FEATURE: One More Light – a memorial to Chester Bennington @ Barclaycard Arena 29.07.17

One More Light – a memorial to Chester Bennington @ Barclaycard Arena 29.07.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe - Birmingham Review

 

 

 

ED’S NOTE… Birmingham Review would like to thank Mark Shiel and Sarah Aggarwal for all their hard work and compassion that went into this memorial; we would also like to thank the NEC Group and Barclaycard Arena staff for hosting and supporting this event. As Birmingham Review’s editor, I further would like to thank Eleanor Sutcliffe and everyone who talked to her at the One More Light memorial – allowing us to commemorate Chester Bennington in the words that matter most, those from his fans. Much love.

Words & pics by Eleanor Sutcliffe

I’ve never been to a stranger’s funeral.

The death of Chester Bennington shook the music world to its core, and for good reason. Linkin Park were credited with bringing nu-metal to the masses following the release of Hybrid Theory in 2000 – an album that was nominated for three Grammy awards and sold over 24 million copies worldwide, making it one of the most successful debuts of the 21st century.

‘In The End’ was a song that stuck with me throughout my teenage years, and although I found other bands along the way I could always listen back to Linkin Park‘s material. They were a constant source of new music too; a foundation for me to build my love for rock and metal upon. So when I heard that there would be a memorial service held in Birmingham in honour of the late singer-songwriter and Linkin Park front man, I felt compelled to attend.

I’d been advised by the event organisers, Mark Shiel and Sarah Aggarwal, that New Street was the best place to meet before heading to the official memorial site – the Barclaycard Arena, the last venue that Linkin Park played prior to Chester Bennington’s death. Spotting them and their group was easy enough as almost every one of them was wearing some form of Linkin Park merchandise. I was shocked at the number of people; it was still early and many more fans were expected at the arena.

One More Light – a memorial to Chester Bennington @ Barclaycard Arena 29.07.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe - Birmingham ReviewIntroducing myself to Mark and Sarah I was greeted with smiles, hugs, and thanked for coming. Watching them it was soon clear that I wouldn’t have a chance to pin them down for an interview as they were constantly checking in with fans and were inundated with phone calls from others that were soon arriving. Sarah announced that we would be leaving for the arena and, after mentioning I knew of the whereabouts, I was soon tasked with leading the group up. I was surprised that the organisers and fans were so trusting of me.

Venue security met us outside the Barclaycard Arena and, after assuring us to take as much time as we needed, led us up the steps. Conversation began to fade and soon it was silent; individuals started to walk forward, flowers in tow, heads bowed and tears falling.

The idea of speaking to fans at this moment felt wrong. However, by simply watching I saw enough. Some sat and cried alone, while others huddled in protective groups, holding hands and whispering condolences. Flowers, drawings and letters were all laid with care; notes, hastily scribbled onto pieces of card handed out by Sarah, were tucked under photo frames and into bouquets.

One More Light – a memorial to Chester Bennington @ Barclaycard Arena 29.07.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe - Birmingham Review

One More Light – a memorial to Chester Bennington @ Barclaycard Arena 29.07.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe - Birmingham Review

One More Light – a memorial to Chester Bennington @ Barclaycard Arena 29.07.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe - Birmingham Review

One More Light – a memorial to Chester Bennington @ Barclaycard Arena 29.07.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe - Birmingham Review

One More Light – a memorial to Chester Bennington @ Barclaycard Arena 29.07.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe - Birmingham Review

One More Light – a memorial to Chester Bennington @ Barclaycard Arena 29.07.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe - Birmingham Review

One More Light – a memorial to Chester Bennington @ Barclaycard Arena 29.07.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe - Birmingham Review

After laying a bunch of white roses, I sat next to a woman and asked how long she’d been a fan for. She shook her head and laughed softly, telling me she’d been listening to Linkin Park since probably before I was born, “I can remember watching the video for ‘Papercut’ on TV, before YouTube even existed, and thinking what is this? Who is this? And I was hooked”. I asked how she felt the band had helped her personally, and she started to cry. “They were incredible. They could put into words how I was feeling before I even knew. They were always there for me to rely on, and for others to rely on too – an army of bands and musician stand on their shoulders. I just can’t understand how, when they were always there for us, how no one was there for him.” It was clear the other fans felt the same.

What shocked me was how personal this memorial was. As I wandered between groups of people, I heard fans openly explaining how their lives had been influenced by the Linkin Park’s music. Many people did not want their photos taken, but only to write letters to the late Bennington or to sit quietly and simply listen to Linkin Park‘s music.

One More Light – a memorial to Chester Bennington @ Barclaycard Arena 29.07.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe - Birmingham ReviewHowever those that did share their thoughts and feelings with me did so at length. One man I spoke to explained how he felt that Linkin Park provided “a voice for the voiceless”, and even recognised them with saving his own life. Another credited their success as a musician, along with that of their friends, to the late Bennington. Fans spoke to me about their battles with depression, abuse, or the death of family members, and how discovering Linkin Park helped them confront their fears and learn to live again. For many, Linkin Park’s music was more than melodies and riffs – it was a sanctuary, a safe place in which fans could lose themselves and heal.

When I took on this job I did not expect to feel as emotional as other fans; I was there to report, to capture the event and then leave. However as time went on I found myself faltering. I never thought I would be so upset over someone whom I’d never met, and yet there I was hiding my tear-stained face behind my camera lens. Watching grown men and women cry as they lay flowers stirred up feelings of grief inside of me that I had not anticipated.

Feeling rather overwhelmed I decided to set my camera down and gather my own thoughts. Sitting with one of the organisers, Sarah Aggarwal, I ask how she had a connection with the band. “I used to be on the Linkin Park street team, back in 2003” she explained, gesturing to her t-shirt. “I knew I didn’t have to do this, but I felt like I should. It feels good to finish what we started”. Suddenly a fan appeared, wanting to thank Sarah for all her hard work before they leave.One More Light – a memorial to Chester Bennington @ Barclaycard Arena 29.07.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe - Birmingham Review

Realising a queue of fans had now formed behind us, I step aside. Despite not speaking to Sarah for as long as I would have liked, I watched her work tirelessly throughout the day providing invaluable support for the fans present. I’ve never seen someone suppress their grief for so long to support others, and it was truly humbling to watch.

For many fans Linkin Park’s music served as an invaluable lifeline through some of the hardest points in their lives. They cannot understand how a man who helped so many felt so lost in the end.

And although I never knew Chester Bennington, this memorial felt like the funeral of a close friend; I had deeply underestimated the personal connections these fans had forged with him, with Linkin Park, and with their music. This feeling was made even more poignant by the singing that would eventually take over the crowd, as fans held hands and sang along to the title track on what would turn out to be the band’s last album with Chester Bennington, One More Light.

“Who cares if one more light goes out, well I do”

For more on the One More Light – a memorial to Chester Bennington, held outside the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham, visit www.facebook.com/events/onemorelight-amemorialtochesterbennington

For support and advice surrounding Chester Bennington’s death, as presented by Linkin Park, visit www.chester.linkinpark.com

For more on Linkin Park, visit www.linkinpark.com

 

 

 

One More Light – a memorial to Chester Bennington @ Barclaycard Arena 29.07.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe - Birmingham Review

 

THE GALLERY: MUTES – No Desire album launch @ COW 02.06.17

 

 

 

Words by Ed King / Pics by Eleanor Sutcliffe / Video by Trapeze Film

On 2nd June MUTES released their debut album, No Desire.

Out via FOMA Records – the Birmingham based label for Repeat of Last Week and Hoopla Blue, the nine track MUTES LP was launched with a one off gig at COW, the mahoosive vintage clothing shop next to the O2 Institute. So big you could cram a cheeky rave in there, which we tried to do once before it became a clothes shop; good to see it being used for events.

Piggy backing a Digbeth First Friday for a free showcase event MUTES were the only act on – giving the marching musical marauders on their way to Mama Roux’s an intimate bite into the band’s new material. Five years ago I’d have said ‘to the The Custard Factory’; ah Heath Mill Lane, when it was all fields…

Birmingham Review had been chomping its eager beaver teeth through No Desire all week, managing to get MUTES’ front man and founder, James Brown, to sit down and talk to us too. To check out the Birmingham Review of No Desire, click here – or to watch the man who gave birth to this sonic monster you can click here, or on the YouTube link at the bottom of this post.

So there’s no reason to go outdoors ever really. Just sit here and we will bring you all your thoughts, ideas, opinions and post (INSERT NATIONALLY GALVANIZING EVENT HERE) diatribes; ah informed thinking, when it was all…

Or you could peel yourself away from something Apple branded and try and catch MUTES for yourself, which might not be as easy as I’m goading you to do – but click here to stalk them with more online efficiency.

Eleanor Sutcliffe was at COW to check out the No Desire showcase and launch – see some cherry picked pics below, or click on the relevant links for the Full Flickr of Pics.

MUTES @ Cow 02.06.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

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MUTES’ front man & founder, James Brown, talks to Ed King for Birmingham Review @ Blotto Studios 01.06.17  – watch out for the solo performance of ‘Blood’ at 26mins 36secs.

MUTES debut album, No Desire, is out on general release. For more from Mutes, visit www.mutesuk.bandcamp.com

For more from FOMA, visit www.wearefoma.bigcartel.com

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For more on Blotto Studios, visit www.facebook.com/BlottoStudios

For more on COW Birmingham, visit www.wearecow.com/contacts/#birmingham

BPREVIEW: Birmingham Pride @ Hurst St + various 27/8.05.17

Birmingham Pride 2015 / Michelle Martin

Words by Ed King / Lead & parade pics by Michelle Martin (taken from Birmingham Pride 2015)

On Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th May, Birmingham Pride is back in the city – taking over various venues in Birmingham Gay Village (on and around Hurst Street) for their ‘Big Weekender’.

Tickets will need to be purchased, then exchanged or a wristband allowing you onto the main festival site. Advance tickets will be available from The Nightingale Club (Kent St) on Thursday 25 May from 4pm – 12midnight, then again on Friday 26 May from 12noon until 12midnight.

Wristbands can be bought over the Pride weekend, priced as: Weekend £40, Day £30, Pride by night (9pm onwards) £20. For direct information on tickets/wristbands, including full details on when, where and for how much, click here.

So unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know what Birmingham Pride is. If you don’t, then move you and your stone abode BPREVIEW: Birmingham Pride @ Hurst St + various 27/8.05.17into the new millennium. Seriously, one of Birmingham biggest parties – with a parade that is possibly the only place outside of Shambala where you’ll see more hairy fishnets than… some joke about sailors and a haberdashery shop.

Awesome fun what/whomever your predilections, Birmingham Pride is in its 21st year – picking up the mantle from previous mirror events to the London Pride, that ran sporadically in Brum from the early 70’s. Birmingham Pride as we know it today is a two day extravaganza, held on five separate festival stages with a deluge of fun and games in pretty much every bar within a stone’s throw of Hurst St.

Plus Birmingham Pride 2017 marks the 50th anniversary since you can’t get locked up for being homosexual, kinda sorta. As long as you kept yourself behind closed doors. But ten years after the Wolfenden Report was published the Sexual Offences Act finally made it through parliament – repealing the draconian laws against homosexuality, as made by Henry VIII (oh yes, we move that fast…)  and the 1885 Labouchere Amendment.

Even whilst being molasses slow, this was the first important step in challenging the discriminatory attitudes… sorry, publicly discriminatory attitudes of Britain’s political class when it came to consensual sex between men. Apparently Lesbians weren’t as threatening to the fabric of a decent, God fearing society.

And whilst 50 years is still not that long a time, the tide had to start somewhere; thank fuck, God bless, and another reason to raise a glass in the air this weekend.

Here’s a maraschino cherry pick from across Birmingham Pride 2017:

Saturday 27th May

Birmingham Pride 2015 / Michelle Martin

 

Pride Parade 2017 / Assembling in Victoria Square from 11am, ready to ‘wind its way’ through the city and down to the festival site, the Birmingham Pride Parade is as colouful an explosion as you can get. Celebrating half a century of less nonsense, Birmingham Pride have set the theme of Love & Pride for this year’s show of solidarity.

If you want to get involved or enter a float, you might just have some time too – click here for more info.

 

 

Duo Lipa / Headlining the Main Stage, the English born singer/ songwriter and model will be releasing her debut album about a week after Birmingham Pride – with Birmingham Pride of the only chances to see her perform before an international festival season takes her out of England until October.

For more on Duo Lipa performing at Birmingham Pride, click here.

 

Basement Jaxx – DJ set / Exciting enough even when it’s just Felix, Simon and a box of vinyl (or whatever the kids are spinning these days) Basement Jaxx will be DJing a headline slot on the Main Stage. With a pretty stella discography of club hits and foot stamping dance floor anthems, stretching back to 1994, Basement Jaxx have been purveyors of the Big-Beat-Disco-House sound for longer than there was a name to call it. I could run through a list if you need me to, but I won’t – just Google ‘Red Alert’ then crawl back under your rock.

For more on Basement Jaxx performing at Birmingham Pride, click here.

 

Other names to watch out for on the Saturday line up are: Rue Jay (Dance Arena), Tanya Hyde (Cabaret Marquee), Amy La Queefa (Women’s Arena), Ellé Robertson (Women’s Arena), Sandi G (Dance Arena), Topping & Butch (Cabaret Arena), Son of a Tutu (Cabaret Marquee), Jonas Blue (Main Stage), Louisa Johnson (Main Stage), RAYE (Main Stage), Pete Graham (Dance Arena), Jamie Duggan (Dance Arena), DJ Lisa Sharred (Women’s Arena).

 

Sunday 28th May

 

Twiggy / Clubland legend and fashion designer for the bastard child of Ziggy Stardust and Tinkerbelle, Twiggy will be performing in the Cabaret Marquee on the weekend’s second day. If you haven’t been hit on or refused entry by this local luminary of lustre and sparkles, then you should have gone out more. Wouldn’t be a proper party without Twiggy’s extravagant headdress bobbing around somewhere in the crowd.

For more on Twiggy performing at Birmingham Pride, click here.

 

 

Call Me Unique / The Urban Gypsy comes back to Birmingham Pride, performing a last day live set in the Women’s Arena. Hot on the heels of her new Urban Gypsy II EP, Call Me Unique is touring her new material across the UK and mainland Europe. Always worth a stop, look & listen, you can read more about Call Me Unique as seen through the eyes of Birmingham Review here.

Or for more on Call Me Unique performing at Birmingham Pride 2017, click here.

 

Charlotte Church’s Late Night Pop Dungeon / Born out of the festival cabaret circuit the Late Night Pop Dungeon is a den of musical iniquity where Wales’ Voice of an Angel gets to dirty her wings one tip at a time. Pop classics to contemporary hits, from MIA to Sufjan Steven, Charlotte Church’s Late Night Pop Dungeon looks hella fun – no pun intended. Now on tour across the UK, it’s hard to think of a better booking for Birmingham Pride’s Sunday crowd.

For more on Charlotte Church’s Late Night Pop Dungeon at Birmingham Pride, click here.

 

Other names to watch out for on the Saturday line up are: Vicki Vivacious (Marquee Arena), Zara Sykes (Women’s Arena), Gabrielle (Main Stage), Jamelia (Main Stage), Sophie Ellis-Bextor (Main Stage), Boney M (Main Stage), Kissy Sell Out (Dance Arena), Marc Spence (Dance Arena), Tom Shorterz (Dance Arena), Todd Terry (Dance Arena), D.E. Experience (Marquee Arena), Miss Penny (Cabaret Marquee), Madi Saskia (Women’s Arena).

Birmingham Pride takes place from 27-8th May, with the main festival situated on Hurst Street. The Birmingham Pride Parade will leave Victoria Square at 12noon on Saturday 27th May – heading for the festival site on Hurst Street.

For more on Birmingham Pride, including the festival’s full line up and layout, visit www.birminghampride.com

THE GALLERY: You Me At Six @ O2 Academy (B’ham) 10.04.17

THE GALLERY: You Me At Six @ O2 Academy (B’ham) 10.04.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe - Birmingham Review

 

 

 

Words & pics by Eleanor Sutcliffe 

From the queues of fans snaking around the O2 Academy in all directions, it’s clear to see that You Me At Six still have a dedicated fan base. Groups of youngsters, decked in band hoodies and Vans trainers, sit on the ground eating takeaway pizzas that have been delivered to the queue. I get chatting with a group of girls who have been queuing since 12:30pm – an impressive feat, considering that doors weren’t scheduled to open until 7pm.

Security work as quickly as they can to usher everyone inside, and it isn’t long before people are jostling for space in the 3000 capacity venue. I’m interested to see how the night’s first band, Black Foxxes, stand up to the packed crowd; they had played The Rainbow a few months beforehand, so this was a definite leap for the Exeter based trio.

Although seemingly cramped at the front of the stage due to You Me At Six’s piles of gear behind them, Black Foxxes still managed to open strong despite a number of technical mishaps – THE GALLERY: Tonight Alive – supporting You Me At Six @ O2 Academy (B’ham) 10.04.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe - Birmingham Reviewin all my life I’ve never seen a guitar tech work as quick as theirs did to repair Mark Holley’s broken string.

It was refreshing to see a band who had truly started out small and worked their way to the top with such fierce determination as these guys, and it simply shone through their music. Black Foxxes’ depressive rock flirted expertly with soulful melodies, descending at times to tones so inexplicably raw I felt they could be carving out their own genre.

Next were Tonight Alive – one of the few mainstream alternative rock bands to be female fronted. Jenna McDougal is seen as a rebelling goddess by much of the band’s female fanbase, and played on this by cavorting across the stage in a pair of white angel wings. The hit and miss sound was made up for by the band’s theatrics, while the lighting was simple superb. Although I’m not a huge fan of the Tonight Alive’s latest releases, they went down just as well with the crowd as their older heavier material.

When You Me At Six took to the stage, I was scared the crowd barrier may snap from the thousands of people who surged forward. Kicking off with their latest single, ‘Night People’, the band went on to deliver one of the most astounding sets I think I’ve ever seen.THE GALLERY: You Me At Six @ O2 Academy (B’ham) 10.04.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe - Birmingham Review

Cycling through some of their better known hits such as ‘Underdog’ and ‘Save It For The Bedroom’, with some of their newer material thrown in, it was clear to see that these boys won’t be slowing down any time soon.

Plus if you’re a true lover of good sound then it’s worth seeing You Me At Six play live just to listen to their technician’s mix – as true to the albums as you could possibly get. Complimented by an incredibly designed light show, it made for an impressive looking and sounding production.

Josh Franceschi interacted with the sold out O2 Academy crowd on a truly intimate level, preaching the band’s beliefs of equality and love for all. And finishing with the track ‘Room to Breathe’, from their No1 album Cavalier Youth, it’s clear to see that You Me At Six are still working hard – paving their way on the alternative rock scene.

Check out some of Eleanor Sutcliffe’s pics from You Me At Six, Tonight Alive and Black Foxxes at the O2 Academy (B’ham) below, or click the relevant links for the Full Flickr of Pics.

You Me At Six @ O2 Academy (B’ham) 10.04.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Brmingham Review

THE GALLERY: You Me At Six @ O2 Academy (B’ham) 10.04.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe - Birmingham Review

THE GALLERY: You Me At Six @ O2 Academy (B’ham) 10.04.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe - Birmingham Review

THE GALLERY: You Me At Six @ O2 Academy (B’ham) 10.04.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe - Birmingham Review

For more on You Me at Six, visit www.youmeatsix.co.uk

 

Tonight Alive – supporting You Me At Six @ O2 Academy (B’ham) 10.04.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

THE GALLERY: Tonight Alive – supporting You Me At Six @ O2 Academy (B’ham) 10.04.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe - Birmingham Review

THE GALLERY: Tonight Alive – supporting You Me At Six @ O2 Academy (B’ham) 10.04.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe - Birmingham Review

THE GALLERY: Tonight Alive – supporting You Me At Six @ O2 Academy (B’ham) 10.04.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe - Birmingham Review

For more on Tonight Alive, visit www.tonightaliveofficial.com

 

Black Foxxes – supporting You Me At Six @ O2 Academy (B’ham) 10.04.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

THE GALLERY: Black Foxxes – supporting You Me At Six @ O2 Academy (B’ham) 10.04.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe - Birmingham Review

THE GALLERY: Black Foxxes – supporting You Me At Six @ O2 Academy (B’ham) 10.04.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe - Birmingham Review

THE GALLERY: Black Foxxes – supporting You Me At Six @ O2 Academy (B’ham) 10.04.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe - Birmingham Review

For more on Black Foxxes, visit www.blackfoxxes.com
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For more from the O2 Academy (B’ham), including full event listing and online ticket sales, visit www.academymusicgroup.com/o2institutebirmingham

For more from Kilimanjaro Live, visit www.kilimanjarolive.co.uk

BPREVIEW: You Me at Six @ O2 Academy (B’ham) 10.04.17

BPREVIEW: You Me at Six @ O2 Academy (B’ham) 10.04.17

Words by Ed King           

On Monday 10th April, You Me at Six perform at the O2 Academy (B’ham) with support from Tonight Alive + Black Foxxes.

Doors open at 7pm with tickets priced at £32.75 – as presented by Kilimanjaro Live. For direct gig info, including venue details and online ticket sales, click here.

Born on the back streets of Surrey, You Me at Six have spent just over a decade clawing their way up the UK rock ladder – suffering awkward award elbows and all too easy genre alliterations.

But the boys from Weybridge have built a pretty phenomenal following too, with the savvy Leeds based Slam Dunk label (…club night, festival) being the first to pick them up, shake them good, send them to Reading and get a 13 track debut to fall out of the boys. No pun… Take Off Your Colours was released in October 2008 and the pop-punk snowball has been building ever since.

Hop-scotching majors, You Me at Six are now on the books at BMG – with their latest LP coming out on the Infectious subsidiary. Ah… Mushroom Records. Being the arguable make or break of the band, after a grueling ten year tour schedule, gears were shifted, home studios were built and the bulk of the recording took place at Blackbird in Nashville.

Jacquire King was brought in (and brave enough) to produce, with the award winning all rounder, Andrew Schepps, as engineer. The end result came out in January this year, with You Me at Six no doubt hoping their fifth studio album, Night People, will be as well received as its No1 spot reaching predecessor.

Things seem hopeful too, with You Me at Six dropping in for a secret Saturday ‘highlight’ set at this year’s Reading Festival before getting back on the road for nine UK dates across April. Birmingham gets its chance to see them midway through at the O2 Academy, with Tonight Alive and Black Foxxes joining them as tour support.

Check out the title track and first single off Night People, link below:

‘Night People’ – You Me at Six

You Me at Six perform at the O2 Academy (B’ham) on Monday 10th April, with support from Tonight Alive + Black Foxxes – as presented by Kilimanjaro Live. For direct gig info and online tickets sales, click here.

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For more on You Me at Six, visit www.youmeatsix.co.uk

For more on Tonight Alive, visit www.tonightaliveofficial.com

For more on Black Foxxes, visit www.blackfoxxes.com

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For more from the O2 Academy (B’ham), including full event listing and online ticket sales, visit www.academymusicgroup.com/o2institutebirmingham

For more from Kilimanjaro Live, visit www.kilimanjarolive.co.uk