Gigs

Coventry’s newest live music venue is instantly also its oldest. The Grade II-listed Drapers’ Hall, located adjacent to the city’s cathedral, was originally built in 1832 by the Drapers’ Guild as a place to entertain members of the local high society. The newly reopened venue, housed in one of the finest Regency buildings in the area, aims to serve a similar purpose - but for people from all walks of life. And as well as hosting a wide-ranging programme of live performances, Drapers’ Hall is also the new home of Coventry Music, which provides music education for the city’s children and young people. After previously being used as a youth magistrate’s court and then left to gather dust for more than three decades, the venue’s new lease of life comes courtesy of Historic Coventry Trust. Having been given a 250-year lease of the building by Coventry City Council, the Trust spent £5million on a refurbishment to restore Drapers’ Hall to its former glory. The Trust’s vice-chair, Dr Geoff Willcocks, said: “As a heritage development trust, the purpose of Historic Coventry Trust is to restore the city’s historic buildings and put them back to work for the benefit of its people. Drapers’ Hall is a perfect example of how we do this. Empty and without a purpose for over 30 years, this building now has a function that will see it making a positive impact on the lives of those living in the city.” The venue’s first season of live shows, supported by Arts Council England, kicked off last November and contains an admirably varied selection of acts, all curated by general manager & programmer Hannah Pierce. Despite having wide-ranging experience in arts and events production and programming, Hannah admits the task of developing the venue’s first season especially under the cloud of the Covid pandemic - was a challenging one, and that the opening gig - featuring singer-songwriter and broadcasting stalwart Tom Robinson was definitely viewed as a night of celebration. “It was so exciting to open the doors after the extensive refurbishment and see people in the venue,” she says. “All the while I’ve been going through a period of audience development, trying to programme an array of different shows that are very much ‘Coventry’ - risk-taking but high quality, and reaching different audiences. That’s been my aim for this first period of operation.” Judging by some of the acts Hannah’s scheduled, it looks like she’s meeting her objective - something she believes has been partly aided by the pandemic: “I think it was a perfect storm when I was booking shows. Partly people were impressed by the nature of the building, the sound system and the fact that there’s a grand piano in the space, so it wasn’t hard to convince people to want to play there. But it was also at a time when many shows at bigger venues were falling through because of Covid, and promoters needed fillers for their tour schedules. So it fell at a really good time for us to reach those bigger artists. Some artists who had international dates and couldn’t go to Shanghai were suddenly able to come to Coventry!” Upcoming highlights at Drapers’ Hall include Talvin Singh and Cara Dillon. Hannah is especially excited about Dele Sosimi: “I think that’ll be a fantastic show. He sometimes has a big nine-piece band but will be performing here as a four-piece, so it’ll be quite intimate without being a solo show. And it’s also a standing gig, so it’ll be a bit more lively. “We’ve got an amazing sound system in the space, and I really want to push that element. I don’t think it’s ever going to be a space for loud rock bands, but I don’t see why we can’t have a DJ night, for example, as we’ve got a 1am licence. So I want to push how lively we can go.” The variety of shows also reflects the versatility of Drapers’ Hall. Although likely to primarily host seated performances - where the capacity is around 170 - the venue also has the scope to hold 250 people standing. Hannah acknowledges that reducing the venue’s capacity to aid social distancing in the wake of Covid proved to be a popular move with punters at the end of 2021: “I think that really encouraged our audience, who are all interested in our Covid policy and what we’re doing about it all. I don’t want anyone to be uncomfortable - we want it to be a great experience for everyone.” Growing the audience, as well as maintaining the variety and quality of acts - potentially without funding and certainly without the benefit of Coventry’s current UK City of Culture status - will be a challenge. Hannah believes there’s plenty of cause for optimism, though - not least because the venue has already hosted a number of well-known artists: “When you’ve got those names behind you, other artists prick up their ears and go, ‘Oh, maybe we should check out this new venue’, and agents do as well. But what’s really exciting from my perspective as a booker is that external promoters are putting together tours and will now book a Coventry venue, whereas before they might’ve missed Coventry off their touring network.” Drapers’ Hall’s arrival on the scene will certainly help Coventry re-establish itself on the UK’s live music map - an aim which is also assisted by the opening of the HMV Empire, which launched last spring. Hannah says promoters are always keen to understand the reputation of a city and its audience, and believes that Coventry venues need to work together to strengthen the city’s appeal: “I’m not just looking to elevate this venue - I think it’s about the city working together. The Tin (Canal Basin) is an amazing venue, the Box (FarGo Village) is now an amazing venue. You’ve got all these brilliant spaces, and I hope more promoters start to come to Coventry. It all helps breed a culture of live music.”

TAKE FIVE

Here’s our pick of upcoming highlights at Drapers’ Hall:

• Mammal Hands (3 Feb) - Contemporary jazz/electronica fusion trio that create hypnotic soundscapes using drums, saxophone and piano • Dele Sosimi (4 Feb) - Potent mix of traditional Nigerian music, African percussion and funk from the international Afrobeat star and one-time cohort of Fela and Femi Kuti • Rebel Rebel (24 Feb) - Beethoven meets Bowie as Orchestra of the Swan mix the former’s Grosse Fuge with reimagined classics from the Thin White Duke • Talvin Singh (26 Feb) - Take the chance to see the Mercury Prize-winning Asian Underground star perform in an intimate setting • Cara Dillon (13 May) - Award-winning Northern Irish singer-songwriter with an indie-style take on Celtic folk music

Live music from across the region...

Craig Charles

hmv Empire, Coventry, Fri 4 February

Popular actor, comedian, author, poet, television presenter and DJ Craig Charles has been touring The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Club since 2008, bringing live DJ sets to nightclubs, festivals and events throughout the UK. “The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Club does exactly what it says on the tin,” explains Craig. “It’s high-octane good-time music. It’s two pounds of funk in a one pound bag. I play funk and soul music and try to mix it up. I play a lot of psychedelic soul, like Sandie Shaw’s version of Sympathy For The Devil and The Voices Of East Harlem’s Run Shaker Run. I also play more heavy beats, afro beats and the like.”

Simply Red

Resorts World Arena, Birmingham, Sun 13 February

Re-forming in 2015, with Mick Hucknall the only original member, British soul & pop band Simply Red have sold more than 50 million albums and racked up five UK Official Album Chart number ones since their inception in the mid-1980s. Expect to hear such classics as Stars, Holding Back The Years, Fairground and Money’s Too Tight To Mention, as well as songs from their latest album, 2019’s Blue Eyed Soul, the second release since their reunion.

Gigs

Mammal Hands

Drapers’ Hall, Coventry, Thurs 3 February

Mammal Hands have scored a considerable hit with their hypnotic fusion of jazz and electronica. Comprising saxophonist Jordan Smart, pianist Nick Smart and drummer & tabla player Jesse Barrett, the band are also much admired for their pulsating live performances. They visit Coventry to play music from their latest album, 2020’s Captured Spirits, alongside favourites from previous offerings.

Jessie Lloyd Martyn Joseph

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Fri 18 February

“Islander rhythms, campfire country and defiant humour celebrate simple joys, while melancholy ballads chart a journey of blood, sweat and tears…” is how journalist Chris Lambie describes the music of Australian Aboriginal singer, social historian and cultural practitioner, Jessie Lloyd. Using intimate storytelling, moving harmonies and historical insights, Jessie takes audiences on a profoundly moving musical journey into the depths and diversity of Australia’s history, culture and identity.

King King

Birmingham Town Hall, Tues 22 February

King King’s five studio albums have seen the band establish themselves as major movers and shakers on the UK blues rock scene. Boasting a live show replete with soul and swagger, the boys are led by charismatic man-in-a-kilt Alan Nimmo, whose brother Stevie joined the line-up just in time to contribute to King King’s most recent album, Maverick.

Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Thurs 3 February

Dubbed the ‘Welsh Springsteen’, Martyn Joseph is a mesmerising performer who boasts the rare ability to speak to the soul with his expressive and poignant lyrics. With a career spanning 30 years, 32 albums, more than half a million record sales and thousands of live gigs, Martyn is a unique talent whose passion for his trade always guarantees his army of dedicated fans an exceptional evening of musicmaking.