Author: birminghamreview

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Brum Locals Fitzroy Holt Support Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard at Mama Roux’s on 420

Writer Jasmine Khan / Photographer Erin Connelly

It’s been a while since I’ve been to Mama Roux’s for a gig. They’ve swapped the decadent décor for a cleaner aesthetic that gives the venue more breathing room, and the bouncer’s friendly on the way in which always starts the night off well.

It’s 420 so I’m thirsty, and I feel compelled to mention that it costs me £7.37 for a two pints of soft drink, a bit ridiculous considering it’s soda water and syrup out the tap.

My grump at drinks prices is soon forgotten as local stars Fitzroy Holt take the stage. They kick off the evening with ‘Medicine’, a moody, yearning, rock ballad that sends shivers to my toes.

The tune starts off strong as Thom Rhodes guitar rumbles against James Williams’ bass. Pounding drums played by DJ ride underneath the ever growing collage of sound. Then, the sound lulls before building incrementally.

Front man Connor Brookes, cries out: “That girls my medicine.” His tone is powerful, almost a roar, and practically every word that follows is underpinned by a soft growl.

‘Medicine’ feels gritty and gorgeous, just like Brum.

As the set continues Brookes’ emotive voice caresses the mic – the depth of his tone and his dynamic range persistently on display. Brook also plays lead guitar and as the band continues to groove, DJ’s skills on drums become even more apparent. It must also be said that Williams’ trousers are as funky as his rhythm.

I’m sad when Fitzroy’s set finishes, but I’ve heard Cardiff’s Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard put on quite the show.

Tom Rees’ immaculate stage presence is apparent immediately – there’s something a bit American Psycho about it – the erratic dancing draws you in but you’re cautious of being zapped by some kind of electric energy.

Crashing symbols and drawn out chords pierce the crowd with sharp precision and the bands frequent use of pedals and synths means Buzzard (Buzzard Buzzard) sound had a twang to it. Rees’ falsetto shrieks at points in a way that reminds me of Talking Heads, and then drowns back down, catapulting us and then bringing us back down to earth.

For a moment I’m extremely confused then I realise someone has been playing musical instruments (get it?) because the pianist is no longer a pianist, he’s playing the tambourine, and Tom Rees has picked up the keys.

Are they showing off? Absolutely. Does it make for a great performance? The crowd’s reaction is a resounding yes.

“People who do encores are sell outs,” says Tom Rees which receives one funny heckle and then several more unfunny heckles.

As Buzzard’s set comes to a close, Tom Rees’ voice waivers momentarily. But we forgive him almost instantly because he explains that the infamous Brummie curry has left his vocal cords a tad worse for wear.

For more from Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard take a look at their website: www.buzzardbuzzardbuzzard.com

You can find Fitzroy Holt via: www.facebook.com/fitzroyholtofficial

To see what Mama Roux’s have on, check out www.mamarouxs.co.uk

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Casey Bailey’s GrimeBoy Runs At Birmingham Rep 22-30 April

Writer Ed King / Photographer Graeme Braidwood

The idea of a Birmingham REP production about grime music raises a few questions and eyebrows. How is the well-established theatre, home of traditional and touring shows, going to tackle the birth of an inner-city musical phenomenon?

But seeing the name Casey Bailey behind the production – Birmingham’s current poet laureate and a talented writer/poet/spoken word artist – was enough to bring a packed house to the preview night. We snake into The Door theatre towards the sounds of the aptly named character DJ (Audrey Allen).

Am I coming into a theatre or a nightclub…? As it turns out, both.

The titular protagonist GrimeBoy (Keiren Hamilton-Amos) is an upcoming MC, pent on building a name in a scene where reputation is everything. His counterpart is Blue (Alexander Lobo Moreno) a young artist with a hot temper who is fighting in the literal sense of the word to make a name for himself too.

The young men become friends and move from musical rivals to partners, with GrimeBoy trying to stymy Blue’s self-destructive anger – an emotion he knows only too well for the wrong reasons – and mould the man from the boy.

The story is not a straight homage to Wiley or Stormzy, but a sensitive and acute look at a world where young black men are still charged and convicted without evidence or trial. Metaphorically and literally.

It’s about anger, justified and unjust, and the ever present dangers of rampant ambition and a competitive, violent youth culture.

The narrative is raw, unflinching, unpatronising, and at parts wonderfully witty – delivered by a small cast of four, on a stripped-back set with the clever use of speaker stacks that are transformed into a club, a bedroom, and even a hospital.

All the actors are pivotal in telling the story, but Blue and GrimeBoy are in essence two sides of the same coin – one thrown repeatedly in the air with an ever uncertain outcome.

After presenting a hard attitude we see Blue’s anger masks a frightened vulnerability, which ebbs out of the character with perfect timing. Whilst GrimeBoy’s wise words and steady hand ultimately come from a dark history that is sadly set to repeat itself.

GrimeBoy is an exceptional piece of work, deftly handled by the impressive Casey Bailey – who has delivered not only a beautiful piece of theatre, but a narrative that will raise important questions for the environments certain young people endure and how they choose to react to them.

Is reputation and self image worth dying for? Is fame success? Is money a cure? And before the curtain comes down you may not have all the answers but at least questions have been raised.

GrimeBoy (cypher) – written by Casey Bailey

GrimeBoy was written by Casey Bailey and directed by The Rep’s Associate Director Madeleine Kludje.

GrimeBoy runs at Birmingham Rep from 22 – 30 April. For more information and online booking visit www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on/grimeboy

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Expect Good Things From RnB Rising Star Indigo Marshall

Writer Sannah Yousaf / Photographer BRYCE

Rising R&B star Indigo Marshall has been on the Birmingham music scene for a few years now, making an impression on its residents with her classic take on RnB. Her songwriting paired with chilling vocals regularly leaves the room a bit in awe.

Indigo Marshall’s latest EP titled The Fall, was released on 4 March, and it does exactly what music is supposed to do. When you close your eyes and listen to the title track, it’s like you are living her story yourself. A tale of heartbreak, confusion, finding yourself, all intertwined within this one EP. As a writer, I appreciate the skill and strength it takes to vulnerably tell your own story like Indigo does.

Besides, who doesn’t need a good sad girl hours playlist to get them through the long, lonely nights?

Last year, Indigo released her song ‘Questions’, which was a strong start to her EP release journey. ‘Questions’, tells you more about Indigo as an artist, and a person. She sings about questioning her past relationship, about how so many things were left unanswered, and as I’m sure many of us can attest to, how experiences like this can leave us with a lot of confusion and pain.

Indigo’s interviews are humble and you can see her calming nature, which is something I strongly believe is a must in an artist. If your fans can’t connect with you then how will you flourish?

In 2022 alone, Indigo Marshall released a music video, played ‘Love Music Hate Racism’ and sold out her headline show at the Hare and Hounds last month.

Speaking about just one RnB artist from Birmingham is almost like searching for a needle in a haystack, there’s too much talent in this city to find just one. But, Indigo Marshall definitely stands out.

If you want to find out what’s coming up for Indigo Marshall, take a look at her website: www.indigomarshall.com

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Why 420 Is A Protest Not A Party

Writer Jasmine Khan

1/5 people have smoked cannabis in their lifetime, that’s 20% of the population. And with cannabis being legalised in the land of (not so much) freedom and opportunity, as well as across Europe, why is it still illegal in the UK?

Well, the UK’s issues with cannabis, just like its issues with black and brown people, started long ago. British MP’s were already discrediting cannabis back in colonial times, without any real knowledge of the medical benefits. They said it made the Indian natives, a region which at the time hadn’t been spliced by western interests, lazy and unproductive. Unproductive for who sir, you?

Despite politician’s disgust for the naturally growing herb, the monarchy told a different story. Queen Victoria openly consumed cannabis for her menstrual cramps, with her doctor describing it as one of the ‘most valuable medicines’, and as early as 1843 medical papers in the UK reported on weed’s effectiveness when treating issues such as Cholera, joint-pain, and seizures.

In 1928, there was a blanket-ban placed on cannabis by the League of Nations. The USA’s history of cannabis prohibition is frankly horrific, although I won’t go into much detail here. For more information check out The Grass Is Greener, on Netflix. In short, politicians in America deliberately changed the name of cannabis in the mainstream media to marijuana in order to racialize it and associate it with Mexican people, further propaganda went on to associate it with black people and those considered anti-establishment like hippies. And unsurprisingly, heavy penalties followed suit.

Nevertheless, it’s important to mow your own grass first because the UK has its own shameful racist history in relation to cannabis.

In the 60’s and 70’s when the Windrush generation (migrants from Jamacia, Trinidad, Tobago and the surrounding islands) arrived on the shores of our not so great nation, they were met with hostility, to put it lightly, in many forms. One of which was their association with cannabis which was told by the government to be a madness inducing, paranoia provoking, highly-sedative drug.

By racializing cannabis to associate it with Britain’s new black population and inflating in to a Class B, rather than Class C substance, the government exercised unjustified control on the Windrush generation, and later South Asian migrants who arrived in the 80’s and beyond.

The rise in the cannabis’ ranking incurred an indefinite fine, a 5 year prison sentence for possession, and 14 years for supplying the drug.

With stop and search laws forever being enforced disproportionately, even though white people consume cannabis at the same rate as the rest of us, the impact on black and brown communities in the UK across the years has been unimaginable, but let’s try…

Already poor communities suffered indefinitely because of the unjustified stigmatisation governing bodies have placed on cannabis. Is weed harmful? Sometimes. Is it as harmful as alcohol, clearly not. And does it have far reaching medical benefits which could be of serious use to those who currently take opiates for pain? Yes.

So why is it illegal in the UK when the UK is the world’s biggest supplier of medical cannabis.

The hypocrisy is glaring us in the face and yet I’m still writing articles whilst boys in hoodies are being roughed up because they might smell like weed.

The benefits of legalisation or at least decriminalisation are present currently in Portugal, they’ve been present in The Netherlands for years. Its prohibition leads to a underground market which impacts citizens safety both through the environment and the quality of the product they purchase.

Ending prohibition would allow for a new wave of cultivators, ones who could create multi-generational streams of income from growing and supplying weed for medical and recreational purpose.

These people, those who are currently taking the risk to supply a growing market illegally, have the necessary expertise. But, instead of utilising their skills and benefiting the economy, we fine them, lock them up and drain taxpayers’ money. Not to mention horrifically negate their opportunities, potentially for life, with a criminal record.

We all know Rastafari tracks like Peter Tosh’s ‘Legalize it’ and Bob Marley’s ‘Kaya’, which speak on the medical benefits of cannabis and their plight to end prohibition in Jamaica, a limitation that was only implemented by the British Empire in 1913.

50% of people in the UK support weed legalization for recreational purposes, and 75% of people support its legalization for medical purposes. Yet, our institutions still use it as a means to police its non-white population.

420 isn’t a party, it’s a (peaceful) protest. The fight for legalisation cannot be separated from the fight for racial equality and our governments current crack-down is further evidence of its institutionalised racism, not that we needed more.

Look out for my interview with musicians Ruth Kokumo and Liam Mckeown, where we’ll be discussing 420 culture more in depth and you can hear their opinions on the importance of cannabis legalisation.

If you’re concerned about your cannabis use talk to FRANK: www.talktofrank.com/drug/cannabis

To see the Grass Is Greener, follow this link: www.netflix.com/title/80213712

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Pale World And An Apparition Ruin Bank Holiday Monday With Headliner Chalk Hands At Centrala

Writer Emily Doyle / Photographer Alice Needham

As the Easter bank holiday weekend draws to a close, a select crowd of discerning listeners gather at Centrala. Local noisemonger Joe Parkes, a.k.a. Pale World, stands with his back to the audience, illuminated only by the fading spring daylight and an array of LEDs.

A gut-rumbling drone shakes the venue.

Pale World’s set is corrosive. It’s a sensory onslaught punctuated only by brief glimpses of rhythm. It’s the kind of sound that makes you uncomfortably aware of the hairs on your head and the way your teeth fit into your gums.

At one point Parkes takes a violin bow to a piece of sheet metal to produce some piercing tones. Once the bow is visibly shredded he flings it across the henge of Orange amplifiers.

The lack of a front-of-house playlist between acts feels considered and unnerving.

The lights go up as post-hardcore An Apparition tune up, silhouetted against the blue and yellow drapings of Centrala’s ‘We Are Here: From Ukraine’ exhibition.

Their punchy approach is considerably more stripped back than Pale World, with less effects pedals between the whole band than Parkes had to himself. Between short, sharp, punky outbursts, An Apparition are quick to express their appreciation for the turnout. Judging by the reception, the feeling is mutual.

After a brief line-check, polling audience members on whether the vocals are too high in the mix, Brighton’s Chalk Hands round off the evening with their unapologetically emo sound.

It’s emphatic, sincere, and delivered with total precision. Some listeners might not expect to hear this combination of melodic guitar lines, screamo vocals, and abrupt time signature changes quite this far from the year 2004, but the front row are loving it and instigate multiple sing-a-longs.

“When you guys said, ‘Yeah, we listened to the album a bit’” one of the vocalists laughs, “… you even know the lyrics to the song in French. What the fuck.”

For more on Brum locals Pale World check out their Bandcamp here: www.paleworld.bandcamp.com
For more on An Apparition, check out their self titled release through Half Melted Brain Records here: www.halfmeltedbrainrecords.bandcamp.com/album/an-apparition

For more on Brighton-based headliners Chalk Hands visit: www.chalkhands.bandcamp.com/music

For information about Centrala, including their current art exhibitions, go to: www.centrala-space.org.uk