Birmingham Archives - Page 16 of 25 -

January 25, 2018January 25, 2018

BPREVIEW: Fern Brady – Suffer, Fools! @ The Glee Club (B’ham) 29.01.18

Comedian Fern Brady brings her third solo show – Suffer, Fools! – to Birmingham’s Glee Club on 29^th January. Tickets are £12 in advance, with doors open at 8pm for an 8.30pm start. For direct gig info, including venue details and online ticket sales, click here.

*The Fern Brady Suffer, Fools! show on 29th January has been rescheduled from its original date of 26th January. For more information on refunds or issues relating to the rescheduling, please contact The Glee Club box office on 0871 472 0400*

Fern Brady is quickly building momentum as one of the UK’s most promising up-and-coming comedians.

If an appearance on Stewart Lee’s Comedy Central show The Alternative Comedy Experience was an early badge of quality, this has been backed up with approving reviews and high profile appearances on Russell Howard’s Stand Up Central and Channel Four’s 8 Out of 10 Cats. Brady starts 2018 embarking on a long UK tour, followed by a string of dates at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, before another series of dates back in the UK.

Brady reportedly first tried stand-up comedy after the magazine she wrote for during the Edinburgh Fringe suggested she write an article where she faked it as a comedian. What the magazine didn’t know was that Brady secretly wanted to try stand-up comedy anyway, so took the gig much more seriously than was strictly needed. She hasn’t looked back, eventually making the final of the Fringe’s prestigious award for stand-up newcomers, So You Think You’re Funny, in 2011.

Just don’t label her a ‘Scottish’ comedian. Brady is uncomfortable being a talking head on issues of Scottish independence and is reportedly unimpressed with the English’s preoccupation with her nationality. But perhaps (after watching several YouTube snippets) some of the problem with the later lies in the fact that Brady‘s fairly broad accent (to my English ears, anyway) bolsters her no-nonsense delivery. And God bless this green and pleasant land, but an English accent just doesn’t have the same clout.

But of course, there’s much more to Fern Bady than being Scottish. Her autobiographical material (she claims to be terrible at making things up, so everything she talks about on stage is true) is self-assured, knowing and easy to relate to. This is a great chance to see a comedian on the up, in a relatively intimate venue. I’d get in quick, before she’s packing out arenas.

Fern Brady on Seann Walsh’s Late Night Comedy Spectacular

Fern Brady brings her Suffer, Fools! tour to The Glee Club (B’ham) on Monday 29^th January – rescheduled from 26^th January. For direct gig info, including venue details and online ticket sales, visit www.glee.co.uk/performer/fern-brady-tour

For more on Fern Brady, visit www.fernbrady.co.uk

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

January 23, 2018

BPREVIEW: The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18

Words by Ashleigh Goodwin

The Bottom Line perform at The Asylum 2 on Wednesday 24^th January, coming straight from their supporting slot on Waterparks’ sold out tour.

Promoted by Surprise You’re Dead! Music, doors to The Asylum 2 open at 6pm with the gig accessible to ages 14+. Standard tickets start from £10 on The Asylum website, and £11 (adv) on SeeTickets – for direct gig info and links to online ticket sales, click here.

Established in 2011, The Bottom Line have made waves across the scene since releasing their debut album Role Models? in the same year – from supporting pop-punk powerhouses Bowling for Soup and Simple Plan, to an eventful 2017 that saw the band play over 60 shows on a tour spanning the USA, Canada and Europe.

2018 sees the London based four-piece embarking on their biggest UK headline tour to date, coming to The Asylum in Birmingham at the midway point of six dates from Glasgow to London. Also this year, The Bottom Line are co-headlining the Saturday of Pop Punk Pile Up 2018 – sharing the top bill status with bands such as Room 94 and The King Blues over the course of the April weekender.

The Bottom Line’s aim ‘to make jumpy music and remind people that not everything sucks’ is reflected in their array of singles including ‘Cancel Christmas’ and ‘Insecure’, as well as their I Still Hate You EP, released in January 2018. Also worth checking out is the band’s Covered in Punk! album that includes covers of Wheatus, Weezer, Andrew W.K and Taylor Swift (accompanied by a hilarious parody on their Youtube channel) – available to download for free, along with their complete discography, on The Bottom Line’s Bandcamp page.

Known for their energetic live performances, interaction with fans and their self-proclaimed statement to ‘keep pop punk fun’, The Bottom Line have carved their place in the modern day pop-punk scene, with a nostalgic old school sound and vibe and songs that wouldn’t seem out of place alongside an early 2000’s pop-punk playlist – their video for ‘Record Player’ baring similarity to (or possibly paying homage) Sum 41’s ‘In Too Deep’ video.

Accompanying The Bottom Line on their UK tour are Newcastle based pop-punk four-piece Better Days, who take components of early 2000’s pop punk and intertwine them with newer takes and an emo undertone; Graeme Costello’s unique vocals overlap the band’s engrossing hooks and emotive lyrics.

Better Days have had an insanely packed past couple of years since forming – from releasing their debut single ‘This House’ in their conception year, to playing alongside bands such as Seaway, WSTR and Less Than Jake, as well as appearing at Slam Dunk festival, all since 2015.

Also on The Asylum bill are the Nottingham based alternative rock band Lacey, whose back-catalogue is compiled of catchy songs with sing-along choruses, incorporating elements of rock, pop-rock and post-emo. Lacey released their debut album, Under the Brightest Lights, back in 2015 – demonstrating their capabilities as a polished, compelling four-piece on the British rock scene.

With Lacey‘s follow up 5 track I Don’t Owe the World a Thing EP released in February 2016 – alongside their latest single, ‘Answers’, released in May 2017 – it wouldn’t be a bad idea to catch any of these bands in the smaller venues whilst you still can.

‘I Still Hate You’ – The Bottom Line

For more on The Bottom Line, visit www.thebottomlineuk.com

For more on Better Days, visit www.soundcloud.com/betterdaysband

For more on Lacey, visit www.laceyofficialuk.com

For more from The Asylum, including full event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.theasylumvenue.co.uk

For more on Surprise You’re Dead! Music, visit www.surpriseyouredeadmusic.co.uk

January 21, 2018

THE GALLERY: The Bronx @ Mama Roux’s 17.01.18

Words & pics by Aatish Ramchurn

Tuesday evening. My car headlights stop working on my drive home, and the surprise flakes falling late at night are sticking to the ground. I’m hoping that on Wednesday I don’t wake up to eight inches of snow, and I can find a garage to fit me in to fix my headlights. Thankfully, both of my wishes are granted, and I have no problem making my way to see The Bronx live in Birmingham.

Knowing that the night has sold out, I arrive early to Digbeth’s most quaintly-decorated venue, Mama Roux’s. Standing by the stage in a virtually empty room, I watch it gradually fill up, with those arriving the earliest heading straight upstairs to the balcony to get the best view.

Until this point, I was unaware of who the support act was going to be, or if there even was a support act. I’d only seen this gig promoted by Surprise You’re Dead! Music, as The Bronx playing their latest album, The Bronx V, ‘in its entirety’. I found it a little hard to believe that The Bronx would be playing two and a half hour sets up and down the country.

Not that I doubt that they could. They’ve been touring as both The Bronx and Mariachi El Bronx for 15 years, even playing as both bands on the same night. It was just a gut feeling that there had to be someone supporting them throughout this club venue tour.

As it turns out, Ming City Rockers, from Immingham, are supporting The Bronx on their UK album showcase gigs. The East Lincolnshire rockers capture the attention of the audience with their fast-paced, punk rock and roll sound, reminiscent of The Buzzcocks and MC5.

Although there’s no restriction on the amount of photos I can take of bands at Mama Roux’s, I decide to impose the three song rule on myself, just so I can enjoy the rest of Ming City Rocker’s short, but powerful set, along with the rest of the audience. If you like your bands fast, loud, and slightly obnoxious (I mean that in a good way), their album, Lemon, would be worth checking out.

As Ming City Rockers leave the stage, I feel naturally drawn into the dispersion of the room, until this thought suddenly dawned on me: ‘This floor will be packed with people nearer the time The Bronx are on, do I really want to move away from the stage?’

I position myself to the left, until I’m wedged between stage speakers and the rest of the front row. I’m aware I’m not going to be in this position for too long but I have a decent place to start shooting from before things get less than ideal.

With the instruments set up, and beers settled by each amplifier, The Bronx are warmly welcomed by the Birmingham crowd. Frontman, Matt Caughthran, edges closer to the audience, greeting them as if meeting an old friend, before the band explodes into The Bronx V from start to finish. With where I’m positioned, I take advantage of getting shots in the limited time Matt Caughthran spends on stage – he seems more comfortable out in the middle of the crowd.

I’d gone into this gig presuming that my biggest challenge would be trying to get focused pictures in the middle of a frantic mosh pit, with an onslaught of stage divers and a poorly-lit environment.

However, it was something else entirely. Whenever Matt Caughthran was down in the room, from where I was perched on the slightly poked out corner of a speaker to give me a higher vantage point, I found myself in a Where’s Wally? situation, as I was having trouble differentiating which out of the many bald, tattooed men present was The Bronx’s frontman. Following the trail of the microphone cable into the crowd didn’t help me find him either, as he’s quite short. There were times I’m sure I was focusing on the wrong person.

After playing their fifth, eponymous release from their record label, White Drugs, The Bronx ventured into more familiar territory, with fan favourites such as ‘White Guilt’, ‘Knifeman’, and set closer ‘History’s Stranglers’.

I know us concert photographers tend to prefer to shoot in the comfort of photo pits, away from people knocking our elbows in minimal space. But I have to admit, shooting a vibrant punk show in a packed out, intimate venue with poor lighting, not only provides a fun, yet frustrating challenge. It also gives you images that document the soul of punk rock in Birmingham.

The Bronx @ Mama Roux’s 17.01.18 / Aatish Ramchurn – Birmingham Review

For more on The Bronx, visit www.thebronxxx.com

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Ming City Rockers – supporting The Bronx @ Mama Roux’s 17.01.18 / Aatish Ramchurn – Birmingham Review

For more on Ming City Rockers, visit www.mingcityrockers.co.uk

For more on Mama Roux’s, Birmingham, including full events listings, visit www.facebook.com/mamarouxs

For more on Surprise You’re Dead! Music, visit www.surpriseyouredeadmusic.co.uk

January 17, 2018January 17, 2018

BREVIEW: The Hunna @ O2 Academy 11.01.18

Words by Molly Forsyth / Pics by Phil Drury

I step into the O2 Academy in Birmingham, a venue that has been a staple in my perusal of live music for over a decade, and feel apprehension for the first time.

I am still accustomed to being below the average age of attendees at gigs. Tonight, it is clear I am not. The hum of teenage excitement is all too familiar to me, except this time I am not part of it. College kids glug double pints of Somersby’s. Hives of young girls are buzzing around the venue, a swarm of double dyed-denim, glitter eyes, high-waisted jeans, vintage windbreakers and bleached buzzcuts. They look fantastic, and I have no doubt they are about to have the time of their lives tonight watching one of the fastest rising bands in the UK, The Hunna.

Opening this evening are Night Riots, who feed off the energy radiating around the hall to put in a blistering performance, complete with a mini LED display at the start of the set.

They are so good it is hard to believe they are supporting a gig of this size rather than filling the venue themselves. Night Riots effectively combine chugging riffs reminiscent of early emo bands such as Jimmy Eat World with the flamboyant sensibilities of new wave, and it’s a concoction fit for tonight’s crowd.

Frontman, Travis Hawley, strolls whimsically across the speakers throughout, shirt buttoned down past Simon Cowell-level, but not quite Morrissey-level.

Their standout track is ‘Spiders’ – one of the strongest songs I hear all evening – which serves to show the band’s identity beyond their influences. The lo-fi drums, building anthemic verses and a smooth slide into delicate synth work, demonstrate the finesse that Night Riots possess. They return to UK shores from their native California in just a few short months and I will certainly be in attendance.

Next are Coasts, providing a tighter, crisper sound than their fellow support act, if perhaps lacking in originality. Compared to the more grandiose Night Riots, Coasts feel minimal in the space they occupy, their strength lying in the clarity of their layered tracks. At no point in their set does any instrument bleed into the other. The slightest pluck of the guitar can be heard against the gentlest beat, which is testament to their skill as musicians.

After ploughing through a set consisting of pleasant, albeit forgettable dream pop, they end with ‘Oceans’ to a big cheer. Undeniably their most immediate and memorable moment of the night, it feels unfortunate that diversity is lacking in the rest of their catalogue. If they are capable of writing songs as impactful as ‘Oceans’ however, I remain hopeful that Coasts can expand on their sound with new and more unique ideas in the future.

In contrast, it seems that The Hunna have made a breakthrough in establishing their identity. Shrouded by dim strobes of magenta and indigo, they turn up with every intention of causing a frenzy. What follows is a 45 minute onslaught of menacing indie rock aimed squarely at your adrenaline reserves, complete with choruses containing clear ambition for chart success.

Highlights include early favourite ‘She’s Casual’, sung mainly by the crowd, current Radio 1 favourite ‘Flickin’ Your Hair’, and new song ‘Dare’, which perfectly demonstrates the band’s development in their songwriting. While the songs from their debut album, 100, are solid stabs at straight-up garage rock made popular in the Noughties, ‘Dare’ indicates that The Hunna are ready for bigger things.

Making their way back on the stage in coordinated jackets to spell out the song title, The Hunna launch into a dirty, distorted riff. The direct lyrics assert their authority to a lover, rather than wondering out loud if she cares about their existence (see ‘Still Got Blood’, ‘You Don’t Want It With Me’) and are imbued with a certain confidence that matches the growth the band have experienced in just two years. As they play the last notes of fan favourite ‘Bonfire’ the last remnants of cerise confetti float over a crowd still hungry for more, and I make my exit with every faith that 2018 belongs to The Hunna.

As impressed as I am with the three bands, the hero of the night is the crowd. I love young crowds, not for their ‘energy’ (being 24, I can’t claim I’m exactly tired yet) but for their commitment to having a good time. They aren’t jaded or overly educated in what makes good music to stop them from enjoying themselves to the fullest. They are a generation raised on a diet of too-cool-for-school trap beats and icy pop – Drake, Post Malone and Taylor Swift are played during intervals – but their appetite for indie coexists.

While applause and tacit appreciation is something I come to expect from crowds these days, tonight is all about festival-level screaming, stomping until your Vans are worn down from the sole, and climbing atop the shoulders of the first strapping young man you can find. And I can’t ask for anything better.

The Hunna @ O2 Academy 11.01.18 / Phil Drury – Birmingham Review

For more on The Hunna visit www.thehunna.com

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Coasts – supporting The Hunna @ O2 Academy 11.01.18 / Phil Drury – Birmingham Review

For more on Coasts, visit www.coastscoastscoasts.tumblr.com

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Night Riots – supporting The Hunna @ O2 Academy 11.01.18 / Phil Drury – Birmingham Review

For more on Night Riots, visit www.nightriots.com

For more from High Tide Records, visit www.hightiderecordings.com

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

January 16, 2018

BPREVIEW: The Bronx @ Mama Roux’s 17.01.18

Words by Aatish Ramchurn

On Wednesday 17th January 2018, Surprise Your Dead! Music present The Bronx at Mama Roux’s – where the band will be playing their latest album, The Bronx V.

Doors open at 7pm, with tickets priced at £17 (+bf) – but be warned, at the time of writing this event has already sold out so for direct gig info, click here.

To celebrate the release of their latest album, The Bronx will be playing The Bronx V ‘in its entirety’ in venues across the UK. The Southern Californian punks will arrive at Mama Roux’s on Wednesday 17th January, with the gig selling out just days after the Birmingham based promoters, Surprise You’re Dead! Music, released tickets.

Founded in 2002 by frontman Matt Caughthran, guitarist Joby J.Ford, bassist James Tweedy, and drummer Jorma Vik, The Bronx quickly attracted attention from major label, Island Def Jam Music Group, after just 12 shows. However, the band decided to put out their first few releases by forming their own label, White Drugs.

Their first major release came with their 2nd eponymous album (a title trend the band would continue) in 2006, when Ken Horne joined the band as their second guitarist. Subsequent albums would eventually be put out on White Drugs, including their 5th and latest album, The Bronx V, which was released in September 2017.

The Bronx last visited Birmingham as part of the Slam Dunk Festival 2017 at The Genting Arena, where they were joined by new drummer, David Hidalgo Jr.

When they’re not playing as a punk rock members of The Bronx also play as a mariachi band, Mariachi El Bronx, having three albums released under this name. But there will be no sign of any mariachi music at Mama Roux’s on the 17th January, as it will be pure, unadulterated punk rock coming from The Bronx as they perform their fifth album in this special showcase event.

For more on The Bronx, visit www.thebronxxx.com

For more on Mama Roux’s, Birmingham, including full events listings, visit www.facebook.com/mamarouxs

For more on Surprise You’re Dead! Music, visit www.surpriseyouredeadmusic.co.uk