Category: Live Music

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NOT NORMAL NOT OK: MeMe Detroit, The Butters Aliens, Sofa King – live gig fundraiser @ Hare & Hounds 07.06.19

On Friday 7th June, the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign hosts it’s first ‘live gig fundraiser’ at the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath) – with MeMe Detroit, The Butters Aliens and Sofa King all performing.

Doors open at the Hare & Hounds from 7:30pm, with tickets priced at £5 (early bird) and £7 (second release/otd) – as presented by NOT NORMAL NOT OK. For direct gig info and links to online ticket sales, visit the Facebook Event Page by clicking here. The event is further supported by BBC Introducing West Midlands and Birmingham Review.

Tickets can be bought through See Tickets (click here) and through Skiddle (click here). Physical tickets are also available from the artists themselves, or by contacting the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign team directly (click here).

NOT NORMAL NOT OK was launched in June 2018, set up ‘to encourage safety and respect within live music venues, and to combat the culture of sexual assault and aggression – from dance floor to dressing room.’

Following an op-ed piece published on Birmingham Review, citing the actions of two Birmingham based promoters – one who sexually assaulted a singer of a band they were promoting and the other who made some frighteningly misogynistic comments about women attending their venue – the NOT NORMAL NOT OK partnered with West Midlands Police and the Rape & Sexual Violence Project (R.S.V.P.) to begin outreach work at live music venues in the West Midlands.

For the past year, NOT NORMAL NOT OK has been distributing campaign stickers at live music events across the region – with both the gig going public and the artists performing donning the black and yellow NOT NORMAL NOT OK logos at the gigs they attend.

Venues across the Midlands have been welcoming the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign into their events, from the Town & Symphony Halls to independent venues such as the Hare & Hounds and The Dark Horse – showing solidarity for the message of zero tolerance when it comes to sexual violence.

Now the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign is launching its own programme of live music events, starting with a ‘live gig fundraiser’ at the Hare & Hounds on Friday 7th July – with MeMe Detroit, The Butters Aliens and Sofa King all performing on stage. The event is being supported by BBC Introducing West Midlands, one of the first media outlets to get behind the campaign, who secured MeMe Detroit as the headline act.

A second fundraising gig is being held at Centrala on Friday 25th October, with electro-rockers Flight Brigade coming to Birmingham for the penultimate date on their Chased by Wolves album tour – Flight Brigade‘s new single, ‘Tinderbox’, will be played on BBC Introducing Solent on Saturday 25th May between 8 and 9pm.

All money raised from the NOT NORMAL NOT OK live gig fundraisers will go directly back into the campaign – supporting continued outreach work with live music venues, alongside bespoke counselling/advocacy training for NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign staff with R.S.V.P.

“NOT NORMAL NOT OK was born out of a reaction to stories of sexual assault, intimidation and violence within our local music scene,” explains NOT NORMAL NOT OK Campaign Director, Ed King. “It began with one person’s story, a singer in a band who had been sexually assaulted by the promoter who was putting their gig on. But as we started to talk to people about sexual violence in the music scene, towards those both on stage and off stage, we were told about a frightening number of cases – from people being sexually assaulted in a crowd, to rape. 

It was a horrible realisation and one that I, both personally and professionally, had been naively unaware of. But many people want to see change and with the help of both the music community and our campaign partners – including West Midlands Police and the Rape & Sexual Violence Project – we are now shinning a light on the issue, talking about the ‘elephant in the room’ and exposing a culture of sexual violence that is disturbingly commonplace in the music scene.”

NOT NORMAL NOT OK hosts it’s live gig fundraiser with MeMe Detroit, The Butters Aliens and Sofa King at the Hare & Hounds Friday 7th June – with tickets priced at £5 (early bird) and £7 (second release/otd). For direct gig info and links to online ticket sales, visit the Facebook Event Page by clicking here.

For more on the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign, or to seek help and advice about issues surrounding sexual violence, visit www.notnormalnotok.com

For more on MeMe Detroit, visit www.memedetroit.com 
For more on The Butters Aliens, visit www.soundcloud.com/buttersaliens
For more on Sofa King, visit www.sofakingqueen.bandcamp.com

For more on the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath), including venue details and further event listings, visit www.hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk

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BPREVIEW: The Bombpops @ Hare & Hounds 24.05.19

Words by Ed King

On Friday 24th May, The Bombpops will be playing at the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath) with support from Swan Prince, killer BOB, and La Moxie – rocking their way across Europe on their Punk in Drublic Tour.

Doors open at 7:30pm, with General Entry tickets priced at £8(+bf) – as presented by Nat Bite Music. For direct event information and links to online ticket sales, click here.

The pop-punk-bastard-brainchild of Poli van Dam and Jen Razavi, The Bombpops were born in 2007 – cementing their place in San Diego’s music scene with some anarchic skate rock and punchy live shows. Cue knee jerk references to Blink 182… but don’t come crying to us if you get a mic stand in the chops, comparisons are a dangerous animal.

Independently releasing their first Like I Care EP In 2010, The Bombpops would follow their six track debut with Stole the TV EP just under a year later – sent out into the world through Toby Jeg’s Red Scare imprint. A few years and line up changes later, landing on Josh Lewis (drums) and Neil Wayne (bass) – with Poli van Dam and Jen Razavi staying solid as the band’s guitarists and vocalists, and The Bombpop’s self released 2015 Can of Worms EP would see them take their first trip across the pond – touring Europe later that year.

Extending their fanbase, and with the encouragingly worldwide cry for an album, The Bombpops started writing and recording their debut LP in 2016 – releasing Fear of Missing Out through Fat Wreck Records in early 2017.

The twelve track slaughter house, that strides from ‘peppy to plain badass in the blink of an eye,’ was well received across the punk pop fraternity – with the Punk Rock Theory website rounding off their review by stating ‘the only downside to this album is that it will seriously cut into your time to listen to other bands.’ So, to surmise, a success.

Back in the UK for a smattering of dates, including the Slamdunk Festivals in Leeds and Hatfield, The Bombpops stop off at the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath) on Friday 24th May – with support from Swan Prince, killer BOB, and La Moxie.

And we’ve said it before and we may well say it again… but for direct event information and links to online ticket sales, click here.

‘CA in July’ – The Bombpops

For more on The Bombpops, visit www.thebombpops.com
For more on Swan Prince, visit www.swanprinceband.com
For more on killer BOB, visit www.killerbob.rocks
For more on La Moxie, visit www.facebook.com/lamoxieuk 

For more from Nat Bite Music, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.natbite.com

For more on the Hare & Hounds, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk

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BPREVIEW: The Performers: Part 2 – EKKAH, Hunger Moon, Kim’s Cold Food Company, Hayley Frances (poetry) @ The Sunflower Lounge 05.05.19

Words by Ed King

On Sunday 5th May, Bad Girls are back at The Sunflower Lounge with The Performers: Part 2 – a showcase of music, modern beat poetry and art, with a positive message of gender equality (and basic respect…) at the heart of it all.

Doors open at 8pm, with tickets priced at £7+booking fee – as presented by Bad Girls. For more event info, and links to online ticket sales, click here to visit the Facebook event page.

Following on from The Performers: Part 1, again at The Sunflower Lounge back in 2017, this sophomore event will see acts and art once again across the whole venue – taking over both floors, the Bank Holiday closer will showcase a local musical line up featuring EKKAH, Hunger Moon, and Kim’s Cold Food Company. Hayley Frances will also be performing some ‘modern beat poetry’, alongside ‘an array of Birmingham’s best artists showcasing their female inspired art’. All for well under tenner, simples.

The event will also be raising money and awareness to support Safe Gigs for Women, a nationwide organisation that works with gig goers and venues to promote safe event spaces for women and to encourage the entertainment industry to speak out and challenge sexual assault. For more information on Safe Gigs for Women, visit their website by clicking here.

The Performers: Part 2 is also championing the message ‘MY CLOTHES ARE NOT MY CONSENT’ – appearing in bold type on their promotional posters and publicity material. Sadly, there are still people who hide behind the idea that the way someone dresses makes it OK or acceptable for them to grab, grope, or to give it its legal term SEXUALLY ASSAULT someone based on what they are wearing.

The event’s response and message is simple, ‘you can wear what you want, when you want, to where you want it and no outfit or item of clothing gives anyone the right to believe that means that you want to be touched, harassed, or “asking for it”.’ A message I hope most humans don’t need reminding of – but one that also (due to a sad splattering of sh*theads) can’t hurt to reiterate once in a while.

The NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign team will also be at The Performers: Part 2 event, handing out stickers and helping to spread the message of respect and inclusivity across the music scene – ‘from dancefloor to dressing room’. If you see the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign at The Sunflower Lounge, stick a sticker on your sweater and post a pic of yourself to the NOT NORMAL NOT OK Instagram page, Twitter feed, or Facebook account. For more on the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign, click here.

But with music also at the heart of this event, it’s a pretty strong line up to round off your Bank Holiday Sunday. Headliners EKKAH are a seriously fun modern day Chic, with a glorious fusion of electro, pop, disco, funk and this-is-my-serious-face’ dance routines. Birmingham Review last saw EKKAH again at The Sunflower Lounge a few years ago, whilst they were riding the wave of their Last Chance to Dance EP, and the words ‘gold’ and ‘dust’ sprang to mind. Should be a few new tracks getting kicked off stage on Sunday ‘an all.

Hunger Moon have been making some well deserved waves since their debut single, ‘Oh Friend’, came out in March 2018. Nominated for the ‘Rising Star’ category in this year’s Birmingham Music Awards, Hunger Moon are a somewhat delectable dish of haunting vocals and brooding melodies. Getting a healthy portfolio of performances under their belt, with their third single ‘Feel It Sometimes’ also released in March 2019, Hunger Moon are a muso-duo well worth some attention.

And despite having the best band/artist name that we can think off in recent times, Kim’s Cold Food Company is also the new manifestation of Diane Burdon – keeping herself busy whilst Sofa King jump on the ‘short break’ train along with so many others of late. We don’t know much about the music, or if indeed there will be any sandwiches or ice cream available, but it can’t hurt to have a stop, look, listen.

Hayley Frances rounds off the bill, performing some ‘modern beat poetry’ – so expect wit, humour, and some intelligence yet acerbic observations. Having worked with organisations including the Rosie Kay Dance Company, IKON, Writing West Midlands and the Birmingham REP, Frances is a well rounded and confident poet. With the backbone of this event being safe spaces, respect and inclusivity, it will be especially interesting to hear what she has to say.

The Performers: Part 2 comes to The Sunflower Lounge on Sunday 5th May – with performances from Ekkah, Hunger Moon, Kim’s Cold Food Company, Hayley Frances. Doors open at 8pm, with tickets priced at £7+booking fee – as presented by Bad Girls. For more event info, and links to online ticket sales, click here.

For more on EKKAH, visit www.facebook.com/WEAREEKKAH

For more on Hunger Moon, visit www.soundcloud.com/hunger-moon

For more on Kim’s Cold Food Company, visit www.soundcloud.com/kimscoldfoodco

For more on Hayley Frances, visit www.hayleyfrances.com

For more on Safe Gigs for Women, visit www.sgfw.org.uk

For more on NOT NORMAL NOT OK, visit www.notnormalnotok.com

For more from Bad Girls, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.facebook.com/BADGIRLSpresents

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

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NOT NORMAL – NOT OK is a campaign to encourage safety and respect within live music venues, and to combat the culture of sexual assault and aggression – from dance floor to dressing room.

To learn more about the NOT NORMAL – NOT OK campaign, click here. To sign up and join the NOT NORMAL – NOT OK campaign, click here.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this feature – or if you want to report an act of sexual aggression, abuse, or assault – click here for information via the ‘Help & Support’ page on the NOT NORMAL – NOT OK website.

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BREVIEW: Rosie Tee – launch of Chambers EP @ The Edge 28.03.19

Words by Emily Doyle / Pics by Jessica H Ingram

The Edge is tucked away on Cheapside, arguably one of the less inviting corners of Digbeth. On entry, however, it’s decked out like a disco in a greenhouse.

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The space is awash with green lights and spacey projections, and houseplants occupy every corner. The stage is draped with vines and tinsel, and the DJ is playing a laid-back mix of ambient, jazzy electronica. It could be this reviewer’s imagination, but the room even seems to smell like a garden – although that may be the cocktail bar in the corner, where cucumber margaritas and beetroot G&T’s are being garnished with violets and sprigs of rosemary.

The venue is quite full, so experimental theatre group L Y N N E B E C manage to weave themselves into the crowd without anyone really noticing. However, the four performers soon make their presence known, launching into a performance that quickly has the talkative crowd hushed and watching.

Full of acrobatic lifts and captivating freestyle, L Y N N E B E C’s dance performance is devised to a mix of electronic music put together by Rosie Tee herself. Tracks from the likes of Natureboy Flako and Photay are threaded together with snippets of Tee’s new EP, Chambers. By the end of the performance the dancefloor is scatted with leaves and petals that have fallen from the performer’s costumes during the piece – each dancer is pulling members of the crowd out to dance with them, most of whom are more than happy to oblige. As well as an endearing end to the display, it’s a great way to break down the ‘inevitable semi-circle’ that crowds tend to form around the front of the stage, just in time for Tee’s set.

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Rosie Tee and her band make themselves at home on the stage, bathed in the psychedelic projections. It’s the eve of the release Chambers and a stack of copies are already on the merch table. There’s an air of anticipation in the audience, from the crowd stood at the front to the people occupying the tired armchairs and Chesterfields dotted around the space. Within minutes of the band beginning, Tee has the room under her spell.

‘Wax & Wane’ is one of the first tracks from Chambers to make an appearance. Tee’s swaying vocal carries the song, gently conducting the rest of the band with the odd flick of the wrist. Skittering jazz drums from Kai Chareunsy and wobbling bass from Dan Cippico are a sturdy foundation for the glittering keys of Tom Harris, not to mention the ringing punctuation of Tee’s glockenspiel, which she stands poised over like a sequined automaton.

Tee is every bit a host as well as a performer. Between her jazz-pop compositions she shares insights into her writing process, introduces the band – proudly announcing that Cippicolay produced the new EP – and takes the time to thank everyone involved, from the sound team to the bar staff.

New songs ‘Watersong’ and ‘Siren’ close the set just as they close the new EP. The former sees Tee scat singing through a grin, while the shivering rhythm of the latter draws the performance to an uptempo close. Rosie Tee and her ensemble take a bow, but it’s only a few minutes before Harris and Chareunsy are back on stage with their own band, Trampette – who keep the room dancing with high energy grooves late into the night.

Rosie Tee – launch of Chambers EP @ The Edge 28.03.19 / Jessica H Ingram

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For more on Rosie Tee, visit www.rosietee.uk

For more on L Y N N E B E C, visit www.facebook.com/lynnebec

For more on Trampette, visit www.facebook.com/trampetteband

For more from Friction Arts and The Edge, visit www.frictionarts.com

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NOT NORMAL – NOT OK is a campaign to encourage safety and respect within live music venues, and to combat the culture of sexual assault and aggression – from dance floor to dressing room.

To learn more about the NOT NORMAL – NOT OK campaign, click here. To sign up and join the NOT NORMAL – NOT OK campaign, click here.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this feature – or if you want to report an act of sexual aggression, abuse, or assault – click here for information via the ‘Help & Support’ page on the NOT NORMAL – NOT OK website.

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THE GALLERY: YONAKA @ The Castle & Falcon 15.03.19

Words by Lydia Fitzer / Pics by Callum Lees

Welcome to an evening dominated by Badass Blondes, also featuring excellent hairy man-rockers. Why is it that 90% of male musicians have 90% of the hair in the world…? We may never know. 

Enter the first Badass Blonde. Cassyette and her all-female live band take the stage glowing with charisma. This is their first time in Birmingham and they’re here to deliver pop-glam-rock punches. Cassyette herself is a powerhouse of stage presence – all embellished leather and attitude. There’s no doubt that she’s in control for every moment of her set. This woman means business. Her sound is catchy and punky live, although her recorded work so far feels a lot more pop/synth.

Cassyette takes the opportunity to showcase brand new songs which are as-yet unreleased, including ‘Diamond’ and ‘Jean’ from her forthcoming EP. She has a slightly husky, breathy alto voice which is seriously easy to appreciate, and potent but gliding melodies. She dances across the stage like a one-woman party as she sings. ‘Jean’ is the final song of the set, and one that reaches colossal heights. It gives a proper old-school rock intro which peels back into sultry vocals, then builds into the most enticing chorus hook. It’s an instant brainworm. ‘Jean’ ticks all the boxes, right through to an awesome guitar solo. Cassyette might just be one to watch. 

Next up, we have Broken Hands (they of the rocking man-hair). They open with one of their newest songs, ‘Split in Two’, which in my opinion constitutes some of their finest work. It’s packed with intense, intermittent, thrumming guitar riffs, pounding drums and a piercing tenor vocal. Their stage direction is all-encompassing. They seem to face every angle, with Dale Norton (vocals) crouching to stare into your soul.  

Broken Hands also play some old favourites, including their best known song, ‘Meteor’, from their first album Turbulence (2015). It gives everything you’d expect from quality indie rock – it’s catchy, likeable, professional, but with a DIY feel. I’m getting some evil growling from Norton in this one, and I like it. Give me more of this. I want the confident cackle, the crazy eyes, the playfulness. 

They carry some of the quirkiness forward into ‘Watch Out’, which I suspect is a new and unreleased song. They jump and “whoop” – the crowd catches their energy. ‘Watch Out’ shows off Norton’s vocal range with classic heavy rock. Their newer stuff is definitely the best so far. They end with another new one, ‘Friends House’; this is my favourite yet and is delivered incredibly. It’s moody, suspenseful and deep, drumming through the body. Broken Hands are a band on an upwards trajectory, and I’d love to see how far it takes them.

It’s time for the headline, and the most Badass Blonde of the night. The stage is dark. Figures are silhouetted above me. A vocal introduction resonates – this is their latest track, ‘Bad Company’. YONAKA are everything I hoped they’d be.

They’re special because they appeal to almost everyone. YONAKA have effortless dynamism and power. Their music is immersive and soaring, but with real force. Their style is edgy, but still marketable to a mass popular audience. It’s easy to see why they’ve been pegged by some as ‘an absolute fucking gamechanger’. YONAKA describe their sound as ‘Dark Alt Pop with heavy riffs’, and this is absolutely true. Is regular pop just not intoxicating enough for you? Or maybe the heavier genres don’t quite fit your mood? YONAKA are the answer. YONAKA are the ear candy you’ve been searching for.

They go from their newest track straight to their oldest, ‘Ignorance’. The recording of this has a more relaxed tempo and vibe. It all changes live, however. YONAKA perform it with such passion that you can’t help wanting to move. A dance pit forms in the centre of the crowd. People are jumping and crashing. All hands are in the air – it looks like the heartbeat of the greatest nightclub. 

YONAKA follow this with ‘Creature’, which happens to be my personal favourite. It’s difficult to say what makes this song so addictive. I suppose it’s just perfect. The lyrics are witty, heartfelt, and memorable. The melodies are absorbing and textured. The beat is easy to bounce to and easier to remember. Theresa Jarvis’ alto vocal is beautifully showcased, although this is true of all YONAKA’s songs. Her voice is enticing and full of sass, but slightly breathy and almost mellow in tone. She uses a type of stylised vocal which has become fashionable in pop music recently. Usually, I don’t care for it. Most artists tend to overuse this style in a way that’s unskilled and contrived; often matched with poor overall technique, it has, at times, become my pet peeve. (Vocalists who don’t breathe properly or use their diaphragm, I’m looking at you). Jarvis uses it immaculately, however. It feels natural coming from her, and I enjoy it thoroughly. Her voice is a cool glass of Pimm’s in a world of lukewarm cola that’s lost its fizz.

We aren’t just getting the classics tonight, though. YONAKA’s debut album, Don’t Wait ‘Til Tomorrow, is dropping on 31st May (and you don’t need to wait ‘til tomorrow to pre-order it. Just saying). We’re treated to the first ever live performance of ‘Lose Our Heads’, closely followed by ‘Punchbag’. “This song’s a bit of a lairy one”, Jarvis warns us. She isn’t wrong. It wallops you right in the ear holes. YONAKA also play the album’s title track. It encapsulates the thought behind the whole record. As Jarvis explains, the album is about “anyone who’s in a dark place […] you need to know that you’re not alone”. It carries a message that someone will always need to hear.

YONAKA end with a fabulous performance of ‘Fired Up’, and the crowd are certainly that. Somehow the dancing has devolved into a full-blown mosh pit. The energy pulsing through the air is electric. The constant beat galvanises your bones. YONAKA channel strength in every movement. Jarvis performs to her fingertips as the floor trembles with bass. Welcome to your new favourite band.

YONAKA @ The Castle & Falcon 15.03.19 / Callum Lees

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For more on YONAKA, visit www.weareyonaka.com

For more on Broken Hands, visit www.brokenhandsband.com

For more from Cassyette, visit www.cassyette.co.uk

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NOT NORMAL – NOT OK is a campaign to encourage safety and respect within live music venues, and to combat the culture of sexual assault and aggression – from dance floor to dressing room.

To learn more about the NOT NORMAL – NOT OK campaign, click here. To sign up and join the NOT NORMAL – NOT OK campaign, click here.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this feature – or if you want to report an act of sexual aggression, abuse, or assault – click here for information via the ‘Help & Support’ page on the NOT NORMAL – NOT OK website.