Festivals

impossible thought was, ‘Why don’t we make a key that will open the cage to the lions in the zoo?’. “Fierce have been fantastic to work with to bring the project to Birmingham. They’ve introduced me to wonderful spaces like the tunnel beneath New Street Station. There’s something very Harry Potterish about that, the city extending under our feet via a secret door on Platform One. “Some people will want to be competitive and tick off every location, but I think it’s more than a game. Having a key might make you notice more about what’s closed to us and why. Ultimately I hope people think, ‘Why are we so afraid of each other?’” Key To The City is sponsored by Yale, which has been making all the keys at its factory in Portobello, Willenhall and fitting the special locks. The key is a master one which opens padlocks, door locks and display cases. There is no need to register in advance for the key exchange, which takes place from 11am to 7pm every day until 5 June, and then from Wednesdays to Sundays. Just turn up in pairs, or solo to be partnered up. Fierce has been trying to bring Key To The City to Birmingham for 10 years, but such a large-scale project needed major funding. Now it’s happening in Fierce’s 25th anniversary year thanks to the £12million cultural festival around the Commonwealth Games. Artistic Director Aaron Wright says: “We’ve had more than 200 conversations in order to get 22 locations. The project captures people’s imaginations. Many places were keen to be involved but encountered health & safety, insurance and security issues. One site we really wanted but which didn’t work out was a secret tasting room at the Cadbury factory. “It’s often easier if places have 24/7 security, such as Touchwood Shopping Centre in Solihull. That’s built on a public right of way, so they keep it open late for people to walk through. But the Key To The City will open it between midnight and 6am. “We wanted sites which pose a question or have a unique perspective, and places you wouldn’t normally see which are right under your nose. The key has an interesting psychological effect, giving the holder a sense of power. “Most journeys in Birmingham happen around where you live or from your suburb to the centre. We’re giving people the motivation to explore other parts of the city, and it’s as much about the journeys as the destinations.” Louisa Davies, senior producer of Birmingham 2022 Festival, says: “We commissioned Key To The City because there’s often a lot of activity in city centres during festivals, but we want events to happen all over Birmingham and beyond. “We loved the idea of thousands of people going on adventures in their own city during the Birmingham 2022 Festival. It feels like it shouldn’t be allowed, and there’s something about that that’s really exciting. I love the sense of ownership the key gives and the democratising of an honour.” The honour goes back to medieval days, when the gates of walled cities were guarded and locked at night. The literal key to the city meant the freedom to enter and leave at will. The Freedom of the City is one of Birmingham’s oldest surviving ceremonies, given to a person or a military unit for their service. Regiments with the honour are allowed to march into the city ‘with drums beating, colours flying and bayonets fixed’. Civilian recipients have included Joseph Chamberlain, members of the Cadbury family and former CBSO conductor Sir Simon Rattle. But now, 15,000 ordinary people can have the Key To The City as well. Where will yours take you?

For more information about the project, visit birmingham2022.com/festival

Live music from across the region...

Glenn Tilbrook

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sun 5 June

Over 40 years after he answered an ad, placed by Chris Difford, looking for likeminded individuals to form the band that became the much-loved Squeeze, Glenn Tilbrook shows no sign of slowing down. Armed with ready wit, raucous vibes and a shedload of great and grin-inducing songs, he connects with his audience in a way that must surely be the envy of many a fellow artist. His acoustic solo performances contain both Squeeze hits and tracks from his highly acclaimed solo albums.

Eddi Reader

Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton, Sat 25 June

With an MBE sitting behind her name and numerous BRIT Awards decorating her mantelpiece, Scottish singer-songwriter Eddi Reader is well remembered for her association with Fairground Attraction, with whom she scored a UK number one, Perfect, in 1988. Her solo-career highlights have included her 2003 album of material by Scotland’s ‘bard’, Robert Burns. The subsequent international resurgence of interest in Burns’ work saw Reader awarded an MBE in 2006 for her outstanding contribution to the arts. Appearing in Wolverhampton to headline the New Horizons folk festival, she is joined at the event by all-female five-piece bluegrass band Midnight Skyracer (see elsewhere on this page), leading fiddle player Tom McConville and guitarist, singer & songwriter Dave Newey.

Credit: Sean Purser

Gigs

Texas

Cannock Chase Forest, Thurs 9 June

Formed in Glasgow in 1986 by singer Sharleen Spiteri and bassist Johnny McElhone, Texas caught the world’s attention with the release of global hit I Don’t Want A Lover. Over 40 million record sales, 13 top-10 UK singles and three number-one albums later, their journey continues following the release of 2021’s top-three album, Hi. Expect a setlist featuring songs both old and new when they visit Cannock Chase Forest this month as part of the Forest Live programme of shows.

The Beat

The Robin, Bilston, Wed 29 June

Along with their contemporaries, The Specials, Madness and The Selecter, The Beat became an overnight sensation following the release of their debut single, an infectious cover of the Smokey Robinson classic Tears Of A Clown, which went straight into the UK national charts at number six. Having toured alongside artists such as The Clash, The Police and David Bowie, the legendary 2-Tone, ska and reggae group, led by vocalist Dave Wakeling, are here celebrating their 40th anniversary.

Bob Mould

The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent, Sat 18 June

American musician Bob Mould is best known for his work as guitarist, vocalist & songwriter for alternative rock bands Hüsker Dü in the 1980s and Sugar in the 1990s. His UK tour, perfectly timed with the release of his Distortion: Live vinyl boxset, will see him perform solo versions of music from across his career, as well as from last year’s explosive and critically acclaimed Blue Hearts solo album.

Midnight Skyracer

The Hive, Shrewsbury, Fri 10 June; Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton, Sat 25 June

All-female quintet Midnight Skyracer features: Leanne Thorose, with her powerhouse vocals and driving mandolin; the virtuoso banjo playing and delicate vocals of Tabitha Benedict; Eleanor Wilkie and her rock-solid bass grooves; the versatile Laura Carrivick, equally adept on both fiddle and dobro; and the lightning guitar playing of Charlotte Carrivick. Their music is described as ‘a scintillating mix of hard-driven bluegrass and mountain balladry, both edgy and infectious, tender and tough’, with second-to-none vocal harmonies shared between all five musicians.