Ed King 2210 Archives - Page 15 of 27 -

August 30, 2018August 30, 2018

BREVIEW: Project Soundlounge @ Town Hall 18.08.18

Words by Cariss Auburn & Ed King / Pics by Callum Lees

On Saturday 18^th August, Project Soundlounge returned to Birmingham’s Town Hall for its 6^th annual event. With entry free all night, a line up including Jerry Williams, Lady Sanity, Population:7, Riscas, FABRIK, and Cariss Auburn took to the Town Hall stage from 5pm.

Showcasing some of The Midlands’ brightest bands and musical stars in the making, Project Soundlounge is a one day festival organised by a collective of 16 to 25 year olds – giving young people a chance to promote a live music event in one of the most prestigious venues in the city. Seriously, this is quite an incredible opportunity for our region’s fledgling creatives. When I started out I had Slipmatt in The Dance Factory…

Although, giving young promoters such a large venue to play with – albeit a beautiful cavern – may not be the most confidence inspiring first foray into the world of selling tickets. Even if they’re for free.Promoting live music is hard, promoting it in Birmingham is even harder, and getting over 1,000 people to give up their Saturday is no mean feat. Ask Live Nation. Or whoever promoted the last Ani DiFranco gig within these walls.

But Project Soundlounge presents a good local line up. Not box ticking-public funding good either, but actually good. As in, I’d-pay-money-to-see-that kind of good. As in, i’d give up my Saturady. So here, with the programme, Project Soundlounge is not a hollow gesture – or even worse, a patronising pat on the back for people who need something to stick on a CV. It’s a confident first step – one that would have a decent crack at a lower end three digit capacity. And whilst other initiatives are out there purporting the same ‘opportunity for young people’, I’ve seldom see any that come this close to such a firm foot forward for both the people playing on stage and those that put them there.

But, as I can hear tired yawns from too much sycophantic copy floating in (a noise I’d probably be making if I wasn’t the one writing it) who better to tell you what’s what than someone at the centre of it all.

Carris Auburn is a Wolverhampton based ‘singer-songwriter and self-taught producer’, whose debut Unphased EP is worth some serious attention – gathering accolades from Glastonbury’s emerging talent hawks to longstanding soul legend Alexander O’Neal.

Auburn has also been compiling a series of cover songs in and around Wolverhampton, with the last one filmed Wightwick Manor to celebrate the ‘100 years after the first set of women gained the right to vote in the UK’ – a project that fell a little outside of our editorial postcode, but check out what the Express & Star had to say about it by clicking here.

Closer to (our) home, Carris Auburn recently played a headline set at The Kitchen Garden Café in Kings Heath – a gig we sadly missed due to too much diary juggling, but one we kicked ourselves repeatedly for not making. So to throw some well deserved column inches her way, and save us some thinly spread Saturday, we asked her to write a ‘diary entry about her experience playing’ at Project Soundlounge, giving us ‘an honest account of the night, on stage and off’.

And to her credit, she agreed:

08:59 / It’s the day of Project Soundlounge! A festival held at Birmingham’s Town Hall organised entirely by 16-25 year olds. This year it’s all in aid of national charity Crisis and their campaign to end homelessness and I’m starting the day in panic mode because I’ve woken up an hour late.

11:00 / We’re somehow arriving at the Town Hall way before our load in time of 11:40am and it’s a good thing because I’ve managed to drive straight past the entrance.

11:15 / Take two and we’re in, being greeted by Lydia, our go to person for the day.

12:00 / Soundcheck – the venue looks as impressive as ever with screens reminding everyone to donate. It’s a bit slow getting everything set up but we manage to get a song in. I tell the band about the cover of ‘I Say A Little Prayer’ I decided to learn last night as a tribute to Aretha Franklin. They agree to join in like the masters of improv they are.

12:25 / I spot Lady Sanity in the kitchenette area backstage waiting to soundcheck. There’s only time for a quick hello before I head back to Wolves for a couple hours.

17:15 / I’m back at the Town Hall and the comedy of errors continues as we realise the track for my final song ‘Oil on Water’ is missing. Someone pops up asking me for a bio but I never see her again. The debate of what to do continues down to the wire but a shift around in the order of the set solves the issue.

17:45 / Showtime! We’re up on stage to kick off the night after being introduced by a slightly nervous announcer. It’s not the easiest at first with a small audience in a vast hall but everyone warms up and and has fun on the stage, the performance whizzing by. The Aretha Franklin tribute goes smoothly and I don’t even notice the lack of backing for ‘Oil on Water.’

18:40 / By the time everyone is packed up and we’ve thanked Lydia, I’ve missed most of Population:7’s performance. I catch the end after chatting to a couple members of the audience. The seven piece are a mix of rappers and singers with an incredible drummer, soulful harmonies and masses of charisma.

19:00 / Next up are synth grunge outfit FABRIK who the announcer hilariously introduces as Population:7 by accident. Such a powerful vocal from the lead singer. One avid fan is dancing alone and the resident videographer is straight in with the 360º shots.

20:40 – After a fun set of covers from Crisis worker Jeremiah it’s four piece indie band Riscas. Frontman, George Maycock, comments on the surreal nature of playing the Town Hall – relatable. They’re instantaneously sweating and it’s an energetic performance of catchy songs that wouldn’t be out of place at Glastonbury.

21:30 / The penultimate act is Birmingham rapper Lady Sanity and she comes out swinging, the relentless delivery of her lyrics a stark contrast to the chilled old school hip hop beat as she raps about striving for better days. Dubbed “energy crew,” a small group of people at the front of the hall shout her lyrics back at her.

22:15 / Jerry Williams and her band are on and not to be dramatic but she is wearing the greatest trousers I have ever seen. The high octane set is a journey of beachy rock songs and post-punk. We’re given some beautiful stripped back pieces – one solo song is an ode to an alcoholic’s promise to go sober if she wrote a song about him. A slick cover of Jamie T’s ‘If You Got the Money’ has a lot more people up on their feet and it’s a great end to the night.

22:35 / At this point the audience is largely made up of the organisers. I had thought it was a shame to see the event so sparsely attended and I encourage people that may read this now to donate what they can to Crisis. However, sat watching on my own, I felt the emptiness of the surrounding grandeur create this defiant pocket of live music energy and it was something I was truly proud to be a part of.

23:05 / I grab my things and walk out to my car, being reminded that it’s Saturday night by a passing hen do. I hope Project Soundlounge goes from strength to strength over the coming years, for the charities it helps and the young people it motivates.

Jerry Williams – Project Soundlounge @ Town Hall 18.08.17 / Callum Lees

For more on Jerry Williams, visit www.facebook.com/Jerrywilliamsmusic

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Lady Sanity – Project Soundlounge @ Town Hall 18.08.17 / Callum Lees

For more on Lady Sanity, visit www.ladysanity.com

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Riscas – Project Soundlounge @ Town Hall 18.08.17 / Callum Lees

For more on Riscas, visit www.riscasofficial.com

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Jeremiah (from Crisis) – Project Soundlounge @ Town Hall 18.08.17 / Callum Lees

For more on Crisis, visit www.riscasofficial.com

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FABRIK – Project Soundlounge @ Town Hall 18.08.17 / Callum Lees

For more on FABRIK, visit www.fabriktheband.co.uk

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Population:7 – Project Soundlounge @ Town Hall 18.08.18 / Callum Lees

For more on Population:7, visit www.population7.com

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Carris Auburn – Project Soundlounge @ Town Hall 18.08.17 / Callum Lees

For more on Carris Auburn, visit www.carissauburnmusic.com

To know more about Crisis, with links for online donations to the charity, visit www.crisis.org.uk

For more on Project Soundlounge, visit www.facebook.com/ProjectSoundLounge

For more on the Town Hall and Symphony Hall, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.thsh.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 sign up to NOT NORMAL – NOT OK, click here. To know more about the NOT NORMAL – NOT OK sticker campaign, click here.

August 24, 2018August 23, 2018

BPREVIEW: Gomez – Bring It On 20th Anniversary Tour @ O2 Institute 28.08.18

Words by Ed King

Gomez perform at the O2 Institute on Tuesday 28^th August, coming to Birmingham as part of their Bring It On 20^th Anniversary Tour with support from RUSSO – as presented by SJM Concerts/Gigs & Tours.

Doors are open at the O2 Institute from 7pm with the minimum age of entry 14yrs, although under 16s will need adult accompaniment. Tickets are priced at £34.50 (including all fees) for both seating and standing – for direct event information, including venue details and links to online ticket sales, click here.

Gomez released their debut album, Bring It On, back in the tail end of a dance music Vs Britpop dominated 90’s – as Paul Oakenfold was battling Blur across the Matthew Bannister banished airwaves of Radio One, five lads in Leeds played their first gig together. And as the student throng staggered around Hyde Park, a well placed sign (and a catchy surname) gave the fledgling ensemble a name.

Pretty soon after that fateful night at the Hyde Park Social Club, Gomez had signed to Hut Records – a Virgin owned subsidiary that was set up to champion the burgeoning indie scene. And pretty soon after that Bring It On was out of the studio, on the shelves (oh yes, handheld purchases in them days), and burrowing its way into the shortlist for the Mercury Music Award. A self produced mix of growling vocals, stripped back indie swagger, words rhyming with Mexico, and short and curly grabbing melodies, Bring It On was a masterful debut – eventually beating some pretty tough competition for the aforementioned trophy.

And whilst Gomez’s sophomore album, Liquid Skin, was arguably as lauded – and the band’s following five albums showed confidence, exploration and range – it is perhaps this 12 track introduction that gets more hairs on certain necks still standing up on end. Mention to anyone over 30 you’ve “got some friends in my BMW…” and chances are they’ll know what to say.

It is also the reason Gomez are back on the road – playing nine dates across the UK and Republic of Ireland as part of their Bring It On 20^th Anniversary Tour, which kicked off across North America in June.

And for those (lucky-life-still-ahead-of-them-bast*rds) who are too young to remember flicking through HMV racks on a Saturday afternoon…

’Get Myself Arrested’ – Gomez

Gomez come to the O2 Institute with their Bring It On 20^th Anniversary Tour on Tuesday 28^th August, with support from RUSSO – as presented by SJM Concerts/Gigs & Tours. For direct event information and links to online ticket sales, click here.

For more on Gomez, visit www.gomeztheband.com

For more on RUSSO, visit www.russo.lnk.to/hwap

For more from SJM Concerts/Gigs & Tours, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.gigsandtours.com

For more on the O2 Institute, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.academymusicgroup.com/o2institutebirmingham

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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.

August 22, 2018

BPREVIEW: BenDeLaCrème’s Inferno A-Go-Go! @ O2 Academy Birmingham 26.08.18

Words by Ed King

On Sunday 26^th August, BenDeLaCrème’s Inferno A-Go-Go! comes to the O2 Academy Birmingham – as presented by The MJR Group.

Doors open for Meet & Greet ticket holders from 5:30pm, with the VIP Meet & Greets happening from 6pm to 7pm. The hoi polloi can get access from 7pm – with entry allowed for anyone 14 and over, although under 16s will need adult accompaniment.

Standard tickets are priced at £31.45, with a little extra on top depending on how you want to collect them. For direct event information, including venue details and links to online ticket sales, click here.

Last seen by Birmingham Review at The Glee Club back in March, BenDeLaCrème shot to international acclaim through series 6 of RuPaul’s Drag Race – winning a yet to be broken five challenges in a single season, but then stepping down from the crown and making way for Bianca Del Rio to take the top spot.

A seasoned burlesque performer and actor, BenDeLaCrème has toured three solo shows including her Inferno A-Go-Go! – all of which premiered off Broadway and went on to enjoy international runs. This particular UK stint sees BenDeLaCrème’s Inferno A-Go-Go! start off with two nights at The Clapham Grand in London on Wednesday 22^nd and Thursday 23^rd August, stopping off in Birmingham on Sunday 26^th August, then going on to theatres across the UK before laying itself to rest, for the time being at least, at The Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh on Saturday 1^st September.

If you miss any of those shows and you’ve got a really serious bus pass, you could always make the next two in Canada – but for full tour details of BenDeLaCrème’s Inferno A-Go-Go!, click here.

So what can we expect when BenDeLaCrème’s Inferno A-Go-Go! comes to town..? Regular readers of Birmingham Review will know by now, if they didn’t before, that whilst drag is full of fabulous fun there are also intelligent undercurrents behind many performers on the scene. And BenDeLaCrème is one of the more high profile voices worth listening too.

Her Inferno A-Go-Go! show takes its name from Dante’s poetic journey through hell (and possibly a nightclub in West Hollywood) with the nine circles of torment setting the stage for BenDeLaCrème’s insightful wit, the odd musical number, and even some puppetry, so we’ve been told.

But we’ve also been told ‘there is real heart’, as the doomed creatures that feature on this camp journey through hell question the why, wherefore, and what the fuck did I do to end up here? And having never been one to shy away from the more honest side of pulling on your heartstrings, as well as a caustic catalogue that could keep Satan at bay, BenDeLaCrème is one queen well suited to such an exploration. And exclamation marks… I guess the devil’s work is never done.

BenDeLaCrème’s Inferno A Go Go comes to the O2 Academy Birmingham on Sunday 26^th August, as presented by The MJR Group. For direct event information, including venue details and links to online ticket sales, visit www.academymusicgroup.com/o2academybirmingham/events/1127503/bendelacremes-inferno-go-go-tickets

For more on BenDeLaCrème, visit www.bendelacreme.com

For more from the MJR Group, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.themjrgroup.com

For more on the O2 Academy Birmingham, including venue details and further event listings, 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.

August 17, 2018

BPREVIEW: Sonic Gun Weekender @ The Castle & Falcon 17-19.08.18

Words by Ed King

Sonic Gun are hold a mammoth weekend live music event at The Castle & Falcon – running from Friday 17^th to Sunday 19^th August. And although we’re only giving you a few hours notice… it’s been one of ‘those’ weeks, we still think it’s something worth SHOUTING ABOUT.

Doors open at 6:30pm on Friday, with bands playing from 3:30pm on Saturday and 3pm on Sunday. Tickets are a very kind £15 for the whole kit and caboodle, with individual day tickets also available for £8. Minimum age of entry is 14 years, with anyone under 16 needing a card carrying adult to pop along with them.

For direct information check out the Sonic Gun Weekender Facebook Event Page here, or go to the Castle & Falcon website here.

So, who’s on..? As if getting to spend the weekend in a pub watching live music for £15 wasn’t a compelling enough reason to drag yourself off the sofa. The whole line up is featured on the poster above and looks like a bit of a plate spinning/band booking miracle, especially considering you’ve got Project Soundlounge on one side of this event and the August Bank Holiday weekend on the other.

But hyperbole aside, some of the cream from Birmingham’s live circuit crop are playing at the Sonic Gun Weekender – with each day top, tailed, and stuffed like a pimento olive with bands well worth the daily door charge alone.

On Friday, the somewhat now past ‘rising balloon’ Riscas are headlining a bill, with local pop-rockers The Assist and Spilt Milk Society confidently chasing the top spot. Also appearing on this local yokel Friday night line up are Social State and Echo Beach – the one’s from Shrewsbury, not Liverpool or Quebec. There will also be a DJ set from one side of the main B Town see-saw, Swim Deep.

Saturday sees those cool kids Ivory Wave (…slow editorial hand clap) bring some multifaceted early 90’s indie to the top of the bill. A real Birmingham success story in the making, in my mind Ivory Wave just need to be locked in a room with Andrew Weatherall and given a good old shake. But for now you can watch them share their space with Sugarthief, The Cosmics, Violet, and a smattering of others including Cave Girl – who we are a little keen to see live, loud, and in the flesh. And completing my lazy metaphor, Peace will be delivering a Saturday night DJ set.

Then rounding off a pretty full weekend by any normal human standards, that rockabilly rockstar Harry Jordan will be headlining the Sunday setlists. Joining Jordan in a somewhat eclectic goodbye will be a bite of rhythm and blues from The Surrenders and The Good Water, with the rougher raucous coming from Bad Girlfriend, Kick the Clown (best band name ever) and one of our favourites at Birmingham Review, P.E.T. Paper Buoys will be DJing for the final day, sans wordplay.

There will also be beer from Dig Brew, who (after some extensive research) serve the city’s best rocket fuel in a glass by far, and food from The House of Hen – who we haven’t researched but we’re educated guessing serve chicken. Or houses.

But check out the banner above or visit the Sonic Gun Weekender Facebook Event Page for more details. Or just buy a weekend ticket and throw yourself in eyes wide shut – at £15 for a three day line up you can’t go wrong really.

The Sonic Gun Weekender comes to The Castle & Falcon – running from Friday 17^th to Sunday 19^th August. For direct event info and links to online ticket sales, click here.

For more from Sonic Gun, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.facebook.com/sonicgunconcerts

For more on The Castle & Falcon, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.castleandfalcon.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.

August 14, 2018August 14, 2018

BPREVIEW: The Taboo Club + Liquid Cheeks, Lilac Noise @ The Victoria 29.09.18

Words by Ed King

On Saturday 29^th September, The Taboo Club headline the next Birmingham Review live music showcase – at The Victoria on John Bright Street.

Joining The Taboo Club will be Liquid Cheeks, playing their first live set as the newly formed electro/garage two piece – showcasing their current singles ‘He’s a Flower’ and ‘Serendipity’, alongside never before heard new music.

Also appearing will be Lilac Noise, Stoke’s electro melodic four piece who have been building a maelstrom of momentum since May this year – coming to Birmingham for their first show in the city, and riding the trail of their soon to be released debut single ‘Paradox’.

Doors open upstairs at The Victoria from 7pm, with tickets price at £7 (adv) and £10 (otd) – as presented by Birmingham Review. To stay up to day with announcements on our next live music showcase, keep reading Birmingham Review or join the Facebook Event Page by clicking here.

** At the time of writing this event has quarter sold out, to buy any of the remaining General Admission advance tickets click here. Advance tickets are also available through each of the artists performing: to buy tickets from The Taboo Club, click here. To buy tickets from Liquid Cheeks, click here. To buy tickets from Lilac Noise, click here**

The Taboo Club are a newly formed ensemble of longstanding local musicians, delivering a ‘heartbreakingly cathartic’ amalgamation of genres and influences – all tinged with the sultry, low lit vibes of a ‘bourbon lit Harlem dive bar’. Led by rising waves of rhythm guitar, over an identifiable bass backbone, their sounds also embraces strong elements of saxophone and keys, with Rob Lilley’s brooding vocals firmly at the helm.

The Taboo Club released their debut single ‘Strangers’ on 20^th July – an impressive ‘layer cake of crescendos’ produced by Ryan Pinson, and available to stream for free through the band’s Spotify account. You can also read our Birmingham Review of ‘Strangers’ here. But save some pocket money as more releases are set to come from the ensemble in Autumn, with the Birmingham Review live music showcase being the first chance to hear The Taboo Club’s newest material.

Performing as the evening’s local support, Liquid Cheeks will be joining The Taboo Club at The Victoria on Saturday 29^th September. The new project from Ben Ollis Gibbs and Greg Clarke – two core members of the now disbanded Byron Hare – Liquid Cheeks are a glorious mix of electro, indie, and garage rock, delivering absurdly addictive melodies and a confident swagger.

With series of introductory singles in production or the pipeline, Liquid Cheeks have already got two new releases ‘on shelf’ – launching with ‘He’s a Flower’ in July. To read our Birmingham Review of their latest single, ‘Serendipity’, click here. Liquid Cheeks will be showcasing new material at The Victoria on Saturday 29^th September, in the debut live set from this impressive new two piece.

Launched in Stoke earlier this year, Lilac Noise are an electro melodic four piece who have picked up the mantle of bands such as London Grammar – delivering a guitar and keys led sound with husky vocals and classically trained melodies at its heart.

Already creating an avalanche of excitement around The Midlands, Lilac Noise will join the live music showcase bill to play their debut Birmingham show at The Victoria on Saturday 29^th September. Watch out for Lilac Noise’s debut single too, ‘Pardaox’, which is set for release in the next few weeks.

On Saturday 29^th September, The Taboo Club headline the next live music showcase with Birmingham Review at The Victoria on John Bright Street – with Liquid Cheeks and Lilac Noise in support. For more information visit the Facebook Event Page by clicking here – or click on See Tickets the logo for a direct link to online sales.

For more on The Taboo Club, visit www.facebook.com/TheTabooClubUK

For more on Liquid Cheeks, visit www.facebook.com/liquidcheeks

For more on Lilac Noise, visit www.facebook.com/lilacnoiseuk

For more on The Victoria, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.thevictoriabirmingham.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 sign up to NOT NORMAL – NOT OK, click here. To know more about the NOT NORMAL – NOT OK sticker campaign, click here.