February 2013
www.brumnotes.com music and lifestyle for the west midlands
free
Preparing for lift-off with Birmingham’s voice of 2013
ALSO INSIDE: Everything Everything Swim Deep Villagers Frightened Rabbit AND exclusive first interview with Dumb PLUS: Win a month of free clubbing and gig tickets / A look ahead to SHOUT Festival / Beer tasting in Birmingham / AND your complete guide to what’s on in February February 2013
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Thurs 14th Feb • £10 adv 6.30pm - 11pm
Your Demise + Heights + Counterparts + Fact
Fri 25th Jan • £10 adv 6pm - 10pm
Sylosis
+ Devil Sold His Soul + Cytota + Left Unscarred
Thurs 14th Feb • £16.50 adv 6.30pm - 11pm
The Kerrang! Tour ft. Black Veil Brides
Weds 24th Apr • £18.50 adv
Tues 12th Mar
Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls
Bullet For My Valentine + Halestorm
Thurs 25th Apr • £36 adv
Weds 13th Mar • £14 adv
Saint Vitus + Mos Generator
Thurs 14th Mar • £15 adv
The Alarm
James
Sun 12th May Mon 13th May
Lana Del Rey Tues 21st May • £35 adv Weds 22nd May • £35 adv
+ Echo & The Bunnymen
The Specials
Thurs 25th Apr • £10 adv
Tues 17th Dec • £26 adv
CrashDiet & Jettblack
Revelations:
The Mission & Fields Of The Nephilim
Sat 26th Jan • £22.50 adv
+ Chiodos + Tonight Alive + Fearless Vampire Killers
Sat 16th Mar • £23 adv
+ Fallen Mafia + Hell in the Club + Sleekstain
Ali Campbell
Fri 15th Feb • £13.50 adv
Weds 20th Mar • £10 adv
Sun 5th May
The Heavy
Alt-J
Thurs 21st Mar • £18.50 adv
Sun 12th May • £18.50 adv
Athlete
The Wonder Stuff Pop Will Eat Itself Jesus Jones
Sat 26th Jan • £5 adv
Mon 11th Mar • £10 adv
+ Captain Horizon + Severed Ties + Slave To The Beast + In Alchemy
Weds 13th Mar • £18.50 adv
Rescheduled show • original tickets valid
The Legendary Voice of UB40
Tues 29th Jan • £13.50 adv
We The Kings
Weds 30th Jan • £10 adv
Anberlin
+ The Xcerts + The Getaway Plan
Fri 1st Feb • £14 adv
6pm - 10pm
Delphic Sat 16th Feb • £19.10 adv
NME Awards Tour 2013 ft. Django Django + Miles Kane + Palma Violets + Peace
6pm - 10pm
Tues 19th Feb • £26.50 adv
Fri 1st Feb
+ Letlive + Three Trapped Tigers
Sat 2nd Feb
Tues 19th Feb
High On Fire 6.30pm - 10pm
Two Door Cinema Club Fri 1st Feb • £4 adv
10.30pm - 3am • over 18s only
Propaganda
Deftones
Don Broco + Mallory Knox + Hey Vanity
Thurs 21st Feb • £11 adv
Mon 4th Feb • £12.50 adv
Rocksound Impericon Exposure Tour 2013
Weds 6th Feb
Sat 23rd Feb
ft. Two Door Cinema Club (DJ Set) with Sam and Kev from the band DJing
We Are The Ocean 6pm - 10pm
All Time Low
+ Lower Than Atlantis
Fri 8th Feb • £12 adv 6pm - 10pm
Modestep
+ Document One + Koven
Sat 9th Feb
Rita Ora Sat 9th Feb • £22.50 adv
Brad
+ New Killer Shoes
Sun 10th Feb
Asking Alexandria Weds 13th Feb • £12 adv
Darwin Deez
ft. The Ghost Inside
The Courteeners Fri 1st Mar • £5 adv
10.30pm - 3.30am • over 18s only
Propaganda ft. The Enemy (Live)
Sat 2nd Mar • £14.50 adv
Reel Big Fish
Fri 8th Mar • £10 adv
6.30pm - 10pm Rescheduled show • original tickets valid
The Stranglers
Inspiral Carpets Over 18s only
Jägermeister Music Tour ft. Ghost + Gojira + The Defiled
Martyr De Mona
Mon 25th Mar • £33.50 adv
An Evening With The Black Crowes No Support - on stage 8pm
Tues 12th Feb • £10 adv
CASH Johnny Cash Tribute
Tues 26th Mar Weds 27th Mar
Weds 13th Feb • £6 adv
Emeli Sande
School Of Rock & Pop Showcase
Tues 26th Mar • £8.50 adv
Sun 17th Feb • £7 adv
Janet Devlin
Weds 27th Mar • £16 adv
LostAlone
+ The Dead Famous
Kverlertak
Claudia Brucken The Lost Are Found Tour
Rescheduled show • original tickets valid
Thurs 14th Mar • £17.50 adv
Space
+ Chris Wallbank And The Cowards + Rhesus Rescheduled show • original tickets valid
Fri 22nd Mar • £7 adv 6pm - 10pm
Pout At The Devil
Steve Harris British Lion
Thurs 21st Feb • £8 adv
Fidlar
Europe’s No. 1 Tribute to 80’s Hair Metal and Classic Rock
Fri 29th Mar • £16.50 adv
Sat 23rd Feb • £5 adv
Sat 20th Mar • £5 adv
6pm - 10pm
Everclear
Diamond Lil
+ Twisted Species + Austin + Piston + Swamp Snakes
Sat 30th Mar • £23.50 adv
Left For Red & Left Unscarred + Adust + Enemo-J + Akrya
Eels
Sun 24th Feb • £6 adv
Fri 5th Apr • £14 adv
+ Deceptions Pocket
Ill Niño & Shadows Fall
Tues 26th Feb • £8 adv
Ourzone Found Tour 2013
Mon 8th Apr • £13 adv
Weds 6th Mar • £7 adv
Fri 19th Apr • £10 adv
The Last Carnival
The Smyths
Exit Calm
5.30pm - 10pm
Exit Ten + My Preserver 6pm - 10pm
Immure
Weds 17th Apr • £18.50 adv
Sat 9th Mar • £7 adv
Fri 19th Apr • £33.50 adv
+ The Two N Eights + The British Kicks + Open to Fire + Radio Dancers
Sleigh The UK 2013
Sat 23rd Mar • £5 adv
The Rollin’ Clones
The One Twos
Sat 21st Dec • £22.50 adv
The Feeling 6pm - 10pm
Counting Crows Sat 20th Apr
McFly
+ The Colliers + The Pressure Cell
Fri 8th Mar • £14 adv
Mon 8th Apr • £7 adv 6.30pm - 10pm
6.30pm - 10pm
Singles Night, Celebrating 30 Years of The Smiths Singles and B-Sides
6.30pm - 10pm
Tues 23rd Apr • £7.50 adv
Sun 10th Mar • £9 adv
Sat 6th July • £8 adv
Dan Reed Band Dizraeli & The Small Gods
Bleed From Within Stereosonics
(Stereophonics Tribute Band)
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 on cash transactions Notes Magazine ticketweb.co.uk • seetickets.com • gigantic.com •Brum ticketmaster.co.uk
CONTENTS
Tempting Rosie on stage at the Hare & Hounds. Read the review on P22. Photo by Wayne Fox Photography. Brum Notes Magazine Unit 12 The Bond 180-182 Fazeley Street Digbeth Birmingham B5 5SE info@brumnotes.com 0121 224 7363 Advertising 0121 224 7363 advertising@brumnotes.com Distribution StickupMedia! 0121 224 7364 Editor: Chris Moriarty Contributors Words: David Vincent, Tom Pell, Amy Sumner, Lauren Cox, Lyle Bignon, Matthew Osborne, Daron Billings, Ben Russell, Joe Whitehouse, Guy Hirst, Ben Calvert Contributing editor: David Vincent Pictures: Wayne Fox Photography, Emily Haf, Emily Baker, Jade Sukiya Style editor: Jade Sukiya jade@brumnotes.com Design: Adam Williams, Andy Aitken Connect Twitter: @BrumNotesMag Facebook: www.facebook.com/ BrumNotesMagazine Online: www.brumnotes.com
Regulars News 4-5 Competitions 6 Hotlist 9 Live Reviews 22-23 Style 24-25 Food & Drink 26-27 What’s On Guide 28-30 Music and Features Fresh Talent: io/Johnny Kowalski 8 SHOUT Festival preview 9 Dumb 12 Swim Deep 14-15 Laura Mvula 16-17 Frightened Rabbit 18 Villagers 19 Everything Everything 20-21
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. February 2013
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first headliners unveiled for returning summer jazz festival The first headliner has been announced for this year’s Mostly Jazz Funk & Soul Festival, which returns to Birmingham in July. Disco and funk legends Chic featuring Nile Rodgers will close proceedings in true style by headlining the Sunday night of the 2013 festival. The three-day event is now in its third year and will run from July 5 to 7 at Moseley Park in the Moseley area of the city. Chic are best known for delivering classics such as Le Freak with its instantlyrecognisable refrain of ‘Aaahh, freak out!’ and Good Times, which became the most sampled track in music history, having been adapted by artists such as Daft Punk, Queen, The Sugarhill Gang and Beastie Boys. The official Mostly Jazz Funk & Soul Festival launch party takes place on February 16 at the Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath. Tickets are £8 but for your chance to win free entry for two, turn to P6.
birmingham ballroom closes its doors after 15 months
business as usual for the institute
An historic music venue in Birmingham city centre has closed its doors again after calling in the administrators.
Digbeth venue The Institute has reassured customers that it is “business as usual”, despite uncertainty over the future of its previous owners HMV. The Institute, previously known as The HMV Institute, is no longer part of the HMV Group having been acquired by MAMA and Company in December. ‘HMV’ has now been dropped from the name of the Digbeth venue and bosses at the venue have confirmed that recent announcements in relation to HMV being placed in administration do not affect the venue or any scheduled events. Andy MacDonald, general business manager at The Institute, said: “We would like to reassure all of our customers and the readers of Brum Notes that the announcement regarding HMV’s administration will not affect The Institute or events that are scheduled to take place here. The venue was acquired by MAMA and Company in December 2012 and is no longer a part of the HMV Group. We are currently in the process of removing the ‘HMV’ name from the venue and all of our marketing materials, but in the meantime please be assured that it is business as usual at The Institute.”
The Birmingham Ballroom announced its closure with immediate effect last month, with all shows and club nights cancelled. A statement on the venue website said: “It is with great regret that we announce the immediate closure of The Birmingham Ballroom. “May we take this opportunity to thank all the people who have supported us over the last 18 months. All shows and events scheduled at the venues are cancelled and ticket holders should contact the outlet from which they purchased their tickets for a refund.” The venue in Dale End has enjoyed a rich musical heritage, having previously been home to Top Rank, The Hummingbird and the Carling Academy. New owners took over after plans to demolish the building as part of a redevelopment scheme were shelved and it was reopened as The Birmingham Ballroom in October 2011. Ticket holders are advised to contact vendors for refunds and business enquiries are being directed to administrators Kallis & Co in London. Has your gig, club night or event been rescheduled to another venue in Birmingham following the closure? Let us know at info@brumnotes.com.
new £1 million contemporary art exhibition heads to birmingham A new £1 million collection of international contemporary art collection will open in Birmingham next month. Metropolis: Reflections on the Modern City will open to the public in March at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (BMAG), showcasing more than 60 works by artists from around the world with a theme of views on the modern global city. The collection has been curated by BMAG and the New Art Gallery, Walsall, in association with Ikon Gallery after the three organisations won £1m in funding from the hotly-contested Art Fund International initiative. Entrance to the exhibition is free. The works have all been created in the past decade and include items made in response to different areas of Birmingham, as well as views of modern Indian and urban environments in Paris and Russia. The exhibition runs from March 23 to June 23. Visit www.bmag.org.uk. 4
Brum Notes Magazine
brum notes to host new monthly issue launch parties from march
IN BRIEF
Bombers will headline the first in a new monthly series of Brum Notes Magazine issue launch parties, kicking off in Moseley next month. The Birmingham band, who have just unveiled their latest double a-side maxi single Drawing/Buddy’s In a Cult on Dead London Records, will top the bill at the Bull’s Head on March 7. The night will also feature live performances from three more of the city’s most exciting new bands, Skull TV, Youth Man and Ghosts of Dead Airplanes. Entry is a bargain price of £3 on the door to see four live bands, with partygoers also enjoying special drinks promos, giveaways and more on the night. The live music upstairs will also be complemented by the tropical beats of Tropicalia DJs in the downstairs bar, making for an allround party atmosphere throughout. Brum Notes Magazine will be hosting issue launch parties featuring some of the finest up and coming acts from Birmingham and beyond every month, so keep an eye out for more exciting announcements and line-ups over the coming weeks. Bombers new double a-side single Drawing/Buddy’s In a Cult is available as a maxi single and to download now from www.deadlondonrecords.com.
Students can get extra discounts and free booze at a vintage clothes shop in Digbeth this month. Cow Vintage in Digbeth High Street will host its Student Lock-In on February 6, with 15 per cent discounts, free drinks, DJ sets, style booths, freebies and competitions.
We are also excited to announce the first in the next series of Brum Notes Presents gigs taking place at the O2 Academy Birmingham. New band Dumb, formed from the ashes of The Carpels, will headline their debut hometown show at the O2 Academy 3 on April 5, with tickets priced £5 adv on sale to O2 Priority customers from February 4, and on general sale from February 6. Youth Man and The Scribers and one more very special guest act will complete an exciting line-up. Visit o2academybirmingham.co.uk to book. Read our exclusive first interview with Dumb on P12.
February 2013
A new style of fitness class for discerning music fans is being launched in Birmingham, giving people the chance to workout while listening to some of the city’s best DJs. Drum ‘n’ Bounce and Dubstretch fitness will celebrate its arrival with a special launch party at the Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath on March 1, with DJ sets from the likes of Mark Smallman, Ben Dunn, Mylz, Ad Jones and Vespasian Smith. Classes currently take place in and around the Moseley area, including weekly at Geese Theatre Company in Woodbridge Road and fortnightly from Feb 9 at Rigs Fitness in Willersey Road, Kings Heath. The launch party on March 1 runs from 9pm. Entry costs £5 with funds being raised to support the new venture. For information on classes visit www.drumnbounce.co.uk.
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COMPETITIONS Win a Season Pass for Two to FACE at The Rainbow
Birmingham clubbing behemoth FACE has unveiled its huge winter program boasting the likes of Heidi (pictured above), Maya Jane Coles, Apollonia, Bicep and more all performing at The Rainbow, with three massive all-nighters also announced. And to celebrate we have two season passes to give away, allowing two lucky clubbers free entry to FACE at The Rainbow every Saturday until the end of March. The first of the all-nighters takes place on February 2, with Apollonia aka Shonky, Dyed Soundorom and Dan Ghenacia, the second on March 2, with Radio 1‘s house mistress Heidi headlining, while Maya Jane Coles and Bicep are on the bill for the third, a Warehouse Rave on Good Friday, March 29. The weekly FACE showcase club nights will also continue at the venue every Saturday. To be in with a chance of winning tell us: What is the name of the party series hosted by DJ Heidi around the world and which has since spawned mix CDs and a new record label? Email your answer, name, age and contact phone number to competitions@brumnotes.com by February 22.
mostly jazz funk & soul festival launch party
kerrang! tour 2013, live at the o2 academy
The Mostly Jazz Funk & Soul Festival will start the build-up to its summer return with a launch party at the Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath on February 16. The party features live performances from Pigbag, Cantaloop, and The Bluebeat Arkestra. Tickets for the event cost £8adv but we’ve got one pair to give away for somebody who can tell us:
The infamous Kerrang! Tour makes a welcome return to the heavy metal hotbed of Birmingham, with the likes of Black Veil Brides, Chiodos, Tonight Alive and Fearless Vampire Killers taking over the O2 Academy in Birmingham for a Valentine’s Night with a difference on February 14. We have three pairs of tickets to give away, as well as the debut album from Tonight Alive. For a chance of winning, answer the following:
Where does the annual Mostly Jazz Funk & Soul Festival take place? Send your answer, name, age and contact phone number to competitions@brumnotes.com by February 15. Winner will be notified by email by 5pm.
What is the name of the debut album from Aussie pop-punkers Tonight Alive? Send your answer, name, age and contact phone number to competitions@brumnotes.com by February 12. Winners will be notified by email.
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Brum Notes Magazine
m e tro p o li s m u s i c p r es e nt
VILLAGERS THURSDAY 14TH FEBRUARY
BIRMINGHAM INSTITUTE LIBRARY 0843 221 0100 | 0844 248 5037 | TICKETWEB.CO.UK.COM | 0844 811 0051 | GIGSANDTOURS.COM NEW ALBUM {AWAYLAND} OUT NOW WEAREVILLAGERS.COM A METROPOLIS MUSIC PRESENTATION BY ARRANGEMENT WITH CAA
+
JAWS
FRIDAY 15TH FEBRUARY VENUE UPGRADED DUE TO DEMAND
BIRMINGHAM INSTITUTE LIBRARY 0844 248 5037 | GIGSANDTOURS.COM A Metropolis Music PRESENTATION by arrangement with Primary Talent International
PLUS GUESTS
THE SILENT COMEDY
WEDNESDAY 20 MARCH
O2 ACADEMY2 BIRMINGHAM 0844 477 2000 | GIGSANDTOURS.COM
OUT ST SOLD21 TUESDAY MAY
EXTRA DATE ADDED DUE TO DEMAND
WEDNESDAY 22ND MAY
O2 ACADEMY BIRMINGHAM
0844 477 2000 | 0844 811 0051 | GIGSANDTOURS.COM A METROPOLIS MUSIC PRESENTATION BY ARRANGEMENT WITH X-RAY
A METROPOLIS MUSIC PRESENTATION BY ARRANGEMENT WITH X-RAY
ALBUM ‘THE GLORIOUS DEAD’ OUT NOW! WWW.THEHEAVY.CO.UK
+
Friday 12th April
Birmingham Institute
0844 248 5037 / 0844 811 0051 / gigsandtours.com
SATURDAY 27 APRIL
BIRMINGHAM INSTITUTE LIBRARY
thefratellis.com fb.com/thefratellisband A Metropolis Music presentation by arrangement with ITB
0844 248 5037 | GIGSANDTOURS.COM
A METROPOLIS MUSIC PRESENATION BY ARRANGEMENT WITH CODA
February 2013
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Words by Tom Pell
io Thinking man’s hardcore comes in the form of io, a band comprising of a biochemist, an engineer and a social researcher. What happened to working part-time in a pub? Busking? Clearly, 2013’s plan of “buying more amps and pedals” is proving pricey. The year is already off to a good start though, following the release of third album Our Disintegrating Museum on Grammatical Records. Distorted, winding melodies are io’s calling card, mixing Mogwai with Neurosis to create an almost otherworldly trip. “We wanted the album to have an underlying narrative, as opposed to a collection of one off tracks,” says guitarist/vocalist Al Lawson. “We used these interests, which challenge certain viewpoints, to generate a dialogue for discussion.” These interests include and base the album upon a, “mistrust of science, and the faith people put into ungrounded
Johnny Kowalski & the Sexy Weirdos Yeah, you heard. Like many before, Johnny and the boys now have your attention. And upon listening, it appears The Libertines have got pissed up and stuck in Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes. ‘Carnival Punk’ has been thrown at the group, and they prefer traditional inspirations, like, ‘Balkan’. Something Wonderful, opening track on debut album Victory for the Monsters, sums up the show, a circus atmosphere with more brass than you can shake a tuba at. Which they do. The song only has about 10 words, about three of those audible, and y’know what? Who cares? It’s a riot. “Sometimes it feels like people secretly have been waiting to dance for ages and we’ve just given them an excuse,” insists frontman Johnny.
the artwork and styling of the group. Inspiration is drawn from, “…any well-made art in the broader sense, be it a tattoo, painting or stencil.’ Johnny cites Nirvana as an early obsession. But the songwriting cascades from the madness to the melancholic, on Going Out My Mind and The Morning After, with Kowalski’s distinctive gargle muzzled as an accomplished storyteller.
www.weareio.co.uk theories or practices,” continues Al. On January 1, they released said album, recorded in Doncaster with Matt Elliss and his array of vintage guitars and amps. “On our previous album we went for a darker, lo-fi sound and we decided we wanted a brighter, almost poppier sound on this record.” From first listen, all science goes out the window. Gloomy, epic, funky riffs swim over a pounding drum track on opener The Last Cosmonaut. Rage Against The Machine in parts, Million Dead in others. The video even conjures Metallica’s One. Further listening finds more of the same, gut-wrenching vocals and complex structures, but as a journey rather than a repeat. Experimental, yes, but io are not too far from the cure. io are live at the Bull’s Head, Moseley, on February 3.
www.sexyweirdos.co.uk Seeing them live and having a dance is the key. Seemingly, because you’re sexy and you know it. Johnny Kowalski & the Sexy Weirdo headline the Hot Club de Swing Alternative Valentine’s Ball at the Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, on February 15. They also play Club PST on February 22.
They’ve just been on a European tour, in a van. “It was one of the greatest adventures of my life,” continues Johnny. “We travelled over 2,500 miles, and averaged at least seven hours a day in the van – hopefully the next tour will be more efficient.” Time has been taken to carry through the image to
Photo by Emily Haf
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Brum Notes Magazine
HOTLIST
THE PLAYLIST The best new material from Birmingham and beyond, for your listening pleasure.
malpas Where The River Runs EP Debut EP of charming folk-tronica from much-loved Birmingham outfit. Available for free download at www. malpasmusic.co.uk.
Bovine
ONES TO WATCH
Military Wife Ear-splitting single from riff-tastic, furious five piece, with raucous accompanying video. Available now from bovine.bandcamp.com.
GALLOPS
midnight bonfires
evil alien
Wrexham’s experimental instrumentalists (pictured) make a welcome visit to Birmingham in the wake of their acclaimed 2012 debut album Yours Sincerely, Dr Hardcore. Watch them: February 14, The Flapper, with Constant Waves
Eclectic four piece perform live and curate a night of music featuring more rising Birmingham talent, including Symfonyah, Deceptions Pocket and Tom Forbes. Watch them: February 2, Mac Birmingham, Cannon Hill Park
Rare live appearance from widely-tipped trippy electronica outfit. This headline show celebrates the release of anthemic new single Higher Than the Sun. Watch them: February 8, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath.
Cold Fields Never Get Back Hypnotic stand-out track from intriguing Brummie indie act’s debut EP. Available now through iTunes.
Festivals SHOUT, Birmingham’s Festival of Queer Arts and Culture, returns for its fourth instalment at from February 28 to March 10, is organised by Birmingham LGBT and aims to celebrate the best in LGBT art, comedy, dance, performance and more from across the West Midlands. Highlights from this year’s festival, which has a theme of Generations and Legacies, will include comedy shows Well That Explains It! by Clare Summerskill and 90s Woman by Rosie Wilby and an alternative cabaret club night from Birmingham-based artist Joey Vivo, who will also unveil a new youth project as part of the festival. Tom Marshman will present a combined visual and performing arts project, compiled from interviews with older lesbian and gay adults in the local area, talking about their personal and social histories. We Love We Make We Exist is an exhibition of work from photographer Marta Kochanek entitled We Love We Make We Exist that focuses on LGBT families, while fellow photographer Nick Hynan will showcase a digital exhibition called Gender Blending (pictured above right). February 2013
Image by Nick Hynan
the end of this month. The festival, which runs
Festival producer Abbe Robinson said the festival in February and March would build upon the excellent reputation SHOUT had built over the past five years. “We’ll be bringing unique and entertaining events to the region’s LGBT communities through some fantastic performances, exhibitions and activities,” she added. SHOUT Festival runs from February 28 to March 10 at various venues in Birmingham and the wider West Midlands. For the full programme of events visit the festival website at www.shoutfestival.co.uk or see the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/shoutfestival.
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A DEDICATED LIVE FUNK AND SOUL NIGHT WITH HOUSE BAND THE FUNK SOUL COLLECTIVE, RESIDENT DJS AND GREAT BANDS FROM ACROSS THE UK AND ABROAD.
FRIDAY 8TH MARCH 2013. THE HARE & HOUNDS
£5 ADVANCE TICKETS FROM
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BIRMINGHAM Follow us @FunkNation5 Brum Notes Magazine
February 2013
11
Rising from the ashes of The Carpels, Birmingham quartet Dumb are far from speechless, as Amy Sumner discovers.
‘WeRDumb’ is the tagline to all of this band’s online presence – website, Facebook, SoundCloud; talk about encouraging preconceptions. It’s almost a dare in fact, this smokescreen of a facade – encouraging you to make your mind up about them, but with a wry smile that’s about as far away from actual stupidity as you can get. These boys are jokers, sure. Full of throwaway comments and quips, they spend half their time taking the piss out of each other, and the other half congratulating each other on the results. However, they’re also very considered, and that’s not only an unusual contrast, it’s also the basis for something good.
Photo by Jade Sukiya
“The name is ironic,” offers guitarist (and part-time lifeguard) Tom Minchin by way of explanation. “Yes, it is a bit shit,” qualifies drummer Jacob McQue. “But we quite like shit names; after a while they become immensely cool.” A new project formed from members of Moseley-based The Carpels, Dumb offer an explosive new sound encompassing the energy of youth. “The internet makes it easier to brand yourself however you like and to be whoever you want to be,” delivers lead singer Dylan Williams. “Sure, platforms like Twitter can take away the mystery of a band, but on the other hand the internet is a key way to create it,” Tom finishes. “Bands who get tagged with any kind of hype have that misery to enjoy whereas with us, people don’t really know where we’re coming from, and that’s an advantage,” continues Dylan. A clean slate 12
is definitely a valuable (if rare) thing to have, especially in today’s Birmingham. “We don’t spend time with people in bands though,” Tom muses. “I think we have a certain indifference to fitting in,” Jacob concludes pointedly. Dumb have been in musical outfits from a young age. Now they’re older and (arguably) wiser, with material which sounds both looser and infinitely tighter. However, they’re still all under 20 and it’s that which makes them so exciting. “The really good bands aren’t scared to access the extremities of sound,” says Dylan. “But at the same time, we’re also paying attention to the smaller sounds – the little tones on a record which make it more full,” says Tom. What’s clear is that Dumb don’t want to fit in – they don’t really fit in anyway and it’s that which instantly draws us to them. Forthcoming single Dive smacks of warmth right from the opening guitar rays, and it’s a clue as good as any that these boys are serious. The energy lurks until the chorus explodes, but it’s the instrumentals which really grab you. Likewise, on Still I’m Stuck, a brooding and Editors-esque vocal (which Dylan describes as being “over the top in its extremity, we want to creep people out…”) draws you in, the intricate refrain of ‘Nothing shows hatred like / You’re treading on the fingers I hold you with’ hinting at a dark undertone of melancholy. But there’s also a pop element, and that’s the jangle of Foalslike guitars over the top. The drum beat is a
driving force throughout as it rip, roars and rollicks everything along to its pleading refrain of ‘Break me down until I’m open,’ which leaves you with an incredibly multi-textured piece of music, and the desire to hear another one like it. Perhaps two. On record, Dumb sound very convincing. But what about the live performance? Impressively, frontman Dylan Williams is completely captivating, immersing himself as he does so thoroughly in performance, whilst the sound is driven brilliantly convincingly from behind. As it were. Dumb are the sound of a misspent youth, that’s apparent from the energy they exude. “Preparing to go really fast and really loud” (Jacob), they’re like one of those windup toys, ready and set to explode and to take down everything which happens to cross their path in the process. “In fact, we’re going to play obnoxiously loud,” Dylan adds as an afterthought, as if it’s been on his mind for a time. No, Dumb know exactly what they’re doing and they’re biding their time. Go to see this band when you can and be sure to check out their single because with their first gig set for Club NME at KOKO London, it’s very obvious indeed that they’re about to go places. Not so Dumb after all then. Dumb headline the next Brum Notes Presents show at the O2 Academy 3, Birmingham, on April 5. Debut single Dive is available from March 31. Follow @werdumb on Twitter. Brum Notes Magazine
February 2013
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do believe the hype “It’s really cool that we’re all making music and actually getting somewhere with it,” reckon Swim Deep as the B-Town band prepare to hit the A-list. Lauren Cox hears more.
And that dream is well on its way to reality. The band recently recorded their debut album, set for a May release, in Brussels. “Recording was an amazing experience. We all bonded as musicians,” explains Austin. “The songs are like my children. Once you’ve made you a track it kind of becomes like your child. You watch them grow in the same way, and get angry with them, and forgive them in the same way too. You can never be 100 per cent sure with what you’ve written yourself, but I just can’t wait to show people.” If their recent singles are anything to go by, their album is certain to be a showstopper. From echoing guitar riffs to quirky drum beats, Swim Deep have already created their signature sound. The sounds of day-to-day life rather than any specific musical influence are what make their sound so unique. “I don’t listen to a band and then want to recreate something just because I’ve listened to that,” explains Austin. “I wrote the song The Sea not realising that the ‘ooo ar’ bit was influenced by my friend’s crappy beep on her phone until recently. I guess I just took an annoying sound and turned it into something pleasurable.” Swim Deep now stand at the forefront of the so-called ‘B-Town’ music scene, and are slowly but surely working their way into the mainstream. However, they’re determined to stay true to themselves. “When I was a kid and up until recently really, I kind of just wanted as much as possible,” says Austin. “It’s all about getting the right kind of attention and giving the right kind of influence to people. You could be the biggest band in the world and still have real bad songs, or be really massive and have no influence whatsoever. I just want to have a good influence on the mainstream.”
Beach bum Brummies Swim Deep went from strength to strength in 2012, capturing the attention of many with their feel good vibes. Now, with a hotly-anticipated debut album in the pipeline and a huge amount of gigs ahead of them, we can only expect them to get bigger and better during the year ahead as they continue to escape beyond the shackles of their home city. The theme of escapism is evident not only in the name Swim Deep itself, but also in their dream-pop tunes. It’s hard to believe these have been created in the suburbs of Birmingham rather than a sunny beach in southern California. Nevertheless, their tunes 14
have the power to transport you to that beach, whatever the weather. Frontman Austin Williams and guitar-playing bandmate-to-be Higgy escaped from their jobs in Morrisons in the hope of making great music with their friends and sharing it with the world. “Ever since I was a kid, being in a band is all I’ve wanted to do,” Austin explains. “Once, a supply teacher came into school and he just got his acoustic guitar out and started playing it. I could just see loads of girls running up to him and watching him in awe. I was like; I reckon I should do that … be a rock star, not a supply teacher that plays guitar to little kids.”
It’s no secret that Birmingham has become the new hotspot for great indie music – there are so many phenomenal bands emerging, bringing heaps of vintage style and fresh new indie sounds straight from the streets of Digbeth. At the Rainbow Warehouse in December last year, Swim Deep, secret additions to the lineup, played with the best of Birmingham’s up and coming bands in a show which has been nicknamed, ‘B-Townstock.’ During their set, Austin said that he was “overwhelmed” and that he could tell that the “B-Town hype was real.” He meant it. “It was just a realisation that all the stuff in the magazines can be justified. I’m glad that that gig happened. There’s always going to be speculation surrounding hype. I’m always going to think is that real or is that just being fabricated by the magazines because they want something good to write about? For once this is actually happening,” explains Austin. “It’s insane that all of those Brum Notes Magazine
“I remember the good old days, when we used to hang around Digbeth with Peace with cans of K; those days were the best, man.”
people that we shared that stage with are all the same people that we’ve been knocking around Birmingham with and partying at The Rainbow and The Adam & Eve with for the past year. I remember the good old days, when we used to hang around Digbeth with Peace with cans of K; those days were the best man. It’s really cool that we’re all making music and actually getting somewhere with it.” It was a special moment indeed to see fans going completely wild as Swim Deep followed by Peace took the stage, celebrating the success of the self-proclaimed kings of B-Town. And when it comes to fans, every boy band comes across their fair share of crazed ones, right? “There was this one weird fan that was blowing out hot air once,” says Austin before hanging his head in shame at the worst joke ever made … ever. “We haven’t come across any knicker throwing yet though,” he continues after a pause, though enthusiastic crowd members
February 2013
are already screaming out the names of Swim Deep personnel at gigs. Austin’s clearly a ladies’ man as he confesses he “had like 20 girlfriends in nursery.” They’ll be plenty of opportunity for the Swim Deepers (like Beliebers, but better) all across the country to go crazy as the band tour with Two Door Cinema Club. “I’m looking forward to seeing how a bigger band operates,” says Austin. “You can take notes from any bands that are on a level like that. The way you learn is by being on tour.” If the ‘Spectour’ of last year with friends Spector and Splashh is anything to go by, there will be heaps of fun to be had. “It’s a huge part of my life and it was the best time ever,” says Austin as he reminisces about tour antics. “Every morning we’d be in the van cracking up about what happened the night before.” As soon as the TDCC jaunt concludes, Swim Deep set out on their first ever headline tour, which includes an upgraded show at The
Institute with fellow B-Town buddies, Jaws. “It will be good to take a band like that with us, it will be so much fun,” Austin exclaims. They won’t just be playing in England either, having announced an appearance at Spain’s FIB Benicàssim festival where they’ll be playing alongside Arctic Monkeys and The Killers. “I can’t wait to play,” says Austin. “The best thing about festivals is that they’re not within closed walls. If people don’t like your sound then they can just turn around and walk away. It means that eventually the crowd that you’re playing to actually want to see you.” With a good set of songs already under their belt, an album ready, and plenty of gigs along with the ability to have tonnes of fun as well as staying true to themselves, it seems pretty inevitable that 2013 will bring even further success for Birmingham’s indie beach-grunge foursome.
Swim Deep support Two Door Cinema Club at the O2 Academy, Birmingham, on February 1 and 2 and headline The Library @ The Institute, Birmingham, on February 15, with Jaws.
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With little more than a dozen shows behind her, classically trained Brum songstress Laura Mvula has already earned herself a Brits Critics’ Choice nomination and BBC Sound of 2013 spot. As she prepares to release debut album Sing To The Moon, Lyle Bignon finds her excited and exhausted.
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Brum Notes Magazine
So, 2012 for music in Birmingham was, most would say, a pretty good year. Metal came home, at least for one night, when Black Sabbath (minus original drummer Bill Ward) played a triumphant homecoming gig in the city; Dexys swaggered back into our collective subconscious with their first new album for 27 years and a well-received comeback tour; Symphony Hall celebrated its 21st anniversary; five-piece dub outfit Troumaca caught the eye of Gilles Peterson, landing a deal with the DJ’s Brownswood label; and with a blaze of hype and glory, home-grown bands Peace and Swim Deep flew the flag for Brum following their high-profile signings to Sony-owned Columbia and RCA Records respectively. RCA’s Victor imprint also completed a Sonyowned Birmingham hat-trick by taking on former music student, teacher and choir member Laura Mvula as a priority act. Laura’s background might not be so familiar to contemporary music fans used to the pop, guitarorientated and electronic artists dominating the UK’s charts, airwaves and column inches. That the young classically-trained singer-songwriter very quickly achieved almost universal critical acclaim for debut single She is testament to both Laura’s talent, and RCA’s belief in her as an artist. Committing her to a gruelling schedule of PR paid off in exposure terms, resulting in significant features in national and music media, making BBC Radio 1 and 6 Music A-lists, and a performance on Later With…, while huge support from the online community continues to flood in. And we haven’t even mentioned the shortlists. Have her feet even touched the ground yet? “I’m sky high, but exhausted. I’m so excited for the next few months – there’s loads going on so my head feels like it’s going at a million miles an hour. It’s nice to be living in Birmingham still, to come back here for a bit of peace,” she says. Despite racking up a Brits Critics’ Choice nomination, the fourth spot in the BBC Sound of 2013 poll (ahead of Peace), a handful of jaw-dropping live shows, and that incredible reception from the music world, Laura’s personal highpoint is most definitely completing forthcoming debut album Sing To The Moon. “Having produced a body of work that I’m genuinely so happy with and have had so much fun making, I think is by far the best highlight for me. But then there are lots of things – the video for She in South Africa was the first time I’d travelled for quite a long time outside the UK,” she says, before pointing out the trip was anything but a relaxing sightseeing visit. “I don’t think I could call it a holiday just because it was February 2013
a really tight schedule. We had two days to do everything and it was kind of back-to-back, so going through all the shots making sure I was feeling good, looking good, and then being emotionally connected with the whole thing. I found the whole experience very moving. I came back both completely drained and refreshed.” Talking to Laura, it’s clear that being catapulted from virtual anonymity with a small-ish fan base and limited understanding of the business, to major recognition and major label support, has been a steep learning curve, albeit one with a good deal of guidance. In describing the
“It’s nice to be living in Birmingham still, to come back here for a bit of peace…”
experience of working with renowned producer and TV composer Steve Brown (whose credits include Rumer and bizarrely as Alan Partridge’s musical director Glen Ponder), Laura is emphatically complimentary. “It was a complete dream come true really. I really was lucky to meet Steve Brown when I did, because I was relatively new to the whole music industry. I’d always done things in music in and around Birmingham but in terms of making an album… well, I’d never set out to do that before. Steve is a genius – in his own world he has done so many amazing things. He really encouraged me to be very free and liberated when it came to instrumentation. Working with him meant that although things were new to me and it was all a massive challenge, it was also a safe environment in which to learn and grow – he’d never turn around and laugh at me, I could ask the silliest questions.” Like many emerging artists, Laura has built up a solid following online, and manages her social media accounts personally, connecting with fans, peers and music biz types daily. It’s an important part of her work and something she is very keen to continue. “The reason that Steve got in touch was because I posted something on my Facebook page. It was also because of my Facebook friends and people supporting me from the beginning, and saying that She sounds like a really cool song. Without that initial feedback, and the boost it gave me, I wouldn’t be here now. I’m lucky that at the moment there seems to be a really warm fan base – if people are really into the music they are really into the music.”
In addition to the messages of support from fans across the world, Laura also recognises the impact her musical experiences in Birmingham have had on her success, including tuition while growing up, studying theory and practice at Birmingham Conservatoire (which counts Jim Moray, Vaccines drummer Pete Robertson and members of The Destroyers amongst its notable alumni), performing with an aunt in the choir Black Voices and her own band Judyshouse, as well as teaching music at secondary schools in the city. “Birmingham Music Services’ training ensembles and orchestras and instrumental lessons – right from junior school to secondary school, right through sixth form to when I was in the Conservatoire and when I joined the CBSO Youth – all of those experiences have been majorly significant for me and are something that I will always treasure. The privilege of joining Black Voices in 2005 was incredible for me. Yes, because I got to sing with them, but more because they encouraged me to write and that was the first professional outlet that I had for composition. It meant that my little pieces were either getting used in workshops, at school or on stage when we were touring.” Aside from those formative experiences, Laura talks about her other musical influences with a real passion, citing Nina Simone – a singer to whom the 26-year old has regularly been compared – as well as Amy Winehouse, Miles Davis and choral composers, soul, blues and jazz as key. (Laura described herself as the ‘geeky kid of R&B’ in a recent Guardian interview). With their distinctive mix of sparse instrumentation, layers of lush orchestral and choral arrangements, the effect of years working with, and around, classical and jazz musicians can be clearly heard in her carefully crafted songs. “I would love to perform with a major orchestra – it sounds a bit indulgent and maybe a bit ambitious – and with a choir. And also beyond that I’d love to write a film score – when I was much younger that was my ultimate dream. I used to say that to everybody: I want to be a film music composer. Just doing a first album like I have, has kind of made things that seemed to me as fantasies actually feel attainable, even if at first it feels totally unrealistic.” An ambition, that somehow, we feel will come true in the very near future.
Laura Mvula releases her new single Green Garden on February 24, and debut album Sing To The Moon on March 4 through RCA Victor. She also supports Jessie Ware at The Institute, Birmingham, on March 9. 17
slow & steady
In a world where it’s all about the muchhyped, brand new, next big thing, Frightened Rabbit have followed a career path that seems refreshingly antiquated. Not for them the early explosion and downward spiral that greets so many promising artists. Instead Frightened Rabbit have spent years moving slowly up the ladder, from little indie label to the larger FatCat, and now, after nearly a decade, on to major label Atlantic for fourth album, Pedestrian Verse.
Frightened Rabbit have entered the world of the major label for their fourth album after nearly a decade of making music. David Vincent hears more about the Scottish quintet’s slow building route to success.
“I see it now as you would with a football manager. Like you get a season to perform, you get an album to perform, and then you’re thrown into Division Two if it doesn’t go well,” says Frightened Rabbit founder and main man Scott Hutchinson, dissecting how the music business works. “How it’s happened with us, that’s much healthier to do – slowly making progress, step-by-step. Sure, you get jealous of your friends shooting off, but that slow build seems to work for us so far… we’ll take the slow route and see how it goes. That instant success isn’t right. No-one ever hopes their first album will be their best, it should always be a method of improvement. That shit state of affairs has been partly down to the media and partly the fault of the record labels wanting that huge flash in the pan. But I think labels now understand, and Atlantic understands what we’ve built, and want to build on that.” Saying goodbye to FatCat after 2010’s wellreceived The Winter Of Mixed Drinks, the first products of FR’s relationship with Atlantic – home to such acts as Bruno Mars, Fun and Flo Rida, as well as Dog Is Dead and Ed Sheeran – are last September’s State Hospital EP and recently released single The Woodpile. “They’re kind of a good doorway to open into the new record, and once inside, it’s a lot more dense, with slighter stranger pieces of music,” reckons Scott. “They lead you into the record.” With producer/musician and Eno cohort Leo Abrahams behind the desk, the major label deal allowed for a new-found freedom. “The sound of the album wasn’t changed to suit a major label,” Scott stresses. “On a small label, the releases are expected to come faster, but with Atlantic, they just left us until we were finished. We had more time for that… so I guess there’s a much more refined sound, we can look at the minutiae of sounds. Everything has a reason to be there. Before, we piled sounds on and in hindsight, that not always produced the best results.”
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Citing tracks Acts Of Man and Nitrous Gas as personal highlights, the vocalist/guitarist sees Abrahams’ input as an important element in shaping Pedestrian Verse “I wasn’t aware of what he’d done in the past. But the label suggested him, and we met up, and found out that we have similar musical interests. His work with Brian Eno impressed me. We had this great connection and when he heard the demos, he fell in love with it. He didn’t make any major changes, but he almost became our sixth member while he was making the record. “Leo’s unique. He’s an uber-talented musician… and he also has an amazing ear and amazing energy. For him it’s not about the musical performance, it’s much more about the energy. It’s such a subtle thing he did, there’s a certain subtlety and musicianship… he refined what we’d already started.” The album kicks off a busy year for the Scottish quintet. “There’s lots of touring!” Scott laughs. “We’ve found that it’s one of the best ways for us to change perceptions… to play the songs to people, so we’ll spend the next year touring. That’s where people will get the album. There’s nothing I’d like to do more than touring. I can’t stand sitting at home, not doing anything, I’ve got to get out and play live. So far we’re playing the UK in February, then the United States in March/April, and then hopefully further afield. I’d love to go back to Europe and go back to Australia, it’s been a while since we’ve been there. We’ve never been to South America, or Japan. These things are possible.” As the band prepare to finally go global, it seems a fitting way to mark Frightened Rabbit’s 10th anniversary. “It’s kinda 10. Sort of. Ummm… yeah, I’ll take it!” he laughs. “Looking back to Frightened Rabbit as a notion, it’s 10 years, although it’s only the last six or seven that I’ve been taking it seriously. Before then, for the first three years, it was just a hobby, and I was using it to go out and socialise. But it’s nice thinking about how things have amalgamated. It feels like something new with this record…”
Frightened Rabbit are live at The Library @ The Institute, Birmingham, on February 9. New album Pedestrian Verse is out on February 4 on Atlantic.
Brum Notes Magazine
Journeyman Villagers frontman Conor O’Brien has journeyed far and wide since his breakthrough debut album warmed many a heart in 2010. He tells David Vincent how his travels have inspired a more worldlywise sophomore record.
Since the slow-burning success of 2010’s Becoming A Jackal, Villagers’ Conor O’Brien has racked up a huge list of achievements. But ask the Irish songwriter to list his personal highlights from the last few years, and there’s no mention of that arena tour with Elbow, those appearances with Grizzly Bear or Neil Young, or even the string of award wins and nominations. It’s all about travel. “I visited lots of places for the first time, like Australia, which was cool to see,” he says, clearly relishing the chance to visit far flung destinations. “We also did this intense trip to America, a tour, and we drove in this tiny van… well it was hardly a van, more like a beat-up car. We drove from the east coast to the west coast, and played everywhere in between. I was living out my Jack Kerouac fantasies – that was cool too. We also went to Singapore, which was strange, it was so culturally different, but the audience was really receptive.” It’s perhaps therefore understandable to discover that travel has helped shape much of Villagers’ recently-released second long-player, {Awayland}. “There’s a lot of travelling in this album – place names, places we flew over that I Googled later on – so touring is definitely in there,” Conor explains. “The whole record is a journey, there’s definitely a narrative to it, a movement between songs… [there are] landscapes and place names as a metaphor, and it all takes place in the mind of the protagonist…” The emotive and charming Becoming A Jackal was an impressive debut, one which many
February 2013
suspected could be a hard act to follow. Yet {Awayland} succeeds in topping it. Avoiding the traps of repetition, Conor takes the songs to surprising places, musically and lyrically, creating a challenging and cohesive selection that began to take shape during extensive Jackal dates. “Some of the songs were written on tour… but most of the songs were written when we finished touring, like around the beginning of 2012, although there is one – The Bell – that was written much earlier, around 10 years ago. I used to play it, or a version of it, in my old band. I played drums on it then – now I finally get to sing it. It’s totally changed from then though,” he says. “I’d previously discounted it, as it was so old, but the words echoed the sentiments on this album… it’s nice to have it on there.” Previously, Conor had his desire that {Awayland}’s songs would reclaim a childhood sense of curiosity and wonder, so often lost as we mature. It’s a goal which, on reflection, he believes he was only partially successful at achieving. “I think it was more about the actual process of trying to do that which was more important than how successful I was at trying to achieve that sense of wonder. There’s a lot of tension in the songs that came from actively having that… imagining that I came from a place where I have no life behind me, I have no experience. It was a really interesting project to have, a way to create tension. Words don’t come out unless there’s push and pull. It worked sometimes, but other times… I can hear that otherworldly bittersweetness.”
Writer Kurt Vonnegut’s approach to humour and darkness, his seminal Slaughterhouse-Five, and in particular the central character of Billy Pilgrim, also fuelled Conor’s songwriting. “[Billy’s] very much the innocent abroad, he’s too naive to understand what’s happening, so he’s taken on this great journey. So it’s almost an album for Billy Pilgrim. That helped me with the whole tragicomical aspect of the album, which musically has a lot of melancholy and darkness moments. But I took a conscious decision to infuse them with humour and make them as uplifting as possible within the context of the music.” However, the final piece of the {Awayland} jigsaw seems to be a shift in thinking from solo act to group. “The whole process of making the record was geared towards the band,” Conor states. “The demos sounded good, where I played everything, but to get five heads in a room, that brings much more to it. Even if the changes are very subtle, there are five subtle differences, it makes the songs move in a different way. “We’re on the road now, and the guys are playing the things that they played on the record rather than just what I told them. We feel like a unit now, there’s an ownership of their parts, a sense of brotherhood.”
Villagers are live at The Institute, Birmingham, February 14. New album {Awayland} is out now on Domino.
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New long-player Arc finds Everything Everything opening up. “We wanted to make a more human album and clear up some of the mystery,” they tell Matthew Osborne. Jonathan Higgs is the beating heart of the very well oiled machine that is Everything Everything. Last time we spoke to him he was a man determined to make original and inspiring music that would make people sit up and pay attention. The success of 2010’s Mercury Prize nominated Man Alive helped him to achieve that goal. Now speaking to him on the eve of the release of his band’s sophomore effort, Arc, we find that EE’s debut may have served as the equivalent of tapping a knife against a champagne glass at a wedding, but Arc, he hopes, will be the best man’s speech, and help establish more of a connection with his listeners, both new and old. “We wanted this record to be far more open about who we are and what we are, and not to hide behind distractions and images of foxes,” he says, almost dismissing the cover art of Everything Everything’s debut as silly and unnecessary. “We wanted to make a more human album and clear up some of the mystery.” This demystification begins with album number two’s artwork. Arc’s front cover shows the foursome staring off into the distance, paying homage, Higgs explains, to Captain Oates, one of the courageous men on Captain Scott’s famously doomed expedition to the South Pole, a story which Higgs became fascinated and obsessed by during Arc’s gestation. 20
“There was a photograph of Oates, and there was something extremely modern about the picture; he had a really short haircut and it was incredibly detailed, like a high-powered digital photo, and I was just obsessed with this image. It was 100 years old and this guy had died in the South Pole and I wanted to replicate it. So we put our jumpers on and we sat in the same position and tried to emulate it. But we wanted ourselves on the cover from early on because we wanted to be much more open about who we were.” The tragic tale of Scott’s expedition is a very human story, a classic battle of man against Mother Nature in which, sadly, Mother Nature emerged the victor. Perhaps Higgs became so enthralled by the Antarctic expedition because he saw the parallels between Scott’s attempt to reach the South Pole, and his own attempt to make an album that connects with an audience on a human level in a digital age. Where Scott faced frostbite and icy blasts, Higgs and his band mates have to contend with a world in which social media sites, television and videogames are deterring people from partaking in basic human interaction. “There are numerous places on both records which are a plea for something more, something real,” he says. “I think we are very much a product of now. We’re very connected but we’re not really connected and there are lots of false things in the world, and as much as we all want
it and we do all love our phones and all the rest of it, there’s a feeling of unease with it. I guess that I feel that people are curious about what we should be doing, if this is natural or whatever. I guess you can’t know it until you’ve lived the other life. It’s equally scary as it is uplifting; it’s a weird time to live in.” Higgs has long bemoaned this unease, as the lyrics from Photoshop Handsome from Man Alive, will attest to: ‘Airbrush/ What have you done with my father?/ Why does he look like a carving?/ How do I live in the present?/ Gotta come back as something organic,’ he sings, posing many questions but getting few answers in return from the soulless machines that shape our perceptions of reality. Another obstacle which Everything Everything will have to overcome in order to connect with their audience, and convey their unifying message, is the sheer size of the venues they will soon be playing in. When asked about their recent arena sized gigs in support of Muse, Jonathan is in two minds about the experience. “The Muse [gigs] were quite disconnecting really,” he recalls thoughtfully. “There’s 20,000 people, you’re on a stage really quite far away from them. It’s all so incredibly loud and distant, and the sound of the crowd is just ridiculous, so it’s hugely different [from playing smaller, more intimate venues]. It’s satisfying in a different Brum Notes Magazine
way I guess, everything’s just exaggerated, so we play our most vivid songs and sort of act them out in as clear a way as possible, like in an old Roman amphitheatre or something. “It’s a different set of skills really, a different type of show; I can’t show people my face and I can’t really talk in [the same] way, it has to be done with the music solely, the visual element is tiny. We have to play it as well as we can and rely on the music. When you’re at a smaller venue there’s much more eye contact, and you can see the people in the crowd, which makes a big difference.” These comparisons with Scott’s Antarctic voyage are not to suggest that Everything Everything are about to embark on a doomed journey. Indeed, if responses to Arc are anything to go by, then things look very positive for the quartet. Impressive reviews from critics across the land were followed by an even more impressive top five placing in the album charts upon its release, muscling its way alongside the likes of pop heavyweights Rihanna and Calvin Harris, indicating an assault on the mainstream from this most intriguing of bands. “It’s decrypted a little bit,” says Higgs, when discussing how Arc differs from its predecessor Man Alive. “The lyrics should be far easier to understand, or at least to get a lot of the same meaning from. In general I think we’ve ironed out the distracting nature of Man Alive. Man Alive kind of felt like, ‘if we can do it we might as well if it’s fun and it excites us,’ but we feel like we’ve done that now and to do it again would be a bit boring, so we’re trying to reinforce moods and feelings and write some songs that can be translated onto other instruments or to other artists, more about the song than the particular production of it and the reliance on it being us. We want it to be more about a song that can maybe transcend a record and have other lives in other places. Man Alive made certain kinds of connections, but we’re hitting an emotional one now.” Connectivity is certainly the buzz word that surrounds Arc. Whilst Higgs is the captain of the good ship Everything Everything, steering the band in the right direction, from song writing to artwork (with a degree in popular music to help him make the right decisions), you get the impression that he is a man with a very distinct message that he wants to convey, not just for his own benefit, but for ours too. “We have to believe it ourselves,” he says when asked whether he writes music for himself or for his audience. “We have to be interested in it and excited by it. There’s no point going on stage every night if you don’t believe in what you’re doing or the words you’re saying, or if you don’t think a song’s good or exciting, so you have to satisfy yourself to that degree. But at the same time I’m conscious that I want to make a connection with audiences, particularly with lyrics, with emotional stuff. I want people to know what I’m talking about this time, I want them to feel something other than just curiosity.” Everything Everything are a modern band, a band who rely upon laptop technology to compose their songs, a band who famously reference computer games in their lyrics and who can sometimes sound like a million bits of binary data hitting you at once. But their embracing of technology does not mean that they have forgotten how to feel and their second album hopes to not only prove this, but to remind us how to feel too; to encourage us to step out from behind our computer screens and take a walk with our friends, to drop in unannounced on a loved one, or to give someone a hug rather than a ‘poke’. Arc is an emotionally charged album, aimed at our hearts and not just at our dancing shoes.
2013 h c r a M ry - 10 a u r b e F 28
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Festival of Queer Arts & Culture
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Everything Everything play The Library @ The Institute, Birmingham, on February 12. New album Arc is out now. February 2013
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live Brum Notes & This Is Tmrw Christmas Party with Troumaca + Tempting Rosie + Anushka Hare & Hounds, Kings heath 20/12/12
“Christmas doesn’t come from a store, maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more....” famously (?) wrote Dr Seuss in How The Grinch stole Christmas. How the Doctor himself anticipated the joy that Anushka, aka Anna Palmer, – previously of the parishes of Little Palm and Tantrums – and seven-piece feel-good ska outfit Tempting Rosie would produce through several hours of music, I do not know. Maybe half the audience were of Mayan extraction and celebrating the last day of the world EVER. And even those of apocalyptic bent stopped to see and hear new material from singersongwriter Anushka, who sounds more and more like a Joanna Newsom-Coco-Rosie hybrid every time she takes to the stage. A suitably upbeat cover of The Waitresses’ Christmas Wrapping had us singing along in a beautiful bar room-style, and kudos to her backing band and members of the next band who joined Anna on stage. Speaking of which, and shamefully it was the first time this reviewer had ever seen them live, Tempting Rosie were ace. Truly musically tight, and reminiscent of a young UB40, the band were full of verve, character and tons of confidence and played the kind of upbeat reggae and ska that would encourage a certain green Scrooge-esque monster to take up voluntary work at a charity shop on York Road. A terrific start to a lovely Christmassy gig. Next it was the turn of headliners, local 22
Photo by Wayne Fox Photography
favourites and the seemingly forever hotly-tipped Troumaca. And, although not as obviously upbeat as Tempting Rosie or as intriguing as Anushka, the lads did it in their own inimitable and swaggering style. Having just signed to Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings label – debut EP Virgin Island is set for release at the end of February – the band were on fine form. They didn’t disappoint an expectant and heaving crowd and played a number of laid back/tropical dub-style tracks, including the almost hypnotic new single Lady Colour. Apart from the bass and hook-laden guitars what came through from the show was the passion. What’s refreshing about watching the enigmatic five-piece is that it is painfully obvious that they love what they do. Watching someone lose themselves in a moment or be so completely wrapped up in something they have created makes it all the more enjoyable. It is almost enough to forgive them for not doing a Christmas cover – only almost though. It seems foolish to say ‘watch out for Troumaca’, as if the majority of Birmingham don’t know who they are, but if you are new to the band check them out. This could just be the year that everyone else notices how damn talented they are. Lyle Bignon and Ben Russell Photos by Wayne Fox Photography
Off The Cuff Christmas Show with Shapes + more The Flapper, Birmingham 15/12/12
The annual festival celebrating all things loud is back for one hell of a noisy Christmas party, boasting an outstanding array of local talent. First up are Youth Man, renowned for chaos (the last time the played The Flapper, they short-circuited the whole venue), they do not disappoint. Their live show becomes stronger and tighter with every performance, tonight hammering through five-track EP Youth and chucking a couple of new ones in for good measure, they get the festive spirit well and truly roaring. Feral five-piece Bovine open to a wall of noise, they have an ardent following in their hometown and the room is packed to the back for the entirety of their set. After the ever punk-infused openers, Bovine implement a new level of aural savagery and, as always, leave everything they’ve got on stage. Following in much the same vein, Them Wolves tear the night to pieces with an ear-splitting 30 minute set; the raw, unadulterated energy that they channel so accurately does not leave them for a single second throughout. They tip the scales towards the end of the evening and, again, leave the stage to a rapture. Arguably the biggest band of the night, Shapes have a lot to do after three thoroughly vicious sets from their predecessors. They are by far the Brum Notes Magazine
more polished of the offering tonight yet they do not lose an inch of potency for it; a combination of tight, quick melodies and one of the tightest rhythm sections going all provides a fitting close to the party and ensures everybody present has enjoyed, for one night at least, a very hardcore Christmas. Joe Whitehouse
Red Fang The Temple @ The Institute, Birmingham 06/12/12
Inflamed by crimson flashes, 300 pairs of eyes ignite as Red Fang hammer their first devouring drone. With ears feasting upon this resounding force the audience is pushed to the precipice of anticipation; and so Red Fang unleash and de-muzzle their hungry leviathan. Throw Up immediately brings the gig to fruition. Bryan Giles’s ferociously macho vocals are as weighted as the burly primitive guitar work that progresses beneath them. This encapsulating groove moves every single head in the venue in slow but zealous agreement. The fusion between Giles’s voice and Aaron Beam’s fluid, melodic, yet assertive vocals gives Red Fang that lethal double edge, which they exploit in almost every song, giving an unyielding momentum
presents
to their vocalised energy. Flawless vocals aside, these riff lords certainly deserve the title. Songs such as Number Thirteen and Human Remains Human Remains demonstrate a great amalgamation of heavyweight grooves, break neck speed and technical composition – a recipe that appears to appeal to rock and metal fans alike. Powered forward by John Sherman’s fifth gear drumming, the venue quakes as they lead into Sharks, injecting punk tendencies into an already overwhelming formula. Their climaxing finale, Prehistoric Dog, inspires rapturous cheers throughout the venue. And while this definitive riff-fest stomps on, so does the front of the frenzied audience, commanded by Aaron Beam’s elevated and exemplary vocal. Red Fang are a band as aggressive as they are bearded and professional as they are entertaining. They leave no room for pretentious encores, and quite frankly they don’t need to. Guy Hirst
Goodnight Lenin Birmingham Cathedral 01/12/12
With a debut album produced by John Wood, the dude behind Nick Drake’s seminal releases, in the bag (it’s due out in later
in association with Academy Events
in 2013) what better way to cap off another great year for Northfield’s finest than a soldout Christmas gig at Birmingham Cathedral? Rapidly becoming something of a Christmas institution Goodnight Lenin’s festive shows are as much of a sign that Santa’s on his way as Noddy Holder yelling “Itttttt’ssss Chrissssstmassssss!!!!!” Highlights spilled out of the set like Christmas pressies from a sack, including a beautiful a cappella mash-up of Ballad Of A Leaving Man with Wenceslas Square. Adding Hannah and Kate to tonight’s line-up also proved to be a real treat, making the string parts infinitely more orchestral and much richer. Ode To Rebellion in particular really benefited from this added firepower. The freshly-penned New Electric also fleshed out the Lenin sound a little more, with its naggingly insistent opening keyboard motif giving way to another full on rock out. Lenin’s Horse With No Name? Could be. Closing with the suitably seasonal A Winter’s Night – “It’s like Slade with minor chords,” quipped Liam – capped off another magical Lenin Christmas show. Who knows, with the right roll of the dice in 2013 and the success the album deserves, it may even be the last time they’ll play here. The LG Arena just won’t be the same eh? Daron Billings
BRUM NOTES MAGAZINE MARCH ISSUE LAUNCH PARTY FEATURING:
Plus very special guests
O2 ACADEMY3 BIRMINGHAM FRIDAY 5 APRIL DOORS: 6PM / CURFEW: 10PM / £5 ADV Buy tickets now from: o2academybirmingham.co.uk 0844 477 2000 (24hr) brumnotes.com o2academybirmingham.co.uk February 2013
BOMBERS SKULL TV YOUTH MAN GHOSTS OF DEAD AIRPLANES Bull's Head, Moseley Thursday, March 7, 8pm Entry £3 on the door DRINKS PROMOS, GIVEAWAYS AND MORE
www.brumnotes.com 23
TOR'SPICK STYLE EDITOR'S PICKS monochrome and statement jewellery
ASOS £15.00
RIVER ISLAND £30.00 CHANEL @ DEBENHAMS £18.00
TOPSHOP £98.00
TOPSHOP £25.00
H&M £7.99
NEW LOOK £14.99
Fashion Focus
THE HOUSE OF NINES “House creators Ross Paul Keenan and Shamrez Marawat challenge the perception of British menswear to arrive at a long-awaited rebirth of the form.” Last month saw Birmingham’s own Shamrez Marawat and co-creator Ross Paul Keenan at London Collections: Men showcasing their House of Nines AW13-14 collection. The pair coupled together to produce a collection of tailored menswear with a modern edge and charm. Sophisticated but rebellious, these traditional methods of tailoring have been fused with modern quirks and innova24
tive artistry injecting a unique and attractive life into the brand. The collection consists of slim line trousers, signature angled darts, lamb skin, laser cut snake print, fine Italian cotton and mother of pearl buttons, and is made up of a collection of strong colours such as oxblood, charcoal, burnt champagne and black. This brand is definitely one to watch in 2013. www.thehouseofnines.com Brum Notes Magazine
KS
birmingham street style photography by Emily Baker
ASH, 25, WORKS IN AN OFFICE Ash wears Cheap Monday jeans and a Penfield jacket with leather Clarks Originals. He wears whatever he feels comfortable in and his favourite retailer in Birmingham is Selfridges.
LOUISE, 21, DANCER Louise is wearing a bowler hat from Urban Outfitters, a dress from Topshop and a River Island parka. Her boots are patent Doc Martens and her bag is Vivienne Westwood. Louise prefers to customise her own clothes and doesn’t have any style icons. Her favourite shop in Birmingham is COW.
JAMES, 21, MUSIC PRODUCER James’s oversized jumper is from a charity shop, his gloves are from a market stall, his shoes are his dad’s and his jeans are from Cheap Monday. REBEKAH, 22, WORKS AT XFM He doesn’t have any style icons but he likes the Rebekah’s jacket is from H&M, her jeans are Top- American preppy style and although this is his shop and she stole her t-shirt from her boyfriend. first time in Birmingham he really likes COW and Her style influences are friends and her favourite Urban Outfitters. shop in Birmingham is COW.
February 2013
CHAI, 17, STUDENT Chai’s black fur coat and bag belonged to her grandmother, her patterned dress is from the charity shop and her shoes are Schuh. She looks for style inspiration from her friends and the 1920s era and her favourite places to shop in Birmingham are COW and The Custard Factory.
ZOE, 17, STUDENT Zoe’s aztec patterned coat is Ralph Lauren discovered in TK Maxx, her boots are Topshop and her leather bag is from River Island. She doesn’t have any style icons and just dresses in her own style. Her favourite shop in Birmingham is COW.
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FOOD + DRINK valentine’s day cocktails The 14th of February gives us all the perfect excuse for over-indulgence with our chosen ones and what better way to round off your night than with a Valentine’s cocktail? After a carefully-selected meal revolving around the usual (aphrodisiac) suspects of oysters, asparagus and strawberries you’re going to need something to cleanse your palate. Most Valentine’s drinks stick to stereotypical, sickly-sweet, creamy concoctions of berries and chocolate, so here are a couple of different drinks loaded with natural stimulants that’ll make you forget you even went for a meal. It would be wrong not to add a bit of fizz to your night, so our first drink features smoked watermelon gin, almond syrup and rose water topped off with Prosecco to create a delicate blend of flavours that will get your taste buds going. We infuse the gin with watermelon adding a smokey edge for that extra taste dimension that sits perfectly alongside the rose and almond notes. The second drink we’ve created uses Kamm & Sons Ginseng spirit, a relative newcomer to the spirits market, which has ginseng, fresh grapefruit and manuka honey among its 45 botanicals. We’re mixing it with fresh basil and lemon with honey to sweeten to create a Valentine’s Smash full of nutrients, enzymes and phytochemicals to push your night in the right direction. If you’re heading out, make sure you pop in to Island Bar on your way home, where we will be serving great sharing cocktails created especially for the night, with live acoustic music from Jason Pegg.
Recipe: Smokey Rose
Recipe: Valentine’s Smash Ingredients: 25ml Smoked Watermelon Gin 7.5ml almond syrup 2.5ml rose water Top of Prosecco Directions: Build drink in a champagne flute and garnish with a sugared rose petal and watermelon wedge.
Ingredients: 50ml Kamm & Sons 10-12 basil leaves 15ml lemon juice 2tsp honey Directions: Shake all ingredients and fine strain over cubed ice. Garnish with a basil leaf and lemon peel.
By Ed Shawcross, general manager at Island Bar, Suffolk Street Queensway, Birmingham. For details on events visit www.bar-island.co.uk. 26
Brum Notes Magazine
VENUE FOCUS BREWDOG
THESUNONTHEHILL.CO.UK 448448 7966 THESUNONTHEHILL.CO.UK0121 0121 7966
John Bright St Birmingham city centre 0121 313 1699
You might have tasted BrewDog’s beers before. They’ve been available in clued-up pubs and off licenses for a good few years now and have more recently branched out into bars of their own, unveiling their Birmingham venue in December. A self-styled ‘punk’ brewery, it seems BrewDog shares our city’s ethos of brashness. “We’d struggle to sleep at night if we didn’t have a bar in the ancestral home of heavy metal,” they confess. Before we’re inside, the pub is already onto a winner as we are warmly welcomed in from the winter by the doorman. Inside, the decor is New York loft-styled, all brickwork and exposed metal beams, with chalk boards displaying what delights you can drink and eat. The staff are friendly, very knowledgeable about the beer, (they have to pass an exam before they can serve behind the bar), and they are happy for you to try before you buy. And although the bar is comfortably full, there are enough staff here to ensure speedy, almost immediate service. After a swift seasonal half of Hoppy Christmas, we’re whisked away downstairs for the tasting. There’s a platter for each of us with cold meats, cheeses, and breads. Our host explains that part of BrewDog’s philosophy is to bring back the awareness of matching food and beer so that the tastes complement each other, as is common with wine, and this is reflected by the eats on offer upstairs. We’re then told the background story to Indian Pale Ale while we sample both the IPAs that BrewDog make. At 9.2 per cent the Hardcore IPA is loaded with three different types of hops and three malts. This gives it a deep complexity that is far beyond beers you would usually find of this strength. Next up is Tactical Nuclear Penguin. It’s 32 per cent. At that strength, you’ll be glad to know that its served in a 25ml measure in a wine glass, rather than a pint. It is a strange taste sensation. Very yeasty and sweet, but with a taste that still makes it distinguishable as a beer instead of a spirit, it’s a woozy, heady blend of the surreal and the subliminal. And here’s why BrewDog can unashamedly adopt the punk tag – they are revolting against corporate, mass-made, tasteless beer in an effort to turn people on to good quality, tasty beer that is born of innovation and made with care. Alongside their own drinks they also serve a huge selection of draught beer from breweries all round the world including Mikkeller, Evil Twin, The Kernel, Flying Dog, Rouge and Ballast Point. These strong craft beers are there to be enjoyed and savoured, and treated with respect. The mainly 30-something crowd made up of both sexes reflects this, as everyone is on the right side of merry, having a few midweek drinks, exchanging banter with strangers while casually exchanging recommendations. Plans to start some music nights add to the attraction of this happenin’ bar. God save BrewDog. Ben Calvert. February 2013
TRY OUR BRAND NEW MENU TRY OUR BRAND NEW MENU
FREE LIVELIVE ACOUSTIC FREE ACOUSTIC MUSIC AND LIVELIVE DJsDJs MUSIC AND EVERY WEDNESDAY EVERY WEDNESDAY FROM 8PM8PM & EVERY FROM & EVERY SUNDAY FROM 4PM. SUNDAY FROM 4PM.
25% OFF ALL FOOD ORDERS WITH VALID 25% OFF ALL FOOD ORDERS WITH VALID
N.U.S CARD OROR OTHER STUDENT I.DI.D N.U.S CARD OTHER STUDENT
TWITTER TWITTER @THESUNONTHEHILL @THESUNONTHEHILL
FACEBOOK.COM/ FACEBOOK.COM/ THESUNONTHEHILL THESUNONTHEHILL
FOURSQUARE FOURSQUARE THE SUN THE ON SUNTHE ONHILL THE HILL
23 BENNETTS HILL, BIRMINGHAM B2 5QP 23 BENNETTS HILL, BIRMINGHAM B2 5QP
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WHAT’S ON
KEY TO LISTINGS: M = LIVE MUSIC CN = CLUB NIGHT C = COMEDY
BIRMINGHAM: O2 Academy, Horsefair, Bristol St B1, 0844 4772000; The Institute, High St, Digbeth B5, 0844 2485037; NIA, King Edwards Rd B1, 0121 7804141; LG 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; Air, Heath Mill Lane B9, 0121 7666646; Artrix, Slideslow Dr, Bromsgrove B60, 01527 577330; WOLVERHAMPTON: Civic Hall/Wulfrun Hall, North St WV1, 0870 320 7000; The Slade Rooms, Broad St WV1, 0870 320 7000; Robin 2, Mount Pleasant, Bilston WV14, 01902 401211; WEST BROMWICH: The Public, New St B70, 0121 5337161; COVENTRY: Warwick Arts Centre, University of Warwick, CV4, 024 7652 4524 M M
Friday, Feb 1 High on Fire
CN CN CN CN
Jekyll & Hyde
Birmingham
Uproar
The Institute
Birmingham
FACE
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Brothel VII
Birmingham
CN SumoSoundSys-
The Rainbow Warehouse The Rose Villa Tavern Hare & Hounds
Birmingham
CN
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Birmingham
Wulfrun Hall
Wolverhampton
Kings Heath
CN Adam Bloom C
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Bull’s Head
Moseley
M
Sunday, Feb 3 Obscure Pleasures
The Flapper
Birmingham
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Civic Hall
Wolverhampton
M
Monday, Feb 4 We Are The Ocean
O2 Academy 2
Birmingham
Tuesday, Feb 5 Folks
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Bull’s Head
Moseley
O2 Academy
Birmingham
Sun on the Hill
Birmingham
The Victoria
Birmingham
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Thursday, Feb 7 Seall
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
The Formula
The Flapper
Birmingham
Thurston Moore + Michael Chapman Esben & The Witch
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Moseley
Adam & Eve
Birmingham
Bodega
Birmingham
Origins Presents
Lab11
Birmingham
Propaganda
O2 Academy
Birmingham
Just A Groove
The Rose Villa Tavern The Victoria Hare & Hounds
CN Adam Bloom C Jimmy Carr C
Birmingham
Saturday, Feb 2 Kicks
Adam & Eve
Birmingham
Midnight Bonfires
Mac
Birmingham
Two Door Cinema Club Penny Dreadful
O2 Academy
Birmingham
The Actress & Bishop The Flapper
Birmingham
The Temple @ The Institute Hare & Hounds
Birmingham
M M
Reaside
M
Introducing perform Daft Punk’s Discovery Paloma Faith
The 1975
M CN Laidback Luke
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Birmingham
Dr Jekyll’s Potion
Bull’s Head
brance Freestyle
M
Birmingham
Island Bar
Birmingham
CN Loose Joints CN Soul Train Remem-
M M M
Gibb St Warehouse
The Actress & Bishop The Flapper
All Nighter Lucha Libre
All details correct at time of going to press. Check with venues before setting out.
Shuffle
Birmingham
Guy Jones M Keziasoul M CN Go With The Flo
info@ brumnotes.com
MC Nutcracker
O2 Academy 2
XOVA
CN CN CN CN CN CN
Want your gig or club night listed in our monthly guide? Send details to:
Birmingham
Kings Heath
Civic Hall
Wolverhampton
Gatecrasher
Birmingham
CN Juqebox tem Prospec presents Jubei Blast Off
M CN Impact
Wednesday, Feb 6 All Time Low
M Heard Not Scene M CN Candy Store Imran Yusuf C M M M M
Birmingham Kings Heath
Brum Notes Magazine
M C C M M M M M M CN CN CN CN CN C C M M M M M
Traditional Song Session Sara Pascoe
Kitchen Garden Cafe The Glee Club
Kings Heath
Manila Road C
The Victoria
Birmingham
Birmingham
Sun on the Hill
Birmingham
Lightfire
The Flapper
Birmingham
AWOLNATION
The Library @ The Institute Kitchen Garden Cafe
Birmingham
Thursday, Feb 14 Kerrang! Tour 2013
O2 Academy
Birmingham
Your Demise
O2 Academy 2
Birmingham
Feed The Rhino
The Asylum
Birmingham
Gallops
The Flapper
Birmingham
Villagers
The Library @ The Institute Adam & Eve
Birmingham
CN CN J-Dilla: A European
The Victoria
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
CN
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Mac
Birmingham
Birmingham
Maximum Zero
The Actress & Bishop The Flapper
Birmingham
C
Evil Alien
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
XOVA
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Carousel Circus
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Propaganda
O2 Academy
Birmingham
Output
Suki10c
Birmingham
MJ Cole
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Shuffle
The Victoria
Birmingham
Freestyle
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Phil Cool
Mac
Birmingham
Sara Pascoe
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Against the Wheel
Saturday, Feb 9 David Parkin
Mac
Birmingham
Rita Ora
O2 Academy
Birmingham
Brad
O2 Academy 2
Birmingham
The Whiskey Syndicate Mivvi
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham Birmingham
The Institute
Birmingham
Ryan Leslie
Birmingham
M
General Fiasco
The Library @ The Institute The Temple @ The Institute Wulfrun Hall Bar 78
Birmingham
Patrick Wolf M CN Medicine Bar
M
O2 Academy 2
Heard Not Scene
Birmingham
Frightened Rabbit
M
Wednesday, Feb 13 Darwin Deez
O2 Academy 2
Friday, Feb 8 Modestep
Dolls Eye Weaver
M
Birmingham
M M M M
M M M
M M M M M
The Rose Villa Tavern
Birmingham
The Actress & Bishop The Flapper
CN CN CN CN CN CN CN C
C
Reunion Rita Ora Afterparty
Birmingham
Birmingham Wolverhampton
Gatecrasher
Birmingham
DUSH
Lab11
Birmingham
Bassline Heaven
Subway City
Birmingham
FACE
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Beatamax
The Victoria
Birmingham
Bruk Up
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
This is Tmrw
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Sara Pascoe
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Sunday, Feb 10 Asking Alexandria
O2 Academy
Birmingham
High Horses
Sun on the Hill
Birmingham
Betrayal
The Flapper
Birmingham
Ethan Johns
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Bushbury Mountain Daredevils Monday, Feb 11 Andy White
Kitchen Garden Cafe
Kings Heath
Kitchen Garden Cafe
Kings Heath
Tuesday, Feb 12 Everything Everything Gary O’Dea
M M M M M
Night Manhattan Loft
C C M M M
Kings Heath
Birmingham
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Friday, Feb 15 Delphic
O2 Academy 2
Birmingham
Palour Flames
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
Redline
Birmingham
M
Swim Deep
M M CN CN CN CN
Death At Sea Dutch Uncles
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Lucha Libre
Bodega
Birmingham
Remedy
Jekyll & Hyde
Birmingham
Propaganda
O2 Academy
Birmingham
Oneman Solitaire Tour Live Forever
The Rainbow
Birmingham
CN CN Hot Club de Swing
The Victoria
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
CN
Bull’s Head
Moseley
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Saturday, Feb 16 Big Man Clayton
Adam & Eve
Birmingham
Valous
Eddie’s Rock Club
Birmingham
NME Awards Tour
O2 Academy
Birmingham
Before the Story Ends At Jazz Records Party Uprawr
The Flapper
Birmingham
Suki10c
Birmingham
CN CN Godskitchen - Paul
The Asylum
Birmingham
The Institute
Birmingham
CN
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
M M M M
CN February 2013
Remembrance Fantastic Damage J-Dilla Special The Short and Long Of It Ian Moore
Kings Heath
The Actress & Bishop The Library @ The Institute The Rainbow
CN
Birmingham
Laughing Cows
CN Valentines Singles
C
The Library @ The Institute Kitchen Garden Cafe
ComedyJQ
Alternative Valentines Ball Freestyle 4th Birthday Party Ian Moore
van Dyk Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Official Launch Party UTC 3rd Birthday
Birmingham Birmingham
29
CN White Men Can’t C M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M C C M M M M M
Funk Ian Moore
Bull’s Head The Glee Club
Moseley Birmingham
Sunday, Feb 17 LostAlone
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
Nerina Pallot
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Monday, Feb 18 Louise Jordan
Kitchen Garden Cafe
Kings Heath
Tuesday, Feb 19 Deftones
O2 Academy
Birmingham
Don Broco
O2 Academy 2
Birmingham
Winter
The Actress & Bishop The Actress & Bishop The Asylum
Birmingham
The Institute
Winter + Superfood Funeral For a Friend Jake Bugg
Birmingham
Moseley Birmingham
Kings Heath
Birmingham
Birmingham
Micky Greaney & Friends Jenn Bostic
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Bull’s Head
Moseley
John Fothergill
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Diane Spencer
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
O2 Academy 2
Birmingham
The Actress & Bishop The Flapper
Birmingham
The Rainbow
Birmingham
The Temple @ The Institute Bull’s Head
Birmingham
Birmingham
Moseley
CN CN Propaganda CN House of God 20th
Jekyll & Hyde
Birmingham
O2 Academy
Birmingham
Subway City
Birmingham
CN Kanyini feat Mech-
Suki10c
Birmingham
30
Gibb St Warehouse
Mac
Birmingham
The Rainbow
Wolverhampton Birmingham
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Birmingham
St Malo M Kaiser Chiefs Civic Hall M New Hype presents Adam & Eve CN
CN
Hare & Hounds
Bull’s Head
Dave J Giles
Shelton and Mark E Sugarfoot Stomp
Birmingham
The Rainbow
Birmingham
CN CN Giles Smith, Adam
Birmingham
The Temple @ The Institute Hare & Hounds
Andy Burrows
Birmingham
CN CN Jam Hott Simon Day C John Fothergill C
The Flapper
animal Seedy Sonics
The Institute
Awesome Proportion The Lumineers
Birmingham
Redwire
Birthday
Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham
Checan Remedy
The Actress & Bishop The Flapper
The Rainbow
O2 Academy 3
The Chapman Family Pure Love
Birmingham
Silent Lights
The Institute
Birmingham
Bad Moon
Birmingham
O2 Academy
CN CN Drum & Bass
Mac
Weatherbird
Adam & Eve
The Courteeners
Birmingham
Birmingham
Friday, Feb 22 Taking Hayley
Wolverhampton
Saturday, Feb 23 The Aheads
CN
Sun on the Hill
Adam & Eve
Birmingham
Wulfrun Hall
Birmingham
Heard Not Scene
Hare & Hounds
Moseley
The Glee Club
M M
Birmingham
James Summerfield Thursday, Feb 21 Pete & The Test Tube Babies Yiddish Twist Orchestra Fidlar
M M
Bull’s Head
Birmingham
Adam & Eve The Glee Club
M M M M
Wednesday, Feb 20 Expire Mark Eitzel
CN Freestyle Andrew Lawrence C Jerry Sadowitz C
Kings Heath
Hustle! VIII Keep It Royale Alldayer The Only Way Is Hardcore 5 Jaguar Skills Awards FACE meets 2.31
M M M M M M M M M
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Sunday, Feb 24 Exit Calm
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
Robin Guthrie Trio
The Glee Club
Birmingham
The Prospects
The Institute
Birmingham
Sam Gray
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Martha Tilston
Kitchen Garden Cafe
Kings Heath
Monday, Feb 25 Smackpin
Adam & Eve
Birmingham
Mazes
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Tuesday, Feb 26 Exit Ten
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
The Institute
Birmingham
The Library @ The Institute The Temple @ The Institute Hare & Hounds
Birmingham
M
Of Monsters and Men Stooshe
M
Walk The Moon
M
Jim Lockey & the Solemn Sun Wednesday, Feb 27 The Drills
M M M M CN C M M
Kings Heath
Birmingham Kings Heath
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
Heard Not Scene
Sun on the Hill
Birmingham
Lindi Ortega
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Roosevelt
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Le Lieu presents Cyril Hahn Henning Wehn
Bull’s Head
Moseley
The Glee Club
Birmingham
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
The Actress & Bishop Hare & Hounds
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Thursday, Feb 28 VeXXen Stu Larsen
Maps & Atlases M CN Soundkitchen Andy Askins C
Kings Heath
Brum Notes Magazine
February 2013
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Brum Notes Magazine