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February 16, 2016

BPREVIEW: Fat White Family @ O2 Institute 20.02.16

On Saturday 20 February, Fat White Family perform at the O2 Institute in Digbeth – as presented by SJM Concerts.

Doors open at 6pm, with tickets priced at £12 (advance). For direct gig info & online ticket sales, click here.

Fat White Family’s gig at the O2 Institute in Birmingham is the first of an eleven date UK tour – in support of their second album, Songs for Our Mothers, which was released on 22 January through Fat Possum/Without Consent.

Formed in a South London squat back in 2012, Fat White Family have gained notoriety as one of the most raw and wild bands on the live scene. Onstage arguments and nudity, riding a donkey into a venue, pig’s heads in the crowd… it’s all the stuff of legend.

But while they haven’t quite managed to capture the energy of their live shows in either their latest album, or their 2013 debut Champagne Holocaust, there is more going on with Fat White Family than just wanton debauchery. Incorporating lo-fi, psych and post-punk styles, Songs for Our Mothers doesn’t shy away from the difficult subjects. In fact, it covers themes of fascism, serial killers and racism in a manner that revels in crossing the boundaries of good taste.

So are Fat White Family “members of an emergent underclass of literate but degenerate squatters” (Paul Lester – The Guardian) with something important to say about modern Britain? Or are they merely “raw-assed rabble rock as dark, deviant and disgusting as the ’70s” (Mark Beaumont – NME).

Either way, if Elton John is referencing them to show he’s still relevant (and he is) it’s probably not long before they cross over into the wider public’s consciousness. So catch Fat White Family before they go supernova. Or, just as likely, before they self-combust.

Released in December 2015, ‘Whitest Boy on the Beach’ was the first taster from Songs for Our Mothers. Check it out – click on the image/link below:

‘Whitest Boy on the Beach’ by Fat White Family

Fat White Family perform at the O2 Institute on Saturday 20 February, as presented by SJM Concerts. For direct gig info & online tickets, visit http://o2institutebirmingham.co.uk/listings/upcoming-events/29011/fat-white-family/

For more on Fat White Family, visit https://fatwhitefamily.bandcamp.com

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For more from the O2 Institute, visit http://o2institutebirmingham.co.uk/

For more events from SJM Concerts, visit http://www.gigsandtours.com/

February 13, 2016February 13, 2016

BPREVIEW: Gabrielle Aplin @ O2 Institute 14.02.16

Words by Ed King

On Sunday 14^th February, Gabrielle Aplin brings her Light Up the Dark UK Tour to the O2 Institute – with support from home grown label mate, Hannah Grace + Warner’s new prodigal son, Lewis Watson.

Doors open at 7:30pm with tickets priced at £16.50 – as presented by Birmingham Promoters.

N.B Gabrielle Aplin has retained her record label, Never Fade Records, since her debut self release in 2010. The label has also been developing a wider roster of artists since 2013, including Hannah Grace and Saint Raymond – who both appear on Aplin’s 2016 Light Up the Dark UK Tour. For more on Never Fade Records, click here.

Gabrielle Alpin caught the crest of a YouTube tidal wave back in 2010 – you know, the way people could before certain ‘decisions to protect the artist’ were made by the online broadcaster. Just think… where would Jay Z or Chris Martin be without such a courageous artistic line in the sand.

But Ms Aplin was much more than just an ego on a small screen, having explored two ends of the Pop/Folk production spectrum with her first two self-released EPs, Aplin’s Home EP (Jan 2011) was a solid and self effacing 5 track declaration. Cue some well deserved online sales, supporting national airplay and knock knock… Parlophone signed Gabrielle Aplin, releasing her debut single with the major, ‘Please Don’t Say You Love Me’, in Feb 2012. Aplin‘s debut album, English Rain, was released in December the same year.

Birmingham Review eventually got to see Gabrielle Aplin about a year after the Parlophone machine started whirring, watching her take over the Institute’s main room on a Monday. Not an easy room on the crappiest of weekdays. Read Ed King’s Birmingham Review of Gabrielle Aplin @ Birmingham Institute 14.03.13 here. I think my favourite line is ‘….makes me imagine Mumford & Sons on meth.’

Now the Wiltshire born, Bath schooled (on and off a record label) singer/songwriter is back in Birmingham, and back at the Institute. And having been sans snapper the last time Gabrielle Aplin came to town, this time Harry Mills will be throwing DSLRs around the Digbeth venue – shooting a Birmingham Review to go into THE GALLERY. So if a picture tells a thousand words, you might be up late.

Gabrielle Aplin released her sophomore album, Light Up the Dark, in September 2015. Stop, look & listen to the album’s lead single/title track below:

‘Light Up the Dark’ by Gabrielle Aplin

Gabrielle Aplin comes to the O2 Institute (B’ham) on Sunday 14^th February – with support from Hannah Grace and Lewis Watson. For direct gig info & online sales, visit http://birminghampromoters.com/2016/02/02/gabrielle-aplin-lewis-watson-hannah-grace-in-bham/

For more on Gabrielle Aplin, visit http://gabrielleaplin.co.uk/

For more on Never Fade Records, visit http://neverfaderecords.com/

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For more from the O2 Institute, visit http://o2institutebirmingham.co.uk/

For more from Birmingham Promoters, visit http://birminghampromoters.com/

February 8, 2016February 8, 2016

THE GALLERY: Mayday Parade @ O2 Institute 29.01.16

Pics by Harry Mills

On Friday 29^th January, Mayday Parade brought their Black Lines Tour to the O2 Institute in Digbeth – as presented by SJM Concerts.

Touring the UK & mainland Europe with their fifth album, the Tallahassee Pop/Rockers are supported on the road by The Maine, Have Mercy + Beautiful Bodies. Landing in Birmingham on the initial cusp of their midway point in the UK, Mayday Parade would play seven more dates on similar stages – before saying bon voyage to Britannia at the Pyramids Leisure Centre in Portsmouth.

Having dutifully stuck his hand in the air (and brought this gig to our attention in the first place), Harry Mills was at the O2 Institute to snap happy a Birmingham Review photoshoot for THE GALLERY. There’s a few selected below, one of each, but for the full Flickr of Pics click here or on the links above/below. Which you really should.

And apologies for missing Beautiful Bodies, but the queue was too long and time was too short… curse all that popularity; we’ll get you next time.

Mayday Parade @ O2 Institute 29.01.16 / By Harry Mills

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The Maine – supporting Mayday Parade @ O2 Institute 29.01.16 / By Harry Mills

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Have Mercy – supporting Mayday Parade @ O2 Institute 29.01.16 / By Harry Mills

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For more on Mayday Parade, visit http://maydayparade.com/

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For more from the O2 Institute, visit http://o2institutebirmingham.co.uk/

For more events from SJM Concerts, visit http://www.gigsandtours.com/

January 28, 2016

BPREVIEW: Mayday Parade @ O2 Institute 29.01.16

Words by Ed King

On Friday 29^th January, Mayday Parade perform at the O2 Institute in Digbeth – as presented by SJM Concerts/Gigs & Tours.

Doors open at 7pm, with tickets priced at £16 (advance). For direct gig info & online ticket sales, click here.

Back in the UK & mainland Europe as part of their Black Lines Tour, Mayday Parade are on the global road promoting their new album of the same name. Released in October 2015, Black Lines was produced by Mike Sapone at Dreamland Studios in Woodstock, upstate New York.

Available now through Fearless Records, Black Lines is the fifth studio album to come from the Florida based band – with all their LPs being released through Bob Becker’s home grown Punk/Rock imprint.

Formed in 2005, Mayday Parade released their debut EP, Tales Told by Dead Friends, in June 2006. Initially self releasing the six track debut, Mayday Parade built a strong following from their brash distorted guitar riffs, rolling drums and energetic Pop/Punk – reportedly selling their debut EP in the thousands (or even tens of thousands, according to some sources) to festival goers across North America, following the Warped Tour in 2006.

Signing to Fearless Records in August 2006, and re-issuing their Tales Told by Dead Friends EP in November the same year, Mayday Parade would start working on their debut album whilst on the road with their debut EP.

Changing front man from their original singer, Jason Lancaster, to Derek Saunders in March 2007, it wouldn’t be until July 2007 that A Lesson in Romantics was eventually released – featuring lead vocals from both front men, with Lancaster also credited for ‘guitar on all songs.’ Derek Saunders has remained Mayday Parade’s lead singer and front man across the bands decade long active career.

Released in July 2015, ‘Keep in Mind, Transmogrification is a New Technology’ was the lead single from Black Lines. Mayday Parade further released ‘Letting Go’ as the follow up single, in October the same year – have a stop, look, listen, below:

‘Letting Go’ by Mayday Parade

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsbdHOuv0X0

Mayday Parade perform at the O2 Institute on Friday 29^th January, as presented by SJM Concerts. For direct gig info & online tickets, visit http://o2institutebirmingham.co.uk/listings/upcoming-events/24741/mayday-parade-3/

For more on Mayday Parade, visit http://maydayparade.com/

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For more from the O2 Institute, visit http://o2institutebirmingham.co.uk/

For more events from SJM Concerts, visit http://www.gigsandtours.com/