Brum Notes Magazine - March 2012

1March 2012

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March 2012

music and lifestyle for the west midlands

It’s time to get

PLUS: A look ahead to the West Midlands’ newest music festival AND your comprehensive guide to nightlife and what’s on throughout MarchAND check out our new street style section — are you in?

Dancing! Dogs! Debauchery!Welcome to Birmingham’s most adventurous festival

ALSO INSIDE:PeaceWild BeastsDJ FormatHackney Colliery BandAnd more…

2 Brum Notes Magazine

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3March 2012

CONTENTS

Regulars

News 4-5

Live Reviews 22-23

Style 24-25

Food & Drink 26

What’s On 27-30

Music and Features

Comedy: Mike Gunn & Sean Collins 8

Clubbing: DJ Format 9

Clubbing: Habit 10

Clubbing: PROspec & Shogun Audio 11

Festivals: Now We Are Weekender preview 12

Festivals: Fierce 2012 preview 14-15

Wild Beasts 17

Hackney Colliery Band 18-19

Peace 20-21

Brum Notes Magazine Unit 12 The Bond 180-182 Fazeley Street DigbethBirminghamB5 [email protected] 0121 224 7363

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EditorChris MoriartyContributorsWords: Amy Sumner, Jon Pritchard, Tom Pell, Andy Hughes, Lorraine Teare, Dave Barry, Joe Whitehouse, Sharon KaurPictures: Steve Gerrard, Jonathan Morgan, Andy Hughes, Charlotte Rose, Jade Sukiya. Cover photo by Linda CooperStyle editor: Jade [email protected] Design: Adam Williams, Henry Parker, Andy Aitken

ConnectTwitter: @BrumNotesMagFacebook: www.facebook.com/BrumNotesMagazineOnline: www.brumnotes.com All content © Brum Notes Magazine. Views expressed are those of the author, not

necessarily Brum Notes Magazine. While all care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of content, Brum Notes Magazine will not be held liable for any errors or losses claimed to have been incurred by any errors. Advertising terms and conditions available on request.

Spector live, P23Photo by Andy Hughes


The famous St Patrick’s Parade will return to Birmingham this month, despite fears over the future of the popular event. The parade itself, said to be the biggest of its kind in the country, will take place from midday on March 11 with thousands of revellers and scores of floats making their way through Digbeth. This year it will be led by members of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) with sport being a key theme to help celebrate the London Olympics. Earlier fears that the parade may have been in jeopardy were put to rest after a new committee was voted in back in January to run the event but organisers have already begun calls for more support from sponsors to ensure the celebrations continue in future years. An eight-day festival will also surround the parade with events taking place around Digbeth and elsewhere in Birmingham from March 9, through parade day on March 11, right up to St Patrick’s Day itself on March 17. Other entertainment during parade day will include St PatRocks with performances from live bands in the HMV Institute, while pubs and venues throughout Digbeth will open their doors and host entertainment throughout the day and into the night. Last year more than 85,000 people took to the streets of Digbeth and similar crowds are expected to turn out in force this month. The parade itself starts at midday on March 11 from Camp Hill and heads down through Digbeth High Street towards the Bullring and then back up through Digbeth. For more details visit www.stpatricksbirmingham.com.

NEW MIDLANDS RECORDING STUDIO PROVIDES THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDSA professional-standard recording studio has opened in Walsall aimed at combining the best in analogue and digital recording techniques. Loud Noises Production Studio has unveiled its new home within JJM Studios, a well-established rehearsal, recording and music tuition complex located in Pool Street, off Birmingham Road on the outskirts of Walsall town centre and just 20 minutes from Birmingham. Loud Noises is run by industry professional Owen Davies who has worked with the likes of Keane, Sophie Ellis Bextor and Simple Minds, as well as carried out production and engineering duties for hundreds of new bands and artists. The facility boasts digital recording with analogue outboard equipment for a versatile recording set-up. To celebrate its new home Loud Noises is offering introductory rates throughout March of £20 per hour or £150 for an eight hour recording day. Visit www.loudnoisesproduction.co.uk for more details.

DOG IS DEAD PLAy SURPRISE ACOUSTIC SET IN A BIRMINGHAM PUB Last month’s cover stars Dog Is Dead performed an exclusive acoustic set for surprised punters at a city centre pub as they made their live debut in Birmingham.The Nottingham five-piece showcased their distinctive vocal harmonies during a stripped-down performance for Brum Notes Magazine during the afternoon of February 20 at The Victoria pub, ahead of their headline show that evening at the nearby O2 Academy 3. The unique set was enjoyed by an intimate huddle of onlookers inside the pub but also filmed by West Bromwich-based music video specialists Captured Music, with footage of the special four-track show available to watch online now. To enjoy exclusive footage from the show as well as photos from renowned photographer Steve Gerrard visit www.brumnotes.com or www.facebook.com/BrumNotesMagazine. For more information on live recording services see www.capturedmusic.com. To read about Dog Is Dead’s O2 Academy 3 show turn to the reviews section on P22-23.

IN BRIEFOcean Colour Scene frontman Simon Fowler will launch a new solo project with a live show in his home city. The Birmingham-born singer will perform in the intimate Studio room at The Glee Club on April 17. It will be the first in a series of live dates across the country to mark the release of his first solo album, a folk record entitled Merrymouth. Tickets for his Birmingham show are on sale now, priced £15.

Miles Perhower, former frontman of cult Birmingham band Miss Halliwell, will curate a brand new art and music event taking place in Digbeth this month. St Eel: The Show In The Mirror will take place on March 9 at the new Sticky Toffee Dance Studio under the railway arches in Lower Trinity Street. The night will feature live performances from Perhower, Greg Bird & Flamingo Flame, Bombers, The Gruber and Jerk Test, alongside art displays, paintings, projections, mystery objects and a fully licenced, real ale bar. Doors open at 7.30pm and tickets are £5 on the door and £4 for concessions.

A series of cultural events inspired by the 2012 Olympics will launch in the West Midlands this month. The Cultural Olympiad is planned across the country as part of London 2012, with a host of activities taking place throughout Birmingham and the surrounding regions. The full programme will be officially announced by Jonathan Edwards in the city on March 13 but details of some of the cultural attractions have already been unveiled. Highlights include Music Nation, a weekend of live performances in Birmingham across the weekend of March 3 to 4, and a new digital art installation called Core, launching inside the Ironbridge Gorge Museum, Shropshire, on March 23.

THOUSANDS TO HIT STREETS FOR ST PATRICK’S DAy PARADE THIS MONTH

5March 2012

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A brand new nightclub will open its doors in the heart of Digbeth this month after a long-established venue was given a new lease of life.

The newly-named Gibb Street Warehouse will be unveiled on the site formerly known as Space 2 alongside The Custard Factory, with the opening night taking place on March 31 hosted by house heavyweights Defected. Club bosses insist the warehouse venue has been given more than just a makeover, with state-of-the-art technology and a brand new operations team also put in place. It will specialise in electronic music across various genres and aims to recreate the industrial, raw feel of Acid House warehouse parties.As well as the opening night with Defected, details have also been revealed for the re-turn of clubbing superbrand Renaissance which will relaunch in style in the Second City to mark its 20th anniversary on Easter Sunday, April 8. R20: Renaissance’s 20th Anniversary Part One will be headlined by superstar DJ and Renaissance’s most famous resident Sasha. For more details visit www.facebook.com/GibbStreetWarehouse.

SASHA TO HELP LAUNCH NIGHTCLUBThe Lines will headline the first in a brand new series of Brum Notes Magazine Presents... gigs showcasing the finest emerging talent from the Midlands and beyond. Wolverhampton’s latest guitar-wielding stars will play the O2 Academy 2 on May 5, as part of a co-headline tour alongside Manchester act The Rainband.

Also on the bill for the evening will be Birmingham indie rock outfits Black Market Empire and The British Kicks. It is the first show to be unveiled in a regular series of Brum Notes Magazine Presents… shows being planned, which will see us joining forces with the O2 Academy Birmingham to present the most exciting new musical talent from across the Midlands alongside the hottest touring acts and DJs.

The Lines have built a fiercely loyal and firm fanbase with their life-affirming brand of intelligent indie rock, regularly commanding sell-out crowds in their native West Midlands and have also previously adorned the cover of Brum Notes. After completing a year which saw the band embark on their first North American tour, being invited to tour with Peter Doherty and Ocean Colour Scene, and enjoy a second sold out show at the 1,100 capacity Wulfrun Hall in their home city of Wolverhampton, they have been recording new material and will release a new single in May as well as embarking on a co-headline tour with The Rainband across the country.

Brum Notes Magazine presents The Lines live at the O2 Academy Birmingham on May 5.Tickets are on sale now from www.o2academybirmingham.co.uk.For more information join our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BrumNotesMagazine.

THE LINES TO HEADLINE FIRST BRUM NOTES PRESENTS... SHOW


555 Hot Club De Swing Presents

Tickets £7 in advance, www.facebook.com/hotclubdeswing

Dress to party like its 1929... there will be prizes!

10th March At the Hare and Hounds

7March 2012


“Oh god, I’m going to have to admit it was him aren’t I?” says Mike Gunn dourly, when asked whose idea it was to end their co-headline shows with a double act. In fact, Gunn’s replies are regularly dour, deadpan, and very British, quite a contrast to the ‘him’ in question, jolly Canadian comic Sean Collins.So how did the seemingly very different duo come to embark on a massive tour of Brit-ain together?“It was after we did Michael McIntyre’s Com-edy Roadshow,” explains Gunn. “He asked me if I’d like to go on tour with him and I said no, but eventually his positivity wore me down and I said yes.”

Positivity is not something that sits well with Mike Gunn. After being addicted to heroin for 10 years, Mike went clean and sought out a replacement buzz in the form of comedy. “I did what any old junkie would do,” he says. “I went for the thing that would get my adren-alin going and put me in a place I didn’t want to be. I’m shy and so comedy was a good fit.”

He admits that he has changed a lot since he took up comedy over 12 years ago, and the drug references have now disappeared from his act.“When I first got into comedy it was as a character comic. I was called the Funer-al Director and told really deadpan jokes about death.“Now it’s a lot more observational. Occa-sionally the drug stuff could pop up when we’re doing our double act but I’ve cheered up a lot.”

“It [the double act] probably works because of how different we are,” admits Mike. “He’s relentlessly positive and Canadian and says words like ‘awesome,’ and I’m English, down-beat and droll.”“What’s Mike’s favourite film? I have no idea.”

“Put down something really girly like Dirty Dancing, that will annoy him.” Sean Collins’ Canadian cackle rifles down the phone line as he sets about tackling the quiz questions about him and touring partner Mike Gunn.

After going through all the films his wife likes to watch he finally settles down to try and have a serious interview. Try being the main word, as he spends another 10 minutes thinking of girly films and rubbish comedians.The likeable character is constantly chatting, making jokes and generally goofing around and it seems his current co-headline tour with Gunn has reinvigorated his almost child-ish love for comedy. “This tour has motivated me again in a dif-ferent way to usual, doing the circuit can get you into a bad habit of doing the same thing over and over.“This tour is pushing both of us and it’s great to have Mike around to bounce ideas off each other.”In stark contrast to Mike’s deadpan comedy, Sean loves telling stories and dragging them out with perfect pauses for comic effect.“I think because we’re both good at the styles we do, the show seems to work well,” he says.“It’s also a bit of a treat for the audience as they see two comedians with different styles at the top of their game, but then they also get to see us play around with it at the end as well.”The double act part of the show stems from an idea from his homeland where he and an-other act would get on stage at the end of a show and do a bit extra for the audience.“The comedy circuit is so competitive now I think it’s good to offer the audience three shows for the price of one.”

Mike Gunn and Sean Collins: Still on the Roadshow, is live at The Public, West Bro-mwich, on March 2.

MIKE GUNN and SEAN COLLINS bring their double headline show back to the West Midlands this month. After endless nights on the road together, Jon Pritchard finds out

how well they really know each other.

Question Sean Collins Mike GunnDescribe yourself in one word.

Mike’s guess: Happy Answer: Huge

Sean’s guess: Miserable Answer: Tired

Favourite comic?

Mike’s guess: Richard Pryor Answer: Richard Pryor

Sean’s guess: Carrot Top Answer: Daniel Kitson

Favourite film?

Mike’s guess: Slapshot Answer: Rocky

Sean’s guess: Dirty Dancing Answer: Apocalypse Now

Favourite meal on tour?

Mike’s guess: Pasta Answer: Pasta

Sean’s guess: Anything Answer: Nando’s

Favourite venue on tour?

Mike’s guess: Salford Lowry Answer: Salford Lowry

Sean’s guess: Salford Lowry Answer: Salford Lowry

Favourite thing to do on tour?

Mike’s guess: Nag me to get up Answer: Watch DVD’s

Sean’s guess: Sleep Answer: Sleep

SCORE 3/6 2/6

THE ODDCOUPLE

9March 2012

“I would like to describe it as an ‘enhanced DJ set’ in so far as it is a live audio/visual show but there are no MCs involved so it’s slightly different to the idea of an out and out live show that people might expect,” explains DJ Format, “just non-stop good music that people can actually dance to if they’re not mesmerised by the visuals, just dance and enjoy themselves hopefully.”

That set in question will be heading to the Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath this month, when Format – real name Matt Ford – returns to the venue along with collaborator Simon Jones, with whom he also produces work under the name The Simonsound. They will be blending material from both projects, but hopefully with the same end result – to get people dancing. “I know that when people come to watch people’s shows the audience wants to hear the songs that they know and love and as an artist you’ve got to find the right balance between giving the people the songs they know and love and satisfying yourself that you are doing something new and original rather than just playing the old songs, so I thought it would be fun to do a mixture of the old songs that people hopefully know and love and the new album material and also some of the songs that we made together as The Simonsound. We’ve just got a really good balance of the three things I think.”

The Brighton-based DJ will showcase some of his newest material plucked from latest album Statement of Intent, released at the end of February to much acclaim amongst the hip hop fraternity. “The buzz about it has been amazing and I was obviously very nervous that maybe I don’t have the big record label backing and it’s very difficult to get yourself heard now with everyone out there just putting their music out on the internet and so many people doing stuff, it is hard to get noticed. But luckily I think I’ve still got a good core of people out there who are waiting for this kind of music.”

Format is no stranger to buzz about his music, having earned high praise from some of hip hop’s glitterati, as well as working with some of the biggest names around, not least Jurassic 5. His 2003 debut album Music For The Mature B-Boy featured guest appearances from members of J5, who he also supported on their UK tour, thrusting him into the spotlight in front of huge hip hop crowds up

and down the country.“Funnily enough I had a friend called Mick Blue Eyes who organised J5’s first UK tour and he just basically needed somebody to drive the tour bus and luckily offered it to me, so I basically got to drive around the country taking Chemist and Nu Mark to all the best record shops around in the UK back in 1998. There were a lot more record shops around then and we had a great time you know, a lot of friendships were made. So that’s really how the connection came about and I was then lucky enough to get Chali and Akil to do a couple of songs with me and the rest is history I guess.”

Despite the boost this undoubtedly gave to his reputation, DJ Format insists he doesn’t have much time for mass market attempts at hip hop which just throw money at hiring big name MCs, without earning attention based on the quality of the music first. “Ultimately the idea of collaborating with big name MCs is not necessarily what I like to do, I kind of like the fact that I really made my name more with the work I did with [MC] Abdominal and that’s someone who came out of nowhere to a lot of people. It’s almost too easy sometimes to throw a load of money at big name MCs and get them involved in your project, but I like to think that I’ve worked with the people I’ve worked with because they’ve been the right people for the songs in question and luckily they’ve been into my music enough that they’ve done it for the music rather than the money.”

The absence of MCs on this tour though has added a new dimension to his own role.“I’m not what I’d call a natural showman, I’m much happier playing in the background or, better yet, staying at home and just making music in the studio without seeing much daylight for a few days. The idea of somebody, an MC, with a big presence and a real kind of ability to sort of communicate and interact with the crowd, I think that’s really important, so I think that on this thing I’ve got with The Simonsound it’s really up to me to take hold of the mic and make sure that people are having a good time and just enjoying themselves and feel like they’re part of the show because I think that’s important.”

DJ Format and The Simonsound live audio/visual set is at the Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, on March 16.

Southampton-born DJ FORMAT has come a long way since his early days of driving the tour bus for Jurassic 5, going on to establish himself as one of the most respected hip hop

DJs and producers to come out of the UK. With a new critically acclaimed album out now and a raft of successful collaborations under his

belt, he brings his new audio/visual live show to Birmingham this month. Chris Moriarty finds

out more.

A WINNINGFORMAT

Clubbing


Clubbing

Underground club night HABIT marks its fifth anniversary this month. We caught up with Andy Price, Mat Jones, Steve Thornton and James Roberts, the four-man team behind HABIT, to find out the secret of their ongoing success.

HABIT OF A LIFETIME

So, when you first launched the night, did you think you’d still be going strong five years on? Mat: I don’t think we could have even dreamt that. When we started Habit there had been loads of parties across Birmingham that launched, did OK but then within a few months had already folded. We wanted somewhere where we could play the music we love to a crowd of like-minded people so starting Habit felt right.

And what are the basic principles behind the night, in terms of musical style and ethos? Steve: For us it’s always been about quality underground music, but not taking ourselves too seriously. It’s certainly not about chin strok-ing. Habit’s a place to come and party with your mates and leave having made new friends. The soundtrack is very much driven by house and disco but early doors you often get some eclectic treats that help to take people from the bar to the club.

What sort of crowds do your nights tend to attract?James: We get all sorts of people, but everyone is always really up for a fun party, leave the attitude at the door and come and have a great laugh. Andy: We do have a very loyal core group of people who have been coming since we started and still come today. There are definitely a few loyal fans that have been to every single party. We love them. Mat: Many of our guest DJs started out as our clubbers who loved to come and dance, we’ve given lots of DJs their first ever club set.

How did you pick the line-up for your fifth birthday show? Mat: We’ve had some great guests for our previous birthday parties but this year we decided to let our residents take over and celebrate five great years. James: Kicking things off are Tom Belte and Jack ‘Process’ Stokes, two boys with an amazingly eclectic record collection, they warm things up perfectly dropping anything from disco and deep house to broken beats, hip hop and even some dubstep. Steve: Then Andy, Mat and James take over, under their PJR Project moniker (their surnames are Price, Jones and Roberts). They tell me they’ve been working on a special ‘five years of Habit’ set.

How has the Bull’s Head suited you as a home? Andy: When I first met Adam Regan I mentioned we were on the lookout for a venue and he’d just taken over the Bull’s Head so we went to check it out. We loved it instantly. They only had an 11pm licence for the first party but it was rammed all the same.James: For me it’s even better since the recent improvements. Upstairs feels even more club-like and the sound is fantastic. The perfect place for our party.

Can you pick out some highlights from the past five years? Mat: There have been many, but Steve Lawler at the Hare & Hounds has to be the best. He’s a global legend so to get him to agree to come and play a 250-capacity venue in a suburb of his hometown was a privilege. Andy: The first time we had Spencer Parker for our second birthday at The Rainbow was pretty special too, as was when we hosted a room at the Electric Carnival with DJ Sneak headlining our room. James: And of course we had my favourite DJ Phil Weeks at the Hare & Hounds – amazing.

What do you make of the independent club scene in Birmingham at the moment? Steve: Birmingham does seem to be on the up again, which is good news. FACE is doing well, TRML are opening a new venue in Digbeth soon too. The suburbs are as great as the city though. Moseley and Kings Heath continue to be great places to party, and the Jewellery Quarter is starting to get in on the act now with stuff happening at The Lord Clifden and The Rose Villa Tavern.

What have you got in store for Habit for the next five years?Andy: Our focus for now is just continuing to put our hearts and souls into our regular Bull’s Head events, to make each one a great experience for those who come along. Steve: We’d love to think that we’ll still be here for another five years, that would be amazing. For us, we’ve always said we’ll keep this going for as long as people want to come and party with us.

Habit - The 5th Birthday takes place at the Bull’s Head, Moseley on March 17. Entry is free before 10pm, £3 before 11, £4 after.

11March 2012

Clubbing

After 18 months of bringing exciting drum n bass nights to Birmingham, promoters PROspec are preparing for their biggest night yet as they host

a Shogun Audio showcase night. PROspec founders Leon Grant and Matt Tilley tell us more.

BASS IN THE PLACE

So for those who don’t know, what is PROSpec all about? Leon: PROspec is a forward-thinking drum n bass night run by myself and Matt which has been running for around 18 months at the Bull’s Head in Moseley and the Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath. Our focus is all about the DJs we book, there are no gim-micks or fancy backdrops etc, it’s complete-ly about getting the best drum n bass DJs around. There is no jump up/MCs either, we think Birmingham has enough of these types of nights already and we are trying to offer something different, plus it’s not what we’re about.Matt: Yeah, the music comes first, we book the artists we personally want to see as much as the punters do – that’s why we started it and it obviously works. PROspec is about the future, plain and simple.

You must be pleased to have such a big line-up for the Shogun Audio night, especially as a relatively new promoter?Leon: It’s a dream to be hosting such a re-spected label, and they were nominated for label of the year last year. It is the perfect fit for PROspec as their releases and artists are exactly where we are at right now. For us to have the opportunity in such a short space of time I guess reflects how good every event has been over the past year-and-a-half.Matt: I think since doing the Goldie night at the Hare we feel that the standard needed to be kept high to be honest, so we couldn’t wait for the chance to get a date confirmed back there in conjunction with Shogun. It’s also quite nice be able to switch between the two venues, it’s cool to be able to offer people a chance to see such high calibre artists up close and personal at the Bull’s Head and then have scope to put on some-thing a little more adventurous up the road.

What have been the highlights so far? Leon: Every night has been a blinder to be honest, the atmosphere surprises us every

time. If we had to pick some out though, I would have to say Goldie dropping Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit as his last tune last year as everyone went mental. Being asked to host Arena 2 at the last ever night at the Q Club with Atomic Jam in January was also a proud moment as we used to go to the original jungle dos there back in the early 90s

And what can people expect from the Shogun Audio night? Leon: For a start, it will sell out! We know people are travelling from all over the Mid-lands and beyond for this so it’s going to be a very special night. Expect the most upfront drum n bass around, with a great crowd without a hint of attitude. We have now also secured a Critical Records event in May, and Metalheadz in August which sees the return of the mighty Goldie so 2012 is looking like it’s going to be a great year for us.Matt: You can expect the finest drum n bass in town, a friendly crowd and a big queue down the stairs...

PROspec presents the Shogun Audio Showcase, with Icicle, Alix Perez and Spectrasoul, at the Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, on March 31.

THE LINE-UP Leon and Matt give us the lowdown on the talent performing on the night:

ALIx PEREzPerez is a producer and DJ who can take it anywhere, anything from musically in-spired soulful melodies, to the edgier fast paced beats of sonically perfect dance floor rhythms. Since his debut album 1984, Alix Perez has become a household name within drum n bass and electronica. Expect a bass-heavy set with plenty of forward-thinking tracks that which are testament to why this producer is so highly regarded.

SPECTRASOULRumoured to be working on a debut album for Shogun, this duo can not be pigeon-holed. Easily one of the most versatile pro-duction acts that drum n bass has seen to date. The pair from Brighton have had re-leases on many different labels, all the way from the deep end of the spectrum with their release on D-Bridge’s label Exit, to the more tech influenced sounds of Teebee’s la-bel Subtitles. The guys can more than hold their weight behind the decks too. Expect a relentless assault of tracks that will hold your attention right till the last beat is drawn.

ICICLEAdequately nicknamed Mr Freeze, Icicle is a producer who can turn his hand to anything and create a masterpiece. Without any cli-ché, the most accurate way to describe Ici-cle’s sound would be ‘eerie’; the choice of samples and atmospheres along with pre-cise drum programming in his tracks give an element of coldness to his sets. Enjoying the success of his debut album for Shogun, Ici-cle is showing the world that whenever he wants to switch tempos, he has the artillery on his hard drive to make a massive impact. This man takes no prisoners when he DJs.

Spectrasoul

Icicle


MISTy’S BIG ADVENTURELong running Birmingham experimentalists Misty’s Big Adventure know how to have a good time. With getting on for 10 albums’-worth of their jazz, funk, ska punk-mix all be-set by a vocal more deadpan than Jack Dee, this set up is one of performers as much as it is musicians. Also watch out for dancer Erotic Volvo’s relentless dancing and occa-sional beatbox additions. Misty’s Big Adventure are seasoned en-tertainers, make sure you’re there to enjoy them.

Misty’s Big Adventure co-headline on Saturday, April 7.

Iconic arts centre The Public in West Bromwich will stage the NOW WE ARE WEEKENDER, a new two-day music festival across two stages, over the weekend of April 7 and 8, featuring live performances from more than 30 acts. The festival is being curated by London-based promoters Funny Looking Cat and boasts an eclectic line-up of innovative indie acts and local talent. Amy Sumner looks ahead to some of the highlights of the weekend.

THE BOMBERGSBirmingham’s own The Bombergs have been steadily gaining mo-mentum for the past six months. And now, with an album in the pipe-line and a new drummer in tow, they’re sounding better than they ever have. Unafraid to name-check influences such as The Clash, The Libertines and Joy Division, and fresh from gigs both at home and in London, The Bombergs are playing the game more seriously than it’s been played in years and the resulting sound is delicious. Tighter than a leather jacket in a heatwave and with tunes more in-fectious than a student house kitchen, they are full of energy, full of rigour and well worth half an hour of your time.

The Bombergs are live at Now We Are on Sunday, April 8.

ART BRUTArt Brut is an art movement which is referred to as ‘outsider art’ in English terms – and it’s an apt choice of title, because this band are a right bunch of misfits. Since 2005 and in in-cendiary tongue-in-cheek tones, Art Brut have declared “Haven’t read the NME in so long/Don’t know what genre we belong”, deliberately sidestepping the tick boxes and thereby ensuring that we are instantly compelled towards them. Art Brut are the band who made it OK to have hated every single song that became the talk of the schoolyard, and OK to have been picked last in PE time after time after time. With the almost Wilde-ean Eddie Ar-gos at their helm, though a modern day version less the carnation and wearing quite a lot more corduroy, Art Brut are charismatic and observant and a hell of a lot of fun, and they promise to be one of, if not THE, highlight of the weekend.

Art Brut headline Now We Are at on Saturday, April 7.

THE THyME MACHINEDescribing themselves as “Lo-fi Glam Rock with party poppers and a bubble machine”, there’s no prizes for guessing that Lancaster’s Thyme Machine are going to be pretty fun. And with a repertoire of songs including I Love the Supermarket, John the Dog and I Collect Batteries, there’s a wealth of the anecdotal, the entertaining and the just down-right obscure to engage you. Meshing with Sunday top cats The Lovely Eggs in a pairing more twee than your grandma’s Sunday best, and proving that being in a band can be a bloody good laugh, The Thyme Machine are the sweethearts of Now We Are, and give ‘em the time, they’ll be yours too.

The Thyme Machine are live on Saturday, April 8. Now We Are Weekender is on April 7 and 8 at The Public in West Bromwich. Day tickets £10, weekend tickets £15. Limited early bird weekend tickets are available for £10. Visit www.nowweare.co.uk.

Festivals

13March 2012


SHABBA DABBA DAHQ Club, April 6, 9.30pm until lateTaking over the legendary Q Club in Corpo-ration Street, one of London’s most noto-riously exuberant club nights comes to Birmingham for the fi rst time. Shabba Dabba Dah is presented by Coventry-born social-ite Daniel Lismore, dubbed by Vogue as “London’s most outrageous dresser.” For a Friday night with a difference get glammed up in your most outrageous garb and head on down – or if your outfi t needs a spruce just turn up for a Fierce-style makeover with the festival’s own glam beauty parlour setting up inside the club. The night will see club-bing, fashion and art collide in devastating style. The best dressers may even fi nd them-selves captured on camera with a fi lm being made on the night. Tickets are available now for £5 in advance or £7 on the door.

DACHSHUND UNOozells Square, Brindleyplace, March 31, 1pmThe sight of scores of sausage dogs perched on a scaled down replica of the UN offi ces is sure to be one of the most memorable imag-es of Fierce 2012 and will help get the festi-val underway in typically barking mad style. Led by Australian artist Bennett Miller, the work will be making its debut appearance in the UK and anywhere outside of Austral-ia for that matter, with dachshunds being

volunteered for the project from dog-owners across the Midlands. The pooches will play the parts of UN leaders in a mock meeting of the United Nations’ Commission on Human Rights during the project. Whether you want to take it as political satire, commentary on utopian aspirations of a universal system of justice, or simply enjoy the controlled chaos of dozens of slightly odd looking dogs all sat on benches, it is a sight not to be missed. Entry is free.

HOLY MOUNTAIN PARTYClub PST, Digbeth, March 31, 9pm until lateA club night like no other in one of the city’s most esoteric nightspots. Taking inspira-tion from cult 1973 fi lm Holy Mountain, the night is being curated by Birmingham artist Harminder Singh Judge and will feature live performance art in the twisted shape of contortionist and dancer Iona Kewney and a hotly-anticipated set from adventur-ous, Berlin-based techno musician and DJ Oni Ayhun, the mysterious alter-ego of Olof Dreijer, one half of Swedish electronic duo The Knife. Tickets are available now for £5 in advance or £7 on the door.

SECRET SHOWBirmingham city centre, April 5, 7.30pmGuests will hand over an evening of their life to Fierce and fellow Birmingham pioneering

promoters Capsule for a night of mystery, intrigue and no doubt groundbreaking artistic experience and music. Ticket-hold-ers who dare will arrange to be picked up from a location near to the city centre before being blindfolded and whisked away to a secret spot for a mysterious night of unfor-gettable adventure with unnamed musicians and artists. Judging by the previous work of Fierce and Capsule, you can expect it to be very memorable indeed. Tickets are available now for £15 or £55 for a group of four and must be booked in advance.

GROUPER: VIOLET REPLACEMENTFestival Hub at Vivid, Digbeth, March 30, 8pm until lateCapsule once again get involved to bring a typically rare and innovative musical perfor-mance to Birmingham, this time from US artist Grouper, aka Liz Harris, utilising tape loops and fi eld recordings to create a haunting atmosphere inside the Festi-val Hub at Vivid. Support comes from the industrial rave sounds of Diamond Cata-log, plus a new audio-visual work by Swal-lows, inspired by Victorian séances. Tickets include free entry to the afterparty at Vivid featuring special guest DJs into the early hours. Tickets are available now for £8 in advance. Entry to the afterparty on its own is £2 on the door from 10.30pm.

TRACKUnderneath Spaghetti Junction, March 31-April 1, 11am to 5pmFor a unique outlook on Birmingham’s urban landscape, visitors will lie back and get whisked along a specially made track on horizontal platforms for a different visual and audio perspective of the city’s most iconic of road systems, Spaghetti Junction, gazing upwards at it from the underbelly of the motorway alongside rivers, canals and railways. Visitors can just turn up, booking is not required. Entry is free.

CURIOUS SOUNDS IN CURIOUS SPACESSymphony Hall, April 7, 12pm to 5pmPartnering up with Symphony Hall which is marking its 21st anniversary, the renowned concert hall will throw open its doors and become a veritable laboratory of weird and wonderful noise-making equipment for a day of inspiring family entertainment. Visitors will get the chance to explore backstage areas not normally open to the public and also be able to ‘play’ the stairwells which will be transformed into a giant musical instrument. Other hands-on activities will include workshops and mass-participation exhibits, including the chance to build your own electronic instruments out of cardboard with the help of Juneau Projects, while Phil Minton’s Feral Choir will combine professional singers and members of the public to perform sounds beyond the traditional confi nes of singing. Hare & Hounds residents 8 Bit Lounge will trans-port their retro arcade games and Game-boy-inspired sounds to the Symphony Hall, while Soundkitchen will create a unique sonic tree covered in speakers playing music from a host of local artists.Entry is free.

Fierce Fesival 2012 runs from March 29 to April 8. For the full programme visit www.wearefi erce.org.

Birmingham Gets FierceThe Brum Notes Guide To Fierce Festival 2012

Fierce Festival returns to Birmingham at the end of this month, blurring the boundaries between live art, performance, experimental music and downright decadent nights out. With a genre-bending line-up of international artists and performers descending on unique spaces across the city from March 29 to April 8, 2012 is set to be Fierce Festival’s most ambitious year yet. Spanning two weekends and multiple venues, there are plenty of mind-bending and ear-splitting attractions as well as some more placid installations to get your heads around, so we’ve picked out some of our highlights for you to look out for…

Festivals

Daniel Lismore (photo by Linda Cooper)

15March 2012

SHABBA DABBA DAHQ Club, April 6, 9.30pm until lateTaking over the legendary Q Club in Corpo-ration Street, one of London’s most noto-riously exuberant club nights comes to Birmingham for the fi rst time. Shabba Dabba Dah is presented by Coventry-born social-ite Daniel Lismore, dubbed by Vogue as “London’s most outrageous dresser.” For a Friday night with a difference get glammed up in your most outrageous garb and head on down – or if your outfi t needs a spruce just turn up for a Fierce-style makeover with the festival’s own glam beauty parlour setting up inside the club. The night will see club-bing, fashion and art collide in devastating style. The best dressers may even fi nd them-selves captured on camera with a fi lm being made on the night. Tickets are available now for £5 in advance or £7 on the door.

DACHSHUND UNOozells Square, Brindleyplace, March 31, 1pmThe sight of scores of sausage dogs perched on a scaled down replica of the UN offi ces is sure to be one of the most memorable imag-es of Fierce 2012 and will help get the festi-val underway in typically barking mad style. Led by Australian artist Bennett Miller, the work will be making its debut appearance in the UK and anywhere outside of Austral-ia for that matter, with dachshunds being

volunteered for the project from dog-owners across the Midlands. The pooches will play the parts of UN leaders in a mock meeting of the United Nations’ Commission on Human Rights during the project. Whether you want to take it as political satire, commentary on utopian aspirations of a universal system of justice, or simply enjoy the controlled chaos of dozens of slightly odd looking dogs all sat on benches, it is a sight not to be missed. Entry is free.

HOLY MOUNTAIN PARTYClub PST, Digbeth, March 31, 9pm until lateA club night like no other in one of the city’s most esoteric nightspots. Taking inspira-tion from cult 1973 fi lm Holy Mountain, the night is being curated by Birmingham artist Harminder Singh Judge and will feature live performance art in the twisted shape of contortionist and dancer Iona Kewney and a hotly-anticipated set from adventur-ous, Berlin-based techno musician and DJ Oni Ayhun, the mysterious alter-ego of Olof Dreijer, one half of Swedish electronic duo The Knife. Tickets are available now for £5 in advance or £7 on the door.

SECRET SHOWBirmingham city centre, April 5, 7.30pmGuests will hand over an evening of their life to Fierce and fellow Birmingham pioneering

promoters Capsule for a night of mystery, intrigue and no doubt groundbreaking artistic experience and music. Ticket-hold-ers who dare will arrange to be picked up from a location near to the city centre before being blindfolded and whisked away to a secret spot for a mysterious night of unfor-gettable adventure with unnamed musicians and artists. Judging by the previous work of Fierce and Capsule, you can expect it to be very memorable indeed. Tickets are available now for £15 or £55 for a group of four and must be booked in advance.

GROUPER: VIOLET REPLACEMENTFestival Hub at Vivid, Digbeth, March 30, 8pm until lateCapsule once again get involved to bring a typically rare and innovative musical perfor-mance to Birmingham, this time from US artist Grouper, aka Liz Harris, utilising tape loops and fi eld recordings to create a haunting atmosphere inside the Festi-val Hub at Vivid. Support comes from the industrial rave sounds of Diamond Cata-log, plus a new audio-visual work by Swal-lows, inspired by Victorian séances. Tickets include free entry to the afterparty at Vivid featuring special guest DJs into the early hours. Tickets are available now for £8 in advance. Entry to the afterparty on its own is £2 on the door from 10.30pm.

TRACKUnderneath Spaghetti Junction, March 31-April 1, 11am to 5pmFor a unique outlook on Birmingham’s urban landscape, visitors will lie back and get whisked along a specially made track on horizontal platforms for a different visual and audio perspective of the city’s most iconic of road systems, Spaghetti Junction, gazing upwards at it from the underbelly of the motorway alongside rivers, canals and railways. Visitors can just turn up, booking is not required. Entry is free.

CURIOUS SOUNDS IN CURIOUS SPACESSymphony Hall, April 7, 12pm to 5pmPartnering up with Symphony Hall which is marking its 21st anniversary, the renowned concert hall will throw open its doors and become a veritable laboratory of weird and wonderful noise-making equipment for a day of inspiring family entertainment. Visitors will get the chance to explore backstage areas not normally open to the public and also be able to ‘play’ the stairwells which will be transformed into a giant musical instrument. Other hands-on activities will include workshops and mass-participation exhibits, including the chance to build your own electronic instruments out of cardboard with the help of Juneau Projects, while Phil Minton’s Feral Choir will combine professional singers and members of the public to perform sounds beyond the traditional confi nes of singing. Hare & Hounds residents 8 Bit Lounge will trans-port their retro arcade games and Game-boy-inspired sounds to the Symphony Hall, while Soundkitchen will create a unique sonic tree covered in speakers playing music from a host of local artists.Entry is free.

Fierce Fesival 2012 runs from March 29 to April 8. For the full programme visit www.wearefi erce.org.

Birmingham Gets FierceThe Brum Notes Guide To Fierce Festival 2012

Fierce Festival returns to Birmingham at the end of this month, blurring the boundaries between live art, performance, experimental music and downright decadent nights out. With a genre-bending line-up of international artists and performers descending on unique spaces across the city from March 29 to April 8, 2012 is set to be Fierce Festival’s most ambitious year yet. Spanning two weekends and multiple venues, there are plenty of mind-bending and ear-splitting attractions as well as some more placid installations to get your heads around, so we’ve picked out some of our highlights for you to look out for…

Festivals

Daniel Lismore (photo by Linda Cooper)


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“We finished our last tour and we decided to take a two month sabbatical basically because we just needed the time off from each other,” admits drummer Chris Talbot. “I think that it’s important you have time off when you’re living in each other’s pockets for the best part of six or seven months.”

With the shift in buying habits of music fans in the digital age, touring is what puts bread on the table for most bands these days, so staying off the road for too long was never an option. Although the reality of a living out of a bus is perhaps not quite as glamorous as it may seem, as Chris explains.

“You don’t get away from anything on a tour bus. You wake up smelling someone and go to bed smelling someone so it’s not the most pleasant environment. Everyone thinks it’s a lap of luxury but it’s just not, when you actually get on there it quickly becomes this little, grotty hellhole.”

Still, it was a life that was attractive enough to tempt two of the band to quit university in Leeds where three of them were enrolled when they signed their first record deal six years ago. “The record deal came along when me and Hayden were midway through our second year; Tom had already been to uni a year longer so he was half way through his last year, he had three months to go so we waited for him but me and Hayden kind of looked at each other and when you’ve just been given a record company advance and the opportunity to become a professional musician you don’t really want to go back to university. I think the uni were actually quite

supportive, you’ve got to follow your dream at that point, they probably thought we were a little bit stupid — they probably still do — but we don’t mind.”

They will be making a return to university, of sorts anyway, this month with a show at Warwick University in Coventry; not that they will be spreading the message to drop out to all those impressionable students.

“I’m not advocating it but I think it’s impor-tant that we had an opportunity to explore a career path that we all wanted to. I don’t really want to talk about it as a career as it isn’t as scientific as that but I think when you’re given an opportunity you’ve got to grab the bull by the horns so to speak and I think that’s what we did.”

While touring may be an essential part of their chosen career path, Chris admits it is the studio work which is still their greatest source of pride, despite their prowess as live performers.

“I think the record is the thing that is going to stand the test of time, well hopefully, it will still be on the shelves in 20 or 30 years time. Obviously gigs create memories and they kind of ratify your position as a record-ing band so the two aspects go hand in hand but I think any band worth their salt would still say they would rather be in the studio than in the gig venue.”

The critical response to their last album was as positive as you could imagine, although commercially it did not quite hit the heights

of previous Mercury-nominated effort Two Dancers. But despite the praise, Chris says as a “pop band” falling sales is still hard to take.

“When you record an album you’re kind of stuck in the moment and you think you’re writing a world-beating pop record, all-conquering, we’ve thought that with pretty much every album we’ve ever released. So it does, it hurts, but looking back on it, in retrospect it’s quite a left turn of a record. I’m not saying we didn’t want to capitalise on the success we had with Two Dancers, we did, and I think in terms of the UK we still made in-roads but I think looking back on it we probably shouldn’t have given ourselves great commercial expectations. You always think that you’re writing some kind of big pop record when actually what you’re doing is quite intricate and perhaps not fit for the masses, but we don’t mind that.”

Masses or not, Wild Beasts are still a band that attract sell-out crowds and know how to entertain them – even if the schedule is intense. “This [tour] will be quite hard because it’s seven days straight, I don’t think we’ve done seven days on the bounce before. Your drum sticks quickly start tearing the skin off your fingers so that will be a problem after two or three days but Warwick won’t have that problem as it’s the first one.”

Wild Beasts are live at Warwick University, Coventry, on March 11. For a chance to win a pair of tickets visit www.brumnotes.com

The effortlessly dreamy soundscapes served up on Wild Beasts’ third studio album Smother may not have catapulted them to the commercial success their sheer talent deserves, but it cemented their place as one of the most inventive and unique bands in Britain today. After a self-imposed break, the Kendal band are back on the road this month. Chris Moriarty catches up with drummer Chris Talbot ahead of their visit to Warwick University.

Call of the Wild

17March 2012

“We finished our last tour and we decided to take a two month sabbatical basically because we just needed the time off from each other,” admits drummer Chris Talbot. “I think that it’s important you have time off when you’re living in each other’s pockets for the best part of six or seven months.”

With the shift in buying habits of music fans in the digital age, touring is what puts bread on the table for most bands these days, so staying off the road for too long was never an option. Although the reality of a living out of a bus is perhaps not quite as glamorous as it may seem, as Chris explains.

“You don’t get away from anything on a tour bus. You wake up smelling someone and go to bed smelling someone so it’s not the most pleasant environment. Everyone thinks it’s a lap of luxury but it’s just not, when you actually get on there it quickly becomes this little, grotty hellhole.”

Still, it was a life that was attractive enough to tempt two of the band to quit university in Leeds where three of them were enrolled when they signed their first record deal six years ago. “The record deal came along when me and Hayden were midway through our second year; Tom had already been to uni a year longer so he was half way through his last year, he had three months to go so we waited for him but me and Hayden kind of looked at each other and when you’ve just been given a record company advance and the opportunity to become a professional musician you don’t really want to go back to university. I think the uni were actually quite

supportive, you’ve got to follow your dream at that point, they probably thought we were a little bit stupid — they probably still do — but we don’t mind.”

They will be making a return to university, of sorts anyway, this month with a show at Warwick University in Coventry; not that they will be spreading the message to drop out to all those impressionable students.

“I’m not advocating it but I think it’s impor-tant that we had an opportunity to explore a career path that we all wanted to. I don’t really want to talk about it as a career as it isn’t as scientific as that but I think when you’re given an opportunity you’ve got to grab the bull by the horns so to speak and I think that’s what we did.”

While touring may be an essential part of their chosen career path, Chris admits it is the studio work which is still their greatest source of pride, despite their prowess as live performers.

“I think the record is the thing that is going to stand the test of time, well hopefully, it will still be on the shelves in 20 or 30 years time. Obviously gigs create memories and they kind of ratify your position as a record-ing band so the two aspects go hand in hand but I think any band worth their salt would still say they would rather be in the studio than in the gig venue.”

The critical response to their last album was as positive as you could imagine, although commercially it did not quite hit the heights

of previous Mercury-nominated effort Two Dancers. But despite the praise, Chris says as a “pop band” falling sales is still hard to take.

“When you record an album you’re kind of stuck in the moment and you think you’re writing a world-beating pop record, all-conquering, we’ve thought that with pretty much every album we’ve ever released. So it does, it hurts, but looking back on it, in retrospect it’s quite a left turn of a record. I’m not saying we didn’t want to capitalise on the success we had with Two Dancers, we did, and I think in terms of the UK we still made in-roads but I think looking back on it we probably shouldn’t have given ourselves great commercial expectations. You always think that you’re writing some kind of big pop record when actually what you’re doing is quite intricate and perhaps not fit for the masses, but we don’t mind that.”

Masses or not, Wild Beasts are still a band that attract sell-out crowds and know how to entertain them – even if the schedule is intense. “This [tour] will be quite hard because it’s seven days straight, I don’t think we’ve done seven days on the bounce before. Your drum sticks quickly start tearing the skin off your fingers so that will be a problem after two or three days but Warwick won’t have that problem as it’s the first one.”

Wild Beasts are live at Warwick University, Coventry, on March 11. For a chance to win a pair of tickets visit www.brumnotes.com

The effortlessly dreamy soundscapes served up on Wild Beasts’ third studio album Smother may not have catapulted them to the commercial success their sheer talent deserves, but it cemented their place as one of the most inventive and unique bands in Britain today. After a self-imposed break, the Kendal band are back on the road this month. Chris Moriarty catches up with drummer Chris Talbot ahead of their visit to Warwick University.

Call of the Wild


“There are plenty of disagreements and all that, but we’re all mates and respect our various strengths and weaknesses so we don’t normally have too many problems these days,” says band leader Steve Pretty, discussing the potential perils of helping to try and control a nine-strong band of musi-cians. “There’s nothing worse than having to walk on eggshells, so if there’s a problem, we try to deal with it straight away and don’t let people build up resentments.”

So if the arguments aren’t a problem, perhaps the logistics of carting all those brass and percussion instruments around various venues and squeezing onto jazz club stages is slightly more troublesome?

“Yeah, it can be quite a squeeze sometimes. We played at a great little venue in Oxford a couple of weeks ago and the ceiling was so low that our sousaphone player had to sit on a low stool, and we had to jump up and down a little bit more carefully than usual...”

For those of us who had to look up exactly what a “sousaphone” is, it’s a type of tuba, the big curly one that wraps around the body and is popular with marching bands. Marching bands were part of the inspira-tion between Hackney Colliery Band (HCB for short) and the ability to turn up and play anywhere without necessarily having to plug in is all part of the fun. And it doesn’t mean they’re quiet either.

“It’s a mixed blessing having only acous-tic instruments to be honest. On the one hand, we can’t be turned off! There are some venues where they have sound limiters built in which trip the PA if it gets too loud, but that needn’t stop our gig... But on the other hand, we prefer to play with full mics and amplification in bigger clubs, and as soon as we do that we have all the same prob-lems that any band has, only we can’t turn down our amps, and the sound guys are

often a bit confused when instead of synths and guitars we load in a metric ton of brass and two drummers. Whatever happens, it’s always loud, so hearing yourself when play-ing isn’t always easy. Or possible.”

Formed in 2008 as ‘east London’s unique take on the brass band,’ HCB certainly know how to stand out from the crowd – and how to get a crowd on its feet as well. It is a melt-ing pot of influences that has gone into the band’s formation, which is part of their attrac-tion for audiences keen to see how

a brass band perform No Diggity or what dubstep played with a tuba and a bass drum sounds like. But the classic traditions of New Orleans marching bands are still upheld as well, just with their own Hackney take on things.

“We’ve admired some of the bands coming out of the American brass band tradition for a while,” continues Steve. “A few of us went to see gigs by bands like the Youngblood Brass Band and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and decided that it was time for a British twist. We wanted to find a way of making that New Orleans style of raucous, ener-getic and euphoric brass music our own, so we started writing music with that kind of energy in mind.

“There was a lot of enthusiasm from vari-ous musicians for getting the project off the ground, so tunes started coming in, we spent a while figuring out how to split the drum kit up so that it would work with two drummers, and eventually HCB was born. The idea with the name, of course, is that it links us back to the great British brass band tradition; those bands were kind of representative of their communities, and we try to represent the amazing diversity and energy of Hack-ney with our stuff.”

It is through that diversity and energy and merging of genres that HCB hope they can open doors to people to embrace styles

of music which ordinarily they may not otherwise have sampled. The original tracks draw on a myriad of musical traditions while the covers help to showcase well known songs in a completely different light.

“A lot of us come from a jazz background, and amazing though that scene is, it can be quite exclusive and introspective. First and fore-most, we’re playing music that we love, but we definitely want to give people a ‘route into’ more challenging music that they might not otherwise listen to. It’s a cliché to say it, but in a world where we often seem to be surrounded by anodyne, over-processed, soulless music, there’s something quite satisfying about playing an entirely acoustic instrumental set of very diverse music and having a crowd jumping up and down the whole night. And if that sounds overly worthy, bear in mind that we also play Boom Boom Boom by the Outhere Brothers.”

Of course, it doesn’t just take novelty covers to help people discover new styles of music and Steve agrees the traditional genre barriers seem to be becoming more and more blurred these days, particu-larly with younger listeners growing up with instant access to vast music collections through the internet.

“The student crowd in particular seems to really ‘get’ us. I think it’s a really exciting time for music at the moment in many ways; streaming music services and things like that make it much easi-er for people to try stuff they wouldn’t normally listen to, and that definitely helps break down the divisions between genres that can strangle music so much.

“[We attract] a nice mixture actually. Quite a lot of students and 20-somethings, a few hipsters who presume that because we’re from Hackney we’re hipsters too (incorrect) and quite a few older people who presume that because we’re called a Colliery Band, we’ll be playing themes from Brassed Off (incorrect). It’s great play-ing to a diverse crowd!”

Perhaps surprisingly for a band drawing on such diverse influences, HCB have yet to perform in Birmingham, so their appearance at city centre jazz club The Yardbird this month will be their live debut in the Second City.

“It’s HCB’s first visit to Brum. A couple of us went to Warwick Univer-sity, though, so we have fond memories of checking out bands at The Yardbird. We’re looking forward to going back...”

And for those who will be witnessing this 18-legged musical behe-moth for the first time, Steve has his own unique way of explaining what to expect:

“Imagine a Grimethorpe Colliery Band album produced by Kanye West. Now put that album (vinyl, naturally) in a blender. Add two parts Red Bull (other energy drinks are available), two parts absinthe (other semi-hallucinatory anachronistic alcohol is available). Shake by jumping up and down for an hour or so. Pour into a sousaphone, using a trumpet mouthpiece as a straw. Garnish with earplugs and a sweaty t-shirt.”

Still confused? Well you’ll just have to turn up to work it out for yourself.

Hackney Colliery Band are live at The Yardbird, Birmingham, on March 17.

Blending everything from jazz, funk and Balkan beats through to ska, hip hop and full-on rock, Hackney Colliery Band are a true Pandora’s Box of musical delights. Not to mention the fact that they play everything entirely on brass instruments and drums. Chris Moriarty speaks to founder member Steve Pretty about life in one of the country’s most unique live acts.

SHOWING THEIR BRASS

“Sound guys are often a bit confused when instead of synths and guitars we load in a metric ton of brass and two drummers.”

19March 2012

“There are plenty of disagreements and all that, but we’re all mates and respect our various strengths and weaknesses so we don’t normally have too many problems these days,” says band leader Steve Pretty, discussing the potential perils of helping to try and control a nine-strong band of musi-cians. “There’s nothing worse than having to walk on eggshells, so if there’s a problem, we try to deal with it straight away and don’t let people build up resentments.”

So if the arguments aren’t a problem, perhaps the logistics of carting all those brass and percussion instruments around various venues and squeezing onto jazz club stages is slightly more troublesome?

“Yeah, it can be quite a squeeze sometimes. We played at a great little venue in Oxford a couple of weeks ago and the ceiling was so low that our sousaphone player had to sit on a low stool, and we had to jump up and down a little bit more carefully than usual...”

For those of us who had to look up exactly what a “sousaphone” is, it’s a type of tuba, the big curly one that wraps around the body and is popular with marching bands. Marching bands were part of the inspira-tion between Hackney Colliery Band (HCB for short) and the ability to turn up and play anywhere without necessarily having to plug in is all part of the fun. And it doesn’t mean they’re quiet either.

“It’s a mixed blessing having only acous-tic instruments to be honest. On the one hand, we can’t be turned off! There are some venues where they have sound limiters built in which trip the PA if it gets too loud, but that needn’t stop our gig... But on the other hand, we prefer to play with full mics and amplification in bigger clubs, and as soon as we do that we have all the same prob-lems that any band has, only we can’t turn down our amps, and the sound guys are

often a bit confused when instead of synths and guitars we load in a metric ton of brass and two drummers. Whatever happens, it’s always loud, so hearing yourself when play-ing isn’t always easy. Or possible.”

Formed in 2008 as ‘east London’s unique take on the brass band,’ HCB certainly know how to stand out from the crowd – and how to get a crowd on its feet as well. It is a melt-ing pot of influences that has gone into the band’s formation, which is part of their attrac-tion for audiences keen to see how

a brass band perform No Diggity or what dubstep played with a tuba and a bass drum sounds like. But the classic traditions of New Orleans marching bands are still upheld as well, just with their own Hackney take on things.

“We’ve admired some of the bands coming out of the American brass band tradition for a while,” continues Steve. “A few of us went to see gigs by bands like the Youngblood Brass Band and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and decided that it was time for a British twist. We wanted to find a way of making that New Orleans style of raucous, ener-getic and euphoric brass music our own, so we started writing music with that kind of energy in mind.

“There was a lot of enthusiasm from vari-ous musicians for getting the project off the ground, so tunes started coming in, we spent a while figuring out how to split the drum kit up so that it would work with two drummers, and eventually HCB was born. The idea with the name, of course, is that it links us back to the great British brass band tradition; those bands were kind of representative of their communities, and we try to represent the amazing diversity and energy of Hack-ney with our stuff.”

It is through that diversity and energy and merging of genres that HCB hope they can open doors to people to embrace styles

of music which ordinarily they may not otherwise have sampled. The original tracks draw on a myriad of musical traditions while the covers help to showcase well known songs in a completely different light.

“A lot of us come from a jazz background, and amazing though that scene is, it can be quite exclusive and introspective. First and fore-most, we’re playing music that we love, but we definitely want to give people a ‘route into’ more challenging music that they might not otherwise listen to. It’s a cliché to say it, but in a world where we often seem to be surrounded by anodyne, over-processed, soulless music, there’s something quite satisfying about playing an entirely acoustic instrumental set of very diverse music and having a crowd jumping up and down the whole night. And if that sounds overly worthy, bear in mind that we also play Boom Boom Boom by the Outhere Brothers.”

Of course, it doesn’t just take novelty covers to help people discover new styles of music and Steve agrees the traditional genre barriers seem to be becoming more and more blurred these days, particu-larly with younger listeners growing up with instant access to vast music collections through the internet.

“The student crowd in particular seems to really ‘get’ us. I think it’s a really exciting time for music at the moment in many ways; streaming music services and things like that make it much easi-er for people to try stuff they wouldn’t normally listen to, and that definitely helps break down the divisions between genres that can strangle music so much.

“[We attract] a nice mixture actually. Quite a lot of students and 20-somethings, a few hipsters who presume that because we’re from Hackney we’re hipsters too (incorrect) and quite a few older people who presume that because we’re called a Colliery Band, we’ll be playing themes from Brassed Off (incorrect). It’s great play-ing to a diverse crowd!”

Perhaps surprisingly for a band drawing on such diverse influences, HCB have yet to perform in Birmingham, so their appearance at city centre jazz club The Yardbird this month will be their live debut in the Second City.

“It’s HCB’s first visit to Brum. A couple of us went to Warwick Univer-sity, though, so we have fond memories of checking out bands at The Yardbird. We’re looking forward to going back...”

And for those who will be witnessing this 18-legged musical behe-moth for the first time, Steve has his own unique way of explaining what to expect:

“Imagine a Grimethorpe Colliery Band album produced by Kanye West. Now put that album (vinyl, naturally) in a blender. Add two parts Red Bull (other energy drinks are available), two parts absinthe (other semi-hallucinatory anachronistic alcohol is available). Shake by jumping up and down for an hour or so. Pour into a sousaphone, using a trumpet mouthpiece as a straw. Garnish with earplugs and a sweaty t-shirt.”

Still confused? Well you’ll just have to turn up to work it out for yourself.

Hackney Colliery Band are live at The Yardbird, Birmingham, on March 17.

Blending everything from jazz, funk and Balkan beats through to ska, hip hop and full-on rock, Hackney Colliery Band are a true Pandora’s Box of musical delights. Not to mention the fact that they play everything entirely on brass instruments and drums. Chris Moriarty speaks to founder member Steve Pretty about life in one of the country’s most unique live acts.

SHOWING THEIR BRASS

“Sound guys are often a bit confused when instead of synths and guitars we load in a metric ton of brass and two drummers.”


The internet is such a forum that the mere touch of a button can provoke outrage, amore and an assortment of powerful feeling. And the uploading of a track can trigger a frenzy. It happened to Arctic Monkeys; it happened to Gnarls Barkley; and now it’s happening to Peace, to exactly the same extent. Well, nearly. With just one demo available to listen to online, the Birmingham four-piece had been one of the city’s best kept secrets for quite some time, treating us to live performances along the way of songs that you could not hear nigh on anywhere else. That demo in question was called Bblood and late last year that demo took off. Now, with an ever increasing viral furore surrounding them, praise in national music mags and the growing attention of industry bigwigs, they head off on a full set of UK tour dates this month. Peace look set to take reality by storm.

“The Bblood demo — we made it into a video as a way of sending it to people, and it was never intentionally going to be released,” explains lead singer Harry of their internet success. ”We put it out in April last year and it was floating around the internet for ages. Then at the end of the year, people started raving about it.”

But with just one song to sample, can anyone really say they know what Peace sound like yet? “I think that our songs are quite similar to Primal Scream,” guitarist Doug offers. “Not in the sense that they’re indie-dance crossover or anything like that, but you can definitely hear the acid house influence in them.”

“I’d describe it as grooving, dark, citrus shake — it’s strong but tender,” adds Harry, not altogether sincerely. “My writing is kind of eclectic though. Sometimes I’m very to the point and there’s a lot of life experience in it. But at other times it’s escapism. And sometimes the two can crossover — like Bblood which is both escapist and straight forward. In terms of influences upon us as a band though, we’re fairly similar...”

“Though we have some guilty pleasures,” interjects bassist Sam. Insert Spice Girls banter here. “We’re all definitely on the same page though,” he concludes.

“There’s a shared appreciation of Led Zeppelin for instance,” name-checks drummer Dom. “We’re all massive Zep fans, though we’re not classic rock nerds. I like The Cure, Echo & the Bunnymen, things like

that. But there’s no direct intention behind these — it isn’t a case of ‘I like these bands so I’m going to sound like them.’ I think the bands you listen to invariably change the way that you play though.”

“We’re buzzing about all of the upcoming dates on the tour.”

“I like techno, house, electronic — that sort of stuff as opposed to stuff with words in it,” continues Harry. “And The Rainbow is a paradise for that — it’s our favourite place to play and party because it’s all about the stuff that we like.”

Now infamous in Birmingham for playing some of the best parties in town, Peace are closely associated with bands such as Troumaca and Swim Deep.

“I guess we are part of a specific Birmingham movement,” concedes Doug, “but that isn’t necessarily a calculated decision. This isn’t a movement of bands grouped together because they sound the same, because everyone is coming from a different place.”

“It’s more a case of us all starting bands at the same time, and all helping each other out,”

agrees Harry. “For example, Troumaca put on the nights at The Adam & Eve and a lot of these bands have played those, because we’re all friends.”

“I think what makes it interesting though, is even though we’re all part of this scene, you can’t pair bands together as sounding alike, because none of us do. It’s just a shared vibe that runs through us,” concludes Sam.

For a year or so now Peace have been biding their time, playing locally and at select shows in London. But now they’re ready to explode.

“We’re buzzing about all of the upcoming dates on the tour,” enthuses Harry, “it’ll be really good to headline.”

“Yeah, until now we’ve only really been accidental headliners, when other bands have dropped out,” bemoans Dom. “And it’ll be our first headline show at The Rainbow too which is pretty exciting, we love it here!”

And after that?

“After the tour there will be an EP,” reveals Doug. “Yes, we’ve written a lot of material,” Harry explains.

“I mean, we’ve not consciously gone at it to write tracks,” interjects Sam, “but there will be a single out in early April called Follow. It’s going to be our first physical release and it’ll be on 7ins, but we’ll put it up online as soon as we can.”

It seems as though, occasional darlings of London and long term lovers of Birmingham, Peace are now ready to take on the rest of the country. And with the seal of approval of countless music mags and blogs stamped all over Bblood and a cult-like internet attention from their public, it seems it’ll only take a run of successful shows to cement it. And if all goes to plan?

“This time next year I’ll be in Miami,” answers Sam, quick as a flash.

“I’ll be here at The Rainbow,” retorts Harry, matter of fact. “It’s FACE tonight.”

“Nah, I’d take Miami,” Doug admits. Miami it is then. World — watch out.

Peace are live at The Rainbow as part of FACE Live on March 10.

Words by Amy Sumner

Birmingham four-piece PEACE have been one of the city’s best kept musical secrets for months. But with a growing fanbase, a nationwide tour and the attention of the national music press it is set to be an exciting few months ahead. AMY SUMNER finds out why it’s time for the world to give Peace a chance.

THE SECRET’S

OUT

21March 2012

The internet is such a forum that the mere touch of a button can provoke outrage, amore and an assortment of powerful feeling. And the uploading of a track can trigger a frenzy. It happened to Arctic Monkeys; it happened to Gnarls Barkley; and now it’s happening to Peace, to exactly the same extent. Well, nearly. With just one demo available to listen to online, the Birmingham four-piece had been one of the city’s best kept secrets for quite some time, treating us to live performances along the way of songs that you could not hear nigh on anywhere else. That demo in question was called Bblood and late last year that demo took off. Now, with an ever increasing viral furore surrounding them, praise in national music mags and the growing attention of industry bigwigs, they head off on a full set of UK tour dates this month. Peace look set to take reality by storm.

“The Bblood demo — we made it into a video as a way of sending it to people, and it was never intentionally going to be released,” explains lead singer Harry of their internet success. ”We put it out in April last year and it was floating around the internet for ages. Then at the end of the year, people started raving about it.”

But with just one song to sample, can anyone really say they know what Peace sound like yet? “I think that our songs are quite similar to Primal Scream,” guitarist Doug offers. “Not in the sense that they’re indie-dance crossover or anything like that, but you can definitely hear the acid house influence in them.”

“I’d describe it as grooving, dark, citrus shake — it’s strong but tender,” adds Harry, not altogether sincerely. “My writing is kind of eclectic though. Sometimes I’m very to the point and there’s a lot of life experience in it. But at other times it’s escapism. And sometimes the two can crossover — like Bblood which is both escapist and straight forward. In terms of influences upon us as a band though, we’re fairly similar...”

“Though we have some guilty pleasures,” interjects bassist Sam. Insert Spice Girls banter here. “We’re all definitely on the same page though,” he concludes.

“There’s a shared appreciation of Led Zeppelin for instance,” name-checks drummer Dom. “We’re all massive Zep fans, though we’re not classic rock nerds. I like The Cure, Echo & the Bunnymen, things like

that. But there’s no direct intention behind these — it isn’t a case of ‘I like these bands so I’m going to sound like them.’ I think the bands you listen to invariably change the way that you play though.”

“We’re buzzing about all of the upcoming dates on the tour.”

“I like techno, house, electronic — that sort of stuff as opposed to stuff with words in it,” continues Harry. “And The Rainbow is a paradise for that — it’s our favourite place to play and party because it’s all about the stuff that we like.”

Now infamous in Birmingham for playing some of the best parties in town, Peace are closely associated with bands such as Troumaca and Swim Deep.

“I guess we are part of a specific Birmingham movement,” concedes Doug, “but that isn’t necessarily a calculated decision. This isn’t a movement of bands grouped together because they sound the same, because everyone is coming from a different place.”

“It’s more a case of us all starting bands at the same time, and all helping each other out,”

agrees Harry. “For example, Troumaca put on the nights at The Adam & Eve and a lot of these bands have played those, because we’re all friends.”

“I think what makes it interesting though, is even though we’re all part of this scene, you can’t pair bands together as sounding alike, because none of us do. It’s just a shared vibe that runs through us,” concludes Sam.

For a year or so now Peace have been biding their time, playing locally and at select shows in London. But now they’re ready to explode.

“We’re buzzing about all of the upcoming dates on the tour,” enthuses Harry, “it’ll be really good to headline.”

“Yeah, until now we’ve only really been accidental headliners, when other bands have dropped out,” bemoans Dom. “And it’ll be our first headline show at The Rainbow too which is pretty exciting, we love it here!”

And after that?

“After the tour there will be an EP,” reveals Doug. “Yes, we’ve written a lot of material,” Harry explains.

“I mean, we’ve not consciously gone at it to write tracks,” interjects Sam, “but there will be a single out in early April called Follow. It’s going to be our first physical release and it’ll be on 7ins, but we’ll put it up online as soon as we can.”

It seems as though, occasional darlings of London and long term lovers of Birmingham, Peace are now ready to take on the rest of the country. And with the seal of approval of countless music mags and blogs stamped all over Bblood and a cult-like internet attention from their public, it seems it’ll only take a run of successful shows to cement it. And if all goes to plan?

“This time next year I’ll be in Miami,” answers Sam, quick as a flash.

“I’ll be here at The Rainbow,” retorts Harry, matter of fact. “It’s FACE tonight.”

“Nah, I’d take Miami,” Doug admits. Miami it is then. World — watch out.

Peace are live at The Rainbow as part of FACE Live on March 10.

Words by Amy Sumner

Birmingham four-piece PEACE have been one of the city’s best kept musical secrets for months. But with a growing fanbase, a nationwide tour and the attention of the national music press it is set to be an exciting few months ahead. AMY SUMNER finds out why it’s time for the world to give Peace a chance.

THE SECRET’S

OUT


LIVE

ERRORS + VICTORIES AT SEAThe Rainbow, Birmingham12/02/2012 Tonight, cider is £3.90 a pint and those nice, big bottles of Bulmers have increased from three-pound-something the previous week to a mega £4.80. And so you’d be forgiven for expecting, at the very least, performanc-es of the same top of the range calibre. And, after an hour’s delay owing to techni-cal difficulties, Victories At Sea do not dis-appoint. Foals-esque in the vocals, but with an electro overtone creating a sound alto-gether more credible, Victories At Sea are arguably the highlight of the evening – the epic sounding Future Gold making it crystal clear just why this band are creating such

waves both online and outside of their home city. After a proficient performance from second support act Remember Re-member, the head-liners Errors take to the stage some-what behind sched-ule. “There are a lot of things going on in

the city tonight. Thanks for making the right choice,” states Errors frontman Steve Living-stone. It’s a choice that many of the crowd don’t get to see through to the end in an ef-fort to catch their last trains after the delayed start, but it’s a choice that’s been rewarding nonetheless and, though for some people the headliner’s set was curtailed, it wasn’t really a case of missing out, as the real win-ners had stepped on stage at the start.Amy SumnerPhoto by Jonathan Morgan

ACE BUSHY STRIPTEASEThe Victoria, Birmingham04/02/2012

Good things come to those who support lo-cal music. Or so the saying goes. It’s some-thing like that anyway, and this is a prime example. Ten bands grace the stage over the course of about eight hours at the packed-out Victoria today, and within these are some fine performances indeed. Notable acts in-clude Moustache of Insanity’s Game Boy-underpinned synth-pop and Standard Fare, whose bassist delivers a stellar acoustic performance of requests after the rest of the band are curtailed by the snow. If there’s one band from 10 to take home today though, it’s Norwich female two-piece The Middle

Ones whose Juno-tinted vocals against the snowstorm background are picture perfect. Today is a showcase of just how twee and charming indie-pop can be, and Ace Bushy Striptease close the event with a shambolic ruckus Los Campesinos would be proud of. The day is a complete triumph and shows ex-actly why we should be supporting the lovely people of the city who bring such fine mu-sic to us. Thank you Ace Bushy Striptease.Amy Sumner

MICHAEL KIWANUKAThe Glee Club, Birmingham14/02/12

The spirit of St Valentine was in the air but not even a rogue smooch could be heard amongst the patient silence of the crowd at the always attentive Glee Club. The Staves opened proceedings, a trio of sisters, a drummer and bassist singing mostly in har-mony, mostly as gentle as heaven. A charm-ing bunch, they had the audience captivated throughout Mexico, I Try and a short, un-named a cappella number that was pos-sibly even the highlight of the whole night. Just lovely. For all the hype that has been heaped upon Michael Kiwanuka since he emerged as the BBC’s Sound Of 2012, he bounded out

KAISER CHIEFSO2 Academy, Birmingham12/02/12

Tonight saw the Kaiser Chiefs take to the 02 Academy as part of their first UK tour in two years – boy, doesn’t time fly? To say it was packed out would be an un-derstatement, with fans squeezed into the touch-tight venue. And the Kaisers didn’t disappoint their loyal following as they launched into Everyday I Love You Less And Less. Ricky Wilson is the epitome of an energetic front man as he proved with a leap that would surely be of medal-winning

standard at this year’s Olympics. The band soon warmed up the crowd on what was an extremely cold night, with the pick of the songs being best-known hits Ruby, Never Miss A Beat and I Predict A Riot, plus a new song which definitely showed a new direction. Starts With Noth-ing was almost Joy Division-esque in the in-troduction which builds to a huge crescendo at the end. It will be interesting to see how these new songs and sounds go down with

their fans who clearly appreciate the more ‘sing-a-long’ aspects.Ricky Wilson kept the energy levels high as he clamberd onto the balcony to the amaze-ment of the fans and shock of the security staff to sing Take My Temperature, before reemerging back on stage. If they continue the tour with this sort of display then it won’t be long before the Kaisers are leading the charge of guitar music back into the charts.Words and photo by Andy Hughes

Errors

23March 2012

onto the stage with a grin and a wave with-out a care in the world. Without his beard he’d look about 13 years old, but his voice is wrenched from a time long gone. I Get Along started with an encouraging rhythm section, but not until slower numbers Always Wait-ing and singles I’m Getting Ready and Home Again did he really shine. His warm, soulful husk was exposed through two songs on his own without his band, and then I Won’t Lie stole the show. David Ruffin, Otis Redding, Bill Withers – there’s a new boy in town. Tom Pell

NME AWARDS TOUR02 Academy, Birmingham18/02/12

Opening NME’s genre-crossing showcase night was Azealia Banks, a feisty, stage-commanding rapper who managed to hype up the crowd with her mix of sharp beats and punchy lyrics. Tribes were next to fol-low, their music heavily laden with guitar melodies, smooth vocals and a strong Brit-pop influence. Launching into their singles Sappho and We Were Children, they played with energy and enthusiasm that the crowd finally reciprocated, and gave an insight into the talent that Tribes can show.Metronomy instantly set the atmosphere for their own set. A well-worked exhibition of light sequences helped them create the scene, ready for their barrage of electro. Combined with funk-style bass playing and rhythmic drum beats, their music is com-plex yet so simply engaging. Treating the crowd to songs from Nights Out and The English Riviera, they created big sounds and fun vibes, whipping the crowd into a dancing frenzy.Last but not least, headliners Two Door Cin-ema Club seemed at times overwhelmed by the crowd’s reaction. It’s not hard to see why the crowd loved them. Lilting vo-cals, catchy lyrics and intricate guitar work make their music bouncy and captivating.

Working through their album Tour-ist History, songs such as Under-cover Martyn and What You Know delighted the crowd for a mass sing-along, finally finishing on I Can Talk to round off the night perfectly.Lorraine TeareP h o t o b y Jonathan Morgan

HOWLERHMV Institute 05/02/12 When Howler stumble-strut on stage amid the hilarity of a ridiculous mock-motivational tune they wrote earlier (“do your best...just do your best”), Jordan Gatesmith is sport-ing a baseball cap and a zip-up hoodie, like some sort of rad-frat, Gap-ad spaz – and he is still the coolest person in the room by a mile. They can even get away with bone-head lyrics like... well, like all of them. Their songs are re-writes of the Jam, the Mary Chain, but with enough twist and ennui to pull it off with ease. Their shambolic behav-iour is not just forgivable but essential, set-ting them apart from po-faced garage rock peers past and present, like The Strokes but with jokes. Julian... sorry, I mean Jordan zombie-promenades the stage. At one point they mock-play Smells Like Teen Spirit, like it’s the oldest classic they can conceive of. I expect the whole experience has a delicious and surreal feel for these five Minneapolis teenagers. The world is their playground, like five pups high on rider beer and beach sluts, howling at the moon – and it answering. Dave Barry

FORESTSThe Flapper, Birmingham18/02/12

A large crowd converged upon The Flapper for the orbital reincarnation of Shady Bard that is Forests. Lawrence Becko & co have whipped up a storm of interest in a short time under their new epithet and this was the second of a four date tour culminating with two shows in Sweden.Introductions aside, the evening was set alight with the opening three acts. Mitch & Murray provided warm melancholic harmo-nies, Eat Y’self Pretty, an electro shock wired through immediately catchy riffs, and finally Sunrise Over Europe, who hammered home an eight-song set leaving the crowd stunned and Forests a lot to live up to.This appeared no problem for the quintet who soared gracefully, glued together with quips from the ever-endearing Becko. Fin-ishing on the anthemic Torch Song, Forests ensured they entered into their new musical venture without burning bridges gone by. The audience was captivated throughout and it’s easy to see why. They keep their in-tegrity intact and still manage to exude con-fidence. In short, when the chance comes round again, make sure you’re there, it will be one decision you will not regret.Joe WhitehousePhoto by Charlotte Rose

DOG IS DEADO2 Academy 3, Birmingham20/02/12

A soundtrack akin to that of a Spielberg film played the five-piece on stage, creating a bit of theatre before the opening lines of River Jordan echoed around the room. It started slow, then guitars, bass and drums slow-ly crept over Rob Milton’s vocal, the song took a minute to erupt into a full blown foot stomper after some choral harmonies. Young did the same job, a euphoric blast through childhood past, whilst new sin-gle Two Devils showed a band still matur-ing, capable of mixing hook after hook over the same four chords and some intelligent lead guitar from Paul Roberts. Their rock and roll moment arrived with an encore the crowd begged for, as Glockenspiel Song was saved for last. Trev got his saxophone out, Josh from keyboards ended up in the crowd, and the gut-wrenching outro lyrics, ‘We are a mess, we are failures, and we love it!’ rang clear on the drive home.Tom Pell

SPECTORThe Rainbow, Birmingham23/02/2012

With a lot of comparisons to The Vaccines flying around, anyone who had not already seen or heard of Spector could be forgiven for being a little sceptical about another one of 2012’s most hyped bands. Luckily, this time, they need not worry. Spector look to possess the rarest thing – the ability to fulfil their early promise.Fronted by former Ox.Lion.Eagle.Man and Les Incompetents singer Fred MacPherson, the five-piece are on imperious form as they blast through an eight-song set. With class, verve and substance they whistle through What You Wanted, Friday Night and Grey Shirt and Tie, with MacPherson bantering with the crowd for long periods in between.The band are focussed around frontman MacPherson and he has all the attributes of a quality frontman; style, wit, a comb for his hair but most importantly a solid voice.It looks like there is finally a band that has the style, brains, and the tunes, to live with the heavy burden of expectation.Jon Pritchard

Forests

Metronomy


STyLETOPSHOP£28.00

SPRING 2012 TREND

This spring sees two very comparative colour hues dominate the high street, both vivid colours and subtle pastels will pave the way to a fresh and exciting 2012.

PASTELS

TOPSHOP£22.00

TOPSHOP£10.00

MISS SELFRIDGE£39.00

MISS SELFRIDGE£6.00

OFFICE£60.00

URBAN OUTFITTERS£45.00

RIVER ISLAND£50.00

RIVER ISLAND£35.00

H&M£29.99

ASOS£6.00

ASOS£4.50

ASOS£6.00

REPUBLIC£18.00

REPUBLIC£30.00

NEW LOOK£19.99

25March 2012

ON THE STREET

RYAN, 22, SELF EMPLOYED ‘CHEMIST’Ryan is wearing a hat from River Island, his top and trousers are from Physical Normal and his shoes are Kurt Geiger. Ryan considers himself to be his own fashion icon and thinks Disorder is the best clothing store in Birmingham.

SHAWNA, 19, FASHION STUDENTShawna’s headband is from River Island, her earrings, bag and t-shirt are Primark. She’s wearing a jacket from New Look, trousers from ASOS and trainers from JD. Shawna says her current style icon is Azealia Banks and her favourite clothing store in Birmingham is The Candy Store.

SHAY, 19, FASHION STUDENTShay is wearing a hat from Bali, a shirt from All Saints, a jacket from Topman and trou-sers from Unique Wear. His socks are from TK Maxx and his shoes are Kohan. Shay doesn’t have a fashion icon and he is from London so hasn’t a clue about Brum shops.

ESTHER, 18, UNEMPLOYEDEsther is wearing a charity shop t-shirt, a neck-lace from an antique shop and jeans from Pri-mark. Her shoes are from Cow Vintage and her bag is from Topshop. Her fashion icons are usually men, particularly Axl Rose and her fa-vourite Bimingham shop is Cow Vintage.

ALICE, 18, UNEMPLOYEDAlice’s dress is from Topshop and both her bag and belt are vintage. She’s wearing a Ca-sio watch and socks from Asda’s George. She doesn’t have a fashion icon but her favourite place to shop is eBay.

MISHA, 19, ART & DESIGN STUDENTMisha is wearing a coat from Zara and a bag her nan won at the bingo. Her shorts are from Forever 21 and pumps are from Offspring in Selfridges. She doesn’t have any fashion icons, say-ing that if she likes it, she likes it and that’s it. Her favourite Birmingham store is Forever 21.

photos Jade Sukiyaon-street hassling Sharon Kaur


FOOD+

DRINKCOCKTAIL OF THE MONTH: CLASSICS WITH A TWISTInspiration for cocktails can come from many different places. Here at The Rose Villa Tav-ern we’re striving to deliver original cocktails and interesting twists on the classics and seeing what happens when the inspiration and knowledge of the drinks mix…some times it can produce some really interesting and delicious results.

The first cocktail is my twist on a very popular classic, the Espresso Martini. Replacing the coffee liqueurs usually featuring in an Espresso Martini, I simply used a hazelnut liqueur and a chocolate liqueur for a sweeter, richer taste.

The second is a creation of one of our talented members of staff Clair Powell. Named ‘Alex DeLarge’ after the character from A Clockwork Orange, it is a sophisticated blend with an orange theme. Don’t let this sweet and decadent drink fool you, as it is deviously delicious with a twisted character of it’s own – just like Alex himself.

Recipe: ALEx DELARGEIngredients: 37.5 ml Chase Marmalade Vodka10ml Gran Marnier10ml Butterscotch Schnapps1 bar spoon of Dry Vermouth

Directions: Simply stir all the ingredients over ice, serve in a chilled martini glass with an orange peel twist and, yet again, enjoy.

By Anthony Gillick, assistant general manager, The Rose Villa Tavern, Jewellery Quarter, www.therosevillatavern.co.uk.

Recipe: ‘THE RVT TWIST’ ESPRESSO MARTINIIngredients: 25ml Finlandia Vodka25ml Espresso Coffee20ml Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur)20ml Cacao Brun (chocolate liqueur)1 very small dash of gomme (sugar syrup)

Directions: Shake all the ingredients over ice for a little longer than usual until the mix is light and foamy. Fine strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a few fresh coffee beans resting on the foam and enjoy.

27March 2012

Want your gig or club night listed in our monthly guide? Send

details to:

[email protected]

All details correct at time of going to press. Check with venues before setting out. While every effort will be made to ensure the accuracy of listings, Brum Notes Magazine will not be held liable for any errors or losses incurred from errors which may materialise.

BIRMINGHAM: O2 Academy, Horsefair, Bristol St B1, 0844 4772000; HMV Institute, High St, Digbeth B5, 0844 2485037; NIA, King Edwards Rd B1, 0121 7804141; LG Arena, NEC, Solihull B40, 0121 7804141; The Flapper, Kingston Row B1, 0121 2362421; The Victoria, John Bright St B1, 0121 6339439; Hare & Hounds, High St, Kings Heath B14, 0121 4442081; The Actress & Bishop, Ludgate Hill B3, 0121 2367426; The Sunflower Lounge, Smallbrook Queensway B5, 0121 6327656; Symphony Hall, Broad St B1, 0121 7803333; Town Hall, Victoria Sq B3, 0121 7803333; Kitchen Garden Cafe, York Road, Kings Heath B14, 0121 4434725; Alexandra Theatre, Station St B1, 0844 8472302; Bulls Head, St Marys Row, Moseley B13, 0121 2567777; Island Bar, Suffolk St B1, 0121 6325296; The Jam House, St Pauls Sq B3, 0121 2003030; The Asylum, Hampton St, Hockley B19, 0121 2331109; The Rainbow, High St, Digbeth B12, 0121 7728174; Adam & Eve, Bradford St, Digbeth B12, 0121 6931500; The Rose Villa Tavern, Warstone Lane, B18, 0121 2367910; The Yardbird, Paradise Place B3, 0121 2122524; The Glee Club, The Arcadian, Hurst St B5, 0871 4720400; MAC, Cannon Hill Park B12, 0121 4463232; Vudu, Corporation St B5, 0121 643 0859 ; The Crown, Station St B5, 0121 643 4265; Scruffy Murphys, The Priory Queensway B4, 0121 2362035; The Wagon & Horses, Adderley St, Digbeth B9, 0121 7721403; Highlight, Broad St B1, 08700 111 960; Birmingham Ballroom, Dale End B4, 0121 320 2820; WOLVERHAMPTON: Civic Hall/Wulfrun Hall, North St WV1, 0870 320 7000; The Slade Rooms, Broad St WV1, 0870 320 7000; Robin 2, Mount Pleasant, Bilston WV14, 01902 401211; WEST BROMWICH: The Public, New St B70, 0121 5337161; COVENTRY: Kasbah, Primrose Hill St, CV1, 024 76554473; Warwick Arts Centre, University of Warwick, CV4, 024 7652 4524

KEY TO LISTINGS:M = LIVE MUSICCN = CLUB NIGHTC = COMEDYWHAT’S ON

Thursday, Mar 1

M Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

NIA Birmingham

M The South O2 Academy 2 Birmingham

M Jackpike The Adam & Eve Birmingham

M Kim Richey The Glee Club Birmingham

M Phantom Limb Hare & Hounds Kings Heath

CN Manhattan Loft The Victoria Birmingham

CN Happy Cycling Bull’s Head Moseley

C Jason Cook The Glee Club Birmingham

C Rob Rouse Hare & Hounds Kings Heath

C Seann Walsh Wulfrun Hall Wolverhampton

Friday, Mar 2

M Silver Seas O2 Academy 3 Birmingham

M Laura Marling Symphony Hall Birmingham

M Barefoot Runners The Actress & Bishop

Birmingham

M Inca Hoots The End @ The Ballroom

Birmingham

M Melanie C The Library @ HMV Institute

Birmingham

M Masters in France The Other Room @ The Ballroom

Birmingham

M Band Of Skulls Wulfrun Hall Wolverhampton

CN Resonance Club PST Birmingham

CN Forward The Rainbow Birmingham

CN Father V Son Hare & Hounds Kings Heath

CN Mosca Hare & Hounds Kings Heath

CN Freestyle Bull’s Head Moseley


C Josh Widdicombe The Glee Club Birmingham

C Mike Gunn & Sean Collins

The Public West Bromwich

C Billy Connolly Civic Hall Wolverhampton

Saturday, Mar 3

M Protest The Hero O2 Academy 2 Birmingham

M Page 44 O2 Academy 3 Birmingham

M Cast Of Cheers The Temple @ HMV Institute

Birmingham

M The Phenomenal Handclap Band

Hare & Hounds Kings Heath

M Paul Carrack Robin 2 Bilston

CN Passion HMV Institute Birmingham

CN Pyjama Party The Adam & Eve Birmingham

CN Uprawr The Asylum Birmingham

CN Drum & Bass Awards

The Ballroom Birmingham

CN Cream Classics + Face

The Rainbow Birmingham

CN Juqebox The Rose Villa Tavern

Birmingham

CN Subvert Wagon & Horses Birmingham

CN Bruk Up! Hare & Hounds Kings Heath

CN Bunka Bull’s Head Moseley


C Billy Connolly Civic Hall Wolverhampton

Sunday, Mar 4

M North Sea Gas Kitchen Garden Cafe

Birmingham


M Mest The Ballroom Birmingham

C The Boy With Tape On His Face

The Glee Club Birmingham

Monday, Mar 5

M Toy Horses The End @ The Ballroom

Birmingham

M Rae Morris The Glee Club Birmingham

M Teeth of the Sea Hare & Hounds Kings Heath

CN Jam Jah Reggae Bull’s Head Moseley

Tuesday, Mar 6

M Maverick Sabre HMV Institute Birmingham

M Justin Furstenfeld O2 Academy 2 Birmingham

M Burn The Fleet The Actress & Bishop

Birmingham

M Alice Gold Hare & Hounds Kings Heath

M Richie Kotzen Robin 2 Bilston

C Jon Richardson Wulfrun Hall Wolverhampton

Wednesday, Mar 7

M Rise To Remain O2 Academy 2 Birmingham

M Chiddy Bang The Library @ HMV Institute

Birmingham

M Funeral Suits The Rainbow Birmingham

M Neil Ward Bull’s Head Moseley

CN Sideways Island Bar Birmingham

CN Moschino Hoes Versace Hotties

The Victoria Birmingham

CN Clash of the Titans Hare & Hounds Kings Heath

Thursday, Mar 8

M Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

HMV Institute Birmingham

M The Nerks The Adam & Eve Birmingham

M Post Descartes The End @ The Ballroom

Birmingham

M Gabrielle Aplin The Rainbow Birmingham

M The Apples Hare & Hounds Kings Heath

M Vandaveer Hare & Hounds Kings Heath

CN Sick The Rainbow Birmingham


CN Fantastic Damage Bull’s Head Moseley

C Oxjam comedy night The Victoria Birmingham

C Henning Wehn The Glee Club Birmingham

C Phil Nicol The Glee Club Birmingham

C Nathan Caton The Slade Rooms Wolverhampton

Friday, Mar 9

M Boots Electric O2 Academy 2 Birmingham

M Kill Hannah The Library @ HMV Institute

Birmingham

M The Presidents Of The USA

Wulfrun Hall Wolverhampton

CN Ernesto Air Birmingham

CN This is Tmrw Island Bar Birmingham

CN Highgrade feat Nicky Blackmarket


CN Music for the People The Victoria Birmingham

CN DJ Derek Hare & Hounds Kings Heath


Saturday, Mar 10

M The Stranglers O2 Academy Birmingham

M The Emissaries The Actress & Bishop

Birmingham

M The Musgraves The End @ The Ballroom

Birmingham

M The Answer Wulfrun Hall Wolverhampton

CN The Dark Sessions Club PST Birmingham

CN The Afterparty The Adam & Eve Birmingham


CN FACE + Shadow City The Rainbow Birmingham

CN Loose Joints The Rose Villa Tavern

Birmingham

CN Vertigo The Victoria Birmingham

CN Absolut Reggae Hare & Hounds Kings Heath

CN Cirque Du Swing Magique


CN Soulfree Bull’s Head Moseley


Sunday, Mar 11

M Destroyers Of The Faith

HMV Institute Birmingham

M Max Raptor O2 Academy 3 Birmingham

M The Craicheads The Adam & Eve Birmingham

M Lloyd Cole The Glee Club Birmingham

M Stuart McCallum Hare & Hounds Kings Heath

M Bohemian Jukebox Bull’s Head Moseley

M Wild Beasts Warwick University

Coventry

CN The Sunday Club Big Craic mk 2


Monday, Mar 12

M 3 Doors Down O2 Academy Birmingham

M Kassidy O2 Academy 3 Birmingham

M Lianne La Havas The Glee Club Birmingham

M Mark Lanegan The Library @ HMV Institute

Birmingham

M Nanci Griffith Town Hall Birmingham


Tuesday, Mar 13

M The Civil Wars HMV Institute Birmingham

M Florence & The Machine

LG Arena Birmingham

M Joan Baez Symphony Hall Birmingham

M Andy Kershaw The Glee Club Birmingham

C Doug Stanhope Wulfrun Hall Wolverhampton

Wednesday, Mar 14

M Black Stone Cherry O2 Academy Birmingham

M Missing Andy O2 Academy 3 Birmingham

M Bigger Than Seattle The Adam & Eve Birmingham

M The Felice Brothers The Library @ HMV Institute

Birmingham

M Summer Camp The Rainbow Birmingham

M Bethany Jean Conroy

Bull’s Head Moseley

M Killing Joke Wulfrun Hall Wolverhampton


C Rich Hall The Glee Club Birmingham

Thursday, Mar 15

M Caro Emerald Symphony Hall Birmingham

M Little Palm The Adam & Eve Birmingham

M Alternative Dubstep Orchestra



29March 2012

CN CDR Bull’s Head Moseley


C Chris Addison Alexandra Theatre Birmingham

C Jarred Christmas The Glee Club Birmingham

C Joe Lycett Hare & Hounds Kings Heath

Friday, Mar 16

M James Bourne O2 Academy 2 Birmingham

M Spring Offensive The Ballroom Birmingham

M Shapes The Rainbow Birmingham

M John Napier Bull’s Head Moseley

M Pop Will Eat Itself The Slade Rooms Wolverhampton

M Amon Amarth Wulfrun Hall Wolverhampton

CN Pub Tropicana The Adam & Eve Birmingham

CN We Love the DnB The Rainbow Birmingham

CN Live Forever The Victoria Birmingham

CN DJ Format & The Simonsound




Saturday, Mar 17

M Follow the Fallen O2 Academy 3 Birmingham

M The Craicheads The Adam & Eve Birmingham

M The Duplicates Hare & Hounds Kings Heath

CN Ferry Corsten vs Markus Schulz

Air Birmingham

CN The Afterparty The Adam & Eve Birmingham


CN Vodbull St Patrick’s Day Takeover

The Ballroom Birmingham

CN FACE + Viva Music The Rainbow Birmingham


Birmingham

CN Vertigo The Victoria Birmingham

CN Habit 5th Birthday Bull’s Head Moseley


Sunday, Mar 18

M Nero HMV Institute Birmingham

M Yashin O2 Academy Birmingham

M The Milk The Rainbow Birmingham

M The Maccabees Civic Hall Wolverhampton

Monday, Mar 19

M The Safety Fire O2 Academy 3 Birmingham

M Savage Messiah The Ballroom Birmingham

M Stiff Little Fingers Robin 2 Bilston


Tuesday, Mar 20

M Dead School The End @ The Ballroom

Birmingham

M Enter Shikari Civic Hall Wolverhampton

Wednesday, Mar 21

M The Fakulty The Adam & Eve Birmingham

M Sound of Guns Hare & Hounds Kings Heath

M Unicorn Abuse Bull’s Head Moseley


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C Jimeoin Wulfrun Hall Wolverhampton

Thursday, Mar 22

M The Four Tops NIA Birmingham

M The Last Carnival The End @ The Ballroom

Birmingham

M Liz Green The Glee Club Birmingham

M Alex Winston Hare & Hounds Kings Heath



C Dan Nightingale The Glee Club Birmingham

C Jimeoin Town Hall Birmingham

C Elis James The Slade Rooms Wolverhampton

Friday, Mar 23

M Splintertone The Actress & Bishop

Birmingham

M zero Amigo The End @ The Ballroom

Birmingham

M The Chakras The Rainbow Birmingham

M Touche Amore The Temple @ HMV Institute

Birmingham

M Syleena Johnson Hare & Hounds Kings Heath

CN This is Tmrw Island Bar Birmingham

CN Seedy Sonics The Rainbow Warehouse

Birmingham

CN Beats by Numbers The Victoria Birmingham



C Simon Munnery The Glee Club Birmingham

Saturday, Mar 24

M Jaguar Skills HMV Institute Birmingham

M Charlie Simpson O2 Academy 2 Birmingham

M The Tone Thieves The Actress & Bishop

Birmingham

M Discharge The Ballroom Birmingham

M Los Campesinos! The Rainbow Warehouse

Birmingham

CN Atta Girl Island Bar Birmingham

CN Shake it Out The Adam & Eve Birmingham



Birmingham

CN DJ Royale The Victoria Birmingham

CN Saturday Night Sumthan


CN The Nextmen Hare & Hounds Kings Heath

CN King Of The Beats Bull’s Head Moseley


Sunday, Mar 25

M All The Young O2 Academy 3 Birmingham

M Ms Olivier Darling The Actress & Bishop

Birmingham

M Graveyard The Slade Rooms Wolverhampton

M Paul Menel Band Robin 2 Bilston

Monday, Mar 26

M Korn O2 Academy Birmingham

M David Sylvian Symphony Hall Birmingham


Tuesday, Mar 27

M Wiley HMV Institute Birmingham

M Steel Panther O2 Academy Birmingham

M Bullets & Octane The Ballroom Birmingham

M Sharks The Rainbow Birmingham

Wednesday, Mar 28

M OFWGKTA O2 Academy Birmingham

M Inme The Library @ HMV Institute

Birmingham

M Get The Blessing Hare & Hounds Kings Heath


C Steve Hughes The Glee Club Birmingham

C Pete Firman The Slade Rooms Wolverhampton

Thursday, Mar 29

M Action Replay The Actress & Bishop

Birmingham

M The Vibrators The Adam & Eve Birmingham

M Imperial Leisure The Temple @ HMV Institute

Birmingham

M Jack Bruce Town Hall Birmingham

M Noah & The Whale Civic Hall Wolverhampton

M The Producers Robin 2 Bilston



C Doc Brown The Glee Club Birmingham

C Paul Sinha Hare & Hounds Kings Heath

Friday, Mar 30

M McFly O2 Academy Birmingham

M Bowling For Soup O2 Academy 2 Birmingham

M The Night Shift The Actress & Bishop

Birmingham

M The Cracked Actors The Adam & Eve Birmingham

M KillTimers The End @ The Ballroom

Birmingham

M FIERCE FESTIVAL: Grouper

Vivid Birmingham

M Balkanic Eruption Hare & Hounds Kings Heath

M The Selecter Robin 2 Bilston

CN Hospitality The Rainbow Birmingham

CN Discographic The Rose Villa Tavern

Birmingham

CN Out of Bounds The Victoria Birmingham



Saturday, Mar 31

M Shoot the Dead The Actress & Bishop

Birmingham

M You Me At Six The Ballroom Birmingham

M Wraith The End @ The Ballroom

Birmingham

M UFO Wulfrun Hall Wolverhampton

CN The Only Way is Hardcore

Air Birmingham

CN FIERCE FESTIVAL: Holy Mountain Party

Club PST Birmingham

CN Eddie Halliwell Gatecrasher Birmingham

CN Defected Gibb Street Warehouse

Birmingham


CN PROspec presents Shogun Audio


CN Move Bull’s Head Moseley


31March 2012


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Brum Notes Magazine - March 2012

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