April 2015
www.brumnotes.com music and lifestyle for the west midlands
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BONOBO BREAKING DOWN BORDERS
INSIDE:
GHOSTPOET JAMES BAY NADINE SHAH CIRCA WAVES
DRENGE SUPERFOOD YOUTH MAN KWABS AND MILTON JONES
ALSO THIS MONTH: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO RECORD STORE DAY 2015 IN BIRMINGHAM / WIN TICKETS AND MERCH FOR LUNAR FESTIVAL / THE VERDICT ON BLUR’S NEW ALBUM AND APRIL’S BEST RECORDS / CELEBRATING 5 YEARS OF NEW ART AT GRAND UNION / THIS MONTH’S ESSENTIAL CLUB NIGHTS April 2015
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Brum Notes Magazine
CONTENTS
Palma Violets, live at the O2 Academy. Turn to P38 for the review. Photo by Daisy Blecker Brum Notes Magazine Unit 12 The Bond 180-182 Fazeley Street Birmingham B5 5SE info@brumnotes.com 0121 224 7363 Advertising 0121 224 7363 advertising@brumnotes.com Distribution StickupMedia! 0121 224 7364 Editor: Chris Moriarty Reviews Editor: Dan Owens Arts Editor: Dan Cooper-Gavin New Music Correspondent: Guy Hirst Writers: Lyle Bignon, Daron Billings, Matthew Burdon, Tom Clabon, Andrew Gutteridge, Esme Ling, Will Pace, Ivy Photiou, Becky Rogers, Ben Russell, David Vincent Photos: Daisy Blecker, Rob Hadley, Jonathan Morgan, Sam Wood Design: Adam Williams, Andy Aitken Twitter: @BrumNotesMag Facebook: www.facebook.com/ BrumNotesMagazine Online: www.brumnotes.com All content Š Brum Notes Magazine. Views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Brum Notes Magazine. While all care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of content, Brum Notes Magazine will not be held liable for any errors or losses claimed to have been incurred by any errors. Advertising terms and conditions available on request.
April 2015
Regulars News 4-5 Fresh Talent 6-7 Food & Drink 32 Album Reviews 34-36 Live Reviews 37-39 What’s On Guide 40-45 Features Grand Union 8 Record Store Day 2015 10-11 Swingamajig 12 Youth Man 14 Superfood 15 Drenge 16-17 Circa Waves 18 Ghostpoet 20-21 Bonobo 22-23 Kwabs 26-27 Nadine Shah 28-29 James Bay 30-31 The Last Word: Milton Jones 46 Competition: Lunar Festival 2015 47 3
news
GOD DAMN TO HEADLINE THIS YEAR’S ONE BEAT FESTIVAL One Beat Festival returns to the unique Outdoor Arena of the Mac in Birmingham this summer, with the first wave of acts now revealed. Wolverhampton’s furius grunge duo God Damn, set to release their debut album Vultures next month, will headline the one-day event, which takes place on July 25 at the arts centre’s amphitheatre-style outside space in Cannon Hill Park. Other acts on the bill to be unveiled so far include Brighton-based slacker pop outfit The Magic Gang, Brum’s own reggae and ska-fused party
starters Kioko (known to many under their previous moniker Tempting Rosie), Lichfield’s grungy alt-rockers Cold Ocean Lies and Faux Palms, the latest project from Birmingham musician Rick Wellings (turn to our Fresh Talent section for more on that). One Beat Festival, which first launched in 2012, aims to celebrate the best breakthrough and new acts from the Midlands and across the UK, with more bands set to be revealed over the coming weeks.
A new addition to this year’s festival will be JB’s Party Shed, named in tribute to late Charlatans drummer and festival co-founder Jon Brookes, with a host of surprise guest DJs taking to the decks inside to keep the festival vibes going. One Beat Festival takes place from 1pm-10pm at the Mac’s Outdoor Arena on Saturday, July 25. Early bird tickets are on sale now at £15 for a limited time from www.macbirmingham.co.uk. A free entry after-party takes place for ticket holders at the Bull’s Head in nearby Moseley until late.
BRUM SINGER CLARE MAGUIRE BACK WITH GLEE CLUB RESIDENCY Bursting onto the national music scene on a wave of industry hype in 2011, with support from the likes of the BBC and MTV, things seemed to have gone a little quiet for Clare Maguire since her debut album Light After Dark hit the top 10 in that same year. But now the Solihull-born singer is back with a brand new EP and the promise of a second album later in the year. She also returns to the live stage with a residency at The Glee Club in Birmingham throughout May – her first headline shows in her home city for four years. She plays the intimate venue on May 1, 8 and 15, when she will be showcasing a host of new material. Now signed to Virgin EMI, her new EP Don’t Mess Me Around – including her stomping soulful single of the same name – is out on April 13, a collection of songs recorded away from the public eye over the past 12 months. Visit www.claremaguire.com for more information. Tickets for her residency at The Glee Club are available now from www.glee.co.uk. 4
Two hot tub cinemas heading for Brum You know what they say, hot tub cinemas are like buses…Ok, nobody says that, but it is true that Birmingham is to get not one, but two hot tub-based movie-watching experiences over the coming months. First up, the aptly named Hot Tub Cinema pops up at Boxxed in Digbeth for its Tub Tropicana tour, screening a selection of films including The Lion King, Ghostbusters, Grease, Top Gun, The Hangover and Dirty Dancing from April 10-19. It’s a simple formula, with up to 120 guests watching the films from the comfort of the 20 tubs, with waiter bar service thrown
in. You can book a private hot tub for up to six from £25 each, or individual tickets are available if you fancy getting cosy alongside some new friends. Then hot on the heels of that, another moviegoing hot tub offering heads to the roof of Fort Dunlop, overlooking the M6, in May. Super Spa Cinema will serve up films including Cocktail, Jaws and Point Break from May 22-24, with tickets including drinks from £25. For Hot Tub Cinema at Boxxed in April, visit www.hottubcinema.com, or to book tickets for the Super Spa Cinema at Fort Dunlop in May head to www.fortdunlop.com. Brum Notes Magazine
Student-run record label launches at Birmingham Uni A new record label aimed at giving students a boost in the music industry has been launched at the University of Birmingham. New Street Records is a student-run label, directed by final year Business Management students Laura Hand and Anna Blessing and run with the help of more than 70 volunteers. The aim is to help develop musical talent from among the local university population, recording, distributing and promoting their work. Solo artist Sam Jackson and brooding indie outfit Shallows are the first signings to New Street Records, with more acts expected to follow. Visit www.newstreetrecords.com for more info.
Death or Glory Records shuts up shop – but label set to continue Celebrating its first birthday just last month with an in-store shindig attended by none other than Frank Turner, Death or Glory, Redditch’s independent record store, was forced to close its doors for the final time in the middle of March. A seemingly premature end to the store’s status as not just a vinyl stockist but a stringent supporter of many promising local bands, its closure on the eve of Record Store Day – a result of it being impossible to sustain the running of the premises – serves as a timely reminder of the hardships that physical retailers are continuing to encounter. Bringing the curtain down with performances from Byron Hare, The Hungry Ghosts and a supporting cast of local musicians, the store’s Steve Hadley was quick to point out that this wasn’t quite the end of the road for the Death or Glory project, declaring, in a statement on the shop’s Facebook page: “We will be launching a website to sell records and local products on and will still be putting on unique events and gigs.” A record label bearing the shop’s imprint will also continue to be run with the help of young music lovers who are not in education, a project which will include members of Byron Hare and The Hungry Ghosts. Plans are now underway for the next Death or Glory Records compilation, featuring the best new acts from across the West Midlands. Find out more at www.facebook.com/DeathorGloryR.
FANS CAN MARVEL AT CLASSIC COMIC COVERS Comic book fans will be able to get a close look at some of Marvel mastermind Stan Lee’s favourite cover artwork. Curated by the legendary comic book creator himself, Superheroes is a collection of limited edition prints that will go on display in Birmingham’s Castle Fine Art until mid-April. Captain America, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk and The Avengers will all be among the classics on show. Admirers can also snap up one of the limited run prints for themselves – each one signed by Stan Lee – with prices starting at a tidy £2,950. The exhibition is open now and expected to run until April 12. Castle Fine Art is based in the ICC in Birmingham city centre. April 2015
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fresh talent
FAUX PALMS soundcloud.com/fauxpalms
Faux Palms is the latest project spearheaded by guitarist, singer and devotee of songcraft Rick Wellings, who having played in straightedged rock‘n’roll four-piece The Bombergs for three years, is now collaborating with a pool of Birmingham musicians to bring his new and more personal compositions to light. With their second demo Momentum receiving airplay on all 39 local BBC radio stations only six days after its release, and the second date of their monthly residency at Cherry Reds in the city centre now set for April 16, Faux Palms have laid solid foundations for breaking into Birmingham’s musical consciousness. “A lot of people at our first show said two things – one: ‘I’ve never seen a band here’ and two: ‘this makes for a really good venue,’ so it made a lot of sense to come back,” Rick says looking around Cherry Reds, where we’ve met for a pint and chat. “We figured playing somewhere intimate is the best environment for people to get a handle on the band. We’ll do a couple more [shows] here and then do a bigger Digbeth gig in June. but principally we’re focused on our residency.” It’s clear that this DIY approach isn’t without reason, as the group are ensuring that the first leg of Faux Palms’ live career isn’t beyond their influence. “There are loads of good promoters around town but obviously when you play someone else’s night you’ve got no control over the bill, or anything else for that matter. So we plan to handpick the acts to make sure the nights are always really good.” This formula is difficult to fault seeing as their debut gig, which included support from Ash Sheehan of Dead Sea Skulls, earned them their residency.
But more important than a regular gig spot, Faux Palms enables Wellings’ passion for writing to flourish in a freer framework. “I got tired with the machinations of organising a band. Obviously there’s a lot of stuff you have to do that has nothing in relation to writing songs, making sandwiches...a lot of driving,” he laughs. “But now it’s more between a solo project and a band. It’s a collaborative thing. The guys I play with understand that all ideas are on the table and we’ll always run with the best one, and because they haven’t got as much invested in the project [as me] they can afford to be more uninhibited. Whereas in a band there’s that thing where everyone’s trying to put their stamp on it, which can sometimes lead to conflict,” he adds. “I was listening to stuff like John Lennon’s early 70s output, Bruce Springsteen and stuff from Bowie’s glam period, while I was playing solo shows last year. Neil Ward, who I now live with and manages Faux Palms, turned around after one of those gigs and said, ‘you write really good songs you should do something with them’. So the project really grew out of that conversation.
“Momentum came from a bunch of nights in London where we stayed out too late. I think when you live in a city like Birmingham it can feel relentless. If Momentum’s about anything it’s about taking stock and trying to find your feet. But I think the demos are indicative of where we’re at now rather than necessarily where we’ll go,” he says. Sincerity and ingenuity in song is something that Rick clearly values above image or the appropriation of anyone else’s sound. “I often look at a
band and think, ‘this is bullshit, they’re not really like that and I don’t buy it’. Faux Palms is really about doing things naturally. Playing in a band you end up wearing a lot of masks like, ‘wouldn’t it be cool if we were like Radiohead or something?’ But you’re only ever going to excel at being yourself. It is far too difficult to be anything else.” Faux Palms’ collaborators are currently, but not limited to, James Rea (sax), Andrew Wellings (lap steel and guitar), Martin Cleveley (drums) and Leighton Rees (bass). Faux Palms play their second live show at Cherry Reds, Birmingham city centre, on April 16.
ONES TO WATCH THE UNDERCLASS
MAYORS OF TORONTO
GHOSTS IN DAYLIGHT
SKY CHILDREN
Upbeat Brum-town ska-dubbers The
With a flair for elaborate instrumen-
Born out of a love of vintage electron-
This young troupe of psychedelic rockers
Underclass play alongside fellow rude
tals, Birmingham trio Mayors Of Toronto
ics, creaky pianos and iPhone apps,
are only a few months into their career,
boys Shooze and Lobster in support of
hone their artistry in beautifully embel-
this London electro-pop trio boast an
but they already demonstrate a natural
The Strike’s launch party for their debut
lished, asymmetrical and climatic math-
experimentalist instrumental vibe juxta-
knack for warped tunes that journey back
single Warzone. Expect a saxaphone the
rock verses that border between being
posed against the sensual dreamworld
and forth between comforting head-trips
size of a five-year-old, don black and
rigidly progressive and chaotically funky.
vocals of vocalist Meme Love. Drummer
and helter-skelter choruses. They play
white checkers and take a class in the
They play in support of Cardiff’s criti-
Tim Heymerdinger cites a mantra behind
alongside erratic indie up-and-comers
Midlands’ ska scene. Recommended
cally acclaimed alt-prog band Samoans
the project of “beauty is the new punk.”
Cubstone and Judges at Cubstone’s
tracks: Life Without You, Original Birming-
on their current UK tour. Recommended
Recommended tracks: Paper Heart,
single launch party for With Every Girl.
ham Ska, Fool Britannia.
tracks: What A Story, Mark! Sometimes
Goodbye, Wild Is The Wind, Capable Of
Recommended track: Images
The Institute, April 4
Photosynthesis.
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The Flapper, April 10
Love.
Cafe Ort, April 18
The Rainbow, April 3
Brum Notes Magazine
The Roadhouse Birmingham, Wharfside Leisure Complex, Lifford Lane, Stirchley, Birmingham, B30 3DZ | 0121 246 2273 // www.theroadhousebirmingham.com
PLAYLIST soundcloud.com/brumnotes
MALPAS Under Her Sails Don’t be surprised if this sounds familiar, as this excellent slice of ambient electronica and layered, leftfield folk first surfaced a few years back. But this month it is due for official release through Killing Moon Records, billed as the debut single from Malpas, the brainchild of Birmingham songwriter Ali Forbes (formerly of Envy & Other Sins) and producer Andy Savours, and with the promise of a full album to follow later in the year. A truly charming track that begs for repeat listens. soundcloud.com/malpas
MIDNIGHT MAGPIE WHATEVER YOU WANT Conflicted with guilt, lust and heartbreak, this seven-minute epic captures the fearlessness of jazz, the sorrow of blues and the passion of soul to create a beautiful frankenstein. With a voice that could turn a lullaby into an orgasm, Heather May Corvid, along with the incredible dynamic of the five-piece, makes Whatever You Want a tempestuous journey worth embarking on again and again. www.soundcloud.com/midnightmagpie
KALEIDOSCOPES GLITTER Between vocals that sound as though they were recorded in a huge echoing cavern, the unthreatening and unchanging fuzzy guitar drones and the serenely beckoning “oooos,” Glitter, unlike Kaleidoscopes’ previous tracks isn’t deceptively sedate before its morphs into discord. It’s a tranquil space-out tune with a thoroughly easy vibe, and the best the Birmingham trio have recorded so far. Lava lamps highly recommended. http://soundcloud.com/kaleidoscopesuk
MIDNIGHT BONFIRES EXISTENCE Three seconds in and Existence is unmistakably Midnight Bonfires. Even without mandolin melodies and vocal harmonies often incorporated into the music, their chipper instrumentals and David Langley’s signature falsetto shines through and blesses the four-piece with a sound as original as any band could possibly aim for. Taken from their new EP, released March 18, Existence is another great addition to their stellar repertoire. http://soundcloud.com/midnightbonfires
WED 1ST METAL 2 THE MASSES – BLOODSTOCK FESTIVAL: HEAT 2: ACID GOAT + ELYSIUM + LET VENGEANCE RISE + SILENT JACK (£3) ND THU 2 Main Room: DIRTY SAINT + SPITTING FEATHERS + THE MIGHTY YOUNG + SMART CASUAL (£5) Live Lounge: ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC w/ AIDAN BYRNE (FREE!) FRI 3RD JOURNEY2TOTO Europe’s 1st and only tribute to JOURNEY and TOTO w/support ANDREW P DONE (£6 ADV + £7 OTD) SAT 4TH THE SMITHS LTD w/support POLLEN (£6) TH SUN 5 Main Room: QUINPHONIC FESTIVAL Ft: TEMPERANCE (Italy) + SEVENTH SIN (Netherlands) + RAINOVER (Spain) + DIVIDED WE FALL (UK) + ROSE AVALON (Spain) (3pm Doors) (£15 Limited + £20 General) Live Lounge: EDINBURGH PREVIEW SHOW Ft: JAY HANDLEY & FREDDIE FARRELL (FREE!) WED 8TH METAL 2 THE MASSES – BLOODSTOCK FESTIVAL: HEAT 3: INFINUS + KILL FOR TROPHIES + MASSIVE HEAD TRAUMA + STRANGER IN DEATH (£3) THU 9TH Main Room: AMBICON RECORDS Present: INHERIT THE STARS + A CIRCLE OF REASON + A HIGHER DEMISE | Live Lounge: ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC w/ HELEN JONES (FREE) FRI 10TH MISS KHANDIE KHISSES Presents: Burlesque & Rockabilly Showdown JUKEBOX JURY in association w/ Vivien of Holloway Ft: THE DELRAY ROCKETS + ELIZA DeLITE + ADORA DERRIERE + VELVETEEN HUSSEY + NENDHEL ABSYNTHIUM (£8 ADV, £10 OTD) SAT 11TH DIZZY LIZZY (£7) SUN 12TH Main Room: COCOMAD FESTIVAL – SUNDAY SHOWCASE Ft; BANGFORD + BETHAN & THE MORGANS + CAFE CULTURE + GEORGE WILSON & THE DRAGONS + INPUT HAVANA + LOBSTER + PLEASURE HOUSE + THE DOLLCANOES + THOM & CHRISBEE (3pm Doors) | Live Lounge: EDINBURGH PREVIEW SHOWS Ft: SCOTT BENNETT & FREDDIE FARRELL (Live Lounge: FREE) TH TUES 14 BMET Productions present:“Night At The Movies”
WED 15TH METAL 2 THE MASSES – BLOODSTOCK FESTIVAL HEAT 4: PELUGION + SAMSARA + SEXWOLF! + AURORA (£3) TH THU 16 Main Room: SATSUMA PROMOTIONS Presents: TOROUS + ARAMANTUS + ANGRY ITCH Live Lounge: ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC w/ TIM WALKERDINE (FREE!) FRI 17TH FRED ZEPPELIN (£7) SAT 18TH BOOTLEG BLONDIE (Debbie Harry & Blondie Tribute Band) (£8) SUN 19TH Main Room: TOM DUKES LTD Presents: THE NATURAL EMOTIONS + ELLIE LEECH + HANNAH & HARRIETT + CHARLI & LIS (£6) | Live Lounge: EDINBURGH PREVIEW SHOWS Ft: MICHAEL J DOLAN & FREDDIE FARRELL (FREE!) WED 22ND METAL 2 THE MASSES – BLOODSTOCK FESTIVAL: HEAT 5: THE MIGHTY WRAITH + THE FACE OF RUIN + SALVATORE LEONE + SECRETS OF MARINA (£3) THU 23RD Main Room: ENBRACE THE CHAOS Ft: PADDY STEER + NAT GAVIN + I AM LEGENDARY ROBOT (BELGIUM) + SHAMBOLIX + MUSEUM OF WOMEN + GHOSTS IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS+ SHAH ABBAS & RICHARD SCOT | Live Lounge: ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC w/IAN BEVAN (FREE!) FRI 24TH THE BUDDY PRESLEY BAND w/support 58 CHEVY (£6 ADV + £7 OTD) SAT 25TH SCOPYONS & RECKLESS HEART DOUBLE HEADER (£8 Early Bird + £10 General) SUN 26TH Main Room: SWAMP DONKEY BIRTHDAY GIG Ft: SILENT JACK + KONCEPT + SOUR MASH (3pm doors) Live Lounge: EDINBURGH PREVIEW SHOWS Ft: LOU CONRAN & FREDDIE FARRELL (FREE) TH WED 29 METAL 2 THE MASSES – BLOODSTOCK FESTIVAL: HEAT 6: ADAMANTIUM + BURDEN OF THE NOOSE + TOMB HAZARD + VEXXEN (£3) THU 30TH Main Room: SMALL CHANGES presents an acoustic evening w/ THE LOST NOTES & KATE BARRY (£4 ADV / £5 OTD) | Live Lounge: ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC w/ AIDAN BYRNE (FREE!)
LIVE LOUNGE OPEN MIC COMEDY ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC EVERY MONDAY W/ EVERY THUDAY HANNAH SILVESTER
MAIN GIG ROOM OPEN MIC EVERY MONDAY W/ BEN DALBY
All listings are correct at time of print, however, they are subject to change at any time so please check website or call the Roadhouse Team before you travel. Please note: We are strictly 18+ on Friday & Saturday Nights
THE ANTI-CAPITALIST ROADSHOW
SING POLITICAL
Irish Centre Birmingham Digbeth B12 0LN
Friday 24 April 2015 7:30pm
CELEBRATING SUBVERSION
Frankie Armstrong Leon Rosselson Grace Petrie Boff Whalley Reem Kelani Sandra Kerr Janet Russell Roy Bailey Robb Johnson Ian Saville Jim Woodland Bar till midnight
£15 (£10 conc)
Doors 6pm Food available
0121 247 7607
SING-POLITICAL
Entry Free
2nd Wednesday each month, Prince of Wales, Moseley
SONGS OF HOPE, RESISTANCE AND STRUGGLE Words by Guy Hirst
follow @sing-political on Twitter for latest news
www.tradartsteam.co.uk/ACR-Brum.html April 2015
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arts & culture
Grand Union Turns 5 Phil Hession, Grand Union Artist in Residence, February 2015 at Access to Music, Digbeth. Photo: Rebekah Bainbridge
Since 2010, the pioneering gallery and studio facility Grand Union has played a key role in Digbeth’s cultural metamorphosis. As it celebrates its fifth birthday and a fresh cash injection from the Arts Council, Dan Cooper-Gavin catches up with director Cheryl Jones and associate curator Kim McAleese. What was the motivation for setting up Grand Union? Cheryl Jones: As a collective of artists and curators, we wanted to create a new and vibrant space for artistic production, somewhere with high-quality studios for artists to make new work. At the time, there was a lack of space in the city for artists that was affordable but dry, secure and heatable. We also wanted to create a space for young curators to test out their practice – i.e. making new exhibitions and commissioning new works, with artists from outside of the city, making a space for dialogue around contemporary art practices that was outward as well as inward-looking. A sort of studio for curators, if you like, but one with a public profile and an infrastructure around it that would mean we could build an audience and critical mass around our programme. You place great emphasis on emerging artists – what are the particular attractions of working with relatively unknown talent? Kim McAleese: Grand Union has a very specific ethos and output – to create an experimental and active site for the production of new work. We tend to work with more emerging artists in order to create opportunities for them to do just that – experiment with their developing practice and create something on a larger scale than they may have done before, with a larger budget than they would have previously worked with, and with more support than they have received previously. In a way, we can offer some form of mentorship for the artists that we work with. It is an exhilarating experience, working in an artistled space with a small team, having a more-intimate dialogue with those artists whom you work with and alongside. 8
Looking back over the past five years, what are you most proud of? CJ: There’s so much! We’re proud of all of our projects, but I guess the most exciting things are those where we’ve been part of facilitating production right at the beginning of an idea and seeing it develop and have a life afterwards. For example, with Jamie Shovlin’s project Hiker Meat, a horror exploitation film that never existed. Shovlin created a whole archive of material around this non-existent film, which started at Grand Union with casting shots, a script annotated by the actors, title cards and a soundtrack, and later, when showing the more-developed project at [Manchester’s] Cornerhouse last year, included props and a feature-length ‘making of’ film. But we’ve also worked with artists such as Bob Parks – he’s in his late 60s and although he’s been prolifically making paintings and sculpture, writing poetry and music for many years, he has only had a couple of exhibitions during his life. We were able to work with him to present a retrospective of his work, host his band and be part of the documentary currently being made about his life.
galvanising some of this activity and bringing new visitors to the city through our programming.
What’s your view of Birmingham’s strength as an arts city, and Grand Union’s role within it? CJ: Birmingham has a small but vibrant and highquality art scene at the moment. There are some brilliant artists who have international careers, but also some really interesting organisations operating on a variety of levels and reaching international audiences. We’ve seen the scene really build and strengthen over the last few years and seen the number of young visual artists staying or moving to the city increase. There’s a lot more collaboration happening between organisations now too. Grand Union has played a key part in
If you could give one reason to visit Grand Union, what would it be? KM: You’ll always find something quite unexpected in our space, which will be challenging but really worthwhile spending some time with. Also, we always have the kettle on, so you can be sure to be treated to a cup of tea.
What difference will your new Arts Council funding make? KM: This funding is to cover our programme and overheads until 2017. This means that we are able to deliver a public programme of five exhibitions per year, with an engaging and varied programme of film screenings, artist talks and events. More important for me is the investment in something more intangible – time. Time to potentially grow our staff, more focussed time working with and supporting artistic practitioners, more time for dialogue within our local context, more time for research and reflection. What’s your vision for Grand Union five years from now? CJ: We want to ensure that we can continue our experimental and ambitious programming whilst keeping our studios affordable, which is increasingly becoming tougher. We hope to be part of a much larger arts scene that has galvanised to stake its claim in Digbeth.
Grand Union hosts its Fifth Birthday party on April 3, and its latest exhibition, Aideen Doran: Im Bau, opens on April 18. For more information, visit grand-union.org.uk. Brum Notes Magazine
April 2015
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Record Store Day 2015 A key date on the vinyl calendar, Record Store Day has been getting wax enthusiasts in a spin every April for the past eight years. Founded to preserve the importance of physical releases and raise awareness of the independent record stores that still provide an affront to an increasingly digital age, each event brings with it a list loaded with exclusive vinyl releases that can only be purchased, in person, from independent record retailers, alongside a whole host of related activities. Dan Owens takes you through the pick of the exclusives and finds out what else Birmingham has in store.
#RSD15: Buyer’s Guide CHVRCHES – GET AWAY / DEAD AIR (7”) Spending much of last year on a world tour that took them out of the studio and onto the road, Scotland’s shining electro pop darlings somehow found the time to contribute a rather polished pair of songs to two separate film soundtracks. Synthing up Get Away for Zane Lowe’s opinionsplitting overhaul of the Drive soundtrack and adding original number Dead Air to the Lordecurated Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 score, both tracks are collected here either side of a must-have 7ins.
catalogue to be pressed onto a glitzy picture disc. A total of 3,000 have been produced to meet demand. DJANGO DJANGO – BEGINNING TO FADE (7”) Quiet in matters of new music since 2012’s scintillating self-titled debut, Django Django kicked off 2015 with an infectious first single in three years, First Light, and the promise of a sophomore album. Now pencilled in for a May release, the London quartet reduce the wait for fresh material by putting out new song Beginning to Fade ahead of forthcoming second LP Born Under Saturn.
COURTNEY BARNETT – KIM’S CARAVAN / CLOSE WATCH (12”) A firm Brum Notes favourite since unleashing her devastating brace of EPs onto our unsuspecting eardrums a few years back, quickwitted queen of slack Courtney Barnett’s contribution sees the achingly-cool Aussie pair up brooding new album track Kim’s Caravan with a previously-unreleased cover of John Cale’s Close Watch.
FOO FIGHTERS – SONGS FROM THE LAUNDRY ROOM (10” EP) As the official ambassador of Record Store Day, Dave Grohl was bound to have something special up his sleeve. Teaming up with his fellow Foos to release a four-track EP, this exclusive disc features a set of pared-down demos and an unlikely cover of Kim Wilde’s Kids in America.
DAVID BOWIE – CHANGES (7” PICTURE DISC) Carrying on tradition, Bowie’s 1971 track Changes is the latest of his iconic back
FLORENCE & THE MACHINE – WHAT KIND OF MAN / AS FAR AS I CAN GET (12”) Bold and brassy, few artists of recent times
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can really compete with Florence Welch’s stormy set of pipes. Rested and raring to go again after a decidedly silent 2014, Flo, with well-oiled Machine in tow, blesses RSD with a one-two punch of new sounds on heavyweight blue vinyl, the grandiose, trumpet-led blare of What Kind of Man leading the line. GOD DAMN VS BABY GODZILLA – WE DON’T LIKE YOU / GREEDY PETE (10”) A release divided between two of the Midlands’ most visceral bands, this is a split 10ins tailor-made to blow the cobwebs away. The A-side seeing beloved Wolverhampton duo God Damn preview their impending May debut album Vultures with We Don’t Like You, Nottingham’s Baby Godzilla fill their half of the wax with the equally explosive Greedy Pete. HONEYBLOOD – NO BIG DEAL / THE BLACK CLOUD (7”) Undergoing a potentially-disruptive personnel change just days before their last Birmingham show at the Hare & Hounds, the Glasgow duo, consisting of Stina Tweeddale and the now firmlyinstalled-on-the-drumming-stool Cat Myers, recently showcased a brand new song in the form of No Big Deal. As mighty a throwback to the Breeders and Elastica as much of their earlier work, this furious new single is backed with B-side The Black Cloud. Brum Notes Magazine
JOHNNY MARR – I FEEL YOU / PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE LET ME GET WHAT I WANT (7”) It’s testament to the guitar legend’s own appreciation of music that even an axe-wielder as prolific as Johnny Marr always managed to keep his ears fixed on the charts. Getting in on the RSD act with this smart update of Depeche Mode’s 1993 smash I Feel You, there’s also room for a thrilling live version of The Smiths’ haunting Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want. LAURA MARLING – FALSE HOPE / DAVID (7”) False Hope, the crunching electric highlight of Laura Marling’s just-released, careerbest new album Short Movie, receives the snazzy single treatment for the event, the flipside of its limited 1,000copy pressing featuring the first-ever recorded version of live favourite David. MANIC STREET PREACHERS – THE HOLY BIBLE (LP PICTURE DISC) A scar-filled masterclass that, on its 1994 release, seemed out of step with the decade’s celebratory euphoria, The Holy Bible – the Manics’ deliberately-abrasive third album and disappearing lyricist Richey Edwards’ tortured swansong – is reissued on a limited edition picture disc. SUEDE - DOG MAN STAR LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL (DOUBLE LP) A sprawling album that captured the sound of Britpop’s comedown years before their partying peers decided to go reflective, this live double LP, recorded across a breathtaking Royal Albert Hall residence, displays Suede in all of their indulgent, dilapidated glory. THE WHITE STRIPES – GET BEHIND ME SATAN (LP) To commemorate the 10th anniversary of album number five, the White Stripes issue Get Behind Me Satan on vinyl for the first time. Naturally, their critically-acclaimed 2005 record comes pressed onto a pair of red and white discs. April 2015
#RSD15: Birmingham’s Stores & Shows
Sealand performing outside Milque & Muhle at last year’s RSD
LEFT FOR DEAD, CUSTARD FACTORY, DIGBETH “Record Store Day is so important because it encourages people to visit their local record shops,” says Left For Dead’s Andrew Haddon. “It’s very easy to look at rocketing sales of vinyl and think that everyone is buying records. But, in reality, vinyl sales account for a very small fraction of overall music purchases. RSD 2014 was, for many of my now regular customers, their first visit to the store. The event is vital in getting people back into independents.” Again stocking an array of RSD releases, the Custard Factory-based store has also invited a quartet of bands to play for the occasion. Ahead of their May show at The Rainbow, folk five-piece Boat to Row kick things off early at 9am, with Matthew Edwards, opting for Birmingham over his adopted home of California, offering up his heartfelt brand of blearyeyed pop as the clock strikes 3pm. Sandwiched between these two sets, God Damn and Baby Godzilla will be crowning their joint release with a pair of respectively raucous midday performances on a speciallymade stage outside the store. SWORDFISH, DALTON STREET, CITY CENTRE “We will be opening earlier than usual at 9.30am, with the intention of getting our in-store performances under way at around 5pm,” says Swordfish’s Gareth Owen. The acts in question? An acoustic set from Wonder Stuff icon Miles Hunt, an appearance from art-rock renegade and Wonder Stuff affiliate Erica Nockalls and multitalented Leicesterite Meri Everitt. Again, the Dalton Street-based store will be stocking “loads of limited editions” with the added draw of a “fridge-load of cheeky beers.” Happy days.
MILQUE & MUHLE, CUSTARD FACTORY, DIGBETH (ABOVE) Stocking the exclusive RSD releases that are most in keeping with his store’s “identity”, Milque & Muhle’s Nathan Warner sees the event as a crucial profile-raiser for the city’s independent record shops. “It’s a good opportunity for people to discover the shop and, with any luck, come back to us throughout the year. After all, record shops are for life, not just for Record Store Day!” He names the vinyl re-release of Swans’ eponymous EP, Pere Ubu’s boxset and Oneohtrix Point Never’s 12ins cut of Commissions II as his pick of the new records. THIS IS TMRW ALL-DAYER, HARE & HOUNDS, KINGS HEATH After you’ve scooped up those precious RSD exclusives and sifted through enough vinyl to make your hands bleed, This Is Tmrw’s Hare & Hounds-hosted all-day gig provides the perfect supplement to a busy day of cratedigging. Unfolding from 3pm, this mammoth gig will see eight of the city’s best and brightest bands perform in celebration of the annual event. Headlined by rabid noise terrorists Them Wolves, the show also features the dirty garage blues of Black Mekon, The Castilians’ sunshine pop and scene stalwarts Sunshine Frisbee Laserbeam, with space reserved for Swampmeat Family Band, Dong Fang, Threds and Crawlin’ Hands to strut their stuff.
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SWINGAMAJIG 2015
This May Day weekend, get your gladrags on and head to the Custard Factory for the most fabulous party in town. It’s time for Swingamajig 2015 – Dan Cooper-Gavin looks ahead to what’s in store.
At first glance, the premise of Swingamajig may seem somewhat niche – a one-day festival dedicated to electro swing, gypsy folk and vintage chic. Yet the Swingamajig crowd is a broad and inclusive bunch, running the gamut from hedonistic teens escaping A-level revision to pensioners
raised on the big band era of Benny Goodman and co. Grafting the glamour of the Roaring 20s onto Digbeth’s distinctive urban grit, Swingamajig is truly a party like no other. The advice, needless to say, is dress to impress. At every turn, there are circus acts, magic tricks and burlesque performers to tantalise and amaze. And if you want to make a weekend of it, you can even hone your moves the day before the festival with a special dance workshop at the Hippodrome, with expert guidance in lindy hop and jazz steps available for all ability levels, the day’s tuition culminating in a social dance. 12
And Swingamajig offers no shortage of opportunities to put those dancing skills to good use, with four stages of live music to choose from. Here are some of the highlights of this year’s lineup – get there early for the bands, because it’s the DJs who come to the fore as the sun goes down…
ELECTRIC SWING CIRCUS
THE CORRESPONDENTS
DUTTY MOONSHINE BIG BAND
Firm favourites of the festival circuit, no swing party would be complete without the visuallyarresting London duo, with the high-energy stagecraft of frontman Mr Bruce a truly irresistible force.
The festival debut of the expanded live ensemble led by anarchic duo Dutty Moonshine, featuring an eight-piece brass section, live drummer and two vocalists.
CHINESE MAN
CHRIS TOFU
A trip hop-inflected ensemble from the south of France, best known for their Betty Boop-sampling signature track I’ve Got That Tune, Chinese Man are one of the star turns of this year’s festival.
One of the godfathers of the electro-swing scene and the boss of Glastonbury’s legendary Shangri-La late night party area, his set is not to be missed.
MR B THE GENTLEMAN RHYMER
TALLULAH GOODTIMES
Surely the most well-spoken MC in the history of hip hop, Mr B brings the cut-glass delivery of his self-styled ‘chap hop’ to Brum, no doubt drawing on material from his latest album Can’t Stop, Shan’t Stop.
The super-stylish DJ has amassed a formidable CV, supporting a veritable who’s who of clubland and commanding the wheels of steel at A-list parties worldwide.
JOHNNY KOWALSKI & THE SEXY WEIRDOS
Bass bins beware, as the bottom end-bothering East London-born producer brings his dub-heavy stylings to the party.
In the words of their own Bandcamp page, “Like taking a mains-wired blender to the last 50 years of rock-and-roll music history and daring it to dangle its dangly bits in.”
Surely the archetypal Swingamajig act – a local six-piece who give the original swing sound a 21st-century twist, with vocal duo Laura Louise and Bridget Walsh backed by elements of house, reggae and dubstep.
ED SOLO
C@ IN THE H@ Good-time local DJ and co-director of Ragtime Records, here to showcase his own unique brand of “swing with the big bass sound”.
Swingamajig is at the Custard Factory on Sunday, May 3. Tickets from £25. For more information, visit swingamajig.co.uk.
Brum Notes Magazine
April 2015
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Knives Out The year so far for piss-and-vinegar Brum punks Youth Man has been pretty damn cool. They’ve supported Sleaford Mods, been picked up by Rolling Stone as ‘new artists you need to know,’ and they’re currently gearing up to release their third EP, Hill of Knives, ahead of a UK tour. Guy Hirst talks to Kaila Whyte (guitar and vocals), Miles Cocker (bass) and Marcus Perks (drums) to find out more. How does Hill of Knives compare to your 2013 EP release Bad Weather? KW: The actual recording process was really good this time around. There was no pressure. We just hung around the studio, worked on tones and recorded some stuff. This is the first set of songs that Marcus and I have written with Miles so it was cool to see how it turned out. The penultimate track, Auto-da-Fé, is a bit different than the other stuff on there. It also has the most artsy bollocks title we’ll ever give anything. Any tracks you’re really psyched about debuting? KW: Dead Weight, it’s the sexiest we’ve ever been. MP: It took the others ages to nail that intro. When I first showed it to them they made me feel like a lunatic. Listening to it now is hilarious because it sounds like they know what they’re doing. You’ve said in the past that you’ve had trouble nailing your live sound and energy on record. How close does Hill of Knives get? KW: I don’t know if we’ve completely nailed it but we get closer every time we record so right now Hill of Knives is pretty close. We’re just gonna keep experimenting with sounds but I don’t think we’ll ever be satisfied. What’s your stance on bands such as yourselves with a female singer, constantly being labelled ‘female fronted’? MP: It can be very fucking frustrating, anybody with any kind of sense understands by now that it doesn’t make any difference to anything. But 14
this industry is institutionally biased, fickle and stupid and that’s the way it is. Lots of people are making decent progress toward changing that though, slowly but surely. Marmozets are fucking slaying it right now. Local musician Connor Hemming (who’s previously played as a solo artist alongside Youth Man) is debuting his new band at the EP launch, tell us about ‘em.
“This industry is institutionally biased, fickle and stupid and that’s the way it is.” KW: They’re called Bad Girlfriend. We’ve never actually heard them but it’s Connor Hemming so it’s gonna be awesome. MP: Connor is a badass, he’s the Iggy Pop of Birmingham. Last time I saw him he did a knee slide in kneeless jeans…on a concrete floor. To The Wall are also supporting you on the EP launch, what are they like? MP: They haven’t got anything online yet and we’ve never heard them. The Sunflower Lounge show will be their first Birmingham date, normally that would be a recipe for disaster but half of them were in Blakfish/&U&I and half of them were in Shapes so it will definitely be cool. We wanted to see what they were up to and having ‘em play
our show saves us having to bother seeing them somewhere else. The Sunflower Lounge recently framed a picture of Kaila up on the wall, how’d that happen? KW: The Sunny’s home. We’ve played there a hundred times and we’ll play a hundred more. Good people, good drinks and of course there’s good music. That photo’s pretty cool too, we’re flattered. MC: I get a discount. That’s what I like about it. What do each of you love about playing live? What gets you pumped? KW: The freedom of being up on a stage and conducting a totally uninhibited expression of whatever the fuck you want for half an hour through performing songs that you’ve written. That’s cool man. MC: I like thinking girls think I’m sexy. MP: I like making loud noises and getting my body out. What would you love to add to your live shows if your budget was raised considerably? KW: Stunt doubles. MP: I’d like to be carried to the stage in one of those boxes like Joffrey has on Game of Thrones. MC: A CamelPak full of whisky.
Youth Man are live at the Sunflower Lounge on April 18 for their EP launch. Hill of Knives is set for official release on April 27. Brum Notes Magazine
s e m a fl e h t Fanning Bursting out of Birmingham at the back end of 2013, Superfood return to their home city this month with a debut album under their belts and an ever-growing fanbase. Frontman Dom Ganderton talks to Tom Clabon about working for cider, a second album on the horizon and their fiery forthcoming show. “Audience members are advised to wear fireretardant clothing,” jokes Superfood frontman Dom Ganderton, as he outlines his vision for a “freak show” boasting glitter cannons, balloons, and dreadlocked men breathing fire at this month’s homecoming gig at The Rainbow. “We’re really excited,” he says, “It’s gonna be a big party.” And you can be sure of party vibes, especially for a band with so much to celebrate, particularly when it comes to the chosen venue. “We wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for The Rainbow. It’s where we all met,” explains the singer. So what better place to celebrate the speed of success they’ve enjoyed since forming in 2013? “It’s good to take a step back and look at the last two years.” It was almost a sense of frustration – and a penchant for cider and partying – that saw Superfood and their modern take on Britpop with beats form in the first place, as Ganderton reflects. “I was working in venues in Birmingham, y’know, helping other bands out all the time. Recording and going on tour with them and stuff. They’d come off stage high-fiving, ready to go out and drink a thousand beers, and you’re just stood there without having the same adrenaline.” He had originally planned to be a producer, working out of his bedroom in Digbeth, and helped April 2015
Peace and Swim Deep record their early demos. “That’s how we all got to know each other, really…People were always ringing me up for favours, buying me K Cider in return for recording their demos. I wasn’t ready to take it as a job, though, I kept not getting mixes back to people because I’d been out the night before or something. So I just started a band, pretty much.”
“It sounds like James Brown’s backing band, recorded into Pro Tools, played through a boom box, being listened to through headphones…by Macaulay Culkin.” Within a matter of months of leaving Digbeth’s K Cider economy behind and forming his own band, Superfood headlined the NME New Breed tour (supported by the flawless Honeyblood), were nominated for an NME Award, and released their debut album, Don’t Say That to critical acclaim (“It’s a starting point,” Ganderton modestly says, “It’s not, like, the cream of our brains.”). But in typical Superfood style, work has already begun
on the second album. They are a band who don’t stop for breathers. “How did I describe it the other day? At the moment, it sounds like James Brown’s backing band, recorded into Pro Tools, played through a boom box, being listened to through headphones…by Macaulay Culkin.” Perhaps the next album (which has no official announcements yet but we’re told has “a really great name”) is aimed primarily at former child actors. However, he assures us that future material isn’t going to be anything like Culkin’s disastrous pizza-themed Velvet Underground tribute band, on account of not wanting bottles of piss thrown at them. Ganderton sums up his own band as “calculated madness”, with his pyrotechnic visions for the upcoming gig a testament to this. With support from Yak and Black Honey, two bands he enthuses about, it’s sure to be an inimitable homecoming show. Superfood are a band determined to enjoy themselves, and who affably invite you to join them – fire safety regulations permitting. “Just don’t stand too close to the men with dreadlocks,” he adds. Superfood headline The Rainbow, Birmingham, on April 8. Debut album Don’t Say That is out now. 15
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Brum Notes Magazine
Derbyshire’s grunge rock duo Drenge return this month with their second LP and a European tour. Ahead of their stop-off in Birmingham, Guy Hirst talks to guitarist and vocalist Eoin Loveless about tension with Swim Deep, Kanye West at Glastonbury and torturing a Pikachu.
“People really expect something of us because of our first album,” says frontman Eoin Loveless, discussing the inevitable added pressure that has greeted the recording of their second LP, Undertow. “I didn’t think we were fucking with the formula at all but reviewers seem to be suggesting that we’ve really changed stuff around. It’s more polished because I’ve put four months of my life into this. We finished it on New Year’s Eve, I had a horrible breakdown about it all and didn’t go out, so [negative] reviews are nothing compared to the mental damage I’ve put myself through. I’m really proud of Undertow and for me it’s a 10-outof-10 record. This is the best I can currently do,” he asserts. “How the album is received won’t have much of an impact on me until the people who’ve pre-ordered the record get to hear it. Journalists, the label and festival bookers all aside, the fans are the reason why we get to do this.” But if you’ve seen Drenge, primarily a two-piece made up of Eoin and brother Rory, in the last two years it’s likely you would’ve heard a good chunk of the tracks from Undertow, with Running Wild played for two years, The Snake about a year and Standing In The Cold for the past nine months. However, Eoin is most excited for Drengediehards to hear album-closer Have You Forgotten My Name – “From a writing point of view that’s one of the best songs we’ve ever done,” he says. Despite having openly expressed their disinterest in adding additional members to their lineup, Drenge now see bass player Rob Graham join their ranks, having contributed to three tracks on Undertow and became a touring member this year. “Rob’s my housemate and we’ve known him since we were kids,” Eoin explains. “He’s instrumental in our musical history and has always been incredibly supportive. He’s put us on supporting bands that he’s been in.” But specifically Eoin points to a mix-CD that Rob made for Rory (Loveless, drums) when he was 15. “It was called ‘The History Of Punk.’ It had stuff on it like Dead Kennedys, Iggy & The Stooges, Ramones and even Radiohead. If it wasn’t for Rob there wouldn’t be Drenge as we know it,” he adds. April 2015
“When recording Undertow there was a layer of low-end missing. We were recording pitch-shift guitars that sounded really synthetic and fake, then we tried using synths playing really low frequencies. It just sounded wrong so I started playing bass on most of the record. Rob was getting stressed out working in this coffee shop, so it just made sense to ask him to join the band. We’ve had to write basslines to all of our old songs because I didn’t want to just roll someone on and off stage when we were playing. So all [songs from] the first album now have bass too.”
“I DIDN’T THINK WE WERE FUCKING WITH THE FORMULA AT ALL BUT REVIEWERS SEEM TO BE SUGGESTING THAT WE’VE REALLY CHANGED STUFF AROUND” After all the studio time, meetings with journalists and stress of releasing Undertow, Eoin’s eagerness to get back to Drenge’s roots by playing gigs is palpable. “We haven’t played that much live in the last six months and playing shows is what the band’s all about. When we started out we had a gig every two weeks somewhere in Sheffield, we didn’t practice or anything because we couldn’t afford a space, so gigging has always been important to us. We’ve played places where shit’s gone crazy then we’ve done shows in America to like six people – there you have to improvise the vibe, just ignore that the room’s almost empty and be like ‘we’re just gonna play really well tonight’. The audience really make it worthwhile.” Although they may have played to six-or-so people at one particular date in the US, their American television debut on the Late Show With David Letterman in January was likely to have reached 2.8 million, where they performed their latest
single We Can Do What We Want. It also turns out they were also approached by Kanye West backstage for a chat, mentioning to the duo that he was interested in “making his music more aggressive”. “I’ve got a lot of respect for him,” says Eoin. “I was kind of upset by how negative the reaction was to Kanye headlining Glastonbury. Having strong opinionated figures in pop music is really important, say, rather than someone like Sam Smith. I haven’t heard a bad word against Sam Smith but people are quite happy to slag off Kanye West. It’s important to have Glastonbury headliners making statements, because nobody else is going to, especially at his level.” From hip hop heavyweights to Birmingham’s contemporary music scene, Eoin it turns out, is a fan – but for Swim Deep this has not always been the case. “When we met Swim Deep there was some weird tension going on. They cut into our soundcheck by about an hour and we didn’t properly make up for about a year, and it didn’t help that every festival we played they were on after us. But they really are, like, the sweetest guys. Birmingham’s got a strong musical scene and it’s really good that all those bands look out for each other, like a real community.” And as with most people in their early 20s, Eoin’s current career is successive to his first…as a Pokemon master. After having noticed a post on Drenge’s Twitter simply saying “GOTTA CATCH ‘EM ALL”, it was essential to ask him about his Pokemon career. “If I was in a bad mood and school hadn’t gone well I’d take it all out on this little Pikachu. I had the yellow version so he would follow me around. You could be really mean to him and starve him then see how he was feeling, and there’d be this really weird picture of his face. It was like some weird level of torture.” Thankfully for Pikachu’s sake (and ours), Eoin now vents himself via Drenge. Now he travels across the land, searching far and wide, with each Drenge show, to understand, the power that’s inside. Drenge are live at The Institute, Birmingham, on April 11. New album Undertow is out on April 6, via Infectious Records. 17
WHATEVER THE WEATHER
Their schedule may be gruelling, but Circa Waves’ Joe Falconer still has time to chat to David Vincent about his favourite t-shirt, SXSW and teenage memories of Island Bar. It’s fair to say that Circa Waves had a pretty good 2014. Kickstarting the year with a slot on the NME Tour alongside Interpol, Royal Blood and Temples, the ensuing months saw the quartet head to the US, secure well-received appearances at various major festivals and conclude with their own dates. But looking back at the highlights, guitarist Joe Falconer reckons their headline tour was the real highpoint. “We’d just finished playing quite a few support slots, so it was nice to be in front of our own crowd again and it was amazing to have so many people come along who were familiar with the songs,” he recalls. “A lot of those shows sold out and ended in stage invasions. At our homecoming gig in Liverpool we couldn’t even finish the set because someone from the crowd fell on the drum kit.” He also cites dates with seminal indie legends The Libertines as another standout memory. “We all grew up listening to The Libertines when we were younger. They were really good to us. Watching them from the side of stage every night was an honour and they definitely know how to put on a good show.” And 2015 has already got off to a strong start for the quartet, thanks to a string of Australian dates with The 1975. “They were a lot of fun. Their audience is a little bit insane, they’re kind of like The Beatles or something over there. We just used it as an excuse to pick up some new fans, grab some winter sun and 18
drink cocktails,” says Joe, who is chatting to Brum Notes from Austin, Texas, nearly 5,000 miles away, where they’re mixing it with the industry movers and shakers at SXSW. “The schedule’s been gruelling, but it’s an amazing place to be. Walking round the streets it kind of feels like the last days of Rome or something. We played three shows on the first day we were here and combined with the jetlag it almost broke us, but all the bands here are in the same boat [and] it’s insane just how many venues there are here. Every small business decides to have a stage regardless of whether they’re a doughnut shop or a liquor store.” The gruelling schedule is set to continue as Circa Waves release their debut album, Young Chasers. A bristling, jaunty, hook-laden guitar pop collection, it’s been grabbing top marks and seen them compared to such acts as The Pigeon Detectives, The Kooks, The View (back when they were all good), The Shins and The Strokes. The 13-track LP includes recent singles Fossils, So Long and the summery anthem-in-waiting T-Shirt Weather. “[T-Shirt Weather is] about having a false nostalgia for memories, how you always look back at the past with rose-tinted spectacles. That and our love of the Met Office,” Joe quips, who confesses his own fave t-shirt features some oddly political imagery. “I have a t-shirt that I found in a second hand shop in London when I was 17. It’s got a picture of an old prime minister of Canada – Wilfred Laurier – wearing a pair of sunglasses. I have no idea why anyone made it, but I’m glad it’s in my life.”
Joe, Kieran Shudall (vocals, guitar), Sam Rourke (bass) and Colin Jones (drums) came together after meeting at Liverpool Sound City in 2013, releasing the Get Away / Good For Me double-A via Transgressive at the end of the year. Frontman Kieran has stated that he believes their strength and appeal comes from their close friendship, that “gang” feeling. “I think that all the bands that we grew up listening to made you feel like you want to be part of their gang,” Joe says on the subject. “I think there’s something tribal about guitar music, it’s about the energy and attitude you can create with the bare bones of music and I think there’s a lot of people attracted to that.” As soon as they’re back from SXSW, the quartet head out on a nine-date UK tour with their Birmingham show at The Institute surprisingly something of a homecoming for Joe. “I’m actually from Redditch originally, so I spent a lot of my teenage years playing in venues in Birmingham,” he says. “I remember going to see Sunset Cinema Club at Tropical Hotdog in the Island Bar. My old band played it once and drank so many cocktails that a couple of members couldn’t remember the show. I was the designated driver that night and it was possibly the worst 30 minutes I’ve ever spent on stage. They had fun though.”
Circa Waves are live at The Library at The Institute, Birmingham, on April 14. Debut album Young Chasers is out now via Virgin. Brum Notes Magazine
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April 2015
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Skin up
Ghostpoet is back with a new interest, a new album and a new sound. “I don’t class myself as an electronic artist,” he tells David Vincent.
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Brum Notes Magazine
On first glance, the image that accompanies Ghostpoet’s third album, Shedding Skin, could easily be a satellite image of a coastline, the landscape scarred with peaks and valleys, the colours tweaked to deep purples and mauves. But it’s not. Nor is it an abstract painting. It’s actually Ghostpoet himself. “It’s my own skin cell. I did a shallow biopsy and they look a piece of my skin, and photographed it under a microscope. I got the biopsy for the sole purpose of doing that,” says Obaro Ejimiwe, aka Ghostpoet, who called on a few medical contacts to get the image. It transpires that after the music, Obaro’s second big love is photography, an interest he’s followed with increasing passion over the last two years.
2013’s dark Some Say I So I Say Light, the new album marks a clear step forward for Ghostpoet, who bought his live touring band into the studio for the first time. In the past, he’d discussed the difference between home recording his debut, the Mercury-nominated Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam, and working with a producer in a pro studio for its follow up. For Shedding Skin, Obaro’s far more confident and comfortable with the studio set-up.
“I’m not David Bailey, at all,” he laughs. “I’m obsessed with framing the world through photography. I’m just looking out of the window now at the clouds and how the adjacent buildings are framed… [my photographs are] just a day in a life, it doesn’t mean anything.”
“I produced all the tracks myself in demo form at home,” he says.” What was important was that I knew what I wanted to do, use those parameters of guitar, bass and drums, and make sure those demos were strong enough, so that when we went into the studio with the band, they could not become something else. There was a danger that they could have become a band thing – so the tunes had to be completed. I made sure the demos and ideas were strong enough. I produced those with my touring band’s bass player and just put the demo on the table. I’m happy with how it’s turned out, it’s a reflection of me as an artist.”
Perhaps surprisingly, given the rapidly increasing quality (and decreasing size) of digital cameras, Obaro’s medium of choice is old school film, and the nicely designed, relatively low-tech and novelty-free Lomo.
The use of guitar/bass/drums has had some fans fear that Obaro had (for want of a better phrase) ‘gone indie’. But the brooding aural tones that have made previous releases so distinctive remain – it’s just that his palette is now broader.
“I got tired of taking pictures with a phone. With a phone, you can constantly snap away,” he says. “I started with a Lomo camera and what I love with film cameras is the limitations. You can only take so many shots per roll, so you have to be more conscious of what you’re taking and the framing.
“I don’t class myself as an electronic artist,” he says. “I’ve had guitar and bass on tracks before, and live, I’ve always played with a band and I’ve always liked guitar. For me, it’s a progression. Before making this record I was listening to a lot of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, TV On The Radio, Massive Attack, Interpol, The National, bands I’ve loved for a long time. This has been natural for me.”
“I like the Lomo,” he continues. “They can be quite fiddly, so sometimes the ISO might be wrong for the film but the results could be quite interesting. Things aren’t perfect with film, whereas on a phone, they can be perfect, in terms of filters you can put on and so forth. I like the imperfections of film – you send it off to be developed, and you don’t know what you’ll get back. The framing could be a mistake, but it could be a happy accident too. I like that achievement of a happy accident.” At present, Obaro’s photos only hang in his home, but he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of showing them publically. “An exhibition? Maybe. It depends on how good I am at blagging,” he laughs. “It could be an exhibition or it could be a book of some sort, I don’t know. I take photographs of my immediate family, but it’d be more about the stuff around me on a daily basis, like nature and the city. It’s a hobby, but music started off as a hobby before that turned into something else.” It’s that ‘stuff’ around him that not only fuels his love for photography, but also informs his music – “There is that crossover with my writing,” he confirms. After
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While there are still plenty of dark corners across Shedding Skin, overall, it seems more optimistic than previous collections. “I’d say so, yeah, it’s more optimistic,” Obaro agrees. “I’m in a much happier place, mentally, now than I was. I always try to make records that are a reflection of the time. But it’s a combination – things aren’t great in many ways, but in other aspects, they are. I like to look outwards…it’s a combination of cases of looking at the world around me, taking in feelings that are in the air, and photography played a big part in that.” Alongside his own distinctive voice, Obaro has called on a number of guest singers including Nadine Shah, Maximo’s Park’s Paul Smith, Melanie De Biasio and Etta Bond. “Matching the person with the song is based on a gut feeling,” he says of the process of selecting vocalists for particular tracks. “I wrote all the lyrics and I’ve always written choruses with a particular voice in mind – a particular type of voice, not a
particular person. Then I go about trying to find that person and find out if these people wanted to do it. You never know if they will or if that voice in my head that I heard matches the sound that’s coming from the speakers. With this record, all the voices felt right. Because I wanted to make a guitar record, I made sure I used people who were familiar with that world, like Paul and Nadine.” Also back, after guesting on Some Say…, is Lucy Rose, who appears on Sorry My Love, It’s You Not Me. “I like Lucy’s voice, it’s kinda fragile but has feeling to it and it helps that she’s a lovely person. I don’t like working with arseholes,” he laughs, before quickly adding, “not that I’ve worked with any arseholes. “Off the back of working with Lucy the first time, we’ve become friends, it made sense to ask her again. Before she’d even heard the song she said ‘Yep. I’ll do it!’” Lucy hails from Warwickshire, while Obaro spent many years in Coventry, studying and working. “But we never met in Coventry,” he interjects. “I was there from 18 to late 20s. We met in London, when I came back to London and she’d moved down. But we have Coventry in common. The first time we met was when we recorded Dial and she turned up with a Coventry City woolly hat on, and we instantly liked each other. You don’t meet people from Coventry much or who’ve been sent to Coventry, so it was nice to chat to her about Coventry.” With Shedding Skin earning enthusiastic reviews, Obaro aims to spend 2015 touring, and using his raised profile to open a few new doors. “Your stock rises when you release an album, there’s a buzz around your name, and I want to use that as an opportunity to find other avenues to be creative,” he explains. “That might be collaborations. I’d like to do more extreme stuff. I can get away with anything with Ghostpoet – I don’t do Ghostpoet to please other people – but like with all other artists or bands, whether they admit it or not, they’re creating a brand. I’ve been cultivating that [Ghostpoet] brand, so I don’t want to push it too far, and that’s fine.” Of the desire for collaborations and projects outside of the Ghostpoet name, he says: “I’d like to write pop stuff, be a lyric writer for someone else, try different things, different extremes that I could not get away with at the day job. I’d like to do stuff with other artists. But we’ll see, see how this year goes. “I feel more energised this time around. I want to see how far I can push it creatively.” Ghostpoet is live at the Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, on April 8. Latest album Shedding Skin is out now via PIAS.
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Simon Green, aka Bonobo, has firmly established himself as one of Britain’s finest contemporary electronic artists of recent years, with his acclaimed 2013 album The North Borders taking him on a seemingly endless live tour, stopping at more than 175 venues in over 30 countries across the globe. But the US-based producer will be back behind the decks for an exclusive and intimate DJ set in Birmingham this month, as local club promoters Leftfoot continue their 15th anniversary celebrations in stunning style. Fellow DJ and Leftfoot head honcho Adam Regan asks the questions. So, 2014 was a big year for you, rounding off your huge live tour with a show at Alexandra Palace. Would you say that was the most enjoyable show you’ve done since you started playing live? Yeah, it’s got to be up there, right? The thing about those big shows is you have to remember to enjoy yourself. Because it was such a huge gig with big production, it is easy to get sucked into the grandeur of it and focus on getting every detail perfect and hope nothing goes tits up. I had to remind myself to look up occasionally and appreciate the moment. There were a few of those last year – Glastonbury, Central Park in NYC, Sydney Opera House. Honestly though, it’s sometimes the smaller gigs where there’s less pressure that are the most fun. The ones where you can let yourself relax a bit. How much involvement did you have in planning the production? Apart from sounding fantastic, the visuals and lighting – and white balloons – made it feel very special. Pretty much all of it. These were conversations I’d been having with production and management all year leading up to the gig. 22
Our lighting and sound team are all trained ninjas. We’d been touring so extensively the show was already super tight and the lighting is a big part of the show. My light guy Will is like an extra band member in terms of knowing the set and changes. We just strapped on a few extra special effects for the big London finale. The bubbles didn’t really work out though, unless you were those three people in the front row they went completely under the radar. And how was the rest of the Alexandra Palace after party, looked like it was heading for a very late and messy one? Bit of a special night that one...The party rolled along on the same trajectory until they threw us out. I was mostly getting bounced around like a pinball having the same micro conversation over and over until I could barely speak. My main objective for the night was to find my friends and have a bit of a dance. Managed to make it onto the dance floor for the very last tune. I think the Rainbow Warehouse show will be your first DJ set in Birmingham, if my memory serves me correctly?
I think you might be right there. I can’t believe I’ve never DJ’d in Brum! I’ve played numerous times in obscure towns in the northern territories of Canada and Japanese mountains but never in the UK’s second city. Inexcusable really. I was looking through some old Leftfoot flyers and found one from 2001 with you and Zero DB on the bill, but you had the flu and had to cancel. Be honest now, were you just hungover? You know what, I don’t remember, 2001 feels like a lifetime ago. Sounds like a killer lineup though. Are you a ‘head down, knob-twiddling, focusing on the mix’ kind of DJ, or do you like to stand at the front of the stage making heart signs and stage diving? Or maybe the one-armed techno fist pump in a low-cut black T-shirt? I think I used to fall into the first category. I consciously changed that after a gig in Poland years ago where I was reading some comments online about how I looked bored and miserable whilst playing. Truth is I’m usually having an ace time at the turntables. I’m definitely a shuffler Brum Notes Magazine
though, I’ve always been a slightly awkward performer. Especially these days where there’s several camera phones at point blank in your face all night. But I won’t get into the phones on the dancefloor thing. Thats a whole other rant.
We’ve never met. We chatted on Twitter a bit. Mostly just getting excited for The Rainbow Warehouse. He’s ace though. I’ve been playing his stuff for a while. This’ll probably be the first set I play in a while that doesn’t feature his tunes.
Who are your three favourite DJs and what makes them so special? Ah man, this is a tough one. There’s a few consistent friends who have always been inspirational DJs. Mostly the people I’ve been lucky enough to cut my teeth with back in the day. My favorite selectors are the people who understand the right record to play at that exact moment and the right record to complement the one before. When to go big and when to go deep. Rob Luis was the person who taught me how to work a dancefloor from doors ‘til end of the night – that sounds a little dodgy – and that arc of the night was a very important skill to know. Same goes for Dom Servini. And of course everyone’s favorite uncle, Mr Scruff. More recently Berlin’s Delfonic, who runs Oye Records, and Sam [Shepherd] Floating Points. Oh, and [Gilles] Peterson…there’s loads actually.
Which other artists have you been into this year? Do you get the chance to listen to much new music? Yeah definitely. I think it’s weird not to constantly crave new music. It’s important nourishment. I’ve been going all over musically recently, actually getting into a bit more minimal stuff. Really into this wave of neo classical that seems to be bubbling up at the minute. People like Nils Frahm and Keaton Henson. Also, the Erased Tapes label for some forward thinking, avant-garde dance music.
We also have Leon Vynehall on the bill at The Rainbow Warehouse. His music seems to complement what you do really well. Have you two played together before?
We also have you headlining the Leftfoot Boat Party at The Garden Festival in Croatia to look forward to in July. What makes those parties and that festival so special? They’re on a boat! In the Adriatic sea! And everyone’s on holiday! The Garden was the first of the Croatian festivals and the regular crew that make that party each year are a real community. You’ve recently moved from New York to LA. Have you taken up roller skating along Venice
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Beach in hot pants yet? How is life on the west coast compared to the east? I’ve always been into roller skates and hot pants. I love NYC but it’s a grind. Amazing place if you wanna be out every night getting smashed, but honestly I spend so much time away doing that, I want home to be somewhere calm and relaxed where I can recuperate and work. LA is having a bit of a moment now, it feels like. There’s a strong creative community out here and it feels like the right place for the next chapter. Have you had much chance to write/produce in the last few years with all the touring? Can we expect another album from you in 2015? I’ve been homeless for 10 months now. As I write I’m moving into a house in LA but the past year I’ve been living out of a suitcase. I left my house in NYC last year and I’ve been touring ever since. I’ve had to force myself to learn to work on the road and it’s been a good exercise. I’ve got a fair bit done, which I’ll play most of in Birmingham, but still no concrete timeframe for the next album.
Bonobo DJs at The Rainbow Warehouse, Birmingham, on Saturday, April 25, presented by Leftfoot and Shadow City. Support comes from Leon Vynehall.
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Burnin’ up A couple of online cover versions started enough of a fire for Kwabs to get noticed. David Vincent fans the flames. As far as high-profile support slots go, they don’t get much bigger than opening for man-of-themoment Sam Smith, who’s scored ‘the double’ with simultaneous UK album and single charttoppers, and who probably needs a couple of commercial lockups to house his ever expanding trophy collection. “Yeah, Sam isn’t short of trophies, I’m sure,” chuckles opening act Kwabs. “The shows are going really well. I couldn’t think of a better artist to be supporting. He and his crowds have been amazing and so welcoming.” While he’s yet to seriously crack the charts (Walk scraped in at number 71 in the UK last October, though hit number one in Germany and top five elsewhere), it seems that Smith’s fans have been quick to embrace Kwabs’ particular brand of completive, contemporary, urban soul.
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“During the first show we had hundreds of phone torches out in the audience while I sung Cheating On Me. Actually hundreds. I’m still in a certain level of shock,” he says. “When did people start putting up their phones instead of lighters anyway? Mental.” Born and raised in the London borough of Camberwell, Kwabena Sarkodee Adjepong (aka Kwabs) draws on a broad range of influences, from blues, jazz and classic soul, to alt rock and electro pop. Commenting on his inspirations he says: “Different artist for different things. Singers, like Stevie Wonder were my favourite soul singers, as were crooners like Frank Sinatra my favourite jazz singers. Then in terms of style I was inspired by the intricate but kinda ‘gritty’ music of alternative guitar bands in the mid 2000s. Less in a specific musical sense, more as a human. I guess I just want to
feel some of that rawer energy in my music when I perform it and listen to it.” Despite name-checking some solid old-timers, Kwabs is no retro act. “I always loved soul and gospel, but I thought it would be cool to apply that voice to a different backdrop,” he explains. “I never wanted to do anything that was throwback or backwards-looking.” It was his love of music that led him to the prestigious Royal Academy of Music, where he studied jazz for four years alongside several contemporaries who are also making names for themselves. “When you walk around the halls and hear what people are practising, you realise this is the next generation of talented musicians,” he says. “I have friends from there who are playing in some pretty cool bands now. A couple of them are playing
Brum Notes Magazine
“The notion of being spotted is a bit funny I guess. But I’d definitely say those videos started enough of a fire to get the industry to notice my voice.” horns for Paloma Faith. I imagine that’s probably a pretty great gig to be on, isn’t it?” Kwabs himself first came to the attention of the wider world when he uploaded covers of James Blake’s The Wilhelm Scream and Corinne Bailey Rae’s Like A Star to YouTube back in 2012. “I was curious to see if anyone would be interested in hearing me sing. Just as me. So I put a video on YouTube. Recorded it one day and put it up the next. Thankfully people liked it and shared it. Then it found its way to the man who is now my manager,” Kwabs recalls. “The notion of being spotted is a bit funny I guess. But I’d definitely say those videos started enough of a fire to get the industry to notice my voice.” Subsequent original tracks and later official releases, such as the Pray For Love and Wrong or Right EPs and the SOHN-produced Last Stand, have continued to raise interest, resulting in Kwabs’ inclusion in various end-of-year ‘ones to watch’ lists. The most influential of those was the BBC’s Sound Of 2015 longlist, where he was pitched alongside Years & Years (who topped the poll), James Bay, Rae Morris, Sunset Sons, Slaves, and Wolf Alice, among others.
“Love + War is an exploration of the contrasting sides of me and how I see the world. These songs feel like they’re the best ones to put that across at this stage in my life and career. It’s kind of a journey I guess. I definitely want people to come to the end of the album feeling different to how they did before they started listening.” As for the process of pulling the album together, he says: “It was a journey that was full of twists and turns to find material that really felt like it was meant for me. I tried out so many different things before I struck upon a few songs that made sense to me creatively. Then after that I had a bit of a blueprint to work with.” Many of the tracks see Kwabs call on his own personal experiences, as he explains. “Strength of character; making decisions between wrong and right; love, but not romantic love – the kind of validation you get from friends and family. And keeping on going strongly despite not knowing what that really is. The record’s not a sob story, but I’ve channelled a lot of emotions in it.” Keeping the momentum going in the run-up to the LP, Kwabs slides from the sell-out Sam Smith tour to his own headline dates in the meantime.
“I love Years & Years and George the Poet…and Shura,” he says of other BBC Sound Of 2015 acts. “The list was really hard to pick favourites from this year. I don’t want to overthink why I do love them. I just know they make me feel the way I felt about music when I needed music to feel. If that makes any sense…”
“It’s a longer show which means I get to play a wider range of my songs,” he says. “That way I can really take the audience on a journey through the set. It also means I can really get into showing people what the album is like. That’s gonna be something else.”
Kwab’s profile is set to rise further with the release of his debut album, Love + War, in May, which sees him expand his “synth’n’B” sound.
Kwabs is live at the Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, on April 25. Debut album Love + War is released on May 18.
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“Ed went on and the place was dead! I coaxed my family into staying and standing at the front to cheer for him.”
Her first gig saw her pull in a crowd bigger than a then-unknown Ed Sheeran. Nadine Shah recalls her live debut and love of 90s divas. “There is a part of me that wants to do a RnB record,” she tells David Vincent. As far as debut gigs go, playing with Ed Sheeran at Manchester’s buzzing In The City bash must take some beating. But as Nadine Shah confesses, the show was memorable for several reasons. “It was a really odd one as it was predominantly an industry thing,” she recalls of the rammed 2009 show at Electric Boogaloo. “My mother, father and brother came along and they still couldn’t believe I could actually play piano and sing at the same time. I remember I didn’t have a piano so my dad had to buy this digital keyboard on the day, which he was not pleased about, at all. I still have it now though, so it’s been a good investment. “I went on before Ed Sheeran and the place was packed, there must have been a bit of a buzz,” continues the singer-songwriter. “Then Ed went on and the place was dead! I coaxed my family into staying and standing at the front to cheer for him. When he came off stage I said to him, ‘Oh love, I’m sure one day you’ll be playing stadiums.’ “I unknowingly predicted the future,” she laughs. “I’ve not seen him since…he’s quite difficult to get in touch with nowadays.” It was around the same time that Nadine began working with famed producer Ben Hillier (Depeche Mode, Elbow, Doves, Blur), who’d encouraged her to grab all opportunities. “I hadn’t played any shows ever, but I’d uploaded a really embarrassing video to YouTube of me playing and Ben had seen it and he trusted me on the basis of that… idiot,” she laughs. “Ben advised me to play as many shows as possible.” She says she’s now used to being “thrown in at the deep end” having opened for Shakespears Sister solo, Bat For Lashes and even stadiumfillers Depeche Mode. April 2015
“Their fans were very kind to us, but it was really weird to go on before one of the biggest bands in the world and one of my favourite bands of all time, and then be playing table football with them afterwards.” Hailing from South Tyneside, but now based in London, Nadine’s first musical obsession was aged seven-to-nine when she discovered Whitney and Mariah Carey. “Ok, they’re not particularly the coolest of artists but singing along with those artists is better than any vocal training,” she says. From there, she discovered gospel and jazz, before heading to art school. Encouraged to incorporate music into her art practice (“My paintings were a bit rubbish so that was a good idea…”), she soon embraced Scott Walker and Diamanda Galás, laying the musical foundations for her debut album (and her first collaboration with Hillier), 2013’s Love Your Dum And Mad, and now Fast Food. “The main difference between this new album and the first one is that this one is more guitar driven,” she says of the 10-tracker, which includes the radio favourite Stealing Cars. “On the first album every song I wrote on piano with vocal and just recorded them using Garageband. With this one, I was messing around with an acoustic guitar, I’m nowhere near competent, but it’s ok and I can play a bit of guitar live, though I want to concentrate more on my vocals.” Described as “a coming of age album, of sorts” and exploring the mature relationships, Fast Food was written and recorded quickly, and is very much a snapshot of Nadine now, unlike its predecessor, which took several years to pull together. “I was frustrated with my first album as it wasn’t a clear representation of where I was by the time it came out.”
Keen to continue working quickly, the next album is already taking shape. “I’m doing a lot of writing at the moment, I’m pretty confident that I’m halfway through writing my third album, and I want to keep working on it during my downtime and record them with Ben later this year,” she says. “I also have some side projects happening and lots of live stuff.” Asked to elaborate on the side projects, she adds: “It’s frustrating but I can’t say. One, I’m really excited about…possibly involving one of my favourite musicians, but we’re just at the early stages of swapping ideas back and forth. Argh!” She cites Scott Walker’s The Electrician, a truly strange single from The Walker Brothers 1978 album Nite Flights, as a reference point. “But I have so many different things I want to do. Maybe release things under a band name, another name, though I wouldn’t disregard ‘Nadine Shah’ stuff, but I feel that I have an itch that needs to be itched. I want to do something different.” Perhaps a Whitney-styled 90s belter? “There is a part of me that wants to do a RnB record,” she giggles. “In my own project, the lyrics are very literal, but I’d like to do something that’s more abstract. I’ve been listening to Scott Walker and that album with Sunn O))) – that’s some of the most melodic stuff he’s done in years. It’s great, great, these stark, morbid lyrics. I love it. I’d love to do something more ‘soundscape,’ more experimental, to experiment more.”
Nadine Shah is live at The Rainbow, Birmingham, on April 18. New album Fast Food is released on April 6 via Apollo Records. 29
NO HOLDING BACK
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James Bay began 2015 with a weight of expectation and a flurry of hype behind him. The Brits Critics’ Choice Award-winner has already cemented himself as one of this year’s most recognisable voices with his much-played single Hold Back the River. But with his debut album now out and his biggest tour to date kicking off this month, it seems his star is very much on the rise. Ben East asks the questions. What can you tell us about the making of your debut album, The Chaos and the Calm? I was trying to make a record for the first time ever, which was both a daunting and exciting task. You realise that a lot of your life has built to this moment where you step into the studio and get cracking. But being daunted is healthy too. It would be weird if I totally knew what I was doing. Actually, in a lot of respects I didn’t. Really? That’s not what you might expect to hear from someone with a debut album that’s tipped for big things. Some of the songs were demos which I felt had already developed to the stage where I was happy with them. I knew how I wanted them to impact upon listeners when I was playing them live, but I didn’t have a huge idea about how I might record them. You just want to make something that sounds good so in a way, you’re never exactly sure how the recording process will go. And now you’ve made it, how does it feel? Well, I’ve heard it a lot obviously, and you go through a lot of emotions, from thinking it will never ever be finished to being pleased that it sounds like a proper debut album. And what I mean by that is it has a lot of different flavours to it, incorporating all the different sounds that I love and want to use to portray myself as an artist. Is part of it about trying to get away form being labelled as just the next singer-songwriter on the production line? Exactly. There’s nothing wrong with being labelled a singer-songwriter but it’s often equated with being a guy on a stage under a spotlight in a hushed room. I love that kind of thing and it is part of my set, but there is a whole other part of me which likes to rock out. Then there’s various levels in between those two extremes. It was important on the album to capture that entire spectrum. And I feel good now, listening to it. I feel I nailed that sense of being able to show what I can do. So is there a song of yours on the album where you feel that sense of who James Bay is really comes together? It’s difficult to know, because it’s not live, which is where the whole package usually comes together. But to try and answer your question, it changes every day. Today it’s Scars – I’m really pleased with how that came out, and that started out as just me with a guitar. I did have a strong vision of April 2015
how I wanted it to sound with all the other instruments and I got close to that, I think. But I would never say anything is perfect. I don’t want to sound too preachy, but someone told me last year that great art is never finished, it’s only amended. And that really resonates with the experience of trying to make something that feels like your own child. You care about it so much that you want it to be perfect, but you soon learn that nothing is. You have to abandon it in the end and say ‘right, that’s finished, close the book.’ That was a big lesson for me.
No, and that’s because I’m not just trying to be a pastiche. There’s lots that I’m bringing to the table that is my own – not least because I want to do this for a while by standing out. Yes, I play acoustic guitar a lot and I’m not really including many electronic or synthetic sounds right now – but that’s not to say I won’t in the future. I love the album by Half Moon Run, for example. It starts off in a very Jeff Buckley, Crosby, Stills & Nash for the 21st century vein, and then later on you get these bleepy synths coming into the mix, which is great. So I’m open to different sounds. Why wouldn’t I talk about the stuff I love?
“There’s nothing wrong with being
Recording in Nashville, with the kind of music you make, must have been incredible? Yes, it was. But if I’m being completely honest it was more about the people than its place in country music legend. Jacquire King [producer, Kings of Leon, Tom Waits, Norah Jones] is someone I really admire and he just wanted to record the album in Nashville. If he’d been based in LA I would have gone there. I don’t want people to think ‘of course he’d record in Nashville, he plays guitar’ – but I see how that might be assumed. The benefit of being there was the excitement of being around such history – we recorded the album in the studio where Jacquire did Only By The Night by Kings Of Leon. I was taking a breath of fresh air and Willie Nelson pulled up in the car park. It’s not going to get more inspiring than that. But what you soon learn is that Nashville is also way ahead of the curve in terms of new music, too. It was a really exciting place to be making music, one of the greatest experiences of my life.
labelled a singer-songwriter but it’s often equated with being a guy on a stage under a spotlight in a hushed room.”
But it must be an incredible feeling when you do finish a song and, like in the case of Hold Back the River, it gets 13 million listens on Spotify? You’re kidding,13 million? I had no idea. Wow. On the one hand I have no idea why a song like that can strike a chord – and if I did I’d be a multimillionaire, multiple Grammy Award winner. And that’s the beauty and the magic of music. But then, I do think Hold Back the River feels very real and honest – and those are things that resonate with me when I really like a song. They were the characteristics of myself and my music I was trying to get across with that song. The rest of it, the millions of listeners, is subjective and down to personal taste. A lot of people seem to have the same personal taste as you then… Well, I listen to a lot of music, and you try and draw from your influences. What I think is interesting about trying to create your own sound is that it comes from a process of trying to replicate the artists you love – and failing. In naturally failing to sound like your inspirations you end up creating something unique. At least you’re not afraid to name your influences and say you’ve been inspired by people like Ray Lamontagne, for example.
And finally, can we talk about your hats? You know how people like to grab hold of a gimmick… Absolutely. I realised at some point that it could be a little trademark. But initially it was purely instinctive, I liked the look of it and the feeling on my head, and I played a gig with it on. I don’t sleep in it, I’m not going to be a 30-something with greasy long hair and a hat on his head, don’t worry. Fashion does go hand in hand with pop music, but I’d like to think people will come to the gigs for the music – and not because I’m wearing a hat…
James Bay is live at The Institute, Birmingham, on April 18. Debut album The Chaos and the Calm is out now. 31
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Service: Atmosphere: Food: Overall:
Bitters’n’Twisted, the people behind hipster hangouts The Rose Villa Tavern, The Jekyll & Hyde and several of Brum’s other best loved bars, have recently opened this brand new bistro based at The Rep, with a competitively priced pre-theatre menu (an à la carte menu is also available) offering three courses for a relatively wallet/purse pleasing £19.95. There’s a decent four choices for each course with some truly mouthwatering combinations of ingredients. BBQ Pork Terrine, Orange and Carrot Marmalade and Toasted Sourdough Bread anyone? Yum and indeed yum. Happily it didn’t
disappoint. Terrines can be bland, sad slabs of culinary detritus, but this was a triumph with the tastebud tingling zing of the homemade Marmalade (note to the proprietors – you really should start selling jars of this stuff) cutting right through the rich smokiness of the BBQ pork. My companion’s starter of Goat’s Cheese and Basil Parfait looked and tasted equally appealing with delicate drops of pear dressing packing a surprisingly fruity punch. For mains, the Slow Braised Blade of Beef with Horseradish Mash, Red Wine Jus, Chantenay Carrots and Sweet Potato Crisps turned an inexpensive cut of meat into a meal fit for, well, if not a king then certainly a prince. Perhaps just a tad dry in places (especially as the dish cooled), this would have been overcome with a little more of the deliciously deep flavour of the Red Wine Jus which, in common with most restaurants, was relegated to a mere smear on the plate. Provide a small pot of the stuff and that would really do the dish jus-tice. And oh, Horseradish Mash is going straight in my repertoire by the way, who knew the humble mashed potato could taste so good? On the opposite side of the table the gurgles of appreciation indicated that the Baked Sea Bass Fillet, Noodle Stir Fry, Pak Choi, Sesame and Coriander Butter were all going down a storm too. The moist, pearl white flesh and crisp, perfectly seasoned skin of the clearly fresh sea bass lay on top of noodles that were just the right side of al dente…or whatever the Japanese equivalent is.
Marmalde cosmopolitan and pepper daiquiri
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extra texture and a different dimension of sweetness to the dish and the Strawberry Coulis provided a burst of summer sunshine that was distinctly at odds with the gathering grey gloom outside (Marmalade’s a great spot for people watching by the way, especially if you get a table near the windows). The self-appointed Eton Mess expert reported that her particular pudding of choice could have done with more meringue, but other than that it was a creamy delight with a cherry on top. Literally.
The portions are decent but not gut-busting (which is a good job if you’re just about to sit down to a chunk of Chekhov or a slice of Shakespeare), so there was just enough room for pudding. With its crunchy ginger base, the White Chocolate Cheesecake was bliss. Pieces of fig added a little
Quinoa, Broccoli, Sweet Potato, Olives, Coriander, Toasted Butter Bean, Cannellini Bean Bean Salad
Overall there’s a really nice atmosphere here with a homely feel to the place and the service was exceptional. All three courses were ordered, served and consumed in just over an hour which, when you’ve got to be in your seats by a certain time, is a major consideration. It all felt efficient rather than rushed though, which can be something of an issue with pre-theatre dining. Despite its location, Marmalade is clearly not just for theatregoers though, the à la carte menu looks every bit as tempting, and on tonight’s experience it thoroughly deserves to develop a Rep-utation of its own over time. Daron Billings Brum Notes Magazine
A Season Of Great Theatre Awaits You At The REP 16 Apr - 2 May
23 – 25 April
27 Apr - 2 May
Birmingham Repertory Theatre and New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich present
Rosie Kay Dance Company presents
From Kneehigh Theatre
FEED THE BEAST
5 SOLDIERS
By Steve Thompson Directed by Peter Rowe
REBECCA
By Daphne du Maurier Adapted and directed by Emma Rice
5 - 9 May
14 - 16 May
15 - 30 May
19 - 23 May
Christopher Malcolm Productions Ltd and Matthew Mitchell present The Theatre Royal, Stratford East production
Selina Thompson presents
Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company and West Yorkshire Playhouse present
Tamasha and Belgrade Theatre, Coventry present
OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR
CHEWING THE FAT
THE RISE AND FALL OF LITTLE VOICE
By Emteaz Hussain
By Joan Littlewood and the Theatre Workshop
By Selina Thompson
BLOOD
By Jim Cartwright Directed by James Brining
Save money with our Multi-Play Pack, ACT Memberships, Director’s Choice and Preview Club offerings
FOR FULL SEASON LISTINGS VISIT BIRMINGHAM-REP.CO.UK Box Office 0121 236 4455
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April 2015
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33
album reviews
Blur The Magic Whip Out April 27 (Parlophone)
As one of the more inventive acts of the Britpop generation, Blur have always been a band with the capacity to surprise. But the announcement of their first new album in 12 years (or 16 since the last one with their full lineup), caught even the most ardent fans on the hop. Album opener Lonesome Street seems very much intended to make a statement that Blur are back – and not ’Think Tank’ Blur, but Blur complete with guitarist Graham Coxon. It’s an almost cheeky pop blast, filled with just the sort of jangling guitar chords, breezy chorus lines and high-pitched ‘ooh-oohs’ that defined their Great Escape years. By contrast, the pensive atmosphere and laconic beat of second track New World Towers would not have been out of place on Damon Albarn’s recent solo record, Everyday Robots. As a record, it’s clearly influenced by their
Waxahatchee Ivy Tripp Out April 6 (Wichita)
Once only possible in swanky recording studios, these days technology affords musicians the luxury of being able to produce entire records from the 34
eastern travels (much of it was recorded in Hong Kong), and big city adventures. Thematically, it seems at times a slightly disjointed affair, with typically awkward if well-intentioned attempts to address bigger issues such as commercialism, overpopulation and modern urbanism. Modern Life is Still Rubbish, it seems. But then weren’t Blur always at their best when tackling the simpler things, like beer, football and heartbreak? Thankfully, their ambition spans beyond that. This record reflects the sound and spirit of a band who have matured with every album they have made – and whose members have gone off on varying solo tangents. The trademark energy that punctuated their early 90s albums, the brash youthfulness of Parklife and the fuzzed up, lo-fo rebellion of their self-titled 1997 album (arguably their finest work), gives way to a more atmospheric feeling throughout. And despite Coxon’s return, this is no Britpop pastiche and it is too sonically adventurous to be over-reliant on guitar. There Are Too Many of Us is a haunting and almost unnerving slow
burner of a track, with a film score-like string accompaniment, the abstract Ice Cream Man is dripping with off-kilter ambience, while Thought I Was A Spaceman serves up a brooding slice of electronica. They still have it in them to ramp up the energy levels though, and with the singalong chorus of Ong Ong you can just picture a floppy-haired Albarn pogoing about the stage. The announcement of a new Blur album was a pleasant surprise, but overall it’s much more than that. It’s an ambitious, enchanting record that can sit proudly among some of their best work. Very much worth the wait. Chris Moriarty
comfort of their own bedrooms. An approach taken by Waxahatchee, aka Katie Crutchfield, on her delicate under-the-radar debut American Weekend in 2012, the Alabamaborn tunesmith continues to favour this intimate production method on Ivy Tripp, her third album in as many years. The product of someone who seems to have spent the past 12 months crying into her pillow, it’s difficult to imagine the album’s first song
Breathless being penned (or indeed sung) anywhere else but in the quiet of private quarters. A stark opener that, in its harrowing list of worries and self-doubts, sets Ivy Tripp’s no-punches-pulled precedent, the tracks that follow are most mordant when broaching the subject of love. Lead single Air is a gentle, if not entirely celebratory, ode to a relationship yet to succumb to its sell-by date, whilst Stale By Noon – a callous, organ-washed missive Brum Notes Magazine
– seems maudlin enough to compel a letter of concern from Lana Del Rey. Chock-full of cool electronic hums that accentuate Crutchfield’s crunching sadness, the album does, on occasion, buck its downbeat trend – riot grrrl pairing Under A Rock and Poison borrowing the prickly disdain of the resurgent Sleater-Kinney and The Dirt’s New Wave underbelly, bopping along like Blondie with a darker shade of hair. An affecting, mature and, at times, difficult to stomach record that will have you sobbing into your sheets and reaching for the Kleenex quicker than you can sigh out the words: “instant classic.” Dan Owens
Drenge Undertow Out April 6 (Infectious Records)
Much more fearful than their aggressive debut, Undertow has neatened up Drenge’s untamed rock whilst still being as bruising as ever. Running Wild and Never Awake both enclose post-teen angst inside deep, grungy vocals, driven along by crashing drums and punkish melodies – these two songs soon pushed out of the way by the guitar-drum chaos caused by We Can Do What We Want. This time around, the boys’ grimy riffs have an added egotistical pop punch, which makes it seem that they really can do whatever they want. The whole record is an emotional trip, with upbeat claps coming from Side By Side, turbulent riffs arriving within the instrumental Undertow and then a frenzied rage on Favourite Son. The Loveless brothers are certainly expanding their repertoire and, with the addition of bassist Rob Graham, there’s an added depth to the record, which only heightens the onslaught of rock. But, leaving behind the chugging riffs and battling drums, it’s not all brashness, with The Woods and Standing In The Cold seeming more hypnotic than the rest, preserving the expected distortion and overdrive but not generating the same anticipated thrill. Have You Forgotten My Name?, though a little hesitant to fully let loose, brings the record back on top, its dark, rhythmic melodies lulling the album to end on an almost ethereal note, something you wouldn’t have expected from their debut. Undertow is more polished and constructed than anything that Drenge have produced before, but they’ve pulled it off seamlessly. Keeping up the big tunes has paid off. Becky Rogers April 2015
Errors Lease of Life Out Now (Rock Action Records)
From the instrumental opener Colossal Estates through to the 20-piece choir grand finale Through the Eyes of Those Who Judge Us, Lease Of Life is Errors’ most cohesive and mature album to date. This is not a let’s-dance-ironically-to-synthpop-experience. It’s a seductively melancholy, reflective and levelled release that’s more suited for staring pensively into space than soundtracking a Berlin techno rave. There’s so much more to appreciate here than a throbbing drum beat and it’s all unconventional too, such as the vocals akin to Gregorian-plainchant on a title track superimposed over 80s synthsounds, or the unassuming saxophone solo that appears post-choir at end of the album. The entire album an unfathomable labyrinth of different bleeps, bloops and frequencies, it’s impossible to gauge what sound to expect next, but how Errors redefine themselves lies more in how they’ve employed acoustic sounds in Lease of Life. Non-midi instruments are employed so subtly that what’s synthesised and what’s acoustic is indistinguishable, especially compared to previous digital-binges-with-guitars like A Rumour In Africa, Hans Herman and Magna Encarta. This robotic vibe with subtle organic intrigue reinvigorates the Glaswegians’ musical formula, and makes Lease of Life their most definitive album yet. Guy Hirst
Villagers Darling Arithmetic Out April 13 (Domino)
If Villagers’ 2010 debut Becoming a Jackal was the occasionally naïve but unquestionably brilliant introduction to the talents of one Conor O’Brien, then 2013 follow up Awayland was the assured confirmation of a new and exciting voice in Irish indie-folk. On this third outing, the moments of pop melodrama that have characterised the Dublin artist’s work to date – collisions of amplified guitar, keys and electronica, gradual build-ups of soaring strings and grand crashing climaxes – are gone, at least for now. Instead, pareddown arrangements place O’Brien’s exceptional songwriting at the forefront of each track. His voice and words, a paradoxical mix of worldly weariness and childlike delivery, still present
Young Fathers White Men Are Black Men Too Out April 6 (Big Dada)
The dilemma faced by most Mercury Music Prize winners of what type of album to put out next – whether to risk musical integrity for the sake of mass appeal – seems to have been neatly avoided by 2014 award-scoopers Young Fathers, purely due to the jaw-dropping brilliance of their second LP White Men Are Black Men Too. Though not a complete departure from the award-winning Dead, there’s a sense that WMABMT is the album that the Scottish outfit would have made regardless of the success of its predecessor. If said first album won them the label of a ‘Scottish Massive Attack’ existing in a world of schizoid beats and broken reality, its follow-up proves that they cannot be so easily categorised, the LP drawing both from their roots and a multitude of influences, ranging from Naughty By Nature and TV on the Radio through to The XX and LCD Soundsystem. The main reason for the album’s success though is its total immediacy. For the full 12 tracks, the listener lives and breathes their oxygen, and runs by their rules. From the twinkling xylophone on opener Still Running to the hypnotic, tribal and almost ‘afro-delic’ chorus of Old Rock n Roll, there’s a richness that contrasts with the point blank beats. Vocally, there’s a richness too. Alloysious Massaquoi’s soulful voice brings a mellow flavour to tracks such as 27 and Get Started, whilst Kayus Bankole makes Shame and Liberated much more raw and hardhitting, in line with an evangelising MC. At the beginning of Rain or Shine, we catch a glimpse of ‘G’ Hastings on his own, adding a much more vulnerable and fragile style to the mix. On their sophomore release, Young Fathers have produced an album that stays true to their roots and one that draws heavily from both a musical and social heritage whilst staring intensely into the future. Andrew Gutteridge 35
and as enduring and endearing as ever. Hot Scary Summer’s ‘remember kissing on the cobblestones / in the heat of the night / and all the pretty young homophobes / looking out for a fight’ is the greatest example of O’Brien’s distinct talent for turning simplistic lyrics into enchanting and powerful pieces of prose. Arrangements are darker and more seasoned this time around, unsurprising perhaps, as each instrument on the album was written, played, recorded and produced by O’Brien at his home in Malahide, north of Dublin. Beyond the inky and claustrophobic beauty of songs such as Everything I Am Is Yours, title track Darling Arithmetic and No One To Blame, lie the gentle bass, drums, cello and layered vocals of The Soul Serene and the album’s one stylistic exception in Little Bigot. In contrast to the opening line of ‘I took a little time to get where I wanted / I took a little time to get free’ on first track Courage, O’Brien sings ‘how did I get here? / Am I ever gonna get back?’ on ethereal closing track So Naïve. Wherever he is, on the strength of Darling Arithmetic, it’s a journey worth taking. Lyle Bignon
Courtney Barnett Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit Out Now (Milk)
Courtney Barnett has always been described as biting, humorous and clever, and on her debut LP, she really demonstrates why these words follow her at every turn. A dab-hand at delivery, she manages to tread the fine line between expressive and verbose perfectly. The ease and natural way with which she drops a line like: ‘I want to wash out my head with turpentine cyanide, I dislike this internal diatribe when I try to catch your eye’ on Pedestrian at Best is astonishing. The entire album is littered with moments like this, which means that it only gets better with subsequent plays. Whilst she does spend a lot of time talking about herself with transparency, she does turn her internal monologue to external issues. On Dead Fox she extolls the virtues of buying organic and paints an evil picture of modern life under the foot of the retail giant. Far more straightforward is the dark and brooding Kim’s Caravan, which contains the depressingly relevant line, ‘The Great Barrier Reef, it ain’t so great anymore, it’s been raped beyond belief, the dredgers treat her like a whore’. Clever, biting and humorous are certainly words that suit her down to the ground. Though this wouldn’t make for a great album 36
without crunching music to back her up. Luckily, this is exactly what her band provides. At times they sit back and soothe with soft drums and minimal guitar, as on the lounge musicinspired Depreston, and at others, they act as your morning cup of coffee in the form of the heady Pedestrian at Best. The only real problem is that the album doesn’t flow all that well, the first three tracks setting up a blistering pace that stumbles after Small Poppies and never really recovers But, all in all, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit sets Courtney Barnett up as potentially one of the most important artists of her generation and is an album worthy of anyone’s time. Matthew Burdon
Wire Wire Out April 13 (Pink Flag)
Artists that choose to eponymously title albums in the middle of their careers usually do so as a means of reclaiming their original identity and sound. But not Wire. Averse to following the flock ever since their Situationism-inspired 1977 debut Pink Flag suggested that punk’s nihilism was already a redundant prospect, album number 13 instead marks a brave new chapter in the book of alt music’s premier envelope-pushers, capturing the next sonic evolution of a group that outright refuse to be defined by the merits of their past. Hair greying and age beginning to take its toll, this self-named entry into the Wire canon finds famously snarly-voiced frontman Colin Newman not letting the words tumble forth, as is his usual approach, but actually stopping to think before opening his mouth. This means that, save for Blogging, a spasmodic takedown of social media’s look-at-me culture, many of the A-side’s songs substitute the mellowing lead singer’s usual anger for pain and uncertainty – the gentle clatter of Burning Bridges painting Newman as a lover unwanted and Sleep-Walking’s coiled sadness submerged beneath an ocean of throbbing, twisting and turning guitars. Calm never really devolving into chaos, the tension and tautness that made the band such a frightening proposition in the late 70s is noticeably absent on their first LP since 2013’s Change Becomes Us, with the flickering likes of Swallow and Shifting more easily described as affable than abrasive and Octopus, a crystalline pop tune beset by hulking drums and nose-diving guitar gusts, a more serene take on their minimal formula.
Consciously abstaining from strolling down avant-garde avenues, Wire might err on the side of caution but, in doing so, becomes one of the most accessible albums in its namesake band’s storied history. A field day for the easy listeners. Dan Owens
Turbowolf Two Hands Out April 6 (Spinefarm Records)
Turbowolf is a pretty ambitious name, powerful even. But powerful music is what Turbowolf have always put out. While Two Hands’ lead track Invisible Hand starts out calmly enough, led in by a solitary guitar and some foreboding chords, it quickly switches water pistol for Super Soaker and drenches you in riffs. Indeed, it’s hard to describe the sound of Turbowolf simply because they bring a few old favourites and smash them together for something new. At times, they are reminiscent of the best of 70s heavy metal, particularly on Rabbit’s Foot, where chugging verses are bookended by frantic choruses. Then you find yourself slipping into psychedelic and electronic territory with Solid Gold, which almost feels like a Mindless Self Indulgence song, the clear and present drums pushing everything forward and the synth taking a more commanding role in order to lend a trance-like vibe. However, the real hook of this album is in the vocal performances, with frontman Chris Georgiadis delivering an incredibly varied array of sounds. A talent best demonstrated on Good Hands, where he hits everything from guttural to vocals that soar high above the music. The only real downside to Two Hands is that there could be more of it. For example, American Mirrors ends after a disappointingly short two minutes and 45 seconds, a real shame as the bite of its guitars and the track’s vocal performance prove that it has the legs to stretch far beyond its actual length. A sterling second effort but simply not enough of a good thing. Matthew Burdon
THERE'S MORE For more reviews, head over to brumnotes.com
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Photo by Jonathan Morgan
THE CHARLATANS Civic Hall, Wolverhampton 13/03/15
Friday the 13th is usually a grim day for the superstitious. You can forgive Tim Burgess and co for forgetting the connotations, though. After all, they’ve had enough tragedy and bad luck to last a lifetime. Therefore, in a strange way, it seems fitting that they spend the night in their spiritual region. Their recent album Modern Nature was their first since the passing of drummer Jon Brookes, and showed a group still restless in creative spirit. So Oh glides along on Martin Blunt’s propulsive bass and has the feeling of a long, hot summer night, whilst Talking in Tones and Come Home Baby are built around Burgess’ distinctive vocal hooks. Throughout, Burgess is a witty, energetic host, enjoying plenty of banter with the band and audience, even pilfering a photographer’s camera to take a snap of the bulging Wolverhampton crowd. He also knows how to give the fans what they want songwise too – Weirdo and its goosebump-inducing organ motif swells the room, whilst the Britpop riffery of North Country Boy, the thrilling pianos of One to Another and their all-time classic single Just When You’re Thinkin’ Things Over are all dispatched with the quality you’d expect from such an experienced outfit. Oh! Vanity and its surging, stomping coda shows that their 21st century output can compete with their glory days, but what the fans really appreciate is standard set closer, the epic Sproston Green. As ever, The Charlatans show just why April 2015
they’ve remained relevant whilst their peers have dwindled. Snatching victory from the jaws of tragedy, yet again. Sam Lambeth
Echo Lake Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath 19/03/15
For today’s gaggle of bands, the idea of creating ‘art out of adversity’ stems, more often than not, from the existential yearning that accompanies achieving a 2:1 rather than the intended first from an arty university degree. But this is far from the case when it comes to London’s Echo Lake. Party to extreme tragedy due to the sudden death of their original drummer Pete Hayes just days before the release of their 2012 debut album, tonight’s hypnotising show- which doubles as the launch night of their second LP Era, is a blistering exercise in catharsis. Given that the aforementioned record was stitched together, in dribs and drabs, over an elongated three-year period, the performance, which leans heavily on its songs, is unexpectedly cohesive. With each number a glacial odyssey, no amount of dry ice (and there’s lots of it) can really contend with Linda Jarvis’ constantly chilling delivery. Her voice, angelic and piercing, soars high as Waves shivers through its mystical shimmer, cracking in an outpouring of grief as the quaking motorik drive of Dröm, which veers between shadowy and breakneck,
overpowers her fragile tones. Set-up wise, it would not be a mistake to brand the band, as many have, neo-shoegazers, with beany-hatted guitarist/multiinstrumentalist Thom Hill investing most of his stage time with eyes fixed to the floor tinkering with, and stamping on, a marvellous stack of pedals. Yet, far from detracting from enjoyment, Hill, the band’s main creative force is the most responsible for the band’s swirling and illusory live sound. At one moment garnishing the occasion with celestial solos and the next adding a rainbow of patterns to the mix with some light organ twiddling, his is an underappreciated genius. Keeping a well-oiled set to under an hour, tonight signals a storming new era for the haunting Southern four-piece and one that feels, well and truly, like being lost in a dream. Exquisite. Dan Owens
Placebo O2 Academy, Birmingham 18/03/15
As a pre-show condom balloon wafts above the crowd of goth has-beens, the pale, androgynous face of Brian Molko emerges. But after an unfortunately pre-recorded rendition of their 1998 hit Pure Morning quashes chances of it appearing as an encore, it’s clear that Placebo aren’t here to help die-hard fans relive 90s nostalgia. In 21 songs, only Every Me and Every You and I 37
Know appear from their 90s repertoire, followed by noughties classics Special Needs and Bitter End. Chances to grab teenage retrospect are fleeting but thoroughly enjoyed as a middleaged couple enjoying a smooch-a-thon in a dark corner prove so profusely. The sixpiece then begin to push more songs off their 2013 album Love Is Loud, and ironically, the couple stop and the rapture of the crowd mellows into a steadier lets-waveour-arms-about-sometimes vibe. But setlist quibbles from diehard fans do not hinder live extravaganzas, Placebo are still the real trip. Molko’s Americanised whine is unchanged, Stefan Olsdal’s multi-instrumental talents (and super cool rainbow bass) are a treat, and every song, classic or not, is delivered with professional gusto. The grungy industrial sound that made them Britpop antagonists still remains, imbibed in their Kate Bush cover of Running Up That Hill. Considering this tour marks their 20th anniversary, the band largely ignore the first decade of their career, ending with an their encore that lacks the tunes to validate a foursong send-off. Guy Hirst
Warpaint The Institute, Birmingham 20/03/15
Following a series of cancelled shows due to ‘family issues’, tonight’s gig has consequently been much anticipated. As the rich diversity of people swarm into The Institute, huddled fans highlight Warpaint’s immense popularity and the admirable level of success that they’ve achieved over the past five years. And, by the end of a thrilling and completely captivating 14-song set, it isn’t difficult to see why. From the hair-raising opener Warpaint to the gently intense Love is to Die, the show is an unflinching triumph. A strong setlist seamlessly weaves in and out of their two albums, pleasing the crowd with new and old favourites such as Undertow and Disco//Very. Lengthy eight-minute new single No Way Out proves itself as the pivotal moment of the show, as the ingenious instrumental interplay punches through the air, serving as a reminder of Warpaint’s relationship with the live setting. Layered with Kokal and Wayman’s ghostly vocals, their luring lullabies pierce the hot room with high note heartbreak, Stella Mozgawa’s funk-driven drums all the while injecting both the crowd and band with an energy for dancing, before cooling it down a notch with a stripped-back version of Composure. The night ends with the dark and lingering 38
Biggy, which tells again that Warpaint are just as bewitching and sensual as they are quirky and erratic, making their multifaceted music as addictive as their naturally mesmerising presence. By the end of the evening, it’s difficult to remember that this band is only two albums deep, making the wait for what is yet to come unquestionably intriguing. Ivy Photiou
Red City Radio The Flapper, Birmingham 09/03/15
Having sold out to the point of forcing a venue change, Red City Radio have The Flapper teeming with buoyant fans before they’ve even finished the soundcheck. Playing Birmingham for the first time, crowd coaxing is quickly dispensed with as they lurch into A Joke With No Words. Renowned for their frenetic live shows, they soon begin pummelling out Two For Flinching, leaving speaker stacks swaying and shelves bereft of the glasses they held moments before. The drop-in-drop-out harmonies surge around the stage with Garrett Dales’ gruff-toned timbre bleeding character into every track. As the anthemic Two Notes Shy of an Octave hurls the room into disarray, drummer Dallas Tidwell becomes a tireless force of nature, driving the band on with seismic skin work, whilst Jonathan Knight broadcasts the most resplendent of bass riffs. It’s the perfect foundation for the band’s guitarists to gallop over, with sporadic solos from Ryan Donovan packing moxie and punch. With an album due at the end of April, they drop something new – “this song’s about getting high and playing your fucking guitar,” announces Dales, which is evidently meant in the most literal sense. Following a new song with an old one, No One Believes In
Moons & Goochers sees the crowd’s voices drowning out the amplified musicians. Two-way by nature, Red City transmit gutsy, soulful punk-rock all the while receiving and reinvesting their fans’ fervour into the set. They aren’t a band simply to like – it’s visible in every face in the crowd – these are songs that actually mean something to people. The Oklahoma natives close with a double encore leaving the room physically shaken and the crowd truly stirred. Will Pace
NME Awards Tour: Palma Violets The Institute, Birmingham 28/02/15
Despite a last minute change to the bill, there’s still there’s an air of expectancy as the annual carnival of indie music press darlings du jour rolls into Birmingham. The Wytches, game replacements for the seemingly defunct Amazing Snakeheads, are styled by some as ‘surf-psych’. Live, at least, they’re hairy, Bleach-era Nirvana or early Melvins, with a spacier, shoegazey touch – all dry ice, shambling low-profile stage presence and wave upon wave of feedback. The grunge revival is a congested market, but judging by the faith the old NME has put in this trio, it may have legs yet. Next up are Slaves, a duo best described as two-piece shock and awe, who bring with them a ripped-tight, clenched set mainly comprised of new material that initially threatens to sacrifice simple charm for brute force. Up until the opening bars of recent single The Hunter, that is. A blast of irresistible energy that sparks a primal release of pent-up tension within the kids in the moshpit – and one that figuratively rips the night a new one – these boys may just be onto something. Fat White Family arrive with a reputation for
Warpaint Photo by Rob Hadley
Brum Notes Magazine
public nudity and anti-rockstar larks. Superficially though, they’re chips off the old jangling indie block, with the influence of The Libertines clear to see and hear. Perhaps under pressure to keep things relatively radiofriendly, tonight frontman Lias Saudi goes no further than poking his finger out of his flies and slithering across the audience. For all the heroin-chic, swagger and Iggy & the Stooges-isms, you have to wonder how long this band will remain in the public eye when Pete Doherty starts releasing material again and the stylishly grimy niche they are happily squatting in gets filled. Headliners Palma Violets close things on a more wholesome note. Crowd-pleasing tracks like Best of Friends and Rattlesnake Highway may not rip a new hole in anything but are, nevertheless, honest works of synthinfused indie rock’n’roll that says things that the moshing kids need to hear. If Slaves’ set screamed “EVERYTHING IS FUCKED!”, then Palma Violets’ seems to say, sweetly, that “it will all be OK”. A massive hit with the crowd, who give the band their full participation and even involve themselves in James-style mass floor sitting, Palma Violets, reprising the resonant guitar-pop power of The Charlatans or the long-forgotten Wonder Stuff, end the night warmly by supplying the life-affirming soundtrack that every generation wants – but doesn’t always get. Esme Ling
Death From Above 1979 The Institute, Birmingham 26/02/15
They say that good things come to those who wait. So what difference does 40 minutes make when you’ve waited for something for more than 10 years? Not much of one, that’s for sure. Given the herculean task of filling this time are electro-psychedelic rockers Turbowolf. The Bristol-based four-piece, famously unclassifiable, do a stand up job of firing up a high-spirited and gathering crowd – jumping from song to song with childlike enthusiasm and looking as happy as the rest of the room just to be here. A worthy warmup act for tonight’s main event. Electricity fills a room packed with bated anticipation. A deafening wall of screams, noise akin to that of an explosion going off, greets the two ordinary-looking guys who slowly take to the stage. Without fancy theatrics or unnecessary talking, they get straight down to business, making heads nod, feet stamp and people go completely and utterly insane – a huge testament to the enduring quality and genius of the Toronto duo known as Death From Above 1979. If you’ve ever wondered how much noise a April 2015
two-piece can truly make, the answer is one hell of a lot. The architects of a beautiful racket, it’s truly remarkable that a pair on bass guitar and drums (with keys thrown in here and there) can have such an overarching effect on, and control over, every single one of the 1,200 people present. The songs, both old classics and from new album The Physical World, are played fast and heavy with bulldozer riffing. But there’s no standout track to point to as every song goes down incredibly well, with the majority of people knowing not just every beat, but every screeching blast of noise. Sadly though, it’s all over too soon. Good things definitely come to those who wait. Ben Russell
Idlewild The Institute, Birmingham 10/03/15
Red City Radio Photo by Sam Wood
loops of feedback and crashing drums 10 years ago. The hunger and bite of the band’s early years may now be all but gone, but in its place is something just as exciting, confident and assured – if more mature. Idlewild are still a band you can lose yourself in, just in a slightly different way. Ben Russell
Flowers Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath
Whilst not quite, as they were once described, a flight of stairs falling down a flight of stairs, Idlewild still have that spark that gets people excited. The fiercely Scottish band, who started out so wild, brutal and unpredictable before electing to go all mellow country, are back on the road in support of new album Everything Ever Written. The album in question is a daring return – beautiful, full of confidence, and coming more than five years after the band’s previous effort. More country folk than punk squall, it does have the odd rock-out moment. Live, the new songs – even the most melodic ones – are frenetic, coming across a touch more urgent. Yet, sadly, they manage to fall just short of the classics in terms of whipping up the crowd. That said, all of the songs go down incredibly well, with a clearly appreciative audience hanging on every poetic and confusing word that spills from frontman Roddy Woomble’s mouth. Playing a nice mix of new and old material, the stand-out numbers, which the band appear more than happy rocking out to, include fan favourite Little Discourage, the sweeping You Held The World In Your Arms and new track Collect Yourself. A full band version of current album closer Utopia also gets a rapturous applause. The one constant spanning new and old is Woomble’s poetic and moving lyrics, which sound just as compelling now as they did when they were screamed out over furious
08/03/15
Gleam, the new musical guise of writing partnership Tommy Greaves and Jake Bellwood, formerly of Wide Eyed, open with a familiar yet spruced-up wall of sound – Bellwood’s vocals blessed with a new lease of confidence that adds a melodic touch to the band’s thunderous guitars. Hoopla Blue play main support and steal the show right from under the headliners. With a sound that lurches back and forth whilst still managing to groove, their set is dominated by the airing of new material, as they treat the small gaggle of gig-goers in attendance to a wealth of debuting songs. The dual vocals of the two frontmen bouncing off each other, with one providing an ominous baritone and the other a mysterious croon, on the strength of this support slot, Hoopla Blue look set to outgrow their local cult-concern identity very soon indeed. Flowers coyly creep on stage and proceed to power through a set indebted to the jangly six-string sound of late 80s indie. Their lead singer’s angelic voice wouldn’t be out of place in a church choir, which makes it a perfect juxtaposition to the outfit’s scrappy guitars and rip-rollicking drums. The Flowers formula of loud-quiet-loud might wear thin over the course of a headline set but richly melodic highlights Forget The Fall, Joanna and Tammy prove that the band are fully aware that shorter is definitely sweeter. Jack Parker 39
gigs
GEORGE CLINTON & PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC - PICK
PICK
O2 Academy, April 19
Landing the mothership in Birmingham for the first time since 2012’s Mostly Jazz Festival, George Clinton, aka Dr Funkenstein, and his enormous p-funk entourage bring their classic repertoire of awesomely sexual, socio-political and afro-futurist jams to the O2 Academy. As one of the most influential musical collectives of all time, earning their spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, their career spans four decades, 25 studio albums and an overabundance of whacked-out feather hats. Take a p-funk master-class from the godfathers of the genre.
PURITY RING
SKELETONWITCH
Canadian duo Purity Ring bring their hybrid of avant-garde-synth and electro-pop to Digbeth on the heels of their sophomore album Another Eternity. Choosing instrumental substance, vocal ambience and interactive performances over mindless radio-friendly hooks, Megan James and Corin Roddick pose a much more serious and eagerly welcomed left-field alternative for pop music. Expect touch sensitive midi-lanterns, live vocal alterations as well as a hive of glowing cocoons on onstage – all part of Purity Ring’s elaborate light show which is unique to each performance.
The Oobleck is quickly becoming one of the best venues to catch big names in heavy music. Hailing from Athens, Ohio, thrash and black metal fourpiece Skeletonwitch bring their unholier-than-thou amalgam of better-than-thou guitar solos, flawless double pedal blast beats and grand-metal riffage to Digbeth. With support from Goatwhore and Mortals, this brutal lineup will put a grin on the face of any corpse-painted geezer. Horns up!
The Institute, April 27
THEM WOLVES
Hare & Hounds, April 18 Bombarding audiences since 2011, noisy brutes Them Wolves headline This Is Tmrw’s Record Store Day all-dayer, which boasts some of the best contemporary underground names in Brum, including Black Mekon, The Castillians, Sunshine Frisbee Laserbeam, Swampmeat Family Band, Dong Fang, Threads and Crawlin’ Hands. From hardcore to psychobilly to garage rock – this glimpse into Birmingham’s heavy rock scene is a blinder. Don’t don’t seek comforting melody or a sympathetic lyrics here, Them Wolves gnaw, grind and devour.
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The Oobleck, April 14
THE SKINTS
The Institute, April 18 The Skints are innovating a new sound called ‘East London Reggae’ by embedding hip hop, punk, and dub in a classic dancehall style. Their recent concept album FM pays tribute to the pirate radio culture that kept reggae buzzing during the 80s and 90s. British MC legend Tippa Irie, who features on track This Town, is also set to appear, in addition to Horseman, Rival and Hollie Cook. Come hear the future of reggae music and simultaneously celebrate its roots.
EKKAH
Sunflower Lounge, April 11 It’s only been five months since Birmingham duo Ekkah debuted their Last Chance To Dance EP, but the momentum gained for their
ultra-cute-poppish-disco-funk sound and neon style that oozes 80s pop nostalgia is incredible, and justly deserved. April sees them headline their first UK tour ahead of their various summer festival slots. If these girls have one aim, it’s to get you to dance.
RAPHAEL & EAZY SKANKERS Club PST, 10 April
From Savona, Italy, Raphael Emmanuel & Eazy Skankers arrive in Birmingham to headline the city’s finest reggae venue, alongside its best live reggae group, the ever-busy Friendly Fire Band. With soundsystem support from Jam Jah Sound, Young Culture and Feva & Juggla across two rooms, music and hot food until 5am, this allnighter guarantees a great vibe.
NAMVULA
Cafe Ort, 25 April Though firmly rooted in traditional and urban Zambian traditions, Namvula Rennie’s music crosses over into latin, jazz and genres from across London’s eclectic landscape. Backed by a fourpiece ensemble, the singer songwriter performs her smooth but evocative tunes in English, Portuguese and French in equally beautiful measure. Expect uplifting African rhythms as well as powerful stories about real people and relatives. A relaxed, cultured and awesome must-see. Brum Notes Magazine
club nights
Freestyle & Soul Food Project present The Reflex
PICK
Hare & Hounds, April 24
Championed by legendary musicians and veteran DJs alike – with Nile Rodgers, Jazzy Jeff and 6 Music’s Craig Charles all sworn believers – France-born, London-based producer The Reflex takes his Birmingham bow at an intimate Hare & Hounds show at the end of the month. Famed for fresh takes on dancefloor classics, as well as a strict reliance on the spinning techniques honed by the first generation of disco DJs, his combination of the retro and the revolutionary is sure to make for an enrapturing, engaging and truly groovy show.
The Rainbow venues Birthday FestIVAL The Rainbow, April 4
A hotbed of head-rushing, pulsating electronic and dance music since its inception over a decade ago, The Rainbow raves into its 11th year by hosting an ambitious all-day gathering over the first weekend of April. Taking place across five differently-themed rooms (including two entirely new spaces, The Basement and The Arch), this mammoth 14-hour event features a dazzling array of DJing talent, with 30 acts – a mouth-watering mix of renowned international artists and The Rainbow’s own favourite record-spinners – providing an eclectic soundtrack to the venue’s daring and innovative entry into a new era. Headlined by Steve Lawler, Robert Dietz, Loco Dice, Richy Ahmed, Ben Klock, Patrick Topping and Seth Troxler, this is set to be one of the highlights of this year’s clubbing calendar. With no admittance after 6pm, attendees are advised to strap on their dancing shoes early.
Renegade Hardware: 20 years of hardware NextDoor, April 11
Since 1995 London-based label Renegade Hardware has been crucial to drum’n’bass, disseminating this post-rave movement to the masses by offering cutting-edge talent a platform for their April 2015
material. Now in its 20th year, the brains behind the imprint head northwards in celebration of a successful past few decades at the precipice of one of music’s most enchanting, dance-triggering genres. Comprised of DJ sets from label stalwarts such as Loxy, Ink and Skitty, expect to hear the likes of Pendulum, Konflict and Chase & Status in heavy rotation as the party goes deep into the early hours.
Kandy Krush: The Spring Skank Out PST, April 11
Back in Birmingham for their first club night since a rapturous PST residency in November, Kandy Krush are set to bless Digbeth once again with a bill that boils over with the finest drum’n’bass DJs in the country. A seven-hour feel-good gathering that features the likes of DJ Guv, iCandy and Elegance behind the decks, as well as Nutcracka, Kombo and Gumster topping a list of MCs, anyone who’s appetite isn’t satiated by the talent on show can also dig into a delicious selection of hot and cold snacks. Now, that’s what we call a party...
Moulin Groove presents Aaron Snapes Hare & Hounds, April 10
“I just want to make fun, groovy music for people to dance to,” says dance music wunderkind
Aaron Snapes of his approach to the creative process. Releasing a quiver of house-leaning EPs and world-beating remixes over a relatively short career, both his original productions and re-interpretations of club classics have won him legions of fans, as well as numerous nods (and spins) of approval from disc-jockeying royalty Pete Tong and Annie Mac. Absorbing elements of hip hop, drum’n’bass and garage into his work, make sure you take the chance to experience his invigorating disregard for musical boundaries firsthand when he drops into the Hare & Hounds for what promises to be a blinding show.
Cassette ft Matt Jam Lamont + Ramsey & Fen Alfie Bird’s, April 11
What better way to celebrate the burgeoning house and garage revival than enlisting three of the acts that put it on the map in the first place to chair the festivities? A brand spanking new night set to ignite Alfie Bird’s, the inaugural Cassette features genre behemoths Matt Jam Lamont and Ramsey & Fen – the former, a veteran remixer and producer who first found fame as one half of production duo Tuff Jam and the latter, a pair critical in sending Garage from pirate radio stations into the mainstream – strutting their stuff. Prolific remix artist Booker T bookends the bill.
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arts & culture
Feed the Beast
The Rep, from April 16
PICK
The world premiere of a timely political comedy from the pen of Doctor Who and Sherlock writer Steve Thompson. A co-production with Ipswich’s New Wolsey Theatre, the play follows the incoming Prime Minister as he struggles to focus on the job in hand, with the threat of a tabloid exposé looming. Also at The Rep this month, Penelope RETOLD (April 1-2) is an irreverent solo piece from Caroline Horton looking at the fate of the military spouse, while the acclaimed Cornish company Kneehigh come to town with a new adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s Gothic romance Rebecca (from April 27).
Love Is Enough: William Morris & Andy Warhol
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, from April 25 They may seem unlikely bedfellows, the 19th-century textile designer and the pop-art icon, but not so, says Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller. Declaring the men his two greatest artistic influences, Deller has put together a show which highlights their strikingly similar methods of mass production and collaboration. Central to the exhibition is a rare outing for the Birmingham Museum Trust’s set of Morris’ Holy Grail tapestries, on display for the first time in seven years.
Artists for Ikon Ikon, from April 24
The gallery’s 50th birthday celebrations conclude with this, a collection of works donated by a raft of contemporary heavyweights, all of whom have exhibited at Ikon – including Antony Gormley, Martin Creed, Julian Opie and Cornelia Parker. After a short stay in Birmingham, the pieces will be whisked down to Sotheby’s in London, with the proceeds going towards future commissions.
Arch 468: Cuddles Mac, April 29-30
An award-winning, genuinely chilling piece from cutting-edge London producers Arch 468, and 42
the debut offering from writer Joseph Wilde. It follows the fate of Eve, a cloistered teenager living as a vampire, whose grasp of the outside world is limited to the storybook characters related to her by her sister.
Imagining A University: 50 Years of the University of Warwick Art Collection
Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, from April 29 It’s also 50-up for the University of Warwick. This retrospective show at the Mead Gallery charts the development of the Art Collection in the context of the university as a whole. Over 60 names will be on display here, including Yoko Ono, Jack Bush, Richard Long and – that man again – Andy Warhol.
The Found Footage Festival’s Salute to Weirdos
Stan’s Cafe: A Translation of Shadows Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, April 22-24
The latest show from the endlessly creative Birmingham outfit Stan’s Cafe. It recreates the art of the benshi, the live narrator of Japanese movies during the silent era, whose evocative commentary would frequently steal the show. An original silent film, Shadows, has been shot in Tokyo, with the benshi desperate to talk you through every scene.
Anatomy of the Piano Old Joint Stock, April 16
Having sold out in Edinburgh for the past two years, Will Pickvance brings his remarkable oneman show to Birmingham, in which he strips bare his intense relationship with his piano. His virtuosic playing is complemented by a lyrical narrative and hand-drawn visuals in a show that marks him out as a serious all-round talent.
Electric Cinema, April 22
Since stumbling across a discarded training videotape at a McDonald’s in 1991, writers/directors Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher have trawled the thrift stores and garage sales of America, amassing a monumental haul of VHS obscurities. As part of their UK tour, the pair call into Brum armed with footage of public-access oddballs and unnerving exercise gurus. Brum Notes Magazine
WHAT’S ON
KEY TO LISTINGS: M = LIVE MUSIC CN = CLUB NIGHT C = COMEDY
BIRMINGHAM: O2 Academy, Horsefair, Bristol St B1, 0844 4772000; The Institute, High St, Digbeth B5, 0844 2485037; NIA, King Edwards Rd B1, 0121 7804141; LG Arena, NEC, Solihull B40, 0121 7804141; The Flapper, Kingston Row B1, 0121 2362421; The Victoria, John Bright St B1, 0121 6339439; Hare & Hounds, High St, Kings Heath B14, 0121 4442081; The Actress & Bishop, Ludgate Hill B3, 0121 2367426; The Sunflower Lounge, Smallbrook Queensway B5, 0121 6327656; Symphony Hall, Broad St B1, 0121 7803333; Town Hall, Victoria Sq B3, 0121 7803333; Kitchen Garden Cafe, York Road, Kings Heath B14, 0121 4434725; Alexandra Theatre, Station St B1, 0844 8472302; Bull’s Head, St Marys Row, Moseley B13, 0121 2567777; Island Bar, Suffolk St B1, 0121 6325296; The Jam House, St Pauls Sq B3, 0121 2003030; Ort, Moseley Rd, Balsall Heath, B12; The Asylum, Hampton St, Hockley B19, 0121 2331109; The Rainbow, High St, Digbeth B12, 0121 7728174; Adam & Eve, Bradford St, Digbeth B12, 0121 6931500; The Rose Villa Tavern, Warstone Lane, B18, 0121 2367910; The Yardbird, Paradise Place B3, 0121 2122524; The Glee Club, The Arcadian, Hurst St B5, 0871 4720400; MAC, Cannon Hill Park B12, 0121 4463232; Nightingale, Kent St B5, 0121 6221718; Scruffy Murphys, The Priory Queensway B4, 0121 2362035; The Wagon & Horses, Adderley St, Digbeth B9, 0121 7721403; Lab11, Trent St B5, lab11.co.uk; The Moseley Arms, Ravenhurst St B12, 0121 7668467; Alfie Bird’s/The Oobleck, The Custard Factory B9, 0121 270 6665; Suki10c, Bordesley Street B5; Gatecrasher, Broad St B15, 0121 633 1520 Wednesday, Apr 1 Ferryman M Faith + Chartreuse M CN Big Wednesday
M M M M M CN CN CN C C M M M M M CN CN M M M M M M
Scruffy Murphys
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Snobs
Birmingham
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
The Library @ The Institute The Oobleck
Birmingham
Kings Heath
Dirty Saint Ondahwun
Kitchen Garden Cafe The Roadhouse
Get On It Thursday
Gatecrasher
Birmingham
Bad Thursday
Snobs
Birmingham
Smoove DJ set
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Comedy Carousel
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Manila Road Comedy
The Victoria
Birmingham
Thursday, Apr 2 Lost Dials Charli XCX Swim Deep Josh Harty
Birmingham
Stirchley
Friday, Apr 3 Of Mice & Men
O2 Academy
Birmingham
Steel Pulse
The Institute
Birmingham
Curbstone
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Public + Breeze
The Victoria
Birmingham
The Atlantic Players
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
90s Night presents Very Good Friday An Evening with Knicker Bocker Corey Saturday, Apr 4 Anna Pancaldi
The Library @ The Institute Bull’s Head
Birmingham
Ort
Balsall Heath
In Hindsight + Tides
O2 Academy 2
Birmingham
Arron Erskine + Elektric O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
Moseley
Shalamar
The Institute
Birmingham
PARTYNEXTDOOR
The Library @ The Institute The Sunflower Lounge
Birmingham
Sylvia
April 2015
Birmingham
CN CN CN CN
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.
Trancecoda John Askew
Boxxed
Birmingham
RocknRolla
Gatecrasher
Birmingham
Aries Birthday Bash
PST
Birmingham
The Rainbow Venues Birthday Festival Bruk Up ft Soulwins
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
The Institute
Birmingham
Sunday, Apr 5 Nessi Gomes
Ort
Balsall Heath
Box of Light
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
Quinphonic Festival
The Roadhouse
Stirchley
Tinie Tempah (live)
Risa
Birmingham
Wobble 23
Spotlight
Birmingham
DJ Alpha Birthday Bash
The Institute
Birmingham
Joey Negro
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Jeru the Damaja
The Oobleck
Birmingham
Romesh Ranganathan
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Rough Works
The Glee Club
Birmingham
The Roadhouse
Stirchley
C
Edinburgh Preview Show ft Jay Handley Lee Nelson
Wulfrun Hall
Wolverhampton
M
Monday, Apr 6 Tuff Love
Birmingham
OneDub
The Sunflower Lounge Alfie Bird’s
Ultra
Gatecrasher
Birmingham
Jam Jah Reggae
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Romesh Ranganathan
The Glee Club
Birmingham
RH New Comedy Night
The Roadhouse
Stirchley
Tuesday, Apr 7 Zoax
The Oobleck
Birmingham
The Rainbow
Birmingham
O2 Academy
Birmingham
CN CN DJ Alpha Birthday Bash M M M CN CN CN CN CN C C C
CN CN CN C C M M M
A Place To Bury Strangers Wednesday, Apr 8 Sleeping With Sirens
Birmingham
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M
Bipolar Sunshine
M M
New Motion
M M C M M M M C M M M M M CN CN CN CN
The Library @ The Institute The Oobleck
Birmingham
Birmingham
Clarence Clarity
The Rainbow Warehouse Hare & Hounds
Ghostpoet
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
MY Comedy
Kitchen Garden Cafe
Kings Heath
Superfood
Thursday, Apr 9 Obey the Brave
M M M
Kings Heath
Birmingham
The Rainbow
Birmingham Birmingham
Inherit the Stars
The Sunflower Lounge The Roadhouse
Comedy Carousel
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Friday, Apr 10 The Wombats
O2 Academy
Stirchley
Birmingham
M M
Edinburgh Preview Show ft Scott Bennett Monday, Apr 13 Young Kato
The Roadhouse
Stirchley
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Mark Olson
Kitchen Garden Cafe Gatecrasher
Kings Heath
Bull’s Head
Moseley
The Roadhouse
Stirchley
The Library @ The Institute The Oobleck
Birmingham
Gatecrasher
Birmingham
Wednesday, Apr 15 Brett Dennen
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Planes
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Larkin Poe
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
The Library @ The Institute The Oobleck
Birmingham
The Rainbow Warehouse The Sunflower Lounge Hare & Hounds
Birmingham
The Slade Rooms Gatecrasher
Wolverhampton
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Friday, Apr 17 Ghosts in Daylight
Ort
Balsall Heath
Stereo Kicks
O2 Academy 2
Birmingham
Mistrusted + Nishi
The Flapper
Birmingham
The Shires
The Library @ The Institute The Rainbow
Birmingham
The Sunflower Lounge The Victoria
Birmingham
The Wagon & Horses Bull’s Head
Birmingham
CN Ultra CN Jam Jah Reggae RH New Comedy Night C M
Tuesday, Apr 14 Circa Waves
Skeletonwitch M CN Supafresh
M M M
Thursday, Apr 16 Sigma
The Assist
The Rainbow
Birmingham
The Late Runners
The Sunflower Lounge Hare & Hounds
Birmingham
M
Kings Heath
M M
Demoraliser
Civic Hall
Wolverhampton
The Outlawz (live)
Electric
Birmingham
M
Roo Panes
Supersonic Vague
Gatecrasher
Birmingham
AUM presents JoeFarr
The Rainbow
Birmingham
M
Benjamin Folke Thomas Adam Ant
Matthew Edwards & The Unfortunates The Marillion Weekend
Moulin Groove presents Hare & Hounds Aaron Snapes An Evening with Spinx Bull’s Head
CN CN Jukebox Jury: Burlesque The Roadhouse C C
Birmingham
The Oobleck
Suburban Legends & MC Lars Retox
C
& Rockabilly Maff Brown Matt Forde
Therapy?
Kings Heath
M
Moseley
CN Get On It Thursday Comedy Carousel C
Stirchley
The Glee Club
Birmingham
The Slade Rooms
Wolverhampton
Saturday, Apr 11 Simple Minds
O2 Academy
Birmingham
Meghan Trainor
The Institute
Birmingham
Drenge
The Library @ The Institute The Sunflower Lounge The Temple @ The Institute Civic Hall
Birmingham
M M M M
Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham Kings Heath
Birmingham
M M
The Leisure Society
Soldier
Birmingham
M M
Wolverhampton
CN PROspec presents Alix
NextDoor + Spotlight The Oobleck
Birmingham
CN Lloyd Langford C Milton Jones & the C
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Civic Hall
Wolverhampton
CN CN Zombie Ball CN Hot Club De Swing CN Secret Reels: Purple
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Ort
Balsall Heath
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
C
The Glee Club
Birmingham
M M M M
Sunday, Apr 12 Bars and Melody
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
Finley Quaye
The Oobleck
Birmingham
Balthazar
The Sunflower Lounge Civic Hall
M
Ekkah
M
Nathan Sykes
The Marillion Weekend M CN Renegade Hardware
CN Cassette ft Matt Jam Lamont Killer Wave 2.0
M M M M
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Velvet & Adam Turner Maff Brown
The Marillion Weekend
Birmingham
Birmingham
Callaghan
Osmosis Perez + Con Natural Soulvation
Temple of Daft Saturday, Apr 18 Chris Tye
Birmingham
Birmingham
Moseley
Ort
Balsall Heath
PVRIS
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
James Bay
The Institute
Birmingham
The Skints
Birmingham
The Two Percent Nadine Shah
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Birmingham
M M M
The Library @ The Institute The Oobleck
Youth Man
Birmingham
Wolverhampton
M
Establishment
The Sunflower Lounge The Temple @ The Institute
See more at www.brumnotes.com
Birmingham
Birmingham
Brum Notes Magazine
M
This Is Tmrw Record Store All Dayer UFO
M CN Loft & Sound: XXXY CN Bedclub presents Tim Westwood RocknRolla
CN CN The Portal presents an
Evening with Detlef M O D O: Miguel Verde
CN Lloyd Langford C M M M M M M M M CN
Sunday, Apr 19 George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic The Xcerts
M M CN C C M M M M M M
Wolverhampton
Alfie Bird’s
Birmingham
Gatecrasher
Birmingham
Gatecrasher
Birmingham
NextDoor + Spotlight Bull’s Head
Birmingham
The Glee Club
Birmingham
O2 Academy
Birmingham
Moseley
Birmingham Kings Heath
The Natural Emotions
The Roadhouse
Stirchley
Monday, Apr 20 Nai Harvest Girl Friend Stormzy Kris Drever & Boo Hewerdine Jam Jah Reggae
Balsall Heath
O2 Academy 2
Birmingham
RFX
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Kwabs
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
TOWIH UV Paint Party
LMG Warehouse
Birmingham
Hive DnB
Birmingham
Kanyini + Pure Filth
NextDoor + Spotlight Sticky Warehouse The Rainbow Warehouse Wagon & Horses
YO! with Keiron Booth
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Enter the Dragon
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Hot Wax
Birmingham
CN Bonobo (DJ set) CN CN CN CN
CN Bigger Than Barry vs
Birmingham
C
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Kings Heath
Kings Heath
Gatecrasher
Birmingham
Wednesday, Apr 22 Echosmith
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
While She Sleeps
The Institute
Birmingham
Skinny Lister
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Sasha McVeigh
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham Birmingham
Stealing Sheep
The Library @ The Institute The Rainbow
Status Quo - Aquostic
Civic Hall
Wolverhampton
Get On It Thursday
Gatecrasher
Birmingham
Comedy Carousel
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Andy Parsons
Wulfrun Hall
Wolverhampton
Friday, Apr 24 Nuala Honan
Ort
Balsall Heath
Swamp Delta
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
Raleigh Ritchie
Birmingham
Buffalo Summer
The Library @ The Institute The Oobleck
Mahalia
The Rainbow
Birmingham
The Red Paintings
The Temple @ The Institute Suki10c
Birmingham
April 2015
Ort
Yeallow + Native Wreck
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
with Vince Vega The Reflex
Wolverhampton
Saturday, Apr 25 Namvula
The Sunflower Lounge The Temple @ The Institute Hare & Hounds
Birmingham
CN CN Live at The Local: Bez
Birmingham
Wulfrun Hall
Birmingham
The Rainbow
Fancy Dress Frenzy Pure Morning
The Glee Club
Stewart Francis
The Oobleck
Birmingham
Will Butler
M M M M CN CN
Joe Lycett
The Library @ The Institute Hare & Hounds
O2 Academy 2
Thursday, Apr 23 Offshore
C C
CN HouseWorx001
Hare & Hounds
CN The Bounce Factory:
CN
Wulfrun Hall
The Rainbow
M The Swellers M Polar Bear M CN Supafresh
M M
Kings Heath
XOVA
Tuesday, Apr 21 Prong
M M M M
Hare & Hounds
Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
M M M M M M C M M M M CN CN C M M M M CN M M M M M M M CN C C
Love The Live Joe Lycett
Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham
Kings Heath
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Sunday, Apr 26 The Interrupters
O2 Academy 2
Birmingham
Zervas & Pepper
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Shawn Smith
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Gren Bartley
Kings Heath
Free Love Club
Kitchen Garden Cafe The Lounge
Silent Jack + Koncept
The Roadhouse
Stirchley
Edinburgh Preview Show ft Lou Conran Monday, Apr 27 Purity Ring
The Roadhouse
Stirchley
Libary
Birmingham
Laura Marling
The Institute
Birmingham
Tellison
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Moon Duo
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Ultra
Gatecrasher
Birmingham
Jam Jah Reggae
Bull’s Head
Moseley
RH New Comedy Night
The Roadhouse
Stirchley Birmingham
Karma to Burn
The Library @ The Institute The Oobleck
Chris Murray
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Portico
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Supafresh
Gatecrasher
Birmingham
Wednesday, Apr 29 Damage + Rough Copy
O2 Academy 2
Birmingham
Blair Dunlop
The Glee Club
Birmingham
CC Smugglers
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Emilia Mårtensson
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Thursday, Apr 30 Our Last Night
The Oobleck
Birmingham
Dangerous Girls
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
The Lost Notes
The Roadhouse
Stirchley
Get On It Thursday
Gatecrasher
Birmingham
Christian O’Connell
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Comedy Carousel
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Tuesday, Apr 28 Theory Of A Deadman
Selly Oak
Birmingham
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the last word
THE LAST WORD:
MILTON JONES A regular guest on TV’s best-loved comedy panel shows, writer and comedian Milton Jones is renowned for his puns, quick-fire gags, and distinctive fashion sense. His latest live show, Temple of Daft, sees him mix absurdist humour with a storyline as he follows in the footsteps of his great uncle, the explorer Sir Randolph Digby Jones. David Vincent asks the questions. It’s last orders at the bar, what are you drinking? A pint of Tizer. Only chip shops really do it, but if it’s a proper bar, that has everything, then they should stock Tizer. I might have mine with a vodka in it. What was the last thing you ate? Sugar-free Alpen, and half a tortilla chip off the floor. You know what it’s like, you pick it up off the floor, wander around with it in your hand, and end up eating it ‘cos you can’t find a bin. What was on your last rider? A towel. It tasted lovely. I only have water and towels on my rider, anything more and it’s a slippery slope. If there’s food and drink, you eat and drink before you go on, and then the next night you want more, and more… How was your last gig? It was fine. It was The Engine Shed in Lincoln, which is a band venue, so the sound was cool. It had a nice low ceiling. Lincoln’s between Norwich and Holland… What was the last film you saw? I’m about to go to Australia, so I’m saving up all my films to watch out there, but the last one was Boyhood, which was good. Better than it sounded. What was the last TV show you recorded? Celebrity Squares. That’s quite like noughts and 46
crosses. You can’t see the other people in the other boxes, though I was sitting by Tim Vine, and Sarah Millican and Tess Daly were also on.
on with reading his book while everyone else in the carriage looked at me, thinking, ‘who does this guy think he is?’ There was no escape!
When was the last time you thought, ‘Damn, I wish I’d written that gag’? Someone said it the other day, it’s a joke that’s in common usage, someone must have written it, though I don’t know who: ‘People say I’m immature; to them I just say ‘get outta my fort.’ For a good joke you have to get it down to a minimum number of words and a good image, and that image – ‘a good fort’ – says it all.
When was the last time you had a haircut? Last week. My wife laughs as it doesn’t appear as if anything has been cut at all. It only takes five minutes to do. There’s not too much taken off as it’s a trademark. My hair does have a life of its own. I wake up in the morning with neat hair and it gradually goes in its own direction over the day.
When was the last time you died on stage? Oh! I know exactly when and where that was. That was last November and I did the Cardiff Retail Awards, this business/corporate event, and before I went on someone said to me, ‘You do know that 80 per cent of the audience don’t speak English?’ So who are the other 20 per cent? ‘They’re Sri Lankan.’ I was completely in the wrong place. I did half an hour to snorts from the technical desk and 400 stares. When was the last time you were stopped in the street? Actually, yesterday, I was on the tube and it was really crowded and this bloke said, ‘Can I get a selfie?’ and there was no escape. So I pulled a silly face and then he just turned around and got
Who was the last comedian you saw live? I’m on tour at the moment, so other than new material nights, or a benefit, it’s Nish Kumar, who is my support. I’ve seen him so many times now I can almost do his act, and at the end of the show, I do pretend to be him. He’s a very good up-and-coming, lad, who is doing great things at the moment. What’s the last word of Temple of Daft? Goodnight. Milton Jones: Temple of Daft is at Wolverhampton Civic Hall on April 17 and Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, on April 24. The tour also includes June 5, Symphony Hall, Birmingham; October 2, Dudley Town Hall; October 29, Spa Centre, Leamington Spa; October 31, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham. Brum Notes Magazine
win! WIN WEEKEND TICKETS TO
The Bootleg Beatles
LUNAR FESTIVAL 2015 Lunar Festival returns to its countryside home of Tanworth-inArden, on the fringe of Solihull, for its biggest gathering to date this June. Shrooming in size since its birth in 2012, this year’s diverse melting pot of a lineup features plenty to get excited about. And just to get you even more excited, we have a pair of weekend tickets and some festival swag to give away. Here’s a taste of what’s in store…
Public Service Broadcasting
A rousing success at Moseley Folk Festival in 2011, Malian bill-toppers Tinariwen are one of the more extraordinary festival headliners of 2015. A passionate collective that have created pounding and political folk music out of the prejudices they’ve suffered as a ‘minority group’ in their home country, their rebel status and primal beats have made them a firm favourite of the European touring circuit.
Sun Ra Arkestra
To be in with a chance of winning, simply tell us: What was the name of Nick Drake’s second album, released in 1970? Send your name, age and contact details to competitions@brumnotes.com by May 1. Terms & Conditions apply. Winners will be notified by email. Lunar Festival takes place from June 5–7 at Umberslade Estate, Warwickshire.
April 2015
Following a remarkable recovery from terminal illness, iconic guitarist Wilko Johnson is another star attraction at this year’s festival. Best known for his stint as the peacocking, goofy-faced guitarist of pub rock legends Dr Feelgood, the Canvey Island-born string-shredder has, in addition to his early work, five decades worth of material to draw from. The world’s most acclaimed fake Fab Four, The Bootleg Beatles will, with a little help from their orchestral friends, be on hand to help the festival turn on, tune in and float all the way back to the 1960s with a set comprised of The Beatles’ most experimental material. Interweaving old propaganda tapes and public information clips together with a network of banjos, bleeping electronics and fuzz-addled drum loops, archive arsonists Public Service Broadcasting are also adding their unique style to the bill. Fresh from dropping their second
album The Race For Space, the quirky duo call into the Warwickshire countryside mid-tour to play songs from said latest effort and their instantly-classic 2013 debut record Inform, Educate, Entertain. Home to a revolving door of avant-garde and punk musicians since 1979, The Fall, fronted by the enigmatic and miserly Mark E Smith, are one of post-punk’s most prolific acts, producing 29 albums in over 35 years, with 2015 set to see the release of their 30th in the form of Sub-Lingual Tablet. With such a copious amount of material and a reputation for unpredictability, there’s simply no telling what they have in store for their Lunar Festival residence. With a lineup completed by the likes of The Pretty Things, Sylvan Esso and Allah-Las, further day and nighttime activities, workshops and club nights include an interactive Northern Soul Dance School, full sets from club and production icons Magic Door, Andrew Weatherall, Sam Redmore and Dean ‘Sunshine’ Smith and an atmospheric, registration-required vinyl listening party for late Tanworth-in-Arden resident Nick Drake’s album Bryter Layter. Appetite whetted? Then you may be in luck as we’ve got a fabulous festival prize, consisting of two weekend tickets, two t-shirts and a pair of programmes, to give away. 47
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Brum Notes Magazine