September 2011
www.brumnotes.com music and lifestyle for the west midlands
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Dropping anchor with
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ALSO INSIDE: Gary Numan Tubelord Male Bonding Scott Matthews
PLUS: Hardeep Singh Kohli // Guile // David Ford // Zeros&Ones And, your complete guide to nightlife in Birmingham throughout September September 2011
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Brum Notes Magazine
Upcoming Events RESULTS ADVICE DAYS >Our A/AS Level Advice Day is on Thursday 16 August between 10.00-16.00. >Our GCSE Advice Day is on Thursday 25 August between 13.00-16.00.
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>Access to Music Birmingham has Open Days every Wednesday during August 10.00-16.00. >We have a special Welcome Open Day on Friday 26 August between 10.00-14.00 for newcomers and all applicants. >We also have a final Open Evening on Wednesday 31 August between 17.00-19.00.
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Sign up now for Access to Music’s great range of music courses which are now run from Heath Mill Studios in Digbeth. Choose from Digital Musician or Performing Musician. Courses are ideal for 16-18s looking to get into the music industry. Apply now:
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September 2011
Heath Mill Studios 68 Heath Mill Lane Digbeth Birmingham, B9 4AR T: 0330 123 3155
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CONTENTS
Editor: Chris Moriarty Contributors Words: Jon Pritchard, Ross Cotton, Lauren Partridge, Ben Russell, Rommy Stelfox, Danielle Perry Pictures: Katja Ogrin, Jade Sukiya, Ian Dunn, Steve Gerrard, Eliza-Jane Baker Style editor: Jade Sukiya jade@brumnotes.com Design: Sleepy.me.uk, Andy Aitken 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.
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REGULARS: NEWS COMPETITION LIVE REVIEWS STYLE FOOD & DRINK WHAT’S ON - your comprehensive guide to music, clubs and comedy across the West Midlands this month FEATURES: EXHIBITION: Home of Metal in pictures COMEDY: Hardeep Singh Kohli MUSIC: Gary Numan MUSIC: Scott Matthews MUSIC: Guile/Zeros&Ones MUSIC: Male Bonding MUSIC: David Ford/Tubelord MUSIC: Dry The River
Twitter: @BrumNotesMag Facebook: www.facebook.com/ BrumNotesMagazine www.brumnotes.com
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Brum Notes Magazine
A MAJOR EXHIBITION CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF HEAVY METAL AND ITS BIRTHPLACE
September 2011
IMAGE: KATJA OGRIN
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CITY RAP COLLECTIVE AIMING FOR CHART SUCCESS A unique collective of more than 40 rappers, musicians and artists from Birmingham release their debut single this month aimed at putting the city’s urban music scene on the map. The B City Collective was set up with the aim of providing a platform to help urban artists in the region begin viable careers in music. The collective’s first project sees the release of single Out The Box, with the intention of breaking into the top 40 chart. B City Collective founder Chris Hytch, of Hit Hot Productions, said the aim of the single was to inspire young people to break out of their own limitations, with all proceeds from sales being donated to youth-oriented, non-profit organisations. The single is available from all major download stores and can be pre-ordered ahead of its official release date of September 4. B City Collective also perform live at free music event Artsfest in Centenary Square on September 10.
AID OFFERED TO RIOT HIT BUSINESSES AS INVESTIGATIONS CONTINUE
IN BRIEF
Businesses in Birmingham affected by last month’s riots are being offered free advice on claiming financial assistance to aid their recovery. Independent shops and small traders were among the worst affected as looters went on the rampage across the city centre and other parts of Birmingham and the West Midlands over the nights of August 8 and 9. A financial support package of up to £2m has been made available and businesses directly affected will be able to apply to the council for support. Details of applying for support are available at www.birmingham.gov.uk/businessrecovery. Long-established skateboard shop Ideal in The Custard Factory was among those ransacked in an overnight raid and has been forced to move into a temporary unit elsewhere within the complex. The shop’s owners have been quick to praise suppliers, customers and other well-wishers for their support in helping them to reopen so soon after the raid. More shops across the city also lost thousands of pounds of stock and suffered devastating damage in the raids. Aston arts centre The Drum was also damaged and the historic Bartons Arms pub opposite was ransacked while shots were allegedly fired at police officers and a force helicopter and petrol bombs thrown by a group of masked men. CCTV images of the violence (right) have been released by West Midlands Police to encourage witnesses to come forward. Dozens of people have since been handed jail terms for their parts in the various incidents of disorder, while police investigations are continuing. The violent scenes culminated in tragedy with the deaths of brothers Shazad Ali and Abdul Musavir and their friend Haroon Jahan who all died while trying to protect property in Winson Green. A charity football match between the India and Pakistan cricket teams takes place in their honour on September 3 in Derby.
A new club night launches in Birmingham next month aimed at combining the best local band and DJ talent with up-andcoming touring acts on the same bill. Watchfires will take place on the first Saturday of every month at The Flapper in Kingston Row and is curated by local band Sunrise Over Europe. On the bill for the launch night on October 1 will be shimmering shoegaze outfit Spotlight Kid, fresh from a successful summer which has included a Glastonbury performance and Radio 1 airplay. Tickets are £5 in advance and available from www.brumnotes.com/gigs.
iconic digbeth nightspot back open for business The former Medicine Bar in Digbeth’s landmark Custard Factory has reopened after an extensive refurbishment. The venue, now known as 78 Bar Grill Club, opened its doors during the last weekend of August and aims to create an “exclusive niche venue” for the area. Boasting a New York-inspired interior, it features a new terrace, VIP floor and three bars and will offer food from light bites to fine dining throughout the week, as well as an 6
extensive drinks menu which includes cocktails, premium spirits and Champagne. The venue’s new owners also hope to put it back on Birmingham’s nightlife map with weekend line-ups of global and local DJs. Director Mandip Singh Chahal said they were pulling out all the stops to put 78 “firmly in the psyche of Birmingham’s nightlife.” “We offer excellence as standard throughout our entire business, whether it be a meal in the day or table service in a private booth on the night - 78 demands quality,” he said.
OxjamBrum takes to the water this month as it launches its 2011 campaign with a party on a boat. The Boat That OxjamBrum Rocked takes place on a barge on the city centre’s famous canal network, featuring a BBQ and performances from various musicians along the way. Tickets are already sold out but more events are set to be announced. Kings Heath cafe bar Cherry Reds has launched a new series of free and intimate folk gigs. Folklore takes place on Thursdays at the cosy venue in York Road and has already featured performances from local talent such as Boat to Row and Don’t Touch the Walls. Birmingham Comedy Festival returns to venues across the city next month. The annual celebration includes performances from the co-creator of The Office Stephen Merchant embarking on his first standup tour, as well as the likes of Russell Kane, Jack Whitehall, Andy Parsons and many more at Birmingham’s best comedy clubs and other venues. See next month’s magazine for a full preview. Brum Notes Magazine
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urban flea market rescheduled after riots .act
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Rows of Camden-inspired vintage stalls will take over a Birmingham shopping centre this month as part of a drive to breathe new life into the area.
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The Square Shopping Centre hosts the Kerrang! K’Boot Urban Vintage Market on September 24 and 25, featuring live music, Kerrang! Radio DJ Alex Baker, clothes and craft stalls plus live art exhibitions. The event had originally been scheduled to take place last month but was postponed in the aftermath of the Birmingham riots.
Acting For Screen is a new acting workshop in Birmingham. Until now there has been no other class specifically for screen acting in the West Midlands.
Other recent developments have included the opening of urban chic pub The Hairy Lemon and associated basement venue The Bitter End on the site of the former Swinging Sporran rock bar. The music venue in nearby Dale End, formerly the Carling Academy and the Hummingbird, will also reopen this month as The Ballroom, with a 3,100 capacity concert room and club space.
If you want to perfect your acting technique for camera then this class is for you!
COMPETITION
The rescheduled pop-up market is one of a number of events planned to help rejuvenate The Square and the surrounding area of the city centre between Corporation Street and Dale End. The shopping centre, which also houses long-standing alternative indoor market The Oasis, had been expected to be flattened as part of a multi-million pound redevelopment scheme, but those plans have been shelved for the foreseeable future due to the economic downturn. The Square has now been spruced up and includes an urban garden in its inner courtyard, which has hosted events and live music throughout the summer.
Acting for Screen is running classes at the Midland Arts Centre (MAC) from September 2011. The course operates in terms of 12 weekly classes where group members will participate in a range of pertinent activities from improvisation to script work, all filmed on camera and critiqued in class.
For more info please visit:
www.actingforscreen.com
Or contact us at: info@actingforscreen.com / 07585-956955
WIN JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN TICKETS Heartfelt songstress Joan as Police Woman returns to Birmingham this month for a show at the HMV Institute as part of a month-long European tour. We’ve got a signed copy of her latest album and a pair of tickets to give away to the show on September 7. To be in with a chance of winning tell us: What is the name of her latest album, released earlier this year? Email your answers along with name, age and contact number to competitions@brumnotes.com by September 5. Winners will be notified by email on or before September 7.
September 2011
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HOME OF METAL: IN PICTURES
Home of Metal, the campaign celebrating the West Midlands roots of heavy metal music, draws to a close at the end of this month. Thousands of visitors and music fans of all genres have poured into the showpiece exhibition at the Gas Hall at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. It brings together unseen memorabilia from fans alongside iconic items from metal such as Black Sabbath’s Mob Rules stage cross and handwritten Napalm Death lyrics. Photographer Katja Ogrin has captured some of the exhibition’s most striking images.
Home of Metal – 40 years of Heavy Metal and its Unique Birthplace runs until September 25 at the Gas Hall at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. Tickets cost £6 for adults, £4 concessions and £3 for unwaged. Family tickets are £14 for two adults and up to three children. Other events are continuing during September at venues and locations across Birmingham and the Black Country. 8
Highlights include the Home of Metal Black Country Weekender from September 1 to 4, featuring family activities, exhibitions, live music and more, as well as Metal on Film, Home of Metal’s touring film programme, all taking place at venues in West Bromwich, Dudley, Wolverhampton and Walsall. Visit www.homeofmetal.com for full event listings. Brum Notes Magazine
Clockwise from top: Black Sabbath album covers; iconic Gibson guitars; DJ Johnny Doom in a mock-up of Ozzy’s living room; Heavy Metal theatrics; Black Sabbath Mob Rules cross and more.
Exhibition
COOKING UP A STORM As he prepares to bring his curry-based show to the Balti belt, Hardeep Singh Kohli tells Jon Pritchard how his love of food inspired his comic career. Hardeep Singh Kohli is just an ordinary bloke who loves food and loves a good chat. Simple enough, but those seem to be the winning ingredients for the enduring success of his comedy shows. The affable journalist, broadcaster, chat show host and stand-up was brought up against a background of fantastic food which has inspired three successful stints in Edinburgh during which he cooks food for his audiences while making them laugh. Certainly sounds like a winning combo. “I’m just a regular bloke really,” insists Hardeep. “The audience seem to connect to my
September 2011
sense of humour as they keep coming back. It’s either that or the food.” As friendly, sharp and quick-witted during our interview as he is on stage, his warm and funny persona clearly translates well during live shows as well. “My shows are just me having a chat really. I’d like to think it’s something more intelligent than that, but it’s not. I just chat with the audience and see where it goes.” His self-deprecating assessment of his own performances is coupled with genuine surprise at his comic successes so far. “It was surprising but really amazing,” he insists, reflecting on his third successful stint at the career-defining Edinburgh Fringe. He now returns to the road with hit show The Nearly Naked Chef, including a stop in Birmingham, where he is expecting a tasty reaction in the UK’s capital of curry. “Brummies know their curries so there will be a lot of pressure on me there. I have got a lot of time for Birmingham. I’ll often mention on stage how a lot of people will say they don’t like it, but many of them won’t have been there.” His food-based show was partially inspired by his time on Celebrity Master Chef in which
he finished runner-up to ex-rugby player Matt Dawson, but was still confused for a real chef by viewers who stopped him in the street to ask where they could find his restaurant. “That’s what sort of gave me the idea to do a cookery-based show. And also nobody has done a live food show like this before,” he explains. “I think my love of food comes from my love of eating. My mom was and still is a great cook.” Hardeep Singh Kolhi performs The Nearly Naked Chef at the MAC, Birmingham, on September 28.
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NU DAY RISING Pioneering synthpop star Gary Numan returns this month with album number 20. Entitled Dead Son Rising it’s clear that his new darker, heavier edge is here to stay. Ross Cotton caught up with the groundbreaking musician to find out more about his transition from electro-pop to industrial rock. “Dead Son Rising is more of a collaboration album with me and [producer] Ade Fenton,” explains Gary. “Initially it started out as a load of out-take songs. That was the core of it; it was going to be almost a filler album in between my last studio album and the next one [Splinter], which I haven’t finished yet. We were going to put this one out as a way of keeping the fans interested, something for them to listen to while I was doing the ‘proper’ album. “But it didn’t end up being like that at all,” he says. “I had to put my hands up and just say I actually don’t like it. I said to Ade, ‘I think I’ve just given you a piece of shit to polish.’ “I didn’t touch it for about a year and a half, blanked it and got on with other things. Then I was on holiday last year with my wife and family and I heard a bit of music coming out of one of the bedrooms that my wife was playing. I went flying in and said, ‘Now that’s brilliant! That’s what I want to be doing!’ And she said, ‘It’s you!’ “It was one of my own and I didn’t recognise it. I thought, ‘How can that be?’ How can you really not like something so much you don’t want to release it, and then a year-and-a-half later the same bit of music you don’t even recognise and really like it? I think it’s a confidence thing. You get down on something, and your confidence in what you do just plummets.” It seems that Gary’s confidence has been haunting him for most of his career, despite his undoubted success. “I’ve erased hundreds of songs over the years,” he explains. “That’s the way I was, if it wasn’t working, I’d get really grumpy, and erase it. I’d start something new because it’s an exciting prospect, like it for an hour, then go off it and erase it. It’s a ridiculous process to get into,” he admits. 10
“That’s how Dead Son Rising started. I had 15 songs that I haven’t erased in the last few years. I called up Ade and said, ‘I’m sorry I’ve changed my mind again, let’s get back on it.’ We pretty much took it apart completely. So I was changing melodies, completely new lyrics for everything. Ade then changed all the production because it didn’t suit the new lyrics. So the album we were first going to release, there’s probably less than 10 per cent of it left. We’ve effectively made two albums before we actually got the one that we wanted.” Gary’s recent albums have been very different to the iconic sounds with which he became known on classics such as The Pleasure Principle, his solo debut which included New Wave smash hit Cars. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t appreciate the plaudits that still come his way for his long-standing influence on pop and electronic music in particular. “I get credited quite a lot as being a founding father of this or that. That’s certainly not the reason I did it,” he says. “I make the music as good as I can, I’ve not got a real feel for what I might have started doing. “I’ve been covered from the Sugababes on one side, right across to Fear Factory, heavy metal and industrial on the other. I read yesterday that Lady Gaga has talked about me in something. All of these acknowledgements you have later for having an influence on this and that, they are really lovely things to hear.” As for Dead Son Rising, it certainly does not represent a return to the radio-friendly pop anthems of his early career. “It’s more experimental,” says Gary. “There’s quite a lot of songs that don’t have choruses, they’re almost instrumental with these weird little bits of vocal that pop out and
disappear again. It’s different to what my conventional albums are about. “I’m really not proud of my song writing in the early 90s,” he admits. “I did a really rubbish album called Machine & Soul, which is only useful in my career in that it made me realise just how far down the wrong path I’d gone. I re-evaluated everything about what I was doing and why I was doing it. The song writing from that moment on was much better, very, very heavier and darker. “I rediscovered all my love for it and my enthusiasm for it, so I stayed with that. From a commercial career point of view, it’s not the right sort of move to be making because radio won’t play it. I guess it has a limited appeal to people that prefer pop music. “I’d been through that period of trying to do it the other way, trying to think with a commercial head, and it’s just a soulless experience. The next one, Splinter, is going to be even heavier than anything I’ve done before. That’s what I want to be doing and I’ll accept what comes because of it. “I just feel ashamed that I lost that passion in that middle period. I’m almost paranoid now about doing something commercial. It’s kind of left me damaged in a way. “When I’m in the studio now, it’s almost like being bi-polar but on a daily basis. “Honestly, I talk to myself in the studio constantly, I’m like a weird little, mad, obsessed hermit trying to talk myself through these ups and downs as the day goes on, you know, ‘It doesn’t matter that that part didn’t work, it’s alright, try another one.’ “I’m a bit odd now.” Gary Numan is live at the Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton, on September 18. New album Dead Son Rising is released on September 5. Brum Notes Magazine
Black Country troubadour Scott Matthews returns this month with his latest studio album What The Night Delivers, a dark yet beautiful collection of folk songs inspired by 50s and 60s culture. Jon Pritchard caught up with the Ivor Novello award-winning songwriter ahead of two live appearances in Birmingham and finds out he’s already looking ahead to his next project. Wolverhampton’s Scott Matthews is a likeable character who will talk at length on any given topic. His enthusiasm for his new album, which has already received rave reviews from critics and fans alike, is only matched by his enthusiasm to talk about it. The album’s release date has been a long time coming since recording was completed and Matthews admits he has been itching to get it out ever since it was finished. “We’ve done an unofficial pre-release for the fans; it just seemed the right thing to do,” he explains. “We finished it in October last year
more experimental rather than committing to a full studio release of different stuff.” He explains that with his need to be creative, whatever he’s doing at the time affects his creativity. During the recording of his third album, Scott got heavily involved in kitchen sink dramas of the 60s and 30s and 40s literature. “Films like The L-Shaped Room and Saturday Night and Sunday Morning really got me interested in their subject matters, which are still relevant today. They were always really intense and were more concentrat-
It is now five years since the amiable Wulfrunian first shot to prominence with debut album Passing Stranger and stand-out track Elusive, which snagged him his Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically as well as extensive airplay. Of course, with this success came the inevitable pressure to continue to produce. “Obviously it’s nice to receive an award for that but it’s a bit of a strange one, because it’s up in my music room so I see it every day, and I think subconsciously I was trying to better that song each time I wrote,” he admits.
“Films like The L-Shaped Room and Saturday Night and Sunday Morning really got me. Those films definitely rubbed off onto my material.” and didn’t want to wait another 12 months before we put it out. “So far, especially on the social networking side of things, we’ve had really positive comments from the fans, which are great to hear at this stage.” He also admits that the time that has elapsed since completing the record has meant he is already looking ahead to his next project, which promises to gently swerve away from his trademark easy-going folk. “I’m conscious of working a bit quicker these days,” he continues. “I’d like to do two EPs next, just to do something a little September 2011
ing on class rather than a normal storyline. Those films definitely rubbed off onto my material.” While this is definitely true for most of the songs on What The Night Delivers, there are also three songs on there which hail from Scott’s very early days as a singer-songwriter. While this may open up the risk of impacting the flow of the album, Scott insists the tracks fit well together. “The first track on the new album, Myself Again, was one of the first I ever wrote back in 2002. There are a few old ones which just seem to fit and feel right as a collection of songs.”
“I do feel like I’ve naturally progressed and I do think I’ve wrote better songs, and they’ve not been recognised for whatever reason. When it came to making the third record, I’ve got out of that mentality and just thought, ‘I’ll see what happens.’ If you start thinking about it too much you can lose that spontaneous aspect of writing a song.” Scott Matthews is live at The Glee Club, Birmingham, on September 25. He also performs at Moseley Folk Festival on September 4. New album What The Night Delivers is released on September 5. 11
Photo by Steve Gerrard
GUILE
With a new single and UK tour ahead, Cannock gritrockers GUILE look ready to explode out of Staffordshire in style. We find out more from frontman Neil Sawyer.
So, first things first, what are Guile all about? We are a four piece band with influences rooted in Deep South blues, the golden ages of rock and roll and garage. I suppose we would like to see ourselves as revivalists, yet unique in our own way. We embrace soul and integrity. There are elements of country, blues, garage, rock and roll, psychedelia, even gospel. I suppose all these influences contribute to the final sound that is Guile. The word ‘guile’ itself is an apt description. You’ve been around for a while now, does it feel like things are finally falling into place? I think there have been serendipitous events that have helped everything slot into place. I am a believer that to truly experience the highs you must experience the lows. The fact that we are still here justifies that we have a love of music; when all is said and done surely
Freshly-formed Birmingham six piece Zeros&Ones may only have one gig under their belt, but there’s already a growing buzz about their next. We find out more about their binary ambitions. Haven’t we seen you somewhere before? Carl (vocals): Yeah, the six of us have been in bands before. We have a real good mix of people who have released music and had music used in feature films. There’s also that freshness of something new. So, what are Zeros&Ones all about? David (guitars/keys): It is first and foremost about the music and us as people. We create music that moves your feet and songs that move your heart, we write music and songs that don’t follow the standard structure yet have pop sensibilities. Gideon (guitars): It is very personal to us yet everyone can relate to it. It is not contrived, it’s direct and has many layers and colours. The Flapper seems an appropriately 12
And finally, why should we come and see you this month? We will always play every show like it is our last. We are really excited about playing The Flapper on the 23rd. The intimacy of the venue will be sure to create an explosive atmosphere. Guile are live at The Flapper, Birmingham, on September 23. New single Deep By The Dockery is released on September 26 on Birmingham label Salvation Recording Company. Photo by Eliza-Jane Baker
ZEROS &ONES
that is the most important thing. How has your sound developed in that time? When you have a stringent rehearsal schedule you will always develop as a musician and I think we have learnt our craft. I suppose we have delved further leftfield and towards the underground, yet ironically melodies have swayed towards pop sensibilities. You must be excited about the single release and the tour? It is going to be very nice to get back out there. It is going to be a release in more than one way. Playing live and releasing material is almost like giving a piece of your heart out to the wide world for scrutiny. There is an unpredictability which is exciting. The album is also complete and the release is pending but as an estimate we will be looking at early to mid next year. How do you cope with life on the road, still fun? We will be sure to enjoy it. I like the ideology of travelling and playing the music to fresh ears, giving them the opportunity to form an opinion on it. It is where everything you do during rehearsals and the studio makes sense.
sweaty venue for your debut headline gig, was that a personal choice? David: Yes it was a conscious decision for three reasons really. Firstly, its very intimate, you play a show there and you are so close to the crowd you can really connect and when you get the place full the sweat drips off the ceiling. It has an unbeatable, very unique vibe. Secondly, it can be very, very loud. Thirdly, it always feels like home. What was the reaction like on your first gig last month? Carl: We had hoped to keep it a secret but word got out, so we announced it with only a few hours to go. Amazing turnout and some really good reactions. How long have things been bubbling away behind the scenes? Carl: The band has been going for about five months, the original lineup was going to be very different. We stuck to our guns and made sure that we all wanted to get involved for the right reasons. And what have you got planned over the coming months? David: It’s about being strategic with our next move , we have recently moved into our own space in Hockley and are busy writing and
Zeros&Ones are live at The Flapper, Birmingham, on September 16, alongside Eat Y’Self Pretty and ThisIsSinister. perfecting our sound. We refuse to upload or release any music until we are 100 per cent happy, experience tells us that there is no rush and it will pay dividends to wait. It is frustrating and a little mysterious but live is definitely the only place to experience us for the short term. Brum Notes Magazine
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September 2011
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Boys in the band Ultra-chic fuzz pop dramatists Male Bonding sent the musical blogosphere into a frenzy with their tightly-packed, lo-fi debut album Nothing Hurts in 2010. One year on and they’re back with a new album and a more polished sound but the same abundance of bold, brash bullets of post-punk gold. Bassist and vocalist Kevin Hendrick tells Chris Moriarty why staying lo-fi was the furthest thing from their minds. “The studio environment is very important to me,” explains Kevin, recalling the creative freedom that allowed them to experiment more than ever while making their sophomore LP Endless Now. “This one was a huge church on a hill in Woodstock, NY. We’d start recording in the morning and the sun would shine through these massive stained glass windows, which was a good start to each day. There was a ton of equipment there, which is why things like mellotron wound up on the record. More than anything we had more time recording than we’d ever had before and when you have a bit more time like that, in the studio, out come the hand claps.” Despite the growing attention that their acclaimed album earned them, Kevin insists there was no weight of expectation preying on their minds as they took a break from touring to tackle the new record. “[We] felt no pressure whatsoever. We just recorded the record we wrote. Just that. We didn’t write it for anyone else. It’s only when all the weird media pops up and all the comparisons are made to the first record — which is inevitable of course — that I think about that sort of thing. And I don’t think about it for very long.” 14
“Most bands, I believe, don’t really rely upon that kind of media patronage to get their things going anymore.” If lo-fi was the overused watchword neatly tagged onto Male Bonding’s debut album, then it has become almost redundant when assessing the merits of album two. Not that the band have created an entirely new sound, but they’ve certainly pushed the boundaries — and Kevin insists “lo-fi” was not an aesthetic they had to stick with. “We just recorded in a large studio with a really good producer. Lo-fi was the furthest thing from our minds! But, still, we do what we do and try to capture whatever it is. We recorded our first guitar overdubs this time. I’d say that’s hi-fi. It’s the new thing, hi-fi.” It is Male Bonding’s refusal to accept easy categorisation and genuinely independent attitude to making music that is one of their greatest attributes: they make the music they want to make, not to please critics, and they revel in the new found freedom that the
internet revolution has given to those musicians who choose to embrace it. “The rise of blogging and sharing ideas online has really unlocked the cage on independent music and the subcultures that spring from it, less pigeon holes these days,” says Kevin. “Even Myspace — remember Myspace? — changed things up. The idea that you could, as an artist, create your own myth online and reach out to people globally and actually reach them. I have first hand experience of that. Bands can make a lot more happen for themselves now. And rubbing out that divide between artist and critic a little bit is a wonderful thing. It really makes the conceited, judgmental journalism styles stick out like a sore thumb. Most bands, I believe, don’t really rely upon that kind of media patronage to get their things going anymore. And the world is a better place for that.” Male Bonding are live at The Victoria, Birmingham, on September 27, with support from John J Presley, Swim Deep and This is Tomorrow DJs. New album Endless Now is out now on Sub Pop.
Brum Notes Magazine
DaviD ForD David Ford has seen first hand the effects of the changing face of the music industry. His 2005 debut album I Sincerely Apologise for All the Trouble I’ve Caused was critically acclaimed both here and in the US where he was signed by Sony, but the commercial success never quite followed. But he is determined to keep pushing the boundaries of his music, without a care in the world for the mainstream. He is now a truly independent artist, free from the shackles of label constraints, but free from their bankroll as well. He is reliant on the revenue from his own releases and self-imposed touring schedule. It seems a far cry from his early days on Independiente alongside Travis and Embrace. But, for David, with his independence comes more creative inspiration. “You don’t need anyone’s support or backing to write songs, that’s just something that you do. Touring is a little different,” he admits. “It used to be the case in the ‘good old days’ 10 years ago, certainly then about five years ago the ground shifted, you used to get basically bankrolled by a label. You could use as much money as you could justify — and you could justify quite a lot. There were newly signed bands who’d never recorded a song but they went out on tours with expensive backlines,
full production crews, sleeper buses to travel in, and they’d never sold a record. “I never had that much thrown at me but certainly touring was a different thing. Touring was a fun old jolly but people just realised that wasn’t working and labels were losing so much money. The label that I was with, I suddenly found myself cut off and I was having to go out on tour myself to make ends meet. “But you know, I think that is completely justified. At the time I probably didn’t, like everyone I probably thought, ‘I want to swan about and live a life of luxury at the label’s expense.’ I’m not that down on the pressure you get [from a label], if a label backs you financially I understand that their job is to make money; they did spend money on me and I did take it and spend it. It’s fair they want a return but it’s also fair that they knew about me before they took a chance and they hopefully knew that I’m not someone hellbent on being a pop star.” For David Ford, the priority has always been to “make significant records and artistic statements and push the boundaries,” rather than seeking out stardom. But he has at least been able to carry on doing that, thanks to the enduring support of his own fans.
“It’s the only reason I’ve been able to continue being a musician. Without the financial support of a record label a lot of bands just hang up their guitar and go and get another job but I’ve stuck with it. It’s the lowest paid job I’ve ever had and probably illegal in terms of minimum wage laws but it’s still the best job in the world and the only reason I can do it is because people come to my shows and they are very supportive and committed. “It means something to them that I do this and I’ve always done this and that keeps me going in some ways, because if it didn’t mean anything to anyone else other than me then that would be a little bit too self-indulgent.”
David Ford is live at The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton, on September 14.
TubelorD Indie intelli-rockers Tubelord road tested their latest material in some style at Birmingham’s Off the Cuff Festival this summer. With their long-awaited second album now ready for release on adventurous indie label collective Pink Mist, Tubelord return ready to unleash their angular, post-pop mish-mash once more. “Off the Cuff was actually very nerve wracking due to it being only our second proper practice and gig since finishing the second record,” recalls frontman Joseph Prendergast. That particular performance was much talked about for all the right reasons before and afterwards, even attracting fans from California to the slightly less sunny surrounds of The Flapper. “Apparently, although they hadn’t come all the way to Birmingham from California,” explains Joseph. “Instead their trip involved criss-crossing through Europe and they September 2011
decided it would be a worthwhile trip to Off the Cuff between Oxygen festival in Ireland and Tera Melos at The Macbeth [in London] with Tangled Hair subsequent to the festival.” As for their own travels, how does life on the road treat Tubelord? “Not particularly well at all or very well indeed, depends who you ask and at what time in the day. It’s usually best if something is truly awful, this way everything glows in the serious being dethroned. So to answer the question, life on the road...the worse the better, and it tends to be awful, in which case, everything turns out to be brilliant.” With a typically mammoth touring schedule ahead of them ahead of the October release of second album Romance, now is the time for the music to do the talking. “We’ve done all the exciting bits, writing and recording and getting under the skin of the
songs, the excitement now lays between the ears of those few who care. We know who they are, we hope they’re not disappointed. As we’ve always said, expect nothing and approach the listening process — tabula rasa.”
Tubelord are live at The Rainbow, Birmingham, on September 21. New album Romance is released on October 10 on Pink Mist. 15
DRY ME A RIVER Folk-rock quintet Dry The River have captivated many a festival goer during a frenetic summer. But with their highly anticipated debut album on its way and major label support it seems this is just the start. Danielle Perry talked to frontman Pete Liddle ahead of their debut Birmingham appearance. Yeah, ok, ok, they’ve got beards, a folky sound and acoustic instruments but that doesn’t make them ‘the new Mumford & Sons’, right? Closer inspection quickly sweeps away that lazy tag and London quintet Dry The River are now forcing people to take notice for all the right reasons.
their debut album with esteemed producer Peter Katis (Interpol, The National, Jonsi) and now they’re preparing for their biggest UK headline tour to date and a punishing regime of album promotion. Not that they’re complaining of course, even if it has been a slight shock to the system.
Think more Wild Beasts wrestling with Death Cab for Cutie, add at touch of Springsteen-esque rock hystrionics and a generous helping of the harmonious Americana of Fleet Foxes, mix in a little postrock melodrama and finish with some pure punk energy and you start to get a clearer picture. And did we mention their penchant for a hook-laden pop tune? In fact, Dry The River have all the ingredients to explode in the much the same way as the aforementioned Mumfords, but they’ll be doing it in their own way.
“Yeah, it’s true, when we first got signed and stuff they were saying, ‘it’s gonna be full on and heavy going,’ we were all a bit dismissive and went, ‘yeah we know, it’s gonna be great,’” explains frontman Pete Liddle.
After their debut single on Transgressive sold out earlier this year, what can dramatically be described as a major label bidding war followed and Dry The River were duly snapped up by RCA, alongside pop heavyweights such as Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears; a slightly incongruous home perhaps, but one which has set them well on the way to getting their music out to the masses. But settling into a major label stable certainly does not mean an opportunity to rest on your laurels and Dry The River’s schedule since then has been nothing short of hectic. A summer of criss-crossing through Europe to play almost every festival imaginable was entwined with transatlantic jaunts to record 16
“But you don’t really appreciate what that means, we’ve missed best friends’ weddings and all kinds of things, but it’s worth it. You know the commitment that you make and none of us would ever want to be doing anything else so we really appreciate that we get to play shows every night and travel a lot and really do this for a living, it is really great” It’s certainly been a cosy few months on the road, with the five bandmates — all housemates in Stratford in London as well — sharing their tour van with various other friends, helpers and assistants, from a documentary filmmaker to a guitar technician — a true sign if one were needed that Dry The River are a band flirting with real success and with some heavyweight support behind them. “There’s the five of us with drums, bass, all the usual, guitars and our violinist as well; and then we tour with a touring manager and sound engineer, a guitar tech so I
don’t have to re-tune every song and at the moment our friend Jake who’s a filmmaker is shooting some documentary stuff too so he’s with us. It’s quite nice that everyone we work with are people that we grew up with and that we’ve been in bands with since we were kids, so our whole team is like our friends if you like, so there’s a sense of camaraderie on the road.” After carving out a reputation for their energetic and impassioned live performances, Pete says they’ve also enjoyed having the time and the opportunity to really craft their sound in the studio, while the opportunity to work with the producer “at the top of the list” in Peter Katis seemingly made for a winning combination. “He did the Interpol and The National records and we wanted to go for something between the organic kind of natural sound but also somebody who is used to dealing with unusual voices and slightly odd arrangements. He’s comfortably between someone who does lo-fi along with stuff that sells records and has a pop sensibility to it,” Pete explains. “It’s been really good because he’s not someone who really gets involved in telling us what we have to cut out of songs and rearranging things drastically unless he strongly feels something isn’t quite right. He’s more interested in the textures we can get on the record and the ways we can take what we have and make it more interesting sonically for the purposes of the album, and working out what works live that we need to Brum Notes Magazine
preserve and what we can change to make the record exciting sonically, so it’s been really great to work with him. “He has a very cool set-up and we all lived in his house — half of his house his wife and child live in and the other half is the band’s so we have our own bedrooms, kitchen and living room and the studio is in the attic so you can just kind of wander up there in your dressing gown in the mornings and do some tracking; it’s very laid back and just a really nice atmosphere to work in. It just worked out really well and has gone really well so we’re very pleased.� For Pete, recording a full length album gave the band the opportunity to showcase their versatility and the real challenge was capturing the variety of their sound, from stripped back folk to heavier post-rock epics. “We really wanted to make sure we caught all aspects of the band,� he continues. “We obviously have that lo-fi, folky thing and some songs like Bible Belt and Shaker Hymns and some of the slightly older stuff, live we wanted to play those a bit louder and heavier, but we really wanted to have the opportunity on the record to play with being very dynamic so there’s some very stripped back folky songs on there but there’s also some really massive kind of heavier songs that are even heavier than we do them live. We drafted in brass players and an organ and loads of things and made them as big as we could. I think the thing with choosing No Rest as the single was it captured both elements, the intro is kind of folky, slightly stripped back sound and then builds to a big crescendo so we wanted to give people an indication of both elements of the sounds that are going to be on the record . There’s two or three songs on the record that we don’t really play live yet or that people won’t be as familiar with and then hopefully there’s enough on there to keep people interested. I think it’s quite a dynamic record and I think we even surprised ourselves with how varied the album sounds and hopefully people are going to appreciate it.� So will the debut album finally help to cast aside the ‘nu folk’ typecasting? “I think it’s funny for us because we were in a different band before this with most of the same members called Godwits which was doing a very similar folky thing long before that whole scene ever arose and it’s just something we’ve always done to write folk songs and then play them like a hardcore band live. “To us it was never part of that whole thing and naturally people look for comparisons and they’re going to put you in a genre. We’ve toured with Johnny Flynn and we have friends in that scene and I think people sometimes think we’re offended by it and we’re not at all. It’s a really flattering comparison but it’s not really accurate in terms of where we come from and where our music comes from. The scene that we arose in, we were always in hardcore bands and punk bands from the south of England outside London, so we really came from a different place and I think the record showcases that, that there’s this folky element but also this heavier element and we were really keen to get that across I think.� Dry The River are live at the Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, on September 19, with support from Tropicaux and Goodnight Lenin DJs. September 2011
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SERIE NOIRE
STYLE
SERIE NOIRE is a series of limited edition clothing collections conceived by London College of Fashion graduate and PIN fashion award winner, Shamrez Marawat VOLUME I is a 10 piece t-shirt collection marking the launch of SERIE NOIRE. Inspired by haunting landscapes and the upsurge of technology, the collection embraces distorted imagery and a bleak colourway with sharp lines to create a tension of uncompromising opposites. The collection is available now at: Autograph Menswear, Ethel Street, Birmingham. Call 0121 633 3540 or visit www.autographmenswear.com.
THIS MONTH'S FAVOURITE PICK
2011 has seen an overwhelming excitement for innovative and creative nailwear. With nail boutiques specialising in custom nail designs up and down the country and the availability to purchase home made nail design kits this new exciting nail design trend has almost become a competition for who can create the best nails. From Pac Man to Mickey Mouse and Jesus to Candy Canes we’ve laid out information of where you can go and what you can buy.
NAILS varnish Topshop £5.00
Buffed Boutique Birmingham www.buffedboutique.co.uk
Nail Wraps Nail Rock £6.65
Infinity colour acrylics Nubar £5
WAH Nails 420 Kingston Rd, London E8 www.wah-nails.com Nail Art Gallery www.nailartgallery.com
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Salon Effects Nails Sally Hansen £9
Barry M instant nail effect Boots £3.99 Brum Notes Magazine
September 2011
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live CULTS Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath August 24 Expectations were high at the Hare & Hounds for Cults, a band who had swiftly gained a following worthy of their name, just a few short months after releasing their eponymous debut. Against a backdrop of black and white movie footage, the San Diego ‘film student’ couple Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion played out their 60s candy floss pop. In songs such as I Know What You Mean and Most Wanted, Follin’s childlike voice and simple lyrics of teenage yearning inspire nostalgic Hollywood images of prom nights and drive-through cinemas. Xylophone-laced Go Outside, despite it’s use of a sinister speech sample of People’s Temple leader Jim Jones, is a song made for balmy summer evenings. Yet, regardless of a set that would warm the cockles of even the most cold-hearted giggoer, their last track Oh My God fails to leave the crowd wanting more as the song seems to fade into the night. As Cults make a swift exit from the stage, you can’t help but wonder how long the sugar rush of this band will last. Words by Lauren Partridge Photo by Ian Dunn
TREETOP FLYERS Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath August 5 A large crowd is gathered at the Hare & Hounds for Moseley Folk’s latest instalment of its monthly Lunary Society shows. This month, they are joined by winners of Glastonbury’s emerging talent competition, Treetop Flyers, a band aptly described elsewhere as “Fleet Foxes with more bite.” Support on the night comes from One Sixth Of Tommy and Young Runaways who both do their best to whip up the crowd, with the 20
latter even braving a folk version of ska anthem A Message To You, Rudy. Treetop Flyers start as they mean to go on with as much vigour and enthusiasm as you can get away with in a folk band. They fly through their set, veering from quiet and understated to balls out rock and roll, all keeping that classic Crosby, Stills & Nash sound. This is a band who look and act like they are having a great time and it rubs off on the audience. As an encore they introduce the crowd to their newly acquired mascot - a metal lobster named Telula. She didn’t have much to say, but certainly topped off an interesting night. Words by Rommy Stelfox
THE LOW ANTHEM Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath August 17 Some people say no matter how big the band you can’t beat seeing them up close and intimate. For the type of music that The Low Anthem make, easy going and profoundly moving, this certainly rings true. In some respects the band are very brave. They played their own brand of mellifluous American folk for an hour and a half, the music naturally beseeching the sell-out crowd to stand still and pay attention. Did anyone moan? Was there restless shuffling? Were people speaking at the back? Certainly not. The band somehow possess the uncanny ability to capture an audience’s attention, no matter how large or small, and pull them into their own personal world. It may have required audience concentration but for it, you come away with the feeling that you were part of something special. It’s hard to pick any songs as stand-out but serious contenders have to be the anthemic Boeing 737 and the beautiful Charlie Darwin. Yes, at times they were a little off key and slightly out of time, but it all added to the stark simplicity and natural beauty of seeing The Low Anthem. Words by Ben Russell Brum Notes Magazine
CHAPEL CLUB The Rainbow, Birmingham August 25 Having been criticised in the press for seeming to be self-important, there is not even a hint of arrogance in Chapel Club’s charismatic frontman Lewis Bowman as he banters with the crowd about his sound guy’s birthday and repeats first verse lyrics because he “hasn’t got round to writing the second.” Ministers of gloom rock, the London quintet deftly captivate their audience with songs such as the dreamy O Maybe I and soporific Roads. In new track Shy, Bowman casts aside previous comparisons to Echo and the Bunnymen singer Ian McCulloch as he soars into gorgeous falsetto whilst the thudding bass of New Colours suggests that this is a band that are on the cusp of finding their own sound. Back to the staple favourites and in The Rainbow there are whispers that Chapel Club should be bigger than they are, as a girl screams on the introduction to Surfacing and the front-row fans jubilantly sing every word of Eastern Girls.
Finishing with the exhilarating The Shore, Bowman’s hypnotic vocals build to an ecstasy of guitar reverb and pounding drums. As the band leave the venue for what the singer described as their “warm-down” gig at Reading and Leeds, you can’t help but wonder whether the festival is just the start of bigger things to come. Words by Lauren Partridge
DAKOTA BEATS Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton August 19 Dakota Beats are a band on the up. Over the last few months they’ve been gigging away from the Midlands and writing new tracks, and their show at the Newhampton Arts Centre showed their loyal fans just what they have been missing. On top of the tracks from their well-received debut EP No New Faces, their new songs show just how quickly the band are developing, not just musically but aesthetically. Charismatic front man Dan Harris’ voice shows how much it has improved in the opening song Come Home, while Back To
Me echoes a more mature version of their previous incarnation, The E-Go’s. Their big surprise for their fans comes in the light show that accompanies their set. The lights flicker beautifully in the smoke and the projection adds an extra dimension to the show. A tickertape reception ensues for their fans when, at the height of What’s Left To Say, confetti blasts into the air. Fantastic new tracks The Guilt and Mom’s The Word keep the tempo up and the crowd dancing but it is the final three tracks which confirm the hard work that the five lads from Dudley have put in is worth it. Mary Jayne, which contains their best lyrics to date, kicks off the epic crescendo while Sir Frank James is a rip-roaring joy to watch. Closer The Tides is the most technical song they’ve written so far and upon leaving the stage it’s hard not to feel there is much more to come from Dakota Beats. Words by Jon Pritchard Fancy yourself as a wordsmith who can capture the essence of a gig in a couple of hundred words? We’re on the lookout for more reviewers. If you’re interested send relevant samples and some brief blurb about yourself to info@brumnotes.com.
THE ADAM & EVE September LISTINGS:
Sept 2nd, 3rd, 4th: The Adam and Eve presents:
Punx Picnic 2011
three days of punk over two stages Outside main stage, BBQ, outside bar and more Friday 2nd:
8pm start, £5 tax PARANOID VISIONS/TRASHCAT (feat ex-RESTARTS)/POUNDAFLESH/DEATH JOB/ EASTFIELD/TERROR GROOVE
Saturday 2rd:
3pm start, £7 tax (£6 before 6pm) THE RESTARTS/DREAD MESSIAH/LEFT FOR DEAD/DEFCON ZERO/THE BANDITOS/WASTED LIFE/SKIMMER/SEPTIC PSYCHOS/MEATHOOK/THE FRENZIES/ROTUNDA/BEARSHARK: UNRELENTING PREDATOR/W.O.R.M./GENERIC ERIC/WILLIAM SHATSPEAREE
Sunday 3rd:
3pm start, £3 tax ENGLISH DOGS/ALCOHOL LICKS/2 SICK MONKEYS/THE FUCKWITS/MR SHANKLY/BALSALL HEATHENS/BIG STONE CULTURE/ACID DROP/LUDDITE BASTARD
Bradford St, Digbeth, Birmingham B12 0JD 0121 693 1500 www.theadam.co.uk Friday 9th Sept: Pub Tropicana - REGGAE, DANCEHALL, FUNKY, MOOMBAHTON and anything else that you might be inclined to listen to on a hot day. Drinks Promos and Pub Tropicana bucket cocktails! Saturday 10th: tba Friday 16th: Liquid Sessions - A night of soulful D’n’B Saturday 17th: Cracked Actors + Betty and the ID + 10 O’Clock Horses Sunday 18th: 4pm onwards - The Sunday Scene: The Set are a young up & coming mod influenced indie/alternative band from Nuneaton. Expect to hear a mix of their own material & a few covers. As usual there will be great scooterist anthems from Sunday Scene resident Richy Taylor plus free bar food/nibbles, SKY sports (volume down) on TV & costs nothing to get it! 8pm onwards - The Global battle of the bands Birmingham Finals Friday 23rd: The void presents.... Saturday 24th: Birmingham Promoters present Little L + more tbc. Sunday 25th: 4pm - Sunday Xpress poetry afternoon hosted by the infamous Big Bren. Friday 30th: Whomanity. Reggae, Dancehall and ragga. Oct 1st: Troumaca Club night Every Monday is ‘Broken Amp’. Breaking acoustic talent every Monday
September 2011
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FOOD + DRINK LATE SUMMER DRINKS With the last of the summer Bank Holidays over and done with for a while you could be forgiven for thinking that’s our chance of good weather and long evenings enjoying a good drink outside over and done with for the year. But there’s still plenty of the year left to relax with great cocktails even if you weren’t lucky enough to have headed off to a festival/beach/another country this summer. If the sun does decide to come out then it’s all about cool, refreshing long drinks and there are few better suited to sunny days than the Mojito. Made with rum, mint and lime, it’s mouth-wateringly refreshing, but so easy to get wrong. Pre-mixed rubbish that you can pick up from supermarkets and crap bars are the main offenders. It’s all about fresh ingredients and good rum. At The Rose Villa Tavern, ours are made with both El Dorado three and five rums - it’s truly the mutt’s nuts if you ask us. But if you fancy trying your hand at making our style of Mojito at home here’s how:
Recipe: MOJITO Ingredients: 25ml El Dorado 3 year rum 25ml El Dorado 5 year rum A barspoon/teaspoon of brown sugar 8 mint leaves 3 or 4 lime wedges Crushed ice Soda, to top up the glass. Mint Sprig to garnish Directions: Muddle (or mash with the end of a rolling pin) the lime, mint and sugar in a highball glass. Add some of the crushed ice and the rum, stirring to lift all the goodness so it doesn’t stay at the bottom of the glass. Add a little more ice, stir again and top up with soda. By Dan Cox, assistant bar manager at The Rose Villa Tavern in Warstone Lane in the Jewellery Quarter 22
The Rose Villa Tavern is a Grade II listed traditional pub given a contemporary twist by the team behind The Victoria, Island Bar, The Jekyll & Hyde and Bodega. A revamped menu includes American style breakfasts, gourmet sandwiches and traditional Sunday plus an extensive range of drinks from hand-crafted cocktails to global beers and handpicked wines. Visit www.therosevillatavern.co.uk or call 0121 236 7910. Brum Notes Magazine
Thursday 3rd November
Birmingham O2 Academy
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September 2011
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September 2011
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WHAT’S ON
GIGS
Britpop survivors and melodic indie heroes The Bluetones bring the curtain down on their career with their final tour this month, which includes their penultimate ever performance at Birmingham’s O2 Academy on September 22. Danceinducing electro-popsters Metronomy never fail to disappoint live and sold out on the last appearance in Birmingham. Expect demand to be even higher following their recent Mercury Prize nomination. They’re back for a show at the HMV Institute on September 27. Idiosyncratic duo Slow Club tackle folkpop with more originality than most these days and bring their rockabilly jangles and shimmering harmonies to the HMV Institute on September 13. Continuing the folk vibe, cover stars Dry the River combine it all with a punk-inspired intensity and emotional outpourings, which you can witness at the Hare & Hounds on September 19. When it comes to combining infectious hooks with shows which range from the joyous to the downright bizarre, Swedish collective I’m From Barcelona (pictured below) are up there with the best of them. Expect surprises and singalongs when they roll into the HMV Institute on September 16. Also on the same night, hotly-tipped Brummies Zeros&Ones make their headline debut at The Flapper, while fellow local post-rock outfit Victories at Sea are at the Hare & Hounds on September 17.
COMEDY
CLUBBING
Legendary DJ, producer and artist Jazzie B (pictured below), of Soul II Soul fame, will bring a smooth selection of jazz funk, house, hip hop, soul and boogie to the Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath on September 10, with support sets from Groove On and Soulfusion’s DP n J. New alternative nightclub Vudu is starting to establish itself on the city centre nightlife scene and launches two new club nights this month. XO will bring a DJ mix of indie, hip hop and dubstep to Thursday nights, starting September 22, while new weekly Monday indie night Control launches on September 26 with a special guest DJ set from The Libertines drummer Gary Powell. If rockers dressed as witches and wizards is your thing, then Subculture’s slightly bizarre-sounding Harry Potter Night takes place at Vudu on September 3. Celebrating the excellent Moseley Folk Festival in true party style is the now legendary Moseley Folk After Party, taking place at the Hare & Hounds on September 3. It will be hosted by JAGJAGUWAR records favourites Wolf People, along with DJ sets from Guy Carlos and Twirlin Merlin, kicking off at 10.30pm and continuing into the early hours but get your tickets in advance to avoid disappointment as it is always a big ‘un. As far as underground club night spots go, they don’t come much more unlikely that unasssuming Digbeth boozer The Wagon & Horses in Adderley Street, but try it out for yourself with house and trance night Entropy on September 9.
For a true taste of new talent and maybe even the chance to catch a star of the future, West Bromwich arts centre The Public will be hosting Starter For Ten, an open mic night in front of a live audience on September 23, where a panel of judges will be choosing a winner for a £100 cash prize and the chance to earn support slots for touring comics appearing at the venue. A more familiar comic face, Junior Simpson, is a long-established stand-up and a regular on TV shows such as Never Mind the Buzzcocks, The Stand Up Show and The Comedy Store. He headlines a three night run at The Glee Club in Birmingham from September 29 to October 1. Another face familiar to television viewers is Justin Moorhouse (pictured right), better known to many as Young Kenny in Phoenix Nights, as well as a genial afternoon radio host on Key 103. He brings his stand-up act to The Slade Rooms in Wolverhampton on September 21.
September 2011
27
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 Bristol Pear, Bristol Rd, Selly Oak B29, 0121 414 9980; 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 CN C M M M M M M CN CN CN CN CN C M M M M 28
Thursday, Sep 1 Taking Back Sunday No ID
HMV Institute
Birmingham
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
Tragic City Thieves
The Asylum
Birmingham
It’s Electro Bayleaf
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Manhattan Loft
The Victoria
Birmingham
Mike Gunn
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Friday, Sep 2 Van Morrison
Symphony Hall
Birmingham Birmingham
Punx Picnic
The Actress & Bishop Adam & Eve
Elysium
The Flapper
Birmingham
Ron Sexsmith
Town Hall
Birmingham
Moseley Folk Festival Discographic
Moseley Park
Moseley Birmingham
Coldrice
The Rose Villa Tavern Sun on the Hill
Whoomp
The Victoria
Birmingham
Teenage Kicks
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Freestyle
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Mike Gunn
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Saturday, Sep 3 Conduit
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
Punx Picnic
Adam & Eve
Birmingham
Magma Rise
The Asylum
Birmingham
Black Bears
The Flapper
Birmingham
The Musgraves
Birmingham
M M CN CN CN CN C M M M C M M
Birmingham
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.
HMV Institute
Birmingham
Moseley Folk Festival Subculture
Moseley Park
Moseley
Vudu
Birmingham
High Fidelity
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Moseley Folk After Show Party Prospec Presents
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Mike Gunn
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Sunday, Sep 4 Punx Picnic
Adam & Eve
Birmingham
Moseley Folk Festival Jimmy Cliff
Moseley Park
Moseley
Civic Hall
Wolverhampton
Jo Enright + friends
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Monday, Sep 5 Public Enemy
HMV Institute
Birmingham
Kitchen Garden Cafe
Kings Heath
The Actress & Bishop Bull’s Head
Birmingham
HMV Institute
Birmingham Birmingham
Duke Special
The Actress & Bishop The Glee Club
Turbogeist
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Tir na nOg Tuesday, Sep 6 Lecaria
M
Fresh Talent
M
Wednesday, Sep 7 Joan As Police Woman The Deceiver
M M
info@brumnotes. com
Mac Miller
M
M
Want your gig or club night listed in our monthly guide? Send details to:
Moseley
Birmingham
Brum Notes Magazine
M CN C C M M CN CN C M M M CN CN CN CN C M M M M CN CN CN CN CN C M M M M M M M M M M M M C
Hare & Hounds The Victoria
Birmingham
House Of Fun
Vudu
Birmingham
Laffacino Comedy Cabaret Thursday, Sep 8 Kiss Corona
Kitchen Garden Cafe
Kings Heath
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
Rise of My Empire
Birmingham
M
Manhattan Loft
The Actress & Bishop The Victoria
Birmingham
Fantastic Damage
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Magnus Betner
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Friday, Sep 9 East 17
O2 Academy 2
Birmingham
Miles Hunt & Erica Nockalls Diabel Cissokho
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Pub Tropicana
Adam & Eve
Birmingham
M M M M M M CN CN
M4TP
The Victoria
Birmingham
Entropy
Birmingham
Freestyle
The Wagon & Horses Bull’s Head
Magnus Betner
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Saturday, Sep 10 Tesseract
O2 Academy 2
Birmingham Birmingham
Strangle Kojak
The Actress & Bishop HMV Institute
Adele
Civic Hall
Wolverhampton
Dr Jekyll’s Potion
Jekyll & Hyde
Birmingham
Juqebox with Lawson Jam Hott
The Rose Villa Tavern Hare & Hounds
Birmingham
Jazzie B
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Together
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Magnus Betner
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Sunday, Sep 11 From the Get Go
The Asylum
Birmingham Kings Heath
Bohemian Jukebox
Kitchen Garden Cafe Bull’s Head
Adele
Civic Hall
Wolverhampton
Tuesday, Sep 13 Lyu
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham Birmingham
Owl City
The Actress & Bishop HMV Institute
Slow Club
HMV Institute
Birmingham
Fresh Talent
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Wednesday, Sep 14 Brian Wilson
Symphony Hall
Birmingham
Archer
HMV Institute
Birmingham
David Ford
Slade Rooms
Wolverhampton
Laughing Cows
Kitchen Garden Cafe
Kings Heath
Scruffy Murphys HMV Institute
Birmingham
Give Chase
Po’Girl
Acoda
M
Thursday, Sep 15 Genius Collective
M
Young Guns
September 2011
Kings Heath
M M M
Daniel Martin Moore MHVH
Moseley
Birmingham
CN C C
C C M M M M M M
Cosmo Jarvis
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Give Up The Ghost
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Sparrow And The Workshop Manhattan Loft
Slade Rooms
Wolverhampton
The Victoria
Birmingham
Mike Wilmot
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Tony Law
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath Birmingham
Zeros&Ones
The Actress & Bishop The Flapper
Graeme Clark
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Im From Barcelona
HMV Institute
Birmingham
Autumn Store
The Victoria
Birmingham
Bombers
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Corelli
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Liquid Sessions
Adam & Eve
Birmingham
Discographic with Tic Tac Toe Lewis Costello
The Rose Villa Tavern The Asylum
Birmingham
Mike Wilmot
The Glee Club
Birmingham Birmingham
Cracked Actors
The Actress & Bishop Adam & Eve
Severed Heaven
The Asylum
Birmingham
The White Room
The Flapper
Birmingham
Dub Pistols
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Victories At Sea
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Friday, Sep 16 Face vs Heel
Saturday, Sep 17 Jake Bullit
Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham
Kings Heath
Moseley
Birmingham
Birmingham 29
M M CN CN CN C C M M M M M M M CN M M M
Incendia
Slade Rooms
Wolverhampton
Freddie Mcgregor
Wulfrun Hall
Wolverhampton
Lovejoy
Island Bar
Birmingham
Sweat
The Victoria
Birmingham
Habit
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Mike Wilmot
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Joe Black
HMV Institute
Birmingham
Sunday, Sep 18 Mr Big
O2 Academy
Birmingham
Rise To Remain
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
Carleen Anderson
The Glee Club
Birmingham
John Dipper
Kings Heath
Gary Numan
Kitchen Garden Cafe Wulfrun Hall
Monday, Sep 19 B Bolan
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Dry The River
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Dr Jekyll’s Potion
Jekyll & Hyde
Birmingham
Wolverhampton
Tuesday, Sep 20 The Subways
O2 Academy 2
Birmingham
Attack! Attack!
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
Kyte
Birmingham
M M M
The Lobster Boat
The Actress & Bishop The Victoria
Ron Sexsmith
Town Hall
Birmingham
Little Sister
Kings Heath
M M
Fresh Talent
Kitchen Garden Cafe Bull’s Head
Peter Doherty
Wulfrun Hall
Wolverhampton
M M M M M C M M CN C C M M M M M M CN CN C
Moseley
Wednesday, Sep 21 The Wonder Years
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
Eleanor McEvoy
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Hayseed Dixie
HMV Institute
Birmingham
Tubelord
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Danny & the Champions of the World Justin Moorhouse
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Slade Rooms
Wolverhampton
Thursday, Sep 22 The Bluetones
O2 Academy
Birmingham
This Burning Age
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Manhattan Loft
The Victoria
Birmingham
Mick Ferry
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Puppetry Of The Penis 3D Friday, Sep 23 Gypsyfire
Civic Hall
Wolverhampton
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
Elysium
Birmingham
The Procession
The Actress & Bishop The Ballroom
Polarsets
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Jackpike
The Sunflower Lounge Slade Rooms
Birmingham
THC present Nick Dunton Freestyle
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Mick Ferry
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Jon Fratelli
Saturday, Sep 24
30
Birmingham
Birmingham
Wolverhampton
M
The Illuminations
M M M M M M CN CN CN C M M M M M M M M M M M M C M M
Birmingham
Little L
The Actress & Bishop Adam & Eve
Only the Good
The Asylum
Birmingham
Hurt Season
The Flapper
Birmingham
Various Cruelties
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Fenech-Soler
HMV Institute
Birmingham
The Bluebeat Arkestra Dr Jekyll’s Potion
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Jekyll & Hyde
Birmingham
Jocko Homo
The Victoria
Birmingham
This Is Tmrw
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Mick Ferry
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Kitchen Garden Cafe Symphony Hall
Birmingham
Sunday, Sep 25 Slaid Cleaves Echo And The Bunnymen Scott Matthews
Birmingham
Birmingham
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Voodoo Johnson
Slade Rooms
Wolverhampton
Monday, Sep 26 Young Rebel Set
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Tuesday, Sep 27 Metronomy
HMV Institute
Birmingham
Male Bonding
The Victoria
Birmingham
Fresh Talent
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Wednesday, Sep 28 Josh T Pearson
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Viva Brother
HMV Institute
Birmingham
Pete & The Pirates
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Toby Beard
Kings Heath
Tom Stade
Kitchen Garden Cafe Wulfrun Hall
Thursday, Sep 29 Flatline Stereo
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham Birmingham
Wolverhampton
M
Seven Daze
M M M CN CN C C
David Mead
Scruffy Murphys The Actress & Bishop The Glee Club
Gym Class Heroes
HMV Institute
Birmingham
Cohere
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Japan Underground
The Victoria
Birmingham
Manhattan Loft
The Victoria
Birmingham
Junior Simpson
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Andrew O’Neill
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Friday, Sep 30 A Skylit Drive
O2 Academy 2
Birmingham
Muthafunk
The Ballroom
Birmingham
Dolls Eye Weaver
The Flapper
Birmingham
Karima Francis
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Sylosis
HMV Institute
Birmingham
King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys Whomanity
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Adam & Eve
Birmingham
Freestyle
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Junior Simpson
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Jason Byrne
Town Hall
Birmingham
M M M M M M CN CN C C
Tyburn Drop
Birmingham Birmingham
Brum Notes Magazine
September 2011
31
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