Brum Notes Magazine, May 2012

May 2012

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

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POP GOES BIRMINGHAM!

The return of POPPY & THE JEZEBELS

ALSO INSIDE: Alt-J The Lines Peter Hook Gary Numan

AND: Swim Deep Jaws Evil Alien Ben Calvert & The Swifts

PLUS: Style tips with Peace frontman Harry / Details unveiled for this year’s Off The Cuff Festival / Circo Loco in The Arena and the opening of Lab11 in pictures / AND your comprehensive guide to what’s on in May May 2012

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Doors 7.00pm unless stated â&#x20AC;˘ Venue box office opening hours: Mon-Fri 12pm-4pm, Sat 11am-4pm â&#x20AC;˘ No booking fee on cash transactions Brum Notes Magazine >4.60>A0- .: ?6 G =00>4.60>= .:8 G 242,9>4. .:8 G >4.60>8,=>0< .: ?6

CONTENTS

Circo Loco in The Arena, P24 Photo by Tasha Remmington Brum Notes Magazine Unit 12 The Bond 180-182 Fazeley Street Digbeth Birmingham B5 5SE info@brumnotes.com 0121 224 7363 Advertising 0121 224 7363 advertising@brumnotes.com Distribution StickupMedia!

0121 224 7364 Editor Chris Moriarty Contributors Words: Amy Sumner, Jon Pritchard, Jack Parker, Ellie Crean, Tom Belte, Ross Cotton, Charlotte Rose, Ben Russell Pictures: Jonathan Morgan, Tasha Remmington, Jade Sukiya, Wayne Fox Style editor: Jade Sukiya jade@brumnotes.com Design: Adam Williams, Andy Aitken Connect Twitter: @BrumNotesMag Facebook: www.facebook.com/ BrumNotesMagazine Online: www.brumnotes.com

Regulars News 4-5 Live Reviews

21-22

Clubs 24-25 Style 26-27 Food & Drink 28 Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s On 29-30 Music and Features BASS Festival 2012 6 Off The Cuff Festival 7 Ben Calvert/Evil Alien 8 Swim Deep/Jaws 9 Gary Numan 10 Peter Hook 12 Alt-J 15 Poppy & The Jezebels 17 The Lines 18-19

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

May 2012

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new music-inspired art exhibition launches in moseley Birmingham-born Guillemots frontman Fyfe Dangerfield is among a host of famous musicians to feature in a new art exhibition in Moseley.

London-based artist Joe Simpson will stage his first solo exhibition in Birmingham at Reuben Colley Fine Arts from Saturday, May 12, with two music-inspired collections. The ambitious 26-year-old approached a number of his favourite musicians including Dangerfield, Brandon Flowers of The Killers, Mark Ronson, Paloma Faith, Maxi Jazz and Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend to participate in the series. Simpson met up with each artist and took photographs to work from to create an original oil painting.

Reuben Colley Fine Arts is in St Mary’s Row, Moseley.

young acts wanted to complete new one day festival line-up

IN BRIEF

Young, unsigned acts are being offered the chance to perform at a brand new one day music festival taking place in Birmingham this summer.

One Beat Sunday takes place at the outdoor Roman Amphitheatre-style arena at the Mac in Cannon Hill Park on July 22, with Poppy & The Jezebels the latest act to be added to the line-up alongside the likes of The Carpels (pictured), Swim Deep and Jaws.

Now organisers are looking for the best young unsigned acts, whether musicians, rappers, MCs, solo artists or bands, aged between 14 and 21 to complete the bill.

One Beat Sunday, organised by independent record label One Beat Records and Birmingham Promoters, will also feature performances from Tempting Rosie, The Jacarandas and Not by Design, as well as spoken word from Jodi Ann Bickley & Friends, plus DJs. The all-ages event will also include vintage clothing stalls, a pop-up bar and a BBQ. If you’re aged between 14 and 21 and would like the chance to perform at the festival then email onebeatsunday@macarts.co.uk by 10am on Monday, May 28, with a link to your music on Soundcloud or Myspace, 100 words about your act, names and ages, and a photograph.

Tickets priced £10 are available in advance from www.macarts.co.uk or 0121 446 3232.

Tickets go on sale this month for one of Birmingham’s most innovative festivals, which returns to the city this autumn.

Supersonic Festival will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year and runs from October 19 to 21 at The Custard Factory in Digbeth. The festival has earned an international reputation for its adventurous line-ups of experimental music, art, performance and film. Tickets are on sale from May 1. For more information visit www.supersonicfestival.com.

trio of unique music festivals kicks off in style next month Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Fionn Regan and Scott Matthews (pictured) will headline a unique new festival taking place in Warwickshire next month. The four-day intimate event includes family-friendly camping and is limited to just 500 people in the beautiful setting of the Umberslade Estate in Tanworth in Arden, the spiritual home of Nick Drake, over the Jubilee Weekend from June 1-4.

Also on the bill are the likes of The Old Dance School, Goodnight Lenin, Boat to Row, Hannah Peel, Jim Moray and Michael Chapman. Adult camping tickets are priced £65, or £25 for day tickets. Organisers are also looking for volunteers to help with the smooth running of the festival in exchange for a free camping ticket. More details on volunteering or tickets at www.moseleyfolk.co.uk.

The festival is run by the same team behind next month’s Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival (June 29-July 1) and the renowned Moseley Folk Festival, which has also revealed its lineup for later this year.

The popular three-day folk festival returns from August 31 to September 2 in Moseley Park and will feature Echo & The Bunnymen, Guillemots, Beth Jeans Houghton, Roy Harper, Steeleye Span, Simon Fowler and much more.

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This year’s OxjamBrum Takeover Festival will take place on October 13 at venues across Birmingham city centre. It will be the fourth year the charity event has taken place in the city, with a day of live music dedicated to raising money for Oxfam. Organisers are on the lookout for volunteers to help with the running of this year’s Takeover Festival with role details and application forms available at www. oxjambrum.org.uk. Volunteer applications should be in by May 4.

Aspiring producers are being invited to submit tracks for a new style of collaborative club night. CDR: Birmingham Sessions heads to the Bull’s Head, Moseley, on May 17 and is free to attend.

Heading up the night will be The Insomniax and remix wizz Tony Nwachukwu, while the Open CDR session will give seasoned professionals or new bedroom producers the chance to hear their work played out on a high quality sound system. Music can be submitted on the night by 10pm or at soundcloud.com/cdrprojects/dropbox.

Ocean Colour Scene guitarist Steve Craddock will play an intimate solo show at The Adam & Eve in Digbeth next month.

Tickets for the June 1 show are £8 adv.

Brum Notes Magazine

editors to return to birmingham for two intimate ‘homecoming’ gigs

birmingham pride plans revealed

Adopted Birmingham band Editors will play two homecoming shows next month.

Birmingham Promoters will bring the electro-indie rockers to the HMV Institute for two nights on June 26 and 27 in what will be their only UK appearances of the year so far.

Girl group The Saturdays will be among the star attractions at next month’s Birmingham Pride.

Tickets have already been selling fast, with a second night having been added due to high demand.

The former Staffordshire University students relocated to Birmingham and became torch bearers for the city’s music scene, going on to achieve international fame thanks to hit albums such as The Back Room, An End Has a Start and 2009’s In This Light and On This Evening.

Despite no longer living in the city, the band still rehearse here and frontman Tom Smith told Brum Notes Magazine how they consider it to be their ‘musical home.’

Speaking after the release of an album from his side project Smith & Burrows back in December, the Gloucestershire-born singer said: “Birmingham’s still our band’s home even though I don’t think any of us actually live here any more. It’s practical and we like it and creatively we feel at our best when we’re here.”

A fourth Editors album is expected later this year with the band once again linking up with producer Flood who was credited with a key role in the band’s synth-heavy change of direction on their last record. The live shows and new album will go ahead despite the recent departure of guitarist Chris Urbanowicz (pictured far left), which was announced last month due to differences over the band’s “future musical direction.”

Editors are live at HMV Institute on June 26 and 27. Tickets are £18.50 adv. For details visit www.birminghampromoters.com.

The pop band will headline The Nightingale Main Stage on Saturday, June 2, as part of a weekend of celebrations across Birmingham’s Gay Village around Hurst Street.

Billed as the largest two-day LGBT festival in the UK and taking place over the Jubilee Weekend of June 2 -3, it will feature a carnival parade through the city centre as well as various entertainment zones, including a dance arena, main live stage, cabaret marquee, market and street party.

The Saturdays will be joined by the likes of BBC Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills, who headlines the main stage on Sunday, June 3, while other artists performing over the weekend include Freemasons vocalist Amanda Wilson and Sonia.

Access to the general festival site is free but the Pride Entertainment Zone, which includes The Nightingale Main Stage, will be by ticket only, with tickets starting from £5 for the day or £8 for the weekend and available from www.birminghampride.com or bars and venues around Hurst Street.

NON PROFIT MUSIC REHEARSAL ROOM FLOODGATE STREET MUSIC COMPANY May 2012

£5

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ALSO FREE TO REFUGEES & ASYLUM

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Festivals

The UK’s only month-long celebration of black music and arts returns to Birmingham this summer with a special Jamaican flavour. BASS Festival 2012 has adopted a Jamaica theme to mark the 50th anniversary of Jamaican Independence and to welcome the Jamaican Olympic team to the city. It runs from June 19 to July 13 across various venues in the city featuring a range of live music, club nights, family events, exhibitions, art and performances.

Among the highlights of this year’s BASS Festival for nightlife and music enthusiasts is a unique collection of Jamaican music design and illustration spanning three decades.

London dancehall brand Shimmy Shimmy presents Art in the Dancehall, a celebration of dancehall’s vibrant design and illustration history, from 1980 to the present day, including archive records, posters and flyers never exhibited before in the UK. The early 1980s saw a change in the style of Jamaican dancehall, a change mirrored in the work of graphic designers and illustrators like Limonious and Jamal Pete, alongside the likes of Greensleeves artist Tony McDermott in the UK, who took reggae artwork beyond the predictable red, gold and green. Other new artists from across the world will also be celebrated for keeping the tradition alive, such as Robin Clare (Jamaica), Elen G (Israel), Daniel David Freeman (UK), Gabe (Germany) and Peter Edwards (UK).

Art in the Dancehall will be exhibited at The Drum in Aston from June 26 to July 13. Visit www.punch-records.co.uk for details.

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Pictured is a selection of artwork featured in the exhibition by the likes of (anti-clockwise from top) Robin Clare, Limonious, Elen G, Peter Edwards and Sassa.

Art in the dancehall

Brum Notes Magazine

DETAILS REVEALED FOR OFF THE CUFF FESTIVAL 2012 INCLUDING BRAND NEW ACOUSTIC STAGE

Festivals

Future of the Left and Three Trapped Tigers will headline this year’s Off The Cuff festival which returns to Birmingham in July.

The exciting line-up also includes the likes of Shapes, Romans, Tall Ships, Funeral Suits and Free School.

The three-day noise-making extravaganza runs from July 27 to July 29 at canalside city centre venue The Flapper with music and entertainment running throughout the day and into the night across the weekend.

Also on the bill this year will be Turbowolf, That Fucking Tank, Blacklisters, Them Wolves, Run, Walk! and Rosa Valle, with more acts still to be announced.

frenetic live shows, close the festival in style with the headline slot on the Sunday night.

Plus, this year Brum Notes Magazine will be curating a brand new acoustic stage upstairs in the main bar at the venue, with acts performing throughout the afternoon and into the evening on the Saturday and Sunday of the festival. Already lined up are folk stars-in-the-making Boat To Row, alongside Greg Bird & Flamingo Flame, Young Runaways frontman Matt Pinfield and many more to be announced. Stay tuned for more announcements on which acts will be performing stripped down sets on the brand new stage.

Tickets are on sale now from www.theticketsellers.co.uk, with evening tickets for the Friday night priced just £5, day tickets for Saturday and Sunday £15, weekend tickets £26 and three-day passes £29.

Three-day tickets sold out well in advance of the festival last year so if you’re in it for the long haul then get in quick to snap up your full festival pass.

Back on the main stage in the famous basement, Shapes will help open the festival on Friday night, with instrumental noise-rock outfit A5 ad 29/3/12 17:51 Page 1 Three Trapped Tigers headlining the Saturday before energetic Welsh trio Future of the Left (pictured top right), renowned for their

Brum Notes Magazine will be bringing you exclusive build up to the festival over the coming weeks as well as comprehensive coverage of the event itself. For more details on Off The Cuff 2012 visit www.offthecuffbirmingham.co.uk.

May 2012

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Ben calvert & the Swifts Folk outfit Ben Calvert & The Swifts return this month with a new single and a rare hometown show. Chris Moriarty finds out more.

to the debut album [2011‘s Festive Road]?

It’s had some good reviews. It’s been compared to Nick Drake, The Divine Comedy and Scott Walker. That’s pretty good company to be in. ‘Off kilter’ was one of the phrases that was used to describe some of the songs, and I’d go along with that. The album was written specifically to be listened to in one go; there’s a story that runs from start to finish.

So, what’s the new single Valpolicella Girl all about?

Well, Valpolicella is an Italian wine. I bought three bottles of it and drank them in a park with a girl when I was living in Bath. I had a guitar on me. We started singing the praises of the wine and the song was born.

How does it differ from your solo work?

The band had an involved and active role in writing the songs on Festive Road. It wasn’t just a case of me bringing the songs fully formed and having a band just kind of play along over what I’d written, which was pretty much what happened before. We wrote lots of the album in the studio, dropping verses here, adding instrumentation there.

Everyone that has been a part of the album has certainly influenced the sound in a big way.

It has a nice summery vibe too it, is it being released with that in mind?

Yeah. The sound of it fits with the time of the year. It was written in the summer, so it’s good to take it back to where it’s from.

Have you been pleased with the reaction

You’ve kept the Birmingham shows to a minimum recently, are you looking forward to playing a hometown gig?

I am. Last time we played Birmingham I’d just got off a train after a 10 hour journey from a gig in Scotland and I only just made it. I’ll be more prepared this time round.

EVIL ALIEN Ambient electronica duo Evil Alien emerged from the shadows a year ago to critical acclaim thanks to free download Higher Than The Sun giving a taste of their potential.

After retreating back to their Birmingham studio they return with a debut double A-side single this month and the promise of more to come.

“We took a line-up out with us last year, played a few gigs and then went back to the place where we’ve been working on the stuff,” explains producer Dave McCabe, one half of the musical brains behind Evil Alien, alongside vocalist Glenn Smyth.

After a wave of excitement at their initial musical offerings, Dave admits it was a conscious decision to take a step back, to “get 8

everything completely correct first.”

“Basically we took a few tracks out last year, tested everything out, sort of tested the water and then recoiled back in, worked on the album and wrote some new songs and we are just sort of taking it back out again later this year.”

New live dates are yet to be announced but the duo will be joined by a full band to flesh out the live sound, but in the meantime Dave says they are “very happy” with the outcome of their work in the studio so far.

“We’re releasing the single on May 14, a double A-side, so it’s slowly filtering out there and there’ll be another video out in the next couple of weeks as well and then we’ll be releasing the 7ins. The album is well underway. There’s no release date for the album yet, we’re just concentrating on a few singles first.”

It always works to play a couple of shows in Birmingham a year rather than play every three weeks. We live on such a tiny island that everywhere is quite close, so you might as well play all over the place.

For those who haven’t seen you before, what can they expect from the live show?

Some circus-centric songs, a Morrisseylike ballad about Peter Andre and Katie Price, and some dark folk stories, all told in a changing formation of musical combos.

Ben Calvert & The Swifts are live at the Mac, Birmingham, on May 13.

Despite high expectations, it seems Evil Alien haven’t felt under any pressure to perform or rush out their music, instead choosing to concentrate on what they do best.

“There’s no pressure on anything, we’re just making music. We just make our own music and we sort of keep ourselves to ourselves.”

Everything so far has been well thought out, from the sporadic live appearances, the mysterious photography and artwork and the haunting videos.

“We’re influenced really by film soundtracks so we try and incorporate that and make sure that we’ve got a good song behind the music that we’re writing. I’d say it’s quite cinematic music.

“We want all the imagery and the art to be part of what we do and the whole thing to be a complete package really, so it’s very important.”

As for the much-anticipated live shows, Dave insists they will be taking their time on those too.

“We’re not rushing anything at the moment, we’re making sure everything is completely right, but when we’re ready you’ll know about it.”

Evil Alien release debut double A-side single Out Of Love / Life In A Fishbowl on May 14 on 7ins vinyl.

Brum Notes Magazine

swim deep Swim Deep are set to make a real splash this summer, with a debut single out this month and plenty of online hype behind them. Jack Parker dives in.

It’s the track that has earned them an army of online followers as well as attention in all sorts of trendy national music publications, websites and blogs. They already have fans singing the lyrics back at them and this month Swim Deep’s anthem-in-waiting King City gets its first proper release through Chess Club Records, the same label behind the likes of Mumford & Sons, White Lies, Wave Machines and Grouplove.

Despite the acclaim, King City almost remained in its fragile demo state, reveals frontman Austin Williams.

“I was in two minds about recording it,” he

jaws Jaws could be the shimmering new soundtrack to your summer. Jack Parker gets the lowdown on Birmingham’s latest great white hopes.

Jaws are a band of the moment for a few reasons. For one, they have literally found their way into the conscious of music fans only just this year. For another, their sound provides instant gratification, initially requiring minimal concentration from listeners due to its easy-going and hummable tendencies.

This is perfect for the rather short attention spans of the post-internet generation.

“It was Connor’s call because he put his songs up on Soundcloud and [demo track] Cameron got a thousand plays in a week.

He got gig offers and he wanted to get a band together so he asked around college May 2012

says. “It was only because the other guys liked it we ended up recording it. I know now that it’s a real jam. We’re just really glad everyone’s singing it at us all the time... that’s really cool.”

The track pays homage to the band’s desires towards Warpaint bassist Jenny Lee Lindberg. And so it raises the question, has Jenny heard the track?

“Jenny has heard the song, but I won’t be content until she hears it live and she snogs me after,” admits Austin, pulling no punches.

Much like the track’s refrain: ‘Fuck your romance, I wanna pretend that Jenny Lee Lindberg is my girlfriend.’

It also comes complete with a ‘proper’ video, courtesy of London production wizards The Marshall Darlings, most well-known for their work with punk rockers Cerebral Ballzy. It features plenty of Birmingham landmarks to spot, from late night takeaways to derelict skateboarding hotspots.

“Filming the video was pretty fun, it was kinda awkward at first being followed around with cameras but they were really easy to work with.”

If the initial reaction is anything to go by then this trio of friends-turned-bandmates may and found us,” recalls drummer Eddy, remembering the band’s humble beginnings fondly. “We are his substitutes, there was a band in place before but they kind of failed.”

Frontman Connor cuts in: “They left. The music was too happy for the other guys, so they left.”

Luckily the present incarnation of Connor, Eddy, Alex and Jacob is proving to be a

well have to get used to getting followed round by cameras. Either way, they’re determined to enjoy themselves.

“We’re definitely getting trashed on the release date [of King City] whether there be a big party or just a party in our minds, we’re so excited to release it to the world and make the sun shine.”

Swim Deep support Zulu Winter live at the Hare & Hounds on May 7.

Debut single King City is out on May 14 on Chess Club Records.

They also play at One Beat Sunday at the Mac, Birmingham, on July 22. may be able to achieve one of his personal ambitions – teeth like Jaws from James Bond. It is this Jaws, rather than the infamous shark, who provided the inspiration behind the band’s moniker.

“We all aspire to be that guy,” explains Connor, wryly. “I haven’t got the straightest teeth,” he continues. “I’ve been to the dentist and they’ve said ‘we can give you braces’ but I was like ‘no, I want to get the same teeth as Jaws from James Bond,’ and they said ‘well you can’t afford it’. So I’m just currently saving up and that’s why I made the songs.”

“Yeah, we want to get rich enough to have gold teeth,” adds Eddy. And with tunes like these, they may just get there.

Words and photo by Jack Parker

winning formula, as is Connor’s songwriting.

The buzz around Cameron landed them a show in Camden for their debut live performance and the buzz has carried on building since.

Jaws support Bleached live at The Rainbow, Birmingham, on May 17.

They also perform live at One Beat Sunday alongside The Carpels, Swim Deep and more at the Mac, Birmingham, on July 22. Tickets are available now for £10 from www.macarts.co.uk.

Who knows, if things go well then Connor 9

MAN AND MACHINES Synthpop godfather turned industrial gothic pioneer Gary Numan is continuing to turn heads and returns to the live stage this month ahead of the release of a new ‘best of’ DVD. Ross Cotton finds out what still makes him tick.

“We’re going to be doing much more older stuff than we usually do, but there’s still plenty of new stuff in there too,” says Gary, looking ahead to the career-spanning setlist for his forthcoming tour.

“If you take somebody who’s only got into me in the last five or 10 years, there’s a massive amount of what I’ve done that they would never have heard, because I just don’t perform much of the older stuff.

“So we’ll have new fans coming along and hearing older songs, and I find that exciting because they weren’t around when they were played the first time.”

Numan has continued to push the boundaries of his music ever since his 1980s pop star peak and continues to pick up new fans along the way, something which really stood out on last year’s Dead Son Rising tour.

“I was actually blown away by the level of

10

reaction, and we were trying to work out why it was so much better,” he says.

“For many years when I went out touring, I knew the front row in every place that we went to. And then it started to change, and the last tour we did, I hardly recognised anybody in the first 10 rows. So we do seem to be bringing in a lot of new people, and that could be why it seems a lot more energetic.”

Considering where Gary’s career has taken him over 33 years, from the success of Cars to the shift into darker musical territories, it’s perhaps surprising that the electro-pop pioneer hasn’t released a ‘best of’ DVD previously. Yet here we are, and Machine Music: The Best of Gary Numan will be much more than just a collection of single promos.

“Half of the promos I do are embarrassing,” he admits, “and then I think, ‘why bother?’

But then I started talking to TV companies from way back, and we tried to find out if we could get hold of really rare TV appearances, not just here, in Europe and America too. And over a couple of years, we’ve been able to put together a massive amount of really rare and unusual TV appearances and

other things that we’ve done.”

With a ‘best of’ offering you could be forgiven for thinking that this is Gary Numan drawing a line under his career. Far from it.

“I’ve got plenty of stuff done for [a new album]. And I’m doing new stuff every week.

So when this Machine Music tour is finished, we’re going to be going out again in the summer for various festivals, and hopefully if I can get the album ready in time, we’ll be going out again at the end of the year.”

Gary Numan is live at the HMV Institute, Birmingham, on March 31.

Brum Notes Magazine

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11

OFF THE HOOK

He’s the legendary bassist and founding member of two of Britain’s most iconic bands, never far from controversy and always with a story to tell. Now PETER HOOK is preparing to take to the road this month as Peter Hook & The Light to play Joy Division’s seminal debut album Unknown Pleasures in full, just a month after former band New Order toured without him. Jon Pritchard finds out what it is that keeps him going.

“New Order never played Joy Division songs so going back to these now is like finding a t-shirt you bought ages ago still in the wrapper.”

Peter Hook, founding member of Joy Division, New Order, Monaco and the man behind countless other musical projects, is going back to his roots.

“When I listened to Unknown Pleasures I actually got it for the first time in my life,” he explains. “I finally understood what Martin Hannett did to our music, he gave it the ability to last for 30 years, and hopefully last for another 30 years.”

Peter Hook’s bands have been part of the musical landscape for more than three decades and their influence shows no signs of abating, much to the surprise of ‘Hooky.’

“I expected the audiences for these gigs to be full of fat 50-year-old men like me,” he laughs.

“But they’re not, we get a really good cross section of male, female, young and old.

“One thing I’ve noticed from owning a club is that kids today aren’t ageist. They don’t care how old a song is, they just want the experience to feel the way that we did. That’s why Stone Roses will do so well.”

That experience has led to Hooky writing books on Joy Division, due out this autumn, and the Haçienda, the infamous and ill-fated yet groundbreaking nightclub he co-owned with his bandmates and Tony Wilson’s Factory Records. Both books delve into the world of rock and roll and the lifestyle that he and his bands lived, but during the penning of these books he had a realisation.

“It’s funny because when I went back and wrote the Haçienda book I realised that at the time I thought everyone else was to blame, but really some of it was my fault as well,” he explains.

12

“The same has happened with the Joy Division book. When you think about our lead singer was 23 years old and in a band that was just about to be hugely successful, and he got so depressed he took his own life.”

It’s obvious in his voice that these things, especially Ian Curtis’ death, still play on Hooky’s mind at times. Playing the albums and singles from Joy Division must surely bring back some mixed feelings; the elation of being in New Order along with the sadness of loss of life?

“You know what?” he laughs. “It actually makes me happy. It’s similar to when I do the Haçienda nights because the stress isn’t there. There isn’t gangsters running around with shooters and we aren’t losing millions.

“It’s the same with the songs, and I’m lucky because I’m playing with such great musicians who are really enthusiastic which makes it a joy.”

His new band, Peter Hook & The Light, have been on tour all over the world in the past two years and the reaction to the shows has been good. Finally, Hooky has decided on a homecoming UK tour, which pitches up at Birmingham’s O2 Academy on May 30.

“I’ve studiously avoided England for two years.

The English always seemed to be very vocal in their criticism for me, so I’ve steered away from playing gigs here. I guess it’s human nature to avoid your detractors.

“It’s weird because all the time I’ve been touring and DJing I’ve never played in Birmingham, even though it’s only 60 miles away. I’ve never really made it in Birmingham so it’s going to be quite nice to play somewhere like that.”

The tour will also bring back mixed emotions as, at the same time, his old band New Order will be touring, with whom he has been

embroiled in a legal wrangle for nearly a year now. Does he think fans will have to choose who to go and see?

“I think that’s a difficult one, especially for fans if they have to choose but the way I see it is you’ve got me doing the Joy Division stuff and then you’ve got New Order pretending to be something they aren’t. They aren’t New Order and I remember New Order because I was in them!”

Peter Hook’s life seems to be full of ups and downs; Joy Division and losing their lead singer, New Order then the split, the Haçienda and the debt. It’s his love for music that keeps him going.

“The way I see it is you’ve got me doing the Joy Division stuff and then you’ve got New Order pretending to be something they aren’t.”

He says: “When you’re younger you don’t notice it so much because you’re busy with so many other things, you have lots of distractions. When you’re older it doesn’t get any easier dealing with arseholes, so you get ups and downs and that isn’t going to change.

“To succeed you need passion and passion makes you fiery and unpredictable. Mix that in with a few drugs, loads of alcohol and loads of people kissing your arse and you get a pretty incendiary mixture. But really, who wants a boring life?”

Peter Hook & The Light perform Unknown Pleasures — A Joy Division celebration live at the O2 Academy, Birmingham on May 30.

Brum Notes Magazine

May 2012

13

14

Brum Notes Magazine

What's in a name The oddly-named but highly exciting outfit ∆, pronounced Alt-J, have kept things close to their chests so far. But this month sees them heading off on their first headline tour and unveiling their debut album. Chris Moriarty finds out there’s more to them than just a clever symbol.

Alt-J drummer Thom Green still manages to sound enthusiastic as he begins to explain the reason behind their slightly obscure and ever-so-slightly pretentious name for what must feel like the 100th time. In brief, their symbol moniker ∆ is pronounced Alt-J and is achieved by hitting said keys on a Mac keyboard. They were originally called Films until they realised they had to change it when a mix up in the Live at Leeds Festival programme last year saw them represented with the photo and bio of an little-known American garage band called The Films.

Unsuccessful attempts at coming up with a new name followed before guitarist Gwil Sainsbury was messing around with keyboard shortcuts on his computer and came across the delta symbol (∆), the mathematical symbol for change. After “hours and hours” of other name ideas this seemed appropriate and so they “just went with it,” Thom explains.

Thanksfully for Thom and his bandmates, people are now starting to look beyond the weird name, with their unique blend of atmospheric harmonies, woozy synths and idiosyncratic, rasping vocals worthy of plenty of attention on its own terms.

“Yeah, it’s cool a lot of people do pick up on the name and it seems like a lot of people get that out of the way and then they talk about the music which is great,” says Thom.

“It’s nice to know the name is not stopping people and people seem to appreciate the music. We’ve worked extremely hard on the album and it’s nice to know that it’s kind of getting through and people are finding May 2012

something they like about it.”

There is in fact a lot to like about it, with their hotly-anticipated debut album An Awesome Wave gearing up to be one of the most exciting and innovative releases of the year.

For those who have heard the snippets of Alt-J so far – the cinematic heartbreak of Matilda, the stuttering and brooding beats of Breezeblocks and most of all the multilayered, bass-heavy, eastern adventure of Fitzpleasure – then a full album is an intriguing prospect.

“Fitzpleasure I think sums up a lot of things on the album,” explains Thom. “There’s a lot of creativity going on and for me it’s very unique in that — I don’t want to say there’s a lot going on because that’s kind of scary – but there’s a lot of different, interesting things going on and it’s structured very well, so the album we intend for people to listen to it from the start and go through it without shuffling on it. There’s a plan to it and the tracks are ordered to be very complementary of each other. The new tracks that people haven’t heard, they’re more kind of contemporary with us but they’re more kind of what we’re looking to do now and we intended to make them work live as well so they’re great to play live.”

This month sees Alt-J embark on their first headline tour, having so far supported the likes of Wild Beasts and Ghostpoet and until now having kept their cards relatively close to their chests, refusing to show their faces in press photos and taking their time over choosing a record deal before eventually signing up with Infectious.

“We want to keep things interesting really,” says Thom, “we don’t want to give too much away, we want to keep people wanting more, it seems to work, we don’t want to do anything unnecessary, we don’t want to put a thousand photos out there and people just get bored of it.”

One thing that listeners could surely never get bored of in Alt-J’s music is frontman Joe Newman’s extraordinary vocals. It’s the sort of bewitching voice that makes David Byrne sound normal. And for Thom, that moment when he first heard his would-be bandmate’s unique singing style, during a first jam with Joe and Gwil back in their Leeds University days, still sticks in his mind.

“I really didn’t know what to expect, I kind of half expected it to be folky, indie stuff as that’s what they looked like and I was more into metal and heavier things,” he recalls.

“But I was amazed, I’d never heard anything like it, his voice, I was trying to pin it down and I couldn’t, it was just so interesting and I felt quite humble. It was the kind of music that I’d always wanted to hear and find but I just didn’t know where to find it and I knew that I really wanted to be a part of it right there and then.”

Alt-J are live at the Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, on May 30.

New single Breezeblocks is out on May 21 followed by debut album An Awesome Wave on Infectious on May 28.

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Brum Notes Magazine

POP GO THE JEZEBELS After first bursting onto the musical landscape and earning praise from the likes of The Guardian and NME while still at school, POPPY & THE JEZEBELS were hailed as the “new generation” of music. Now, five years on, they’re back and ready to unleash their quirky brand of sugar-coated pop once more.

2007 was no ordinary year for four schoolgirls from south Birmingham. While their fellow pupils at Swanhurst School in Billesley may have been more concerned with acne, exams and getting to grips with Facebook, Mollie Kingsley, Dom Vine, Amber Bradbury and Poppy Twist had other things on their minds.

The teenage foursome known collectively as Poppy & The Jezebels were earning plaudits aplenty and entertaining crowds galore as they served up their sparkling blend of DIY indie-pop. Their debut EP Follow Me Down was described as “devastatingly cool” by The Guardian, lauded by the NME and helped them make plenty of friends in high places. Not bad going for a bunch of 14 and 15-year-olds. Fast forward five years, they’ve finished school, set up their own record label, hooked up with a heavyweight pop producer in the shape of Richard X (Kylie, M.I.A., Sugababes) and, most importantly of all, have written some killer tunes.

“During that first burst we made some important connections,” explains drummer Poppy Twist, “really cool people who we wanted to work with. They’ve enabled us to take some time in our own rehearsal room to write and to record with Richard X which was a big ambition. It’s been incredibly exciting to work with a producer who believes in us as songwriters.

One of the reasons we have been out of the public eye for so long is that this was something we were holding out for. We wouldn’t work with people who wanted to take over in that area. It’s obviously early days yet, but the reactions to our new single have been really positive – people seem to get it.”

Unashamedly describing themselves as pop, it is the songwriting and musical ability that May 2012

separates them from many manufactured pop acts which infiltrate the charts, while their clever, witty and hook-laden tunes earn admirers from across the musical spectrum.

“We’d always been called lo-fi in the past, but that wasn’t how we saw ourselves, we were lo-fi by necessity rather than by design,” continues Poppy. “We always wanted to be the perfect pop band, and of course that takes hard work and developing as songwriters as well as musicians.”

That development has led to the band writing songs with meaning too, rather than simple throwaway tales, something which is clear on the aforementioned new single.

“It’s a pop protest song! It’s kind of an intriguing experiment, seeing if a relevant political message can find its way onto mainstream radio in a pure pop package. Lyrically, the song is telling young people to not lose faith in finding a better, more exciting future, even though this government seems to have given up on youth. In the Richard X/Larry Least mix the bridge has a sample of Thatcher, because things seem to be going back to how we hear it was in the 80s, that ‘no doors open without money’ attitude.”

Of course, these girls weren’t even born in the 1980s, let alone able to remember them, but having now reached the ages of 19 and 20 and without the ‘schoolgirl’ tag hanging over their heads it is now time for the music to do the talking. Not that there are any regrets over their first breakthrough coming when it did.

“Strangely, at the time it felt perfectly natural,” Poppy explains. “We were super young and didn’t have any experience that life in a band could be any other way. We were taking the

stage at the Roundhouse [in Camden] when Mollie was 13, then rolling up to school half dead eight hours later. It’s unimaginable that we could ever split up now, we’ve become a gang. What has been amazing is that some of our earliest supporters have stuck around for the second wave.”

It is an exciting time for the Birmingham music scene right now, with the latest crop of achingly cool guitar bands garnering plenty of national attention, but Poppy & The Jezebels with their grand pop ambitions represent something of a different prospect, albeit one that is just as exciting. They will be showing what they can do live as well with a headline show at the Hare & Hounds this month before sharing the stage with more potential stars-in-the-making at this summer’s One Beat Sunday.

“Being back on the live circuit again will give us the chance to check out a lot of the new bands.

The One Beat festival is one we’re really looking forward to partly for that reason,” says Poppy.

And fans had better bring their dancing shoes.

“You can’t have pure pop without danceability, so now we work to click both in the studio and on stage. That makes things have so much more momentum.”

Poppy & The Jezebels are live at the Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, on May 23, with tickets just £3 adv. New single Sign In, Dream On, Drop Out! is released on their own Gumball Machine label on May 21.

They also play live at One Beat Sunday at the Mac, Birmingham, on July 22. Tickets on sale now from www.macarts.co.uk.

17

Wolverhampton rockers THE LINES are back with an exciting new sound and have already been lapping up the critical acclaim for brand new single No Illusions, No Cheap Tricks. This month they make the short trip to Birmingham to headline the first ever Brum Notes Presents night at the O2 Academy 2. Jon Pritchard finds out what’s in store.

FINE LINES

“A free back rub? I don’t know, we’ll do what we always do and put on a show.”

Sorry ladies, it seems that was sarcasm. The Lines lead singer Alex Ohm and the rest of the band will (probably) not be giving out free back rubs. But Ohm has certainly promised to put on a good show for fans coming along to the Brum Notes Presents night.

Mind you, if you haven’t seen them before, where have you been? The Lines, in their various forms, have built up a reputation as a ferocious live band from years of gigging in the Midlands and nationwide, heck, even internationally, for years now.

“It inspired me to play around with beats and samples and the song just evolved from there. We wanted to create a John Barry/ Bond epic. I think we got pretty much what we wanted. It should sound massive live.”

“We always get a good response when we play live,” says Alex. “We get a real buzz off it and I think the crowd can see that and buzz off it too.”

With one album already under their collective belt, 2010‘s self-titled debut, some fans may think it a strange decision to do an EP and not another full length album.

For all those who have seen them before, there will be something absolutely brand new for you to get your ears around too. New tracks from their upcoming EP No Illusions, No Cheap Tricks, released on June 25, will be aired for the first time in the Midlands, while those who come along to the O2 Academy show will get a chance to pick up exclusive pre-release copies.

“We just saw it fit to do an EP,” Al explains.

“We’re still writing and recording at the moment and looking at album options. We wanted to release something for people to enjoy until we’re ready to release the next album, something to whet their appetite.”

“We’ll be unleashing No Illusions... on the masses. We’re buzzing about playing that live too.” It would appear The Lines buzz a lot. “It just feels so fresh and big. We think it could be one to really get the crowd involved.

“Foundations and Fickle Crowds from the EP should also be making appearances, we struggle to pick our set lists now as we have so many songs, it’s a good problem to have though! We’re honoured to be doing the first Brum Notes Presents night; we’ve followed the magazine’s growth and progress from the start. It’s a great magazine and we’re grateful to be asked to do it. We’re also just looking forward to getting back on the road so it should be a top night.”

The title track from the EP has already been single of the week on Kerrang! Radio and Al admits he is really happy with the feedback, especially as the track represents something of a departure from their previous offerings.

18 by Andy Hughes Photo

“It’s going down well with people who won’t necessarily have heard us before, which is always quality,” he continues. “There was never a plan to go in a different direction and if you listen to some of our other recent recordings you’ll hear that there’s a range of influences in there. No Illusions... came about from listening to various hip hop and dance acts such as UNKLE, Danger Mouse, Wu-Tang Clan, The Streets and so many more.

It all sounds like a very exciting few months ahead for the band and their fiercely loyal followers, as Alex leaves us with one final teaser.

“No Illusions... will be available to download for free on May 7 after you’ve all heard it at the gig, and we should have some big news to announce then too,” he adds with a wink.

Intrigued? You should be.

Brum Notes Presents The Lines live at the O2 Academy 2, Birmingham, on May 5, with support from The Rainband, Black Market Empire and The British Kicks. Ticket details at www.o2academybirmingham. co.uk.

New single No Illusions, No Cheap Tricks will be available for download on May 7, with the EP of the same name out on June 25. Visit www.wearethelines.co.uk for details.

Brum Notes Magazine

THE SUPPORT BANDS, IN THEIR OWN WORDS...

Three bands will be joining The Lines on the bill for the Brum Notes Presents night at the O2 Academy 2 on May 5. We caught up with all three for a brief introduction. Read more from all three bands at www.brumnotes.com

THE RAINBAND

BLACK MARKET EMPIRE

THE BRITISH KICKS

You’re from Manchester and co-headlining the rest of the tour with The Lines, how did that link up come about?

It really all started during the December 2011 tour with Ocean Colour Scene. We had a few beers backstage in Wolverhampton and talked about getting together in the new year and doing some gigs. It then turned into a full blown joint UK tour which is great for everyone.

So, for those who don’t know you, what are Black Market Empire all about?

We’re a four-piece guitar band from Digbeth’s back streets. Our sound is an upbeat, aggressive, essentially British pop sound. Designed and crafted to make audiences and listeners move their feet, smile like cats and raise a glass.

The Lines gig is a bit of a comeback gig for you guys isn’t it?

Yeah, the band is back with a new look – we’ve welcomed two massively talented musicians in Marcus Williams [drummer] and Drew Linforth [guitarist], been locked away in the studio working on new material and this’ll be the first show since we shared the Birmingham leg of The Ordinary Boys’ reunion tour back in December.

The lineup hasn’t felt complete until now.

We’ve been part of some great shows in the past, but now is our time to be judged.

How rock and roll are your travel plans for the tour?

We’re hiring a tour bus that sleeps 10 which I’m very much looking forward to. Our usual bus doesn’t have any beds so after a gig in London or Glasgow you always feel like you do after a long haul flight the next morning.

For those that haven’t heard you before, what can we expect?

Loud, melodic, live music! We can’t wait. www.therainband.co.uk

Looking forward to The Lines gig?

We are all truly buzzing to play with The Lines and to be back playing on a stage where so many of our heroes have played before and a venue that can help our music reach a wider audience.

For those that haven’t seen you before, what can we expect on May 5?

Expect a high tempo set of singalong, heartfelt catchy, guitar-driven indie and a couple of decent hair cuts too. www.facebook.com/ BlackMarketEmpireUK

For those who haven’t heard you, what can we expect on May 5?

Expect us to kick off the show in explosive fashion. Our style is probably harder hitting than you’d expect as part of this line-up but we’re all really looking forward to the experience. www.facebook.com/thebritishkicks

An intimate camping weekend of acoustic music set in the spiritual home of Nick Drake.

presents

1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th JUNE

Plus special guests:

The Rainband | Black Market Empire | The British Kicks

TANWORTH IN ARDEN

UMBERSLADE ESTATE, WARWICKSHIRE

BENJAMIN FRANCIS LEFTWICH FIONN REGAN SCOTT MATTHEWS THE OLD DANCE SCHOOL • HANNAH PEEL

SATURDAY MAY 5, 2012 O2 ACADEMY2, BIRMINGHAM DOORS: 7PM / AGE: 14+ Buy online at: www.o2academybirmingham.co.uk 0844 477 2000 (24hr)

JIM MORAY • MICHAEL CHAPMAN ASHLEY HUTCHINGS & BLAIR DUNLOP RICHARD JAMES • GOODNIGHT LENIN JONNY KEARNEY & LUCY FARRELL LAURA J MARTIN • BOAT TO ROW RACHEL SERMANNI • TELLING THE BEES RAPUNZEL & SEDAYNE • SUNJAY BRAYNE • THE TERRAPINS • JAMES SUMMERFIELD • RICHARD BURKE

DREAMING SPIRES • SIMON FOX • JOSEPH TOPPING • THE YOUNG RUNAWAYS • ANDY OLIVERI • THE HALL BROTHERS LUKE HIRST & SARAH SMOUT • DAN HAYWOOD'S NEW HAWKS • TWO WINGS • FRIENDS OF THE STARS LUX HARMONIUM • BONFIRE RADICALS • PETE PHILIPSON / DAVID A JAYCOCK • DUOTONE • I AM VOYAGER 1 ELIZA SHADDAD • RICHARD MARCH • BEN CALVERT • SEELAND • TOM DILLON & THE COWBOY BODGERS BRIDIE JACKSON & THE ARBOUR • CANNON STREET • DAN WHITEHOUSE • CHRIS TYE • GOLDEN GLASS DIRTY OLD FOLKERS • THE FATHER TEDS • FOUR QUARTETS • SPROATLY SMITH • BROTHER THE WOLFE

www.brumnotes.com | www.wearethelines.co.uk

May 2012

19

evening in the park

Image: The Destroyers

Music at mac birmingham Ben Calvert & The Swifts

Sun 13 May, 7.30pm | Tickets £10 (£7) A rare home town show from this post-folk band showcasing songs from their debut album Festive Road.

Jazzlines and mac birmingham present:

& his Paramount Jazz Band

Phronesis

Tue 15 May, 8pm |Tickets £10 (£7 BJ members and concessions) This wonderfully interactive trio perform music from their first live album, entitled simply Alive.

Advance tickets £20 available from www.MostlyJazz.co.uk/tickets For information please email info@mostlyjazz.co.uk There will be a reasonably priced bar in the park.

This is an outdoor concert in the Park, you're welcome to bring rugs and folding chairs.

mostlyjazz.co.uk

Jazzlines presents

Keith & Julie Tippett: A Couple in Spirit + Deep Joy Quartet Sat 26 May, 7.30pm |Tickets £10 (£7 BJ members and concessions)

Couple In Spirit duo, pianist Keith Tippett and vocalist Julie Tippett, are joined by the double drum quartet for a night of contemporary jazz.

The Destroyers & Sheelanagig Sat 7 Jul, 7.30pm |Tickets £13 (£10)

Performing in the outdoor arena The Destroyers bring an anarchic orchestra of blazing passion and breathtaking originality. They are joined by Sheelanagig who offer elements of storytelling and street theatre with intricate and irresistibly danceable music.

One Beat Records and Birmingham Promoters present:

One Beat Sunday

Sun 22 Jul, 3-10pm | Tickets £10 | All ages

One Beat Records and Birmingham Promoters have teamed up with mac birmingham to present a one day festival in the outdoor arena. See some of Birmingham’s brightest bands plus DJ sets, vintage clothing, outdoor bar & BBQ.

Sales & Information 0121 446 3232 www.macarts.co.uk Cannon Hill Park | Birmingham | B12 9QH

Thurs 26th April Manchester — The Dulcimer (Supporting The Woodwards, We Are Willow) (Ben solo) Sun 13th May Birmingham — mac Valpolicella Girl Single Launch (Ben Calvert & The Swifts) Fri 18th May Bristol — The Grain Barge (Supporting The People’s String Foundation) (Ben solo) Sun 20th May London — Folke Newington at The Waiting Room (Ben Solo)

‘Introspective and melancholic vocals offer the perfect picture window to an era of sound from the likes of Nick Drake. The orchestral sounding magic rests with his band who have a rich full sound. Folk music served up with a splash of dark psychedelia.”

Folk Radio UK ‘The jaunty Valpolicella Girl is a kindred carnival spirit to (The Beatles) Maxwell’s Silver Hammer.’

Net Rhythms ‘A breezy number complete with a 60s tinged melody and a trippy pop hook that’s simply irresistible.

The perfect soundtrack to hazy days and heady nights’ Rhythm ‘N’ Booze

Sat 2nd June Tanworth In Arden — The Lunar Festival (Ben solo) The single Valpolicella Girl is available on Bohemian Jukebox from Monday 14th May via iTunes.

Also available on the CD album Festive Road. www.bencalvert.com

20

Brum Notes Magazine

live Art Brut

really is the place to be. The festival performances are split between two stages meaning that at times there are decisions to Misty’s Big Adventur e be made. Howevgs er, at 5.30pm on The Lovely Eg the Theatre stage, Dexy and the Hand Me Downs ensure that those who have picked their particular blend NOW WE ARE WEEKENDER of country-punk are not to be disappointed.

The Public, West Bromwich Toy Horses and The Indelicates also pro07/04/12-08/04/12 vide a lively backdrop to the afternoon, but the day really is all about the last bands to Saturday take to the stage(s).

There’s an air of contentment at The Public today. Those in attendance are in an inspiring venue, with a coffee (or pint) to hand, and witness to some of the country’s most delicious indie-pop. And life doesn’t come much better than that. Easing a smattering of people atop an array of garden furniture into the day, Lancaster’s Icepops For Breakfast deliver a tumbling set of stories about everything from Stuart Maconie to Rizla papers.

The Thyme Machine Brummies Silver Souvenirs follow suit, their popular brand of guitar-led indie ensuring that for the time being, the PINKtank stage Midlands heroes Misty’s Big Adventure deliver a stomper of a set tempting even the most reluctant to their feet as the stage brims almost to the point of overflow with an array of musicians who provide one of the highlights of the weekend.

And Art Brut’s climactic finale of hits (accompanied by lead singer Eddie Argos’ now infamous soiree into the crowd of adoring onlookers) ensures that Saturday night really does go off with a bang.

Pussycat and the Dirty Johnsons

May 2012

Sunday Tellingly, there are more than a few sore heads in the morning. But those trooper enough to make it out are treated to another day of fine performances. Notably, One Sixth of Tommy’s safe acoustic repertoire; The Bombergs’ slowed down set of New York-inspired pop; and Pussycat and the Dirty Johnsons’ cat-shaped presentation which gets more than a few tongues (and tails) wagging. Keith TOTP too creates a raucous atmosphere with his minor UK indie celebrity backing band (featuring members of The Indelicates and The New Royal Family among others), who between them manage to almost equal the number of instruments to take to the stage separately across the entire weekend. Almost.

However, it’s when The Thyme Machine appear that the PINKtank stage, and in fact the entire venue, really come to life. Treated to party poppers and presents, the band’s ironic and sillily adorable sound ensures that by the end the crowd really are politely asking for more.

And that sets them in right good stead for The Lovely Eggs who take to the stage to synonymous (in some circles) anthem People Are Twats, grabbing by the throats the attention of everyone left in the venue. Their shambolic performance is easily the standout of the entire event, as husband and wife combo play off each other beautifully, and it’s a shame that no encore can be delivered due to the drum kit standing in pieces. But that’s only due to Art Brut’s guitarist Jasper Future invading the stage and creating an atmosphere of fun and frolics as his unique dancing skills finish the performance and the drums. And as it’s that which ultimately finishes it, it isn’t really a loss after all.

Amy Sumner Photos by Jonathan Morgan 21

The Destroyers Prince of Wales, Moseley 30/03/2012

What can you say about gypsy misfits The Destroyers? They are a group like no other, and that’s even if you discount the fact that the band comprises 15 people. Yes, 15 people in a band – madness. With Mariachi brass, Balkan strings, traditional Irish melodies, up-tempo ska, gypsy jazz and punkpolka, the result is certainly unique.

Tonight is the launch party for new album Hole In The Universe. Each song, insanely catchy but never obvious, makes it practically impossible to stand still. Everyone in the outside space at the pub is either nodding their head, tapping their foot or jumping like a crazy person lost in the moment.

At the beating heart of this nomadic group lies frontman and rabble ring-leader Paul Murphy, the head of this 30-legged beast who steers and points before letting go and watching the ensuing melee with glee.

Ben Russell

OFWGKTA O2 Academy, Birmingham 28/03/2012

“OK let’s do this Birmingham,” shouts Tyler, The Creator. Odd Future (or OFWGKTA to use the full acronym) are making a firestorm tonight, the inferno starts as soon as they hit the stage and they manage to reciprocate the build up from an eager crowd with a setlist of quick fire futuristic hip hop beats and MCing. Group members rampantly stalk the stage while rolling out bad-mannered lyrics punctuated by air kicks and habitual stage diving. It’s frenetic viewing and they expertly show Birmingham why they are considered to be hip hop’s second coming.

Tracks like Sandwitches, Yonkers, 50 and Bitches are lapped up; every band member gets the spotlight, solo jams are followed by fast-paced team efforts, it goes off over and over again. It is a pleasure to observe young rap-punks still very much at the top of their game.

Tom Belte

The Futureheads The Glee Club, Birmingham 10/04/2012

It is a risk for any band to take their own, massively popular songs and rework them, let alone strip them right down and perform them a cappella – but for The Futureheads, it seemed as easy as pie.

Executed with confidence and charisma, their well balanced, four-part harmonies 22

resonated around the venue and were gratefully met by an enthusiastic audience. A varied set included a mixture of songs from new a cappella album Rant alongside old favourites. The Mackem foursome opened with a stripped down rendition of In the Summer, armed with just an acoustic guitar and an egg shaker. It set the scene for what was an intimate insight into the musical diversity of a truly talented band of musicians. A night of expert musicianship, crowd participation and plenty of banter left the audience wanting more and showed us a side of The Futureheads that is adventurous, refreshing and distinctive.

Charlotte Rose Photo by Wayne Fox

Bombay Bicycle Club The Civic Hall, Wolverhampton 17/04/12

It’s fair to say that Bombay Bicycle Club have had a pretty good time of it so far in their short career, but at the Civic Hall all their hard work appears to pay off to stunning effect. In a set lasting well over 90 minutes, they went through all of their best-known songs and even more lighting effects as the crowd were treated to a visual dish of Michelin-starred standards.

For a band so young, their maturity not only in song but on stage is astounding, as Dust On The Ground and What You Want further increase the sensory wonderment.

With huge faces on the side of the stage, lamps hanging from the ceiling, a star behind them, and a whole smorgasbord of lights and effects for the crowd to take in, the songs passed without any real drama.

The final few songs really picked the crowd up after a short lull, with Lamplight, Beggars and Always Like This being the precursor to the wonderful The Giantess with Emergency Contraception Blues mixed in.

Jon Pritchard

Institute’s tiny Temple room you definitely get the feeling you are watching the best kept secret in music right now. The Canadian five-piece visited Birmingham as part of their tour to support their album New Wild Everywhere, a delicious mix of folk sounds which forms the bulk of their set.

The audience are treated to an intimate performance in which the intricate verses seem even more delicate and the rousing choruses even more dramatic. The range of instruments used by the band gives a unique vibe and each member plays a fundamental role, while all gelling together beautifully. And then of course there’s Tony Dekker’s voice.

That astonishing, ethereal voice that reaches into your soul, summoning up almost every emotion possible which is made even more precious when the rest of the band vacate and Dekker sings a couple of solo numbers.

Go and see Great Lake Swimmers before the masses cotton on.

Ellie Crean

Mystery Jets + Peace The Rainbow, Birmingham 04/04/2012

Tonight, Birmingham’s finest are out in force.

Showing Mystery Jets that the hometown of their tour support really does know how to party, Peace’s crowd are shambolic, jubilant, and just right, hard, down and dirty.

When Blaine Harrison and co do take to the stage, they are full of admiration, praise and song dedications for the young hopefuls of Peace. Three to be precise.

As for the headliners, they showcase their recently released fourth album tonight, which is a brave move. But it pays off. New album Radlands sounds light and fresh and almost exactly what you’d want from a band with a few albums under their belt, if at times a little slow. And when they do air older material, the crowd actually does go mental. It’s a crowd that really does do the city proud and one that is rewarded with shots of vodka straight to the throat from Mystery Jets’ drummer Kapil Trivedi on their re-emergence for the encore.

Amy Sumner Photo by Wayne Fox

Great Lake Swimmers The Temple @ HMV Institute, Birmingham 13/04/2012

Watching Great Lake Swimmers at the Brum Notes Magazine

A$AP ROCKY PLUS GUESTS

STAR SLINGER

BIRMINGHAM HMV INSTITUTE THURSDAY 7 JUNE BUY AT TICKETMASTER.CO.UK LIVENATION.CO.UK A LIVE NATION & SJM CONCERTS PRESENTATION IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE AGENCY GROUP

friends Plus Special Guests

BIRMINGHAM O2 ACADEMY2 S AT U R D AY 1 2 M AY

Buy at Ticketmaster.co.uk www.afriendszone.com

Livenation.co.uk

www.facebook.com/sdneirfbackwards

A Live Nation presentation in association with The Agency Group

Katzenjammer 31ST AUGUST, 1ST & 2ND SEPTEMBER

STEELEYE SPAN ROY HARPER

ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN

PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS

BIRMINGHAM O2 ACADEMY3 SUNDAY 20 MAY

BUY ONLINE AT LIVENATION.CO.UK

JONATHAN WILSON GUILLEMOTS • JULIAN COPE

SIMON FOWLER’S MERRYMOUTH BETH JEANS HOUGHTON & THE HOOVES OF DESTINY GOODNIGHT LENIN • LANTERNS ON THE LAKE DARK DARK DARK • DEVON SPROULE • RICHARD JAMES THE DESTROYERS • THE MAGNETIC NORTH ABIGAIL WASHBURN WITH KAI WELCH • PAUL MURPHY • SPIRO EMILY PORTMAN TRIO • THE LONG NOTES • TREETOP FLYERS RACHEL SERMANNI • JONNY KEARNEY & LUCY FARRELL LAURA J MARTIN • ELLEN & THE ESCAPADES THE FALSE BEARDS • TELLING THE BEES • MICKY GREANEY GENTLE GOOD • SUNJAY BRAYNE • RAPUNZEL & SEDAYNE REVERE • THE TERRAPINS • GOLDEN GLASS

www.katzenjammer.no

A LIVE NATION PRESENTATION IN ASSOCIATION WITH CAA

SATURDAY 26 MAY

PLUS GUEST

BIRMINGHAM HMV INSTITUTE 0844 248 5037 MACMILLEROFFICIAL.COM

MOSELEY PARK, BIRMINGHAM NEW ALBUM

“BLUE SLIDE PARK” OUT NOW A LIVE NATION PRESENTATION IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE AGENCY GROUP

BUY ONLINE AT TICKETMASTER.CO.UK May 2012

23

CLUBS

CIRCO LOCO The Arena, Birmingham 07/04/2012

Thousands of clubbers braved the rain and long queues to bring some Ibizan spirit to Birmingham, partying day and night at a brand new outdoor venue. Renowned Ibiza club night Circo Loco hosted a huge party at brand new amphitheatre-style outdoor clubbing space The Arena in Digbeth, with revellers enjoying sets from the likes of Kerri Chandler, Jamie Jones and DJ Sneak, before carrying on into the early hours at the after parties at the nearby Rainbow Complex.

Photos by Tasha Remmington 24

Brum Notes Magazine

TRMNL Launch Night Lab11, Birmingham 31/03/2012

Sell out crowds piled into one of Birminghamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest bespoke clubbing spaces to help the venue celebrate its launch in style.

Underground clubbing brand TRMNL made a welcome return, unveiling their brand new Digbeth warehouse nightclub and kicking off a series of weekly TRMNL Presents... nights.

Clubbers enjoyed sets from some of the hottest names in techno including Radio Slave, Mark Henning and Ethy & Flori across two rooms. TRMNL takes place every Saturday at the new venue.

May 2012

25

STYLE

SPRING 2012 TREND

THE SALES

TOPSHOP WAS £8.50 NOW £4.25

URBAN OUTFITTERS WAS £85.00 NOW £50.00

H&M

WAS £3.99 NOW £2.49

Despite the mess and the mayhem that surrounds the sales we are all guilty of getting involved one time or another and successfully bagging ourselves a half price treat. These items may be considered as past season trends but to be honest, who cares? If it’s a bargain, it’s a bargain and if it looks good.. well, it looks good. It’s now that time of year where the shops adorn us with rail upon messy rail of cheaper garments and here’s a list for starters of what to find and where to find it.

ASOS

H&M

WAS £197.00 NOW £112.00

TOPSHOP

WAS £65.00 NOW £35.00

MISS SELFRIDGE WAS £39.00 NOW £20.00

RIVER ISLAND

WAS £20.00 NOW £7.00

ASOS

WAS £69.00 NOW £45.00

TOPSHOP WAS £7.50 NOW £3.75

WAS £19.99 NOW £9.99

NEW LOOK TOPSHOP

WAS £52.00 NOW £25.00

WAS £16.99 NOW £8.00

As part of the new Swatch Art & Fashion collection, Swatch are set to release a double collaboration project with Chinese fashion designer Uma Wang and Japanese artist Hideaki Kawashima, due to hit stores this month.

Wang’s designs encapsulate her love of textures and materials with a mixture of embroidered textile and plastic surfaces. Her mixture of subtle and vibrant colours and contrast of print ensures her designs are incredibly stylish and on trend.

Kawashima’s designs depict female faces in keeping with his otherworldly style. He explains that he “envisaged them having the character of a strange creature entwining around one’s arm, just like someone’s loving pet. Let’s say these are your Little Mister and Little Miss. I do hope you will like them.”

Check out both collections alongside the 10 new designs as part of the Lady Collection for 2012 online at www.swatch.com or in store at the Bullring, Birmingham.

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Brum Notes Magazine

OFFICE £69.99

JACKET Manchester market RIVER ISLAND £20.00

ASOS £40.00

TOPMAN £30.00

ROKIT £15.00

LEVI 510s £85.00

H&M £12.99

SHIRT William Richard Green

URBAN OUTFITTERS £95.00 TOPMAN £160.00

JEANS Urban Outfitters

Q. How would you describe your style?

A. I’d say it’s a kind of fluffy, citrus, loud and quiet, understated overstated thing. It’s sort of like early 2000s chav meets 70s rock star.

Q. Where do you get your inspiration from?

A. I think just friends, if my friends like something I just copy that and then just combine all of my friends likes into one horrible massive bit of everything.

SHOES Dr Martens

HARRY KOISSER

THE LEAD GUITARIST AND SINGER FROM PEACE TALKS TO US ABOUT HIS STYLE-STEALING, CHAV-INSPIRED LOOK AND WHY ORANGE JUST ISN’T HIS COLOUR. CHECK OUT PEACE AT PEACEFOREVEREVER.CO.UK

May 2012

Q. Who are your style icons?

A. David Beckham circa 1996, Keith Richards, Robert Plant 1975. I dunno, Led Zeppelin meets the Spice Girls boys.

Q. What is your favourite wardrobe item?

A. At the moment it’s a white leather jacket with fringing which I got from a market in Manchester.

Q. What is your item of shame?

A. An orange tracksuit given to me by Cheap Monday. I got it thinking it’d maybe be alright but it’s horrible. It’s not nice.

Q. Where is your favourite shop in Birmingham?

A. There are a lot of great places but I think overall it’s got to be Cow in Digbeth.

Q. What is next for PEACE? A. We are going to release the single and then do some city festivals and then hopefully in the summer do some outdoor festivals.

27

FOOD + DRINK cocktailS of the month: DO YOUR THING! Have you ever had an amazing cocktail and tried to make it at home but not had the right ingredients? Don’t give up at the first hurdle, mix it up and create your own version.

If you’re anything like me you will probably have a cupboard full of left over alcohol from a party a few months back that you will never usually end up using. Well, here’s your chance...

When making up your own cocktail there is one important thing to remember: balance. This is the key to all great cocktails from the classics to the new. Aim for a drink that is not too sweet and not too sour, you want to taste the alcohol but not have it overpowering the

rest of the drink. There are no rules as to what you can use or how to use it so get those creative juices flowing and try something new.

Here are two recipes from our new menu that have been created by our very own bartenders. The first is from Christopher Langford; called La Buscape, Christopher made this cocktail for a specials menu just a few months after starting on the bar and it was so good we’ve added it to our main menu.

The second recipe, created by Jack Dimmack, is a twist on the classic Moscow Mule using an infused tequila which adds an extra spicy kick to the fiery ginger beer.

By Anthony Bubb, bar manager at Bodega Bar and Cantina, Bennetts Hill, Birmingham, 0121 448 4267, www.bodegabirmingham.co.uk.

Recipe: La Buscape Ingredients: 37.5ml Ypioca cachaca 12.5ml Kwai Feh lychee liqueur 10ml Orgeat syrup 20ml Fresh lime juice 25ml Pineapple juice (use Eager) 10ml Midori Directions: Shake all ingredients minus the midori and pour into an ice filled glass then drizzle midori on top.

Recipe: Mexican Mule Ingredients: 3 lime wedges 50ml Jack’s spiced tequila Old Jamaican ginger beer Directions: Muddle limes in the bottom of a glass, add tequila and top with ginger beer.

28

Brum Notes Magazine

WHAT’S ON Tuesday, May 1 Example

NIA

Birmingham

Don Williams

Symphony Hall

Birmingham

Team Me

The Rainbow

Birmingham

Dangerous Girls M CN Moschino Hoes

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

The Victoria

Birmingham

M M

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

The Temple @ HMV Institute The Victoria

Birmingham

The Glee Club

Birmingham

The Ballroom

Birmingham

The Library @ HMV Institute The Victoria

Birmingham

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

M M M

Wednesday, May 2

Versace Hotties Thursday, May 3 Newton Faulkner Twenty Twenty

CN Manhattan Loft Chris Ramsey C M M

Friday, May 4 Not By Design Blood Red Shoes

Weird Dreams M CN Westwood Party CN Le Lieu Present Synkro Freestyle

CN Ian Moore C Laugh Out Loud C M M M CN CN CN CN CN C M M M M M M

Comedy Club Saturday, May 5 Train

Birmingham

Bull’s Head

Moseley

The Glee Club

Birmingham

The Slade Rooms

Wolverhampton

O2 Academy

Birmingham

The Lines

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

Sunrise Over Europe Sam Redmore

The Flapper

Birmingham

Island Bar

Birmingham

TRMNL

Lab11

Birmingham

Subculture

The Ballroom

Birmingham

Face

The Rainbow

Birmingham

UPRAWR

The Asylum

Birmingham

Ian Moore

The Glee Club

Birmingham

CN Jam Jah M M M M

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Tuesday, May 8 Tellison

The Rainbow

Birmingham

Wednesday, May 9 Tribes

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

Antlered Man

The Flapper

Birmingham

Fast Fused 27 Showcase Thursday, May 10 Slow Club

The Library @ HMV Institute

Birmingham

Hare & Hounds

Birmingham

Artrix Arts Centre

Bromsgrove

The Victoria

Birmingham

The Glee Club

Birmingham

HMV Institute

Birmingham

M Albert Lee M CN Manhattan Loft Kevin Gildea C M M M M M M CN CN CN C C M M M M CN CN CN CN CN CN C C

Friday, May 11 Marina And The Diamonds DJ Fresh Live

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

Point Blank Fury

The Flapper

Birmingham

Alabama Shakes

Birmingham

The Heartbreaks

The Library @ HMV Institute The Rainbow

Freelance Mourners

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Propaganda

O2 Academy

Birmingham

Shuffle

The Victoria

Birmingham

Freestyle

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Jerry Seinfeld

NIA

Birmingham

Isy Suttie

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Saturday, May 12 Zakopower

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Happy Mondays

O2 Academy

Birmingham

Friends

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

New Killer Shoes

The Flapper

Birmingham

Tiki-tastic

Island Bar

Birmingham

TRMNL

Lab11

Birmingham

UPRAWR

The Asylum

Birmingham

Face

The Rainbow

Birmingham

High Fidelity

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Uber

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Kevin Gildea

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Tom Stade

Wulfrun Hall

Wolverhampton

Mac

Birmingham

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

The Library @ HMV Institute The Rainbow

Birmingham

Wulfrun Hall

Wolverhampton

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Sunday, May 6 We The Kings

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

The Coronas

The Ballroom

Birmingham

Ladyhawke

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Ballroom Blitz

The Other Room @ The Ballroom Artrix Arts Centre

Birmingham Bromsgrove

M

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

M

Sunday, May 13 Ben Calvert & The Swifts The Xcerts

M

Monday, May 14 This Is Hell

Paul Brady Quantic & Alice Russell We Are Augustines

M CN Uproar CN Isle Of Disco M M

Birmingham

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

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Monday, May 7 10CC

Symphony Hall

Birmingham

Zulu Winter

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

May 2012

Flats M Michael Kiwanuka M CN Jam Jah

Birmingham

Birmingham

29

M M M M M M M M M M M

Tuesday, May 15 Phronesis

Mac

Birmingham

Elvis Costello

Symphony Hall

Birmingham

Duke Special

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Wednesday, May 16 The Temper Trap

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Yelawolf

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

Sarah Jezebel Deva

The Ballroom

Birmingham

Albert Hammond

The Glee Club

Birmingham

8otto

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

This Is Sinister

Bull’s Head

Moseley

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

The End @ The Ballroom The Victoria

Birmingham

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Thursday, May 17 Get Cape Wear Cape Fly Passenger

CN Manhattan Loft Mark Olver C M M

Friday, May 18 The Horrors Facade

Birmingham

HMV Institute

Birmingham

The Actress & Bishop The Rainbow

Birmingham

Birmingham

M M

Castrovalva

M CN CN C

The Arcadian Kicks

The Temple @ HMV Institute Bull’s Head

Live Forever

The Victoria

Birmingham

Freestyle

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Mark Olver

The Glee Club

Birmingham

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

Fixers

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

Violet

The Asylum 2

Birmingham

Casual Agenda

The Flapper

Birmingham

TRMNL

Lab11

Birmingham

UPRAWR

The Asylum

Birmingham

Face

The Rainbow

Birmingham

Habit

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Mark Olver

The Glee Club

Birmingham Birmingham

Jimmy Cliff

The Actress & Bishop The Ballroom

Blancmange

The Slade Rooms

Wolverhampton

Sunday, May 20 Steve Ajao

Monday, May 21 Dick Valentine Wheatus

M M M M M

M M M

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

The Slade Rooms

Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton

Manhattan Loft

The Victoria

Birmingham

Rob Deering

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Friday, May 25 Tyga

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Keane

O2 Academy

Birmingham

The Skatalites

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

The Zombies

Artrix Arts Centre

Bromsgrove

Greg Bird & Flamingo Flame Tiki Friday

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Island Bar

Birmingham

Bull’s Head

Moseley

Mac

Birmingham

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Saturday, May 26 Mac Miller

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Guns N Roses

LG Arena

Birmingham

Butterfly Stone

Birmingham

Bromsgrove

Shuffle

Island Bar

Birmingham

UPRAWR

The Asylum

Birmingham

Face

The Rainbow

Birmingham

PROspec Present Critical Move

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Bull’s Head

Moseley

CN Rob Deering C M M M M

Birmingham Birmingham

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Sunday, May 27 William Control

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

Gemma Hayes

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Frei.Wild

The Library @ HMV Institute

Birmingham

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

ThePetebox

The Ballroom

Birmingham

Walls

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Coldplay

Ricoh Arena

Coventry

O2 Academy 2

Birmingham

Monday, May 28 King Charles Tuesday, May 29

M

Kings Heath

The Slade Rooms

Back To The Raver

Moseley

Birmingham

Lucy Rose

CN CN CN CN CN

Wolverhampton

The Temple @HMV Institute Hare & Hounds

Birmingham

The Fortunes

The Temple @ HMV Institute Artrix Arts Centre

Spector

Bull’s Head

Niki & The Dove

Birmingham

Thursday, May 24 Jill Jackson

M

Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham

The Glee Club

The Actress & Bishop The Temple @HMV Institute HMV Institute

The Other Room @ The Ballroom The Slade Rooms

The Glee Club

HMV Institute

CN CN Freestyle Mark Steel C Rob Deering C

Birmingham

Heather Peace

M

M M CN C

O2 Academy 3

Birmingham

Wednesday, May 23 Forever The Sickest Kids General Fiasco

M

M M M

O2 Academy 3

Harvey Milk

30

Birmingham

Tuesday, May 22 Fei Comodo

M

M

Moseley

Saturday, May 19 Blancmange

The Primitives M CN Jam Jah

M M M

Birmingham

CN Full Moon Party Tom Stade C

M M C M M M M C

Wednesday, May 30 Peter Hook And The Light Hit The Lights

The Asylum

Birmingham

Kate McGill

The Rainbow

Birmingham

Andrew Maxwell

The Slade Rooms

Wolverhampton

Thursday, May 31 Gary Numan

HMV Institute

Birmingham

Severed Ties

The Ballroom

Birmingham

Admiral Fallow

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Trio Tekke

Hare & Hounds

Kings Heath

Holly Walsh

The Glee Club

Birmingham

Brum Notes Magazine

15 -17 JuNE 2012 Catton Hall Walton-Upon-trent SoUtH DerbySHire

d Weeken tickets from £87 FRI

CHUMBAWAMBA • CHRIS WOOD • JAKE MORLEY

£30

FRIDAY

DJ PETE LAWRENCE (THE BIG SESSION DJ) • MEGAN HENWOOD • LUCY WARD MERRY HELL • MORE LIKE TREES • MAWKIN • TYDE • ANNA ELIAS & THE FORLORN HOPE ALEXA HAWKSWORTH • LISBEE STAINTON • BOAT TO ROW • HHYMN • NIMMING NED • ALEX HIGHTON

and... OYSTERBAND (playing a fans request set) EDDI READER • THE LEISURE SOCIETY

SUNDAY

SATURDAY

DIZRAELI & THE SMALL GODS • JESCA HOOP • MARTIN SIMPSON BAND KRIS DREVER TRIO • TREACHEROUS ORCHESTRA • THE MAGIC TOMBOLINOS ABANDOMAN • KAMI THOMPSON • JONNY KEARNEY & LUCY FARRELL

PAPER AEROPLANES • WALSH & POUND • URUSEN • CHRIS TYE • JOHN WEAN

SAT

£40

DAN WHITEHOUSE • BLUE ROSE CODE • SAM BROOKES • SIMON CARE SESSION • FRAN SMITH SAM BEETON • CHRIS SARJEANT • JULIE COLLINGS • ALISTAIR ATKIN BAND

SCOTT MATTHEWS • OYSTERBAND & JUNE TABOR SHOW OF HANDS • RODDY WOOMBLE

Big Session Artists with Regional Roots…

THE LEISURE SOCIETY SCOTT MATTHEWS JON BODEN & THE REMNANT KINGS LUCY WARD FAY HIELD & THE HURRICANE PARTY RICHARD WARREN DAN WHITEHOUSE ANNA ELIAS & THE FORLORN HOPE CHRIS TYE ALEXA HAWKSWORTH SAM BEETON BOAT TO ROW HHYMN MANIèRE DES BOHéMIENS NIMMING NED JULIE COLLINGS

JON BODEN & THE REMNANT KINGS • FAY HIELD & THE HURRICANE PARTY

BOO HEWERDINE & BROOKS WILLIAMS - STATE OF THE UNION HABADEKUK • GAVIN OSBORN • DUOTONE • RICHARD WARREN • JESS MORGAN THE LUCKY STRIKES • MATT BOULTER • MANIèRE DES BOHéMIENS

May 2012

• International food • Loads of local real ales across 3 bars • Easy travel • A packed Family programme • Living sculpture village • Community singing • Daily yoga workout • Circus skills • Giant music sessions and open mics • Not a corporate brand in sight... a truly independent festival

SUN

£40

So for truly exceptional music and a real family festival experience, come and find us nestling between woodland and river in the heart of the Midlands. We’ll serve up the perfect midsummer escape with a perfect line-up on a perfect Festival Site... it’s going to be perfect. The line-up delivers new music and old favorites, embraces your desire to participate and feast your eyes and ears with sights and sounds for a festival gathering like no other.

box oFFICE 023 8071 1818 31

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Brum Notes Magazine