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November 21, 2016

BPREVIEW: She Makes War @ Sunflower Lounge 22.11.16

Words by Ed King

On Tuesday 22^nd November, She Makes War (aka Laura Kidd) comes to Birmingham – presenting ‘An Evening With…’ ate Sunflower Lounge. She Makes War will be headlining the night with a full band set, alongside support slots from Luckless and Laura Kidd as a solo performer.

Doors open at 7:30pm with an 11pm curfew. Tickets are priced at £8 (advance) – as presented by My Big Sister. For direct gig info and online ticket sales, click here.

Last time Birmingham Review saw She Make War was as support for Carina Round at the Hare & Hounds in June, bringing a sense of joy to an otherwise depressingly flat evening. Sorry Carina, we f*ing love you but…

She Makes War braved out a broken leg that night to bring us an awesome solo show and endearingly endearing on stage banter (remember Ms Kidd has penned and performed an hour long love lament at the Edinburgh Fringe, the subtly titled one woman show Shit Girlfriend).

We’d missed her previous gig at Ort in May, but the ball of excitement about She Makes War’s third studio album – Direction of Travel (out on The state51 Conspiracy) – had been bouncing around our editorial HQ since April. Finally getting to see some of it on stage was a huge Brucey Bonus.

Now the ‘queen of gloom pop’ is back in Birmingham for ‘An Evening with She Makes War’ at The Sunflower Lounge on Tues 22^nd November. And this time she’s brought her band, alongside another one woman music machine – Luckless. We are most excited.

Meanwhile back at the ranch… She Makes War released her third studio album, Direction of Travel, in April this year – the bio of which reads like a litany of my early indie rock ideals. Always good to see Tanya Donelly’s name on an album. But the whole of Direction of Travel is a pretty special endevour; a bold and beautifully vulnerable affair, shifting from the tougher edges to the softer centre of this absurdly versatile artist. The kind of game changer you want to see in the The Sunflower Lounge too.

We’re kinda hooked for now, with songs to both challenge and comfort across the 12 track LP. Loads to choose from, but see what you make of this pretty little love dissection below. ‘What’s coming for me…’

‘Cold Shoulder’ / She Makes War

‘An Evening with She Make War’ comes The Sunflower Lounge on Tues 22^nd November – presenting both solo and full band sets from She Makes War, alongside further support from Luckless. For direct gig info and online tickets sales, click here.

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For more on She Makes War, visit www.shemakeswar.com

For more on Luckless, visit www.luckless.co.nz

For more from The Sunflower Lounge, visit www.thesunflowerlounge.com

November 21, 2016

BREVIEW: Slaves @ O2 Academy (B’ham) 19.11.16

Words by Billy Beale / Pics by Michelle Martin

Slaves have had such a fast and dramatic rise to stardom that it’s almost baffling. It feels like just yesterday they were a plucky duo of dapper punks with a monochrome Bandcamp page. Now they’re selling out most dates of their UK tour, they’re on their second top-10 album and have had Mike D from the Beastie Boys produce it. It would be baffling if it weren’t for their infectiously likable music.

Openers Shame were first in the queue to play to a dense standing crowd of eager early arrivers. In their oversized 80s-style outfits they look like extras from Weekend at Bernie’s, but their sound is very much on the trend of the current indie zeitgeist.

Twangy single note guitar lines, swashes of delay and reverb with a Fat Whites-esque vocal will likely go down as The Sound of UK Indie 2016 and Shame tick all the boxes in that category. Although they seem to have something of an identity crisis, flailing about in a way that suits music much heavier than they play.

Both second support Life and openers Shame had dedicated vocalists that exhausted all that one can do in terms of waving a mic stand about. Life’s vocalist Mez is like a Northern version of The Horrors’ Faris Badwan, with moves and shapes lifted straight from Jarvis Cocker’s repertoire. Despite having just one guitarist to Shame’s two, Life sound much more like a guitar band, with whammy bar dives and high gain solos scattered between their spat-out lyrics and driving discordant rhythms. Their set ends on a loud and cacophonous number. The bewildered audience forgets to applaud. I hope Life realise that the omission of claps doesn’t mean they did a bad job.

“Bring him out here, I wanna see him” says Slaves guitarist Laurie Vincent, like a punk Caesar with knuckle tats and a Fender Mustang. A stage invader has been foiled – presumably rather forcefully – by the security staff and Vincent is concerned. “The security people have got a job to do but, sometimes mistakes are made. I just wanna see he’s alright”. Drummer Isaac Holman is out of sight, presumably intervening.

The Defendant is brought before Vincent. “Do you admit that you’ve been a very naughty boy?” he asks like a Pythonesque Judge. He presides over an enforced hug between the invader and the security staff; Holman returns to his mark behind the drums and the set resumes.

There is a softness to Slaves that doesn’t always manage to come across in their music. They’ve achieved a lot with their format without compromising their sound – primal, angry and loud. There is an awful amount of empty space on the stage but Isaac (shirtless throughout) paces menacingly when he’s not fueling the rhythm engine, while Laurie (shirtless for the encore) almost never stops. Throwing the headstock of his guitar about like he’s fighting off an invisible opponent, teetering on the edge of the monitors and classic moves like Chuck Berry’s one-legged hop.

If the crowd before Slaves were water molecules coming to the boil, they erupted like geyser when tonight’s headliners started. There must have been at least 10 crowd surfers during ‘Steer Clear’, a softer song and definitely not the usual crowd surfing tune. It’s one of the few moments in Slaves’ set where they deviate from their usual gear – flat out. Slaves don’t seem to expect, or want, to be taken seriously, but in these moments where they deviate their delivery is hard to judge. The deadpan of a comedy band, like Flight of the Conchords when they send up a particular genre, feels a bit too close to the seemingly earnest Slaves when they play to a lofi electronic beat.

It’s hard for them to win because their setup is the perfect tool for the full-on, raging, up-to-eleven sound that anything else seems out of place. “You’re so boring when you’re nice”. But the alternative is a flat, undynamic set that lacks variation.

Slaves strike a nice balance, but everybody seems more comfortable with the more moshable tracks. It was refreshing to see ‘Girl Fight’ – mere seconds of anger and trashing – return to the set; it’s an excellent representation of the band because it says so much with so little.

Defying tradition, Slaves finish on newer single – ‘Spit It Out’. An audience member finally makes it on stage and pulls a face before a road crew member steps purposefully towards him, frightening him off. Vincent casts his guitar to the ground and Slaves leave the stage filled with dense feedback.

Slaves live sound is a different beast to the one they showed on either of their major albums. They’re the perfect rock n’ roll band for right now and they’ve pushed the limits of their sound to the very extreme. It will be interesting to see what avenues Slaves go down in future and whether they will sound the same in 2017.

For more on Slaves, visit www.youareallslaves.com

For more from the O2 Academy (B’ham), visit www.academymusicgroup.com/o2academybirmingham

For more from SJM Concerts/Gigs & Tours, including full events listings & online tickets sales, visit www.gigsandtours.com

November 18, 2016November 18, 2016

BPREVIEW: Behind the Curtain Film Festival @ various 18-27.11.16

Words by Ed King

On Friday 18^th November, the Behind the Curtain Film Festival opens at Centrala Café & Gallery in Minerva Works.

Running for ten days at venues across the city, this is the 3^rd installment of the annual event – celebrating and showcasing ‘the spirit of the best of Eastern European cinema and culture through Film, Music, Discussions and Workshops.’

Presenting ‘17 full-length and short films from 12 countries, like Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Slovakia’, alongside a series of supporting events, the Behind the Curtain Film Festival is organised by the Polish Expats Association (PEA).

With a strong undercurrent of art, music, food and drink, Behind the Curtain presents more than just a straight film festival – wrapping itself in a kaleidoscope of cultures from Central and Eastern Europe. You’ve seen the film, now try the pastry. Sounds good to us.

Times and admission prices to each aspect of the 10 day programme will vary, but we couldn’t find anything that broke the £10 barrier (even with free cake). Below are a handful of potential highlights from this year’s Behind the Curtain, but for the full festival programme – including times, locations and prices for each screening or event, click here.

Behind the Curtain Launch @ Centrala 18.11.16

Loads going on. Centrala has an intimate feel to it at the best of times, but my spidey sense tell me the launch of Behind the Curtain will be a cultural love-in of the most endearing order. With the aforementioned free cake… thank you The Polish Bakery.

Plus the evening is full of music from Birmingham Conservatoire, including the ‘young open minded undergraduate’ violin quartet Cracovia, the Ajde Trio playing Balkan and Klezmer folk, as well as accordionist, vocalist and composer, Pawel Zaba, singing a selection of Polish songs. There’s also a special presentation of Earth Is Flat – ‘a visual and musical experiment that mixes trippy melodies, broken beats and deep bass wrapped up in never ending ideas.’

Tasters of the festival’s wider film programme will be screened, alongside a special tribute to Polish film and theatre director, Andrzej Wajda – the Academy and Palme d’Or recognised film maker behind internationally revered titles including Kanal (1956), The Promised Land (1975), Mon of Marble (1977), Man of Iron (1981), and Katyń (2007).

Running from 7pm to 11pm on Friday 18^th November, entry to the Behind the Curtain Film Festival launch event is free. For direct info click here.

United Sates of Love / Zjednoczone Stany Miłości @ mac 25.11.16

Set in the middle of Poland’s transition from the People’s to the Third Republic, amidst the ‘breaking’ of the Eastern Bloc, United Sates of Love / Zjednoczone Stany Miłości tells the story of four women as they battle with their frustrations, obsessions and individual interpretations of intimacy and love.

Dark, off beat and visceral, United Sates of Love / Zjednoczone Stany Miłości was selected for the Golden Bear Award for Best Film at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival. Although losing out to Gianfranco Rosi’s Fire at Sea, Tomasz Wasilewski’s third feature film did take the Silver Bear Award for Best Script back from Berlin – receiving international acclaim for the young Polish film maker on his way home.

Screening at mac at 8pm on Friday 25^th November, United Sates of Love / Zjednoczone Stany Miłości is rated certificate 15. For direct info and online ticket sales, click here.

Son of Saul @ mac 27.11.16

A directorial debut, Son of Saul is the story of one man’s determination/obsession to bury the body of a young Jewish boy in the Auschwitz concentration camp. Saul Ausländer, played by Géza Röhrig, is a Hungarian Jew and member of the Sonderkommando work force at Aushwitz – one of the teams of prisoners forced to clear away the bodies, and valuables, from the gas chambers. Exploring morality, camaraderie, family, fear, hope, and the absurd battle for survival amidst the horrors of Hitler’s Final Solution, Son of Saul is a brutal look at the nightmare reality that destroyed countless of lives in Poland and beyond.

The first feature length film from Hungarian director László Nemes, who is currently working on his follow up (working tile Sunset) – Son of Saul won the Grand Prix, FIPRESCI Competition Award and François Chalais Prize at Cannes 2015. Son of Saul was further awarded the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film (2015), Independent Spirit Award for Best International Film (2015) and Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film (2016). Kind of a ‘must see’, even if it hurts to watch.

Screening at mac on Sunday 27^th November, Son of Saul is rated certificate 15. For direct info and online ticket sales, click here.

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On Friday 18^th November, the Behind the Curtain Film Festival opens at Centrala Café & Gallery in Minerva Works – with a programme of film, music, discussions and workshops being held in venues across the city until Sunday 27^th November. For direct programme info and online ticket sales, click here.

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For more on Behind the Curtain Film Festival, visit www.behindthecurtainfestival.uk

For more from Centrala, visit www.centrala-space.org.uk

For more from the Polish Expats Association/Barka, visit www.barkauk.org

November 17, 2016

BPREVIEW: Michael Oesterle @ CBSO 18.11.16

Words by Ed King

On Friday 18th November, Michael Oesterle performs at the CBSO alongside new compositions from Peter Bell, Patrick Ellis, Seán Clancy – as presented by Frontiers. The conductor will be Richard Baker with the Thallein Ensemble.

Doors open at 7:30pm, with standard tickets charged at £10 (advance) and £12 (otd). For direct gig info & online ticket sales, click here.

Born in Germany, but living and working from Canada since 1982, Michael Oesterle studied composition at the University of British Columbia. Later he earned his doctorate from Princeton University – under the supervision of American composer Paul Lansky and Dutch composer Louis Andriessen.

Post PHD, Michael Oesterle established himself internationally; alongside a significant portfolio in Canada, Oesterle’s music has been performed across Europe and North America by ensembles including Julliard New Music Ensemble (New York, US), Continuum (London, UK) and Les Percussions de Strasbourg (Strasbourg, France) and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (Montreal, Canada).

Described by Simon Bertrand at www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca as ‘reminiscent of the music of some American minimalist composers (e.g., John Adams or Terry Riley)’ Michael Oesterle’s work explores ‘varied sonorities, sophisticated use of timbres, and postmodern techniques’.

In residence at Birmingham Conservatoire for the week, this Frontiers programmed/CBSO hosted event on Friday 18th November will be a chance for the general public to see Michael Oesterle perform two original compositions: ‘California’, ‘Babbitt’.

The composition featured below, titled ‘Carrousel’, was written by Oesterle as a quartet for Glockenspiel, Vibraphone, Marimba, and Piano. It was premièred at Koerner Hall, Toronto in 2013 – performed by Haruka Fujii, Rika Fujii, Gregory Oh, Ryan Scott.

‘Carrousel’ – Michael Oesterle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpM7Tg87ECc

Michael Oesterle performs at the CBSO on Friday 18th November, alongside new compositions from Peter Bell, Patrick Ellis, Seán Clancy – as presented by Frontiers. For direct gig info & online ticket sales, click here.

For more on Michael Oesterle, visit www.michaeloesterle.com

For more from Frontiers, including their ongoing programme of events, visit www.frontiersmusic.org

For more from CBSO, including full event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.cbso.co.uk

November 17, 2016

BPREVIEW: Slaves @ O2 Academy (B’ham) 19.11.16

Words by Billy Beale

Kentish punk duo, Slaves, hit Birmingham’s O2 Academy on Saturday 19th November – with bands Life and Shame joining them as support.

Doors open at 7pm with an 11pm curfew. Tickets are priced at £18 (+booking fee) as presented by SJM Concerts. For direct gig info & online ticket sales, click here.

Slaves’ rise to prominence has been nothing short of meteoric. One minute they are opening shows for veteran two-piece Blood Red Shoes, next they are featured all over Radio 1 and have a top 10 Mercury-nominated album. Not bad for two guys with half a drum kit and a lot of guitar amps.

This year sees a new album release (Take Control, released back on 30th September) and a string of shows across the country, many of which are sold out. Slaves have become notorious for their high-energy live shows that wind crowds into a frenzy, stage antics that are impressive feats of athleticism and crowd surfs that can dislocate shoulders. One such incident back in 2015 took one of drummer Isaac’s arms out of action.

Since their first major release – 2015’s Are You Satisfied? – Slaves’ schedule has been non-stop touring, acclaimed festival appearances (home and abroad, including a secret set at Reading) and even an exhibition for guitarist Laurie Vincent’s artwork during the Edinburgh Fringe.

Called ‘Disillusioned’, the show featured his bold, childlike take on contemporary social and political issues. It’s not unlike Slaves’ music, which is primal and raw, yet focused on the circumstances in broader society. The cover art for Take Control is some of Laurie’s work and is an obvious nod to the balaclavas worn by the musical and political Russian protest group Pussy Riot.

How they found the time this past year to write another album, secure Beastie Boy Mike D as producer, and get in the studio to record it is a mystery. But record one they have, with new material getting the live racket treatment on their current tour, including new singles ‘Spit It Out’ and ‘People That You Meet’.

‘Spit It Out’ – Slaves

Slaves perform at the O2 Academy in Birmingham on Saturday 19^th November – with Life and Shame as support. For direct gig info & online ticket sales, click here.

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For more on Slaves, visit www.youareallslaves.com

For more on Life, visit www.lifeband.co.uk

For more on Shame, visit www.facebook.com/shamebanduk

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For more from the O2 Academy (B’ham), visit www.academymusicgroup.com/o2academybirmingham

For more from SJM Concerts/Gigs & Tours, including full events listings & online tickets sales, visit www.gigsandtours.com