Friday 24th November Archives -

December 1, 2017

THE GALLERY: Enter Shikari @ Arena Birmingham 24.11.17

Words & pics by Eleanor Sutcliffe

The last time I saw Enter Shikari, I was young, drunk (sorry mum) and throwing myself around a circle pit in Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse. Since then I like to think I’ve grown up a bit, but their politically charged music is something I’ve never managed to get out of my head. So when I heard they’d be playing in Arena Birmingham, I knew there was no way I could afford to miss it.

First up was Newport born and bred Astroid Boys. I’m kicking myself for not seeing these guys earlier on the local circuit as they were absolutely brilliant. Their mashup of grime and punk music looks awful on paper and yet these guys manage to pull it off flawlessly in real life.

Tracks such as ‘Foreigners’ off their latest album, Broke, had the crowd bouncing and dancing along like it was no one’s business. Their sound is fresh and exciting – like nothing I’ve heard of late. These guys are sure to go far and securing a tour supporting Enter Shikari is just the beginning of it.

Next, was Lower than Atlantis. Ignore everything you read about these guys delivering lackluster shows, because they were on fire this evening.

Mike Duce’s responsibilities are taken up with rhythm guitar and vocals, so granted he may not be the most energetic front man but their set was polished to perfection. Varied enough to give the crowd a taste of their newer material from their most recent album, Safe In Sound, but still delivering on the older material that fans fell in love with such as ‘Here We Go’ and ‘English Kids in America’.

And finally, Enter Shikari. Although I knew how much they had invested in the visual aspect of the show nothing could have prepared me for the theatrical lengths they had gone to. A large screen flickered above the stage, displaying a flight radar that synced with a quadraphonic sound system which surrounded the room. The sound of low flying aircraft echoed around Arena Birmingham to a buzzing telegram explaining a mission to the crowd. The atmosphere was intoxicating, with the build up causing furor amongst the audience.

Bursting on to the title track of their latest album, The Spark, Enter Shikari proceeded to deliver what I consider to be the best show I’ve seen this year. Their energy was dazzling, with every band member cavorting across the stage to a mass of strobe lighting and smoke. Tracks such as ‘Undercover Agents’ were announced by Rou hitting them into a typewriter which was projected onto the large screen above.

Enter Shikari’s theatrical capabilities knew no bounds for the evening, with every single song being an individual show in itself. And my God, did the crowd love it… From the frenzy inducing tracks such as ‘The Last Garrison’ to Rou’s distilled and heartbreaking rendition of ‘Airfield’, the Arena Birmingham audience could be heard (and seen) screaming along to every verse and chorus.

It’s always an odd experience watching a band who mean so much to a group of people. Settling myself on the balcony, I took a moment to watch the crowd – it was unlike anything I’d seen before. They were not reaching out to grab the band members, they were holding their friends hands and singing and dancing in groups.

It’s refreshing to see a band with such politically charged music also mean so much to a group of people. I never wanted this show to end. Enter Shikari, I salute you. You’ve blown me away, yet again.

Enter Shikari @ Arena Birmingham 24.11.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

For more on Enter Shikari, visit www.entershikari.com

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Lower the Atlantis – supporting Enter Shikari @ Arena Birmingham 24.11.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

For more on Lower the Atlantis, visit www.lowerthanatlantis.co

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Astroid Boys – supporting Enter Shikari @ Arena Birmingham 24.11.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

For more on Astroid Boys, visit www.astroid-boys.com

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For more from Arena Birmingham, including full event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.arenabham.co.uk

For more from DHP Family, including all national tours and venues, visit www.dhpfamily.com

November 22, 2017November 22, 2017

INTERVIEW: Lydia Brookes – Singing for Supper @ The Castle & Falcon 24.11.17

Words by Ed King / Pics courtesy of Lush Birmingham

On Friday 24^th November, The Castle and Falcon in Balsall Heath will be hosting Singing for Supper, a live gig with a somewhat stellar line up – You Dirty Blue, Sofa King, Alfresco Love Sounds, The Chalet Lines will all be performing for only a £5.50 door charge. For online ticket sales, click here.

With each act worth the ticket price to just see them on stage, you’ve got three. Not a bad way to spend your money on Black Friday.

But it gets better. Singing for Supper has been organised by the Lush Birmingham soap store to raise money for The Night Shelter – a Coventry based “safe place” that “provides aid to refugees, asylum seekers and refused asylum seekers – people with no recourse to public funds, which means they’re not entitled to any benefits or any help.”

Birmingham Review caught up with Lydia Brookes, one of the Singing for Supper promoters and a ‘Lush Ambassador’, to ask what made them foray into the world of music promotions on arguably the busiest retail day of the year.

“Homelessness is a huge problem,” explains Brookes, “we see ‘rooflessness’ every single day. It’s an issue close to our hearts at Lush and we wanted to work with this charity (The Night Shelter) because they’re part of such an important community resource”. The Night Shelter is one of the services of support available at the Coventry Peace House, a collection of renovated terrace houses that work on a portfolio of charitable endevours – including projects “to make the area more environmentally friendly, to give people safe spaces and places to learn,” tells Brookes. “We care a lot about this organisation because it’s so small but it’s doing so much. It’s quite unique and we really got behind their ethos”.

But this event is looking at a broader problem than just homelessness, which in itself is a growing killer on the bitter cold streets of the UK. Lush Rocks, a name born from the retailers move into charitable music promotions, hopes their Singing for Supper gig on Friday 24^th November will help raise both “money and public awareness” for the plight of those lost in the UK’s immigration cracks, whilst encouraging “people to think about the choices they’re make in and help in any way they can”.

“People sometimes don’t realise that asylum seekers aren’t allowed to work, or claim benefits, until their case has been heard,” explains Brookes, “so refused asylum seekers essentially have no options. Only if they’re in an absolute destitution can they apply for funds and even then it’s not guaranteed. The Night Shelter gives the people a warm place to sleep, it gives them beds, its gives people access to showers and hot meals.”

And what about the school of thought that is more anti-immigration to begin with? This is a prevalent issue in the UK, but one that can receive more divided and divisive attention than just straightforward compassion. “We respect everyone’s views,” tells Brookes, “but it’s worth remembering that a good deal of asylum seeker cases that are initially refused then get granted on appeal – and these are cases that should have been granted in the first place, with the administrations going back to them saying ‘you do have a viable claim and this should have been previously granted.’ Whatever your views are on asylum seekers and destitute refugees, we need to treat them as human beings. We have to view people as people, first and foremost.”

But charitable endevours aside, Singing for Supper is a gig simply well worth the door charge – especially with You Dirty Blue on the bill, a Tamworth alt-rock two piece who recently supported Wolf Alice on the first day of their UK tour and are pegged for big and bright things in 2018.

“We’re really excited,” explains Brookes, “especially about The Chalet Lines as it’s the solo act from one of the Lush Birmingham staff (Joseph Parker). Sofa King have a really funky vibe to them and we also got Alfresco Love Sounds. Then there’s You Dirty Blue who won’t be playing in small venues for long… this will be a good chance to see them in an ‘intimate’ setting.”

With all the acts “doing it voluntarily”, Singing for Supper at The Castle and Falcon on Friday 24^th November should be able to raise a decent chunk of change for The Night Shelter – a support service that is especially pertinent at this time of year.

And if you are fighting your way to bargain blissteria this Friday, Lush Birmingham are also asking for donations of “non-perishable food items with a high energy content, things like jam and sugar. Also simple toiletries, so toothpaste, tooth brushes, toilet roll. And blankets. Just think ‘if I had to get buy on very few things, what would I need’”.

It’s almost as if this time of year isn’t just about shopping for yourself…

Singing for Supper comes to The Castle & Falcon on Friday 24^th November, with You Dirty Blue, Sofa Kings, Alfresco Love Sounds and The Chalet Lines performing – as presented by Lush Rocks (from the Ambassadors Team at Lush Birmingham).

All money raised from the gig will go to support The Night Shelter at the Coventry Peace House – a shelter for refugees, asylum seekers and people who have ‘no recourse to public funds’. For online gig ticket sales, click here.

For more on The Night Shelter, visit www.naccom.org.uk/members/peace-house-night-shelter/

For more on Coventry Peace House, visit www.coventrypeacehouse.wixsite.com/coventry-peace-house

For more from The Castle & Falcon, including venue details and online ticket sales, visit www.castleandfalcon.com

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Lush Birmingham are also looking for donations of non-perishable food items, toiletries and FMCGs such as sugar, breakfast cereal, rice, jam, toothbrushes, toothpaste, cooking oil, instant coffee, toilet roll, or washing powder.

If you can’t attend the Lush Rock Singing for Supper event at The Castle & Falcon on Friday 24^th Nov, donations can be sent to the Lush Ambassadors Team at: Lush Birmingham, 23 New St, Birmingham B2 4RQ

To find out more about Lush Birmingham, visit www.uk.lush.com/shop/birmingham

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To learn more about the problems faced by asylum seekers coming to the UK and people who are ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’, please visit the following website for the Birmingham based Asylum Support and Immigration Resource Team (ASIRT) www.asirt.org.uk

November 21, 2017November 21, 2017

BPREVIEW: Enter Shikari @ Arena Birmingham 24.11.17

Words by Eleanor Sutcliffe

Enter Shikari will be performing on the 24^th of November at Arena Birmingham, coming to the city as part of their European tour – before heading off to North America in the New Year.

Tickets are priced at £31.98 (inc booking fee) as presented by DHP Family. For direct gig info, including venue details and online tickets sales, click here.

Enter Shikari sure have been busy this year. Following their previous, sold out, European tour they performed a number of shows across the UK in celebration of the 10 year anniversary of Take to the Skies – including a high profile show at this year’s Slam Dunk festival. The band also released their latest album, The Spark, in September – proceeded by their single ‘Live Outside’ in August. Well received by their fans, and dubbed by NME as ‘a Biffy Clyro style crossover classic’, Enter Shikari’s newest release is taking the alternative music scene somewhat by storm.

And why not. Enter Shikari’s angsty, emotional lyrics and uniquely heavy, electronic sound have always hit home with fans, but never as much as now. With Brexit looming, Enter Shikari’s politically-fuelled lyrics have become a lifeline to fans who are struggling to cope with these tumulus times.

Tracks such as ‘Take My Country Back’ scream lines such as “Now look what we’ve done to ourselves, We’ve really gone and fucked it this time”, proclaiming unity as being the best option for the country. For a generation who feel that politically their views are lost and ignored, tracks and lyrics such as these hit home.

And whilst Take to the Skies has always been seen as the Enter Shikari’s masterpiece, it may be time for The Spark to take its place. This tour has been long awaited by fans, and is set to be a sell out across the UK.

Support comes from alternative rock band Lower Than Atlantis, and punk rock-turned-grime band Astroid Boys.

‘Take My Country Back’ – Enter Shikari (recorded at Paste Studios, New York)

Enter Shikari perform at Arena Birmingham on Friday 24th November, with support from Lower Than Atlantis and Astroid Boys – as presented by DHP Family. For direct gig info, including venue details and online tickets sales, click here.

For more on Enter Shikari, visit www.entershikari.com

For more on Lower Than Atlantis, visit www.lowerthanatlantis.co

For more on Astroid Boys, visit www.astroid-boys.com

For more from Arena Birmingham, including full event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.arenabham.co.uk

For more from DHP Family, including their national portfolio of tours and venues, visit www.dhpfamily.com