Eleanor Sutcliffe Photography Archives

May 18, 2018

THE GALLERY: Rita Ora @ O2 Academy Birmingham 16.05.18

You can tell a lot about a show by the queue outside the venue.

Tonight, it is an endless horde of teenage girls and their parents. Not my usual rock show, granted. However, I was their age when Rita Ora dropped her single ‘RIP’ back in 2012, so I can understand their excitement. And it’s rare for a pop star of Ora’s size to play such a small venue (if, of course, you can count the 3000 capacity O2 Academy main room as ‘small’).

First on stage is Kara Marni, who delivers a no-frills five track performance including a mashup of ‘Wild Thoughts’ by Rihanna and ‘Shape of You’ by Ed Sheeran.

Marni’s standout song tonight, however, is ‘Love Just Ain’t Enough’ taken from her debut EP of the same name; her vocals dance effortlessly over subtle R & B beats, amalgamating into a set that is short but nevertheless incredibly impressive.

Next up we have Raye, who bounds onto the stage clad in a black hoodie and shorts. Her energy is seemingly endless as she bounces back and forth to tracks such as ‘Cigarette’ and ‘Decline’, which both send the crowd into what can only be described as group ecstasy.

Personally, even whilst watching most of it through a camera lens, I enjoy Raye‘s set much more than I anticipated – and even find myself dancing along to her track, ‘Confidence’. Once my professional duties are done, of course. But a great performer and one to watch/watch out for if you get the chance.

But now it’s the main event, the artist this sold out O2 Academy crowd have all come out to see. Admittedly, I am slightly dubious about the show that Rita Ora will deliver tonight – her absence from the UK touring circuit for several years, plus the ‘smaller’ venue choice, were all seemingly red flags to me. However, as the set kicks off with a flourish I couldn’t have been more mistaken.

Opening to one of her latest tracks, ‘Your Song’, Rita Ora weaves her way across the stage along with four backing dancers – all in front of an LED screen showing lyrics to the crowd. Production wise, Ora spares nothing for her fans tonight, from a dancer being constrained in a Perspex box during ‘For You’ to a slightly amusing routine involving numerous industrial fans and chiffon scarves for ‘Body On Me’. The show pushes exactly what is possible for a performer (and production team) to achieve on the O2 Academy’s main stage.

It isn’t all theatrics, however; from dedicating her track ‘Lonely Together’ to the late Avicii, to debuting a new slower number titled ‘Soul Survivor’, Ora’s high octane performance is interspersed with slower material including a more laid back, heavier version of her hit single ‘RIP’. But the highlight of the night is when she pulls a group from the audience up on stage to celebrate one of their birthdays. Seeing a star being this genuine and dedicated to their fans is a breath of fresh air.

Finishing her set with ‘Anywhere’, another track from her eagerly awaited sophomore album, it’s clear that Rita Ora’s time out of the spotlight has been well spent. And with a whole host of new material ready for her fans to hear, I’ll be surprised if she graces the stage of a venue this ‘small’ again. Next stop, surely an arena tour.

Rita Ora @ O2 Academy Birmingham 16.05.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe

For more on Rita Ora, visit www.ritaora.com

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Raye – supporting Rita Ora @ O2 Academy Birmingham 16.05.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe

For more on Raye, visit www.raye-music.com

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Kara Marni – supporting Rita Ora @ O2 Academy Birmingham 16.05.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe

For more on Kara Marni, visit www.karamarni.com

For from the O2 Academy Birmingham, including all further event listings, visit www.academymusicgroup.com/o2academybirmingham

May 14, 2018May 14, 2018

BPREVIEW: Birmingham Pride @ 26/7.05.18

Words by Ed King

On Saturday 26^th and Sunday 27^th May, Birmingham Pride 2018 takes over the Gay Village in Birmingham City Centre – with the main festival taking place in venues and open spaces across Hurst Street, Kent Street and Lower Essex Street.

The ‘Be You’ Birmingham Pride 2018 Carnival Parade will be held on Saturday 26^th May, starting in Victoria Square and winding its way down to the festival site entrance at the Hippodrome end of Hurst Street – via New Street, Carrs Lane and Smallbrook Queensway. People can assemble in Victoria Square from 10:30am, with the Parade beginning at 12noon.

Participation in the ‘Be You’ Birmingham Pride 2018 Carnival Parade is free and open to all ages, with a variety of individual day and weekend tickets available for the main Birmingham Pride 2018 festival. For direct event information, including details on all the venues and acts taking part in Birmingham Pride 2018, click here or check out the online Pride Guide below.

Birmingham Pride, as we know it today, is celebrating 21 years on the city’s cultural calendar. The first Pride rally took place in Birmingham in 1972, a week after London hosted the inaugural event to mirror the North American based originals. But Birmingham Pride has moved from the more politically charged, and necessarily so, declaration of solidarity to a broadly inclusive event with both unity and entertainment at its heart.

Mercifully, the challenges faced by the LGBTQ community in the UK have arguably tempered and evolved since the institutionalised bigotry of yesteryear. Not to say there isn’t work still to be done, and attitudes yet to challenge and change, but the annual Birmingham Pride events feel much more like a citywide celebration than a daring public stance from a brave but maligned community. Plus, they’re just awesome fun. Tell me where else you’re going to see a rainbow display of Disney characters and Norse Gods drinking cider and dancing to Livin’ Joy? Tins Tins ‘aint open anymore, so…

And in keeping with inclusivity, this year theme for the Birmingham Pride events is ‘Be You’ – which is quite a clear and simple message. And knowing a few of the wonderfully warped minds that stalk our city I can’t wait to see the costumes for this one.

But what’s on stage? Too much to go through with a toothcomb, but the Main Stage Saturday acts include the all kinds of awesome Beth Ditto, our favourite footballer’s ex-wife Louise, followed by the Spotify smashing Kim Petras and Birmingham’s own Stefflon Don.

Sunday goes back to the glory days of 90’s House with Baby D, Kym Mazelle and Livin’ Joy, before pop stalwart Howard Jones and Scissor Sisters’ frontman Jake Shears close off the live sets. But never fear dear hearts, you’ve got DJ sets from Rudimental and Paul Morrell to round it all off. Can’t complain.

And if dance music is your thing then you’re in luck, with Birmingham Pride 2018 hosting its own Dance Arena featuring DJs and acts including Lisa Sharred, The Acid Experiment, Low Steppa, Tom Shorterz, Jamie Bull, Hooker Club, Gorgon City and DJ zine amongst others. Plus, there’s every venue on and within a stone’s throw of Hurst Street pitching in with pretty much something for everyone’s dancefloor.

Birmingham Pride 2018 also has its cabaret Marquee, hosting a catalogue of the fabulous, outrageous and fabulously outrageous from Saturday to Sunday. And whilst there are a few names we though might be on the bill that aren’t, especially against the burgeoning new backdrop of Birmingham’s drag and performance art community, there are enough familiar faces to ensure a riot in all the right places – including Ginny Lemon, Miss Penny, Tanya Hyde, Miss Thunderpussy, Amy La Queefa, Glitter Lips, Drag With No Name, Champagne Shirley, and, of course, Twiggy.

Loads more going on at Birmingham Pride 2018 than we have the time, space or typing speed to squeeze into this BPREVIEW – but sufficed to say there’s something for people of all ages, gender, musical tastes and hat size. But luckily, we don’t have to as the festival organisers have given us a handy online Pride Guide – see below.

From everyone at Birmingham Review, we wish you a safe and happy Birmingham Pride 2018.

Birmingham Pride 2018 – Pride Guide

Birmingham Pride 2018 takes over the Gay Village in Birmingham City Centre on Saturday 26^th and Sunday 27^th May, with the ‘Be You’ Birmingham Pride 2018 Carnival Parade taking place at 12noon on the Saturday.

For direct event information, including details on all the venues and acts taking part in Birmingham Pride 2018, visit www.birminghampride.com

May 9, 2018May 9, 2018

BPREVIEW: Rita Ora @ O2 Academy Birmingham 16.05.18

Words by Eleanor Sutcliffe

On the 16^th of May, Rita Ora will be performing at O2 Academy Birmingham as part of The Girls Tour coming to venues across the UK.

Doors open at the O2 Academy Birmingham from 7pm, with tickets priced at £33.70 (plus delivery fees) – as presented by SJM Concerts, Live Nation and AEG. For direct gig information, including venue details and online ticket sales, click here.

**At the time of writing this gig was close to selling out, with only a few tickets left via Ticketmaster and other outlets. Please ensure you buy from a reputable agent**

Rita Ora rose to mainstream music fame back in 2012, after appearing as the guest vocalist on DJ Fresh’s No1 single ‘Hot Right Now’. In May that year, Ora – who had been working on material for her debut album – released her debut single, ‘RIP’, which also entered the charts at the top spot. Then in August, Ora completed the hat trick with ‘How Do We (Party)’ which again debuted at No1 – making her the only artist of the year to have three consecutive releases at the top of the UK Singles Charts. Rita Ora’s self titled debut album, Ora, came out in August 2012 again reaching the No1 spot on release.

Winning huge industry attention, Rita Ora, who signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label in December 2008, attracted support slots from many major artists such as Coldplay and Drake. Clear that Ora was a pop force to be reckoned with, since those somewhat meteoric beginnings she has toured from England to Australia, recorded with artists from Tinie Tempah to Iggy Azalea, and won pretty much every award you could think of including Best British Breakthrough Act at the 2013 BRIT awards.

Rita Ora has further enjoyed a solid career on screen, appearing as a judge on several high profile TV talent shows and staring as Mia Grey in the Fifty Shades… film trilogy

However, every silver lining has it’s cloud and Rita Ora’s music career took a hit in 2015 after she filed a lawsuit against Roc Nation seeking release from her contract. Settling this in early 2016, Ora signed to Atlantic Records in 2016 – releasing her first single on the imprint, ‘Your Song’, in May 2017.

Rita Ora’s latest solo single, ‘Anywhere’, was released in October 2017, following with a track with Liam Payne from the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack, ‘For You’, in January 2018 ‘For You’. A further collaboration with Cardi B, Bebe Rexha, and Charli XCX, ‘Girls’, is set for release on 11th May – paving the way for Ora‘s long awaited sophomore studio album, which fans can hope to see released in autumn 2018.

‘Anywhere’ – Rita Ora

On the 16^th of May, Rita Ora will be performing at O2 Academy – as presented by SJM Concerts, Live Nation and AEG. For direct gig information, including venue details and online tickets sales, visit www.academymusicgroup.com/o2academybirmingham/rita-ora-tickets

For more on Rita Ora, visit www.ritaora.com

For from the O2 Academy Birmingham, including all further event listings, visit www.academymusicgroup.com/o2academybirmingham

May 7, 2018

BPREVIEW: Slam Dunk Festival 2018 (Midlands) @ NEC 28.05.18

Words by Eleanor Sutcliffe

On the 28th May, Slam Dunk Festival 2018 will be coming to the NEC in Birmingham for the Midlands date of the 3-day festival.

Doors open at the NEC from 12:30pm, with tickets are priced at £54.80 plus booking fee – as presented by Slam Dunk Ltd. For direct information on Slam Dunk Festival 2018, including details on all the events happening across the UK, click here. For a direct link to online ticket sales for Slam Dunk Festival 2018 (Midlands), click here.

Starting in 2006, Slam Dunk Festival has grown over the years into an inaugural part of every pop punk and rock fan’s calendar. With 6 stages hosting countless bands, and thousands of fans flocking to sites across the UK year upon year, it’s been promised that 2018’s line up will be the pinnacle of the festival so far.

As per usual, the festival is being split into 6 stages – ensuring it can cater for any fans tastes, be that acoustic or pop punk. Headliners this year include Good Charlotte and Jimmy Eat World, who are both making their debut Slam Dunk appearances at the 2018 festivals, alongside Taking Back Sunday, Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes, and Sleeping with Sirens.

Having recently completed a UK tour, alt rock band PVRIS will be back in Birmingham performing on the Jägermeister Stage – along with State Champs, Knuckle Puck, Four Year Strong, and Southampton’s horror rock band Creeper. To read our Birmingham Review of when PVRIS came to the O2 Academy Birmingham, click here.

The Monster Stage will be home to bands such as Twin Atlantic and Moose Blood, while the Fireball Stage will host Slam Dunk favorites Zebrahead and Reel Big Fish.

However, it’s the smaller stages where many of the festival’s gems really lie – with up and coming bands such as Holding Absence, Loathe, Stand Atlantic and Astroid Boys all making appearances at this year’s festival. The acoustic Key Club Stage is looking to be a belter too, with Birmingham’s Luke Rainsford performing alongside Speak Low If You Speak Love and an extra stripped back set from Four Year Strong.

The rounding off the night will be the Slam Dunk Festival 2018 after party, hosted by Birmingham’s alternative club night UPRAWR – held in the Genting Arena Forum from 11pm to 3am.

So a bit to keep you busy on the Bank Holiday, and with an uber strong line up of the scene’s great, good and going to be HUGE tickets are likely to sell out. You might want to scrap your pennies together a little quickly – this year’s Slam Dunk Festival is looking to quite possibly be the best yet.

On the 28th May, Slam Dunk Festival 2018 comes to the NEC in Birmingham. For direct information on Slam Sunk 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 on the Slam Dunk Festival 2018 after party – hosted by UPRAWR, click here.

For more from the Genting Arena, including full event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.gentingarena.co.uk

April 27, 2018April 27, 2018

THE GALLERY: Mallory Knox @ Mama Roux’s 24.04.18

Words by Yasmine Summan / Pics by Eleanor Sutcliffe

Mallory Knox have returned from their brief hiatus to shed any doubt or dismay, as they charge through the UK on their self-titled tour of 2018 – joined by JUDAS and Dead! Playing a series of more ‘intimate’ shows, the now four piece band are back on the road for six dates throughout April, ready to rock out until they tear the whole room apart from Brighton to Glasgow.

Tonight is Mama Roux’s turn, as Birmingham hosts the penultimate gig before Mallory Knox close out their tour at the Bodega in Nottingham. JUDAS are first to kick in, and whilst I enjoy their typical indie rock style of stripped down, guitar riffs, and continuous drum set loops – that shifts attention onto the ‘tom toms’, bringing an elevated, pop element to their music – the harmonies are scathed by off-pitch, out of tune rhythms and a lackluster vocal range from lead singer, John Clancy.

The man clearly appears to be trying his hardest, but rather than having his vocals crisply cut through thin air they crunch into the microphone and even become inaudible at times. Although JUDAS maintain a vivacious stage energy throughout their set and gain quite humbling crowd engagement, albeit with sadly off par vocal ranges that somewhat scorn their talents and on occasion left me to painfully cringe.

Bursting through the doors of the mainstream industry to alight the new age of rock and roll, Dead! dominate as the main support act – immediately blowing the roof clean off the Mama Roux’s. Bordering between alternative/punk rock, Dead! omit the typical nonchalant, wild and chaotic personality of 70’s rock in their performance. Whilst screeching guitar riffs burn through every strum of the finger, heavy kick drums create a low thumping rhythm to head bang to – alongside Alex Mountford’s enthralling vocals that cling to every corner of the room.

Dead! strategically play slower verses that intensely build into high energy, fast tempo choruses, with mosh pits opening up left, right and center. Pandering to the crowd with fan favorite songs (as Sam Matlock shreds his guitar solo to ‘Enough, Enough, Enough’ whilst balancing on Louis Matlock’s drum kit, in true rock and roll style) I feel that their set list underwhelms their talents. Their performance tonight is perhaps mellowed out for Mallory Knox’s crowd, but songs like ‘Off White Paint’ and ‘Enemy’ hold an evident absence during the show.

But now it’s time for the headline act, playing one of their first live shows since the departure of vocalist Mike Chapman in February this year. And there’s no messing about from tonight’s crowd, with fans practically diving onto the stage as Mallory Knox kick in with their new single, ‘Black Holes’. Bassist and now vocalist, Sam Douglas, captivates the room as he rushes onto the stage, blaring his gnawing bass riffs with every burning strum. Moving as one body, the room responds and elevates into chaos, as everyone jumps around and seemingly quite literally loses their minds.

Bouncing around the room, Mallory Knox perpetuate boundless stage energy, with guitarist, Joe Savins, leaning into the crowd to sing along with fans. Radiating a humble nature, Douglas and the rest of the band thank everyone for coming out – with the now front man even delving into his personal life, to openly admit he is struggling but the fans are helping him through.

As off the wall moments of insanity among the audience sway through the show, including lots of crowd surfing and mosh pits, the momentum of the set moves like a rollercoaster. And whilst their track list tonight also features fan favorites, including some of their best hits such as ‘Beggars’ and ‘Better Off Without You’, upon reaching the forth song the show mellows out almost too drastically.

The pace set by their lively start takes a seriously low drop as Mallory Knox reach the middle of the set, picking up with a few newer tracks towards the end. But the ball begins to properly (rock and) roll again when they brake through with ‘Wake Up’, sending the Mama Roux’s back into uproar once more. Since the departure of Chapman, Mallory Knox appear to be shedding their 2013 alternative rock cage – one that has arguably overshadowed their sound for years – and are advancing into heavier rock, incorporating lower riffs and fast tempo beats. It does feel that Mallory Knox’s newer singles, ‘Livewire’ and ‘Black Holes’, gain popularity from the audience as they drive the band’s creative direction into new horizons, possibly paving an exciting future for the band’s sound.

It’s clearly been a tough time for Mallory Knox since the recent departure of their long-time vocalist, Mike Chapman. And whilst they power through their performance tonight, I’d argue that the band are still not fully rehearsed or together since this event. Moments of vulnerability, unknowingness, and confusion peak through their performance – as microphone stands fall over mid-song, off-time rhythms weave through their guitars, and Douglas’ voice strains itself to reach the capabilities that Chapman could.

I respectably applaud Mallory Knox for continuing with this tour despite all odds, and there are clear moments were their talents shine through. But perhaps a more sensible response would have been to postpone the tour until the band were fully ready to perform without Chapman. In fact, their unsparing mistakes tonight only emphasise the absence of Chapman, leading some including myself to think ‘would this happen if Mikey were here?’

Reflecting on tonight’s show, Mallory Knox are clearly trying as best as they can to make ends meet; plunging into a year-long hiatus would realistically have only tarnished their popularity and most likely upset fans, so the band have pushed through despite their recent loss – one that has clearly impacted their live performances.

And whilst they may still be finding their footing as a four piece, shreds of their former glory did flutter through their set, especially with Douglas’ heightened confidence when performing new tracks. I feel that with time this band will be back on their feet again.

Mallory Knox @ Mama Roux’s 24.04.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe