Category: BPreviews

Tonight – 31st March, Institute Birmingham hosts Wolf Alice. Doors open at 7pm, with tickets at £12 (advance). For further gig info & tickets, click here.

Hailing from North London, Wolf Alice formed in 2010 as a duo with Ellie Rowsell and Joff Oddie. The same year, the original pair released an eponymous three track EP – which included the tracks ‘Every Cloud’, ‘Wednesday’ and ‘Destroy Me’. By 2012 drummer Joel Amey and bassist Theo Ellis had made up the four piece alternative rock group, further releasing ‘Leaving You’ as a free download.

Gaining some attention from Radio 1 and NME,  Wolf Alice signed to Chess Club Records, home of Birmingham’s Swim Deep, to release their first physical single, ‘Fluffy’, in February 2013. Later that year Wolf Alice released their first EP as a four piece, Blush, again through Chess Club Records.

Wolf Alice signed to Dirty Hit Records in 2014, releasing a second EP, Creature Songs, in May that year. Further accolades followed in 2014, including being named the ‘Best Breakthrough Artist’ at the UK Festival Awards and ‘Most Blogged Band’ by Radio 6.

Dubbed ‘the lovechild of folk and grunge’ by Clash Magazine, Wolf Alice are now set to release their debut album on 22^nd June – titled My Love Is Cool. The album’s the lead single, ‘Giant Peach’, was released in February this year – click here or on the cover artwork (left) for the official video.

Wolf Alice also carry the (arguably more imaginative) twitter tag line ‘ravaged from the depths of hell they came to reek havoc on mankind or something’

Promoting My Love Is Cool, Wolf Alice have been on a headline tour of the UK – starting in Glasgow and coming to the Birmingham Institute tonight, 31st March.

Wolf Alice come to the Birmingham Institute on March 31st. Doors open at 7pm, with tickets at £12 (advance). For further gig info & tickets, click here.

For more on Wolf Alice, visit http://wolfalice.co.uk/

For more from Dirty Hit Records, http://www.dirtyhit.co.uk/

For more form the Birmingham Institute, visit http://theinstitutebirmingham.com/

On Friday 27^th March, Live Vibe comes to Hennessey’s Bar in Digbeth – presenting an eclectic music showcase of Birmingham (unless otherwise stated) artists. Doors open at 7:45pm, with tickets at £5 (advance) and £7.50 (on the door).

Live Vibe is promoted by Kleva Productions – with further by-monthly events planned at Hennessey’s Bar.

Performing at Live Vibe on Friday 27^th March, will be Josh Turton, Duke, Lady Ice, Charli Nolan, Hannah Brown, Jason McDougall & Nia Ekanem. For some brief artist info & links, see the individual breakdowns below:

Josh Turton is a Birmingham singer/songwriter and ‘exceptional vocal talent’. For more on Josh Turton, visit https://www.facebook.com/joshturtonmusic

Duke are a four piece Brit Pop band who formed in 2010, and ‘whose recent achievement was headlining the Noel Gallagher Official After party at Scala in London. For more on Duke, visit https://soundcloud.com/dukemusiconline

Manchester born Lady Ice (not Atlanta born or NYC born) and has been rapping since ‘the age of 8’. She made ‘her first TV appearance on a show called ‘Must Be The Music’ at 16 years old’ – then appeared on the X Factor in 2012. For more on Lady Ice, visit https://soundcloud.com/ladyicesounds

Charli Nolan is a Solihull born singer/songwriter, who performed at the Birmingham Institute as part of the 2013 St Patrick’s Day celebration. For more on Charli Nolan, visit http://roughdub.wix.com/charlinolan

Hannah Brown is a Birmingham based singer/songwriter, who has become a respected regular on the city’s acoustic scene. For more on Hannah Brown, visit https://soundcloud.com/hannahlizbrown

Jason McDougall is a well versed Birmingham singer, who has featured on albums with locally based artists including Soweto Kinch and David Austin Grey. For more on Jason McDougall, visit http://www.nucenturyarts.co.uk/artists/#artist33

Nia Ekanem is ‘a 21-year-old singer whose music has been described as Acoustic Soul, but he prefers the title ‘Organic’.’ For more on Nia Ekanem, visit https://soundcloud.com/niaekanem

Promoted by Kleva Productions, Live Vibe describes itself as ‘a platform for up and coming artists to perform in front of; Labels, Mangers, Booking Agents and Music Lovers.’

Klean Dalton, co-founder and Managing Director of Kleva Productions says: “Live Vibe is a by-monthly platform for some of the UK’s uprising talent, getting them some solid exposure in Birmingham. This is a chance to see a some of our favourite artists; we don’t book them unless we like them.”

And having worked with several stalwarts in the past, including a Birmingham Review favourite – Call Me Unique, it might just be worth poking your head round the door.

Live Vibe comes to Hennessey’s Bar in Digbeth, on Friday 27^th March. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/klevaprods?fref=photo

For more on Kleva Productions, visit http://klevaproductions.com/

For more on Hennessey’s Bar, visit http://www.hennesseysbar.com/

Lucy Rose profile (above) by Mhat / Lucy Rose live at the Institute (below) by Katie Foulkes

On Wednesday 25^th March, Lucy Rose performs at the Birmingham Institute – playing an intimate gig in the upstairs Temple venue. Doors open at 7pm, with tickets priced at £13 advance.

N.B. At the time of publishing this gig had sold out. Please check the venue for further details – click here

Lucy Rose is back in Birmingham as part of a UK tour to showcase her new (album we hope) material – before her next single, ‘Our Eyes’ is released on April 26^th.

Returning to the Institute, but playing the smaller top level Temple venue, Lucy Rose was last on a Birmingham stage supporting Counting Crows at the O2 Academy in November 2014. Birmingham Review last saw Lucy Rose in May 2013 – where she headlined to a full capacity Library, downstairs at the Institute.

On her ‘first headline tour in 18 months’, the promotional rhetoric promises ‘some new material from her second album – the eagerly awaited (by BR certainly) Work It Out, which is set for release though Columbia on July 13^th this year.

Lucy Rose’s debut LP, the widely revered Like I Used To, was released in September 2012 – although new material was being played at gigs the following year. And from what the BR spider scrawl gig review note book says, it was something to look out for.

But an official taste of what’s to come can be found in her new single, ‘Our Eyes’, which can be streamed & pre-ordered through Lucy Rose’s website or by clicking the image below:

Our Eyes – Lucy Rose

Lucy Rose performs at the Birmingham Institute on Wednesday 25^th March ’15. Ed King will be there for a Birmingham Review, with pics from Jonathan Morgan.

For more gig info, visit http://theinstitutebirmingham.com/listings/upcoming-events/17420/lucy-rose-3/

For more on Lucy Rose, including pre order points for ‘Our Eyes’ – to be released on April 26^th, visit http://www.lucyrosemusic.com/

For further listings from the Birmingham Institute, visit http://theinstitutebirmingham.com/listings/

To give it its full name, the Shaanti Holi Rave Feast-ival of Love and Light & Indian Street Food, is set to commence on Sat 21^st March at Amusement 13, 71 Kent St, Birmingham.

Presented by Shaanti, and celebrating the Hindu festival of colour Holi – marking the arrival of spring, the Holi Rave will be hosted in the intimate location of Amusement 13, in Birmingham City Centre’s Southside.

Featuring live music from bhangra and electronic artists, there will also be the colour powder celebrations and celebration of food traditionally associated with Hindu festival – which fell on March 6^th in 2015.

Holi has become popular with non-Hindus in many parts of South Asia, and over the years has been adopted by non-religious communities in Europe, America and around the world. A large part of this due to the exuberant practice of throwing brightly coloured powder paint, making a Holi celebration a bad day to wear that new white linen suit and earning it the apt nickname, ‘the festival of colour’.

Headlining the Holi Rave is My Panda Shall Fly, who have played at festivals including BBC Hackney Weekender, Outlook Croatia and Glade, and deliver an eclectic mix of material. Also on the bill will be Surinder Rattan, a prolific producer who will perform new music with the Birmingham based and Leftfield affiliated MC, Cheshire Cat.

A further variety of artists and activities will also be part of Shaanti’s Holi Rave, including DJs, Boy Chana, Amit Doc & They Call Me Jack.The festival will also showcase new breakthrough artists such as SKA from the Shaanti/Eastern Electronic Festival, performing a set which celebrates the past and present electronic dance scene.

Shaanti’s Holi Rave has partnered with Taste and Liquor to provide the Feast-ival, showcasing Indian street food from across the Midlands. The street food vendors will provide a selection of mouth-watering treats, with the chance to sample bites from a variety of styles. Local restaurants will be also be showing off their menus at pop-up food stalls.

Food outlets at the Shaanti Holi Rave Feast-ival of Love and Light & Indian Street Food will include, Wrapchic (Mexican-Indian), Vichag Foods (veg Indian), Field-elicious (Indian burgers), Mahirs Experience (home cooked Indian), The Indian Rasoi (Indian), Canoodle (Indian-Thai with Sri Lankan spices) and Spectacular Goat (Indian-style pizzas), plus cocktails and mocktails from Taste and Liquor’s bar.

For more on the Shaanti Holi Rave Feast-ival, visit http://www.holirave.com/ 

For more on Shaanti, visit http://www.shaanti.co.uk/

For more on Amusement 13, visit http://www.amusement13.com/

On Thursday 19^th March, Flatpack Festival begins its annual ‘affectionate assault’ on Birmingham’s senses, running until 29^th March. Tickets vary for each screening or event, with limited ‘Flatpass’ advance tickets available for  £80 – allowing entry to (nearly) everything on the festival programme.

For further details about events & tickets, including online purchase points, visit http://flatpackfestival.org.uk/

2015 marks the ninth Flatpack Festival, a Birmingham phenomenon and selling point for the city’s artistic underground. Flatpack doesn’t position itself in the mainstream and it maintains a healthy autonomy through the selection of locations the festival is delivered in.

From café’s to pubs, and cathedrals to conservatoires, most of the events, covering ten days, are concentrated within a mile or so of Birmingham City Centre – with a few events reaching out to Newtown, Digbeth, the University of Birmingham and even Dudley.

Critically acclaimed and achieving a fair amount of national attention, Flatpack Festival has consistently delivered a magnificently eclectic line-up each year; 2015’s festival is no different, covering film in every definition possible through music, arts & exhibitions.

From building your own hand held camera obscura, to visiting an exhibition of the history of visual music and live cinema, from exploring the history of coffee from farm to cup, to watching a series of the best British comedy shorts or voyaging through the hidden world of slime moulds – there is something at Flatpack Festival 2015 for pretty much everyone.

Here are a few events at Flatpack Festival 2015 that Birmingham Review will be keeping an eye out for:

8bit Lounge @ The Old Joint Stock, Fri 20^th Mar, 12noon – 6pm
For those of you that find modern day gaming a bit of an anti-social endeavour, which only allows you to enjoy the company of flailing limbs or brotherly carnage, this oldskool hark-back to the glory days of simple gaming will have you dancing for joy.

The Old Joint Stock is hosting an afternoon of retro gaming on prehistoric consoles; if you’ve got a soft spot for Pong, and don’t mind playing games where you only have to use one hand, then this is probably the place for you.

Entry is free, for more details visit http://flatpackfestival.org.uk/event/8bit-lounge/

Also check out the screening of Europe in 8bits, Javier Polo’s documentary about ‘the 8 bit scene in Europe’ – at The Old Joint Stock on Friday 20^th Mar, between 6:30pm – 7:50pm [Cert.15] / http://flatpackfestival.org.uk/event/europe-in-8bits/

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The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant [Cert.15] @ John Lee Theatre, B’ham & Midland Institute, Fri 20^th Mar, 6pm – 8pm
For those of you with a love for German cinema, Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972) is a look into the loneliness and power of a prominent fashion designer based in Bremen.

A curious 124min narrative scripted almost entirely to her apartment bedroom, with an all female cast. The Flatpack Festival 2015 screening will show a newly restored version of the film. Fassbinder made 39 feature films in his 37 year life; Alan Fair will be leading an informal discussion about the The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant after the film’s after screening.

Entry is free, for more details visit http://flatpackfestival.org.uk/event/the-bitter-tears-of-petra-von-kant/

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Edwardian Horror Show @ B’ham Museum & Art Gallery, Fri 20^th Mar, 8pm – 11pm
Ever wondered what a gallery is like without the hustle and bustle of visitors? This is a chance to wander the halls of BMAG after hours, experiencing the accompanying emptiness that is so often missed in the busy(ier) daylight.

There will be screenings of some early cinema spooky short films, including Frankenstein – a take on the Mary Shelley original from the Edison Company (1910), and the demonic The Red Spectre (1907) by Segundo de Chomon. Hosted in the Edwardian Tea Rooms at BMAG, there will be gothic music and haunted show-tunes to accompany the show.

Tickets are £7.50 / £10, for more details visit http://flatpackfestival.org.uk/event/edwardian-horror-show/

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Internet Cat Videos @ The Old Joint Stock, Sat 21^st Mar, 2pm – 3pm
What feels like one of the oddest concoctions to come out of Flatpack Festival 2015, but perfectly fitted to their eclectic approach (and possibly the most likely subject to guarantee an Internet audience these days) is a bunch of under 5’s showing cat videos.

But for those who are unaware of the phenomenon that is furry-creatures-doing-stupid-things-online, you will be introduced to the ‘cutest, funniest and strangest videos’, spliced together by a team of under-5’s for an hour. And submissions are still being taken… is there no end in sight – email info@famalam.org

Entry is free, for more details visit http://flatpackfestival.org.uk/event/internet-cat-videos/

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Time + Motion @ Millennium Point (atrium), Wed 25^th Mar, 7pm – 11pm
For those who like to disconnect completely with reality, immerse yourself in an evening of live animation and performance at Time + Motion – including the first UK showing by Japanese duo Usaginingen. Usaginingen’s self-made machinery produces real-time visuals through filters which are soundtracked by a live percussion score. Something you have to see and hear to believe.

Also at this event, Sam Meech will be sharing his brand of ‘knitted cinema’ with a mix of stop motion, 7-inch singles, Eadweard Muybridge photography and (of course) knitting. Whilst Sculpture will be ‘using a mix of analogue and digital practices’ to ‘explore the realm of electronic music, kinetic art, comic strips and audiovisual cut-ups’.

People can also explore the atrium between performances, checking out Jim le Fevre’s ‘spinning world of phonotropes’, Paul Gittens’ psychedelic wall of shadows, and Sellotape Cinema’s world of… clue’s in the title. Or you can ride a life sized ziatrop; there’s really quite a lot to do for a fiver.

Entry is £5, for more details visit http://flatpackfestival.org.uk/event/time-and-motion/

Flatpack Festival 2015 runs across Birmingham from 19th-29th March. For full details, including all events on the festival programme and online ticket purchase, visit http://flatpackfestival.org.uk/