Brum Notes Magazine - December 2012

December 2012

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

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Christmas, a time for…

Ending the year on a high with Birmingham’s hottest property

ALSO INSIDE: BAND OF SKULLS THE BEAT TROUMACA TEMPTING ROSIE SHAPES BOVINE PLUS: Christmas shopping made easy / New Year’s Eve planned out / Birmingham’s best Christmas parties / Festive fashions and more…

December 2012

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Doors 7.00pm unless stated โ ข Venue box office opening hours: Mon-Fri 12pm-4pm, Sat 11am-4pm โ ข No booking fee on cash transactions Brum Notes Magazine TICKETWEB CO UK p SEETICKETS COM p GIGANTIC COM p TICKETMASTER CO UK

CONTENTS

Mercury Prize winners Alt-J live in Birmingham. Read the review on P20.

Photo by Andy Hughes.

Editor: Chris Moriarty Contributors Words: David Vincent, Amelia Burr, Amy Sumner, Daron Billings, Ivy Photiou, Matt Way, Tom Roden, Lorraine Teare Pictures: Andy Hughes, Andy Watson (Drw-images), Emily Baker, cover photo and Peace photoshoot by Gobinder Jhitta, Shapes photos by Jade Sukiya Style editor: Jade Sukiya jade@brumnotes.com Design: Adam Williams, Andy Aitken

Regulars News 4-5 Live Reviews 20-21 Style 24-25 Food & Drink 26 What’s On Guide 28-30 Music and Features The Beat 6 Band of Skulls 9 Troumaca + Tempting Rosie 10-11 Shapes + Bovine 12 Peace 14-15 Christmas Gift Guide 16-17 Christmas Clubbing 18 Best of New Year’s Eve 30

Connect Twitter: @BrumNotesMag Facebook: www.facebook.com/ BrumNotesMagazine Online: www.brumnotes.com

The times they are a-changin’ – Coming soon, your all new www.brumnotes.com... Stay tuned for details.

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All content © Brum Notes Magazine. Views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Brum Notes Magazine. While all care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of content, Brum Notes Magazine will not be held liable for any errors or losses claimed to have been incurred by any errors. Advertising terms and conditions available on request.

December 2012

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ned’s atomic dustbin film finally makes it on to dvd after 21 years Ned’s Atomic Dustbin will release their iconic film Nothing Is Cool on DVD this month, more than 20 years since it was first made.

The Stourbridge indie-rockers, famed for their energetic live sets, captured endless Super 8 footage during their ascent to cult hero status at the start of the 1990s, with Nothing Is Cool topping the video charts upon its release.

Much of the footage was recorded at Wolverhampton’s Civic Hall in 1991 and is finally being made available to fans in DVD form.

The DVD release will be celebrated with a live performance from all five original members at the Civic Hall on December 1. Support on the night comes from Irish alt-rockers The Frank & Walters, while Steve Lamacq, who attended the 1991 show as an NME journalist, will be special guest DJ on the night.

Visit www.wolvescivic.co.uk for ticket details.

clothes show live returns to birmingham this month

club re-lives heady days of house

Clothes Show Live returns to Birmingham this month, showcasing the styles and fashions that will be dominating 2013.

The UK’s biggest fashion and beauty event takes place at the NEC from December 7 to 11 and will feature catwalk shows, designer guests, celebrity appearances, makeovers and champagne bars, as well as the chance to shop for bargains and high fashion items from hundreds of brands.

Other highlights include the 5,500seat Fashion Theatre performance showing off the best of British design while Britain and Ireland’s Next Top Model Live is a new addition to this year’s show.

British model Daisy Lowe will present style extravaganza, while other high profile stars appearing include JLS, Peter Andre and The Only Way Is Essex girls Amy Childs and Gemma Collins. Visitors will also get to browse thousands of items of clothing and beauty accessories at Style Boutique, Beauty Hall, Vision Village and Fashion Fix. Tickets start from £27 with students entitled to a 20 per cent discount with a valid NUS card. Visit www.clothesshowlive.com for details.

An historic Birmingham nightspot will roll back the years with a reunion celebrating the early days of house music.

The Ballroom in Dale End will host the fcukNYE Hummingbird Reunion on December 28, featuring DJ Dick, Lee Fisher and Jock Lee. The Ballroom was previously known as The Hummingbird in one of its previous guises and was the venue where many clubbers in the West Midlands got their first taste of house music, with a new night called Hipnoziz taking over one of the small rooms in the summer of 1988. A year later the Snapper Club started in The Hummingbird’s 100-capacity room but by the end of 1989 was attracting 3,000 clubbers every week as house music exploded across the country.

The Hummingbird Reunion night will pay tribute to those hazy days. It runs from 10pm to 4am with tickets £10/£12 in advance from www.birmingham-ballroom.co.uk.

Those looking to party well into the new year can celebrate 2013 with an 18-hour rave on New Year’s Day at The Rainbow.

To win tickets to the Below New Year’s Day party visit www.brumnotes.com.

A collection of more than 200 works of art gathered from government buildings across the world is on display in Birmingham. Revealed: Government Art Collection includes pieces by the likes of Tracey Emin, Andy Warhol and Edward Lear and will be exhibited at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery until next February.

The exhibition is the first time this unique collection has been displayed in one place, with BMAG the first venue outside London to host it. Among the items on show are paintings previously displayed at British Embassies around the world, as well as at government buildings in the UK, including No 10 Downing Street, plus works from the past 60 years which were commissioned directly by the Government Art Collection. Pieces have been chosen by public figures who lived alongside them, non-political staff working in Downing Street, as well as renowned historian Simon Schama and British artist Cornelia Parker. Visitors can also explore the history of the collection through a series of related letters and documents.

The exhibition is free and will be accompanied by a series of gallery talks. It runs until February 24, 2013. Visit www.bmag.org.uk.

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Brum Notes Magazine

Queen Elizabeth II... by Andy Warhol

unseen collection of government artwork goes on display

FESTIVE ARTS TREAT HEADS TO DIGBETH CANALSIDE A canalside conservation area-turned-arts venue in Digbeth will celebrate the festive season in its own unique style with a weekend of art, food and drink.

Warwick Bar, based alongside Minerva Works in Fazeley Street, will host its own Winter Fest from December 14-15, with artistic offerings from Ikon Slow Boat, Grand Union, Stryx and Vivid Projects.

The two-day event, which is free to attend, will feature specially commissioned works by artists Cathy Wade and Paul Newman, Extra Special People and Black Dogs, with installation, environment and live art to the theme of the Winterreise/Winter Journey.

Cakes and hot food and drinks will also be available to keep visitors warm. Winter Fest runs from 5pm to 11pm on December 14 and 12pm to 6pm on December 15, with entry free for all.

Visit www.warwickbar.co.uk for more details.

Image shows Paul Newman, Snow Man Circle 2011.

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The Beat Revisited

THE BEAT GOES ON After packing the Town Hall out last Christmas, local ska/punk legends The Beat are back for another seasonal appearance.

Though original member and spokesperson Ranking Roger is swift to state there’ll be no punky reggae takes on festive tunes, there could still be a surprise in store. David Vincent finds out more.

“We’re hoping to get Saxa up as a special guest,” he says of the elderly saxophonist who retired from The Beat – and performing altogether – decades ago.

“Hopefully he’ll be there, on stage, maybe wave at the audience, wish them merry Christmas…”

Formed in Birmingham in 1978, multiracial outfit The Beat mixed genres in a way unequalled by their peers. And while others just sang of the decay around them, The Beat brazenly called for PM Margaret Thatcher to ‘stand down’.

Twenty-nine years on from their 1983 split, and today’s revived band still stands strong, with core original members Ranking Roger and drummer Everett Morton continuing to spread their dance-fuelled message of unity.

“Everyone wants a world where they can co-exist,” says Roger. “That’s my philosophy and I believe it’s the right one.”

It’s a belief that’s been strengthened by the repackaging of the band’s back catalogue.

“I realised my legacy, listening to those John Peel sessions and looking at those videos where we all looked like young 6

men. I realised we made an impact on a generation. There was a lot of racism around at that time, people were at war, there were nuclear bombs… our music helped change a generation.”

Today, Roger sees a very different mind-set.

“This generation are not protesting, they have it all,” he observes, calling out for new leaders to point to a way ahead.

“Where’s this generation’s Bob Marley or John Lennon? Where are this generation’s leaders who can bring our kids into the know-how? For my generation it was Bob Marley and Johnny Rotten/John Lydon, they were the ‘uplifters’, they told us to rebel, but peacefully, and we learnt from them. We went on marches with miners, with Greenham Common women, and we made a difference.

“Now, I see the Government has all the power back. I see a Big Brother society, 1984, all of that… but it’s important that the people hold the power. It’s messed up. Let’s hope we still have hope.”

The Beat are live at the Town Hall, Birmingham, on December 15, with support from The Skints and Xova.

Boosting the original track listing with non-album singles, B-sides, remixes, radio sessions and (on accompanying DVDs), TV, live and promo performances, the newly re-packaged albums finally give The Beat the deluxe treatment they’ve long deserved.

I JUST CAN’T STOP IT [1980] The debut album featuring Mirror In The Bathroom (the first digitally recorded single by an English band), a lilting take on Andy William’s Can’t Get Used To Losing You (a top five single in 1983), and the politically charged Stand Down Margaret.

Roger: “I Just Can’t Stop It is, as everyone calls it, a classic. There are different styles, we’re mixing it up with punk, and it was a style that no-one else had done. Sure, The Specials were mixing things up, but not like us, we added soul and calypso. It is still my favourite as it’s the most danceable.”

WHA’PPEN? [1981] Like its predecessor, it hit number three in the charts, and now comes with nonLP tracks Too Nice To Talk To and Hit It. Roger: “Wha’ppen? is a more relaxed version of The Beat. We tried this style called one drop where there’s an emphasis on the kick drum. Songs like Doors Of Your Heart and Monkey Murders have that one drop style.

“This fitness instructor in America wrote to us and said that our music was too fast for exercise, so we slowed it down. But also we wanted to experiment, you could call it ‘ambient’, it’s a bit more dreamy…”

SPECIAL BEAT SERVICE [1982] The final release failed to deliver any Top 20 singles but nonetheless reveals a mature band.

Roger: “The third is a combination of the first and the second. It’s very different for its time. That was one thing I loved about The Beat – we were bloody challenging, we were not scared to mix music together. We were definitely the masters of merging musics without trying. When we wrote tunes, we weren’t thinking let’s write a ska or a reggae tune, it found its own direction.”

Brum Notes Magazine

December 2012

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Brum Notes Magazine

Having graduated from playing pubs in Southampton to touring around the world’s arenas supporting some of the biggest bands on the planet, bluesy rock trio Band Of Skulls are finally getting the recognition they deserve. David Vincent gets the lowdown ahead of their headline show in Birmingham.

Encamped in a London pub for a postrehearsal beer, Band Of Skulls’ Russell Marsden confesses his chat with Brum Notes has interrupted proceedings. “I was just buying a round… which is not something I do very often,” he laughs.

Ten months on from the release of their acclaimed second album Sweet Sour and Band Of Skulls are continuing their slow-burning ascent. “We’ve had a really good summer,” reckons vocalist and guitarist Russell, adding he’ll get the next round in.

‘Good’ is one way to put it. While most of us were enduring the wettest summer on record, the Southampton power-trio were flexing their musical muscles on some sizeable festival stages and supporting such heavyweights as Muse, Janes Addiction and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

“A good one was with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, that was a really nice thing. They were one of the biggest bands in the world when we were growing up – they still are! So to be invited to support them [in the US], that’s cool.

And the shows went down really, really well.

“We were playing hockey stadiums and arenas,” Russell continues. “I remember playing some of the older stuff in empty bars in London not too long ago, so we’d give each other a wry smile. It’s nice, reassuring, that the music can still connect with people in that environment.”

December 2012

Childhood friends, Russell and drummer Matt Hayward first started making music together as eager 12-year-olds, though it wasn’t until Russell met artist/bassist Emma Richardson at art college in Winchester that the present band came into being. Early successes, such as earning a global iTunes Single Of The Week for I Know What I Am and an appearance on the Twilight: New Moon soundtrack helped the blues rock threesome win a significant international fan base. And for a while, the band were noticeably bigger elsewhere than on home turf.

“It can be surreal, doing festival dates abroad; when you come back to the UK, it’s a reality check,” Russell laughs, adding that things have changed recently. “It definitely began like that for us. We had to wait for things to happen, to catch up I guess. But that’s not true now – we’re doing our biggest show on our own in this tour, at Brixton Academy. To the wider public, maybe we’re still this underground thing, but not for our fans. The UK has done us proud.”

He pauses. “At one point we did start thinking that it might not necessarily happen at all… so it’s been a real bonus.”

So what finally turned us Brits on to Band Of Skulls?

“It’s really hard to pinpoint,” Russell ponders. “I think it’s really been a gradual thing, it’s been word of mouth, roll on and roll on.... We’ve always been touring and we’re proud of doing a good show, so it’s accumulated over time.”

Another factor is the strength of the material. Take 2012’s second album, Sweet Sour, for example, as opening tracks zip between spacious grinding riffs (Sweet Sour), a thumping, epic swayer (Bruises) and a gentle ballad (Lay My Head Down).

“We try to make new songs as good as the last, or better, and we try to mix up styles. It’s easier to mix up styles when there are three writers in the band, that helps. We have hidden depths. We hope people can get into the music, discover songs and go back to discover more,” explains Russell.

With a short post-festival break over, Russell, Matt and Emma are now focussing on their biggest UK tour to date.

“We’ve been getting a bit of a different set together,” Russell says. “We’ve done the festival sets and now we want to do a new show to see the year out. So we’ve made it a little different, put a few things in there. You can’t always play as much as you want at a festival as time is short. Also, the songs have developed over the year… over the years. After playing them in the studio we’re now looking forward to getting them out in front of an audience rather than playing them to ourselves. It always seems strange just playing for each other.”

Band Of Skulls are live at HMV Institute, Birmingham, on December 6.

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IT’S TIME FOR THE PARTY SEASON Brum Notes Magazine teams up once more with This Is Tmrw to deliver the coolest Christmas party in town this month. And it promises to be a genre-hopping, foot-stomping, merry-making mashup of a night with headliners Troumaca joined by Tempting Rosie and Anushka at the Hare & Hounds. We get into the festive spirit with Troumaca and Tempting Rosie ahead of the show.

And what does 2013 have in store?

Geoff: Gold, women and wine.

Any new year’s resolutions?

Sam: I want to take up pipe smoking. Don’t know whether a resolution should be a destructive thing though. YOLO. Geoff: I want to bring the sex back.

Looking forward to headlining the Christmas Party at the Hare & Hounds on the 20th?

Geoff: I’m looking forward to opening our rider to see what Santa Regan has left us.

Any final Christmas wishes?

Geoff: Flirt, kiss, cuddle, touch and push! Be good to one another.

Matt: The Death Star.

TROUMACA Birmingham’s finest dub-tropical adventurers Troumaca top the bill for this month’s Brum Notes and This Is Tmrw Christmas Party. We caught up with the energetic five piece for some tips on making the most of the festive season. Did they prove any use at all? Make up your own minds.

But whatever you do, don’t miss them unleashing the party spirit on December 20.

Brum Notes: What are you hoping to find under the Christmas tree this year?

Geoff: Akai APC 20 or 40 not fussed. Blackstreet’s first self-titled 1994 album because I’ve bloody lost mine. And some Versace sunglasses Sam: A steed, a bow and a fine wench.

What are the best and worst presents you’ve ever had?

Geoff: Best present? Burberry pyjamas and a Burberry sovereign ring. So out of order.

Matt: Worst? I wanted the Death Star but got the Millennium Falcon. I hate it!

Where would we usually find you shopping for bargains presents in Birmingham?

Matt: The Indoor Market, duuhhh…

What about those all-important party outfits, where would Troumaca kit themselves out?

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Geoff: If I told you that I would have to kill a mans.

Behaveeee!

Matt: Leave it.

TEMPTING ROSIE What are the best and worst things about Christmas shopping in Birmingham?

Matt: The humans Geoff: The best thing is the excuse to eat five Frankfurter hotdogs without one look of disgust.

So, German Market – love it or hate it?

Sam: Last year we watched Matt drink three bottles of Dragon Stout. We lost him, and several hours later some friends found him in Snobs trying to squeeze a big girl through the bars to kiss her. Brilliant.

Matt: Dragon Stout is a Jamaican brew.

It’s 3pm on Christmas Eve and you’ve got £10 to spend on that present you forgot to buy.

Where are you heading?

Geoff: Sod presents! I’m heading Kings for a cut, then to Juliet’s to grab my afro spray and cream.

Matt: I would head to the pet shops and buy some straw and a UV lamp because I’m cold.

How would you sum up 2012 for Troumaca?

Geoff: Like a three-day labour – stick with me here ladies – tight gripped, painfully incredible, and so much blood. I had to use Sam’s hair to wipe my brow, often.

Rabble-rousing brass masters Tempting Rosie are sure to get bodies moving as they sprinkle their reggae/ska/hip-hop dust on proceedings. Trumpet player Ewan Whyte tells us how the eightpiece outfit keep their party sprits up.

Brum Notes: So, Tempting Rosie are very much a party band, looking forward to getting some feet moving at the Christmas party?

Of course! We like the fact we are known now for getting almost any crowd up and moving. We’re really excited to get out and play – it’s been a while.

Any festive treats lined up or Christmas songs on the cards?

We have been talking about doing a cheeky Christmas cover, nothing set in stone yet, but we will certainly have something groovy!

So, for those who haven’t seen you before, how would you describe yourselves?

When we first formed the band we were all about 15 or 16 and we all loved ska. The band was labeled a ska band for a few years. Though we don’t label our selves that anymore. Let’s call us… reggae-ska influenced pop – now that’s better!

Brum Notes Magazine

What have been your highlights of 2012?

Being asked to play the Olympics and the Paralympics was the highlight by far. It was insane! The organisers where a great team to work with, and the people that we met whilst being there where lovely. It was the Roundhouse in London who asked us to play their stage on the site. Over the past few years we have formed a great relationship with them, they have helped us out a whole lot.

And what does 2013 have in store for Tempting Rosie, any plans to head back into the studio?

2013 feels like it’s going to be busy. We have started recording our album with Al Groves at Sandhill Studios in Liverpool a few months back. It was Simon who played in Tantrums that recommended it to me for the band.

He was right – Al is a great producer and the studio is lovely. Haunted, but lovely. It also looks like we will be hitting up most of the festivals next year as well for the first time properly. Festivals seem to be the place we really feel most comfortable.

It’s refreshing to see bands determined to enjoy themselves on stage and it always translates itself to the audience too, has that always been your priority?

We all agree that whenever we are on stage together playing our songs, it’s the best feeling ever. We are all best mates and have grown up with each other. The brass section like to have their own dance moves and myself and Matt [lead vocals] like to entertain the crowd with humour and good spirit.

Who would you have at your perfect Christmas Party?

Deirdre Barlow from Corrie. She seems like a right laugh. Barry and Paul from the Chuckle Brothers. Bob Marley because for a reggae/ska influenced pop band we would be very bad people for not inviting him. Paul Simon, because he’s a bad ass. Chunk from the Goonies. And our loving family and friends of course.

Worst/best Christmas present you’ve ever had?

Matt got Ben a cock ring once. I think he did. I might have just dreamt that.

The Brum Notes and This Is Trmw Christmas Party takes place at the Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, on December 20, headlined by Troumaca, with live performances by Tempting Rosie and Anushka, plus DJ sets from Perfect Sounds Forever, W Wolfe and This Is Trmw. Tickets are £5adv from www.theticketsellers.co.uk.

December 2012

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Messy Christmas Shapes, Bovine, Them Wolves and Youth Man will be heading up festivities at The Flapper this month and promise to deliver one of the noisiest, loudest and messiest Christmas parties in town.

We caught up with Shapes and Bovine to hang up the stockings with care.

best and worst combined. It was great for an hour or so then I thought it would be more fun to be Godzilla and stamp on it, it broke with little effort.

What does 2013 have in store for Bovine?

Marcus: Would you believe we are already writing for a new record, which we hope to release through a major label when they actually catch on… plus we will be on the road a lot, so keep an eye out.

SHAPES Brum Notes: Is this going to be the noisiest party in town?

Richard: Without making any official statements, I’m willing to bet it stands a fucking good chance of being the messiest if not the loudest, then again, the line-up is pretty monumental and we’re probably all heading for the hearing aid anyway so it will have to just keep getting turned up.

Any special festive treats or Christmas songs lined up?

Gavin: I think our festive treat could be to try and play without getting too drunk, that’d be a task though to be honest. I don’t really think a sleazy, mathy, riffed up version of Jingle Bells is really going to set the world on fire, so maybe we should leave that.

And who would you have round the table at your perfect Christmas dinner?

Richard: I think I can speak for us all when I say we would want to have everyone we have ever considered a good friend sat with us. If this is a Shapes christmas party then I would also invite the entire cast of The Muppets. See which one of us muppets gets fucked enough to fuck puppets.

And finally, why should we come to your party?

Richard: The shows at The Flapper are always so 12

much fucking fun! If people really let loose then shit gets really crazy, I remember walking across the ceiling once.

Looking forward to tearing it up again for the Christmas party?

Damon: Yes we are! I’ve played past Christmas shows at The Flapper in previous bands and it’s always been mega, stage invasions, the lot! I plan on dressing up as Santa Claus, getting shitfaced and telling people if they don’t buy me a drink I will put them on the naughty list… and kidnap their family.

BOVINE So Christmas has already come early for Bovine fans with the release of the new album.

You must be pleased with the reaction it’s got so far?

Marcus: It is a great feeling to have accomplished an album which has stood out to so many people.

We are truly grateful for the response we’ve had so far. It’s weird, cause when we were writing the album we knew we were onto a good thing, we just didn’t realise how many people would actually dig it… are we famous yet?

Will it make a suitable gift under the Christmas tree this year?

Marcus: Depends on the intention of the gift. If you want your granny to think the sun shines out your ass then buy that new patriotic album Military Wives, I’m sure she’d love it. If you know the truth, and I’m not talking about Jehova, give ‘em our album.

What’s the best/worst Christmas present you’ve ever had?

Christophe: A Ghostbusters fire station was the

Bovine on THEM WOLVES Them Wolves are dirty, haunting and fucking brutal all in one go. They remind me of that horrible feeling of taking far too many drugs and sleeping in a cold room, waking up next to a lump of shit.

Fave track: Max Waechter

Bovine on YOUTH MAN Youth Man are Birmingham’s very own Sonic Youth. They will hate that we said that, but they know it’s true. Such a refreshing sound for a bunch of youngsters. They don’t seem to be riding this wishy washy Cali shit vibe that has streamed out of Moseley, which is nice.

Fave track: Cold

The Off The Cuff Christmas Show featuring Shapes, Them Wolves, Bovine and Youth Man is at The Flapper, Birmingham, on December 15.

Brum Notes Magazine

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December 2012

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Oh little B-town of Birmingham They’ve been the Birmingham music scene’s success story of 2012 after being snapped up by Columbia Records and are set to ride onto into 2013 on a wave of expectation, excitement and gushing praise. The self-proclaimed founders of ‘B-Town’ are finishing the year on a high and determined to enjoy it. Amy Sumner finds out why all we want for Christmas is PEACE.

It’s 7pm on a Tuesday evening and Peace (plus the odd member of Jaws and Swim Deep) have been in the pub since 2pm.

Life is hard.

Life is busy though, contrary to first impressions. They’re on the home straight of their tour promoting acclaimed debut EP Delicious, a tour that had to be extended due to popular demand and a tour that has enjoyed plenty of sell-out shows along the way. When we last caught up with all of Digbeth’s latest darlings, they had one demo online and were whiling away their nights in The Rainbow.

Seven months down the line and they’ve released an EP to rave reviews, been handpicked to tour with Mystery Jets, signed an album deal with Columbia Records and are casually draped across more pages of the national music press than is entirely proper in society. Peace are hot property then.

“We’ve had a really good response out on tour, I feel like we’re connecting really well 14

regionally,” says lead singer Harry Koisser.

“There’ve been lots of stage invasions…” agrees brother and bassist Sam. “At The Rescue Rooms in Nottingham there were no crash barriers and there was just this tidal wave of people towards the stage, we didn’t know what to do,” Harry continues.

“But it’s been long,” explains drummer Dom Boyce, “we’ve been out like two times in two months. The Birmingham show has definitely been the best show though. Because of [support band] Jaws. They made us look better,” he deadpans.

The energy that the band exude onstage really does do justice to the record, and vice versa of course. EP Delicious was Peace’s first release proper and was received to widespread critical acclaim. The NME gave it 9/10, The Guardian called it ‘the future of indie’ and it’s in the running for Zane Lowe’s Hottest Record of 2012. Not too shabby considering it’s only 20 minutes long and

half of that is covered by one song, 1998.

“When you make a record, you never think about things like that,” says Dom, “…or worry about them,” Harry interrupts. “When the record came out we obviously heard the praise it was getting but we were already thinking about the next step. I guess we’re celebrating its success right now on our tour. Writing it, we had a whole bunch of songs – about 30, and we only needed four or so. We had no specific concept for it, we just wanted to pick a bunch of the best.

We’d been in the band for two years before we really had to record anything so we had plenty to draw from.”

The dynamic within the band is one that you’d completely expect for one so incredibly hyped. For a lot of the interview, Harry has his head on the table, only really perking up when something grabs his interest.

They’re wry and they’re cliquey; they are funny though.

Brum Notes Magazine

“Since we last spoke to you we’ve been doing some viral marketing, thousands and thousands of retweets,” Harry says jokingly.

There’s something in it though – Peace really are an online presence communicating with friends and fans via Twitter daily and releasing material predominantly via download. “I gave a copy of the record to everyone and it was actually downloaded more than Adele’s in the week it was released,” guitarist Doug Castle notes. “Yeah, my mum downloaded it,” adds Sam, “she didn’t know how to get hold of it any other way.”

schedule. December 22 sees them return once again to The Rainbow for a special Christmas show, this time taking over the larger Rainbow Warehouse. “It’s going to be bigger and better than the Halloween show,” says Sam. “And there’ll be a Christmas cover,” Harry adds. Then there’ll be Christmas itself (Harry would like someone to love and Dom’s wish is for the cover of his dad’s Phil Spector album to be returned, if anyone’s interested), followed by more touring in the New Year – and that hotly-anticipated debut LP of course.

considering, to quote their fellow B-Towners Swim Deep, they’re all “just friends knocking about and making music. It proves that it can be done.”

Perhaps it’s that which makes them so ‘cool’.

So, are they the coolest band around at the moment? “Yes,” deadpans Harry pointedly. But the others aren’t so direct. “Palma Violets are much cooler than we are,” relents Dom. “And Splashh, they hang out with models day to day.”

“We’ve recorded an album,” explains Sam, “or at least, we’ve got one track left to record and we’re doing that at the same place we recorded the EP. We’ll be touring to support that because keeping busy’s the best.” And it certainly seems so.

Peace are live at The Rainbow Warehouse, Birmingham, on December 22, with support from Jaws, Baby 100, Wide Eyed, Heavy Waves, plus more special guests. Get your tickets from www.birminghampromoters.com.

After the interview, Peace can’t contain their excitement at the prospect of wrapping up Jaws for our festive photoshoot and they set to work gleefully papering and Sellotaping and wrapping them up with bows on top.

Three per cent is a conservative estimate but the boys still are very new to the ‘biz.

That said, their impact is almost unbelievable

New single Wraith is out on January 13 through Columbia and available to stream now at soundcloud.com/p-e-a-c-e.

“It is early days though,” Harry says. “We haven’t even released an album yet. We’re maybe three per cent of the way there… definitely less than five per cent.”

For the remainder of the year, Peace will be finishing up on their rigorous touring

Peace’s success has inspired reams of bands from the Midlands and beyond to try and make their way in an industry they’d previously considered to be reserved for others, and that’s something to admire. And what seems to have made itself apparent is that whatever the lifespan of ‘B-Town’, Peace at least seem set for sticking around.

For the review and photos from their Halloween show plus more snaps from our exclusive Christmas photoshoot visit www.brumnotes.com.

“I gave a copy of the record to everyone and it was actually downloaded more than Adele’s in the week it was released”

Right: Peace unwrap their fellow Brum buddies, Jaws.

Photos by Gobinder Jhitta

December 2012

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Christmas Gift Guide If you’re looking for gifts for the music lovers, night owls, discerning drinkers or fashion junkies in your life, then here are some ideas to inspire your Christmas shopping…

KITSOUND earmuff headphones and touchscreen gloves (£19.95) Phones4U

Blaupunkt DJ112 Silver Edition Headphones (£29.99) www.mobilefun.co.uk

Purity Brewing Co gift pack (£11) www.puritybrewing.com

Music screen prints by Birmingham designer Daniel Povey (£20) Available from www.printbasement.co.uk or Mr Bird’s Emporium, Digbeth Stonemen digital print underwear Men’s £25, Women’s £20.50 www.stonemen.com Lucca Couture star jumper (£65) Urban Outfitters, Corporation Street

Black Moth truffle vodka (£34) www.buyblackmothvodka.com 16

Birmingham Whisky Club gift vouchers (Denominations of £25) www.thebirminghamwhiskyclub.co.uk

New Era Fairisle Cap (£35) Selfridges Birmingham Brum Notes Magazine

Mango customisable bike (£300) www.mangobikes.co.uk Ciaté Mini Mani Month Advent calendar (£38) Selfridges Birmingham

Zooka Wireless Speaker (£79.99) www.carbonaudioinc.com

PROVIDE burgundy beanie (£15) PROVIDE, The Custard Factory, Digbeth

The Kraken Black Spiced Rum (£22.99) Asda, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose

Jewelfones (£19.99) www.jewelfone.co.uk

No Fit State Sugar Skull t-shirt (£21.99) www.nofitstate.bigcartel.com

CLICLOC watch (£45) www.clicloc.com

Arko Shaving Soap (£4) www.rouillierwhite.com

The Electric Cinema sofa seat gift vouchers for two (£25.60) £40.40 (inc wine) £57.60 (inc Champagne) The Electric Cinema, Station Street, Birmingham www.theelectric.co.uk

Breffo Spiderpodium (£14.95) www.breffo.com

Jawbone Big Jambox wireless speaker (£259) Apple, Dixons, Selfridges www.jawbone.com December 2012

Fly53 Tamland jumper (£65) www.fly53.com 17

Crimbo Clubbing

Seedy Sonics

It doesn’t all have to be dancing to Wham! with your tie round your head at the office Christmas bash, there are plenty of nights for the more discerning clubber to dance away the party season.

After all, you’ll need to work off all those German Market sausages.

From juddering bass-heavy raves to dark rock discos, here are six of the best festive frolics coming up this month…

Markus Schulz, Godskitchen Christmas Party

Seedy SonicS chriStmaS FeSt

SteamPunk Funk chriStmaS Ball

Face XmaS WarehouSe rave

Rainbow Warehouse December 7, 11pm-6am Tickets from £6adv Warehouse ravers Seedy Sonics present their first ever Christmas Fest taking over the Warehouse and Garden at Digbeth’s clubbing melting pot that is The Rainbow. DnB legend Cyantific of Hospital Records fame headlines proceedings, with sets from Marco Del Horno and the Seedy Residents to keep the party going into the daylight hours.

Suki10c December 21, 10pm-4am Tickets £7 Mixing up live reggae, ska and hip hop from the likes of Antelope, Electrik Custard and The Heels, with MCing ‘with an alternative twist’ from Doctor Agamemnon and DJ duties from Bogus, this promises to be one Christmas Ball bursting with energy.

Rainbow Warehouse December 29, 9pm-6am Tickets £10 / £15 / £17.50 You know that weird time in between Christmas and New Year where you feel like there’s not much to do? Well Face will be solving that little dilemma with their second Warehouse Rave of the year. Martinez Brothers top a high-powered line-up.

the GodSkitchen chriStmaS Party aBSolut reGGae chriStmaS Party

uPraWr chriStmaS Party

HMV Institute December 22, 9pm-6am Early bird tickets £12 Clubbing super-brand Godskitchen brings a heavyweight line-up to its new home, with Markus Schulz, John O’Callaghan and W&W among the headline acts ensuring plenty of Christmas carnage.

The Asylum, 10.30pm-3am Entry £5 This weekly alternative club night will be rolling out the pop-punk and hardcore anthems, sprinkled with plenty of festive spirit. Expect cheap shots galore, ‘Hot Bitch Santa’s Helpers’ throwing out gifts, plenty of mistletoe and an actual Santa’s grotto – seriously.

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Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath December 22, 9pm-2am Tickets £4 Take a trip through the history of reggae up to the dancehall and bashment of today, with headliner JT promising to drop some of his trademark mash-ups.

Brum Notes Magazine

December 2012

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live CRYSTAL CASTLES HMV Institute, Birmingham

Photo by Andy Watson/Drw-images.co.uk

22/11/12

The audience tonight displays an overwhelming (and slightly manic) excitement towards the Toronto twosome on tour with their new album (|||). Demonstrating their admiration with restless chants and giant grins; by the end of the night, it isn’t hard to see why.

Setlist opener Plague spells the room with a demonic air as the menacing thumps and shrieking-high vocals cut through the venue from lively front woman Alice Glass. Crawling on all fours, cloaked in black, Glass resembles that of an exorcist – yet fans approvingly pump their fists, fixating their glances onto the petite silhouette camouflaged by smoky red flashlights. The effect is utterly thrilling.

Heaven 17 O2 Academy 29/10/12

Thirty years on from leading us into all Temptation Heaven 17 are back out on the road playing The Luxury Gap (the album that spawned their biggest hit) in all its synth and soul glory. Live it still sounds remarkably fresh. Perhaps that’s partially down to the recent re-emergence of the 80s synth sound courtesy of bands like Hot Chip but it’s also thanks to the sheer joyful exuberance of the core trio of Glenn Gregory, Martyn Ware and female vocalist Billie Godfrey (she left it to the end of the show to reveal that she was actually born in Birmingham) who plays a huge role in these gigs, even ignoring her frankly show-stopping turn on Temptation.

After running through the album track by track the band cut loose with an eclectic mix of songs, everything from early Human League material (Heaven 17’s Martyn Ware 20

The energy remains perfectly unrigged throughout the performance and radiated with higher intensity by band partner Ethan Kath, who coolly plays his keyboard, barely lifting his head to acknowledge the chaotic surroundings. Glass endlessly dives into a sea of arms, drinks and smokes freely onstage, clearly stating she enjoys doing exactly as she pleases.

Crystal Castles’ eminent mixture of goth-dance and spacey electric lo-fi triggers emotional boundaries that dance music has failed to accomplish in the past. Although the live shows aren’t for everyone, they are undoubtedly hard to forget.

Ivy Photiou

formed the band with Phil Oakey of course) like Being Boiled through to an emotional cover of Associates’ Party Fears Two in tribute to friend and collaborator, the late, great Billy Mackenzie. A remixed “Birmingham nightclub version” of Temptation dried the tears and got booties shaking as several hundred middle aged fans became teenagers all over again. A glorious reboot of one of pop’s golden eras.

Daron Billings

Alt-J O2 Academy 2 31/10/12

Alt-J were in Birmingham on the eve of their victorious Mercury Award appearance where their album was to be celebrated as one of the greatest of the last 12 months. Their debut, An Awesome Wave, has quietly built in its appreciation, in much the same way as previous Mercury Prize winners The xx did two years prior. And the sell-out crowd on

Halloween prove this is a band that have caught the attention of a good few.

Walking on stage to an eagerly receptive crowd, Alt-J settle in to a set that demonstrates why their album has been so praised.

Captivating in their performance, the band have a simplicity in their minimalism as they know exactly how much is enough to create a beautiful sound. Recognisable singles Tessellate and Breezeblocks, with pulsating bass and driving drums, have the energy to get the crowd bouncing, while the delicate ranging vocals of frontman Joe Newman on Matilda produces heartbreaking bliss. There is a haunting grace to the sounds produced by this band, no more evident than in Something Good with its tingling piano, and what is just as impressive is how they hypnotise the crowd in the process. So confident in their sound are Alt-J that they even manage to pull off a brilliant mash up cover of Dr Dre’s Still Dre and Kylie’s Slow (aptly titled Slow Dre), proving there really is no limit to Brum Notes Magazine

their talent. Hands held in the air forming the recognised Alt-J triangle, Birmingham fans show their love for this band of distinction, as the quartet make it known the feeling is mutual, knocked back by the huge applause and cheers. There were no tricks required by the band as their talent proved more than enough, and the show can only be described as a treat for all who were lucky enough to share their happy Halloween.

Matt Way

The Bots The Flapper, Birmingham 4/11/12

There’s usually a divide at shows as to what excites the audience. There are those who attend to admire the musicianship, standing in awe of the band’s musical talent. On the other hand, there are those who go for the entertainment and the spectacle, who immerse themselves in the music and watch the band’s on-stage antics. The Bots are one of those rare bands that satisfy both types. From the moment they take to the stage, the Californian duo are full of energy and excitement. And they waste no time in launching into a gripping set of explosive experimental-punk.

Despite their combined age being only 34, Mikaiah and Anaiah Lei conduct themselves extraordinarily well. They’re highly energetic, talented and they know how to keep the audience engaged. From the crunchy synthpunk of new song Feels So Good Going Down to the muscular sound of Northern Lights, The Bots hold the crowd in the palm of their hands.

But despite this, the band acknowledge that the audience make the show what it is. Mikaiah even jumps down mid-set to perform amidst his adoring fans. And when the show is over, the duo take a bow and talk to the fans at the merchandise stand. They’re not just great musicians and performers, they’re great people. And if that doesn’t warrant seeing them, I don’t know what does.

Tom Roden

DZ Deathrays The Actress & Bishop 06/11/12

For a band with only two members, you could be fooled into thinking that you’re about to hear something reasonably lowkey. But within seconds of stepping on stage this Australian duo blow any quiet expectations straight out of the water. Their sound is gritty, it’s loud – it’s unique. A mix of thrashpop and punk ambushes your ears, each note crisp and relentless. Electro-laced guitar sounds reverberate around the room, December 2012

accompanied by fierce drumming and raucous lyrics that fit together perfectly.

Showcasing songs from their album Bloodstreams and earlier EPs, we are treated to the likes of the punchy Dollar Chills and the urgently strummed and throaty Cops Capacity. Their distorted guitar riffs and clever pedal manipulation build up the numerous layers in each song; the volume of varying sounds and sheer magnitude of power that DZ Deathrays produce is astonishing.

Teenage Kickstarts and Teeth blast us with roaring vocals, ensuring that the crowd are enveloped into the party spirit that formed such a key part of their early house partygigging days. Shane launches himself into the crowd, and soon there is a tangle of arms and flying legs as the audience bounds around the room in appreciation.

It’s sweaty and energetic, and the grin on their faces says it all. For their first ever visit to Birmingham, it can undoubtedly be labelled a resounding success.

Lorraine Teare

Jack White + Willy Moon O2 Academy, Birmingham 07/11/2012

Willy Moon is the latest signing to Jack White’s record label Third Man Records and it’s not difficult to see why. Bounding on stage to White’s cover of I’m Shakin’

by Little Willie John which he fuses with his blend of hip hop and good old rock ‘n’ roll, he is a performer and a bit of a dandy. Which means that by the time Jack arrives, the capacity room is more than ready.

Jack White tonight plays an eclectic selection from his vast catalogue encompassing both his new solo material and choice White Stripes songs which he considers to be his own. He updates them with the aid of his swing band and the inclusion of a Raconteurs number ensures that admirers of all of his work are pacified. Tonight’s performance could easily be one of the performances of the year and really does highlight how Jack White is amongst the most talented musicians of our generation. He is not just a musician but a performer and a showman and after nearly two hours there probably ain’t a soul in the room who wouldn’t contentedly have stayed there for another two.

Amy Sumner

Wide Eyed + Heavy Waves The Sunflower Lounge 10/11/2012

With just one demo online and a handful of live dates under their belts, Wide Eyed are already causing a bit of a stir. Being a

Birmingham band right now (and moving in the same circles as certain other Birmingham bands right now) really does create a platform for the limelight. Openers Heavy Waves know all about it, themselves having appeared several times in the national music press who praised their lo-fi and Best Coast-indebted sound — which they dutifully deliver tonight to an audience that is well and truly up for it. It’s a great vibe in the room, and when Wide Eyed fight their way to the stage, the crowd responds immediately. Wide Eyed have a great look and a great sound and will unavoidably provoke comparisons with The Horrors. Their instrumentals are more experimental and far more akin to Toy though, if we’re in the business of pigeonholing sounds. It’s clear tonight that Wide Eyed are still a very new band but the hype is not undeserved and their set, if short, is so full of potential that you can’t help but be very excited by them. Bleak in particular is a stand-out number and if the performance tonight is anything to go by, they ain’t gonna be supporting the likes of The Twang for very much longer. Well played boys.

Amy Sumner

The Bonfire Radicals Ort Cafe, Balsall Heath 10/11/12

As the conga line made it’s way around the one-year-old Ort Cafe, The Bonfire Radicals blasted out their brand of high-octane Eastern European-Celtic-fusion-folk-punk.

A delirious crowd of young things in duffel coats and stripy scarves bounced up and down and screamed for more as the eightpiece band cranked up the decibels.

Following on from the bitter-sweet songs of solo performer Katy Rose, The Bonfire Radicals, in contrast, filled the stage and belted out a riotous sound from what seemed like more instruments than you could see. Their original compositions are well crafted and keep the audience on a hook. A clarinet solo rendered the room quiet in anticipation. A lone voice followed, singing a sweet and sorrowful Celtic song. The other musicians joined in one-by-one and gradually built the sound till it felt like the whole place was about to pop. When they exploded into a climactic, instrumental folk-thrash, everyone went mental. There were scarves and toggles flying everywhere.

This pattern repeated to the delight of the audience. A tender melodic beginning steadily creeping up to a mosh-your-socksoff finale. This band give you a real live music high that you want from a Saturday night gig. The Bonfire Radicals are a sonic force to be reckoned with.

Amelia Burr

For more reviews and pictures see www.brumnotes.com

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December 2012

T I C K E T S A VA I L A B L E AT K I L I L I V E . C O M

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Festive Fashions

ASOS £20.00

STYLE

JEFFREY CAMPBELL at OFFICE £120.00 AMERICAN APPAREL £64.00

RIVER ISLAND £38.00

FOR HER

TOPSHOP £180.00

FOREVER 21 £16.75

TOPSHOP £8.50

NEXT £12.00

DR MARTENS AGGY STRAP £150.00

LIPSY £55.00

FOREVER 21 £5.56

TOPMAN £70.00

TOPMAN £30.00 H&M £19.99 BURTON £12.00

SIZE? £65.00

RIVER ISLAND £12.00

FOR HIM

BURTON £18.00

DSQUARED £447.00

NIKE at ASOS £60.00

24

Brum Notes Magazine

ON THE STREET photos Emily Baker

MYLES, 18, STUDENT His coat is from River Island, cardigan is from Primark and his jeans H&M. His fashion icons are his good friends and his favourite shops in Birmingham are Cow and Primark.

JOSH, 20, SELLS VINTAGE CLOTHING Josh is wearing a suede bomber and pale yellow shirt from his own store, Dutch Love Vintage.

His fashion icons are Tom Hardy and Oneman and his favourite place to shop in Birmingham is Sneaky Fox at Mr Bird’s Emporium located in the Custard Factory.

GRACE, 20, STUDENT Grace’s top is from Gap, her jacket and jeans are both from small boutiques back in her home state of Florida. She doesn’t have any icons and prefers to dress for comfort. Her favourite shop in Birmingham is Urban Outfitters.

SHEREE, 24, RETAIL MANAGER Sheree is wearing a coat and boots from River Island with jeans and a top from H&M. Her fashion icons are Caroline Flack and Sienna Miller and her favourite shop in Birmingham is Topshop.

SEAN, 23, WORKS AT A BANK Sean is wearing a second hand coat with a jacket from Topman underneath. The rest of his outfit is a mix of high street and second hand vintage bits and pieces. His style icons are various cartoon characters and his favourite shop in Birmingham is Cow.

KEAGAN, 17, STUDENT Keagan wears a charity shop bought coat, a hoody from H&M, a black top from New Look and H&M leggings. Her fashion icon is Cara Delevingne and her favourite shops in Birmingham are Cow and charity shops.

December 2012

25

FOOD + DRINK christmas cocktails So much festive food is filled with booze that cocktail creation is almost endless, especially with drinks such as the Snowball still annually rearing its custardy head ever since its rise to stardom in the 1970s. The traditional mulled wine, too, comes ripe with many herbs and spices giving us loads to work with when it comes to tickling your festive fancy. Even the more unfashionable spirits and liqueurs come out at this time of year as we ignore modern marketing and reach right to the back of the liquor cabinet and dust off the granny-fuel.

The first of our creations, Pining for Yule, is based on the classic Old Fashioned cocktail. The original recipe could not be simpler, but it is the skill with which it’s made that really determines the expertise of a bartender. Our twist plays on some classic Christmas flavours and uses spiced rum as the base to create an impressive mix of flavours that will get you in the festive spirit. We make our own spiced rum at Island Bar but you can try your own by infusing a bottle of golden rum with things like cinnamon, vanilla and cloves – pretty much anything that reminds you of winter. The spirit is stirred with a touch of sherry and a spoonful of pine-infused sugar which you can make by sitting pine needles in a sugar jar for a couple of weeks.

The second is a herbal concoction that can be served hot or cold and even lengthened with soda water for a more refreshing drink if you stay too long beside the fire. Brandy was an important ingredient in many early medicines and still is to this day as people drink it to warm up and even treat shock. By blending it with Benedictine, a herbal and equally medicinal liqueur, we get a real taste of Christmas and the rest is pretty self-explanatory.

All that’s left is to wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Recipe: Pining for Yule

Recipe: Père Nöel’s Punch Ingredients: 50ml spiced rum 10ml dry sherry 1 tsp pine-infused sugar ½ orange peel 2 dashes of aromatic bitters

Ingredients: 35ml Courvoisier Exclusif 12.5ml Benedictine 20ml lemon juice 5ml gingerbread syrup 1 tsp honey

Directions: Stir all the ingredients with ice and serve in an old fashioned tumbler glass. Garnish with an orange peel twist to add to the festive smell.

Directions: Shake all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and serve either short in a martini glass or long with soda or hot water depending how cold you are!

Garnish with a clove-studded lemon wheel.

By Ed Shawcross, general manager at Island Bar, Suffolk Street Queensway, Birmingham. For details on Christmas and NYE events visit www.bar-island.co.uk.

26

Brum Notes Magazine

December 2012

27

WHAT’S ON

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

BIRMINGHAM: O2 Academy, Horsefair, Bristol St B1, 0844 4772000; HMV Institute, High St, Digbeth B5, 0844 2485037; NIA, King Edwards Rd B1, 0121 7804141; LG Arena, NEC, Solihull B40, 0121 7804141; The Flapper, Kingston Row B1, 0121 2362421; The Victoria, John Bright St B1, 0121 6339439; Hare & Hounds, High St, Kings Heath B14, 0121 4442081; The Actress & Bishop, Ludgate Hill B3, 0121 2367426; The Sunflower Lounge, Smallbrook Queensway B5, 0121 6327656; Symphony Hall, Broad St B1, 0121 7803333; Town Hall, Victoria Sq B3, 0121 7803333; Kitchen Garden Cafe, York Road, Kings Heath B14, 0121 4434725; Alexandra Theatre, Station St B1, 0844 8472302; 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; The Ballroom, Dale End B4, 0121 320 2820; Lab11, Trent St B5, lab11.co.uk; The Moseley Arms, Ravenhurst St B12, 0121 7668467; Air, Heath Mill Lane B9, 0121 7666646; Artrix, Slideslow Dr, Bromsgrove B60, 01527 577330; WOLVERHAMPTON: Civic Hall/Wulfrun Hall, North St WV1, 0870 320 7000; The Slade Rooms, Broad St WV1, 0870 320 7000; Robin 2, Mount Pleasant, Bilston WV14, 01902 401211; WEST BROMWICH: The Public, New St B70, 0121 5337161; COVENTRY: Warwick Arts Centre, University of Warwick, CV4, 024 7652 4524

M

Saturday, Dec 1 She Screams Murder Loveless Luck

M

Martyr De Mona

M M M

Matthew Dear

The Actress & Bishop The End @ The Ballroom Hare & Hounds

John Paul Villafrati

Ort

Balsall Heath

Ned’s Atomic Dustbin Flashback Reunion

Civic Hall

Wolverhampton

CN CN Subculture Xmas

HMV Institute

Birmingham

The Ballroom

Birmingham

CN

The Rainbow Warehouse Hare & Hounds

M

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

28

Masked Carnival Cream 20th Anniversary Tour Sumo Sound System Sunday, Dec 2 Miss May I

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham Birmingham

M

Jaws

M M

Natalie Duncan

Birmingham Kings Heath

Birmingham

M M M M M M

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.

The Actress & Bishop The Glee Club

Birmingham

The Temple @ HMV Institute

Birmingham

Wednesday, Dec 5 The View

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

Heard Not Scene

The Sun on the Hill

Birmingham

Twenty Twenty

Birmingham

Hope And Social

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Thursday, Dec 6 Band Of Skulls

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Anaal Nathrakh

The Flapper

Birmingham

Red Fang

Birmingham

Arrows of Love

The Library @ HMV Institute Hare & Hounds

Stealing Sheep

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Mellow Peaches

Ort

Balsall Heath

Gary Numan

Wulfrun Hall

Wolverhampton

Manhattan Loft

The Victoria

Birmingham

Carl Donnelly

The Glee Club

Birmingham

The End @ The Ballroom The Flapper

Birmingham

Birmingham

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

All The Young

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

Leopards

The Actress & Bishop The Library @ HMV Institute Civic Hall

Birmingham

M M M M CN C

Birmingham

M

Wolverhampton

M M

Against The Wheel

Velvet Texas Cannonball God Damn

The Library @ HMV Institute The Wagon & Horses Hare & Hounds

Lucha Libre

Bodega

Birmingham

Bombsquad

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Resonance

PST

Birmingham

Decade

Subway City

Birmingham

Raveonettes The Human League

Kings Heath

Monday, Dec 3 Martha Wainwright

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Ben Folds Five

O2 Academy

Birmingham

M

Willy Mason

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Canterbury

The Slade Rooms

Wolverhampton

Jam Jah

Bull’s Head

Moseley

M CN CN CN CN

Tuesday, Dec 4 Electric Six

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

Friday, Dec 7 Island Three

Scroobius Pip

Kings Heath

Birmingham

Birmingham Kings Heath

Brum Notes Magazine

CN Kanyini ft Sonic Species Remedy

CN CN Seedy Sonics Xmas Fest House Party

CN CN The Source Carl Donnelly C M M M CN CN CN CN CN CN CN CN C M M M M M

Saturday, Dec 8 6ix Foot Fall The 1975 Black Market Empire Christmas Party Circus

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

Birmingham

The Jekyll & Hyde

Birmingham

The Rainbow Warehouse The Victoria

Birmingham

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

The Glee Club

Birmingham

The Flapper

Birmingham

The Temple @ HMV Institute The Victoria

Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham

RUSKO & MADEON Hot Wax

Island Bar

Birmingham

FACE

The Rainbow

Birmingham

Bruk Up

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Craig Charles

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Birmingham

Hot Wax

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Blast Off

Wulfrun Hall

Wolverhampton

Carl Donnelly Sunday, Dec 9 Orbital

The Glee Club O2 Academy

Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham

Cerys Matthews

The Actress & Bishop The Glee Club

Saw Doctors

Wulfrun Hall

Wolverhampton

Sam Forrest

Monday, Dec 10 Admiral Fallow

CN CN CN C

Decade

Subway City

Birmingham

Shuffle

The Victoria

Birmingham

Jackmaster

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Charlie Baker

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Saturday, Dec 15 Enter Shikari

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Shapes

The Flapper

Birmingham

Speech Debelle

Birmingham

The Lines

The Temple @ HMV Institute Civic Hall

The Penguin Club

Island Bar

Birmingham

Juqebox

Rose Villa Tavern

Birmingham

FACE presents Uber 8th Birthday Sweat

The Rainbow

Birmingham

CN CN The Electro Swing

The Victoria

Birmingham

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

CN CN Blast Off Charlie Baker C

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Civic Hall

Wolverhampton

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Sunday, Dec 16 Ellie Goulding

O2 Academy

Birmingham

English of the Sixth

The Flapper

Birmingham

Tim Burgess

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Jump The Shark

The Slade Rooms

Wolverhampton

Kitchen Garden Cafe

Kings Heath

Bull’s Head

Moseley

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham Birmingham

Sean Collins

The Library @ HMV Institute The Glee Club

Wednesday, Dec 19 Heard Not Scene

The Sun on the Hill

Birmingham

Molotov Jukebox

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Sunrise Over Europe

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Speak Up

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Canvas

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Thursday, Dec 20 Patriot Rebel

The Flapper

Birmingham

Toy Hearts

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Troumaca + Tempting Rosie + Anushka DJ Destruction Grand Final Manhattan Loft

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Suki10c

Birmingham

Birmingham

Gibb St Warehouse HMV Institute

Birmingham

The Temple @ HMV Institute Hare & Hounds

Birmingham

Tuesday, Dec 11 Thin Lizzy

HMV Institute

Birmingham

The Hives

O2 Academy

Birmingham

The Rasmus

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

CN Jam Jah M M M

Suki10c

Kings Heath

Wednesday, Dec 12 Heard Not Scene

The Sun on the Hill

Birmingham

The Other Tribe

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

The xx

Civic Hall

Wolverhampton

Charlie Baker

The Glee Club

Birmingham

M M M M CN CN CN

Circus Second City

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

Monday, Dec 17 The Dirty Old Folkers present Dick Whittington Jam Jah Tuesday, Dec 18 Natives Jake Bugg

Wolverhampton

Birmingham

Thursday, Dec 13 The Damned

O2 Academy

Birmingham

Our Dystopia

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

Christmas Ceilidh

Ort

Balsall Heath

Lucha Libre

Bodega

Birmingham

CN

Fantastic Damage

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Charlie Baker

The Glee Club

Birmingham

The Victoria

Birmingham

Danny Buckler

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

CN Sean Collins C Nomad Mostly C

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Ort

Balsall Heath

M

The Actress & Bishop The Flapper

Birmingham

Circles

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Freelance Mourners

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Friday, Dec 14 Enter Shikari

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Ali Campbell

O2 Academy

Birmingham

Signify

The Actress & Bishop The End @ The Ballroom The Flapper

Birmingham

Carousel Circus Our Mutual Friend

December 2012

Birmingham Birmingham

M M M

Comedy Friday, Dec 21 The High Commissioners Wrapped In Plastic

Birmingham

29

CN Steampunk Funk CN CN M M M M

Christmas Ball Highgrade Xmas Bash Yo! MTV Raps

Suki10c The Rainbow Warehouse Hare & Hounds

Birmingham

Cold Fields

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

Kastella

The Actress & Bishop The End @ The Ballroom The Flapper

Birmingham

KillTimers

CN CN Zombie Club

CN FACE meets Dolce Vita The SCC

CN CN Absolut Reggae CN Blast Off Sean Collins C

M

Kings Heath

O2 Academy

Party Hype Birmingham

C

Birmingham

Saturday, Dec 22 The Wonder Stuff

The Crooked Empire M HMV Institute CN Godskitchen Xmas

CN

Birmingham

Sunday, Dec 23 One Nation Under A Groove Sean Collins Monday, Dec 24 Misty’s Big Adventure

Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham

Suki10c

Birmingham

The End @ The Ballroom The Rainbow

Birmingham

The Victoria

Birmingham

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Civic Hall

Wolverhampton

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Hare & Hounds

Birmingham

Kings Heath

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

NYE

Gear up for the biggest night of the year and see in 2013 in style with our guide to some of the best New Year’s Eve parties in Birmingham. Plus, for more tips and to find out how to win free tickets to your favourite venues, keep an eye on www.brumnotes.com.

Suki10c NYE Masquerade Ball Suki10c, 7.30pm-2.30am Masks, gowns and feathers galore at one of Digbeth’s most intriguing club venues.

Early bird tickets £5 Eclectricity: I Love NYE HMV Institute, 9pm-6am DJ Fresh, Rudimental and Major Look headline a jam-packed line-up from the team behind some of Birmingham’s biggest clubbing events.

Early bird tickets from £15 Freestyle New Year’s Eve Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, 9pm-3am Freestyle head honcho Sam Redmore returns to get the main room moving, while This Is Tmrw unleash an indie-dance disco on venue 2.

Tickets £10adv Habit/High Fidelity Bull’s Head, Moseley, 9pm-3am Expect another sell-out with Habit’s house and disco classics upstairs, plus free entry downstairs for Northern Soul, Motown and indie.

Tickets £10adv (downstairs free entry)

30

CN Jam Jah

Bull’s Head

Moseley

CN CN BASSline Heaven CN Steve Lawler CN Boxing Day Bo-

Gatecrasher

Birmingham

Subway City

Birmingham

The Rainbow

Birmingham

The Victoria

Birmingham

CN

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

The Slade Rooms

Wolverhampton

M The Major Toms M CN Hummingbird Re-

The Flapper

Birmingham

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

The Ballroom

Birmingham

CN

The Rainbow Warehouse

Birmingham

Saturday, Dec 29 Shatter Effect

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Rave Hot Wax

The Rainbow Warehouse The Victoria

Birmingham

High Fidelity

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Jam Hott

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Blast Off

Civic Hall

WolverhamptonC

Sean Collins

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Wednesday, Dec 26 Boxing Day Special

nanza Love the Life

Thursday, Dec 27 Steve Gibbons Band

M CN Dorch Reunion

Friday, Dec 28 Young Peculiar

union OneDub

M CN FACE Warehouse CN CN CN CN C

Birmingham

M

Y

CM MY Propaganda’s Party Animal O2 Academy, 4pm-4am CY The biggest indie disco in town gets all animalistic, turning the O2 Academy into an urban jungle, complete with unique safari and amaz-CMY ing acrobats.

K Early bird tickets £10

Birmingham All Stars PST, 10pm-4am A night of reggae, jungle, dubstep, hip hop, dub, breaks and more in one of Birmingham’s most underground night spots.

Early bird tickets £5, advance tickets £8 Ort NYE Ort Cafe, Balsall Heath, 8pm-3am Intimate party at vibrant art cafe-bar Ort, with beats and visuals provided by DJ/VJ Chromatouch and cosmic disco fiends Free School.

Entry £7 on the door.

Subculture NYE 2012 The Ballroom, 9.30pm-3am Expect confetti cannons and surprises galore from Brum’s biggest alternative club night, as well as a face-melting mix of alt-rock anthems.

Tickets £10adv NYE Showcase The Rainbow Venues 9pm-6am The Rainbow brings together its best residents and club brands for one killer party across its whole complex. Fireworks, fairground rides and sound systems in the street will keep you partying well into 2013.

Early bird tickets £10, advance tickets £15 Brum Notes Magazine

December 2012

31

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Brum Notes Magazine