Charlotte Heap

November 6, 2019November 5, 2019

BREVIEW: Reginald D. Hunter – Just the Tonic Comedy Club @ Rosies Nightclub 01.11.19

Words by Charlotte Heap / Pic courtesy of Just the Tonic Comedy Club

Reginald D. Hunter headlined Just the Tonic Comedy Club special on Friday 1st November at Rosies Nightclub on Broad Street, with support acts Simon Wozniak and Darius Davies – ably compared by regular host, Thomas Green.

Just the Tonic Comedy Club was founded in 1994 and has been running at venues across the UK ever since. Firstly, I must grumble. Doors closed for the show at 7.15pm, for an 8 o’clock start: arriving after work, this reviewer was hungry. I was surprised that only Chicago Town pizzas were on offer which were pretty pricey considering they are essentially frozen pizzas (and no crisps! – criminal). It’s a generous line-up too, meaning the show lasted nearly three hours: I soon decided to splash out on a pizza and was a little cranky to discover they’d sold out. The place was busy but not packed: this peckish punter would have appreciated better preparedness from the Friday night organisers. The scarcity of sustenance, however, did mean the lubricated audience lent a lively spirit to the show.

Rosies Nightclub is an intimate venue, a real old school comedy club with long tables (imagine the darts but much more ‘date night’) and large leather booths. Every seat has a good view and they even set out a free front row for the fearless or foolish, a foot from the stage: a chance we leapt at (I’d had four gins in quick succession on an empty stomach). Thomas Green (an acerbic, bearded Aussie who, like most Australians, makes liberal use of the C-bomb) worked the crowd well and deftly dealt with drunken hecklers. His quick banter built an audience bond which the acts bounced off. Spooky Halloween spiderwebs (and skulls which initially blocked the stage lights) stuck to each act and it was great to see how they each improvised to capitalise on the physical comedy.

As to the acts: Darius Davies (an Anglo-Iranian from London) was a decent warm up, funny if a little predictable (to be fair, I was ‘hangry’ at this point and he made the typical ‘Birmingham is shit’ joke, which nearly pushed me over the edge). Simon Wozniak’s set was better, slick self-deprecation delivered dripping in snark, which had the audience roaring. By the time Reginald D. Hunter arrived, his familiar large frame dominating the small stage as his grey dreads caught up in the cobwebs, the crowd was pleasantly pissed and well warmed up.

An American who has made the UK his home for the last two decades, Hunter is by far one of the most familiar faces on the comedy circuit in the UK today. Known for his acerbic wit delivered in honey tones: I’m most familiar with his tackling of subjects like race and sexuality on TV in his smooth South Georgia drawl.

Having enjoyed that comedy rarity of both critical and commercial success, his stand-up has become almost secondary to his television career, although he does tour regularly. His shortish set (around half an hour) seemed somewhat patched together from a longer show; he touched on race (the N-word), politics (the B-word) but then swung to love/sex/relationships jokes. Hunter is a seasoned pro: being given a glimpse into his personal life humanised him, but with richness in the political landscape right now it would have been great to see him riff more on the ridiculousness of both his adopted and home nation’s hubris. This is a niggle, however, Hunter was entertaining, showing a different string to his bow and we spilled out onto Broad Street happy, if very hungry.

Just the Tonic Comedy Club gives Brummies the chance to see comedy in a cosy setting: three quality acts and a compere for fifteen quid is a bargain night of entertainment in the centre of Broad Street. Be prepared, however: pack some snacks.

For more on Reginal D. Hunter, visit www.reginalddhunter.co.uk

For more from Just the Tonic Comedy Club (Birmingham), including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.justthetonic.com/birmingham-comedy

For more on Rosies Nightclub (Birmingham), including venue details and further event listings, visit www.rosiesclubs.co.uk/birmingham

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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 surrounding sexual violence – 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.

October 30, 2019November 1, 2019

BPREVIEW: Reginald D. Hunter – Just the Tonic Comedy Club @ Rosies Nightclub 01.11.19

Words by Charlotte Heap / Pic courtesy of Just the Tonic Comedy Club

On Friday 1^st November, Reginald D. Hunter is headlining Just the Tonic Comedy Club special at Rosies Nightclub on Broad Street – with support acts Simon Wozniak, Darius Davies, and Thomas Green completing the line up.

Doors open at 6.30pm, with tickets priced at £15 (£12.50 concessions) – as promoted by the nationwide Just the Tonic Comedy Club. For more event information, including venue details and links to online ticket sales, visit www.justthetonic.com/birmingham-comedy/shows/friday-1-nov-2019/

Just the Tonic Comedy Club was founded in 1994 by Darrell Martin, a stand up in his own right, and has been running at venues across the UK ever since – ‘consistently boasting the most interesting line ups in the country’, according to The Times. According to Just the Tonic’s website. Promoting a show every Saturday at Rosies Birmingham, Just the Tonic has brought some well known faces from the comedy circuit to the second city, including Ross Noble, Milton Jones, and now Reginald D. Hunter – with Stuart Lee describing the club as ‘a really valuable part of the UK comedy scene’ in a 2010 interview.

An American who has made the UK his home for the last two decades, Reginad D. Hunter is known for his acerbic wit delivered in honey tones; tackling subjects like race and sexuality in his sweet smooth South Georgia drawl, his comedy can be controversial but is always cleverly articulated and dispensed with conviction. Hunter is by far one of the most familiar faces, and voices, on the comedy circuit in the UK today.

A television regular, Hunter has become a staple on panel shows such as Have I Got News for You, 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, and QI. He’s also branched out into documentary making: Reginald D. Hunter’s Songs of the South and its equally successful follow up Reginald D. Hunter’s Songs of the Border explored the growth of American music on BBC2.

Having been first nominated for Edinburgh Comedy Awards Best Newcomer in 2002 for his debut solo show I am What I am, Hunter has enjoyed that comedy rarity of both critical and commercial success – so much so that his stand-up has become almost secondary to his television career, although he still tours regularly.

Just the Tonic Comedy Club brings Birmingham comedy fans the chance to see some of the circuits best loved acts perform in an intimate setting on Broad Street: less arena tour, more old school stand-up show.

Reginal D. Hunter performs at Rosie’s Nightclub on Friday 1^st November, supported by stand up comedians Simon Wozniak, Darius Davies, and Thomas Green – as promoted by Just the Tonic Comedy Club. For more event information, including venue details and online ticket sales, visit www.justthetonic.com/birmingham-comedy/shows/friday-1-nov-2019/

For more on Reginal D. Hunter, visit www.reginalddhunter.co.uk

For more from Just the Tonic Comedy Club (Birmingham), including further event listings and online ticket sales, visitwww.justthetonic.com/birmingham-comedy

For more on Rosies Nightclub (Birmingham), including venue details and further event listings, visit www.rosiesclubs.co.uk/birmingham

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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.

September 30, 2019September 30, 2019

BREVIEW: Fantasia – Rosie Kay Dance Company @ The Patrick Studio 25.09.19

Words by Charlotte Heap / Pics courtesy of Rosie Kay Dance Company

What is it that makes dance beautiful to watch? The choreography, the costumes, the lighting, the music?

Rosie Kay’s Dance Company’s new show, Fantasia, which premiered at Birmingham Hippodrome’s Patrick Studio on 25th September, promised to use art and science to ‘make a work of pure joy.’

Rosie Kay Dance Company is a West Midlands based organisation headed by the eponymous Rosie Kay, a Birmingham Hippodrome Associate, and established in 2004. The company has a number of acclaimed productions in its repertoire, including MK Ultra, (which I’ve reviewed during its original run in 2017 and after its revamp in 2018), The Wild Party, Supernova and 5 Soldiers – the latter of which was performed in a real barracks. More recently, Kay was a Commonwealth Games Handover Ceremony choreographer.

Rosie Kay has developed a reputation for developing shows which challenge the audience on complex issues, without compromising on the dance experience. In researching for her new piece, Fantasia, Kay worked with neuroscientists at Denmark’s Center for Music in the Brain to explore how dance can trigger pleasure and fulfilment in the cerebrum. Kay fine-tuned her choreography for Fantasia, using this knowledge, in an attempt maximise the audience experience.

Fantasia is a performance in three parts: three female dancers explore emotions, from love to loss, through linked group and solo dances representing the sun, the moon and the earth. Composer Annie Mahtani and Kay worked with familiar pieces including Purcell, Beethoven and Bach for the show, delivering a clever contrast between classical music and modern choreography.

Dancers Shanelle Clemenson, Harriet Ellis, and Carina Howard were, at times, breath-taking: performing barefoot ballet with power, athleticism and raw emotion. The composition coupled with the intimacy of The Patrick Studio meant we could hear the dancers breathe emotional exhalations, a deliberate choice by Mahtani and Kay which added to the immersive feel of Fantasia.

The most joyful moments were enhanced by clever staging; Louis Price and Sasha Kier brought the tutu back, but exaggerated the form and added tribal prints. Under the bright light of the ‘sun’, the pirouetting dancers resembled spinning parasols on a windswept beach.

Fully-fringed silver catsuits swished and shone hypnotically in the ‘moonlight’, although a nitpicker may say that the costume change here was a few seconds too long – an empty, unlit stage does not spark joy. It was for the merest of moments, however, and Mike Gunning (Lighting Director) otherwise created dreamy reflections and shadows on the studio stage, replicating and twisting the dancers’ moves like a hall of mirrors.

The dancers weaved through a range of feelings for the audience; modern moves, frantic and frenetic, confronted us and induced discomfort as well as delight. Irreverence in dance may not please the purist – but some endearing and even cheeky moments (literally, as each dancer playfully lifts their dress to flash their bottom during the final act) brought levity and laughter from this opening night audience. Occasionally, a size disparity between the dancers caused synchronicity to slip and this dampened the fantasy – but only slightly.

Fantasia sets out to be ‘an exquisite performance of pleasure, beauty and finesse’, subverting conventional ballet to reach the audience scientifically as well aesthetically. Kay has used her signature innovation to bring ballet into the 21^st century’; Fantasia isn’t pure joy but more a reminder of the scope of human emotion, and that in itself is joyful to watch.

Fantasia – Rosie Kay Dance Company

Rosie Kay Dance Company is currently touring Fantasia across the UK, running until 21^st November. For more on Fantasia, visit www.rosiekay.co.uk/project/fantasia

For more from the Rosie Kay Dance Company, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.rosiekay.co.uk

For more on the Birmingham Hippodrome and The Patrick Studio, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.birminghamhippodrome.com/about-us/the-patrick-studio

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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.

September 26, 2018

BREVIEW: MK ULTRA @ The Patrick Centre 21.09.18

Words by Charlotte Heap / Pics by Brian Slater – courtesy of Rosie Kay Dance Company

It is eighteen months since I reviewed the world premiere of Rosie Kay’s MK ULTRA: we were ‘steeped in alternative facts’ then – and now? Some might say we are stewing in a surreal, post-fact society.

Kay, as artistic director, has spent time reshaping the narrative of this psychedelic trip: stripping out surplus conspiracies and focusing on her favourite: the seemingly far-fetched notion that the CIA’s brainwashing programme, for which the show is named, did not stop in the 1960s but continued covertly to create malfunctioning pop star puppets like Britney Spears and Justin Bieber.

Shining a searchlight on society’s obsession with symbolism, hypersexuality and the Illuminati, the show is starkly staged with a high gloss floor reflecting kaleidoscopic projections and the sinuous synchronicity of the dancers. An unsettling, blinking all-seeing eye watches over the audience as we are spun through the story of a star being conditioned, and battling against, a government programme of mind control. Kay’s combination of daring dance, slick visuals and pulsing beats pull us down the rabbit hole with her.

Rosie Kay Dance Company (RKCD) choreography is challenging for both dancer and audience. Familiar moves, such as Michael Jackson’s iconic crotch grab and the ubiquitous twerking of modern music videos, are distorted and developed. The dancers embody the torturous puppet-making process: from the frenetic and, at times, frantic to the sometimes grotesquely sexual, we are forced to confront the conspiracy head on.

The seven dancers, clad in butterfly colours and conspiracy symbols, achieve stunning synergy at times. The solos, almost MTV moments, are intimate and unsettling insights into a visceral struggle for free will. This is clever choreography: it is as hypnotising as it is uncomfortable to watch. Intercut with images of a fragile Britney Spears, it feels voyeuristic to the viewer. Here is the rise and demise of the pop star: like a car crash, it is impossible to look away.

The reworking of the original show has focused the narrative on an individual. Kay felt that as a society, we are now au fait with even far-fetched conspiracy theories, and this enabled her to explore more deeply the supposed collaboration between Walt Disney and the CIA. Symbols are sewn in to the fabric of the show (and costumes): subtlety is not the approach but it needn’t be. The show is stunning to watch but the conspiracy (to me, a cynic) is laughable. The original show cleverly intercut snippets of young Brummies discussing the Illuminati which acted as startling reminder of the prevalence, and passivity, of believers. This show is slicker, with a more defined story: split into the traditional acts of a play, with a documentary-style narrator, it seems to have lost some of its direct challenge to the audience.

MK ULTRA is the final, political episode in an RKCD trilogy – previous installments 5 Soldiers and There is Hope (covering war and religion respectively) demonstrate Kay’s commitment to creating dance that covers unusual but important ground. Societal shifts in the last 18 months (President Trump now makes an unwelcome appearance in the show’s visuals) provide a more sinister backdrop for the story. As a standalone show, it is impactful and impressive – a dark twisted fantasy.

Having seen the original iteration, however, I’m left lamenting the removal of some of the societal context which challenged the viewer to consider their own role in a post-truth world. The individual narrative gives the viewer the opportunity to distance themselves from the cautionary tale: we may be brainwashed, but we’ll never be pop stars. So why does it matter?

MK ULTRA (official trailer) – Rosie Kay Dance Company

Rosie Kay Dance Company are currently touring MK ULTRA across the UK, until their finale show at the LEAP Festival in Liverpool on 10^th November. For full tour details, visit www.mkultra.dance/tour-info

For more on MK Ultra, visit www.mkultra.dance

For more on Rosie Kay Dance Company, visit www.rosiekay.co.uk

For more from The Patrick Centre and the wider Hippodrome programme, visit www.birminghamhippodrome.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 sign up to NOT NORMAL – NOT OK, click here. To know more about the NOT NORMAL – NOT OK sticker campaign, click here.

May 22, 2018May 25, 2018

ELEANOR’S PICK: Slam Dunk Festival 2018 (Midlands) @ NEC 28.05.18

Words by Eleanor Sutcliffe

Slam Dunk Festival 2018 (Midlands) comes to the NEC in Birmingham on 28^th May. For a direct event information, including venue details and online ticket sales, visit www.gentingarena.co.uk/whats-on/slam-dunk-festival

As one of the most anticipated dates in the UK pop punk calendar, it’s safe to say Slam Dunk Festival are taking no prisoners with this year’s line up. With a bevy of bands and artists descending upon the NEC in just under a week’s time, I took it upon myself to comb through the roster and select a number that I personally love.

Holding Absence / Rock Sound Breakout Stage

Birmingham favourites, Holding Absence, are set to make their Slam Dunk debut this year on the Rock Sound Breakout Stage. Having recently announced the departure of guitarist Feisal El-Khazragi, it will be one of their first performances without him in their line up. But with Holding Absence recently nominated for Best British Breakthrough Band at the 2018 Heavy Metal Awards, plus playing a string of dates supporting Being as an Ocean across Europe in June, they’re certainly not letting El-Khazragi’s departure slow them down.

Represented by Sharptone Records – who bought us the likes of Don Broco, Miss May I and We Came As Romans – the Cardiff based band also recently toured and released a co-EP with Loathe titled This Is As One, which earned them numerous positive reviews from critics for tracks such as ‘Saint Cecilia’.

Holding Absence perform at 3:30pm on the Rock Sound Breakout Stage. For more on Holding Absence, visit www.holdingabsence.com

‘Saint Cecilia’ – Holding Absence

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PVRIS / Jägermeister Main Stage

Having recently performed at Coachella, PVRIS will be returning to Birmingham hot off the heels of the American leg of their All We Know of Heaven, All We Need Of Hell tour – promoting their latest album of the same name.

Lynn Gunn’s dreamy vocals, combined with the band’s heavy rock influences, have earned them a dedicated fanbase and won them Rock Sound’s Artist of the Year Award back in 2017. Here’s hoping PVRIS also perform some tracks from their debut album, White Noise, with songs such as ‘St. Patrick’ and ‘My House’ being on my personal wish list.

PVRIS perform at 8:15 pm on the Jägermeister Main Stage. For more on PVRIS, visit www.pvris.com

‘Anyone Else’ – PVRIS

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Taking Back Sunday / Monster Energy Main Stage

Returning to Slam Dunk for the 3^rd time, Taking Back Sunday were in the first wave of bands to be confirmed to at perform this year’s festival.

Having released their 7^th album, Tidal Waves, in September 2016, and parting ways with their original guitarist Eddie Rayes last month, it will be interesting to see if we get to hear any new material from the group. Although I’m hoping to hear classic tracks such as ‘You’re So Last Summer’ and ‘MakeDamnSure’ as well as songs such as ‘You Can’t Look Back’ from their latest album live.

Taking Back Sunday perform at 8:05pm on the Monster Energy Main Stage. For more on Taking Back Sunday, visit www.takingbacksunday.com

‘You’re So Last Summer’ – Taking Back Sunday

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Astroid Boys / Impericon Stage

The Impericon stage will be hosting hardcore grime band Astroid Boys, who have always delivered impressive shows in Birmingham. Growing steadily since their formation back in 2012, they were bought to my attention after being featured in BBC Radio 4’s documentary Operation Grime, which tailed them on a tour across the UK.

Astroid Boys‘ music is not for the faint hearted – expect brutal lyrics addressing issues such as racism, mashed with hardcore and grime influences to create a sound you probably have never heard before… but will just as probably want to listen to again.

Astroid Boys perform at 2:20 pm on the Impericon Stage. For more on Astroid Boys, visit www.astroid-boys.com

‘Foreigners’ – Astroid Boys

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As It Is / Signature Brew Stage

Announcing the August release of their latest album, The Great Depression, only a few days ago, Brighton based As It Is will be headlining the Signature Brew stage this year.

A band who’ve amassed a dedicated fan base with tracks such as ‘Dial Tones’ and ‘Hey Rachel’, their material is catchy, easy to listen to and fun – however it’s unfair to assume they lack a more serious side. Their latest release, ‘The Wounded World’, delves into a much darker side of their ever-expanding noise, having been cited by the band as a ‘new era’ of their music which expands on ‘the societal romanticisation of depression’ and ‘the disrepair of present-day human connection’.

As ever with this band, though, As It Is approach their subject with the respect and sensitivity it warrants – referencing their new material as a means for them to work to create a positive change for mental health.

As It Is perform at 8:30pm on the Signature Brew Stage. For more from As It Is, visit www.asitisofficial.bandcamp.com

‘The Wounded World’ – As It Is

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Luke Rainsford / The Key Club Acoustic Stage

The Key Club Acoustic Stage is hosting a stellar line up of bands and artists, including Birmingham’s Luke Rainsford – combining upbeat guitar with gut wrenching vocals, making music that is hard hitting but a real treat to listen to.

Having toured the UK extensively since the release of I Feel At Home With You in February 2017, and having recently released his latest EP, I Just Don’t Deserve To Be Loved, in April 2018, Rainsford’s music deals with difficult issues such as loss, bereavement, low self esteem and mental health. Good, honest stuff.

Luke Rainsford performs at 4:15 pm on The Key Club Acoustic Stage. For more on Luke Rainsford, visit www.lukerainsford.bandcamp.com

‘Home Safe’ – Luke Rainsford

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltnvyxgWovs

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Stand Atlantic / Rock Sound Breakout Stage

Australian trio, Stand Atlantic, will also be making their Slam Dunk debut this year, having recently toured with other performers such as ROAM and Knuckle Puck. With their latest EP, Sidewinder, reaching an impressive #10 on Rock Sound’s Top 50 Albums of 2017, and having been cited by Kerrang! as one of the hottest bands of 2018, Stand Atlantic are proving they’re a force to be reckoned with.

Claiming influences from Blink-182 to The 1975, they’re certainly considered a mixed bag musically too – but in the best possible way. Trust me. Go and listen to ‘Coffee at Midnight’. You can thank me later.

Stand Atlantic perform at 6:00 pm on the Rock Sound Breakout Stage. For more on Stand Atlantic, visit www.facebook.com/StandAtlantic

‘Coffee at Midnight’ – Stand Atlantic

Slam Dunk Festival 2018 (Midlands) comes to the NEC in Birmingham on 28^th May. For direct information on Slam Dunk Festival 2018, including details on all the events happening across the UK, visit www.slamdunkmusic.com

For a direct info and online ticket sales for Slam Dunk Festival 2018 (Midlands), visit www.gentingarena.co.uk/whats-on/slam-dunk-festival

For more from the Genting Arena, including full events listing and venue details, visit www.gentingarena.co.uk