GIGS December WolvesShropsStaffs.e$S_Layout 1 19/11/2021 11:08 Page 2
Gigs
Live music from across the region...
The Bootleg Beatles Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Mon 13 December
Formed in 1980 from the cast of the musical Beatlemania, the Bootleg Beatles remain one of the most popular tribute acts in the country, despite the emergence of numerous rivals. Their ongoing success is down to the accuracy of their portrayal of the Fab Four, not only managing to look uncannily like them but also sounding incredibly authentic. An evening in their company offers a nostalgic but vital journey through the Beatles years, as ‘John’, ‘Paul’, ‘George’ and ‘Ringo’ transform from happy-go-lucky moptops to bearded, drug-addled hippies.
Madness Utilita Arena Birmingham, Fri 17 December
Their really high-profile days may well be behind them, but legendary British pop/ska band Madness continue to draw a crowd, as this latest arena tour ably illustrates.
Half Man Half Biscuit Beans On Toast
The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury, Fri 10 December
The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent, Thurs 16 December
Half Man Half Biscuit came to prominence way back in 1985 when they topped the indie album chart with debut offering Back In The DHSS. The record brilliantly showcased the satirical, sardonic and surreal songs for which the band would become best known and much loved. Track titles included I Hate Nerys Hughes (From The Heart) and I Love You Because (You Look Like Jim Reeves). The boys have since released a further 13 albums, the most recent of which is 2018’s splendidly titled No-one Cares About Your Creative Hub So Get Your F*ckin’ Hedge Cut.
Image credit: Curtis Walsh
“A collection of songs written during, and inspired by, the 2020 shitshow,” is how Beans On Toast describes his latest album, The Unforeseeable Future. Emerging from the London folk scene over a decade ago and singing mainly about sex, drugs and politics, the artist otherwise known as Jay McAllister is a surefire bet for an entertaining evening out.
Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band
With hits like On The Wings Of A Dove, One Step Beyond, Baggy Trousers, It Must Be Love and Our House to recommend them, the band are sure to provide a high-energy evening of manic, madcap mayhem. They’re joined for the occasion by Squeeze.
staggering 250-plus shows a year ever since. “We’ll play with anyone, really,’ says the Reverend. “We just go out into the world and see what sticks. It’s a hard way to go, but it’s how you get your music out to people.”
Electric Swing Circus Hare & Hounds, Birmingham, Fri 17 December
Fusing ’20s swing and stomping electro beats, Electric Swing Circus create an explosive sound that reverberates back through time, hotfooting their way from breakbeat and house to reggae and dubstep - and all in their own unique style. The popular Brummie six-piece are here performing as part of a 10th anniversary celebration of Hot Club de Swing, ‘Birmingham's finest night of electro-swing, vintage sounds and antique beats’.
The Robin, Bilston, Wed 8 December
When it comes to playing scrubboard scratchin', fingerpickin', drum-bucket country blues, Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band take some lickin’. The talented trio sold everything they owned in a garage sale, headed out on the open road, and have been playing a whatsonlive.co.uk 17
