The Gallery

March 21, 2019March 21, 2019

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 31^st 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.

March 12, 2019March 12, 2019

THE GALLERY: Wood and Nails @ The Flapper 02.03.19

Words by Ed King / Pics by Aatish Ramchurn

On Saturday 2^nd March, Wood and Nails headlined at The Flapper – with support from Dearist, George Gadd, and Last Light.

Promoted by Surprise You’re Dead, the gig was a raucous celebration of Wood and Nails’ latest single ‘Searching for an Exit’ – which you can wrap your grubby little music-for-free ears around here. Or better still, click here to buy something from the band in question and keep them in diamond crusted plectrums. Or food. Or whatever it is that artistes need to survive these days.

But by all on and offline reports, recollections, fervent cries and night terrors of loss and longing, the evening was a rip-roaring success. So much so, in fact, that the Birmingham Review front line reporter has been missing in action ever since… if found, please return to BRHQ.

Luckily, we had more troops in the crowd – a man who shall now and forever be referred to as ‘photo ninja’, for his Matrixesque ability to weave through a mosh pit whilst messing about with that all important ISO.

And as for the rest of you, indulge yourselves in some glorious gig shots from Saturday 2^nd March at The Flapper in THE GALLERY – featuring headliners Wood and Nails, alongside support acts Last Light, George Gadd, and Dearist. There are a few picked cherries to begin with, then the larger mosaic gallery – so viddy below my droogs, such a gromky shoom horrorshow:

Woods and Nails @ The Flapper 02.03.19 / Aatish Ramchurn

For more on Wood and Nails, visit their Spotify artist profile by clicking here – or to visit the Wood and Nails Facebook page for more info and links, click here.

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Dearist – supporting Woods and Nails @ The Flapper 02.03.19 / Aatish Ramchurn

For more on Dearist, visit www.facebook.com/DearistUK

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George Gadd – supporting Woods and Nails @ The Flapper 02.03.19 / Aatish Ramchurn

For more on George Gadd, visit www.georgegadd.bandcamp.com

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Last Light – supporting Woods and Nails @ The Flapper 02.03.19 / Aatish Ramchurn

For more on Last Light, visit www.soundcloud.com/lastlightuk

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All photography by Aatish Ramchurn / Aatish Photography.

For more from Surprise You’re Dead, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.surpriseyouredeadmusic.co.uk

For more on The Flapper, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.theflapper.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.

December 7, 2018February 27, 2019

THE GALLERY: Bare Bones @ Café Artum 01.12.18

Words by Emily Doyle / Pics by Ed King

Café Artum, a vinyl-filled setting nestled at the far end of Corporation Street, is busier than usual on this Saturday afternoon.

“This one’s for my mum, over there. This is the first time she’s ever seen me play, today” says Liám Mckeown, taking his seat in front of the window. The room grows quiet. At the back of the cafe, one guy listens to a record on headphones, seemingly oblivious.

Mckeown builds up loops of rhythm guitar before layering effortless lead over the top. Best known for his role in local psych-rock outfit Brain Food, solo he conjures up a much more mellow sound. His singer-songwriter vibe verges on jazzy at points, but always has a psychedelic tinge.

Mckeown covers Neil Young’s 1972 release ‘The Needle and the Damage Done’ – it’s ambitious but heartfelt; the audience listens in stillness as the X51 bus rolls past the window behind him. The set also features stripped back versions of Brain Food songs, including ‘Lemon & Lime’ from the band’s debut EP Get One On. These feel more vocal-led than the rest of Mckeown’s performance and round off the set nicely.

The first full band of the bill, Handwaxx, have made only minor concessions to Bare Bones’ advertised ‘raw, stripped back’ ethos. New member Will Sutton, having been recruited to the group just a month ago, has traded out his Vox Phantom for an acoustic guitar, but otherwise the only thing especially stripped back about the outfit’s sound is the lack of a proper PA.

Handwaxx describe themselves as ‘psychedelic indie pop’, which seems like a fair label. Their sound blends a brit-poppish sensibility with a sprinkling of dreamy shoegaze, backed up by impressive lead guitar work from Ryan Baynham. Their set reaches a high point with the last two songs, which move in a more Morricone-esque direction. Handwaxx’s reverb drenched surfy sound is perfect for brightening up a gloomy Saturday afternoon.

The promo material for Bare Bones argued that The Mighty Young ‘could probably still melt your face off with an acoustic set’, but it’s clear we won’t find out about that today, as the only acoustic instrument on stage is the drum kit. This is loud, raucous garage rock ‘n’ roll from one of Birmingham’s trusty trios, and there’s not a Cajon in sight.

The Mighty Young have always embraced a stripped back, DIY ethos with their sound, though. Reminiscent of The White Stripes, their straight-to-the-point performance and songwriting are a joy, unphased by some minor technical hitches.

A jubilant sing-a-long cover of Lou Reed’s ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ provides the soundtrack as one of the bar staff weaves through the dense crowd, putting tealights out on the tables – it’s grown dark out. A passerby outside stops by the window to listen, intrigued. A few younger audience members, who’ve got another ten years to wait before they can get in to any other Mighty Young shows, are growing a little restless, but the rest of the crowd are fully engaged.

As six o’ clock approaches and the trio draw things to a close with a slow, bluesy ballad; it’s clear that this inaugural Bare Bones session was a success. And although perhaps not as ‘stripped back’ as originally intended, neither the performers nor the audience seemed to mind. Watching the punters filter back out into the cold and on to the next stop on their Saturday nights, there’s a sense that things are only just beginning.

THE GALLERY: Bare Bones – with The Mighty Young, Handwaxx, Liám Mckeown @ Café Artum 01.12.18 / Ed King

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For more on Liám Mckeown/Brain Food, visit www.facebook.com/brainfoodofficial

For more on Handwaxx, visit www.soundcloud.com/handwaxx

For more on The Mighty Young, visit www.facebook.com/ruttingdevil

For more on further events from Bare Bones, visit www.facebook.com/whiskpresents

For more on Café Artum, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.cafeartum.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.

November 27, 2018

THE GALLERY: REWS @ The Flapper 17.11.18

On Saturday 17th November, REWS came back to Birmingham, rounding off their five date UK tour at The Flapper in Birmingham – with local support from MeMe Detroit, alongside Marshall Records label mate Thousand Thoughts.

Now it’s no secret that both Birmingham and Birmingham Review love REWS, with the alt-rock duo having had some stellar sell out shows in this city over the past year; needless to say we were a little ‘Christmas come early’. But this evening was another step up, with REWS playing to their biggest headline crowd in the city to date – packing the rafters at the iconic canal side music venue, with barely enough room left to swing/swig a shot of rum. Or see, if you’re a under 6ft…

Luckily some of us were born with the gift of height and managed to get through the crowds – to check out the full Flicker of pics from Phil Drury, of all bands on the bill, click here.

And although he had to shoot off back to the provinces before the headline act, Callum Lees managed to snap up some extra shots of the support acts – for the full Flicker of his pics, click here.

We also had a new reporter in the crowd, to give you a fresh narrative thread to hold on to whilst you peruse THE GALLERY – so dust off your best Meryl Streep internal monologue, sit back, reminisce or relive, and welcome Emma Curzon to Casa Review de la Brummagem. Ah, those misty water coloured memories… come back and see us soon REWS.

Words by Emma Curzon / Pics by Phil Drury & Callum Lees

In an atrocious betrayal of student-kind, I must admit I’m not overly acquainted with the world of alt-rock. I was given, however, a very promising introduction into it on Saturday 17^th November. The gig was headlined by London/Belfast duo REWS and hosted by Birmingham Review/Metropolis Music, at the cosy-yet-mysterious canal side pub The Flapper.

The line-up held solid performances throughout the night – although I was never quite enraptured by Thousand Thoughts, who opened the evening. They were good, but not spectacular. Still, I was genuinely touched by ‘Be Frank’ – a more tender, sedate number pleading to the addressee to open up about their mental health struggles.

The recently renamed four piece are a new signing to Marshall Records – becoming label mates and tour support for the night’s headliners – and are arguably still finding their feet. No doubt we’ll get to see them again next time they pass through the city. Plus, as mentioned, I’m not the biggest devotee of alt-rock… so mix these words well before baking and add just a pinch of salt.

Next up, local support MeMe Detroit (plus her band) gave the room a huge energy boost – at one point, we are ordered to “sing your fucking hearts out”. Amen to that.

On the cusp of releasing her Life in the Now EP, MeMe Detroit gave a commendable performance – one both heartfelt and dynamic (my personal highlight was the refrain of ‘Love Transcends All Again’) – and threw herself into it with much head-banging and dancing, at one point taking her guitar for a quick dash through the audience.

However, the best was definitely saved for last. With their slick onstage outfits, REWS’ would not have looked out of place alongside the cast of a Disney Channel musical – but once they started it became obvious: Shauna Tohill and Collette Williams most certainly did not come to just play at being rock stars.

Williams played the drums with the poise and precision of a concert pianist, but still positively exploding with enthusiasm and vigour. Meanwhile Tohill’s skill, and more importantly her passion, shone through in every note – as she threw her whole body into her performance, making it even more of a joy to watch.

Their opening songs probably showed this to the greatest effect and were my favourite part of the entire night. The audience appeared to agree – many were clearly veteran fans and sang along with great enthusiasm, the sudden energy boost as obvious as it was catching. The best was one of their oldest tracks but most recent single, ‘Can You Feel It?’ – a straight and simple rock anthem with frequent repetition, but of joyous, inspiring lyrics telling us to “Dance like no-one’s watching” and creating a rousing crowd-pleaser full of infectious joie-de-vivre.

Other well recognised tracks from the REWS repertoire, such ‘Death Yawn’ and ‘Shake Shake’, got a similarly ferocious response. Although a few of the set’s latter (and possibly newer?) songs didn’t land quite as well, missing some of the intensity that made the more well-versed numbers so enjoyable. REWS did, however, throw in a cover of 4 Non Blonde’s ‘What’s Up?’ that pushed the room to an almost health and safety challenging fever pitch – a new set addition Williams had alluded to in a recent interview with Birmingham Review.

So, my verdict: I’m still wouldn’t call myself an alt-rock aficionado, but if I was ever to have an introduction to the genre this was a good night for it. And I’d love to see REWS perform again, considering the band have ended their last two UK tours in Birmingham there’s a fingers crossed chance we may all get to as well. I’d better brush up, now where’s that’s copy of Kerrang! gone…

REWS – with support from MeMe Detroit + Thousand Thoughts @ The Flapper 17.11.18 / Phil Drury & Callum Lees

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For more on REWS, visit www.rewsmusic.com

For more on MeMe Detroit, visit www.memedetroit.com

For more on Thousand Thoughts, visit www.facebook.com/TThoughtsMusic

For from The Flapper, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.theflapper.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.

October 23, 2018

THE GALLERY: Tom Odell @ O2 Academy 21.10.18

Words by Ed King / Pics by Eleanor Sutcliffe

This is a big gig.

It’s a big room too, as I watch the audience trickle in – from a line that stretches back to the Pagoda island roundabout, the 3009 capacity O2 Academy confidently fills up on a Sunday. No, mean, feat either. Especially in Birmingham. Especially on a Sunday.

But the Tom Odell love fest is in unarguable full swing tonight, as shoulder touches shoulder in the stalls and every polite space gets filled on the balcony. This gig wasn’t presented as ‘sold out’ but it hard to imagine any fire marshal letting another body in this room. This is a rafter packed affair. So I find my corner, nestle in, and watch the support acts.

First up is Mimi… I want to say ‘croissant’. Which I doubt it is, but I’ll have to Google and cross reference. Singing a mix of her own songs and covers, the ubiquitous ‘Valerie’ getting a non-X Factor audition airing, she delivers her “first gig playing my own songs,” with reputable aplomb. A young vocalist with an older guitar, time will tell. But art gather scars to shine, and only the world will give you them. TBC.

Next up is my happy surprise of the night, well the first one of them anyway, as no other that Max Jury struts on stage as the second support act. ‘Great American Novel’ is always somewhere near the back of my mind and on the tip of my tongue these days, and despite it not getting featured in his set I do get to see a man live on stage I thought I’d need to have passed through LAX security to watch up close in person.

Jury is great too, and not just because I want him to be, but the slow Americana, blues, and drawl slides from his keyboard and across the room with the right touch of confidence and bliss. Musicians are made to impress, and Max Jury is one to applaud. Plus, I now (after a very subtle pitch) own a copy of his signature – so at worst I’m going to rinse hotel room bills in his name across Washington state until one of us gets noticed.

And now, it is time…

There has been a grand piano covered in black cloth ever since we walked into this room, with one support act playing to its left and the other to its right. But now it’s the main show, with the sleek polished veneer unveiled as the house lights go down and a single spot illuminates the piano and rounded stool. Like a tousled haired shadow, Tom Odell appears at the ivory and throws soft hammers onto hidden strings; we are welcomed with the title track off his new album – ‘Jubilee Road’ saunters in until a sustained vocal, raised hand, full band, and rapturous applause bring the main attraction crystal clear into view.

I’ll be honest, I love the piano. I’m a sucker for the piano. But I’m often on my own with such sultry appreciation, as most 88 key diatribes fall short upon the ears of those less bruised. Or those more happy, I’ve never quite worked out which. But for Tom Odell, and the 3k+ that have turned out to see him tonight, this is not a concern, as the set moves without banter from the title track of his new album to the fifth single from his first – more sustained vocals, and the beginning of some simply heart-breaking audience participation, carry us into the main set. This is a spectacular introduction.

Levels are up, chairs are thrown, and ‘Sparrow’ ends off a phenomenal beginning – as ‘Supposed to Be’ then leads us into an introduction of each band member, delivered like an homage to Robbie Robertson and his long bus riding companions. But this is an ensemble, regardless of the dominant and linchpin, with the ringmaster making every effort to bring his cohorts font and centre, leaving his black and white compadres to stand next to each instrument that accompanies them as he does so. This is a band on stage tonight, and we are firmly told not to forget that.

My notes from the rest of the evening run from sycophantic to spider scrawl, both run induced. But there are a few golden markers that deserve a more sober mention – Tom Odell has the O2 Academy in his palm tonight, from start to finish. He makes a big room feel intimate, with unenforced sing-a-longs washing over us like warm blankets that you just want to weep inside of.

The first, according to my notebook, is with ‘Wrong Crowd’, where the bravest of us both onstage and off try to whistle along. But it continues, throughout, carried by an atmosphere that even this cynical writer can’t help but fall for. I had no idea the O2 Academy would be so full tonight, and I had no idea that the bodies within it would care so much. But by the time ‘Son of an Only Child’ is played, one of my favourites from the new album, I am bunched up with a line of strangers on the balcony – resting our hands on each other’s shoulders and basking in the soft lights of a moment’s unity. This is what music can do, and when it does it in a room of over three thousand people it’s a pretty fucking wonderful occasion.

We end with a good three song encore, which could easily have carried on if the licensing department of the UK’s second city weren’t such a loveless box of frogs. Even the Showsec security guard has left his post to stand and watch this finale.

And as the ensemble eventually leave the stage, to the echoes of ‘Magnetised’ being thrown back at them in an oddly grandiose yet sweet harmony, we all know that we bore witness to something special tonight.

Tom Odell @ O2 Academy 21.10.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe

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For more on Tom Odell, visit www.tomodell.com

For more from Max Jury, visit www.maxjury.com

For more from the O2 Academy, including full event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.academymusicgroup.com/o2academybirmingham

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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 sign up to NOT NORMAL – NOT OK, click here. To know more about the NOT NORMAL – NOT OK sticker campaign, click here.