Street Cred Magazine - April 2021

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The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2021 - Page 13

MUSIC FASHION FILM GADGETS HOLIDAY EDUCATION HEALTH AND FITNESS

APRIL 2021

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LIFE BY

MISADVENTURE RAG‘N’BONE MAN RETURNS TO TOURING WITH HIS NEW ALBUM

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Love Actually In Concert to tour UK - with full orchestra

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ove Actually, the seasonal romcom that has become a revelation and synonymous for so many with the festive period, will tour the UK in winter 2021 with a full orchestra performing its soundtrack live to picture, in what is becoming an annual

highlight of the holiday calendar.

The tour will begin at the Bath Forum on December 2, before calling at Poole, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Sheffield, York, Hull, London’s Eventim Apollo, Nottingham, Manchester, and Liverpool before finishing in Birmingham.

Love Actually In Concert has

garnered sold out audiences in previous years, with the Shropshire Star describing it as ‘… a wonderfully-magical night that really got everyone into the Christmas spirit’; whilst the Nottingham Post commented the performance was ‘Funny, heartwrenching and downright cheeky on occasion the musicians do

not just provide the background noise but all have their moments to shine.’

Directed by Richard Curtis and originally released in cinemas in 2003, Love Actually tells ten separate yet interweaving stories of love around Christmas time.

The film features an all-star

ensemble cast, including Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Bill Nighy, Martine McCutcheon, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley Rowan Atkinson, Martin Freeman, and many more.

A full, live orchestra will perform Craig Armstrong’s

evocative score at these shows, with the film being projected onto a huge screen. Armstrong is one of the UK’s most recognised film composers, with his work being awarded a BAFTA for his Achievement in Film Music.

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he City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra has announce that – subject to the continued successful rollout of the government’s roadmap – it is planning to give live concerts for socially-distanced audiences at Symphony Hall each Wednesday from 19 May-7 July.

Each programme will be performed twice, at 2pm and 6.30pm, to allow for as many people as possible to join us in person whilst seating capacity is restricted.

Full details of the programmes to be performed will be shared over the coming weeks.

Both Town Hall Symphony Hall and the CBSO have adopted the ‘See it Safely’ toolkit (created by UK Theatre and the Society of London Theatre) to ensure that all performances follow the latest Government guidelines.

Stephen Maddock, Chief Executive of the CBSO, said: ‘All of us at the CBSO have been working tirelessly with our partners at Symphony Hall to bring live music to our audiences as soon as it is possible and safe to do so. We hope that our weekly Wednesday concerts will be able to commence on Wednesday 19 May, with highlights including concerts with Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, Kazuki Yamada and Edward Gardner as well as soloists including Stephen Hough.

We can’t wait to share our plans with you soon.’

ENTERTAINMENT

CBSO LOOK TO BRING THE MUSIC BACK TO SYMPHONY HALL - LIVE!

From Today’s Makers To Past Masters BIRMINGHAM MUSEUMS’ new online shop is set to celebrate the best of Brum with a unique range of products created by the very best local independent makers of today alongside gifts inspired by Birmingham’s remarkable past.

Many of the items in the shop have been created by brilliant independent makers based in Birmingham including cult brand Punks and Chancers and jewellery made in the city’s world-famous Jewellery Quarter.

The new online shop can be found at shop.birminghammuseums.org. uk and every purchase will help support the work of Birmingham Museums Trust, preserving the world-renowned collections and historic properties for future generations.

Items include an umbrella inspired by the exquisite ceilings in Aston Hall’s famous long gallery, unique jewellery from nine different Birmingham designers and a new book of recipes – Sarehole Mill Cakes and Bakes.

Fryars Announces New Album FRYARS has announced details of his third album God Melodies, due for release on July 16th via Fiction Records.

His first release since 2014’s Power, the new album features the album’s previously released title track, ‘Quail’s Egg No.1 In C Sharp Major’ and new single ‘Orange Juice’.

This deceptively upbeat yet introspective new release ‘Orange Juice’ describes a personal experience of Fryars’ and how he dealt with it.

"This next song is Orange

Juice in which I tell the story of receiving an awful diagnosis, not confiding in anyone and then going out on the town solo to drown my sorrows.

“Juice is off the menu. A Miami driving anthem to blast in the Uber. I don’t care who’s gonna drive me home now I’m on my own."

God Melodies came together in Fryars’ London home studio with his wife Rae Morris and Beach Boys / Stereolab collaborator and The High Llamas frontman Sean O’Hagan; emerging as an utterly unique record

brimming with warmth, colour and beatific urge.

Inspired by cool counterculture Jews Fryars has always admired, Paul Simon and Randy Newman, it places their songwriting tradition firmly in the modern day: ultra HD production reminiscent of the melodic sensibilities of Brockhampton and Dirty Projectors.

Across eleven varied sonic worlds brought to life by thoughtful electronic notes and soaring strings, Fryars dives deep into the humdrum of the human experience in beautifully intricate detail

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Falana shares the short documentary ‘Life From My Point Of View’

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l Falana

alana’s latest single ‘Joy’ has been embraced by tastemakers from London to Lagos, resulting in support from Wonderland, EARMILK and the Independent.

The Nigerian-Canadian artist now presents an engaging introduction to her story by sharing the short documentary ‘Life From My Point Of View’.

Watch HERE. ‘Life From My Point Of View’

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covers everything from her early years growing up, her influences and creative process, right through to the making of the video for ‘Joy’.

Falana revisits various locations in Lagos that represent landmark moments in her career so far, including the I.AM.ISIGO fashion show room where she played her first head-line show in the city, and ALÁRA, a contemporary design store when she held the launch party for her ‘Chapter One’ EP.

Falana says: “I wanted this documentary to tell my story from my roots to where I am now.

Finding old pictures and video footage of me and my family brought back many memories which I wanted to share.

The documentary tells the story of how this journey shaped my sound and me as an artist, from Toronto to Lagos via Havana. It is a snapshot of my life and musical journey, right up to the making of the video for my current single

‘Joy’ in Jamaica.”

Raised in Toronto, Falana’s upbringing was soundtracked by a diverse music selection that spanned Fela Kuti to Sia. Her Nigerian parents would play a lot of traditional Yoruba music as a way of staying connected to their home, and through the melting pot of the city, Falana was introduced to the pop, hip-hop, soul, R&B & dancehall that she’d spend hours compiling into her own playlists.

Mother and Daughter Shine At Record Breaking Grammys l Blue Ivy Carter and mother Beyoncé at the Grammy Awards AS SUPERSTAR Beyoncé made history at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards, her daughter Blue Ivy Carter made her own history by becoming the second-youngest Grammys winner ever at the ceremony.

While Beyoncé became the most decorated female Grammys winner with 28, 9-year old Blue Ivy was recognised, alongside artists Wizkid and SAINt JHN, for featuring on the hit, ‘Brown Skin Girl,’ from ‘The Lion King: The Gift.’

Beyoncé was the most nominated artist of the night as she was up in nine categories.

The iconic singer secured four wins — for Best Music Video for the afore mentioned ‘Brown Skin Girl,’ Best Rap

Performance and Best Rap Song for her collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion for ‘Savage,’ and Best R&B Performance for ‘Black Parade.’

Blue Ivy has music writing credit on her mother's song.

Leah Peasall was 8 years old when The Peasall Sisters won album of the year at the 2002 ceremony for their appearance on the T Bone Burnett-produced ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’ soundtrack.

“It was so important to me in 'Brown Skin Girl' that we represented all different shades of brown," said Beyoncé, who along with Blue Ivy, Kelly Rowland, Lupita Nyong'o, Naomi Campbell and more appear in the Jenn Nkirudirected video.

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The Script Return To Acoustic Roots With The Acoustic Sessions 2

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he Script follow their 2019 #1 album ‘Sunsets & Full Moons’ with the release of ‘The Acoustic Sessions 2’ EP on March 17th. It represents the second instalment of their fan favourite ‘Acoustic Sessions’ series after the first EP was released in 2018, and is today previewed with a brand new version of their single ‘For The First Time’.

The EP includes ‘Breakeven’ - the track, which originally featured on their self-titled debut album and recently became the band’s latest song to exceed a billion streams.

The Script commented: “Last year we cut short our Sunsets & Full Moons Tour due to the pandemic and found ourselves reflecting on the songs we had put in the set.

“A couple of them we put in

because of the love they were getting from The Script Family both on streaming platforms and messages we were getting to play them live.

“It didn't take much to channel our energy into giving back to The Script Family again with another acoustic EP, including 'Millionaires' and 'For The First Time'.

News of ‘The Acoustic Sessions 2’ comes after Danny returned to our screens on ITV’s hit show ‘The Voice UK’. He has featured as a special guest mentor for will.i.am’s Team Will.

‘Sunsets & Full Moons’ continued The Script’s phenomenal and enduring success. It went straight to #1 on the UK’s Official Album Chart, making it their fifth record to top the charts and their third in a row.

ENTERTAINMENT BIrmingham Royal Ballet June Season Announcement BIRMINGHAM Royal Ballet will return to the stage for live performances this June in their home city of Birmingham.

Birmingham Repertory Theatre will host a new season as part of their ongoing partnership with the city’s own ballet company, including a tantalising triple bill, Curated by Carlos (10-12 June), and an adapted production of Sir David Bintley’s classic for all the family, Cinderella (18-26 June).

Last October, the partnership was launched in a brief window where audiences were able to enjoy live performances in the theatre with a triple bill featuring the world premiere of Will Tuckett’s Lazuli Sky. Now, the ambition of this partnership is taken to the next level with two world premiere Ballet Now commissions, a UK premiere and the staging of another Birmingham Royal Ballet classic.

Have An 'Eggs'tra Special Easter With Truckle Cheese!

WITH EASTER just around the corner, and lockdown rules being relaxed a little over the holiday period, now’s the time to think about the traditional family feast of delicious Easter goodies.

It’s all about the humble egg of course, which symbolises life and represents the re-birth of Jesus, but families all over the UK will be enjoying everything from creamy, chocolate-covered eggs and cinnamon-infused hot cross buns, to fruity simnel cake, succulent roast lamb and homebaked, bunny-shaped biscuits, laden with sweet icing in a kaleidoscope of colours!

As you might expect, The Truckle Cheese Co are breaking with tradition slightly and adding CHEESE to their Easter Bunny

delivery list.

After all - when you’ve finished the traditional Easter Sunday Egg Hunt around the garden and the children have consumed their own weight in chocolate, what could be nicer than a tasty, aromatic selection of fine British cheeses, enjoyed with melt in the mouth savoury biscuits and washed down with a glass of crisp white wine or a sparkling, fruity cider?

A Truckle Cheese Sharing Box is a lovely addition to any celebratory Spring Banquet and perfect for your family bubble or small gathering.

You won’t need to look under bushes or behind the garden shed either – our own Easter Bunny delivers straight to the front door!

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Aston Merrygold Shares New Track ‘Share A Coke’

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ith a sensational voice and scintillating performances of everything from Justin Timberlake’s ‘Can’t Stop The Feeling’ to Tones And I’s ‘Dance Monkey’, Aston Merrygold proved to be a highlight of the latest of ITV’s ‘The Masked Singer’.

The rockin’ Robin proved to be a real fan favourite as he finished third in the competition, which achieved a massive peak audience of 10.6 million viewers during last week’s final.

Having successfully introduced himself to a new generation of fans, Aston builds on his rediscovery by sharing his brand new single ‘Share A Coke’, which was premiered on Radio 1 by Rickie, Melvin and Charlie.

It’s the latest step in the resurgence of one of British pop’s most distinctive voices.

Aston first came to prominence with JLS, as the four friends achieved five UK #1 smashes, a further five Top 10 singles and five hit albums.

After the R&B/pop stylings of his recent single ‘Overboard’, ‘Share A Coke’ showcases the dazzling diversity of Aston’s

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voice.

Set to a reflective backdrop of acoustic guitar and affecting piano, the song taps in what everyone is feeling right now: yearning to once again be able to spend time with loved ones, family and friends.

Aston says, “It’s been an incredibly tough 12 months for so many people, and what’s been so clear to me is just how much we all miss being with our family, friends, relatives, colleagues on a daily basis.

Human interaction is so important to us all.

‘Share A Coke’ is about something that none of us will ever take for granted again, just enjoying a moment, sharing a drink, having a chat, and that longing for it to return soon.”

Aston has remained in the spotlight since JLS went on hiatus, and now has a social media following of over 1.3 million people. His growing solo discography started with ‘Get Stupid’, which has amassed 15 million streams at Spotify.

v d a Mis

RAG‘N’BONE MAN RETURNS TO TOUR

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ag‘n’Bone Man’s spectacular return continues with the announcement of UK autumn dates, kicking off with a big hometown arena show at the Brighton Centre, also including London’s Eventim Apollo on November 6th.

The shows are set to promote Rag ‘n’Bone Man’s highly anticipated new album ‘Life By Misadventure’ - out April 23rd on Columbia which is one of the most eagerly anticipated albums of the year. # His latest single, the sublime ‘All You Ever Wanted’, continues to blow up off the back of its’ Radio 1 & Radio 2 playlist spots, racing to #1 in both the Airplay and iTunes charts.

Rag ‘n’ Bone Man recently turned in all-star performances on Later... with Jools Holland and Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.

His 2017 landmark debut ‘Human’ was a phenomenal success; a 4x platinum album which shot to #1 week of release in the UK, became the fastest-selling album by a male artist for the entire decade and earned him BRIT and Ivor Novello Awards.

If that’s a hard act to follow, Rag‘n’Bone Man tore up the rule book and went to Nashville to write and record what would become ‘Life By Misadventure’, returning to the UK just before the pandemic first erupted.

While a dose of heavy blues and soul lives within some of these

new tunes, the majority of this new album finds Rag‘n’Bone Man taking a huge step forward as an artist, a songwriter, and a singer capable of showcasing tremendous warmth and real emotion with every breath.

The album has been recorded purposefully like a live album - the sound is real and 100% human.

Long time collaborators Ben Jackson-Cook (keys, co-songwriter and co-producer of the album), Bill Banwell (bass, and co-songwriter) and Desri Ramus (backing vocals) are joined by drummer Daru Jones (Lazaretto-Jack White) and guitarist Wendy Melvoin who joined Prince’s Revolution at the age of 19. Together these musicians have made an album full of joy and immediacy, something all too rare these days of autotune and countless overdubs. One song was even recorded in Rag‘n’Bone Man’s garage.

“We had quite a time to live with the songs this time around,” Rag‘n’Bone M a n explains. “ T o o often, how I’d done things

before, was that we’d written a song and I had to sing it the same day, and that was the version we’d use on the album. This way, it was far easier to get real emotion into the music.”

“Life By Misadventure’ is the perfect tonic for these times and an incredible collection of emotional songs to touch us when we need it most.

“It’s an album of depth and soul, about growing up and moving forward.”

“Enjoy the trip.”

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ENTERTAINMENT

Sunil Pal And Ehsan Qureshi To Return In ‘Pune to Goa’

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omedians Sunil Pal and Ehsan Qureshi appeared together a few years back in the film Bombay to Goa’ which proved to be the blockbuster film of that year.

After a long hiatus, young film director Amol Bhagat has again planned a successful Hindi comedy film ‘Pune to Goa’ with the two comedians, whose shooting is going to start soon.

The film will be produced by AdityaRaje Marathe Productions and Maurya Producing the same co-production Nava Nisarg is producing.

The film is produced by AdityaRaje Marathe, Prahlad Taware and co-producer Kishore Kharat. In the film, singers Javed Ali, Shahid Mallya, P Shankaram, Soumee Sailesh have lit up their voices.

The screenplay and dialogues of the film have been written by well-known writer Rajan Aggarwal, who has previously won his writing in films like Welcome Back, Ready, No Entry.

At the same time, P. Shankaram, Sanmeet Waghmare And

Nikhil Bisht have taken over the responsibility of the Music Direction in this film. According to director Amol Bhagat, this film will be a complete package full of comedy, romance, suspense action, which the audience will be able to enjoy.

It is being made keeping in mind the audience of OTT along with the movie theatre. The story of the film is completely different from the comedy film till date, it is a privilege for him as a director that he is getting along with the experienced actors.

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ENTERTAINMENT MOTORS

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Grants To Buy Electric Cars To Be Cut

THE GOVERNMENT is to cut grants aimed at encouraging people to buy electric vehicles in a move that has been criticised by the motor industry.

The Department for Transport will reduce the grant from £3,000 to £2,500 and restrict it to cars under £35,000. But Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said it is "the wrong move at the wrong time".

It said the decision goes against the government's zero emissions ambitions. SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: "This sends the wrong message to the consumer, especially private customers, and to an industry challenged to meet the government's ambition to be a world leader in the transition to zero emission

mobility."

The government said that higher-priced vehicles are typically bought by drivers who can afford to switch to electric vehicles without a subsidy. It said the changes will allow funding for the grant to go further.

Transport minister Rachel Maclean said: "We want as many people as possible to be able to make the switch to electric vehicles."

"The increasing choice of new vehicles, growing demand from customers, and rapidly rising number of charge-points means that while the level of funding remains as high as ever, given soaring demand, we are re-focusing our vehicle grants on the more affordable zero emission vehicles."

BEAULIEU TO SPARK INTO LIFE WITH SIMPLY ELECTRIC

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eaulieu will be starting its 2021 events season with brand new event Simply Electric on Sunday 23rd May, sparking into life with an electric-themed treat to look forward to following the easing of current restrictions.

The first of 15 Covid-secure Simply rallies planned to take place in the grounds of the National Motor Museum, Simply Electric will bring together electric cars and plug-in hybrids, electric motorcycles and e-bikes

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for a socially-distanced display that owners, enthusiasts and families will all love.

Enthusiasts will be at the heart of the rally, which will celebrate the past, present and future of electric motoring as owners are invited to safely park up in the Beaulieu parkland, admire each other’s machines and talk technology.

All EVs are welcome, from the latest high-performance Tesla, through cutting-edge family cars such as the Jaguar I-PACE and Audi e-tron, to the popular Nissan

Leaf and Toyota Prius, or even the Sinclair C5 design classic.

Maybe you’re lucky enough to own a classic car that has been converted for modern-day motoring with an electric motor?

If it runs on battery power, then why not silently motor your way across the New Forest to join in and enjoy a great day out.

Enthusiasts will be in plugin powered heaven when they head inside the newly reopened National Motor Museum, where they can see electric vehicles

spanning the history of motoring, from the 1901 Columbia Electric used by Queen Alexandra in the grounds of Sandringham House to the space-age design of the Volkswagen XL1 hybrid. Other electric highlights include the ultra-efficient sun-powered 1993 Solar Flair, as well as the 1939 electric Harrods delivery van and classic 1947 Brush Pony milk float. Bike lovers will enjoy seeing the 2016 Riese and Müller Nevo Nuvinci electric bike.

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l BMW i4

A glimpse of the first ever all-electric BMW i4 THE UPCOMING BMW i4 was revealed today at the BMW Group Annual Conference.

“With its sporty looks, best in class driving dynamics and zero local emissions, the BMW i4 is a true BMW. “It makes the heart of the BMW brand now beat fully electric,” said Pieter Nota, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Customer, Brands, Sales.

The BMW i4 is a fully electric 4-door Gran Coupé and will enter the market during the course of 2021, including a BMW M Performance model.

Its refined balance of BMW typical sportiness, comfort and sustainable performance are unique in its segment.

The BMW i4 model line will be available in different versions covering ranges of up to 366 miles / 590km (WLTP).

With a power output of up to 530 hp, the BMW i4 will accelerate from zero to 60 mph in around 4 seconds.

RADFORD RETURNS I

l Mark Stubbs, Ant Anstead and Jenson Button t has been announced that legendary and celebrated coachbuilder Radford is being brought back to life to once again play a leading role in creating bespoke global luxury cars.

The marque is being revived to create contemporary luxury commissions true to classic timeless designs, bringing a modern and relevant version of Radford coachbuilding, to a new discerning clientele.

The iconic brand, once favoured by the world’s leading celebrities and taste makers, including all four Beatles, is

being brought back by three famous co-owners: leading car designer Mark Stubbs, TV presenter and car builder Ant Anstead, former FIA Formula OneTM World Champion, Jenson Button, leading business adviser and lawyer Roger Behle.

The co-owners have been fortuitously united at a critical moment for the world of coachbuilding and the future of the automobile.

Radford was originally founded in 1948 as ‘Harold Radford (Coachbuilders) Ltd’. After the Second World War, founder Harold Radford, made a name

for himself offering coachbuilt Bentley and Rolls Royce motor cars.

Radford made its debut at the London Motor show in 1951, where it showed the luxurious Bentley ‘Countryman’.

The company was also involved in creating bespoke fibreglass bodywork for the prototype GT40, but it was Radford’s modification of Bentley models and later Minis, that gave the company its admired reputation for luxurious, tailored bespoke automobiles.

“To be able to help revive this iconic name is such a special and

unique opportunity,” explains Jenson Button.

“The Radford brand carries such prestige and magnetism for anyone with an appreciation of cars.

“The work that Harold Radford and his team were responsible for in the mid 1900s is simply incredible, so I jumped at the chance to join Ant and Mark in their quest to put the ‘Radford’ name back in lights.

“The journey has very much begun, and news of our first car will follow shortly so watch this space.”

MOTORS

Next-Gen Operating System Debuted SUPERPEDESTRIAN debuts its next operating system, the core software programmed directly onto every LINK e-scooter. Several significant hardware upgrades are also being deployed.

Codenamed “Briggs”, the second version of LINK’s unique operating system slashes geofence reaction time to 0.7s, stores triple the number of geofence zones that enforce noride areas, has 7X more precise geofence accuracy, boosts battery life by two days and extends scooter range by 10%.

Thanks to over-the-air updates, the company is able to update its entire global LINK fleet in seconds.

LINK is the only e-scooter powered by VIS (Vehicle Intelligent Safety system), a sophisticated onboard safety system that combines artificial intelligence, 73 sensors and five microprocessors.

VIS runs 1,000 vehicle health checks every second in a ride, and monitors, governs and finetunes vehicle performance in real-time. VIS is as big a stepchange in scooter safety as the seat belt was for cars.

Volta Trucks Leading The Full Electric Commerical Vehicle Manufacturing Sector VOLTA TRUCKS, the leading full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer, has launched its latest customer and media website, as it transitions from a start-up and the launch of the Volta Zero, to a scaleup company with Pilot Fleet vehicles being evaluated by customers on European roads later this year.

The new website reflects the people-focused approach Volta Trucks is taking to decarbonise urban logistics, and thus creating a better environment for citycentre populations.

The new English and French language websites give insights

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into the Volta Trucks brand pillars of Sustainability, Safety and Truck as a Service, including an immersive 360-degree experience of the cab environment.

This clearly shows how the Volta Zero will exceed the recently launched Transport for London five-star Direct Vision Standard.

The product pages also give an in-depth understanding and technical specification of the Volta Zero.

Chief Executive Officer of Volta Trucks, Rob Fowler, said; “At Volta Trucks, we are building electric commercial vehicles for the zero-emission, sustainable

cities that we see being introduced around the world all the time.

“And we are a people-focused busines, concentrating on making vulnerable road users safer, improving the air quality that city dwellers breathe, while improving the working environments of truck drivers, and supporting fleet operators to be more efficient, sustainable, and profitable.

“People are at the heart of everything we do. Our website is our company’s online shop window and I’m delighted to see it perfectly reflect our place in society, accelerating change towards a decarbonised future.”

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LEGENDARY BAND 10CC ANNOUNCE ULTIMATE GREATEST HITS TOUR

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cc have announced a new UK tour for 2022, where they will celebrate the hits which have seen them recognised as one of the most inventive and influential bands in popular music.

The Ultimate Greatest Hits Tour will begin in Liverpool on March 25, and take in York, Nottingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Bath, Southend, the iconic London Palladium, Bournemouth, Birmingham, Guildford, Glasgow and Gateshead.

Led by co-founder Graham Gouldman, 10cc are heralded in equal measure for their ability to craft ingenious songs that also resonated commercially.

The icons of art-rock achieved eleven Top 10 hits, and over 15 million albums sold in the UK alone, with three No.1 singles – Rubber Bullets, Dreadlock Holiday and the ubiquitous I’m Not In Love.

The current 10cc line-up

features Gouldman (bass, guitar, vocals), Rick Fenn (lead guitar, bass, vocals), Paul Burgess (drums, percussion) – both of whom have been with the band since the early years - Keith Hayman (keyboards, guitars, bass, vocals) and Iain Hornal (vocals, percussion, guitar, keyboards).

In a message to fans, Gouldman says, “It’s difficult to express just how much we have missed playing live and how much we want to be back playing concerts for you. We look forward to seeing you all again in 2022.”

In recent years, 10cc have toured worldwide, playing in Australia, Canada, Japan, Iceland, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, the USA, and across Europe and throughout the UK - including sold out shows to over 60,000 people at British Summer Time (BST) in Hyde Park, and numerous sold out shows at the 5,200-capacity Royal Albert Hall.

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The Legend of Sergio Ramos launched on Amazon AMAZON Prime Video has released the official trailer for the Amazon Original docuseries La Leyenda de Sergio Ramos.

This new season about the life of the international football player - which follows the success of El Corazón de Sergio Ramos - will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in Spain next April 9th, and on June 18th in the rest of the world.

The 6-episode docuseries will go through the milestones that the legend of Sergio Ramos has written, is writing and is yet to write using the most decisive moments of his life and professional career during this past season as a starting point.

La Leyenda de Sergio Ramos will show unpublished images of La Liga, thoughts on the most relevant decisions of his career, memories of great moments and future plans, all this with the testimonials of those who have shared his personal and professional life.

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ENTERTAINMENT

INTRODUCING ‘Interval Drinks’ – A New RSC Podcast Series

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he Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has announces its first in-house podcast, Interval Drinks, bringing together members of the RSC’s 2020/21 acting company with inspirational personalities from the Company’s history. The series is supported by Darwin Escapes.

Interval Drinks is an opportunity to learn more about the life of the RSC from those at the heart of the Company.

The Podcast offers audiences a rare insight into the professional journeys of these RSC artists, as well as a chance to explore the craft of modern theatre and discuss some of the biggest issues facing the theatre industry today.

Each episode of the sevenpart series will be available to download for free via the RSC website, as well as multiple

podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes). A new episode will be made available to download every Thursday and will include a captioned vodcast episode, available via video supporting platforms and the RSC YouTube channel.

The first two episodes of Interval Drinks are available to download now. Episode one features actor and comedian Miles Jupp in conversation with singer/songwriter, Tim Minchin, who this year joins the RSC in celebrating a decade since Matilda the Musical, for which Tim wrote both music and lyrics, opened in the West End. Episode two features Mogali Masuku in conversation with playwright, actor and political activist John Kani, who recently wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed RSC production of Kunene and

the King, which premiered at the Swan Theatre before transferring to the Ambassadors Theatre in London last year. The show’s run was ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The series’ guests also include Adjoa Andoh (Netflix’s Bridgerton, RSC’s Troilus and Cressida) Charlotte Arrowsmith (RSC’s As You Like It and The Taming of the Shrew), Justin Audibert (RSC’s The Taming of the Shrew 2019/20) Paul Chahidi (BBC’s This Country, Death of Stalin) and Juliet Gilkes Romero (RSC’s The Whip).

Joining Miles and Mogali from the RSC’s 2020/21 acting company are Kemi-Bo Jacobs, Hal Chambers, Greg Haiste, Avita Jay and Bea Webster. The music is ‘Oberon’s Theme – King of Shadow’, originally composed by Sam Kenyon for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2016).

Arif Hassan Named Best Actor For ‘Zindagi Tamasha’ PAKISTANI film Zindagi Tamasha may not have seen the light of day in the country but the Sarmad Khoosat-directorial is making waves internationally.

The highly acclaimed actor Arif Hassan who essayed the lead role of Rahat Khawaja in Zindagi Tamasha (Circus of Life), bagged the top prize at the 6th Annual Asian World Film Festival.

The Snow Leopard Award for Best Actor was extended to the Gardaab star during the award ceremony earlier this week and was presented by Jury member Joanne Goh. Following the announcement noted Pakistani writer Muhammad Hanif turned to Twitter to extend his felicitations while still playing a little safe.

“Congratulations to makers of Zindagi Tamasha. Not tagging them as still scared for them.

Not saying [expletive] to those who stopped its release cos still scared of them,” he wrote.

Writing competition set to reach global audience ENTER STAGE WRITE, an annual West Midlands scriptwriting competition with an international judging panel from the world of film and TV, is set to reach a global audience this year.

The innovative competition, which gives budding writers a chance to see their work brought to life, was faced with the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

However, multi-award nominated entrepreneur and founder, Natalie EdwardYesufu, has proven to show resilience in the face of adversity and adapt the competition for 2021 by streaming the competition online.

The hugely successful competition encourages script writers to submit a script for a short film.

Six of the shortlisted scripts, chosen by a panel of judges

made up of prolific industry professionals, will then be performed by local creatives and filmed, rather than performed on stage as done in previous years.

This will allow the judges, and members of the public, to view the works of art online. The winning wordsmith will receive £1,000 of prize money and a year of support and meetings with TV and film professionals.

Previous winners of Enter Stage Write have gone onto achieve colossal success within the industry.

A previous winner, Abraham Adeyemi, won a Tribeca Award for Best Short Film and is working with ITV. Abraham will be returning this year as a judge alongside the highly-esteemed international judging panel. Last year’s winner, Jonathan skinner, had their script picked by the judges to make into a short film.

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Director Spike Lee again asked to be ‘the first’ at Cannes Film Festival FILM DIRECTOR Spike Lee has again been asked to chair the Cannes Film Festival jury after last year's event was cancelled because of the pandemic.

This means it will be the first Black film-maker to take on the prestigious role.

Lee has premiered seven films at the festival with him saying in a video message: "Cannes will always have a deep spot in my heart. This year's event is due to take place in July instead of its usual May slot.

On the decision the legendary creative artist said: "Book my flight now. My wife Tonya and I, we're coming." But with Covid-19 cases still at high levels in France, there is a chance that the event could be called off again.

In a statement festival president Pierre Lescure said: "Throughout the months of uncertainty we've just been through, Spike Lee has never stopped encouraging us. We could not have hoped for a more powerful personality to chart our troubled times."

Lee first made an impact on the film industry at Cannes in 1986 with She's Gotta Have It, which won the youth award.

l Spike Lee He returned to the festival three years later with Do The Right Thing, his landmark film about one day of charged race relations in Brooklyn.

Other Lee films to have been screened at Cannes have included Summer of Sam and BlacKkKlansman, while he is also known for the epic Malcolm X and his latest release, Da 5 Bloods, about a group of US Army veterans returning to Vietnam.

UNIVERSAL MUSIC JOINS K-POP LIVESTREAMING PLATFORM

U

niversal Music Group has said it will join a livestreaming platform set up by K-pop's major record labels.

As the world's biggest music label - represents superstars such as Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Lady Gag, it said it would invest in the platform launched last year by Big Hit Entertainment, the company behind K-pop superstars BTS. YG, the record label representing Blackpink, is also investing in the

To advertise

platform - called VenewLive.

Big Hit set up VenewLive as part of a joint venture called KBYK Live. Following the investment, a statement by the record labels said VenewLive now has with ambitions on a global scale.

South Korean - K-pop - music has grown massively in popularity on a global scale. Last year BTS became the first K-pop band to have a number one on the US Billboard charts.

And all-girl group Blackpink,

whose lavish videos regularly attract millions of viewers, set a new record last year for the biggest music video premiere on YouTube.

A total of 1.65 million fans tuned in for the unveiling of their new song How You Like That, breaking a record set by BTS in February. Big Hit said a BTS concert it streamed on VenewLive last year was viewed by 993,000 people worldwide.

Universal Music Group

executive vice president Boyd Muir said: "This past year has shown that the need for reliable and innovative live-streaming has never been greater."

Big Hit Entertainment was founded in 2005 by South Korea music producer Bang Si-Hyuk.

In October, the company listed its shares on the Korean stock exchange.

It left the company with a market value of more than $8bn (£6bn).

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