BPreviews Archives - Page 15 of 69 -

February 23, 2018February 27, 2018

BPREVIEW: Average Sex @ Hare & Hounds 24.01.18

Words by Ed King

On Sunday 25^th January, Average Sex play at the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath) with support from The Hungry Ghosts and Miles Cocker.

Doors open at 7:30pm, with tickets priced at £5 – as presented by Setting Son Records. For direct gig info, including links to online tickets sales, click here.

Hot on the heels of their tour with The Charlatans (…mic, drop) Average Sex are coming back to the Midlands for a headline show at the Hare & Hounds – ticking off the Birmingham box that was sadly missed on their winter support tour. Gaw’d bless ‘em.

And whilst they spent last December playing with the Tim Burgess’ indie pop flower/powerhouse, Average Sex have also not long released their debut Ice Cream EP – out on Burgess’ own OGenesis Recordings. Lead single, ‘Ugly Strangers’, is a cathartic (we hope) look at drink, denial and the dark corners that our minds try and run from – reported penned by vocalist Laetitia Bocquet during her evening escapes at a pub in Dalston. Whilst the other three tracks cover the familiar themes of love, unrequited love, break up (falling out of love) and licking someone’s face (kinda, sorta love). Job done, we reckon.

Fun and a little ferocious, the last time Birmingham Review saw Average Sex was at the Hungry Ghosts’ ‘Amerika/Lazaro’ single launch at Centrala, and to quote The Four Seasons… Now sharing a stage with the famished phantoms once again, albeit the other way round, we’re pretty confident this gig will be well worth your five British pounds.

But if you needed more (you cultural capitalists) then Setting Son have also thrown Miles Cocker into the mix, who can usually be found ripping an eardrum or two with the wonderful and loud (or even wonderfully loud) Youth Man. Last seen, by Birmingham Review, flying solo at the uber-muso-glorious-smorgasbord that is All Years Leaving, Senor Cocker may be a tad calmer on his own. Only a tad mind, this ‘aint a Magic FM roadshow quite yet. But in whatever form this stalwart of the local stages and scene is always worth a stop, look and listen – so get there early, you know the drill people.

But we’ll stretch our editorial neck a little further along the line and say: expect fuzz. All round, really. And with a line-up of bouncy garage punk, slaughterhouse blues, and lyrics explaining how to stretch your bread budget, this can’t be too bad an idea for a Sunday.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Dalston…

‘Ugly Strangers’ – Average Sex

Average Sex play at the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath) on Thursday 25^th February, with support from The Hungry Ghosts and Miles Cocker – as presented by Setting Son Records. For direct event info and links to online ticket sales, click here.

For more on Average Sex, visit www.facebook.com/averagesex

For more on The Hungry Ghosts, visit www.thehungryghosts.co.uk

For more on Miles Cocker, visit www.soundcloud.com/miles-cocker

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

For more on Setting Son Records, visit www.facebook.com/settingsonrecords

February 22, 2018February 21, 2018

BPREVIEW: Puma Blue @ The Sunflower Lounge 24.02.18

Words by Ed King / Lead pic by Annie Elliott

On Saturday 24^th February, Puma Blue will be performing live at The Sunflower Lounge – with support from London based producer Lucy Lu, alongside Birmingham singer/songwriter Sam Hollis.

Doors open downstairs at The Sunflower Lounge from 7:30pm, with food and drink available upstairs all day. Tickets to the Puma Blue gig are priced at £7, as presented by Birmingham Promoters. For direct gig information, including venue details and online ticket sales, click here.

Ending his 6 date UK tour in Birmingham, before heading out to mainland Europe for shows up until the end of April, Puma Blue returns to the second city – following a support slot with Jordan Rakei at the O2 Institute last October. This time around the ‘croonah blu’ will be headlining his gig, joined by producer peer and collaborator Lucy Lu, as well as the Birmingham based singer/songwriter Sam Hollis.

Puma Blue and Lucy Lu recently released their single ‘Fakery’, which was set free into the wild to coincide with the beginning of this tour. But Puma Blue is still out and about promoting his five track debut Swum EP, which was released in June 2017 – showcasing the laid back jazz, alt-pop, and husky vocals that have taken this Londoner around the smoky rooms and jazz clubs of Europe.

It’s still relatively early doors for Puma Blue too, who is already sitting at the top table of London’s new low-fi and jazz artists such as Cosmo Pyke, Eastern Barbers and Ezra Collective. With a respectably far reaching tour circuit keeping him busy until festival season, Saturday 24^th February will be a good opportunity to see Puma Blue before the bigger rooms of Birmingham beckon – not that there’s anything wrong with the larger venues, but you’ve got to love a gig at The Sunflower Lounge for getting up close and personal with an artist on the rise.

But it the meantime, roll back your jacket sleeves, undo the top two buttons on your slightly crumpled shirt, ruffle the mop top, turn down the lights, sit back, pour yourself a drink, and…

‘Want Me’ – Puma Blue

Puma Blue will be performing at The Sunflower Lounge on Saturday 24^thFebruary, with support from Lucy Lu and Sam Hollis. For direct gig information, including venue details and online ticket sales, visit www.thesunflowerlounge.com/event/puma-blue

For more on Puma Blue, visit www.soundcloud.com/pumabluemusic

For more on Lucy Lu, visit www.soundcloud.com/lucy-lu-tings

For more on Sam Hollis, visit www.soundcloud.com/samhollis-2

For more from Birmingham Promoters, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.birminghampromoters.com

For more on The Sunflower Lounge, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.thesunflowerlounge.com

February 21, 2018February 21, 2018

BPREVIEW: Morrissey @ Genting Arena 27.02.18

Words by Eleanor Sutcliffe

Morrissey will be performing at the Genting Arena on the 27^thFebruary, as part of his first full UK tour since 2015 – giving Birmingham fans the opportunity to hear tracks from his latest album, Low in High School.

Doors open from 6pm, with tickets priced from £40.50 – as presented by SJM Concerts/Gigs and Tours. For direct gig information, including venue details and online ticket sales, click here.

Low in High School is Morrissey’s eleventh studio album, and crept its way into the UK charts back when it was released last November. In typical Morrissey fashion, however, it wasn’t the music that received the most attention but the album’s cover art. True, if you want to be noticed then by all means emblazon your latest album with a photo of a child holding a sign exclaiming to axe the monarchy. And an axe. Anyone else might think twice about the consequences of being so outspoken. Not Morrissey.

Which is exactly why his fan base is so loyal. There’s no hiding behind a false persona with this man – what you see is, blatantly, what you get. It’s something that’s carried him through the years from when he fronted the Smiths right up to the blossoming of his solo career. Morrissey‘s fiercely outspoken attitude and carefully crafted aesthetic of a social recluse resonates with fans across the world.

Granted, Morrissey‘s solo career has also been a bit of a roller-coaster. Solo albums such as his debut Viva Hate and the 1994 release Vauxhall and I received unanimous acclaim from even the most hardened critics, while others such as Kill Uncle were described by the musician himself as being saturated with ‘session musician embalming fluid’ and subsequently fell at the very first hurdle.

But endorsed by some of music’s most loyal fans, it’s never a dull moment when you see this man on stage. The live shows themselves can create a touch of controversy here and there with Morrissey‘s personal and political thoughts coming off stage in more than just lyrics, and I’m intrigued to see what he brings to the Genting Arena. A strong portfolio of new tracks and fan favourites, no doubt. But, I mean, anything could happen. It’s Morrissey.

‘Spent the Day in Bed’ – Morrissey (from his latest album, Low in High School)

Morrissey performs at the Genting Arena on Tuesday 27^th February, as presented by SJM Concerts/Gigs and Tours. For direct gig information, including venue details and online ticket sales, visit www.gentingarena.co.uk/whats-on/morrissey

For more on Morrissey, visit www.morrisseyofficial.com

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

For more from the Genting Arena, including full event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.gentingarena.co.uk

February 20, 2018February 19, 2018

BPREVIEW: Lloyd Griffiths in:Undated @ Glee Club (B’ham) 23.02.18

Words by Ed King / Pic by Karla Gowlett

On Friday 23^rd February, Lloyd Griffiths brings his new one man stand up show, in:Undated, to the Glee Club in Birmingham.

Doors are open at the Arcadian Centre venue from between 8:00pm – 8:15pm, with the show starting at 8:30pm. Latecomers won’t be allowed entry once the doors have closed, so don’t dawdle (not that you should ever try and sneak into a stand up show late… fatal error). Tickets are priced at £10 (standard) and £8 (students) – for direct show information, including venue details and online tickets sales, click here.

Known for many things, from being Jack Whitehall’s tour support act to the presenter of Soccer AM on Sky Sports, Lloyd Griffiths has been honing his stand up skills since around 2014 – including a stint on the BBC 1 Comedy Lounge stage. Griffiths’ new solo stand up show, in:Undated, was debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2017, before the comedian’s first nationwide tour brings him to the Glee Club in Birmingham in February 2018.

A fervent Grimsby Town FC supporter and upfront football fanatic, Griffiths also has an impressive roll call as a sports presenter – fronting shows for many major broadcasters, including Sky Sport, BBC, Talksport and Absolute Radio. Griffiths also hosted BBC Three’s Taxi to Training, where he ferried footballers to their training grounds in a single camera shot show filmed from the dashboard. Sounds like a catchy format. Griffiths also recently took over from Helen Chamberlain as the chair of Soccer AM on Sky Sports, one of the more high profile presenter roles for a sports broadcaster. Not bad for a man who cut his TV teeth on Songs of Praise.

But whilst sport can play a significant part in Griffiths material, his in:Undated show goes a little left field for the ‘aspiring goalkeeper’… if you’ll excuse the pun. ‘A show about overcoming the overwhelming’, in:Undated looks to open up the more personal side of this stand up, with material focused on relationships, break ups, the trials and tribulations of dating apps, and comfort eating.

There’s probably a song or two in there as well – as Griffiths is also an accomplished chorister, performing with the choirs of Westminster Abbey, St George’s Chapel and Windsor Castle. Blimey. Is there anything this man can’t do… off the pitch, at least.

Lloyd Griffiths – BBC Comedy Lounge (2014)

Lloyd Griffiths brings his one man stand up show in:Undated to the Glee Club (B’ham) on Friday 23^rd February. For direct show information, including venue details and online ticket sales, visit www.glee.co.uk/performer/lloyd-griffith

For more on Lloyd Griffiths, visit www.lloydgriffith.com

For more from the Glee Club venues, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.glee.co.uk

February 19, 2018

BPREVIEW: The Winslow Boy @ Birmingham REP 21.02 – 03.03.18

Words by Lucy Mounfield / Pics courtesy of the Birmingham REP

On Wednesday 21^st February, a major new revival of Terence Rattigan’s much loved The Winslow Boy will begin its run at the Birmingham REP – being performed at the theatre until Saturday 3^rd March.

A preview performance will be held on Wednesday 21^st at 7.30pm at a reduced price of £10, as well as a matinee at 2pm on Thursday 22^nd. Further matinee’s will be every Saturday and Thursday at 2pm, whilst evening performances will be from 7.30pm Monday to Saturday.

The standard price will be £15 although ticket prices vary depending on the date and time of performance, as well as seat positioning. For direct show information, including a full breakdown of performances and online ticket sales, click here.

Terence Rattigan is recognised as one of the most eminent dramatists of the twentieth century. His plays are regularly being revived, most notably French Without Tears (1936), Flare Path (1942), The Browning Version (1948) and The Deep Blue Sea (1952) – the latter of which was adapted to film in 2011 by Terence Davies, starring Rachel Weisz and Tom Hiddleston. To further mark the centenary of Rattigan’s birth, Trevor Nunn also revived Flare Path in 2011 for the West End to critical acclaim.

But during the 1950s and 60s, Rattigan fell out of favour with the theatre. His depictions of the upper-middle class were seen as old-fashioned and out of place, whilst dramatists such as John Osborne and Harold Pinter were depicting social change and a Britain both divided by class and fatigued by war. Today’s productions of Rattigan’s work highlight his central themes of English reticence, repression, outsiders, and courageous truth seekers.

The Winslow Boy was first produced at the Lyric Theatre, London, on May 3^rd 1946, with notable names such as Angela Baddeley and Emlyn Williams in the cast. The play is written by Terence Rattigan but is based on a true story of a legal case that erupted during the early nineteen-hundreds. A naval cadet at Osborne Naval College is accused and expelled for stealing a five-shilling postal order. The boy’s family, convinced of his innocence, are persuaded to take the case to court to clear the family name and restore their honour.

Rattigan’s sets The Winslow Boy in London prior to the First World War and opens the family to scrutiny. The cadet, Ronnie Winslow, returns home after his stay at the Naval College with a letter of expulsion for stealing. Without a school inspection or trial, he is sentenced for a crime he denies he committed; the Winslow family must seek the truth to restore the order and balance to their home.

The determination of his father in seeking justice is the crux of the narrative and ultimately the undoing of the family’s happiness. And whilst the play may be ‘old-fashioned’ in the period detail and writing style, in an age where ‘fake news’ reigns it is surely an interesting bridge to an epoch when English values and the notion of familial honour could easily be ripped apart by scandal.

Olivier Award winning Rachel Kavanaugh, the former Birmingham REP Artistic Director, will be directing this new production of The Winslow Boy and overseeing a formidable cast including Tessa Peake-Jones (Only Fools and Horses) as the matriarch Grace Winslow, Aden Gillett (House of Elliot) as the father Arthur Winslow, and Timothy Watson (The Archers) as barrister Sir Robert Morton. Joining this fantastic company of actors, and making his stage debut as Ronnie Winslow, is Misha Butler.

The Winslow Boy – an interview with the director and principal cast

The Winslow Boy runs at the Birmingham REP from Wednesday 21^st February to Saturday 3^rd March. For direct show information, including a full breakdown of performances and online ticket sales, visit www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on/the-winslow-boy

For more from the Birmingham REP, including full event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.birmingham-rep.co.uk