February 2012
www.brumnotes.com music and lifestyle for the west midlands
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Dog Is Dead
ALSO INSIDE: Spector Outfit Awolnation Romans Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and more… PLUS: Win two months of free clubbing at The Rainbow and free tickets to see GZA and The Maccabees. AND plan your month with our guide to the best of what’s on in Birmingham. February 2012
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Fri 27th Jan • £17.50 adv 6pm - 10pm
Sat 28th Jan 6pm - 10pm
All Time Low
+ The Maine + We Are in the Crowd
Fri 27th Jan 6pm - 10pm
Reel Big Fish
Thurs 1st Mar • £20 adv
Thurs 5th Apr • £20 adv
Sat 3rd Mar • £10 adv
Sat 7th Apr • £10 adv
The South
Protest The Hero + Long Distance Calling + Blood Command + Uneven Structure
Tues 6th Mar • £17 adv
Sun 29th Jan
Justin Furstenfeld
+ Funeral Party
Weds 7th Mar • £10 adv
Panic! At The Disco
The voice of Blue October
Cast
The Rock Sound Impericon Exposure Tour ft. Your Demise + Trapped Under Ice + Man Overboard + Basement
Mon 6th Feb • £6 adv
Rams Pocket Radio
Sat 14th Apr • £20 adv
Howard Jones In Concert
Tues 7th Feb • £10 adv
Weds 18th Apr • £10 adv
Mon 13th Feb • £8.50 adv
CASH Johnny Cash Tribute
Fri 3rd Feb
6.30pm - 10pm
Kaiser Chiefs
+ Heaven Shall Burn
+ All The Young + Club Smith
Fri 9th Mar
+ The Swellers
Mon 6th Feb • £12.50 adv
LMFAO
Thurs 19th Apr • £27.50 adv
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Tues 7th Feb
James Morrison Weds 8th Feb • £13 adv
The Devil Wears Prada Sat 11th Feb • £20 adv
NME Awards Tour ft. Justice + DVNO
Weds 15th Feb • £20 adv 6pm - 10pm
Brand New Thurs 16th Feb • £20 adv
Kerrang! Tour sponsored by Relentless Energy Drink ft. New Found Glory + The Blackout + Letlive + While She Sleeps
Fri 17th Feb • £22.50 adv 6pm - 9.45pm
Big Country Sat 18th Feb
NME Awards Tour 2012 ft. Two Door Cinema Club + Metronomy + Tribes + Azealia Banks
Sun 19th Feb
Skrillex
Thurs 23rd Feb • £25 adv
Nicole Scherzinger + Angel + Mindless Behavior
+ Far East Movement + Colette Carr
Fri 9th Mar • £12 adv 6pm
Boots Electric
Mon 12th Mar • £20 adv
Weds 25th Apr • £10 adv
Norma Jean
+ The Chariot + Stray From The Path + Admirals Arms
Tues 28th Feb • £5 adv
The Static Jacks Fri 2nd Mar • £12 adv 6pm - 10pm
Silver Seas
+ Seether
We Are The In Crowd & Every Avenue
Weds 14th Mar • £16.50 adv
Weds 16th May • £12.50 adv
Black Stone Cherry + Rival Sons
Yelawolf
Sat 17th Mar • £23 adv
Weds 30th May • £20 adv
A Night Of Queen with The Bohemians
Peter Hook and The Lights
+ Bonnylou + Farisle + Searching Skylines
Perform ‘Unknown Pleasures’ - A Joy Division Celebration
Sun 18th Mar • £8.50 adv
Sat 16th June • £20 adv
Yashin
+ Arcane Range + Everybody Looks Famous + Grace The Skies
Sat 24th Mar • £13.50 adv
Boyce Avenue
Sat 16th Sept • £12 adv
Fu Manchu
Performing ‘The Action Is Go’
Sat 10th Mar • £5 adv
Jimmy Davies
+ RT + Redstarr + It Takes Two to Tango + The Quary
Sun 11th Mar • £6 adv
Max Raptor & Hildamay
+ Claustrophobique + Chasing Skylines
Sun 25th Mar • £7 adv
All The Young
Weds 28th Mar • £6 adv
The Minutes
Sun 8th Apr • £12 adv 6pm
Pelican
+ Chelsea Wolfe
Charlie Simpson
Mon 26th Mar • £29.50 adv
Korn
Tues 27th Mar • £16 adv
Steel Panther
Check out our mobile app
Weds 28th Mar • £17.50 adv 6pm
OFWGKTA Bowling For Soup
Mon 27th Feb • £12 adv
Dog Is Dead
Mon 23rd Apr • £22.50 adv
Little Comets
Simple Minds Little Dragon
Mon 20th Feb • £6.50 adv
+ Dana Fuchs
+ The Popes
Fri 30th Mar • £13 adv
Sat 25th Feb • £13.50 adv
Lights
Oli Brown
Tues 24th Apr • £8.50 adv
Ivyrise + Franko Sun 19th Feb
Thurs 19th Apr • £7 adv
The Stranglers
Fri 24th Feb • £37.50 adv 6.30pm - 10pm
Tues 14th Feb • £5 adv
McFly
Lostprophets
3 Doors Down
Hyro Da Hero
Deaf Havana
Sat 10th Mar • £23 adv 6.30pm - 10pm
Lindi Ortega
+ Fields Of Ypres + Kristy Gallacher
Rise To Remain
Cherrytree Pop Alternative Tour
Tues 31st Jan • £6 adv
6.30pm - 10pm
An Acoustic Evening with Jaret and Erik
Fri 30th Mar • £27.50 adv 6.30pm - 10pm
McFly
Tues 3rd Apr • £14 adv
Steve Aoki
16-18 Horsefair, Bristol St, Birmingham, B1 1DB 2
Doors 7.00pm unless stated • Venue box office opening hours: Mon-Fri 11.30am-5pm, Sat 11.30am-3.30pm • No booking fee on cash transactions Brum Notes Magazine ticketweb.co.uk • seetickets.com • gigantic.com • ticketmaster.co.uk
CONTENTS
Casiokids live, P24 Photo by Jonathan Morgan Brum Notes Magazine 120 The Greenhouse The Custard Factory Digbeth Birmingham B9 4AA info@brumnotes.com 0121 224 7363 Advertising 0121 224 7363 advertising@brumnotes.com Distribution StickupMedia! 0121 224 7364 Editor Chris Moriarty Contributors Words: Amy Sumner, Jon Pritchard, Tom Pell, Ross Cotton, James Collins, Jade Sukiya Pictures: Jonathan Morgan, Richard Shakespeare, Michael Scott Style editor: Jade Sukiya jade@brumnotes.com Design: Adam Williams, Henry Parker, Andy Aitken Connect Twitter: @BrumNotesMag Facebook: www.facebook.com/ BrumNotesMagazine Online: www.brumnotes.com
Regulars News 4-5 Competitions 6 Live Reviews 24-25 Style 26 Food & Drink 27 What’s On 28-31 Music and Features Comedy: Dave Spikey 8 Clubbing: Looking ahead to The Arena 10 Forests/Introducing/Victories at Sea 12-13 Romans 14 Awolnation 16 Outfit 17 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah 18 The Whip 19 Spector 20-21 Dog Is Dead 22-23 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 2012
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WIZZARD FRONTMAN ROY WOOD IMMORTALISED IN NEW EXHIBITION Birmingham-born glam rock icon Roy Wood will be celebrated in unique style with a special exhibition taking place in his home city this month. An exhibition of paintings of the former Wizzard frontman and founder member of the Electric Light Orchestra and The Move will go on display at St Pauls Gallery in the Jewellery Quarter until February 23. The distinctive exhibits are the work of Australian artist Debra Dee who came out of self-imposed retirement to paint the rocker after being inspired by his music and “colourful” image. She said: “Roy is a dream subject really. Good looking, sure, but with loads of character and multiple personas. He has a great sense of style and seems to continually re-invent himself.” Visit www.stpaulsgallery.com or call 0121 236 5800 for more details.
DRUM & BASS AWARDS SET FOR NEW HOME ON RETURN TO BIRMINGHAM
IN BRIEF
The sixth annual Drum & Bass Awards return to Birmingham next month with a host of star names performing across different stages. The showpiece event has a new home for 2012 and will take place at The Ballroom in Dale End on March 3.
The first ever Midlands Goth Festival takes place in Birmingham this month. The event at The Ballroom in Dale End will include film screenings, workshops and a ‘Dark Market’ as well as live performances from acts including Inkubus Sukkubus, Salvation, Mechanical Cabaret, Zeitgeist Zero, Twilight Laboratory, and Vince Ripper and the Rodent Show. The event runs from 1pm to 3am on February 18.
Dale End will be closed off for the huge party, with a marquee set up to create an outdoor arena, alongside fairground rides and merchandise stalls. Performances will take place across four stages, with live shows and DJ sets from the likes of Subfocus, Friction, Roni Size, Netsky, Grooverider and more. The Future of Drum & Bass Photo by Michael Scott www.club-pics.co.uk arena will showcase the best emerging talent, while the old skool and jungle arena will take clubbers back in time. The awards ceremony itself takes place before midnight and will be hosted by pioneering DJ Fabio, alongside MC Skibadee and Birmingham’s own MC Magika. Awards will be presented in more than 25 categories including Best Drum & Bass DJ, Best Liquid DJ, Best Lyrical MC, Best Producer and Best Live Act. The event runs from 9pm until 6am the next morning. Tickets are priced at £32.50 plus booking fees and fans are advised to book early as previous events have sold out in advance. The event will also be recorded and broadcast on AKA on Sky channel 370. Visit www.drumandbassawards.co.uk for more details.
Fierce Festival will team up with Birmingham’s Symphony Hall to help celebrate the renowned venue’s 21st Anniversary. The avant-garde art and music festival will curate Curious Sounds in Curious Spaces at the hall on April 7, described as ‘a celebration of sound for all the family.’ It will focus on the more unusual aspects of sound, with a variety of experiments, workshops and performances, including Juneau Projects helping visitors to make tissue box guitars, 8 Bit Lounge’s Gameboy music and retro arcade games and Soundkitchen’s speaker-covered Sonic Tree. Fierce Festival runs from March 29 to April 8. Visit www.wearefierce.org.
FESTIVAL ARTWORKS TO BE INSPIRED BY ICONIC PHOTOGRAPH An iconic image of 1980s Birmingham will form the inspiration for new artwork to be unveiled at this year’s BASS Festival. Artists, musicians, DJs and performers are being invited to put forward their own ideas to produce new work inspired by the famous black and white photograph of Soho Road (right) taken by Vanley Burke. The successful commission will receive £2,000 to turn their vision into reality to be staged at Mac Birmingham as part of this summer’s BASS Festival, which runs from June 15 to July 1. The arts centre in Cannon Hill Park will also host an exhibition of Vanley Burke’s photography next autumn. Commission applications must be in by February 27. For details visit www.punch-records.co.uk. 4
Brum Notes Magazine
BRAND NEW WEEKEND FESTIVAL HEADS TO THE WEST MIDLANDS THIS SPRING
FIRST ACTS REVEALED FOR JAZZ FEST
Misty’s Big Adventure and Art Brut will be among the acts performing at a brand new music festival being staged in West Bromwich this spring. Iconic arts centre The Public will stage the Now We Are Weekender, a two-day festival across two stages over the weekend of April 7 and 8 featuring live performances from more than 30 acts.
Early details have been announced for this year’s Mostly Jazz Festival, which returns to Moseley Park in the summer.
Brum Notes Magazine has teamed up with Now We Are to provide exclusive build-up and coverage of the event, which will include everything from twee indie pop to rock n roll mayhem, with established bands performing alongside emerging talent. The festival is being curated by Londonbased promoters Funny Looking Cat with Berlin-based art-rockers Art Brut and Birmingham’s own cult hero collective Misty’s Big Adventure among the headliners announced so far. Other bands on the bill include The Lovely Eggs, Toy Horses, Masters In France, Among Brothers and Mansize, with more names to be announced shortly. The festival will also feature an array of handcrafted merchandise stalls, workshops and DJ sets into the early hours. Weekend tickets cost £15, with day tickets £10. A limited number of early bird weekend tickets are available for £10 from www.theticketsellers.co.uk or www.thepublic.com. Visit www.nowweare.co.uk for more details.
The festival, which will now go by the full title of the Mostly Jazz, Funk and Soul Festival, takes place from June 29 to July 1 with Gilles Peterson and Craig Charles returning to help curate the line-up. Mercury-nominated lo-fi hip hop lyricist Ghostpoet, tropical dub exponents Troumaca and cosmic disco duo Free School are among the performers on opening night. Cover specialists Introducing play on Friday and Saturday, while other acts lined up include Odyssey, The Atlantic Players, Speedometer, Soweto Kinch and Andy Hamilton & The Blue Notes. More acts are due to be announced over the coming weeks. Tickets available at www.mostlyjazz.co.uk.
Photo by Richard Shakespeare
NON PROFIT MUSIC REHEARSAL ROOM FLOODGATE STREET MUSIC COMPANY February 2012
£5
REHEARSALS
ALSO FREE TO REFUGEES & ASYLUM
£45 PER WEEK LOCKUP
5
Terms & conditions apply. All winners will be notified by email.
COMPETITIONS GZA - February 16, The Ballroom, Birmingham
Hip hop maestro GZA, aka Genius from Wu-Tang Clan, returns to Birmingham this month for a headline live show at The Ballroom on February 16. City-based hip hop promoters Heducation have also hand-picked a high quality support line-up crammed full of some of the best in Birmingham and the Midlands’ urban music talent, including DUKE01, HLI, Eat Good MCs, Ricta and more. GZA was a founding member of seminal New York hip hop outfit the Wu-Tang Clan. He was the first member of the clan to carve out a successful solo career and makes a welcome return to Birmingham to show off his incredible lyrical talents. Tickets are priced £13.50 and we have one pair to give away. To win, simply tell us: What was the name of GZA’s highly acclaimed second solo album first released in 1995? Email your answer along with your name, age and contact phone number to competitions@brumnotes.com by February 13. The Maccabees - March 18, Civic Hall, Wolverhampton Fresh from releasing their finest album yet, The Maccabees embark on their biggest UK tour to date, including an appearance at Wolverhampton’s Civic Hall on March 18. The band, who adorned the cover of Brum Notes Magazine in January, released their third album Given To The Wild to widespread critical acclaim last month, reaching number four in the UK album charts and laying down a marker as an early contender for album of the year. Tickets for their show in Wolverhampton are priced £17 each and on sale now, but we’ve got one pair to give away. To be in with a chance of winning, just answer the following simple question: What was the name of the debut album by The Maccabees, released in 2007? Email your answer along with your name, age and contact phone number to competitions@brumnotes.com by March 10. Club Hopper Pass for Spring season at FACE @ The Rainbow, Birmingham There were label parties, UK talent showcases, imports of sand, partnerships with Cream, Snowbombing and so much more for leading Birmingham club night FACE in 2011. It all ended with an award from Mixmag, while 2012 starts with just as much of a bang for The Rainbow-based promoters. Between now and March, there will be collaborations with promotions like Freq and Filth, as well as a label party with ViVA Records and DJ sets from Hypercolour heroine Maya Jane Coles, Circoloco main man DJ W!ld, Mothership duo Italoboyz and One Records chief Adam Shelton. The Rainbow in Digbeth provides the perfect setting for the weekly Saturday night events, with its three rooms and raw but real feel. We’ve got a club hopper pass for two to give away, giving you and one friend free entry to FACE at The Rainbow every Saturday night throughout February and March, worth more than £100. For full line-up details visit www.faceevent.co.uk. To be in with a chance of winning this incredible prize, simply tell us: In which area of Birmingham is The Rainbow nightclub, home of FACE, based? Email your answer along with your name, age and contact phone number to competitions@brumnotes.com by February 10.
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Brum Notes Magazine
February 2012
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SHARP WIT
Comedy
He may be best known to most as the loveable compere of The Phoenix Club, made famous by Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights, but DAVE SPIKEY is also a charming stand-up comic in his own right. Jon Pritchard catches up with him ahead of his headline show in Birmingham.
A lot of people see him as a typical northern comedian, but there is so much more to Dave Spikey than meets the eye. He may have been somewhat overshadowed by the huge success of his mate and partner Peter Kay, but that has not stopped Dave Spikey from carving out a career for himself as one of Britain’s funniest and most underrated comedians. His own act oozes northern charm and old school gags, but there is plenty more to him than that. In conversation, his natural wit and pure love for making people laugh quickly shines through. In between a haze of questions, Spikey is constantly cracking jokes or pointing out funny things he’s noticed recently and, so far, unashamedly playing up to his northern funnyman stereotype. This month’s appearance at The Glee Club is part of his latest show, Words Don’t Come Easy, which he has been touring since last September. “I was going to take some time off to write my next tour, but I added a couple other dates here and there, and then a few theatres asked me back to do more shows so I ended up adding about another 20 shows,” he says, explaining the seemingly demanding schedule which takes him up to the end of April. The show itself is based largely around the misuse of the English language and the way it can be misconstrued to sound funny. “It’s a brilliant language and full of ambiguity; you can say the same words and people can
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misunderstand it in lots of different ways,” he continues.
like a very important job, he is keen to play down the knowledge needed to do it.
“I’ve looked at people who use words in their day job to find the material, such as
“My dad was out of work for six months so I needed to get a job to earn some cash to keep the family going,” he says. “I always wanted to be a doctor and a job came up at the local hospital. I applied on the Friday and started work on the Monday, even though I was only 16.”
“English is a brilliant language and full of ambiguity; people can misunderstand it in lots of different ways.” journalists and song writers, so I’ve been reading lots of papers. There’s some inspired stuff out there.” It was his own way with words that helped Spikey find fame as part of the trio that wrote iconic television series Phoenix Nights, alongside Peter Kay and Neil Fitzmaurice, and he has once again teamed up with Fitzmaurice for a new sitcom which the pair hope will soon be hitting BBC screens. “It’s very early on in the development of the series, we’re talking to the BBC at the moment, but we have high hopes it. You never know what’s going to happen though.” That much is certainly true, as Spikey himself would surely not have predicted where his career would take him when he started off his working life as a biomedical scientist at Bolton General Hospital. While this sounds
His job involved testing blood samples and doing the work that most people never get to see while at hospital. With him playing second fiddle to Peter Kay in Phoenix Nights, and also to doctors in his previous job, does this make Spikey, a man whose job now is to be the centre of attention, an introvert? “I’ve always liked being in the background,” he insists. “I was reasonably shy when I was growing up but I wouldn’t say I was an introvert. I guess I just doubted my ability to be a doctor.” So there you have it. Dave Spikey, portrayed on television as your typical northern funnyman, actually started work at 16 to fend for his family, dreamed of being a doctor and became a biomedical scientist, has a passion for the English language, not to mention the fact that he played a crucial role writing one of the most successful British sitcoms of recent years. Doesn’t sound so typical now does he? Dave Spikey: Words Don’t Come Easy is live at The Glee Club, Birmingham, on February 29
Brum Notes Magazine
February 2012
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Clubbing
PREPARING FOR BATTLE Mimicking the Roman architecture of an ancient Coliseum and nestled under the Victorian railway arches that span Digbeth, the Arena will make an imposing addition to Birmingham’s clubbing scene. The latest instalment in the ongoing development of The Rainbow complex, it will sit proudly alongside the venue’s other distinctive spaces, providing an al fresco nightlife experience for up to 4,000 ravers, unlike anything else in Birmingham. Opening weekend will see globally-renowned hedonistic heavyweights Circoloco taking over the brand new destination, beginning with an all-day party on Saturday, April 7, boasting a line-up including the likes of Jamie Jones (pictured), Kerri Chandler, Matthias Tanzmann and Adam Shelton keeping things going until 1am, before the antics move on the nearby Rainbow Warehouse and The Rainbow Courtyard for more high quality audio assaults which will continue well into Sunday. Lee McDonald, manager of The Rainbow venues, and Will Nustedt from high profile DJ agency The Rebel Agency tell us more about the project: So, tell us about The Arena: Lee: The Arena is an old builders merchant yard situated adjacent to the disused railway line that runs through the heart of Digbeth and, of course, through the existing Rainbow Complex. I’ve been passionate about turning it into an open-air rave venue for years. Will: The Victorian railway arches are a huge presence in The Arena and should look great with 4,000 people partying beneath them. How big is it? Lee: It’s currently 4,000 capacity. The Arena itself is one single open-air venue but we have plans to create more spaces. It’s also part of The Rainbow so we have several spaces at our disposal for future events. Will: For Circoloco In The Arena the main focus of the party will be the large outside space. Even though DC10 [Ibiza nightclub which hosts Circoloco] now has a roof covering the terrace due to the legal issues they have faced in the last few years, for us it is still an ‘outdoor’ party. With The Arena we really want to recreate that vibe. However, with ticket sales going so well, and with the other spaces at our disposal, we definitely have some other tricks up our sleeve. Tell us about the soundsystem and some of the production technology going into this party? Lee: In the past we’ve used Funktion One, Martin Audio and several 10
Digbeth clubbing complex THE RAINBOW continues its expansion this spring with the opening of the gladiatorial, 4,000-capacity ARENA. Two of the brains behind the ambitious plans tells us more about their vision for a new hedonistic hotbed. other leading sound installations. We are in detailed talks about which rig will suit the unusual acoustics of the space. For me, sound quality is as important as the DJ who is using it, it will be impressive. The concept for this event, and the venue itself, is pretty revolutionary for Birmingham and arguably the UK. The production will mirror our ambitions. Will: It has to be the very best for Circoloco, which is highly regarded throughout the world. It’s going to be quite a show musically and visually. Why did you decide on a Circoloco party to open The Arena? Will: We chose Circoloco as it’s a party close to our hearts. Lee, Jamie Jones and myself all met in Ibiza 10 years ago and we religiously visited DC10 every Monday during that time. It was a massive influence on us. Due to our discovery of this type of sound and party, Lee went on to develop The Rainbow, I went on to start The Rebel Agency, and Jamie... well he became Jamie Jones. Lee and I have always wanted to work together on a project such as this and a few months ago he got me up to Birmingham to have a look at The Arena. There was absolutely no doubt in our minds that we had to do a Circoloco event there. It just feels right. How will the venue be suitable for the debauched decadence of a party predominately held at DC10? Will: It’s open-air, a luxury Circoloco and DC10 were robbed of in Ibiza. It’s also something that is extremely rare for city centre events throughout the UK. What can we expect on the Sunday? Lee: Below will be presenting the main Circoloco party on the Saturday and then an all-day party with Visonquest on the Sunday. It’s going to be quite a marathon. Will: With it being a bank holiday, we really thought it would be a good idea to make this something special. I talked to the Visionquest guys and they were really keen to get involved in what we believe will be a really special weekend. Circoloco in The Arena takes place from midday on April 7 until 1am, followed by the Hot Natured Warehouse Party at The Rainbow Warehouse until 7am and the Below Daytime Rave with Visionquest at The Rainbow Courtyard from midday until 3am on April 8. Brum Notes Magazine
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fo r ex c l u s i ve l i ve a n n o u n c e m e n t s a n d p r i o r i t y b o o k i n g
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FORESTS Shady Bard frontman Lawrence Becko embarks on a new musical project under the name FORESTS. We find out more ahead of the band’s live debut. So, what’s the deal with Forests then? It’s a new project. After seven years of Shady Bard, I wanted a chance to try something different - new sounds, new ideas…I’ll be joined by familiar faces from Shady Bard but we’ll also be working with some new musicians and friends too. This doesn’t mean the end of Shady Bard as we know it, does it? It’s not the end of Shady Bard but I needed a break to try new things out. Our songs are still going out to millions of people on shows around the world which is one of the
INTRODUCING After first wowing audiences with their groundbreaking live interpretation of DJ Shadow’s seminal album Entroducing....., 10-piece band INTRODUCING are back to bring the music of Mr Scruff to life. Vocalist Ollie Grig explains. How’s the new project been going so far? It’s been a blast! It’s gone down really well and we get to have more fun than we do with the Shadow show. Generally it’s an excuse for fun, bouncy tunes with a big slice of silliness thrown in. What sort of audience do you attract? We used to joke that our crowds for the Shadow show were mostly 30-something men who’d spent too much time in their bedrooms and the odd slightly confused girlfriend. This show has more of a mix though, and 12
main ways people find out about us. There are still unfinished Shady Bard tracks in the studio which we’ll come back to when the time is right. And how does this new project differ? I suppose there’s an expectation of what Shady Bard should sound like, whereas with Forests anything goes. In some ways it’s more immediate, in others it’s quite experimental. Has it given you a new creative freedom, making music without expectations? It definitely gives you a new freedom. I started with a blank canvas so the new songs are going in lots of different directions. I’ve been listening to all sorts of stuff recently which will end up having an influence on the music, from Vangelis soundtracks to old favourites like Broken Social Scene and The Flaming Lips. Any plans for an album? Definitely an album. I’m writing and recording it now. There may be more than one actually – something more familiar and something more unexpected…
And what can people expect from your live shows this month? New songs, new sounds, a new Casio, and some old favourites.
How would you describe the sound? Twin Peaks meets Space Odyssey.
Forests are live at The Flapper, Birmingham on February 18
thankfully a healthier amount of ladies! How did the idea first come about for covering dance records live? Matt Derbyshire [band founder] was in hospital after a bad asthma attack, heard Endtroducing..... for the first time on a borrowed iPod and was blown away. Somewhere down the line he had the thought of playing it live to which everyone told him he was crazy and it was impossible. This only made him want to do it more. A year later we had our first gig. How did you decide on Mr Scruff next? Almost as soon as we started the Endtroducing project the name of Mr Scruff kept coming up. Mostly because of me shouting at everyone that I wanted to do Fish live. It was seen as a fun successor or addition to the Shadow show which gave more scope for improvisation and a more fast and loose attitude to the original forms, whilst still maintaining the vibe of the original tunes. Then we were playing Endtroducing at the Academy 2 in Manchester where a nice chap called Andy came to see us before and after the show. This guy is the legendary Mr Scruff himself, and he seemed really keen on us doing his stuff, and a little chuffed that we’d chosen his work to boot, so it then
became a no-brainer. What does he make of it all? We’ve stayed in touch with him, and he’s been really supportive from day one, using his Facebook and Twitter followers to raise awareness of our gigs and generally saying nice things about us. He really is a jolly nice chap. So far we’ve always been gigging in opposite corners of the globe and have thus not been able to do anything together. With any luck though, some combined awesomeness won’t be too far off... Introducing play Mr Scruff Live at the Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, February 18 Brum Notes Magazine
VICTORIES AT SEA
don’t sound like Joy Division, we are a three piece and as De La Soul know, three: that’s the magic number.
VICTORIES AT SEA have been making waves on the Birmingham music scene in recent months. Frontman JP White tells us more. For people who haven’t seen or heard you before, how would you describe Victories at Sea? Tough call...listening to one VAS song alone I guess is enough to give you the wrong answer; we’re positively all over the place I think. We seem to have this knack of writing songs that sound like one thing to one person and something utterly different to another. We’re not math rock, or prog rock, or post rock, or 80s disco, or stadium rock, or tropical, or lo-fi, hi-fi, MFI, but someone, somewhere, at sometime, has compared us to at least one of those. We have never been compared to the same band twice, we
You’ve been involved in various musical projects before, how does this differ from your previous work? The pension benefits far outreach those of any previous line of work. Musically I guess there’s a lot more ‘mojo’ to it but more groove than previous ventures I have dabbled in. Then there’s how we use computers where there would be extra people to reduce our potential royalty percentages (so far absent so long as we keep giving away our music). As you can tell it’s now at a stage of being artistically focussed by money. Any recording or release plans coming up this year? We’re recording right now. Hopefully we will get a physical record out sooner rather than later this year, that’s the plan. We also want to get remixed by Flying Lotus. You must be looking forward to supporting Errors this month? They’re an amazing band so we are very excited; hopefully Birmingham can handle it on a Sunday night and have a party! It’s our first local of the year, and as we don’t
plan to return soon after it we are hoping for fun times. We may also have some new music to debut. You’re getting out of Birmingham this month too, is that one of your aims for the year, to tour as much as possible? We love writing and recording in equal measure but gigs are much more of an intense experience, I think we’d happily live in a splitter van for most of the year if it means we can get where we ultimately want to be. Victories at Sea support Errors live at The Rainbow, Birmingham, on February 12
Plus Special Guests
Alt-J
The Mermaid Show, Ann Liv Young
Thursday 29 March - Sunday 8 April 2012
Fierce is an international and annual festival of live art across Birmingham. Expect theatre, music, installations, public interventions, workshops, talks, digital projects and wild parties. February 2012
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2012 has started off at blistering pace for Birmingham riff-meisters ROMANS, with national press coverage and a brand new EP ready to be unleashed this month as they head out on their first headline tour. We caught up with the band to hear more on their hardcore musical invasion.
“2012 has got off to a great start for us and of course it’s great to see our faces on magazines and websites we’ve been reading since we were kids,” admits drummer and vocalist Denny Connolly. “It’s a fantastic feeling but we are realists and take it a day at a time and there is always something more we can achieve day by day.” Despite the growing attention gained in a relatively short space of time - the band as a whole formed less than a year-and-a-half ago and new bassist Josh Terry only stepped into the breach four months ago - Denny insists the band are not feeling any extra pressure to achieve. “The only pressure we ever feel is from ourselves, as we want to make the most of the opportunity that has shown its face,” he explains. “The day we feel pressure from the media and ‘fans’ to produce is the day I can assume we will be in a comfortable position in a band state. That sounds confusing but I don’t think we have made a big enough mark to feel pressure. . . yet! “We are really pleased with the progress we have made in such a short amount of time. It’s very apparent that great things have started happening for us, it almost feels that there is this whirlwind of interest and press 14
etc that came out of nowhere because, to be honest, no one really paid attention to us last year. But good things come to those who wait, right?” Wisely refusing to get carried away, the band are refreshingly modest and look on their achievements and plans so far with something of a wry smile, even when looking ahead to their possibly grandly-titled ‘first proper tour.’ “If by proper tour you mean four dates booked on a shoe string...” says Denny. “We aren’t calling it a tour really, more of an excursion. But this is our first attempt at a tour. “There has been a lot of issues that we have overcome but we are feeling good about it. At one point we thought that it might not happen but everything pulled through. We are treating it as a small exposure tour really so it should really benefit in what we are trying to achieve.” One of the highlights for band and fans alike is sure to be their homecoming gig at The Rainbow in Birmingham on February 11, the final night of their ‘excursion.’ “Well it will be nice to come back to a gig
with our pals and family yes, but we really love playing to new crowds too,” Denny continues. “I think The Rainbow is the most exciting venue in Birmingham, last time we played there was with Tubelord and &U&I and it was a really great atmosphere.” As for playing to friends and family, there is certainly no added pressure there either, as Denny succinctly explains: “We play our hardest, fastest and sweatiest every gig we play, we couldn’t give a fuck who is there. Just as long as they are watching and listening and enjoying themselves. “We like to take the ethics of our hardcore/ rock roots and ideals when playing live. Why pay to go watch a band that are gonna stand there and play note for note every song? To me, unless you’re watching Steely Dan that’s not cool. We put our hearts into playing live and really try to put on a display of what we are about, and at the end of the day playing is what we enjoy the most, so we just lose our marbles.” Romans are live at The Rainbow, Birmingham, on February 11. New EP Cravatte Nere is released on February 6, with limited edition physical copies also available at their live shows. Brum Notes Magazine
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STATE OF THE NATION American electro alt-rockers AWOLNATION scored a surprise hit when their debut single Sail became a gold-selling radio favourite Stateside. With a UK tour ahead this month the genre-bending outfit could be set to make their mark in this nation too. We talk to frontman Aaron Bruno ahead of their visit to Birmingham. Sail became such an iconic track for you last year, were you surprised at the impact it had? I never thought Sail would be on radio, nor did I necessarily think any of the songs would be. I tried to make the best record I was capable of so, to me, I am just honoured if anyone listens at all.
“These days, there seems to be a lot of bragging and posturing in pop music. When I hear lyrics about someone having a private jet and flying over us ‘peasants’, I find it perverted, safe, and uninspired.”
It’s quite rare these days that bands on the radio write songs with real feeling, rather than just radio-friendly pop about girls or money; is the emotional side of your songwriting important to you? When I was younger, I don’t think I was mature enough to say what I really wanted to, or I just didn’t know how. After going through some really difficult times, it became more clear to me that my lyrics were just as important as the melody itself. These days, there seems to be a lot of bragging and posturing in pop music. When I hear lyrics about someone having a private jet and flying over us ‘peasants’, I find it perverted, safe, and uninspired. You seem to have put a lot of thought into everything about Awolnation, from what the name means through to the visuals and the songs themselves. Have you always tried to address every aspect of the music and everything that surrounds it carefully? Yes, but not to over-think it. I try to let ideas come organically and appear in my head without fighting it. I feel the same way about songwriting. There’s a cross-section of genres on your record, do you feel it’s an exciting time to be involved in music with so much crossing over of styles and freedom of expression?
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Yes, I am a fan of all genres of music and many of my favourite artists blend styles together in a beautiful way. I think that is a much more courageous way to write, and much more rewarding. I rarely sit down and force the writing of a song. I let the ideas come to me and simply do my best to help them come to life. Whatever style it may be is just me. You’ve had a great impact in your homeland, are you looking forward to returning to the UK again? Yes, it’s inspiring to travel to the UK where some of my favourite bands and art were created. I consider The Beatles to be the bible of music. I am proud to have the chance to release any music at all, no matter where that may be. It’s an amazing feeling to have any fans in a different country. It’s something that most songwriters dream of. You are literally crossing over. And what about your other plans for 2012, have you already started working on a follow up to your debut album, or are you still letting the first one [Megalithic Symphony] breathe for a while? I never stop writing, and I want to be well prepared when it comes time for the follow up record. I would hate to let anyone down, especially myself. What can fans who haven’t seen you live before expect from the show? If you like the record, I promise you will love it live. Awolnation are live at the HMV Institute, Birmingham, on February 9
Brum Notes Magazine
PERFECT FIT After being tipped as hot prospects in plenty of trendy lists for 2012 and with a firm foundation of rock n roll tales about their formative years living in a communal mansion, there is more than a hint of buzz about Liverpool’s twisted pop peddlers OUTFIT. Frontman Andrew Hunt and guitarist brother Nick tell us how they’re coping with the expectations. You’ve had so much positive press already in 2012. Does that put any added pressure on you can you just enjoy it? These things happen outside our daily world – it’s good to know that people want to listen to what we’re doing, but the pressure comes from ourselves.
and how flippant their music was.
itself present an opportunity for creativity rather than seeing falling revenues in the music industry as a barrier? The democracy of the internet can give the illusion that by trying you have succeeded, but really not much has changed in terms of making an impact. You still have to stand out and have something to say, and a way of presenting it. Or just be plain awful; that still seems to work. As far as falling revenues go, there are no barriers – only obstacles.
What point do you think you’ll be able to relax away from the ‘exciting new band’ tag and just get on with making music? We hope to develop into an exciting ancient band. We give it six months.
Is the writing process a communal effort for you as a band? It varies, but tends to come from one person’s vision of how a song should sound. We often write individually and demo things, then we tend to arrange as a band and try to paint the bigger picture together. The recording is a big thing for us as well, because it’s another layer in the process where we can make something very much our own.
There’s quite a cinematic feel to your music, plenty of changes of mood within tracks; do you like your songs to take listeners on a journey? We like our songs to be more than a collection of notes, to be bound to a situation and atmosphere...but is there any good song that doesn’t create its own world? That sense of escapism is what makes music important to so many people. When we write music we want it to articulate a place somewhere between the personal and the intangible.
You must be sick of talking about the ‘mansion/commune’ where you lived in Liverpool, but equally it must have given you some great stories. What’s your favourite anecdote and what’s your favourite lie about the place? Our favourite lie was one of our housemates drunkenly boasting that we baked 12 loaves of bread a day, one of the most mundane fibs we’ve ever heard and probably one our favourite anecdotes. Max Tundra playing in our living room (for real) was serious fun though.
There seems to be a myriad of influences coming through, is there anyone in particular as a band you look up to? We believe in the invisible influences as well as the obvious ones – by seeking out different music we unconsciously adopt, and are better equipped to locate ourselves in all that noise. Arthur Russell made such a variety of music but always had his own voice, his creativity seemed so unstoppable, you can’t help but be inspired by someone who’s such a musical force of nature. Talking Heads are a great example of a culturally literate band being fun, because they recognised both how important
How is the music scene in Liverpool at the moment? Are you hoping you might inspire a bit of a resurgence? Inspiration was the other way round really. We came from the more experimental side of Liverpool’s music scene, and some fantastic musicians nurtured our interests and gave us encouragement; I’ve no doubt there will be more to take their place, we lived with a few for certain. Ex Easter Island Head are worth caring about.
Any particular memories of Birmingham ahead of your appearance here? When Nick was 8 he went to his Auntie’s wedding in Birmingham. A man showed him that trick where you pretend to remove your thumb, and claimed to be from Mars. When Nick’s Dad showed him how the trick was done, he ripped up his newly drawn picture of Mars, called the nice man a liar, and has never believed in anything ever since. He’ll believe Birmingham when he sees it.
You’ve been involved in a variety of artistic projects before Outfit; do you feel the current musical climate and the internet
Outfit are live at The Rainbow, Birmingham, on February 18
February 2012
It seems things have moved pretty quickly from your first gig last March to a full UK tour less than a year later. Has it all felt a bit of a whirlwind so far? This whirlwind happened on the internet, and we’d like more people on the ground to hear our music and react to it. When I step off a plane I can hear a pin drop. How much are you looking forward to your first tour proper? 63% excitement, 14% logistics, 19% fatigue, 4% fear of sexual failure.
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INDEPENDENT SPIRITS After being hailed as torch-bearers for independent music when their self-released debut album became a critically-acclaimed hit, CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH were the new darlings of the indie scene six years ago. Their ‘difficult second album’ may have divided opinion, but their third saw them back to their quirky best after a four-year hiatus, delivering their distinctive brand of idiosyncratic vocals against a swirling backdrop of off-kilter indie soundscapes. Chris Moriarty caught up with frontman Alec Ounsworth as they prepare to take their new record on the road. It’s fair to say Clap Your Hands Say Yeah have always been a band that polarise opinions. Whether it’s the ‘Marmite’ vocal style of frontman Alec Ounsworth, the sometimes overbearing reverb, chaotic song structures and the often unfathomable lyrics, there is a lot that has seen the Brooklyn indie outfit dismissed as ‘difficult’ by many listeners. But there are plenty for whom their finely crafted and emotionally-charged assaults of jangling art-rock really ring true, not least on their critically acclaimed eponymous debut. Having released it themselves in their native USA, they were snapped up by Wichita who unleashed the record on the UK and Europe to much excitement among the indie masses. Two years later, the less accessible yet equally engaging follow-up Some Loud Thunder was dismissed by many fans and some critics, due in no small part to its selfconscious lack of any discerning ‘pop’ tunes. A four-year hiatus followed, but predictions of the band’s demise were certainly premature, with Alec Ounsworth and co returning with Hysterical, a beautifully lush third album that boasts all the jarring chaos of previous efforts yet with more of a sheen and a welcome strand of consistency throughout the record. It is, as Ounsworth explains, a record that was made to be performed live, something which bodes well for their current UK tour. “It was a case of waiting until it seemed to be the right time,” says Alec Ounsworth, as the frontman begins to explain the gap between albums two and three. “It would have been a 18
bit forced if we’d have done it right after the tour for the second record, it seemed right to wait a bit.” With various side and solo projects fitted in during the time off by various members of the band, including two albums penned by Ounsworth himself under his own name as well as the moniker Flashy Python, it seems the break has helped to bring a fresh energy back to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. “I’d like to think it did and I know everybody’s a little bit more thoughtful about how to approach this project,” he continues. “For better or worse it made everybody a little bit more considerate about how to work in this realm. It was definitely a bit more of the entire band fleshing things out than in the past, that’s not to say we weren’t doing that before, but it was definitely more of an effort to keep it cohesive.” A lack of cohesion was one of the criticisms that was thrown at second album Some Loud Thunder on its release in 2007. Alec admits he was very aware of the mixed response to the record and says they have done some things differently this time round – but he knows full well that criticism goes with the territory. “You can’t do anything about it, I liked it [Some Loud Thunder], there’s people who like everything you make and there’s always going to be people who like it and people that don’t - and there’s probably more people that don’t like that record than do,” he laughs.
“On the second album if you listen to it there aren’t too many tracks that are lined up for a live setting. Of course you can work to rearrange them but at a certain point it was a matter of moving on from that material but for this one [Hysterical] it was a case of, ‘how can we take these on stage?’. It had to sound right when we were all in a practice space together whereas the other album was just tearing down songs in the studio itself and not necessarily even having played them together. Maybe the next one will be a bit different again.” The third album saw Clap Your Hands Say Yeah teaming up with producer John Congleton (Explosions in the Sky, Clinic) who added his own sonic touches to the record, with Ounsworth saying they were keen not to “make the same record over and over again.” And the latest one is destined to flourish when played live. “When it comes to a live show all the songs work I think. I do very much like to be in the studio but when we started touring this record I was itching to get on the road – at the end of this tour I’ll probably answer that question differently. “I’m looking forward to coming to the UK though, I don’t think we’ve played all of those venues before but I looked them up and they all look to be exciting spaces to play.” Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are live at the O2 Academy 2, Birmingham, on February 6. For details on how to win a pair of tickets, see www.brumnotes.com. Brum Notes Magazine
WHIPPING UP A
FRENZY After unleashing their dancefloor-baiting blend of electro-pop in the shape of acclaimed debut album X Marks Destination back in 2008, Manchester outfit THE WHIP took more than three years to follow it up with sophomore effort Wired Together. After a hectic few years of touring, remixing and recording, they take to the road again this month more determined than ever to keep the party going. CHRIS MORIARTY caught up with drummer Fiona Daniel ahead of their appearance in Birmingham.
“We’re just chomping at the bit for this tour,” admits Fiona Daniel, The Whip’s firecracker bundle-of-energy drummer, whose engaging demeanor and passion for a tune is the perfect reflection of the band’s infectious music.
something new from the bands you listen to and I think about a year is about the right amount of time before you start wondering what has happened. If people are anything like me that’s what they’ll want, it’s just keeping that momentum up.”
She is the first to admit The Whip may have risked falling off the radar for some fans after a three year gap between albums, a wait she says was simply down to not finding the time, enforced by their somewhat demanding touring schedule. But she insists things are set to change from now on, with a renewed vigour for making new music which could see the third album following later on this year, hot on the heels of album number two.
The initial emergence of The Whip initially saw them lauded as the latest arrivals on the ‘nu rave’ scene, the contrived and now largely redundant term coined as a catchall description for the indie/dance crossover antics of the likes of Klaxons and New Young Pony Club. Fiona admits the label was something of a double-edged sword, but having undergone personnel changes and seeing the musical landscape shift considerably since their inception, The Whip are seemingly determined to avoid being pigeon-holed and show that their music can stand the test of time on its own merits.
“One of the problems that we had was when we released the first album we did something like 157 gigs in one year so it worked out at more than a gig every two days, it was some ridiculous statistic like that anyway, I can’t remember it exactly. But we didn’t have any time to sit and write together, we were doing what we could on the road but it took as long as it’s taken to get this second album out so we don’t want to make that mistake again. “We’re already thinking about the third album and we’ll hopefully get that out some time this year, hopefully September this year. We want to keep belting them out really. As a person who loves music, you want February 2012
“We are already a bit apprehensive of being caught up in a scene and I know that’s what happened with the whole ‘nu rave’ thing when the first one came out,” Fiona explains. “That’s not necessarily a bad thing but we know these things are so fleeting, we want to be able to stand alone and we just make our music and it is what it is. “We’ve gone from a four to a three piece and the dynamic of the band has changed and the music has changed. It’s constantly changing, it’s a constantly changing beast, basically. But now we want to go back to our
roots – that sounds really cheesy – but we want to go into a room, lose the computers and just do it really raw and just see what comes out.” Despite their studio-based ambitions, it seems the stage is where the heart is for The Whip and their primary concern this month will be once again touring the length and breadth of the country, determined to get people dancing wherever they go. “We love doing it live. Live is just our passion, we always want to be out there playing to people. The studio is really good and exciting but it can get quite tense and emotional and it can get quite fraught but in the same breath you can have a majorly productive day and be buzzing – but when we play live it is always a buzz. “We want people to be dancing and raving in a club but because of the sort of audience we get we get an audience of all ages really, so we’ll have older people at the back then the kids at the front absolutely having it. I’m always one to say you’ve got to come and see us live because that’s when it’s at its beefiest.” The Whip are live at The Rainbow, Birmingham, on February 26, with support from The Good Natured. A free five-track EP, The Whip Live at Leeds will be given away with every ticket bought. 19
Grand Designs
They named themselves after a legendary producer, are unafraid to namecheck the likes of The Killers, The Strokes and Kanye West as influences, write unashamedly anthemic music which is sure to put them on the fast track to success and have a tongue-in-cheek awareness of their own lofty aspirations. Amy Sumner finds out more from London’s latest indie-pop darlings SPECTOR, as they begin their assault on the musical landscape. 20
Brum Notes Magazine
The start of the year is a time of lists. Lists for ourselves about what we will and won’t be doing, lists for our birthdays detailing what we didn’t get for Christmas, and lists musically-inclined media outlets compile to tell us what’ll be on our iPods if we know what’s good for us. The standard of these latter lists varies according to the year; 2004’s was exciting; 2009’s somewhat less so. And 2012’s is a mixed bag. Refreshingly, there is this year an influx of bands and artists who are not just doing that age-old guitar thing — there are some promising rappers (including Azealia Banks and ASAP Rocky) some notable dance acts (such as Discopolis) and some things a little more soulful (like Odd Future’s Mr Frank Ocean). Of the guitar bands steadfastly and resolutely managing to grip on to a place though, there are a couple of main offenders. And one of these is Spector. Nominated for, but missing out on topping, the BBC’s Sound of 2012 poll, the East London quintet’s inclusion is down to the mass appeal they’ll inspire thanks to the success of their similar sounding predecessors. Teaming some epic sounding songs reminiscent of The Killers with some pretty sharp suits akin to those The Ordinary Boys may have donned given a few years, Spector are crying out to those who find comfort in that ever-paradoxical popular branch of indie. “We were originally called Spectre,” begins lead singer Fred Macpherson, “which is the acronymic name of the terrorist organisation in the James Bond films. But that name was already taken by some American hip hop producer who has lots of stuff on iTunes. So someone suggested that we change our name to Spector, like Phil Spector or Harvey Spector in that USA TV soap Suits [the latter a connotation which probably does not hold particular resonance as that surname is actually spelled ‘Specter’]. “Initially we did consider that it may be too audacious,” Fred continues. “Because Phil Spector was a big name. But at the same time I thought that it was funny — it’s kind of arrogant, like calling your band Lennon or something. It’s over the top, but I like that.” ‘Over the top’ is a telling surmise. Because Macpherson has been in bands before — there are those of you who will remember both Les Incompétents and Ox.Eagle.Lion. February 2012
Man as being and remaining quite credibly underground. However with that status often comes…not very much, and both bands died a death before really realising their potential. And this band feels like an antithesis — like Macpherson’s response to that lack of critical acclaim and that lack of success. “The songs are better with this band though,” the singer contests. “I don’t know if the playing is better, but the songs are definitely better, and it’s more real, more honest. In the bands before, there was always an attitude about what we were trying to achieve, whereas with this band there’s no aim or manifesto. I wanted to write emotionally-charged songs which weren’t informed by having to sound like or be influenced by anything else, and so now it’s more of a natural process and one that’s less thought out.” Perhaps what he’s getting at is that the songs are simpler — there’s a yearning (an obvious hunger for chart success) and these songs are all clearly fuelled by that. Because if anything, the songs feel more thought out than anything he created previously. And that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. “I think my individual influences have changed over time though,” Macpherson explains. “Though the stuff that influences us isn’t necessarily what we sound like. I think we sound like a lot of stuff that we don’t listen to any more but that has permeated into our minds over time. For example, all the bands that I loved so much when I was growing up — The Strokes and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol, early Kings of Leon, The White Stripes — I listened to them so much then, and I don’t listen to them now at all. But it’s kind of there already because I don’t think you can get away from the first music you love. Now I listen to a lot more hip hop though, I like Drake and Kanye West, but I think they’re influences which don’t really come across in the music we produce. “And we’ve been working with Tom Vek on our album,” he continues. “I grew up listening to him and to have someone like that working with us…that’s something really amazing.” But it isn’t just Vek’s eye they’ve caught — they’ve also been invited out on tour with Florence Welch (of Machine fame). “That’s a real honour,” affirms Macpherson, “and I hope we get to spend time with more
singers and bands along the way. It’s great to see that everyone comes from things at a different angle and has a different way of doing things that can inspire each other and excite their contemporaries. It’s really fun to be part of that.” Spector make their major label debut this month with the release of new single Chevy Thunder on Universal label Fiction. “It’s about those feelings you get when you meet someone,” explains the singer, “and everything outside of meeting that person just feels redundant and pointless, and it’s about just wanting to leave everything you once valued behind to be with this person. It’s a song of escape and yearnings, and I guess it’s a love song. But it’s a schizophrenic love song where love turns to hate and anger.” It’s an anthem-in-waiting which is sure to be a favourite as they head off on a headline tour throughout February, and the perfect introduction to their overblownyet-accessible indie pomp. “I’m not saying that we have the most original sound in the world,” Macpherson admits, somewhat disappointingly — after all, if you don’t believe it yourself, then who will? But that doesn’t seem to trouble him. “Well, it’ll either work out or it won’t,” he replies simply. “When we first started, I never expected the success which we’ve already enjoyed because we were just doing it for fun. And now, we’re still doing it for fun and all I can hope is that this time next year we’re still here and we’re still doing what we’re doing, because that is a pleasure enough in itself.” It is certainly a nice way to look at things. Because groundbreaking this band may not be — the references and influences are too obvious and the almost inevitably nonprescription glasses have been carefully selected and donned, but by employing the age old ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ model, they have shoehorned themselves quite a cushy little space in the limelight of 2012. Fans of The Killers, The Vaccines and other crowd-pleasers take note, because Spector are your new best friends. Spector are live at The Rainbow, Birmingham, with support from David’s Lyre and Silver Souvenirs, on February 23, and Kasbah, Coventry, on February 11. New single Chevy Thunder is released on February 27 on Fiction. 21
After quietly coming to the fore with their enchanting combination of jangling melodies, heartfelt tales and delicious harmonies, DOG IS DEAD make their way from the East to the West Midlands this month for their first headline show in Birmingham as part of their biggest and most anticipated tour to date. Tom Pell caught up with frontman Rob Milton ahead of the tour.
It’s May 21, 2011, and Brum Notes has just seen lad rockers Viva Brother shown up by their support band, art-popsters Dog is Dead. Swagger, pomposity and bravado have been superseded by melody, dynamism, and the best five part harmonies you’ve heard since before Brian McFadden sacked off Westlife to be the next George Michael. Cut to February 2012 and Dog Is Dead are most definitely having their day. School friends from Nottingham, they have built up a following throughout the last two years through word of mouth, self-releases and support shows with the likes of Bombay Bicycle Club and the aforementioned Slough troupe. Their upbeat, diverse indie-pop has filled the niche between Mumford & Sons and Metronomy, with four track EP Your Childhood stacking up as their only ‘properly’ released work. After this, they were snapped up by Atlantic Records. The same Atlantic Records that represents Phil Collins, Kid Rock and Toni Braxton. But, also the same Atlantic Records that represents Plan B, Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars. No messing about, serious business is afoot. 22
That serious business continues this month with Dog Is Dead touring the length and breadth of the country, a chance to show off more than the tasters we’ve been treated to so far. “We’ve got loads of songs just floating about from being together for so long, it’s only now getting to the point of condensing them into one body of work,” explains Rob Milton, frontman and original Rob (more on that later). “But we just thought, ‘Why not? Let’s do it.’ We’ve done the support thing, we’ve paid our dues in pubs and bars to a few people, but now it’s nice to think we can just rock up somewhere and there might be a decent crowd there to see us.” Decent crowds there will be, as radio play is increasing. Huw Stephens recently played new David Kosten-produced (Bat For Lashes, Everything Everything) single Two Devils on Radio 1 weeks ahead of its March 5 release to get the ol’ taste buds a tinglin’. “It’s crazy really. That’s the great thing about radio that makes it so vital, because when people hear it they do really pay attention to it.” This is attention to a song Milton has previously described as “a tale of guilt and
insanity,” which suggests polar opposites to the Your Childhood work, which is more about, well, your childhood. Growing up and all that. “Did I say that?” he laughts. “Well… It’s not too far away from what we’ve been doing, it’s a darker side, but it's a nice avenue to explore. It’s semi autobiographical, it’s my imagination running wild. It’s me mulling over memories and different build-ups of guilt that I’ve had over the years, so I’ve just used that, and let my imagination go crazy. It’s a bit more psychedelic, a bit more twisted, but at the same time it’s reasonably upbeat. We only wrote it a couple of months ago, so hopefully people are going to be excited by it.” The signature sound can be summed up by ‘lots of instruments, lots of harmonies, lots of euphoria’. It sounds like summer. Like joy. “I guess when we were first writing together, guitars were a bit boring to me at the time, and none of us were really that good at playing them to be honest. So we thought we’d use our voices to see what we could make out of that. As simple as ‘you sing this note, I’ll sing that note.’ It was awful at first. It takes a while, but after Brum Notes Magazine
a bit, we were all doing it, all five of us, and making some kind of noise.”
you already have a reputation as being that band, so it’s too late to change it!”
For further information, please look no further than the rousing chorus of Young or the euphoric proclamations (“We are a mess, we are failures, and we love it!”) of Glockenspiel Song.
The bizarre name business doesn’t end there, as original Rob was once competing with Rob number two, Rob White, who now goes by the name Paul Roberts. “It’s more natural than it sounds,” insists Milton, trying his best to disparage cult-type rumours, to little or no avail. “Looking at it now, it looks like we just make everyone have a different name! [Laughs] It was just we didn’t want the confusion of having two Robs in the band. So Rob couldn’t be Rob. So obviously, you’d call him Paul. So he’s Paul. And Trev just came back from Chile once and he looked like some guy off an advert, so everyone at school called him Trev. That’s kind of the deal. I like having pseudonyms in the band. I bet it’s really cool to be in Guns N Roses and having a mate called Slash. 'This is my friend. His name is Slash.' That’s pretty cool.”
“There are a lot of us, and it always feels like there are a lot of us. But I like that, I like having this big band behind me. I’ll write the song, but then everyone will add ideas to what I’ve already written, so it balances really nicely. It’s really easy working with your friends too, that helps.” From friendship and playground idiocy the name Dog Is Dead was born, as unusual a moniker as you could fathom. Doesn’t make any more sense the more you hear it. “We were about 15 when we met and started jamming together, and we needed a name for a school talent show. At the time, there was some private joke going around that to this day I can’t remember what it meant. Something about ‘Dog Is Dead’. So someone suggested we go for that as we had nothing else, and very quickly it changes to you having played a few shows, and by then February 2012
Hanging out with Slash may still be a long way away, but February and March will bring over 30 dates of relentless rock n roll touring across the country. The boys are new to this game, and are planning to dive in head first. “We’re just being classically naive and
thinking, ‘Yeah, it’ll be fine’. I think we’ve got three days off in about 35, but it’s going to be fun. It’ll be this ridiculous adventure; it’s something that not everyone gets to do. We’re very lucky. I know you’ve got all the usual hygiene things to think of, and all that driving around can’t be fun either. But apart from that, it’s such a cool thing to do. Why not be on tour?” So you can record an album, is one reason. It’s not all fun and games you know, some folks would like some hard copy. The end of summer 2012 is the projected release date for the as of yet untitled full debut, which is, “…all written now, with just a tiny bit of recording to finish. And then it’s just a case of sorting it out, and finalising it into something we’re really proud of.” Something like getting signed by a major label after only recording an EP, before shooting off on a headline tour? You’re doing alright. Pipe down, Florence, the Dog (Is Dead) days are far from over. Dog Is Dead are live at the O2 Academy 3, Birmingham, on February 20. New single Two Devils is out on March 5 on Atlantic. 23
LIVE CASIOKIDS Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath January 19 Tonight sees Casiokids return to the Hare & Hounds to perform for This Is Tomorrow for the fourth time in as many years plus two. You’re probably not gonna need a calculator for that though. With support from the fantastic New Carnival, and Silver Souvenirs who appear to be the support band of the moment, by the time the Norwegian synthsters take to the stage, the crowd is ready to dance. And boy do they dance. Like Sigur Ros on speed and playing on a Nintendo, Casiokids effortlessly justify their recurrent returns to the promoters and easily induce the biggest party to hit the Hare since New Year’s.
THE CARPELS AND FRIENDS Mac, Birmingham January 21 Tonight sees a fine array of local young talent take to the stage as part of the The Carpels and Friends showcase. In front of an impressive crowd of more than 200, Heist (a band not yet even out of school, let alone their teenage years) warm the room just as well as their elder successors. “This is a song about the impending tragedy of your adulthood,” warns Is I Cinema’s main man Dom Fletcher, and the floor full of youngsters is captivated. Also making a welcome return to the stage is Savant, whose melodic and at times Radiohead-tinted instrumentals keep their audience’s attention well until the eagerly awaited Carpels swagger on stage. And deservedly so. Fresh from a fantastically well received performance in Hoxton, the 24
A few weeks ago in the same venue, in the same room, the crowd standing watching a particularly below-average acoustic performance could have been forgiven for showing a preference for being in the adjoining space from which Sonic sounds were drifting. But tonight, the same sounds, and it is crystal clear where the party is. The Birmingham date marks the first in a series of UK performances for the band, and if tonight is the benchmark then they’ve got one hell of a road trip ahead of them, because they don’t come much more impressive than this. Words by Amy Sumner young lads play their best set yet. Old favourites are tighter, new songs slot in well and the whole thing just feels more natural. This is a 14+ gig – most of the audience aren’t even old enough to go to the bar, and so it’s testament to the quality of the headline set tonight that a large proportion of the room is still completely bouncing. Recently championed by the iconic Libertines’ photographer Roger Sergeant as one of the bands to keep an eye on in the coming months, these lads are finally beginning to capture the media attention that they deserve. If you haven’t already, you need to make time for this band, because The Carpels are onto something and this set is the proof. Words by Amy Sumner
DAEDALUS’ RIGHT EYE The Bright House, Birmingham January 3 Touring with their self-titled debut EP, Daedalus’ Right Eye bring their addictive pop rock melodies to England’s second city. The fresh-faced four piece lay out Britain’s answer to Fallout Boy, as they craft emotive and highly relatable lyrics to fast-paced, attention-demanding guitar riffs. Their performance of The Light in Your Window, a short and sweet taster of the Daedalus sound, provides an organically subtle approach, with earthy, atmospheric, almost lullaby-like guitars. Resonating with warmth, the vocals of Chris Yeoh add further depth to the almost shoegazing vibe. Our Favourite Sun fuses an early 90s poppunk influence from the likes of Green Day and Coheed And Cambria, especially regarding the vocal harmonies, which, triumphant in style, brought sky-reaching exuberance. Expressing the post-pop-punk British version of a once American genre, Bath-based Daedalus’ Right Eye successfully bring their own style to the overseas scene. As well as playing homage to their own roots, the four piece youngsters bask in creativity, passion and soul, and would make an excellent soundtrack to any love story, with their acoustic wonders surrounding tales from the romantic western town that is Valentine Place. Words by Ross Cotton
Brum Notes Magazine
VARIOUS CRUELTIES The Rainbow, Birmingham January 19 You’d be forgiven for thinking that you’d walked into a school disco tonight. The two support bands are a long way off completing their teens and the audience is filled with classmates and assorted family members. And that doesn’t make them bad. But the generic brand of interchangeable Americanised kid pop rock which fills that one long hour does. So when Various Cruelties take to the stage – a band that has been hotly tipped for great things in 2012 by more than one respectable publication – an audible sigh of relief is breathed by everyone impartial. However, they aren’t much better. Clearly just the next band to pop off the conveyor belt, though the crowd responds well, it’s difficult to see why when they’re playing us what we’ve been listening to for the 10 years preceding their arrival. Lead singer Liam O’Donnell has modelled himself on Alex Turner so obviously that he may as well have brought a cardboard cutout as he murmurs into the microphone with the accent bang on but delivered with less than half the charm.
February 2012
Overall though, this band aren’t inept at what they’re doing, they’re just completely unnecessary – another classic case of trying too hard to be the Arctic Monkeys, and failing even to be The Last Shadow Puppets. Words by Amy Sumner
THE MAJOR TOMS Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath December 27 Steeped in Birmingham’s pop from the 80s up to the 00s, the eight-piece supergroup are a celebration of the second city’s thriving past and present music scenes. The defining collective – including members/ ex-members from the likes of 80s indie band The Nervous Kind (Owen Comaskey), 90s retro-futurists Broadcast (Tim Felton) and 90s electro/house duo Bentley Rhythm Ace (Richard March) – held a stage presence that averted expressions of each member’s individual successes and instead focused on a homely, traditional enjoyment of music. But it was UB40’s Brian Travers who unintentionally evoked the most history, breathing a warmth that reflected 1979, the year of his first ever performance at the very
same venue. Yet The Major Toms sound is obviously not just about Birmingham’s history. Their covers of Bowie and Roxy Music were brought to life by tongue-in-cheek lead vocalist Owen Comaskey, who’s overly stereotypical Black Country accent represented a distinct rebellion against the usual tribute act. Yes, Owen isn’t trying to be Brian Ferry or Bowie, he’s just adding his own spin to some sheer crowd-pleasing classics. Roxy’s Do the Strand becomes a definite highlight, bouncing between the band and the sardine-packed Hare, as fans of UB40, Broadcast, Pop Will Eat itself, and of course Bowie and Ferry, rejoiced in the retro-reminiscent experience. Words by Ross Cotton
FORESTS THE FLAPPER
SATURDAY 18 FEBRUARY www.pwspromotions.co.uk
25
THE MODERN GENTLEMAN
MFW A/W2012
STYLE
LAST MONTH saw Milan overrun by fashion aficionados of the world for Milan Fashion Week. Vivienne Westwood’s contribution in particular stood out with a show inspired by David Attenborough’s Frozen Planet. Icy models adorned in tailored garments mixed her unique signature style with a conservative look. Although these pieces were a part of her Autumn/ Winter 2012 Collection you can get this look a season early with the items below:
H&M £6.99
URBAN OUTFITTERS £125
LEVI’S £22.5O
TOPMAN £32
URBAN OUTFITTERS £90
RIVER ISLAND £20
H&M £29.99
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TOPMAN £30
TOPMAN £80
TOPMAN £12
URBAN OUTFITTERS £28
Brum Notes Magazine
FOOD + DRINK
COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH: VERMOUTH COCKTAILS Vermouth has been a staple ingredient in some of the world’s finest cocktails since its creation in 1786. Vermouth recipes are protected purely by the fact that their ingredients, proportions and processes are so intricate, they are almost impossible to recreate. Due to its complex character it takes a skilled bartender to comprehend and portray these flavours effectively, particularly as our palates have become drier over generations. A very talented young wine seller, Antonio Benedetto Carpano, created vermouth. His aweinspiring innovation of more than 30 botanicals macerated into sweet, floral Moscato wine became Antica Formula Carpano, an outstanding aperitif and essential cocktail ingredient. Antica Formula vermouth is round and full, beyond any red wine - try drinking it over ice or with a drop of soda. The initial nose of cardamom, leather and prune comfort you to the soft nuances of smoked truffles and chocolate. Instead of the typical ‘Martini and lemonade’ try your vermouth long with a fruit juice mixer; cranberry or orange works well. Try to accentuate your favourite spirit by adding a measure of Antica Formula in quantities completely at your own discretion. Below are two cocktail recipes which make the most of the complex flavours of vermouth. The first is a classic cocktail from which the second cocktail, my own recipe, was created. Many of the cocktails that you have grown to love have been discovered by the substitution or omission of ingredients, or in this case the addition of my own homemade ingredient. By Martin Collins, assistant general manager at The Jekyll & Hyde, Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham city centre, 0121 236 0345, www.bodegabirmingham.co.uk
Recipe: MANHATTAN Ingredients: 30ml Bourbon whiskey 30ml Italian vermouth 2 dashes oranges bitters Directions: Stir all ingredients in ice filled glass, strain into chilled cocktail glass.
Recipe: RYE SMILE Ingredients: 40ml Sazerac 20ml Carpano Antica 10ml Cherry tobacco syrup 2 dashes Bokers Bitters Directions: Stir all ingredients in ice filled glass, strain into chilled cocktail glass. February 2012
27
WHAT’S ON
KEY TO LISTINGS: M = LIVE MUSIC CN = CLUB NIGHT C = COMEDY
BIRMINGHAM: O2 Academy, Horsefair, Bristol St B1, 0844 4772000; HMV 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; Bulls Head, St Marys Row, Moseley B13, 0121 2567777; Island Bar, Suffolk St B1, 0121 6325296; The Jam House, St Pauls Sq B3, 0121 2003030; 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; Vudu, Corporation St B5, 0121 643 0859 ; The Crown, Station St B5, 0121 643 4265; Scruffy Murphys, The Priory Queensway B4, 0121 2362035; The Wagon & Horses, Adderley St, Digbeth B9, 0121 7721403; Highlight, Broad St B1, 08700 111 960; Birmingham Ballroom, Dale End B4, 0121 320 2820; 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: Kasbah, Primrose Hill St, CV1, 024 76554473; Warwick Arts Centre, University of Warwick, CV4, 024 7652 4524 M M CN C M M M M M
Wednesday, Feb 1 Dutch Cousin Speak Up With Mikill Pane & Guests Moschino Hoes Versace Hotties Richard Herring
M M M
Island Bar
Birmingham
Kings Heath
Island Bar
Birmingham
The Victoria
Birmingham
CN
Jekyll & Hyde
Birmingham
The Rose Villa Tavern The Victoria
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Hare & Hounds
Takin Care of Business Remedy feat TicTacToe Discographic feat DJ4D Beats by Numbers
CN
Island Bar
Birmingham
Surface Festival
The Flapper
Birmingham
CN CN A Love From Outer
Biohazard
Birmingham
CN
Joanna Briggs
The Library @ HMV Institute Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Traditional Song Session Canterbury
Kitchen Garden Cafe The Slade Rooms
Kings Heath
C
Robin 2
Bilston
The Victoria
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
M M M M
Circus Town
O2 Academy
Birmingham
M M
The Arcadian Kicks
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
The Musgraves
The Actress & Bishop The Ballroom
Birmingham
M
Ace Bushy Striptease all dayer Suggs
The Library @ HMV Institute The Wagon & Horses
Birmingham
Misfits
M
Mr Shankly
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Kings Heath
Birmingham
M M
Edguy
All details correct at time of going to press. Check with venues before setting out. While every effort will be made to ensure the accuracy of listings, Brum Notes Magazine will not be held liable for any errors or losses incurred from errors which may materialise.
The Station
Birmingham
The Glee Club
Somewhere Friday, Feb 3 Kaiser Chiefs
info@brumnotes. com
Michael Chapman M CN This is… CN Tiki Friday with
The Adam & Eve
Thursday, Feb 2 Acoustic Lounge
M Argent M CN Manhattan Loft They All Started C
Want your gig or club night listed in our monthly guide? Send details to:
Wolverhampton
Birmingham
Birmingham
M M M
Space Sugarfoot Stomp Valentines Special Sarah Millican
Birmingham
Civic Hall
Wolverhampton
Saturday, Feb 4 Hot Lips
Eddies
Birmingham
Snow Patrol
LG Arena
Birmingham
Open to Fire
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
Mauna Loa
The Actress & Bishop The Flapper
Birmingham
The Library @ HMV Institute The Victoria
Birmingham
Town Hall
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
The Slade Rooms
Wolverhampton
Laura Veirs
Ariya Astrobeat Arkestra Puressence
Birmingham
Birmingham
Brum Notes Magazine
CN Nutcracka’s Birth-
HMV Institute
Birmingham
CN CN Machine - The Pre-
Island Bar
Birmingham
The Ballroom
Birmingham
CN
The Rainbow
Birmingham
The Rose Villa Tavern The Asylum
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Civic Hall
Wolverhampton
day Bash On the Rocks
CN
Launch Night FACE feat Maya Jane Coles Juqebox feat Funk Fusion UPRAWR
CN CN Sumo Free Party Sarah Millican C M M M M M M
Sunday, Feb 5 Free Love Club
Birmingham
Island Bar
Birmingham
All-day Acoustic Gig feat Mezzotonic Surface Festival
The Adam & Eve
Birmingham
The Flapper
Birmingham
Howler
The Temple @ HMV Institute Kitchen Garden Cafe
Birmingham
Levi French Trio Monday, Feb 6 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah RAMS’ Pocket Radio Laughing in the Face Of Kina Grannis
Kings Heath
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Birmingham
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
The Actress & Bishop The Glee Club
Birmingham
The Library @ HMV Institute
Birmingham
Tuesday, Feb 7 James Morrison
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O2 Academy
Birmingham
Acoustic Sessions
Stirlings Bar
Birmingham
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The Temple @ HMV Institute Hare & Hounds
Birmingham
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Kings Heath
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Bilston
The Slade Rooms
Wolverhampton
O2 Academy 2
Birmingham
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The Ballroom
Birmingham
:,7+ 6833257 /,)) !7$3/(721
Kings Heath
C
One Laughing Cows
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
C
Robin Ince
Kitchen Garden Cafe The Slade Rooms
Wolverhampton
Thursday, Feb 9 Acoustic Lounge
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Island Bar
Birmingham
The Temple @ HMV Institute Cherry Reds
Birmingham
!
M M M M M M M M M C M
M M M M M M M CN M
Alesana
The Dangerous Presidents Grandpa Banana Patrick Monahan Wednesday, Feb 8 The Devil Wears Prada Sonic Boom Six
Awolnation Very Cherry Acoustic Open Mic Jordan Reyne
Birmingham
Kings Heath
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Vieux Farka Toure
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
The Treatment
The Slade Rooms
Wolverhampton
Colin Blunstone
Robin 2
Bilston
Manhattan Loft
The Victoria
Birmingham
Friday, Feb 10 Mastodon
HMV Institute
Birmingham
February 2012
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29
M M M
Olly Murs
LG Arena
Birmingham
The Great Western
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
Code 46
Birmingham
M M
Neomantix
The Actress & Bishop The Flapper
Birmingham
Lucha Libre
The Sunflower Lounge Bodega
Hype - 1st Birthday
HMV Institute
Birmingham
This is…
Island Bar
Birmingham
Tiki Friday with Neither Nor Remedy
Island Bar
Birmingham
Jekyll & Hyde
Birmingham
The Adam & Eve
Birmingham
The Rose Villa Tavern The Victoria
Birmingham Birmingham
M
The Big Pink
The Wagon & Horses Hare & Hounds
Birmingham
M
We Have Band
Kings Heath
CN Manhattan Loft All New Comedy C
CN CN CN CN
Only Route Out
CN CN Pub Tropicana CN Discographic feat CN CN
Steve Jones Takin Care of Business Entropy
CN Rest In Power CN M M M M M
Jdilla/Baatin The Source Present Ray Keith Saturday, Feb 11 Bleech
Hare & Hounds
Birmingham
Birmingham
Kings Heath
Eddies
Birmingham
O2 Academy
Birmingham
Kid Gloves
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
SWV
The Ballroom
Birmingham
Kupovti
Birmingham
M
PAIN
M CN CN CN CN CN
The Wounded Kings
The End @ The Ballroom The Wagon & Horses Hare & Hounds
On the Rocks
Island Bar
Birmingham
Dr Jekyll’s Potion
Jekyll & Hyde
Birmingham
UPRAWR
The Asylum
Birmingham
FACE meets Zutekh
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Loose Joints feat DJ Kaminski Funk Fusion
The Rose Villa Tavern The Victoria
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
M M
Valentines Ball Sunday, Feb 12 Free Love Club
Robin 2
Bilston
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
M M M M M M M M M
C
Justice
CN CN Hot Club De Swing
Andy Lloyd M CN Very Valentines
M M M
Cabaret Wednesday, Feb 15 Brand New
O2 Academy
Birmingham
Decade
The Flapper
Birmingham
Dave Giles
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Open Mic
The Red Lion
Birmingham
Miles Hunt & Erica Nockalls Thursday, Feb 16 Acoustic Lounge
The Temple @ HMV Institute
Birmingham
Island Bar
Birmingham
New Found Glory
O2 Academy
Birmingham
Gza (Wu Tang Clan)
The Ballroom
Birmingham
SevenDaze
The End @ The Ballroom The Library @ HMV Institute The Temple @ HMV Institute The Victoria
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
With Isy Suttie Richard Herring
Wolverhampton
HMV Institute
Birmingham
Big Country
O2 Academy
Birmingham
Not By Design
The End @ The Ballroom The Flapper
Birmingham
Birmingham
Empire In Exile
Birmingham
M M
Kings Heath
M
Steve Craddock
M CN CN CN
Alestorm
The Sunflower Lounge The Temple @ HMV Institute The Slade Rooms
Tiki Friday
Island Bar
Birmingham
Remedy
Jekyll & Hyde
Birmingham
Discographic feat Hot Wax Live Forever
The Rose Villa Tavern The Victoria
Birmingham
Vudu
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
O2 Academy
Birmingham
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
The Actress & Bishop The Ballroom
Birmingham
Birmingham
FORESTS
The End @ The Ballroom The Flapper
Outfit
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Soul Food Project Mardi Gras Introducing Play Mr Scruff Live Rebel City Radio
The Victoria
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Slade Rooms
Wolverhampton
HMV Institute
Birmingham
Island Bar
Birmingham
Jekyll & Hyde
Birmingham
Birmingham
Broken Witt Rebels
CN CN Deja Vudu CN Futureboogie
Island Bar
Birmingham
M
Birmingham Birmingham
M M
Birmingham
M M
Saturday, Feb 18 Two Door Cinema Club + Metronomy Claustrophobia
Stakeout
M M M
Surface Festival Errors
The Rainbow
Birmingham
The War On Drugs + Cloud Control The Twilight Sad
The Temple @ HMV Institute Hare & Hounds
Birmingham
Kitchen Garden Cafe Robin 2
Kings Heath
M
Emma Skipp and Friends Pain Of Salvation
Bilston
M
M
Monday, Feb 13 Hyro Da Hero
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
M CN Panic! CN On the Rocks CN Dr Jekyll’s Potion
M M 30
Birmingham
The Slade Rooms
M
M M
Birmingham
Friday, Feb 17 Shinedown
The End @ The Ballroom The End @ The Ballroom The Flapper
7 Day Weekend
Birmingham
Kings Heath
Tuesday, Feb 14 Ivyrise
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
Michael Kiwanuka
The Glee Club
Birmingham
M M M
Weatherbird Midlands Goth Festival The Gazelles
Birmingham
Birmingham Wolverhampton
Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham
Brum Notes Magazine
CN UPRAWR CN FACE meets Freq CN Juqebox feat Missy M M M M M M M
Rodriquez Sunday, Feb 19 Free Love Club
Birmingham
Lights
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
Julaba Kunda
Kitchen Garden Cafe Robin 2
Kings Heath
Karnataka Monday, Feb 20 Dog Is Dead
Tuesday, Feb 21 Acoustic Sessions Kingdom Wednesday, Feb 22 Call Atlantis The Mobo Tour Lisa Mills
C
Laffacino Comedy Cabaret Free Comedy Night
C
Steve Hughes
M M M M M M M M CN M M M
Bilston
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
The Library @ HMV Institute The Temple @ HMV Institute The Bristol Pear
Birmingham Birmingham Selly Oak
Stirlings Bar
Birmingham
The Actress & Bishop
Birmingham
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
The Library @ HMV Institute Robin 2
Birmingham
Kitchen Garden Cafe The Patrick Kavanagh The Slade Rooms
Kings Heath
Bilston
Moseley Wolverhampton
Thursday, Feb 23 Labrinth
HMV Institute
Birmingham
Acoustic Lounge
Island Bar
Birmingham
Nicole Scherzinger
O2 Academy
Birmingham
Folk For Free feat Micky Greaney Vexxen
Symphony Hall
Birmingham
The Ballroom
Birmingham
Broken Again
Birmingham
Surface Festival
The End @ The Ballroom The Flapper
Spector
The Rainbow
Birmingham
The Jezabels
Birmingham
Joyce Sims
The Temple @ HMV Institute Hare & Hounds
Kate Rusby
Civic Hall
Wolverhampton
Anti Nowhere League Manhattan Loft
Robin 2
Bilston
The Victoria
Birmingham
Birmingham
Kings Heath
Friday, Feb 24 Jason Derulo
LG Arena
Birmingham
Simple Minds
O2 Academy
Birmingham
Your Best Enemy
The End @ The Ballroom The Library @ HMV Institute The Sunflower Lounge The Wagon & Horses The Slade Rooms
Birmingham
M
Decapitated
M
The Fores
M
The Hip Priests
M
Birmingham
Birmingham
The Scholars
M M M M
The Rose Villa Tavern
O2 Academy
M
M C
Birmingham
Island Bar
M
M M
Birmingham
The Rainbow
Skrillex
Pulled Apart By Horses Kylesa
M M
The Asylum
Aceldama
February 2012
Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham Wolverhampton
CN CN CN CN CN M M M M M M M M CN CN CN CN CN
Lucha Libre
Bodega
Birmingham
Tiki Friday
Island Bar
Birmingham
Remedy
Jekyll & Hyde
Birmingham
Discographic feat Lee Goodman Takin Care of Business Saturday, Feb 25 No Americana
The Rose Villa Tavern The Victoria
Birmingham
Eddies
Birmingham
Rizzle Kicks
HMV Institute
Birmingham
Rammstein
LG Arena
Birmingham
Little Dragon
O2 Academy 2
Birmingham
Naked Remedy
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
Pressure Kids
The Flapper
Birmingham
Napalm Death
Birmingham
Steve Hackett
The Library @ HMV Institute Robin 2
On the Rocks
Island Bar
Birmingham
Dr Jekyllâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Potion
Jekyll & Hyde
Birmingham
UPRAWR
The Asylum
Birmingham
FACE meets Filth
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Juqebox
The Rose Villa Tavern The Victoria
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
CN Club A Go-Go CN Hustle III With Free CN M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M
School & Guests Shelter present Apartment:9732 Sunday, Feb 26 Free Love Club
Birmingham
Bilston
Birmingham
Island Bar
Birmingham
Grouplove
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
The Birthday Suit feat Rod Jones Surface Festival
The Ballroom
Birmingham
The Flapper
Birmingham
The Whip
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Sam Dubois and Alison Grant Patsy Matheson & Becky Mills Pallas
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Kitchen Garden Cafe Robin 2
Kings Heath
HMV Institute
Birmingham
O2 Academy 2
Birmingham Birmingham
Iron Butterfly
The Temple @ HMV Institute Robin 2
Tuesday, Feb 28 Ben Howard
HMV Institute
Birmingham
The Static Jacks
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
The South
Robin 2
Bilston
Wednesday, Feb 29 Sbtrkt
HMV Institute
Birmingham
Above Them
Scruffy Murphys
Birmingham
Beth Jeans Houghton & The Hooves of Destiny This Is The Kit
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath Kings Heath
King Charles
Kitchen Garden Cafe The Slade Rooms
Big Boy Bloater
Robin 2
Bilston
Monday, Feb 27 Theory Of A Deadman Norma Jean Eyes Set To Kill
Bilston
Bilston
Wolverhampton
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