Midlands music promoters, Manifest, return to the O2 Academy with another showcase of regional acts on Sat 11th Jan.
Performing in Academy 3, headliners are Lipzkin – the eclectic three piece from Staffordshire, who combine acoustic melodies with beatboxing, rap and soulful vocals. Support comes from The Synth, Quarry and a Birmingham Review favourite, Call Me Unique.
Manifest Live present Lipskin + Call Me Unique, Quarry, The Synth, at the O2 Academy 3 on Sat 11th Jan.
Tickets are £6.05 + booking fee. Doors open at 7:30pm
For more info & tickets, visit: http://www.o2academybirmingham.co.uk/event/62316/manifest-live-ft-lipzkin-tickets
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Lipzkin
A partnership between beatboxer Matty Mullaney, rapper/singer Arron Erskine, and singer/songwriter Arran Page, Lipzkin have delivered some unusual goods.
But with a backbone of varied talent, including strong vocals from both Erskine and Page, Lipzkin have a refreshing cross genre approach; with acoustic melodies taking equal prominence to rapped verse and beats.
Apparently formed after an accidental jam, when Mullaney and Erskine saw Page busking and decided to join in, http://youtu.be/4n3R4NDvTP4, Lipzkin have now been picked up by Molaman Records – the New York imprint know primarily for grass roots House productions. Lipzkin’s first release on Molaman, ‘Break What You Break’, was released this month, with an album scheduled for Feb ’14.
For more on Lipzkin’s releases through Molaman Records, visit http://molamanrecords.com/shop/
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Call Me Unique
And that she is… Call Me Unique is steadily cementing her place as one of Birmingham’s more refreshing artists.
Rising above the city’s rank and file with six strings, pertinent lyrics and softly strong vocals, Call Me Unique has been respectfully grafting away for some time now. No stranger to Birmingham’s (and beyond) live music circuit, Call Me Unique has earned her stripes with engaging central/solo performances – delivered with equal vigour from the back of a bus to the LG Arena.
Now sharing stages with some serious A-Listers, regularly touring abroad, receiving the odd award nomination and a having just released a very generous 7 track EP, 2014 is already looking bright for this Birmingham artist. One to watch, and watch, and watch again.
For more on Call Me Unique, visit http://www.callmeunique.co.uk/
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Ed’s Note…
I can’t remember where I heard about Lipzkin, but it was this video that I saw: http://youtu.be/C_FKWSaXr6M
I spent the first 11 seconds being irritated by the wind against the microphone, and casually wondering why there were all standing in a field. Then Arron Erskine started singing, “…I pray to a God I don’t believe in”, and by the time Arran Page finds his vocals I’m searching Google for a tour date or album. I haven’t seen Lipzkin live, but I’m guessing with busking, beat boxing and rap battles behind them this could be where they excel.
Call Me Unique has been firmly on my radar since I heard her perform, alongside Jenna Varndell, on Radio WM a few years ago. Having met her whilst working on Soweto Kinch’s 2010 Flyover Show, I’ve watched the ebbs and flows of her musical path for a while – finding it hard not to get garrulously excited about nearly everything she does. And whilst I can make references and comparisons, she is, truly, Unique. A rare gift to the city.
N.B. is with sincere disappointment that we couldn’t include Quarry and/or The Synth in this BPreview. Manifest weren’t answering their phones, and we couldn’t find anything online to research either acts. Not good, especially for a showcase.