NOT NORMAL NOT OK Archives

July 11, 2019July 10, 2019

BPREVIEW: Sam Lambeth presents 10 Years on Four Chords @ The Victoria 12.07.19

Words by Ed King / Pics courtesy of Sam Lambeth

On Friday 12^th July, Sam Lambeth presents 10 Years on Four Chords – a final gig showcase held at The Victoria on John Bright Street, where he will perform cherry picked tracks from The MonoBloggers, Quinn, My Perfect Summer and Winona. And like that… he’s gone. This really is your last chance to see the boy up on stage. Although as a musical epitaph, Lambeth released a compilation of his decade long back catalogue under the same name back in May this year – to read Abi Whitsance’s Birmingham Review of 10 Years on Four Chords (the album) click here.

Joining Sam Lambeth for the 10 Years on Four Chords last hurrah will be ‘an array of special guests from throughout his career’, standing in as his swansong band mates – extra support comes from further local artists Giant & the Georges, Bryony Williams and Paul Beaumont (Wood and Nails).

Doors open at The Victoria on 12^th July from 7pm, with tickets priced at £5 (+ booking fee) – as promoted by The Future Sound Project. All money raised from the door sales will go to Teenage Cancer Research, a charity Sam Lambeth has supported for several years, with NOT NORMAL NOT OK also invited to have a presence at the event – challenging sexual assault in the music scene, from dancefloor to dressing room. For more direct gig information and links to online ticket sales, click here to visit the 10 Years on Four Chords Facebook event page.

Birmingham Review first saw Sam Lambeth as frontman for/founder of Quinn, when the indie pop three piece were supporting erstwhile Goth rockers, Semantics, back September 2017. Describing their sound as ‘languid melodies disguised by fast paced distortion and an unashamed rock outlook on life’, Quinn’s set was confidently wrapped around their engaging frontman – with Lambeth’s self-deprecation and humour being one of the highlights of a thoroughly enjoyable evening. The line we settled on was: ‘Lambeth is a superstar in the making, with absurd confidence, deft solos and the kind of charisma that you would sign in blood to possess.’

But Mr Quinn had worn several hats before Birmingham Review saw him strut his funky leopard print stuff, having again founded and fronted both The MonoBloggers and My Perfect Summer – the former enjoying some pretty respectable momentum and attention, getting picked by music media such as NME and Radio 6 alongside support slots for The Lemonheads and Little Comets.

Likewise, when the first incarnation of Quinn went the way of the dodo back in 2018 Lambeth sought to re-establish the band with some pretty sold new material – darker than its predecessors, a smattering of tracks were floated around (which Birmingham Review dubbed ‘Evil Quinn’) but despite being pretty exciting evolutions sadly did not pan out as many of us had hoped. No doubt, Sam Lambeth included.

But not one to be easily thwarted or pushed of stage, Lambeth set about redefining his redefinition with a further band – the again exciting but again short-lived Winona. In fact, when we run through it all it’s difficult to pinpoint why Lambeth isn’t now sipping hare of the dog cocktails in the Ivy, kvetching with Noel Gallagher about all the new faces at this year’s Glastonbury. To paraphrase the words of Robert Burns… I guess things just fuck up. But it’s an odd equation gone wrong that ‘Sam Lambeth’ isn’t on the way to being a household name by now. Or at least, to Celebrity Love Island.

Platitudes and prophecy aside, 10 Years on Four Chords will see this decade of highs, lows, fortune and famine played out (literally) on stage at The Victoria on Friday 12^th July – in a portfolio packed showcase that presents ‘choice cuts from every band, resulting in a winning playlist of some of his (Lambeth’s) best tracks spanning his ten-year tenure.’

Expect tears, expect laughter. Expect growing old gracefully to be shoved down the back of the sofa for a night. Come and say well done/goodbye to someone who has been embedded, both on stage and off, in the Midland’s music scene for the last 10 years. Someone should bake a cake, or buy a watch. Do PRS and Birmingham City Council issue a long service award…?

‘All the Best’ – Quinn

On Friday 12^th July, Sam Lambeth and The Future Sounds Project present 10 Years on Four Chords at The Victoria – showcasing tracks from The MonoBloggers, Quinn, My Perfect Summer and Winona. Support comes from Giant & the Georges, Bryony Williams and Paul Beaumont (Wood and Nails). For direct gig information and links to online ticket sales, click here to visit the Facebook Event page.

For more from Sam Lambeth, and for a sneaky peak at what’s coming off stage at 10 Years on Four Chords, visit https://spoti.fi/2G6ANA1

For more on Giant & the Georges, visit www.giantandthegeorges.co.uk
For more on Bryony Williams, visit www.soundcloud.com/bryony-williams
For more on Paul Beaumont (Wood and Nails), visit www.spoti.fi/2IJ1IWc

For more from The Future Sound Project, visit www.seetickets.com/promoter/the-future-sound-project

For more on The Victoria, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.thevictoriabirmingham.co.uk

For more on Teenage Cancer Trust, visit www.teenagecancertrust.org

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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.

June 12, 2019

BPREVIEW: Hannah Brown @ The Sunflower Lounge 12.06.19

Words by Ed King

On Wednesday 12^th June, Hannah Brown performs at The Sunflower Lounge – with support from Bryony Williams and Watermark.

Doors open at 7:30pm, with tickets priced at £6 (plus booking fee) – as presented by Indie Midlands. For more direct gig info, including venue details and links to online ticket sales, click here.

Hannah Brown is somewhat of a stalwart on the Midlands music scene, having cemented her place on the cultural landscape with her debut six track acoustic EP, The Highbury Sessions – recorded at the Kings Heath studios and released in 2015.

Brown’s 2016 follow up EP, Better for This, followed in the footsteps of her first – delivering another six track analysis into the fragility of the human endevouor, with all the raw strength and determination that you need to survive it. Stretching from strings to keys and back again, Better for This is an inspiring record – covering the visceral themes of youth and identity, with well-rounded production from Rob Derbyshire and Ben Stancombe.

Supported by BBC Introducing and a variety of music focused media, Brown started to develop the ‘full band sound’ that came through on Better than This – progressing as a songwriter and performing artist, with singles such as ‘So Should You’ and ‘My Home’ released across 2018.

Then in early 2019, Brown released ‘Further Away’ – a track of faster paced melodic rock, telling the troubles of disaffection with a confident vocal lead and lyrics such as “I’ll work ‘till I am eighty, or die when I’m not ready… I just wanna stay in.” Super stuff, Brown’s latest single is an exciting stamp of authority from an artist that has embraced their own development and shows more promise than most egos can healthily handle.

There is an album floating around too, the composite The World Still Spins – made up of cherry picked tracks from Brown’s back catalogue, alongside previously unreleased recordings of some of her more tried and tested tracks. But the music wolf still bays for blood, and you can’t release something as solid as ‘Further Away’ and not expect the howls of “ALBUM…????” to be too far behind. Have a stop, look, listen below and you’ll see (hear) where we’re coming from.

‘Further Away’ – Hannah Brown

Hannah Brown plays at The Sunflower Lounge on Wednesday 12^th June, with support Bryony Williams and Watermark – as presented by Indie Midlands. For direct gig info and links to online ticket sales, visit www.thesunflowerlounge.com/event/hannah-brown-bryony-watermark

For more on Hannah Brown, visit www.hannah-brown.co.uk
For more on Bryony Williams, visit www.soundcloud.com/bryony-williams
For more on Watermark, visit www.facebook.com/WatermarkUK

For more from Indie Midlands, including further event listings and stories from the region’s indie and alternative music scene, visit www.indiemidlands.com

For more on The Sunflower Lounge, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.thesunflowerlounge.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.

May 25, 2019

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

On Friday 7^th 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 7^th 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 25^th 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 25^th 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 7^th 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

May 25, 2019

ALBUM: Ten Years on Four Chords – Sam Lambeth

Words by Abi Whistance / Pics by Chris Close

Giving your work away for someone else to meddle with is tough, but it seems that Sam Lambeth has finally plucked up the courage to do so. Immediately feeling far more sophisticated than anything he’s done before, Ten Years on Four Chords has managed to dodge a Thelma and Louise-style ending, letting someone else take the wheel for a large proportion of the album. Bedroom-quality recordings no more; production has worked wonders on tracks like ‘All the Best’ and ‘Start’, making them potential indie anthems of the Summer – albeit slightly generic ones.

I’ll be the first to say it, there’s a lot going on here. The nature of a ‘best of’ album is to lump all the finest you’ve got into one (rarely neat and tidy) package, and that’s pretty much exactly what has happened.

With a combination of songs from the likes of Quinn, Winona, The MonoBloggers and Lambeth himself, Ten Years on Four Chords does unfortunately struggle to avoid feeling a little jumpy at times – the hop from tracks like ‘Time Stands Still’ to ‘All The Lazy Hipsters’ instigating similar aftereffects to that of whiplash. This is but a small critique though (and perhaps an unfair one) for an album that is, at the end of the day, a compilation and thus fulfilling its purpose.

Yet I do think there’s a lot to be said for the range of quality on this record; most notably tracks associated with Lambeth’s days with Quinn, there’s a clear growth of both maturity and musical ability in his material since then. Influences have become clearer, his sound more fine-tuned. And it seems that with his work post-Quinn, Lambeth has finally found what works best for him.

Of course, I understand the necessity of including tracks from the Quinn era on this album, with the band arguably being one of his most notable ventures musically in the titular Ten Years… However, I can’t help but wish that some remastering had gone on here. With Quinn no longer together I’m sympathetic that this may be inconvenient, and maybe I’m being a little too demanding of a compilation album, but the dip in quality is so notable that it feels a shame to have not done anything about it. There are some good indie tracks on this record and the only thing holding it back from being a solid album throughout is the wavering quality.

Nevertheless, this can only be seen as a positive step forward in Lambeth’s career; Ten Years on Four Chords holds some of the man’s greatest musical achievements of the past decade. From The MonoBloggers to Lambeth gone lone-wolf, there’s an immense landscape of material to cover on this album – weighing in at a heavy seventeen tracks and a whole fifty-eight minutes for you to sink your teeth into. Enjoy.

Ten Years on Four Chords (official trailer) – Sam Lambeth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BK5BV1nH0yA

For more on Sam Lambeth, visit www.soundcloud.com/samlambethmusic

For direct info for the Ten Years on Four Chords showcase at The Victoria on 12^th July, including venue details and 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 learn more about the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign, click here. To sign up and join the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign, click here.

May 23, 2019

BPREVIEW: The Bombpops @ Hare & Hounds 24.05.19

Words by Ed King

On Friday 24^th 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 24^th 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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