LeftLion Magazine - April 2005 - Issue 4

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credits LeftLion Magazine Issue 4 April-May 2005 Guest Editor Al Needham Editor At Large Jared Wilson Sub Editors Alan Gilby Timmy Bates Nathan Miller Cristina Chapman Distribution Breakin’ Media Tim Evans Design David Blenkey reasondesign@hotmail.com Photographers Ben Dennis David Bowen Dom Henry Ed Walsh Illustrators David Blenkey Ricky Marr Rob White Contributors Bones Emily Hynd Guy Gooberman Jem Shaw Miles Hunt Roger Mean Dan Gardner Global Affairs Desk Yemi Akinpelumi ”I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they’ve always worked for me.”

Hunter S. Thompson LeftLion 349a Mansfield Road Nottingham, NG5 2DA info@leftlion.co.uk For advertising enquiries please contact: advertising@leftlion.co.uk office/fax: 0115 9623676 mobile: 07866 312044 8,000 copies distributed in over 50 venues around Nottingham

contents . . .

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Local News For Local People R.I.P. H.S.T. Nottingham Branded Assassination City Bent interview Miles Hunt Amusement Parks On Fire interview Gotham Notts What I Call Music Opportunity Notts Round Table Nottingham Music History New Section: Out & About Listings Notts Tens / Nottsword Horrorscopes / Bones’ Fun Cave

editorial Ayup. I’m Guest Editor of LeftLion for this issue, and a very enjoyable experience it’s been, working with a crew of youngbloods who have skills for days and as much love for Hood Town as I have. Yeah, so their office is a bit crufty, loads of random people keep dropping in and gas on while you’re trying to work and the nearest chippy is rubbish, but you can’t have everything. We hope you enjoy gnawing upon the fruits of our labour until the juice all dribbles down your chin.

Since the last issue came out, our dear owd taan has had a bastard of an identity crisis. One day, we’re a city of culture about to be on a par with Barcelona. The next, we’re all supposed to be shooting each other in a never-ending turf war. Unless you’re currently reading this whilst rampaging through a tapas bar with an Uzi, you know too well that both views are absolute bob. You’ll find our take on the slanty ‘N’ and ‘Assassination City’ a few pages away.

Local music will always have a home in LeftLion, but this issue the boat has been well and truly pushed out. Not only have we had the usual chit and chat with the local talent, we’ve also taken a very long look at why we’ve never been able to produce massively successful bands. As someone old enough to remember seeing Paper Lace waving from a limo on Midlands Today (in 1974!) It was absolutely skill to have a pint with Phillip Wright in Brownes as part of our massive feature on the Trent Tempo. Many thanks to him and all the other people who chipped in.

Finally, this issue sees the debut of Out And About, a guide to local emporiums that neatly completes the circle and makes the newspaper you’re holding in your hands the only local publication that covers all bases in this batchy town we hold so dear in our scabby little hearts.

Like the advert used to say, the ‘Lion goes from strength to strength.

Word to your Nana, Al Needham nishlord@leftlion.co.uk

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local news for local people

Nottingham Voices things people have said on the leftlion forum

with Guy Gooberman our correspondent in London

2005 Election “Labour have made huge improvements since 1997, it takes many years to undo the damage done by poor investment in infrastructure and public services. I disagreed with Tony on going to war, but on the whole I feel that Labour are a good choice for the future of this country.”

Denz “I would consider voting Labour if two things were true: a) it was to make sure the Conservatives didn’t get in; b) Tony wasn’t in charge. But it doesn’t look like “b” is going to happen now, and I don’t think “a” is an issue.” contractor “I have voted Lib Dem on a regular basis at local level and in the last election. Basically, they are the least worst option.”

Guy Gooberman “I just can’t trust Tony anymore, Bush has seriously got him wrapped around his little finger. As for the Conservatives, it might be a wee bit better if they regained power, if it was without Howard. The Lib Dems always give a good speech/show but can they clean up the mess of Labour?”

Armaddeo “People who don’t vote: Don’t moan in earshot of me, you had a chance to make a difference, and you just held open the doors for the inhuman power grabbers to come in and do as they like. Only by being actively involved can you make a difference.” mr.reason “All this talk about immigrants and asylum seekers makes me sick, especially considering the fact that they contribute so much to our national economy.

Why do the right wing press make out that they are leeches and why are people so willing to believe it?”

Baron_of_Carlton “What the current system needs is a complete rehash and a movement away from adversarial politics. It is no longer the case that there are two strongly opposed ideologies that dominate our political system, as there has been since beginning of the labour movement.”

Mr Ead

Please note that Guy Gooberman is a fictional character and therefore only as real as the news he writes for more painful laughs visit www.lunch-break.co.uk

Dance Like Twats!

Mansfield is to be burnt down and its occupants gassed like badgers so it can be transformed into one massive uber-nightclub.

The club - ‘The Palace of the Sucking Chest Wound’ - will be “the largest in the world and a bit like a shopping centre but a discothèque instead” said the venue’s spokesman Len ‘Cheeks’ Danzig.

The mouthpiece for this posturing bit of consumerism added: “We’re envisaging some people never leaving our club and dying from a heady cocktail of booze, pills and semen.

But that’s OK, we’ll just use their bodies as fuel for the air conditioning.”

Mansfield residents Kelly Grimes and Joanna Floibert saying they’re staying loyal to their beloved Mansfield and are going to defy the killer gas.

KWS To Reform The Mayor of Bestwood has arranged for KWS to reunite for the opening of his own private harem, somewhere in Bulwell.

A bearded troupe of Morris dancers are also being flown in from Lincolnshire and are set to team up with our local favourites, promising all the

allure of a modern-day Pan’s People but without the women or the dancing. The Mayor said to me via a plastic beaker on a string; “Hurrah! I get to wear a short skirt, pointy-toed shoes and hit another man with my stick.”

Students used A confidential report from Government Office East Midlands fell into the hands of Guy Gooberman and the shocking findings will shock you. For the past five years, students in Nottingham have been used as a fleshy buffer between the rich and the poor - a bit like a human shield that can be robbed and attacked instead of those

who live in the posh areas.

Matthew Holler explained: “Students are perfect fodder for the poor people to steal from and distract the plebs from stealing off the really rich, and therefore unbalancing the status quo. That’s why all student housing is in rough-arse areas.”

Well done that man!

Forest go voodoo In a dramatic attempt to ward off relegation, a team that once won the greatest trophy in European soccer (the County Cup) has turned to the ancient art of Voodoo, getting leading exponent Swagga Tik-Tac to put a great big bloody hex on all of their up coming opponents.

The Haitian Lord of Voodoo has targeted Gillingham at home on the 8th May as a key fixture, and players have already reported that their genitals are shrinking to the size of a child’s eye and their left feet are becoming yeasty.

LeftLion “Exclusive” This month Guy Gooberman received a confidential document from a hairy tailed mole in the Council; the original designs for the infamous slanty N campaign...

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“I think I’ll vote Labour this time, all the other times I just voted for whoever’s name was the most comical. Now I am older perhaps I should take this more seriously.”

Kelly

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make your voice heard

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1. ‘Rustic Local Delicacy’; 2. ‘Sophistication Personified’; 3. ‘Friendly Welcome’; 4. ‘Scenic Landmarks’; 5. ‘This’ll do for Derby’.

R.I.P. H.S.T.

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He was there during some of the most turbulent and historic moments of the 60s and 70s. Sometimes, when he wasn’t scoffing a veritable Pick ‘n’ Mix of drugs or shooting at things, he actually wrote about it. Ladies and Gentlemen, the one and only Doctor of Journalism, Hunter S. Thompson... words: Jared Wilson drawing: David Blenkey Hunter S. Thompson, author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and the founder of gonzo journalism, died on 20th February 2005 in his Colorado home from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Hunter, aged sixty-seven, was a bizarre journalist who led a bizarre life. His wild writing style lost him numerous jobs and assignments, but gained him admirers the world over, not least here at LeftLion.

His first published book, Hell’s Angels (1966), was an inside look at the notorious biker community. In the interests of journalism, he rode across America alongside the gang, drinking, racing and generally living the life of an outlaw. He took to it fairly well, but the inevitable fall-out came eventually and he was literally ‘kicked’ out by the Angels and into mainstream journalism. His next two books were serialized by Rolling Stone magazine.

The first, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, is a first-person account

by Thompson himself (under the pseudonym Raoul Duke) of a trip to Vegas with a Dr Gonzo (a 300-pound Samoan attorney) to cover a narcotics officers’ convention and the Fabulous Mint 400 motorbike race.

During the trip, they become sidetracked by the search for the American dream, particularly after trashing their hotel room and taking copious amounts of LSD, ether, cocaine, adrenochrome, marijuana and anything else they can get their hands on. British artist Ralph Steadman, who would go on to collaborate with Thompson on many projects, offered surreal illustrations to a mix that would become an iconic work and ultimately a call to arms for casual drug users worldwide.

Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail was a detailed look at the 1972 US election campaign pitching George McGovern against Richard Nixon.

As a combination of Thompson’s eagleeyed reporting and his Burroughs-like ramblings, it carries a lot more political weight than Las Vegas, but is equally amusing and insulting. Thompson’s best and most infamous attacks were reserved for the ‘Grendal-like beast’ that was Nixon. Upon his death in 1994, Hunter offered his nemesis a final indignity, saying “He was queer in the deepest way. His body should have been burned in a trash bin,” in an obituary titled He Was A Crook.

Even as an older man, Hunter’s political coverage was aggressive.

In a piece on the 2004 presidential campaign, he referred to George W Bush as a “treacherous little freak,” saying “I almost felt sorry for him, until I heard someone call him Mister President. Then I felt ashamed.”

Thompson once threatened to run for the US presidency himself and narrowly lost an election in 1970 for Sheriff of the Aspen area on the Freak Power party ticket. He set up on a platform promoting the decriminalisation and sale of drugs, of tearing up the streets and turning them into bike paths and renaming Aspen, Colorado ‘Fat City’. To him politics was a blood sport and all US politicians were fair game.

He was reclusive and often unintelligible in conversation, a persona ready-made for caricature.

His mumbling incoherence, big yellow sunglasses, fishing hats and cigarette holders all made for a larger-than-life presence. Both Bill Murray and Johnny Depp portrayed him in Hollywood (Murray in 1980’s Where the Buffalo Roam, Depp in Terry Gilliam’s 1998 adaptation of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas).

The last piece that he wrote before his death was about Shotgun Golf, a new sport that he had invented whilst on the telephone to Bill Murray (who by then had become his friend).

As the title suggests, it involved livening up the sport by bringing live weapons into play, firing at the ball shortly after tee-off.

Hunter was always very fond of his weapons. It was one of many characteristics that were at odds with his success in documenting the era of hippies and free love. The iconic cover to Songs of the Doomed: More Notes on the Death of the American Dream (1990) portrayed him shooting his typewriter in frustration and there were many other photos taken of him in his life with weapons. It was clear that the Doctor, a proud member of the National Rifle Association, always did like the feel of a gun…

He once said to Ralph Steadman; “I would feel real trapped in this life if I didn’t know I could commit suicide at any time.” Though these words may seem morbid after his suicide, nothing should really surprise us about the Doctor’s proactive stance on his own life. Steadman said after hearing the news “I have always known that one day I would know this journey, but yesterday I did not know that it would be today.”

Hunter’s death remains as fascinating as his life and will ensure that the legend of Dr Gonzo lives on into new centuries. An act of insurance against growing older and less relevant? In his early career Hunter had chastised the writing establishment, but by the time of his death he may have felt that he was becoming part of it…

What we do know is that one of the great writers of the twentieth century killed himself and left no suicide note.

Maybe he felt his work would already outlive him and that there was little left to say. Actions speak louder than words and, if nothing else, it was definitely the way he would have wanted it…

HST on the Fear & Lothing trail in Las Vegas and on the bear hunt trail in Colorado. (pics: HST archives)

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Nottingham Branded words: Nathan Miller

brand m’s ttingha ter o ‘N charac to tly our n guide e nd r a a p ent ge’. Ap depend n langua I lid a v , enuine re are of is ‘G st the il h h c W a of e us’. io e it d b a le m m p in A to be a sim n area ity iticisms ed as y urba e r C d n c e a r n e h e h t t t t s e s in thos unite (almo o t im e o s e t la e c It wa is h h t uld e of erc roac ing ex ), non ntry co u le s’ app o p il . c c m ld e n a brand r h x u t o r e lf, is a e wo unty c t of th ives, fo he N logo itse t s c e e r je h and Co t d e a f th nt eo ll that g with is not a not eve into on , d d s n m e a e ie r n dealin r h r g t 0 . to tu And 12 d, it’s project ews s sort of Instea ent isaster. rsial n d e w is v h t t o a r r t h W con ive fo years. most expens not all tts in e r o t s N lu it k g that in la c t to h o n ouncil st orth ? your c t again also w f y e o s it ’s c wroNg t t I u e nded th e o great was fu time in at cam e t h a y c t h t n je f a d o o e r t e ment otic e p rat e spen govern have n bill. Th l orpo g a y r c x in t a If you’v r r a n t u a m e o e c that, app of , you rily by ot only os er ‘N’ a g t N d t e e lo im . le recently g r y m r r p r a d t e fo ch dus otts by , slant being e, that e in N local in o r ; n t im s o o t d e d chunky n c s a r s la the s e a w anc applie ious p work in s of d e work ry o h e ie d ls n t v d n e a e o in var a e ll b b a e h e liv stayed u’v muc ks, the you money le who e. If yo t retty p e t h p o r a t by boo e s o ig h p g t a m lo t as you l Style I hitting n. At le unicipa t least . ‘Our l radio, e y io A a v m g m a n arrows e e f. o h r io o m n t s e o a ec sch hink age ly g to n e local n this re to t ese im f rticular a h a h o t a c g t listenin p s l lo t a in o s a h ’t b h e n n sym tal, ’, th e is eard t LeftLio ntimen endary itional ’s his on e t d g e d s have h n e a p ir r a L u h t ( r s t s o / d ough ham of it ltzy d the replace was th g tage Notting schma s ) in n replace a d d a s h e it a v t a e d r ) ia a r y he Hood approp opefull e been and t Robin gladly that (h If you’v ly have lly as gency. is a in . fu a e e n t y c r o it m e d fa c a c n li h c t o p s li s L s o b e im a a u v s p ha by ite rse l alm ign to ate qu of cou t, you’l campa ve. won’t d erfect, c a the Pos p li h e’d t io s r o r w it n e th gs it’s eir v d. many o of thin course elief seen th everse b r f of k is O d d in d n n h a it a sed ll t ped prove can a expres ard im it scrap ge w e e r n gs v o w a t a fo in t h h il r c h ig t fa orde shing Some a stra as oint ou nge in p h t a e a refre nal c s h o s iv o u io t c c e s e t t c k a r a h n pe s rig that have ys m receive but n rse it’s re we could f It alwa a u e n o , h o h w n t 0 c w o 0 ig k T r s 0 in , de othe takes Hood u th £120 o s is y n s m id o a a s r p a e e when d re an et atev booz shire, much re for ll budg ut wh gham/ a B r or r in n e e t . t a v d c r o h o m t li exposu u N e m not th re the of y pub lated and it’s lot mo nding he ver , a t r d e a b e t h s u e T u drug-re b r e fo e th Lyle, tter. eing m som violenc t. John gle le , it’s b rise fro h e in p r d ig r s e e n e h a r t n related e a n o e it’s this int y ov ntio n of this go awa reme turn us has said o o , e t o f r t le l g a a c s rejectio ia in ir n e c go ate le C her oting ovin rs thre of Purp otos (t m prom her pr h r t a p ic o o h t h n t g c r p a e quarte in a a t ir r d k, Ap d not tog Not g stoc crisis. tart of 29 pho light an y s a it e e t , h iv n o t t l) laughin it e “ a s id is po tot elf for ficult ith an Ns in a more it’s dif h on its s y in r , l l a e n lf a h town w ls e e c t e s i o t it gs imilar e go specif nything tly bein at are s n h ple hav d t a o t e s e s n from a p n m g o y c h been roble desi actly w That’s out it. a few p b .” r y g a u it in p c see ex o v u l e a r h ed co co ce day o work y other , ion sin r L e e t , v t g ft e quite s le e in o a L t p y think rand ind cessaril ea beh a of the b e id d n n m n e is ig ’t a h s n ic t it do s de rything f the cr hilst we

by Nott ve eve d W ie e . d h p Most o e e c t n a lo a o will say it’s centr as deve we can xercise as con e h t e s , which w v a is a le h le c h t at rple Cir . There ion. ing for, firm Pu and N’ logo t direct it’s aim h y ic t ig t r n s li la e p h ‘s in t too sim on the ven aiming gion, e ims it’s e la r c e h n t e be tive of reflects esenta posture unrepr ge d e w for bin s ske utation p that it e ue r r t ’ s t ainly n Not ’s cert it badly o bit a e il seem g. Wh nia can drinkin ig s in is civic that th

Nottingham Voices: Things People Have Said On The LeftLion Forum “A nice generic ‘N’ should really help the city to stand out and be instantly recognisable from say Newcastle, Norwich or Northampton. Giving the city a modern feel in its branding just makes me think of Milton Keynes. Nice and bland.”

Stavros “I have no problem with the idea that we should be promoting the good things about Nottingham to increase tourism and get money coming in, but I haven’t encountered many attractions. There are

other good things about Nottingham (the music scene, the people), but not much tourist stuff.”

Hipster K “The big bold slanty letter N is unfortunate because it’s so easy to mock it/tear it down/be unimpressed by it. The photographic Ns look quite good though, and I can’t fault the reasoning behind the whole thing. Also, the amount of national coverage that was generated was impressive.”

Nottingham Florist

“Personally I fail to see the need for the logo except as a gesture of bowing to market forces in the hope of attracting investment. I don’t understand why a town and district needs a logo. Industry is logo crazy but most of the time you don’t need one. It seems to be a bit of a cop out.” mr.reason “Frankly, I’m glad we’ve not got Robin Hood in our logo. Isn’t it time we were recognised for other things? Is that really all we have to

offer? Now all we need to do is back up the logo with some substance.

Show people what we really have to offer.”

Joe “The campaign is really aimed at people outside of Notts: I don’t see that it makes any difference to our lives. I get the impression we are being used very politically at the moment and it doesn’t surprise me that the Post are involved in that.”

Alan

“A city is a city, nothing more nothing less. If you don’t like the branding, it wouldn’t be the first time a council has spent money on shit people don’t need. If you’ve been involved in the process, good luck for trying something, but it wouldn’t be the first time people have dismissed creative branding. I can’t understand all this. But then, I’m from Ipswich, a town so crap that no amount of fancy symbols can rescue it.” pandapad

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Assasination City words: Al Needham

I’m not an aggressive person, but the next time I see Steve Green on the telly coating our town off, I swear I shall murder something.

You all know Steve. Whenever the terrorist threat is low and the media are looking for something else to scare people with, he’s the go-to guy for the BBC, ITN and Sky News.

Want to terrify people while they’re having their tea with tales of bingedrinkers on the rampage? Steve will take your camera crew round town on a Saturday night and point out where this fight happened or that girl passed out in her own vomit.

Haven’t done a story on gun crime this week? Up pops Steve, only too happy to tell the world we’re all wetting each other and he can’t do much about it. Want to do a piece about the possibility of zombies ripping themselves from the grave and chewing on people’s heads? Hell, give Steve a call, he’d only be too happy to stand in Viccy Centre and say “Well, if zombies ever invaded this shopping centre, with their arms in front of themselves and their skin all green and dropping off, I’d have to say that Nottingham Constabulary would find it hard to cope”.

Gun crime, well, that’s another matter, and one incident a year is too much.

But consider this; in 2001, the average number of fatal shootings in Notts was two a year. Then someone decided that Notts didn’t really need a drug squad, and also cut back the major crimes unit. By 2003, there were over 400 gun-related incidents.

OK, so the local coppers are having success with Operation Stealth, but during the period between the formation of that and the disbanding of the drugs squad (because there’s no link at all between drugs and crime, right?) our friendly neighbourhood crackslingers were

It’s bad enough having to read the ludicrous bollocks in the paper about Nottingham being a lawless violence-hole, but when the head of the police force is instigating it - well, that takes the biscuit, if not the whole packet. Yes, every Saturday night Nottingham turns into Mad Max 1 and 2 (but not 3, that was shit).

But you could say the same for Cardiff, Doncaster, Basildon and every other city in the country.

It’s always been like that, and it always will be. Rest assured that in the year 3067, after we’re long dead and gone, people will be putting in the hoverboots after too many pills of Stella.

because they go there to work and visit. However, they don’t want to miss out on reading about councilly rat-boys shooting each other, because it’s entertaining. A place like Nottingham fills the bill perfectly for their vicarious kicks, because it’s not somewhere they ever intend to visit.

inadvertently given the message that they could police themselves. Three guesses whose idea that was.

As for the media? The newspapers who have gone big on the ‘Assassination City’ story (The Times, Telegraph, Mail, and Express) are all right-wing rags whose readership mainly resides in the Home Counties. The last thing they want to read about is the eminently worse gun crime situation in London,

You have to laugh at the reportage the journos have come out with. For example, according to the Times, Bestwood has changed its name to ‘Notorious No-Go Area Bestwood’, an NWA video come to life. Hmm, seeing as I go into or through Bestwood every day, that must make me a G-down, loc’ed-out Ghetto chieftain who has much juice in the Barrio. Or the papers are talking out their arses.

with an image that’s hard to shake off, and Steve Green is not helping at all. How many potential new jobs go for a toss every time he appears on telly? How many tourists and students have changed their mind about coming here this summer because he hasn’t been in the papers for a month or so? How much money has been lost to the city because Steve Green is intent on slagging off Nottingham to cover his own arse?

More importantly, how many kids growing up on estates in Notts are going to be encouraged to take up crime because, according to our own Chief Constable, you’re more likely to get away with it here than anywhere else?

Yes, the Notts Constabulary are under-funded. So is the LAPD, the Met, and every other police force in the democratic world. But what their leaders do is knuckle down and get on with the job to the best of their abilities, highlighting the progress they’ve made and attempting to make the people under their jurisdiction feel as safe as possible. If Steve Green can’t do that, he ought to step down.

Quietly.

But when the media find something new and more interesting to scare people with, Nottingham will be left

Nottingham Voices: Things People Have Said On The LeftLion Forum “This makes me so angry with Notts police. This should not have come into the public domain at this time, it is a private and governmental matter and admitting this publicly has done more harm than good.”

Fossy “Nottinghamshire Constabulary tries to be too media-friendly. If we really are living in a lawless no-go area, perhaps at some point the Chief Constable might like to take some responsibility for that,

instead of continually demanding more cash whilst the problems get worse?”

NJM “The point about Notts police being underfunded is valid. Although the counter argument that Steve Green’s had hundreds of extra officers and not managed to make a dent in crime with them is pretty convincing too.”

Adrian

“People are being a bit harsh.If the force is being under funded he has a right to demand more. Notts police have a tough job to do, if people supported them instead of blaming them, we might start to get somewhere.”

Pisces J “Many of the police forces throughout this (apparently) once great nation are also under-funded to the same degree as Nottingham, but are not suffering the same ill conse-

quences. Nor are they made to look like fools on national news by their top man.”

Cash Mark “In 2001 Green disbanded the drugs squad, ignoring the link between drugs and crime. Before this monumental cock-up, fatal shootings averaged around a maximum of 2 a year, by 2002 they were up tenfold. Could the timings of these be linked in any way?” mr.reason

“You can see from the crime figures Nottingham gets unfairly treated in many areas. We are genuinely better than some places and certainly not as bad as many make out. The problem is that we seem to be on the wrong side of the press.”

John Lyle

www.leftlion.co.uk/forum

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A Day In The Country I write this on St. Patrick’s Day. Most of my friends are out in Dublin, witnessing a two night stand by the mighty Damien Dempsey.

I had a plane ticket and a hotel booked to go myself, but after getting off the road from a Wonder Stuff tour, my constitution isn’t what it needs to be to handle that wonderful city.

Call me lightweight…

Instead I celebrate with a week in the country, Shropshire to be precise.

I’ve owned a little house here for ten years now, it’s my bolthole, particularly for times of recuperation.

The idea was to come here to cool my boots before The Wonder Stuff take to the road again, later this month, all over North America for five weeks.

On arriving back at the house I discovered that my boiler was on the blink and my fridge had also died. A steady stream of engineering type folk have been in and out since, when all I desired was solitude. I wouldn’t describe myself as a misanthrope, but as I get older I find that if I spend a week in company then I require the same amount of time of pure isolation to readdress the balance. Thankfully with the lifestyle I’ve been blessed with, I get to do just that. Failing household appliances aside…

Today was the first day that I ventured away from my doorstep. A trip to the dry cleaners in a local town and to pick up some more supplies. A newspaper (I live without television in the country, I tend to shout at it too much), wine, fags and a bed tray (the kind of thing you have in hospital to eat your food off). I’ve written before about my inherent idleness, the more that can be achieved from my mattress, the happier I am. But the hardware store was out of stock. Knickers....

As I was making the ten or fifteen mile trip over the hill I got stuck behind an old couple in a small red car. They were averaging twenty-five miles an hour and I was fighting irritation. At the bottom of the hill is a level crossing, right before you pull onto the A49.

As I approached, still stuck behind Ma and Pa, I heard the alarm sound that the barriers were lowering as a train approached. There are two level crossings I regularly deal with around here, this particular one is my least favourite.

The operator always waits two or three minutes after the train has passed before raising the barrier. This is not so with the crossing further down the A49, where the guy appreciates we’ve all got things to do and has the things up as soon as the train has passed.

So I sat there cursing the old couple in front of me for being so slow up the hill. Had the old bugger put his pedal to the metal and achieved say, thirty mile a feckin’ hour, I’d be on my way. I reminded myself to be calm (for that is why I come to the country) and turned off the engine. As it was, sitting there, I received a text message from Damien Dempsey himself, wishing me a happy St. Paddies Day! I eased back and found my smile.

The barrier finally lifted and the old boy pulled away.

Twenty yards after the rail tracks is the junction onto the A49. There was nothing coming, but Pops played his waiting game. Finally a shiny new Volvo came around the corner and just as it was passing Ma and Pa, their little red vehicle pulled out and belted it in the passenger side, careering it across the road. Holy shit methinks....

The Volvo righted itself and carried on another fifty yards before eventually pulling to the side of the A49. The little red vehicle pulled up behind it, with me behind them both.

I was the first out of the cars.

I ran up to the Volvo and saw a fella in his late fifties struggling to get out. He was struggling because he was disabled, his right hand was almost turned completely back on itself and his body shape was all off to the left. He didn’t look particularly distressed, in fact he looked incredibly serene.

I liked him. I threw a glance back to the Old Boy who was now exiting his idiot little car.

“Sir, you need to stop driving and consider some other form of transport, you coulda killed this gentleman.” I amazed myself at my composure, I hated the silly old

fucker. He’d delayed me on the hill, sent my blood pressure up another few notches at the barrier and now was intent on a one-man killing spree!

“What happened? My wife said it was clear....” he pleaded.

His wife... good grief... It turned out the disabled guy in the Volvo was on his way to hospital. His mother was in the passenger seat and suffered with Alzheimer’s. The front of his car was trashed and he was upset. If it had to go away for repairs, he’d have no form of transport to ferry his ageing mother around, because the Volvo had been modified for his disabilities. I woulda handed him the keys to the old boy’s little red thing had this not been the case.

The old boy muttered and reprimanded his wife, Joan, for walking too close to the road.

He began asking me if the police needed to be involved, to which I responded in a much less benevolent manner. They swapped insurance details, I called the hospital to let them know the Volvo’s passenger would be late for her appointment, gave them my details in case they needed a witness and went on about my business.

What was my business....?

Oh yeah, a quiet day in the countryside.

I strolled around the little supermarket in town, noticing that Twix now do a bite size, not as good as the KitKat bites, but no great disappointment all the same. As I queued with my basket I

encountered another elder couple, faffing about at something that could’ve waited until I was safely home. The Mrs. headed toward the magazine rack, looking uncannily like Molly Sugden and as soon as she was out of earshot her husband asked the kid on the till for some cashback.

Apparently the card that he’d offered up didn’t ‘do’ cashback and the cashier said it so loud that Molly heard, “You don’t need cash back, why do you want cash? You’ve got enough!” she howled at him from the magazine rack.

Poor fucker.... humiliated in the local shop, for all to see.

I imagined him making secret trips to the bookies or the pub. Not today, my friend.

Not today.

As they departed, the cashier and I rolled our eyes and laughed. A lady behind me said, “You’ll be that old one day!” she reprimanded.

“I certainly hope not,” I responded “Gimme a diet of wine, fags, chocolate and cheese and may The Gods take me early!”

On arriving home my neighbour was in our yard with a huge fishing net, attempting to catch an injured bird. It looked like a hell of a job, too much energy required.

I’m seriously thinking of heading back to the city for a nice rest…

Read more from Miles at www.leftlion.co.uk/miles R

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They’re arguably the hottest local band we’ve seen in recent times and in Mike Feerick, Amusement Parks On Fire have their own in-house genius (according to the music press, who raved about their self-titled debut LP). As a result, Mike, a wee sprog of just nineteen, has assembled a quality quintet which is set to take it to the next level.. words: Jem Shaw In spite of his incredibly full calendar, tendency to inflict serious punkflavoured noise on unsuspecting crowds, and aforementioned genius, Mike is an exceptionally mild mannered, unpretentious and extremely likeable lad, who found the time to tell us what the band and their belief-beggaringly loud show have been up to, and where they’re heading next…

What’s the biggest venue you’ve played to date and who have you enjoyed supporting the most?

The best venues are probably the ICA in London and Rock City for A Drop In The Ocean. Not sure which one’s bigger! We’ve been lucky to play with some great bands; The Research from Wakefield, they’re brilliant and really nice guys, but we’re big Six By Seven fans and had a wicked time touring with them.

We’ve also played with people like Secret Machines and The Others who are so arrogant, it’s about as much fun as reading the NME. You’re striking out across Europe, and America soon. Are you excited, apprehensive, or both?

We’re all really excited, we honestly never believed we’d ever get to play out of the country. I’m looking forward to Europe especially because, from what I can tell, audiences aren’t as concerned with what they should be liking or what’s ‘cool’. They’re more open-minded and are just into the music itself. As for America, I guess I’m a little more apprehensive. Just the sheer size of the place is intimidating. Hopefully our British charm and punctuality will see us through. If that fails, (and it probably will) at least we’ll be fucking loud!

Your live show seems a bit cleaner than before. Subtle evolution, improvement or a conscious decision to inflict less of an aural assault on your audience?

I suppose it’s a bit of all three. I think... I hope we’ve improved over time. We’ve only been playing since last January, and I think during that time we’ve become a bit more, I hate to say it, professional, and together as a band. As a consequence, the want and need for sonic assault has decreased. Slightly.

Any new material on the way?

We’re planning to release an EP in the coming months. It’s definitely a healthy progression. The addition of John (Sampson) and his infinite sonic coolness has added a whole new dimension to what we’re doing. I think the most striking difference with the new stuff is that

it’s blatantly a live band and it’s certainly more exciting, bigger and better in general, because of that.

Is your new writing more collaborative, or are you still writing alone?

Well, both really. I write the core of the song on my own, and everyone writes their own parts and chips in with arrangement ideas and production. Dan (Knowles) and John are both really good engineers, which is great because you have this feeling of being completely self-contained, no mardy producers trying to turn you into the Libertines.

It’s hard work, that is: “Can we do that take again? It was in time! You don’t sound like you’re fucked! uncoooool!” Then they demand £1000 a second for their genius. Dan’s genius, on the other hand, is easier to work with, pretty bottom of the range, ha ha!

We got to hear a selection of your own record collection when you DJ’d at LeftLion presents last month. But are you really a Phil Collins fan, or was that tune towards the end of the night a joke?

How could you ask me that?! Phil is a huge part of my life! I grew up jivin’ to Phil, especially early Genesis.

I should have flexed some of that shit on the night actually, the whole 4 sides of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway! Definitely next time!

Amusement Parks On Fire play at The Social on April 30th. www.amusementparksonfire.com

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www.leftlion.co.uk/issue4

Words: Emily Hynd Photos: David Bowen I was first graced by the brilliance of Bent in 2000 and have been in love ever since. Like all young, heady relationships, we’ve had our ups and downs but their quality (and my loyalty) has never faltered. The sampleheavy debut ‘Programmed To Love’ that first caught my eye was fun while it lasted but as the Bent boys grew, so too did their sound and by Album Three we were looking at a far more sophisticated, mature piece of work.

With a strong focus on song-based material, Ariels proved Nail Tolliday and Simon Mills’ true talent for all things musical and saw them sit comfortably alongside fellow downtempo gurus Zero 7 and Lemon Jelly. And yes, you’ve heard of them (even if you don’t know it) from the many adverts they’ve featured on, from Carlsberg to the Inland Revenue.

As Nottingham lads Bent have done us proud, they’ve been here through thick and thin, have nursed many a thumping hang-over and have given us the soundtrack to countless summers. I caught up with Simon to find out more…

Tell us where it all started for Bent…

We both made music before we started working together in 1998, since we were teenagers really! We met because I used to live above Nail, and eventually we moved in. I had a small studio set up, and a box of shitty records from charity shops, and we both went from there. We realised very quickly that we worked very well together. Lots of messing around but then realising that we really liked what we were making. Shortly we had a manager, and it all went from there. But it wasn’t until late ‘99 that we had deals forming and music released.

There was a shift in your last album Ariels from sampling vinyl to musicians and instruments.

Was this a natural progression?

There’s a few reasons for that. Firstly, we wanted to make an album with a melancholic emotional feel and have a flow to it, not take you all over the place.

An album that you could put on and listen to as one piece in a way. We were sampling ourselves and although we made nearly 40 tracks for the album, many of them were electronic and sampled, but the ones we chose had that organic quality. Also, samples are expensive and sometimes take months to clear! We wanted to have an album we could take to the stage and have electronic sounds and musical performance.

So you’ve traded in your old vinyl for a set of drums?

Nope. Still used the vinyl, but in more subtle ways than before. People think we’ve turned our back on electronic music. Not at all.

The next album may be more electronic than the first two! It’s very nice to get a real harpist involved and string quartets.

The style of the music tends to come out a bit more “traditional” sounding, but there’s some beautiful musicianship there that you can’t achieve with a sampler.

Your website is one of the most unique we’ve seen in ages. Is the Bent image quite important to you or do you just enjoy doing cool stuff on the side?

I come from an art background, and so images, attitudes and all the rest of it are very important to us; it reveals a bit more about us. People do read a book by its cover. We thought it would be nice to have a Ceefax website, seeing as everyone else does slick web pages.

“We’ll meet up, juvenile, wind up and all the In between somehow make

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The artwork for your latest EP Flavour Country featured 500 photographs taken by yourselves…

act very each other rest of it. that we music.”

To have a sleeve containing pictures of your toilet, keyboards, wife and mum is quite nice, because bands rarely reveal to their audience what they see day-to-day and hide behind a certain image. 500 limited versions of those records actually contained a single unique print. People were emailing us saying “what’s this?” We’d be saying, “That’s my daughter”, “That’s a picture of the Robin Hood statue”. I was wondering out of all the pictures who on earth was going to get the record that contained the limited picture of me and my Mum. I couldn’t believe it when Nail got it!

I keep reading about Nail’s life-changing experiences last year...

Well, Nail’s now happily married with a beautiful daughter, and he wasn’t well a couple of years back. It puts your life in perspective. Over the years we’ve almost become married. Hahah! But when you work together you get to know each other very well, and we both made a definite decision to make an album that was more ‘emotional’. The next might end up being whatever more banging, more strange and abstract, etc. We just go off on how we’re feeling at the time.

What’s a typical day in the studio with you both like?

We’ll meet up, act very juvenile, wind each other up, and all the rest of it. In between that we somehow make music.

Two typical blokes, really. Lots of people say hanging out with us makes them uncomfortable, because we almost speak in code nowadays. This is what happens when you spend all day in a room full of machines with another person. Heheh!

You seem to be quite proud of your Nottingham roots. Are you ever tempted by the bright lights of London like so many other artists?

London is a big expensive place with great places to go and all the rest of it. Lots of bands stay here. There’s a great musical community in Nottingham. Why go somewhere expensive where your friends and family aren’t? If that was the case, I’m sure we’d be in Barcelona or something!

What’s your favourite place in Nottingham?

The Victoria Centre, Wilkos on Parliament Street, Yates, TGI Fridays, Dunkirk flyover…I can’t choose.

Kidding! There’s a lot of places I like in Nottingham, but most of them that are springing to mind are bars.

And that’s probably because we have more bars and pubs per square mile than any other city, don’t we?

Where would we be most likely to find you on a Friday night out?

Not in the town centre. It’s a bit nightmarish in certain places nowadays. I’d go into town on a night out on a more relaxed evening. If I had to go out on that night though, it would either be around the Castle area since I live near there or in Hockley.

What festivals can we catch Bent at this summer?

We’re probably going to be at The Big Chill again - we’ve been for the last few years, and I love it. It’s perfect. I’m sure we’ll be doing another tour soon, but right now we’ve just come back from touring with The Scissor Sisters, Mylo and loads of others in the Good Vibrations festivals all over Australia.

What’s the future for Bent?

Look for album four, more gigs, more remixing, lots of DJing. Check our website as the year goes on for updates. There you go. A bit of blatant advertising.

We’re working with other acts like Weekend Players and other singers on their projects. All good fun!

www.bent-world.com

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“More fools pass through Gotham than remain in it…” (Medieval Proverb)

words: Jared Wilson Gotham (pronounced Goat-ham) is a small village in South Nottinghamshire. It contains five pubs, a butchers, a newsagent, a fish and chip shop, a church (St Lawrence’s), a public library and a handful of houses. All the ingredients for a simple life out in the sticks…

These basic amenities, however, offer little sign of the rich legacy of a tiny geographical area which has left a sizeable footprint in transatlantic culture.

The village of Gotham in Nottinghamshire is the root of an international myth, the inspiration for the name of a dark underworld, adopted by the New Yorkers and ultimately the reason that legendary DC Comic character Batman hails from Gotham City.

It all began just under a thousand years ago. Stories and jokes that had circulated in England orally since the twelfth century were eventually printed up in books, the earliest of which recorded is The Merie Tales of the mad men of Gotam from 1565 (the year after William Shakesperare was born).

The text included tales of idiocy such as the one about a man who rode to market on horseback, carrying two heavy bushels of wheat on his own shoulders, in order not to burden his horse.

Another told of a tenant who was late with his rent payment and so tied his purse to a quick-footed hare, which promptly ran away.

The books soon became popular and the place became fabled as a place of madness, it’s inhabitants proverbial for their folly. Every era singles out some geographical location as a spawning ground for the less intelligent (in the modern day it has evolved into jokes about the Irish or Essex girls). Five hundred years ago, Gotham was the butt of jokes about its simpleminded citizens, not least because the goat was considered to be a foolish animal.

The most famous of all the Gotham stories is set in the early 1200’s, when King John traveled throughout England with a crew of knights and ladies. The monarch was heading to Nottingham Castle by way of Gotham and dispatched a herald to announce his arrival. Laws at the time stated that wherever the royal carriage rode would become the King’s land and therefore a public highway.

This thought obviously did not please landowners in the area.

Upon entering Gotham the herald was given an angry reception and returned to the King reporting that the townspeople had refused him entry. The monarch was livid, outraged at this lack of

respect, so he sent an armed party of knights to wreak vengeance.

The townsfolk, however, had a cunning plan. In the twelfth century, medicine was still relatively basic and the greatest doctors of the time believed that insanity was a contagious disease, which could be passed between people like the common cold.

The knights arrived in Gotham to find the inhabitants engaged in various forms of insane behaviour such as pouring water into a bottomless tub, painting green apples red and trying to drown an eel. They soon decided to make haste and leave for fear of catching the madness and upon their return reported back news of their encounter. The King subsequently instructed his horsemen to make a route around the village.

The name of Gotham originally transferred to the US with American historian Irving Washington. Washington was keenly aware of British literature and first affixed it as a nickname for his home city of New York in the Salmangundi papers (1807), a set of sardonic essays he penned with two colleagues.

Repeatedly in these texts Manhattan was referred to as “the antient city of Gotham” or “the wonder loving city of Gotham’.

After this literary success, the name of Gotham continued to have implications throughout American literature as a dark underworld, an alter ego to the many metropolises that were springing up.

Batman’s realm is a dark looming underworld reminiscent of New York. His city is overrun by madmen such as the Penguin, The Riddler and The Joker, all dangerous eccentric characters, attempting to get one up on each other.

When New Yorkers Bob Kane and Bill Finger first created the Caped Crusader in the late 1930’s they considered naming his hometown ‘Civic City’, ‘Capital City’ or ‘Coast City’. After flicking through the phonebook, however they came across a Gotham Jewelers and found inspiration.

A later Batman comic editor would refer to Superman’s Metropolis as “Manhattan on the brightest sunniest July day.”

By contrast he felt Gotham was “Manhattan at 3am, November 28 in a cold year.”

The references to Gotham in modern day New York are found in a variety of wide reaching places. The Gotham Gazette is a daily NYC newspaper and website, covering news, politics, entertainment, housing, transportation, and arts.

The Gotham Comedy Club is a NYC nightspot that has been described as “The Toast of the New York Comedy Scene” by Vanity Fair.

Most impressively, the Gotham Centre is home to the history of New York City. It was set up by historians Mike Wallace and Edwin G Burrows after they collaborated on the Pullitzerprize winning book Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898. It is this text which much of the information in this article was sourced from.

The links between Gotham in Nottingham and the spiritual home of modern New York are a little tenuous these days but ultimately they are the roots.

Perhaps part of the beauty of being British is being surrounded by a rich and delicate historical tapestry that we constantly interact with, yet only occasionally become aware of.

Next time you see the signs on the motorway, you might want to consider visiting one of the five public houses in Gotham, Nottinghamshire and raising a glass to Michael Jordan, Tom Cruise, Mayor Ralph Giuliani or any of the other 19 million residents of the modern day Gotham. I bet not even Bruce Wayne knows how close he came to fighting crime in Bestwood…

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“Rock ‘n Roll…Whoo! What a long, strange trip it’s been” Jann Wenner, founder of Rolling Stone, describing the history of Rock

“Bleddy hell…Worra batchy ode storeh, me duck” LeftLion, describing the history of the Nottingham music scene Nottingham. It’s full of fun. Oh, Nottingham is full of fun. It’s full of... well, you know what it’s full of. Writers. Artists. Designers. Actors. Producers. A few bands as well – a shitload, actually.

Problem is, all those bands are battling against history, whether they know it or not…

It pains LeftLion to say this, but say it we must; Nottingham is the most underperforming music city in the United Kingdom. Think about it; Sheffield (a town of comparable size) has punted out an incredible range of acts; Joe Cocker, ABC, the Human League, Pulp and Def Leppard, to name but a few. Birmingham (our nearest rival) has done even better; UB40, Duran Duran, Black Sabbath, The Streets etc etc. Nottingham? Er, KWS and Paper Lace, both of which had a Number One with someone else’s record, had a few more minor hits, then sank

without trace. That’s pretty much it. There are entire streets in Manchester and Liverpool that have contributed more to the history of popular music than Notts.

So, what is it about Nottingham and its inability to produce chart-ravishing bands and singers? Is Rock City built over an ancient Romany burial site?

Are we more interested in listening to a DJ play a record than check out a live band? Are record labels too scared to come to Nottingham, or is our music scene, well, just a bit rubbish?

Of course not. If you’re a

regular reader of LeftLion, you’ll know only too well that Nottingham has a killer selection of bands who play a staggering range of musical styles and, to be perfectly honest, the local scene has never looked healthier. As pop music celebrates its 50th anniversary, the time has never been better to cast an eye over the full, horrific story of the Trent Tempo; not to chastise or take the piss, you understand, but to attempt to work out why our forebears never made it big. We talk with someone who actually made it, ask some of the players on the current

scene about the pros and cons of trying to make it in Notts, and, yeah, take the piss a bit.

In any case, futility is far more interesting than success, and who wants to hear any more about the bleddy Beatles, anyway? In what is believed to be a first, we’ve compiled the definitive history of the Trent Tempo and a very interesting read it is too…

The cheesy gameshow host who scored a gig with the mighty Small Faces. The record shop in town that caused the biggest obscenity trial since

Lady Chatterley’s Lover. The beardy Nottingham scholar that inspired a generation of bands.

The West Bridgford lads who made it to Woodstock.

Oh, and there’s also the local girl who made it big, only to be knocked unconscious at Rock City by her Mam. The No.1 record about London that was written in a Nottingham flat, and the seminal funk band that were formed in a hotel near the station. All this, and the full and enriching contribution to Pop history made by Mother Nottingham herself, Su Pollard.

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Opportunity Notts

Whether you know them or not, Paper Lace were probably the most successful band Nottingham has ever produced.

Philip Wright tells us of life with the lace, from talent show triumph to flexing it with Forest. words: Al Needham photos: Dom Henry What was the music scene in Nottingham like when Paper Lace started up?

“Pretty good. The music licence situation was a lot more flexible then than it is today. Most pubs in those days had a piano in the corner and were happy to let you perform, and we were working every night we could. You could actually make a living as a professional musician in Nottingham without a record deal, and there were plenty of gigs out of town too. I was working for 5 years before the fame bit happened.”

Tell our younger readers about Opportunity Knocks…

“It was the 70s version of The X-Factor. There was a huge audition week in 1970 at the Bridgford Hotel, which is now the Rushcliffe Council building.

There were thousands of people queuing up. We turned up in our best suits, did a few numbers, and were told that they liked us but not to expect to go on straight away. When they finally got back to us in 1973, we thought; do we really need this now? But they were getting viewing figures of 7 million, so we went for it and we won five weeks on the trot!”

Then came the record deal…

“Two songwriters got in touch with our management and offered us Billy Don’t Be A Hero. We went down, recorded it, and they said ‘Hey, this is a great song, it’s gonna be a hit’.

The song proved to be stronger than the band. Everyone knows it, they just can’t remember who recorded it. Except in Nottingham, of course…”

You were unknown in January and No.1 in May. How did you deal with so much success so quickly?

“It was a bit difficult. Nobody was in the band to make it, it was just one of those things that happened. You don’t think about the ramifications of having a hit until you get one.”

How were you treated in Notts?

“When we came back we practically got a civic reception. All the local media were at the station, and before we knew it we were put into an open-top limo and driven round the city. It was like Forest winning the Cup! People were out on the streets! In the end, we presented our silver disc to the city of Nottingham.

I don’t know where it is now…

“Having said that, when we actually played gigs in town, we didn’t get much of a reception. It’s a bit of an East Midlands thing. It was like when Forest were winning everything in sight and some of the gates were poor. I remember Cloughie saying there was apathy in town when local people were successful and he had a point.”

After the fame cooled off, you hooked up with Forest…

“It was put to us by our management that if we could come up with a good song idea, we could do something with Forest. In 1978, we went up on a coach to Birmingham with the Forest team and what a team it was, all done up in their blazers. We had a few beers and did the song. Not many of them could sing, but we found four decent ones and triple-tracked ‘em. Cloughie bought us fish and chips on the way back, bless him. We did TOTP, Jim’ll Fix It… it was great promotion for the city.”

What happened to Paper Lace in the end?

“By the latter half of the 70s, I’d just had enough. I always wanted to quit at the top, and I didn’t want to do the full

Phil (left) and the Lace hitch a ride on the Wagon of Success all the way to the Toppermost of the Poppermost, 1979 circle. I became a builder. Then eight years ago, I joined the reformed Sons and Lovers.”

So why is Nottingham the most underproductive music city in the country?

“Well, it’s not through want of trying! I’ve heard that there’s some hellish talent round here, so I don’t really know.

When we were starting up, there were almost as many entrepreneurs (managers, promoters etc) as there were bands. Too many, in fact, and a lot of them were rip-off merchants. Nowadays, it’s the other way round. The band can’t do it all and they’ve got to concentrate on what they do best. It’s not enough these days to say that the music’s great.

You need exposure and someone to get it for you.”

Is there anything you’d like to say to the new generation of Nottingham musos?

“I don’t envy them at all. I’m glad I was a working musician then and not now. There are only so many chords out there! I know that sounds cheesy coming from me, because at the end of the day, who the bloody hell am I? But we worked in the same era with some of the people who made music what it is today.

Trying to make songs that the public liked and sometimes pulling it off.”

Extended interview at www.leftlion.co.uk

www.leftlion.co.uk/issue4

So, what is it about Nottingham that’s stopping us from making more of a musical mark? We asked some of the prime movers in the city to explain…

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TEN NOTTS TRIBUTE ACTS YOU MUST SEE...

1. MARILYN MANSFIELD

The Band The Magic Heroes

The Promoter Anton Lockwood

The Insider Guy Elderfield

The finest exponents of what The Kids are calling ‘Notts Rock’, the Heroes – Stav, Ian and The Bass Rooster – are one of the best new bands in town.

Discover more at www.themagicheroes.co.uk...

Anton plays a very major part at what goes on at Rock City, The Rescue Rooms, Stealth, and The Social.

Consequently, if he can’t tell us what’s what in Notts, no-one can. www.rescuerooms.com

If you don’t know Guy, you don’t know the local music scene. An engineer, producer and studio owner, Guy has worked with many Notts bands, been involved with the Libertines (in a musical sense, we hasten to add) and has just come back from a six-month tour with The Donnas.

Musicwise, what have other cities got that we haven’t?

Guy: There are some very talented people here, but I feel other cities have a more united approach. Things have improved, but Nottingham still seems quite fractional, maybe because Nottingham is a small city, which results in people being more guarded with their knowledge.

Heroes: Until recently, other cities have had more of a passion for live music. It used to be really hard to convince people to give you a chance. No-one wanted live bands. It wasn’t ’cool’ for some reason.

Guy: There are very few people here with direct links to the industry. Nottingham will always suffer from “big fish in a small pond” syndrome. It’s a nice comfortable city where ten years can pass in the blink of an eye!

Anton: I’m not sure that they’ve got anything different nowadays.

You just need one band to put the town on the map, and the media and A&Rs become interested in what else is about. Nottingham isn’t that different from Bristol, Leeds or Sheffield these days, it just hasn’t been as lucky.

Guy: I’ve have always thought that there is a link between how hard a city is and their musical output. Sheffield and Birmingham are prime examples of that. It’s easy for people in Nottingham to meander through life expecting everything to come to them. It very rarely does!

Heroes: Maybe because these other cities are known for producing successful bands, locals will go and see new bands to try and catch the Next Big Thing and brag that they were there. Noone in Notts believes that it could happen here because it hasn’t for years.

Do people in Notts prefer to dance to a record than check out a band?

Anton: I disagree with that.

When you put on a band that people want to see, the locals will turn out.

Heroes: It seemed most people just wanted to go out to get pissed, dance to shit music, try and pull and then get into a fight.

Guy: Let’s not forget that Nottingham is a tiny city, with a lot of other distractions. Having said that, nights like Liars Club (at the Social) have tried to address that and marry the club/band issue.

3. CHERWOOD “Reprising the greatest hits of one of popular music’s greatest divas is one thing, but it’s the attention to stylistic detail that really impresses the audience. When this incredible woman comes out on stage straddling a twentyfoot Pork Farms sausage and sings If I Could Turn Back Time in a tiny body-corset made out of Wilko bags, you will applaud as loudly as I did”

Heroes: A lot of students are into bands right now, hence the success of Club NME at Stealth and The Rescue Rooms. It’s deemed cool right now to listen to Indie bands and copy their style.

What advantages are there being based in Notts?

Heroes: We’re reasonably close to London. We’re starting to gain a following there...

Anton: We’re also well placed for other major cities, and there are advantages to not being in a place where you’re constantly scrutinised by A&Rs and the press.

So we can operate comfortably in Nottingham without being isolated, but the bands also get a chance to develop.

Heroes: Notts is a blank canvas; there are many venues, all the recording studios and rehearsal rooms you need and a large student population Guy: It shouldn’t matter where you are based really, as long as you make things happen. If you really want it you can achieve it wherever you live, but you have to put the work in!

The disadvantages?

Guy: The Nottingham comfort zone.

Heroes: Not enough decent management companies or record companies with cash. Inter-band slagging is a problem as well. It happens everywhere, but it makes the creation of a unified scene difficult. It makes things difficult when you’re starting up – less so when you’re more established.

2. CLIFTON RICHARD Local pub singer who has devoted his life to imitating his hero in every way (apart from the virginity bit, obviously, because he lives in Clifton). Currently planning to film a remake of Summer Holiday, where he steals a No.17 bus and drives it to Skegness with Su Pollard and Dale Winton.

That’s slowly changing. People have realised that bands are cool again.

Guy: We need more people like Ricky Haley (Liar’s Club) and Anton, who take the responsibility and put on nights/bands that they themselves would love to see.

Dressed in black fishnets, SS cap, and an NCB donkey jacket, Marilyn Mansfield seeks to blur sexual boundaries and challenge his audiences’ perceptions on what is really taboo in an increasingly amoral world. He does this by getting off his tits on Kimberley Ale, shouting “Ah’m the fookin’ God Of Fook, youth! Yer wanna MEK summat on it?” and then having a fight with himself in the car park. A must-see.

4. LENTON KWESI JOHNSON

Anton: None really, but I do rather envy Brighton. They have half a dozen bands who are either established or about to be, loads of venues, and plenty of media interest. It’s not surprising, seeing as most of the music press live there, and some of the journos are sharing flats with band members…

What advice would you give to the next generation of Notts bands?

Anton: I must have been e-mailed and called by every local band that have ever existed, and the moment they say “We’ll support anyone”, I immediately switch off. Trying to sound like this band or that band is fine at first, but you’ve got to be original and exciting.

Guy: Practice hard. Learn the art of stagecraft. People want to be entertained and not just sit through another hour of bland Indie tunes. You have to leave an impression on them. If you do that, more people will come and see you next time. Oh, and be nice to engineers!

Heroes: Be unique, and polite and courteous to everyone you meet, because they’ll be more willing to help you out in the future. Try and promote yourself without claiming that you’re the best band in Notts ever. Be persistent with venues, but not pushy.

Anton: Develop your own style, play to your mates in a pub, encourage a following at Junktion 7 and the Old Angel, and approach us whenever you’re good enough. If you’re not, keep playing to your mates and don’t bother us!

Firebrand Rasta poet whose verses of dignity and righteous anger rail against injustice, poverty, racism, and the fact that he lost his very agreeable sales job at Central when they moved back to Birmingham.

5. TERENCE HATES DERBY Combining the smooth, proto-Nu Soul sounds of one of the 80’s most talented singers with a vicious loathing for the arsehole of the Midlands, THD held an audience absolutely spellbound as he sang “Sign your name across my heart…we hate Derby and we hate Derby” and “If you let me stayyyy-hey-hey! sheep-sheep-sheepshaggers! bahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

6. RUN-QMC Formed by three medical students in order to entertain Saturday-night pissheads who have had a fight with their reflection in a bus shelter window, Run-QMC’s repertoire includes You Be Illin’, Walk This Way (To Casualty), and It’s Tricky To Do A Stitch When Dealing With A Pissed-Up Bitch, It’s Tricky.

7. SIOUXIE SIOUX POLLARD A fearsome juxtaposition of two of the 1980’s most striking female icons, Siouxie Sioux Pollard combines the stark brutality of Neo-Gothic Sturm und Drang with the inner turmoil of a Nottingham girl who wants to be a Yellowcoat.

I have seen the future of Rock ‘n Roll - and it is a woman in white make-up and massive glasses stomping across the stage howling ‘This is! The Happy House! We’re Happy Here! Ooh, Miss Cathcart!’ forever.

8. HOCKLEY REBEL They do a cracking version of 70’s No1 Come Up And See Me (In My New Crappy Jacket And Twatty Mullet).

9. THE WOLLATON CLAN Representing Shaolincoln and featuring Ol’ Dirty Basford, Mansfield Man and The Dazza, The Wo are currently recording their debut single, The Art Of Dobby Scarecrow.

Oh, and yes, they definitely ain’t nowt to fuck wi’.

10. ZZ TOP VALLEY Three men in long beards and chatty tracksuits recreate on-stage the videos that made the original band famous.

But in a neat twist, they break into the Eliminator, drive it around Bulwell for a bit like mad bastards, and then leave it in a hedge after shitting on the passenger seat.

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www.leftlion.co.uk/issue4

17

words: Al Needham

Local minstrel Alan A’Dale brings the noise in a lute-and-flute style, but falls in with the local criminal underworld and loses his record deal. Seeing as there were no such thing as records then, that wasn’t such a bad thing.

Elvis releases Heartbreak Hotel and Bill Haley’s Rock Around The Clock ushers in mass outbreak of quiff-sporting and seat-slashing, but where is Nottingham’s contribution to Rock n’ Roll? The nearest thing we can claim is a Grantham lad called Roy Taylor, whose skiffle band makes it onto Come Dancing before going solo, renaming himself Vince Eager and having a decent amount of hits.

George Martin and Dick James (The Beatles’ producer and publisher respectively) release the Robin Hood song (yes, that one). This is the only Nottingham – Beatles link we can find, and yes, we do know its rubbish.

Pop music still struggles on somehow without help from Nottingham, although local scholar Paul Oliver writes Blues Fell This Morning, a massively influential book that (quite possibly) Eric Clapton and Mick Jagger looked at, giving them the inspiration to form bands. So you could claim that Nottingham is the home of the Blues. If you’re a bit mad.

Rock n’ Roll is on its last legs, possibly because no-one from Nottingham was involved. However, local cinemas are playing host to loads of gigs, the most vital of which is Little Richard’s historic comeback performance when he stops messing about with gospel and returns to his outrageous best in, er, Mansfield.

However, loads of British bands are grafting in the clubs of Hamburg, including West Bridgford’s The Jaybirds, more of whom later…

Some bands form in Liverpool, and make a bit of a scene. But stuff that, because (finally!) Nottingham makes its first stitch in the tapestry of Rock. Not only did The Honeycombs have a female drummer, they had something even rarer, someone from Notts.

Yes indeed, ‘tis Alan Ward who twangs that gee-tar on No.1 top fave rave Have I The Right, before resurfacing ten years later in less family-friendly rock group, erm, Bastard.

The good news is that a Nottingham singer appears on telly every week banging out hit tunes. The not-so-good news is that it’s Leslie Crowther, murdering cover versions of Beatles songs on Crackerjack with Peter Glaze. However, give the man his props, when ace Face Mod raves The Small Faces go a pianist short when they appear to sing All Or Nothing, Leslie fills in.

The Beatles and Stones make regular appearances at the ABC and Odeon in town. Your Auntie or Nana probably went – and still moan about how they couldn’t hear anything or see owt. More importantly, Nottingham lad Dave Rowberry replaces Alan Price in the Animals. That organ bit in We’ve Gotta Get Out Of This Place?

Pure Notts, youth. Sadly, the Animals split up a year later and Dave is written out of the band history, not even being mentioned in the Rock N’ Roll Hall Of Fame.

At long last, something vaguely resembling a Nottingham music scene starts to grow. By this time, town is rammed with pubs that put on gigs by local bands, and top dogs in Notts at the time are Sons and Lovers and Whichwhat. Both of them eventually sign record deals, both of them have big hits in Germany, Japan and places like that, and neither of them make so much as a dent in the UK charts. Sigh. On the upside, Selectadisc opens in town.

The Jaybirds realise their name is a bit pants, seeing as it’s now the psychedelic era, and change it to Ten Years After, who are arguably the most successful band to ever come from Hood Town with four Top Ten UK LPs, in a mere 18 months, all in a bluesy Hendrixy style with guitar solos that went on for ages.

By now, the concept of playing gigs at cinemas is old hat (not to mention chatty as fuck, after the Beatles and Stones played the local Odeon, the place would reek of adolescent piss), leaving Nottingham with no major music venue. However, the Boat Club establishes itself as the place to be, with appearances by Jimi Hendrix, Curtis Mayfield and a seminal gig by the newlyformed Led Zeppelin (even though legend has it that Jimmy Page got stabbed there). Meanwhile, Elton Dean, longtime associate of Elton John and Long John Baldry (and a Nottingham lad), joins Soft Machine, a highly influential band who ushered in the monolith that was Prog Rock. Nottingham’s sole contribution to Woodstock is Ten Years After.

The Age of Rock is finally upon us, and who’s this catapulting into the charts at No.2, long of hair, wide of flare and devil-may-care?

Why, ‘tis Deep Purple with Black Night, of course. But who’s that on drums? None other than Ian Paice, formerly of this parish, who played with local bands such as Georgie and the Rave Ons. He also plays with the Velvet Underground and Whitesnake.

Possibly the most barren period in Nottingham music lore, only punctuated by the debut gig of Paul McCartney’s Wings at Nottingham University, which was a really big deal at the time (c’mon, how were we to know they were gonna end up shite?).

Apparently, Macca just rang them up the day before and asked if the venue was spare.

As Glam holds the nation in its thrall, the Nottingham music scene plumbs new depths, with nothing on the horizon. Having said that, if you lived in Notts at the time, would you go out looking like Ziggy Stardust on a Saturday night? The final kick in the teeth comes when Alvin Stardust (from Mansfield, for Christ’s sake) rockets to No.2 with My Coo-Ca- Choo and No.1 with My Jealous Mind. In proper Mansfield fashion, he was a right moody-looking bleeder, so much so that children’s TV thought about banning him in case he frightened the kiddies. Men in Mansfield pay tribute to Alvin to this very day by sporting massive sideburns and not talking much.

Yessssss! Nottingham arises from its torpor when the mighty Paper Lace destroy the competition on Opportunity Knocks (imagine The X-Factor with more moustaches, bigger hair and less twats in it). From there, a record deal and, before you could say “Nottingham gets its first No.1”, Nottingham gets its first No.1, with Billy Don’t Be A Hero, the official National Anthem of Nottingham (even though it’s about the American Civil War). They would have got an No.1 in America as well, but some Yankee teef’ bwoy called Bo Donaldson beat them to it. Never mind; the next release, The Night Chicago Died made it all the way to No.1 in America and No.3 here. The follow-up single The Black-Eyes Boys only dented the chart, but they would return…

Perhaps the most seismic moment in Nottingham music history; a couple of American session musicians who’ve known each other for years finish a gig at local chicken-in-abasket venue The Heart Of The Midlands after backing up an unknown soul singer, and wind up chatting in the Bentinck Hotel, after one of them’s had his wallet nicked. On the spot, they decide to form their own band. Their names? Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. The band? Chic. True story.

‘Tis the era of Punk and the daddies of them all, The Sex Pistols, play the Boat Club. It’s been said that when they played Manchester in the same year, everyone in the audience went out and formed bands. When they play Nottingham, alas, everybody goes out to the chip shop and gets the last bus home. The Nottingham Punk scene consists of youths in bin liners hanging about Slab Square in bondage trousers bought from Viccy Market. No bands from the city ever do anything. Which, when you think about it, is a very Punk thing to do.

Nottingham becomes the centre of the music world (sort of) when the manager of the Virgin Records shop in Clumber Street (it’s now a Superdrug) is arrested for covering his shop window in Never Mind The Bollocks posters and charged under the Indecent Advertising Act (passed in 1898!).

Weeks later, Nottingham Crown Court is besieged by the media, as the word ‘Bollocks’ is fought over. John Mortimer, for the defence (the bloke who wrote Rumpole Of The Bailey), calls upon an English professor from Nottingham Uni to explain the origins of the word. Before too long, the Judge decides the charge is, well, bollocks and acquits the manager. Next day, the shop is absolutely plastered in posters and record covers with ‘Bollocks’ on them…

Records by football teams on their way to Wembley are tena-penny, but who would have the cheek to release a record when they haven’t even won anything yet? Nottingham Forest, Paper Lace, and 20,000-odd Forest fans, of course, who release We’ve Got The Whole World In Our Hands for no real reason at all, apart from to show off a bit and get Robbo on Top Of The Pops where he belonged. It goes to No.28 here and (amazingly) No.1 in Sweden. On a similar Forest tip, punk band The Lurkers release their debut LP Fulham Fallout. If you look at the audience photo on the inner sleeve, you can clearly see future honorary Nottinghamian Stuart Pearce pogoing…

Air Supply, a rather cheesy Australian band of the type you usually hear on Neighbours when someone gets married or on Simon Bates’ Our Tune, have their only UK hit with I’m All Out Of Love which gets to No.11 (No.2 US). So why are we mentioning them here? Because lead singer Graham Russell is a Notts lad.

The bowling alley in town is named in a shock expose in The News Of The World. People having sex in the alleys?

No. Bowling balls full of heroin? No. According to the article, local ‘Pop-crazed Kids’ who are into the Jam are going in, handing over their tatty Golas, putting on bowling shoes beloved of their hero Paul Weller, and legging it out, costing the alley thousands of pounds.

For years and years and years and years, we didn’t even have a proper music venue, never mind any bands to fill it with. If you want to see The Jam, The Specials, Dexy’s or anyone else, you have to go to Way Ahead and get on a coach to Birmingham or Leicester. Sigh.

But all of a sudden, two new venues spring up. The Royal Concert Hall opens, and, just up the road, The Heart Of The Midlands transforms into Rock City. Goodbye scampi and the Brotherhood of Man, hello sticky carpeting and Alien Sex Fiend. On the record front, Justin Fashanu releases Do It Cos You Like It. The sentiments pre-date Relax

by Frankie Goes To Hollywood by a full year, yet fails to do owt.

Mash down Babylon! (and Bulwell, and Bestwood) The Naturalites have a massive UK reggae No.1 with Picture On The Wall, and get on The Tube and all sorts.

Sadly, they didn’t convert that into any proper chart success, even though UB40 had loads of hits at the same time with rubbish cover versions. Cha.

Another Nottingham youth who has to emigrate in order to get a hit; John Parr, who scores big with the theme tune to crappy Brat-Pack film St Elmo’s Fire, which goes all the way to No.6.

Meanwhile, a fey young muso called Neil Tennant crashes round his cousins flat in Notts, and while he’s about to nod off on the settee, writes the first line of West End Girls, a massive No.1 hit.

Nottingham’s only participant at Live Aid is a drunk and excitable Su Pollard being interviewed at a club (“So what did you think of Elvis (Costello)?” “Ooh, has he been resurrected, then?”)

A massive year for Nottingham music. Corinne Drewery and Swing Out Sister reach No.4 with Breakout and more importantly, encourage girls to wear black bobbed haircuts and hoopy stockings.

Sadly, her triumphant homecoming at Rock City is ruined somewhat when her Mam throws a bunch of flowers onstage, hitting her squarely in the face and knocking her unconscious. But even better than that, the mighty Su Pollard sings the theme tune to Starting Together, a docu-soap about a newlywed couple and it goes all the way to No.2, only being held off the top spot by the frankly inferior When The Going Gets Tough by Billy Ocean. Is there nothing this woman can’t do?

Another near miss for the Trent Tempo. Krush, a couple of nice young lads in bicycle shorts and gold chains, create the first UK House record to hit the charts – House Arrest, No.3.

The Public Enemy gig at Rock City is named as the 40th most important event in the history of popular music by Mojo mainly because they decide to perform Bring The Noise for the first time ever and are worried about performing an unknown tune.

Unbeknownst to them, everyone in the audience had spent twelve quid (a lot of money in them days, kids) on the imported soundtrack of Less Than Zero, and proceeded to go mental. The gig is also immortalised by Chuck D walking about the audience signing people’s trainers, and Flavor Flav shouting “Public Enemy No.1 in Nahdinham! Public Enemy No.1 in Derby! Public Enemy No.1 in Mansfield” at the end.

The hottest Reggae sensation in New York is Trevor Sparks, who releases massive-selling cover versions of Bye Bye Love, On The Wings Of Love and Under The Boardwalk. This comes as a great surprise to residents of Hyson Green, who used to know him when he was called Trevor Chambers and went to Scotholme Junior School. Sadly he is no longer with us, as he died in 2004.

Katie Garside joins Daisy Chainsaw, rips up a few dresses, gets them all dirty, and scores a one-hit wonder with Love Your Money.

Alas, The stresses of being an Indieboy wank-fantasy force her to pack it in.

Wicked bad fresh! KWS go to No.1 with Please Don’t Go, a cover of the KC and the Sunshine Band record that was supposedly recorded as a plea to Des Walker not to leave Forest. They appear on Top Of The Pops looking like a bunch of nightclub bouncers and cabbies.

Sadly, they don’t follow up with tunes called What The Fucking Hell Is Going On With Forest, Oh My God We’ve Been Relegated, and Why Is Platty Buying All These Crap Italians? Meanwhile, local Thrashmongers Lawnmower Deth play the Marquee. More importantly, they give Loughborough band Manslaughter, the group featured in the BBC Teenage Diaries documentary In Bed With Chris Needham (which is the best documentary about pop music ever and pisses all over Spinal Tap) the support slot. Whycliffe releases his debut LP, and the Stereo MCs, with Notts-born frontman Rob B, have loads of hits.

Finally, some credible Notts bands spring up. Tindersticks release their debut LP, which is named Album Of The Year by Melody Maker. They gain all manner of critical acclaim throughout the 90s, yet can’t manage to convert it into chart success. Bah. Reef go to No.6 with Raise Your Hands, assisted by Carltonian Kenwin House on drums. Meanwhile, Pantera lead singer Phil Anselmo overdoses on scag while listening to a demo of Notts Sludge Metal band Iron Monkey. Despite promising much with debut release Our Problem, lead singer Johnny Morrow passes away and the band fall apart.

After years of getting pissed about by record companies, Six By Seven release European Me off their own backs, which the NME calls one of the great all-time debut singles. Again, despite the music press loving them to bits, they remain one of the great alltime underground bands. Grr. Over in St.Anns, Big Trev forms Outdaville, the UK’s premier hip-hop collective. Featuring Lee Ramsay, Scorzayzee and C-Mone (to name but a few), they were rumoured to be talking to Sony but it fell through. Rat’s cocks.

Pitchshifter establish themselves as one of the premier DnB/ Industrial auteurs with their third release, www.pitchshifter.com, which is full of punky chelp and tunes the milkman would find very hard to whistle.

Brian Harvey gets twatted outside The Works.

Xylophone Man dies.

Cappo releases his debut album Spaz The World, produced by Nottingham’s Heavy Bronx, The P Brothers.

A Drop In The Ocean demonstrates beyond doubt that Nottingham is rammed with bands and artists across the musical spectrum, and the future has never looked brighter. We think.

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Out&About

BARS/GYMS/RESTAURANTS/SHOPS

In a new regular feature, LeftLion whips out the credit card and wallows in the retail wonderland that is Nottingham. Our correspondent, looking nervously at the unopened Barclaycard bill on the mantlepiece is Christina Chapman.

Raspberry Village

Reminiscent of a Moroccan bazaar, except for the wily old men haggling over a set of salad servers, this place is a cornucopia of furniture, gifts, rugs and world beats. Set on three floors, it is rampacked with diverse room sets. It’s a little like a Mr Benn shopping experience. One minute you are in colonial Africa leaning on the mantel sipping Bourbon on the rocks, fighting off the sweltering heat. The next you are in Nigella Lawson’s country kitchen using your pastel-coloured accessories to bake rye bread. You could easily while away an hour or so trying out the red leather sofas, cubist tables or browsing for that perfect birthday gift for your best mate. Then suddenly the shopkeeper appears, and you feel that you really should buy something.

Atomic

Raspberry Village World Interiors, 311-313, Mansfield Rd, NG5 2EA. 0115 962 3337 www.raspberryvillage.co.uk

Virgin Active

Bar De Nada If you know a Barcelona chair from a Joker and you’ve come into some money, or just want to be flash, get down to Atomic. For a city drowning in furniture pastiche, Atomic is the antidote for design enthusiasts. There is not a single colonial-style bedroom set, piece of pine, or medieval-effect dining set in sight.

Atomic sells the best of the best, stocking pieces from Europe’s most exclusive interior design houses – B&B Italia, Vitra, Porro and Flos, to name a few. The store offers a fabulous selection of tables, sofas, chairs, lighting, and accessories. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, managers Rob and Lee have a library of catalogues and brochures and can generally lay their hands on what you’re after.

Conveniently located in the Cornerhouse basement and decorated in that slightly tired breeze block and air vent style, Virgin would probably like you to think that this is the most urban gym in the city.

Its range of fashionably named classes back that up.

From Box Fit to Sexercise, and Ballet Fit to Kung Bo, Virgin has all the latest fitness classes on the list. Not that it ignores the staple gym diet though.

They also supply a regular dose of yoga, step, circuits and legs, tums and bums (although they call it Fab Abs and Killer Butt, which we think is much more catchy). Probably the most interesting and comprehensive list of classes we’ve seen out of the city’s gyms.

Virgin also provides well for those who prefer weights, treadmills and cross trainers. Most of the gym is packed tight with machines and has a good space for warm-ups and stretches. The changing rooms are a decent size and provide the standard gym package. There’s not much more to it than that.

No racket sports, no pool, no sofa area. This is a strictly “work your body and go” kind of place. And the prices reflect that. Starting from £25 a month with a £50 joining fee, or £37 a month without, Virgin is a good value solution for those who are serious about toning up and getting fit. They also do a package for 16 and 17-year-olds, at £19 per month.

Virgin Active Pure Fitness, Corner House, Burton St, NG1 4DB 0115 934 2200 www.virginactive.co.uk

They really know their stuff and are probably the most laid-back salespeople you’ll come across.

They won’t force their taste down your throats and will give you time to come to a decision about what you want. After all, the product will sell itself to people who are willing to invest in design. But you may need a house the size of Rock City to fit the furniture in.

Atomic Interiors, Plumptre Square, NG1 1JF, 0115 9415577

Anybody who loves tapas knows where to head.

La Tasca in the Lace Market, right? Nope. For anyone who’s tried the real thing Bar De Nada, on Broad Street, Hockley, is a more authentic and original choice. From any chain, you are likely to get the same patatas bravas in Liverpool as you will in Nottingham, which makes you think they have come out of a plastic box delivered from a food factory in Corby.

In Bar De Nada it tastes like they peeled, boiled, spiced and fried the food on the premises. The same goes for their delicately fried haddock, their grilled vegetables and their prawns. Each dish is combined with staple spices, like garlic

and ginger, or simple seasoning, which allow the flavours to come into their own. The menu offers a clever mix of recognisable favourites and original tapas ideas to tempt your taste buds. This is a totally relaxed place to while away an evening with mums, friends or lovers. The prices are like the atmosphere comfortable.

And they even do a Monday to Friday Happy Hour.

From 5pm to 7pm, whatever time the last person in your party arrives is the price you pay for the meal. So if you arrive at 5.15pm, you pay £5.15p.

Clever innit!

Bar De Nada, 43 Broad St, NG1 3AP, 0115 9881199

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19

Notts New

COMING TO A CITY CENTRE NEAR YOU...

LET THEM EAT CAKE

Nottingham’s treasure, The Cheesecake Shop, has teamed up with the Broadway cinema and café. You can now sample some of the Cheesecake Shop’s finest concoctions at any time of the day. For a smart £2 they have seven flavours to choose from, including caramel mudcake, passion cake, carrot cake, orange deluxe mudcake and continental apple cake. Perfect with a mug of tea, as long as you don’t mind Broadway’s chaotic service and occasionally mucky tables…

Broadway, 14-18 Broad Street, NG1 3AL, 0115 9526611, www.broadway.org.uk

HAPPY KIMONO GIRLS Among the knik-knaks of Branches, one of Nottingham’s more eclectic furniture shops (we don’t get the connection between Betty Boop statues and pine) comes a touch of the Orient. From a princely £15 you

could get your hands on a Kosode figure blessed with a sunny name like Happy Kimono Girl. This is not an episode of Buffy, but a traditional Japanese token of friendship.

Apparently peasant farmers fashioned them out of bits of old wood they found lying about. They were then painted up in a convincing womanly form and handed out to mates. So if you’ve been looking for a replacement for those friendship bracelets you used to make at school, you know where to go. Don’t say we never do anything for you.

tre. Not any more. This Spar does it all, milk, papers, stamps, bread, spaghetti hoops and a coffee bar!

Spar, Upper Parliament Street, NG1 5QN

expensive loaf of bread you’ve ever bought, there has been a drought of convenience shops in the city cen-

Old School Bookshop Geoff Blore’s bookshop is a rare treat! As you walk in a little bell sounds your arrival. The member of staff on duty will look up, invariably sitting at the end of the room, head tucked into a novel. At first you’re not sure where to look.

There are shelves full of books all around you and staircases and doorways, suggesting other rooms of a similar nature nearby. This is not a place that you stop in for five minutes. The longer you stay, the more treasure you find.

Branches of Nottingham, 28-30, Carrington St, NG1 7FG, 0115 948 0233 www.durham-pine.com

MID TOWN CRISIS Next time you’re in town and need something essential (we’re thinking more pint of milk than a new pair of jeans or round-the-world ticket) head for the new Spar shop on Parliament Street. The mini supermarket (does that make it a market?) is what the city centre has been crying out for. Save for hiking to the far end of the Victoria Centre to queue for twenty minutes in Tesco, or down to Marks and Spencer for the most

Notts Landing #1:

In total there are three rooms stacked full of literary bullion. If you’re looking for something in particular (ie your course books) then you should consult the staff, for their zen-like knowledge of the entire back catalogue. Otherwise just browse shelf after shelf packed full of works from the the likes of William Burroughs, James Joyce and Irvine Welsh among literally hundreds of thousands of others. There are many rare classics to be found here. It just depends on how much time you have to look Geoff Blore’s Bookshop, 484 Mansfield Road, Sherwood, NG5 2FB, 0115 9691441

Suspension Bridge, River Trent

There’s a place in every city where you just want to be. Whether you want to people-watch or think about the good times, everyone’s place is different. Each issue, a member of the LeftLion crew explains the spot they like best…

As an Aries, I love the sparkly bits of the city, but every now and then I need a little water to cool my astrological fire. That’s when I head for the Suspension Bridge over the Trent. I like playing Pooh Sticks out of the rowers as they race each other through the bridge. I also like to congratulate myself for not being daft enough to be one of them (rowing generally means hard work and early mornings).

I also like the bridge railings.

They are particularly high, to stop people jumping off I suppose, but it means I have to pull myself up with my arms and dangle from them if I want to look at the view. It makes me feel like I’m five again and too short for a world that has amazing stuff to discover, if only I was tall enough to see it.

For me, the view is the best in the city. I go there to empty my head, losing myself in the chaos of Trent Bridge and life along the banks of the Trent. I watch the runners working their way through their pain barriers and the ducks and geese fighting for the stale Mighty White being thrown at them by chubby seven year-olds.

The bridge also keeps me a safe distance from the vicious, unpredictable swans. Beautiful they may be, but they are also territorial and always look ready to attack you. So as far as I’m concerned, they should only be appreciated from above or as a garnish in a Thai restaurant.

Cristina Chapman

Nottingham Voices Things People have said

listings...

clubs/theatre/live music/comedy/exhibitions

on the leftlion forum Where did it all go wrong for Forest?

“The only 2 decent things to happen since Brian Clough were Stan Collymore and Paul Hart. Hart sorted our youth policy out sweet style. Things were looking promising for a while then he got sacked because we were doing shit. He had no money to bring new faces in.”

Skinny “David Pratt, that’s where.”

Cash Mark

“It all went wrong when Scousers got English clubs kicked out of Europe with their hooliganism the year after Forest had just won it twice and were becoming the biggest team in England. Had Forest been allowed to play in Europe I believe they would be in a similar position to Man Utd in terms of popularity today.” onthebridge “Selling Marlon Harewood for £500K was a really bad decision. I think that was a hefty nail in the coffin...”

Jared “Bad debts.”

Pisces J

“Selling Collymore, things have gone downhill from then (remember Andrei Silenzei?). Also when Basset Transit Mafia (aka 29 year old James sold Campbell, which was just stupid. He effectively Busby) has quite a few things going for got rid of Van Hooijdonk in doing so.”

Neb him at the moment.

“I reckon they’ll stay up. Plymouth Argyle are on a dangerous slide and plummeting down the table while Forest are (slowly) starting to get their act together.

It’s always the ones who start to fall late on in the season that you’ve gotta watch out for...”

El Chupacabra

Not only is he one of the best of an upcoming bunch of Drum and Bass DJ’s from the Nottingham scene, but he is also a hugely successful event promoter in his own right.

Is Nottingham North or South?

Six years ago, alongside his friend Kath, James set up Detonate. Over the next few years the night moved upwards, through venues from Deluxe to Stealth (via Dubble Bubble, Beatroot, The Garvey, The Old Vic, The Rescue Rooms and The Bomb).

“I know we are in the Midlands but Nottingham seems far more southern, in my opinion. Go to cities like Sheffield and Manchester and they’re ugly and have a grotty feel to them. Nottingham doesn’t though. But then again we are not as stuck up as the south.”

Marc-2005

Things are looking up for them right now. Over May bank holiday Detonate host one of their most ambitious nights yet at Rock City. Not only does it feature drum and bass acts like Andy C, London Elektricity and LTJ Bukem, but it also has hiphop legend Afrika Bambaataa along for the ride. We spoke to James to pick his brain about local talent and the future plans for Detonate.

“We are more northern than southern. I think we’re You must be looking forward to your May bank more sophisticated then most typical northerners but holiday show a bit more brash than most southerners.”

Kelly We love doing the Rock City shows. In the lead up to the first one I didn’t really sleep for about two weeks because the DJ bill was massive. Thankfully they’ve “More sophisticated? Are you having a laugh? Us been really well attended and so we just keep trying Northerners have sophistication coming out of our to make the line-ups bigger and bigger. It’s good to arses. As Nottingham is the furthest south I’ve ever have Spectrum and Camouflage on board for this one lived, there’s a tendency to say it’s southern, but the as well.” friendliness of the place likens it to the north.”

Denz Who are your favourite acts that you’ve brought to Nottingham?

“To northerners we’re south to southerners we’re

north. To me we’re slap bang in the middle. But in my We were really happy to get The Roots last year, opinion everyone north of Manchester is Scottish, so because both me and Kath have been big fans for I dunno…” a long time. Roni Size live was something that we’d Skinny been trying to get since we started out. Roots Manuva was another one which stands out. It’s a good feeling “We’re East Midlands. Just saying we’re midlands will when you get an act that you’ve rated for years, and make ignorant southerners think we’re Brummies.” people come out and support it. onthebridge Tell us about the first ever Detonate? Where was it? Who played? What kind of a night was it?

“A friend once said, ‘We enjoy pretty girls of the south and good beer of the north, so we got the best of both worlds.’ Doesn’t clear it up but a good It was at Deluxe (now the Cookie Club) in January thought. West Bridgford is south I reckon...”

1999. Kenny Ken headlined the DnB room. At the time Timmy Kath was a student and I was doing a music course.

We both borrowed £100 to get it off the ground.

make your voice heard

www.leftlion.co.uk/forum

www.detonate1.co.uk

If you could book any DJ or musician to play at Detonate who would it be?

There are a few big American hip hop artists which we’d like to put on one of which is KRS-One which will hopefully happen in June.

What’s the plan with Detonate Recordings?

The label isn’t focussing on a certain sound, it’s just tunes which we like and I play. The first release should drop around May-June time. It’s by a big DnB DJ/producer going under his Killer Instinct guise, backed with a track by Hold Tight.

What do you think to other Notts DnB labels such as DSF and Brutal Recordings?

There seems to be loads of good music coming out of Notts at the moment. DSF have been doing their thing for a while and Brutal have come up with a strong first release. Also, a guy called Ben Fawce has got his first release coming on Mindrush soon. On the hiphop tip Dealmaker and Sureshot are doing good things.

Tell us about the rest of the Detonate crew…

Myself and Kath started Detonate, but now Rich works with us full time as well. Kath has a facial recognition problem so smiles at everyone in case she knows them! Also she quite often nearly pays DJ’s wages to random people. A punter nearly got given Andy C’s money recently!

Small Kid has always done our flyers. He’s a wicked designer and artist whose getting the recognition he deserves these days. He specialises in drawing monkeys and making horrendous spelling mistakes.

Apparently we were meant to have a ‘Special Gust’ at a Detonate recently.

What other jobs have you had apart from DJing and promoting?

I worked at Drum & Bass Arena for 4 years up until last September. Since that I’ve started managing Mampi Swift’s label Charge, and Friction’s Shogun Audio label. I also help get out Ram, True Playaz, and Technique with digital distribution. Through my work running Detonate and D&B Arena over the years I’ve got good links in the scene. The worst job I’ve had was in a cardboard box factory. The machine was bust so I had to stand in the same place with my arm out all day. This is loads better…

Detonate Rock City Sunday 1st May

listings...

clubs/comedy/live music/theatre/exhibitions Max Cooper Venue: The Bomb Price: £5 Times: 10pm - late Max Cooper and Live Techno

Period Of April / May

Club Nights fri 01/04 Spectrum Style: Breaks Venue: Stealth Price: £8 adv £10 10 otd Times: 10pm - 4am Ali B (Fabric / Air), Danny McMillan (Inflight), Pete Jordan Danny Donnachie Venue: The Bomb Price: £5 Times: 10pm - late Basement Boogaloo Style: Soul, Funk, Jazz Venue: Bar None Price: Free Times: 10pm - 2am Chris Lowlife (Lights Down Low) Dollop Style: Breaks, House, Electronica Venue: Moog Price: Free Times: 8pm - 12am Fonk Dirty, Chard and guests.

sat 02/04

Renaissance Style: House Venue: Stealth Price: £10 adv £12 otd Times: 10pm - 4am James Zabiela, Eric Prydz, Luke Chable, Roo

DJ Hal Venue: The Bomb Price: £5 Times: 10pm - late Enjoy the Ride take on the Bomb for a latenight extension to their Malt Cross gigs.

fri 08/04

Camouflage Style: HipHop Venue: Stealth Price: £8 adv £10 otd Times: 10pm - 3.30am The Mitchell Brothers (The Streets), Full Fat (Live), Instrumentals,The Lost Projects, Blumonkey, T-Cutt, Swiz Focus Style: Drum and Bass, Deep House Venue: Blueprint Price: £7 (NUS Discount) Times: 9pm - 3am Hazard (True Playaz), Danny Wheeler (Infrared), MC Maveric (Formation), Disfunktion & Jaydan (Propaganda), Apocalypse, Kronic, Indigo Sync MC’s G1, Choppa, Carasel, Anger Supa Nova, AEM Soundsystem

sat 09/04

The Bomb Babes Venue: The Bomb Price: £5 Times: 10pm - 4am The Bomb Babes - DJ Sass, CJ & Wings Psycle Style: Venue: Price: Times:

Nightmare Venue: Spiders Info: Goth, Industrial, Cyber

Wildside Venue: Spiders Sleazy Glam The Cool Off Style: Ska, Bashment, Dub Venue: Moog Price: Free Times: 8pm - 12am

mon 04/04

tue 05/04 El Viaje Venue: Price: Times:

Misterioso de Kevlua Moog Free 8pm - 12am

Pumped Style: Techno Venue: Spiders

DJ Ezy Ryder Venue: Moog Price: Free Times: 8pm - 12am Chilled, sexy grooves with DJ Ezy Ryder.

mon 11/04

thu 07/04

Sunk n Foul Style: Funk, Soul Venue: Moog Price: Free Times: 8pm - 12am Funk & Soul with the Drop Menace and ‘special’ guests The Mysterious K.

Highness Sound System Style: Reggae, Roots Venue: Blueprint Price: £5 Times: 10pm - late Only Love...

Venue: Moog Price: Free Times: 8pm - 12am Destination Venue: Oceana Gay friendly night at the upgraded Palais.

Listen With Motherf**ker Style: Electronica, Dub Venue: Moog Price: Free Times: 8pm - 12am

wed 13/04 Pink Flamingos Style: Rock, Seventies, Eighties Venue: Spiders Sleazy RnR, Electro Clash, 70’s - 80’s.

Highness Style: Roots, Reggae Venue: Moog Price: Free Times: 8pm - 12am Dogmatic Style: Drum and Bass Venue: Dogma Price: £2 Times: 10pm - 2am Calibre, Catalyst, Priceless Hosted by DRS

The Groove House, Disco Moog Free 8pm - 12am

Camouflage Style: Electronica, Breaks, Techno Venue: Stealth Price: £12 adv Times: 7.30pm - 12am Nottingham’s Camouflage crew showcase including a live set from Autechre and DJ sets from Rob Hall and Mark Broom

Mother Of All Bombs Style: Hiphop, Breaks, Drum and Bass Venue: Moog Price: Free Times: 8pm - 12am Hip-Hop, Funk, Breaks and Drum n Bass with DJs M.O.and A.B. Koolsville Venue: Moog Price: Free Times: 8pm - 12am DJs, Sloe & King Kahlua.

fru 15/04 Sancho Panza Venue: The Bomb Price: £7 Times: 10pm - late Sancho Panza and Percussion DJ’s.

Cult Style: Hiphop Venue: The Loft Price: Free Times: 9pm - 1 am Cult is an audio/visual marriage of quality underground sounds and classic Cult movie imagery. The film this time is ‘Wild Style’, shown alongside hiphop and breaks from some of Nottingham’s finest DJ’s including Fluff & Detail from Detonate and Ryo & s1 from Prescription.

sun 24/04 DJ Ezy Ryder Venue: Moog Price: Free Times: 8pm - 12am Chilled, sexy grooves with DJ Ezy Ryder. mon 25/04

Something Chronic Style: Hiphop, Funk, Soul Venue: Moog Price: Free Times: 8pm - 12am Old School Hiphop, Funk, Soul, Big Beat and Breaks with regulars Will and guests.

Tush Venue: The Bomb Times: 10pm - 2am Lesbian night at the Bomb.

George Be Tall Venue: Moog Price: Free Times: 8pm - 12am Chilled grooves building to a crescendo of dirty beats with George & guests.

Dogmatic thu 21/04 Style: HipHop Venue: Dogma Price: £3 Times: 10pm - 2am Live Hip Hop from Dealmaker Records and Camouflage Sell Out Style: Alternative Venue: Spiders Times: 9pm - 2am Wayne and Russ present an ecclectic alternative night.

Only Love...

Venue: Moog Price: Free Times: 8pm - 12am Product Style: Breaks, Tech House, Electronica Venue: The Bomb Price: £7 adv £8 otd Lee Coombs (Thrust), Si Begg (Novamute/ Trigger), Tim Lyall (Slinky), Problem Child, Rez, Iain Mac Detonate Style: Drum and Bass, HipHop, Breaks Venue: Stealth Price: £10 adv £12 otd Times: 10pm - 4am Goldie, Red One, Fingathing (Live), Transit Mafia, Santero, Detail ‘Sheila’ Fine Art Student Party Venue: Moog Price: Donations welcome!

Times: 8pm - 12am DJs and Visuals supplied by artists

mon 25/04

tue 26/04

tue 19/04

fri 22/04

thu 14/04

Shrewd Venue: The Bomb Price: £8 Times: 10pm - 4am

Alligator Style: HipHop, Drum and Bass Venue: Moog Price: £2 Times: 8pm - 12am With DJ’s Transit Mafia and Strike

The Wake Venue: Spiders Deathrock, Old School Goth Behind Style: Venue: Price: Times:

sat 23/04

Bluesilver Style: Eighties Venue: Spiders Alternative 80’s

Sound Alliance Venue: The Bomb Price: £5 Times: 10pm - 4am

wed 20/04

tue 12/04

Mother Of All Bombs Style: Hiphop, Breaks, Drum and Bass Venue: Moog Price: Free Times: 8pm - 12am DJs M.O.and A.B.

sat 16/04

mon 18/04

City Of Dog Style: World Music Venue: Moog Price: Free Times: 8pm - 12am

Tush Venue: The Bomb Times: 10pm - 2am Lesbian Night

Demo Venue: Blueprint Times: 7.30pm - late

sun 17/04

Psy-Trance Blueprint £5 10pm - late

sun 10/04

Pure Filth Style: Techno, DnB, Deep House Venue: Blueprint Price: £6 Times: 10pm - late Databomber - AKA Esther Ofei (Live) Aled Jones Filth Residents DJ Smith & Jay, Planar & Fijjitt Paul Murphy, Ed Cotton

fri 15/04

Kombination Funk Style: Drum and Bass, Techno, Breaks Venue: Blueprint Price: £5 Times: 10.30pm - Late Temper D (Cell), Fatal (Charge), Bouncer (Ignition), Lowkey (Brutal) MCs: Ninety, G1 and Anger Mark Jacobs,Macp and more Mr Seavers and friends.

Listen With Motherf**ker Style: Electronica, Dub Venue: Moog Price: Free Times: 8pm - 12am Vastick Style: Venue: Price: Times:

Root Breaks, Electronica Moog Free 8pm - 12am

wed 27/04

thu 28/04 Funktion Style: Drum and Bass Venue: Synergy Price: Free Times: 9pm - 2am Random Guy, Jest-r, Timmy, The Weasalman Dogmatic Style: Hiphop Times: 10pm - 2am RND with Joe Ransom Full Metal Racket Style: Rock Venue: Spiders Times: 9pm - 2am

fri 29/04

Stealth’s First Birthday Style: Drum and Bass, HipHop, Breaks Venue: Stealth Price: £10 adv £12 otd Times: 10pm - 4am Fabio, DJ Format feat. Abdominal and D-Sisive, Little Barrie, Sambawamba (38 piece live act), Transit Mafia (Detonate) Pete Jordan (Spectrum), JS & Fever (Chibuku), Windows 78 (Camouflage)

listings...

Juke Style: Venue: Price: Times:

clubs/comedy/live music/theatre/exhibitions fri 29/04

Funk, Soul Moog Free 8pm - 12am

Pumped Style: Techno Venue: Spiders

thu 05/05

Highness SoundSystem Style: Reggae Venue: Blueprint Price: £5 Times: 10pm - late

Silver Planet Venue: The Bomb Price: £5 Times: 10pm - late Thru The Looking Glass Style: House, Drum and Bass, Funk Venue: Blueprint Price: £5 Times: 10pm - late Schmoov room featuring The Little Men (Mobile Trax, Drop Music) and Murphy.

Funktion room with Random Guy, Timmy, The Weaselman and Jest-r. I-Fuel room with Osbourne (DIY) and Adam

sat 30/04

Bob’s Dynamic Venue: Moog Price: Free Times: 8pm - 12am Moocha presents wig-out acid jungle, elektro-dancehall and ting Federation Style: Funky House Venue: Ocean

Psycle Style: Venue: Price: Times:

fri 06/05

Spectrum Style: Breaks, HipHop Venue: Stealth Price: £8 adv £10 otd Times: 10pm - 4am DJ Yoda goes to the movies with a DVDJ set. Also along are DJ Hyper (Kilowatt), Steelzawheelz (West Records), Western Allstars (West Records), Hexidecimal, Pete Jordan, B Boy J and the All Torque Breakers SPAM Style: Sixties, Pop Venue: Junktion 7 Price: Free

Infectious Venue: The Bomb Times: 10pm - Late Justin Long, Rhythm Plate North meets South Style: Bashment, Reggae, RnB Venue: Blueprint Times: 10pm - late Live PA from Audley Anderson (Fame Academy), Success Solid Rock, Klimax, Geoff Schuman (BBC), Cabbage Man, Soulman, Master G

sun 01/05 The Asylum Style: Alternative, Rock Venue: Spiders Price: £3 Times: 9pm - 2am

Focus Style: Venue: Price: Times:

Drum and Bass, Funky House Blueprint £7 (NUS Discount) 9pm - 2am

Dollop Style: Venue: Price: Times:

Breaks, House, Electronica Moog Free 8pm - 12 am

The Cool Off Style: Ska, Roots Venue: Moog Price: Free Times: 8pm - 12am

sat 14/05

Trance Blue Print £5 10pm - late

fri 27/05

Nightmare Venue: Spiders Goth, industrial and cyber rock!

Highness Style: Reggae, Dub, Roots Venue: Moog Price: Free Times: 8 pm - 12 am

Spanjj Style: Venue: Price: Times:

wed 18/05

May Bank Holiday Alldayer Venue: Moog Price: Free Times: 12 pm - 12 am DJs, comedians and barbecue on the roof.

tue 03/05 El Viaje Misterioso de Kevlua Venue: Moog Price: Free Times: 8 pm - 12 am Like a broken jukebox that’s stuck on random for 4 hours

thu 05/05 Dogmatic Style: HipHop Venue: Dogma Price: £3 Times: 10pm - 2am Live Hiphop showcase from Dealmaker Records and Camouflage

Pure Filth Style: Techno, DnB, Funky House Venue: Blue Print Price: £6 Times: 10pm - late Paul Langley (Jackstar) is guest on the decks at the filthiest techno night that Nottingham has to offer.

Wildside Venue: Spiders Sleazy Glam Spanjj Style: Venue: Price: Times:

sun 08/05 Breaks, Electronica Moog Free 4pm - 8pm

thu 19/05

Sell Out Style: Alternative Venue: Spiders Times: 9pm - 2am Wayne and Russ present an eclectic night of alternative music.

fri 20/05 Product Style: Breaks, Tech House, Electronica Venue: The Bomb Price: £7 adv, £8 otd Blim - TCR/Botchit, Problem Child, Rez, Iain Mac, Guest tbc

Kombination Funk vs Detonate part 2 Style: Drum and Bass, Techno, Breaks Venue: Blue Print Price: £8 Times: 10.30pm - Late A big crossover night for Nottingham DnB. Acts on show include Raiden (Renegade Hardware), Sub-Focus (Ram), Transit Mafia (Detonate), Dyazide (Brutal), Lowkey (KF), MC Ninety, Juma Phist, Dreama, Mark Jacobs, Macp, Mr Seavers and friends.

Cult Venue: The Loft Price: Free Times: 9pm - 1am Cult is an audio/visual marriage of quality underground sounds and classic cult movie imagery. It’s all presented to you by some of the best DJ’s and visual artists Notts has to offer. Up this time are Anth (John Peel Jnr), Windows 78 and Dubfella (Camouflage). Join The Cult at www.wearethecult.co.uk The Wake Venue: Spiders Deathrock, Old School Goth

sun 22/05

wed 11/05 Pink Flamingos Style: Rock, Seventies, Eighties Venue: Spiders Dogmatic Venue: Dogma Style: Drum and Bass Times: 10pm - 2am XRS

Detonate Style: Drum and Bass, Hiphop Venue: Stealth Times: 10pm - 4am Ed Rush & Optical plus more tbc.

Album Launch Party, More details to be confirmed soon, www.detonate1.co.uk

Breaks, Electronica Moog Free 8pm - 12am

sat 21/05 Detonate Style: Drum and Bass, HipHop, Breaks Venue: Rock City Price: £20 adv Times: 8pm - 5am Get ready for Detonation in the main room with London Elektricity (live), LTJ Bukem, MC Conrad, Andy C, MC GQ, Zinc, Friction, MC Eksman, Craze, MC Armani, Swift, MC Fearless, High Contrast, SP MC and Transit Mafia. Downstairs is Camouflage with the legendary Afrika Bambaataa, Cash Money, Taskforce, Karizma, Foz, Lost Projects, T-Cutt, Santero and Detail. Spectrum have the run of the Rig with Soul of Man, Krafty Kuts, Phantom Beats, Hexadecimal, Pete Jordon and Problem Child

thu 26/05

Full Metal Racket Style: Rock Venue: Spiders Times: 9pm - 2am Night of extreme, euro and power metal with Andy and Stumpy. Includes regular promos, playbacks and giveaways courtesy of Earache Records.

Bluesilver Style: Eighties Venue: Spiders Alternative 80’s

sat 28/05

mon 30/05 Moog Bank Holiday Alldayer Venue: Moog Price: Free Times: 12pm - 12am More great acts from Nottingham and beyond having a ball in the sunshine!

sat 07/05

Renaissance Style: House Venue: Stealth Price: £10 adv £12 otd Times: 10pm - 4am Hernan Cattaneo (3 Hour Set), The Cuban Brothers (Live), Marcus James and CMWMA.

Crasher Style: Trance Venue: Nottingham Arena Price: £32.50

City Of Dog Venue: Moog Price: Free Times: 8pm - 12am

thu 12/05

Spanjj Style: Breaks, Electronica Venue: Moog Price: Free Times: 4pm - 8pm Electronik guff, broken beats stuff and out there visuals and future music with DJ Friendly & Nezlord

thu 26/05

UK Takeover 3 Style: Hiphop Venue: Rock City UK Takeover are putting on some of the best UK hiphop nights ever assembled at the moment, all from the comfort of venues around Hood Town.

The line up for Takeover Three is one of the best yet! Assembled to appear live on one stage will be Ty, The Scratch Perverts, Skinnyman and DJ Flip, Phi Life Cypher, Mitchell Brothers, Kyza & Terra Firma, Roll Deep, Skitz ft MC D (and other special guests), Foreign Beggars, Yogi & Baby J, Joe Buhdha, 45, Wariko, Hoodz Underground, Elementz, Karizma and PeteBox. The whole thing is hosted by Rodney P and MistaJam. Check out interviews with two of the Takeovers finest Ty and Skinnyman on our website at www.LeftLion.co.uk The event will also feature an open invitation emcee battle, the ‘60 Second Assassin’ contest. The top prize is two custom made beats from premier UK hiphop producers Joe Buhdha & Skitz. Contestants will be drawn to face off against each other and given just 60 seconds to lyrically destroy their opponents. When the time runs out, it’s up to the crowd to decide who’s displaying the illest skills on the mic.

The first few rounds will take place during the pre-takeover warm up (check www.

LeftLion.co.uk for more details) with the semi-finals onwards being held on the night itself. If you want to take part, email uktakeover@hotmail.com leaving your name and home town. Otherwise just turn up and enjoy... www.uktakeover.net

fri 13/05

Camouflage Style: HipHop, Breaks Venue: Stealth Times: 10pm - 3am Live Hip Hop, Grime and Beats, Kano, Cannibal Ox (Def Jux), Non Thespian, Lost Projects, Problem Child, Aled Jones, T-Cutt, Swiz

Funktion Style: Drum and Bass Venue: Synergy Price: Free Times: 9pm - 2am Random Guy, Jest-r, Timmy Hands, The Weasalman

listings...

clubs/comedy/live music/theatre/exhibitions tuesdays

Period Of April / May

Weekly Club Listings fridays Tiger Style Style: Breaks Venue: Stone Price: Free Times: 9pm - 1am Pete Jordan, Future Proof

Soul Buggin’ with DJ Beane Style: Funk, Jazz, Disco Venue: Bar Humbug Price: Free Times: 8pm - 1am Hiphop, House, Breaks Dogma Free Until 2am

Love Shack Style: Eighties Venue: Rock City Price: £4 adv £5 otd Times: 9.30pm - 2am Fridays Style: Price: Times:

@ The Market Bar Breaks, House, Disco £4 (NUS Discount) 9pm - 3am

Booty Bassline House Style: House, Deep House Venue: The Edge Price: £7 Times: 10pm - late Audio Style: Venue: Price: Times:

Funk, Soul, Disco Snug £5 (£3b4 10.30pm, NUS Discount) 10pm - 3am

Atomic Style: Venue: Price: Times:

Wednesday Alternative, Rock, Pop The Cookie Club (NUS Discount) £2.50 10.30pm - 2am

Ritmo with Leon Moran Style: Funky House, Disco, Breaks Venue: Bar Humbug Price: Free Times: 8pm - 1am

thursdays Thursdays @ The Market Bar Style: Funk, HipHop Price: £4 Times: 9pm - 2.30am

saturdays HipHop, RnB, Soul Snug Free til 2am

Tuned Style: Venue: Price: Times:

Saturdays @ The Market Bar Style: Funky House Price: £5 Times: 9pm - 2.30am

mon 04/04

Just the Tonic Venue: Cabaret Price: £7 / £4 Times: 7pm Your regular Sunday comedy night, this time featuring Rob Rouse, Mick Ferry and Nottingham’s own Darrell Martin.

thu 07/04

Jongleurs Venue: Jongleurs Price: £8 - £15 Times: 7pm Smug Roberts, Helen Austin, Andy Robinson Dave Williams Runs Until: 09/04

sat 09/04

Rappers Delight Style: HipHop Venue: The Bomb Price: £3 - £4 Times: 10pm - 2am Local Hiphop acts and Open Mic Session...

Nu World Style: HipHop, Funk Venue: Malt Cross Cafe Bar Price: Free Times: 7pm - 11pm

Dogmatic Style: HipHop, Drum and Bass Venue: Dogma Price: Various Times: 10pm - 2am

fri 01/04 Jongleurs Price: From £13 Times: 7pm John Mann, Richard Morton, Tom Stade and Andrew Murrell

Just the Tonic Venue: Cabaret Price: £7 / £4 Times: 7pm Ian Cognito and Will Hodgson

sun 10/04

tue 02/05 fri 05/05

Just the Tonic Venue: Cabaret Price: £7adv Times: 7pm Phil Nichol, Carey Marx, Andy Robinson

sun 08/05

thu 14/04

fri 15/04

Jongleurs Price: £8 Times: 7pm Keith Fields, Tony Hendriks, Brendan Burke and David Hadingham

Jongleurs Price: £8 Times: 7pm Tim Clark, Simn Bligh, Scott Capurro

Jongleurs Price: £13 - £15 Times: 7pm Tim Clark, Scott Capurro, Anthony King Runs Until: 16/4

sun 17/04

Just the Tonic Venue: Cabaret Price: £7 / £4 Times: 7pm Craig Campbell, Rob Heaney, Darrel Martin

thu 21/04

thu 12/05

fri 13/05

Jongleurs Price: £13 - £15 Times: 7pm Keith Fields, Tony Hendriks Gina Yashere, Brendan Burke Runs Until: 14/5

thu 19/05

Jongleurs Venue: Jongleurs Price: £8 - £15 Times: 7pm Tony Morewood, Simon Clayton Kevin Hayes, Simon B Cotter Runs Until: 21/5

sun 22/05

Just the Tonic Venue: Cabaret Price: £7adv Times: 7pm Tim Vine, Howard Read, Darrell Martin

thu 26/05

Jongleurs Venue: Jongleurs Price: £8 - £15 Times: 7pm Raymond Mearns, Jeff Innocent Paul B Edwards, Dom Carroll Runs Until: 28/5

sundays

Bounce RnB, Bashment The Edge £3 10pm - 1am

Recover

The Chuckle Brothers Venue:Royal Centre

tue 10/05

Distortion Style: Rock, Indy, Alternative Venue: Rock City Price: £5 (NUS Discount) Times: 9pm - 2.30am

Sunday Style: Venue: Price: Times:

sun 01/05

Just the Tonic Venue: Cabaret Price: £8adv Times: 7pm Reg Hunter, Morris the Morris Dancer, James Dowdeswell and Darrell Martin

Jimmy Greaves Venue: Cabaret Price: £15 Times: 7.30pm Footballing pundit appears in Nottingham.

Rescued Style: Indy, Alternative Venue: The Rescue Rooms Times: 10pm - 2am

Out To Lunch Style: Jazz Venue: Dogma Price: Free Times: Afternoon

thu 28/04

Jongleurs Price: £8 - £15 Times: 7pm Phil Butler, The Raymond and Mr Timpkins Revue, Johnny Candon, John Simmit Runs Until: 30/4

Jongleurs Price: £8 - £15 Times: 7pm Mandy Knight, Mike Gunn, Steve Harris Daniel Packard Runs Until: 7/5 Harry Hill Venue: Royal Centre Price: £17.50 Times: 8pm

Comedy

Rise and Shine / Funk U Style: Indy, Alternative, Funk Disco Venue: The Cookie Club Price: £5 (NUS Discount) Times: 10.30pm - 2am

Just the Tonic Venue: Cabaret Price: £7adv Times: 7pm Brendon Burns, Addy Borg, Darrell Martin

Indy, Alternative, Pop Rock City £4 / £3.50 (NUS Discount) 8.30pm - 2am

Club NME Style: Indy, Rock, Alternative Venue: Stealth Price: £2 / £3 / £4 Times: 10pm - 2am

Platinum Style: House, Breaks Venue: The Edge Price: £5 Times: 10pm - late

sun 24/04

sat 02/04

Up the Junction Style: Sixties Venue: The Cookie Club Price: £2.50 (NUS Discount) Times: 10.30pm - 2am

Mirrorball Style: RnB, Disco, Funk Venue: Snug Price: £3 - £4 (NUS Discount) Times: 10pm - 3am

Eighties, Nineties The Cookie Club £4 (NUS Discount) 10.30pm - 2am

Stylus Style: Venue: Price: Times:

wednesdays The Big Style: Venue: Price: Times:

The One and Only Style: Rock Venue: Spiders

Salt Style: Venue: Price: Times:

Tuesdays @ The Market Bar Style: Disco, RnB Venue: The Market Bar Price: £4 (NUS Discount) Times: 9pm - 2.30am

Jongleurs Price: From £15 Times: 7pm John Mann, Richard Morton, Tom Stade and Andrew Murrell

sun 29/05

mondays

April Fools Comedy Night Venue: Lakeside Price: £12/ £14 Times: 8pm Rob Deering and Francesca Martinez

Jongleurs Price: £8 - £15 Times: 7pm Martin Bigpig, Jamie Mathieson, Dave Fulton, Brian Higgins Runs Until: 23/4

Just the Tonic Venue: Cabaret Price: £8 adv Times: 7pm Andy Parsons, Jared Christmas Robin Ince, Martin Davies

listings...

clubs/comedy/live music/theatre/exhibitions wed 06/04

Period of April / May Live Music

fri 01/04

Left Side Brain Venue: Junktion 7 Price: £4 Times: 9pm - 1am Left Side Brain, Killing Ruth, Meridian

fri 08/04

The Morphines Venue: The Boat Club Price: £3 adv £5 door Times: 7.15pm The Morphines plus special guests

The Mardous Venue: The Boat Club Price: £3 adv £5 otd Times: 7.15pm The Mardous, The Old House plus guests

Nusantara Venue: Lakeside Arts Centre Price: £7 - £10 Times: 7.30pm

Fifty Get Funkey Venue: Dogma Price: Free 14 Hours of live acts

sat 09/04

All Nighter Venue: Rock City Price: £6 adv Times: 9pm - 6am Do Me Bad Things, Tokyo Dragons, Feable Weiner

10000 Things Venue: The Social Price: £5 adv Times: 7 pm

sat 02/04

Enuff Z Nuff Venue: Rock City Price: £13.50 Times: 7pm Enuff Z Nuff, Bang Tango, Pretty Boy Floyd Mike Peters Venue: Junktion 7 Price: £10 adv, £12 otd Times: 9pm - 1am Acoustic Alarm Tour with support from Lee Rickers.

Enjoy The Ride Venue: Malt Cross Cafe Bar Price: £3 Times: 8.30pm - 11pm An audio visual delight of live music, poetry, films, art and whatever else they can fit in.

Hosted by the near legendary Pete Finch, who is a very sound bloke!

Curtis Eller’s American Circus Venue: Cabaret Price: £5 Times: 8.30 pm Curtis Eller is New York’s angriest yodelling banjo player. Nottingham’s very own The Hellset Orchestra provide support.

36 Crazyfist Venue: Rock City Price: £10 adv Times: 7.30pm

Midasuno Venue: Junktion 7 Price: £4 (NUS Discount) Times: 8.30pm - 12am Midasuno, Eustacia vye, Utoxator, Astro Pirates.

High On Fire Venue: Rock City Price: £8 Times: 7.30pm - late Basement Show

thu 07/04

Atreyu Venue: Rock City Price: £10 adv Times: 7.30pm Sam Brown Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £12adv Times: 7.30pm

thu 14/04

I Am Kloot Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £10 adv Mancunian musical mavericks Open Mic Night Venue: The Orange Tree Price: Free Times: 7.30 pm

Quasi Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £8 adv Times: 7pm

Sacramento Venue: Junktion 7 Price: £4 Times: 8.30pm - 12am Sacramento, Anti Hero, Locus Of Control, Psylence.

David Gow Venue: Junktion 7 Price: £4 adv, £5 otd Times: 8.30pm - 12am David Gow, Plan B, The Tommies, Lee McMahon.

Aiden Smith Venue: The Social Price: £5 adv With support from Bitmap

Juliette Venue: Price: Times:

Girls Aloud Venue: Royal Centre Price: £21 The girls embark on their “What Will The Neighbours Say” Tour. Get lost possibly?

mon 11/04

and The Licks Rock City £10 adv 7.30pm

Wishbone Ash Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £14 adv Plus guests

fri 15/04

Panic Cell Venue: Junktion 7 Times: 9pm - 1am Panic Cell, Sevenyearsdead, Iluminatus, Nowhere Near The Garden The Paddingtons Venue: The Boat Club Price: £4 adv £6 otd Times: 7.15pm plus special guests

Mat Andasun Band (featuring Bosco D’Olivera) Venue: Junktion 7 Price: £4 adv, £5 otd Times: 8pm

tue 12/04

tue 05/04 Kaiser Chiefs Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £9 adv Leeds Psych-punks who seem to enjoy playing in Nottingham.

Mates Of State Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £6 adv

The Lost Prophets Venue: Moog Price: £3 Times: 8pm - 12am The Lost Prophets, Vaccine, Transit Mafia & DJ Strike playing Drum n Bass and Breaks

Love with Arthur Lee Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £17.50 adv

Juliette and The Licks Venue: Rock City With support from Voicst

Eel Shock Rock City (Basement) £6 adv 7.30pm

Liars Club Venue: The Social White Rose Movement

sun 10/04

Fans of Kate Venue: Rock City Price: £4

wed 13/04

Music Room Venue: Malt Cross Cafe Bar Price: Free Times: 8pm-11pm

Martin Stephenson Venue: The Gladstone Times: 8.30 pm

Haffner Wind Ensemble & Min-Jung Kym Piano Venue: Lakeside Arts Centre Price: £9 - £12 Times: 7.30pm

Hell Is For Heroes Venue: Rock City Price: £9.50 Times: 7.30pm London-based band who apparently offer up a Neon Handshake. Support comes from Jacobs Stories

T-Model Ford Venue: The Social Price: £8 adv

Electric Venue: Price: Times:

sun 03/04

mon 04/04

tue 12/04

Broxtowe College Venue: Junktion 7 Price: £3 (NUS Discount) Times: 8.30pm - 12am Misused, Tyler Marshes, Lakrymology, The Unknown

Trashlight Vision Venue: Junktion 7 Price: £6 adv, £7 otd Times: 9pm - 1am Trashlight Vision, Johnny Panic, Teenage Casket Company, Plan A

Jocelyn Pook & Natasha Atlas Venue: Lakeside Price: £12 - £15 Times: 8pm Jocelyn Pook has provided original scores for film and TV including Laurent Cantet’s Time Out and Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut.

New School Of Rock Venue: Rock City Price: £5 adv Times: 7.30pm The Glitteatti, Hurricane Party, Silvertide

Part Chimp Venue: The Social Price: £4 adv Plus guests

Devilish Presley Venue: Junktion 7 Price: £6 Times: 9pm - 1am Devilish Presley, Scarlet Soho, Abigail’s Mercy, Minus 13

Terrorvision Venue: Rock City Price: £15 adv Times: 7.30pm The Bradford-based Tequilla rockers return to Notts with support from Happylife

65 Days of Static Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £5 Times: 7pm - 10.15pm Wednesday 13 Venue: Rock City (Basement) Price: £9 adv With support from 69 Eyes

sat 16/04

listings...

Vertavo Venue: Price: Times:

clubs/comedy/live music/theatre/exhibitions

Quartet Lakeside Arts Centre £12 - £15 7.30pm

sat 16/04

Suits You Venue: Malt Cross Cafe Bar Price: Free Times: 8pm - 11pm Made to measure beats, breaks, chunks, bumps and off the peg visual treats seamlessly put together by Invisible Jim and friends.

The Musical Box Venue: Royal Centre Price: £21.50 - £23.50 Times: 8.15pm

sun 17/04

Blues Explosion!

Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £13 adv Jon Spencer brings the travelling explosion to Nottingham. Jodah Bauer and Russell Simins are along in support.

The Longcut Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £6 adv

thu 21/04

V.E. Gala, Glenn Miller Orchestra Venue: Royal Centre Price: £15 - £21.50 Times: 7.30pm

Golani Piano Trio Venue: Lakeside Arts Centre Price: £7 - £10 Times: 7.30pm

Wreckless Eric Venue: The Social Price: £7 adv

Botb Final Venue: Junktion 7 Price: £4 Times: 8.30pm - 12am

My Luminaries Venue: The Boat Club Price: £3 adv - $5 door Times: £7.15pm My Luminaries, Lo - Ego, The Pedestrians

sat 23/04

LeftLion Presents...

Venue: Malt Cross Cafe Bar Price: Free Times: 8pm - 11pm This month we bring you a feast of live local hiphop! Notts’ own Skinny Sumo and Alligator are both doing full live band sets.

Check our LeftLion.co.uk for interviews with the bands...

Brendan Benson Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £9 adv Hal, Psychid

sat 30/04

Rooster Venue: Rock City Price: £9 adv Times: 7.30pm

Between The Notes & Niall Ashdown Note To Tale Venue: Lakeside Arts Centre Price: £7 - £10 Times: 7.30pm

Fish and Band Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £14 adv Times: 7.30pm Former Marillion singers new crew.

Rufus Wainwright Venue: Royal Centre Price: £17.50 Idlewild Venue: Rock City Price: £15 adv Times: 7.30pm

tue 26/04 Captain Venue: Price: Times:

mon 18/04 Nanci Griffith and the Blue Moon Orchestra Venue: Royal Centre Price: £22.50 - £25 Times: 7.30pm Caribou & Boom BIP Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £9 adv

tue 19/04

Everything Rock City £6 adv 7.30pm

ManPlayingKazoo Venue: Junktion 7 Times: 8.30pm - 12am Manplayingkazoo, Tiber Ran Red, Paris In The Spring, Honeycomb Graveyard, Finbar Cartilage Asia Carrera Venue: Junktion 7 Price: £4 Times: 9pm - 1am With support from The Sound Explosion, Magic Heroes and The Swarm.

Hard Fi Venue: The Social Price: £5 adv

Sage Francis Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £7.50 adv Times: 7pm - 10.15pm With support from Grand Buffet

Mary Gauthier Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £11 adv

Dokken Venue: Rock City Price: £15 Times: 7.30 pm Bandsoc BOTB Presents Venue: Junktion 7 Times: 8.30pm - 12am Colonel K, Pinao, Divided Persona, Plinth, Knights Of Steel And Thunder The House Of Love Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £12.50 adv

wed 20/04

Streetlight Manifesto Venue: Junktion 7 Price: £5 Times: 8.30pm - 12am Streetlight Manifesto, Phinius Gage Weeble, 3 Gun Pete.

Big D and The Kids Table Venue: Rock City (Basement) Price: £7 adv Times: 7.30 pm

All Nighter Venue: Rock City Price: £6 adv Times: till 6am Therapy, Alabama Thunder Pussy Milion Dead, More tbc Music Room Venue: Malt Cross Cafe Bar Price: Free Times: 8pm-11pm The Immortal Lee County Killers Venue: The Social Price: £6 adv The Presidents Of The United States Of America Venue: Rock City Price: £12 adv Times: 7.30 pm Millions of peaches, peaches for me, millions of peaches, peaches for me!

Go to Rock City and pretend that the last decade never even happened with the Presidents.

sun 24/04

Kasabian Venue: Nottingham Arena Price: £15 adv Times: 7.30 Current indie favourites rocking the arena.

Captain Everything Venue: Rock City (Basement)

Yourcodenameis:Milo Venue: Rock City (Basement) Times: 7.30pm Faster Pussycat Venue: The Rig

Hellset Orchestra Venue: Junktion 7 Price: £4 (NUS Discount) Times: 8.30pm - 12am Hellset Orchestra, Lo Ego, Belasco.

Hot Hot Heat Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £10 adv

Tom Vek Venue: The Social Price: £6 adv

Chuck Prophet Band Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £12 adv

mon 25/04

fri 22/04

Peter & The Test Tube Babies Venue: Junktion 7 Price: £8 adv £9 otd Times: 9pm - 1am Peter & The Test Tube Babies, Better Than Onion.

Liars Club Venue: The Social Price: £4 Lost Sounds

fri 29/04

sun 24/04

James Blunt Venue: The Rescue Rooms

wed 27/04

thu Dead By Dawn Venue: Junktion 7 Times: 8.30pm - 12am Dead By Dawn, Emergency Funeral, Ape Of Death

28/04

Isis Venue: Rock City (Basement) Price: £10 adv Times: 7.30pm With support from Jesu.

Brant Bjork and The Bros Venue: Rock City Price: £9 adv Times: 7.30pm Brant Bjork and The Bros, Winnebago Deal

mon 02/05

tue 03/05

Story One Venue: The Social Price: £3 adv The Waifs Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £12 adv Plus support.

Little Richard Venue: Royal Centre Price: £30 - £35 Good golly miss molly!

fri 29/04

70s Soul Jam Venue: Royal Centre Price: £10 - £25 Featuring the Delphonics, Chi-Lites, The Bluenotes and Stylistics.

The Smears Venue: Junktion 7 Price: £4 Times: 9pm - 1am The Smears, Firebrand, The Mothers.

Buffalo Venue: The Boat Club Price: £3 adv £5 otd Times: 7.15pm Buffalo, Philistine, plus special guests.

Bandsoc BOTB Presents Venue: Junktion 7 Times: 8.30pm - 12am Pink William, Stuntmen, Nezza, To Die For, Stickers.For.Kids Carnal Forge Venue: Rock City Price: £8 adv Times: 7.30pm With support from Stand Aside.

wed 04/05 The Havenots Band Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £5 adv Leicester-based singer-songwriting duo.

Their debut record Never Say Goodnight is stacked full of poppy love songs. With support from Ox.

listings...

clubs/comedy/live music/theatre/exhibitions wed 04/05

Face Tomorrow wed 11/05 Venue: Junktion 7 Times: 8.30pm - 12am Face Tomorrow, Public Relations Excercise, Tired Irie Silverstein Venue: Rock City Price: £6 adv Times: 7.30pm

thu 12/05

fri 13/05

The Henry Road Venue: Junktion 7 Price: £4 Times: 8.30pm - 12am The Henry Road, Lyca Sleep, Jesus Deluxe, Daybreak

Guile Venue: The Boat Club Price: £3 adv, £5 otd Times: 7.15pm With support from The Ambassadors.

thu 05/05

A Venue: Rock City (Basement) Price: £10 adv Times: 7.30pm With support from Instruction.

fri 06/05 Public Display Of Affection Venue: Old Angel The

Adam Bomb Venue: Junktion 7 Times: 9pm - 1am Adam Bomb, Wild Roses, Drugdealer Cheerleaders Amen Venue: Rock City Price: £9.50 adv Times: 7.30pm

sun 15/05

mon 16/05

Killing Miranda Venue: Junktion 7 Price: £tbc Times: 9pm - 1am Plus support.

Hopesfall Venue: Rock City Price: £10 adv Times: 7.30pm With support from Tsunami Bomb.

The Honeymoon Machine Venue: The Boat Club Price: £3 adv, £5 otd Times: 7.30 pm The Honeymoon Machine, The Deltarays, plus special guests.

Story One Venue: The Social Price: £3 adv

Extinction Of Mankind sat Venue: Junktion 7 Price: £5 Times: 9pm - 1am Extinction Of Mankind, Gurkha, Hibakusha, Certified.

07/05

Ciysteay Venue: The Social Price: £7 adv

tue 17/05 wed 18/05

Vic Chesnutt Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £10 adv Musician whose fans include REM, Madonna, and the Smashing Pumpkins.

Illuminatus Venue: Junktion 7 Times: 9pm - 12am Illuminatus, Humanity, Deliverence

sat 21/05

Enjoy The Ride Venue: Malt Cross Cafe Bar Price: £3 Times: 8.30pm - 11pm

Ezio Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £10 adv

wed 25/05

Calculating Mr One Venue: Royal Centre Price: £5 Times: 10.30am & 1.30pm

thu 26/05 Elvis Costello and The Imposters Venue: Royal Centre Price: £28.50

fri 27/05

Vain Venue: Rock City (Basement) Price: £12.50 adv.

With support from New Generation Superstars.

Dune The Rescue Rooms £5 adv 7pm - 10.15pm

Hooker Venue: Junktion 7 Times: 8.30pm - 12am With support from Tram Dolls

Lesley Garrett Venue: Royal Centre Price: £20 - £30

The Men They Couldn’t Hang Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £12.50 adv Times: 7pm - 10.15

Johnny Panic Venue: Rock City Price: £3/4 With support from Tobias.

Herman Venue: Price: Times:

tue 24/05

sun 08/05

Byzantine Venue: Junktion 7 Price: £5 Times: 9pm - 12am Byzantine, D-Rail, and Support Suits You Venue: Malt Cross Cafe Bar Price: Free Times: 8pm - 11pm Made to measure beats, breaks, bumps and off the peg visual treats seamlessly put together by Invisible Jim and friends.

Bobby Conn & The Glass Gypsies Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £7.50 adv

Fairport Convention Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £15 adv

tue 10/05

The Void Venue: Junktion 7 Times: 8.30pm - 12am The Void, Big Red, Fallen View, Hypnotoad, Mako

wed 11/05

Trivium Venue: Rock City Price: £7 adv Times: 7.30 pm Road runner Rage rage tour featuring Trivium, 3 Inches of Blood and Still Remains

mon 23/05

Hawkwind Venue: Rock City Price: £15 adv Times: 7.30 pm Morcheeba Venue: Rock City Price: £16 adv Times: 7.30 pm Some people like Morcheeba for the trip-hop dreamscapes of songs like Trigger Hippie, which soothe frazzled nerves after a night of frenzied clubbing. Others bought into them when the down tempo grooves of 1998’s Big Calm became an essential accessory at best dinner parties. Here is a chance to see Paul, Ross and Skye live act in action at a venue near you.

LeftLion Presents Venue: Malt Cross Price: Free Times: 8pm - 11pm Bringing you the best in Nottingham’s live music every month for free. This month sees the album launch party for Lorna.

Miss Black America Venue: Junktion 7 Times: 9pm - 1am Plus support Havana Guns Venue: The Boat Club Price: £3 adv, £5 otd Times: 7.30 pm Plus special guests Magnolia Electric Co. Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £6

mon 30/05

tue 24/05

Story One Venue: The Social Price: £3 adv

tue 31/05

The Magic Band Venue: The Rescue Rooms Price: £17 adv

Jukebox jury Want to challenge an acoustic guitarist to learn De La Soul’s The Magic Number in a week? Head down to Synergy on a Tuesday night.

Nottingham’s human jukebox, Alex Chapman, will play you anything from hippy classic Sweet Home Alabama to princely ballad Purple Rain. And if he doesn’t know it, he’ll learn it for you.

Each week you can put forward songs for Alex to go away and work out how to play. The audience votes on the suggestions and the winning song makes the star spot the following week. We love a bit of audience participation. Synergy, Broad Street, from 10pm, every Tuesday.

In the Moog Sit down, shut your face and listen to the boy talk. On April 28, comedy circuit wide boy Duncan Oakley starts his own night at the Moog, After six years playing every town and city except his own, finally Mr Oakley will compere a night of games and class acts for the Nottingham crowd. First up will be cheeky northerner Steve Shanyaski, followed by scary copperheaded songster Andrew Lawrence.

DJ Cardigan will be playing his tunes.

So grab your beer and curl up on the sofas by 8pm for Shut Your Face, at the Moog, on April 28.

To get your gig listed here get it entered on the website www.leftlion.co.uk info@leftlion.co.uk

listings...

clubs/comedy/live music/theatre/exhibitions

Period of April / May

wed 20/04

Hi 5 - Space Magic Venue: Royal Centre Runs Until: 21/4

Theatre sat 02/04

The Mystery Of Madam Midas Or The Hand Of Fate Venue: Nottingham Arts Theatre Times: 7.30pm Runs Until: 21/4 Billy Liar Venue: Lakeside Arts Centre Price: £5.50 - £7 Times: 2.30pm Runs Until: 24/4

Exhibitions Reflections Date: 14/03 - 03/04 Venue: The Yard Gallery Price: Free Times: 11am - 4pm, Monday to Sunday

Jordan McKenzie Date: 11/04 - 22/04 Venue: The 1851 Gallery Price: Free Times: 10am - 5pm, Monday to Saturday

sat 23/04

Drawing Breath Date: 14/04 Venue: Bonnington Gallery Price: Free Times: 2pm - 6pm A one on one performance of 10 minuets per slot. Booking is essential.

wed 27/04

Derren Brown Venue: Royal Centre Price: £16.50 - £18.50 An evening of mind control from the tv magic-man

mon 04/04 The Changeling Venue: Lace Market Theatre

by Thomas Middleton and William Rowley.

Runs Until: 9/4

tue 05/05 Endangered Species Venue: Lakeside Price: £5 - £10 Times: 8pm From Here To Maturity Dance Company Presents Endangered Species. fri 08/04

Conversations After A Burial Venue: Lace Market Theatre Runs Until: 30/4

sun 01/05

I’ve Got Your man Venue: Royal Centre Price: £18 - £20

Show 2005 Venue: Nottingham Arts Theatre Price: £5.50 - £9 Times: 2.30pm and 7pm

wed 11/05

The Crucible Venue: Nottingham Arts Theatre Price: £5.50 - £7 Times: 7.30pm Runs Until: 16/5 The Seagull Venue: Lace Market Theatre Runs Until: 21/5

sat 18/05

Chicken Soup with Barley Venue: Playhouse Price: £6 - £22 Times: 7.45pm Runs Until: 23/4

mon 11/04 Round The Horne - Revisited Venue: Royal Centre Price: £8 - £20 Runs Until: 16/4

wed 13/04 Page to Venue: Price: Times:

Stage Performance Workshop Nottingham Arts Theatre £1 12pm - 1pm

sat 16/04

Street Trilogy Venue: Lakeside Arts Centre Price: £7 - £10 Runs Until: 21/5 Spirit of Venue: Price: Times:

the Dance Royal Centre None 7.30pm

mon 23/05

High Society Venue: Royal Centre Price: £10 - £26.50 Runs Until: 28/5

fri 27/05 Dance The Show: Lights, Camera, Action Venue: Nottingham Arts Theatre Price: £7 - £7.50 Times: 7.30pm Runs Until: 29/5 A Who’s Who Of Flapland Venue: Lakeside Arts Centre Price: £9 - £12 Times: 8pm Runs Until: 30/4 Rat Pack Gala Venue: Playhouse Price: £20 Times: 7.30 pm

Madama Butterfly Venue: Royal Centre Price: £20 - £30 Times: 7.30pm

sun 17/04

sun 29/05

tue 31/05 Lord Arthur Saville’s Crime Venue: Royal Centre Price: £8 - £22.50

Accessory - Joy Gregory Date: 23/03 - 07/05 Venue: Angel Row Gallery Price: Free

El Antsui: Gawu Date: 16/04 - 05/06 Venue: Lakeside Price: Free

Digwood Date: 23/3 - 07/05 Venue: Angel Row Gallery Price: Free Window 05: - Sheila Ravnkilde Date: 23/03 - 09/07 Venue: Angel Row Gallery Price: Free Furball Revisited Date: 21/04 Venue: Bonnington Gallery Price: Free Times: Performance: 1.30pm onwards, Lecture: 8pm

thu 16/05

Fiddler On The Roof Venue: Nottingham Arts Theatre Price: £6.50 - £8 Runs Until: 21/5

Dancing With Strangers Date: 02/04 Venue: Lakeside Price: Free

Who By Date: Venue: Price: Times: Lawrence In Notts Date: 02/04 - 15/06 Venue: Lakeside Price: Free

Fire 28/04 Bonnington Gallery £6 / £4 8pm

This Is A Test - James Ireland Date: 21/05 - 09/07 Venue: Angel Row Gallery Price: Free

www.leftlion.co.uk/issue4

NOTTS 10: MUSIC VENUES IN NOTTINGHAM THAT DON’T EXIST ANY MORE 1. BARRY NOBLE’S ASTORIA Early 80s. Run by local Geordie one-armed-bandit tycoon. Loads of adverts on Radio Trent and fledgling Channel 4, with Barry standing there with a big cheesy grin and loads of ‘lovelies’ with crappy bubble-perms, shouting “Iz that alreet fer yerz?” But then he snuffed it.

Now Ocean, via MGM. 2. ZHIVAGO’S 70s – early 80s. Built into the side of Viccy Centre, a subterranean Disco-hole with a wonky dancefloor that sunk in the middle. If you didn’t have a tie, you weren’t coming in. Now Vision Express.

3. TRENT POLY 60s-90s. For ages, the only place in town to see vaguely famous bands. During the 80s, played host to a procession of Psychobilly bands, where Sociology students would take notes from the balcony while enormous men and women in flat-tops would beat each other to the ground, and then help each other up and ask if they were alright, before beating each other to the ground again. Now not open to the general public.

4. EASY STREET Mid-late 80s. Miami Viceinspired bar. Miss Wet T-shirt contests. Special appearances

by Radio 1 DJs. To think that places like Re-Flex have gone to so much expense trying to

recreate shitholes like this.

Now the Rescue Rooms, and thank every known deity in the cosmos for that.

5. THE BEER KELLER 70s. Across the road from the train station, with a front entrance designed to look like you were walking into a massive barrel. At one point, it was the nightclub for Nottingham’s elite (i.e. Radio Trent DJs and Forest players).

Now knocked down.

6. THE GARAGE 80s. Previously the Ad Lib (where Jimi Hendrix played), this was the place to be if you were a bit alternative but snobbish. Loads of gigs by bands not big enough to fill Rock City (The Redskins, Three Johns, Hunters Club etc.) They even played Def Jam records but they wouldn’t allow you in if you had trainers on. Now the Lizard Lounge.

7. THE MAZE 70s-2005. The most intimate music venue in Notts (which also had a stuffed cat with real hands and a bare-knuckle boxing ring). Now soon to be more student flats. Pathetic.

8. BOBBY BROWN’S Late 80s – early 90s. Not owned by Whitney Houston’s knock-off, but he would have been well happy to have a pint in here (and would have pulled quite easily). Used to hold annual Jazz festivals, where we saw an early gig by the Brand New Heavies where the band outnumbered the audience. Now Benson’s.

29

9. THE VIDEO DISCO BAR

2. WAY AHEAD

6. REVOLVER RECORDS

Early 80s. The basement of the Palais, where one could wear New Romantic gear without fear of a shaming, and stare glassy-eyed at tellies which played Rockit by Herbie Hancock and the rude version of Girls On Film by Duran Duran. Over and over and over again. Now a toilet in Oceana.

70s-90s. If you were of the Greb persuasion, this was the one-stop shop for all your Metallic needs (apart from patchouli oil). The only time anyone with hair above their arse ever entered the shop was to buy gig and coach tickets. That part of the business was so lucrative that it swallowed the shop whole.

Early 80s. Part of a longforgotten chain, we got Gary Glitter’s autograph from there when his was making his fifth or sixth comeback. Now, we could go back to the same premises (Sportizus near Broado) and get 24p for it.

10. LOCAL SCHOOL YOUTH CLUB

3. THE OTHER PENDULUM RECORDS

70s-90s. A chance to reaffirm your standing in the community whilst feeling the subversive thrill of wearing your bondage trousers or fishtail parka on school premises, whilst leaning up against a mural of disco dancers or poorly-executed graf that would be cuttingedge today while being supervised by a beardie in loon pants and a tank top.

Now replaced by maximumsecurity fencing and gormless nob-ends wobbling around the estate on mini-superbikes suitable for five year-olds.

Twats.

70s-90s. Not the one that still exists today, but the one with the massive cabinet full of Jam badges, plastic Walt Jabsco brooches, enormous Mod target patches, Madness combs, and skinny ties. For many years the favourite hangout spot of Axe Man, taking the piss out of 12 yearold Mods and bragging about his exploits in the Sal.

NOTTS 10: RECORD SHOPS IN NOTTINGHAM THAT DON’T EXIST ANY MORE 1. ARCADE RECORDS 80s – early 90s. Upstairs was chart mank. Downstairs was the only place apart from Selectadisc that sold import hiphop vinyl, along with pirated Marley Marl and Mr Magic WBLS tapes that were respectfully hidden when any rappers were in town. Now part of the Holiday Inn.

for the answers to the previous Nottsword log on to www.leftlion.co.uk/nottsword Across

Down

3. Oddly lined inside the horse (7) 4. Not allowed back in (8) 5. After seeing forest, a God takes a lesson (10) 8. Brought no tea, Boil madly within (10) 10. Place for a vehicle with a lieutenant on! (7) 12. Attach an ex-president (10) 17. Radical – A place to cross the river (7) 19. Touring round with a double – d (10) 20. Leper may find a penny here (9) 21. Subject to a party in the west or south (10) 25. Bones set near University (7) 27. Nonsense is fine here (8) 28. Where a snake yells back endlessly (5) 29. Raise in a scam (7) 30. To Ned, Law is crazy! (8) 31. Pastures in the woods (12)

1. The National Theatre is in Mr Edmond’s Back (6) 2. Sounds like a good place to relax (8) 4. Get birds down for – No No! (12) 5. Wolf gets rid, Strangely (7) 6. The theme park is nice, even without me (7) 7. Ran around before the aged (6) 9. Leper may find a penny and leave his car here (13) 10. Strangely not caring, but right at heart (10) 11. Calvin Klein is not applicable in Hull (7) 13. Place for a troll, Note (9) 14. Mags not suitable here (7) 15. Go up here to play (8) 16. Sounds like it was devoured some time ago (9) 18. The herd is confused and ill here (7) 22. The show rode into town (8) 23. Area weighing nine tonnes (8) 24. Around Neds layer, ease off (7) 25. Boards around with a letter (7) 26. Little Stanley has directions to this area (7)

4. VIRGIN RECORDS, CLUMBER STREET Late 70s-early 80s. First shop in town to have a video wall, which played a non-stop loop of Journey, The Selector, and Judas Priest doing Breaking The Law that you had to put massive headphones on to listen to. Accused of gross obscenity and taken to court over Never Mind The Bollocks posters. Now Superdrug.

5. HMV, BROAD MARSH 70s-mid-80s. Full-on disco light extravaganza made this the kind of place that John Travolta would have patronised, only ruined by the queues of grannies buying Mary’s Boy Child and When A Child Is Born. Now a cheapo sports shop.

7. GUAVA RECORDS 90s. Bravely set up shop next to the Selectadisc empire, selling import hiphop and DnB, as well as spray paint and graf pens.

8. FOX RECORDS 70s-mid 80s. Regularly rammed out on a Saturday with Mods, who would piss the management off by trying to play Green Onions on the organs. Now taken over by the keyboard half of the business.

9. OUR PRICE Late 80s-90s. Unlamented Lshaped chain store wrapped around what is now USC. If you were looking for 600 copies of Sade’s Diamond Life, you were in luck. If you wanted anything that wasn’t in the charts, you weren’t, usually. Now JJB Sports.

10. THE COUNTER OF YOUR LOCAL NEWSAGENTS 70s-early 80s. As well as 10p mixes and copies of BattleAction, your Newsie could also sort you out with cutprice chart smashes of three months hence that had been ripped out of jukeboxes. No picture sleeve, but the chance to snap up Remember When

by Showaddywaddy without being laughed at in a record shop was too good to miss.

Now replaced by poor-quality DVDs.

30

www.leftlion.co.uk/issue4

Roger Mean’s

Rocky Horrorscopes Aries (March 20 - April 20)

Libra (September 23 - October 23)

It’s crazy o’clock at the circus that is your life! Now is the time to go loco.

A maniacal grin and a vacant lost look in your eyes are the must have facial expressions of the spring season. You’re chic baby, you’re chic! Get on the catwalk and remember to pout…

Sun is shining, weather is sweet and the best way to poison squirrels is hazelnuts dipped in cyanide. Rats with big bushy tails and murder on their minds, get them before they get you first. Their passion for ultraviolence is matched only by their love of the old in-out in-out. Chocolate Orange stylee.

Taurus (April 20 - May 21)

Scorpio (October 23 - November 23)

Don’t get mad, get yourself arrested! A night in the cells would be good for your karma.

Those inch thick sponge mattresses that they have will offer you a good nights rest, with the security of knowing you are no longer in control of what happens. The prison guard is always watching you…

There are no strangers, only friends you haven’t betrayed yet. Between the 17th and 24th, you should expect to be visit by El Chupacabra, the Goat Sucker. He’s a good lad really, he just gets a bad rep. He’ll be fine as long as you make sure there are plenty of goats around.

Gemini (May 21 - June 21)

Sagittarius (22 - December 22)

Bigamy up yourself! It’s time to go on a marriage spree. See how many you can manage without getting caught. I managed 13 wives one year, but I know people who have done twice that. The key to success is to have one in every harbour and choose characters that don‘t interact much. Minimise your marital loss…

You don’t believe in the power of the zodiac, so why are you even reading this? Do you think I’m here to amuse you? To provide you with some form of banal entertainment?

Put this rag down, get off the toilet, wipe your ass and grow up you snivelling freak.

Don’t make me repeat myself.

Cancer (June 21 - July 23)

Capricorn (December 22 - January 19)

On occasion there is something to be said for man’s best friend, but not today. If you see any canines on your journey through the neighbourhood ignore them. Do not attempt to start a conversation by any means. Dogs are crap at smalltalk, anecdotes and they tell the shittest jokes. Cats are your friends!

A quick break this month will do you the world of good. An arm or a leg perhaps? Your spine? Maybe even your collar bone? The more daring and wreckless you feel today, the more you will regret it in later life. Why bother feeling comfortable when you’re a pensioner hey? Throw yourself down the stairs and forget about tomorrow…

Leo (July 23 - August 23)

Aquarius (January 20 - February 19)

Ever feel like you’ve lost a tenner and gained a fatal illness? Hot sweats around your collar are a sign of anxiety. Loosen your physical tension by breaking eggs in the bath or going outside, getting in the car, locking the doors and having a good shout!

When Neil Armstrong first set foot on the moon in 1969 you can bet that he wasn’t thinking about how much money he would have to save to be able to afford to pay that bill you have racked up on ebay. Go easy on the online bidding fool! You know that you don’t need that ridiculous pneumatic vase you purchased. Smash your PC up with it!

Virgo (August 23 - September 23) Choose a colleague at work that you don’t like. Wait until they have their phone turned off. Phone them up and record their answerphone message. Then phone them back repeatedly and play it to their answerphone, leaving several messages. Wait until they turn their phone back on to see what they make of it…

Pisces (February 19 - March 20) Just when you thought it was safe to go back on public transport, your easy rider buscard has mysteriously run out. Not only that but all the drivers hate you. They held a private meeting and decided that if they see you they’re going to try and crash the bus especially. Beware. You are a danger to yourself and others…

NOTTS

Bones’ Fun Cave...

Grate Misstakes in Cultural Histroy

TRUMPS East Midlands Today

Trifling Local News Stations

Central News East

This is it! This is our moment...hold still I can’t

I can’t

You can

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#04: Sarajevo 1984 - Orville & Dean’s “Bolero” changes figure skating forever

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We’re looking for a Designer with three to five years experience For more details visit purplecircle.co.uk and click on jobs Please send CV’s via post or email to Jenni Taylor Purple Circle Brand Consultants Global Headquarters 1 Howard Street Nottingham NG1 3LT jenni.taylor@purplecircle.co.uk