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February 17, 2017

BPREVIEW: Band of Horses @ O2 Institute 20.02.18

Words by Damien Russell

On the 20^th of February, Band of Horses will be performing at the O2 Institute – playing in Birmingham as part of 7 UK/Ireland dates on their international tour.

Doors will be opening at 19:00 and tickets are £25.75 (plus booking fees) as presented by SJM Concerts. For direct gig info, including venue details and online ticket sales, click here.

For those of you not already familiar with Band of Horses there’s a fair amount of catching up to do. The band formed in 2004 and in their 13 years have had 6 studio albums and 1 Grammy nomination. They have also had 8 line-up changes, although band leader Ben Bridwell has remained constant throughout.

Band of Horses hit the ground running with their first album Everything All The Time, a minor hit that charted internationally – even in Scandinavia, where it found the lower reaches of both Sweden and Norway’s national album charts. The band’s debut single, ‘The Funeral’, has been used in numerous television series, films, video games, and advertisements.

Their successes continued and their third album, Infinite Arms, was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Alternative Album category. The LP also and featured in the Best Albums of 2010 lists from Q Magazine (#21), NPR Listeners (#15), Filter Magazine (#10) and Paste Magazine (#14). The song ‘Laredo’ was placed at No28 in Rolling Stone Magazine’s top 50 songs of 2010.

Band of Horses’ sixth and latest album, Why Are You OK, was released in June 2016 and brings the band back to a fuller sound. In an interview with Gigwise.com, Ben Bridwell said; “I wanted to pore over it and explore some more sincere themes, instead of speaking in riddles so no one knows what I’m talking about. That was fuelling the fire and that takes time.”

For a pre-gig taster, check out Band of Horses’ latest single, ‘Solemn Oath’ – released on June 10th 2016.

Band of Horses perform at the O2 Institute on Monday 20^th February, as presented SJM Concerts. For direct gig info and online tickets sales, click here.

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For more on Band of Horses, visit www.bandofhorses.com

For more from the O2 Institute, including full event listing and online ticket sales, visit www.academymusicgroup.com/o2institutebirmingham

For more from SJM Concerts/Gigs and Tours, visit www.gigsandtours.com

February 15, 2017February 15, 2017

BPREVIEW: Tegan and Sara @ O2 Institute 18.02.17

Words by Helen Knott

On Saturday 18^th February, Tegan and Sara perform at the O2 Institute – with support from Alex Lahey, Ria Mae.

Doors open at 7pm, with tickets priced at £24.75 plus booking fee – as presented by Live Nation. For direct gig info, including venue details and online ticket sales, click here.

For almost ten years, Tegan and Sara, purveyors of guitar-driven pop rock, were solidly successful and well loved by a niche, loyal audience. The twin sisters from Canada formed a band when they were in their teens and have been touring and releasing albums ever since.

But in 2013 they made a change, swapping their guitars for synthesisers and teaming up with pop producer Greg Kurstin (who has worked with artists including Adele, Pink and Lily Allen) to release their seventh studio album, Heartthrob. It was a gamble that paid off, with the album reaching #3 on the Billboard 200 singles chart and ‘Closer’ hitting #1 on the US dance chart.

Not only was Heartthrob a commercial success but it also won critical praise, with Entertainment Weekly saying ‘beneath all that gloss, Heartthrob has an underlying toughness and a clear-eyed take on heartbreak.’ Heartthrob also reportedly influenced Taylor Swift’s direction for her ultra successful album, 1989.

And then they released the single ‘Everything is Awesome!!!’ from The Lego Movie. But probably the less said about that the better…

The follow-up album, Love You to Death, was released in 2016 and continues down the synthetic pop route. But for the first time their music explores the twins’ tumultuous relationship; Tegan has described being in a band with her sister as like ‘some weird punishment or prison sentence’. They’ve had punch ups in the past and even had to cancel tour dates, although it seems that their relationship is better now and on album track ‘White Knuckles’ they’re able to reflect on past difficulties with the reassuring distance of hindsight.

Love You To Death also features pop songs unambiguously from the point of view of gay women. In ‘Boyfriend’, for example, a lover is berated ‘You treat me like your boyfriend… But I don’t want to be your secret anymore’.

Tegan and Sara have always been politically active and strong advocates for LGBT equality; both openly gay, they have recently set up their own eponymous foundation which works for ‘economic justice, health and representation for LGBTQ girls and women’. For more information visit, www.teganandsarafoundation.org

‘That Girl’ – Tegan and Sara

Tegan and Sara perform at the O2 Institute on Saturday 18^th February, as presented Live Nation. For direct gig info and online tickets sales, click here.

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For more on Tegan and Sara, visit www.teganandsara.com

For more from the O2 Institute, including full event listing and online ticket sales, visit www.academymusicgroup.com/o2institutebirmingham

For more from Live Nation, visit www.livenation.co.uk

February 15, 2017February 15, 2017

BPREVIEW: Hidden Charms + The Bay Rays, The Lizards @ Hare & Hounds 16.02.17

Words by Ed King / Pic by Lee Vincent Grubb

On Thursday 16^th February, Hidden Charms perform at the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath) with support from The Bay Rays + The Lizards.

Doors open at 7:30pm, with tickets priced at £7 plus a booking fee – as presented by Birmingham Promoters. For direct gig info, including online ticket sales, click here.

One of the ever impressive Delta Sonic signings, Hidden Charms are psychedelic prog rock ‘who deliver propulsive, urgent rock n’ roll’ through their self described ‘prowling guitar riffs,’ ‘thundering tribal drums’ and ‘gritty dual vocals.’ It’s pretty awesome stuff too, if a whiskey stained 70’s hangover is your mixed bag of indie and rock.

Hidden Charms released their four track Harder From Here EP earlier this year, opening with the audio monster that is ‘I Just Wanna Be Left Alone’, and have been on the road since the pointy end of January. Enjoying a near as damn sell out tour, not a bad achievement following the first payday after New Year, Hidden Charms will be on the Hare & Hounds‘ stage for the last-but-one-but-one date on their 12 date UK tour.

Support has been (and will be again) from The Bay Rays, with The Lizards joining in for the Birmingham pit stop.

‘I Just Wanna Be Left Alone’ – Hidden Charms

Hidden Charms perform at the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath) on Thursday 16^th February, with support from The Bay Rays + The Lizzards. For direct gig info and online tickets sales, click here.

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For more on Hidden Charms, visit www.hidden-charms.com

For more from the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath), including full event listing and online ticket sales, visit www.hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk

For more from Birmingham Promoters, visit www.birminghampromoters.com

February 15, 2017

BPREVIEW: Cinderella @ Hippodrome 15-25.02.15

Words by Ed King

Opening at the Birmingham Hippodrome on Wednesday 15^th February, Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) presents David Brintley’s Cinderella – running until Saturday 25^th February.

Matinees will be held at 2pm and 2:30pm, with evening performances held at 7:30pm. There will be a Touch Tour (10:30am) and audio described performance (2:30pm) on Saturday 18^th February.

Tickets for the main theatre seat (not boxes) range from £16-31 with concessions available. For direct information, including venue details and online sales, click here.

Cinderella is a classic fairy tale, one of the bedrocks of fantasy literature and moral narratives. It is a story so popular the name itself has become a description for romance, love and fortitude. Opening the day after Valentine’s Day, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s production of this timeless story could not be more pertinent.

In ‘a glorious celebration of ballet,’ choreographer and BRB Director, David Brintley, won the Critics’ Circle National Dance Award for Best Classical Choreography with his production of Cinderella – which premiered in November 2010. Returning to Birmingham for a ten day run, David Brintley’s Cinderella has received widespread praise from critics across the country.

With lighting by David A. Finn and set designs from John F, McFarlane, the world renowned creative, the Birmingham Hippodrome stage will be further transformed into a fairy tale land of ‘wonderful dance, spectacular scenery, and a cast of characters that include mice, lizards and even a dancing frog.’ The composer for David Brintley’s Cinderella will be Sergei Prokofiev.

David Brintley’s Cinderella – Birmingham Royal Ballet

A true family adventure from Birmingham Royal Ballet, David Brintley’s Cinderella comes to the Birmingham Hippodrome from Wednesday 15^th to Saturday 25^th February. For direct show information click here.

For more from Birmingham Royal Ballet, visit www.brb.org.uk

For more from Birmingham Hippodrome, including a full programme of events and online ticket sales, visit www.birminghamhippodrome.com

February 13, 2017February 13, 2017

BPREVIEW: Rews @ The Flapper 15.02.17

Words by Ed King

On Wednesday 15^th February, Rews perform at The Flapper – with support from MUTT + Ember Weir.

Doors open at 7:30pm with tickets price at £6 (advance), as presented by Birmingham Promoters. For direct gig info, including online tickets sales, click here.

I’ve never fully landed what ‘sassy’ means, lying somewhere in my mind between a film noir femme fatale and a patronised Pankhurst. Apparently Rews are sassy, and if I was writing their press release I’d probably land on some 50cent word or another. But for the benefit of this introduction I’m going to borrow five words from online magazine Ceol Caint – ‘this is really fucking good’.

The bastard child of ‘songstress Shauna Tohill and vocalising beat-rocker Collette Williams’, Rews have a defiant edge. It’s certainly ‘high energy’ and definitely ‘infectious’, or as Joe Donnelly put next to their name ‘if you’re not instantly foot-tapping then you must be clinically dead’.

Other words that can get banded around band town (often with nothing but wishful thinking behind them) are ‘one to watch’, and Rews have been given this citation more than once. But with an impressive list of festival appearances and on air endorsements to back up the claim, this might well be true. And it certainly looks like Rews haven’t finished yet. Plus the thought of seeing what will come off stage at The Flapper, a fervent venue known for live music, is a suitable punt for a sub-tenner ticket price. So Rews are one to watch until Thursday at least.

But there’s a useful thing about bands, their music. It kind of cuts through the hyperbole, rhetoric, loaded opinion or sponsored content. And to be honest I was switching off from Rews until I clicked on the link to their latest single, ‘Miss You in the Dark’ – which is, to me, not even their best. But fuck me sideways with a cucumber sandwich; Rews‘
punk-pop-gritted-smile-velvet-glove-punch is… well, refer back to the Ceol Caint appraisal I reckon.

There’s an easier way to do this too…

‘Miss You in the Dark’ – Rews

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSkBS8J_qhk

Rews performs at The Flapper on Wednesday 15^th February, as presented Birmingham Promoters. For direct gig info and online tickets sales, click here.

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For more on Rews, visit www.rewsmusic1.wordpress.com

For more from The Flapper, including full event listing and online ticket sales, visit www.theflapper.co.uk

For more from Birmingham Promoters, visit www.birminghampromoters.com