May issue

May 2011

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

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BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE MARK E GOES BACK TO HIS ROOTS

Plus: Pete & The Pirates Ali Campbell on life after UB40 Misty’s Big Adventure Brother The Lines Also inside: Details of Birmingham’s newest alternative nightclub plus a revamp for one of Moseley’s essential nightspots // We look ahead to three festivals heading for the city // And, plan your month with our comprehensive What’s On guide May 2011

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Brum Notes Magazine

May 2011

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Brum Notes Magazine 120 The Greenhouse The Custard Factory Digbeth Birmingham B9 4AA

CONTENTS

Contact: info@brumnotes.com 0121 224 7363 Advertising: Contact: 0121 224 7363 or advertising@brumnotes. com Distribution: StickupMedia! 0121 224 7364 Editor: Chris Moriarty Contributors Words: Jon Pritchard, Daron Billings, Andy Roberts, Ross Cotton, Ben Russell, Sean Murray Pictures: Wayne Fox, Andy Hughes, Brendan Patchell, Laura Jackman, Rory Barber Design: Sleepy.me.uk, Andy Aitken All content © Brum Notes Magazine. Views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Brum Notes Magazine.

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

P6-9 P10 P28-30 P31 P34 P40-46

P12-13 P14 P15 P16 P17 P18 P19 P20-21 P22-23 P24-25 P26-27

REGULARS: NEWS COMPETITIONS LIVE REVIEWS CLUB WATCH WHAT’S ON - your comprehensive guide to music, clubs and comedy across the West Midlands this month FEATURES: FESTIVAL PREVIEW: Off The Cuff FESTIVAL PREVIEW: The Mostly Jazz Festival FESTIVAL PREVIEW: BASS Festival COMEDY: Ed Byrne COMEDY: Dom Joly MUSIC: Misty’s Big Adventure MUSIC: The Lines MUSIC: Brother MUSIC: Ali Campbell MUSIC: Pete & the Pirates CLUBBING: Mark E

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

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Brum Notes Magazine

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music fans to get in a spin at laundrette party A Birmingham laundrette will be awash with revellers this month when it hosts a live gig and party.

London-based calypso-infused indie punk trio Real Fur will play live at the Selly Soak Laundrette in Selly Oak on May 12, with support from MC Sarpanch.

The band, led by Walsall-born and Birmingham-schooled frontman Leo Duncan, have performed a number of pop-up laundrette gigs in the capital and are now taking the idea on the road with a tour of launderettes around the country. The dates have been named the Safari Punk parties and precede the release of the band’s debut single Animal on June 6 through their own label, Safari Park Records.

Tickets for the gig cost £4 in advance and are available from www. musicglue.net/ safarifunk.

BRUM ROCKERS FIRE OUT SERIES OF SINGLES Birmingham groove rockers Butterfly Fan the Inferno release the second in a series of five singles next month.

The four-piece unveiled their debut single Brassneck last November, which was named Track of the Day by Classic Rock magazine.

The follow-up, Sunset Scavengers, will be available to download from June 6.

Frontman John Kelly said they were self-releasing a series of singles in order to show people what they could do.

"It's a great time for music, the evolution of DIY,” he said. “At the same time, how do you get your music into the ears of the 100,000 people scattered around Europe who might love it? That's always been the hard part and still is."

HAPPY SNAPS FOR METAL BAND Heavy metal band Action Replay enjoyed a free photoshoot from Birmingham-based photographer Steve Gerrard after penning their own critique of legendary rockers Led Zeppelin.

The female-fronted outfit entered the Home of Metal competition after reading about it in our March issue.

The contest invited bands to describe their Midlands musical heroes as part of the Home of Metal campaign celebrating the musical heritage of Birmingham and the Black Country. The photoshoot took place at the Home of Metal open day at The Public arts centre in West Bromwich at the end of March.

Winning band Action Replay formed four years ago and released their debut EP Burning in Ice in February, earning radio airplay and performing live across Europe. Their next gig is at Plug in Digbeth, Birmingham, on May 27.

Home of Metal hosts exhibitions at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and Wolverhampton Art Gallery from June 18.

For full details on forthcoming events and the campaign visit www.homeofmetal.com.

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Butterfly Fan the Inferno headline The Flapper, Birmingham, on May 26, tickets £5 in advance or £6 on the door.

NEW COMPILATION CD TO SHOWCASE CITY TALENT A compilation record has been put together aimed at celebrating some of Birmingham’s best independent musicians.

Vicinity Records presents Sounds of the City was due for release on April 29 and will be available for download as well as in CD format on sale online and in a select number of independent businesses in the city. The genre-crossing compilation aims to showcase a range of local acts to a wider audience, with all profits from the sales being donated to charity the Ian Edwards Cancer Break Trust, which funds respite breaks for cancer sufferers.

Artists appearing on the 10-track album include the likes of Romans, Glatzé, Tempting Rosie, BAD MC and Vinny & the Curse.

For full details and to buy visit www.soundsofthecity.co.uk.

Brum Notes Magazine

SPECIALIST MUSIC SCHOOL LAUNCHES IN WALSALL A new music school aimed at bringing together some of the highest quality teachers in the Midlands has been launched at a Walsall studio.

JJM Music School, based at JJM Studios, Pool Street, offers teaching from a select team of professional musicians aimed at beginner, intermediate or advanced level students.

Students can learn in group or one-on-one teaching environments from specialist teachers who are all active industry professionals, and cover everything from guitar, bass and drums to DJing, piano, vocals and recording techniques. The school also hosts live performance workshops, jam nights and industry-led clinics.

Director Jay Mitchell said they were committed to providing the highest level of teaching anywhere in the Midlands.

“The objective of JJM Music School is to provide the training required for students to realise their ambitions in today’s music industry,” he added.

For more information visit www.jjmstudios.co.uk/tuition or call 01922 629700.

IN BRIEF Birmingham Arts Mutual (BAM!), a collective of individual artists and creative professionals, has launched a series of live events called A Small Revolution, aimed at putting 100 per cent of ticket revenue towards professional recording for the featured artists.

Gigs continue this month at The Bristol Pear in Selly Oak on May 18, 20 and 21, priced £3 early bird or £4 adv. Event staff and artists are contributing their time on a voluntary basis while venue and PA hire are provided free, and the project has also been given specially discounted rates at Blue Whale Studios in The Custard Factory. The project aims to bring in enough revenue for around 25 singles a year. Further schemes are being planned, while new members are welcome to join the collective.

Visit www.facebook.com/birminghamartsmutual.

A new independent fashion, home and arts fair launches at Space 2 in Birmingham’s Custard Factory this month. Retro Brum launches on May 7 with catwalk shows, live artists, style and make-up tips and DJ sets. More fairs are planned for May 21, then twice monthly. Anyone interested in hosting a stall can contact birdcagevintage@hotmail.co.uk.

exciting line-up announced for moseley folk fest Villagers, Stornoway, Crystal Fighters and Willy Mason are among those making up a tantalising and cutting edge lineup for this year’s Moseley Folk Festival.

The festival runs from September 2 to 4 at Moseley Park with the exciting bill spearheaded by Malian desert rebel bluesmen Tinariwen (pictured bottom), Mancunian pop-folk star Badly Drawn Boy, socialist folk-punk poet Billy Bragg and Oxford indie folk four-piece Stornoway (pictured above).

Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys brings his acclaimed solo show to the festival on the opening day, as well as Mercury-nominated Irish troubadour Villagers (pictured right).

Saturday will see festival favourites The Bees returning, as well as velvet-voiced Swede José González as part of downbeat folk outfit Junip.

Among the local talent taking to the stage during the weekend are Vijay Kishore, Boat to Row and Malpas, while Ivor Novello-winning Wulfrunian Scott Matthews also makes a welcome return.

Further additions to the line-up are due to be announced over the coming weeks.

Adult tickets are priced £28.50 for the Friday and £37 for Saturday or Sunday, £60 or £65 for two-day tickets or £79 for a weekend pass. Children get in at reduced prices.

Visit www.moseleyfolk.co.uk to book or for more details.

Teenage DIY remix master Sigmund Frued continues his series of free download releases this month. His beat-laden The Uncanny Beats collection is being released through Speech Fewapy Records and tracks have to be unlocked at www.speechfewapy. com by sharing through Facebook and Twitter. His third single is available from May 16. His own monthly club night Fantastic Damage launches on May 12 at the Bulls Head, Moseley.

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Photo by Laura Jackman

moseley nightspot the bull’s head gets a revamp One of Moseley’s long-established nightspots has been given a facelift and is set for a re-launch this month.

The Bull’s Head in St Marys Row unveils a new programme of nightly entertainment and weekend socials this month aimed at putting the venue back at the heart of the area’s cutting edge scene.

The pub’s interior has been given a complete overhaul with eyecatching music memorabilia adding to the relaxed vibe downstairs, while the upstairs has been re-designed with a state-of-the-art soundsystem and an enlarged dancefloor providing a high quality and uniquely intimate live music and clubbing space.

Live music will be returning to the venue on a regular basis, showcasing the finest local talent and new bands with everything from acoustic socials to full-on live music nights.

Birmingham Promoters are teaming up with eclectic clubbing brand Freestyle to revolutionise Friday nights, with the best local bands performing live during the evening before Freestyle resident Sam Redmore and a selection of guest DJs take over the decks to keep the party vibe going into the early hours.

Thursdays will rotate between the live sounds of We Love Brum and Superfuzz Bigmuff, plus spoken word at Jodi Ann Bickley’s Speak Up sessions, and leftfield hip hop from Fantastic Damage, while Happy Cycling brings the best in downtempo and chillout music to the downstairs bar every Thursday.

Soothing acoustic sounds also make a welcome return, with cult folk promoters and label Bohemian Jukebox returning to the live arena after a 15-month hiatus, to host a monthly Sunday Social on the second Sunday of each month.

Plus, we will be launching our very own weekly open mic and acoustic night in the shape of Brum Notes Magazine presents Fresh Talent. The free entry event takes place every Tuesday giving local performers the chance to show their skills as well as giving you the chance to see the finest emerging talent performing unique acoustic and stripped down sets.

Also establishing themselves on the venue’s weekly calendar will be forward-thinking club brand Elixir who will host a weekly live radio show and social every Wednesday, showcasing the best in future sounds and experimental dance music, streamed live through

Rhubarb Radio.

The Bull’s Head will also continue to offer its high quality mix of eclectic club nights from the likes of Jam Jah, PROspec, Habit and This is Tomorrow, all with the added bonus of a brand new soundsystem and additional floor space.

Venue owner Adam Regan said: “Moseley is supposed to be the hub of Birmingham’s cultural scene but it has been lacking an established music venue for too long. We’re hoping to put quality live music and boutique club nights back into Moseley’s nightlife calendar with an eclectic programme of events and line-ups, all delivered within an atmosphere and venue befitting the area.”

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Bull’s Head new programme highlights: Weekly Tuesdays: Brum Notes Magazine presents Fresh Talent - Open mic, acoustic and stripped down performances from Birmingham’s finest emerging artists. Starts May 24. www. brumnotes.com/freshtalent Weekly Wednesdays: Elixir Social - listen to the best in experimental dance music in a relaxed atmosphere, streamed live on Rhubarb Radio. www.elixirelixir.com Thursdays: Rotate between live music from We Love Brum and Superfuzz Bigmuff, spoken word from Jodi Ann Bickley and leftfield hip-hop from Fantastic Damage.

Weekly Fridays: Freestyle and Birmingham Promoters present live bands and fresh DJs Monthly Sundays: Bohemian Jukebox returns with the best in altfolk at the Sunday Social, second Sunday of every month

Photo by Laura Jackman

Image Copyright Brendan Patchell

For full details see www.bullsheadmoseley.co.uk.

Brum Notes Magazine

New alternative nightclub to open in city centre A new independent nightclub dedicated to alternative music opens in Birmingham city centre this month.

Vudu opens its doors on May 13 after taking over the former Mint Nightclub on Smallbrook Queensway.

special offers. Details on weekly Monday indie club night Control are also due to be announced soon.

Vudu will also host one of Birmingham’s only under-18 club nights, Teenculture, launching on Saturday, June 4, a monthly night of rock and alternative music for 14 to 17-year-olds.

For more information see www.facebook.com/vuduclub.

For a chance to win VIP opening weekend tickets see P10.

The club, described by venue bosses as “a 1,200 capacity noncorporate playground,” houses three themed rooms with interactive audio-visual screens, dancefloors, gaming zones, cocktail and shot bars, a room with panoramic city views, chill-out areas and snugs as well as a purpose-built stage, lighting and PA system for live bands.

Each room has also been uniquely decorated with voodoo-themed graffiti from local artist Joshua Billingham.

The venue opening also sees the return of former indie club night favourite Ramshackle after more than two years away. The club night, once a staple ingredient of the local music scene, plays the best in indie classics, new music and party tunes spread across three floors and will take place every Friday night from May 13,with DJs including Steve Gerrard, Steve Webb, Andy Hinton and more.

Alternative rock night Subculture will take over Saturdays after moving from the nearby O2 Academy with its new night Subz playing the best in rock, metal, hardcore and more.

The club is also launching a new loyalty card scheme alongside sister venue Subside, a rock bar in Fletchers Walk, offering the chance to get reduced entry to both venues as well as drinks deals and other

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Terms & conditions apply. All winners will be notified by email.

COMPETITIONS

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble - May 21, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath Music-fuelled concept kitchen Soul Food Project celebrates its first birthday in true party style with a live show headlined by the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. The 10-piece brass band worked with Gorillaz on their acclaimed Plastic Beach record last year and have starred on Later with Jools Holland as well as on stages and at festivals around the world.

On May 21 they perform at the Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath, Soul Food Project’s first home, with support on the night coming from Coldrice, Leftfoot and Soul Food Project DJs. Tickets for the one-off show cost £15 but we’ve got one pair to give away to a lucky reader who can tell us: What was the name of the Gorillaz record released last year featuring the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble?

For your chance to win a pair of tickets email your answer along with your name, age and contact phone number to competitions@brumnotes.com by May 18.

Benji B - June 11, BASS Festival @Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath

Vudu opening weekend - May 13-14, Vudu, Birmingham

Renowned BBC 1Xtra and Radio 1 DJ Benji B brings his distinctive mix of cutting edge and classic house, dubstep and hip hop to the Hare & Hounds on June 11 as part of next month’s BASS Festival - see P15 for our preview of the month-long musical celebration.

The versatile turntablist has spent nearly a decade hosting his own BBC radio show and has become a respected name across a variety of dance, electronic and urban musical genres.

Tickets for the show, which kicks off at 10pm at the Kings Heath venue, cost £7 in advance, but we’ve got one pair to giveaway to someone who can answer the following simple question:

Vudu, Birmingham’s newest dedicated alternative music nightclub, opens its doors this month with two of the city’s most famous indie and rock club nights making welcome returns. The venue in Smallbrook Queensway opens its doors on May 13 with the return of indie disco Ramshackle, while the following night, May 14, rock and metal party Subculture re-launches in its new home.

We’ve got a VIP package for both nights to give away giving you and four friends free entry plus a selection of free drinks vouchers to use throughout the night.

To stand a chance of winning and becoming one of the first people to experience the city’s freshest alternative clubbing environment just tell us in less than 30 words:

What does BASS stand for in BASS Festival?

Email your answer along with your name, age and contact phone number to competitions@brumnotes.com by May 31.

Staff Benda Bilili - May 14, Town Hall, Birmingham Afrobeat outfit Staff Benda Bilili formed from a group of homeless musicians who lived and rehearsed around the grounds of Kinshasa Zoo in the Congo, before being given the chance to record and perform around the world.

Their amazing story 10

If you could have a voodoo doll of any pop or rock star, who would it be and why?

Send answers along with your name, age and contact number to competitions@brumnotes.com by May 10. Please specify which of the two club nights you would like to attend. Winners will be notified by email before May 13.

has been captured in Cannes award-winning film Benda Bilili!, while they bring their rhythmic live show to the Town Hall on May 14. We’ve got a pair of tickets to give away for the show as well as a DVD of Benda Bilili! and a CD. For a chance to win tell us: What continent do Staff Benda Bilili hail from?

Email answers to competitions@brumnotes.com by May 10.

Brum Notes Magazine

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Festivals

OFF THE CUFF returns to The Flapper this summer and is set to be bigger, louder and sweatier than ever. This year’s festival has a bigger capacity after 2010’s sell-out success, not to mention a killer line-up. In the first of our exclusive previews, we talk to the three local acts given the honour of kicking off each day of the festival. We asked each band the same seven questions, they answered with a mixture of excitement, modesty and quotes from The Office.

PANDAS & PEOPLE How would you describe yourselves to those unfamiliar with your band?

Erm... We listen to a lot different types of music. I guess our sound is a culmination of all of it.

What are you most looking forward to about playing at the Off the Cuff festival?

We are really looking forward to playing our set to lots of new people, obviously, but we are also really looking forward to watching loads of bands that we’ve not seen before.

Who else will you be most looking forward to watching?

DD/MM/YYYY. Just listened to them, they sound great!

There’s only a select number of local bands on the bill this year - were you pleased/surprised/excited to be asked?

Yes, very much so! Can’t wait!

What’s next on the agenda for your band?

Did no get an agenda.

What do you make of today’s music scene in Birmingham?

Too many dudes, not enough chicks. Loads of wicked bands though!!!

And finally, why should everyone make sure they watch you at Off the Cuff?

People should watch us because we are the first band to play and we will hopefully set the festival off to a good start.

Pandas & People open Off the Cuff on Friday, July 22 Visit www.pandasandpeople.co.uk

death ohh eff How would you describe yourselves?

We are a three-piece from the rural abyss of Warwickshire playing noisy, hi-fi, keyboard-driven, sweaty pop music.

What are you most looking forward to about playing Off the Cuff?

It will be sick to play a legit festival, I remember we played one a few years ago to a field full of families where we had no monitors. I think we ruined a lot of people’s family fun that day.

Who else will you be most looking forward to watching?

Definitely Dananananaykroyd, who are headlining on the day we open. Haven’t heard much from them since their album which was sick. Stoked to be on the same bill as those guys.

There’s only a select number of local bands on the bill this year - were you pleased/surprised/excited to be asked?

Yeah totally pleased, surprised and excited, I think we must unintentionally be one of the slackest bands in the whole of the Midlands so being booked for something like this is a pleasant surprise.

What’s next on the agenda for your band?

Recording new songs, trying to play as many dates as possible and hopefully do a mini tour of some kind, though the aforementioned slackness may well get in the way of all of these ambitions.

What do you make of today’s music scene in Birmingham?

I think its sick, there are definitely enough events and new bands about to keep the scene stimulated, but it would be nice to see more Midlands bands ‘hit the big time.’ There have been bands killing it on the scene for so many years who never quite seem to break out of Birmingham.

And finally, why should everyone make sure they watch you?

Getting to the gig to view the first bands is a great excuse to get on the midday beers, also our boy Kanye has promised to do guest vocals if we can get the funds together to pay for his flight.

Death Ohh Eff open day three, on Sunday, July 24 Visit www.deathohheff.blogspot.com

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Brum Notes Magazine

ROMANS How would you describe yourselves?

We are four people who absolutely love to play music. We beat the shit out of our instruments and always play like it’s our last show.

Aggressive rock n roll is what we would probably call ourselves.

What are you most looking forward to about playing Off the Cuff?

We’ll have an audience to bounce off - people to captivate and entertain. For those 30 minutes, we can show people how much we want to do this, and we can make the most of one of the best venues in Birmingham. This is by far the biggest thing that’s happened to us in our short time as a band.

Who else will you be most looking forward to watching?

The list is endless: from local bands like Shapes and &U&I, to the likes of DD/MM/YYYY; Dananananaykroyd; Hawk Eyes; The Computers and more. And a special mention for Brontide who are an absolutely phenomenal spectacle.

There’s only a select number of local bands on the bill this year - were you pleased/surprised/excited to be asked?

We were every one of those emotions and more. When we were told, it was possibly the campest two minutes the band has ever seen. There was more hugging, screaming and bum-slapping than there really should be between four straight guys. To be allowed to share a stage with the calibre of bands playing is a huge compliment, and a privilege.

What’s next on the agenda for your band?

To play to anyone who is willing to listen. And if you don’t want to listen, we will probably play at you anyway. Our debut EP Black Ties is set for release on June 10 on Pornography For Cowards Music.

Now is a good time to be a Roman.

What do you make of today’s music scene in Birmingham?

Honestly? You’ll find a lot of people that will tell you that the Birmingham scene is dead, but that’s a bit of a lazy outlook; there are some absolutely amazing local bands, and if you take the time and make the effort to find them, you will be suitably rewarded.

And finally, why should everyone make sure they watch you?

We have a point to prove at OTC, no one there has heard of us before, and we will be doing our utmost to make sure that people come away knowing who we are. For those 30 minutes we get that venue to ourselves, we will play like it’s our gig and give you everything we have got.

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Romans open day two of the festival, on Saturday, July 23 Visit www.facebook.com/romansonline Tickets for Off the Cuff are on sale now from www.offthecuffbirmingham.co.uk May 2011

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THE MOSTLY JAZZ FESTIVAL returns to the Birmingham suburb of Moseley for a second time this July. Set in the leafy surrounds of Moseley Park and extended to three days from July 1-3, 2011’s festival brings an eclectic mix of contemporary, fusion and classic jazz, soul and funk. With everything from DJs to big bands, there is plenty on offer whether you’re a pure jazz fan or not. We’ve picked out some of our top choices to get you in the swing of things.

Festivals

Adult day tickets start from £28.50 to £77 for weekend passes. For details or to book visit www.mostlyjazz.co.uk

THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA The Cinematic Orchestra do exactly what they say on the tin. Soundtrack-quality soundscapes from one of the most inventive musical troupes put together in recent years. Headlining the Friday night, this festival exclusive is their only live UK appearance this year and is set to be a special way to celebrate the opening night in the dreamy evening setting of the park.

The Cinematic Orchestra headline the opening night of the festival on Friday, July 1. Also performing on the day are Gilles Peterson, Alice Russell, Brandt Brauer Frick, No Fakin, Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra and Alternative Dubstep Orchestra.

milestones

booker t

Kind of Blue by Miles Davis is the album which even the most fairweather of jazz fans would call a bona fide classic. A jazz staple ingredient for any self-respecting music fan, the record will be played live from beginning to end by Milestones, surely the next best thing for all those of us who never had the honour of seeing the great man perform.

A true legend of the musical world, Booker T is both prolific and multi-talented with whatever instrument he turns his hand to, particularly with his trademark Hammond grooves. Despite a career spanning four decades, his musical output shows no signs of letting up with his latest album, Potato Hole, bagging him a Grammy last year. With plenty of household hits to his name, it’s a fitting way to end the festival.

Milestones play Kind of Blue are third on the bill on Saturday, July 2. Also performing are Matthew Herbert Big Band, Hidden Orchestra, Matthew Halsall, Manouche, Lluis Matther & Noose, The Steve Tromans Debop Band, Levi French Trio and Birmingham Jazz Ensemble.

Booker T headlines on Sunday, July 3, following the likes of Smoove & Turrell, Pigbag and The Atlantic Players.

the after parties While the (hopefully) sun-soaked live sounds floating through Moseley Park will be something special, the after parties will be a different animal altogether. Think sweaty dancefloors and late night debauchery led by expert turntablists every night. Craig Charles finishes things in style by hosting Sunday night’s shindig. The actor-turned-BBC 6Music DJ after has become one of Birmingham’s most in-demand visiting DJs since first gracing Mostly Jazz last year, with his pure party approach and foot-stomping mix of soul and funk classics. New music pioneer Gilles Peterson leads Friday’s after party, followed by Matthew Herbert on Saturday night.

After parties take place at the Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, exclusively for festival ticket holders. Party tickets can be bought from the festival site on the day or booked in advance for collection. Our advice? Get in there quick.

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Brum Notes Magazine

BASS - the British Arts and Street Sounds Festival - takes over venues across Birmingham next month, showcasing the best in black music and art from June 9 to 25. This year’s theme is Revolution, from genre-defining established and underground performers to some of the freshest new talent both locally and internationally. It’s an eclectic mix of live music, club nights, exhibitions and performance art but we’ve picked out a few of our favourite events to look out for next month.

Festivals

Ghostpoet, RoxXxan and Sherrazi This exciting triple bill launches the festival in fitting style showcasing some of the newest sounds coming out of UK black music and with all three acts hailing from the West Midlands. Coventry-born Ghostpoet has already won over BBC Radio 1 taste-maker Gilles Peterson and the softly-spoken 24-year-old’s quirky mixture of electronica, loops and off-kilter musings has been tipped to catapult him onto greater things.

In-demand Birmingham MC RoxXxan has already shared sets with the likes of Skream, Goldie and Caspa, while her dubstep-fuelled track Heavyweight saw her snapped up by Polydor last year, earning praise from the likes of Zane Lowe and DJ Target. Handsworth trio Sherrazi complete the line-up with their blend of downbeat melodies and mesmeric vocals.

Ghostpoet, RoxXxan + Sherrazi perform at The Rainbow on June 9, tickets £8 adv.

spec boogie

benji b

Brooklyn loyalist Spec Boogie embodies the music, fashion and streetwise attitude of modern hip hop, hailing from the same corner as The Notorious BIG. An underground hero of the scene, this appearance is a rare chance to see Spec Boogie’s ferocious live performance on UK soil and is set to be a quick sell-out so get in fast to see this raw talent in action. Known for his nimble delivery, talent for wordplay and ear for experimentation this is honest, urban musical poetry at its best.

Renowned for his revolutionary DJ selections and distinctive style, seamlessly drawing from several electronic dance and urban genres at once, Benji B is always at the cutting edge. A taste-making influence in his own right thanks to his radio career, he comes alive when commanding a dancefloor.

Spec Boogie performs at The Custard Factory on June 11, tickets £9 adv.

HIP HOP REVOLUTION

Benji B is at the Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, on June 11, tickets £7 adv. For your chance to win a pair of tickets see P10.

BASS Festival runs from June 9-25. For ticket and event details visit www.punch-records.co.uk

Kicking off a year long series of dance events presented by festival-organisers Punch, Hip Hop Revolution is built round a specially-created performance that spirals around iconic arts centre The Public in West Bromwich with a finale in which visitors can join in a mass dance. Hip hop culture will take over the venue all day with various free workshops in dance, graffiti, DJing and MCing, while London’s underground dance battlers Throwdown will host a street dance battle to finish off the day.

Hip Hop revolution featuring Throwdown takes place at The Public, West Bromwich, on June 25 from 2pm.

May 2011

15

BYRNE’S NIGHT He has become a recognisable face on a variety of television panel shows, as well as the distinctive voice often heard behind adverts for a certain mobile phone store, but ED BYRNE’S roots are firmly rooted in stand-up. After nearly two decades carving out a career as one of the most respected performers on the circuit, he tells James Rampton it is the live arena which will always be his first love.

“You get this unrivalled buzz from playing live,” beams Ed Byrne. “When you’re on stage, you keep finding new lines. You keep getting better and improving, which is, of course, the same thing.

“There is this brilliant speech in the film Mr Saturday Night, which Billy Crystal’s character gives about what stand-up is. He says, ‘When it’s good, when its cookin’, you got ‘em, they’re yours. You can take ‘em anywhere you want, you’re powerful. You prowl the stage like a panther. It feels so good, the laughs go right into your blood.

You can be a schmuck in the afternoon, but you’re the king of the night. And every woman wants to fuck you, and every man wants to know you.’ I don’t entirely go along with that last bit. If every woman wants to fuck you, then every man wants to punch you.”

A staunch supporter of the stand-up profession — as demonstrated by his notorious Twitter ‘row’ with Keith Chegwin over ‘joke-stealing’ — and always passionate to improve, his own stage craft has developed significantly throughout his career.

So too have the everyman observational subject matters he tackles, reflecting the natural developments in his own life. One such topic which finds its way into his latest tour show Crowd Pleaser is the recent arrival of his first child and seeing the funny side of his wife’s pregnancy.

“I couldn’t wait to be a father,” he deadpans.

“I was desperate to get my wife back. The first three months of her pregnancy were 16

like living with an alcoholic – ‘I feel sick, I need a wee, get out of my way!’

prove that I’m a nerd, but the fact that I worked it out does.”

“She was also afflicted with pregnancy brain. She couldn’t remember the name for anything. It was funny when she met her

Other topics getting the Byrne treatment throughout the evening include cat-owners, children wearing age-inappropriate clothing and agnostics — “They’re like people who smoke occasionally – make your minds up! It’s very easy to take the mick out of religion, attacking agnostics seems like more of a challenge.”

“There are moments where I feel the only time I’m completely at ease is on stage telling jokes… It’s the only time when I feel I know what I’m doing and am in control of everything.” father who has his own ‘senior moments’.

Neither of them could remember the name for the hand of a clock. My mother-in-law and I bonded over the fact that we were shackled to a pair of idiots.”

Not averse to turning his comic weaponry on himself, his new show also gives Ed the chance to ‘come out’ as a nerd. “Judd Apatow movies and the popularity of Simon Pegg have made being a nerd far cooler,” he insists. “So now I’m enjoying letting my inner nerd come out to play a bit more. I’ll be happy to drop a few nerdy references into the show. Did you know, for example, that an anagram of Ed Byrne is ‘Be Nerdy’? That in itself doesn’t

But whatever he is talking about, in his lovably rambling way, the shaggy-haired comic is just happy to be up on stage.

“There are moments where I feel the only time I’m completely at ease is on stage telling jokes,” he admits. “It’s the only time when I feel I know what I’m doing and am in control of everything. Think of the way I put down hecklers on stage – I’d never talk to anyone like that in real life.

“I imagine it’s the same if you’re a champion skier bombing down the mountain at 100 miles an hour, everything else seems irrelevant. The comedian Adam Bloom calls it, ‘Life Fright’. That means you’re happy on stage, but everything else feels intimidating. That’s absolutely right. Live comedy feeds your soul. I just love doing stand-up.”

Ed Byrne: Crowd Pleaser takes place at the Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, on May 20 Brum Notes Magazine

REALITY BITES Accepted wisdom has it that you only appear on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here if your career has tanked. When it comes to DOM JOLY, however, accepted wisdom doesn’t work.

He insists he stepped into the jungle purely because he’d just signed a movie deal, a book deal and a TV deal and, as he says, “didn’t need the show at all.” And as he unwittingly tours the country with a stand-up stage show, he tells Stephen Armstrong why he’s just misunderstood.

For those who first came across Dom Joly as the guerilla improv anarchist from Trigger Happy TV his apparent pandering to mainstream entertainment in the jungle still requires a little more explanation.

“I confess I love reality TV,’ he says. “I shouldn’t, but I think I’m a Celeb is the most brilliantly made show in the world.

They’ve asked me every year, like they ask everyone, and I’ve always said no because I once wrote an article calling it the ‘Death of Hope’. You know you’re on there as your last spin of the dice. But suddenly I had all these deals so I thought, ‘if I’m ever going to go on it, it’s now, because I’ll feel good.’

And it had Jenny Eclair and Shaun Ryder and it wasn’t all Emmerdale and footballers and I lost so much weight that it was genuinely good for me.”

In a sense Joly has always been about defying conventional wisdom. From Trigger Happy he became a BBC chat show host, sketch show performer, travel writer, sports columnist and serious war zone author — his first book The Dark Tourist charts his visits to killing fields and post-catastrophe landscapes among other things. Add movie star to that, with his Borat-style film War of the Flea currently in development in the US, and you’ve got a seemingly implausible career arc. There’s only one thing he’s absolutely clear about — he is not a stand-up comedian.

“My problem was after Trigger Happy, everyone assumes I’m a comedian. I’ve never May 2011

done any stand up. My big fear in life is public speaking and stand up. Even when I was the best man to someone it was my idea of utter hell.” And then he returned from the jungle to find his agent had booked a 70 date stand-up tour.

“I remember seeing all sorts of weird things,” he recalls. “I found six heads below our school when we were walking to school.

I went to school by horse back for a week when there was no petrol. I remember being almost constantly terrified but it was brilliant as well. It was a boy’s adventure.”

“The message of this show is simple — I’m not a shouty person. I’m misunderstood.”

His family returned to England the following year but after school his career began in typically varied fashion. Jobs in Prague, Paris, with ITN and eventually on political comic Mark Thomas’s show all helped pave the way for his own iconic Channel 4 programmes. So how does he fit all of that into an evening on stage?

“I just didn’t know what to do,” he explains.

“And then I realised that was the point. I don’t know what I do. My kids don’t even know what I do. So that’s what the show is — it’s me trying to work out actually what I do.”

But there are plenty of stories. If you went to school with Osama Bin Laden, pranked Michael Portillo, worked in Prague for the European Union, caught crocodiles in Australia and got drunk on TV in Moscow, Miami and Mexico, you’re going to have stories. It even starts with a full-scale war.

Born in Beirut in 1967 to expat parents, Joly was at the local English school when the 1975 civil war broke out. It was the school Bin Laden went to, although Osama was 18 when Joly was six so they didn’t exactly hang out. For an eight-year-old boy, the tanks in the streets of Beirut were scary and thrilling in equal measure.

“The show is also about assumptions. I just assume everyone knows me, so that they know what’s me mucking about — like the jungle — and me being serious — like the book. But of course I forget they haven’t got a clue who you are. They know you by your public image. So when I do something like the jungle as me, they just think, ‘Oh that’s who he is, he’s a twat.’ And for instance when I did This is Dom Joly, they went, ‘Oh I used to like you on Trigger Happy, and now you’re just this really shouty person’. So the message of this show is simple — I’m not a shouty person. I’m misunderstood.”

An Evening with Dom Joly: Welcome To Wherever I Am takes place at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry on May 8; Town Hall, Birmingham on May 9; Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton on May 10 17

Misty’s Big Adventure Misty’s Big Adventure have carved out a unique reputation all of their own, with their experimental lounge pop, quirky array of instruments and a blend of musical genres from far and wide. With the oddball eight-piece preparing to unleash studio album number five and with a headline show in their home city, Ross Cotton caught up with frontman Grandmaster Gareth to find out more about the inspiration behind one of Birmingham’s most original acts.

“We were in Coventry doing a gig and there was the most depressing looking amusement arcade”, says Gareth, explaining the idea behind forthcoming album The Family Amusement Centre.

“I just wrote it [the title] down as a possibility, I’m always looking for titles.”

The record itself is being prepared for release through ‘pledges’ on www.pledgemusic. com. A free download currently on the band’s official website gives a sneak preview of the new material and is accompanied by a photograph of a very young Gareth and his mum, cowering from a large monster something which it turns out gives an idea of the inspiration behind the record.

“I’m hating that weird monster thing”, Gareth says. “It kind of symbolises what the album is about, It’s more upbeat than [previous album] Television’s People, that was more of a heavy album.

“This has more pop songs on it, it’s more about nostalgia”.

Themes are a big part of constructing a Misty’s album, with Television’s People focusing on the modern attributes of life, whereas The Family Amusement Centre seems to take an alternative ‘looking back’ viewpoint in its songwriting.

“It’s easier to write like that, if you sort of come up with a concept at the start you can kind of write accordingly”, says Gareth.

“I don’t like that way of song writing where you sit down and think I’m going to write a 18

song today, everything comes naturally and then I turn it into a song, so it’s not contrived.”

That nostalgic theme is perfectly embodied by a special guest the band have managed to recruit for a spoken word section of the album, none other than British astronomer and self-taught composer Patrick Moore.

“We knew there was going to be a monologue in the middle and we initially wanted to get Oliver Postgate, but he died, then I was thinking Tony Hart, but then he died.”

“It’s kind of like Camberwick Green and Trumpton, that style of music, old 60s kids tunes,” Gareth explains excitedly.

“We knew there was going to be a monologue in the middle and we initially wanted to get Oliver Postgate, but he died, then I was thinking Tony Hart, but then he died. But The Sky at Night programme, the guy who co-presents that, he comes to our gigs.

“So I emailed him and he sorted it out, we went to his house.”

It is difficult to pinpoint where exactly Misty’s Big Adventure fit within the musical sphere itself, as they immaculately engulf so many genres with their witty and energetic style.

“I was more interested in what was going on in Birmingham than Britpop,” explains Gareth, recounting the early days of Misty’s.

“Novak, L’augmentation and Plone, they were all influences on us when we started out, so we were always trying to get gigs with them.

“I’ve been really lucky knowing Pram and Broadcast because they were always keen to get other people into music as well.

“I just really wanted to get to know them when I started out, and they were always happy to introduce.”

Providing a soulful glint of homeliness, Gareth reveals just how close-knit Birmingham’s music scene can be, praising a hospitable atmosphere that brings everyone closer together.

“When we were doing the first album, Richard from Bentley Rhythm Ace helped us record the tracks and mix them, he produced our first single.

“It’s just amazing, people will just help you.

So that sort of stayed with me, trying to do the same. That’s what it’s about, the community.”

Misty’s Big Adventure headline The Library @ the HMV Institute, Birmingham, on May 14 New album The Family Amusement Centre is due for release next month Brum Notes Magazine

Photo by Andy Hughes

The Lines The Lines certainly know how to keep busy.

Not content with cementing their reputation as one of Wolverhampton’s most exciting and most popular new bands, they have twice made the long trip across the Atlantic to showcase their brand of biting, indie rock to American audiences. But now the hardworking Black Country four-piece are back on home soil and have set their sights firmly on showing the locals they have still got it.

The initial journey across the pond to New York last November stood them in good stead for March’s month-long tour taking in Canada Music Week in Toronto, New York and finally Austin’s South by Southwest (SXSW) festival last month, the industry gathering widely regarded as a melting pot of the world’s best new musical talent and the meeting point for superstars of tomorrow.

“SXSW was insane, we had a ball,” says frontman Alex Ohm. “We played eight gigs in five days whilst there which was a good test of stamina but I think we were still hungry for more. The adrenalin and electricity of the atmosphere seemed to keep us going.”

Now back in the Midlands, Ohm is looking forward to branching out from their solid fan base they’ve worked up in Wolverhampton May 2011

Since adorning the cover of Brum Notes Magazine last October Wolverhampton rockers The Lines have headlined the Wulfrun Hall, released their debut album, toured America and played to the industry’s taste-makers at SXSW in Texas. Not bad for eight months work. As they prepare for their biggest UK tour to date, frontman Alex Ohm tells Jon Pritchard why home is where the heart is.

through tireless gigging over the years. Their gig at the HMV Institute on May 6 will be their biggest headline gig in Birmingham to date and follows a huge support slot for Brummie stalwarts Ocean Colour Scene in February.

“There’s nothing like coming back to the Midlands, the crowd always seem really up for it and the atmosphere’s buzzing.”

“As much as we love Wolverhampton it’s good to know that we’re branching out of our home town and playing bigger gigs in the second city. It seems like ages since we played a local gig now, so it’ll be good to get that ‘home town’ vibe on stage again. There’s nothing like coming back to the Midlands, the crowd always seem really up for it and the atmosphere’s buzzing.”

The lead singer is also looking forward to capitalising on the release of their eponymous debut album, which has exposed their songs to wider audiences around the country, as well as back home.

“It’s nice because it’s the first time back for our own show since we released the album,” Alex says with a smile. “People have had time to listen to the tracks and get to know them so hopefully I can relax on the singing.”

The band have been hard at work in the studio, writing and recording their second album since before Christmas, and fans will be hoping to hear the fruits of this labour on the short tour which takes in Glasgow, Stoke, Leicester and London as well as the HMV Institute.

After the tour, the band head off to Liverpool Sound City on May 20, another key date in the industry calendar, and then The Lines camp is surprisingly quiet. What they have planned for the rest of the year is a secret that is being closely guarded, but The Lines are very much all about the here and now.

“We’re looking forward to getting back to the States to fly the British flag, there’s a lot more land to cover there but we’re up for the challenge, but before we do that, we’re buzzing about playing on British soil on our tour in May.” The Lines headline The Temple @ the HMV Institute, Birmingham, on May 6 19

FAMILY SQUABBLES Love ‘em or hate ‘em, you can’t ignore them. BROTHER are the latest guitar-wielding upstarts determined to bring back the glory days for rock bands. But hailed as indie revivalist heroes one minute, dismissed as re-hashed Britpop wannabes the next, the ink was barely dry on their major deal record contract before the backlash began. Lead singer Lee Newell tells Chris Moriarty why he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Brother frontman Lee Newell is the first to see the funny side of being portrayed as some kind of lightweight Liam Gallagher. For all their brash, ‘we want to conquer the world’ type headlines and seemingly outspoken interviews, it would be fair to expect the Slough-born singer to be more than a little egotistical. But in truth, while the band exude the sort of confidence which you would expect from any musicians who believe in their own songs, Newell is humble, appreciative and, overall, excited.

“Everything is going really well,” he says, speaking as they head off for the first night of their biggest tour to date in their almost-hometown show in Reading.

“We’re in a splitter van, it’s pretty big actually with televisions and all of that, so that’s the dream.”

“Dream” is a word that comes up a lot, with Newell admitting that fronting a successful band is something he has dreamt of for most of his life. And he is determined to enjoy it while it lasts. But while many bands tour the circuit for years without even a sniff of industry interest, he admits their breakthrough came somewhat more fortuitously.

“We were spotted by accident really. Zane Lowe spotted us on the internet and started playing is on the radio and that’s how we got a record deal essentially.

“We’d only played three shows as Brother then we got signed to a major label so it was a bit ridiculous to be honest. The way it happened for us was quite bizarre.”

As well as touring, Brother have quickly been thrown into everything else that goes with being attached to a major label band — promos, 20

press appearances and a whole lot of interviews. Not that you’ll hear them complaining.

“It’s something I’ve wanted my whole life and so it’s something I think I had the right mindset to do,” says Lee. “It is absolutely exhausting but it’s good and something I’ve always wanted.”

And perhaps more than most, Brother have had to quickly get used to the downside of success — as soon as the praise started arriving, what seemed like an unfair amount of negativity has also accompanied it. Strange for a band barely one single in to their career but it less their music that seems to attract criticism and more the fact that they are a band daring to express an opinion. And it is something which Lee insists they are taking with a pinch of salt.

“Yes there has definitely been loads [of negative press], a ridiculous amount really. But we take it in our stride, we don’t tend to read everything but there’s some hilarious things that we have seen written about us. We’re the sort of band that has an opinion and we’re going to polarise opinions ourselves, we accept that, so we take it all as part and parcel of everything. I’d rather be loved or hated than not cared about.”

The 90s influence in their sound has been one point which has attracted both compliments and criticism in equal measure, but it is something Lee is not ashamed about. Although he draws the line at the constant comparisons to Oasis.

“Blur certainly are a band we are all influenced by, but not really Oasis so much, so that’s always a funny comparison. There were Brum Notes Magazine

others, Suede, Ocean Colour Scene, they are bands we were all in to. But it doesn’t end there, we’ve got loads of influences, people like Chemical Brothers or MIA, but we sort of bonded over 90s guitar music and that seems to have come out.”

The Oasis comparisons seem to have been fuelled as much by the image of the band as a swaggering, mouthy lad band. But Newell’s own image as an outspoken would-be Gallagher has left him both bemused and amused, and seems a far cry from the eloquent, polite and well-spoken man on the end of the phone.

“I’m not sure really [where it’s come from],” he says. “When you say something in an interview and things are written down and printed then the words just look completely more serious, you don’t get the nuances or the tone of voice, the humour, or the way things were meant. We’ve got an opinion but it’s more entertaining for people to read the negative rather than the positive stuff. We don’t take it too seriously and we like to have a laugh about it. It’s just good fun.”

Indeed, there have been plenty of highlights to focus on so far in their fledgling career, ranging from praise on Radio 1 to sell-out shows, including a particularly sweaty encounter at The Flapper on their last visit to Birmingham.

“Birmingham was a highlight of the last tour, it was an amazing show in this tiny venue called The Flapper and it really kicked things on for us, so we can’t wait to get back up there,” says Lee, ahead of their return to the Midlands for an appearance at Wolverhampton’s Slade Rooms.

With new single Still Here out this month, their debut album follows in July, with some heavyweight support in the form of producer Stephen Street, famed for his work with The Smiths and Blur and hailed

by Lee as “a real hero of ours.”

“Yes there has definitely been loads [of negative press], a ridiculous amount really… I’d rather be loved or hated than not cared about” “We recorded it in January, it’s got 10 big tunes on it and that comes out on July 4, before that we’ve got our new single Still Here on May 2, then touring, all the festivals, so it’s a dream summer ahead really.”

The band have lofty ambitions for their debut album as well and hope it can pave the way for more guitar bands to follow suit to address the apparent dearth of guitar music on mainstream radio.

BAM! Presents

A Small Revolution at The Bristol Pear, Selly Oak Wed May 18th The Mighty Young Abie’s Miracle Tonic Mellow Peaches Fri May 20th Layla & The Goodlads The Flying Bull Social Cast and Crew Sat May 21st Chris Tye Ships Sink Tom Ayrton Wed June 22nd The Brave Sons of Elijah Perry John Napier & Andy Kearney Dan Hartland Fri June 24th Grey Area Cliché Guevara + Special Guests Sat June 25th Shana Tova lookilikemusic Eat Y’self Pretty

“It’s something we want to change. We’re slowly noticing more and more guitar music coming back to the radio and hopefully we’ll have a top five album and help bring it back even more.

“We’ve signed a two-album deal so we’re doing at least two albums but we want to do this for a long time and as long as we’re still writing good songs and are proud of them we’ll carry on doing it. After that we’ll probably write a horrible folk album or go and lose ourselves in India or something like that.”

£3 early bird booking / discount list £4 advance booking / with this ad doors at 20:30, events end at midnight Tickets available online at theticketsellers.co.uk Discount list details and more info are available through facebook/birminghamartsmutual

Brother play live at The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton, on May 21. New single Still Here is released on May 2 on Geffen Records

100% of the revenue from these events is used to record the artists in Blue Whale Studios

May 2011

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LIFE AFTER UB40 — He may have fronted one of Birmingham’s most iconic and successful bands of all time. But ALI CAMPBELL is not looking back and with his UB40 days behind him and a new solo tour ahead, he tells Chris Moriarty why his new band has given him a new lease of life.

—

After a career-spanning three decades and more than 70 million record sales with UB40, few could have blamed Ali Campbell for resting on his laurels after his shock 2008 departure from the band he co-founded nearly 30 years earlier. But having already embarked on his first solo venture just months before leaving the band, it is a route he has thrown himself into full throttle, recording and performing new material and some classic — if sometimes polarising — covers alongside his new musical troupe The Dep Band. And despite a somewhat acrimonious split from the band with which he made his name, he insists he is determined to make the most of his latest musical adventure.

“It’s like a new world,” he says. “You know what I mean, obviously with UB40 we were all self-taught, we learned to play parrot fashion from listening to Sly & Robbie records and Reggae Gi Dem Dub [by Big Youth] and we used to copy those. It’s nice to play with a band where you can ask them to play something and they can just do it first time.”

You can draw your own implications from such comments but it is fair to say relations between Campbell and his ex-bandmates in UB40 have appeared more than a little strained since his departure. For now though, he is keen to concentrate on the future but insists he will always be proud and happy to talk about what UB40 achieved, even if he is no longer a part of it.

One of the most groundbreaking facets to UB40s success in the late 1970s was their multi-racial make up and their success in bringing reggae to mainstream and white audiences. But Campbell refutes the suggestion that they helped pave the way for modern ‘crossover’ music.

22

“Well not really, because we never wanted to be a crossover band, we wanted to be a reggae band,” he says.

“But the influence of reggae on urban music you can’t compare.

It’s without doubt the most influential music of the last 30 years on urban music.

“Anything drum and bass led is reggae influenced. Before that, basslines were just route notes, the bass didn’t matter than much in most pop music. Basslines came into play in pop music with The Police, they were a dub band essentially.

“I never really wanted to be a crossover band, I wanted to play reggae, we wanted to be a jazz dub reggae band, we didn’t want to play jam reggae, but because we were self-taught we couldn’t play it properly. We learned our craft in public and if you listen you can hear the progression in the musicianship from the first album to the later ones.

“It was sort of unintentional [that we became seen as a crossover act]. Part of it was that we were multi-racial and we took it to white audiences. We weren’t a rasta band or have a rasta message, which previously alienated a lot of people from reggae.

“Rasta kind of adopted reggae in the 70s. If you look at the first Bob Marley albums, with the Wailers and Lee Perry, there were no rasta dreads on the cover.

“I’m not too sure about the gangsta thing, that’s come from hip hop.

It seems strange for me that reggae artists are now doing hip hop.

But reggae is in a good place at the moment. Steve McGregor the guy that they call ‘di genius’, he’s doing all the big stuff so I’m loving reggae at the moment.”

For Campbell’s own latest musical output, his fifth album is on its way, while his last release, Great British Songs, saw him repeat a Brum Notes Magazine

trick which helped earn UB40 an army of followers — covering classic tunes in reggae style — this time tackling some bona fide rock classics such as Hard Day’s Night, You Really Got Me, All Right Now and Paint it Black. It’s a move which may have rubbed some musical purists up the wrong way, but for Campbell its a way of instantly connecting with audiences and above all is good fun.

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“With the Great British Songbook, Ali Campbell and The Dep Band can go anywhere in the world and tour these songs and as soon as people hear them they are not new anymore. It’s a bit like the Labour of Love songs, to us they were number ones but we didn’t realise nobody else had heard them. “You get people who are annoyed, like big Kinks fans and Stones fans but we also get people who like that fact that we are re-working them so it’s 50/50. “Ray Davies loved it though [the cover of You Really Got Me Going], he sent me a letter telling me how much he liked it. I’m just waiting for Keith Richards’ to get back in touch with me. Poor old Keith got turned away from my house in Jamaica once. There’s a studio in there and the guy who looks after the house, Clinton, said there was an old tramp at the door and he didn’t let him in. It turns out it was Keith Richards.�

Fans can also expect a few classics which UB40 virtually made their own at Campbell’s solo shows — although there won’t be any UB40 songs as such. “I don’t do UB40 material, what I do are the covers we were famous

"I left three years ago and UB40 are releasing all the old stuff so it's making it more difficult for me to say this is what I am doing now." for from the Labour of Love era so I do those covers but I don’t sing UB40 material, I don’t think it would be fair. I’m singing my own stuff and writing my own stuff. I do enough of the old stuff to keep them happy so the people that come to an Ali Campbell show get the old stuff as well.�

Inevitably, there is no escaping the UB40 connection for Campbell and nor should there be, but he insists he is happy and excited with the new direction of his career, even if the wrangles which apparently spurred his decision to walk out on his previous band are apparently still bubbling under the surface. “I’m very proud of the stuff I did with UB40. They seem to be re-releasing a lot of me and that confuses people. I’m trying to say I left three years ago and UB40 are releasing all the old stuff so it’s making it more difficult for me to say this is what I am doing now.

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Ali Campbell plays live at the O2 Academy, Birmingham, on May 27

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May 2011

23

Music Piracy Pete & the Pirates burst into our hearts with their beguiling debut album three years ago, harking back to the simple-yet-effective approach of heartfelt indie-pop. Now they’re back and armed with a swashbuckling (erm, sorry) new sound, raw energy and a determination to show they never went away, they were just in search of more musical treasure (sorry again).

It doesn’t take much for bands to fall off the radar in today’s throwaway world of pop music.

But then Pete & the Pirates don’t worry about things like that. They’re more bothered about keeping themselves busy. And producing the best follow-up possible to their acclaimed debut album Little Death, a glistening collection of shimmering guitarpop, punctuated with wistful melodies and infectious hooks.

It may be more than three years since they first popped onto the scene, but that’s not to say the Reading boys haven’t been keeping active Frontman Thomas Sanders unveiled a plethora of solo recordings under the moniker Tap Tap, his bandmates also squeezed in side projects, but above all Pete & the Pirates carried on doing what they know best - playing live and playing together.

“We didn’t disappear when we finished the album,” explains Thomas. “We’ve never gone away, we’ve always been here, we’ve been doing gigs all the time and working on little bits and pieces. But the wheels are turning again properly now and we’re all gearing up for this new album.”

And for a band that earned rave reviews from the likes of Pitchfork and NME, the idea that their fans would suddenly disappear if 24

a second album didn’t appear immediately was not a major concern. Nor has it been a case of taking time out, but more about the importance of taking the time to get things right.

“I love being busy, I hate feeling stagnant.

There’s always something to do. It was a long time [between albums] but I think it’s important to take as long as you need. There’s this thing where there has to be a standard time to release your next album but that can be really counter-productive.

“For some bands their second album does end up sounding a bit rushed.”

There has been plenty of tour bus travels between albums primarily fulfilling dates in Europe rather than on home soil, but writing and touring have always been two very distinct processes for Pete & the Pirates.

“I don’t think you should ever be forced to write on the road because your songs will definitely suffer.

“At first there was a feeling we had to get the album out or we’d fall off the radar but if you’ve got fans who matter they are not just going to disappear and hopefully they will wait and still be there when the new album is ready.”

“Everything on the radio these days seems to be superpolished to the point where it’s lost its soul.”

Brum Notes Magazine

That new album in question, One Thousand Pictures, has seen the band team up with producer Brendan Lynch, after several other producers came and went, but it was a move which Thomas says saw the band going back to the raw basics of making music and one which has seemingly had more than the desired effect.

“We started out with no time to think about the new record, I guess we were very busy initially promoting the first one. But then we did start to think about it, we took a lot of time, we changed our minds about the approach we wanted to take. Songs changed, we changed producers a couple of times.

“Brendan [Lynch] eventually came in and had a lot of impact I guess, a very old fashioned approach to recording which really started with a very traditional rock and roll approach where it’s all done live. He’s not really that interested in technical perfection, he’s looking for performance all the time.

“That’s why we’re so happy with it, he’s got the energy from us playing live which I think was missing from some of the previous recordings we’ve done.”

Tom admits they are already itching to get back in the studio and start recording again with what he describes as a “countless” number of songs already written and at their May 2011

disposal. But while the studio is a privilege for many bands these days, he admits that live performance is still their bread and butter - even if they’ve had to mature somewhat in terms of their approach to life on the road.

“The studio isn’t something we get to do very often and it’s a pretty special thing for a band to get to do it. Most bands career these days is just about playing live so you’ve got to love it on the road or you’re pretty fucked really.

“When we first started out I guess we were quite naive and we went for it a bit too much with the booze and everything and it just doesn’t make for a good time.

“If the second night you feel like shit then you’re setting yourself up for some bad shows.

It’s striking a balance really. People are paying to come and see you so if you can’t give them a great show because everyone is feeling like shit and they hate each other then it’s not really fair, so it’s learning how to deal with life on the road like that.

“But it is difficult when someone has five boys in a room full of booze and you’ve got a show in five hours and not a lot else to do before that.”

As well as developing their own attitude to live performance, Thomas says fans will also

see a development in their new recorded sound, even if that development has seen them stripping back to a rawer approach to recording on their new record.

“I would say this one is less pop then Little Death, some people in the band don’t agree and some people don’t think Little Death is pop but the new album has certainly got a more raw feel to it and I think it’s got more energy and it just sounds like us in a room.

Whether on stage or in a practice room, that is the life of a band and that is how it should sound.

“It’s got a slightly more old fashioned feel to it and that’s a lot to do with Brendan’s production as well, it’s a bit cranky in places.

“Everything on the radio these days seems to be super-polished to the point where it’s lost its soul but this is that little bit cranky but cranky in a good way.”

Pete & the Pirates headline the Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, on May 17 New album One Thousand Pictures is out on May 23 through Stolen Recordings Words: Chris Moriarty Photo: Steve Guillick Design: Sleepy.me.uk 25

House from Home

Midlands-born DJ and producer MARK E has made a name for himself the world over with his disco-tinged blend of intelligent, understated house and in-demand mixes. Now he’s back in the city which shaped his sound ready to unveil his first full-length original album and determined to make music to shape the dancefloors of tomorrow. He tells Chris Moriarty about the club nights which made him, his own label plans and why he’s ditching his trademark edits.

There was a time when ‘house music’ became something of a dirty term. Commercial, generic and somewhat stagnant, it limped into the 21st century as a parody of itself and everything that the postIbiza explosion had led to. In Birmingham, clubbers harked back to the glory days of Wobble, techno nights and The Custard Factory’s early parties, while bemoaning the creative vacuum which mainstream ‘superclub’ culture had created. But slowly and surely the underground has once again started to vibrate with a smoother, more inventive blend of house. And here in Birmingham it is making its mark once again.

One man who honed his craft on the antiBroad Street club scene of the mid-tolate 90s has since been making his mark in more ways than one on the global club spectrum. Having spent countless nights touring Europe and the world, Wolverhampton-born DJ and producer Mark E has become a well known face behind the decks and been a respected go-to guy for remixes and editing duties. Known for his smooth grooves and patient, mellow buildups, he insists there are some surprises in store with his own debut album now ready to be unleashed.

“It’s quite a departure from what people 26

have come to expect from me,” says Mark, “but I still think its sounds like a Mark E album. It’s more up-tempo, it’s more raw and quite uncompromising — a full-on house album. It’s really exciting.”

Despite having recently branched out into setting up his own label primarily to exert more control over his own music, debut album Stone Breaker actually comes out courtesy of Ghostly International, the label co-run by tech-house pioneer Matthew Dear, a link-up formed as a result of Mark E being invited to remix one of Dear’s own tracks. But that doesn’t mean Merc, Mark’s own label has been put on the backburner, far from it.

music which is hard to turn away, which lead to the recent Chicago Damn 12ins and new signing Edward 12ins coming soon.

“I wanted to have more control over the releases, the content, the release date, the artwork. Plus I wanted to create a brand, a company around the music, to form something solid, rather than releasing with lots of different labels.”

House from Ho A natural confidence in his sound no appears to accompany his natural talents and now Mark is determined to make an impact with his own original music.

“Well I think it [my sound] has really matured “Having a young family I’d rather be at from when I started out, I think it’s only home, so ideally the label and production natural, but i think the edits gave me the would be my main income but it just doesn’t confidence in my ability to push further and pay the bills, so DJing is the main thing right do more original material, which is where I now. But I want to try and develop the label am now. I’ve made a conscious decision to Midlands-born DJanyand producer MARK has m more edits, and want to tryEand whilst still maintaining my link with Ghostly not do create original house music which stands in the future so that they take over and run himself the world over with his disco-tinged blen the test of time.” themselves. house and in-demand mixes. Now h “[Merc] was mainly meant asunderstated a place to Originally his fromsound Wolverhampton, made his fi release my own music, so that stillwhich is the shaped city ready Mark to unveil case, to just try and keep evolving the the short move to Birmingham to study album anddesign determined to make furniture at the then-UCE andmusic says to sound I already have, but I’m original also finding alternativeHe clubtells scene at the time some people are sending me dancefloors some great the ofcity’s tomorrow.

Chris Moriart

nights which made him, his own plans and Brum label Notes Magazine his trademark edits.

“Young blood is coming through and house music is yet again finding its feet in this fine city.”

had an important impact on his own sound.

“It was really good, the Medicine Bar was the one venue at that time that really pushed the music that I was into, so most weekends were spent down there at Leftfoot or Procreation, And the bank holiday alldayers were fantastic. Also Atomic Jam at the Q Club was always a must at that time,” he recalls.

“Later came nights like Bambam at The Rainbow, Floatation at The Village on Hurst Street and also nights like Jigsaw were really important in influencing what music I was hearing.

“All the Jigsaw guys were excellent DJs which took them all over, and also Rob J who helped run the Bambam nights always knew his stuff and still does.

“I remember going to Leftfoot to see Gilles Petterson but he was a no show, so the residents played all night and Adam Regan played one of best sets I’ve heard at the Medicine Bar, he absolutely killed it.”

For Mark, it seems those halcyon days offering such an array of nights to choose from in Birmingham have gone — but there are still plenty of reasons to be positive.

“It certainly does not hold the same variation these days for the music I like. Maybe May 2011

we were spoilt then, one weekend we would go to Jigsaw, next would be Rainbow and then Leftfoot, knowing each night would be excellent. But there are still good things going on it seems, maybe I am not going out so much these days.”

His album launch night this month takes place at the freshly revamped Bulls Head in Moseley, an intimate space compared to venues Mark E has graced in Europe in recent years, but nonetheless one which is made for a full-on night. With an exciting line-up of supporting DJs as well as a new order of regular nights taking place at the venue, Mark insists it is important to get back to his roots to help launch his album.

“Oh totally, I’ve played a lot at the Bulls Head over the years, and it’s the perfect place to celebrate the album launch. When that upstairs room goes off it really goes off. And joining forces with Matt and the This is Tomorrow boys is really exciting. I Think they have a really good thing going on and are bringing some really exciting new artists and DJs to Birmingham, I think they are proof of a turnaround in Brum club culture and that young blood is coming through and house music is yet again finding its feet in this fine city.

“The line-up [for the launch night] is pretty incredible I think, if you put this on in any city in the UK it would be a killer. These guys Free School gave me a CD at the Matthew Dear gig at the Hare & Hounds, they are signed to top London label TIRK, they are playing also, then there is Damon Martin from Disco Bloodbath, probably the coolest disco/house night in London, and myself playing a lot of music off the album and all new music from the tours I’m doing this year, I think its going to be an amazing night.”

Mark E Stone Breaker album launch night takes place at the Bulls Head, Moseley, on May 28, presented by This is Tomorrow, with support from special guests Disco Bloodbath and Free School. Tickets £5 adv from theticketsellers.co.uk and all advance tickets get a free mix CD by Mark E presented on the door.

Plus, for your chance to win a promo copy of his debut album Stone Breaker, simply tell us the name of Mark E’s own record label. Email your answers to competitions@brumnotes.com by March 28. Prizes to be collected on the night.

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live RITES OF SPRING Ikon Eastside, Digbeth April 7-9 Friday Digbeth’s thriving creativity has seemed so celebratory lately, with the Flatpack and Fierce festivals, preceding the first ever Rites of Spring festival, Ikon gallery’s own unique music event, bringing spring blooming out of the winter depths. But if spring is a time of rebirth and new growth, how ironic then that this festival was the closing event for Ikon Eastside, one of the first local victims of the public spending cuts. But on with the show, there were plenty more reasons to feel hopeful.

Friends of the Stars were the first to sooth a cross-legged audience with their gentle sway of traditional folk, easing the birth of Rites of Spring into a warming blend of fresh-smelling greenery and blossom.

Poppy Tibbetts came next, whimsically portraying the effects of technology through playful, bohemian dazes.“Does anybody want to go outside?”, she sings, with a sweet yet strong vocal similar to Juana Monila.

Emotions were moved up a notch, as Shady Bard’s teary, dramatic scores scripted world disasters in thought-wrenching abundance.

Volcano! blew out a depth of indie waves, combined with gravelly vocals and contemplative piano sorrows. Epic45 followed, portraying Staffordshire countryside through their echoing, post-rock fluttered guitars.

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With the Sun now fully set, Modified Toy Orchestra came prepared for a party, fuelled by circuit bent mayhem. The five-piece multitaskers dazzled fans with Electric Rapture Because of You, impeccably switching between a light-up hula Barbie and a Casio keyboard in order to keep up with the robot nightclub beat.

Forget Tron: Legacy, the future of electronic clubbing was already here, brought to you by the singing voice of a 1978 Speak & Spell.

Saturday The post-IDM beats of Arc Vel woke up the crowd with an array of jaunty, yet soothing electronics. Crafting lulling guitar effects against oriental feel-good synth-scapes, Hawaiian Dying aspired a ceremony of joy, as the one-man band trickled elements of Four Tet into his cultural mix of trip-hop and lounge-funk conceptual art. Accompanying the awe-filled sounds were visuals of contrasting, man-made and naturally carved wonders of the world, embossing an otherworldly heaven that consumed the audience into Arc Vel’s alternative mind.

Matmos’s video set delved further into the avant-electro realm,before Is I Cinema came next, portraying a completely different progressive enchantment, with a laid back score of indie warmth, blessing the

Ikon back to reality. Completing the night was modern artist-turned-musician Martin Creed and his band. The Glaswegian simplified the laws of music with his post-punk affections and word play repetitions.

Words by Ross Cotton Sunday The brass enhanced orchestral folk of Young Runaways and the equally folky (but more fiddle powered) Boat To Row both delighted and impressed in equal measure before Lulu & the Lampshades managed to be both twee and thrashily aggressive. Often in the same song. How do you top that?

How about Fyfe Dangerfield, lead singer of Guillemots? Dispensing with something as conventional as a setlist he casually plucked tracks from his solo and band releases as well as unveiling some rather fine new songs from Guillemots newbie Walk The River. The man oozes talent. A truly great lyricist and a naturally relaxed performer he’s got the kind of emotion drenched voice that could sing the shipping forecast and make it mean everything in the world. Barricades was hair raisingly beautiful but the new tracks – Vermillion, Yesterday Is Dead and Walk The River - were a revelation.

Words by Daron Billings Image courtesy of Wayne Fox Brum Notes Magazine

Three years ago, a 19-year-old girl from London walked onto the stage at Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre. Any person who witnessed Adele that night would easily have believed she had a huge future ahead of her. But now, with her second album reigning the charts for 12 weeks only to be knocked off by Foo Fighters, not many people could have predicted her rise to fame could have been quite so meteoric.

Tonight the HMV Institute is packed to the rafters, with everyone craning their necks for a glimpse of pop’s new superstar. Kicking off with Hometown Glory, the crowd went crazy straight away, singing along to every word.

The likeable Londoner chats to fans between each song, her cackling laughter causing a ripple of laughter throughout the audience, but the laughter soon stops and her angelic voice stops the audience dead in their tracks running through material from her second album, 21. The Cure’s Lovesong gets the Adele treatment, Rumour Has It, Turning Tables and Don’t You Remember send tingles down the spine.

Her cover of Bob Dylan’s Make You Feel My Love is cut short as Adele herself starts crying, but she pulls herself together to finish with Someone Like You - which had much of the crowd in tears too - before finally rolling out her modern classic Rolling In The Deep.

As for where she will be three years from now, it seems difficult to predict anything other than world domination.

Words by Jon Pritchard

ADELE HMV Institute, Birmingham April 18

GRUFF RHYS The Glee Club, Birmingham February 27

Reviewers Wanted

GUILLEMOTS Ikon Eastside, Digbeth April 10 After his solo show the night before Saturday night Fyfe was back for more with his band Guillemots in tow. Just days before the release of their new album the night was a chance to hear many of its tracks for the very first time.

Vermillion is a real epic, Fyfe’s yearning vocals and delicate piano giving way to a kind of apocalyptic wall of noise midway through the song. Emotionally charged stuff. Another new one and album title track Walk The River managed to be both insanely catchy and reflective at the same time, giving Fyfe the perfect chance to flex his vocal muscles especially on that glorious, but ever so slightly disturbing, chorus. The encore saw Fyfe return to the stage alone with his guitar. Then the strap broke. “Oh god, I’m going to have to play this like a Spanish ponce,” he moaned, propping one leg up on a chair to rest it on before launching into a surprisingly good - and funny - snatch of cod flamenco. “Stick it on the album,” someone shouted. Whether we ever get a flamenco album from Fyfe and co is debatable. What’s more certain is that we’ve just heard one of the albums and bands of the year in action.

Words by Daron Billings Image courtesy of Wayne Fox May 2011

We’re on the lookout for fresh writing talent, people who can sum up the experience of a concert, club night or record in a couple of hundred choice words. If you’re interested then contact us for more information or send a 200-word review of a recent gig, club night or album along with any other relevant work samples to info@brumnotes.com, marking your email ‘New Writers Wanted’ in the subject header.

BARGEPOLE ALBUM LAUNCH The Victoria, Birmingham April 15 Upstairs in The Victoria, girls from several burlesque outfits are frantically dotting about, putting their curlers in and ironing out the stage for the show. Either the Bargepole album showcase was gaining momentum or an air raid signal had gone off and we had the wrong place.

Gent-cum-favourite drunk uncle Oliver Pyper was compere for the evening first making way for the girls of Trois Deville, providing a stint that was sassy titillation at its very best, with bubbles galore and a show that was as harmless as a Butlins lovely legs contest.

Next up, Luna De Lovely, again in-keeping with the cheeky rather than the depraved. The feather-clad, pink vision, flailed and twirled to the Pink Panther theme, with each sax crescendo accompanied by a rear end thrust, Clouseau would have been hard pushed to deliver the same. Next up Candy Carnival gives us all a lesson in ‘”sexual Respect.”. Goading the class to spank her with a novelty rule, it’s hard to believe none of us ended up in detention.

The burlesque introductions now over, up

came Horrorshow. They may take their name from a frenetic Libertines song, but the duo are so flawlessly in tune with each other, most noticeable in Last Night’s Things, it would be more apt to compare them to Siamese twins joined at the head. With a complete disregard of the decent, they pipe up with claims such as knowing who shot Jill Dando, the horrid pair would have only been nine-years-old but with the drum beats acting as sucker punches and the vocals doubling up as threats, they may know someone who knows something.

The main attraction Bargepole finally take to the stage looking collectively slick and ready to put someone in hospital. Volume is paramount and forceful, intimidating lyrics are on the frontline. The off-kilter guitars on The Half Soprano unnerve just about everyone in the room, aided and abetted by the chance of Thomas Wagstaff (frontman/masochist) launching himself through you. Even after the blood, sweat and breasts had come to an end, Bargepole tune Sinners continues on a loop in this reviewer’s head and it’s hard not to feel we’ve been privy to an affair less than Godly.

Words by Sean Murray 29

VICTORIES AT SEA Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath April 5 With so much talk of #WINNING spewing from Charlie Sheen’s bile ducts from across the Atlantic lately, it seems only apt that we’re here to see Victories At Sea. And due to their form tonight, it is extremely difficult to avoid hideous puns on their name, albeit to lavish superlative after superlative upon them.

Synthesisers spasm to open the set with Echoes, which erupts to the power of ten multiple orgasms when Rob Merrell switches from the nucleus of electronic boxes centre stage, to clatter several shades of excreta out of his drum kit two thirds into the song.

The walls are shaking, neigh quivering with climactic contractions, with the Hare & Hounds feeling like some depraved rubber dungeon; with bass notes used to administer pleasure-pain.

Think Factory Floor covering Echo & The Bunnymen while self asphyxiating (the band that is, not you the reader, unless of course, that shit turns you on – just be careful. Michael Hutchence and all that...).

To finish us off, Four Days kicks in sounding like Kylie’s Locomotion, but if she’d been

raised on poppers and Super Skol, listening to nothing but New Order’s Technique.

The sound is so big it’s hard to believe that there are only three musicians performing; it’s as if the room is completely covered in sea-men. Monumental.

Words by Andy Roberts

MALPAS The Rainbow, Digbeth April 1 Malpas are genuinely one of those bands that are hard to describe.

A lot of bands say it themselves that they are difficult to pigeon hole, maybe because that’s the cool thing to say, maybe because they really think they are.

Most of them are not, we know exactly what they are, but don’t take that the wrong way, there is nothing wrong with it.

Malpas, however, are a somewhat different beast.

Call them folk, experimental, alt, electronic, ambient or whatever you like but one thing is clear - they are very good.

The band, fronted by Ali M Forbes and his magnificent voice, have the ability to draw in everyone in attendance, almost with an idleness.

All the songs are intimate yet sprawling, they could go on forever and you wouldn’t really mind.

You get a feeling that a lot of hard work and effort has gone into them, with each note being laboured over intensely, but at the same time seem effortless.

Again, something hard to describe.

An intimate and elemental set that manages to silence the previously noisy room ends all too soon with a brutish drum build-up that culminates with the loudest applause of the night.

The feeling of seeing something exceptional doesn’t happen very often so when it does there is a tendency to doubt it - don’t, these guys are special.

Words by Ben Russell

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Photo by Rory Barber

SEEFEEL Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath March 22 The time had finally arrived to experience one the most innovative electro/indie hybrid heroes to come out of the 90s.

With their first new album since 1996’s (CHVOX), Seefeel were prepared to take the 21st century by storm, ready to lead forward an artistry of blurred dance rock genres once more.

They took the Hare & Hounds back towards a dreamy beautification from a far-gone shoegaze era. New track Dead Guitars provided a reminiscent and mesmerising re-worked conceptual synth development, introducing former Boredoms drummer Iida Kazuhisa into the blend, who transfixed the track with his slow beat anaesthetic induction.

While the trademark, ethereal Elizabeth Frazer-style vocals gave Sarah Peacock’s atmospheric sound a sweet sense of floating, as the audience began to breathe in pure, intoxicated allurement.

By now, all signs of gravity had been removed from the room, as the waves of RipRun poured dolphin-like echoes into the soul of the crowd, holding onto the purest feelings of meditating euphoria.

It is still extremely relevant today how much Seefeel have influenced the indie/electro crossover, while also fixating a new pioneering style to inspire future artists.

Words by Ross Cotton Brum Notes Magazine

CLUBS

May 2011

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FOOD + DRINK MAKE IT FRESH There is nothing better than a drink - alcoholic or not - made with fresh ripe fruit; the taste of the fruit is brought out and the vitamins and fibres are at their highest. To get the most of using fruit in a drink you want to make sure the fruit is fresh and ripe so anything that is in season will work perfectly. Fruit will add maximum flavour and colour to any drink and coming up to summer there are many more options available.

Blueberry crops are coming to their height starting in May and this ‘super-fruit’ can make for an extremely tasty addition to any drink.

If you add them to cocktail, such as the Margarita, it changes the drink’s flavour yet keeps the classic taste that we all know and love.

To add fruit to a drink means crushing (known as muddling amongst bartenders) and/or shaking the fruit with the normal ingredients.

This may bring out a more bitter taste than expected so adding a sweetener may be necessary but try to keep it light and fresh. Bottlegreen offer a wide range of cordials that can be used in drinks, which have an amazing flavour and are easily available.

At Bodega we offer a blueberry and elderflower margarita, which, as blueberries come into season will no doubt be at its tastiest.

Recipe: Blueberry and Elderflower Margarita Ingredients: 6 blueberries 37.5ml El Jimador Reposado tequila 12.5ml Cointreau 25ml lime juice 10ml Bottlegreen elderflower cordial Half a sugar rim (optional) Directions: Muddle the blueberries in a glass Add all the other ingredients, plus cubed ice and shake Fine strain into a coupette/margarita glass or over ice

By Antony Bubb, bar manager at Bodega Bar and Cantina.

Bodega, in Bennetts Hill, Birmingham city centre, is a contemporary cantina specialising in fresh, homemade, South American-inspired cuisine, alongside an extensive selection of drinks and cocktails.

Call 0121 448 4267.

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metropolis music present

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FRIDAY 06May MAY Friday 06

HMV INSTITUTE BIRMINGHAM 0844 248 5037 | 0844 811 0051 | GIGSANDTOURS.COM

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The Phoenix Foundation Monday 16 May

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GIGS

WHAT’S ON

All-girl Los Angeles quartet Warpaint (below) bring their slowcore mix of intricate guitars, mesmeric vocals and driving postpunk to Birmingham’s HMV Institute for a hotly-anticipated headline show on May 18.

The heralded psychedelia-inspired outfit signed to uber-cool Rough Trade Records last year. Keeping it quirky, Ivor Novellonominated, indie-pop oddballs Everything Everything make a long-awaited headline appearance in Birmingham, also at the HMV Institute on May 11, showcasing material from their acclaimed 2010 debut Man Alive.

Foppish indie boys Frankie & the Heartstrings make a welcome return to the city bringing their theatrical stage personas and infectious blend of life-affirming altpop to the Hare & Hounds on May 10, while Scottish epic alt-rockers Twin Atlantic showcase their sonic talents at the O2 Academy 3 on the same day.

Garage blues rockers Vinny & the Curse turn things up a notch at The Victoria with their Creepshow party on May 13, while rivalling them in the volume stakes will be Shapes with their album release party at The Flapper, May 14, alongside fellow Brummie noise-pop exponents Conquistadors marking their own EP release, supported

by Brontide and Il Brutto.

CLUBBING

The bank holiday vibe continues well into May with the rescheduled dance extravaganza that is Ec-Lectricity presents FWD>>Rinse, originally scheduled for Easter but his time set to go ahead on May 7. The stellar line-up boasts the likes of Skream, Artwork from Magnetic Man and Plastician and more who are certain to cram the crowds into the HMV Institute on May 7.

On a smaller scale but no less exciting, Maya Jane Coles headlines Face at The Rainbow also on May 7. Firmly established as one of the most exciting up-and-coming talents in electronic music and pushing far beyond the boundaries of house and tech, she is set to serve up one of the most anticipated guest appearances of the year at the weekly essential underground clubber gathering.

As summer approaches the appropriately-named Sweat delivers its trademark offering of funk, soul and vintage grooves in the character-filled intimate space upstairs at The Victoria on May 21.

Rockers and old school indie kids will have plenty to celebrate with the launch of brand new nightspot Vudu, which sees indie extravaganza Ramshackle return weekly Fridays from May 13, while alternative rock and metal night Subculture kicks off on weekly Saturdays in its new home from May 14.

This month sees a host of new nights kicking off at the newlyrevamped Bulls Head in Moseley, but the spruce up for its microclubbing space upstairs also spells good news for the venue’s existing promoters and club brand Habit will be sure to test the new soundsystem to devastating effect with appearances from Luke Kennedy and PJR Project on May 21, while a week later our cover star Mark E launches his debut album of feel-good house in the same venue with a This is Tomorrow-presented club night, which also boasts Fabric favourites Disco Bloodbath on May 28.

COMEDY

Gentle laughs and career-spanning anecdotes will be the order of the evening when comedy acting legend John Cleese brings his first ever UK tour to Birmingham’s Hippodrome Theatre for a three-night stint from May 9 to 11. The show, so named as he claims it’s helping finance his £12m divorce settlement, takes in highlights from his varied roles ranging from Monty Python and Fawlty Towers to A Fish Called Wanda and two Bond movies, as well as a range of other writing and theatrical roles. Getting back to traditional stand-up, television panel show regular and master of the awkward story Rob Rouse (right) brings his Great Escape Tour 2011 to Wolverhampton’s Slade Rooms on May 10 followed by Birmingham’s Glee Club on May 27, while Imran Yusuf continues his long-running UK tour showcasing his unique, machine-gun patter at The Glee Club, Birmingham, on May 25 and The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton, on May 26.

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

VENUE DIRECTORY BIRMINGHAM: O2 Academy, Horsefair, Bristol St B1, 0844 4772000; HMV Institute, High St, Digbeth B5, 0844 2485037; NIA, King Edwards Rd B1, 0121 7804141; LG Arena, NEC, Solihull B40, 0121 7804141; The Flapper, Kingston Row B1, 0121 2362421; The Victoria, John Bright St B1, 0121 6339439; Hare & Hounds, High St, Kings Heath B14, 0121 4442081; The Actress & Bishop, Ludgate Hill B3, 0121 2367426; The Sunflower Lounge, Smallbrook Queensway B5, 0121 6327656; Symphony Hall, Broad St B1, 0121 7803333; Town Hall, Victoria Sq B3, 0121 7803333; Kitchen Garden Cafe, York Road, Kings Heath B14, 0121 4434725; Alexandra Theatre, Station St B1, 0844 8472302; Bulls Head, St Marys Row, Moseley B13, 0121 2567777; Island Bar, Suffolk St B1, 0121 6325296; The Jam House, St Pauls Sq B3, 0121 2003030; The Asylum, Hampton St, Hockley B19, 0121 2331109; The Rainbow, High St, Digbeth B12, 0121 7728174; Adam & Eve, Bradford St, Digbeth B12, 0121 6931500; Poppyred, The Arcadian, Hurst St B5, 0121 6871200; The Yardbird, Paradise Place B3, 0121 2122524; The Glee Club, The Arcadian, Hurst St B5, 0871 4720400; MAC, Cannon Hill Park B12, 0121 4463232; Vudu, Corporation St B5, 0121 643 0859 ; The Crown, Station St B5, 0121 643 4265; Highlight, Broad St B1, 08700 111 960; The Bristol Pear, Bristol Rd, Selly Oak B29, 0121 414 9980; WOLVERHAMPTON: Civic Hall/Wulfrun Hall, North St WV1, 0870 320 7000; The Slade Rooms, Broad St WV1, 0870 320 7000; Alchemy Bar, North St WV1, 01902 711998; Robin 2, Mount Pleasant, Bilston WV14, 01902 401211; WEST BROMWICH: The Public, New St B70, 0121 5337161; COVENTRY: Kasbah, Primrose Hill St, CV1, 024 76554473; Warwick Arts Centre, University of Warwick, CV4, 024 7652 4524

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

Sunday, May 1 Mary Jess

CN Symphony Hall

Birmingham

The Flapper

Birmingham

The Sunflower Lounge The Victoria

Birmingham

Town Hall

Birmingham

Manning + Tinyfish

Robin 2

Wolverhampton

The Young Knives

Kasbah

Coventry

Ec-Lectricity Bank Holiday Weekender feat Caspa + more Takin Care of Business Ministry of Sound VIP David Guetta

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Island Bar

Birmingham

Mechu

Birmingham

O2 Academy

Birmingham

Face present Viva Music Beach Party B2Ts Birthday Vc Insomniacz May Day All Dayer

Rainbow Warehouse Subway City

Birmingham

The Custard Factory Hare & Hounds

Birmingham

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Castrolvalva + Sienna + Jester + Girls That Scream Give Up the Ghost Wicked Whispers + Circus Town + Support Black Voices

Greg Wilson Waler No Excuses Remix EP Launch Party

Birmingham

Birmingham

Kings Heath

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

Reverb present We Are 3 with Justin Robertson Dan Clark Monday, May 2 Kid British

Want your gig or club night listed in our monthly guide? Send details to: info@brumnotes. com All details correct at time of going to press. Check with venues before setting out. While every effort will be made to ensure the accuracy of listings, Brum Notes Magazine will not be held liable for any errors or losses incurred from errors which may materialise.

Bulls Head

Moseley

Warwick Arts Centre

Coventry

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

The Tommy Emmanuel Band Sound Of Rum

Robin 2

Wolverhampton

Kasbah

Coventry

GB Mondays

Gatecrasher

Birmingham

Tuesday, May 3 Panic! At The Disco

HMV Institute

Birmingham

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

Warwick Arts Centre

Coventry

Island Bar

Birmingham Birmingham

The Harbinger of Doom Full Moon

The Temple @ HMV Institute The Wagon & Horses HMV Institute

Pulse 90s Night

The Crown

Birmingham

Moschino Hoes Versace Hotties

The Victoria

Birmingham

Asking Alexandria + Of Mice & Men + While She Sleeps Madeleine Peyroux Wednesday, May 4 Chance Haycock + Emmanuel Glass night Max Raptor

Birmingham Birmingham

Thursday, May 5

May 2011

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M M M M M

Acoustic Lounge

Island Bar

Birmingham

This Burning Age

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

The Fukwits

The Crown

Birmingham

Surface Festival

The Flapper

Birmingham

Rolo Tomassi

Birmingham

M

Alternative Dubstep Orchestra + Beatbullyz Miss Halliwell + Bernadette Louise Heartbreakerhousewife The Defiled + Romeo Must Die Vodbull 90s Night

The Temple @ HMV Institute Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

M

Moseley

M M

Ghostpoet

Bulls Head

CN The Slade Rooms Oceana

Wolverhampton

Ec-Lectricity present Fwd>>Rinse feat Skream + Plastician + more Zombie Prom

Electro night

The Victoria

Birmingham

Daedelus

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Mickey D

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Friday, May 6 Orange + New Riot

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

M

M CN CN CN C M M

Birmingham

M M

CN CN CN CN CN

And So I Watch You From Afar Lazarus Blackstar 360 EP launch party + Friendly Fire Band Arcane Rage

Nikki Yanofsky

Dr Jekyll's Potion Back 2 Life Face present Maya Jane Coles Guilty Pleasures

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

Birmingham

The Slade Rooms Kasbah

Wolverhampton

Warwick Arts Centre HMV Institute

Coventry

Rainbow Garden The Jekyll & Hyde The Rainbow

Birmingham

Birmingham Kings Heath

Coventry

Birmingham

Birmingham Birmingham

The Victoria

Birmingham

Prospec present Rockwell (Shogun Audio) Blast Off

Bulls Head

Moseley

The Civic Hall

Wolverhampton

Highlight Comedy

Highlight

Birmingham

Mickey D

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Paul Chowdhry

Town Hall

Birmingham

Tickled Pig

The Bristol Pear

Selly Oak

Birmingham

M M M

Surface Festival

The Actress & Bishop The Flapper

David Ford

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Give Chase

Birmingham

M

The Lines

The Sunflower Lounge The Temple @ HMV Institute Hare & Hounds The Bristol Pear Robin 2

Selly Oak

M

Wolverhampton

Fight Like Apes

Kitchen Garden Cafe O2 Academy 3

Surface Festival

The Flapper

Birmingham

Fucked Up

Birmingham

The Ginger Solo Acoustic Tour Swimming

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

Bohemian Jukebox feat Layla & The Good Lads + Ben Calvert & The Swifts Journey 2 Toto

Bulls Head

Moseley

Robin 2

Wolverhampton

The XXXX Comedy Cabaret Hit the Spot (open mic) Dom Joly

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

The Bristol Pear Warwick Arts Centre

Selly Oak

M M M M M CN CN

Lazy J

The High Llamas + Malpas + DJ Guy Carlos Aaron + Paraffin Brothers Fred Zeppelin + Free At Last Cerebral Ballzy

Coventry

M

O2 Academy

Birmingham

Rainbow Garden The Custard Factory The Rainbow

Birmingham

M M

The Rainbow & Cellar Door Hare & Hounds

Birmingham

M C

Kings Heath

C

Bulls Head

Moseley

Highlight

Birmingham

Mickey D

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Saturday, May 7 Glasvegas

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Tom Hingley (Ex Inspiral Carpets) Propaganda Back Once Again

Silent Noize

CN

The Head Club present Esther Ofei + Amor Freestyle meets Vale Festival Highlight Comedy

M M M

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Kings Heath

Wolverhampton

CN CN

M M

Birmingham

CN C C C C

The Slade Rooms Kasbah

Moho Roller Disco

C C

Birmingham

M M M

CN

CN

Birmingham

M

Raw 3rd Birthday

The Icicle Works 30th Anniversary Tour Blue Nation Surface Festival Boyce Avenue

Birmingham Birmingham

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

The Actress & Bishop The Flapper

Birmingham

The Library @ HMV Institute

Birmingham

Birmingham

C M M M M C C C

Sunday, May 8 Darden Smith

Monday, May 9 The Sword

Birmingham

Birmingham Kings Heath

Coventry

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

Kerry Ellis & Brian May Delta Maid

Symphony Hall

Birmingham

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Gabrielle Aplin + Alex Moir John Cleese - The Alimony Tour Dom Joly

The Rainbow

Birmingham

Birmingham Hippodrome Town Hall

Birmingham

Lenny Henry

Dudley Town Hall

Dudley

Birmingham

Brum Notes Magazine

M M M M M M M C C C M

M M M

Tuesday, May 10 Katy B

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Taking Back Sunday O2 Academy

Birmingham

Little Comets

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

Twin Atlantic

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

Liferuiner + The Elijah + Empires Fade Mariza - Fado Tradicional Frankie & the Heartstrings John Cleese - The Alimony Tour Rob Rouse

The Flapper

Birmingham

Town Hall

Birmingham

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Birmingham Hippodrome The Slade Rooms Wulfrun Hall

Birmingham

Island Bar

Birmingham

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

Dom Joly Wednesday, May 11 Krunch +The New Revolution + Horrorshow + Bradley Will Simpson Anna Calvi + Grouplove Fei Comodo

Wolverhampton Wolverhampton

The Flapper

Birmingham

Everything Everything Skeptics in the Pub (spoken word) Nathan Bell (Lungfish) + Nicholas Bullen (Napalm Death) Full Moon

The Library @ HMV Institute The Victoria

Birmingham

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Pulse 90s Night

The Crown

Birmingham

Micky Flanagan

The Civic Hall

Wolverhampton

John Cleese - The Alimony Tour Thursday, May 12 Acoustic Lounge

Birmingham Hippodrome

Birmingham

Island Bar

Birmingham

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

The Crown

Birmingham

M

The Dawn of Olympus Lazy Jayne + Tantrics Slow Club

Birmingham

M

Iron Chic

M

The Urban Voodoo Machine Heavens Basement

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

Wolverhampton

M M

CN CN C C M M M

M CN CN C C M M M M

Ben Ramsay + Roadside Picnic + Les Hutchins Fantastic Damage

Birmingham

Birmingham Kings Heath

Kings Heath

Bulls Head

Moseley

Seann Walsh

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Shappi Khorsandi

Wulfrun Hall

Wolverhampton

HMV Institute

Birmingham

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

The Actress & Bishop The Flapper

Birmingham

Friday, May 13 Noah And The Whale Florrie Headtrap Signify

May 2011

Birmingham

43

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

M CN CN CN CN CN CN CN CN CN

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CN C C

The Sunflower Lounge The Temple @ HMV Institute The Victoria

Birmingham

The Wagon & Horses Hare & Hounds

Birmingham Kings Heath

M M M

Club PST

Birmingham

M

Propaganda

O2 Academy

Birmingham

B Frank

Rainbow Warehouse The Custard Factory The Victoria

Birmingham

M

The Wagon & Horses Vudu

Birmingham

Mimic present Sasha Dive Freestyle with Luke Unabomber Highlight Comedy

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Bulls Head

Moseley

Highlight

Birmingham

Seann Walsh

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Sick Boys Club Tiger Tailz Vinny and the Curse + Support Primer Die! Die! Die! + Bargepole Liquid Sessions

Muzik Hertz - Payback Music For the People Entropy Ramshackle

Birmingham Birmingham

Birmingham

M M

Birmingham

Birmingham

Paul Chowdhry

Wulfrun Hall

Wolverhampton

Saturday, May 14 Teenage Rampage

Eddies

Birmingham

Peter Doherty

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Page 44 + Makethisrelate The Motive

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

M M M M M M M M M M

The Actress & Bishop The Flapper

Birmingham Birmingham

M

Birmingham

M

Birmingham

Club A - Go Go

The Library @ HMV Institute The Temple @ HMV Institute The Victoria

Birmingham

M M

Staff Benda Bilili

Town Hall

Birmingham

Scroobius Pip presents We Are Lizards (spoken word + live music) The Chapman Family Panic!

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

M

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Audio Liquid Trance Anthems Zombie Prom

Plug

Birmingham

Rainbow Garden The Custard Factory The Jekyll & Hyde The Rainbow

Birmingham

Shapes + Conquisatadors Misty's Big Adventure Ozzmosis

Stupid Underground Dr Jekyll's Potion Tic Tac Toe Face present Matthias Tanzmann Wreck n Roll Circus Subculture Uber + Days Like This present Together

M Kasbah

Coventry

Birmingham

CN CN M M M M

Birmingham

M

Birmingham

M M

The Wagon & Horses Vudu

Birmingham

Bulls Head

Moseley

Birmingham

M M

Blast Off

The Civic Hall

Wolverhampton

Highlight Comedy

Highlight

Birmingham

Seann Walsh

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Sunday, May 15 Olly Murs

NIA

Birmingham

Surface Festival

The Flapper

Birmingham

Counterpoint

The Temple @ HMV Institute Robin 2

Birmingham

Wulfrun Hall

Wolverhampton

The Tangent + Credo Mark Radcliffe Monday, May 16 The Secret Sisters

Wolverhampton

The Glee Club

Birmingham

The Phoenix Foundation Tuesday, May 17 Earthtone9

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

Hundereth + Heights + Hero In Error Villagers

The Flapper

Birmingham

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Beatsteaks

The Library @ HMV Institute The Rainbow

Birmingham

Oui Love Project feat Team Ghost + Anoraak Pete & The Pirates

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

The Dangerous Presidents Joanne Shaw Taylor

Bulls Head

Moseley

Robin 2

Wolverhampton

Black Spiders

The Slade Rooms

Wolverhampton

Island Bar

Birmingham

The Library @ HMV Institute The Rainbow

Birmingham

Ed Sheeran + Kal Lavelle Three Trapped Tigers + Tall Ships + Victories at Sea Bam! presents A Small Revolution Full Moon

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

The Bristol Pear HMV Institute

Selly Oak

Pulse 90s Night

The Crown

Birmingham

Thursday, May 19 Acoustic Lounge

Island Bar

Birmingham

Young Knives

O2 Academy

Birmingham

An Idle Man’s Band

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

Folk for Free: Baltic Crossing TwinJets + Bad Pollyana Jon Allen

Symphony Hall

Birmingham

The Crown

Birmingham

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Julian Smith

The Library @ HMV Institute The Rainbow

Birmingham

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Our Mountain

Wednesday, May 18 Rebecca & The Roses Warpaint Wolf Gang

Imperial Leisure Heidi Spencer & The Rare Birds + Allie Moss

Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham

Brum Notes Magazine

M M

M C C

Parts & Labor + Teeth of the Sea + Free School Speak Up with Jodi Ann Bickley + Matt Windle (spoken word open mic) Manic Street Preachers Charlie Baker

Hare & Hounds

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Popcorn Comedy

The Victoria

Birmingham

Bulls Head

The Civic Hall

Kings Heath Moseley

Wolverhampton

Friday, May 20 Pete Yorn

HMV Institute

Birmingham

The Rising

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

The Flapper

Birmingham

M

Heroica + The Crooked Empire + Rebel vs Empire + The Clock Tower + Great White Sharks The Tarsiers

M

The Glass Gods

M M M

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

M M M M M CN CN CN CN

Freestyle + Birmingham Promoters live bands + DJs Bam! presents A Small Revolution The Wedding Present My Dying Bride The Cribs

The Sunflower Lounge The Temple @ HMV Institute Bulls Head

Birmingham

The Bristol Pear The Slade Rooms Wulfrun Hall

Selly Oak

Kasbah

Birmingham Moseley

Wolverhampton Wolverhampton Coventry

The Victoria

Birmingham

Ramshackle

Vudu

Birmingham

Clint Eastwood + General Saint Freestyle

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Bulls Head

Moseley

Highlight Comedy

Highlight

Birmingham

Charlie Baker

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Ed Byrne

The Civic Hall

Wolverhampton

Saturday, May 21 Duran Duran

LG Arena

Birmingham

The Monkees

NIA

Birmingham

Funeral For A Friend Inca Hoots

O2 Academy

Birmingham

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble Bam! presents A Small Revolution Brother Mona Zombie Prom Dr Jekyll's Potion Cold Rice Face & Mustachio! present Yousef Sweat

May 2011

CN C C M M M M M C

Bests By Numbers

Mantis Defeats Jaguar + Dirtyscore + Riding Giants + The Gruber Drongos for Europe

CN CN

The Actress & Bishop The Flapper

Birmingham Birmingham

M M M M M

M M M M

M M M M M M M M M M

The Wagon & Horses Hare & Hounds

Birmingham Kings Heath

The Bristol Pear The Slade Rooms Kasbah

Selly Oak

Rainbow Garden The Jekyll & Hyde The Rainbow

Birmingham

The Victoria

Birmingham

Wolverhampton Coventry

Birmingham

CN CN C M M M M M

Birmingham

M

Subculture

Vudu

Birmingham

Habit present Luke Kennedy + PJR Project Blast Off

Bulls Head

Moseley

The Civic Hall

Wolverhampton

Highlight Comedy

Highlight

Birmingham

Charlie Baker

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Sunday, May 22 Rush

LG Arena

Birmingham

The Alarm

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

Surface Festival

The Flapper

Birmingham

Emeralds

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Frank Turner

Wolverhampton

Lewis Schaffer

The Slade Rooms Hare & Hounds

Monday, May 23 Devlin

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Adelaide

The Flapper

Birmingham

The Webb Sisters

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Cults

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Hope & Social + Joanna Briggs + Gary Stewart + Chris Tye Tuesday, May 24 The Hoosiers

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Don Broco

The Flapper

Birmingham

Alessi’s Ark

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Brum Notes Magazine presents Fresh Talent (open mic acoustic) Yashin

Bulls Head

Moseley

The Slade Rooms

Wolverhampton

Wednesday, May 25 3Oh!3

Kings Heath

HMV Institute

Birmingham

The Drawbacks + Superficials + Mrs England Versaemerge

Island Bar

Birmingham

O2 Academy

Birmingham

Red Line Ratio

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

Ispystrangers

The Flapper

Birmingham

D:Ream + 10 Guitars Colourmusic + Zebedy Rays Fixers

The Temple @ HMV Institute Hare & Hounds

Birmingham

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Hayseed Dixie

Wolverhampton

Full Moon

The Slade Rooms HMV Institute

Pulse 90’s Night

The Crown

Birmingham

Imran Yusuf

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Thursday, May 26 Acoustic Lounge

Island Bar

Birmingham

Pulse

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

Richard Marx

Symphony Hall

Birmingham

Call Me Unique

The Crown

Birmingham

Butterfly Fan The Inferno + Baby Godzilla + Seagull Kinevil Hit the Ode (spoken word)

The Flapper

Birmingham

The Victoria

Birmingham

Kings Heath

Birmingham

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M M C C M

M M M M

Gentleman’s Dub Club The Sharp Darts + The British Kicks + Freelance Mourners Pete Firman

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

CN

Zombie Prom

Bulls Head

Moseley

CN

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Imran Yusuf

The Slade Rooms

Wolverhampton

Island Bar

Birmingham

O2 Academy

Birmingham

Friday, May 27 Carousel Circus + Blacklight Pioneer + The Town + Poetry In Numbers Ali Campbell Mayday Parade Action Replay The Noose

M M

Morgue Orgy

M

Dutch Cousin

The Duke Spirit

M

The Destroyers

M

Sound of Guns + Capital Sun Freestyle + Birmingham Promoters live bands + DJs Dirty Words

M M M M CN CN CN CN CN

CN CN C C C C M M M M M M CN CN 46

O2 Academy 2 Plug

Birmingham Birmingham

The Actress & Bishop The Flapper

Birmingham

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

Birmingham

Bulls Head

Moseley

Birmingham

Birmingham Birmingham Kings Heath

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

The Bristol Pear The Slade Rooms Kasbah

Selly Oak

The Custard Factory The Rainbow

Birmingham

CN

Birmingham

CN

What Is House Music Ramshackle

The Victoria

Birmingham

Vudu

Birmingham

Underthecounter + Leftfoot present Brainfeeder takeover Freestyle

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Bulls Head

Moseley

Jam Up Twist

The Cross

Moseley

Highlight Comedy

Highlight

Birmingham

Pete Firman

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Rob Rouse

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Micky Flanagan

Warwick Arts Centre

Coventry

Saturday, May 28 Teenage Rampage

Eddies

Birmingham

Aiden Grimshaw

O2 Academy

Birmingham

Mills & Boon

The Actress & Bishop The Flapper

Birmingham

The Old Wharf

Birmingham

The Wagon & Horses

Birmingham

Air

Birmingham

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Nightingales + Ted Chippington Example Moho Roller Disco Hardware

Circus Town She Screams Murder (EP launch) The Hip Priests + The Sin Kings + Wise Blood Godskitchen: Dusk til Doorn Panic!

Wolverhampton Coventry

CN CN

CN M M M M M

Subculture

Vudu

Birmingham

Elixir with Jerm2

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Mark E + Disco Bloodbath This is Tmrw present Mark E Album Launch Blast Off

Bulls Head

Moseley

Bulls Head

Moseley

The Civic Hall

Wolverhampton

Highlight Comedy

Highlight

Birmingham

Pete Firman

The Glee Club

Birmingham

One Man Star Wars

Town Hall

Birmingham

Sunday, May 29 Sade

Birmingham Birmingham

LG Arena

Birmingham

Mike & The Mechanics Hott Date

Symphony Hall

Birmingham

The Flapper

Birmingham

Andrea Corr

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Glenn Hughes

Town Hall

Birmingham

David Gray

Warwick Arts Centre Gatecrasher

Coventry

O2 Academy

Birmingham

Rainbow Warehouse The Wagon & Horses Hare & Hounds

Birmingham

Bulls Head

Moseley

Kasbah

Coventry

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Armand van Helden Hardcore Til I Die - Warm Up To The Sun MC Spyda’s Birthday Ball Below DJs Breakthru present D:Bridge Open Minded People Japan Fundraiser Gemma Funkula Sunday Service Monday, May 30 Less Than Jake + The Starting Line + Goldfinger Kd Lang

Birmingham

Birmingham Kings Heath

Symphony Hall

Birmingham

Scholars

The Flapper

Birmingham

Tree of Sores

The Wagon & Horses Ricoh Arena

Birmingham

Bulls Head

Moseley

The Slade Rooms Kasbah

Wolverhampton

Kings Of Leon

M

Tuesday, May 31 Brum Notes Magazine presents Fresh Talent (open mic acoustic) Funeral Party

M

Public Image Ltd

M

Birmingham

Birmingham

Dr Jekyll's Potion Hot Wax Jocko Homo

Rainbow Garden The Jekyll & Hyde The Victoria

Coventry

Coventry

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