliance, their absolute control of every aspect of atmosphere, service and experience – true crafters of brand: not drinks and a meal but a drinks-andmeal experience.
In Restaurant Wars, prospective service staff are made to jump through an absurd set of hoops. They must, it seems, have a perfect personality. At The Botanist, the managers don’t seem too worried about choreographing everybody’s every move (our waitress hugged us at the end of the meal, which I don’t think is in the hospitality manual), but it’s clear they only hire the most relentlessly friendly. We felt like VIPs, an esteem boost only marginally dented by the fact it looked like everybody else was treated that way too.
This ethos both sits strangely well with the turnof-the-century vibe of The Botanist – world-asexhibition, carefully curated, gin and tonics on the veranda (literally, too, with its magnificent front porch) – and is evidenced beautifully in many aspects of the experience. Impeccably on-brand decor, down to the cabinets full of colonial treasures, silver fire extinguishers and flattering vintagefilter mirrors in the toilets, receded sensitively once we were seated. Volume, for eeyores like me the
The cocktails stole the show. Delicate English flavours enlivened by vibrant tropical fruits. The English mojito – with gorgeous tides of cucumber, then apple, then mint – was an overzealous measure of sugar syrup off the best cocktail I’ve ever had: striking, dry, refreshing. The Melon & Basil Crush, though eluded by basil, yielded both the lighthearted joy of fake watermelon flavour and something serious and full-bodied kicking behind it, the vanilla syrup rich, almost chocolatey. Lamentably, this exquisiteness did not consistently carry through to the food. There were triumphs: well-cooked seabass with a pico de gallo that hummed with clean, sharp, peppery heat. Toffied, brown-buttered sugar snaps; beautiful, smoky corn on the cob cooked in stock; garlicky, herby, headily-seasoned chips that tasted like McDonalds fries grown-up.
Poached salmon from The Botanist, Birmingham
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But there’s disappointment given the refinement of which The Botanist is clearly capable. Their
signature (and trademarked!) Hanging Kebab, though enticing in stature and well-cooked, was disconcertingly unbalanced: sweet chilli, predictably, trampled any other contenders, with poor garlic – trapped in the hanging mechanism – not even making it out of the starting gate. Houmous, other than the sprinkling of heartbreakingly few toasted caraway seeds, was, well, houmous. Poached salmon, virtually unadorned, seemed like it had been compressed, like when woodchips are forced into a briquette. Banana and coconut kebab could have been so much more than a banana rolled in desiccated coconut. Nothing’s bad: high quality ingredients mostly well-handled. But it’s rarely thrilling, which is perplexing in a place that whispers finesse from the front door. Sticky toffee pudding, for example, was difficult to find fault in – light, spongy, just the right amount of throat burn – but a sprinkle of sea salt would have made it spectacular, and it’s hard to rejoice when you know what could so easily have been. Again, scotch egg and piccalilli was perfectly tasty, but where was the oozing yolk? We couldn’t help feeling that the seeds of mediocrity were sown in a menu that lets down its restaurant. We expected refinement – the intensity/delicacy balancing act that defines those fantastic cocktails – and consequently struggled to get on board with the something-for-everyone pub classics section that dominated the menu. Perhaps we misunderstood what The Botanist wants to be but its claim of “food inspired by the deli, rotisserie and BBQ” confuses, muddies clear flashes of brilliance. When it’s on form, what this restaurant does well is create a flavour that takes you somewhere – the English country garden, the Mediterranean, the middle-class barbeque – but it’s a disorientating set of somewheres. Stick to the veranda, please. Kitty Sadler Brum Notes Magazine
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25
gigs
The Fall
PICK
The Institute, May 14 The ongoing sonic project of eloquent miser Mark E Smith since he first put the band together during punk’s gob-smattered heyday, northern noise-mongers The Fall occupy an extremely unique place in indie music history. Making a number one fan out of legendary DJ John Peel, who once described Smith’s outfit as ‘always different, always the same’, the band’s constant personnel changes, will to experiment and near-annual album releases are traits unsurpassed by any of their peers. On tour to promote their 30th LP SubLingual Tablet, their varied back catalogue suggests that fans should expect the unexpected. Maybe Mark will even crack a smile.
Elvis Costello
Only Real
One of Stiff Records’ standout acts in the late 1970s, punk and new wave stalwart Elvis Costello has put his own spin on just about every musical form and genre going. Adding a distinctive amphetamine-fuelled tinge to blues, country and soul on over 30 chart-infiltrating albums, his latest tour sees him ditch his supporting band in favour of a set of solo gigs, meaning that this Symphony Hall slot is a chance to see one of punk’s most vintage attractions as you’ve never seen him before.
Acting as the rather innocuously-named Niall Galvin’s brooding, laddish and depraved alter ego, West London’s Only Real is the latest exponent of Jamie T-style tales of boozing, girls and ennui. Appearing sporadically since first attracting attention in 2012, Galvin’s edgy, left-of-centre pop finally received the long-player treatment earlier this year in the form of debut LP Jerk at the End of the Line, a luminescent jaunt through postadolescent nothingness. A former tour buddy of Teleman and Wolf Alice, this Rainbow appearance marks the end of his short UK tour. Approach with caution, things could get messy.
Symphony Hall, May 31
Hinds
Hare & Hounds, May 20 Formerly known as Deers, Spanish quartet Hinds have, despite only existing as a four-piece for little more than a year, been touted by many as lo-fi pop’s next big thing. With their publicity no doubt boosted by an enforced name change, musicwise, the number of songs that the girls have actually committed to tape can be counted on one hand. As ever though, it’s quality rather than quantity that matters, and the hazy sunshine veneer of tracks like Bamboo and Trippy Gum suggest that they could well be the frontrunners of a furious fuzz-filled garage revolution. A gloriously gritty act for a gloriously gritty venue.
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The Rainbow, May 9
The Lovely Eggs
The Sunflower Lounge, May 4 Like a still happily married White Stripes, The Lovely Eggs, comprised of husband and wife David Blackwell and Holly Ross, are a two-piece with a closer relationship than most. Spending years zipping around the world with a vintage guitar amp, guitar, drum kit and the occasional baby in tow, the couple have released a trio of cult records that refuse to bow to the vanilla conventions of the mainstream. Back in the studio after a three-year layoff for fourth album This Is Our Nowhere, they stop off at The Sunflower in the midst of a tour of the UK’s
smallest, sweatiest venues. It doesn’t get much more DIY than this.
Single Mothers The Oobleck, May 19
With lead singer resignations and line-up changes aplenty, the story of Single Mothers’ genesis would be more than enough to fill a few column inches in itself. Eventually establishing some stability with the return of said frontman Andrew Thomson, these Replacements-influenced Canadian punks finally put their spiky social critiques to long-playing record with last year’s frenetic first LP Negative Qualities and now head across the pond to treat our eardrums to their blistering tales of 21st century disaffection.
Dan Korn
Ort Cafe, May 16 An enchanting acoustic musician lent a retro shimmer by a full-bodied backing band, London-based Dan Korn is famed for the meditative, soul-searching and often tear-jerking quality of his lyrics. Fresh from unleashing his first record Of The Sea into the world back in March, he calls into the Ort Cafe with backing band and heart-shredding poetry in tow. Remember to pack the tissues, this one’s sure to have sadness stamped all over it.
Brum Notes Magazine
club nights
Godskitchen presents Clash of the Gods 2015
PICK
The Rainbow, May 30
It’s been eight years since the international club night held it’s inaugural event in Northampton in 1996, it’s since travelled to America, China, the Philippines, Australia, and Croatia while becoming one the UK’s most popular club nights. This event sees the extreme house, trance and techno night return to Birmingham on a whole new scale featuring over 40 DJs on three different stages, including Cosmic Gate (pictured), Tenishia vs Protoculture, Photographer vs Ram, Allen & Envy, Callan Christie vs Rhys Thomas and a deluge of DJs from around the globe. This is for the savage club-goer who knows no bounds.
United Cultures Club PST, May 2
“The level of sophistication in today’s electronic music production means that most club soundsystems are just subpar,” says soundsystem manufacturers Creative Hertz, who’ve partnered with PST to launch United Culture, an event which is set to blast 25,000 watts of bass-heavy music from all reggae-inspired genres. With 14 DJs across two rooms, including Lion Pulse, Crises, I Man, Jam Jah Sound, Positive Vibration and back-to-back sets from Goosensei, Nature Ambassador, Juggla and Feva - expect extraordinary talent from London, Bristol and Brum in astounding high-fidelity.
One Dub - The Pilgrimage Lab 11, May 29-30
Situated in central Digbeth on Trent Street, One Dub presents an indoor and outdoor soundsystem spectacular in three separate day and night time sessions over two days. Colourfully painting itself as a spiritual event aiming to unite people from all nations and generations, the event plays host to DJs from Oxford, Manchester, Leicester, Southampton and Bristol, along with familiar artists from Birmingham’s reggae scene like Lion Art, Iman Issachar and Cheshire Cat. Pilgrims needn’t go hungry either, with One Dub’s ‘cultural marketplace’ boasting food from the Dubwise Kitchen and the Warehouse Cafe. Expect Aisha T Arts & May 2015
Crafts and Sta Kulcha’s record store too. Come listen to, live, wear, and breath reggae music. Make the pilgrimage.
DJ Vadim & Fingathing Hare & Hounds, May 8
Best known for his seminal track Terrorist, Vadim is a veteran among the DJ community and has built a worldwide reputation as a cross-continental collaborator and hip hop innovator, having toured extensively for the last 20 years in over 60 countries. Vadim’s globetrotting has exposed him to an ever-expanding batch of influences, but his sets are renowned for encompassing hip hop, funk, grime, reggae and dub and bass. In contrast, nu-jazz duo Fingathing share the incredibly original dynamic between turntablist scratch maestro Peter Parker and double bass virtuoso ‘Sneaky’, who, after going on hiatus in 2006, return to Birmingham for their first show in nearly a decade.
Girls! Girls! Girls!
generation of strong and socio-politically-aware women by thrashing out to musical role models, the night is set to make for a great and meaningful girls night out, but all genders, of course, are most welcome.
Rematter: Twist & Bounce Party Suki10c, 9 May
This is not a twist and bounce party as in “let’s do the twist, daddio”. This is a “let’s erratically throw contorted shapes among as many lasers as humanly possible” sort of shindig, with ultraviolet lights and facepaint to boot. Add unyieldingly loud and unforgivingly paced psytrance, a venue full of the most dedicated dancers you’ll ever meet, and boom, you’ll see why Suki10c is one of the coolest and most far-out underground venues in Brum. Expect dark, twisted and bouncy sounds from Lorraine, Indigo Herder, Uneven Steven, Dreaddean, Tronix and other maniacal DJs.
Ort Cafe, May 9
Mr Scruff
Raising funds for Balsall Heath Women’s Institute summer school comes Girls! Girls! Girls! – a celebration of pioneering female artists in a DIY riot grrrl fashion. Expect a night of garage, psych, punk rock and new wave from the Dollcanoes, Smear Fears, Sugarfoot Stomp and Chicks Dig Jerks DJs. Designed to inspire and celebrate a new
“The combined knowledge of music on any dancefloor, in any venue, far exceeds any DJ,” says Mr Scruff about the musical guru attitude turntablists can often adopt. But the Manchester DJ’s long infatuation for crate digging has given his six-hourplus marathon sets a John Peel-like eclecticism.
Hare & Hounds, May 1
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arts & culture
Boris & Sergey’s Vaudevillian Adventure Old Joint Stock, May 15
PICK
Flabbergast Theatre’s critically-acclaimed hour-long rollercoaster of table-top puppetry and character skits. The show forms just one part of the Birmingham Cabaret Festival, which takes up residence at the Old Joint Stock throughout the second half of May. Amongst the other treats in store are the cut-glass vowels of Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer (May 22) and burlesque performer Ginger Blush’s ravishingly educational Nell Gwynn’s History Laid Bare (May 23).
(h)experiment
Samara Scott
A special multidisciplinary season of envelopepushing shows, all taking place in the venue’s Hexagon Theatre. Slot Together (May 9 and 16) sees local pioneers Stan’s Cafe preside over eight newly-commissioned short plays – including a Croatian language-based comedy and a lo-fi Gone With the Wind tribute – with each piece using the same 12 props. Sparks May Fly (May 8, 15 and 23) is a series of collaborative improvisations from musicians who only begin working together on the day of the performance, while there’s also a satirical revue courtesy of the team behind irreverent Birmingham miscellany Paradise Circus (May 21).
The biggest exhibition to date from the Londonbased artist, in which she examines the minutiae of the consumer experience, her work combining the natural and the artificial, the synthetic and the organic. Alongside Scott’s show is You And Me Here We Are, a revisiting of a 1975 artist placement which explored issues around context-based art, which will here include re-stagings of plays created as part of the original project.
Mac, May 7-23
Pavel Büchler Ikon, from May 13
Ikon strikes again with this, the most far-reaching UK exhibition yet from the Czech-born, Manchester-based artist. The show, entitled (Honest) Work, demonstrates Büchler’s wry humour and preoccupation with status. Central to the exhibition is The Castle, a stack of loudspeakers quoting from Franz Kafka’s novel of the same name, in which the protagonist is condemned to a life outside the inner sanctum. The counterpoint is Fly, which presents a buzzing insect trapped inside a fireexit sign. 28
Eastside Projects, from May 16
Small Worlds
New Art Gallery Walsall, from May 21 A hugely promising show from a range of artists examining the urban environment in the context of 2015’s globalised society. With multicultural communities, dizzyingly disparate media and the homogenisation of high street, the exhibition searches for the meaning of local in the 21st century. Also new in Walsall this month is We Are Illuminated, a film from Siân Macfarlane exploring leisure and celebration in the town since the 1800s.
Blood
The Rep, May 19-23
Richardson’s sparse production, only the two main characters are present in the flesh – the encroachment of the external elements suggested by the internalised dialogue and Arun Ghosh’s pulsating electronic score. Recommended.
THIS IS HOW WE DIE
Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, May 19-20 Hold onto your hats for Christopher Brett Bailey’s whirlwind monologue, with his breakneck gonzo reportage and pitch-black humour reaching a crescendo that’s greater than (or is it less than?) the sum of its parts. Genuinely exhilarating and, in the words of The Scotsman, “blisteringly brilliant”.
Stewart Lee: A Room With A Stew Symphony Hall, May 2
A homecoming show for the none-more-sardonic stand-up, previewing material for the upcoming fourth series of his BBC show Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle. Combining his trademark highconcept mental calisthenics with smatterings of unadulterated silliness, the intricate craft and artistry of Lee’s sets are at least as satisfying as his jokes – or the lack of them.
A distinctly modern-day love story, as touching as it is brutal, with the young love of Caneze and Sully threatened by her gangster brother. In Esther See more at www.brumnotes.com
Brum Notes Magazine
what’s
on KEY TO LISTINGS l Music
l Club Night
l Comedy
FRIDAY, MAY 1 l Leftfoot presents Mr Scruff, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l Plutonic Launch Party, PST, Birmingham l Room Service ft Jake Bass, Nightingale, Birmingham l Marlon Davis, The Glee Club, Birmingham l Phil Buckley’s Big Idea, Mac, Birmingham l Arcane Roots, The Institute Temple, Birmingham l Claire Maguire + Huw Stephens (DJ Set), The Glee Club, Birmingham l Goodnight Lenin, The Rainbow, Birmingham l Iceage, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l Mobb Deep, O2 Academy, Birmingham l River Street, The Victoria, Birmingham l Spoken Word Night, Ort Café, Balsall Heath SATURDAY, MAY 2 l Bruk Up with Sammy Goulbourne, E Double D, Carry & Shaun, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l Cache, Bull’s Head, Moseley l Ecko presents 1 Night Stand, LMG Warehouse, Birmingham l Jubilee Club, The Institute Library, Birmingham l Karma Bank Holiday Special, Myyst, Birmingham l Oldskool Reunion, The Drum, Aston l Only After Dark, Apres, Birmingham l Jimmy Carr: Funny Business, Civic Hall, Wolverhampton l Marlon Davis, The Glee Club, Birmingham l Acoustic Sessions: Alexandra Jayne, The Glee Club, Birmingham l Balkanic Eruption ft The Baghdaddies, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l Beholder + Morgue Orgy, O2 Academy 3, Birmingham l DUB FX, The Institute Library, Birmingham l Hannah Brown and Daisy Vaughan, Ort Café, Balsall Heath l Hidden Skies, Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton l Pentatonix, O2 Academy, Birmingham l Semantics, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham l The Prellies, The Wagon & Horses, Birmingham l The Warlocks, The Rainbow, Birmingham SUNDAY, MAY 3 l House Sound of Birmingham presents Farley & Heller, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l M O D O Bank Holiday Takeover, Bull’s Head, Moseley l Raiders of the Oldskool, PST, Birmingham l Return of the Rave, The Rainbow, Birmingham l The Sunset Terrace Party ft Marc Asari, Chic, Birmingham l Xstatic, Boxxed, Birmingham l Rough Works - New Midland Comedy Material Night, The Glee Club, Birmingham l Blaze Bayley, The Roadhouse, Stirchley l Motion City Soundtrack, O2 Academy 2, Birmingham
May 2015
l The Bank Holiday Big One with OG Horse, Oh Boy, Trash, An Army of Lights + Rehashed DJs, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l The Riptide Movement, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham MONDAY, MAY 4 l Jam Jah Reggae, Bull’s Head, Moseley l Live Lounge Comedy Night, The Roadhouse, Stirchley l Dutch Uncles, The Institute Temple, Birmingham l The Lovely Eggs, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham l Ugly Duckling, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l WaDaDa, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath TUESDAY, MAY 5 l Supafresh, Gatecrasher, Birmingham l CW Stoneking + Tom Peel, The Rainbow, Birmingham l Happyness, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath WEDNESDAY, MAY 6 l Dustin Kensrue, The Glee Club, Birmingham l Public Service Broadcasting, The Institute, Birmingham l Raw In Sect, The Wagon & Horses, Birmingham l WAYLAYERS, The Institute Temple, Birmingham l What Artists Think About Voting: General Elec tions Information Event, Ort Café, Balsall Heath THURSDAY, MAY 7 l Comedy Carousel, The Glee Club, Birmingham l Pandemic Live, Mac, Birmingham l Altan, Mac, Birmingham l Cody Simpson, The Institute Library, Birmingham l Pinkshinyultrablast, The Institute Temple, Birmingham l The Prodigy, O2 Academy, Birmingham FRIDAY, MAY 8 l An Evening with Spinx, Bull’s Head, Moseley l Freestyle presents DJ Vadim & Fingathing, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l FZKS Presents Morrt & Friends with The Golden Boy, Amusement 13, Birmingham l Magika & Carl Cox, Q Club, Birmingham l Jarlath Regan, The Glee Club, Birmingham l Claire Maguire + High Contrast (DJ Set), The Glee Club, Birmingham l Double Trouble ft Suzi & The Backbeats, The Rainbow, Birmingham l Hoobastank, Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton l Misty’s Big Adventure, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l True Adventures and Special Guests, Ort Café, Balsall Heath l Twin Atlantic, O2 Academy, Birmingham SATURDAY, MAY 9 l Ferry Corsten extended set, Boxxed, Birmingham l Klšne with DJ Kubot, Miguel Verde + Adam Hall, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l A Celebration of Comedy, Mac, Birmingham l Jarlath Regan, The Glee Club, Birmingham l 360, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l, Balsall Heath] WI presents Girls! Girls! Girls!, Ort Café [Balsall Heath l Bad//Dreems, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham l Merrymouth, Mac, Birmingham l Modern Minds, O2 Academy 2, Birmingham l New Carnival, The Rainbow Cellar, Birmingham l New City Kings, The Institute Temple, Birmingham SUNDAY, MAY 10 l Cheatahs, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath
l Fearless Vampire Killers, O2 Academy 3, Birmingham l Pretty Vicious, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l The Bohemian Jukebox Listening Post with Mellow Peaches, singleMum, AC Thomas, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham MONDAY, MAY 11 l Jam Jah Reggae, Bull’s Head, Moseley l Ultra, Gatecrasher, Birmingham l Live Lounge Comedy Night, The Roadhouse, Stirchley l The Maccabees, Institute, Birmingham l TOPS, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath TUESDAY, MAY 12 l Boyz II Men, O2 Academy, Birmingham l Nizlopi, The Glee Club, Birmingham l Sun Club, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham WEDNESDAY, MAY 13 l Jack Dee’s Help Desk, The Glee Club, Birmingham l Alabama Shakes, O2 Academy, Birmingham l Paper Aeroplanes, The Rainbow, Birmingham l Twenty One Pilots, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath THURSDAY, MAY 14 l Comedy Carousel, The Glee Club, Birmingham l Quizshowreoke, Mac, Birmingham l Romesh Ranganathan & Suzi Ruffell, The Glee Club, Birmingham l David Ford, The Rainbow, Birmingham l Dr Hook, Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton l Ewert and the Two Dragons, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l Guts for Glory, The Roadhouse, Stirchley l Police Dog Hogan & Rich McMahon, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l The Days of May: Music in the Time of Revolu tion, Ort Café, Balsall Heath l The Fall, The Institute Library, Birmingham FRIDAY, MAY 15 l Celestial with Steve Kelley, Bull’s Head, Moseley l Soulvation Presents Back To Wigan Casino Pt 2 with Russ Winstanley, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l Supersonic Vague, Gatecrasher, Birmingham l Henning Wehn, Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton l Matt Rees, The Glee Club, Birmingham l Captain Jeffrey, The Victoria, Birmingham l Claire Maguire + Jax Jones (DJ Set), The Glee Club, Birmingham l InMe, Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton l Lazy Habits, The Rainbow, Birmingham l Swervedriver, O2 Academy 2, Birmingham SATURDAY, MAY 16 l For the Love, Bull’s Head, Moseley l Leftfoot Fifteen Series presents ‘A Garden Get Together’ with Crazy P Live, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l Outta Da Kitchen Inna Da Club, PST, Birmingham l Rave2Raise, Suki10c, Birmingham l Matt Rees, The Glee Club, Birmingham l All Us on Drugs, The Wagon & Horses, Birmingham l Breabach, Mac, Birmingham l Dan Korn and Eleanor Dattani, Ort Café, Balsall Heath l Eradikator, O2 Academy 3, Birmingham l God Damn, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham l Lucy Spraggan, The Institute Library, Birmingham l Marcia Griffiths & Friends, O2 Academy, Birmingham
29
l Shallows, The Oobleck, Birmingham l Son of Dave, The Rainbow, Birmingham l The Bots, The Rainbow Cellar, Birmingham SUNDAY, MAY 17 l Bloodstock Festival Semi-Final, The Roadhouse, Stirchley l CoCo & The Butterfields, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l Tom Baxter, The Glee Club, Birmingham MONDAY, MAY 18 l Jam Jah Reggae, Bull’s Head, Moseley l Ultra, Gatecrasher, Birmingham l Live Lounge Comedy Night, The Roadhouse, Stirchley l Jack Garratt, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l Slaves, The Institute Library, Birmingham TUESDAY, MAY 19 l Jesse Malin, O2 Academy 3, Birmingham l Neon Waltz, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l Thurston Moore, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 l Jarred Christmas, The Glee Club, Birmingham l Hinds, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l Joe Wright – Stratigraphy, Ort Café, Balsall Heath l Mawkin, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l Ozric Tentacles, O2 Academy 2, Birmingham THURSDAY, MAY 21 l Comedy Carousel, The Glee Club, Birmingham l Paradise Circus Live, Mac, Birmingham l Creepoid, The Rainbow, Birmingham l Dar Williams, The Glee Club, Birmingham l Nomad presents Mostly Comedy, Ort Café, Balsall Heath l Supersonic Festival presents Circle, Hey Colos sus & Opium Lord, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l Walk The Moon, The Institute Temple, Birmingham FRIDAY, MAY 22 l Mocca with James Caldecott, John Orton & Chris Thorpe, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l Soul Food Projects 5th Birthday with Don Letts, The Gene Dudley Group (Live), Lumi HD (Live) & Sam Redmore, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l Andrea Hubert, The Glee Club, Birmingham l Jeremy Hardy, Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton l Boat to Row, The Rainbow, Birmingham l Foes, The Flapper, Birmingham l James Arthur, The Institute, Birmingham l J P Cooper, The Institute Temple, Birmingham SATURDAY, MAY 23 l Break Thru presents: Spectrasoul + Ivy Lab, The Oobleck, Birmingham l Andrea Hubert, The Glee Club, Birmingham l Birmingham Popfest 2015, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l Hunter Hayes, The Institute Library, Birmingham l Kate Doubleday and Dan Wilkins, Ort Café, Balsall Heath l King Krab, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l New Bays, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham l RX Bandits, O2 Academy 2, Birmingham l Seinabo Sey and Lion Babe, The Institute Temple, Birmingham SUNDAY, MAY 24 l Big Pride Pass, Nightingale, Birmingham l Fudge Fingas, Bull’s Head, Moseley l Suited Bank Holiday Special, Aura, Birmingham l Urban Rewind, Myyst, Birmingham l All Stars of Comedy International Tour, The Glee Club, Birmingham
30
l Birmingham Popfest 2015, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l Heaven’s Basement, The Oobleck, Birmingham l Killerwave All Dayer with Cedar House Band, Mighty Young, Virals & Spit Shake Sisters, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l Merrymouth, Mac, Birmingham l Rock’n’Blues All-Day Festival, The Roadhouse, Stirchley MONDAY, MAY 25 l Jam Jah Reggae, Bull’s Head, Moseley l Ultra, Gatecrasher, Birmingham l Live Lounge Comedy Night, The Roadhouse, Stirchley l Fickle Friends, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham l Slam Dunk Festival 2015 ft You Me At Six, Civic Hall, Wolverhampton TUESDAY, MAY 26 l Otis Redding III, The Glee Club, Birmingham WEDNESDAY, MAY 27 l Eddie Argos (Art Brut) Spoken Word, The Rain bow, Birmingham l Kioko, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l Mudhoney, The Institute Library, Birmingham THURSDAY, MAY 28 l Comedy Carousel, The Glee Club, Birmingham l Brandon Flowers, O2 Academy, Birmingham l Magic Cinema, Ort Café, Balsall Heath l The Psychedelic Warlords, The Roadhouse, Stirchley FRIDAY, MAY 29 l Circles Presents Liquid V with Bryan Gee, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l Leftfoot 15 Series + Vacuum Boogie present Alexander Nut, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l OneDub - The Pilgrimage 2015, Lab11, Birmingham l Supersonic Vague, Gatecrasher, Birmingham l Pete Firman, The Glee Club, Birmingham l Coal Chamber, Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton l Johnny Foreigner, The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham l The Days of May: Music in the Time of Revolu tion, Ort Café, Balsall Heath l The Ukrainians, The Rainbow, Birmingham SATURDAY, MAY 30 l Beats & Bars Bombay Festival Warmup, Spot light, Birmingham l Godskitchen Clash of the Gods 2015, The Rain bow, Birmingham l Hot Waxx, The Institute Library, Birmingham l OneDub - The Pilgrimage 2015, Lab11, Birmingham l Alexei Sayle: Listen with Alexei, Mac, Birmingham l Pete Firman, The Glee Club, Birmingham l Eeek, The Flapper, Birmingham l Introducing perform Daft Punk’s Discovery live, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l Legends of Reggae, Tower Ballroom, Edgbaston l Ty, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath SUNDAY, MAY 31 l The Real McCoy meets 291 Club, The Glee Club, Birmingham l Bop English, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath l Dementia Aware-Fest 2015 ft Chemikill, The Roadhouse, Stirchley
O2 Academy, Horsefair, Bristol St B1, 0844 4772000 The Institute, High St, Digbeth B5, 0844 2485037 NIA, King Edwards Rd B1, 0121 7804141 Genting Arena, NEC, Solihull B40, 0121 7804141 The Flapper, Kingston Row B1, 0121 2362421 The Victoria, John Bright St B1, 0121 6339439 Hare & Hounds, High St, Kings Heath B14, 0121 4442081 The Actress & Bishop, Ludgate Hill B3, 0121 2367426 The Sunflower Lounge, Smallbrook Queensway B5, 0121 6327656 Symphony Hall, Broad St B1, 0121 7803333 Town Hall, Victoria Sq B3, 0121 7803333 Kitchen Garden Cafe, York Road, Kings Heath B14, 0121 4434725 Alexandra Theatre, Station St B1, 0844 8472302 Bull’s Head, St Marys Row, Moseley B13, 0121 2567777 Island Bar, Suffolk St B1, 0121 6325296 The Jam House, St Pauls Sq B3, 0121 2003030 Ort, Moseley Rd, Balsall Heath, B12 The Asylum, Hampton St, Hockley B19, 0121 2331109 The Rainbow, High St, Digbeth B12, 0121 7728174 Adam & Eve, Bradford St, Digbeth B12, 0121 6931500 The Rose Villa Tavern, Warstone Lane, B18, 0121 2367910 The Yardbird, Paradise Place B3, 0121 2122524 The Glee Club, The Arcadian, Hurst St B5, 0871 4720400 MAC, Cannon Hill Park B12, 0121 4463232 Nightingale, Kent St B5, 0121 6221718 Scruffy Murphys, The Priory Queensway B4, 0121 2362035 The Wagon & Horses, Adderley St, Digbeth B9, 0121 7721403 Lab11, Trent St B5, lab11.co.uk The Moseley Arms, Ravenhurst St B12, 0121 7668467 Alfie Bird’s/The Oobleck, The Custard Factory B9, 0121 270 6665 Suki10c, Bordesley Street B5 Gatecrasher, Broad St B15, 0121 633 1520
WANT YOUR GIG, CLUB NIGHT OR COMEDY EVENT LISTED IN OUR MONTHLY GUIDE? Send details to: listings@brumnotes.com All details were correct at time of going to press. Check with venues before you set out.
Brum Notes Magazine
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