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August 13, 2018

SINGLE: ‘Serendipity’ – Liquid Cheeks 13.08.18

Words by Ed King / Pic courtesy of Liquid Cheeks

On Monday 13^th August Liquid Cheeks release their second single – ‘Serendipity’. Available to stream for free though Spotify, click here to listen.

Liquid Cheeks is name you’ll read on our pages again in the coming weeks, as they will be supporting The Taboo Club at our next live music showcase – at The Victoria on Saturday 29^th September. And it’s a name you should remember, as the fledgling project from Ben Ollis Gibbs and Greg Clarke is one of the most promising new musical corners of the Midlands this year.

Releasing a series of introductory singles, Liquid Cheeks launched themselves with ‘He’s a Flower’ in July – a guitar twanging stab at machismo, delivered through gritted teeth and absurd amounts of swagger, burrowing into your brain like a good earworm should. It was a solid start for the new band from two core members of the erstwhile Byron Hare – grabbing us by enough short and curlies to book them for our September showcase, where they will play their debut live set as Liquid Cheeks. Something we’re more than a little excited about. But have you got any more material I could listen to? Yeah, sure, we’ll send it over… ‘Serendipity’ is being released in August.

Remember the first time you heard Foals, or The XX. Or any band who manage to deliver something with that ineffable… whatever it is. That’s Liquid Cheeks. Self-described as ‘electro garage’, their sophomore single, ‘Serendipity’, is a masterclass in effective restraint – opening with an almost twee keyboard riff from Ben Ollis Gibbs, before a gut punch guitar and Greg Clarke’s vocals hook you into the heart of this track within seconds.

This formula stays true until a little six string tweak at around the two minute mark, giving slightly a tougher middle eight, before bringing it back with a sprinkle of the aforementioned keys and the repeated chorus – a simple two line signature that had me singing it around my kitchen after the second play. But ‘Serendipity’ is solid song writing to it’s core – a track that, just, simply, works. And there’s a deep confidence to it all, with a simple chord progression underpinning a major to minor melody that makes me feel like I’m living through the Drive soundtrack. Although not the lift scene.

Liquid Cheeks seem quite laid back about the whole thing too, which is probably where their song writing gets its confidence and strength. I guess when you’ve been working within an ensemble for a while then move into a more self-governed and directed arena, you can take a welcome deep breath.

But with two strong singles on the table and a cluster making their way through the production process, I am anything but relaxed about it all. Birmingham is due another portfolio to be proud of with Liquid Cheeks looking like a solid part of any new attention the Midlands may get. And if there’s an album of this standard in the offing… Jesus, somebody better make up a new acronym because these boys came to play.

On Monday 13^th August Liquid Cheeks release their latest single, ‘Serendipity’, through Default Man Records – available to stream for free through Spotify, click here.

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

Liquid Cheeks will be supporting The Taboo Club at The Victoria on Saturday 29th September, as part of the next Birmingham Review live music showcase. Joining them on the bill will also be Stoke’s melodic electro four piece, Lilac Noise – playing their debut Birmingham gig. For direct event information, including links to online ticket sales, click here.

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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 11, 2018August 11, 2018

BPREVIEW: The August Showcase with Lice, The Lizards, The Hungry Ghosts, Whitelight @ Hare & Hounds 12.08.18

Words by Ed King

On Sunday 12^th August, Setting Son Records and RDE present The August Showcase – with Lice, The Lizards, The Hungry Ghosts, and Whitelight all playing at the Hare & Hounds.

Doors open at 6pm, with advance tickets available for a mere £7 sterling plus a smidgen of a booking fee… which works out at around £1.75 a band, so literally cheaper than chips. Although a small cone of chips are available across the road for £1.25, so literally cheaper than some chips.

For direct event information and links to online ticket sales, click here. For the rest Google ‘Charlie’s Chippy Kings Heath’.

Lice have been steadily creating that kind of hard earned hype for a couple of years now – burrowing deep into the Bristolian live music circuit, snapping up support slots with The Fall and Fat White Family, then heading out across the UK to open for Idles on a sell out nationwide tour.

But the latter didn’t stop on stage, with Joe Talbot signing Lice as the first band to climb aboard his relatively recent imprint – Balley Records. And with fearsome mix of reverberation, guttural prose, swagger, more swagger, alongside an almost poetic approach to bass playing (see their Facebook page) and equine immolation (see below) you can see a well justified postcode partnership emerging. As Talbot told the NME back in April, “to act as a Trojan horse and allow bands that we like to be in a sphere of opportunity that we didn’t get is great. It’s a bit like having a plus one to a party. It feels amazing, it feels exciting and it feels like a privilege that we have that in our hands.”

Lice released their It All Worked Out Great double EP, through Balley Records, in May this year – described by Louder than War as a ‘rabble-rousing selection of wryly dark and humorously unhinged tales, sound-tracked by a dissonant post-punk noise.’ So, erm, yeah. Sold. But coming back to Birmingham after last appearing at the Killer Wave bank holiday all dayer in August 2017, this is another chance to see Lice live on stage and in all their glorious Sunday goodness. And that’s not a bad way to wave goodbye to your weekend

But if you need a more regional reason to drag yourself off the sofa and out the door, then we have three – with The Lizards, The Hungry Ghosts, and Whitelight also playing at The August Showcase. So, sold. Sold. And sold again. All for less than a tenner and a potato based snack, pass the ketchup.

‘Stammering Bill’ – Lice

Setting Son Records and RDE present The August Showcase – with Lice, The Lizards, The Hungry Ghosts, and Whitelight all playing at the Hare & Hounds on Sunday 12^th August. For direct event information and links to online ticket sales, visit the Facebook Event Page by clicking here.

For more on Lice, visit www.facebook.com/licebristol

For more on The Lizards, visit www.soundcloud.com/allyourfriendsarelizards

For more on The Hungry Ghosts, visit www.thehungryghosts.co.uk

For more on Whitelight, visit www.officialwhitelight.com

For more from Setting Son, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.facebook.com/settingsonrecords

For more on the Hare & Hounds, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.hareandhoundskingsheath.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 8, 2018

BREVIEW: Iron Maiden @ Genting Arena 07.08.18

Words Ed King / Pics by Eleanor Sutcliffe

It’s no secret or hyperbole that Iron Maiden fans are amongst the most loyal of the heavy metal fraternity. But seeing over 15,000 rockers donning party hats, holding balloons, and waving birthday messages to Maiden’s longest standing lead singer was a large scale surprise.

Whether you’ve followed the band from the start or jumped on with any of their 16 studio albums it’s a pretty special atmosphere tonight, as a sea of Iron Maiden t-shirts and merchandise (along with the people wearing them) stand as a living museum to the band’s 40 year career.

But there is also theatre in the air, as a packed out Genting Arena have come to see Iron Maiden play one of six UK dates on their Legacy of the Beast World Tour and were promised a ‘very special show.’ Known for ‘having fun’ with their stage sets, this could mean nearly anything with Iron Maiden, and speculation and anticipation run rife through the crowd. That and a few plastic pints of Maiden’s very own Trooper beer.

First up though is Killswitch Engage, the Massachusetts spawned metalcore five piece who are joining Iron Maiden at all of their UK dates. Opening with ‘Strength to the Mind’, the lead single from their last studio album Incarnate, it’s a pretty lively affair – with the band’s lead guitarist, Adam Dutkiewicz, jumping around like an adderall adolescence, wiping pantomime amounts of sweat from his brow, and giving head high kicks during ‘Life to Lifeless’.

After a short break, with an en masse attempt to get served… not easy with over 15,000 thirsty people, we hear UFO’s ‘Doctor Doctor’ coming over the arena’s PA system – the longstanding cue that Iron Maiden are making their way from the dressing room. Scenes from the battlefields of World War II play out on the screens at the back of the stage, with quotes from Winston Churchill being somewhat drowned out by a soundtrack of explosions and gunshots.

Then it happens… Iron Maiden launch into their set with ‘Aces High’, as what looks like a full scale Spitfire swoops in to stand as the most outlandish set piece above the stage. Someone said there might be pyrotechnics tonight, which indeed there (including Dickinson strutting around the stage with a portable flame thrower) but no one warned me about a bloody plane.

Even more pertinent in the city that made the Spitfire, with Castle Vale only a stone’s throw down the M6, it’s a simply phenomenal opener – replete with Dickinson dressed in full fighter pilot paraphernalia and the swagger of man who could probably fly the thing. I remind myself it’s the lead singer’s 60^th birthday today, then quietly question ‘what have I done with my life..?’

So the theme is ‘war’, with camo netting covering the stage and the first part of Iron Maiden’s set marching through a tracklist including ‘Where Eagles Dare’, ‘Two Minutes to Midnight’ and ‘The Trooper’. But it’s also a cherry picked selection of Maiden’s extensive back catalogue, with ‘Fear of the Dark’, ‘The Number of the Beast’, and the band’s eponymous closer from their 1980 debut album being a fitting full stop – as well as a generous hat tip to the band’s original lead singer.

The power, ferocity, and noise levels don’t falter, from Iron Maiden’s spectacular start to their three track encore which ends with ‘Run to the Hills’ – sending the Genting Arena into an almost dangerous state of hysteria.

Luckily, and making the finale almost as memorable at the beginning (…an actual plane), we are left with Monty Python’s ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’ coming over the PA, creating a more subdued sing-a-long to send us all home.

Iron Maiden have enjoyed four decades as one of heavy metal’s most successful ensembles, with a gold star reputation for high octane live shows, a tireless work ethic, and a fiercely loyal crowd that will (sometime literally) travel oceans to see them. If tonight is anything to go by, with the passion and production coming off stage a clear cut above anything you would call ‘the norm’, then it’s it’s a well earned trophy.

And happy birthday Bruce Dickinson… what an unbelievable way to celebrate six decades on this planet. Let’s raise a pint of Trooper and toast to many more.

Iron Maiden @ Genting Arena 07.08.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe

For more on Iron Maiden, visit www.ironmaiden.com

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Killswitch Engage – supporting Iron Maiden @ Genting Arena 07.08.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe

For more on Killswitch Engage, visit www.killswitchengage.com

For more from Live Nation UK, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.livenation.co.uk

For more on the Genting Arena, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.gentingarena.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.

July 30, 2018July 30, 2018

BPREVIEW: Iron Maiden @ Genting Arena 07.08.18

Words by Ed King

On Tuesday 7^th August, Iron Maiden bring their Legacy of the Beast World Tour to the Genting Arena with support from Killswitch Engage – as presented by Live Nation UK.

Doors open at the Genting Arena from 7:30pm, with tickets ranging from £48.50/60 plus booking and administrative fees – although prices vary depending on positioning within the arena and ticket outlet.

For direct gig information, including venue details and online sales through The Ticket Factory, click here. For tickets direct from Live Nation, click here. For tickets from Ticketmaster, click here.

Iron Maiden are, quite simply, one of the most successful bands on the planet. And their 40 year stamp of authority on the heavy metal scene is unrivalled, starting out with the release of their eponymous debut in 1980 and still breaking new ground (and sales figures) with their latest studio LP, The Book of Souls, released in 2015.

Seriously, try and name another metal outfit that survived for so long and has even grown its sales/fanbase decade after decade. You can’t. Because they don’t exist. Love ‘em, fear ‘em, blame ‘em for the satanic betrayal of the American dream (we’re pointing at you, The Moral Majority) Iron Maiden are a phenomenal success story.

But what makes their latest, arena packing, sell out, world tour such a litany of red letter dates is that it technically shouldn’t be happening – Iron Maiden founder and bassist, Steve Harris, had gone on record saying the band wouldn’t release more that 15 studio albums. The Book of Souls was No16; for all intents and purposes, Iron Maiden should have hung up their plectrums, mics and drumsticks back in 2015.

But as Harris told The Guardian during Iron Maiden’s first Indian concert, at the Bangalore Palace Grounds in 2007, ‘we do think about some kind of half-retirement… But it seems the world won’t let us.’ And why wouldn’t you carry on, when you’re band is still breaking new markets across the globe and your last studio album (and let’s just clarify the trajectory again, your sixteenth studio album) reached No1 in 24 countries.

Iron Maiden have been on the road with their Legacy of the Beast World Tour since May 2018, scheduled to play six dates in the UK from Belfast (2nd Aug) to London (10/11^th Aug). According to the band’s longstanding manager, Rod Smallwood, fans can expect a “history/hits” set list with “both new material and the older favourites” getting performed from Iron Maiden’s extensive portfolio. Even Eddie, the band’s longstanding mascot, is dusting off some of his former glories – with the tour poster presenting him as from his Piece of Mind (1983) and Somewhere in Time (1986) days.

As Smallwood continues, “we decided to base the theme around the Legacy of the Beast name… giving us scope to get creative and have some fun, especially with Eddie! We’re working on a number of different stage sets, all in keeping with the Maiden tradition and we hope to give our fans a fantastic experience when they come to see this very special show.”

‘Speed of Light’ – Iron Maiden (from The Book of Souls)

Iron Maiden bring their Legacy of the Beast World Tour to the Genting Arena on Tuesday 7^th August, with support from Killswitch Engage. For direct show information, including venue details and online sales through The Ticket Factory, visit www.gentingarena.co.uk/whats-on/iron-maiden

For more on Iron Maiden, visit www.ironmaiden.com

For more on Killswitch Engage, visit www.killswitchengage.com

For more from Live Nation UK, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.livenation.co.uk

For more on the Genting Arena, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.gentingarena.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.

July 25, 2018

BPREVIEW: DJ Format & DJ Pogo – The Brum Do Over BBQ @ The Hawker Yard 28.07.18

Words by Ed King

On Saturday 28^th July, DJ Format and DJ Pogo headline a day of hip hop, breaks, summer beats, break dancing, and sizzling snacks at The Brum Do Over BBQ – as presented by Scratch Club, Breakfest, and The Yardbird.

Hosted by The Hawker Yard, doors open to the The Brum Do Over BBQ from 2pm, with the event running until midnight.

Entry is free, gratis, zip, nada, zilch… leaving some room in the pocket for whatever’s looking good on the grill and the cocktails that should be floating around somewhere. It is officially summer, after all.

Coming up from Brighton, DJ Format is a stalwart of UK hip hop – cutting his teeth with Jurassic 5 and DJ Shadow back in the early noughties, then stamping his authority with his revered debut album, Music for the Mature B-Boy (2003), and ‘tougher sound’ sophomore, If You Can’t Join ‘Em… Beat ‘Em (2005). DJ Format’s latest LP, Still Hungry, was recorded alongside MC Abdominal and released on AFF Records in 2017.

Travelling from a little further afield, DJ Pogo is one of the founders of DMC Brazil – setting up the South American arm of the DJ competition after being crowned the UK Champion in 1997. An ambassador for the Brazilian turntable movement, DJ Pogo also has a strong name on the UK scene as the man behind remixes and productions for UK rap troupes such as London Posse, Demon, and Monie Love.

For direct event information about the The Brum Do Over BBQ at The Hawker Yard on Saturday 28^th July, check out the Facebook Event Page by clicking here.

So why a ‘do over?’ We get the BBQ bit, but as the event itself declares ‘the do over is a chance to do something over and over again to right a wrong or make something better.’ The key to this is the promoter collaboration; skip back to the first line of this BPREVIEW and say those words out loud. If you’re of a certain age, stage, or sensibility you’ll get this straight away. But if you’re not, allow me to furnish you with a little of Birmingham’s cultural back catalogue.

Before the centre of town was permanently ‘under construction’, and the revolving glass doors of Paradise Forum were still turning (and stalling, and stalling again) there’s was a feisty little independent music venue called The Yardbird. A proper meeting place for artists and performers, The Yardbird had jazz, funk, hip hop, and roots running through it’s small yet well endorsed veins – seeing the rise of DJs like five times World DMC Mixing Champion Mr Switch nestled alongside the great, good, and going to be huge from the jazz fraternity at Birmingham Conservatoire.

As eclectic as Birmingham can be, The Yardbird was quite simply a home away from home for many musicians and music lovers alike. Then one Tuesday evening a new hip hop, freestyle, and breaks night opened called Scratch Club… eight years later and the event packed around 200 people into The Yardbird every fortnight without fail. Until The Yardbird closed, and a sigh was heard echoing round the city.

It sounds romantic, sure, but just mention a few of these names to certain people in certain corners of this city and see their reaction. The Yardbird was one of those ‘special places’ for many people in Birmingham, with the regular success of Scratch Club born from an open mic/open door policy and supported by a venue whose firm drive was the music.

And now the partners that brought that touch of magic to our city’s soundscape are back – taking over The Hawker Yard on Saturday 28th July, with DJ Format and DJ Pogo headlining a crew of DJs and dancers including DJ Mushroom (Breakfest), Automoton (Scratch Club), Ill Boogs & Rob Life (Breakin Bread), DJ Silence/Tha Tarmac Nomad (Break Mission), DJ Junk (Second to None) and the man who opened, owned, and ran The Yardbird – Ollie Lloyd.

“A ‘do over’ is actually an American expression, it literally means to do something again,” explains Tom Dunstan – aka Automaton, and the promoter of Birmingham’s Scratch Club. “Sometimes it’s to right a wrong, sometimes to do something better than you have in the past, however, in this case, it’s to work in collaboration with Breakfest, Scratch Club and The Yardbird.

Historically, we’ve each helped one other out from time to time and collaborated at music and dance events. But this is the first time all three of our brands have stood up together to do something like this.

In a music scene that can be divided at the best of times, we’re genuinely bringing this show to Brum in the spirit of unity. It’s being held in an independently owned, off grid venue; it’s entirely a not-for profit music showcase and, therefore, completely free to attend. I hope it’s the first of many.”

And I’m sure many would agree. But the bricks and mortar that bound you all together shut around three years ago; despite being the hottest British summer on recent records, what’s the impetus for a ‘do over’ now?

“Well, some might say that there is a rare planetary alignment of the hip hop and funk planets over Birmingham on Saturday the 28th of July,” explains Ollie Lloyd, who opened The Yardbird back in 2007, “but I’d suggest it’s more the case that everyone on the bill has a long standing relationship with Darren (DJ Mushroom) and also many of the DJ’s have roots in the Midlands so I’m sure there will be a few family catch ups on Saturday.

What started off as Mushroom looking for a venue to put on DJ Pogo, whilst he is visiting the UK from Brazil, grew into something bigger and funkier than was ever planned. It’s not often you see a line up in Birmingham with the calibre of DJ’s that this session offers, but luckily everyone involved was available and happy to contribute their records and skills for what promises to be a legendary meeting of musical minds and sounds.

As owner of now-closed The Yardbird Jazz Club, I had the pleasure of hosting Format, Pogo, and Rob Life over the years, all DJ’s that have instant power and musical charisma over a dance floor and created some of my favourite memories at the venue. Darren is a good friend of mine, someone that I met through his involvement as main organiser of the Breakfest B-Boy events that used to be held nationwide. Tom (Dunstan/Automaton) is an old friend who launched Scratch Club at the bird, which ran with us for many years. Not forgetting DJ Junk, legendary Bournemouth based producer and b-boy (Second 2 None Crew) and Ill Boogs, heavy weight funk/breaks producer (and b-boy too) on the Breakin’ Bread label .

It’s a nice feeling to work with a collection of Birmingham promoters (and friends) to pull together an event that is just for two things – the music and the people. Our gift to Brum is the perfect line up in the coolest outdoor space, absolutely free, and packing in 10 hours of the slickest funk, soul, hip hop and breaks known to man.”

DJ Format & DJ Pogo headline The Brum Do Over BBQ at The Hawker Yard on Saturday 28^th July, in a collaborative event from Scratch Club, Breakfest and The Yardbird. Entry is free, with a range of food and drinks available on site all day. For direct event information, visit the Facebook Event Page by clicking here.

For more from Scratch Club, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.facebook.com/scratchclubbirmingham

For more on The Hawker Yard, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.hawkeryard.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.