LeftLion Magazine - April 2014 - Issue 58 by LeftLion

APRIL

MAY SAT & SUN - 3RD & 4TH Noize Level Critical – RACPA UK Festival 2014 £12 (weekend - Early Bird Special) all ages Doors 12:00 pm

Proceeds raised will go to Rock Against Child Pornography and Abuse UK.

THURSDAY 8th

By The Rivers + Stuck In 2nd + Cheshire & The Cat £7 adv - 16+ Doors 7.45pm

One of the best Reggae/Ska bands in the UK return! Darlings of the BBC,Leicester based By The Rivers are winning over fans of reggae inspired pop music around the country,expect another awesome show and a sell out!

SATURDAY 10th

Steve Ignorant’s (Crass/Conflict) Slice Of Life + Supports £10 adv - 18+ Doors 8:00 pm Steve Ignorant (Formerly of Crass and Conflict) brings his political acoustic punk to the Maze with a great supporting cast,in what promises to be a show to remember!

FRIDAY 16th

JazzTrane #2 – with Jeanie Barton & Joanna Hudson Price: £5 / Free with N.U.S card - 16+ Doors 8:00 pm

Jazztrane returns to transform the Maze into a intimate,atmospheric 50s boutique of Jazz music from across the ages. Guests and regulars remind you why Jazz was the music that inspired all modern genres!More Info

events every day of the week for full listings visit

www.themazerocks.com

CREATIVE, CULTURAL AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES ACCESS TO HE COURSES FOUNDATION DEGREES TOP-UP DEGREES Art, Design & Fashion (ACCESS TO HE) Media & Digital Technologies (ACCESS TO HE) Performing Arts Journalism Fashion Design Music Performance Music Technology Art & Design Multimedia (pathways in web design, animation, graphics, photography and app development)

Open day: Saturday 26 April 2014, from 11am City campus: 25 Stoney Street, Lace Market Clarendon campus: Pelham Avenue, off Mansfield Road Take a look around, speak to our tutors and advisors, make your application. Find out more and register: www.ncn.ac.uk/discover

Small class sizes, great value fees, a top employability record, consistently high student satisfaction, and our full and part-time study options make New College Nottingham the institution of choice for degree-level study. Our Access to HE courses are one-year programmes for adults over 19 who require additional UCAS points and a portfolio to secure a university place.

FABULOUS DANCE AT THE PLAYHOUSE THIS SPRING! BALLETBOYZ

THE TALENT

MONDAY 31 MARCH AT 8PM

RICHARD ALSTON

DANCE COMPANY TUESDAY 29 APRIL AT 8PM

FABULOUS BEAST DANCE THEATRE

THE RITE OF SPRING & PETRUSHKA

FRIDAY 2 & SATURDAY 3 MAY AT 8PM

HERCULES

A DANCE CABARET SATURDAY 17 MAY AT 7PM

FREE GLASS OF WINE

On your booking for one On your ﬁrstﬁrst booking for one or or more of these shows, quote more of these shows, quote DANCE DRINK and receive DANCE DRINK and receive aa free glass glass of house wine free wine

BOX OFFICE 0115 941 9419 NOTTINGHAMPLAYHOUSE.CO.UK PHOTO: FABULOUS BEAST DANCE THEATRE: THE RITE OF SPRING & PETRUSHKA, BY ROS KAVANAGH

Terms & conditions: One small glass of wine per ticket booked, for the first show you book to see. Offer only valid in person or on the telephone via Box Office. Over 18s only. Soft drink available subject to conditions.

contents 20

LeftLion Magazine Issue 58 April - May 2014

editorial 2014 is now in full swing and the pots of gold at the end of the rainbows on the skyline are all brimming over with promise and hope for spring. No, I’m not off my face on drugs, I’m just dead happy now that the days are longer and the chocolate fest we call Easter is round the corner. And another issue of the ‘Lion in your hands. From Rob White’s cracking cover to the back page advert shouting about the latest great thing happening to our tellys since HD, Notts TV, it’s all proper. Speaking of Notts TV, we not only have an interview with the Channel Director, we’re also taking you on a trip down memory lane with a comprehensive histreh of Notts on the box.

Heads Up With Miss LeftLion and Notts What I Call Music

Blades of Glory A look at the NEAT14 festival including that famous ice dance

How Creative Are You? A quiz that delves deeply into your soul

LeftEyeOn Get snappy with LeftLion

Art Works With Ian Jones and Sid Sottung

Cue and A The Sheriff of Pottingham and The Hitman go snooker loopy with us

In Focus: Tom Walsh The head honcho of Polymath Pictures gets his camera out

Listings A section so big it has its own contents page

Mahler and Me Sir Mark Elder on the Halle Orchestra

Eerie Indiana There’s no stopping this lass from reaching the top

The Man From Auntie We talk beats with Gilles Peterson

Hit Me With Your Rhythm Plate Matt and Ant talk about breaking out of Matlock

Turn On, Tune In and Notts Out We catch up with Notts TV’s Jamie Brindle pre-launch

Support Artist Wolfgang Buttress talks stars and metal trees

I Want My NTV A history of Notts on the small screen

Point And Shoot We raid the Press Association archives for old-school Notts pics

credits Editor-in-chief Jared Wilson (jared@leftlion.co.uk) Editor Alison Emm (ali@leftlion.co.uk) Mmmmm Alan Gilby (alan@leftlion.co.uk)

Drawn and Quartered The Creative Quarter’s Kathy McArdle on her first year in post

Screen Editor Harry Wilding (harry@leftlion.co.uk) Sport Editor Scott Oliver (scott@leftlion.co.uk) Stage Editor Adrian Bhagat (adrian@leftlion.co.uk) Editorial Assistants Sam Nahirny (sam@leftlion.co.uk) Bridie Squires (bridie@leftlion.co.uk)

Designers Dave Parry (dave@leftlion.co.uk) Raphael Achache (raphael@leftlion.co.uk)

Sales and Marketing Assistants Conor Kirk (conor@leftlion.co.uk) Nicola Stapleford (nicola@leftlion.co.uk)

Community Editor Penny Reeve (penny@leftlion.co.uk)

Cover Illustration Rob White

Literature Editor James Walker (books@leftlion.co.uk)

Contributors Mike Atkinson Beane Alyss Bowen Wayne Burrows Ashley Carter George Ellis Helen Frear Shariff Ibrahim Stephanie Parkes Nick Parkhouse Tim Sorrell Andrew Tucker Ant Whitton

Music Editor Paul Klotschkow (paulk@leftlion.co.uk) Photography Editor Dominic Henry (dom@leftlion.co.uk) Poetry Editor Aly Stoneman (poetry@leftlion.co.uk)

Re-Imagine Your City... Technology and creativity working together

Write Lion Words about words

Reviews Twelve fresh slices from round these parts

Noshingham Napkins at the ready

Rocky Horrorscopes Plus The Arthole, Notts Trumps, LeftLion Abroad and Strellyation

If you’re arty farty, check out our interview with the wonderfully named Wolfgang Buttress who only loves Forest more than he loves combining science and nature. Plus it’s all going continental around town for NEAT14 who may or may not be playing host to a couple of very special guests. Still on the creative tip, now that the CQ has been going for a bit, we caught up with Kathy McArdle. Plus, you can finally work out what type of creative you are with our quiz and cut-outs. All results are final and will define you for the rest of your lives, so answer very carefully. On a serious note, we weren’t clear last issue that the opinions in our WoLAN piece were not entirely those of WoLAN and the Women’s Centre, some were ours, especially those expressed in the 1967 box. To make matters worse, we dropped a double clanger by not crediting the fine illustration included on the Feminist Library piece. That beauty was by Rosemary Wels. In other news, we have a survey that’ll be online for a month…

Marketing and Sales Manager Ash Dilks (ash@leftlion.co.uk)

Deputy Literature Editor Robin Lewis (robin@leftlion.co.uk)

We’re well eclectic with our music this bi-month with an interview with Nottingham’s rising star, Indiana. It’s been just two years since she first graced a stage - at Nusic’s Future Sound of Nottingham, no less - but she’s now signed, sealed and delivering. We reveled in the rich tones Sir Mark Elder’s voice as he told us all about why we should all experience the experience of live classical music. Deep house legends Rhythm Plate refuse to get serious and the almighty Gilles Peterson gets geeky.

Photographers Nick Archer Joe Dixey David Baird Simon Flint Lamar Francois Martin Iveson Nick P Lee David Sillitoe Illustrators Tom Heather Lexie Mac Rikki Marr Helen Nowell Adam Poole Ian Summers

facebook.com/leftlion twitter.com/leftlion youtube.com/leftliontv plus.google.com/s/leftlion

LeftLion magazine has an estimated readership of 40,000 and is distributed to over 350 venues across the city of Nottingham. If your venue isn’t one of them, or you’d like to advertise, contact Ash on 0115 9240476, email ash@leftlion.co.uk or visit leftlion.co.uk/rates

Come back! I’ve not finished, you cheeky boggers. We’ve used all our blagging and bartering skills to put together the ultimate 24 hours in Nottingham and it’s up for grabs for you and a friend. We know surveys are usually pretty dull, but by answering a few questions you could win and help us at the same time. Go to leftlion.co.uk/survey. Ali Emm ali@leftlion.co.uk

Harry Wilding

Screen Editor Notts born and bred, a picky veggie, and father of the official LeftLion baby (see issue #45), He’s been writing for us since 2005 and can often be found shushing people in Broadway. His favourite directors are Stanley Kubrick, David Fincher, and the Coen Brothers, and when not watching or writing about movies, he moans about how weak Western democracy is and laughs at his son’s attempts to imitate adults. He’s always felt he should like coffee and Daft Punk but has accepted this may never happen. vimeo.com/harrywilding

Ash Dilks

Sales and Marketing Manager A long time friend of the ‘Lion, Ash has decided to make his love for us official. He’s a cheeky one so his favourite quote “it is easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission” gets him into a few scrapes but he usually comes out smiling and unscathed. He makes a mean pasta sauce and has eaten at almost every restaurant in Notts. Also, for reasons unknown to us, consumes his own bodyweight in chickpeas each week. leftlion.co.uk/issue58

NOTTSTRADAMUS

BOW MY GOD

our friends at One Nottingham to make that compilation a reality. Except we’ve dumped all those old boggers in favour of showcasing a raft of newer Notts musical talent.

Right then, Sheffield, feck your claims that Robin is yours, looks like we’re the definitive ‘Hood town.

So yes, we’ve hand-picked a compilation of nineteen of the fattest tunes we have heard over the last couple of years in Notts and stuck them on a CD. Acts featuring include Nina Smith, Baby Godzilla, Just James, The Afterdark Movement, Kagoule, Swimming, Ronika, Aja, Captain Dangerous, Rob Green and more.

Malt Cross’ excavations in the caves under the pub have discovered what looks like a fifteenth century longbow inscribed with the initials RL (Robin of Loxley), complete with a lute. The bow, believed to be made of yew, with a leather handle has been taken to the Royal Archaeological Institute for further testing.

You have two chances to bag yourself one of these CDs – and they’re totally free. Firstly turn up to The Music Exchange on Record Store Day – which this year is Saturday 19 April – and smile sweetly at those lovely folk behind the counter and ask if you can have a copy. Bonus points are yours if you buy something on the day from the LeftLion-sponsored local music section.

Rumours that this magazine can predict the future might be a tad exaggerated, but this issue sees a double-whammy of our magazine cover predictions coming true. Back in October 2005 David Johnson and Jack Lester were playing up front for Forest, the Market Square was boarded up awaiting its redesign and we ran a cover (Issue 7) with Notts TV logos all over it. This month sees a channel bearing that very name hit Channel 8 on your digital box. It’s not really owt to do with us but, as you can see from the feature on page twenty, it could be a very good thing for the city. Rewind three issues and six months before that to April 2005 (Issue 4) and we’d designed a joke compilation cover called Notts What I Call Music featuring Alvin Stardust, Su Pollard and Paper Lace. In that issue we moaned that Nottingham hadn’t had any successful musicians in over a decade. Thankfully that all seems to have changed and to celebrate we’ve teamed up with

We know this much because the current management recently scored some funds to get the cave cellars underneath the Malt Cross brought into service as a unique new bar and venue to compliment the adapted Music Hall interior upstairs. This led them to commission ace photographer David Severn to investigate the past, present and possible future of the Malt Cross - and he’s already met a few who used to work the tables at Conti’s back in the day. That’s a story in itself. But given the long, tangled history of Edwin Hill’s stylishly theatrical building since it first opened its doors during Goose Fair in 1877, forging a path from top talent showcase to den of iniquity and back more than once, it’s a story whose end still seems a very long way off.

leftlion.co.uk/issue58

Terry Frier, who is the head of excavation team at the ‘Cross, is ecstatic at such a discovery. “We were down in the caves, having a bit of a dig and just stumbled upon it. It’s amazing that it hadn’t been found before. It’s such a claim to fame for the Malt Cross and we’re hoping we might find more artifacts in the near future.”

So now we’re wondering what other predictions from our covers might come true soon, to make it a hat trick. And we’re definitely hoping it’s not Issue 22, where we featured Nottszilla: King of the Monsters rising up from the seas and trashing half of town. Although he might improve what’s been going on at the train station... leftlion.co.uk/nwicm

Local adverts ripped from the pages of history, by Wayne Burrows

It’s doubtful that the line meant the same then as it seems to now, but it’s not actually known how LGBT-friendly Conti’s would have been back in the mid-sixties, well before Roy Jenkins’s 1967 Act repealed criminal statutes outlawing homosexuality and paved the way for proper gay rights campaigning in the seventies and eighties. Anyways, by all accounts the place is fondly remembered by those old enough.

Archeologist Professor Reginald Carstaines commented, “We’re amazed to find this bow. Pending verification, this could indeed be a piece from the fifteenth century and maybe even the famed bow of Robin Hood!”

Secondly if you buy any t-shirt or tea towel from our online shop (leftlion.co.uk/shop) during the months of April and May (while stocks last) then we’ll chuck one in the envelope for free as a way of us saying “ta duckeh.” There will be other ways of getting your hands on them too – but you’ll have to sign up to our newsletter at leftlion.co.uk/newsletter to find out more.

ADVERTISING SECTIONED Back in the days when spaghetti bolognaise evoked rustic Italy rather than supermarket ready meals, ravioli wasn’t yet a tin of square baked beans with meat in and the humble pizza was a whole new dimension in local cuisine, Trattoria Conti, a bistro housed in what’s now the Malt Cross on St James’s Street, was a pinnacle of sophisticated dining. The smartest, gayest restaurant in town, no less.

Rumour has it that the bow will be displayed at Wollaton Hall before it heads off to the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Cambridge.

Quick, let’s get our application in for ‘City of Culture’, if Leicester tried it with a dead king, we’re a shoo in with a badass socialist.

WHAT’S ON THE LEFTLION STEREO? Ronika Shell Shocked

Metaphi Metske Sky Ships

Firenza Temptress

Indiana Solo Dancing (Joe Goddard Remix)

Redwood Square Peg

Just James Limitless

Amber Run Spark

Nina Smith Come Dance With Me

Huskies Whatever Together

Youth Oracle Flash Flood EP

Steep Let Me Know

Aja Kill Killer

MISS NOTTINGHAM

HANDS UP NOTTINGHAM Puppeteer Marcus Clarke dresses up local landmarks

Theatre Royal - The Scape Goat Mother Goose starring John Inman in 1978 at the Nottingham Theatre Royal had me operating the Follow Spot. It was a fantastic job because seeing the same show over and over again allowed me to learn every nuance of it from both a performance and technical point of view. There are a lot of resonances between William Holman’s painting The Scapegoat (1854-56) and my views of this image, the theatre, faith and truth. Hence, the homage/parody.

photo: PA Images Just as we go to press the new Miss Nottingham has been crowned and we’re sure she’s got her plan for World Peace well under way. Winner Rebecca Drysdale said “It’s going to boost my confidence and bring along lots of great opportunities.” Bless. She’s from Wollaton. Of course she’s got opportunities. The beauties were put through their paces courtesy of some gruelling tests. One involved making an eco dress from recycled materials…so a career on Blue

Peter beckons, swiftly followed by a Class A drug habit. Another had the girls competing on exercise bikes, but this was only because the proper ones got nicked.

What happened to flight MH370? We think someone has nicked it. They’ve taken it and hid it and will use it for some terrorist operation in six months time. Planes are expensive - you can’t just buy one. It’s the thirtieth anniversary of Torvill and Dean’s bolero. What memories do you have from that time? When they did it thirty years go they had a marquee on the Forest Recreation Ground afterwards and we saw them perform at that - it was exquisite. All those sixes they got from the judges were fantastic - I don’t think it’s ever been repeated has it? The way they did it was so clever - they’re as good as The Beatles really. I’m also so pleased that Nottingham City Council sponsored them beforehand. If they hadn’t done that then they probably would have moved somewhere else and we’d never have seen them again.

Notts TV launches this May and we put it to them that the people of Nottingham need the following quality viewing on our Channel 8…

Not to be outdone we are launching an inaugural Miss Lion Contest. Tests include: Speed mushy pea eating, getting fully kitted out in Primani for under a fiver, a dancing contest down Oceana and who can walk the furthest while texting without getting run over.

The launch of Notts TV We’ve never heard of it. What is it? (explains that it’s a new Nottingham TV Channel). We have a Sony Flatscreen 32” at home that we bought from John Lewis. Will we be able to get it? (explains that if they can access digital channels then they will and that it’s free). Oh, well let’s hope it’s better than the football teams for entertainment value. I see Notts County are looking like they’ll be relegated again. We’ve been listening to Radio Nottingham in the shop a bit recently and that’s bad enough.

Notts’ most opinionated greengrocers on...

ROAR FOOTAGE!

What are your plans for Easter? Will you be buying each other Easter eggs? No. We don’t do that. We don’t buy each other anything for Christmas or our birthday either. We share the same birthday, so there’s no point. We normally just go out somewhere nice for dinner together. We don’t even buy each other dinner though - we share the same bank account, so it all just comes out of the same place. Any thoughts on the new Chancellor’s budget? Are you excited about beer and bingo? No, not at all. The budget has never affected our lives. We never drink to excess and we don’t have huge savings so it doesn’t do anything for us. Saving a penny on beer makes no difference to anyone. If they slashed it by by half we might be interested. And the last time we played bingo was at Skeggy when we were children. Actually, we might have had a game at Goose Fair about twenty years ago too. But we’re hardly regulars.

facebook.com/thompsonbrothersgreengrocers

LeftLion Stories No, not us lot dishing out our juicy private lives, yer nosey boggers. The actual lion on the left will have his stone eyes replaced with cameras so as to capture the rendezvousing of Notts folk as they come together at their favourite meeting spot. So basically, lots of footage of folk stood around looking like they’re watching a game of tennis because they’re unsure if the left lion they’re stood at is the right lion. Know what we’re saying?

It’s a Notts Out It’s A Knockout but for local slebs. Who wouldn’t want to see the likes of Carl Froch, Sam Morton and Su Pollard carrying buckets of water over rolling logs and throwing Pork Farm pies at each other on the Market Square? I’m Jake Bugg, Get Me Out of Here! “Stuck in speed bump city, where the only thing that’s pretty is the thought of getting out.” We’d like to lock the ungrateful little get up in Broado and feed him pigeon anus to prove that life is even worse in a speed bump free zone.

LeftEyeOn

Notts as seen through the lenses of local photo talent over the last two months...

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Electro Hood

Ruddy ‘ell he’s possessed. Or has it all gone very slow? Are those shadowy shapes photographers waving wands? Lovely. More tea vicar, a touch less acid. Lamar Francois lamarfrancoisphoto.co.uk

Eye Eye

Beauty.. in the eye.. behold.. stunnin’ anyway. When the Notts lad these beauties are housed in grows up there will be some very happy ladies abaaht Simon Flint

Somewhere Under The Rainbow

It’s a photo finish for these chaps as they fly through the finishing line of rainbow arches at this Notts nature reserve. Nick P Lee Flickr: nickplee

Left Eye On

As seen from the Left Eye, of THE Left Lion. Yeh get meh? Keepin’ it real on slab square. Lamar Francois lamarfrancoisphoto.co.uk

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Tom Walsh

Polymath Pictures He’s made a short film narrated by Bernard Hill and put together music videos for some of Nottingham’s coolest bands like Swimming and We Show Up On Radar. He also created six foot robot puppets who featured in some of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay events. We put a some questions to Tom and he took some snaps...

Tom’s latest music video is for the thrash metal band Savage Messiah, who are signed to Nottingham’s own Earache Records, and features the contortionist Pixie Le Knot. facebook.com/polymathpictures

leftlion.co.uk/issue58

words: Mike Atkinson

Eerie Indiana Whirlwind doesn’t describe the last two years of Indiana’s life - since her first ever live performance at Nusic’s Future Sound of Nottingham gig in April 2012; she’s been signed to Sony, had a second child, is set to release her fourth single and play a hometown gig that’s going to struggle to contain her. Not too shabby for a lass from Long Eaton who likes her pop a darker shade of grey…

Following last year’s Bound, Smoking Gun and Mess Around, Solo Dancing was premiered on Radio One as Zane Lowe’s “hottest record in the world right now”, championed by Popjustice as “something very special indeed”, and blogged into the Number One slot on the influential Hype Machine aggregator chart.

want people to be able to hop in the car, come round to my house and have a jam.” At the show, you could already sense a greater degree of engagement between the singer and her musicians. They felt less like hired hands, and more like an integrated unit, in tune with Indiana’s vision.

“I wasn’t expecting it”, she says. “I was hoping that something would break through, because everything [to date] has been OK with radio and stuff, but nothing has started off as well as this one. So I am quite excited about it.”

Inevitably, given the age-old conflict between art and commerce, certain battles have had to be fought with the record company. As an artist who likes to be “quite hands-on with everything” in terms of songwriting, production, video direction and personal styling, Indiana places a high value on retaining overall control, and keeping her operations in-house wherever possible.

In a marked departure from Indiana’s previous videos, the Solo Dancing video is intentionally funny, and stuffed full with visual puns for an altogether more intimate type of solo activity: beans are flicked, chains are yanked, cats are stroked, you get the picture. It’s not what you might call a typical Indiana vibe, to say the least. “This is actually the first video that I haven’t had anything do with, [in terms of] the writing or directing”, she admits. Did she maybe worry that the video was cheapening the art? “Um, yeah, kind of. I was a little apprehensive. But I said I’m never gonna put out there what it’s about. Some people don’t get it, some people think it’s just weird, and I’m happy with that. The weirder the better - I’d rather be referred to as odd than normal. It’s good to get people talking, in any sense.” Despite her fondness for lyrical darkness, which tends to explore the more dysfunctional aspects of relationships – betrayal and vengeance, addiction and co-dependence – Indiana is actually a happily settled mother of two, whose personal circumstances appear to contradict her subject matter. So where does this darkness come from? “I like to tell stories, and most of them are not true to facts, but I do draw on some experiences and refer to them in songs. I like to put on my storytelling hat; it’s more entertaining than ‘girl loves boy’ or ‘boy doesn’t love girl’. And I probably don’t seem it, but I am quite a dark person, and the darker things interest me – so that comes across in my music.” In terms of the songwriting process, Indiana favours an evolutionary approach. “It takes a lot for me to say, okay, that’s finished, because I keep going back, taking things out and putting things in. Lyrically, I take more time than some songwriters that I know, because I like to research and think of other words. I like to use a thesaurus, to use words that people wouldn’t often hear in songs.” Once the songs have been completed in the studio, they are introduced to the band. For Indiana’s headline show at the Bodega in February, we were introduced to a brand new line-up - all of whom hail from Nottingham. The geographic closeness works in everybody’s favour, as the previous band “were based in London, and with acoustic nights and live lounges that I have coming up, I

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“I might have developed a little bit of a name for myself, with throwing my toys out of the pram too many times”, she giggles, when questioned about possible diva moments, “but I’ve got really strong opinions on how I want to be portrayed. I might have been a diva a couple of times - not because I didn’t have all-blue M&Ms, but because I like to have creative control.” “I think I’m a lot more knowledgeable now”, she continues. “I know a lot more about the music industry, and it’s not all good. I’ve come a long way. My first gig was only two years ago, and I had no idea.” The past two years have been peppered with highlights: a show at Glastonbury, the main stage at Splendour, and most recently a début London gig which “blew me away. I was so scared, because it wasn’t a crowd of fans, like in Nottingham. It was industry people; they’re there to socialise, not just to watch me.” “So I’ve got that hanging over me, but there was complete silence for Blind As I Am. When I did the big ‘I’m rubbing gold’ bit, they all cheered, and then were silent again – and when I did it again, they cheered and were silent again. I came off, and my whole body was shaking. I felt like someone had spiked my drink. I was like, what’s going on, I can’t believe that, this feels amazing, because I’d won them over. I was so scared just before I walked on - I felt really faint, because I’d been away from the gigging game for a little while, having a baby. It was a big moment.” In June 2013, Indiana was selected to perform live in front of the Queen, backed by The Script, for a rendition of David Bowie’s Heroes: a song which contains the potentially treasonous line “I will be Queen.” They had to kind of Queen-proof it. First of all, her people said: “we’re going to have to make her change the words, and she’ll sing something else.” Then they spoke to the Queen, and she said: “no, it’s fine, just don’t look at me.” So, then it got back to me: “don’t look at her when you sing “I will be Queen”. The thing is, when it was coming up to singing that line, I was so conscious not to look at her, that my eyes were darting round the room, and they hit her a couple of times.” facebook.com/indianathegirl

POP QUIZ First record you bought? Robbie Williams: Freedom. I was a big Take That fan when I was little. Your first gig? Oasis at Wembley. Favourite recent single and album? MS MR – Secondhand Rapture / Lorde – Royals. your house is on fire, you can only save one thing... My MacBook – it’s got all my songs and stuff. It’s my round - what are you drinking? A bottle of beer. Best holiday destination ever? I had a really good time in Ibiza when I was twenty (giggles). You’re about to get on a plane. Which magazine do you buy from Smiths? Heat, for my sins – I’m a bit of a gossip mag reader. dog, cat or neither? Both – I couldn’t decide. I have four cats, and the only reason I don’t have a dog is because my lifestyle won’t let me. worst fashion mistake ever? Bleaching the two bits at the front of my hair with toilet bleach. Best decade Musically? The eighties. Describe yourself in three words... Creative, odd, dorky. send a message back to the Indiana of two years ago... You’ll never guess what; you’re going to sing for the Queen.

words: Scott Oliver photo: Martin Iveson

HIT ME WITH YOUR RHYTHM PLTE Matt Rhythm and Ant Plate were two youngsters wandering around Matlock with no direction or hope. This all changed when they met and realised that together they could conquer the world of deep house and strut a funkier path than anyone had strutted before. We challenged them to a tea drinking contest and, when caffeined up, asked them a bunch of questions... With those surnames there’s probably little else you could have done apart from become a house-producing duo, right? Nominative determinism – like Booker, of Prize fame; weather girl Amy Freeze; Terry Butcher, the footballer; Mr Tickle; or - my personal favourite - the man who organises the Nottingham cave tours, Dr Richard Strangewalker. So, was it written in the stars that you met each other? Plate: I could’ve become a professional potterer or dinnerware designer, maybe. But I’m not from Staffordshire. My mum still tells me I’m smashing. Rhythm: I come from a long line of Rhythms. We have a distinguished history of both drum machine design (Boss DR660 is a design classic) and salsa dance classes for the over fifties. I see your discogs.com profile says “At present Plate sells deep house insurance and Rhythm is a dancer.” How are those parallel careers going? Plate: Pretty good in recent years thanks to the phrase ‘deep house’ becoming trendy again. Do you want my sales pitch? Rhythm: My dancing actually predated the recent twerking phenomenon by ten years. True fact. Except mine is more family orientated: weddings, funerals, baptisms, etc... I note from EP titles like Masters at Wirksworth and Straight out of Cromford that you’re from the People’s Republic of Sheepshagging (President: Kim Wrong-Un). Rural Derbyshire has a tradition of depressed men drinking themselves to death. Have you completely abandoned that route yet? Plate: Nearly, but not quite. We just learnt it’s a marathon not a sprint. Rhythm: I’m not depressed and I’m not dead, which, considering the last fifteen years, is a minor miracle. Plate: Plus, Derbyshire County Council have black-marked our passports meaning we can only ever visit and never live there. Rhythm: Little known fact: Matlock is officially a city-state, a bit like the Vatican. Different rules apply. For example, if you go on the cable cars, there’s a duty free. So, quite a coup to get Dolly Parton on one of your early tracks – how did that come about? Were you paying her by the word, hence only a couple of lines rather than a full song? Rhythm: She gets paid 9 to 5 like everyone else. Plate: It’s actually my mum in the shower. Her boobs do a wicked Dolly Parton impersonation. Who would you most like to rope into doing a vocal on a Rhythm Plate track? Dead or alive. Plate: Hmm... We can record the audio output from a Ouija board, right? If so, then Robin Thicke. He’s not dead, but I wish he was. Rhythm: For pure PR value, the Pope. Either singing or MCing. Or, if we are using the Ouija board, Xylophone Man.

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Which artist would you most like to refuse to remix? And how would you inform them of their rejection? Rhythm: Rolf Harris. In court. Nottingham was once one of the world’s house music capitals. If you were to go into business running house music tours – open-top bus rides through the aahse ‘otspots of the citeh – where would you take in? Plate: The caves under the city (various locations), the Marcus Garvey, Skye Club, Dance Factory, the door down to The Bomb, Mapperley Top, Forest Fields, errr… Then on to somewhere good like Gallery Sounds, Smokescreen Soundsystem, Soul Buggin’ or Basement Boogaloo. Rhythm: Some great picks from Plate there – as a long-term Nottingham resident I would also include the sadly defunct Selectadisc and Funky Monkey, both great vinyl record shops, as well as my Peugeot 206, as I have a great mixtape in my boombox right now. Have you ever considered becoming Geordies? Plate: Some of my family are, actually. Well, not technically speaking but they live close enough to sound like it to me. Rhythm: Why? I? My son is called Remy and there is apparently a footballer with that name playing for the barcodes who’s doing quite well these days. Which famous double act – from history, entertainment, sport, whatever – are you most similar to? Plate: Cannon and Ball? Zack and Screech? Milli and Vanilli? JFK and Lee Harvey Oswald? Rhythm: Nutkins and Packham, obvs. They say “one’s company, two’s a crowd”. Have there ever been tensions between you? Plate, are you ever worried that Rhythm is gonna getcha in the end? Plate: Matt’s opportunities have been endless, so he would’ve done it by now. Mates first, music second. Erm, JFK and Lee H Oswald again? You’re kidnapped by a stalker and allowed three last tracks before he butchers you violently to death, what do you go for? Plate: I’d get them to play one of them Nazi records that has mental sonic frequencies that kill people. Wouldn’t need to play the other two as I’d’ve covered my ears and escaped by then. But before I left I’d quickly sift through their vinyl collection, if they had one. I’ve knackered a few of my early Rhythm Plate 12”s. Rhythm: A self-hypnosis tape might work, one of those ones with panpipes and shit. Or I have a couple of ‘toilet break’ records – records that are dead long, during which you can comfortably go for a wazz. Or even a dump if you are a gambling man. That would give me time to mentally say my goodbyes. My final record would be anything by the Lighthouse Family – I would be ready to die then.

Music scenes are hugely informed by their predominant drug – E is house; dope is hip-hop; K is dubstep; coke is yacht rock – and the Volgograd electronica scene has gotten proper dark since the krokodil epidemic. Does your music reflect the fact that you’re now chiefly tea drinkers? Rhythm: I don’t know about Ant but my drug of choice these days is Airwaves chewing gum. Top tip: if you have three at once followed immediately by an ice cold glass of water then it’s technically a Class A. Plate: Krokodil’s an odd one. My doctor mate says it’s probably more about them missing veins and getting gangrene than the drug actually rotting the flesh. Everyone knows if there’s no flesh, then there’s no dancing. So of course zombies are gonna affect a music scene. Unless that’s the point? What would be in a Rhythm Plate cocktail? Plate: Owt with brandy in it is a good start, and no ice, FFS. Maybe we could call it the the Rhythmic Pallet. Rhythm: Easy. Sausage and pineapple, served on a stick. Which genres of music are still out there waiting to be invented? Plate: Matt predicted waltz garridge was gonna blow up one day so we’ve been stockpiling the grooves and riddims ready. Maybe we should convert Pressed For Time or Faux Metier into spearheads for this sound? Rhythm: Yeah, waltz garridge - a.k.a three-step, after the time signature - ambient gabba, and ‘drizzle’ – think Travis, Why Does It Always Rain on Me crossed with Tinchy Strider. You’re house – but in which room? Plate: The basement. I used to have the studio in a basement at my previous house, and it was proper mint. Rhythm: I is strickly double garridge, innit bruv. You’re not into self-promotion, but if Lost Your Dog gave you £500k to blow on an album launch party for… sorry, can you pass me that sheet of paper again… for, erm, your “recently released magnum opus, Off the Charts, an LP road-tested live at Fabric...”, how would you spend it? Rhythm: I’d spend it recording a new one. Or hire out the function room at Starkholmes Village Hall for a whole year. Plate: Completely irresponsibly, of course. I’d settle my outstanding mortgage, start a trust fund for disabled kids, begin a personal pension scheme and any left over I’d give to charity. Off The Charts was released on 9 September 2013 and is available to download on iTunes and on CD from Lost My Dog Records. lostmydog.net/offthecharts

Plus sPecial Guests

Thursday 29th May

Capital FM arena, nottingham www.alt-tickets.co.uk • 0844 871 8819 • www.capitalfmarena.com www.flaminglips.com TicKeTS AvAiLAbLe TO bUy NOW fROm ALT-TicKeTS.cO.UK

winner of Best Metropolitan Festival Uk Festival Awards 2013

with

2O14

peace

t h e m i d n i g h t b e a st s a i n t r ay m o n d r e a l e stat e • w o l f a l i c e Courtney Barnett • Darlia • Kyla La Grange

Barbarossa • Betty Who • Caveman • Frank Hamilton • Fyfe • Gavin James George Barnett • Horse Thief • Lapland • Laura Welsh • LSA • marika Hackman • MT Royal Norma Jean Martine • Sean McGowan • Sivu • St Paul & The Broken Bones Sundara Karma • We The Wild • We Were Evergreen • Wonder Villains • Young Kato

plus many, many more acts still to be announced

• nottingham - sunday 25th May • fb.com/dottodotfestival • #d2dfest • dottodotfestival.co.uk • alt-tickets.co.uk

Live:

LONdON gRAmmAR SAm SmiTh cLeAN bANdiT dJS:

dUKe dUmONT TOybOy & RObiN eTON meSSy PLUS mANy mORe TO be ANNOUNced

SAT 7 JUN // WOLLATON PARK // NOTTiNghAm NOTOmORROWfeSTivAL.cOm // fb.cOm/NOTOmORROWfeSTivAL // @NOTmRRW // #NOTmRRW // 18+ eveNT. id ReqUiRed // SUPPORTed by The ciTy Of NOTTiNghAm

words: Wayne Burrows photo: Lamar Francois

Wolfgang Buttress has put angel’s wings and a halo above a London street, woven metal trees into The Lace Market, created floating spheres in Belfast and mapped the universe in Australia. We talked to him at his studio about art, science, football... and a very special collaboration with Tindersticks in June. What first brought you to Nottingham? I’m from Cumbria originally and had the choice of going to either Trent or Goldsmith’s to do my degree. I liked the idea of doing my course in the North instead of London, so came here. I thought of Nottingham as being in the North until I got here, at which point I realised it’s not, it’s the Midlands. I’m surprised myself that I’m still here thirty years later. By the time I finished college though, I’d got a studio and friends – and there were other attractions, like having the Forest ground near my house. I was going to ask about that. I noticed you had ‘inspirations’ on your website. Artists like Brancusi and Rothko, but in there with them is Nottingham Forest. Yeah, it’s there. I supported Carlisle United, but I’d watched them get relegated down all the divisions, which was when I was fifteen or sixteen, and was more interested in music and going out anyway. So I just stopped going to see football for a few years. Then I went with a mate to see Forest play Everton in the old First Division. It was the days when Clough was still there, just starting out with his second really great team. The players were Nigel Clough, Roy Keane, Steve Hodge… I went back because it was great football and after a while I got hooked. So, yeah, I’ve been going to Forest for years. I still have a season ticket and all that. When did you get your passion for art? It was the only thing I was interested in or any good at as a kid. Drawing, painting and making things with Lego. We also moved around, which meant that at my last school, in Wigton, I happened to have a really amazing art teacher, Brian Campbell. Nobody in my family had ever been to university and where we lived, when you left school you were either a farmer, worked in a factory or went into the army. It was my art teacher who told me he’d just assumed I’d go to art college, which was something I’d never considered because I didn’t know you could do that. I’d read about the German Expressionists, but that was another world. The moment he said that it suddenly became a real possibility - and all I wanted to do.

There’s an idea that to reach the international level you’re now working on you’d normally have to be based in London. This is something you’ve obviously managed to avoid. When I left college I knew people who went to London to set up studios and all that, but I was a bit suspicious because I knew how expensive it can be. Unless you’ve got a load of money in the bank there’s always the temptation to get a job, which you then get comfortable in and end up doing that rather than what you went there for. So I’d visit but there was always something nice about coming back to Nottingham where things were cheaper and you could live under the radar for those early years when you’re setting yourself up. That’s how it’s gone. I still don’t have an agent or gallery to represent me, which is my choice. The only thing now, for me, is missing the sea. Nottingham’s got a lot going for it, but it’s about as far from the sea as you can get. Something like Rise in Belfast is like Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic domes, which were made as engineering rather than art, but have a sculptural presence... That’s where the form of Rise came from, and those geodesics are amazing structures. The idea was simple, to put one of those geodesic spheres inside another, but suspend it on fine wires so that it seems to be floating, which hopefully changes your perception a bit. It’s a perfect structure for making something that is on a huge scale but doesn’t seem overbearing. It can feel delicate, react to the space it’s in, the weather and time of day. It looks different at night to how it looks in the morning. That makes the experience of seeing it personal. No two people ever see exactly the same thing.

UNA , your piece in Canberra, has similar qualities - it’s a sphere but the light inside and on its surface produce very complex effects. When you look in through one of the perforations what you’re seeing is a microcosm of the night sky, where the stars are punctured through the material of the sphere. It’s accurately mapped, thanks to Dr Daniel Bayliss, an astrophysicist I worked

with, so each perforation is in the exact position of the star it corresponds to. Because the piece is highly polished, it reflects the light that enters back out, and ensures the first thing you see is yourself reflected among the buildings, trees and sky. When you get close enough to look inside, you no longer see yourself but this other world of the stars, and when you step away you see yourself again. There’s a kind of never-ending loop to it. There seems to be a strong interest in nature and scientific ideas in your sculpture... When I started at Trent I was a painter and I started making three-dimensional things mostly to break out of a corner I felt I’d painted myself into at that point. Now I try to make things that exist physically but also take you beyond themselves, into the sublime or whatever it might be. In the end, both art and science are searching for the meaning of existence on some level, so I suppose there is that connection. I hear you’re collaborating on a project with Tindersticks? I’m building a structure for an installation at Nottingham Contemporary. It started as a major bit of construction but gradually it’s got more and more transparent and light, until now it’s made mainly of tracing paper, like a Japanese lantern. That process has been great, reducing this thing down to a kind of essence where paintings of the sky by Suzanne, Stuart [Staples’] wife, will be projected, making the whole thing glow. The paintings will relate to Stuart’s lyrics when the band perform later. I’ve known Stuart since we were eighteen and even did a few record sleeves for him back in the Asphalt Ribbons days, so it’s a nice collaboration. Is there a particular project or commission you’re still waiting for a chance to do? The thing with those big sculpture projects is that they can take four or five years to do and often become more like engineering work than art, so I do need other things to keep my interest alive, which is where the drawings and paintings come in. I’m just as happy losing myself for hours making a small painting that I’m under no pressure to show to anyone as I am completing a big public sculpture proposal. I tend to think that if your head’s open enough you’ll see the possibilities as you go along, so I haven’t got any big, unrealised plans. The next step must be a commission for Forest, surely? I can’t imagine how that would ever pan out. What kind of abstract form would represent Clough? Where do you start? The metal trees you made for Lace Market Square have a hint of that Forest logo about them, now I think about it... If they do, it was either completely subliminal or just a result of both my sculpture and the Forest logo being abstractions of trees. I can honestly say it wasn’t deliberate. Singing Skies Installation opens in The Space at Nottingham Contemporary on Wednesday 4 June, 6 – 8pm, free. Tindersticks are at Nottingham Contemporary on Friday 6 June, 8.30pm, £25. wolfgangbuttress.com

UNA in Canberra, Australia 16

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Welcome to Nottingham’s world class arts festival

FRIDAY 23 MAY — SUNDAY 1 JUNE 2014 9 days of incredible events — premieres, pop-ups and performances. A festival full of the best theatre, dance, film, music and art. Nottingham Playhouse / Lakeside Arts Centre / Theatre Royal & Royal Centre Broadway Cinema / Nottingham Contemporary / New Art Exchange / Dance 4

www.neatfestival.co.uk /neatfestival

@neatfestival

interview: Ali Emm photos: PA Images When the Press Association bought out West Bridgford-based sports picture library EMPICS in 2005 they made the unusual, but welcome, call to base their photo operations here in Nottingham. How did the Press Association come to buy out EMPICS? EMPICS started back in the mid-eighties and they focused principally on sports, spreading from being a regional agency to a national and then international agency. Though PA Images has always covered sport, EMPICS had a great depth of archive and level of expertise in sport. You’ve got some pretty impressive archives dating back to 1863 – that’s almost back to the birth of photography. What images do you have from that time? There’s a really interesting mix when you look back to the earliest pictures in our collection. There are some iconic pictures such as a portrait of Queen Victoria but also images of criminals, celebrities and sporting events. It is amazing to think that a photographer would have covered an event such as the FA cup final with twelve glass plates. Our photographers today might shoot 2,000 images from a football match. Do you think people will look back at photos from present day in 150 years’ time with the same fascination that we look at old photographs now? 150 years ago photography was a fairly new. Part of the fascination of looking at old images is that there are only a few of them, which makes them more interesting. Today we all shoot pictures constantly. It will always be interesting to look back, the challenge may be finding the best images in a sea of content. How many photos do you have in your archives? Are they all digital now? We have around thirteen million pictures online and probably another five million offline. We’ve digitised a lot of content but there is still lots to do. One of the great things we can offer are some images that may not have been seen for decades. We have a great team of picture researchers

Mourning fans of the late Elvis Presley dancing on a traffic island outside the Palais de Danse where the convention of the dead star’s official British fan club was held.

and archive staff whose job it is to find content for projects we are working on. How many photographers do employ? We have 35 staff photographers based all around the UK and Ireland. We also use some freelance photographers to cover sport. What have been the biggest moves forward in technology that are exciting for an imaging company like yourselves? One of the reasons that PA bought EMPICS was for technology they’d developed called Shootlive that allows us to edit images remotely. The photographer takes pictures and one of our Nottingham-based editors sees every picture they take then selects and captions them ready for delivery. We use this technology for live events. We can get an image from the photographer in as little as sixty seconds. We can also offer 360 degree images; these are captured using six cameras fired simultaneously which means that we can use them for events where people move and shooting interiors of rooms. You’re trying to build stronger local links in the creative community, how are you going about that? As well as employing local people and Nottingham graduates in our production teams we are also keen to expand our local client base. We are also hoping to encourage photography students in the city to create exciting content that we may be able to represent for them or offer feedback on how they can deliver work that is both creative but also commercially viable. paimages.co.uk

Rock City, which opened in 1980.

Suffragette Mary MacArthur with a group of women delegates.

English pop group Paper Lace, circa 1975.

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Demolition work at Trent Bridge Cricket Ground after the old stand came down.

Su Pollard boasts a sea-shell bra for her role of muchmaligned chalet maid Peggy, in Hi-De-Hi.

Notts County manager Jimmy Sirrel with his rose collection at his home.

William Booth, religious leader and founder of the Salvation Army.

Teenagers rock ‘n’ roll at the Palais de Dance in 1957 during a special lunch hour session. Although headmasters had put the dance hall out of bounds, 400 teens attended .

Samantha Morton playing pool at the Elbow Rooms in Islington, after attending the UK Charity Premiere of High Fidelity at the Screen on the Green, London.

Britain’s War Minister Leslie Hore-Belisha inspecting the Royal Ordnance Factory at Kings Meadow Road in 1939.

The Duke of York - later to become George VI - watching the assembling of bicycles at Raleigh.

Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean receiving the freedom of the city from the Lord Mayor Peter Burgess.

Trevor Francis with his wife, Helen, and Brian Clough at the City Ground after becoming Britain’s most expensive player. leftlion.co.uk/issue58

BLADES OF GLORY

It’s thirty years since Torvill and Dean became global megastars by getting an unprecedented score in the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics for their Bolero performance. This April they return home for the Dancing on Ice Tour and as part of the NEAT14 festival the Nottingham public will be encouraged to enact a mass Bolero. We put some questions to the duo and take a look back at that moment when they made sporting history…

interview: Jared Wilson illustrations: Lexie Mac Can you remember the first time you met? Jayne: I’d been skating at Nottingham Ice Rink for a couple of years when Chris joined. The first time I saw him he stood out because he had white-blond hair and could skate really fast. The second time I saw him, he had his leg in plaster because he’d gone into a barrier. Chris: When we first paired up people thought we were mismatched. Jayne wasn’t known as a dancer and she was the opposite to my previous partner who was vivacious and fiery, but I felt immediately comfortable with her. Before you became world-famous at the 1984 Olympics, you were sponsored by Nottingham City Council... Jayne: Yes, after we became British Champions and came fifth at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, we knew we had a good chance of winning a medal. We then decided to leave our jobs and Nottingham City Council gave us a grant to train for the next four years so that we could enter the 1984 Olympics with the same advantages as our competitors. Michael Crawford was a member of your team in 1984. What did you learn from working with him? Chris: He was right there with our trainer in Sarajevo and was a huge support to us. Jayne: Michael was wonderful to work with and he taught so much about expressing emotions while on the ice and putting on a performance, while moving at speed. You returned to the Olympics at Lillyhammer in 1994. What were your experiences there? Chris: There were some tensions as we prepared for the performance and it was caught on camera because there was a film crew following us. We were being encouraged by others to change this and everything felt a bit out of control. At one point I was filmed having a go at Jayne, but five minutes after that row we were laughing again. I have a strong passion and that was a difficult time for us, but when I get like that Jayne always calms me down. Who are your current favourite sporting heroes? Jayne: At the moment we’re big fans of Nick Buckland and Penny Coomes, who performed together at the Sochi Winter Olympics. We think that they’re going to really do incredibly well at the next Winter Olympics and have a big future ahead of them. Chris: They are definitely the ones to watch in the world of ice dancing and we’re very proud that they’re from Nottingham too. You admitted last year that your dancing partnership did briefly spill over into a real-life romance. When was that? Chris: That was just a teenage thing. You get comfortable with each other and that was it. We were only fifteen or sixteen and it was kids stuff; it soon went away. I think it might have lasted a few weeks at the most. Jayne: I can’t really remember much about it. But from the time we were partners the focus was always on the skating. We both had the same mentality that nothing would interfere with the opportunity that we had. Anything else you want to say to your Nottingham public? Jayne: We’re just so very grateful for the continuing support of the people of Nottingham. We’re very proud to be from the area and have such a strong connection with the city. Chris: When we look back at the two young kids who met on the ice at Nottingham Ice Rink all those years ago, it seems incredible to think of the journey that we’ve been on and all the things we’ve done. We’ve worked hard and put a lot of effort into what we’ve done, but it’s been worth it and proved that if you really want something and if you work at it enough, then you can make your dreams come true. Mass Bolero is a community project in which local people will perform a choreographed dance as part of the NEAT14 festival. The Dancing on Ice Final Live Tour is at the Nottingham Arena from 8 - 10 April 2014. For more information and tickets go to dancingonicetour.co.uk Read a longer version of this interview at leftlion.co.uk

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Nick Parkhouse reminisces about that Bolero performance... You probably don’t remember what you were up to on the evening of 14 February 1984. Some of you weren’t even born. But if you were alive on that day, the chances are that you were glued to the BBC along with me and 24 million other Brits. I was nine years old when the Winter Olympics opened in Sarajevo. Despite a team of 55 British athletes travelling to Yugoslavia for the Games, expectations were low that we’d be able to challenge the mighty Russian and East German teams for Olympic glory. There was one exception, though. Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean were already three times world champions and the hot favourites to win the ice dancing title. By the time they arrived in Sarajevo, the Olympic gold was the only major title that had eluded their grasp. The Nottingham pair were one of the hottest favourites in Olympic history and entered the free dance routine having already been awarded three perfect sixes for a compulsory dance - the first time this had ever happened. As the evening of Valentine’s Day arrived, millions of us eagerly awaited their appearance. It was 9.52pm before they finally took to the ice. Wearing the now iconic purple silk chiffon outfits, the pair knelt in the centre of the Zetra Stadium as the opening notes of Maurice Ravel’s 1928 piece, Bolero, began to play. The next four minutes has become one of the most well-known in British sporting history. The Bolero – a story about two star-crossed lovers unable to marry and who throw themselves into a volcano - is instantly recognisable. Even without seeing the routine for years I was able to recall the pair’s kiss, Chris spinning Jayne around his body and the pair lying spread-eagled at the climax.

What happened next is something 24 million of us will never forget. The pair became the highest scoring figure skaters of all time for a single programme, receiving twelve perfect 6.0s and six 5.9s which included perfect 6.0s from every judge for artistic impression. I even remember the BBC’s Alan Weeks remarking in his typically understated way that it was 6.0s “right across the board - a marvellous, marvellous set of marks.” Torvill and Dean returned home to Nottingham to be greeted by huge crowds, and toured the city somewhat incongruously perched on the back of an open-top Land Rover. The pair have since been awarded the freedom of the city while two streets in Wollaton bear their names. To recognise the city as the home of the routine, the iconic purple outfits take pride of place in the new Ice Arena which is located, appropriately, in Bolero Square. While British sport has been blessed with lots of great moments over the years, there has rarely been a country-uniting event like this. Five million more people watched the four minute routine than watched England’s World Cup penalty shootout defeat to Germany in 1990 and, in 2002, the Bolero was voted number eight in a poll of the top 100 sporting moments of all time. For a nine year old boy and millions more across the nation, the Bolero will always be something special. For four short minutes on a Tuesday evening thirty years ago, the eyes of the world were on a former Nottingham policeman and insurance clerk. The pair did themselves, the city and the nation proud. torvillanddean.com

Other NEAT Stuff Michael Pinchbeck - Bolero

Inspired by Torvill and Dean, Michael Pinchbeck’s play Bolero uses an international cast and local community performers to explore the links between Nottingham and Sarajevo, the city where an assassination exactly one hundred years ago led to the outbreak of the first World War.

Belarus Free Theatre - Generation Jeans

An underground theatre compay, they are forced to perform in secret due to persecution by the oppressive Belarusian government. They were scheduled to perform at the last NEAT Festival in 2011 but their passports were withdrawn. They applied for asylum in the UK and were able to perform two shows here but some are still unable to return home. Luckily, unlike the people of Belarus, you can watch this play without risking arrest.

Gob Squad - Western Society

Started by some NTU Contemporary Arts graduates and German exchange students, Gob Squad are now based in Berlin. In Western Society they zoom their

cameras into a family living room where friends are gathered to sing karaoke and consider whether life in a consumer capitalist society constitutes happiness.

Zagreb Youth Theatre - The Seagull

An acclaimed production of one of Anton Chekhov’s greatest plays, dramatising the love triangles within a creative household and the artistic and sexual frustration of a young playwright, Konstantin. For anyone whose Serbo-Croat is a bit rusty, it will be performed with subtitles.

Magnificat

A chorus of women, led by Marta Górnicka of Poland, challenge representation of the Madonna as the ideal woman in Catholicism, mixing pop lyrics with excerpts from Greek tragedy, bible passages and news clippings to give women a powerful new voice. NEAT14 runs from Friday 23 May to Sunday 1 June at various locations across the city. neatfestival.co.uk

Known for his break building, Anthony ‘The Sheriff of Pottingham’ Hamilton has made over two hundred competitive century breaks in his career. Currently ranked 42nd in the world, we chatted to him about having one of the silliest careers out there... What’s your average day as a snooker player? It’s just like a day’s work but a bit of a weird one. I used to do six hours a day, six days a week, but now I have a chronic neck condition, I do a lot less. My club’s a great place and it feels like I’ve done a full day’s work when I actually only do about two hours’ graft. You’ve been playing the Welsh Open - what’s the competitive atmosphere like there? We have a laugh until you get your suit on, then it’s business time everyone’s an enemy and you start blanking each other. We’re on the same tour, the same plane, the same hotel, it’d be too much stress to be at each other’s throats all the time. How did you develop to a professional standard? I got a mentor when I was about fifteen, a guy called Frank Callan who taught Steve Davis and John Parrott. I could lock myself in a room for eight hours and wanna be there for sixteen, the only reason I’d stop was to go to bed. If you’ve done that up until the age of twenty, you’ll be a good player by then. When did you reckon you could make a career out of it? We used to play in “Pro-Ams” - it was all cash in hand, £1,000 for the winner. I knew I was proper when I won my first one of them. When I was sixteen, I told me dad that I didn’t wanna do A-Levels and I wanted to play snooker full time. He said, “And you should.” I was shocked. What are the strongest and weakest points of your game? Break building is probably my strength and long potting would be my weakness, alongside being old and knackered. Where did ‘Sheriff of Pottingham’ come from? Alan Hughes used to do the speech before players came into the arena and he started calling me the Robin Hood of snooker. But because pottingham rhymed with Nottingham, that was it. I’d rather be the one nicking from the rich to give to the poor. A friend reckons he saw you once at a techno rave in the Marcus Garvey… I was a full raver back in the day, out every Friday and Saturday. Nottingham was the best nightclub city in the country bar London. You would work in the week, then you were out. The rest of what happened, you can’t publish. Just enjoy yourself while you’ve got the chance.

Did you have a regular snooker club when you were in Nottingham? Pegasus in Arnold, the one Michael’s at now. He nicked my spot about five minutes after I’d left - to this day the lads in there say I’m a better player than him. He hates it. Do you have a special relationship with your cue? I’ve had the same cue since I was fifteen. It cost fifty quid which is nowt now. I picked it off the rack and went “that one looks nice, that’ll do.” It’s been around the world with me but I’m thinking about changing next season. The other one will never get chucked though, it’s 27 years old, older than some of the girls I’ve been tryna chat up. If you could play anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? Steve Davis. He’s a legend on and off the table, he’s funny as hell. When I was a kid, he won everything and people booed him in the street. It’s only the British that would do that, if he was American he’d be President by now. Have you ever been approached for spot fixing? A few years back before the World Championships. It wasn’t to throw the whole match and the money they were offering was really good. But straight away, I was like “nah.” It’s not morally right and it would have put me off for the rest of the match. It’s not rife among British players but we know who’s about to chuck a match from rumours on social media. Are you snooker loopy? Not at all. Once I’ve finished, that’s me done. I won’t play another shot, probably won’t watch it again. It’s like having a life sentence. I can’t wait to get on with my life. Anything else you want to say to LeftLion readers? Thanks. Even though I fled the city, they still support me. Michael and I appreciate it because we’re given all the support we can get and it means a lot. We’re both Forest fans too, so come on the trees!

Cu an A

interviews: Bridie Squires

Michael ‘The Hitman’ Holt was once known for punching tables and swearing during matches. He’s calmed down a bit now and currently ranks 22nd in the world. We caught up with him while on a break at the 2014 Welsh Open... What are you up to today? I’m not playing so I’ll probably just have a practice, have a few cups of tea and a gossip with the other players. How much do you practice every day? At home I probably play between four and six hours, but at tournaments we only get on the practice table for an hour spot. But that’s okay because the work’s been done anyway; it’s just about getting mentally prepared. What’s the atmosphere like between players at a tournament? You build quite strong bonds; I’ve known some of the lads for, like, twenty years, since they were juniors. We have a good giggle. We’re lucky in that respect but when we play we wanna kill each other. When it’s finished we shake hands and make friends again.

uE nd A

illustration: Ian Summers

How have you developed to such a high standard as a player? It starts with playing because you love it - you play as much as you can, you do anything to play. Then you go into junior tournaments and progress to professional. I’m lucky to do what I do: it’s not hard labour, but mentally it’s stressful at times. It’s blood, sweat and tears. You just keep trying as hard as you can to keep yourself in pole position.

We heard that you’re a DJ… The snooker season used to finish in May and started again in October, so I used to work summers in Malia and Kos. I didn’t actually DJ, I was one of them annoying people that tried to drag you into the club. I was just a 24-year-old running about being daft, it was great. Now we only have two weeks off in May and then we’re back on it, so it’s not possible. And I’ve got to be grown up. Do you go out in Nottingham? Those days went with Lost Weekend - I used to love that - but I still go to Ibiza once a year. I love Ibiza. You play at Pegasus, but do you rate any other clubs in Nottingham? Stapleford Cue Club is a good one. As an amateur I used to play in a lot of the clubs but since turning pro I only play in Pegasus. After I’ve practised, I just wanna get home, do something else and get my mind off it. How’s your relationship with your cue? All players have got a bit of a special relationship, depending on how special that relationship is… that’s for them. You just pick one you like, keep playing with it and hopefully pot as many balls as you can.

You can be quite tough on yourself during matches… I’m better now. I used to be silly, really. As a matter of fact, stupid. Them years are behind me, I enjoy it a lot more. Hopefully I can win soon, that’d be good.

If you could trade in your snooker talent for something else, what would it be? I’m a great dancer, so I don’t need any help there. I’d probably be a footballer so I could play for Forest.

Who came up with “The Hit Man”? Alan Hughes; he used to do the announcements when we came out to play. I was only young, probably twenty. I feel a little bit of a fraud really because there’s a long list of good hit men. I’ll take it anyway.

Have you ever been approached for spot fixing? Never. I don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing that they’ve not asked me. I think it’s publicised as if there’s a lot of it in the game but there isn’t. It’s the same in everything - where there’s money, there’s always corruption somewhere.

Are you mates with Carl Froch? He likes his snooker so he got in touch, we had a game and became quite friendly. He’s a champion and an inspiration for any sportsperson to keep plugging away to get what they want to achieve. He’s a top lad. Does he advise you against punching tables? Yeah. If you’re gonna punch something, punch something softer than a wooden cushion. I’ll leave the punching to him in the future.

Are you snooker loopy? I’ll let you decide that one. Anything else you want to say to LeftLion? My brother’s in a band called Spotlight Kid. They’ve played Glastonbury and stuff, you should check them out.

Mahler and Me

interview: Ali Emm

The Hallé Orchestra are Royal Concert Hall residents, bringing their fresh take on classical music over the Pennines from Manchester, to us, for over a decade. We spoke to music director and conductor, Sir Mark Elder, about why we should all treat our ears to a different kind of performance than they might be used to… Is there a snobbishness about regional orchestras? I don’t think there is now. The Hallé - which is the only orchestra in the world named after its founder (Sir Charles Hallé) - was the first professional symphony orchestra more than 150 years ago. That was way before any other orchestra was founded in London. During World War II the Hallé disbanded and the business of putting it together afterwards fell to John Barbirolli. There are thousands of people all over the world who were introduced to classical music by Barbirolli’s recordings. Before I joined in the nineties the Hallé nearly went under and there was a sense of real tragedy for many people. How did the Nottingham residency come about? The Royal Concert Hall, as I never tire of saying, is one of the great jewels of our country. It needs a bit of paint and some love, when the money can be found, but it’s got a marvelous audience and wonderful acoustics. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra were resident prior to us, but when the management wanted a new regime, it appeared to us that it would be a wonderful chance to have a base away from Manchester that wasn’t London. We wanted to develop something with the concert organiser in the hall and with the public. You seem to be the only conductor that talks about the music to the audience during concerts which is reminiscent of Fantasia. Why doesn’t anybody else do that? It’s also reminiscent of Leonard Bernstein, who did these television programmes called The Joy of Music. He made an enormous impact on America by the way he communicated his passion and knowledge for music. He opened people’s ears and hearts, and I’m just trying to do that in my way. I’m the only British conductor of an English symphony orchestra, which is very significant. I teach and am very interested in helping young conductors to have the best chance they can to get started. One of the things I’ve done since coming to Manchester is to insist on there being an assistant conductor, who changes every two to three years. Orchestras traditionally wear dress suits, but you tried to change this in the Hallé. Are there any other changes to the format that you would like to see? Last year we started doing one of our concerts on a Wednesday afternoon - people actually quite like the idea of a concert in the afternoon, rather than the evening. We’re experimenting with the orchestra just wearing normal suits to those concerts, and a lot of people think it’s a good idea, a few don’t. But you can’t achieve anything without people being ruffled. I’m also the only music director in the country who takes the whole orchestra into schools. We do that a couple of times a year and entertain kids who have never seen a symphony orchestra, and certainly never seen one in their school. Their reaction is amazing - really exciting. You do a lot of work with schools, and even with young offenders in prisons. What is it that drives you to engage young people in music? I believe an orchestra is a very creative part of the community. That should go way beyond trying to sell tickets. We have a responsibility to bring music, enthusiasm and passion to the next generations. If you can get children young enough, you can excite them by the experience of live music. In my experience, children have music in them naturally, and it’s up to primary school teachers to awaken this and show them their own creativity. Music also improves their work in other, non-musical, fields too. We know that conducting isn’t just about waving your arms around while everyone else plays the music. How long does it take for you to prepare for the average concert? Hours and hours. Sometimes these hours happen a month before the first rehearsal, sometimes a week before, and sometimes they happen twenty years before. Sometimes when you’re young, you don’t have the possibility of conducting as much as you’d like but you’re absorbing music all the time. You have to if you want to be a conductor. There are many pieces that I now conduct with the Hallé that I have thought about for thirty years. On some level or other these pieces live in you, I call that marinating. You have to have thought about it, you have to have absorbed it to the point that you know how you want to conduct it.

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Are there any pieces that you’d still like to perform - the icing on the cake of your career, as such? It’s difficult to answer that. I love Wagner’s music. I love the process of getting an orchestra to play it beautifully. When you have good singers, it’s one of the most fulfilling things a conductor can do. I’ve conducted The Ring, but never as a cycle, and there’s one opera, Siegfried, that I’ve never conducted. So, I would love to be able to finish The Ring, and do the four operas in a week. That, for me, would be an incredible opportunity.

“We have a responsibility to bring music, enthusiasm and passion to the next generations.” Music’s obviously your life - could you ever see yourself stepping back from it or retiring? No. I wouldn’t retire from it because it was something that was given to me when I was born. It’s a part of the tiny baby that I was, and gradually the years of my growing up revealed that to me, so by the time I was a young adolescent I knew that somehow or other I had to spend my life and earn my living through being a musician. Is it something that you never stop getting better at? I think about this a great deal, about how a human being is able to draw from an orchestra an interpretation that I feel deeply inside me. I’m still conducting pieces I’ve never conducted before. I might be conducting a piece I haven’t done in twenty years, but now I’ve got twenty years more experience inside my soul, but you need to restudy this piece in the light of all that, to make sure that what you do now is better than what you did before. Although words play a part in the process, in the performance you have to do it without speaking and the idea that a conductor’s gestures can influence the way people breathe, the way they feel relaxed or not, their own ability to trust their own talent, that all can be influenced by a conductor. And the more experience, and hopefully wisdom, that you acquire, the more you are able to impart that to the people that are making music with you. You need their trust and you must trust them, and you need to help them to take wing. Have you got any last words to inspire any Hallé virgins out there to inspire them to come down. It is something that a lot of people aren’t aware of or don’t understand. You don’t need to know anything about music to get some excitement from it. Have confidence that whatever you hear or feel in the music is right, everybody takes different emotional responses away from a concert. The experience of a live concert has no equal; witnessing people sharing in musical expression and turning on an audience is something immediate that can’t be reproduced. What we’re doing is creating a living organism of different parts and temperaments, where everyone’s talents come together to make something better than all of us. When a football team plays really well, you get that feeling, and when they play badly, it’s upsetting. Manchester United, please note. But when an orchestra plays badly it’s horrible because there’s no harmony, no balance, no beauty. But when they play well together and they really send the music out, it’s gorgeous, it’s thrilling. The Hallé Orchestra will be performing Mahler’s Ninth Symphony at the Royal Concert Hall on Tuesday 27 May. £10 - £32.50. If you’ve never been to a Nottingham Classics concert before, try it out for just £5 with our First Timer coupon on page 47. Take the coupon to the Royal Concert Hall Box Office to get up to two £5 tickets for the Hallé Orchestra on Thursday 12 June. A fantastic opportunity to experience live music on a spectacular scale. halle.co.uk

THE MAN FROM AUNTIE

interview: Bridie Squires

Gilles Peterson is more than just a DJ, he’s a national institution. A record collector extraordinaire, a BBC radio host for almost two decades and a hero to crate diggers worldwide. We gave him a ring ahead of his Mimm gig... Do you feel a loyalty to the songs you listened to growing up? I suppose I do, in a way. I’m still playing some of the artists that I was listening to on pirate radio when I was fourteen. I don’t feel like I’ve had to stay true to that sound, but I’ll always go back to it with a sense of nostalgia and pride. Weirdly enough, the first mix album I did was in 1984, Jazz Juice, and I could still get away with playing them today. In fact, they would go down really well... You started out on pirate radio in the eighties. What was the transition like to mainstream radio? It was really frightening. I used to think pirate radio would be more frightening, considering you were potentially going to get busted any minute. I was about nineteen when I got offered a job at the BBC - Radio London - the station’s general manager was this raging alcoholic and I used to be on in the middle of the night. The station would be totally deserted apart from this one office where the light would be on, and he’d just be drinking. He was nuts, he would literally crawl around the corridors. He didn’t last very long, after that it became a lot easier. Have there been any sounds coming from Nottingham that have influenced you when you’ve visited? There are some DJs in Nottingham that were really quite important back in the day. Rock City was a place we’d come for all dayers. Nottingham, Manchester, and Birmingham were the places we’d come to as Southerners. My sister used to go to university in Nottingham too, so I used to visit and I’d go record shopping quite a lot when I was really young. We hear you’re working with Ady Suleiman at the moment, what was it about him that stood out? He’s signed a deal with Sony, so I’m going to be working on some music with him and producing his first EP. I think he’s amazing, he’s a 360 degree artist with great lyrics, brilliant stage

presence. He makes me cry, he makes me smile, he’s one of those artists. There’s a lot of great artists around but I brought him over to my festival in France last summer and he absolutely blew the place apart and no one knew his music, so that’s a good sign. What other upcoming artists are ones to watch? God, there’s so much music around. There’s a guy from Manchester who I quite like called Werkha, he’s just signed to Tru Thoughts. I really like Nadine Shah who I saw performing at the 6 Music festival. She’s got a really great band, I didn’t realise it was her even though I’d been playing her records. There’s a singer I really like called Rosie Lowe, who I’ve been listening to a lot recently. I’m looking forward to Sampha’s album, who was the singer on the SBTRKT album a few years ago... So yeah, there’s loads of stuff going on. What do you think to CDJs? To be honest with you, I use any format. I’ve recently been using USB keys, so I get a lot of music on there, but I put those through the CDJ machines. I feel quite comfortable with them. I like playing with turntables, original style, but I need to have the right mixer for that, and it’s a whole different technique.With CDJs you can do quite a few tricks and have a lot of fun with it. What’s the craziest thing you’ve witnessed at a party? I see all kinds of stuff. A lot of it’s far too X-rated for publication. I’m actually writing a book at the moment, DJ Confidential, which is gonna have an awful lot of that stuff in it. How does the atmosphere of a sunny festival differ to a nightclub? Festivals are amazing, especially the ones in May and June because everyone’s just come out of winter. But I do like a good sweaty club session in December because that’s the essence of

what I’ve always done as a DJ, coming from club culture. Being in Glasgow on a really cold Friday night in December playing mad records to mad Scots, that’s as much fun as playing to a bunch of happy people on a beach. To what extent do you plan your sets? I’m probably the least organised DJ you will ever speak to. I’m the guy who literally one minute before he goes on in front of 2,000 people at a festival, still doesn’t know what he’s going to open his set with. What are the main challenges in your career? Staying sober. What do you think makes a strong transition from one song to the next? That’s all about a feel. It’s changed for me, I used to like a nice smooth transition, these days I like a gap. So, I’ve gone back to basics. I’m back to one deck. Give me one deck and a mic and I’ll be fine. How much vinyl do you own? I’ve got about 50,000 records. Most of my records aren’t actually in my house, but my most prized ones are kept close to me. Do you sleep with them under your pillow? Always. Gilles Peterson is performing at the Irish Centre as part of Mimm;s third birthday on Sunday 4 May. £15 in advance. gillespetersonworldwide.com

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interview: Harry Wilding photo: David Baird

TURN ON, TUNE IN AND NOTTS OUT

Notts TV is gearing up for its launch in May. We caught up with the Channel Director, Jamie Brindle, a former Producer for Radio Nottingham’s Morning Show, to find out what to expect from day one and beyond... How did you get involved with Notts TV? I know Craig [Chettle, Notts TV Chair] so heard about the application. I’d spent most of my career in local radio and I always knew the idea of local TV could work. It just seemed like a no brainer to put my hat in the ring. What are your responsibilities? To make sure I’m on top of every single facet of this channel, from programme making, to journalism, to boring legal stuff, technical stuff, contracts, you know, everyone’s inside leg measurements, the lot. It’s quite a challenge, but it’s so important especially now that we’re gearing up for the launch. Have you worked on TV before? My master’s training was across broadcast platforms. Disciplines in radio and TV are interchangeable and I worked for the BBC in the North West across TV and radio news. You might look at the BBC and think that certain people just do specific jobs, but they will often have numerous roles. Who is doing what within the consortium who won the bid? Confetti have been developing talent here for twenty years. They already have production company Spool and record label Denizen. The University is a huge training provider and it has a news studio and bases around the city. The Nottingham Post is a paper that has been established ages, so to share that is fantastic. Inclusive Digital is run by Nigel Dacre who ran ITN for more than a decade. He represents that more formal, more senior, national news roll. These are the kinds of people you need to set up a TV station. Who is the ‘big boss’? Do the BBC oversee the project at all? We are an independent outlet so we are owned by the consortium. Jeremy Hunt, the Culture Secretary, wanted Ofcom and the BBC to make local TV happen, so the BBC support it by giving a portion of the licence fee. In exchange, we will provide them with a number of pictures, packages, and stories everyday. It’s quite a small percentage of our budget and we don’t have to do it. They don’t have any sort of control over us editorially. What are your plans for dramas and comedy? We’re working on comedy at the moment - we can’t say too much about it, but it’s creative, it’s local, and it’s funny. Drama is incredibly expensive, so we’ve got to be realistic, we don’t want to bankrupt the channel before we go on air. If we can make it happen, though, then we will. Will Notts TV News be as depressing as it is everywhere else? From day one you’re going to get ninety minutes of local news a day. News on other channels can be predictable and lazy. We want to do things differently. There seems to be a public apathy with news and politics, but it’s just the way it’s been presented. People still care and still get passionate and still get stirred up. The old conventions in which news bulletins have to start with a murder or a fire or what an MP said, need to be questioned more. We have to make sure we’re connecting with our viewers’ lives, otherwise they’re not going to watch.

Will you source content from other channels? It’ll be primarily local but sometimes you want to know what’s going on in other places. We need to get that blend right. If we see a fantastic film that’s been made in France, you might still want to watch that on Notts TV because it might still be the only place that you can watch it. Are you going to be attracting famous Nottingham people to help out? Jake Bugg has done a load of stuff with us. Vicky McClure was here working on a comedy programme. Shane Meadows has helped promote the station and is interested in getting involved. Richard Bacon has given a thumbs up to the project and Su Pollard was - unofficially - very enthusiastic. It doesn’t have to be celeb heavy, though. Are the people of Notts getting involved already? We have been getting ideas from people who have never worked in telly before as well as people that have produced shows like X Factor. We’re trying to manage the process because there are hundreds of them and we’re trying to see what will work. It might not happen from day one, or year one, but as we’ve got a twelve year licence then hopefully we can make a lot of ideas reality. Have you taken any guidance from looking back at what Carlton did when based at Lenton Lane? The ambition for Notts TV is to create the same level of industry presence that Carlton enjoyed in its heyday; they were very successful and they made shows that people loved. Things changed for ITV, and there’s a whole bunch of reasons why, but they’ve proven that you can make great shows in Nottingham, shows that still stand the test of time. What kind of viewing figures are you expecting? We cover 80% of Nottinghamshire and a significant area to the East - from Lincoln and to the sea. It’s potentially up to half a million people. Radio Nottingham can get a fifth of the population listening every week. Initially it’s not going to be that high, but with that half a million potential, even a conservative estimate means we could reach ten to hundreds of thousands of people. Where do you see the channel in a year? With my most ambitious hat on I want to see it broadcasting for as much of the twenty-four hour clock as possible. We want to extend the diversity of our programmes as far as we can. I think that’s the key to getting people to tune into Channel 8 and to keep them coming back. What about in five or ten years? As has been proven in Europe and America, local TV is an absolutely sound idea. I want to see an established channel and for people to like it and respect it. Personally, if we’ve got that then I’ll be happy. Notts TV launches on channel 8 on Tuesday 27 May. nottstv.com

It’s all hush hush, but here’s three shows to expect on Notts TV from launch... The Boot Room

Presented by sports journalist Mark Webster, the show will be a look at the week’s local football, with a variety of special guests, ranging from footballers, managers, and fans. Similar shows on cricket, ice hockey, and other sports will follow.

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Now and Then

“I came to live in Nottingham about thirteen years ago and I felt I had been sledge hammered in the face with the legacy and history of this area.” Jamie told us. Now and Then will use local experts to investigate how the city’s past has shaped life in Nottingham today. The series will include Boots, Raleigh, the effect of the World Wars, the Castle, the canals, and, no doubt, our very own (gerrof Yorkshire!) man in tights. The first programme will be exploring the history of the city’s trams and its lace industry.

The Channel 8 Debate

“Politics has become a dirty word and I really want to change that,” Jamie says. “We want to create this platform that gets people to talk about stuff that they care about.” The format of the show is still being played with, but a Question Time-type pilot in January, in which some of you may have participated via Twitter, was successful with subjects such as the benefits of legalising drugs being debated by MPs Lillian Greenwood and Kenneth Clarke, Councillor Jason Zadrozny, and Politics Professor Sue Pryce.

All You Can NEAT

Nottingham European Arts and Theatre Festival - NEAT14 - will be bringing a whole host of theatre, performance and arts to the city at the end of May. The festival has a War: Now and Then theme but will also be celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of Torvill and Dean getting an unprecedented score in the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics for their Bolero performance. We remember when Nottingham went down in sporting history... You probably don’t remember what you were up to on the evening of 14 February 1984. Some of you weren’t even born. But, if you were alive on that day, the chances are that you were glued to the BBC along with me and 24 million other Brits.  I was nine years old when the 1984 Winter Olympics opened in Sarajevo. Despite a team of 55 British athletes travelling to Yugoslavia for the Games, expectations were low that we’d be able to challenge the mighty Russian and East German teams for Olympic glory. There was one exception, though. Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean were already three times world champions and the hot favourites to win the ice dancing title. Already the darlings of British sport, the pair were on the brink of becoming world famous with a routine that would become one of the iconic moments in British sporting history.  By the time they arrived in Sarajevo, the Olympic gold was the only major title that had eluded Torvill and Dean’s grasp. The Nottingham pair were one of the hottest favourites in Olympic history and entered the free dance routine having already been awarded three perfect sixes for a compulsory dance - the first time this had ever happened. As the evening of Valentine’s Day arrived, millions of us eagerly awaited their appearance.  It was 9.52pm before Torvill and Dean finally took the ice. Wearing the now iconic purple silk chiffon outfits, the pair knelt in the centre of the Zetra Stadium as the opening notes of Maurice Ravel’s 1928 piece, Bolero, began to play. The next four minutes has become one of the most well-known in British sporting history. The Bolero – a story about two star-crossed lovers unable to marry and who throw themselves into a volcano - is instantly recognisable. Even not having seen the routine for years I was able to recall the pair’s kiss, Chris spinning Jayne around his body and the pair lying spread-eagled on the ice at the dramatic climax.

What happened next is something 24 million of us will never forget. The pair became the highest scoring figure skaters of all time for a single programme, receiving twelve perfect 6.0s and six 5.9s which included perfect 6.0s from every judge for artistic impression. I even remember the BBC’s Alan Weeks remarking in his typically understated way that it was 6.0s “right across the board - a marvellous, marvellous set of marks.”  Torvill and Dean returned home to Nottingham to be greeted by huge crowds, and toured the city somewhat incongruously perched on the back of an open-top Land Rover. The pair have since been awarded the freedom of the city while two streets in Wollaton bear their names. And, to recognise the city as the home of the routine, the iconic purple outfits take pride of place in the new Ice Arena which is located, appropriately, in Bolero Square. While British sport has been blessed with lots of great moments over the years there has rarely been a countryuniting event like this. Five million more people watched the four minute routine than watched England’s World Cup penalty shootout defeat to Germany in 1990 and, in 2002, the Bolero was voted number eight in a poll of the top 100 sporting moments of all time.  For a 9 year old boy and millions more across the nation, the Bolero will always be something special. For four short minutes on a Tuesday evening thirty years ago, the eyes of the world were on a Nottingham policeman and insurance clerk – a pair who did themselves, the city and the nation proud.

Belarus Free Theatre - Generation JeansThe Belarus Free Theatre are an underground theatre company who are forced perform in secret locations due to persecution by the oppressive Belarusian government. They were scheduled to perform at the last NEAT Festival in 2011 but their passports were withdrew, rendering them stateless and unable to travel. They applied for asylum in the UK and were able to perform two shows here but some are still unable to return home. Generation Jeans is a monologue by Nicolai Khalezin, humorous and serious by turns, that reveals the courage of those who refuse to be downtrodden, reflecting a personal and political struggle with oppression. Luckily, unlike the people of Belarus, you can watch this play without risking arrest. Bolero / Mass Bolero Thirty years ago, Torvill and Dean pulled off a coup at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics when their routine to Ravel’s Bolero achieved the highest ever score in figure skating and won gold, Britain’s only medal that year. Mass Bolero is a community project in which local people will perform a choreographed dance which will become a film to be shows at the Broadway. Furthermore, Michael Pinchbeck’s play Bolero uses an international cast and local community performers to explore the links between Nottingham and Sarajevo, the city where an assassination exactly one hundred years ago led to the outbreak of the First World War. Gob Squad - Western Society Started by some NTU Contemporary Arts graduates and German exchange students, The Gob Squad are now based in Berlin. They produce quirky, provocative experimental art shows that use technology in interesting ways. In Western Society they zoom their cameras into a family living room where friends are gathered to sing karaoke and consider whether life in a consumer capitalist society constitutes happiness. Zagreb Youth Theatre - The Seagull An acclaimed production of one of Anton Chekhov’s greatest plays, dramatising the love triangles within a creative household and the artistic and sexual frustration of a young playwright, Konstantin. For anyone whose Serbo-Croat is a bit rusty, it will be performed with subtitles.

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Wheee! Children’s Festival Running alongside NEAT14 is the annual Wheee! Children’s Dance and Theatre Festival at Lakeside Arts Centre. There will be plenty for the little ones including puppet shows, dance, family workshops and, of course, the return of the light temple that is the Luminarium. Raising Lazarus Lazarus Francois left the Caribbean island of Grenada in 1915 to fight for Britain in the First World War. His granddaughter, Kat Francois, tells of her efforts to discover his story in a solo play that tells of human experience, hope and loss. Magnificat A chorus of women, led by Marta Górnicka of Poland, challenge representation of the Madonna as the ideal woman in Catholicism, mixing pop lyrics with excerpts from Greek tragedy, bible passages and news clippings to give women a powerful new voice. NEAT14 runs from Friday 23 May to Sunday 1 June at various locations across the city. neatfestival.co.uk

It’s been just over ten years since Carlton Studios on Lenton Lane was shut down, with more than 350 jobs going to the wall with it. Since then, we’ve had our Central news broadcast to us from Birmingham, which as anyone with a vague sense of direction and geography can tell you, is not near enough to us to be called local. The launch of Notts TV is full of hope and promise - a bit like Notts County and Forest fans at the start of every season, but with less naivety. Could it mark a return to the glory days of us having local telly that actually means something to the people of this city? Lets press the rewind button on our HD ready flatscreens and look dreamily into the distance as the screen goes all wibbly and we flashback to watch Nottingham’s role in local and national TV through the years…

1972

words: Harry Wilding illustrations: Tom Heather

Cult children’s TV series Rainbow gets its first airing on the ITV network. The voice of George, and later Zippy, are both done by Nottingham-born actor and voiceover artist Roy Skelton. His previous work was mainly on Doctor Who, voicing villains such as Daleks, Cybermen and Krotons.

1953 The BBC show Robin Hood is the legend’s first representation on television. It stars Patrick Troughton as the man in tights and runs for six episodes. There will be much more of our outlaw on the box over the next sixty years, and not just from the UK - the likes of Germany, France, USA, Japan, and Russia all have a crack at the legend in their own various, often wacky, ways.

1963 Pioneer of gay rights and self-proclaimed anarchist, Ray Gosling has his first TV documentary, Two Town Mad, shown on the BBC. The film is a comparison between Leicester - where he attended uni - and Nottingham - where he moved in the early sixties and stayed. He would go on to make over a hundred documentaries up until his death in 2013, including an Inside Out in 2004 in which he revisited the same Leicester and Notts people and places he had filmed over forty years earlier.

1956 Following the creation of Independent Television (ITV) in 1954, Associated Television (ATV) - after messing about providing London with telly for a year - are awarded the franchise to provide the weekday independent television service for the Midlands, which began on 17 February. This was all beamed to TV viewers from Birmingham.

1967 ATV extend their Midlands service to seven days a week. So, yeah, now covering, like, 100% of time.

1991

1983-1986

Samantha Morton makes her TV debut, starring in four episodes of Soldier Soldier at the age of fourteen. A few years later she becomes a national celebrity due to her portrayal of a young prostitute in Band of Gold.

The great Auf Wiedersehen Pet, starring Tim Healy, Timothy Spall, and Jimmy Nail hits the country’s TV screens. Although sold as the adventures of a gang of Geordie workmen in Germany, the show was actually the adventures of a gang of Geordie workmen in Notts. Apparently Nottinghamshire looks just like Newcastle and Dusseldorf.

BBC East Midlands, following a shift around of the channel’s regions, is created in Nottingham and based at York House on Mansfield Road. Central Elstree exiles often thought of Lenton Lane’s output as not the proper telly they has previously made dahn south and staff that had stayed at Central Birmingham expected everything to come back to them eventually. What actually happened was the opposite, when Central transferred the majority of the work, and staff, to us heathens in the East.

1989 Nottingham-born Cherie Lunghi becomes a national sex symbol in the title role of Channel 4’s The Manageress, a drama about a woman managing a professional football team. She follows this up with a series of adverts for Kenco where she bats off a string of potential lovers with dismissive one-liners as she just wants to drink coffee, okay?

Born in Nottingham in 1925, actor Ivor Roberts - after a lot of theatre work - starts his TV acting career in his mid-forties with several episodes of Coronation Street. He would go on to star in episodes of The Sweeney, Doctor Who, Porridge, Z Cars, Crossroads, Two Up Two Down, You Rang, M’Lord?... the list goes on. His most recurring role was as Arnold, an engine driver, in Oh Doctor Beeching, from 1995 to 1997.

1974 Brian Clough makes TV history by carping on about how much he dislikes Leeds and Don Revie in a very candid interview with David Frost. This comes days after his fortyfour day stint as manager at Leeds United, just prior to him joining Nottingham Forest for a trophy-ridden eighteen years.

1993

Housewife’s favourite Dale Winton, after a stint on Radio Trent in the eighties, returns to Nottingham to present the hit game show Supermarket Sweep. Students and dossers around the country tuned in every morning to watch contestants go “wild in the aisles” with a trolley as they frantically swept goods off shelves. The nation goes completely sex mad as a TV adaptation of DH Lawrence’s classic Lady Chatterley’s Lover hits the screen. Joely Richardson and Sean Bean are cast to be controversial with each other.

Common as Muck, a drama about binmen (better than it sounds), starring Neil Dudgeon, Edward Woodward, and Kathy Burke, is written by Notts County fan Billy Ivory. He wants to set the programme in Nottingham, but the powers that be do not let him; so Oldham it is. Central is taken over by Carlton Communications and the studios are rebranded as Carlton Studios, before eventually being renamed Carlton in 1999. Things changed for the worse when Carlton took over, with fewer shows being made in the studios and more being bought from outsiders, as Lenton Lane started being dictated to by London much more.

2013

The Old Market Square is taken over by a film crew, a large truck, and a naked Stephen Tompkinson. A few months later, Billy Ivory’s Truckers airs on the BBC, set and shot a few miles south of Oldham (you know; ‘ere in Notts, innit, duck).

2014 Notts TV launches on Channel 8. Hoorah!

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While certainly not her first telly role - having been working steadily since she was ten years old when she appeared in Peak Practice in 2000 - Aisling Loftus gets a major role in ITV’s Mr Selfridge, as the well cockney Agnus Towler, guv’ner.

Alan Sillitoe makes his TV writing debut with an adaptation of his 1972 short story Pit Strike, written in response to the 1972 miners’ strikes. It is shown as a part of BBC2’s Premiere, a series of standalone dramas, and stars a young Bernard Hill.

1982

Ilkeston-born Robert Lindsay becomes the archetypal ragtag radical in a three-year run of the BBC comedy series Citizen Smith.

1980-1988 A year after making her telleh debut in Two Up, Two Down, the fictional English holiday camp Maplins opens its doors to Su Pollard, and us, with its friendly greeting, Hi-de-Hi! The sitcom, and Su’s part in it, lasts for nine series and firmly installs her and her character of Peggy into the hearts of Nottingham and the whole bleddy country.

ATV Midlands are renamed Central Independent Television. Viewers, and even City Councils, in the North and East Midlands want better coverage of their areas and finally rebel against the fact that anywhere twenty miles outside of Birmingham doesn’t get a look in. Thus, a separation of the East and West Midlands coverage was called for and, thankfully, heard.

1983-84

1983

Lenton Lane in Nottingham becomes the location for Central East Midlands. In March 1984, the seventeen acre site is officially opened by Prince Philip, who was somewhat slow off the mark as Central had begun operations the previous September.

It was early in Central’s life that the Junior Television Workshop was started by Sue Knott. It gives many young actors their first TV experience, with such shows as Woof!, The Bretts, Peak Practice, Boon, and The Upper Hand. Many now well known actors began at the workshop and they continue to pump them out to this day - Samantha Morton, Toby Kebbell, Ace Bhatti, Georgia Groome, Joe

The Lenton Lane workforce consisted of ex-Elstree Studio workers, who were forced to choose between a job in Nottingham or no job at all when Elstree shut down - a bit of a no brainer; ex-Birmingham staff who mostly just wanted a change of scenery; and, no doubt the happiest of the lot, Notts residents who applied for jobs when the studios arrived on their patch.

Dempsie, Andrew Shim, Vicky McClure, Lauren and Michael Socha, Pui Fan Lee, Rosamund Hanson, Oscar Kennedy, Aisling Loftus, Jack O’Connell, to name but a mere few.

The studios at Central West Midlands in Birmingham were, logically, numbered one to four, so Nottingham got the continuity

1997 1994

1977

Pui Fan Lee, a student of Television Workshop, dons a red suit that is equally as cute as it is terrifying, to become one of the four Teletubbies, Po. The show courts controversy with allegations of teaching the youth of the day about homosexuality, communism and big pimping. Uh-oh! Bernard’s Watch Watch, a kids’ show about a boy that could stop time with a pocket watch, was initially filmed for CITV at South Wilford CofE Primary School.

2011 Ace Bhatti’s right bad-un Dr Khan is killed off in a suitably spectacular fashion on Boxing Day, having had a decent stint on a popular show, while not lingering around long enough to become majorly type-cast.

1999 New, swanky, state-of-the-art headquarters for BBC East Midlands are built on London Road, containing the newsroom for East Midlands Today, a small studio for use by regional news, and even accommodation for Radio Nottingham.

of five to nine (and later ten in the nineties). Studio Five was used for local news bulletins (not the main news programme) and in-vision continuity when that still existed (for those who grew up after the eighties: smartly dressed, well spoken presenters used to pop up on your TV screen to introduce the next programme or promote ones that were coming soon - only UTV in Northern Ireland persevere with it to this day. Studio Six was a medium-sized studio with an audience capacity of 100, which was mainly known for accommodating Blockbusters; Studio Seven and Eight were the two biggest studios, each with an audience capacity of 500, and they were used for game shows such as The Price is Right, Family Fortunes, Supermarket Sweep, and as well as the likes of sitcom The Upper Hand and the debate show Thursday Night Live; and Studio Nine was used for Central News East.

2001-2003

2004

The original series of the soap opera, Crossroads, set in a Birmingham motel, ran from 1964 to 1988 and had been filmed at Birmingham’s Broad Street studios. It is decided that its revival will be filmed at Lenton Lane. MistaJam makes his name by playing Minty for two years, as reactions to the comeback, after the initial surprise, are favourable at first even though hat-wearing fan favourite Benny was no longer part of the cast. Four cast members from the original series returned, to then quickly leave; Doris, played by Kathy Staff, left citing that it was no longer the family show as she knew it with too much sex in the storylines. A new producer in 2002 tried to take it in a new direction further by aiming it towards the gay market. No-one seemed to be enjoying it, though, whatever their sexual orientation, and the show died, seemingly dragging the studio down with it.

The Lenton Lane complex is sold to Nottingham University and, among other things, is now home to the Media Archive for Central England (MACE), where most of ATV’s and Central’s programmes are archived.

2010

After periodically popping up on our telly screens since 1984, Ace Bhatti makes his Eastenders debut as the mischievous Dr Yusef Khan. Following the success of his 2006 This Is England film, Shane Meadows revisits the characters again, setting the mini-TV series’ action in 1986. It proved to be one of the most powerful TV shows for years. He followed it up with This Is England ‘88 - ‘90 is currently in the works.

2007 West Bridgford lad, Joe Dempsie, bags a main part in the original Skins series, as Chris. It spawns six more series, with three changes of cast, an American remake, and no doubt far too many Skins inspired parties from real teenagers. Parents all over the country despair and blame the telleh for their wrecked houses.

2009 Samantha Morton makes her writing and directing debut with the TV movie, The Unloved, a semiautobiographical film about an eleven-year-old girl who is placed in a children’s home. She chooses to film it here in Nottingham with local talent.

“I killed someone once. He’d been my lover and he got aids. I picked up the pillow and smothered him until he was dead. No regrets.” These were the words of Ray Gosling on an Inside Out about death shown on BBC East Midlands. The police promptly arrested him, but upon further investigation realised that Ray had made the story up - he wasn’t even in the UK at the time of his supposed victim’s death.

Nottingham’s bid for its own TV channel is won along with eighteen other UK cities and towns - including Birmingham.

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Free Entry

Somewhat Abstract Selections from the Arts Council Collection

Nottingham Contemporary Weekday Cross Nottingham NG1 2GB 0115 948 9750 www.nottinghamcontemporary.org Open Tue – Sun & Bank Holiday Mondays Wolfgang Tillmans, Dan, 2008. Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London © the artist. Courtesy Maureen Paley, London.

12 Apr — 29 Jun 2014

interview: Ashley Carter photo: Nick Archer

The Creative Quarter got everyone talking back when it was announced in 2012 but became one of the most misunderstood projects that the city’s ever seen. Kathy McArdle - the Creative Quarter’s Chief Operating Officer - worked in the regeneration of Temple Bar, Dublin and Media City, Salford Quays, and has been in post for a year now. We caught up with her to try and get a few facts straight and see how it’s all been going… What is the Creative Quarter? The geographical area is primarily made up of The Lace Market, Hockley, Sneinton Market and The Island site. Secondly, the Creative Quarter Company is an organisation created to help support existing businesses to grow and develop. What are CQ’s main responsibilities? We work to attract new business and investment into the area and support existing businesses. We want to make the area an attractive place to do business by helping create a sociable and attractive environment with a great scene, somewhere where enterprising things happen and where talented young people feel welcome. What do you think people’s expectations were? The Creative Quarter was set up as Nottingham’s flagship project under the Nottingham Growth Plan, a £60m package, so there were big expectations of what the project would deliver. The main problem was that people automatically assumed all the money was going directly into the Creative Quarter area, when in actual fact that money was going into a whole range of finance schemes, which weren’t all directly applicable to the Creative Quarter. What was the money used for? £8m is to improve the public realm in the Creative Quarter, for example funding pedestrian improvements on Broad Street and Heathcoat Street, which will hopefully make the area more inviting and create a café culture. £1m is going into the Creative Quarter loan scheme, which has already made fifteen or sixteen loans to businesses in the Creative Quarter, supporting job creation. Another £1m is going into Next Business Generation, which is a programme to create new companies. Another £10m went into the Nottingham Technology Grant Scheme, which grants funds for businesses in the three priority sectors (life sciences, clean tech and digital content). And then £40m has gone into a venture capital fund that will invest in companies who may or may not end up based in the Creative Quarter. How do you try to ensure that people from so many different backgrounds and disciplines work together? We’ve got lots of organisations of different sizes working across a wide variety of sectors. It’s about trying to make them understand that collectively the sum is greater than the part, and that if they do work together and everyone plays their part, they can make a really compelling project to be involved with. The Creative Quarter company was brand new so initially the focus was very much on activity, relationship building, partnership development, getting some quick wins, a pop-up centre and a start-up weekend. The latter was for thirty-five

young entrepreneurs, in conjunction with Broadway and BioCity Next Business Generation. How successful was the pop-up shop? It was a huge success. Forty different businesses traded out of there, which was brilliant as it allowed us to engage with some fantastic new and established businesses. It was also a great way of showcasing all the amazing things that are made in Nottingham, as well as the designer culture, which is often invisible. It attracted around 15,000 visitors over seven weeks, providing a turnover of about £40,000, all of which went back into the traders’ pockets. It was a great example of how successful a project can be when people work in collaboration. How do you hope to do improve the area? We are looking at how we can revitalise Hockley. If you look around there is a lot of empty, unused office space and old heritage properties that desperately need to be brought back to life. Sneinton Market is being refurbished over the next two years, so it will be interesting to see how we can support businesses to go into that area. Part of our mission is to make sure the environment is right for creative businesses to grow and flourish. The metaphor we use is a kind of gardening metaphor: it’s not about teaching people how to garden, or teaching plants how to grow, it’s about making sure that the soil is watered, the seeds are planted, and there is enough sunshine! Have people been impatient waiting for results? At first there was negative feeling as the expectations were raised too high when the scheme was announced in October 2012. There is still a lot of work to do, but perceptions have already shifted. I think Nottingham is quite a fast-paced city in general. There is a lot of frustration with big projects that have been proposed continually over the last ten years and haven’t quite come to fruition, that’s why Sneinton Market is really important. Over the last decade there has been a lot of talk about it becoming the Covent Garden of Nottingham, but for a whole variety of reasons this hasn’t materialised. Nottingham City Council bought back the site earlier this year and are hoping that refurbishments will be finished in December 2015. Sneinton Market will become a symbol that says that this is a project that can, and will, deliver, rather than a set of empty promises. The Covent Garden comparison is interesting because London has long been seen as the eventual place for Nottingham’s creatives to move to in order to make a decent living. Can you turn Nottingham into a place where people can feasibly make enough money to not have to leave? That is absolutely one of the aspirations and ambitions of the project. If you have created a mass of businesses, and they have

access to the right markets, that definitely becomes a place where graduates can move to the city and find employment or stay and set up their own business and feel confident that they can flourish. You’re not from Nottingham, do you see that as being either an advantage or disadvantage? It has been a disadvantage in that I didn’t know anyone when I first came here. I knew of Nottingham Contemporary and I found out about LeftLion before I interviewed. Coming to a new city, you have to build rapport and relationships with people over a very short space of time. I carry a lot of experience from working in Liverpool, Media City in Salford Quays on the regeneration project and in Temple Bar, Dublin, which was being developed as Europe’s first cultural quarter. What do you think has been your biggest success so far? The biggest thing we’ve done is a little bit invisible, but we lobbied the D2N2 [a local enterprise partnership for Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Derby and Derbyshire] to make sure the creative industries were included in their strategic economic growth plan. That took a lot of work behind the scenes but it is really important as it is ensures the creative industries are a priority in the economic growth of the region. Who else is on the team? It started with just me but now I’m joined by Dan, our administrator, and Sarah, who does all of our marketing and communications. In reality we’re a tiny organisation. If you were able to start again what would you do differently? Looking back it would have been very useful to have mapped and audited the Creative Quarter but it would have taken six months, and just didn’t feel like the best use of my time back then as we had to focus on getting people and businesses engaged. What do you want to do in the next twelve months? In the next year we will publish our Creative Quarter plan for 2014 – 2023. We’re going to support the Creative Quarter Connect program and focus on ramping up the business and cultural events in the Creative Quarter, which we have a little bit of funding for. We’d also like to grow the website further. With refurbishing some of the properties in the area, I would really like to see a revitalised Hockley. We want to ensure that the Creative Quarter, and in particular The Lace Market, feature heavily in the city’s heritage strategy. There’s a great deal of history in the area, which is a greatly underused resource. creativequarter.com leftlion.co.uk/issue58

Crazy

Dreamer

Empath

Producer

Leftie

LeftLion prides itself on being creative but every now and again we take a day off and get a bit lazy. On one such day we created this beauty of a quiz that panders to stereotypes like we were Cosmopolitan or summat. Go on, all you need is a pen to circle your answers (feel free to use different shapes if circles are too mainstream, and please do experiment with colour) to find out what kind of creative you are... How technical are you? a. You know how to attach a document to an email b. You’ve completed Mario on every Nintendo console c. You can fill out an Arts Council Grant in under an hour d. Your best friend is Tron

Who designed your business card? a. That booth in Viccy Centre where you get 100 for a fiver b. I made it me’sen c. I’m not Patrick bloody Bateman d. Me mate did it for free so I owe him a favour

You buy a laptop for £300. How much does your tax return say it cost? a. What laptop? You can’t claim for that b. £300 c. £325 d. Actually, it wasn’t a laptop it was an entire multimedia system with mint speakers. Only cost five grand

What grade did you get in your degree? a. First Class Honours in Cultural Studies b. It’s all a blur c. Does a Poly count? d. Dropped out in the first year, got a job as a pizza delivery boy, got the sack for eating the pizzas, wrote a phone app that makes fart noises and made a mint. Now I’m a guest lecturer

How often do you shave? a. I’m a late developer b. Once a week, razors are well expensive c. In the car on the way into work while listening to Run DMC d. In the car on the way into work, except I don’t have a car and I’m not working at the moment

Rate the following statement on a scale of 1 – 10. “England is mine and The Arts Council owe me a living.” a. 2.5 b. 5 c. 7 d. Sorry youth, I’m shit at maths

What’s the longest you’ve held down a 9-5? a. 3 years b. 3 months c. 3 days d. Mate, I don’t even get up till 5pm

Which of the following does your books? a. Chartered accountant b. I never earn enough to put in a claim c. A professional accountant for creatives d. A ‘creative accountant’

When collaborating with a team the first thing you do is... a. Pretend you’re in The Apprentice and waste the day coming up with a poxy name like Snergy b. Buy an Apple laptop and suggest meeting in Broadway c. Arrange a Skype meeting. Then test your multitasking skills by having a stealth wank under the table d. Apologise that you can’t make it as you have another meeting Insert the correct word into the following statement: Think outside ___________ a. The box b. The rectangle c. The dodecahedron d. The quadrilateral parallelogram

words: James Walker illustrations: Adam Poole 32

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The last person you had a wank over was? a. I don’t masturbate, it depletes my creative juices b. Kirsty Wark c. Work colleagues while conducting a group Skype meeting d. Steve Jobs

Mostly As: You’re about as much use as a Sinclair C5 Mostly Bs: You’re showing signs of potential but don’t quit the temp agency yet Mostly Cs: Stay off the weed, you’re so close… Mostly Ds: You’re the uber creative, the kind of bastard who insists on being paid yet expects everyone else to work for free

You’re feeling peckish, do you... a. Lunch is for wimps b. A Gregg’s pasty while talking on your mobile c. Glug from a bottle of tommy sauce. It’s sugar, int it. d. Feta, rocket and fig panini

You attend a meeting about a new scheme in Nottingham that wants to invest in the creative industries. Do you... a. Get well excited and wedge your wallet with business cards fresh off the Viccy printer b. Stay in and watch an entire series of Breaking Bad, boring your partner senseless with details of how you would improve the narrative c. Go to the meeting and try to start a fight d. Slag off the scheme, accuse the funders of favouritism and then bitch about it in a blog that nobody reads

Creativity isn’t just about coming up with ace ideas and lobbing them online. So what if you’ve got an iPad, three Twitter accounts and refer to your best mates from school as ‘followers’. There’s a bit more to it than that. It involves proper hard graft. Your first test as a potential creative is to see whether you can be arsed to cut out our starter kit. If you can, all you need to do then is dip the figures in the Trent and they’ll come out life size, just like Sport Billy. You can have your own creative gathering in the comfort of your front room and road test what it’d be like to doss around with people of a like mind. First though, some rules:

Creative Rules

A creative toolkit is basically like a builder’s toolkit except there’s nowt in it you can fix the house with. You won’t be able to find it in the back of the van either because it’s either online or in yer nut. Creativity is about connecting in unexpected ways so make sure once you’ve cut out the characters you move ‘em around a bit. It’s not meant to be like an owd people’s home.

Creativity is about problem solving so we’ve not drawn scissor lines around any of the figures. You’ll just have ta figure this one out for yersen – or get yer sister to do it dead neat for you. Be careful with scissors. LeftLion will not be held responsible for your cack-handed fuckwittedness.

Taker

Outsider

Dreams of being creative but is a right lazy get. The kind of person who’d nick yer chips when you go for a piss and not even bother to scatter the remaining ones around the plate to conceal the theft. Spends most of the day filling out X Factor application forms and singing karaoke down the local.

Is a bit over-sensitive and probably thinks Robert Smith is a good role model because he’s still wearing lippy into his fifties. You’ve seen them around for years and start to worry they might be a stalker or working undercover for the cops. The kind of person who sets up a Twitter account and follows loads of interesting people but never tweets anything their self.

Found: In bed, at their mam’s.

Found: Sat at the back of a poetry reading at Alley Café taking notes.

Empath

Producer

Has no grasp of reality whatsoever and spends most of their time either playing World of Warcraft or highlighting passages on their Kindle. A bit of a loner who prefers their own thoughts and thinks getting stoned at a party is being creative. The only pair of scissors they own are an icon on Photoshop.

A proper grafter, who gets things done when they say they will. The synapses in their brain are more wired than a game of Kerplunk. They don’t get a mard when others in the team let them down and are able to text, smoke and walk at the same time. Live by the mantra ‘there’s no ‘I’ in team’ but have the wisdom to realise they’d sound like a cock if they said it aloud.

Found: Sloped on a sofa at a party in Forest Fields

Found: Latte’d to the max in Antenna nattering to a group of potential clients.

Crazy

Maker

This is your Mel Gibson to your Danny Glover, the “Ponch” Poncherello offsetting Larry Wilcox. Likely to frape you by signing you up to the ‘I love ginger midgets’ group. A right scatty get who’s late for everything but the best person to be sat next to at a party. Specially as everyone else is stoned.

Does exactly what it says on the packet. Their idea of heaven is cutting out bits of coloured card and attaching with glitter glue. Probably the most well-balanced of the lot as they’ve achieved the Holy Grail of being able to think and create. Survives the day on peppermint tea and cute little home-made cupcakes that have faces made out of jelly and icing.

Found: Running naked around the Arboretum, flapping arms like wano, convinced they can fly.

Found: Flogging fluffy bird badges to yummy mummies in a café in Sherwood or Bridgford.

Mimic

Techie

Basically a Neanderthal on the first step of the evolutionary ladder to creativity. They nob ideas off anyone because they don’t have the confidence to think for theirsens. They’ve got one of them weird mullet haircuts that looks like it’s been cut by an alcoholic and think it’s cool to wear eighties-style glasses without lenses.

The master of gadgets who believes they are a 21st century Gandalf by using a dismissive whoosh of their finger to scroll through their iPad, creating the impression they’re casting spells on the heathens around them who are yet to embrace the virtual office. They’ve got more friends on Facebook than David Attenborough and think IQ was a beta version of QR codes.

Found: In Lee Rosy’s reading GQ, drinking a tea they can’t spell.

Found: Everywhere, but mostly in Broadway where they tutt at anyone daring to show up with a tech product without a half-eaten apple on the back.

Dreamer

Could out-talk your nana and her bingo group. Will happily bore you shitless for hours and then look surprised when you nip off to the bogs and don’t come back. The dreamer basically has a broken brain which keeps over-producing ideas meaning they never actually get around to doing anything. The kind of person who, if thinking of buying a house, would spend most of the viewing looking through the content of their bookshelf. Found: Chewing your ear off at the opening night at Tempreh but boggers off the minute they’ve downed their free cocktail.

Maker

Mimic

Leftie

You write for the local rag, not because you have any talent but because you’re unemployed and want free review tickets for the next Bugg concert. Must be humble as your uploaded articles will be full of typos and inaccuracies (soz WoLAN). Found: Right at the front when your carefully crafted creative project doesn’t quite go to plan but are nowhere to be seen when you nail it.

Outsider

Taker

Techie

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Untitled

by Sid Sottung This style was done using the same ethos of the Bauhaus School of Design. I created it for the upcoming launch of my new academy, and to use in my ladies cutting and colouring courses. The inspiration for the colour came from my neighbour at Frock, Esther Michailovs: she was piecing together a collection of dresses for her fashion show and I loved the way the colours worked together. From that I came up with an idea of how it could work in hair. The colour consists of soft lemon, dusky pink rose and velvet peach tones which provide movement and a three-dimensional effect to the hair. The cut itself represents a modern take on a classic twenties bob shape with a sixties mod influence. The look has a strong foundation and a loose, soft internal layering technique that represents the movement and fluidity of the exaggerated lengths. A modern style with endless styling capabilities. I’ve worked in the barbering and professional hairdressing world for over twenty years. I’m originally from America and worked in Vidal Sassoon salons in New York Fifth Avenue, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles and Washington DC. From there I moved into professional hair education and have formerly taught at the world renowned Vidal Sassoon Advanced Academy and School of Classic Cutting in Mayfair, London and the Vidal Sassoon Education Centre in Santa Monica, Los Angeles. Then I decided I wanted to follow my own dream and so pursued a freelance career where I worked backstage at international fashion shows, collaborated with cutting edge photographers in fashion editorial work, crafted hair for television and film productions, as well as tending to both male and female celebrity clientele internationally. I have taken part in educational shows and on stage teaching seminars for leading names in hairdressing including Wella, Fudge, Davines and Vidal Sassoon, in addition to providing in house, bespoke educational services to prestigious leading international and national hair salons, barber shops, schools and colleges globally. I also recently appeared as a celebrity barber and wet shaving expert on myhairdressers.com, sharing my step-by-step guide to the perfect traditional wet shave. My ambition and love for high quality, elite hairdressing and barbering education was the inspiration behind the opening of Cobra Hair Academy and then for my own academy, the Sid Sottung Academy. My goal is to constantly push the boundaries of professional hairdressing and barbering in this exciting, flamboyant field of education. sidsottungacademy.com

Art works Enigmatic Certainty by Ian Jones My work is usually quite dark and surreal in content, although often with a psychedelic, vibrant colour palette. I like that juxtaposition. I am a fan of The Cure and The Smiths, and am fascinated by how both of these bands used jolly, upbeat, feel good tunes to deliver dark or sombre lyrics. This contrast is an inspiration to my visual art - I rarely work without music, it informs the whole rhythm and mood of my art. Sometimes the whole composition of a piece of work can be based on a mental picture formed while listening to music. A theme I’m particularly interested in is the idea of consciousness and perception of reality; Shamanism, philosophy, physics and alchemy all influence the visual aesthetic of my art. Chaos also features heavily and I try to harness it wherever possible. Serendipity, the happy accident principle, is never far away either. I start with an initial concept for each piece, they then evolve and change organically throughout the creative process. Enigmatic Certainty is a layered mixture of photo manipulation and texture, coupled with digital painting. It is from a recent series of work that focuses on the darker side of the human condition; themes such as addiction serve as inspiration. The series is ongoing, I want to have about a dozen portraits in all. I’m then hoping to exhibit the work as a collection. I use a lot of photography in my work and my images are built up through a layering process that utilises painting, drawing and collage skills to knit it all together into the rich, textured result. Sometimes I create hybrid pieces that are a direct combination of traditional and digital. I am looking to experiment with screen printing from digital to produce a series of pieces using another hybrid process. Photoshop is the main tool I use for my digital work, the only limit to its digital painting engine is your imagination. Many of my brushes are created from scanned or photographed real paint marks that are then manipulated and converted into custom digital brushes. I have brushes made from Aztec symbols, from fish bones, from floorboards. It’s such a powerful tool - I like the freedom of it. That quick snapshot of an interestingly textured paving slab could become my most prized brush. Most recently I have been fortunate enough to illustrate a full chapter of a graphic novel - released later this year - alongside some of my childhood heroes, which is very exciting. I am also working on a personal graphic novel project that will be set in Nottingham City and Sherwood Forest, but not as we know it... It’s in the very early development stages but is taking shape - I’m aiming to possibly run a Kickstarter project to fund the creation of the book, so watch this space... ianjonesartandillustration.com

leftlion.co.uk/issue58

Nottingham

Join up for free business advice and networking events Thursday 17th April - ‘From Nottingham Designer to High Street Retailer’ Monday 12th May - ‘Food and Drink Sector Insights and Future Trends’ Thursday 19th June - ‘Get the best out of Social Media Marketing’

To sign up for our network, email

businessgrowth@nottinghamcity.gov.uk

Connecting and celebrating independent retailers in Nottingham city centre

LEFTLION LISTINGS

For even more comprehensive and detailed listings visit leftlion.co.uk/listings Add your event at leftlion.co.uk/add

APRIL - MAY 2014

Sister Act Elena and Steph Hargreaves are gearing up for their EP launch at Albert Hall in May

Pick of The Month - April Eight eggciting - sorreh - events to get in your diaries

Pick of the Month - May / Nusic Box Three new artists that need to be on your radar

Listings - April Nowt wet about all the things going off this month

Listings - May May the force to do decent stuff be with you

SISTER ACT

Arts and Theatre Listings Get yourself cultured, youth

interview: Sam Nahirny photo: Joe Dixey

FAN-TASTIC This May sees The Hargreaves take on possibly the most ambitious debut EP launch of all time. The two sisters are playing the Albert Hall, one of Nottingham’s largest and most daunting venues, and are bringing a hundred children along for the ride with all proceeds going to the Nottingham Education Trust. They’ve been toiling away to make sure it’s a night to remember, but were good enough to down tools to talk us through the method behind their madness... How are you both? Elena: Good, very busy. We had our first live rehearsal with the Robin Hood Youth Orchestra this morning. What made you want to come together to do this EP Launch? Steph: It was quite natural. We’ve been doing our solo projects, Elena went off to pursue acting down in London, and I studied contemporary music in Surrey. But as musicians, we’d always back each other. We did a BBC radio session together where we each sang a solo song, but did the backing harmonies for each other, and they said then, “you would make a great duo”, so we took their advice and finally stopped resisting it. This is a very ambitious EP launch, but just how big is it going to be? Elena: It’s going to be huge. We have a Hargreaves ‘family’ of musicians to help us out. So, we’ll have a full live band, fifty or so kids from the Robin Hood Youth Orchestra and fifty kids from Milford Academy singing on stage with us; it’s a massive collaboration. It started out as such a small idea, but so many people believed in what we were doing and wanted to help... What else is going off at the launch? Elena: The Golden Troubadours and Joy Mumford will be supporting. The kids’ art will be heavily featured, and the stage design will all be done by them too. Rastarella of Cultural Vibrations will be hosting the night alongside one lucky girl and boy she’s mentored.

leftlion.co.uk/issue58

Where did the initial idea for all of this come from? Elena: Being dreamers, we wanted to give something back to our city, and it’s helped us find ourselves at the same time. Steph: What kids are exposed to nowadays, such as the over sexualised Rihanna songs, it feels wrong. It’d be great to help the next generation realise that there’s music with positive messages out there. You don’t have to be famous to write songs, you don’t have to believe this illusion of female musicians being beautiful girls with full make-up. We’re just two normal girls from Nottingham and if we can do it, they can. There’s nothing stopping them. Elena: Your unique selling point is you, so you just have to stick to that. You mentioned singers from the Milford Academy, how did you get involved with them? Elena: We spoke to their headteacher, Dom, and he was so passionate about our project and really wanted to be involved. We go every Monday morning, so we’ve become a big part of their school life. They are always so passionate and beaming. We did a tick list when we first started, so if singing wasn’t their thing they could choose to be involved with things such as stage design, merchandise or artwork. They’re all going to be involved with singing though! We’ve set them up their own blog so their parents can see what they’ve been up to. We’re trying to give the kids as many opportunities as possible. Why primary school kids? Steph: We didn’t have the opportunity to do anything like this at that age, and we would have loved it. They’re Year Six, so

they’re about to move up to secondary school and become bottom of the ladder again. At the moment they almost feel empowered because they’re the oldest in the school, so we wanted to take advantage of this confidence, and hopefully make them apply it to whatever part of the creative industries they enjoyed taking part in the most in the launch. Not to panic you, but have you got much left to sort out before the big night? Elena: Loads. There’s lots of promo going into it. We’re lucky to have help from some incredible people like Tommy from Farmyard Records, Rastarella, Nigel Cooke from One Nottingham and many more. Steph: We have a lot of behind the scenes things happening; Spool are making a documentary for Notts TV, plenty of rehearsals, and we might be having a sneaky flash mob in the first week of April. There’s also a pre-show party at Nottingham Contemporary on Thursday 3 April which will be a teaser for the big night and have some great live music. Final question: Are you scared at the prospect of playing the Albert Hall? Steph: We’ve played a few big venues in other cities, but this means so much more because it’s our hometown. The fact we’re doing our first ever EP launch together at the Albert Hall is crazy. The Hargreaves Project, Thursday 1 May, 7pm, £8/£4, Albert Hall, N Circus Street, NG1 5AA thehargreavesmusic.com

LEFTLION LISTINGS

For even more comprehensive and detailed listings visit leftlion.co.uk/listings Add your event at leftlion.co.uk/add

APRIL - MAY 2014

Sister Act Elena and Steph Hargreaves are gearing up for their EP launch at Albert Hall in May

Pick of The Month - April Eight eggciting - sorreh - events to get in your diaries

Pick of the Month - May / Nusic Box Three new artists that need to be on your radar

Listings - April Nowt wet about all the things going off this month

Listings - May May the force to do decent stuff be with you

SISTER ACT

Arts and Theatre Listings Get yourself cultured, youth

interview: Sam Nahirny photo: Joe Dixey

leftlion.co.uk/issue58

pick of the month

APR

Nathaniel Coltrane Wilson talks Mimm Genre: Electronic beats, bass, house, techno.

Step away from the whoopee cushion. There are gigs, flicks and crafts to be getting to…

Venues: Various secret locations. Who else helps you run the nights? Mimm main girl Tilly Mint (Joanna) and The Mimm Collective, a team of multi-talented, creative individuals. Ten words that sum up your events: Bass, beats, creative, community, artistic, visual, experimental, eclectic, welcoming, BYOB. Describe the average punter at your nights: Open minded and know what they like. Which local act has gone down best with your crowd? Spam Chop hands down, wizard on deck… Which non-local act would you bring back again? A Guy Called Gerald (Live), we had him last May Bank Holiday with Wigflex. If you could get a celebrity compere who would you choose? ODB because he’d make ya shimmy… Raw.

Ryan Thomas EP Launch

Blues is one genre of music that you don’t hear too often round these parts Nottingham not being on a delta or anything - but Ryan Thomas is trying to change that. He sings the blues so authentically, you can almost taste the whisky. To celebrate the launch of his new EP Worries and Troubles, he’s got a full live band together and will be throwing one hell of a party. There’ll be support from Tom McCartney, Anwyn Williams and HeavyHeads; and we’re sure it’ll be a bit of a love fest for one of the hardest working musicians in Notts. Ours is taken on the rocks, if you’re asking. Friday 4 April, 8pm, free, JamCafe

Video Nasties: Draconian Days

Which booze sells best at your events? Red Stripe and pirate juice. Tell us a crazy story that has happened at your events… That normally happens after… If you weren’t a promoter what would you have ended up doing? I’d have become a recluse making tunes. What other events in Nottingham do you love? Wigflex, Tumble, Rubberdub, Sounddhism, CSWS, Farmyard, Dealmaker (RIP) What have you got coming up in April and May? It’s a honour to say the legendary Gilles Peterson will be joining us for our third birthday for a three hour set at The Irish Centre on Bank Holiday Sunday 4 May. Tickets available from our store on Broad Street, where you can also get your hands on the latest offerings of clothes, music and art. mimm.co.uk

David Flint’s Sheer Filth by FAB press is coming out soon and in celebration, there’s gonna be a saucy launch party at the Broadway. There’ll be a sneak preview screening of Video Nasties: Dranconian Days, a film about British censorship and moral panic since the eighties. The directors will be in attendance, taking part in a full Q&A; so make sure to think up some nasty questions. Following that, you’ll have the opportunity to buy Sheer Filth as well as have it signed by David, the man who knows a thing or six about flicks. If you fancied getting filthy yourself, there’ll be an afterparty at the Mezz bar upstairs. Go on, be a devil. Friday 4 April,8pm, £7.70, Broadway Cinema

Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton: This is Stone Throws Records

Mimm are hooking us up with a rare UK screening of the documentary that shines a light on legendary Los Angeles-based label Stones Throw Records. Get on down, as you’ll be one of the first to observe never-before-seen archival footage and photographs from the discerning musical body that brought J Dilla to the forefront of the hip hop scene. Featuring interviews with the likes of Talib Kweli, Common, Beastie Boys’ Mike D and Snoop Dogg, this’ll be an insightful look into the world of underground beat masters. Be sure to dip into The Old Angel post-screening for the official Kold Chillin’ after party, brimming with classic spinning from an extensive list of selectors. Saturday 5 April, 9.45pm, £7.70, Broadway Cinema

Glow Eggs for Easter

Have you ever wanted your own glowing egg like the ones the facehuggers jump out of in the Alien films? Weirdo, that would result in imminent death. Instead you can have the next best thing. If you pop down to Lakeside - make sure to pre-book - you and your kid can take part in a workshop in which you get to draw, paint, decorate and light up your own paper Easter egg, and they’ll even give you the materials. We reckon it’s a lot more fun than gorging yourself on chocolate to the point of regret, and we’re sure the kids will love it too. Wednesday 9 April, 10am, £5, Lakeside Arts Centre

Beyond The Line

If you were to take an artist, a writer and a choreographer, chuck them into a bag and shake them up then you’d probably get something close to this exhibition. Beyond The Line sees Emma Cocker, Nikolaus Gansterer and Mariella Greil come together to explore the points of slippage in drawing, dance and writing (as in slipping beyond the line - see what they did there?) They’ll show how each art form goes from an idea to a final product and how these different methods work when they join forces. Hopefully there won’t be much bickering between the forms, but plenty of collaborative loveliness from the talented trio. Monday 14 - Thursday 17 April, 10am - 5pm, free, Bonington Gallery

From Notts Designer to High Street Retailer

There are a lot of business support workshops springing up and the Council have also got in on the act. Indie City Nottingham is a programme of free business networking events for independent retailers and leisure providers. It’s all about getting people together every month with the aim of connecting and celebrating independent retailers. Guests speak on a range of topics and attendees get to discuss their ideas and potential collaborations with each other. This event is aimed at local fashionistas and design businesses; food and drink sector insights their future trends will be looked at on Monday 12 May. Email businessgrowth@nottinghamcity.gov.uk for info. Thursday 17 April, venues to be confirmed

Hit The Deck 2014

Not everyone is up for riding the current singer-songwriter wave, preferring a bit more grit in their ears. So DHP get raucous again with their annual Hit The Deck festival. Celebrate your love of rock, emo and general alternative sounds by jumping around like a nutter in Rock City, Rescue Rooms, Stealth and The Forum. It’s the day after Bristol, but that’s a good thing because the bands will have limbered up good and proper, ready for us on the Sunday. Brand New will be bringing their verbosely titled songs for a headline slot, and the rest of the line up - including our very own screamers, Baby Godzilla - is packed tighter than huge, hairy nuts in the skinniest of jeans. Sunday 20 April, 12 - 11pm, £20 - £50, various venues

Omar

Can’t Stop Won’t Stop and Goodtimes are at it again, delivering the most legendary, soulful and sought-after acts the lug-holes can handle. First Roy Ayers, then Grandmaster Flash, and now the multifaceted Omar. With a lifelong love for singing, songwriting and general jamming, this neo soul master has collaborated with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu and Ol’ Dirty Bastard to name but a few. Sitting on a steady stream of feel-good, daydream classics, the British musician isn’t stopping here. His 2013 album The Man has reached new levels of acclaim and he’s reaching out to tell the people of Nottingham that there really is nothing else like this. Sunday 20 April, 8pm, £20, The Approach

leftlion.co.uk/issue58

event listings...

for more: leftlion.co.uk/listings

TUESDAY 1 APR

WEDNESDAY 2 APR

THURSDAY 3 APR

FRIDAY 4 APR

SATURDAY 5 APR

Fuck Hip Hop The Market Bar (M)

Live music from the Rob Baker Band The Living Room (M) Free, 9pm

The Hargreaves Pre Launch Nottingham Contemporary (M) Free, 7pm

Lord Ha Ha’s a-MAZE-ing Psychotropic Boogaloo The Maze (M) £5, 8pm

Nottingham Philharmonic Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall (M) £7-£22, 7:30pm

Therapy? Rock City (M)

Rhodes The Rescue Rooms (M)

On The Verge The Hand and Heart (M)

Tumble Stealth (M) £5, 11pm

The Pulse The Lion at Basford (M)

Crisis Rock City (M)

Big Value Auditions Lord Roberts (M) Free, 8pm

Wildside Nottinghams No1 Glam/Metal Club Night Ye Olde Salutation Inn (M) 8pm - 3am Runrig Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall (M) £27.50, 7:45pm The Bakery The Lacehouse (M) £5/£6, 10:30pm Sam Brookes and Hot Feet The Malt Cross (M) Free, 8pm Notts in a Nutshell The Maze (M) £3, 7:30pm Yard Young People’s Theatre Workshop The New Art Exchange (T) Free, 5pm - 7pm Festival of the Spoken Nerd Nottingham Playhouse (T) £13/£15, 7:30pm WEDNESDAY 2 APR The Lion Quiz The Lion at Basford (Q) Open Mic Night The Maze (M) The Old Nick Trading Company The Lincolnshire Poacher (M) Tinie Tempah Nottingham Arena (M) Dexters The Bodega (M) £7, 7pm Don Black: From Hackney to Hollywood Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall (M) £29.50-£36.50, 7:30pm Richie Muir The Approach (M) Free, 9:30pm

Art Space at Lee Rosy’s Lee Rosy’s Tea Shop (A) Donation, 7pm Yard Young People’s Theatre Workshop The New Art Exchange (T) Free, 5pm - 7pm Pub Quiz The Golden Fleece (Q) £2, 9pm With Al Needham Nottingham’s Mr Sex. Big Ass Pub Quiz Spanky Van Dykes (Q) £1, 7:30pm THURSDAY 3 APR The Lion Open Mic Night The Lion at Basford (M) You Me At Six Nottingham Arena (M) Sol Baish, Solomon Smith, Benjamine Ziec & Steve McCabe Duo Jam Café No Added Sugar Pandora’s Box (M) Free, 10:30pm The Moons The Bodega (M) £8, 7pm Big Cheap Quiz & Richie Muir Band The Southbank Bar (M) Jazz Thursdays The Test Match (M) An Evening with Steve McGill The Bell Inn (M)

Open Mic Night The Bell Inn (M)

No Disco, The Skylights & The Taskers The Golden Fleece

Open Mic Night JamCafé (M) Free, 8pm

Club Tropicana The Rescue Rooms (M) Free, 10pm

Bourbon & Blues The Orange Tree (M) Free, 8pm

Live music by Ed and Graeme The Living Room (M)

Under the Tree The Malt Cross (M) Free, 7pm The Tirith and Red Bazar The Maze (M) £4, 8pm Like Well Good Karaoke The Old Angel (M) Free, 8pm Wilberforce the 3rd The Poppy and Pint (M) Acoustic Night Riverbank Bar & Kitchen (M) Him With His Foot in His Mouth Lakeside Arts Centre (T) £16 / £14, 8pm FRIDAY 4 APR Ryan Thomas Jam Café (M) Timebomb & Martyr De Mona Ye Olde Salutation Inn (M) 8pm - 1am Joe Strange Band Riverbank Bar & Kitchen (M)

Atticus Anthem The Bodega (M)

Holly Walsh, Tobias Persson, Jarred Christmas & Gavin Webster The Glee Club (C) £5/£10/£14, 7pm

Marc O’Reilly The Bodega (M)

Michael Chapman The Guitar Bar, Hotel Deux (M)

Bryan Lacey, Prince Abdi, Kate Lucas, Mark Nelson Jongleurs (C) £15, 6:30pm - 2am Ends Sunday 6 Apr.

Pinocchio by Michael Rosen Djanogly Theatre (M) £7.50, 1:30pm

Bryan Lacey, Prince Abdi, Kate Lucas & Mark Nelson Jongleurs Comedy Club Nottingham (C) £12, 6:30pm - 2am Ends Saturday 5 Apr.

Blow Out! The Corner (M) Free, 8pm - 12am

Saturday Night Comedy Just The Tonic (C)

Stiff Kittens The Bodega (M) Free, 10pm

Richard Howell The Fox & Crown (M)

SATURDAY 5 APR

Stealth Vs Rescued Stealth (M)

Simon Felice The Maze (M) £12, 7:30pm Don’t Flop: Raise The Bar Tour The Rescue Rooms (M) £25, 1pm Kold Chillin’ The Old Angel (M) Mas Y Mas Nottingham Contemporary (M) Free, 8pm

Holly Walsh, Tobias Persson, Jarred Christmas & Gavin Webster The Glee Club (C) £5/£10/£14, 7pm SUNDAY 6 APR Sunday Lunchtime Jazz The Lion at Basford (M) Curtis Eller’s American Circus The Maze (M) £10, 7:30pm Canterbury The Bodega (M) £7.50, 7pm Live Jazz The Bell Inn (M)

Sticky Morales Riverbank Bar & Kitchen (M)

Open Mic Night Brew Dog (M)

Slam Cartel Rock City (M)

Vinyl Sunday JamCafé (M)

Stumps Live Lounge The Test Match (M) Bopp Pandora’s Box (M) Free, 10pm Everything’s Alright! The Rescue Rooms (M) Free, 8pm Evans the Death + Emma Kupa + Mascot Fight The Chameleon Cafe Bar (M) £6, 8pm Ready Steady Sixties The Lion at Basford (M) Ma Polaine’s Great Decline The Malt Cross (M) Free, 8pm

There’ll be grandstand sets from the likes of Noisia, Boddika, Bonobo, Machinedrum, DJ EZ, Gorgon City, Sub Focus, Wilkinson, the mighty Pusha T and firm Detonate favourite David Rodigan, to name but a few. With five stages, it’s odds-on there’ll be something for everyone to nod their head to, and it’s all set in the beautifully green, sunny (fingers crossed) land of Colwick. Saturday 7 June, 12pm - 11.30pm, £35 Nottingham Racecourse detonate1.co.uk

leftlion.co.uk/issue58

The Fish Police Nottingham Contemporary (M) Free, 7pm

The Small Disco Spanky Van Dykes (M)

Andy Robinson, James Sherwood, Adam Rowe, Compere Spiky Mike Bartons Chilwell (C)

Bamalamasingsong Rescure Rooms (M) £5, 8pm

It’s Detonate’s fifteenth birthday! The Midlands’ biggest drum n bass, dubstep and hip hop night is celebrating the way any Nottingham teenager would — staging an all-day blowout on a park. Despite their long-running residency at Stealth and previous indoor festivals which have courted the likes of Skream, Andy C, High Contrast, Caspa and Chase & Status, this extravaganza at Nottingham Racecourse is the first time Detonate has put on a proper outdoor fest, and they bring a killer line-up of the biggest DJs and emcees in tow.

Don’t Flop & Phlexx Records Pre Party Stealth (M) £2, 7pm

Hey Hey Hey Rock City (M)

NOW HIRING Digital Marketing Executive Duties to include: Designing print and digital advertisements Graphic design and copy layout Capturing and editing video Analysing the effectiveness of advertising campaigns PR & Events Marketing Executive Duties to include: Copywriting for print and digital media Researching, writing and distributing press releases Maintaining company social media channels Establishing relationships with media contacts Supporting events management Two new members of staff needed for an expanding marketing department in the UK’s fastest growing independent auction house, based in Nottingham. If you think that you have what it takes find us online, get in touch, and tell us why you want to work with us.

event listings...

for more: leftlion.co.uk/listings

SUNDAY 6 APR

TUESDAY 8 APR

THURSDAY 10 APR

FRIDAY 11 APR

SATURDAY 12 APR

Acoustic Night Spanky Van Dykes (M)

Salopian Brewery Night Bread And Bitter (M)

No Added Sugar Pandora’s Box (M)

Stealth Vs Rescued Stealth (M)

Saturday Night Comedy Just The Tonic (C)

Live music from Dom D The Living Room (M)

Noise From The Next Generation Rock City (M)

Daniel O’Donnell Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall (M) £37.50/£39.50, 7:30pm

94 Gunships, Cecille Grey, Jack Wallen, James Riley and Hemulen Soundz DJ Jam Café

Fuzzbox Canalhouse £2, 9pm

Phil Nichol, Steve Harris, Bryan Lacey & Suzi Ruffell The Glee Club (C) £5/£10/£14, 7pm

Open Mic Night The Guitar Bar, Hotel Deux (M) Open Mic Night The Johnson Arms (M) Pinocchio by Michael Rosen Djanogly Theatre (M) £7.50, 1:30pm University Wind Orchestra Trent Building, University of Nottingham (M) £5/£6/£9, 7:30pm Swing Gitan Nottingham Contemporary (M) Free, 1pm MONDAY 7 APR Foreigner Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall (M) £38.50, 7pm Live Jazz The Bell Inn (M) Acoustic Rooms The Rescue Rooms (M) No Scrubs The Lacehouse (M) £5, 10:30pm Notts in a Nutshell The Maze (M) £3, 7:30pm Matt Berry The Rescue Rooms (M)

Paul Thomas Saunders The Bodega (M) Wilde Without The Boy Djanogly Theatre (T) £11/£14/£16, 8pm WEDNESDAY 9 APR The Lion Quiz The Lion at Basford (Q) The Old Nick Trading Company The Lincolnshire Poacher (M) Open Mic Night The Bell Inn (M) Open Mic Night JamCafé (M) The Rob Baker Band The Living Room (M) Music For Life The Maze (M) £3, 7:30pm

Big Cheap Quiz & Richie Muir Band The Southbank Bar (M) Jazz Thursdays The Test Match (M)

Tape Crazy Lakeside Arts Centre (A) £3, 11am Live Performance by FEW Collective The New Art Exchange (T) £5 / £3, 7:30pm - 8:15pm

David B and Ben The Living Room (M) The Modernists The Hand and Heart (M)

Amaranthe The Rescue Rooms (M)

Big Value Auditions Lord Roberts (M) Ensemble 360 & Maggie Steed Djanogly Recital Hall (M) £14/£16, 7:30pm Russian Gun Dogs, Sea Monster Eyes, Vanity Box & The Rascels The Maze (M) £4, 7:45pm

Invent Your Own Machine Lakeside Arts Centre (A) £6, 10am Gorilla Burger: Improv Comedy Carnage The Corner (C) £4, 7:30pm - 10:30pm Kerry Godliman The Glee Club (C) £10/£12, 7pm

TUESDAY 8 APR

Live Performance by Few Collective The New Art Exchange (T) £3/£5, 7:30pm

The Bakery The Lacehouse (M) £5/£6, 10:30pm

£1 Comedy Canalhouse (C) £1, 8pm - 10:30pm

Bitten By Fangz & Black Star Bullet Ye Olde Salutation Inn (M)

Open Mic Night Pepper Rocks (M)

Pub Quiz The Golden Fleece (C) £2, 9pm With Al Needham Nottingham’s Mr Sex.

James Walsh The Bodega (M) £13.50, 7pm

Pressure The Rescue Rooms (M) Free, 10pm Will Jeffery The Malt Cross (M) Fuck Hip Hop The Market Bar (M) As It Is & Bentley Park The Maze (M) £6, 7pm

Big Ass Pub Quiz Spanky Van Dykes (C) £1, 7:30pm THURSDAY 10 APR The Lion Open Mic Night The Lion at Basford (M)

Gleefully rejoice! Expanding on their comedy sessions, there’s another music night at Glee, and this time it’s folky three piece and sweetly named Merrymouth. Featuring Ocean Colour Scene’s songwriter and vocalist Simon Fowler alongside Dan Sealey and Andy Cutting. Described by BBC 2’s Chris Evans as “beautiful and majestic”, Merrymouth have an American bluesy feel incorporating a piano, organ and guitars - think of Davy Knowles and then tone the blues a little bit. After touring their critically acclaimed, self-

Brouhaha #1, Dub Mafia, Just James & The Stiff Joints The Maze (M) £6/£8/£10, 8:30pm Adventure! Mayhem! The Old Angel (M) £3, 7:45pm

Like Well Good Karaoke The Old Angel (M)

Crisis Rock City (M)

Garrison Starr & PJ Pacifico The Guitar Bar, Hotel Deux (M)

Sound-Shapes and SongLines Lakeside Arts Centre (A) £6.50, 9:30am Bless ‘Em All Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall (T) £12.50, 2:30pm Susan Murray, Rory O’Hanlon, Sean G, Ria Lina Jongleurs Comedy Club Nottingham (C) £12, 6:30pm - 2am Ends Saturday 12 Apr. SATURDAY 12 APR The Furnace & Fallen Mafia Ye Olde Salutation Inn (M) £2, 8pm - 1am 3 Eyed Fox The Lion at Basford (M) Free, 9pm

Paul Fogarty The Guitar Bar, Hotel Deux (M) Smokescreen Soundsystem The Maze (M) £5, 9pm Sounddhism - First Word 10th Birthday The Bodega (M) £7.70, 9:30pm Swing Gitan Nottingham Contemporary (M) Free, 8pm

SUNDAY 13 APR Lunchtime Jazz The Lion at Basford (M) Live Jazz The Bell Inn (M) Open Mic Night Brew Dog (M) Vinyl Sunday JamCafé (M) Acoustic Night Spanky Van Dykes (M)

Indiana The Rescue Rooms (M)

Rob W The Living Room (M)

Funkified Riverbank Bar & Kitchen (M)

Open Mic Night The Guitar Bar, Hotel Deux (M)

The Wildhearts Rock City (M)

No!Disco, The Monday Club, Suspect Alibi & Blue Light District The Maze (M) £3, 7:45pm

Delooze Rock City (M) Beanbag Music Club Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall (T) £6/£7, 11am Susan Murray, Rory O’Hanlon, Sean G, Ria Lin Jongleurs Comedy Club Nottingham (C) £15, 6:30pm - 2am Ends Sunday 13 Apr.

Hell Hath No Fury The Old Angel (M) £5, 5pm Caravan The Rescue Rooms (M) Monday’s Child Djanogly Theatre (T) £6.50, 1:30pm

FRIDAY 11 APR

Rondo The Lion at Basford (M) Stumps Live Lounge The Test Match (M) Bopp Pandora’s Box (M) Everything’s Alright! The Rescue Rooms (M)

titled debut album the band will be playing tracks off their second offering, Wenlock Hill (Navigator Records), which sees the lads accompanied by other performers such as Chas, of Chas & Dave and John McCusker. Alongside Merrymouth’s self-penned songs, look out for covers of Stone Roses’ I Am The Resurrection and The Stranglers’ Duchess. If you fancy a bit of a chilled session after you’ve scoffed your Sunday dinner, and Neil Young or Mungo Jerry is your thing, pop on down on 18 May for a drink, a sway and some decent tunes. glee.co.uk/nottingham

Filthy people of Nottingham — there’s a new place for you to get your dose of dirty riffs and scuzzy sounds. Fuzzbox Club is a brand new night from our party-loving pals at I’m Not From London and Audacious Face, presenting the best in garage rock, garage punk, freakbeat, surf rock, New York punk and more. All served up by DJs Beaumont Polydactyl and the Stiff Kittens. So if the likes of The Stooges, The Cramps, The Trashmen, MC5, New York Dolls, Ramones, The Velvet Underground and Patti Smith are your kind of bag, get your best Iggy Pop face

on and head down for a bit of a writhe around (bare torso optional, probably). Held monthly at The Canalhouse, Fuzzbox is like someone’s shoved a waterway right through the middle of CBGBs, flooded it with vinyl and stuck on one of the best ranges of beers in Nottingham for good measure. Head down for a good watering and a wig out. Every second Saturday of the month, starting 12 April, 9pm-2am, £2, The Canalhouse facebook.com/fuzzboxclub

leftlion.co.uk/issue58

A LEGEND

RETURNS After a triumphant return last year, the legendary cycling event, The Milk Race, is back - hitting the roads of Nottingham city centre on Sunday 25 May. Thousands came to witness the world’s greatest cyclists in action, and enjoyed a whole host of entertainment in Old Market Square. This year you can peddle the same route as the pros once again, with three rides to suit all ages and abilities. Register now to secure your place. Sign up at

www.themilkrace.com

ART AND DESIGN DEGREE SHOWS 2014 Celebrating 170 years of Art and Design expertise and creativity, Nottingham Trent University launches a showcase of final-year student exhibitions, shows and events.

SHOW TIME

DEGREE SHOWS PUBLIC OPENING: 30 MAY - 7 JUNE (FREE ADMISSION) Mon - Fri: 10 am - 5 pm Sat: 11 am - 5 pm / Sun: 11 am - 4 pm Locations: Bonington, Waverley, Arkwright and Newton buildings, NTU City site. CATWALK SHOWS AND FASHION EXHIBITION: 21 – 22 MAY, 6 PM AND 8 PM 21 May: BA (Hons) Fashion Knitwear Design and Knitted Textiles 22 May: BA (Hons) Fashion Design Location: Newton building, NTU City site. See website for prices and booking. BLACKBOX PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL: 26 MAY - 6 JUNE The 18th annual BA (Hons) Photography exhibition at venues around Nottingham. www.blackboxfestival.com OPEN DAYS Visit us, meet staff and students, and find out more about studying Art and Design: Weds 2 July/ Sat 13 Sept / Sat 11 Oct / Sat 8 Nov 2014 To book a place: www.ntu.ac.uk/opendays All further Degree Shows information: www.ntu.ac.uk/degreelion14 #newtalentunleashed

Image: degree show work by Kai Cem Narin, BA (Hons) Photography 2013: www.kaicemnarin.com

event listings...

for more: leftlion.co.uk/listings

MONDAY 14 APR

WEDNESDAY 16 APR

FRIDAY 18 APR

SUNDAY 20 APR

TUESDAY 22 APR

WEDNESDAY 23 APR

Elbow Nottingham Arena (M)

Pub Quiz The Golden Fleece (Q) £2, 9pm With Al Needham Nottingham’s Mr Sex.

Everything’s Alright! The Rescue Rooms (M)

Open Mic Night Brew Dog (M)

Open Mic Night Pepper Rocks (M)

Trioxin Cherry The Old Angel (M) £5, 7:30pm - 11:30pm Plus Addictive Philosophy, Brocker and Bad Vibes.

Acoustic Night Spanky Van Dykes (M)

Pressure The Rescue Rooms (M)

Art Space at The Sumac Centre The Sumac Centre (A) Donation, 7pm - 8:30pm

Dom D The Living Room (M)

Royston Duxford The Malt Cross (M)

Krautlöunge II Cast Bar & Restaurant (M) Free, 8pm - 1am

Pop Up Party Ibiza Riverbank Bar & Kitchen (M) £12 / £35, 8pm - 3am With Alfredo, Tom Crane, Iain Newton Jez and Stoney Nathan Hadley

Fuck Hip Hop The Market Bar (M)

Open Mic Night The Guitar Bar, Hotel Deux (M)

Blood Red Shoes The Bodega (M)

Phosphate, City of Kites, Green Hill Zone & The Zoot The Maze (M) £3, 7:30pm Josh Wheatley & The Shots Nottingham Playhouse (M) Art Space at The Poppy and Pint The Poppy and Pint (A) Donations, 7pm TUESDAY 15 APR Crookes The Bodega (M) £7, 7pm The Bakery The Lacehouse (M) £5/£6, 10:30pm Open Mic Night Pepper Rocks (M) Jess Morgan The Malt Cross (M) Free, 8pm Notts in a Nutshell The Maze (M) £3, 7:30pm

Big Ass Pub Quiz Spanky Van Dykes (Q) £1, 7:30pm THURSDAY 17 APR Emma Stevens Band The Maze (M) £9, 7:30pm No Added Sugar Pandora’s Box (M) Open Mic Night The Lion at Basford (M) Club Tropicana The Rescue Rooms (M) Live music by Ed and Graeme The Living Room (M) The Kelly McRae Duo Hotel Deux (M) Winter Mountain Duo Rescue Rooms, Nottingham (M) £8, 7pm - 10pm

Merry Hell, Stuart Forester & Salutation Dub The Maze (M) £7.50, 7pm Bleech The Rescue Rooms (M) Real Deal Comedy Jam Jongleurs Comedy Club (C) £12, 6:30pm - 2am Paul Tonkinson, Julian Deane, Martin Mor & Loretta Maine The Glee Club (C) £5/£10/£14, 7pm SATURDAY 19 APR Rock Until You Drop & Cadence Noir Ye Olde Salutation Inn (M)

Jeremy Deller in Conversation Nottingham Contemporary (A) Free, 6:30pm

Gregory S. Davies Band The Hand and Heart (M)

Stealth Vs Rescued Stealth (M)

Kristin Hoffman The Malt Cross (M)

WEDNESDAY 16 APR

Chris Poole & The Shades Bistro Live (M) £32.50

Like Well Good Karaoke The Old Angel (M)

The Old Nick Trading Company The Lincolnshire Poacher (M) Wednesday Whistle Test The Test Match (M) Open Mic Night The Bell Inn (M) Open Mic Night JamCafé (M) Rob Baker Band The Living Room (M) Tomorrow We Sail, LeChuck & Neil Ward The Chameleon Cafe Bar (M) £4, 8pm

Winter Mountain The Rescue Rooms (M) Alkaline Trio Rock City (M) Max Kandhola in Conversation The New Art Exchange (A)

Maximum Overdrive Ye Olde Salutation Inn (M) Ends Saturday 19 Apr. DJ Marriott The Southbank Bar (M)

Open Mic Night The Maze (M)

Stumps Live Lounge The Test Match (M)

Fearless Vampire Killers The Rescue Rooms (M)

Bopp Pandora’s Box (M)

Nottingham Trent University graduate Liam Aitken has been a busy bee for the past few years. After firing up artist collective Tether in 2007, he’s been involved with the production of documentary-style short films as well as event organisation surrounding the broadcast medium. In fine style, his work exuded contemporary art that focussed on the integrity of historical myths and now, he’s hosting his very own solo exhibition as part of the Syson prize for Nottingham Castle Open, 2013. Not unlike his previous work, Aitken’s Interface hones in on all the elements that make up vision; namely colour, composition and the physical act of using your eyeballs. For this

Easter Saturday Punk AllDayer The Maze (M) £8/£9, 3pm

An Evening with Alan Johnson Nottingham Playhouse (T) £11, 7:45pm

Easter Sunday Punk AllDayer The Maze (M) £5, 3pm

WEDNESDAY 23 APR

Hit The Deck Festival The Rescue Rooms (M)

Open Mic Night The Bell Inn (M)

MONDAY 21 APR

Notts in a Nutshell The Maze (M) £3, 7:30pm

Outlandos Live! Tribute to Sting & The Police The Maze (M) £3/£4, 8:30pm Ben Watt w/ Bernard Butler The Bodega (M) TUESDAY 22 APR The Bakery The Lacehouse (M) £5/£6, 10:30pm

Wednesday Whistle Test The Test Match (M)

Sounddhism x Mimm present JonWayne The Bodega (M) £7, 7pm Look! The Moon! The Orange Tree (M) Joan as Police Woman The Rescue Rooms (M)

Big Ass Pub Quiz Spanky Van Dykes (Q) £1, 7:30pm THURSDAY 24 APR Redwood 58 - Solomon Smith The Golden Fleece (M) David B and Nick D The Living Room (M) Swingologie The Hand and Heart (M) Big Value Auditions Lord Roberts (M) The Society of Strange & Ancient Instruments Djanogly Recital Hall (M) £14/£16, 7:30pm Women Stand Up! The Maze (M) £5, 7pm Like Well Good Karaoke The Old Angel (M) Acoustic Night Riverbank Bar & Kitchen (M) Suburban Legends Rock City (M)

Nine Black Alps Rock City (M)

Easter Sunday Live Music The Poppy and Pint (M) The Hoax The Rescue Rooms (M)

FRIDAY 18 APR

Opie Deino The Bodega (M)

On The Brink The Lion at Basford (M)

Omar & UK Soul Legend The Approach (M) £20, 8pm

Get Cubs & Huskies The Maze (M) £4, 8pm

Pub Quiz The Golden Fleece (Q) £2, 9pm With Al Needham Nottingham’s Mr Sex.

Deja Groove Riverbank Bar & Kitchen (M) Saturday Night Comedy Just The Tonic (C) Spec Guest, Scott Bennett, James Dowdeswell, Ria Lina Jongleurs Comedy Club (C) £15, 6:30pm - 2am Paul Tonkinson, Julian Deane, Martin Mor & Loretta Maine The Glee Club (C) £5/£10/£14, 7pm

exhibition, he will be highlighting an at-home subject of historical experiences as well as delving into newer topics of landscape and iconic architecture. Through the creation of digital drawings, geometric pattern painting and mixed media sculptures, Liam Aitken draws from a polished career to deliver thought-provoking and beautifully illusionary work. Gallery director Jennie Syson will be hosting an informal tour of the exhibition on Saturday 5 April, so be sure to head down to that for the free juice if nowt else. Friday 28 March - Friday 16 May, free, Syson Gallery sysongallery.com leftlion.co.uk/issue58

pick of the month MAY May we suggest some rather splendid things to do this month... Mark Thomas: 100 Acts of Minor Dissent

Gilles Peterson

Reactor Halls

We saw the warm up for Mark’s tour at Latitude last year and it was bleddy hilarious. Mixing scathing comedy with some pretty strong political commentary, New Statesman’s Mark Thomas will have you crying so hard with laughter a little trump might even pop out. Don’t worry though, people won’t be able to hear it over the ‘umm hmmm’ noises they’ll be uttering as they realise that Thomas’ points about the state of the government and society in general are pretty damn spot on. His masterfully balanced mix of silly and serious makes for a stomachable swallow, so if you fancy some insights into the UK’s biggest issues without the stuffy air clamming up your pores, head down to the land of Hockley. Friday 2 May, 8pm, £10/£15, Broadway Cinema

BBC 6 Music favourite and musical legend, Gilles Peterson is heading to our fair city in May to spin some tunes at The Irish. Peterson’s three hour set celebrates three years of creative collaboration from Mimm, the Hockley shop specialising in clothing, music and art for the cool kids of Nottingham. After successfully laying down the foundations of endless visionary projects, the eclectic collective are sharing even more love in the form of live art, a Jamaican barbeque and a whirlwind of cultivated tunes not only from the jazziest of virtuosos, but our own inherited veteran Rick Donohue. With a Funktion-One system to deliver the vibes, the evening’s sure to fuel a buzz our tabs won’t be forgetting any time soon. Sunday 4 May, 9pm, £15, The Irish Centre

As the eleventh episode of the interactive, experimental programme series, Reactor Halls are hosting The Dark Horse Moving Picture Show; an event swirling in live performance, film and music enough to suck you into an alternative universe. Curated by artists Jennet Thomas, Paul Tarrango and Leo Chadburn, you’re sure to find something weird and wonderful to get the cogs ticking. On top of the twisted variety show, there’s a mystery event on offer. Everybody say… “Oooh!” Previous sessions have offered activities from stand-up to cabaret and magic tricks to whacking the shit out of a Jimmy Savile piñata, and this evening will surely be no less of a head-tilting endeavour. Open your eyes and jump in. Saturday 24 May, 7.30pm, Reactor Halls

Origin One Album Launch

Marafun

Strap yersen into your best light-up trainers, neon sweatbands and 118 shirts, it’s time to leg it. As part of Martin Beresford’s forty ‘Dedicated’ charity events, I’m Not From London are helping to put on a spread of eleven musical acts across eleven miles, in eleven pubs, and it’s your job to see every single one, grabbing stamps and pints on your travels. All the money raised from the event will go to Cystic Fibrosis and The Indee Rose Trust, aiding those diagnosed with awful conditions in a way that’ll keep many a chin up. Keep an eye out for the rest of Martin’s inspiring endurance feats, and sling him a few bob when you get chance. Saturday 10 May, 11am, £20, Forest Recreation Ground

Derren Brown: Infamous

An evening hosted by the newly-founded Phlexx Records, Origin One are wetting the baby’s head with the liveliest of local bands, artists and DJs, with a Sheffield cherry-topper of K.O.G & The Zongo Brigade. 25 Past The Skank, The Afterdark Movement and the Rubberdub crew pad out the rest of a line-up to make your bones shake, with a captivating acoustic set from the likes of Parisa Eliyon to soften the funky edges. Not only a night of music, but a fun-filled takeover of live art, facepaint, food and the chance to buy merch. Head down early if you’re skint and hungry for reggae, the first fifty heads get a free copy of Origin One’s brand new album. Sorted. Friday 2 May, 9pm, £3/£4/£5, The Maze

Dot to Dot Festival 2014

Wheee!14 : Architects of Air : Luminarium

Like a massive child’s puzzle, Dot to Dot has Notts’ young and musically minded running all over the city hunting out bands, shoving fluorescent wristbands in bouncers’ faces as they go. In fact, Dot to Dot has historically been so good that Bristol and Manchester have picked the festival right out of our pockets. This year we’ve got Wolf Alice, The Midnight Beast, Real Estate and the gorgeous Laura Welsh ready to sing their hearts out for you. There’s normally some fringe stuff going on around the city ’n all. Grab yersens a ticket and get ready to down some vodkas and have a dance, all in the name of awesome music. Sunday 25 May, 1pm, £20, Various venues

It’s been a fixture since 2005 at Lakeside and 2014 is no different. For those who are new to this, a luminarium is a walkthrough inflatable sculpture that’s designed to generate a sense of wonder at the phenomena of light and colour... And it’s very cool. The scale of Alan Parkinson’s luminaria is impressive, even before stepping through the airlock, but the bright, iridescent colours experienced inside have to be seen to be believed, making a terrific experience for all ages. Under sixteens must be accompanied by an adult and tickets can be purchased from the box offfice on the day of your visit. Pro tip: don’t get too jumpy, it’s not a bouncy castle, you know. Saturday 24 May – Sunday 1 June, 11am, £3.50, Lakeside

He’s wowed us with tricks and treats, had our minds spinning out of control and left us gasping for breath when he ever-sonearly took down the casino on live telly. Derren Brown is the boss of psychological showmanship, and after a year of teaching owd codgers how to successfully rob art galleries, he’s up for another tour to knock the socks of the everyday likes of you and me. Clearly some other-worldly being, our Dezza is adept in misdirection, suggestion and most importantly, magic. The trailers for the upcoming show Infamous elusively point at a grippingly interactive session of gruesome brain twists and up-front, mentalist action with Derren’s charming charisma to dust off any lingering heebie-jeebies. Monday 19 - Saturday 24 May, 7.30pm, £30+, Theatre Royal

Courtney Love

Daughter of the Grateful Dead’s manager, a Hollywood actress in her early twenties, singer in Faith No More and, more sucessfully, Hole. Ultimately, however, she’s best known for being the gobby widow of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. Life is never boring being Courtney Love. She returns to Rock City this month, a venue she last played nineteen years ago with Hole, but this time she’s performing a set of new material under her own name. Last time she was here a fuse blew towards the end of the set, all the lights went out and she got a right mard on and refused to come back. Let’s hope they’ve had the electricians in before she gets up there this time. Tuesday 20 May, 7pm, £25, Rock City

THE NUSIC BOX Your new Notts music tip sheet, compiled by Nusic’s Sam Nahirny Check leftlion.co.uk/nusic and nusic.org.uk for the podcasts

April Towers

Until approximately 10:16pm on the 21 February 2014, April Towers had never played a live show. But, based on the turnout at their gigs, you’d think they’d been around for donkey’s years. With a variety of influences including Gary Numan, Depeche Mode and Hot Chip, the duo manage to create a very heavily eighties influenced sound, while also staying refreshingly modern. The few live shows they have played highlight their ability to hold the crowd in the palm of their hand, and take them on a one way journey to anthemic electro-town. soundcloud.com/april_towers

leftlion.co.uk/issue58

Ar Mulah

There are many producers in Nottingham, but perhaps none so prolific as Ar Mulah. Often seen with his Paperholicz crew, he’s given birth to his own genre of “Kwaifro” which mixes Kwaito (a variant of house, with African sounds and samples) with Afro beats. His productions are so slick we honestly thought one of his singles sampled Jennifer Lopez, only to find out it was Mel, a member of his crew. With a knack for shining a light on some of the raw, undiscovered vocal talent in Nottingham, Ar Mulah creates urban dance anthems that could easily be heard on daytime radio. facebook.com/armulahproducer

Bud

There’s a lot of misery in the world, and Bud is an artist who wants to change that. She openly admits that she writes songs purely to make people feel good, and she does it bloody well. Call it cliché, but just listening to Happy will transport you to a beach, with a cocktail in hand. That’s not to say that this chirpy singer-songwriter can’t write about serious stuff too; Goodbye For Now showcases the quirky songstress’ ability to put a positive spin on even the most upsetting of situations, while showing off her unbelievable vocal range too. facebook.com/budofficial

event listings...

for more: leftlion.co.uk/listings

THURSDAY 24 APR

SATURDAY 26 APR

SUNDAY 27 APR

WEDNESDAY 30 APR

FRIDAY 2 MAY

The Showstoppers Djanogly Theatre (T) £11/£13/£15, 8pm

Stealth Vs Rescued Stealth (M)

Woman’s Hour The Bodega (M)

Ben Ottewell The Bodega (M)

Saxonized The Doghouse (M)

The Established Bistro Live (M) £32.50

Blofeld & Baxter: Memories of Test Match Special Nottingham Playhouse (T) £19.50, 7:30pm

An Evening with Jo Nesbo Nottingham Playhouse (T) £11, 7:45pm

Everything’s Alright! The Rescue Rooms (M)

Brendan Riley, Craig Murray, Bobby Mair & The Noise Next Door Jongleurs Comedy Club (C) £12/£15, 7pm

FRIDAY 25 APR The Wedding Singer Nottingham Playhouse (M) £8/£12, 7:30pm Fahran & Resin Ye Olde Salutation Inn (M) Highway Junkies The Lion at Basford (M) Everything’s Alright! The Rescue Rooms (M) DH Lawrence & The Vaudeville Skiffle Show Newstead Centre (M) £5, 7pm - 11:30pm Umberto Nottingham Contemporary (M) Adventure! Mayhem! The Old Angel (M) £3, 7:45pm The Rifles Rock City (M) Arrows of Love - Haggard Cat Bothday Present Night The Running Horse (M) Micah P Hinson The Bodega (M) Journey Through Style Nottingham Contemporary (A) £73.50, 9:30am Frankenstein Nottingham Playhouse (T) £5, 6pm MissImp In Action The Glee Club (C) Jen Brister, Junior Simpson, Roger Monkhouse & Dan Thomas The Glee Club (C) £5/£10/£14, 7pm Windsor, Carl Hutchinson & Keith Carter Jongleurs (C) £12, 7pm SATURDAY 26 APR Metal Militia & Death Valley Knights Ye Olde Salutation Inn (M) Cactus Jack The Lion at Basford (M)

Doric String Quartet with Brett Dean Djanogly Recital Hall (M) £14/£16, 7:30pm Silence Blossoms and Cecille Grey Nottingham Contemporary (M) Free, 8pm

MONDAY 28 APR Magnum Rock City (M) Matthew & The Atlas The Bodega (M) TUESDAY 29 APR

The Clone Roses The Rescue Rooms (M)

McBusted Nottingham Arena (M)

Kins Live (Stealth V Rescued) The Rescue Rooms (M)

The Bakery The Lacehouse (M) £5/£6, 10:30pm

Damaged Stock ‘14 - Charity Metal All-Dayer Rock City (M)

Open Mic Night Pepper Rocks (M)

Unicorn Present Not Now Bernard Djanogly Theatre (A) £7, 10am A Word on my World The New Art Exchange (T) £3/£4, 6pm - 7:30pm The Way I Wear My Hair Nottingham Playhouse (T) £7/£9, 8pm Saturday Night Comedy Just The Tonic (C) Jen Brister, Junior Simpson, Roger Monkhouse & Dan Thomas The Glee Club (C) £5/£10/£14, 7pm Windsor, Carl Hutchinson & Keith Carter Jongleurs Comedy Club Nottingham (C) £15, 7pm SUNDAY 27 APR Police Dog Hogan The Maze (M) £11, 7:30pm Open Mic Night The Guitar Bar, Hotel Deux (M) DJ Marriott The Southbank Bar (M) Tek-One Live Stealth (M)

If you’re a fan of all things folk, chances are you’ve already got Southwell Folk Festival etched into your diary. Now in its seventh year, and well established as the Midlands premier folk and dance festival, this year’s lineup once again promises award-winning musicians and the best up and coming acts. It’s not all fiddles and mandolins, with a diverse roster of artists ranging from the eleven-piece Treacherous Orchestra to Canadian quintet The Bills to gospel trio The Sojourners to rocky New York duo The Kennedys, and everything in between.

Jace Everett The Maze (M) £13, 7:30pm John Butler Trio Rock City (M) Richard Alston Dance Company Nottingham Playhouse (T) £10 - £18, 8pm Sally Morgan Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall (T) £24, 7:30pm A Darker Shade of Fado Nuno Silva Djanogly Theatre (T) £10/£13/£15, 8pm

The Urban Folk Quartet Djanogly Theatre (T) £14/£16, 8pm Pub Quiz The Golden Fleece (Q) £2, 9pm Big Ass Pub Quiz Spanky Van Dykes (Q) £1, 7:30pm Rich Hall The Glee Club (C) £16, 7pm THURSDAY 1 MAY The Hargreaves Project Nottingham Albert Hall (M) £4/£8, 7pm Ezio The Maze (M) £12/£14, 7:30pm Like Well Good Karaoke The Old Angel (M) The Swellers Rock City (M) Sons & Lovers The Bodega (M) The Seekers Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall (T) £40-£60, 7:30pm

Becky Syson, Hearts & Zaria The Guitar Bar, Hotel Deux (M) Tim Kasher, Prizefighter and August Actually The Chameleon Cafe Bar (M) £6, 7:30pm Kelly’s Heroes The Lion at Basford (M) Origin One Album Launch The Maze (M) £3/£5, 9pm A Foreigners Journey Rock City (M) Love Shack Rock City (M) Jungle The Bodega (M) Journey Through Style Notts Contemporary (A) £73.50, 9:30am We Will Be Free! Nottingham Arts Theatre (T) £12.50/£5, 7pm - 9pm Rick Wakeman - Journey to the Centre of the Earth Theatre Royal (T) £45, 8pm Keith Farnan, Geoff Norcott, Rob Collins & David Hadingham The Glee Club (C) £5/£10, 7pm

SATURDAY 3 MAY Noize Level Critical The Maze (M) £12, 12pm - 12am Ends Sunday 4 May. Blood Ceremony The Bodega (M) £9.50, 7pm Rebel Rebel The Lion at Basford (M) The Junos Bistro Live (M) £32.50 Dan Le Sac VS Scroobius Pip The Rescue Rooms (M) Coco and The Butterfields Stealth (M) Stealth Vs Rescued Stealth (M) Saturday Night Comedy Just The Tonic (C) Keith Farnan, Geoff Norcott, Rob Collins & David Hadingham The Glee Club (C) £5/£10, 7pm Brendan Riley, Craig Murray, Bobby Mair & The Noise Next Door Jongleurs Comedy Club Nottingham (C) £12/£15, 7pm

WEDNESDAY 30 APR The Lion Quiz The Lion at Basford (Q) After:Hours Tafahum Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall (M) £3, 9:45pm Philmarmonia Orchestra Gala Concert Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall (M) £15-£38, 7:30pm Witching Waves, As Ondas & Pogs The Chameleon Cafe Bar (M) Dan Stuart The Maze (M) £11, 7:30pm

Expect a great family feel with workshops, craft stalls, lovely food, dance displays and activities for all ages. Oh, and booze, lots of booze (at least 55 beers, and 16 ciders and perries in all). NB If you find yourself asking for directions, just remember it’s pronounced both ‘Suth-ull’ and ‘South-well’. Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 June, from £16 per day (£9 youth) and £90 for the weekend (£50 youth) southwellfolkfestival.org.uk

leftlion.co.uk/issue58

event listings...

for more: leftlion.co.uk/listings

SUNDAY 4 MAY

THURSDAY 8 MAY

SATURDAY 10 MAY

TUESDAY 13 MAY

FRIDAY 16 MAY

SUNDAY 18 MAY

Vinyl Sunday JamCafé (M)

The Dolphin Morris Men, Whip the Cat Rapper Sword Dancers The Johnson Arms (M) Free, 8:45pm

Anthem Bistro Live (M) £32.50

Barrence Whitfield & The Savages The Rescue Rooms (M)

Jeanie Barton & Joanna Hudson The Maze (M) Free/£5, 8pm

Scott Matthews The Maze (M) £13, 7:30pm

Blue Sparks The Lion at Basford (M)

Pressure The Rescue Rooms (M) Free, 10pm

Mimm 3rd Birthday - Gilles Peterson 3 Hour Set The Irish Centre (M) £15+, 9pm May Bank Holiday All-Dayer Bunkers Hill (M) May Day Live Music The Poppy and Pint (M) Everywhere Festival The Rescue Rooms (M) Beatles Tribute Night Riverbank Bar & Kitchen (M) Free, 10pm MONDAY 5 MAY Notts in a Nutshell The Maze (M) £3, 7:30pm Neil Finn Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall (T) £32.50, 7:30pm TUESDAY 6 MAY The Bakery The Lacehouse (M) £5/£6, 10:30pm The Racing Room The Dragon (M) BOTB Semi Final - Hardcore / Djent The Maze (M) WEDNESDAY 7 MAY Bourbon & Blues The Orange Tree (M) Open Mic Night JamCafé (M) With One Last Breath Rock City (M) Art Space at Lee Rosy’s Lee Rosy’s Tea Shop (A) Donation, 7pm Paul Hollywood - Get Your Bake On! Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall (T) £28.50, 8pm Pub Quiz The Golden Fleece (C) £2, 9pm With Al Needham Nottingham’s Mr Sex.

William Howard - Piano Djanogly Recital Hall (M) £14/£16, 7:30pm By The Rivers, Stuck in 2nd, Cheshire & The Cat The Maze (M) £7, 7:45pm

Deja Groove Riverbank Bar & Kitchen (M)

Feed The Rhino Rock City (M)

Mentallica & Megadeth UK Rock City (M)

Power Games Nottingham Playhouse (T) £9-£11, 8pm

Zoe Lyons, Steve Day, Mark Palmer & Damien Kingsley Bartons (C) £11, 7:30pm

Elvis Presley - On Stage Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall (T) £32, 8pm Gorilla Burger The Corner (C) £4, 7:30pm - 10:30pm FRIDAY 9 MAY North Sea International The Lion at Basford (M)

SUNDAY 11 MAY Eliza Gilkyson The Maze (M) £14, 7:30pm Katy Perry Nottingham Arena (M) Vinyl Sunday JamCafé (M) Augustines The Rescue Rooms (M)

UK Subs The Maze (M) £10, 8pm

Embrace Rock City (M)

Martin Stephenson & The Daintees The Rescue Rooms (M) AjA, MaaSKS, Jamie Joseph and Elektric Jam Café (M)

Josh Widdicombe & Suzi Ruffell The Glee Club (C) £14, 7pm MONDAY 12 MAY

Bear’s Den The Bodega (M)

Live Jazz The Bell Inn (M)

Journey Through Style Notts Contemporary (A) £73.50, 9:30am

Notts in a Nutshell The Maze (M) £3, 7:30pm

Tim Clark, Zoe Lyons & Rob Deering The Glee Club (C) £5/£10, 7pm

Albert Hammond Jnr. The Bodega (M)

Bruce Devlin, Ola, Adam Crow & Geoff Boyz Jongleurs Comedy Club (C) £12/£15, 7pm

The Racing Room The Dragon (M)

SATURDAY 10 MAY Practical Lovers & Three Girl rhumba Café Bar Contemporary (M)

Bob Bass (Tom Charnock) is an ageing hitman whose bad back and lack of partner, who was dismissed (killed) due to the recession - leads him to make his current victim, the wormy accountant Sammy (David Hoare) dig his own grave. The film had a troubled journey to completion - filmed in 2008, but not finished until 2011 and only just released, their troubles leftlion.co.uk/issue58

Marafun Various Locations (M)

Nicole Atkins The Rescue Rooms (M)

Looking at the DVD cover for Dig Your Own Grave from Nottingham writer/director Tim Cunningham, may be slightly misleading - with gun wielding gangsters who aren’t actually in the film, its ‘Goodfellas meets Lock Stock’ promise, and it’s spelling of ‘British’ with a double T - but it is hugely entertaining.

Steve Ignorant’s & Slice of Life The Maze (M) £10, 8pm

TUESDAY 13 MAY

InMe Rock City (M) WEDNESDAY 14 MAY Hush #2 The Maze (M) £3, 7:30pm

Stu Who? Sam Avery, Philberto & Johnny Candon Jongleurs (C) £12/£15, 7pm

Tori Amos Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall (T) £25-£47.50, 7:30pm

SATURDAY 17 MAY

Fuck Hip Hop The Market Bar (M)

Urban Intro Bistro Live (M) £32.50

Amanda Shires The Maze (M) £11, 7:30pm

Pub Quiz The Golden Fleece (Q) £2, 9pm With Al Needham Nottingham’s Mr Sex.

Velvet Glove vintage nightclub Spanky Van Dykes (M) £7/£5, 8pm - 2am

Pressure The Rescue Rooms (M)

Big Ass Pub Quiz Spanky Van Dykes (C) £1, 7:30pm

Saturday Night Comedy Just The Tonic (M) £6/£10, 8pm

THURSDAY 15 MAY

The Last Pedestrians The Lion at Basford (M)

McBusted Nottingham Arena (M) Open Mic Night Pepper Rocks (M) The Racing Room The Dragon (M)

Courtney Love Rock City (M) WEDNESDAY 21 MAY The Lion Quiz The Lion at Basford (Q) Open Mic Night JamCafé (M)

DIY Poets The Maze (M) £3, 7:30pm

Smokescreen Soundsystem The Maze (M)

I Am The Avalanche Rock City (M)

The Rutles The Rescue Rooms (M)

Open Mic Night The Maze (M) Free, 7:30pm

Bo Ningen The Bodega (M)

Stealth Vs Rescued Stealth (M)

Teleman The Bodega (M)

Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall (T) £10-£32.50, 7:30pm

Idiom Rock City (M)

Elevation Djanogly Theatre (T) £14/£16, 8pm

FRIDAY 16 MAY Antonio Forcione Nottingham Contemporary (M) £15/£12, 8pm - 11:45pm

The Score The Lion at Basford (M)

Available to buy and rent on DVD via Amazon.co.uk, HMV, and most supermarkets. @Digyourownbob

TUESDAY 20 MAY

Museum: Lunchtime Talk: Archaeology Now Djanogly Theatre (T) Free, 1pm

BOTB Semi Final - Alt Rock The Maze (M)

DVD extras include two hilarious shorts by Cunningham – The 1: 10 Score and Timewasters.

Return of the Grumpy Old Women - Fifty Shades of Beige Nottingham Playhouse (C) £21, 7:30pm

The Wonder Years The Rescue Rooms (M)

Fuck Hip Hop The Market Bar (M)

Dig Your Own Grave has great characters, ideas, and dark humour. It does suffer from its lack of budget, which is a shame. Don’t let this put you off, though, because you’ll be missing out.

Journey Through Style Nottingham Contemporary (A) £73.50, 9:30am

Acoustic Night Spanky Van Dykes (M)

Susan Murray, John Fothergill, Silky, Mike Wilmot The Glee Club (C) £5/£10, 7pm

The Villiers Quartet Djanogly Recital Hall (M) Free, 1:15pm

with funding and distribution make the film’s recession themes seem even more poignant.

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion The Rescue Rooms (M)

New Art Club: Hercules Nottingham Playhouse (T) £8/£10, 7pm Sarah Millican Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall (T) £25, 8pm Susan Murray, John Fothergill, Silky & Mike Wilmot The Glee Club (C) £5/£10, 7pm

The Lady Bay Arts Festival takes place with 55 artists across 21 venues. Artists will be on hand to talk about their work and there will be a wide range of high quality art and design for sale, as well as demonstrations and workshops. All Hallows Church will be transformed into The Drawing Room with a focus on artists who use the medium of drawing to reveal insights into how we move in and around our environment. Mark Rodel, both a vicar and an artist, will work with other artists to run a drawing activity called Walking the Line in the church. Lady Bay Primary School will host workshops and activities for children and a display of

Frank Skinner - Man in a Suit Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall (T) £27.50, 7:30pm Pub Quiz The Golden Fleece (C) £2, 9pm With Al Needham Nottingham’s Mr Sex. Big Ass Pub Quiz Spanky Van Dykes (C) £1, 7:30pm

children’s work to celebrate their success in a recent National Gallery competition. This year two new local businesses, the Snail and Rabbit Health & Beauty Clinic and Cores Bistro will open their doors to artists and designers. Not all the venues are specified at this point in time, but visitors will be directed to main entry points where they can receive a colour brochure and arts trail map. Refreshments such as drinks, BBQs, and homemade cake and wine will be available. Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 May, 12pm-6pm, £2.50 per adult, children free. ladybayarts.org.uk

wors: Jared Wilson illustration: Rikki Marr

RE-IMAGINE YOUR CITY… Brought to us by the good people at the Creative Quarter and Next Business Generation under the title ‘Re-Imagining The City’, this is a series of events to get you thinking about how we can develop in terms of technology, architecture, green spaces and generally making it a nicer place for us all to live and work. The afternoon slots are part of Next Business Generation’s Spark programme that brings together new ideas to explore the crossover of technologies for new applications. Speakers include: Gill Marshall of UK Regeneration, who will explore a wider perspective of regeneration across the UK. Holger Schnadelbach, a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham’s mixed reality lab and the Founder of Screens in the Wild, a project which has put a variety of digital screens at venues across the city. Mo Kelly, the Managing Director of Sasie Ltd, a company that specialise in renewable energy training products. Tim Garrett, a chartered surveyor who will be looking at regeneration and sustainability from a Nottingham perspective. After this will be a workshop from The Glass-House, where attendees will split into groups of five and given a list of objectives such as how to reduce waste, enhance energy efficiency and up our quota of public enjoyment. They will then look at ways to implement these into different Nottingham spaces.

At this point the Spark event ends and it’ll be over to Jim Shorthose for his inaugural Pecha Kucha event for the Creative Quarter. Pecha Kucha, which translates as “the sound of conversation” or “chit-chat” in Japanese, is a presentation format that uses twenty simple Powerpoint slides, with people speaking for twenty seconds per slide. This stops anyone from being able to waffle and should help to stimulate conversation between attendees afterwards. Names were still being confirmed at the time of going to press, but they will include: People working between the arts and technology by using apps for an enriched experience of city spaces Projection work which uses the city as a canvas for art work. Businesses which are redeveloping unloved buildings as new cultural sites. Urban greening projects working to improve the fabric of the city. Reimagining The City, 1 - 4.30pm and 5pm onwards, Friday 4 April, The Vintage Warehouse, Lower Parliament Street, NG1 1ER. Entrance is free. Visit the website for tickets. nextbusinessgeneration.com

Hiding Out Permindar Kaur

Image: We Are The Animals 2010 Permindar Kaur

Friday 2 May – Sunday 15 June 2014 Djanogly Art Gallery Lakeside Arts Centre University Park Nottingham NG7 2RD

Admission free

w: www.lakesidearts.org.uk

Box office: 0115 846 7777 leftlion.co.uk/issue58

Lakeside left lion hiding out permindar kaur.indd 1

18/02/2014 15:00

event listings...

for more: leftlion.co.uk/listings

THURSDAY 22 MAY

FRIDAY 23 MAY

SUNDAY 25 MAY

WEDNESDAY 28 MAY

THURSDAY 29 MAY

SATURDAY 31 MAY

Chris Wood: None The Wiser Nottingham Playhouse (M) £16, 8pm

John Ryan, Steve Williams, Tanyalee Davis & Slim Jongleurs (C) £12/£15, 7pm

Vinyl Sunday JamCafé (M)

Open Mic Night The Bell Inn (M)

Stealth Vs Rescued Stealth (M)

Dot To Dot Festival 2014 The Rescue Rooms (M) 1:30pm

Open Mic Night JamCafé (M)

Jeff Leach - Work in Progress Canal House (C) £10 ( £8 advance), 8pm - 10pm

Open Mic Night The Lion at Basford (M) Free, 8pm M.A.D The Maze (M) £12.50, 7pm Like Well Good Karaoke The Old Angel (M)

SATURDAY 24 MAY Nine Inch Nails Nottingham Arena (M) 7:30pm Saturday Night Comedy Just The Tonic (M) £6/£10, 8pm

May Pop Up Party Riverbank Bar & Kitchen (M) £10-£15, 6:30pm Rime - Wheee! Highfields Park (T) Nottingham Theatre Dance 2014 Nottingham Playhouse (T) £13, 7:30pm

Club Tropicana The Rescue Rooms (M)

Platypus The Lion at Basford (M)

Acoustic Night Riverbank Bar & Kitchen (M)

Bank Holiday Live Music The Poppy and Pint (M)

MONDAY 26 MAY

Tuned Rock City (M) £3/£5, 10pm

Stealth Vs Rescued Stealth (M)

Live Jazz The Bell Inn (M)

Detroit Soul Riverbank Bar & Kitchen (M)

Stormy Mondays The Test Match (M)

Guns 2 Roses Rock City (M)

Gold Djanogly Theatre (T) £8, 1pm

Jazz Thursdays The Test Match (M) Gallery Tour: Hiding Out: Permindar Kaur The Djanogly Art Gallery (A) Free, 1pm FRIDAY 23 MAY All Decades Disco Party Bistro Live (M) £25 Free Fridays Bunkers Hill (M) Aistaguca The Lion at Basford (M) Livewire The AC/DC Show The Rescue Rooms (M) Joe Strange Band Riverbank Bar & Kitchen (M) The Distillery Blues Band, Black Rooster Black Shag, The Damn Heavy & Dealmaker DJs Jam Café (M) Journey Through Style Notts Contemporary (A) £73.50, 9:30am Talespin Lee Rosy’s Tea Shop (T) £4/£2, 7:45pm - 9:45pm

DJ Marriott The Southbank Bar (M) Live Acoustic Covers The Test Match (M) Wheee! Architects of Air Highfields Park (A) £3.50, 11am

The Second Minute Nottingham Playhouse (T) £5/£7/£9, 4pm

May Half Term Family Fun Nottingham Contemporary (A) Free, 11am

TUESDAY 27 MAY

New Kids on the Block Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall (T) £19.50-£75, 7:30pm Craig Hill, Ben Norris, Simon Clayton & Phil Ellis The Glee Club (C) £5/£10, 7pm John Ryan, Steve Williams, Tanyalee Davis & Slim Jongleurs (C) £12/£15, 7pm

Neat14 Dance: Maria Hassabi: Premiere Djanogly Theatre (T) £11/£14/£16, 8pm

SUNDAY 25 MAY

Craig Hill, Mick Ferry, Simon Clayton & Phil Ellis The Glee Club (C) £5/£10, 7pm

Open Mic Night The Guitar Bar, Hotel Deux (M)

Live Jazz The Bell Inn (M)

Open Mic Night Pepper Rocks (M) Free, 9pm The Racing Room The Dragon (M) Free, 8pm Quantic The Rescue Rooms (M)

The Halle Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall (T) £10-£32.50, 7:30pm A Complete & Utter History of the Roman Empire... Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall (T) £6, 7:30pm WEDNESDAY 28 MAY The Lion Quiz The Lion at Basford (M) Little Mix Nottingham Arena (M)

There’ll be three music stages in all, featuring tons more bands and DJs. Like Splendour, No Tomorrow takes place over the course of a Saturday in the picturesque Wollaton Park, so you can just hop on a bus after the show instead of trudging back to a minging tent, which is a bonus for us. Although aimed at students, the festival’s open to anyone over the age of eighteen (those students can get quite rowdeh) and the ticket prices are pretty student-friendly too. Saturday 7 June, 1pm - 11pm, from £25, Wollaton Park

Gabriella Cilmi The Bodega (M) 7pm

Big Ass Pub Quiz Spanky Van Dykes (C) £1, 7:30pm THURSDAY 29 MAY Open Mic Night The Lion at Basford (M) Free, 8pm Club Tropicana The Rescue Rooms (M) Acoustic Night Riverbank Bar & Kitchen (M) Tuned Rock City (M) £3/£5, 10pm Jazz Thursdays The Test Match (M) Free, 9pm Blair Dunlop The Bodega (M)

Marc Parrett Lakeside Arts Centre (A) £6, 10:30am Broken Toy Rescue Lakeside Arts Centre (A) £6.50, 1:30pm In Conversation: Permindar Kaur: Hiding Out The Djanogly Art Gallery (A) Free, 6:30pm The Good, The God and The Guillotine Nottingham Playhouse (T) £6/£11/£13, 8pm

Craig Campbell The Glee Club (C) £15, 7pm FRIDAY 30 MAY Free Fridays Bunkers Hill (M) Robin Auld - Award Winning South African Roots n Blues Newstead Centre (M) 5, 7pm - 11:30pm Buzzard The Lion at Basford (M) Joe Strange Band Riverbank Bar & Kitchen (M) DJ Marriott The Southbank Bar (M) Stumps Live Lounge The Test Match (M) Journey Through Style Nottingham Contemporary (A) £73.50, 9:30am Too Many Penguins Djanogly Theatre (T) £8, 11am Wheee! - Too Many Penguins Djanogly Theatre (T) £8, 11am MissImp In Action The Glee Club (C) Matt Rees, Angela Barnes, Carey Marx & Simon Bligh The Glee Club (C) £5/£10, 7pm Miles Crawford, Andrew Ryan, Mitch Benn & Colin Cole Jongleurs (C) £12/£15, 7pm SATURDAY 31 MAY Scriptures Album Launch & Art Show The Lace Market Gallery (M) Free, 8pm - 11:45pm Saturday Night Comedy Just The Tonic (M) £6/£10, 8pm Spring Gathering Music Festival The Lion at Basford (M)

Wednesday 13 Rock City (M) A Boy and His Box Djanogly Theatre (T) £6, 1:30pm Matt Rees, Angela Barnes, Carey Marx & Simon Bligh The Glee Club (C) £5/£10, 7pm Miles Crawford, Andrew Ryan, Mitch Benn & Colin Cole Jongleurs (C) £12/£15, 7pm THURSDAY 5 JUN Southwell Folk Festival Southwelll (M) adult tickets from £15 Ends Sunday 8 Jun. Thursday - Folk Opera A Day’s Work by Mick Ryan Polly and the Billets Doux Skipper’s Alley Harry Bird and The Rubber Wellies Maccaferri Club Friday - Treacherous Orchestra, Martyn Joseph & Stewart Henderson, Polly and the Billets Doux, Caladh Nua, Greg Russell & Ciaran Algar, Cupola, The BeauBowBelles, Hatful of Rain JC & Angelina, Cupola:Ward, Henry Girls Saturday - The Bills, Ross Ainslie & Jarlath Henderson Big Band, The Poozies, The Sojourners, Caladh Nua, Blackbeards Tea Party, Polly and the Billets Doux, The BeauBowBelles, Hatful of Rain, Paul Pigat Trio (tbc), Keith Donnelly, Jeff Warner, JC & Angelina, The Dovetail Trio, Steve Hicks & Lynn Goulbourn, Alex Roberts, Jim Causley Sunday - Feast of Fiddles, Vin Garbutt, Ben Waters Band, Bella Hardy & The Midnight Watch, The Kennedys with Edwina Hayes, Woody Mann, Jeff Warner, Crossharbour, John Connolly, Steve Hicks & Lynn Goulbourn, Jim Causley, Shadrack Tye, Liam Robinson Dance Band with Kadri Laube and Marju Varblane

Oklahoma band Flaming Lips are as famous for their wildly flamboyant and theatrical stage shows as they are for their dreamy, psychedelic rock. Extravagant animal costumes, puppets, swarms of confetti and balloons, spectacular lighting and video effects — they’re a bit like the most surreal children’s party you’ll ever go to. With a thirty-year long, Grammy-winning career and hugely acclaimed back catalogue to draw on, you can bet the ‘Lips will be treading out some of their biggest hits like Race for the Prize, She Don’t Use Jelly and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, as well as their latest EP Peace Sword. They’re only doing a very limited run of shows in the UK, so this is your chance to catch what will be a truly spectacular music event. Just watch out for frontman Wayne Coyne crowd surfing inside a giant hamster ball as you’re stood agog over all the pretty lights and sounds. Thursday 29 May, 7.30pm, £36.50, Nottingham Arena

roc-city.co.uk leftlion.co.uk/issue58

Wednesday Whistle Test The Test Match (M)

Wheee! Architects of Air Highfields Park (A) £3.50, 5:30pm

Chuck Ragan Rock City (M)

The newest festival to hit Nottingham’s summer calendar, No Tomorrow at Wollaton Park has a line-up that’s fresher than a bath in Listerine. Headliners London Grammar come back to where it all began (they met at the neighbouring University of Nottingham), hot off a sold-out tour and with a UK #2 debut album under their belts. Also on the bill are BBC Sound of 2014 winner Sam Smith, future garage supremos Eton Messy and chart-topping DJ Duke Dumont, who don’t seem to have any particular affiliation with Notts, but we still love ‘em all anyway.

Graham Parker & The Rumour Rock City (M)

Not So Every Day Lakeside Arts Centre (A) £3, 11am

Cas Public (Quebec) present Gold - Wheee! Djanogly Theatre (T) £8, 1pm

Zagreb Youth Theatre present The Seagull Nottingham Playhouse (T) £6/£11/£13, 7pm

Terry Reid The Maze (M) £15, 7pm

Deja Groove Riverbank Bar & Kitchen (M)

capitalfmarena.com

event listings...

for more: leftlion.co.uk/listings

THE DJANOGLY ART GALLERY

LACE MARKET THEATRE

NOTTINGHAM CONTEMPORARY

THEATRE ROYAL & ROYAL CONCERT HALL

FRIDAY 2 MAY

WEDNESDAY 2 APR

SATURDAY 5 APR

TUESDAY 8 APR

Hiding Out - Permindar Kaur 11am Ends Sunday 15 Jun.

Pride & Prejudice 7:30pm - 10:30pm Ends Saturday 5 Apr.

Free Family Creative Activities Free, 11am Ends Monday 21 Apr.

Tom’s Midnight Garden £11-£17 Ends Saturday 12 Apr.

DJANOGLY RECITAL HALL

MONDAY 14 APR

SATURDAY 12 APR

MONDAY 14 APR

FRIDAY 9 MAY

Boeing Boeing 7:30pm - 10:30pm Ends Tuesday 15 Apr.

Somewhat Abstract Ends Sunday 29 Jun.

The Two Worlds of Charlie F £14-£27.50 Ends Saturday 19 Apr.

All Quiet in the Weston Gallery Free, 11am Ends Sunday 17 Aug. DJANOGLY THEATRE SATURDAY 26 APR

Not Now Bernard £7, 10:30am Ends Sunday 27 Apr. Unicorn presents Not Now Bernard £7, 10:30am Ends Sunday 27 Apr. MONDAY 12 MAY

Dr Faustus: Schools Performances £10/£12, 7:30pm Ends Friday 16 May.

WEDNESDAY 16 APR

Till Eulenspiegel 7:30pm - 10:30pm Ends Thursday 17 Apr. TUESDAY 29 APR

An Evening of Crime Shorts 7:30pm - 10:30pm Ends Saturday 3 May. MONDAY 19 MAY

A Beckett Evening: Happy Days / Not I 7:30pm - 10:30pm Ends Saturday 24 May. LAKESIDE ARTS CENTRE

SATURDAY 31 MAY

Family Weekends: June Free, 11am Ends Sunday 29 Jun. NOTTINGHAM PLAYHOUSE FRIDAY 4 APR

Egusi Soup £11/£13, 7:45pm Ends Saturday 5 Apr. FRIDAY 25 APR

The Wedding Singer: The Musical Comedy £12 (£8), Various times Ends Saturday 26 Apr. FRIDAY 2 MAY

SATURDAY 31 MAY

SATURDAY 3 MAY

A Boy and His Box £6, 1:30pm Ends Sunday 1 Jun.

Jackie Berridge: Perfume and Savages Free, 11am Ends Sunday 20 Jul.

Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre: The Rite of Spring and Petrushka £11 - £19, 8pm Ends Saturday 3 May.

NOTTINGHAM ARENA

SATURDAY 24 MAY

SATURDAY 31 MAY

TUESDAY 8 APR

Wheee!14 : Architects of Air : Luminarium £3.50, 11am Ends Sunday 1 Jun.

Bolero by Michael Pinchbeck £6/£11/£13, 7:30pm Ends Sunday 1 Jun.

Rime Ends Sunday 25 May.

SURFACE GALLERY

Torvill and Dean’s Dancing on Ice 2014 7:30pm Ends Thursday 10 Apr.

FRIDAY 25 APR

Street Art Open £5 per work, or six works for £20, 6pm - 9pm Ends Saturday 17 May. THE HARLEY GALLERY WEDNESDAY 2 APR

Added Value? 10am - 5pm Ends Sunday 1 Jun.

Ahead of the national tour, The Kite Runner returns to Nottingham Playhouse in August and September, following its European premiere there in April 2013. The play is adapted from AfghanAmerican author Khaled Hosseini’s bestselling 2003 debut novel – a book well used to adaption, with a 2007 film and 2011 graphic novel also created. The story is set in Kabul, Afghanistan. After spending years in America, Amir returns to his home country to help his childhood friend Hassan. This begins the flashback process to their younger days - which involved friendship, betrayal, war, and kite flying – leaving Amir confronting his past and looking for redemption. Adapted for the stage by Matthew Spangler, The Kite Runner is a powerful and well reviewed play. It is only suitable for ages 14+, though, due to some adult themes and the occasional use of bad words. The Kite Runner, Friday 29 August to Saturday 6 September, £9.50 - £28.50, Nottingham Playhouse, Wellington Circus, NG1 5AF. nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk

TUESDAY 15 APR

Cats £15-£39.50 Ends Saturday 26 Apr. TUESDAY 22 APR

Dial M for Murder £12-£29.50 Ends Saturday 26 Apr. MONDAY 28 APR

Things We Do For Love £15-£32.50 Ends Saturday 3 May. TUESDAY 6 MAY

West Side Story £20-£45, 7:30pm Ends Saturday 17 May. FRIDAY 9 MAY

Sweet Adelines £20-£25 Ends Sunday 11 May. MONDAY 19 MAY

Derren Brown - Infamous £30-£37.50, 7:30pm Ends Saturday 24 May. WEDNESDAY 28 MAY

Sister Act £10-£19.50 Ends Saturday 31 May. WALLNER GALLERY FRIDAY 23 MAY

Welcome To Octoville Free, 9am Ends Sunday 6 Jul.

Write Lion

“A petty reason perhaps why novelists more and more try to keep a distance from journalists is that novelists are trying to write the truth and journalists are trying to write fiction.” - Graham Greene If you’d like your ‘truth’ fictionalised, lob it over to books@leftlion.co.uk Knowing Home

The Power of Nothing

The Most Beautiful

Kelly Vero’s first foray into publishing is a compact yet diverse collection of stories which draw upon the author’s somewhat tainted nostalgia for her hometown, Nottingham. The stories are super-short, lasting an average of three pages before ending rather abruptly. In some instances, like that of The Clown and The Captain, the sudden endings do deliver a certain dramatic impact, whereas in others they offer no resolution, appearing almost unfinished. Collectively, the stories make for a sombre read, spanning a wide range of perspectives across a number of decades, from family life in the fifties to the eighties race riots, and tackling a variety of bleak content such as domestic violence, fatal illness and attempted suicide. Brief as they are, Vero’s semi-autobiographical tales paint a vivid picture of their characters’ lives and troubled relationships, always retaining an acute sense of place, an ever present awareness of Nottingham and its influence on individual lives. Helen Frear kellyvero.co.uk

After following Steve Granger’s life as a shop assistant and humble youth worker, his isolation tugs anyone reading into a vortex of the downtrodden. To make things all the more pleasant, a tall, grey man starts following him, watching his every move without saying a word. Steve is ready to blow his top after a while, taunted by the lanky bastard hanging over him like a Tory piñata. His dippy colleague from the adventure gear shop, Betty, doesn’t make it any easier for him either, she can’t even make a decent brew to calm his nerves. The book alludes to government austerity measures, anticipating the consequences of turning a blind eye to the people when change is demanded. The language is lacking detail at times and the scenes where Steve confronts the grey man can be slightly repetitive, but The Power of Nothing is captivatingly dark, casting a shadow over the stifling politics of today. Bridie Squires damnationbooks.com

This gorgeous book celebrates twenty years of Alan Parkinson’s incredible luminariums through interviews, design drawings and vibrant photographs. For existing devotees of these extraordinary inflatable structures, this is an opportunity to learn more about the fabrication process as well as the journey of development from experimental play environments back in 1985 to the enormous and complex Exxopolis built in 2012. For those new to luminaria, imagine entering a gigantic alien-looking sculpture and wandering through interconnecting pods and chambers flooded with coloured light. Architects of Air is an independent company based in Oldknows factory, with a small team working on building the structures. The luminaria tour the world and have exhibited more than 500 times worldwide since 1992. You can see Exxopolis, which takes its inspiration from natural geometry and Muslim architecture, at Lakeside from 24 May to 1 June. Aly Stoneman architects-of-air.com

Kelly Vero Kindle Edition, £2

Richard Barber Damnation Books, £7.85

Alan Parkinson Architects of Air, £20

Bang in the Middle Robert Shore The Friday Project, £8.99

Robert Shore is a man on a mission. He’s sick to death of Midlands culture being appropriated by gobby northerners and southern softies. These two binary identities have acted as a cultural vice that have effectively crushed out the voices of those bang in the middle of the country. Dragging his poor family along for the ride, he’s slowly transformed into a paranoid, nervous wreck. It is a paradox, of which he is aware, that he displays the one trait you would not associate with the region that dare not speak its name: pride. The Midlands is a disjointed mix and it’s difficult to see what Nottingham has in common with that shed up the A52 and those crisp munchers a few stops down the M1, but it’s certainly something I’d consider now. The book is structured around a tick list of achievements that are central to his thesis that the Midlands is the answer for everything, but this means we miss the raw voices of strangers. For example, what really distinguishes Notts from other cities is that we thank bus drivers when we get off the bus. That means more to me than two European Cups, Byron and that bloke in green tights. James Walker harpercollins.co.uk

'Nottingham's orangest reviewer Katie Half-Price got well bored reading all the time so we sent her daahn the pub instead

No.1 The Ned Ludd, 27 Friar Lane Bein’ a luddite dunt mean you’ve gorra piccy of Steve Jobs pinned to yer dartboard or that you can’t figure aht Windows 8. Nobody can figure aht Windows 8. Luddites ackshleh refers to them Frame Breakers of 1811 who gorra right mard-on when bosses gor’in new machinereh that any ode numpty could operate an paid ‘em peanuts. Sahnd familiar? But the funny thing is, Ned Ludd wont a real person, it wor just a name given to anyone with a cob on smashin’ stuff up. The Luddites loved writing and banged aht a tonne o’ documents, mainly petitions, blathering on abaht this and that and how trade needed to be better regulated. Anyways, this new boozer that’s opened is packed wi’ real ales and locally sourced snap. There’s no mass-produced factory rammel here (Carling, Fosters) cuz they want the pub ta reflect the individual spirit of Ned Ludd, etc. But that dunt mean you can go dahn and smash place up. Go to Thurland for that. Tale: Framed by Christy Fearn Ale: Twisted Genius. It’s dark, moody and dangerous, just like meh feller.

thenedludd.com leftlion.co.uk/issue58

photo: David Sillitoe This mint banner up on Station Street will distract you for a few minutes next time you catch a train, (or replacement bus seeing as the renovation is taking yonks). It’s part of a ‘Rebel Writers’ Trail’ and a reminder that there’s more to the NG than Robin Hood. Thanks to Mark Shotter, the Howie-Smith Project and artist Nick Humphries for this one. sillitoe.com

e Year Fatea Festival of th

Award Winner 2013

The Bills | Feast of Fiddles | Vin Garbutt Ross Ainslie & Jarlath Henderson Big Band Treacherous Orchestra | Ben Waters Band The Sojourners | The Poozies The Kennedys with Edwina Hayes | Martyn Joseph Caladh Nua | The Mischa Macpherson Trio | Woody Mann Bella Hardy and The Midnight Watch | Greg Russell & Ciaran Algar Polly & The Billets Doux | Keith Donnelly | The Henry Girls The BeauBowBelles | Jeﬀ Warner Plus: THE PREMIERE OF MICK RYAN’S GREATEST FOLK OPERA YET! Plus many more Superb rural site on the edge of a lovely market town. 3 Stages with Undercover Seating, Big Top with Double Video Screens and Live Webcast, Dance Displays and Ceilidhs, Workshops, Craft and Food Stalls, Children’s Festival, Street Theatre & Walkabouts, Beer and Cider Festival, Sculpture in the Woods, Cathedral Concerts, Pub Sessions Plus : Adjacent camping with hot showers and ﬂush toilets WEEKEND TICKETS FROM

£85 Until 30th April

Online booking and information: www.southwellfolkfestival.org.uk Further info: 01636 816678

Find local releases in The Music Exchange. You can also hear a tune from each review on our Sound of the Lion podcast at leftlion.co.uk/sotl.

C-Mone

Rebecca King

If there’s an argument about female representation in hip hop, C-Mone thankfully helps to counter it. From her start with CRS and Out Da Ville to her collab with The Streets, this Nottingham rhymestress has been holding it down for female emcees (femcees?) for years. The Monday Book Club is a five-track taster mixtape for her upcoming album - the follow-up to her Mercury attention-grabbing Butterfly Effect that perfectly sums her up her skills. Deftly switching between acoustic tunes and more traditional drum sample-led beats, C-Mone lays down gorgeously contemplative bars that touch on everything from the hopeless feeling of not hearing back from job applications, Just, to statistics on global food shortages, Vision. Her relaxed, conversational flow creates a stream of consciousness effect, with asides, sighs and a meaningful adlibbed message to close. If this is Monday’s Book Club, I’m attending every week. Shariff Ibrahim soundcloud.com/c-mone

This new EP presents a very different sound for the vocal powerhouse that is Rebecca King. Where she was previously known for her upbeat r ‘n’ b and pop sounds, these tracks fall somewhere between jazz and hip hop. Thanks to incredibly slick production from local lad Ashmore, Rebecca’s vocals shine among horns that even Miles Davis would envy. Her voice rings irresistibly as ever and her knack for a catchy melody remains. Appetite For You has a hook worthy of national radio play albeit with clear, classic undertones; Stumbling Again is a subtly groovy piece of jazz and there’s even a swinging, bluesy take on her first single Damn It I Do, which sounds very different from the club-pop sound of the original. Overall, this new sound works surprisingly well for Rebecca and makes a case for the question of whether there’s any genre she can’t make her own. Sam Nahirny rebeccaking.bandcamp.com

The Monday Book Club Mixtape (Self-released)

Ex-Easter Island Head Large Electric Ensemble Album (Low Point)

Unspoken Words EP (Self-released)

Kogumaza колокол

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Dan Rattomatic

Turbo Charged Cheese Dreams Album (1st Blood Records/Who Made You Leader) “He’s the kind of guy who would drink a gallon of gasoline so he could piss in your campfire.” As far as album openers go, hubristic Steven Seagal movie quotes are bold statements of intent. Luckily DJ and producer Dan Rattomatic’s debut LP has both bombastic beats and abundant bars to back it up. A crack squad of Nottingham’s finest are in support - among them, Inkrument teammate Samwise raps on the dreamy strings of standout track Rainbow Roads, Bahinyon (née Liam Bailey) lends his signature soul to Precious Lines, and 1st Blood hilariously extol the virtues of a WFH day on Working from Home. He also shows off the extent of his crates with the heavily Isley Brotherssampling Aesthetix (feat. Edison), before swapping hip hoppy Air Force ones in favour of funky brogues for a few stirring final dance numbers and bonus remixes. Cracking cheese, Rattomatic! Shariff Ibrahim danrattomatic.bandcamp.com

Tribute to Nordberg

Album (Lancashire and Somerset)

Put It Together EP (Self-released)

Originally debuted in September 2012 at Nottingham Contemporary as part of WEYA, Large Electric Ensemble sees Liverpool’s experimentalists Ex-Easter Island Head collaborate with eleven of Nottingham’s finest guitarists from a variety of backgrounds; there are far too many to mention here, but the line-up includes members of Kogumaza, Fists and Cantaloupe. After previously experiencing the piece live, I first heard the recorded version while ill in bed; the tranquil melodies felt like a celestial being was visiting to mop my fevered brow. The music ebbs and flows between twinkling, sparse passages of guitar and hypnotically pulsating moments of euphoria. Recorded live, the energy in a room full of guitarists (and a drummer) has been captured with the band using alternate tunings, Allen keys and third bridges to achieve their distinct sound. This is a superbly realised piece of music that doesn’t forsake experimentation for enjoyability. A unique listening experience. Paul Klotschkow lowpoint.bandcamp.com

Slow-burning and immeasurably patient, Kogumaza’s latest LP is not for the faint-hearted. Offering two sides of near unrelenting music and opening with winding, funereal sludge, this release displays the band’s talent for telling stories through extended jamming. Following the aforementioned sprawling opener, Kogumaza laze hazily into soundscaping as if to allow the listener some relaxation for a moment before bringing more of their locked down, droning, spaced-out rock to the fore. Side B proffers a similar structure to Side A, beginning with a song brimming with strung-out lead guitar, spiked with feedback and wah. The rest of the band present a stoned motif that Do Make Say Think would be proud of, segueing into unsettling ambience that ends with treated vocal loops before closing with a jam that wouldn’t have been remotely out of place in California during the late sixties. It all makes for an exhausting but incredibly worthwhile experience. Ant Whitton kogumaza.bandcamp.com

Tribute to Nordberg’s debut album The Day After, released in March 2012, was described by this reviewer in this very rag as “grinding, unforgiving riffs tempered with a keen sense of melody.” A lot has happened to the band since then, but after a line-up change and an extended hiatus, they’re back with a new EP and thankfully those pitiless riffs are still very much in evidence. If anything, the band might be even heavier than they were before, the faint presence of Pearl Jam replaced by something distinctly closer to Badmotorfinger-era Soundgarden. Sure, vocalist Paul isn’t quite in the Chris Cornell league of rock singers - who is? - but the band definitely aren’t embarrassed by the comparison. Some of the riffing on this EP is heart-stoppingly, stratospherically, hands-in-the-air good. The downward gallop to the end of Hard to See is, in particular, a thing of rocking beauty. Tim Sorrell tributetonordberg.co.uk

Leygo

Ffeeling EP (Self-released)

The Funka EP (Relative Dimensions)

Josh Wheatley Follow The Smoke EP (self-released)

Artists drenched in mystique, Ff let us into their wonderfully weird world of scuzzy, psychedelic synthesisers and far out ambience. Without vocals, the band let the music do the talking. Cloth Ears and Peggy Babcock open with a huge blast of grinding synth-driven clamour and effect heavy guitar riffs. In later tracks, Ff show that their softer side can be equally as compelling as their heftier instincts; Ibizan Wizard in particular engulfs you in a feeling of extreme weightlessness and sounds like it could be at home in Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds. The oddly named Pants Down Roly Poly provides the two sides of Ff in one eloquent, closing track; chopping abruptly between fast-paced drums and tranquil ringing. Unlike anything you are likely to have heard for some time, Ff prove that Nottingham’s burgeoning music scene is still full of surprises. George Ellis freshlyf.bandcamp.com

Sitting alone in a room on your fat arse is probably not the best way to do this EP justice. The Funka was almost certainly put together to soundtrack letting your hair down with a couple of ‘sherbets’ on a Friday or Saturday night. Showcasing his selecta flair, Leygo has put together a mix that brings the funk and is aimed squarely at the dancefloor. Recognisable cuts such as Express Yourself by Charles Wright and Kula Shaker’s Hush are thrown together with big beats and even bigger bass lines that should test even the mightiest of soundsystems. Some of the repetition does become a bit too much at times and my eyes couldn’t help but glance at how long was left on some of the tracks. That being said, if this was blasting away in a bar or club and you were locked in the groove Leygo has laid down here, there’s no way you’d be grumbling. Paul Klotschkow soundcloud.com/leygo

Follow The Smoke is the anticipated debut EP by the cherished Nottingham favourite that is the smooth talking Josh Wheatley, a guy with a voice that is capable of melting much tougher substances than butter. The title track Follow the Smoke, entices us from the start with breathtaking harmonised vocals and lyrics about a favourite subject of his - his beloved boats. Wheatley’s talents on the guitar are evident throughout, with a tender string picking approach fully complementing his songs. From the Wild speeds things up, showcasing Wheatley’s diversity. No EP would be complete without a tender version of a love song and Give up the Ghost is just that, singing “let it loose to find someone new”, the song is effortless but compelling, a beautifully composed ballad. The final track I’ll Set Her Free is a tender, slow song with captivating lyrics and guitar sounds - the perfect end to a fantastic, versatile debut EP. Alyss Bowen soundcloud.com/josh-wheatley-1

Field Studies

Papayér

The Wickets

Celestial EP (Self-released) EPs usually come near the start of an artist’s career as an explosion of pentup creativity, a declaration of intent. Rarely do they arrive so fully-formed with a chiselled refinement such as Field Studies’ Celestial. The release begins with the sampled voice of an indie video-game designer (don’t worry, it works), then the anthemic and melodically aching Blomst with its Nordic-sounding name to complement clear Sigur Ros influences. Mother Tongue recalls Radiohead minus Thom Yorke’s falsetto, or a soulful, forgotten Maccabees song. Although there are plenty of reference points, simply listing them does Field Studies a disservice - all influences are synthesised, submerged in an impressionistic wash. Cabin Fever is so unnervingly affecting, it sends a shiver down the spine while Hibernate fades with grace. Fastidiously composed with stark passion; forget the standard predictions of ‘great things to come,’ great things are already here – a must listen. Magnificent. Andrew Tucker fieldstudiesband.bandcamp.com

Boo Album (Self-released) “If you start your day in twists and fits, you’ll end it just the same,” states Emily’s Second Wind, demonstrating how this indie-rock trio are delivering their outlook on modern life, just as cult favourites The Libertines did ten years ago. Unlike them, Midlands-based Tom, Niall and Cob are best friends and it’s hard to believe that this is Papayér’s debut full-length album. Filled with adolescent emotions and selfdeprecating lyrical tendencies, Boo begins with the love stoned Baby Boo acting as a gentle introduction to Tom’s occasionally croaky and expressive voice before the track cascades into a shambolic instrumental finale. The boy’s angsty sound works well in Emily’s Second Wind and Good Morning with off-kilter hooks giving them an interestingly memorable but not always instantly catchy eminence. Other tracks, Suffering and Belly Full resonate a distinctly morose, scratchy vibe that would be at home on The Cribs’ self-titled debut album. Stephanie Parkes papayer.bandcamp.com

On The Line

EP (Self-released) They’ve been on the scene for over ten years now, but The Wickets are still kicking it hard and showing no signs of fatigue. That could be because they took a wee break last year from gigging and the like, but they’ve come back all the better for it. Their latest EP - presumably recorded when we assumed they were dossing about is short and sweet at three songs but is relentless from start to finish. Imagine if The Killers had developed their sound more towards rock instead of Bruce Springsteen and U2... that would have been great. Well sod them, they didn’t, The Wickets are filling that rock indie angst gap in the market, and hell, they’re much less pretentious. On The Line’s chugging guitars and driving rhythms will have you stomping along before it all ends far too quickly. A ferocious live band, take their energy home with you. Ali Emm thewickets.bandcamp.com

leftlion.co.uk/issue58

For more Nottingham foodie goodness check noshingham.co.uk

Mud Crab

Rakonto Bar and Grill

Le Bistrot Pierre

With a seemingly endless supply of up and comings, bright young things and yummy mummies, it’s not surprising that West Bridgford has a generous handful of restaurants, bars and quaint delis along the main strip to keep them all fed.

It’s a simple concept but with infinite possibilities: take all the tastiest animals from cow to prawn, and make them divine by using flavours, marinades, herbs and spices from global influences. Rakonto, on the Hockley strip, has a flavour-scope that spans the Far East to the Far West.

As we entered, the clattering of cutlery and a touch of musique echoed throughout the dimly lit room. Recently renovated, there were French posters on the walls and metal railings around every corner, ambitiously mirroring an authentic Parisian basement from days past. We were shown to a wooden table near a feature, red leather sofa, feeling ourselves melt into the atmosphere of the room.

Awesome rack

Snappy snap

Mud Crab on Central Avenue is a cool and sophisticated space but retains a laid back air. Huge leather-backed booths, floorto-ceiling mirrors, low hanging dimmed light bulbs and the walls adorned with black and white framed prints of yesteryear motor racing heros. Paul, the assistant manager, was charmingly eccentric and showed us to our table enthusiastically. As drivers we were on the mocktails, the pear nojito was super refreshing and the mint had obviously had the hell beaten out of it before it was muddled in the mix. I asked for my Virgin Mary spicy, if there’s no booze then it needs to have a cayenne kick. Thankfully, the barman delivered with a seriously punchy drink. The menu is - and I wince and shudder simultaneously to say this - all very ‘on trend’. We’re talking burgers & sliders, tapas and taster platters, pizzas and pies. I chose the calamari (£4.95) to start, served in a Chinese noodle style box. The squid was perfectly cooked and the paprika in the coating gave them a lovely rusty colour. My friend opted for the three course set menu for £17 (with three choices for each course) and first up was a Middle Eastern platter including stuffed vine leaves, falafel and crispy slices of thinly sliced baguette. After much deliberation I chose the ginger and soy steak salad (£11). The beef had obviously been marinating for a considerable time and was almost black throughout from the soy, giving a really deep, strong flavour. The noodle salad was topped with a handful of peppery watercress that complimented the beef well. My dining partner had the baked fig and goats cheese pizza which came served as a stretched, flat bread style pizza on a wooden board, there was a good combination of sweet and salty toppings with a generous amount of piquant rocket on top. We shared some ‘good fries with chicken salt’, a standard condiment in Australian fish and chip shops; mostly salt but with a few extra herbs and spices. Our - shared - dessert of baked Alaska was pure indulgence, the ice cream was encased in lightly singed sweet meringue that evoked a flavour that everyone loves: toasted marshmallow. If you’re in Bridgford and fancy kicking back and relaxing with some good food, here is where it’s at. Ash Dilks Central Avenue, West Bridgford, NG2 5GQ mudcrabindustries.co.uk/west-bridgford

The staff kindly explained the menu and flavour combinations and were very helpful throughout the night, making sure that we had everything that we needed. I like a good bit of service, so was properly impressed. The sides - which can double up as starters if you wish - can be ordered alongside your meat selection. We chose corn on the cob, grilled vegetables, hummus and fries (all £2.95). A little corn with the cajun chicken, a little hummus on a herby lamb chop don’t mind if I do. We selected several starter portions to create our main meal. The lamb chops (£5.25) were succulent and moist. Just a little charred on the outside giving a lovely bbq flavour, the use of mint was obvious but the hint of tarragon in the marinade made for a more fragrant flavour. The Thai-style tiger prawns (£5.50) were stylishly presented, butterflied down the back with the shell still on. The vegetarian choice of paneer tikka (£5.95) came in huge slabs, a brilliant crimson red from the tandoori masala marinade. The halloumi (£5.95) was soft, creamy and flavoured with the herbs of the Mediterranean. The pork ribs (£4.95) were sticky with hoisin sauce and had plenty of meat on each one. Two small lemon hand wipes each were just enough for us to remove all evidence from our fingertips. If you like a little bit of everything then the grand feast mix grill platter (£13.95) is the obvious option. Designed for two to share it boasts pork ribs, beef steak, lamb chops, cajun chicken, piri piri chicken wings and prawns. We saw the platters coming proudly out of the kitchen and the grand feast is definitely true to its name. It has a spacious feel with a focus on lighting to create different moods around the restaurant. The top level, where the bar is situated, offers a brighter, more lively experience. The bottom level offers something a little more intimate and restaurantesque for those that fancy a ‘proper’ meal out.

We had to quell our appetites as we knew from the generous starter portions that the mains would be a decent size. I went for boeuf bourguignon maison (£13.95) with dauphinoise potatoes and seasoned vegetables. The hunks of beef were swimming in bacon, mushrooms and shallots and fell apart in the mouth, and although the red wine sauce would have been too rich for a sensitive palate, I loved it. My partner opted for the handmade ravioli with roasted butternut squash (£9.95) which was lovingly blanketed in a lemony ricotta sauce with chestnuts and rosemary sprinkled on top. The pasta was clearly fresh but it could have done with being cooked a little further, but the sauce had a gorgeous, silky consistency. We’d already eaten far too much but, yeah, we decided to split the café gourmand (£6.95), a taster selection including a tangy lemon cheesecake; a chocolate pud with a hard outer shell and a gooey centre; a layered caramel and apple tart and a scoop of raspberry sorbet. Oh, that raspberry sorbet… How our tabs did laugh. The dessert came with one espresso, but we ordered a second (£1.75) so as not to collapse in a heap on the floor.

38-46 Goosegate, Hockley, NG1 1FF

13-17 Milton Street, NG1 3EN

“Oooh I really fancy a Kurdistan for dinner” is not something you hear much round these parts. The lack of Kurd joints in our fair city might play a part in this but hopefully this will change in time - until then, the ingeniously titled ‘The Kurdistan Restaurant’ is well worth your attentions. Shamefully, my personal knowledge of Kurdistan and its cuisine is woefully small - I’d struggle to fill the back of a fag packet if pushed - but I hoped to make amends and educate myself so dived headfirst into their take away menu. As always when exploring new exciting foodstuffs from foreign climes, I drastically misjudged the amount one man should order and when answering the door to greet my delivery driver I was handed a bulging bag that could have fed a small family. I can’t quite remember what exactly I initially ordered but I ended up with a big portion of grilled fish, salad, three nan breads, a lamb kozy (a big lamb shank with rice), a portion of boiled potatoes in a strange watery sauce and an aubergine, tahini, garlic oil and yogurt spread called a baba ghanuj. Phew. Undo that top button, beanbag. While the food could of done with being warmer (the delivery driver looked like he’d got lost, to be honest), this was a minor grumble as the food was mighty tasty and a refreshing change from my usual late night scran. Give it a go, get involved and surprise your taste buds.

leftlion.co.uk/issue58

To start, we chose mini chorizos roasted in honey (£3.50) and a baked camembert sharer (£9.95). The camembert came with thin slices of toasted sourdough, plum chutney, tiny gherkins and roasted peppers. We were in our element, switching up flavours and finding it impossible to leave the chutney alone. It was a bit naughty but the chorizo got dunked too.

You’re not going to break the bank here, and if you’re a meat lover but want something beyond your usual steak and chips then head down, they’ll take very good care of you. Ashley Reeve

The Kurdistan Restaurant

My sauvignon blanc (£4.50) had a good balance between crisp and fruity, while my friend’s Pimms and lemonade (£3.50) was generously garnished with cucumber and lime. We were given a mini baguette to butter us up, a touch most British restaurants foolishly fail to see the benefit of.

The staff were polite and attentive, giving us a decent amount of time to calm down between dishes. Perfect for a romantic meal without being overly pricey, and although it doesn’t quite exact the modest nature of a traditional bistro, we welcomed their twists and turns on the format. Bridie Squire

Beane continues his takeaway quest…

5-7 Bentinck Rd, NG7 4AA. 0115 942 4922

Ready, steady, escargot

rakontobargrill.co.uk

lebistrotpierre.co.uk

Got a new business idea? Working on exciting technology? Or just interested in entrepreneurship?

UPCOMING EVENTS

ts n e v E E to E R F nd! e t t a

Re-Imagining the City

4 April, 1-4.30pm (Followed by Pecha Kucha, 5-7pm) How can we create a sustainable, vibrant Nottingham for the future? Join entrepreneurs, designers, architects, technologists and citizens to explore how we can collaborate to deveop a sustainable vision for the city. The event will be a mix of talks and interactive workshops to explore participatory design and look at how new technology and innovation can be applied to create a sustainable Nottingham. We’ll look at topics including: reducing waste; increasing energy efficiency; enhancing citizen experience; increasing enjoyment/play in the area; using empty space; encouraging increased exploration and movement.

Breakfast Club

Energy Intelligent Nottingham

Develop Programme

Attend our monthly Breakfast club and meet with other local startups, creatives and budding entrepreneurs to share tips and problem solving techniques, get advice on your ideas, or just have a general chat over a yummy breakfast.

Join engineers, designers, data scientists and technologists to create a city wide energy dashboard to achieve energy and resource efficiency in a sustainable, smart Nottingham.

Do you have a potential business idea that you would like to explore?

11 April, 8-10am

Each month we’ll focus on a different theme to share ideas, best practices and network with peers.

15 May, 8-10am

We’ll also explore the additional socio and economic outputs to be gained from the data created by the energy platform.

Deadline: 18 April

We are now taking applications for the cohort 4 of the programme. If you would like to learn more about NBG and how we can help develop your idea into a business, email a.turnbull@biocity.co.uk for more information. The deadline for entries is Friday 18th April 2014.

http://nextbusinessgeneration.com/ @NBGNottingham

Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 19) It was boring when you became a routine victim of bedbugs. But this Friday you’ll make history as the world’s first victim of sofacurtain and all-over-the-dogbugs.

Leo (July 24 - Aug 23) Your ex will finally stop by your place to get all her clothes back, which is weird because you didn’t know anyone saw you take take them in the first place.

Pisces (Feb 20 - Mar 20) You’ve always said that if you were king, you’d make getting a university education totally free once again. You’re going to be pushed for time, however, to fit this in between your coronation, the palace coup and the beheading.

Virgo (Aug 24 - Sept 23) Your son’s memory will still haunt your dreams, but it’s a welcome change from all the relived failures, cackling clowns and sweaty former scoutmasters. Libra (Sept 24 - Oct 23) You have finally come to the conclusion that ultimately there is nothing your friends can do for you, putting you in the awkward position of having to find new and more competent friends.

Aries (Mar 21 - Apr 20) This week you’ll stumble across a great little flambé restaurant with excellent food, a great wine list and an amazing selection of digestifs. But what you’ll actually need afterwards is a well-equipped burn ward.

Scorpio (Oct 24 - Nov 22) The bad news is that you’ll lose both arms in a road traffic accident next month. The good news is that they’re just the prosthetic replacements you got for the ones you’ll lose at the zoo this Thursday.

Taurus (Apr 21 - May 21) Remember, it’s never too late for you to find love. However, it’s just too late for you to find love without compromising everything you want in a partner, purely to resolve your fear of dying alone.

Sagittarius (Nov 23 - Dec 22) No one will be able to figure out your enigmatic last words. But the fact that you’ll live on in silence for three more years after uttering them makes it all somehow cooler and edgier.

Gemini (May 22 - June 22) The Benny Hill theme tune is considered by many as a strange choice for the first dance between husband and wife at a wedding, but your partner insists this is the perfect soundtrack for the occasion.

Capricorn (Dec 23 - Jan 19) This month you’ll become the sworn enemy of most of the male race when you point out that 90% of films starring Ben Stiller, Will Ferrell and Steve Carell aren’t actually very good.

Cancer (June 23 - July 23) It’s time to stop worrying about what people think of you, especially as it’s all so complicated that you can’t actually understand any of it yourself.

Easter Island

Raleigh Island

leftlion.co.uk/issue58

The average age of a sowjer in ‘Nam was 19

£1.9 million is being spent on…

a new-look library in Strelley

AKA: Rapa Nui

Size: 0.2 square miles

Size: 162.3 square miles

a new-look library in Strelley

Was born in 1987

The year anti-war film Full Metal Jacket was released

AKA: Crown Island

Current inhabitants:

Students

Famous for: Choppers lter

Not famous for: Sir Wa

£1.9 million is being spent on…

Was born in 1987

The average age of a sowjer in ‘Nam was 19

The year anti-war film Full Metal Jacket was released

Joss Stone

Six degrees of Strelley(ation)

Current inhabitants:

Rapanuians

Famous for: Moia statue s Not famous for: Eggs

or bunnies

ey up! NOTTS TVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S COMING SPRING 2014 | FREEVIEW CHANNEL 8

Getting ready to hit your screens from the end of May 2014; things are going swimmingly. So while we finish our fine tuning and get all our ducks in a row, check us out on Facebook and Twitter and join in the chat.

NottsTV Notts_TV www

NottsTV.com