Category: BR Content

Words by Ceri Black

Washington’s Death Cab for Cutie are veterans of the indie-pop scene, having released their first album – ‘Something About Airplanes’ in 1998 and reaching the US number one spot with ‘Narrow Stairs’ in 2008.

Tonight the Birmingham Ballroom was their host. After being rebranded and unveiled earlier this year, the BBallroom appears to have kept some of the original features from the Academy days; sticky floors, toilets that flood, terrible bar service, and the rough, dirty charm it has always had.

Whilst standing in the sea of Ben Gibbard look-a-likes, awaiting the band to come on, I couldn’t help but think Death Cab belonged in a more refined venue. Their lyrics are too delicate, too sensitive for such a cavernous room and I wondered how Gibbard would fill it.

I was, however, proved wrong almost immediately. Opening with the track ‘Bend to Squares’ the crowd were eased into what would be one of the most luminous, even emotional sets I have had the pleasure of experiencing.

Lead singer Ben Gibbard is beyond talented. He has a voice that hypnotised everyone in the room and demands to be listened to. Combined with some fairly odd behaviour on stage, all eyes were on Gibbard for the full hour and a half set. I felt a range of emotions, ranging from a little bored during tracks off their new album, ‘Codes and Keys’, to complete emotional breakdown. The later happened twice. Once during an extended version of ‘We Looked Like Giants’, which had Gibbard take to the drums in an almost indescribably atmospheric ten minutes.

The second was during the final song of the night. ‘Transatlanticism’ has always been one of my favourite Death Cab tracks, so maybe I’m being a little biased, but the band gave it everything; beautiful guitar riffs, mighty drum solos, and complete, heartfelt vocals to make this an overwhelming performance. When the lights came up I turned to the person next to me and simply said, “amazing”.

Death Cab for Cutie have earned their place in Indie hierarchy, and with their almost shy, definitely geeky front man, they seem to set to continue for a long time coming.

Codes and Keys is available now, for more info on Death Cab for Cutie visit www.deathcabforcutie.com

For further info on the Birmingham Ballroom visit www.birmingham-ballroom.com

‘Ice looks at spirit, animism and the spark from within, exploring the moment when we cross over and become something else. Do we lose ourselves? Or do we still believe we’re alive?’

And if you’ll all join me for the chorus… ‘WHAT????’

The above confused purple is how the MAC website sells ICE, the latest dance production from ACE – Birmingham’s African Cultural exchange. In collaboration with choreographer Akiko Kitamura, founder of the Leni-Basso company, and digital artist Akihiko Kaneko, Gail Parmel’s original production actually ‘reflects on how technology infiltrates our lives, set in a clinical white space with powerful visual projections.’

It features ‘six quicksilver dancers’ that lead a physical narrative, ‘asking questions about technology, crystalisation, cryogenics and what happens to the body when we lower the temperature, do we cross over and become something else?’ Its moniker comes from the opening, where ‘the temperature drops to freezing point, (and) ICE allows us to preserve the moment & dream together of how the future might be.’ And now I see the emperor new clothes.

Coming to the end of an 11 date UK tour, ICE’s penultimate pit stop is at the MAC theatre on Nov 24th & 25th, with a matinee performance on the Thursday. Tickets will set you back £12 (£9 concessions).

For more info (that we can’t guarantee you’ll understand) and bookings visit www.macarts.co.uk, or visit http://www.acedanceandmusic.com for full details on the company, ICE production and tour.

Robert Kornreich will be covering the Nov 24th evening production for Birmingham Review.

 

Described by Atlantic Records as a ‘supportive brotherhood’, and everyone else as ‘rabidly independent’ – a troubling duplicity, Death Cab for Cutie are one of Indie Rock’s anti-celebrity success stories.

Reaching significant prominence through Barsuk Records, the Seattle based Independent that signed them in 1997, tracks from their 4^th studio album, Transatlanticism, were featured on TV dramas; The OC, Californication, Six Feet Under and CSI: Miami. Whilst a subsequent ‘long term worldwide’ deal with Atlantic Records in 2004 saw their 5^th studio album, Plans, nominated for ‘Best Alternative Album’ at the 51^st Grammy Awards in 2005.

Defending their move to the majors, front man and founder, Ben Gibbard, explained, “we’ve been handed this opportunity where we can make a real dent in popular music that we never would have had”, further reiterating his point by saying, “to set the record straight for god knows the millionth time, we didn’t sign to Atlantic for just the money.”  Admirable politics, although joining Death Cab for Cutie’s official fan club, or ‘DCFC Union’, will cost you $30 per annum.

Death Cab for Cutie have fluctuated along the indie/pop/rock spectrum, being  penned as everything from ‘foggy, grunge-pop’, to a ‘literate, whispery style, the kind of stuff that normally sounds better in headphones’, during their 15 year tenure.

But cut the crap and you’ll hear solid melodic rock with a twist, from the lip stick mirror graffiti of ‘What Sarah Said’ to the John Cale self indulgence of ‘I Will Posses Your Heart’.  An identifiable style with something to say.

Releasing their 7^th studio album, Code and Keys, in May this year, Death Cab for Cutie are back touring Northern America and Europe. UK Brummies get to see them on Friday.

Death Cab for Cutie play the Birmingham Ballroom on Fri Nov 18^th. For tickets and info visit http://www.birmingham-ballroom.com

Check out our www.facebook.com/birminghamreview this week for Death Cab for Cutie promos & videos. Ceri Black will be covering the gig for the Birmingham Review.

It’s been two years since Carina Round performed in Birmingham, with a mid week Hare & Hounds gig one of only two UK shows the singer/songwriter has booked for 2011. Supported by the truly sensational Vijay Kishore and the unfortunately forgettable Dan Whitehouse, the H&H’s main room was wall to wall with anticipation. The crowd murmurs, did someone say ‘homecoming’? Or was it just another loudly whispered ‘I used to know her when…’ commentary coming from the bar.

‘I’m sorry for my pseudo American accent,’ Carina apologises immediately, the aftershock of living and recording in LA apparently following her on stage. Dressed in a bright blue dress with bright red shoes she looks like a confident Dorothy. One preparing to fight her way home with an acoustic guitar.

Opening with the relatively new ‘You & Me’ (a track Carina once admitted makes her cry) and following with ‘Motel 74’ from her 2003 album ‘The Disconnection’, the old/new gauntlet is thrown down immediately. Lyrics like ‘you and me in a park in Kings Heath’ raise a conspiratorial laugh, whilst anger, Americana and what I’m calling acoustic punk (…it exists) prevent anything too twee and comfortable. The chronological hop scotch continues with currently unreleased ‘Girl & Ghost’ and ‘Pick Up The Phone’ paving a return to Carina’s first two records in the shape of ‘How I See It’ and ‘Paris’. Despite the decade of difference, all Carina’s material is relevant, powerfully delivered and surprisingly fresh.

But the first of the evening’s I-was-there moments arrived when, after kicking her band off stage, Carina’s instructs the audience to ‘sing the last lines with me’ during the denouement to Backseat, the beautiful lead track off her ‘Things You Should Know’ EP. Audience participation at gigs can be awful, embarrassing and even a little narcissistic. But sometimes, like this time, they can be a moment of magic.

The second was a duet with Miles Hunt, singing ‘Four To The Floor’- a song originally written by Hunt ‘a gazillian years ago’ before Carina added a female retort to the ‘piss poor male’ lyrics. Apart from the rare chance to see two of the Midland’s finest singer/songwriters play together on hallowed home ground (kind of, sort of), with Hunt on guitar it allowed Carina to do nothing but sing. Something she does frighteningly well.

Carina Round’s debut album, ‘The First Blood Mystery’, has been re-released on limited edition vinyl, celebrating the 10^th anniversary of her first studio recording. For more information visit www.carinaround.com

Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring has always been a visual production, from the original French ballet, to Disney’s incorporation of the score in the animated feature film ‘Fantasia’.

Now it comes to the Symphony Hall, performed by the CBSO, in a modern combination of technology, film and dance, with the innovative score and choreography feeding a live 3D projection. One intended to ‘immerse audience members’ in a production that ‘will appear to take place no further than the tip of their nose’.

Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring is the story of a young girl who dances to her death, sacrificing herself to ensure the coming of spring. Inspired by philosopher and painter Nicholas Roerich, Stravinsky composed the Rite of Spring between 1912 and 1913 for Serge Diaghilev‘s Ballets Russes. The Russian’s ‘anarchic use of rhythm and keys’ challenged the musical status quo of the time, even inciting a riot amongst the audience of the ballet’s 1913 Paris debut.

In Stravinsky’s Rite Of Spring 3D, Julia Mach performs the central dance, with Ilan Volkov conducting the CBSO orchestra. The young Israeli was recently named the 9^th chief conductor and music director for the Iceland Symphony Orchestra.

Created by Klaus Obermair, alongside members of the Ars Electronica Furturelab, Stravinsky’s Rite Of Spring 3D premiered at the Brucknerhaus in Linz, Austria, in 2007. The CBSO performance is part of the 2010/2011 Birmingham International Concert Season, sponsored by Williams de Broë and supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. Each performance will last approximately 45 minutes and will be preceded by brief works from Varese and Ligeti.

Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring 3D will be performed at the Symphony Hall in Birmingham on Thursday April 21^st. For more information visit www.riteofspring3d.thsh.co.uk