BREVIEW: The Devil and Saint Joseph @ Hare & Hounds 25.01.20

The Devil and Saint Joseph @ Hare & Hounds 25.01.20 / Sam Frank Wood Photography

Words by Hassan Ul-Haq / Pics by Sam Frank Wood Photography

(Ed’s note: This review was taken from the This Is Tmrw 2020 Season Launch Party at the Hare & Hounds, with The Devil and Saint Joseph playing alongside Coffee Breath, MUTES, The Cosmics, Sunshine Frisbee Laserbeam, and Table Scraps.

Tackling a somewhat mammoth sized line up, we opted to cherry pick a band we’ve not reviewed before… may the Gods of garage-punk-indie-rock forgive us.)

When coming across the Birmingham music scene, in particular the fuzz esc locality of various bands across the city, you begin to familiarise yourself with those artists. Whether it be through their artistic and stylistic choices, or for their various side-projects.

That being said, The Devil and Saint Joseph might be familiar to many – as two of its members, Joe Joseph and Emily Doyle, where once part of the Trash-Blues band The Hungry Ghosts.The Devil and Saint Joseph @ Hare & Hounds 25.01.20 / Sam Frank Wood Photography Now that the former is dead, from the ashes rises a new project. Alongside guitarist Billy Beale, the new trio create a live experience that is immersive and experimental as it is engaging and mesmerising.

Opening the stage for the This is Tmrw 2020 Launch night (which had an array of incredible bands performing) The Devil and Saint Joseph kicked off the evening in a way I’ve not seen any local band do for a long time. Performing alongside a projector, that plays a fictional film created by front man Joe Joseph, their music is filled with various influences of country and psychedelic blues that immerses the audience into the creation of this new project.

Seeing The Devil and Saint Joseph play live for the first time, you could be forgiven for thinking they are an American band with the Velvet Underground sensibilities and elements of The Psychedelic Furs. Front man, Joe Joseph, oozes an eerie mystique, one that is partially due to his love of Americana across both film and music.The Devil and Saint Joseph @ Hare & Hounds 25.01.20 / Sam Frank Wood Photography Singing songs like ‘Hollywood Babylon’, which showcase a different Joe Joseph from his previous incarnation, it is as if he has just been resurrected and born anew – reaching a new level of reinvention in the local scene.

We shouldn’t forget the contribution of the other members, who help to deliver a great performance. Emily Doyle – taking the stage as a drummer, keyboardist and programmer – layers the tracks with pounding percussion (especially on songs like ‘A Season of Crime’) and has some incredible vocal chops to add as well.

Whilst guitarist, Billy Boyle, delivers some incredible blues riffs that would make Muddy Waters blush. Boyle’s range on the fretboard often helps set the tone and are the highlight of the song ‘Motel Dreams’ – I a track straight out of the 60s psychedelic era. Again, you would be forgiven to think that the track was a Cream B-Side.

I like to think The Devil and Saint Joseph come from an alternative world, a world where their music is from an American TV serial based in a small city with a population of 51,201. I like to think they perform in a venue called The Roadhouse.

But for now, they are an Earth bound Birmingham band that everyone needs to check out – especially live, to experience the immersive nature of the music. Where they go next, we’ll have to wait and find out.

For more on The Devil and Saint Joseph, visit www.facebook.com/thedevilandsaintjoseph

**The Devil and Saint Joseph will be playing at The Sunflower Lounge on Saturday 8th February, supporting Japanese Television – with Mutes also supporting. Promoted by Killer Wave, for more gig info and links to online tickets click here**

For more from This Is Tmrw, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.thisistmrw.co.uk

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 aggression in the music industry and beyond – from dance floor to dressing room, everyone deserves a safe place to play.

To learn more about the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign, click here. To sign up and join the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign, click here.

If you have been affected by any issues surrounding sexual violence – or if you want to report an act of sexual aggression, abuse or assault – click here for information via the ‘Help & Support’ page on the NOT NORMAL NOT OK website.

INTERVIEW: MeMe Detroit

Words & interview by Ed King / Live pic by Callum Lees

“I called it an EP of uplift angst – it’s in your face, but it’s got a nice positive message underneath it as well… fuck the negative, put a positive spin on it and write about the good stuff. The happy stuff, the stuff that makes you feel good.”

Described as ‘Silently observational’, ‘fearlessly immersed’, the ‘Queen of grunge’ and our personal favourite, ‘effortlessly cool’, MeMe Detroit crosses the boundaries from blues to indie rock.

Storming onto the Birmingham music scene with her debut album, Live to Love You’ll Love to Live, in 2016, MeMe Detroit has been a regular fixture on listings in the Midlands and beyond ever since. ‘Hard working’ could certainly be added to the list.

Her latest EP, Life in the Now, was released in November 2018 – following a sell out gig with REWS and Thousand Thoughts at The Flapper in Birmingham and a successful promotional tour across the wider UK.

MeMe Detroit’s latest single, ‘Will You Be My Lie?’, was released in May 2019 – exploring the complications and computations when a wondering eye turns into a divisive secret. Hence the title. But narrative is strong across all MeMe Detroit’s portfolio, with tracks from her latest EP exploring themes of social restraint (and a healthy push the other way), identity, love, betrayal, and our obsession with social media. There’s even a happy homage to one of Birmingham’s prominent live music venues, but you’ll have to listen to Life in the Now and work that out for yourself.

Birmingham Review last saw MeMe Detroit at the NOT NORMAL NOT OK live gig fundraiser at the Hare & Hounds on Friday 7th June – after she was put forward as the headline act by BBC Introducing, who were supporting the gig and ongoing campaign to challenge sexual assault in the music scene. Since then there have been highs, lows, line up and costume changes…

Ed King caught up with MeMe Detroit for a chat and special acoustic performance of ‘Will You Be My Lie?’ at Cherry Reds on John Bright Street in Birmingham – ahead of her full band set at the Hare & Hounds on Thursday 25th July, and a further acoustic set as part of the Female Voices Night at Tower of Song on Sunday 28th July.

Watch the full interview below, or click here to jump straight to the song.

Interview with MeMe Detroit – includes acoustic performance of ‘Will You Be My Lie?’ @ Cherry Reds 19.07.19

MeMe Detroit will be playing a full band set at the Hare & Hounds on Thursday 25th July, alongside Hollows and Namsakē. For direct event details and online tickets, visit www.bit.ly/2y9gpd6

MeMe Detroit will be playing an acoustic set as part of the Female Voices Night at Tower of Song on Sunday 28th July – with Ellie Gowers & Chloe Mogg. For direct event details and online ticket sales, visit www.facebook.com/events/711942659235581

For more on MeMe Detroit, visit www.memedetroit.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 learn more about the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign, click here. To sign up and join the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign, click here.

If you have been affected by any of the issues surrounding sexual violence – or if you want to report an act of sexual aggression, abuse or assault – click here for information via the ‘Help & Support’ page on the NOT NORMAL NOT OK website.

NOT NORMAL NOT OK: MeMe Detroit, The Butters Aliens, Sofa King – live gig fundraiser @ Hare & Hounds 07.06.19

On Friday 7th June, the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign hosts it’s first ‘live gig fundraiser’ at the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath) – with MeMe Detroit, The Butters Aliens and Sofa King all performing.

Doors open at the Hare & Hounds from 7:30pm, with tickets priced at £5 (early bird) and £7 (second release/otd) – as presented by NOT NORMAL NOT OK. For direct gig info and links to online ticket sales, visit the Facebook Event Page by clicking here. The event is further supported by BBC Introducing West Midlands and Birmingham Review.

Tickets can be bought through See Tickets (click here) and through Skiddle (click here). Physical tickets are also available from the artists themselves, or by contacting the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign team directly (click here).

NOT NORMAL NOT OK was launched in June 2018, set up ‘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.’

Following an op-ed piece published on Birmingham Review, citing the actions of two Birmingham based promoters – one who sexually assaulted a singer of a band they were promoting and the other who made some frighteningly misogynistic comments about women attending their venue – the NOT NORMAL NOT OK partnered with West Midlands Police and the Rape & Sexual Violence Project (R.S.V.P.) to begin outreach work at live music venues in the West Midlands.

For the past year, NOT NORMAL NOT OK has been distributing campaign stickers at live music events across the region – with both the gig going public and the artists performing donning the black and yellow NOT NORMAL NOT OK logos at the gigs they attend.

Venues across the Midlands have been welcoming the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign into their events, from the Town & Symphony Halls to independent venues such as the Hare & Hounds and The Dark Horse – showing solidarity for the message of zero tolerance when it comes to sexual violence.

Now the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign is launching its own programme of live music events, starting with a ‘live gig fundraiser’ at the Hare & Hounds on Friday 7th July – with MeMe Detroit, The Butters Aliens and Sofa King all performing on stage. The event is being supported by BBC Introducing West Midlands, one of the first media outlets to get behind the campaign, who secured MeMe Detroit as the headline act.

A second fundraising gig is being held at Centrala on Friday 25th October, with electro-rockers Flight Brigade coming to Birmingham for the penultimate date on their Chased by Wolves album tour – Flight Brigade‘s new single, ‘Tinderbox’, will be played on BBC Introducing Solent on Saturday 25th May between 8 and 9pm.

All money raised from the NOT NORMAL NOT OK live gig fundraisers will go directly back into the campaign – supporting continued outreach work with live music venues, alongside bespoke counselling/advocacy training for NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign staff with R.S.V.P.

“NOT NORMAL NOT OK was born out of a reaction to stories of sexual assault, intimidation and violence within our local music scene,” explains NOT NORMAL NOT OK Campaign Director, Ed King. “It began with one person’s story, a singer in a band who had been sexually assaulted by the promoter who was putting their gig on. But as we started to talk to people about sexual violence in the music scene, towards those both on stage and off stage, we were told about a frightening number of cases – from people being sexually assaulted in a crowd, to rape. 

It was a horrible realisation and one that I, both personally and professionally, had been naively unaware of. But many people want to see change and with the help of both the music community and our campaign partners – including West Midlands Police and the Rape & Sexual Violence Project – we are now shinning a light on the issue, talking about the ‘elephant in the room’ and exposing a culture of sexual violence that is disturbingly commonplace in the music scene.”

NOT NORMAL NOT OK hosts it’s live gig fundraiser with MeMe Detroit, The Butters Aliens and Sofa King at the Hare & Hounds Friday 7th June – with tickets priced at £5 (early bird) and £7 (second release/otd). For direct gig info and links to online ticket sales, visit the Facebook Event Page by clicking here.

For more on the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign, or to seek help and advice about issues surrounding sexual violence, visit www.notnormalnotok.com

For more on MeMe Detroit, visit www.memedetroit.com 
For more on The Butters Aliens, visit www.soundcloud.com/buttersaliens
For more on Sofa King, visit www.sofakingqueen.bandcamp.com

For more on the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath), including venue details and further event listings, visit www.hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk

BPREVIEW: The Bombpops @ Hare & Hounds 24.05.19

Words by Ed King

On Friday 24th May, The Bombpops will be playing at the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath) with support from Swan Prince, killer BOB, and La Moxie – rocking their way across Europe on their Punk in Drublic Tour.

Doors open at 7:30pm, with General Entry tickets priced at £8(+bf) – as presented by Nat Bite Music. For direct event information and links to online ticket sales, click here.

The pop-punk-bastard-brainchild of Poli van Dam and Jen Razavi, The Bombpops were born in 2007 – cementing their place in San Diego’s music scene with some anarchic skate rock and punchy live shows. Cue knee jerk references to Blink 182… but don’t come crying to us if you get a mic stand in the chops, comparisons are a dangerous animal.

Independently releasing their first Like I Care EP In 2010, The Bombpops would follow their six track debut with Stole the TV EP just under a year later – sent out into the world through Toby Jeg’s Red Scare imprint. A few years and line up changes later, landing on Josh Lewis (drums) and Neil Wayne (bass) – with Poli van Dam and Jen Razavi staying solid as the band’s guitarists and vocalists, and The Bombpop’s self released 2015 Can of Worms EP would see them take their first trip across the pond – touring Europe later that year.

Extending their fanbase, and with the encouragingly worldwide cry for an album, The Bombpops started writing and recording their debut LP in 2016 – releasing Fear of Missing Out through Fat Wreck Records in early 2017.

The twelve track slaughter house, that strides from ‘peppy to plain badass in the blink of an eye,’ was well received across the punk pop fraternity – with the Punk Rock Theory website rounding off their review by stating ‘the only downside to this album is that it will seriously cut into your time to listen to other bands.’ So, to surmise, a success.

Back in the UK for a smattering of dates, including the Slamdunk Festivals in Leeds and Hatfield, The Bombpops stop off at the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath) on Friday 24th May – with support from Swan Prince, killer BOB, and La Moxie.

And we’ve said it before and we may well say it again… but for direct event information and links to online ticket sales, click here.

‘CA in July’ – The Bombpops

For more on The Bombpops, visit www.thebombpops.com
For more on Swan Prince, visit www.swanprinceband.com
For more on killer BOB, visit www.killerbob.rocks
For more on La Moxie, visit www.facebook.com/lamoxieuk 

For more from Nat Bite Music, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.natbite.com

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

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ED’S PICK: April ‘18

Words by Ed King

Easter Sunday, 1st April… There’s probably a joke in there somewhere. But with a basket of listings and entertainment based excel spreadsheets to plough through who has the time to be witty? Or hunt for Easter eggs, for that matter. Being an adult sucks.

However (…are you ready for this segue) it does allow me to enjoy all the delights of the Flatpack Film Festival without worrying about ID – actually, I’m not sure there’s too much on the programme with an age restriction but Dots & Loops are part of the festival and they brought us Lesley the Pony Has and A+ Day!, so…

Back for festival number 12, those glorious creatives at Flatpack have put on a nine day smorgasbord of celluloid, digital, and other audio/visual treats – running from 13th to 22nd April, in a variety of venue across the city. Too much to cram into this round up; look out for our more in-depth cherry pick in the days to come, or click here for more direct information on the full programme.

Elsewhere in the non-greenfield, Ebola flirting, footwear wrecking land of multi-stage events, we have the Birmingham Literature Festival – hop scotching from various corners of the REP to the Birmingham and Midland Institute from 27th to 29th April. Now old enough to drink beer in America, this year’s Birmingham Literature Festival has a focus on women in literature and publishing, alongside a weekend long programme of ‘inspiring conversations, writing and debate’. Again too much to adequately surmise, but click here for more direct info.

Following on with a female focus, Birmingham Jazz launches its Legends Festival on 27th April – running as a series of satellite events across the city until 20th May. This year’s linchpin is ‘Celebrating Women in Jazz’, with local artists such as Trish Clowes joining a myriad of talent from across the globe. Too much to fit into… you know the drill, click here.

Theatre comes in all shapes and sizes this month, including a couple of choice cuts on Hurst Street – with Wicked beginning its Birmingham run at the Hippodrome (4th-29th Apr) and The Twisted Tale of Hansel and Gretel at the Patrick Centre (4th– 8th Apr).

Across the duel carriageways and road works we have Graham Greene’s Brighton Rock coming to the Birmingham REP (10th – 14th) followed by the political see-saw of 1970’s Britain in This House (17th – 21st) – reminding us fear mongering comes from both sides of the aisle and a dash of vitriol isn’t a particular new idea. How times have changed… or not.

Music takes its usual fat belly slice of our monthly listings, with a few ‘big gigs’ of notE coming to the NEC portfolio – as the Genting Arena sees both Arcade Fire (15th Apr) and Dua Lipa (17th Apr), whilst Arena Birmingham welcomes the Manic Street Preachers (27th Apr) back to the city.

Playing across the non-arena rooms of our musical city, the Hare & Hounds has another eclectic mix – with Kushikatsu Records presenting Shonen Knife (15th Apr) followed Snowpoet (19th Apr) courtesy of Jazzlines. Whilst The Glee Club sees the very welcome return of Nerina Pallot (9th Apr) stopping off in Birmingham on the second date if her UK tour. Fingers crossed there’s a piano on stage.

The Sunflower Lounge sees Killer Wave and Outlander host their ‘Help the Homeless’ pay-as-you-feel charity fundraiser (8th Apr) – with all money raised going to Shelter and Tabor House. Then we have Lucy May Walker playing her first headline show in Birmingham (18th Apr) – both events well worth a stop, look and listen. And £5 of your hard earned cash, of course.

Our mobile branded venues see a bevy of acts this month too, with the O2 Academy presenting George Ezra (4th Apr), The Vaccines (7th Apr), Trivium (17th Apr), The Streets (19th Apr), Coasts (21st Apr) and Akala (24th Apr). Whilst the O2 Institute leads out with Walk the Moon (7th Apr), Little Comets (14th Apr), Aquilo (16th Apr), Of Mice and Men (25th Apr) and Sharon Needles: Battle Axe Tour (26th Apr).

A special mention also has to go to the Hummingbird-Menagerie-Indie-salad days-nostalgia trip coming to the O2 Academy with Love From Stourbridge – featuring The Wonder Stuff and Ned’s Atomic Dustbin (14th Apr). Someone pass me my German army shirt, skateboard and a can of Red Stripe, we’re going early 90’s feral…

And if you’re committed to your anti-corporate support of live music, never fear as mac welcomes Juice Aleem & Surge Orchestra (21st Apr) whilst Mama Roux’s serves two sides of the musical rainbow with The Herbaliser (19th Apr) and Mallory Knox (24th Apr)… probably not a good idea to get those dates mixed up in your diary.

Elsewhere in the city, comedy offers a relatively strong respite from those kids and their music – with The Glee Club presenting Tony Law (13th Apr), Alun Cochrane (15th Apr) and Craig Campbell (22nd Apr).

Or if you just want to stand and stare, you could waste a happy hour or two at Lewes Herriot: The Glass Arcana exhibition at Artefact in Stirchley (13th – 14th Apr). Or watching the flyers unfold with an exhibition from the seminal 90’s ambient electro club Oscillate, at Centrala (16th – 28th Apr) – bearing in mind there is an end of exhibition party with HIA and POLE (28th Apr) so you might want to do more than actually just stand and stare. Or not. Depends how you dance to Sun Electric, I suppose. Necking enough amphetamines to kill a small horse always worked for me, but vegetarian options are available.

But to end on the most glamorous of high notes (pun absolutely intended) Paul Alexsandr and Dragpunk present Candyland at The Nightingale (6th Apr) – a choc full celebration of ‘local and national UK drag of all genders, sexualities and abilities that you’ll adore.’ Then at the other end of the April rainbow, Opulence are launching Mother’s Meeting at Bar Jester (28th Apr) – a band spanking new ‘performance night dedicated to showing off a variety of drag and queer talent across Birmingham and the U.K.’, with special guest Charity Kase joined by a pageant of the Opulence crew on stage and Elliot Barnicle on the decks.

Birmingham can be proud for many reasons, but the cross over embrace of its drag community is one to really get those flags waving. We love covering it, and it seems the punters of Birmingham love supporting it. So, Vive la/le drag community of our fair/fairer city, alongside all who sail on these most wonderful of waters. Save some energy though, Birmingham Pride is a mere calendar page turn away.

And wait, I’ve just thought of one. A Jewish carpenter and a 6ft rabbit walk into Cadbury World…

For more on any of the events listed here, click on the highlighted hyperlinks. Ed King is Editor-in-Chief of Review Publishing, which issues both the Birmingham Review and Birmingham Preview. To follow Ed King on Twitter, click here.