Brum Notes Magazine October 2011

Page 1

October 2011

www.brumnotes.com music and lifestyle for the west midlands

free

Maverick Sabre ALSO INSIDE: Nero Ghostpoet Cloud Control The Arcadian Kicks Young Runaways Dan Whitehouse

PLUS: Your guide to Supersonic Festival // A look ahead to Birmingham Comedy Festival // Inside Birmingham’s hip hop scene // Style Birmingham in pictures // Your comprehensive what’s on guide for October

October 2011

www.brumnotes.com music and lifestyle for the west midlands

free

Maverick Sabre ALSO INSIDE: Nero Ghostpoet Cloud Control The Arcadian Kicks Young Runaways Dan Whitehouse

PLUS: Your guide to Supersonic Festival // A look ahead to Birmingham Comedy Festival // Inside Birmingham’s hip hop scene // Style Birmingham in pictures // Your comprehensive what’s on guide for October October 2011

1

2

Brum Notes Magazine

CONTENTS

Moseley Folk Festival, P28-29 Photo by Wayne Fox 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: Jon Pritchard, Lyle Bignon, Amy Sumner, Ross Cotton, Daron Billings, Nic Toms, David Vincent, Lola Cola Pictures: Wayne Fox, Ian Dunn, Andy Hughes, Jade Sukiya Style editor: Jade Sukiya jade@ brumnotes.com Design: Adam Williams, Andy Aitken, Charlotte Audrey Owen-Meehan Connect Twitter: @BrumNotesMag Facebook: www.facebook.com/ BrumNotesMagazine Online: www.brumnotes.com

Regulars News 4–5 Style 26-27 Live Reviews 28-31 Food & Drink 32 What’s On 36-42 Features Birmingham Comedy Festival 10-12 Comedy: Hal Cruttenden 11 Comedy: Patrick Monahan 12 Supersonic Festival preview 14-15 Music Ghostpoet 6 Dan Whitehouse/Young Runaways 8 iconAclass 15 Cloud Control 16 Exploring Birmingham’s hip hop scene 18-19 In the studio with The Arcadian Kicks 20-21 Nero 22-23 Maverick Sabre 24-25 All content © 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.

October 2011

3

BIRMINGHAM MUSIC FESTIVAL EXPANDS TO 21 EUROPEAN CITIES A music festival aimed at uncovering new talent which first started in Birmingham has expanded to 21 cities across Europe. Surface Festival, originally known as Surface Unsigned, has unveiled its plans for 2012, offering bands the chance to win prizes worth more than £100,000 as well as the opportunity to perform on some of the biggest stages in the UK and abroad. Applications are now open for bands and solo artists looking to perform, with hopefuls urged to submit their applications by December 31. October 1 will see the culmination of Surface 2011, with 22 of the best acts picked out to play the International Showcase on the main stage at London’s O2 Arena. Among those performing are Midlands entrants Dreamers Nightmares, The Pargeters, Obey, The Sharp Darts and Already Gone, alongside a special performance from Birmingham’s Strangle Kojak. Visit www.surfacefestival.com.

PLAQUE TO BE UNVEILED TO MARK FIRST EVER UB40 GIG at harE & hounds

IN BRIEF

Brummie reggae legends UB40 will be honoured for their place in musical history with a special plaque commemorating their first ever gig at a pub in Kings Heath.

Budding filmmakers and artists are being invited to submit their entries for an iconic film festival returning to the city next year. The renowned Flatpack Festival will stage its sixth instalment from March 13 to 18 and organisers are already on the lookout for short film submissions to be screened during the eclectic event. Entries should be 20 minutes or less and the deadline is December 14. www.flatpackfestival.org.

The PRS for Music Heritage Award will be unveiled on October 4 at the Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath High Street, where the band first performed with their original line-up on February 9, 1979. The heritage awards were set up in 2009 to recognise the ‘performance birthplaces’ of famous bands and artists, with UB40 becoming the eighth band to be honoured with a permanent plaque. Members of the band will be in attendance for the official unveiling on October 4 at 11.30am. UB40 have sold more than 70 million records around the world in a career spanning more than three decades and have carried on performing, despite the departure of original lead vocalist Ali Campbell in 2008. They performed to a sell-out crowd at the Hare & Hounds again last October as a special warm-up gig ahead of their 30th anniversary Signing Off tour last year. Guitarist and founder member Robin Campbell said: “I’m humbled that the birthplace of UB40 has been chosen to be marked in this way. It’s a pleasure to return to the place where we first performed back in 1979.” Venue owner Adam Regan added: “We are delighted that such an important moment of UB40’s history will be recorded at the Hare & Hounds, a venue that is now a base for some of the area’s best up and coming artists.”

A £10m hotel development in landmark city centre building The Cube will launch by the end of the year, developers have said. Hotel Indigo will offer a 52-room ‘luxury boutique’ hotel set across six floors. The 25th floor will be taken over by a Marco Pierre White restaurant offering 360 degree views across the city. A festival celebrating the best in animation returns to Wolverhampton this month. FLIP takes place at the Light House Media Centre from October 27 to 29 and includes feature films, shorts and workshops. Guests can also quiz Wallace & Gromit creator Jim Parkyn at an Aardman workshop. www.flipfestival.co.uk.

the glee club to take on 20th century fox in naming row A comedy and music club in Birmingham is to launch a legal battle against bosses of smash American TV show Glee over the rights to the name. The owner of The Glee Club, which launched in Birmingham in 1994 before opening three more venues around the country, claims business has been badly damaged by confusion over the name since the explosion in popularity of the stateside television series owned by Rupert Murdoch’s media giants 20th Century Fox. Mark Tughan, owner of Comic Enterprises Ltd which operates The Glee Clubs, said The Glee Club trademark was registered to his company 10 years ago and renewed again in 2009, before Fox started to use the name. 4

He said the arrival of the Glee TV show had “damaged and continues to damage” the operation and reputation of his venues. “I therefore feel I have no choice other than to take action against Fox to protect the trademarked name of my four venues,” he said. “There is significant and mounting evidence that there is confusion in the minds of the public; that we are somehow associated with or connected to the TV show. The entertainment we provide is nothing like the TV show.” He added the confusion had forced him to put on hold plans to open further clubs. Birmingham law firm Cobbets have been instructed to issue proceedings in the Patent County Court in London. 20th Century Fox is yet to comment. Brum Notes Magazine

historic birmingham venues reopens this month An exciting line-up of gigs and club nights has been unveiled at an historic Birmingham music venue which has been brought back to life. The Birmingham Ballroom will once again be welcoming music lovers to the Dale End site formerly known as the Carling Academy, Top Rank and The Hummingbird.

SATURDAY 29TH OCtober

18+

7PM - 3AM AT THE FLAPPER

The venue had been expected to be demolished as part of a wider regeneration scheme which has now been put on ice and has been shut since the Academy Music Group vacated in 2009, later moving to the O2 Academy at the former Dome nightclub off Bristol Road. The Ballroom officially opens its doors in Dale End on October 8 after being given a spruce up inside and out, but the main features of the multi-roomed venue have remained intact. The main gig room, renamed Birmingham Ballroom, will accommodate up to 3,100 revellers; The Other Room is the second largest room with a capacity of 600; while the former Bar Academy reopened late last month as The End and will be in action for pre and post show drinking as well as its own live music and late night antics upstairs, including Late Night Sessions from 11pm to 6am every Friday and Saturday.

BEST DRESSED PRIZES ON THE NIGHT

LIVE IN THE DUNGEON MORGUE ORGY SLAB £5 HUSK OTD

Local promoters The Catapult Club will be presenting a host of emerging talent with regular live gigs at The End, while The Greatest Reggae Show on Earth brings reggae stars Beres Hammond and Tarrus Riley to the stage on October 8 to formally relaunch The Ballroom’s main room. Other upcoming live music highlights include Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard in The Other Room on October 28, Arcane Roots in The End on November 14 and Death Cab for Cutie in The Ballroom on November 18.

WWW.THEFLAPPER.CO.UK

Getting things rolling on the club front, Birmingham Roller Disco finds a new home at The Ballroom giving you the chance to skate along to hip hop, RnB and indie classics every fortnight from October 22, while the Zombie Ball brings some Halloween spirit to the venue on October 29. For more information visit www.birmingham-ballroom.com. Pictured below: Opening night at The End, by Stephen Turner.

NON PROFIT MUSIC REHEARSAL ROOM FLOODGATE STREET MUSIC COMPANY October 2011

£5

REHEARSALS

ALSO FREE TO REFUGEES & ASYLUM

£45 PER WEEK LOCKUP

5

It’s been an eventful year for Obaro Ejimiwe, aka GHOSTPOET, the dub-hop lyrical wonder. After narrowly missing out on claiming the Mercury Music Prize with his debut album, the strangely-titled yet beguiling Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam, he now sets off on his biggest headline UK tour yet. Jon Pritchard caught up with the London-based musician to find out how university life in Coventry shaped his sound.

Ghostpoet has been making waves with his distinctive, lo-fi lyrical take on hip-hop and has seen his star rise since being picked up by Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings label. What is perhaps lesser known about the critically acclaimed Londoner is that it was this fair county of the West Midlands that sparked Obaro into making music in the first place Pitching up at Coventry University aged 18, Obaro had never been away from home for too long before and the typical Midland surroundings influenced not only his decision to start making music, but also the music itself. “University not only helped me develop my personality and who I was as a person but also my music as well,” he explains. “My surroundings influence my music, and I spent 10 years in Coventry so university and Coventry influenced me a lot.” Despite being beaten to the Mercury Music Prize by PJ Harvey, Obaro says that any prizes are bonuses on top of the feeling he gets from making music, insisting that just being nominated was an “amazing” achievement. “It’s opened doors for me to meet people who would otherwise never have listened to my music. It’s also given me the confidence to keep making music. It’s the icing on the cake for an amazing year for me.” Despite the added pressure that acclaim can often bring, Obaro is

6

typically relaxed about the prospect of tackling ‘the difficult second album.’ “I hope there won’t be too much pressure on my second album. I’m trying to keep the same mindset as when I was making music back in my bedroom in Coventry, music that I enjoy.” It seems the bedroom setting where much of his music was made has seeped into his writing in more ways than one. His lyrics, much like his personality, are laid-back and almost lethargic, with his songs crammed full of references to dreams, being asleep or half awake. Even when he is talking, it is not hard to imagine him nodding off at any point. So was the dreamy state a deliberate theme in his songwriting? The answer, it seems, is far more obvious. “I just write a lot of my music late at night, when I’m quite tired and dreamy. There’s nothing more to it than that really.” With growing expectations and a Mercury Prize nomination to live up to, many other artists might crumble under such pressure, but Ghostpoet’s chilled out attitude and easy going nature will surely keep his feet firmly on the ground, even if his head appears up in the clouds. Ghostpoet is live at the O2 Academy 3, Birmingham, October 4.

Brum Notes Magazine

Sat 1st Oct • £11 adv

Sun 16th Oct • £7 adv

Mon 31st Oct • £10 adv

%/,(;<:

,;;@C: 6; <5 "/, "6>5

5, 0./; 53@

6.30pm - 9.45pm

Sat 1st Oct • £5 adv 6pm - 10pm

44( !*6;; 9,:,5;:

<9@ 9*(5, (., "/, ,*26505. 0(465+ 03 Tues 4th Oct • £8 adv

/6:;76,;

Weds 5th Oct • £15 adv

,905( (336;

0::05. 5+@

6pm - 10pm

Tues 15th Nov • £8 adv (:/0,9 6 6>(3:20

65:+(3, 6@: 3<) "/, $(5 66:

Weds 16th Nov • £22.50 adv

!!"

Tues 1st Nov • £10 adv

Mon 17th Oct • £5 adv

Tues 1st Nov • £6 adv *;(5, 2 D!6 30=,E "6<9 6+@ (: 0;30:; 6 0./;: (; 6*2+6>5 05, (@ (5, :*(705. $,5+,;;(

Mon 17th Oct • £10 adv 0,9*, ;/, $,03 6;0653,:: 05 %/0;,

(50-,:; 0=, -; 044@ (=0: ,+ !;(99 "961(5 "9(7 3669: (*2 9(*<3( !@5;/ Weds 19th Oct • £20 adv

"/, 0??

6pm - 10pm

Weds 16th Nov • £6 adv 6pm - 10pm

44( !*6;; 9,:,5;:

"/, 965A, ,+(3 "/, %05;,9 "9(+0;065 (*2702, "/, ,(9: ,;/6+

6+0, (90,

"/, (; 4709,

Thurs 3rd Nov • £20 adv

Fri 18th Nov • £25 adv

Weds 5th Oct • £5 adv

Weds 19th Oct • £13 adv

%0A /(30-(

"/, (925,::

6pm

6pm - 10pm

6?@ !/(A(4

6.45pm - 10pm

"/, 5:>,9

"/, (2<3;@ ,*0),3 "/, !;(;, - "/05.:

Weds 19th Oct • £6 adv

"/, 05. 3<,:

Fri 18th Nov • £10 adv

=@90:,

Fri 4th Nov • £15 adv

"/, 669: 30=,

Thurs 20th Oct • £14.50 adv

"/, 3(*26<; %, 9, "/, *,(5

Fri 18th Nov • £8 adv

(;@

Fri 4th Nov • £7 adv

(4(C: <5:

Fri 21st Oct • £10 adv

"/, ,-03,+

Sat 19th Nov • £35 adv

,94(5 <5, !,(5 3055

Sat 5th Nov • £17.50 adv

(2,+ ,4,+@

Thurs 6th Oct • £15 adv 9662, 9(:,9 (9@ 96;/,9: Fri 7th Oct • £9 adv

6pm - 10pm

4,9., (+(9 "6<9 -; %63- (5. ! # 020 (5+ "/, 6=,

Thurs 3rd Nov • £12.50 adv

6pm - 10pm

6pm - 10pm

7.30pm

6pm - 10pm

6pm - 10pm

6.30pm - 10pm

6pm - 10pm

"/, !4(:/05. <47205:

*,+ (9;/

Sat 19th Nov • £5 adv

6.30pm - 9.45pm

Mon 7th Nov • £18.50 adv

!65 - <4),91(*2

Sun 23rd Oct • £5 adv

"64 69,336 "/, 0./; %(;*/4(5 63(9 ,(9 3<)

Sat 19th Nov • £10 adv

Sat 8th Oct • £5 adv

96/( 4033065403,:-964;/,:<5 ,:;/,;0*: *;6)@ !2@

Mon 7th Nov • £12.50 adv "/, 0-3,: 0-, 5 034

Sun 20th Nov • £32.50 adv

(;(7<3; 3<) 9,:,5;:

Mon 24th Oct • £5 adv

Weds 9th Nov • £6 adv

%033 &6<5.

44( !*6;; 9,:,5;:

Tues 22nd Nov • £10 adv

Fri 7th Oct • £7 adv 6pm - 10pm

44( !*6;; 9,:,5;:

@ 9,(; --30*;065 6336> "/, (33,5 "/0: 3,.(5; /(6: 6 9040;0=, 6.30pm

',96 40.6 0=, /(:, 63:/0, !<7,9-0*0(3: ,69.0( !A@.6>:2( Sat 8th Oct • £15.50 adv

6:/<( (+05

Sun 9th Oct • £14 adv 5pm

47,90*65 ,=,9 !(@ 0,F "6<9

-; !<0*0+, !03,5*, 44<9, ,,A <;: "/, %69+ 30=, *,(56 "/, <4(5 ):;9(*; $(55(( Weds 12th Oct • £7 adv 6pm - 10pm

!<)46;065 9*/,:;9( !/,99(A0

Weds 12th Oct • £25 adv

,90 03:65

Thurs 13th Oct • £15 adv

64)(@ 0*@*3, 3<) Thurs 13th Oct • £7 adv

%/03, !/, !3,,7:

<9@ "646996> ,,+ "/, /056

Sat 22nd Oct • £4 adv

6/55@ ,; "/, <5 44( !*6;; 9,:,5;:

6pm - 10pm

"/, /,=05

,:;,9 8<03( ;(4(9 ,+ ,;/6+

Tues 25th Oct • £16 adv

&(55 "0,9:,5

Thurs 10th Nov • £18 adv

(5;,95: 65 "/, (2, Tues 25th Oct • £10 adv / £15 VIP 6.30pm

0..( 0:/ "6<9

Weds 26th Oct • £8 adv 6pm - 10pm

"90),: !03=,9 !6<=,509: Thurs 27th Oct • £12 adv $63),(; 3(*2 !70+,9: Fri 28th Oct • £16 adv

6pm - 10pm

67 %033 (; ;:,3- Fri 28th Oct • £6 adv 6pm - 9.45pm

,3,(:, !/6>

Sat 29th Oct • £5 adv

6(/ (5+ "/, %/(3,

44( !*6;; 9,:,5;:

6pm

Fri 14th Oct • £6 adv

6:;03, (9;@9 , 65( (+ (++,9 %05;,9:;694

/90: ,34, ?G!,(/69:,:

Sun 30th Oct • £10.50 adv

Sat 15th Oct • £10 adv

/(308

0;;3, 0(4 (<3 ,5,3 (5+ Sun 16th Oct • £18.50 adv

6>305. 69 !6<7

!<)<9)(5 ,.,5+: 9(5.,

6pm - 9.45pm

(=,90*2 !()9,

Rescheduled show • original tickets valid

Sun 30th Oct • £6 adv

"/, <)),9)(5+0;: 6.30pm

(>:65

=,3,9;(2

Tues 22nd Nov • £10 adv

$05;(., "96<)3,

"/, ,=,9,5+ !6<3 !/(2,+6>5 !,; Weds 23rd Nov • £18 adv

"/, 6473,;, !;65, 6:,:

3()(4(

Fri 11th Nov • £10 adv

Thurs 24th Nov • £16 adv

!,? 0:;63: ?7,90,5*, + "<+69 63,

"/, %65+,9-<3 %693+ 6- &6+(

Rescheduled show • original tickets valid

50*2,9 6*2,9 69,@

Sat 12th Nov • £12.50 adv

Thurs 24th Nov • £16 adv

6pm - 9.45pm

6pm - 10pm

(+05( (2, Sat 12th Nov • £18.50 adv

7,;/ 6.30pm

(;(7<3; 3<) 9,:,5;: 09; 05<;,: "/, 6>5-(33: "/, (A,33,: 0;;3, %05. !*(93,; 9,,2 Sun 13th Nov • £12 adv

02, ,;,9:

9pm • over 18s only

9(52 "<95,9 (5+ "/, !3,,705. !6<3: Fri 25th Nov • £13 adv 6pm - 9.45pm

04,/6<:, 0AA@

9,:,5;:B"/, $,9@ ,:; 6- "/05 0AA@ Sat 26th Nov • £16 adv

5 =,505. >0;/ 044< 69.09 Sat 26th Nov • £6 adv 6pm - 10pm

44( !*6;; 9,:,5;:

;/ 550=,9:(9@ *6<:;0* 3(94 "6<9

+064 !0? (@ !6),9 5,46 "/, ,(;/ 6- 6/55@ 37/(

Sun 13th Nov • £21.50 adv

Mon 28th Nov • £16 adv

"/64(: 63)@

(965 65(/ ,>0:

(@ =,9+<, "(205. (@3,@

Mon 14th Nov • £27.50 adv

,(;/ @ 0:*6 "/, (33 (*2 *(+,4@ +,3, ,*2-69+

Tues 15th Nov • £15 adv

Rescheduled show • original tickets valid

09;@ 5,*2: #9)(5 !7090; $(33<4:

6pm - 9.45pm

Sat 12th Nov • £5 adv

6pm - 10pm

"/, 3<,),(; 92,:;9( "/, 9,(; %,:;,95 (5+(: (5+ ,673,

;/ 550=,9:(9@ "6<9

@ (::065

Fri 14th Oct • £15 adv

6.30pm - 10pm

"/, (45,+

Fri 11th Nov • £10 adv

(336>,,5 36> 5 "/, (92 (9;@F -; ",47( " 9,7; 65(5 5.,3 3,6 !63 (9=,33 6@: 6:;: (AA0, 9,+A : 630*@ @5502, !,-(

"/, ,;<95 !05.3,

0:, .(05:;

6pm

,(+@ @,

"/, 0.,65 ,;,*;0=,:

63,

Tues 29th Nov • £10.50 adv

3,*;90* !0?

Thurs 1st Dec • £8.50 adv

",?;<9,: (5+ "/, *,(5 30(:,:

G 69:,-(09 90:;63 !; 09405./(4 Doors 7.00pm unless stated

October 2011

Venue box office opening hours: Mon - Fri 11.30am - 5pm Sat 11.30am - 3.30pm • No booking fee on cash transactions 7 ticketweb.co.uk • seetickets.com • gigantic.com • ticketmaster.co.uk

DAN WHITEHOUSE After 10 years of performing, silk-voiced Wulfrunian Dan Whitehouse finally unveils his debut album this month. In typical style, he won’t be doing anything too ordinary either, offering fans the chance to buy a live performance at their house along with a signed copy of the record. We caught up with him to find out what else is in store.

And for those who’ve not heard you before, how would you describe your style? Simple and direct. Somebody else recently described my sound as a cross between Cat Stevens and The Streets. One of the best things about the internet is that we don’t have to read descriptions of sound anymore, you can just click and listen instantly.

So, an album on its way, how do you feel - relieved, excited or a bit of both? You guessed right, a bit of both. But mainly I feel grateful to producer Michael Clarke for capturing the sounds in my head.

How was the recording process itself, was it a DIY affair, or did you work with other musicians and producers? This record is a collaboration with Michael Clarke, of Rogue States, he produced and mixed the album. I also co-wrote several songs with musicians June Mori (piano) and Steve Clarke (bass). Aside from travelling to London to capture the pedal steel of BJ Cole, the majority of the album was recorded at Michael’s flat in the Jewellery Quarter, with a wide range of welcome visits from musicians. There are lots of great Birminghambased musicians on the record.

What can fans expect from the full length record, any surprises? Would it still be a surprise if I told you? There is spoken word, and some instruments I’ve not worked with before such as accordion, banjo, ukulele and theramin. We also managed to make a percussive loop out of an electric screwdriver - see if you can spot it. Compared with my previous releases this is quite a fragile, stripped-back affair, led by my acoustic guitar and voice.

You’re selling some pretty interesting bundle packages to hand deliver albums

and perform at people’s houses, how did that idea come about? It’s sort of inspired by Dave Gorman’s recent project where he went around playing games at the homes of people he met on Twitter, and also the interesting stuff going on at www.pledge.com. Are you afraid of encountering any Alan Partidge-esque fan stalkers? Not until you mentioned it! No, I am certain that anyone who chooses to buy my album is very interesting and intelligent, both intellectually and emotionally. And I would love to meet them, sing for them - or with them - and have a coffee. Dan Whitehouse is live at The Glee Club, Birmingham, on October 26. His selftitled debut album is released on the same day and can be pre-ordered at www.dan-whitehouse.com.

young runaways FROM the mean streets of Wolverhampton to the glamorous (well, sort of) back alleys of New York City, alt-orchestral Midlanders Young Runaways present their new EP There Is A World Outside this month. Recorded at their Wolves studio, the aptly-named record was then sent across the pond for mastering by Alan Douches of West West Side Music in NYC and is due for release on October 3 through Commercially Inviable Records. Mr Douches has worked with the likes of Beirut, Sufjan Stevens, My Morning Jacket and... er... Fallout Boy. And can now apparently be called a Young Runaways fan. “It was great to have Alan work on the EP,” says singer and guitarist Matt Pinfield. “We wanted him because he has worked on some of my favourite records and I knew he’d bring a great deal to ours. “He uses lots of vintage analogue gear, tape machines etc and that approach adds a certain colour to the sound that you just can’t get any other way. 8

“The EP on the whole, though I didn’t realise it when I was writing it, is about looking out from yourself and realising what’s important in life.” Singer and trumpet player Harriet J Woodcock adds: “I get the impression it’s just about life as Matt sees it, about changes happening, about trying to do something you love and how difficult that can be. “Even though the songs were essentially written by Matt it feels like there’s a bit of everyone in them, everyone writes their own

bits and puts a little bit of themselves into the music.” The band, described variously as alt-pop, indie-folk and, to their amusement, ‘postfolkcore,’ began work on the EP at the start of the year and are confident it’s their best work yet. “We’re all just extremely happy - it sounds big and exciting and interesting and we just want people to enjoy it now,” says Harriet. “For the release we wanted to make it something special,” Matt continues. “It’s been out there a while but we’ve added a few extra surprises for people and have plans for some very exciting and different shows. It’s certainly the best bunch [of songs] up to the point we recorded them and I still enjoy listening to it so that must be a good thing.” Young Runaways are live at Cafe Blend and The Yardbird on October 15 for the OxjamBrum Takeover. There Is A World Outside is out on October 3. Brum Notes Magazine

O2 ACADEMY3 (birmingham) Slade rooms (wolverhampton)

01 oct

slade rooms

01 oct

o2 academy3

07 oct

O2 ACADEMY3

09 oct

the end

13 oct

hare & hounds

15 oct

slade rooms

20 oct

HARE & HOUNDS

23 oct

02 academy3

29 OCT

o2 academy3

October 2011

hare & hounds (king’s heath) the end (birmingham)

the just, silhouettes, stations, open to fire fury, arcane rage, the reckoning, diamond lil my great affliction, follow the fallen, this elegant chaos, go primitive black wednesday, shebrew, crooked dawn, head trap wilcox, the formula, the fontana instincts, escape avenue sunset on suburbia, all thought out, jet pack, the ki, feird wish negative brody, the motive, the illuminations, fantastik 4 iroha, 93millionmillesfromthesun, aesthetics hostile, martyr de mona, mad hatter 2.0, winterstorm

9

Comedy

Birmingham Comedy Festival returns to the city this month to deliver the finest in emerging and established comedy right in front of your noses. With hundreds of acts performing at venues across the city, there’s no reason to miss out. Jon Pritchard picks out some of the essential acts to watch out for this year.

Jack Whitehall

Russell Kane

If it’s big name comedy you’re after, look no further than 23-year-old posh boy Jack Whitehall. Famous for presenting Big Brother’s Big Mouth and performances on Mock The Week and Stand Up For The Week, he’s gone from strength to strength and shows no signs of abating. His show Let’s Not Speak Of This Again will guarantee to leave your funny bone well and truly tickled. Spiffing.

Another of the slightly camp, slightly posh, comedians surfacing at the moment but also one of the best. Covering subjects such as his parents and relationships, a typically bad break-up seems to have him as scathing as ever about the masculine world. His new show Manscaping promises to be a hightempo marathon of laughs from a comic who leaves nothing on the sidelines.

Jack Whitehall is live at The Glee Club on October 9

Russell Kane is live at the New Alexandra Theatre on Oct 16

The Boy With Tape On His Face

Patrick Monahan

Sam Wills, aka The Boy With Tape On His Face, has been making waves around the comedy circuit recently for his strange-butfunny brand of silent comedy. His unusual comic style has been a hit with audiences all over the world on TV and on stage. His big eyes convey more emotion than most others muster through words and his shows have to be seen to be really appreciated.

The winner of ITV’s Show Me The Funny, Patrick Monahan is a Geordie born to Irish and Iranian parents, and if that doesn’t spell comic potential then nothing will. He doesn’t dwell on his upbringing though, instead his energetic brand of comedy speaks for itself. He’s been around the comedy scene for nearly a decade but could be now set for real stardom - catch him while you can.

Catch the Chortle Newcomer of the Year 2011 at The Glee Club on Oct 13

Live at The Old Joint Stock Theatre on Oct 11 and The Public, West Bromwich, Oct 21

other highlights If you want to get your laughs without sitting listening to a man talk, there are plenty of other events to get your teeth into. The Victoria’s monthly Sound and Vision Quiz is taking on a comedy vibe on October 11, while Bulgarian artist Nedko Solakov’s latest exhibition is running at IKON Gallery until November 13. Solakov is an artistic storyteller who’s work focuses on tragi-comic reflections on everyday life. He gives a new meaning to toilet humour as well, with his work extending beyond Ikon’s traditional exhibition spaces, spilling over into inscriptions on fittings in 10

the ladies and gents lavatories. Mixing music with storytelling, musician-turned-comic Rosie Wilby gives her unique take on trying to make it in the music industry and chasing stardom during the height of Britpop. Her show Rosie’s Pop Diary mixes acoustic performances entwined with funny tales at the Old Joint Stock Theatre on October 7. For a more mainstream take on musical comedy, Hollywood hitturned-West End musical Legally Blonde, starring Faye Brookes and Claire Sweeney, is at the New Alexandra Theatre from Oct 4 – 15. Birmingham Comedy Festival runs from October 7 to 16 at various venues. Details at www.bhamcomfest.co.uk. Brum Notes Magazine

HAL HATH NO FURY Cuddly looking comic Hal Cruttenden insists he shows his angry side in his latest show. But after a fine pedigree of comedy coaching, drama school, acting gigs and years on the circuit, he has plenty of laughs in store as well. He tells David Vincent how he ended up swapping theatre for comedy. A brief scan of comedian and writer Hal Cruttenden’s CV reveals a few surprises. Scrolling down past the appearances and writing credits for The Omid Djalili Show and The Rob Brydon Show, below work for Jonathan Ross and Alan Carr, and the usual Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow and Jason Manford’s Comedy Rocks slots, sits such laughter-free fare as Eastenders, Kavanagh QC, Mrs Dalloway and The Madness Of King George. It seems Hal is a bit of a thespian. “To tell you the truth, a lot of comics start off that way, but pretend not to,” says Hal of his acting credits. “It makes sense. If you’re desperate for attention, which most actors are, what’s better than standup comedy? I still do occasionally act, very occasionally. But there’s less TV work now than there was 15 years ago - you can see that from the quality of top actors who are doing soaps.” Alongside the TV and movie appearances, there’s also a few notable theatre productions on Hal’s CV, complete with glowing reviews. “I love [doing] theatre, but that’s such a long commitment for very little money, even in the West End,” he interjects, before quickly adding he’ll never say never. “But I’m always looking for acting jobs, I love having a break from things and it’d be lovely being part of a team, part of a cast, as stand-up comedy is very solitary.” A graduate of Central School Of Speech and Drama, Hal came to the solitary art of stand-up comedy by complete chance. “I was in my mid-20s and I didn’t want to go on the dole so I used to do whatever I could between acting jobs. I was doing things like writing travel and traffic reports for the BBC, talking about the A1 being busy. Stand-up comedy had never crossed my mind – I thought I was too posh sounding, too soft – but a friend thought I should have a go and a light went off after seeing Eddie Izzard on video. I was watching Unrepeatable and that was a turning point. If a man that camp, a man that middle-class can do it and not apologise, and take the audience on that kind of journey...I can.” Rather than throw himself into a cycle of gruelling open mic nights to learn what works and what dies, the middle-class and slightly camp sounding Hal enrolled on a stand-up comedy course. “Simon Evans did the course and later on Jimmy Carr did the same course. It was brilliant. There are lots of comedy courses now, all October 2011

over the place, and they tend to be more structured, but this one was like doing your routine in front of the other students every week and getting criticism and comments. Doing the course saved me six months of being rubbish in clubs, and I don’t know if I could have done this without that course as stand-up can be very gladiatorial.” A Best Newcomer Award nomination in Edinburgh back in 2002 proved to Hal his decision to try stand-up was right, ushering in nearly a decade of circuit gigs, Edinburgh shows, radio appearances and gigs from Bermuda to Bali, Ireland to India, and beyond. Last year he toured a solo show for the first time. It went well, so he’s back again with more observations, tales, and minor grievances in the form of Tiny Rage. Don’t be fooled by the notion of Hal’s BBC-friendly vocal tones or his smart appearance as there’s a sting in that tail. “I do seem to have a reputation of being smiley, of being cuddly, of being nice,” he ponders. His last show saw him ‘angry but not sure why’; Tiny Rage is more focussed. “This tour is probably more bitchy. I’m getting more moany as I get older, so there’s a lot more stuff about ageing and I’m a lot more defensive about being southern and middle-class. It’s too easy to judge people from where they’re from. I also do a lot about my fears and stories from when I’ve been brave, which made me realise that I’m actually more manly that I thought I was. Someone said the show is like being hugged...and then being pinched.”.” Hal Cruttenden: Tiny Rage takes place at The Glee Club on October 14 as part of Birmingham Comedy Festival. He also performs at The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton, on October 4. 11

PAT ON THE BACK Winning a televised talent competition can sometimes not be as great as it sounds. Steve Brookstein anyone? No? Anyway, Patrick Monahan was in ITV’s Show Me The Funny, a comedy competition whereby the winner gets a UK Tour and a DVD, and the Geordie funnyman saw off competition from nine other contestants to claim the prize. After nearly 10 years on the circuit, nobody can say this nice guy of comedy was not deserving of his break. Jon Pritchard caught up with him to find out how success on the show has affected him and also pick up some tips for other budding comics out there.

Hello Patrick, so first things first, did you believe you could win Show Me The Funny? Not really, I just didn’t want to get knocked out in the first week! I’d worked with most of the other contestants on the circuit before and they’re all very funny so I knew it would be tough. I don’t really do very much TV work, so I just thought it would be good to get some exposure before my Fringe shows, and play to a TV audience who never normally see my stuff.

because you’ll be performing to them every night.

How do you think comedy TV shows have affected the circuit? It’s had a massive effect. You can still be a successful comedian without doing too much TV, people like Eddie Izzard and Ross Noble have proved that. The difference between a comedian who hasn’t done TV and one who has is probably playing to 150 people instead of 500; that’s how powerful it has been. But just because you aren’t on TV doesn’t mean you’re not a great comedian.

How about nerves? Nerves are always a good thing as its part and parcel of the job; they never go. If you’re not nervous you can come over as a bit cocky and that doesn’t go down very well with the crowd. Audiences like that excited energy that comedians get when they walk on the stage and get the buzz of adrenaline that all comedians feel.

So, what tips would you give to someone just starting out in stand-up comedy? Treat it just the same as any other job. Whether it’s being a singer, doctor, train driver, whatever, you have to practice and you have to be passionate about it. People always say you have to be born to be a comedian, you don’t. You have to have a passion for people

walsall comic takes top prize in local talent hunt A comic from Walsall took top prize ahead of nine other contestants at a new comedy talent search event in West Bromwich. The Starter for Ten competition kicked off a new season of comedy at The Public on September 23, uncovering some top, budding 12

What is the best way of practising stand-up? Open mic nights are the hardest gigs to do on the circuit but it’s good training because you’ll probably be playing to more comics than audience members. It will be harder to make that audience laugh than any others, because once you are past that stage people are paying to see you so they’re already in the mood to have fun and laugh.

Patrick Monahan: Hug Me I Feel Good takes place at The Public, West Bromwich, on October 21. He also performs as part of the Birmingham Comedy Festival at The Old Joint Stock Pub and Theatre, Birmingham, on October 11, followed by two performances at The Glee Club on October 28 and 29.

stand-ups. Walsall’s Lee Gee took the prize of £100 and future support slots at The Public, but it was a close run call as Lovdev Barpaga and magician Al Rudge pushed him all the way. Brum Notes comedy correspondent Jon Pritchard was among the judges making up the panel on the night, alongside representatives from the venue, Beacon Radio and Desi Central. Lee’s easy-going style and quick fire jokes made an instant impact on the audience. Brum Notes Magazine

For adventurous audiences combining music, film and performance

21-23 October 2011 Birmingham UK

TURBONEGRO ELECTRIC WIZARD SECRET CHIEFS 3 ZOMBI ALVA NOTO a.P.A.t.T Scorn Alexander Tucker Cut Hands Teeth Of The SeA

Slabdragger Astro Backwards The Skull Defekts Lucky Dragons Pekko Kappi Cloaks Orthodox Antilles Silver Apples Monarch Circle Fire! with Oren Ambarchi Ore Eternal Tapestry Drumcunt Jefre Cantu-Ledesma Nathan Bell Klaus Kinski White Hills Envy The Berg Sans Nipple Part Chimp Barn Owl Tony Conrad Bardo Pond Kogumaza Pharaoh Overlord Agathe Max Wolves In The Throne Room for tickets/line up info/ hotel deals & more visit:

www.supersonicfestival.com October 2011

13

Supersonic Festival returns for it’s ninth instalment this month and, as ever, the Capsule team has presided over a scorching line-up that will surprise, shock and demand attention through its experimentalism and down-right deafening industrialism. Boasting acts who bask in the crossing-over of both music and art, this year sees a whole new level of style-bending performances from hip hop to folk to metal. Ross Cotton looks ahead to some of the highlights.

Festivals

SECRET CHIEFS 3

(Friday) zombi

Ex-Mr Bungle/Faith No More composer Trey Spruance leads his avant-garde instrumental rock group into death-defying waves of astonishment. A supergroup not to be missed, Secret Chiefs 3 blend Persian, death metal, electronic and even Arabian genres to name a few, weaving the styles into their emotive film scoring techniques. Like a true maverick, Trey forms the basis of this astounding act, unafraid to explore as many sounds as possible. And Secret Chiefs 3 have something truly amazing to unveil at Supersonic...

drum eyes

Space rock duo Zombi set up a dancing frenzy of beats with their nostalgic, 80s sythesizers. Built against a backdrop of heart-thumping percussion, the two-piece thrill-riders drain all those who succumb to their retrofuturistic pursuit, racing against the ultimate sci-fi tensions. Performing their brand new album Escape Velocity, Zombi are definitely an act who will dazzle fans of Kraftwerk and 808 State through multi-layered manic compositions. Get into the spirit and dig out your Commodore 64 because Zombi will provide the perfect soundtrack.

(Sunday)

Memories of Drum Eyes’s (pictured right) amazing performance from 2009 meant that Capsule had no choice but to invite them back again this year. The three-piece core collective of glitch artist DJ Scotch Egg, ex-Boredoms drummer E-Da and ex-Power Up! member K-Power combine a chaotic mind-expansion of Game Boy triumph and deranged drumming, etched against industrial blows of cornets and keys to bind together an aural experience like no other.

other highlights Supersonic wouldn’t be Supersonic without a wide range of audience participation. John Richards will host a Mute Synth workshop on the Saturday, encouraging curious festival-goers to create their own hand-held circuit board, grunge instruments. Kids Gigs return for a second year, with Lucky Dragons engaging the younger generation in new sounds on the Saturday at the Mac, with The Berg Sans Nipple (pictured left) taking over on the Sunday to create beautiful melodies combined with a youthful imagination. 14

(Saturday)

Turbonegro

(Sunday)

Norwegian Deathpunk band Turbonegro headline this year’s festival, performing with their new frontman Tony Sylvester for the first time in the UK. Fusing glam rock, hard rock and punk, Scandinavia’s finest are more than prepared to set Supersonic alight with their flamboyant and obscure attire, bringing with them more than 20 years worth of back catalogue, including 1998’s notorious record Apocalypse Dudes and arguably one of the best punk albums of the 90s, Ass Cobra. Imperfect Cinema invites the audience to take part in a Super-8 workshop, documenting their time at the festival, with the recordings going into a special performance at the festival. Saturday will see a 24-hour long set from noise artists Lash Frenzy & Christian Jendreiko, who will be collaborating at Eastside Projects and aiming to make time irrelevant. And keep an eye out for Herman Inclusus’s beautiful illustrations, which will be exhibited in orthodox church sheds throughout the weekend. One of the most obscure acts has to be locals Ore, who will merge classical, drone-doom and experimental sounds through a depth of brass tubas. Supersonic Festival runs from October 21 to 23 at the Custard Factory and other fringe venues. Single day tickets cost £20 and £35, weekend passes £75. Visit www.supersonicfestival.com. Brum Notes Magazine

TOP OF THE CLASS MC/Producer Will Brooks is probably better known as one half of industrial hip hop act Dälek, who performed at Supersonic Festival back in 2008. This year, Will returns to the bill under the name iconAclass, a much grittier, boom-bap solo project, that sees the rapper returning to his self-reflective roots. Ross Cotton gets the low-down on his new sound.

“It’s very stripped down, raw hip hop,” says Will, comparing his solo work to his previous duo act. “The lyrics are at the centre of this project, whereas in Dälek, the vocals were beneath layers of sonics. “It’s the first UK show for this project [at Supersonic],” says Will, who has only performed as iconAclass in his homeland of America previously. “I’ve always had an amazing time in the UK and, as a musician, I appreciate the UK audience’s depth of musical knowledge. “So I’m expecting a raw kind of energy, which will be great to feed off of as a live performer”.

representative of who I am at this moment. I try to make honest music. “I plan to make a lot of heads nod, some asses shake, some minds think, and I might even offend some people along the way.”

iconAclass has already been compared to the hypnotic shoegaze While he may prove to be among the highlights of the whole festival for many audience members this month, vibes of 80s acts such as My Bloody ValWill insists there is plenty to look forward entine, offering up an additional range of “It was an honour to play to during the weekend, even if he won’t be dreamy/dark rock styles with which Will readily experiments. before and it’s an honour to there to soak it all in for the full three days. Alongside the likes of fellow American hip be invited back with my new “I’ve got a lot of friends on that line-up, I wish hop artists Public Enemy, Will considers I could be there all three days. If I were, I’d both groups to be highly influential to his project. I can’t wait.” be checking out Scorn, Zombi, Tony Conrad, sound. Circle, Silver Apples and Mike Watt. “Public Enemy and My Bloody Valentine are “It was an honour to play before [as Dälek], and it’s an honour to be two of the most important bands of all time,” he says. “To be compared to them even slightly is a huge honour. But I am invited back with my new project. I can’t wait.” influenced by everything around me. Will Brooks unveils the live UK debut of his new solo project “Hip hop has always been about taking those influences and re- iconAclass at Supersonic Festival on Sunday, October 23 channelling them, reinterpreting them as something new. “iconAclass holds true to that ethos. My music and lyrics are October 2011

15

BreAk in The clouds Aussie quartet CLOUD CONTROL blend a 60s summer glow with an indie feel-good vibe. After conquering their homeland and bagging the antipodean equivalent of the Mercury Prize, the psychedelic four-piece are broadening their horizons and are determined to bring some sunshine spirit to the unpredictable Birmingham weather this month. Ross Cotton caught up with frontman Alister Wright to find out how the band are adapting to British life. “I think people here are just starting to get it,” says Alister, following a successful summer of European festival appearances. “It’s nice that our music translates. Field Day was great actually, it was the first time we’d had people knowing the words to our songs, which is a good sign,” he continues, adding that it now feels like the band are well and truly establishing a British fan base. “Obviously the population is a lot smaller in Australia. I haven’t been here that long, but I get the impression things can happen quite quickly for a band. “In Sydney there’s definitely a good community held together by FBi radio, a really cool community radio station, and various street publications. Most of the bands know each other and there’s a bunch of exciting bands starting up.” Cloud Control’s distinctively nostalgic sound seems to be held together by the dreamy warmth of a bohemian past, and this becomes even clearer when Alister reveals the band’s music taste. “We have a lot of influences”, he says, “but mainly Jefferson Airplane’s Surrealistic Pillow. That record sounds just amazing; so many experiments and weird reverbs to a pop-psych record. I can’t speak for everyone in the band, but I’ve always just loved this music.” “I suppose [our] album [Bliss Release] artwork and name reflects it, It’s just what we’re into”, he adds. For Alister, the glory days of vinyl reflect a certain enjoyment and atmosphere in the process of 16

enjoying music which is harder to recreate in the digital age. Needless to say, he would choose listening to vinyl over an MP3 every time. “It’s a cool process, like making a cup of tea”, he says. “And there are special things like, for example, on this Oneida record I just bought, when you get to the end of Side A, it just loops forever because of some tricky pressing they did. You can’t do that digitally can you? Anyway, vinyl sounds better and you get sleeves to look at.” Their own aforementioned debut album, Bliss Release, was actually unveiled in May of last year in their native Australia, but it was another year before it was released by Infectious in the UK, enjoying its US release just last month. But it has put them firmly on the radar over here and its slow burning life so far is reflective of their own laid-back, Aussie charm. Even their formation has a relaxed story behind it, with the band almost falling into their distinctively warming sound. “Heidi [Lenffer, keys] entered us into a band comp just for kicks,” explains Alister. “We kept going because we enjoyed ourselves. It was pretty casual, none of us could really play properly but over time we got better. “I don’t even know why we’re still going but somehow it worked out alright”. Cloud Control are live at The Rainbow, Birmingham, October 10. Brum Notes Magazine

October 2011

17

HIP HOP HOORAY In the 2007 track ‘Hip Hop Lives’, a response to Nas’ 2006 release Hip-Hop Is Dead, the American emcee KRS-One teamed up with producer and one-time bitter rival Marley Marl to rhyme “Hip and hop is more than music, Hip is the knowledge, hop is the movement” over an instrumental featuring samples taken from MC Shan’s The Bridge.

The record referenced a dispute over the true birthplace place of hip hop between South Bronx-based KRS-One’s Boogie Down Productions and Queensbridge’s Juice Crew featuring Marley Marl and MC Shan, that took place during the mid-1980s. Around that same time across the pond, hip hop culture was just taking off in major cities. In Birmingham, BRMB were playing electro disco megamixes, breakdancers would met up across the city to battle and a young Channel 4 would go on to capture ‘the art of the future’ in film documentary Bombing featuring, among others, a teenage graffiti artist by the name of Goldie.

have spawned many sub-genres, inspired spin-off cultures, influenced art forms and produced a host of fashion styles. As hip hop heads into its fourth decade, those original elements now seem disparate and detached, and the sense of unity and collaboration which characterised the original movement is much less apparent.

Veteran B-town painter Flake, one of a handful of first-wave graffiti artists in the city, got in to hip hop at an early age in Birmingham. “Big events (in the city) I remember were the breakdancing event Electric Arena in maybe ‘85, then Run DMC and Beastie Boys playing at the Odeon on Corporation Street in’86 and a graff exhibition in ‘87 at Central Library featuring Goldie, T Kid, Vulcan and loads of other New York artists.”

DJ Mylz, a mainstay of the city’s hip-hop scene and the man behind long-running night Heducation, suggests that hip hop has become many things to many people, saying: “It’s a form of expression, a culture, a way of life, a motivator, an excuse. More tangibly, it is the union of four unique art forms which are accessible to many different types of people, without necessarily needing money or artistic training to take part. When hip hop is used positively, it helps to unite individuals, to focus people’s minds and lives, to communicate important political and social messages, and to allow people to express their differences without violence. When it’s exploited, it can be a conduit to greed and egotism, and an excuse to promote thuggery, misogyny and ignorance.”

Today hip hop is a global industry worth billions annually. The four pillars of hip hop – DJing, MCing, breaking and graffiti writing

Percy Filth, a south Birmingham-based beatmaker who has worked with MCs from Birmingham and beyond for around 15

18

Brum Notes Magazine

years, goes further, saying, “I think the term ‘hip hop’ has been abused. People think that if they rock a fitted cap, over-sized jeans and spout the latest slang, that makes them hip hop. In reality it has less to do with following some B-Boy by numbers manual and more to do with an interest and belief in the progression of the culture with a big nod to the past. It seems like with the MP3 generation there aren’t that many who know their history; have never heard of Kane, KRS-One or Rakim and aren’t interested in the roots of the culture they claim to love.” Sixteen-bar instrumentals produced on a console in inner city bedrooms fill YouTube channels, major street dance productions tour to the Hippodrome and internationallyrenowned hip hop artists visit the Hare & Hounds, O2 Academy and the HMV Institute on a regular basis. Hip hop is definitely alive in the UK’s second city, with purists, evolutionists and crossover scenes ever present, yet output is often always dominated by a certain industry centre. “London definitely overshadows other cities in terms of both local and visiting international artists,” DJ Mylz says. “It’s a magnet for aspiring rappers, and with so many boroughs, there is a much greater choice of events. London has so many promoters that it’s hard to compete.

Photo: Paul Hampartsoumian

“That said, the B-Boy scene here in Birmingham is vibrant with young dancers coming through, and plenty of opportunities to learn. DJing in general seems to have taken a drop in interest recently, reflected by the announcement that [turntable manufacturer] Technics were stopping production, but there are a few excellent up-and-coming DJs in the area — especially the Down By Law crew.” Enter Jam Fu, member of The Bronx Boys (UK Chapter), co-promoter with Down By Law and enthusiastic ambassador for the scene. The Birmingham-based collective, just over 12 months old, is earning its stripes and a worthy reputation from the hip hop, funk, soul, disco and break nights such as Return of the Boom Bap and The Break Exchange that its members have organised at venues across the city. “Hip hop to me is more than just the music, the dance and the art,” Jam Fu says. “It’s a feeling, which is spiritual. Seeing a whole community of different races, cultures, people from different financial backgrounds, different levels of skill, to unite and share with each other is something only hip hop does

October 2011

best. This is what my crew TBB represents and it’s the main reason I joined it — it’s not just about keeping it real, its about keeping it right.” Jam Fu goes on to describe apathy amongst the city’s hip hop community, explaining: “We do have a few events [in Birmingham] which unite every art form — for example The Flyover Show created by Soweto Kinch — but there is definitely room for more. The MCs keep to themselves, the B-Boys keep to themselves; the writers, DJs, beat boxers all do the same. Everyone in the scene has to support each other. There are people doing things for Birmingham such as A Few Good Men, Pritt Kalsi (King Of The Beats), DJ Mushroom (Breakfest) and others; it’s up to us to be there and support. The more love we show for our own scene, the bigger it will grow.” Down By Law are in good company when it comes to younger (relatively speaking) members of the hip hop community in Birmingham, as Percy Filth points out. “We have a lot of great artists here making waves — Sonnyjim and Eat Good Records have broken through, The Louis’ Den beat cyphers weekly stream attracts a worldwide audience, RTKAL smashed a Charlie Sloth Fire In The Booth slot on 1Xtra as well as Juice Aleem, MD7 and MSI who have been representing the city since day one. We have immense talent with heaps of clout but no real industry support, at least on the scale they deserve. We need a Berry Gordy type figure to step in and push, promote and sell the talent here, as it seems like we are constantly on the cusp of something big.” On a graffiti tip, artists such as Newso, Agent, AsOne, Lisk and others, are ramping up activities and helping to give colour to Birmingham’s streets, particularly around Digbeth, where new paste-ups beautify the walls, hoardings and fences of derelict or empty sites on an almost daily basis. “Not long ago I painted a freestyle piece at the Custard Factory with a few pals,” says Flake, “watched KRS-One at the Institute, then caught the end of Rodney P at the Hare and Hounds. Is hip hop still alive in Birmingham? Fuck, yeah!” Words by Lyle Bignon Some Like it Hip Hop runs from October 13 to 15 at Birmingham Hippodrome. Grandmaster Flash is at the Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, on October 15. 19

South Staffs quintet The Arcadian Kicks have built up a firm fanbase over the past five years. But after being taken under the wing of legendary producer Mike Chapman, the man behind hits for the likes of Blondie and Suzi Quatro, he is certain they have the winning formula to truly take off. Amy Sumner spent a day in the studio with the band to hear more.

20

Brum Notes Magazine

“Can’t you just hear this on the fucking radio?!” enthuses Mike Chapman. It’s 7pm on the final day of recording, and he’s been mastering the same section of the same song for two hours – the track as a whole has been a work in progress since 12. And in the cramped, homely surroundings of the basement of a residential recording studio somewhere up the back end (steady) of Stockport, everyone is gathered round to hear the finished product. And it sounds good. “That voice just drives me crazy, takes my breath away,” exudes Mike. And to be fair, he isn’t getting excited over nothing – these vocals are powerful, and the music frenetic. There’s about six songs being recorded in this studio stint, and yet the band are keen to emphasise that it’s not necessarily an album. “It’s more a mass recording session,” admits keyboardist Rebekah Pennington. “Some of the songs are relatively new – we’ve only had them for three weeks or so. But we’ve had some of them for as long as a year and just never recorded them. What we’re doing now might become an EP which I guess we’ll get a couple of singles off.” “In fact, I think there are about six singles on it, aren’t there?” adds guitarist Tom, with a grin. There are certainly some big sounding tunes. “We’ve been listening to The Naked and Famous and The Horrors, and I think you can definitely hear My Bloody Valentine in the guitars,” reveals lead singer Rebecca Wilson. “But there’s no real pattern to our song writing. I write the lyrics and sometimes Rebekah helps, but there’s no specific way we do it. They’re about relationships and our day to day lives,” she explains, “but I don’t really know what some of them are about.” Bassist Tommy lifts his head: “I think Mike knows what they’re about more than we do.”

“It’s more a mass recording session. Some of the songs are relatively new – we’ve only had them for three weeks or so.” And that’s where the partnership seems to work. One half of Chinn and Chapman, the renowned hit writing duo of the 1970s, Mike has penned best sellers for Suzi Quatro, Sweet, and Blondie. And so this young band could be forgiven for feeling more than a little intimidated, but that’s not how the relationship appears at all. In fact, there seems to be something of a family vibe about the whole situation. Not merely because we’re sat in a house - which to all intents and purposes is just your average everyday affair, aside from the thousands of pounds worth of equipment in the living room, and the xylophone in the downstairs toilet - but in the relationship between band and producer, who just seem genuinely in tune. “I found them almost three years ago via Myspace,” explains Mike, “not that they were lost. But I loved their sound. The internet is a massive thing. I guess Myspace isn’t so much now as it used to be, but three years ago it was a big deal. If it wasn’t for that, I might never have come across them. But I did, and they sounded great. And so I rang their manager and then I flew over to watch a gig October 2011

- and they just blew me away.” After that they recorded together, forming an unbreakable bond. “We all caught swine flu,” he continues. “Harry was the first to pass out – I think we knew something was wrong when he was on the floor. We were all sort of quarantined together and that brought us closer.” And that same, intimate condition also appears to be the case this time around. “I think I’m starting to get cabin fever,” chirps Tommy. “Mike’s taken us for a couple of meals down the road and we’ve done a few trips to Tesco, but other than that we’ve not been out. Tesco was a big adventure for us.” But getting, and staying, in the right frame of mind seems integral to the process. “It’s all about the vibe,” says Mike. “You can’t take it too seriously because, after all, it is just music. But it’s all about creating a good environment and having fun – that’s the secret. And we know how to do that. “These kids are so much fun. I’ve worked with Tina Turner and Rod Stewart – they’re pains in the ass. I try to stay away from big egos and personalities these days, and these kids have no attitude problems at all.”

“There’s no real pattern to our song writing. I write the lyrics and sometimes Rebekah helps, but there’s no specific way we do it. They’re about relationships and our day to day lives”

And so perhaps they’ve cracked it – perhaps just having some good old fashioned fun really is the secret to success. Because in amongst all the Rebecca Black parodies, and the Dettol soups, and the gongs being smashed next to managers’ heads at three or four o’clock in the morning, what’s been laid down and committed to record does sound genuinely attractive. You Play the Girl is brooding and sexually ambiguous, evasive and intriguing in its progression. And When Did We Stop Talking has instant pop appeal – “it’s the quintessential quasi-pop hit, and I’m going to make it into a hit single,” beams Mike. In fact the whole sound is just compelling, and whatever these recordings do become, it is sure to be impressive. “We don’t want it to be a big comeback thing with a new single, and new shows etc, in fact we don’t have a gig until December,” says Rebecca. “We just want to get back into it, so after this we’re going to go straight back out and start writing straight away.” And so, keep your eyes (and ears) on this band. Because with tunes aplenty and Mike Chapman at the helm, it could just be that this five piece from South Staffs have set sail on course to a very Arcadian future indeed. www.facebook.com/thearcadiankicks Words by Amy Sumner Photographs by Andy Hughes 21

NERO stormed to the top of the charts with their own blend of shuddering dubstep and electronic pop. We caught up with Dan Stephens, one half of the producers-turned-chart stars, to find out more about where it all began and where they hope to go. 22

Brum Notes Magazine

“Although we were very pleased with the album ourselves, we were not prepared for the kind of commercial success that it and the singles have had,” admits Nero co-founder Dan Stephens, reflecting on a whirlwind few weeks for the dubstep duo which saw summer anthem Promises top the single charts, shortly before debut album Welcome to Reality achieved the same feat in the LP charts in the first week of its release. For Dan, it is about more than the pop hooks which have captured the public’s imagination, but it appears fans have embraced their whole approach to making music. “It’s hard for us to say, we just wrote the album that we wanted to write so it’s great that other people have embraced our sound and vision,” he says. “Perhaps the whole concept behind the album has also helped to capture people’s imagination. The artwork for example is quite evocative of how we visualised the music; dark, 80s futuristic and cinematic. We also tried to strike a balance between dance music and more song-structured — I guess pop — music.” Nero’s fanbase has perfectly encapsulated the genre-crossing attitude prevalent among music fans these days, from bass and dance crowds through to indie kids and pop lovers. “It’s definitely something we are very proud of,” Dan continues. “We draw a lot of influences for our music from a wide range of genres and eras, we’re particularly influenced by 80s music — pop, disco, boogie, film scores — as well as French house, rock and classical. We tried to bring all those sounds together on this album. “When we were younger people used to out to go out to hear one type of dance music and kind of dismissed other genres. Now everything crosses over so much. On the same club lineup, in the same room, you can hear DJs playing lots of different genres. We like to fit in a few different genres and tempos of music in our DJ sets.” For the duo behind Nero, while they are very much rooted in bass and electronic music, their own diverse influences seep into their music as well. “We’ve both always listened to a wide range of music. When we met we shared a love for artists like Squarepusher, Aphex Twin and The Prodigy. We both grew up listening to rock and classical music as well. Not long after we met, Daft Punk released Discovery which I remember was a very special record for us at the time. “Our music has certainly mostly revolved October 2011

around bass. I guess a lot of that comes from our drum n bass days. However when it comes to listening to stuff outside of a club or studio environment we rarely listen to ‘bass music’. I think that was something we very conscious of when writing the album, we wanted to make bass music that didn’t feel

time we were doing the previous shows so we didn’t want to have everything off the album in there as people wouldn’t know the tunes yet.” Nero’s performance in Birmingham will be sticking loyally to a club setting at the Custard Factory’s Space2, and keeping to

When we were younger people used to out to go out to hear one type of dance music and kind of dismissed other genres. Now everything crosses over so much. like bass music so much, and was enjoyable to listen to in any environment or situation.”

their dance roots was an important factor in planning the tour.

For many, Nero have become flag-bearers for the dubstep genre, although Dan is conscious not to become pigeon-holed, insisting they are more concerned with creating “the Nero sound,” rather than sticking to any genre boundaries.

“For this first tour we wanted to keep it more clubby and underground feeling. For the next tour, early next year, we’ll be playing the big live venues. “We’ve played at some great nights at the Custard Factory and so we’re looking forward to playing there live.”

“Dubstep is a very exciting scene right now. We just push ourselves to evolve the ‘Nero sound’. We feel that the most important thing for us is that we always write what we want to write and not what may be expected of us. We never try to write commercially successful music however it’s obviously great when something we do is appreciated by a wide audience. The main thing for us to concentrate on is pushing ourselves to innovate our own music and not repeat ourselves too much. I think when a style or genre starts to become a cliché of itself is when it can lose credibility.” One of the challenges for Nero these days is translating their studio sound to the live arena, particularly developing a performance element rather than simply DJ sets. The duo become a trio for live shows, with vocalist Alana having now quit her day job to go fulltime with Nero. “It’s been a shock for her as she was really just singing for us in her spare time because she enjoyed it,” explains Dan. “It’s all quite new and nerve wracking for her although at the same time she’s very excited about the future. “We did our first four live shows over the summer. They were all great shows although they also kind of acted as warms-ups for us to get a feel for how we could develop the show further. For this tour we’ve upgraded elements of the stage set, the visuals and reworked the music to fit in more album material. The album wasn’t released at the

After such a rapid rise to prominence with their first studio album, Nero’s schedule is set to be even more hectic over the coming months, but that hasn’t stopped them thinking about their next moves. “We do have a small amount of new material that we’ve made since releasing the album and we are definitely thinking about where to take the sound for the second album. We’ve got some cool ideas about the method in which we would like to write the second album as well. In the meantime there will be some more singles released from the album with remixes and we’ll probably rework some of the single tracks ourselves. “We’ve been asked to do some production work for other artists, we might do that although,what with the UK and US tours, we won’t be back in the studio now until the end of the year and I’m sure when we do get back in there we’ll primarily want to focus on Nero stuff.” Nero are live at Space2 at the Custard Factory, Birmingham, on October 14, presented by Ec-lectricity. www.eclectricityevents.co.uk www.facebook.com/eclectricity For your chance to win a pair of tickets, simply tell us the name of Nero’s chart-topping debut album. Email your answers, name, age and contact details to competitions@brumnotes.com by October 12. 23

The urban rover

MAVERICK SABRE has reinvigorated urban pop with his soulful vocals, hip hop beats and killer hooks. The London-born, Irishraised rover is determined to make waves with his debut album and biggest live tour to date. The 21-year-old tells Chris Moriarty why he will make music until the day he dies. “I like talking and I like talking about my own music so the whole press side has been quite fun really,” says Maverick Sabre, as he tackles another session of interviews, taking the media attention that accompanies his ‘next big thing’ tag all in his stride. He is humble about the success so far and the plethora of praise that has greeted his fledgling career, still bristling with excitement yet with a calmness that belies his relatively tender years. Despite having turned 21 just weeks ago, Maverick Sabre — real name Michael

Stafford — insists he has music coursing through his Anglo-Irish veins and has been performing live for more than six years, initially grinding his way into the attentions of his urban music peers on Ireland’s hip hop scene, a scene that has so far garnered little attention outside of the Emerald Isle — until now at least. “It’s quite small [the Irish hip hop scene], but we always have a lot of talent from a small amount of people, the same as the Irish music scene has always been,” he explains.

“I put so much pressure on myself and I always try to push myself to improve with every song I write.”

24

Brum Notes Magazine

“It will take a bit of time for people to get used to the accent, like when English MCs started rapping in English accents. People were so used to hearing rap in American accents and it was so strange when people first started rapping in English accents but now it’s the normal way. “When Dizzee Rascal first appeared everyone thought ‘who is this guy rapping in a this strange English accent?’ But now it’s the norm with people like Tinchy, Tiny, Plan B, Wretch 32. Hopefully regional accents, they’ll all come into their own and people won’t be afraid to rap in their own accents. “I’ve got a lot of friends in Birmingham and there are some heavy MCs there. I do think the accent historically holds people back but people just need to get used to it.” Sabre’s own accent is a reflection of his own mixed upbringing, an unmistakably Irish lilt, softened by his years in London. Born in the Stoke Newington area of the English capital, he returned at the age of four with his parents to Wexford in Ireland, his father’s homeland, where he was raised before returning to London as an 18-yearold to pursue his musical dreams. But it is not just his accent which reflects his multicultural heritage, his music itself is a melting pot of influences. “My dad’s been a musician my whole life,” he says, “he brought me up on traditional Irish music, but also Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, people like that, but the traditional Irish music, so The Fureys and so on. When you listen to Irish music there’s a lot of rootsy sounds, and it’s very tribal. “You’ve got a lot of the singers doing a lot of yelling and there’s pain in their vocals and you can hear a lot of struggle when you hear that, it’s very powerful. “With my upbringing I was kind of like an outsider in both communities but being part of both communities has allowed me to be more musical as well. The traditional Irish stuff and the London sound both influenced my style, as well as listening to hip hop and RnB so definitely it helped.” An unassuming teenager rapping in an Irish accent may not have sounded the most convincing of musical prospects, but reservations about his age were soon put to one side when audiences saw his precocious talents — his age and fusion of styles did not prove to be barriers for too long. “When I was 15 or 16 it did but now I have people coming to my gigs of all ages so October 2011

I think that battle was done more when I was younger. “Some people did find it hard to take to a really young kid MCing at 15, but when I was mixing it with more soul and folk people who felt like maybe they couldn’t listen to the hip hop felt it easier to connect more with my music. “I wanted to make music that 55-year-olds or 14-year-olds could enjoy.”

would be good. If these things come naturally that would be great but I won’t force any collaborations. “I’m an old school 2Pac and Snoop fan so when I got told I’d got the gig supporting Snoop I thought it had to be wrong. He was really humbling and really warm and the crowds were really respectful as well. I’ve always loved playing Birmingham and we got a great reaction from the crowd there.”

It seems his mission to appeal to the masses is well on its way to success, with radio airplay and chart triumphs set to go to another level with the release of his debut album Lonely Are The Brave later this month. But the ambitious musician is determined not to rest on his laurels.

Despite his determined approach to songwriting, Maverick Sabre insists it is the live arena where he really feels alive, making his forthcoming headline tour one of the most exciting challenges of his burgeoning career so far.

“People in interviews always ask if I feel pressure from being a ‘one to watch’ or whatever but to be honest, for me, I put the most pressure on myself, especially writing songs,” he says. “If one song does well I start getting paranoid thinking, ‘what if I couldn’t write a song that good again?’ I put so much pressure on myself and I always try to push myself to improve with every song I write. “When things get so busy it can get a bit stressful but when I get into a writing mode and I’ve got a couple of days off I’ll just write. I won’t eat or sleep or speak to anyone or answer my phone, I’ll just lock myself away and play a loop for hours and get really involved, especially if I’m working on a little project. Last year I did a mixtape and I wrote it and recorded it in three days. I just turned most of the lights off, turned my phone off and really just locked myself away. “I just keep writing, not for anything specifically or for a specific project. When it comes to making another album I might go to Wexford to my old bedroom where I wrote my first album and just lock myself up there again.” There have been no shortage of offers for collaborations either, especially after the successes he has enjoyed so far, lending his vocals to records by the likes of Professor Green and Chase & Status, as well as supporting a host of star names, not least Snoop Dogg on his last UK tour. “A lot of people I really respect have been in touch and there are so many exciting opportunities,” he admits. “I’d love to do something with Miss Dynamite in the future, but a lot of people I really respect I’ve worked with already, Chase & Status, Wretch 32, Pro Green. Maybe Erykah Badu, Drake

“I love the live arena and the energy you get from it. I love writing as well but I write to perform, I get a real release from performing live. You can only get a certain amount of energy off a record but when you see someone channel all their energy into it right in front of you, that’s a different experience. Nothing beats performing live in front of the crowd.” The crowds are sure to be out in force this month with Maverick Sabre primed for the big time. He is the first to admit that maintaining credibility alongside mainstream success can be a difficult balance, but he insists his determination to succeed will not temper his determination to make the best music he can — whether he becomes a chart sensation or not. “It’s very easy to get wrapped up in this world where you are making music for everything but making a good song and you lose your credibility as a writer and everything else. I always want to make sure I’m writing to write the best songs I can, not writing to get in the charts or writing what I think people want to hear. “I’m a musician. I was listening to music and guitar playing from birth so I will do nothing else, I will always be a musical artist and writer, you won’t see me sitting at a desk, music is my life and I will always do it. I think that music is the most powerful tool on earth and so many positive things can come from it. It can change the world on a positive note and spread the right messages that are not being spread elsewhere and I will write music until the day I die.” Maverick Sabre is live at the O2 Academy 2, Birmingham, on October 30. Debut album Lonely Are The Brave is released on October 24 on Mercury Records. 25

STYLE STYLE BIRMINGHAM LIVE 2011 Style Birmingham Live returned bigger and better than ever. The three-day fashion event last month included catwalk shows, sales, free gifts and the chance to see George Lamb up close hosting the show. The glitzy style spectacular was led by one of Europe’s top catwalk production companies and included a collection of new faces from top modelling agencies including Storm, Premiere and Models One. A huge success for the city’s style scene, fashionistas came out to play in force, sporting their lanyard passes and free Osman Yousefzada limited edition tote bags at the 26 catwalk shows, as well as other highlights including live events led by fashion master Caryn Franklin, beauty boutiques with treatments from some of the best in the business, an exclusive Q&A with celebrity stylist Bradley Taylor and an unparallelled number of in-store competitions helping visitors to bag some true style treats. Birmingham was buzzing and Jade Sukiya was there to capture some of the sights and styles which will be hitting your high streets soon. Photos by Jade Sukiya

26

Brum Notes Magazine

Not only have charity shops, thrift stores and vintage boutiques been keeping us in the kind of knitwear our grandparents and Cobain would be proud of, they are a treasure trove of ancient t-shirts bearing the most random of images and slogans. As tired as a vintage band t-shirt can look, it’s often softer than any cashmere we can afford and when you bear that fact in mind, and consider the origins of the grunge look (think 90s Seattle, Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, heroin chic, Britpop etc) it becomes clear that - spawned from a mixture of student poverty-induced necessity, and the intellectual leanings of creative types who gravitate towards fashion, music and good times – the resurgence of 90s style is the financially affordable hallmark of an elite club of snappy dressers. The beauty of this look is that anything goes, you’re basically channelling nonchalance. So hit the club in an old tie dye t-shirt with your hair scraped up on your head, battered converse on your feet and heavily laddered tights to finish it off. We like to call this particular look… dirty/sexy/comfy.

90s VIBE Checkered scrunchie Ebuni.com £4

Rabbit motif jumper Topshop £46 Converse All Star Office £46 Hotpant Dungarees Boohoo.com £15 Floral lace cycle shorts American Apparel £36

Slashed tights Miss Selfridge £8.50

Words by Lola Cola Lion Tank Topshop £20

TOPSHOP Unique SS12 @ LFW Inspired by the 1963 adaptation of Cleopatra, the abundant references to ancient Egypt were evident in TOPSHOP Unique SS12 on the London Fashion Week (LFW) catwalk. The spring/summer collection preview explored the ideas of what a 90s urban, hip-hop Egyptian queen would look like today with bold prints, gold leaf detail, rich embellishments and body con silhouettes all with a ghetto fabulous twist. Elizabeth Taylor would be proud.

Images courtesy of TOPSHOP

October 2011

27

live MOSELEY FOLK FESTIVAL Moseley Park, Moseley September 2-5 Day One - Friday, September 2 Who’s a sexy Mo Fo then eh? Now in its sixth year and firmly established as a real highlight of the festival season, 2011’s Moseley Folk had arguably the best bill so far, once again set in the rather magical surroundings of Moseley Park (seriously, it’s like another world in there... hobbits and all sorts). Day one saw some fine performances from Welsh language folkies 9Bach, Ivor Novello award polishers Villagers and laid back hotel shampoo bottle fetishist Gruff Rhys before Anglo/Spanish collective Crystal Fighters unveiled their first ever fully acoustic show. Although bereft of their techno

28

techno techno pulse that’s made them one of the star attractions of the summer they still managed to encourage a huge number of the crowd to get up and dance and a pair of wasps to ‘get it on’ on the lead singer’s mic. Awesome. Badly Drawn Boy closed the first day in typical hangdog style and, despite playing down his talents, the set was a celebration of one of Britpop’s golden boys. After a bit of a lull of late he seems to be back writing again and one of his newbies (helpfully untitled) is right up there with classic Boy. Although he’d probably disagree with that as well...

Brum Notes Magazine

Day Two - Saturday, Sep 3 Day two and Ben Calvert and The Swifts (or should that be the larks?) kicked off at the indecently early hour of 11am. Those that made it were well rewarded by Ben and the band’s Nick Drake-meets-Syd Barrett vignettes of modern life including the delightfully named Popstar Sits Alone At Home Crying Eating Hob Nobs. Any lingering Friday night hangovers were given a thorough kicking courtesy of Oh Ruin’s impressive Doors-ish sludgefests before the hugely talented Bonfire Radicals cleverly wove Middle Eastern and Jewish Klezmer influences into more traditional English folk with some stunning vocal performances. Willy Mason arrived a little late so he ended up on the smaller stage but it didn’t make a jot of difference. Despite still only being 12 years old (oh alright, he’s 26) he sounds like he’s lived at least a dozen lives and his slo mo (fo) twangy blues n country kept the crowd entranced. Even the once ubiquitous Oxygen (played to death when it came out) seemed a little fresher. Previous festival headliner Jose Gonzalez was back for more as part of his ‘other’ band Junip, fleshing out the sparse but effective sound that made him the intelligent pop lovers’ wet dream before The Bees’ mix of 60s psychedelia, folk, soul, ska...you name it... provided a huge blast of sunshine for the ears. Day two culminated in the mesmerising desert blues of Tinariwen which, for an hour and half, miraculously transformed a tiny corner of a darkening Moseley Park into the shimmering expanse of the Sahara.

fell into the latter camp. It’s not easy to sing to hundreds of people in a park, unplugged, but he gathered them round the stage and sang as clearly and crisply as you’re ever likely to hear. It was - cliché ahoy - a magical moment. Local boy made good Scott Matthews underlined what a vastly underrated talent he is with a fine set of new and old material before Village Well popped some Caribbean, Middle Eastern and Indian influences into

the melting pot, serving up one of the weekend’s more adventurous covers with their Redemption Song/One Love mash up. John Presley’s scuzzed up garage blues and razor blade vocals transported the crowd to a dive bar off Route 66 leaving the way clear for Billy Bragg, the Bard of Barking...or Dorset now apparently. Tonight’s set combined some of the early classics (Levi Stubbs Tears, Greetings To The New Brunette, To Have And To Have Not) with plenty of raging against the machine, a few newbies and a couple of covers (including a moving run through Guthrie’s I Ain’t Got A Home In This Land Anymore). A rousing singalong version of A New England, replete with a verse dedicated to the late great Kirsty MacColl, ended the show, and this folking great festival, on a real high. Words by Daron Billings Photos by Wayne Fox Photos: Left hand page (clockwise from top): Tinariwen; Villagers; Badly Drawn Boy. This page, clockwise from top: crowds enjoy Crystal Fighters; Junip; the view from the stage during The Bees; Oh Ruin; Morris Dancers; Billy Bragg.

Day Three - Sunday, Sep 4 The last day and traditional folk song interpreter Sam Lee provided what was, for many early birds, one of the weekend’s highlights when the power went off for a moment. Different artists handle this kind of thing in different ways. Some go off for a fag and a hand job, others embrace the opportunity to sing ‘au naturel’. Sam and co

October 2011

29

GARY NUMAN Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton September 18 The Wulfrun Hall became somewhat overwhelming, as the distinctive Numan look-a-likes flooded the venue in full attire, black dyed hair (or sewn-in wigs) and make-up as far as the eye could see. Other devoted fans basked in dedication, wearing previous tour t-shirts dating well before Gary’s last decade of performances. And the eagerly awaited man himself caused quite a stir before even gracing us with his presence, as chants of “Numan, Numan, Numan,” greeted the legend, replicating the onset of a football match. The atmospheric Resurrection came first, delving into the depths of a hellish land, ripped apart by creepy, cold jutters and drones, which dazed the crowd into a continuous, trippy sway. When The Sky Bleeds, He Will Come exhaled a darker breath, with tribal beats thudding throughout the body, steeped against frozen, alien vocals. “Something, falling from heaven, looks like a nightmare, coming to

THE BARGE THAT OXJAMBRUM ROCKED, Birmingham canals September 10 When OxjamBrum decide to host a warmup gig they don’t do things by half. Last year they toured the 11 bus route and this year they went one better with a musical adventure along Birmingham’s waterways. The Barge That OxjamBrum Rocked was no chilled out affair either, with acts such as seven-piece ska band Sick Boys Club and raucous bluesmen Hawker. Hawker opened the gambit atop the barge 30

haunt me,” sings Numan, portraying his crystal clear atheism views through thrill-riding exuberance. Down In The Park was soon the song on everybody’s lips. With a new, heavier edge, the iconic track had rocketed way beyond the early synth pop days, shredding in between the fans who’ve been a part of Numan’s alternative-world since the beginning. The sweat continued to build up among the Numanoids, as they drained themselves for the industrial dance beats of The Fall, marching into a chaotic artificial frenzy, forced open through a stand-out guitar crunch. The Gary Numan cult certainly doesn’t fall short at celebrating the groundbreaking synth pioneer. And 33 years on, Gary is still exceeding his own talent through unique, otherworldly showmanship that can never truly be echoed. Words by Ross Cotton Photo by Ian Dunn

with the rallying cry: “Son of a Bitch!” This might be a charity gig but don’t expect any censorship. And although the rain persisted, no-one’s spirits were dampened. Held together perfectly by the spontaneous poetry and musings of local folk hero Paul Murphy, the barge traversed the city’s canalways to Birmingham University’s The Vale. Most bands rammed themselves into the small bar area to perform, while Alchemy Duo and Benjamin Blower’s Army of the Broken Hearted braved the towpath. Mike Smith from Frogmorten and two of Bluebeat Arkestra showcased the eclectic mix of genres. The Traps boarded at the

halfway point to entertain the crowd with their harmonic, acoustic versions of new and old songs, also becoming the first band to brave tickling the ivories of the barge’s beautiful piano. The night was rounded off by lively folksters Young Runaways, complete with a frontman insistent on playing among the audience and high-fiving everyone on board, before everyone disembarked to spontaneous applause from the outdoor punters at The Flapper. Up next, OxjamBrum’s Takeover hits venues across the city centre on October 15. Words by Nic Toms Brum Notes Magazine

PETER DOHERTY Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton September 20 The packed crowd was once again eating out of Peter Doherty’s hand as his one man spellbinding performance rolled up in Wolverhampton. He appeared on stage every inch the Doherty his fans have grown to know and love; it was a typically ramshackle yet stunning performance from the ex-Libertine. Once again, he was not ashamed to play his old tracks, with Libertines and Babyshambles numbers outnumbering material from his solo album. It made no difference, however, as it was impossible to take your eyes off the stage, whichever song he played. The feeling that anything can happen when Doherty is on stage is palpable throughout the crowd. This feeling grows as he struggles to smoke a cigarette while singing, and throws his harmonica, trilby and stand into the crowd mid-set. Despite all this, his impressive backlog of songs proves he is a true institution of British music. Tracks such as What Katie Did, Can’t Stand Me Now and Don’t Look Back Into The Sun highlight why The Libertines were so important to us. Babyshambles material like Albion, In Love With A Feeling and Fuck Forever keep the crowd singing along while For Lovers is played with renewed vigour on the same day co-writer Wolfman was released from Pentonville. There was also a very special moment when Doherty played his own tribute to Amy Winehouse, a cover of Tears Dry On Their Own, with fans praying he doesn’t leave them the same way Amy did. Words by Jon Pritchard Photo by Andy Hughes

THE ADAM & EVE october LISTINGS:

Every Monday is BROKEN AMP: Breaking acoustic talent every Monday Friday, September 30th: Whomanity. Followed by Shadow City Afterparty. Saturday, Oct 1st: Troumaca Club night. Sunday 2nd: RELAUCH PARTY, 7pm onwards Live music and DJs, food from Byron’s Kitchen, fresh decor. Sunday 2nd: Open Xpress poetry afternoon. 4pm start. Wednesday 5th: MIKE SCOTT/OLIVER JOHN WARD/SALTY/STEVE LOWRY Thursday 6th: The Deecracks + Murder Burgers+ Zapoteks Friday 7th: Silent Filter followed by Pub Tropicana. Moombathon, dancehall, reggae. Jerk BBQ, Tropicana punch. Saturday 8th: Chicks Dig Jerks presents COME TOGETHER- a brand new independent club night specialising in indie, Britpop and 60s music. Live music with Silvershores + Burnside. Wednesday 12th: Silent Filter October 2011

Bradford St, Digbeth, Birmingham B12 0JD 0121 693 1500 www.theadam.co.uk Friday 14th: The Jam DRC Saturday 15th: The Coopers. Mod classics. Sunday 16th: Silent Filter Thursday 20th: Silent Filter Friday 21st: GLOBALDnB’S 3RD BIRTHDAY BASH PRESENTS: DJ SS! Other acts: SUBLIMINAL STITCH/INTRUDA & WHITEY MC/ DJ KAYLON/FREQUEN-CEE/DIGITALLY MASHED/WARREN B/TNT & VYTOL/PAYNEY/DUTCHE/DJ DNA/HARRY P Tickets available @ £5 www.theticketsellers.co.uk Saturday 22nd: Big Balloon all dayer. Live music and DJs. Sunday 23rd: The Sunday Scene. The Smokestax live @ The Sunday Scene - Free entry, free bar nibbles. 4pm start. Wednesday 26th: PUNKS ALIVE PRESENTS A PUNK NIGHT AT THE ADAM & EVE WITH VAGABONDS/3 STONE MONKEY/ ZIPLOCK/WINTER OF 79 Saturday 29th: Punks Alive presents: DISCHARGE/BILLY CLUB/TOTAL BLOODY CHAOS/DIRT BOX DISCO Sunday 30th: Sunday Xpress all dayer 31

FOOD + DRINK south american spirit Don’t let the changing seasons get you down, there’s a drink out there to keep your spirits up all year round. Hold onto the summer for a little while longer by trying some delicious Pisco drinks or welcome in the new season by mixing them up with some imagination and adding autumnal flavours and spices. Pisco is a spirit from Peru and Chile - there are arguments between the two countries as to which one made it first, much like the argument for vodka between Poland and Russia. It is made from grapes in a similar way to brandy with floral aromas and a citrusy taste making it a very nice sipping spirit. However, we much prefer it as a base for cocktails. The first cocktail we suggest, the Pisco Sour, is Peru’s national drink and for good reason - a lovely, balanced, refreshing drink that complements all the flavours from the Pisco. The second was made by myself just a few months ago and is available exclusively at Bodega. But if you want to make one at home, find out how below.

Recipe: PISCO SOUR Ingredients: 50ml ABA Pisco 30ml lime juice 12.5ml sugar syrup Egg white Directions: Shake all ingredients first with no ice - this is to get the egg white nice and frothy, then add the ice and pour from one glass to another approximately six times to dilute and get the liquid nice and cold. Finally, pour into a champagne flute and add a dash of angostura bitters. Or, if you are welcoming in autumn, you could sprinkle cinnamon on top.

Recipe: PERUVIAN WISEGUY Ingredients: 30ml Demonio De Los Andes (Chilean) pisco 20ml St Germain elderflower liqueur 25ml grapefruit juice 15ml lemon juice 32

Directions: Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain (sieve) into a cocktail glass to remove any ice particles that would end up in the drink. Add different flavours such as cranberry and apple juice in place of grapefruit or think of different spices or herbs you could add to the drink before shaking. By Antony Bubb - bar manager at Bodega Bar and Cantina, Bennetts Hill, Birmingham city centre 0121 448 4267 Brum Notes Magazine

October 2011

33

34

Brum Notes Magazine

October 2011

35

WHAT’S ON

GIGS

Annual charity gig extravaganza OxjamBrum Takeover returns on October 15, staging performances from more than 25 of the city’s best artists across seven venues, including the likes of Free School, Young Runaways and Romans. Bombay Bicycle Club have already produced one of the albums of the year, returning with A Different Kind of Fix, and follow it up with a live show at the O2 Academy on October 13, with support from folk-punk hybrids Dry The River. LA indie trendies The Blood Arm have developed a reputation as a true underground influence over the past decade and bring their raw energy to The Rainbow on October 16. Ubercool Tokyo instrumentalists Lite (pictured below) bring their unique blend of math rock and cinematic soundscapes to The Flapper on October 16, with support from Maybeshewill and Birmingham’s own IO. Continuing the cinematic theme, French musician Yann Tiersen brings his array of vintage synths, electric guitars and wall of instruments to the O2 Academy 2 on October 25. Legendary Stourbridge altrock pioneers Pop Will Eat Itself reunite with a new line-up for a return tour, taking in the O2 Academy on October 28. For something slightly more serene, folk star Laura Marling performs in the unique surrounds of Birmingham Cathedral on October 29, including a matinee appearance and an evening show.

COMEDY

CLUBBING

One of Birmingham’s most original clubbing spaces shows off its versatility with the second annual Rainbow Showcase Festival taking place across The Rainbow Complex in Digbeth on October 8, bringing together the likes of Benga, Jack Beats and Adam Shelton, as well as street magician Dynamo and more for an all night party across the Warehouse, Cellar Door, Garden and Pub. Sticking with The Rainbow, weekly Saturday night FACE celebrates its second birthday in typical style, teaming up with taste-making DJ and new music champion Annie Mac (pictured), for a two-inone party on October 15 with Danny Daze and Lauhaus in the Garden, Annie Mac, ShyFx, Redlight and more in The Warehouse. Hip hop founding father Grandmaster Flash shows off his unrivalled turntable skills at the Hare & Hounds on October 15, with support on the night from UK rapper MCM, local freestyler Juice Aleem and turntablist crew A Few Good Men. For a club night with a difference, Birmingham Roller Disco has a new home, taking over the 4,000 sq ft dancefloor at The Ballroom fortnightly from October 22. Nowhere embraces Halloween more than The Flapper and the city centre pub will be hosting its annual free entry Fancy Dress Party on October 29, with ghoulish tunes from resident DJs until 3am, prizes for the best outfits, plus live music from Morgue Orgy and more in the downstairs venue. The Drop Dead Gorgeous Halloween Special brings a burlesque flavour to the Hare & Hounds on October 29, with live burlesque from Talulah Blue, music from Lisa & The Gentlemen plus spoken word.

There will be no shortage of laughs this month as Birmingham Comedy Festival returns to venues across the city from October 7 to 16, with appearances from the likes of Jack Whitehall, Russell Kane and Hal Cruttenden in the city, while emerging acts and local talent will be performing at various pubs and comedy venues, including the Mad Cow’s Daytime Open Mic Comedy at The Red Lion in Hockley on October 8 and October 15. Co-creator of The Office Stephen Merchant (pictured) will be stepping out of the shadow of Ricky Gervais to return to his comedy roots by embarking on his own stand-up tour, performing a two-night stint at the Symphony Hall on October 17 and 18. Irish comic Tommy Tiernan is one of the most polished yet spontaneous performers around. His close-to-the-bone brand of ferociously clever story-telling continues to win new admirers all the time. He’s at The Glee Club, Birmingham, on October 26.

36

Brum Notes Magazine

KEY TO LISTINGS: M = LIVE MUSIC CN = CLUB NIGHT C = COMEDY

VENUE DIRECTORY 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; The 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 M M M M M CN CN CN CN CN CN CN CN CN CN CN CN

Saturday, Oct 1 Wheatus

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham Birmingham

Virtues

The Actress & Bishop The Asylum

Watchfires

The Flapper

Birmingham

Oxjam presents Stressechoes + more Hard-Fi

The Rose Villa Tavern

Birmingham

Wulfrun Hall

Wolverhampton

Toploader

Kasbah

Coventry

James Zabiela & Riva Star Paul van Dyk

Air

Birmingham

Gatecrasher

Birmingham

Guilty Pleasures

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Dr Jekyll’s Potion Back 2 Life Troumaca Club Night Guilty Pleasures

Jekyll & Hyde

Birmingham

Paper Tigers

FACE present Lola Showcase Juqebox Club A-GoGo Subvert Soundsystem Leftfoot present Crazy P (Live) Sumosoundsystem

October 2011

CN C C

Birmingham

The Adam & Eve The Library @ HMV Institute The Rainbow

Birmingham

The Rose Villa Tavern The Victoria

Birmingham

Wagon & Horses Hare & Hounds

Birmingham

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Birmingham Birmingham

Birmingham

Kings Heath

M M M M CN C C M M CN CN CN C M M M C

Want your gig or club night listed in our monthly guide? Send details to: info@brumnotes. com 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.

Reverb Free Party

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Fosters Comedy Live Jason John Whitehead Sunday, Oct 2 Free Love Club

Highlight

Birmingham

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Island Bar

Birmingham

The Wombats

O2 Academy

Birmingham

The Nortons

The Flapper

Birmingham

Terrorvision

Slade Rooms

Wolverhampton

Hott Date

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Joe Lycett tries his best Russell Kane

The Victoria

Birmingham

Wulfrun Hall

Wolverhampton

Monday, Oct 3 The Straits

Symphony Hall

Birmingham

Teeth

The Rainbow

Birmingham

Loaded

Gatecrasher

Birmingham

Fuzzy Logic

Oceana

Birmingham

Control

Vudu

Birmingham

Phill Jupitus

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Tuesday, Oct 4 Ghostpoet

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

Emmy The Great

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Manchester Orchestra Hal Cruttenden

The Library @ HMV Institute Slade Rooms

Birmingham Wolverhampton

37

M M M M M M M CN CN CN CN CN M M M M

Wednesday, Oct 5 Silent Filter band night Nerina Pallot

Island Bar

Birmingham

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham Birmingham

Blackmores Night

The Adam & Eve Town Hall

Gregory Porter

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Speak Up Sessions (spoken word) Robin Trower

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Robin 2

Bilston

Full Moon

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Calvin Harris

Oceana

Birmingham

Minky Moo Foam Party Big Wednesday

Risa

Birmingham

Snobs

Birmingham

Moschino Hoes Versace Hotties Thursday, Oct 6 Chase & Status

The Victoria

Birmingham

O2 Academy

Birmingham

Brooke Fraser

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

Crosby & Nash

Symphony Hall

Birmingham

The Deecracks

Mike Scott

Birmingham

CN CN CN CN CN CN CN C C M M M M

Birmingham

CN

Jagerbull

Risa

Birmingham

Paddy McGuinness

NIA

Birmingham

CN

Adam Hills

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Birmingham Kings Heath

CN CN

Friday, Oct 7 The Feeling

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Wolfgang

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

My Great Affliction

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

No Americana

The Actress & Bishop The Adam & Eve The Asylum

Birmingham

CN CN

Birmingham

C

Birmingham

C

Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham

Sam Amidon

The Sunflower Lounge Hare & Hounds

Ms Dynamite

Kasbah

Coventry

Kings Heath

Supersonic Vague

Gatecrasher

Birmingham

Filthy Disco

Highlight

Birmingham

Frat Party

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Tiki Friday with Takin Care of Business Propaganda

Island Bar

Birmingham

O2 Academy

Birmingham

Pub Tropicana

The Adam & Eve

Birmingham

CN

M M M M M M M M M M M C

Birmingham

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Saturday, Oct 8 The Kooks

O2 Academy

Birmingham

Joshua Radin

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

Zero Amigo

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

False Pretence

The Actress & Bishop The Asylum

Birmingham

The End @ The Ballroom The Flapper

Birmingham

The Library @ HMV Institute The Temple @ HMV Institute Kasbah

Birmingham

Warwick Arts Centre HMV Institute

Coventry

Jekyll & Hyde

Birmingham

The Adam & Eve The Ballroom

Birmingham

Rainbow Showcase Festival Loose Joints - DJ Kaminski Hot Wax

The Rainbow

Birmingham

The Rose Villa Tavern The Victoria

Birmingham

Together 1st Birthday Party Fosters Comedy Live Matt Reed

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Highlight

Birmingham

Trigga’s Fast & Furious Birthday Bash Dr Jekyll’s Potion Neither/Nor Come Together

Bilston

38

Moseley

Highlight

CN

Moseley

CN CN

Bull’s Head

Fosters Comedy Live Matt Reed

Art Brut

Robin 2

M M CN CN CN CN

Kings Heath

M M

Bull’s Head

The Modern

Hare & Hounds

Birmingham

Me’sha Bryan

Cave Painting

The Source Present DJ Trace Freestyle

Dels

Pandas & People

M M

Birmingham

M

Coppe’

The End @ The Ballroom The Rainbow

The Rose Villa Tavern The Victoria

Birmingham

M M M CN C C

M

Birmingham

Discographic - Hot Wax Beats By Numbers

Action Replay

Imperial Leisure

M

The Rainbow

M M

M

Silent Filter band night Surface Festival Showcase Kill Timers

Birmingham

Twisted Funk

Birmingham

M

M

Birmingham

The Rainbow

Panic Room

Forever The Sickest Kids The Twang

M M M M

The Rainbow

Silent Noize

M M

The Adam & Eve The Library @ HMV Institute The Rainbow Warehouse The Temple @ HMV Institute Hare & Hounds

M

Muzik Hertz

Heathen Zoo

VNV Nation

The Overtones

Roller Disco

Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham Coventry

Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Sunday, Oct 9 Staind

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Free Love Club

Island Bar

Birmingham

Suicide Silence

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

Mr Shankly

Birmingham

Lahannya

The Actress & Bishop The Asylum

Only The Good

The Flapper

Birmingham

Ralph McTell

Town Hall

Birmingham

Blood Ceremony

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Bohemian Jukebox Sunday Social Kids In Glass Houses Wishbone Ash

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Wulfrun Hall

Wolverhampton

Robin 2

Bilston

Jack Whitehall

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Birmingham

Brum Notes Magazine

C C C M M M M CN CN CN C M M M M M M M C M M M M M M M M M M CN CN M M M M

Yummie Brummies

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Half-A-Dog’s Funniest Friends Russell Kane

The Victoria

Birmingham

Monday, Oct 10 War of Ages Frozen Affliction

Warwick Arts Centre

Coventry

The Actress & Bishop The Asylum

Birmingham Birmingham

Cloud Control

The Rainbow

Birmingham

Nadja

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Loaded

Gatecrasher

Birmingham

Fuzzy Logic

Oceana

Birmingham

Control

Vudu

Birmingham

Barbara Nice

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Tuesday, Oct 11 Ed Sheeran

HMV Institute

Birmingham

LaFaro

The Rainbow

Birmingham

Keith Caputo

The Temple @ HMV Institute Wagon & Horses Slade Rooms

Birmingham

Fine Young Firecrackers Y&T The Specials Random Hand

Wulfrun Hall Kasbah

Birmingham Wolverhampton Wolverhampton Coventry

Howard Marks

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Wednesday, Oct 12 Mazes

Hare & Hounds

Birmingham

Silent Filter band night Keri Hilson

Island Bar

Birmingham

O2 Academy

Birmingham

Submotion Orchestra Josh Groban

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

Symphony Hall

Birmingham

Silent Filter band night The Pierces

The Adam & Eve The Glee Club

Birmingham

Mazes

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Sarah Blasko

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

The Specials

Wulfrun Hall

Wolverhampton

Full Moon

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Big Wednesday

Snobs

Birmingham

O2 Academy

Birmingham

Thursday, Oct 13 Bombay Bicycle Club While She Sleeps

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

The Overtones

Symphony Hall

Birmingham

Tyburn Drop

Birmingham

M

The Joy Formidable

M

[Spunge]

M M CN

Wilcox Silent Screams

Kasbah

Coventry

Vodbull School Disco Fantastic Damage

Risa

Birmingham

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Chris Ramsey

The Glee Club

Birmingham

The Boy With Tape On His Face

The Glee Club

Birmingham

October 2011

M M M M M

Ivan Brackenbury

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Andrew Lawrence

Slade Rooms

Wolverhampton

Friday, Oct 14 Johnny Mathis

LG Arena

Birmingham

Noah And The Whale The Horrors

O2 Academy

Birmingham

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

Nero (Live)

Space2

Birmingham

The Stacks

The Actress & Bishop The End @ The Ballroom The Flapper

Birmingham

The Temple @ HMV Institute Hare & Hounds

Birmingham

Felabration feat Dele Sosimi Orchestra Essence with Steve Allen Lucha Libre

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Air

Birmingham

Bodega

Birmingham

Offworld

Club PST

Birmingham

Supersonic Vague

Gatecrasher

Birmingham

Frat Party

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Tiki Friday with Down by Law Resistance

Island Bar

Birmingham

The Rainbow

Birmingham

Hype with Foreign Beggars (live)

The Rainbow Warehouse

Birmingham

M

Pulse

M

Cold Night For Alligators Wakey! Wakey!

M M M CN CN CN CN CN CN CN CN

Enablers

Birmingham Birmingham

Kings Heath

Birmingham

The Actress & Bishop The Library @ HMV Institute The Temple @ HMV Institute Hare & Hounds

CN C C

C C

Birmingham

OCTOBER 2011 TOUR Sat 1st Wed 19th Fri 21st Sat 22nd Sun 23rd Sat 29th Sun 30th Mon 31st

Munich Leicester Liverpool Preston Glossop Kirriemuir Birmingham Manchester

Hausmunik, GER (Ben & Hannah) The Musician Vinyl Bar The Continental Moon & Sixpence Bank St Gallery, Scotland (Ben Solo) The Hare & Hounds Mary and Archie (Ben Solo)

Birmingham Kings Heath

Ben Calvert & The Swifts

FESTIVE ROAD

Debut album Festive Road released Monday 31st October. Available on CD, and on Circus Ball with digital download. bencalvert.com bohemianjukebox.com

39

CN

Discographic- DJ4D

CN

Music for the People Freestyle

CN C C C M M M M M M M M M CN CN CN CN CN CN CN CN CN CN C C C M M M M M M M M M M M M C

40

The Rose Villa Tavern The Victoria

Birmingham Birmingham

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Fosters Comedy Live Chris Ramsey

Highlight

Birmingham

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Hal Cruttenden

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Saturday, Oct 15 Rihanna

LG Arena

Birmingham

Enter Shikari

O2 Academy

Birmingham

Khaliq

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

The Coopers

The Adam & Eve The End @ The Ballroom The Flapper

Birmingham

The Library @ HMV Institute Various venues

Birmingham

Coventry

Ed-It

Warwick Arts Centre Gatecrasher

Jaguar Skills

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Dr Jekyll’s Potion Cold Rice Random Xcitement

Jekyll & Hyde

Birmingham

Subway City

Birmingham

Oxjam Brum Afterparty Juqebox- Steve Jones Sweat

The Ballroom

Birmingham

The Rose Villa Tavern The Victoria

Birmingham

Grandmaster Flash

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

High Fidelity Music For Smart People Habit present Eddie Leader Fosters Comedy Live Highlight Comedy

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Chris Ramsey

Son of a Lumberjack OXJAM NIGHT Ben Howard Oxjam Brum Takeover Milton Jones

Bull’s Head

C

Birmingham Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham

Moseley

Highlight

Birmingham

Highlight

Birmingham

The Glee Club

Birmingham

M M M M M M CN CN C M M M M M

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Jessie J

O2 Academy

Birmingham

Bless The Fall

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

James Vincent McMorrow Roger Mcguinn

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Town Hall

Birmingham

Miles Kane

Kasbah

Coventry

Loaded

Gatecrasher

Birmingham

Control

Vudu

Birmingham

Stephen Merchant

Symphony Hall

Birmingham

Tuesday, Oct 18 Miles Kane

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Jessie J

O2 Academy

Birmingham

Darren Hayes

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

Only Route Out

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

Talk is Cheap

The Actress & Bishop The Glee Club

Birmingham

Birmingham

M M C

Silver Souvenirs

The Temple @ HMV Institute Hare & Hounds

Blitz Kids

Slade Rooms

Wolverhampton

Stephen Merchant

Symphony Hall

Birmingham

Island Bar

Birmingham

M M M CN CN C C C

Birmingham Birmingham

M

Bowling For Soup

Kitchen Garden Cafe O2 Academy

Birmingham

Little Comets

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

Missing Andy

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

M M

Silent Filter band night LITE

The Adam & Eve The Flapper

Birmingham

Roddy Frame

The Glee Club

Birmingham

The Blood Arm

The Rainbow

Birmingham

Livebox Battle In The Box With Soweto Michelle Shocked

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

The Hollies

Civic Hall

Wolverhampton

Russell Kane

Alexandra Theatre

Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham

Raul Midon

Island Bar

Dean Friedman

The Victoria

M M

M M M M

Sunday, Oct 16 Free Love Club

Half a Dog Comedy presents: 2 Half an Hours Monday, Oct 17 Skepta

M M M M CN CN C M M

Wu Lyf

Wednesday, Oct 19 Silent Filter band night The Cat Empire

Birmingham

Kings Heath

O2 Academy

Birmingham

Japanese Voyeurs

The Rainbow

Birmingham

Full Moon

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Big Wednesday

Snobs

Birmingham

Seann Walsh

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Justin Moorhouse

Town Hall

Birmingham

Lee Nelson

Civic Hall

Wolverhampton

Thursday, Oct 20 Ash

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Stiff Little Fingers

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Katy B

O2 Academy

Birmingham

Tsuris

The Actress & Bishop The Adam & Eve The Glee Club

Birmingham

Birmingham

Hope And Social

The Temple @ HMV Institute Hare & Hounds

Negative Brody

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Charlie Simpson

Slade Rooms

Wolverhampton

John Cooper Clarke

Robin 2

Bilston

Jagerbull

Risa

Birmingham

Elixir Social

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Tom Binns is Ian D Montford Friday, Oct 21 Supersonic Festival 2011 Xzibit

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Custard Factory HMV Institute

Birmingham

Silent Filter band night Jake Morley Random Hand

Birmingham Birmingham

Kings Heath

Birmingham Brum Notes Magazine

M M

Herman Dune

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

Jackpike

Birmingham

M M

Underscored

The Actress & Bishop The Asylum

Birmingham

M

The Mumblecores

M M M CN CN CN

Endless Nameless

The End @ The Ballroom The Sunflower Lounge Hare & Hounds

Bella Diem

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Nero (Live)

Kasbah

Coventry

Supersonic Vague

Gatecrasher

Birmingham

Frat Party

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Tiki Friday with Education in Sound Global DnB’s 3rd Birthday Bash Euphoria Jungle Legends Discographic - Cold Rice Party Planning Committee Friendly Fire Band Present 10 Years Of Jam Jah Sound Fosters Comedy Live Highlight Comedy

Island Bar

Birmingham

The Adam & Eve The Rainbow

Birmingham

The Rose Villa Tavern The Victoria

Birmingham

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

CN CN CN CN CN C C C C C M M M M M M M M M M M M M CN CN CN CN CN CN CN

Mivvi

Birmingham

Birmingham Kings Heath

Birmingham

CN CN CN C C M M M M M

Highlight

Birmingham

M M M M M M M

Highlight

Birmingham

M

Paul Foot

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Tom Binns is Ian D Montford Milton Jones

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Civic Hall

Wolverhampton

Birmingham

Saturday, Oct 22 Supersonic Festival 2011 Cliff Richard

Custard Factory LG Arena

Birmingham

36 Crazyfists

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

Johnny Get The Gun

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

Sicum

Birmingham

Big Balloon All Dayer Neil Morris

The Actress & Bishop The Adam & Eve The Asylum

Scream Blue Murder Spotlight Kid

The End @ The Ballroom The Flapper

Birmingham

The Trews

The Library @ HMV Institute Hare & Hounds

Birmingham

Alternative Dubstep Orchestra Toyah Wilcox

Birmingham

Birmingham Birmingham

Birmingham

Kings Heath

Slade Rooms

Wolverhampton Coventry

Godskitchen

Warwick Arts Centre Air

Hed Kandi

Gatecrasher

Birmingham

Panic!

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Dr Jekyll’s Potion - Sounds from the South Liquid Sessions

Jekyll & Hyde

Birmingham

Subway City

Birmingham

Roller Disco

The Ballroom

Birmingham

Juqebox - Maxwell 45

The Rose Villa Tavern

Birmingham

Tindersticks

October 2011

Birmingham

M M M M CN CN M M M M M M C M M M M M CN CN C C

Lost Hours Halloween Party Party Groove With Damian Wilkes Play present Al Mackenzie Fosters Comedy Live Tom Binns is Ian D Montford Sunday, Oct 23 Supersonic Festival 2011 Wretch 32

Wagon & Horses Hare & Hounds

Birmingham

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Highlight

Birmingham

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Custard Factory HMV Institute

Birmingham

Macmaste & Hay

Birmingham

Cliff Richard

Kitchen Garden Cafe LG Arena

The Smokestax (4pm start) Sharon Shannon

The Adam & Eve The Glee Club

Birmingham

Ugly Duckling

The Rainbow

Birmingham

Free Love Club

The Victoria

Birmingham

She Keeps Bees

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Erasure

Civic Hall

Wolverhampton

Bastille

Slade Rooms

Wolverhampton

Funeral For A Friend The Maccabees

Wulfrun Hall

Wolverhampton

Kasbah

Coventry

Monday, Oct 24 The Chevin

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

James

Symphony Hall

Birmingham

Josh Pyke

The Glee Club

Birmingham

The Dykeenies

Birmingham

Loaded

The Temple @ HMV Institute Gatecrasher

Control

Vudu

Birmingham

Tuesday, Oct 25 Yann Tiersen

Kings Heath

Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

The Birthday Suit Featuring Rod Jones (Idlewild) Horse

The End @ The Ballroom

Birmingham

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Airship

The Rainbow

Birmingham

Ace Bushy Striptease + support Michael Kiwanuka

The Victoria

Birmingham

The Yardbird

Birmingham

Andi Osho

Highlight

Birmingham

Wednesday, Oct 26 Katy Perry

NIA

Birmingham Birmingham

Dan Whitehouse

The Adam & Eve The Glee Club

General Fiasco

The Rainbow

Birmingham

Led Bib

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Full Moon

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Big Wednesday

Snobs

Birmingham

Jason Manford

LG Arena

Birmingham

Tommy Tiernan

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Vagabonds

Birmingham

Thursday, Oct 27

41

M M M M M M M M M CN C C C C C M M

Benjamin Francis Leftwich Alice Cooper

HMV Institute

Birmingham

M

Discharge

NIA

Birmingham

M

Volbeat

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

Only the Good

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

Whatever Tomorrow Brings Morgue Orgy

Black Manilla

Birmingham

Rosicrucian

The Actress & Bishop The Asylum

Hello Monroe

The Rainbow

Birmingham

Monster Ceilidh Band Papa November

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Vodbull Nightmare on Broad St Dan Nightingale

Risa

Birmingham

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Jimeoin

The Glee Club

Birmingham

All New Comedy With Dave Longley & Daliso Chaponda Craig Campbell

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Slade Rooms

Wolverhampton

Joe Pasquale

Wulfrun Hall

Wolverhampton

CN

The End @ The Ballroom The Flapper

Birmingham

The Other Room @ The Ballroom The Sunflower Lounge The Temple @ HMV Institute Town Hall

Birmingham

Wagon & Horses Bull’s Head

Birmingham

Bodega

Birmingham

Supersonic Vague

Gatecrasher

Birmingham

Filthy Disco Halloween Special Tiki Friday

Highlight

Birmingham

Island Bar

Birmingham

Discographic - Tic Tac Toe Out of Bounds

The Rose Villa Tavern The Victoria

Birmingham

DemonDubz

Unplug

Birmingham

Sugarfoot Stomp 7 Year Itch Birthday Party Fosters Comedy Live Highlight Comedy

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

M

The Quiet

M

Friends Electric

M M

John Mayall

M

John Napier + Greg Bird & Flamingo Flame Lucha Libre

C C C

RKC

Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard

Eastfield

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham

Moseley

Birmingham

Highlight

Birmingham

Highlight

Birmingham

Patrick Monahan

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Reginald D Hunter

Civic Hall

Wolverhampton

M

Saturday, Oct 29 Laura Marling

M

SixtyFiveMiles

42

CN

Birmingham

Arcane Rage

C

CN

Birmingham

M M

CN CN CN

CN CN

The Actress & Bishop The Asylum

Ask Alfie Def Con One

CN CN

M M M M CN

CN CN CN

Friday, Oct 28 Pop Will Eat Itself

M M

CN CN CN

Birmingham

M M

Birmingham Cathedral The Actress & Bishop

Birmingham Birmingham

CN CN CN C C C M

The Adam & Eve The End @ The Ballroom The Flapper

Birmingham

Birmingham

Horrorfest 2011

The Temple @ HMV Institute Vudu Club

Oysterband

Wulfrun Hall

Wolverhampton

The Rapture

Kasbah

Coventry

The Specials

Ricoh Arena

Coventry

The Freaks Come Out Halloween Atta Girl

Gatecrasher

Birmingham

Island Bar

Birmingham

Dr Jekyll’s Potion Funky Tunes from Tic Tac Toe in the Main Bar Kute vs One Night Stand Zombie Ball Dance of the Dead Muzik Hertz

Jekyll & Hyde

Birmingham

Subway City

Birmingham

The Ballroom

Birmingham

The Q Club

Birmingham

FACE Halloween

The Rainbow

Birmingham

Juqebox- Maria Rodriguez Subculture Halloween Party Circles & Leftfoot Present DJ Marky Drop Dead Gorgeous Halloween Special Jazzifunk Present The Vinyl Sessions Fosters Comedy Live Patrick Monahan

The Rose Villa Tavern Vudu Club Birmingham Hare & Hounds

Birmingham

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Highlight

Birmingham

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Paul Foot

Slade Rooms

Wolverhampton Birmingham

Capdown

Sunday, Oct 30 Jackie Leven

Birmingham Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham Kings Heath

M M M M

Britney Spears

Kitchen Garden Cafe LG Arena

Maverick Sabre

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

Taking Hayley

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

The Ritas

Birmingham

M M M

Roachford

The Actress & Bishop The Glee Club

Free Love Club

The Victoria

Birmingham

The Nightingales

Birmingham

M

Livebox with 91db & Daniel Richards The Travelling Band

Wagon & Horses Hare & Hounds

M M M M M M CN CN

Birmingham

Birmingham

Kings Heath

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Black Veil Brides

Wulfrun Hall

Wolverhampton

Monday, Oct 31 One Night Only

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

Steve Earle & The Dukes Baxter Dury

Symphony Hall

Birmingham

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Seekae

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Loaded Halloween Party Control

Gatecrasher

Birmingham

Vudu

Birmingham

Brum Notes Magazine

October 2011

43

R B FR EHE RA OM AR ND £8 SA NEW PE L RO R O HO M UR

JJM Studios is a purpose built complex of six luxury, sound proofed rehearsal studios, professional recording studio and tuition services located in Walsall, West Midlands. At JJM Studios we always make sure you have the best possible rehearsal experience. Expert tuition in:

M U SIC

S CHOOL

STUDIOS AVAILABLE FOR AS LITTLE AS £8 PER HOUR FREE CYMBAL HIRE, EAR PLUGS AND TEA/COFFEE

A4

61

JJM Music School is a brand new facility based within JJM Studios that is committed to providing the highest level of teaching anywhere in the Midlands. All of our tutors are experienced professional musicians that specialise in teaching beginner, intermediate or advanced level students.

Guitar • Piano / Keys Drums • Bass • Vocals Trumpet • Trombone Cornet • Tenor Horn Strings • Music Theory Professional Recording Professional DJ

WALSALL TOWN CENTRE

B4151 From Sutton Coldfield

BR

OA DW AY N

A3

4

BR

IDG

ES

TR

TR E LS AR PE

T

AD L RO GHIL SPRIN

ET

EE

WE ARE HERE

POOL STREET

REET BATH ST SANDWELL STREET

N RO AD

AD RO

44

Tel: 01922 629700

20 Pool Street, Walsall WS1 2EN

admin@jjmstudios.co.uk

SUT TO

AM GH IN RM BI

A4031 From West Bromwich

BRAND NEW IN-HOUSE PRO-TOOLS RECORDING STUDIO

LOW ER

RUS HAL L ST

REET

OR TH

A34 From Birmingham and M6 Junction 7

For FREE membership and further details visit

www.jjmstudios.co.uk Brum Notes Magazine

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.