June 2012
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www.brumnotes.com music and lifestyle for the west midlands
FESTIVAL SPECIAL YOUR ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE FESTIVAL SEASON IN BIRMINGHAM AND BEYOND
STARRING: Gilles Peterson The Vaccines Free School Romans The Traps And more…
PLUS: Your chance to win £250 of swanky new clothes AND Our comprehensive guide to what’s on throughout June
ALSO: Plan your summer with our festival diary / Get kitted out with our festival style guide / Check out the best of Mostly Jazz and BASS Festivals as they return to Birmingham June 2012
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Fri 25th May • £18.50 adv 6pm - 10pm
The Skatalites + Emmanuelites
Sat 26th May • £8 adv 6pm - 11pm
Plug’d In Showcase Sun 27th May • £15 adv
Tues 17th July • £27.50 adv
Lady Antebellum
Sat 11th Aug • £22.50 adv 9pm - 5am • over 18s only The Official MC Bassman Birthday Bash 2012
Shaolin Master
“Straight Through The Gate”
Sat 24th Nov
Ben Howard + Willy Mason
Mon 3rd Dec • £27.50 adv
Ben Folds Five
Sun 9th Dec • £24 adv
Orbital
Tues 11th Dec • £17.50 adv
The Hives
Fri 14th Dec • £22.50 adv
Tues 4th Dec • £12.50 adv / £25 VIP
Ali Campbell
Sat 22nd Dec • £20 adv
Electric Six
The Legendary Voice of UB40
I Am I
Thurs 16th Aug • £3 / £4 / £5 adv
10th Anniversary Tour - performing ‘Fire’ in its entirety
Weds 30th May • £20 adv
Propaganda - A Level Results Pirate Party
Sat 8th Dec • £10 adv
The Wonder Stuff Pop Will Eat Itself Jesus Jones
Sun 27th May • £10 adv
William Control
Tues 3rd July • £6 adv Weds 4th July • £6 adv
+ Fearless Vampire Killers + Obscure Pleasures + This Burning Age
School Of Rock and Pop Showcase
Mon 28th May • £10 adv
Sat 8th July • £6 adv
Peter Hook and The Lights Perform ‘Unknown Pleasures’ - A Joy Division Celebration
10.30pm - 3.30am • over 18s only
Fri 1st June • £4 adv
The Rollin’ Clones
Propaganda
Mon 17th Sept • £12 adv
10.30pm - 3.30am • over 18s only Red Stag Fresh Tracks presents the Bloc Party / Bombay Bicycle Club DJ Tour
50th Anniversary Meals on Wheels Tour
Fu Manchu
Performing ‘The Action Is Go’
Sun 3rd June • £22 adv
Sat 22nd Sept • £22.50 adv
Warm Up To The Sun
Nik Kershaw and his band
9pm - 6am • over 18s only
The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
Mon 4th June • £15 adv
Gavin Harrison & 05Ric band
The Doors Alive
Sat 8th Sept • £10 adv
6pm - 10pm
Weds 26th Sept • £15 adv 6pm - 10pm
Dappy
King Charles
Tues 29th May • £8 adv
Sat 29th Sept • £16 adv
Tragedy
Maverick Sabre
(All Metal Tribute to the Bee Gees) + 4Q
Weds 6th June • £8.50 adv
Sat 29th Sept • £21.50 adv
Django Django
Teedra Moses
Sat 2nd June • £6 adv
Sat 9th June • £10 adv
Fri 5th Oct • £10 adv
+ Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto, Stickmen
6pm - 10pm
6pm - 10pm
Cursive + Kevin Devine
The Skints
Sat 16th June • £20 adv
Fri 12th Oct • £12 adv
Boyce Avenue
Mon 18th June • £14 adv
Best Coast
+ Spectrals + Fear Of Men
Sat 23rd June • £8 adv 6pm - 11pm
Plug’d In Showcase
ft. Everybody Looks Famous + The Black Tears + My Favourite Runner Up + In The Cards + Arcade Parade + Static Pink + Little Wing
Mon 25th June
Alanis Morissette
6pm - 10pm
Ren Harvieu Sat 13th Oct • £18 adv / £50 VIP
Hugh Cornwell
Thurs 18th Oct • £17.50 adv
Newton Faulkner
Sat 21st Oct • £12.50 adv 7.30pm - 11pm
6.30pm - 10pm
StakeOut Weds 6th June
Hoodie Allen Fri 8th June • £10 adv 6.30pm - 10pm
The Smyths Sat 9th June • £5 adv
The Common
+ The British Kicks + Quarry + God Save The King + Kane Collins
Tues 12th June • £8 adv
Ben Montague
Reverend And The Makers
+ Kristyna Myles
Tues 23rd Oct • £10 adv
The Cureheads
Little Comets
Fri 15th June • £10 adv 6.30pm - 10pm
(The Original Tribute to The Cure)
Tues 26th June • £14 adv
Mon 29th Oct • £20 adv
Mon 18th June • £8 adv
Heaven 17 The Luxury Gap Tour
All The Young + Dakota Beats
Sat 30th June • £25 adv (seated)
Sat 3rd Nov • £13.50 adv
Weds 20th June • £6 adv
Sun 1st July • £16.50 adv
Sat 17th Nov Sun 18th Nov • £15 adv
+ Whatever Tomorrow Brings + Scarlet Creek + 8 Bit Monster + Georgia McAllister
Gojira
Mike And The Mechanics Adrenaline Mob
Twin Atlantic
ft. Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater / Avenged Sevenfold), Russell Allen (Symphony X), John Moyer (Disturbed), Mike Orlando + Voodoo Six
Rizzle Kicks
Mon 9th July • £13.50 adv
Fri 23rd Nov • £22.50 adv
Brian Jonestown Massacre
Weds 21st Nov • £18.50 adv 6pm - 10pm
Europe
6pm - 10pm
Levellers
Rising Rock ft. The Oceans Eyes
Sun 24th June • £8 adv
Alyssa Reid
Mon 25th June • £7 adv
The Triple Threat Tour ft. Page 44 + Adelaide + The Afterparty
Rams Pocket Radio Mon 16th July • £7 adv
Nite Jewel
Weds 18th July • £7 adv
Orange
Mon 23rd July • £7 adv
Fei Comodo
Weds 25th July • £7.50 adv
Frankie Rose
Fri 10th Aug • £6 adv 6pm - 10pm
Room 94
+ Disclosure + The Famous Class + Burn So Bright
Rescheduled show • original tickets valid
Mon 3rd Sept • £10 adv
Pearl Jem
Europe’s Number 1 Tribute to Pearl Jam
Sat 9th Sept • £7 adv 6pm - 10pm
Tom Hingley
(The Beast Inside UK Tour) Performing the Inspiral Carpets 2nd Album ‘The Beast Inside’ + Rory Mckee + The Brightsparks
Fri 14th Sept • £6 adv 6pm - 10pm
StakeOut Fri 21st Sept • £8 adv 6pm - 10pm
Malefice
+ Silent Screams + Splintertone
Sun 23rd Sept • £10 adv
Anneke Van Giersbergen
Sun 30th Sept • £8 adv
Twisted Wheel
16-18 Horsefair, Bristol St, Birmingham, B1 1DB 2
Doors 7.00pm unless stated • Venue box office opening hours: Mon-Fri 12pm-4pm, Sat 11am-4pm • No booking fee on cash transactions Notes Magazine ticketweb.co.uk • seetickets.com • gigantic.com •Brum ticketmaster.co.uk
CONTENTS
The Lines live at the O2 Academy, P18 Photo by Gobinder Jhitta Brum Notes Magazine Unit 12 The Bond 180-182 Fazeley Street Digbeth Birmingham B5 5SE info@brumnotes.com 0121 224 7363 Advertising 0121 224 7363 advertising@brumnotes.com Distribution StickupMedia! 0121 224 7364 Editor Chris Moriarty Contributors Words: Amy Sumner, Jon Pritchard, Ellie Crean, Daron Billings, Guy Hirst, Ivy Photiou, Joe Whitehouse, Ben Russell Pictures: Jade Sukiya, Wayne Fox, Gobinder Jhitta, Jermaine Lloyd, Katie McGuinness Cover Photo: GlobalGathering Style editor: Jade Sukiya jade@brumnotes.com Design: Adam Williams, Andy Aitken Connect Twitter: @BrumNotesMag Facebook: www.facebook.com/ BrumNotesMagazine Online: www.brumnotes.com
Regulars News 4-5 Live Reviews
18-20
Clubs 21 Style 22-25 Food & Drink 27 What’s On 28-30 Music and Features Free School The Vaccines Gilles Peterson/Mostly Jazz Festival BASS Festival Off The Cuff Essential Festival Diary Competition: Win a £250 summer outfit
9 11 12 13 14-15 16-17 23
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. June 2012
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teen Wolverhampton band chosen to soundtrack asos videos A teenage band from Wolverhampton will have their music aired to hordes of online shoppers across the globe after being snapped up by fashion website ASOS. Jump The Shark were chosen to feature on the ASOS online videos after being heard by one of the style giant’s catwalk bosses. The five-piece alternative rock band, made up of 14 and 15-year-olds, recorded So Far Away with producer Gavin Monaghan at Wolverhampton’s Magic Garden Studios and it will be played alongside signed bands on the ASOS online catwalk videos throughout this month. Guitarist Theo Williams, 14, said: “We are dead chuffed that a brand as big as ASOS has spotted our music and is giving us this kind of exposure.”
birmingham gay super club jumping again after being saved from axe IN BRIEF Birmingham’s gay super club The Nightingale is soaring once more, attracting more than 2,000 clubbers at weekends just months after it faced closure. The renowned venue, which has been at the heart of the city’s gay nightlife scene for more than 40 years, looked doomed after going into administration six months ago. But Birmingham businessman Lawrence Barton (pictured), Birmingham Pride director and owner of several other venues within the Gay Village, bought out the Kent Street club to save it from the axe. Now that decision has paid off with clubbers continuing to pack out the venue every weekend. “It was a big decision to rescue The Nightingale,” he said. “The club has such a history in the city. It’s a legendary venue but of late seemed to have lost direction, whoever took it on had a responsibility to do it justice “It’s really important to me and the new management team that the club is very much at the heart of Birmingham’s gay scene, but also has enough to offer with a good mix of different club nights to attract straight clubbers too,” he added. Since the buy-out last November the club saw almost 3,000 clubbers pack out the venue over the New Year and again at a New Year’s Eve Re-run in January starring X Factor star Stacey Solomon. It has also hosted Marcus
Collins and in the past attracted stars such as Graham Norton and Sir Ian McKellen. The Nightingale will be at the heart of the Birmingham Pride weekend celebrations which take place in the city on June 2 and 3, billed as the largest two-day LGBT festival in the UK. It will include a carnival parade through the city centre plus various entertainment zones in and around the Gay Village and Hurst Street, while The Nightingale will host the Main Stage featuring appearances from pop stars The Saturdays and Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills. Visit www.birminghampride.com and www. nightingaleclub.co.uk for more details. 4
A new festival celebrating stories for audiences of all ages launches in south Birmingham this month. The Traditional Arts Team will host the Storytelling Festival at Martineau Gardens in Edgbaston on June 22 and 23. Entertainment for young and old will take place in unusual spots across the gardens including a teddy bears picnic for children, swashbuckling stories from the decks of a pirate ship, Shakespeare and Grimm played out under a yurt and stories around the fire at night. Single tickets range from £7 to £10 with family tickets prices £14 to £20. Visit www.martineau-gardens.org.uk or call 0121 440 7430 for details. Midlands rockers Guile will celebrate the launch of their new album with a live show in Birmingham over Jubilee weekend. The Cannock-based band unveiled debut LP Alone on the West on Birmingham label Salvation Recording Company last month and will mark the release with a launch gig at The Flapper on June 2. It is part of a busy bank holiday weekend at the venue which also includes a single release party from Capital Sun on June 1, plus two weekend half-dayers on June 3 and June 4 featuring live bands and DJs throughout the day and into the night. Birmingham rock band Strangle Kojak launch a new ‘all ages’ club night in their home city this month. The band will host Beat Down playing a mixture of rock and indie, dubstep, 90s and chart music at The Ballroom, with opening night taking place on June 16 from 6.30pm to 10.30pm. The event is open to under 18s, although under 14s must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets are £5 and available in advance from www.theticketsellers.co.uk. Brum Notes Magazine
cultural festival kicks off olympic spirit in the west midlands
columbia give peace a chance
A series of cultural events kick off in earnest across the West Midlands this month to celebrate the forthcoming Olympic Games. A summer of music, arts and cultural attractions has been planned around the country to mark the arrival of London 2012, with the Midlands playing a key role in what is being billed as the UK’s biggest ever festival. The renowned City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra host the opening night concert of the London 2012 Festival in Birmingham’s Symphony Hall, performing the UK premier of Jonathan Harvey’s Weltethos, a piece inspired by the multi-cultural heritage of Birmingham. A spectacular dance collaboration called The Voyage comes to life in Victoria Square later on the same evening, featuring a giant ship and aerial dancing. Free gymnastic dance displays are taking place at playgrounds across the region as part of Spill (pictured) throughout June and July (visit www.dancexchange.org.uk/spill to find your nearest performance), while Mandala will fuse South Asian dance with 3D projections to help bring the festival to a dramatic close outside Birmingham Town Hall on September 7 and 8. Musical highlights include folk star Eliza Carthy performing Welcome Songs in the Shropshire town of Much Wenlock, hailed as the birthplace of the modern Olympics, while the Birmingham Opera Company will stage a world premiere with Mittwoch aus Licht (Wednesday from Light) being performed at Argyle Works in Great Barr Street from August 22 to 25, including one of the movements being performed in four helicopters. The Cultural Olympiad also includes a packed programme of visual arts exhibitions, performances and theatre, including the World Shakespeare Festival in Stratford Upon Avon. For more details visit www.wmfor2012.com.
Birmingham band Peace have been signed up by renowned label Columbia Records. It follows months of growing acclaim for the band who have enjoyed praise in national music press, their first ever headline tour in March and support slots with the likes of Mystery Jets and Manic Street Preachers. They will also support Editors, along with Free School, at the HMV Institute on June 26. The band, who have revealed they plan to release their debut album in 2013, celebrated the record deal with a cheeky giant billboard in Digbeth (pictured below). “We demanded a billboard from the label, kind of as a joke, and they 100 per cent pulled through,” said the band. Debut single Follow Baby is out now. Listen at www.peaceforeverever.co.uk.
NON PROFIT MUSIC REHEARSAL ROOM FLOODGATE STREET MUSIC COMPANY June 2012
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#bass12
JUNIOR MURVIN / SEANI B CHANNEL ONE / TOPCAT LADY LESHUUR / BIG JOHN MOQAPI SELASSIE / GAPPY RANKS / VANLEY BURKE GENERAL THEORY OF DUB
Brum Notes Magazine
June 2012
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Brum Notes Magazine
SCHOOL’S OUT With festivals galore both at home and abroad, a support slot for Editors and a debut album on its way, it’s certainly a busy few weeks head for Birmingham electronic duo FREE SCHOOL. Add to all that their own recently-launched club night, remix and production duties for a plethora of bands plus DJ slots at venues across the land. So just where do they find the time? Chris Moriarty finds out.
Phew, indeed. But the workload is certainly bearing fruit as well, with excitement already building ahead of the release of their debut album next month. Plus, despite proudly wearing their Balearic-inspired dance music credentials on their sleeves, they have succeeded in uniting music lovers across a variety of genres, with their refreshing ability to craft inventive records combined with their ever-growing ability to create engaging live shows. Nowhere is their cross-genre appeal more evident then on their to-do list for the coming weeks. As well as a prestigious support slot in a ‘best of Birmingham’ styled bill supporting Editors, they play two of the city’s most exciting yet very different festivals with the Mostly Jazz, Funk and Soul Festival this month followed by Off The Cuff in July, mixing it with everyone from bona fide jazz legends to scream-a-licious hardcore bands. “It hasn’t really occurred to us that the festivals are so different, we’re into a lot of different things and good music is good music. We’re really chuffed that lots of different people are picking up on what we’re doing. “We’re all about the live experience, it doesn’t matter whether you’re using guitars, synths or just shouting into a carrier bag, if you do it well, people will get into it,” insists June 2012
Andy. As for their own live set, it has taken on a new dimension in recent months and is something that has been going from strength to strength. “Greg Bird [formerly of Sunset Cinema Club and now better known as Greg Bird & Flamingo Flame] has joined our live show, adding his sultry, whispery melodies to the mix,” Andy explains. “Despite the electronics, we’re a very live experience, Simon Weaver, who helps us with our production, plays drums, we play keyboards, samplers and percussion. It’s important to us to keep it interesting, and bringing vocalists in seemed the natural way to progress that.
“We’ve all moved a long way from the tribal days of just listening to one type of music at the expense of everything else.”
about Roots Manuva, Fred Wesley is also a don.” They will continue to share stages with stellar names throughout the summer too, having been plucked out to play at festivals overseas as well as on home soil. “In July, we’re playing The Garden Festival in Croatia alongside Nicolas Jaar, Tiger & Woods, Crazy P, Metro Area as well as local lads Mark E, Adam Regan and Discomendments so we can’t wait for that one. Can we just say that we’re playing on the same bill as Nicolas Jaar and Tiger & Woods one more time please?” And the excitement doesn’t end there. There are remixes on the way that they’ve done for the likes of Damir K Rogina, Dean ‘Sunshine’ Smith plus Hiem featuring Roots Manuva all due for release. And as if all that wasn’t enough, Free School will also be unleashing their much-anticipated debut album next month.
“We’re always looking to push ourselves, and the crowds have been really positive whenever we’ve played. In a way, playing on bills like OTC gives us an edge as people aren’t expecting what we do to come flying out of the speakers. And we’ve all moved a long way from the tribal days of just listening to one type of music at the expense of everything else, people have got taste, trust them.”
“Our debut album Tender Administration is out in July on Tirk, so that’s a big deal for us. It’s the first chapter in our existence and we think we’ve got it bang on. It’s big, warm and full of amazing tunes, it feels good to be making a mark with it.”
Their own eclectic tastes will be well and truly sated with the global line-ups descending on Birmingham for both festivals, and Andy understandably can’t hide his excitement. “We missed Three Trapped Tigers when they played Birmingham a while back so we really want to see them. Them Wolves will be brutal in all of our faces, you should see them lunge. As for Mostly Jazz, George Clinton is playing in Moseley Park! Very excited
Free School are live at the Mostly Jazz, Funk and Soul Festival on Friday, June 29, alongside Paper Tiger, Troumaca, Ghostpoet, Friday night headliner Roots Manuva and more. They are also live at Off The Cuff Festival at The Flapper, Birmingham, on July 28. Debut album Tender Administration is released in July on Tirk. Visit www.wearefreeschool.com for more information.
Big, warm and full of amazing tunes? That sounds like the perfect summer right there.
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Photo by Jack Spicer Adams
“Phew, it’s been busy,” begins Andy Porteous, one half of the mask-wearing disco duo alongside Steve Alcock. “We’ve been finishing some remixes, producing some amazing bands, Victories At Sea, Big Tent & The Gypsy Lantern, working on some productions with Freestyle’s Sam Redmore and experimenting wildly in the studio. We started our first club night Tender Administration, played some landmark shows with Andrew Weatherall and Walls and continued to annoy people more successful than us with our monthly podcasts. Oh, and we’ve been DJing our disco socks off!”
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Brum Notes Magazine
OUT OF DARKNESS… The Vaccines headline a unique one-day festival in Wolverhampton this month in memory of musician Charles Haddon. Close friend and The Vaccines guitarist Freddie Cowan tells us more about what inspired them to organise the event. When Ou Est Le Swimming Pool singer Charles Haddon, known to friends as Chazz, killed himself shortly after performing at the Pukkelpop Festival in Belgium two years ago, his death sent shockwaves through the music fraternity. The circumstances surrounding his suicide appeared even more tragic when it transpired the Midlands-born musician had taken his own life after being mistakenly led to believe that he had seriously injured a teenage girl in the audience by stage-diving. Understandably, his death left a huge void in the lives of his friends and family and, while that may never be filled, they are determined to bring some light from the darkness. It is from this spirit that Chazzstock has arisen, a one-day festival raising money for The Prince’s Trust and other charities, bringing together the musicians who knew him and some of the most exciting names in new music for a special concert, a fitting legacy for a man who friends say always dreamed of staging his own festival. Chazzstock co-organiser and guitarist from The Vaccines Freddie Cowan admits it has been “emotionally testing” planning an event in memory of his close friend, but hopes its contribution to charities that help to transform the lives of young people will make it all worthwhile. “I would probably call him one of my best friends really, we grew up in school together, starting playing music together when we were 14, 13, so we were good friends,” explains Freddie. “Obviously it’s very sad and emotionally testing trying to organise an event in his name but it’s quite rewarding too. He just June 2012
always wanted everyone to have a good time so for us it’s a nice thing to do to continue his memory, you know?” As for the event itself, alcohol licensing issues forced organisers to move it from its original location in Leicestershire (“You try and get people to turn up to a festival where they can’t drink, that’s never going to happen,” says Freddie), scaling it down from two days to one, with it now taking place in the more intimate surrounds of Wolverhampton’s historic Civic Hall. The result is an extraordinary gathering of talent under one roof for what is sure to be a unique event for music-lovers. “It’s not like some nice charity concert where people do three or four songs, all the bands are doing full sets,” continues Freddie, “Tim Burgess is going to be playing some Charlatans material, there will be full sets from The Horrors, Spector, Frankie & The Heartstrings, The Vaccines, Tribes, so it’s a great day and a really great line-up for a venue that size and for one night it’s pretty great. “It actually worked out really well for us going to the Civic and it’s a chance to play one of the last great venues in the UK so I was thrilled to move there.” The show will also be unique for Freddie for another reason, as it will see him enjoying a rare chance to share the same stage as his brother Tom, bassist and synth player for The Horrors who, alongside The Vaccines, are one of the headline acts. “Have we actually played on he same bill before? Not really, no we haven’t, not as close to each other. We’re always touring all year round and we’re always on the same continent because there’s a cycle of where gigs are depending on the time of year, so he’s always in the same kind of country but I never get to see him as we’re always a couple of days apart from each other so it’s really welcome.”
For fans of The Vaccines, Chazzstock will be the perfect opportunity to enjoy some new material which the band have been previewing on recent live shows, giving a taster of what is to come from their forthcoming followup to 2011’s hotly-anticipated debut What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?, with the currently-unnamed second album earmarked for release this autumn. “We’re in the studios now finishing off the second record, which is really exciting for us, and when we play live it’s great to be able to open the sets up. We got a lot of shit when we started playing for doing short sets,” Freddie admits, “that was never something we really intended to do but we only had an album’s worth of material so we’re excited to pad the sets out and the new record is sounding great so we’re looking forward to sharing it. “The set’s feeling much stronger, we feel in a really good place at the moment. I think it sounds more intimate, it’s more close, it’s not hiding behind so much reverb and sonically it’s much more mature. We’ve just grown up as a band, had a lot of time together, played together a lot and that really comes through. I think Ethan Johns is a genius producer and we’re really lucky to have him working on it, I love his work and we just feel really excited about it and the record sounds great. “It’s a different chapter of the same book but I think we’ve definitely progressed a long way, it’s not the same record again.”
Chazzstock 2012, featuring The Vaccines, The Horrors, Tim Burgess, Tribes and more takes place at the Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, on June 10, from 4pm. Tickets are £25 with money raised going to The Prince’s Trust and other charities. For your chance to win a pair of tickets to the show visit www.brumnotes.com
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ALL THAT JAZZ New music champion and taste-making DJ Gilles Peterson returns to Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival this year to compere the opening night, while he will also be whipping the dancefloor into a frenzy at a special pre-festival bank holiday party. We caught up with him to find out what keeps him coming back. So you’ve been invited back for your second year as Friday night compere at Mostly Jazz, did you enjoy yourself last year then? Yeah, it was really great to find a new side to Birmingham and to add my support to a great looking mini festival. You’ve recently moved from BBC Radio 1 to BBC 6Music. Has it been easy adjusting to the switch from a late night show to the Saturday afternoon slot? It’s been amazing – apart from when Arsenal have Saturday games but I’ll get used to that. Having to be at my best at 2am on a Tuesday night wasn’t always the easiest thing, now I need less coffee and I get the chance to stretch out musically and timewise. What about your own label, Brownswood, it’s put out some massive releases from the likes of Heritage Orchestra, Ben Westbeech, Soil ‘n’ Pimp and newer acts like Simbad and Kutmah, what’s next up? I’m listening to the Mala Cuba album right now, it’s immense, best thing we’ll have put out on the label ... so excited about this one. You’ve worked with Leftfoot and Hare & Hounds head honcho Adam Regan for many years, what highlights do you have from your shows in Brum? I’ve had a great relationship with Adam for
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years now, ever since the classic nights at the Custard Factory, there have been so many sessions: Steve Reid playing on a wet and cold February Tuesday was pretty special. Adam deserves a medal for the work he’s put in for the good music over the years. He’s a fine DJ too, always pulls a surprise or two out the bag. Last time you played Birmingham for last year’s Mostly Jazz after-party you played everything from 70s Brazilian through to straight up house and then veering into a more low-end bass direction. Is it easy to keep on top of new music across all the different genres? I’m always searching for the music that moves me and these days there are far more areas to search. It’s essential to me to be checking the new Addison Groove record as well as a new Omar-S 12ins or a reissued package of african psych from Kenya. It just means that I listen to a lot of music!
Gilles Peterson DJs at the Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, for a special bank holiday session presented by Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival with Leftfoot on June 3. He then comperes the opening night of the Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival on June 29, where he will also be performing a DJ set.
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
FRIDAY, JUNE 29 Roots Manuva headlines an eclectic line-up which includes fellow smooth-toned lyricist Ghostpoet on the Leftfoot-curated main stage, as well as orchestral outfit Introducing playing their groundbreaking live version of DJ Shadow’s Entroducing album. Birmingham tropical adventurers Troumaca head up the second stage where they will be joined by balearic disco duo Free School, funky dance troupe Paper Tiger and soul-fuelled DJ Sam Redmore. Plus, Mr Scruff will be providing an added bonus hosting the Tennis Hut Club, a new addition to this year’s festival.
SATURDAY, JUNE 30 Soulful 1970s sensations The Family Stone will be belting out the feel-good hits when they headline the main stage on Saturday night, following the likes of fellow stateside soul and disco heroes Odyssey, brass-toting family outfit The Colman Brothers, British funk collective Speedometer and genre-bending multi-instrumentalist Nasser Bouzida, better know as The Bongoist. Introducing also return for a second night, this time giving the work of Mr Scruff their unique live makeover. Festival favourite Craig Charles will be returning once more to compere, as well as headlining the Yardbird Stage with his frantic DJ antics, before keeping the party going late into the night with a headline slot at the Saturday after-party at the Hare & Hounds. Also on the Yardbird Stage, Federation of the Disco, The Atlantic Players and the Electric Swing Circus will be among those keeping feet moving throughout the day.
SUNDAY, JULY 1 Legend is often an over-used word but it is very much appropriate for Sunday’s headline act, none other than George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic. The godfather of P-Funk and one of the most sampled artists in musical history, he will bring the festival to a close in fitting style. Birmingham’s own experimental jazz musician and hip hop MC Soweto Kinch is among Sunday’s other highlights, while veteran jazz stars including Fred Wesley & The New JBs and local hero Andy Hamilton & The Blue Notes are sure to deliver typically classic performances. On the Jazzlines stage, modern jazz trumpet star Abram Wilson heads the bill, alongside performances from innovative Birmingham jazz outfit Husk and multi-talented and multiinstrumentalist bluesman Steve Ajao.
Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival runs from June 29 to July 1 at Moseley Park, Moseley, Birmingham. Ticket details at www.mostlyjazz.co.uk. Brum Notes Magazine
BRING ON THE BASS June 19 to July 13
The sights, sounds and tastes of Jamaica will be flowing throughout Birmingham over the coming weeks as the city hails the arrival of the country’s Olympians while celebrations will also be taking place in various forms to mark 50 years of Jamaican Independence. That will be the theme of this year’s BASS Festival, the UK’s only month-long celebration of black music and arts, which kicks off at venues across the city later this month. With a diverse programme of live performances, exhibitions, drama, music and art, from MC battles to fashion shows, jazz concerts to hard-hitting stage plays, we’ve picked out some of our highlights to look out for…
SHOWTIME
BEAUTY AND THE BEATS
CHANNEL ONE SOUND SYSTEM
July 5, Rainbow Warehouse, Digbeth This will be one warehouse rave that you won’t forget in a hurry as London promoters The Heatwave explore the history of UK dancehall with MCs Gappy Ranks, Top Cat, Durty Goodz, Lady Leshuur, Serocee, RTkal and Rodney P taking the mic as the sounds of this Jamaican club phenomenon erupt across the dancefloor.
June 23, 3pm-8pm, 3BS Business Village, Handsworth From the sweat of the dancehall to the glamour of the catwalk, this collaboration of dancers, models and DJs explore the impact of the genre upon the world of fashion showing off the trends that it has inspired.
June 23, 10pm, The Victoria, city centre A rare chance to see one of the UK’s leading dub reggae sound systems taking over an intimate space, as they unleash their genredefining record collections upstairs at this city centre pub. Notting Hill Carnival favourites, they will keep the party going into the night exploring more than 30 years of musical history (pictured).
Tickets £10/£12
Free entry
£5 on the door
JUNIOR MURVIN SINGING POLICE AND THIEVES July 13, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath Closing the festival in real style, Jamaican musical legend Junior Mervin returns with a full live band to celebrate the 35th anniversary of his seminal Police and Thieves album. The title-track, co-written with Lee Scratch Perry, became one of the most recognisable sounds of 1970s and 80s reggae and its influence was felt across the globe, later being famously covered by punk pioneers The Clash. A chance to see a true reggae legend performing a snapshot of musical history.
BASS Festival 2012 runs from June 19 to July 13 at various venues across Birmingham. For full details visit www.punch-records.co.uk
Tickets £15/£17.50 June 2012
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Off The Cuff Festival explodes all over the Birmingham summer once again next month, taking over the canalside climes of The Flapper for three days and nights of everything from stripped down acoustic and adventurous electronica right through to indie noise-pop and all out hardcore aural assaults on the ears. This year’s line-up sees headline appearances from the likes of Future of the Left, Three Trapped Tigers and Shapes as well as more talent from far and wide, but there will be plenty of local noisemakers on show too. We caught up with four of the Birmingham-based bands boosting this year’s bill.
THE TRAPS
record and its central theme. If I’m honest, it’s
SATURDAY the first time we’ve focused on a significant
Hook-tastic indie pop fiends The Traps make a long-awaited return to the live stage at Off The Cuff next month to give a taster of their forthcoming new material. Frontman Jamie Berry tells us what they’ve been doing. So, you’ve been away a while, what have you been up to? We’ve been writing and recording an album with Voluntary Butler Scheme, and it’s finally done. It’s been about a year since we’ve played in Birmingham and a lot has changed for us as a band whilst writing and recording this record so we’re looking forward to the show. New material on the cards then? Yeah it’s all new and all tied in with the new
ROMANS
FRIDAY
After exploding into 2012 Romans have been not-so-quietly going about their business delivering their uncompromising rock across the land. Drummer and vocalist Denny Connolly tells us more. The year started off in exciting fashion for you, has it lived up to your expectations? Yeah I think it has lived up to our expectations probably more so than what we first thought to be honest. The reactions and reviews we have received from playing live and from the EP Cravatte Nere have been massively positive and we can hold our heads up high for what we have achieved this year. How has life on the road treated you? Fantastic in all honesty. The tour we did in February with Acoda was a huge success for us in every way possible, the tour was a short one but all the blood, sweat and tears 14
body of work and that’s an opportunity that has for some reason alluded us up until now. To us, on the whole it sounds completely different and we’ve changed the parameters of how our band functions. I hope that this will be evident in the live show too. What’s next on the agenda after that, will you be back gigging around these parts? There is a lot coming up and that’s very exciting as we are itching for people to hear the And for those who haven’t seen you guys before, what can we expect from your set? record that we’ve made. A set that represents an album that’s out Who are you looking forward to seeing soon, with as many hooks and harmonies as we could include on there. yourselves during the festival? Future of the Left, of course. Free School too. I’m pretty much looking forward to The Traps are live at Off The Cuff on Saturday, July 28. Listen at seeing everything going on to be honest. www.the-traps.com of a full tour were certainly spilled over the course of the week. We are now gearing up to go out on tour with We Are Knuckle Dragger and Antlered Man in September. Pleased to be back on the bill for Off The Cuff? Of course, OTC is a great festival, it’s always a pleasure and a privilege to be involved. OTC is extra special obviously as it’s in Birmingham, our adopted home town, so we get that extra excitement to go out and prove what Brum is all about. OTC last year was our first festival date which made the whole experience massively enjoyable for us. And who are you looking forward to seeing yourselves? For me, That Fucking Tank, I heard them many, many moons ago when a sound guy was playing them over a PA and immediately had to ask him what my ears were being blessed with. More highlights for us will definitely be Shapes, Turbowolf and our pals in
Them Wolves. Any surprises in your set? Well we do have a hell of a lot of new material, 90 per cent in fact will all be new songs so hopefully people will get into it and have a good old dance. We are really proud of our new material, we really feel we have found what we are about and how we want to write now. Romans are live at Off The Cuff on Friday, July 27. Listen at www.facebook.com/romansonline Brum Notes Magazine
Off The Cuff 2012 is headlined by Future of the Left, Three Trapped Tigers and Shapes and also features a brand new acoustic stage curated by Brum Notes Magazine. It runs from July 27 to 29 at The Flapper, Birmingham. Tickets are priced from £5 to £29. For details and to book visit offthecuffbirmingham.co.uk
THEM WOLVES
SUNDAY
Abrasive noise rock trio Them Wolves have many a brave soul licking their lips in anticipation as they prepare to unleash their barrage of relentlessly pummelling rhythms and caustic, feedback-drenched guitars on The Flapper. Guitarist Stuart-Lee Tovey spills the beans on the masked trio. What can you tell us about Them Wolves? We are louder than THAT guy in the cinema with a binbag full of crisps, but nowhere near as irritating. Two of our songs are inspired by desert boots, none of our songs are about Limp Bizkit but I hope that will change soon.
bass and shouts, a man who plays drums, and a man who plays guitar and shouts but doesn’t do as much shouting as the bass man. The bass man is the main shouter. Greg Coates and I were in a band called DAS BASTARD, we broke up due to a dispute over who got to sit in the front seat on the way to gigs. We found Noel Campbell (drummer in Mr Derry) in a gutter, crying because someone had given him a wedgy whilst he was wearing a thong made of cheese wire. After we had cleaned him up and fed him we decided we had best form a band to help Noel express and expel his rage.
And how did you first get together? Them Wolves formed some time in 2011, we can’t remember when because we were doing a lot of cat endorphins which we used to extract via a bendy straw though a small hole in the cat’s head. No cats died, they just felt sad forever. We have a man who plays
I can imagine the live shows get pretty messy, are you looking forward to the sweat pit of The Flapper? We played our first gig at The Flapper last October. It will be all very nice to play there again, we are a much stronger band now and we have better haircuts. We do make a mess when we play live, there are always at least three empty beer cans and some
BOVINE
have to choose, Them Wolves, Blacklisters, That Fucking Tank and, of course, Shapes.
FRIDAY
Epic riff-busters Bovine are louder than cattle and more experimental too. Guitarist Marcus, bassist Chris and drummer Damon tell us why they’re not following the herds. How would you describe Bovine, in your own words? M: Full on musical rape. For those who’ve not seen you before what can we expect from your live set? D: Stupidly loud and energetic. No fucking around and very much to the point. And who are you most looking forward to seeing during the weekend? C: There’s a few good bands playing but if I June 2012
Do you feel at home in the intimate surrounds of The Flapper’s basement? C: Yeah I love it, The Flapper is a great venue, there’s always a great atmosphere and it’s good to see a venue promoting the local scene. Plus, there’s always the chance that some nobber will fall in the canal which is always good for a laugh. What would you do if The Kooks turned up to watch you? M: Firstly I would get the Kooks tattoo removed from my ass, then I would chop off my dick and feed it to the singer. You don’t mince your words on Facebook or with your words either do you?
crisp packets on the stage by the time we finish playing. And who else are you looking forward to seeing over the weekend? There isn’t anything I don’t want to see, Off The Cuff have done an amazing job. Especially looking forward to seeing Blacklisters, That Fucking Tank and Future of the Left. Free School always put on a great show too, they never fail. What personal memories do you have of previous OTCs? Last year a drunk man kept buying me drinks because he thought I was in Foals, I have no idea why. He mistook my protesting for modesty. OTC always has a great vibe, partylike. It is one of the events that Birmingham should be really proud of. Them Wolves are live at Off The Cuff on Sunday, July 29. Listen at www.facebook.com/themwolves. M: I can’t stand pointless bands that offend my ears with pointless cry baby shit. This reflects in our music. I also don’t mince my lyrics. We know who you don’t like, but who would you hail as influences on your own sound? D: Our lockup is directly next door to Birmingham chart toppers &U&I so we just steal all their songs. Any other final thoughts? D: You bitches ain’t ready for the milky udders of Bovine. Bovine are live at Off The Cuff on Friday, July 27. Listen at www.facebook. com/bovinemusic 15
THE ESSENTIAL FESTIVAL DIARY No Glastonbury? No problem. There are plenty more festivals and musical extravaganzas to keep you occupied this summer in Birmingham and beyond, at home and abroad. Here’s our quick guide to some more of the best festivals around to keep you going right through the season.
IN BIRMINGHAM MOSELEY FOLK FESTIVAL We’ve already taken you through Off The Cuff, Mostly Jazz and BASS, but Birmingham’s festival diary is still jam-packed with more. Among the most anticipated every year is the Moseley Folk Festival, now in its sixth year and boasting stellar line-ups in a uniquely tranquil setting. This year sees the full spectrum of folk and other styles represented with acts including Echo & The Bunnymen and Guillemots alongside festival favourites The Destroyers, Ocean Colour Scene frontman Simon Fowler’s Merrymouth, local heroes Goodnight Lenin, plus Steeleye Span and Julian Cope. You’ll also find food stalls galore, real ale and cocktails and plenty of family entertainment. August 31-September 2, Moseley Park, Birmingham. Tickets £28.50-£79, details from www.moseleyfolk.co.uk.
Pictured above: The Garden Festival, Croatia
SUPERSONIC Proudly sitting outside of the traditional festival season, Supersonic is worth the wait for all those who like their festivals with an edge. World renowned for its experimental blend of music, avant-garde art and film and its adventurous lineups of groundbreaking acts and genre-bending pioneers, it’s little wonder that 2012’s early bird tickets sold out in a day. This year sees the festival mark its 10th birthday meaning there will be more reason than ever to celebrate. Latest 16
additions to the line-up include a special collaboration between Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth and free-noise guitarist Bill Nace, known collectively as Body/Head. They join Bohren & Der Club of Gore, Tim Hecker and Lichens, amongst many others. October 19-21, The Custard Factory, Birmingham. Weekend tickets £80 from www.supersonicfestival.com.
B’HAM INT’L JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL Festivals don’t always have to mean overpriced tickets and queues of traffic to get there and refreshingly many of the events here give you a chance to enjoy world class performances for free. Hosted at venues and spaces across the city, this celebration of all things jazz and blues is now in its 28th year and continues to attract some of the biggest names from across the world, giving audiences the chance to soak up some new musical experiences right on their doorsteps.
Maintaining its spirit of folk-inspired, after-hours music sessions, it boasts a uniquely intimate and informal atmosphere in stunning surroundings. Veteran favourites and emerging talent blend perfectly with the likes of Eddi Reader, The Leisure Society, Chumbuwumba and Jesca Hoop among the headline acts for the threeday festival. A host of West Midlands talent will be making the short journey including Sunday night headliner Scott Matthews, folk troupe Boat To Row and renowned songwriters Dan Whitehouse and Chris Tye. Circus skills, a living sculpture park, luxury camping, absence of corporate branding and a real ale and cider festival all add to the feel-good atmosphere. June 15-17, Catton Hall, Walton-upon-Trent, South Derbyshire. Tickets £30/£40/£87 from www.bigsessionfestival.com or 023 8071 1818.
SHAMBALA FESTIVAL
THE BIG SESSION FESTIVAL
The ultimate boutique festival and now firmly established as one of the essential highlights of the annual festival season. Held at a secret location on a country estate in Northamptonshire, an eclectic collection of more than 200 bands and DJs including Mr Scruff, Toddla T, Roots Manuva, Misty’s Big Adventure and Billy Brag make up this year’s bill. But the music is just part of the fun, with plenty more surprises to discover while you’re there, from the enchanted woods to the cabaret, art, film and the reinvigorating Shambala Springs.
Nestled between woodlands and water in the heart of beautiful South Derbyshire, this is the ultimate in relaxed, family-friendly festival going.
August 23-27, secret location, Northamptonshire. Tickets £119 (adult)/£79 (teens)/ £29 (kids) from www.shambalafestival.org.
July 6–15, various venues, Birmingham, www.bigbearmusic.com, Festival Hotline 0121 454 7020.
CLOSE TO HOME
Brum Notes Magazine
GLOBALGATHERING Firmly established as one of the most anticipated electronic music festivals on the calendar. This year sees the biggest collection of live acts yet with the likes of Tinie Tempah, Chase & Staus, Maverick Sabre and Friendly Fires all performing live, while a diverse range of dance acts and DJs will also be represented with new arenas from Metropolis & Digital Soundboy and Visionquest, in addition to the return of arena hosts Hospitality, Godskitchen, Toolroom Knights and Rinse. DJs on the bill include Armin Van Buuren, Skrillex, Annie Mac, Jamie Jones and Sasha. July 27-28, Long Marston Airfield, Stratford Upon Avon. Weekend camping tickets £99 from www.globalgathering.com.
everything from innovative indie, classic reggae, adventurous alt-folk, shuddering bass and stomping DJ soundsystems. The impressive roster includes Wild Beasts, Toots and the Maytals, Weird Dreams, Julio Bashmore, Pearson Sound, Factory Floor, Roots Manuva and many, many more, as well as DJ sets from the likes of Brum’s own Bigger Than Barry, plus Now Wave and Balearic Social Club. Sumptuously fresh food, showers and a tipi village for luxury camping are all thrown in for good measure too.
live acts such as 2020 Soundsystem, Nicolas Jaar and Brum’s own Free School. The legendary boat parties and the Tiki Bar and Terrace keep the holiday spirit alive as well. For those that can take the pace, a second festival called Electric Elephant runs at the same site immediately afterwards.
August 17-19, Skipton, Yorkshire. Tickets £74.50/£69.50 (students) from www.greetingsfrombeacons.com.
BENICASSIM
OVERSEAS THE GARDEN FESTIVAL, CROATIA
FURTHER AFIELD BEACONS FESTIVAL This festival set in the wilds of the Yorkshire Dales boasts stunning surroundings and an equally stunning line-up, with an eclectic bill taking in
It’s a festival made in Birmingham but the surroundings couldn’t be more different. Taking place on a beautiful hillside overlooking the Croatian coastline near the town of Tisno, it attracts some of the world’s finest DJs such as Kenny Dope, Mark E and Terry Farley taking in a host of genres including house, disco, funk, soul and techno, alongside
July 4-11 (July 12-16 for Electric Elephant), The Garden Tisno, Croatia. Tickets £15-£90/£150 for both festivals, details at www.thegardenfestival.eu.
AKA Festival Internacional de Benicassim, Spain. Less a festival, more of an endurance test with searing temperatures in your tent and all-night raves, but it is certainly worth it. Boasting a faultless summer climate, beautiful beachside destination, litres of beer on tap and a stellar line-up that includes Bob Dylan, The Stone Roses and Dizzee Rascal, plus plenty of new music as well as DJs and open air nightclubs that keep the party going well beyond watching the sun come up. Just don’t expect much sleep. July 12-15, Benicassim, Spain. Tickets (including up to eight days camping) £155, visit www.fiberfib.com.
3 1 S T A U G U S T, 1 S T, 2 N D S E P T E M B E R
STEELEYE SPAN • ROY HARPER ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN
CARA DILLON • JULIAN COPE • JONATHAN WILSON GUILLEMOTS • SIMON FOWLER’S MERRYMOUTH
BETH JEANS HOUGHTON & THE HOOVES OF DESTINY GOODNIGHT LENIN • LANTERNS ON THE LAKE • DARK DARK DARK DEVON SPROULE • RICHARD JAMES • THE DESTROYERS • THE MAGNETIC NORTH ABIGAIL WASHBURN WITH KAI WELCH • PAUL MURPHY • SPIRO • EMILY PORTMAN TRIO THE LONG NOTES • TREETOP FLYERS • RACHEL SERMANNI • JONNY KEARNEY & LUCY FARRELL LAURA J MARTIN • ELLEN & THE ESCAPADES • THE FALSE BEARDS • TELLING THE BEES MICKY GREANEY • GENTLE GOOD • SUNJAY BRAYNE • RAPUNZEL & SEDAYNE REVERE • THE TERRAPINS • GOLDEN GLASS
June 2012
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live BRUM NOTES PRESENTS The Lines + The Rainband/Black Market Empire/The British Kicks O2 Academy 2, Birmingham 05/05/12
The Lines, along with a very exciting supporting cast, made sure the very first Brum Notes Presents night went off with a bang. The Wolverhampton lads made the short trip to the Second City as part of their UK Tour with Manchester outfit The Rainband, who provided very able support on the night. Big mentions must also go to Brum bands The British Kicks and Black Market Empire who both showed the healthy crowd that the future is bright for Midlands bands. The British Kicks, despite only playing to a relatively small crowd, certainly showed the 100 or so that got there early that it was worth it. Imagine The Enemy, early Kings Of Leon and The Subways all thrown into one
Sunrise Over Europe + Bowen & The Tide The Flapper, Birmingham 05/05/12
Another busy night at The Flapper for the sixth instalment of Watchfires, a monthly new music night hosted by Sunrise Over Europe and PWS promotions. Acoustic solo act Kid Conventional and experimental four-piece Kupovti joined Bowen & The Tide and hosts Sunrise Over Europe for what promised to be an eclectic evening. Kid Conventional opened the night endearingly and with his engaging lyrics created a 18
big rocking melting pot. A mixture of youth, classic rock n roll licks and bravado, The British Kicks are a band who won’t have to settle for simply playing opening slots for too long if they continue to develop like this. Next up, Black Market Empire also showed the slightly bigger crowd that they weren’t just there to make up the numbers. A throw-back to some of the more charismatic 90s Britpop of Suede and Pulp with some sleazy rock thrown in, it was the perfect follow up as the beers got flowing and the crowd relaxed into the occasion. Instantly recognisable vocals accompanied by charming guitars and rumbling drums, Black Market Empire were the biggest surprise of the night and left with at least one more fan than before and surely many more besides. After an admirable showing by Mancunian visitors The Rainband, it was time for the headliners to make their glorious return. Armed with a couple of impressive new
songs, as dancey, groovy and funky as ever, as well as the arsenal of weapons that is their back catalogue, they put on a real show, exactly as promised. Songs such as Domino Effect and Let It Go, once staples and highlights of any Lines set, now appeared to plug gaps as fans waited excitedly for the new material. El Matador was as crazy and as wonderful as everyone expected, as the crowd really began to get involved, so involved in fact that a bra was thrown on stage at one point. Stealing the show though was their new single, the much acclaimed No Illusions, No Cheap Tricks. Sounding like El Matador during a particularly raucous night out with Charlie Sheen, it’s impossible to not like the grooves and thundering beats in this song, not to mention the moody strings at the start. This was a band at the top of their game and with the promise of much more to come. Jon Pritchard Photo by Gobinder Jhitta
cordial atmosphere for the slowly swelling crowd. Kupovti (pronounced ‘cup of tea’, clever, eh?) were unsettling. In a good way. In the throes of an elephant giving birth, echoing a convulsion one might have after a sorry run-in with a strobe light. By the time Bowen & The Tide took to the stage the underground tomb that is the downstairs room of The Flapper was packed thanks to the devout local following they have accrued. It would be forgivable to wonder when the camera was going to slowly pan in through the door as the trio’s sound seems more appropriate for an episode of the OC rather than underneath a canalside
boozer in Birmingham. Nonetheless they are good at what they do. Very good. Soft vocals coupled with charming segues ensured every female in the room swooned at least once. The evening reached its climax with the curators of the pick ‘n’ mix event, Sunrise Over Europe, lifting and plunging their audience almost seamlessly from all out gypsy-rock to soothing five-part harmonies. They left the stage to riotous applause successfully concluding another showcase of some of Birmingham’s most diverse bands. Joe Whitehouse
Brum Notes Magazine
Alabama Shakes HMV Institute, Birmingham 11/05/12
Unheard of 12 months ago, upgraded to the 2,000 capacity main room at the HMV Institute tonight. Alabama Shakes have had quite a year. Following the release of their album Boys & Girls, they have received a plentiful amount of airtime across the airwaves, with their soulful, bluesy sound also gaining them coveted television appearances, magazine covers and no shortage of plaudits. The Institute was packed to the rafters, anticipation oozing from the capacity crowd while London-based quartet Childhood kept them entertained, and after a short interlude, the headliners appeared to a rapturous welcome. Rattling through a 16-song set in just over an hour, they were everything everybody wanted them to be. The single that has gained them the most acclaim, Hold On, was one track in, breaking through a barrier that can be formed when a band has such a huge hit early on. In doing so they proved they had more in their repertoire than just a catchy release and showed that they’re here to stay. Captivated from the off, the crowd was in a haze as Brittany Howard lyrically tore a hole through the roof. Little was uttered between songs by the lead but there was no need, Alabama Shakes let the music does the talking. Granted, that’s a cliché but don’t judge, just see them live and you will soon understand. In fact, judge all you want, just do everything in your power to see them live. Joe Whitehouse
New Order The Ballroom, Birmingham 29/04/12
Pond “You’re a bit young to be here aren’t you?” quips the lad on the cloakroom. He must not realise that New Order are kind of a big deal. On May 21 of this year, The Hacienda celebrated 30 years since its opening night, and tonight one of the movement’s leading bands do not sound a day older than that. Sporting the new Peter Hook-less line-up, they transform The Ballroom into, if not exactly Madchester, somewhere along the way. Drug-fuelled projections form the backdrop for a show featuring everything you’d want from the band and Bernard Sumner’s vocals are unchanged. Which doesn’t leave much room for crass jokes about grey hairs or expanding waistlines really. Tonight New Order really do prove that they belong to an exclusive elite in which raw talent and a bit of sticking power produce anthemic results. Those seeing New Order at festivals this year are a lucky little lot, because tonight each song is as fresh as it was 30 years ago, even if the majority of the crowd are not. Amy Sumner Photo by Katie McGuinness
Pond Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath 20/05/12
Okay, so they may be named after a small puddle of water but there’s nothing wet about Pond, an offshoot of Aussie psych rockers Tame Impale. Fronted by Nick Allport (who looks like he’s skipped double Geography to be here tonight) the band lay down some of the heaviest shit outside of Hawkwind’s spaceship. As the official home of rock, Birmingham knows its stuff and the fact that the head nodding swiftly gave way June 2012
to head banging is a decent sign of respect in these parts. They deserved it too. Nick in particular seemed possessed by some kind of unholy spirit, at one point lying prone on the floor, back arching alarmingly like he was trying to roger the sky. Yeah... Jimi might’ve kissed it, but Nick’s going all the way, motherhumpers. With their critically acclaimed new album Beard, Wives, Denim to play with, the set was a classic. Like Motorhead’s Silver Machine on acid the album’s standout track Fantastic Explosion Of Time stole the show but you’d be hard pushed to fault a single second. Even a broken guitar string gave us a brief impromptu snatch of Sabbath’s War Pigs to enjoy and encore, the MC5’s Kick Out The Jams, came darn close to outrocking the original. Cool as ‘duck!’ Daron Billings Photo by Wayne Fox Photography
Black Sabbath O2 Academy, Birmingham 19/05/12
A blackened horde of hair, denim, and leather marched forth to the 02 Academy to welcome home and embrace the unconquerable emperors of heavy music. Within the hour of impregnation the intimate venue is mobbed and alive with restless anticipation. But as two blinding stage lights illuminate the crowd and the first three notorious notes from their eponymous debut album sound out at the beginning of a teaser medley, a large troop of younger fans rushes towards the front, breathing some long awaited anarchy into the audience. The medley succeeded in pushing everyone’s eagerness 19
and enthusiasm to such a climactic level that the second Ozzy leaps out on stage and shouts “COME ON YOU FUCKERS!” followed by Iommi riffing Into the Void, the entire place descends into sheer adoration, amazement, and wonder. The band powers through the first three songs and Ozzy’s voice absolutely dominates with record precision. Ozzy pays homage to Birmingham and as the sirens sound for War Pigs Birmingham roars in appreciation and sings along word for word, if not a little teary eyed at the same time. The venue is transformed as they launch into Black Sabbath as the heavy rainfall, the eerie church bell and Iommi’s satanic three note riff turns the gig into a black mass, with a fiery-eyed Ozzy upon the altar lifting his arms in a Jesus Christ pose. Ozzy is by far the most animated member of the Sabbath coven as he throws buckets of icy water over an extremely grateful crowd, incites footballlike chants and launches his harmonica into the air. Impressively he has not lost any of his vigour after 40 years. He orders his devotees to go “fucking mental” for Children of the Grave to earn one more song. Both parties deliver with excessive force and enthusiasm is doubled when Iommi leads into Paranoid for the final song. The honour and privilege belonged to both the band and the audience as Black Sabbath and Birmingham were re-united once more, if not for the very last time. Guy Hirst
The Temper Trap HMV Institute, Birmingham 16/05/12
Touring with a setlist full of unreleased material has never been a strategy that can guarantee rewarding results – but Australia’s The Temper Trap have never been a band to shy away from these kinds of risks. In a long shot, it seems to be the band’s motive in finally moving forward from their unbinding label that has lingered around extensively as ‘the Sweet Disposition band’. Yet, as their sell-out show at the HMV Institute begins to fill with excited fans, it becomes lamentably clear that the highlight of their night will be the band’s long-tail single that has graced TV entertainment since 2009. Blood red strobe lights swamp the venue as Repeater begins averagely. Need Your Love also fails to glitch the crowd’s enthusiasm. Third song in and fans are finally able to take pleasure in a song they are familiar with, gleefully clapping in sync to Dougy Mandagi’s fist-clenching and heart-wrenching sincere vocals to Love Lost. Tactically placed older material conjoined 20
with the band’s enchanting and effortless charm kept the set flowing. Though the new album seems promising, the goofy grins that were triggered by the gig’s final song marking the band’s sweetest days, show it is yet to be outshined, proving that perhaps their ambling pegged name isn’t such a daunting affair after all. Ivy Photiou Photo by Jermaine Lloyd
Justin Currie The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton 16/05/12
Justin Currie looks younger than his 48 years yet, as always, sings as though he’s lived a thousand lives. Hearing his velvet tones live you realise just how understatedly perfect his voice is and how staggeringly original his lyrics are. Currie plays a couple of his solo tracks, most notably the epic No, Surrender but the vast majority of the set comprises a string of Del Amitri hits such as Tell Her This and Driving With The Breaks On, as well as some lesser known fan favourites. In fact, the gig rapidly becomes a mass sing-along with the crowd crooning to almost every tune, proving what a loyal following Currie still possesses. He is more than happy to adhere to crowd requests too – when he can remember the lyrics that is. He must be one of few musicians who can get only halfway through a song and still receive rapturous applause. Justin Currie is probably one of the most underrated musicians, and definitely one of the most underrated lyricists of the last 20 or so years. His songs are timeless and will remain relevant, well, for as long as people remain in love. Ellie Crean
Songwriter’s Cafe The Treehouse, Birmingham 03/05/12
The chance to see a show in a treehouse, yes an actual treehouse, doesn’t come about very often so when it does you know it’s going to be special. Or at the very least, different. For anyone who doesn’t know, the Songwriter’s Cafe is an annual summer season of weekly live internet radio shows from a unique venue in a suburb of Birmingham. The entire night is broadcast with a running commentary, including interviews, by one of Brum’s finest bloggers Robin Valk. The brainchild of Destroyer’s frontman Paul Murphy (who else?), it runs every Thursday night from May to July. This inaugural night of the season featured sets from folk stars Boat To Row, Little Sister, and solo sets from
The Temper Trap Frankie Williams and Rod Demick. All played stripped down acoustic/folk/blues tinged music in front of a small, slightly damp but happy, invited audience. Blues-inspired Frankie and Rod held their own but Boat To Row and Little Sister shone with clever and very intimate sets, the latter even handing out kazoos and getting everyone involved. If you’ve never heard of the Songwriter’s Cafe you are truly missing out. For more information or to tune in, visit paulmurphytv.com/ the-songwriters-cafe. Ben Russell
Ben Calvert & The Swifts Mac, Birmingham 13/05/12
A small, amiable crowd gathered upon the Midlands Arts Centre in Cannon Hill Park for a rare live performance on home soil from Ben Calvert & The Swifts. The centre’s Foyle Studio provides a strange atmosphere for a performance of this nature; quiet clapping and absolute silence crowds the auditory gap between songs, rather than the usual hum of chatter. Calvert talked about his childhood affiliation with the venue and how it helped hone his creative interest, something which he was clearly keen to give thanks for. In an hour-and-a-half long set Calvert capered through in his low key acoustic fashion, including more upbeat Everybody Loves Lucy and Flee, complete with a story of a chance encounter on a train with a man from Venezuela, both welcome segues between an often melancholic offering. The evening was rounded off with a showing of the video to the song Valpolicella Girl, which received a warm reception to the pleasure of a seated-in-audience Calvert. A pleasing evening of anti-folk by a warm, endearing local performer, the formal setting provided a unique atmosphere and the crowd seemed perfectly content on this sleepy May evening. Joe Whitehouse Brum Notes Magazine
CLUBS
Moschino Hoe, Versace Hottie The Victoria, Birmingham 02/05/12
The beautiful people of Birmingham squeezed into the micro-clubbing space upstairs at The Victoria for this monthly night of bumpin’ and grindin’ hosted by rabble rousing artparty troupe MHVH. Last month saw them teaming up with denim and clothes brand Cheap Monday to add an extra stylish swagger to the evening while the good people of rum makers Sailor Jerry were on hand to dish out free drinks to keep the high spirits flowing. June 2012
Moschino Hoe, Versace Hottie takes place on the first Wednesday of the month at The Victoria, entry is free before 11pm. Visit www.mhvh.co.uk to stay up to date. Photos by Jade Sukiya 21
EST.2012 in association with
EST.2012
STYLE
SPEAKEASY
SPEAKEASY www.liquorstoreclothing.com
RIVER ISLAND £40
great western arcade. birmingham
URBAN OUTFITTERS £16.00
OASIS £35.00
H&M £9.99
MANGO £64.99
www.liquorstoreclothing.com
great western arcade. birmingham
FESTIVAL STYLE GUIDE
TOPSHOP £165.00
The festivals are coming and we all want to look our best while, most likely, trudging through the mud, sleeping one hour a night and taking baby wipe showers. In spite of that, here’s a selection of on-trend items that’ll keep you looking the business, thus drawing the attention away from the greasy hair and dark circles.
MANGO £29.99
NEW LOOK £7.99
BANK £15.00
BANK £4.50
TOPSHOP £6.50
WAREHOUSE £22.00 H&M £14.99
MANGO £69..99
URBAN OUTFITTERS £28.00
RIVER ISLAND £30.00
H&M £19.99
NEW LOOK £16.99
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Brum Notes Magazine
EST.2012
COMPETITION:
win £250 to spend on clothing SPEAKEASY
SPEAKEASY www.liquorstoreclothing.com
great western arcade. birmingham
A brand new men’s retail store has opened its doors in Birmingham city centre and to celebrate we’re giving you the www.liquorstoreclothing.com chancegreat to western win a arcade. £250 birmingham spending spree in store. Liquor Store has unveiled its stylish new home among the Victorian splendour of Great Western Arcade and specialises in providing high quality denim, alongside other clothing and footwear, with an emphasis on relaxed yet attentive customer service within a unique, Speakeasy-themed setting. You can expect to find items from some of the most exciting British designers stocked exclusively, as well the most respected names at the cutting edge of jeans and fashion with brands including Levis, Oliver Spencer, Nudie, Universal Works, Edwin and Red Wing. Owner Phil Hazel said: “I wanted to bring something new and fresh to Birmingham that offers a contrast to the ever crowded high street. My beliefs are based around a passion for clothing, product knowledge, customer service and high standards throughout.” To give you a real taste of what the store has to offer, we’re giving one person the chance to win £250 to spend inside on a brand new outfit for the summer season. To be in with a chance of winning simply tell us the brand name of your favourite pair of jeans. Send your answers along with name, age, contact telephone number and email address to competitions@brumnotes.com. Entries must be submitted by June 30. Winners will be notified by email. Terms & conditions apply. June 2012
To stay up to date visit www.liquorstoreclothing.com or find them on Facebook for exclusive offers and the latest additions. 23
FIRETRAP £65.00 H&M £19.99
JACKET Lee: Vintage TOPMAN £45.00 RIVER ISLAND £8.00
URBAN OUTFITTERS £70.00
SIZE? £65.00
SWEATSHIRT Firetrap
JEANS G-Star
TOPMAN £8.00
RIVER ISLAND £40.00
H&M £29.99
Q. How would you describe your style? A. I’d say council boho estate mongrel.
SHOES Reebok
SAMUEL BAYLIS THIS MONTH, TROUMACA FRONTMAN SAMUEL BAYLIS VISITS THE STUDIO TO TALK TO US ABOUT HIS PERSONAL STYLE AND WHAT’S IN STORE NEXT FOR THE BAND. CHECK OUT TROUMACA AT TROUMACA.CO.UK 24
Q. Where do you get your inspiration from? A. Matthew Campbell inspires me, he taught me not to be scared of double denim. Q. Who are your style icons? A. Matthew Campbell and I like the style of Teddy Pendergrass who is an absolute soul don. Q. What is your favourite wardrobe item? A. My denim jacket from a little vintage warehouse in Digbeth. Q. What is your item of shame? A. I’ve got so many of those. I was given a pair of out of order Nike Air Max, they’re made up of loads of different patchworks of check patterns. They’re pretty horrendous. You get so excited by the free things you’re given and then you take them home and you’re like...’sh*t!’ Q. Where is your favourite shop in Birmingham? A. Cow in Digbeth, they always look after me. Q. What is next for TROUMACA? A. Well we’ve got Mostly Jazz coming up in June and Pukkelpop in Belgium and then hopefully we’ll have a single out in a few months. Brum Notes Magazine
EST.2012
in association with EST.2012
This month our resident fashion snapper strayed off the streets and into the clubs of Digbeth to capture the styles on show. The nightlife scene in this city presents a prime example of the many subcultures of style from the most garish of shirts to DIY jewellery, customised shorts to your grandad’s old jumper. This city is filled with an abundance of stylish and free thinking individuals and it’s something top fashion houses and the like could learn a lot from.
25
June 2012
IN THE CLU B S
SPEAKEASY
SPEAKEASY
great western arcade. birmingham
www.liquorstoreclothing.com
26
Brum Notes Magazine
FOOD + DRINK
The New Inn in Harborne has been taken over and given a stylish new facelift by the same team behind boho boozers such as The Victoria, The Rose Villa Tavern and The Jekyll & Hyde. A modern twist on the traditional steak and ale house, it offers a tantalising charcoal grill menu alongside an impressive selection of beers and bespoke cocktails. Plus, it boasts a large seating area in the leafy surrounds of Harborne and even its own bowling green making it the perfect spot for supping some summer drinks. Here, assistant general manager Jon Tipton takes us through some of his favourite tipples to enjoy in the sunshine.
cocktailS of the month: Summer Coolers Here at The New Inn we have only recently opened our doors, but now we are in full swing serving our mix of classic and signature cocktails and summer is upon us. As the weather is heating up, so the drinks are cooling down. There is nothing better than relaxing in the sun with a long, ice cold, refreshing cocktail. When making summer drinks take advantage of fresh fruits and berries that are available this time of year and go heavy on freshly squeezed fruit juice for extra refreshment. Keep it simple and give a nod to the classics. Use a quality base spirit, balance the sweet to the sour and add flavour however you want as there is a huge selection of liqueurs, syrups and bitters available on the market. Why not try playing with herbs, spices and exotic fruits? For now I have kept this straightforward with two cocktail recipes that have a real summer feel to them. The first is Tom Collins. The recipe for the Tom Collins first appeared in the 1876 edition of The Bartenders Guide by the ‘father of mixology’ Jerry Thomas. This recipe has survived throughout the eras and is as popular as ever. A great burst of citrus with a nice kick of gin. Thirst quenching to say the least. The second is one of my own concoctions. The base is Courvoisier Exclusif, which works great in long drinks. It has a rich balance of floral and oak flavours that survive the dilution. Mixed with the herbal flavours of Benedictine and a sweet touch of almond in the orgeat syrup, add a quick lift with the orange bitters and an all round complement of fresh raspberries. Enjoy! By Jon Tipton, assistant general manager, The New Inn, Vivian Street, Harborne, Birmingham. Call 0121 426 3373 or visit www.newinnharborne.co.uk.
June 2012
Recipe: Tom Collins Ingredients: 50ml Old Tom gin Juice of 1 lemon 2 bar spoons of fine caster sugar Directions: Stir sugar with lemon juice in a tall glass, fill with ice and add gin. Stir, add more ice and top with soda. Use a lemon wedge to garnish.
Recipe: Exclusif cooler Ingredients: 40ml Courvoisier Exclusif 20ml Benedictine 10ml orgeat syrup Dash of orange bitters 5 fresh raspberries Directions: Muddle raspberries in Boston glass then add ingredients. Shake hard with ice. Strain into an ice filled tall glass and garnish with a fresh raspberry and a lemon peel. 27
WHAT’S ON M M M M CN
Friday, Jun 1 Hang Fire
The Asylum
Birmingham
The End @ The Ballroom The Rainbow
Birmingham
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Club PST
Birmingham
Gatecrasher
Birmingham Birmingham
Shuffle
Gibb Street Warehouse Island Bar
Propaganda
O2 Academy
Birmingham
Remedy
The Jekyll & Hyde
Birmingham
Pride
The Nightingale
Birmingham
Showcase Part II
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Burlusconi’s
The Victoria
Birmingham
Le Lieu Present Koreless Envy
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
The Cross
Moseley
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Civic Hall
Wolverhampton
The Lieutentants Islet Vigilance Committee Seedy Sonics After Party Supersonic Vague
CN CN Laurent Garnier CN CN CN CN CN CN CN
CN Holly Walsh C Stewart Francis C M M M M
The Actress & Bishop The Asylum
Birmingham
Guile
The Flapper
Birmingham
Bleech
The Sunflower Lounge The Wagon & Horses Hare & Hounds
Birmingham
El Toro
M
Dirty Fox Records Launch Party Summer Ball
CN CN Tiki Saturdays CN Subculture CN Machine
CN CN C M M M 28
Birmingham
Saturday, Jun 2 Six Hour Showdown We Hunt in Packs
M
CN CN CN CN
Birmingham
KEY TO LISTINGS: M = LIVE MUSIC CN = CLUB NIGHT C = COMEDY
M M M CN CN CN
Call Me Unique
The Flapper
Birmingham
The Mighty Young
The Flapper
Birmingham
The Bombergs
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Twice As Nice
Gatecrasher
Birmingham
Hype
Lab11
Birmingham
Vodbull Foam Party Below 7th Birthday Manhattan Loft
The Ballroom
Birmingham
The Rainbow
Birmingham
The Victoria
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
The Asylum
Birmingham
The Ballroom
Birmingham
M The Heels M CN Bruk Up With E
The Flapper
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
CN
Bull’s Head
Moseley
M Ginger Wildheart M CN Homeboy Sand-
Symphony Hall
Birmingham
The Asylum
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
M
Kitchen Garden Cafe O2 Academy 2
Birmingham
Hoodie Allen
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
Among Brothers
The Ballroom
Birmingham
Maximo Park
The Glee Club
Birmingham
No Lights At Lockdown Acoustic Club
The Temple @ HMV Institute Bull’s Head
Birmingham
HMV Institute
Birmingham
The Victoria
Birmingham
CN
CN CN Absolut Reggae CN Gilles Peterson M M
Kings Heath
HMV Institute
Birmingham
Island Bar
Birmingham
The Ballroom
Birmingham Birmingham
Dr Jekyll’s Potion
The End @ The Ballroom The Jekyll & Hyde
Face
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Funk Fusion
The Victoria
Birmingham
TRMNL Bank Holiday Special The Resident Payback Party King Of The Beats Present Party Groove Holly Walsh
Lab11
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Birmingham
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Sunday, Jun 3 Free Love Club
Island Bar
Birmingham
Wormrot
The Asylum
Birmingham
Strangle Kojak
The Ballroom
Birmingham
Kunt And The Gang Bordello Fish
Double D Jam Jah
Tuesday, Jun 5 The Chieftains
Birmingham
Birmingham
Monday, Jun 4 Tree of Sores
M M M M M
man Wednesday, Jun 6 The Hackensaw Boys Django Django
M CN Full Moon CN Moschino Hoe, M M M M M M M
Versace Hottie Thursday, Jun 7 A$Ap Rocky
Moseley
HMV Institute
Birmingham
Acoustic Lounge
Island Bar
Birmingham
Blink 182
NIA
Birmingham
Awesome Proportion Mary Black
The Flapper
Birmingham
Town Hall
Birmingham
Boyd
Bull’s Head
Moseley
SOiL + Fozzy
The Slade Rooms, Broad Street The Victoria
Wolverhampton
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
CN Manhattan Loft Jason John WhiteC C
Birmingham
head John Robins
Birmingham
Brum Notes Magazine
M M M M M M CN CN CN CN CN
Friday, Jun 8 Lynus
The Actress & Bishop The Ballroom
Birmingham
The End @ The Ballroom The Flapper
Birmingham
Birmingham
Daedelus
The Wagon & Horses Bull’s Head
Resonance
Club PST
Birmingham
Supersonic Vague
Gatecrasher
Birmingham
Tiki Friday
Island Bar
Birmingham
Propaganda
O2 Academy
Birmingham
Heducation 11th Birthday Remedy
The End @ The Ballroom The Jekyll & Hyde
Birmingham
The Rainbow
Birmingham
The Musgraves Edge of Reason Our Mutual Friend The Nightingales
CN CN Highgrade CN Shuffle CN The Source PreC M M M M M CN CN CN CN CN CN
sent Stu Allan & DJ Storm Jason John Whitehead Saturday, Jun 9 Cursive Sons of the Desert Gandalf Murphy & The Slambovian Circus Of Dreams Rubicava
Birmingham
Birmingham
Moseley
Birmingham
The Glee Club
Birmingham
M
O2 Academy 2
Birmingham
The Actress & Bishop The Ballroom
Birmingham
M
Birmingham
Panic!
The Temple @ HMV Institute HMV Institute
Missy Rodrigez
Island Bar
Birmingham
Dr Jekyll’s Potion
The Jekyll & Hyde
Birmingham
FACE
The Rainbow
Birmingham
TRMNL presents Troy Pierce Soul Food Soundsystem High Fidelity
Lab11
Birmingham
Birmingham
CN CN Hot Club De
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
CN
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Clutching At Straws Carousel Circus
M Chazzstock M CN Say Nada M
Monday, Jun 11 Jim White
CN Jam Jah M
Tuesday, Jun 12 Ben Montague
June 2012
M M M CN CN C M M
Birmingham
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Island Bar
Birmingham
The Flapper
Birmingham
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Civic Hall
Wolverhampton
The Wagon & Horses
Birmingham
The Library @ HMV Institute Bull’s Head O2 Academy 3
Birmingham Moseley Birmingham
The Ballroom
Birmingham
LG Arena
Birmingham
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Bull’s Head
Moseley
HMV Institute
Birmingham
Thursday, Jun 14 Acoustic Lounge
Island Bar
Birmingham
Sam Sparro
O2 Academy 2
Birmingham
Lucy Rose
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Manhattan Loft
The Victoria
Birmingham
Fantastic Damage
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Michael Legge
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Friday, Jun 15 Elton John
LG Arena
Birmingham
The Actress & Bishop The Temple @ HMV Institute Bull’s Head
Birmingham
Lucy Wainwright Roach The Milk
M Com Truise M CN Full Moon
Kings Heath
Birmingham
M M
M M
Birmingham
The Victoria
C
M
Hare & Hounds
Birmingham
Swing Hot Wax Free Party Jason John Whitehead Sunday, Jun 10 Free Love Club
Legend Wednesday, Jun 13 Jay-Z & Kanye West Mark Stewart
The Victoria
The Flapper
Cud
M
CN CN CN CN CN
No Sleep For Dreamer Fighting With Wire John Napier & The Guitarheads Supersonic Vague
Birmingham Moseley
Gatecrasher
Birmingham
Tiki Friday
Island Bar
Birmingham
Propaganda
O2 Academy
Birmingham
Remedy
The Jekyll & Hyde
Birmingham
Spartanz Summer Slam Hot Wax
The Rainbow
Birmingham
The Victoria
Birmingham Birmingham
Michael Legge
The Wagon & Horses The Glee Club
Saturday, Jun 16 Blink 182
LG Arena
Birmingham
Boyce Avenue
O2 Academy
Birmingham
Tom Anderson
The Actress & Bishop The Flapper
Birmingham
Island Bar
Birmingham
CN CN Only After Dark CN Dr Jekyll’s Potion CN FACE + UBER feat
The Ballroom
Birmingham
The End
Birmingham
The Jekyll & Hyde
Birmingham
The Rainbow
Birmingham
CN
Lab11
Birmingham
CN CN The Garden Get-
The Victoria
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
C
CN CN Osmosis C M M M
TOWNS M CN Education in Sound Beat Down
M M M M
Andre Lodemann TRMNL Cadenza Showcase Sweat together With Norman Jay Michael Legge
Birmingham
Birmingham
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Sunday, Jun 17 Free Love Club
Island Bar
Birmingham
Dale Hanson
The Flapper
Birmingham
Trash Talk
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Jack Savoretti
The Temple @ HMV Institute
Birmingham
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Monday, Jun 18 Best Coast M All The Young M CN Jam Jah
M M M M M M
Tuesday, Jun 19 Chris Cornell
Birmingham
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Symphony Hall
Birmingham
Wednesday, Jun 20 The Promise
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Acoustic Club
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Tom Hingley
The Robin
Bilston
Thursday, Jun 21 Acoustic Lounge Twitching Tongues
M
VeXXen
M
Hank 3
CN Manhattan Loft CN Tropicalia Launch C C
O2 Academy 2
Night Chris Ramsey
Island Bar
Birmingham
The Actress & Bishop The End @ The Ballroom The Library @ HMV Institute The Victoria
Birmingham
Bull’s Head
Moseley
Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham
M M M M M M M
Kings Heath Moseley
Thursday, Jun 28 Nas
M Acoustic Lounge M The Neat M CN General Theory of
HMV Institute
Birmingham
Island Bar
Birmingham
The Flapper
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
CN Gary Delaney C
Bull’s Head
Moseley
The Glee Club
Birmingham
HMV Institute
Birmingham Birmingham
Million Empire
The Actress & Bishop The End @ The Ballroom The Flapper
Paper Tiger
Bull’s Head
Moseley
The View
Wulfrun Hall
Wolverhampton
Supersonic Vague
Gatecrasher
Birmingham
Tiki Friday
Island Bar
Birmingham
Propaganda
O2 Academy
Birmingham
Remedy
The Jekyll & Hyde
Birmingham
Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Afterparty With Mr Scruff Gary Delaney
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
The Glee Club
Birmingham
O2 Academy
Birmingham Birmingham
Loveless Luck
The Actress & Bishop The Flapper
FACE
The Rainbow
Birmingham
TRMNL
Lab11
Birmingham
Neither Nor
Island Bar
Birmingham
Dr Jekyll’s Potion
The Jekyll & Hyde
Birmingham
Club A GoGo
The Victoria
Birmingham
Lost Hours - The Summer Party Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Afterparty With Craig Charles Shelter present Apartment:9732 Knicker Bocker Clubnight Gary Delaney
The Wagon & Horses Hare & Hounds
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Bull’s Head
Moseley
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Dub Tropicalia
M
Birmingham
The Wagon & Horses Bull’s Head
Birmingham
CN CN Propaganda CN Live Forever CN Bombstore Pre-
Gatecrasher
Birmingham
O2 Academy
Birmingham
M M M CN CN CN CN CN
The Victoria
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
C
The Glee Club
Birmingham
The Actress & Bishop The End @ The Ballroom Hare & Hounds
Birmingham
M
M M M CN
Frutaloka & Friends Supersonic Vague
sent Scratcha Dva Chris Ramsey
Saturday, Jun 23 Those Amongst Us Are Wolves Loose Lips Bloom + The Noose + Vault Of Eagles Channel One Sound System FACE
Moseley
Birmingham Kings Heath
The Victoria
Birmingham
CN CN TRMNL CN User CN Futureboogie
The Rainbow
Birmingham
Lab11
Birmingham
Hare & Hounds
Kings Heath
Bull’s Head
Moseley
C M M M
Party Chris Ramsey
Birmingham
Bull’s Head
Birmingham
Yeah Yeah No
O2 Academy
Acoustic Club
The Actress & Bishop The End @ The Ballroom The Flapper
Birmingham
Birmingham
Gojira
Birmingham
M
Cold Fields
Birmingham
NIA
Hare & Hounds
Birmingham
M M
HMV Institute
Nicki Minaj
HMV Institute
LG Arena
The Domino Set
Wolverhampton
Tuesday, Jun 26 Editors
Carly Connor
M M M
M
M
Wulfrun Hall
Birmingham
Kings Heath
M
Birmingham
Patti Smith
The Glee Club
Hare & Hounds
M
Birmingham
O2 Academy 3
Terri Clark
Birmingham
Hal Cruttenden
O2 Academy
Page 44
Wednesday, Jun 27 Editors
The Glee Club
Friday, Jun 22 Jay-Z & Kanye West Bullitstorm
Alanis Morissette
C M M M CN CN CN CN CN CN CN
The Glee Club
Birmingham
Sunday, Jun 24 Free Love Club
CN
Island Bar
Birmingham
CN
Alyssa Reid
O2 Academy 3
Birmingham
Kate Nash
The Glee Club
Birmingham
C
Friday, Jun 29 Marina & The Diamonds The High Commissioners Muthafunk
Saturday, Jun 30 Mike And The Mechanics DRAG
Birmingham Birmingham
Birmingham
Kings Heath
Monday, Jun 25
30
Brum Notes Magazine
mac birmingham proudly presents
Outdoor Arena Music Extravaganza Have some fun in the sun (or rain) Tickets THE Destroyers Sat
Sheelanagig
&Jul
7.30PM
THE LOW ANTHEM 3PM ONE BEAT SUNDAY Moseley Folk Festival & mac birmingham present
Get Your
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£15 (£12)
7.30PM
One Beat Records, Birmimgham Promoters and mac birmingham proudly present a day-long music festival
All Day
SUN SWIM DEEP
THE CARPELS
22 JUL
Get Your
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Plus dj sets, vintage clothing, outdoor bar & BBQ
Sales & Information 0121 446 3232 www.macarts.co.uk
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Outdoor Arena
Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH June 2012
31
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Brum Notes Magazine