Puma Blue Archives -

February 28, 2018

THE GALLERY: Puma Blue @ The Sunflower Lounge 24.02.18

Words by Andrew Wilson & Ed King / Pics by Denise Wilson

Back in Birmingham for the last date of his UK tour, Puma Blue plays to a comfortably full Sunflower Lounge crowd. But before the birthday boy can take centre stage (23 candles and cake today for Puma Blue) Sam Hollis is up as the evening’s first support act – joined by a full band, the recently solo singer/songwriter launches into a set of confident swagger.

Reminiscent of something between The Libertines or The Slackers, tonight’s Hollis ensemble strike the balance between tight and loose that so many post-Madchester bands have tried to embrace, emulate or evolve. Not an easy task post-naughties either, but one well executed by the first act on stage. And with his first solo EP out in January this year, minus those easy to find reptiles, things look set in a strong new direction for Sam Hollis this year.

Joining Puma Blue across his UK (and possibly beyond) is peer and producer, Lucy Lu – who is actually the solo pseudonym of Hester band mate, Luke Bower.

Stepping into more jazz tinged territory, Lucy Lu is made up of Bower on bass and rhythm guitar – with keys, percussion and saxophone that will jump ship to Puma Blue for the next set. Oozing in talent, the funky grooves and lyrical angst is delivered by an academically tight ensemble, and the room is gripped in a confident and well-schooled musicianship.

The crowd, who would be forgiven for not being seen at much of the Birmingham Jazz programme, are eager in their appreciation, with the effortless strings, charm and soft vocals of ‘Golden Prairie’ getting some well-deserved attention. I smell a return, and possible step up on the Birmingham bill for Lucy Lu. Roll on 2018.

Then it’s time for the rising balloon. Puma Blue is nascent right now, with his summer Swum Baby EP getting all the New Year ‘ones to watch’ lists twitching and ushering in some pretty respectable support slots.

Last time he was in the city was to warm up for Jordan Rakei in October, joining the Brisbane maestro on his UK tour. But now the South London ‘croonah blu’ has his own six string secondment and is back in Birmingham at the top of the bill. A place The Sunflower Lounge crowd seem very happy to welcome him to.

Again, the musicianship is superb; backed by a metronomic drummer, this proficient ensemble move into more Ratpack flavoured waters as the Puma Blue set unfurls. But it’s not pure homage, as the band embraces elements of jazz, dance, reggae and soul – with Puma Blue leading on rhythm guitar and vocals, husky at one end and mirrored by a confident falsetto.

Tracks from his debut EP get a good airing, with the brushed drums and laid back swoon of ‘Only Trying 2 Tell U’ filling out any forgotten corners of the room. ‘Soft Porn’ puts in an appearance, but there is a reggae dipped track midway through the set (whose name I couldn’t catch) that added spice to the proceedings. One to hunt down.

On stage for about an hour with no encore, there is much to laud, applaud and look forward to with Puma Blue – an artist who is earning his place on many people’s musical radars.

And with another jaunt across Europe and a festival summer before we’ll likely see him in the city again, who knows what momentum will be behind this artist by the time Puma Blue returns. One to watch… yeah, sounds about right. Probably in a bigger room next time too.

Puma Blue @ The Sunflower Lounge 24.02.18 / Denise Wilson – Birmingham Review

For more on Puma Blue, visit www.soundcloud.com/pumabluemusic

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Lucy Lu – supporting Puma Blue @ The Sunflower Lounge 24.02.18 / Denise Wilson – Birmingham Review

For more on Lucy Lu, visit www.soundcloud.com/lucy-lu-tings

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Sam Hollis – supporting Puma Blue @ The Sunflower Lounge 24.02.18 / Denise Wilson – Birmingham Review

For more on Sam Hollis, visit www.soundcloud.com/samhollis-2

For more from Birmingham Promoters, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.birminghampromoters.com

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

February 22, 2018February 21, 2018

BPREVIEW: Puma Blue @ The Sunflower Lounge 24.02.18

Words by Ed King / Lead pic by Annie Elliott

On Saturday 24^th February, Puma Blue will be performing live at The Sunflower Lounge – with support from London based producer Lucy Lu, alongside Birmingham singer/songwriter Sam Hollis.

Doors open downstairs at The Sunflower Lounge from 7:30pm, with food and drink available upstairs all day. Tickets to the Puma Blue gig are priced at £7, as presented by Birmingham Promoters. For direct gig information, including venue details and online ticket sales, click here.

Ending his 6 date UK tour in Birmingham, before heading out to mainland Europe for shows up until the end of April, Puma Blue returns to the second city – following a support slot with Jordan Rakei at the O2 Institute last October. This time around the ‘croonah blu’ will be headlining his gig, joined by producer peer and collaborator Lucy Lu, as well as the Birmingham based singer/songwriter Sam Hollis.

Puma Blue and Lucy Lu recently released their single ‘Fakery’, which was set free into the wild to coincide with the beginning of this tour. But Puma Blue is still out and about promoting his five track debut Swum EP, which was released in June 2017 – showcasing the laid back jazz, alt-pop, and husky vocals that have taken this Londoner around the smoky rooms and jazz clubs of Europe.

It’s still relatively early doors for Puma Blue too, who is already sitting at the top table of London’s new low-fi and jazz artists such as Cosmo Pyke, Eastern Barbers and Ezra Collective. With a respectably far reaching tour circuit keeping him busy until festival season, Saturday 24^th February will be a good opportunity to see Puma Blue before the bigger rooms of Birmingham beckon – not that there’s anything wrong with the larger venues, but you’ve got to love a gig at The Sunflower Lounge for getting up close and personal with an artist on the rise.

But it the meantime, roll back your jacket sleeves, undo the top two buttons on your slightly crumpled shirt, ruffle the mop top, turn down the lights, sit back, pour yourself a drink, and…

‘Want Me’ – Puma Blue

Puma Blue will be performing at The Sunflower Lounge on Saturday 24^thFebruary, with support from Lucy Lu and Sam Hollis. For direct gig information, including venue details and online ticket sales, visit www.thesunflowerlounge.com/event/puma-blue

For more on Puma Blue, visit www.soundcloud.com/pumabluemusic

For more on Lucy Lu, visit www.soundcloud.com/lucy-lu-tings

For more on Sam Hollis, visit www.soundcloud.com/samhollis-2

For more from Birmingham Promoters, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.birminghampromoters.com

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

February 1, 2018February 2, 2018

ED’S PICK: February 2018

Words by Ed King

The shortest month of the year is here. Luckily it’s also the turning point, as life starts to push up through the thaw and Percy Thrower can start planning his planters. OK, bad example, but there’s a joke about daisies in the somewhere.

But luckily for us mortal coilers, the venues and promoters of this city are still packing a pretty heavy punch with February’s event calendar. If there truly is no rest for the wicked, then it seem incongruous that anyone got Christmas presents this year.

Comedy starts strong with the ‘queen of the acerbic broad smile’, or Katherine Ryan as she’s known in other publications, bringing her Glitter Room tour to the Symphony Hall (2^nd Feb) – a week before the Machynlleth Comedy Festival Showcase (9^th Feb) comes to mac with Joe Lycett, Tom Parry, Mike Bubbins, Rachel Parris and Danny Clives. Then it’s back to the Glee Club for a little end of the month self help, as Lloyd Griffiths (23^rd Feb) walks us through what it’s like to feel in:Undated in ‘a show about overcoming the overwhelming.’ I call them mornings, but we’ll see what he brings to the table.

Hurst Street is the home of dance this month, with Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella coming to the Hippodrome (6^th – 10^th Feb) whilst round the corner DanceXchange and Mark Bruce Company present a reworking of Macbeth (8^th-9^th Feb). And no doubt making St Valentine’s Day less of a massacre for many in this city, see what I did there, Birmingham Royal Ballet present The Sleeping Beauty back at the Hippodrome (13^th – 24^th Feb).

Music has everyone from the soon to be great to the already good coming through the city, kicking off with a cross city battle between Peach Club at The Sunflower Lounge (6^th Feb) and While She Sleeps at the O2 Institute (6^th Feb). A week later we have Iron & Wine at Symphony Hall (13^th Feb), followed by Bedford’s alt rockers Don Bronco at the O2 Academy (15^th Feb) as Dermot Kennedy plays the O2 Institute (15^th Feb). A day later there’s Mondo Royale spicing it up at the Actress & Bishop (16^th Feb) bringing a few different strands of your music rainbow across our city. In the days after that, we see Cabbage at the Castle & Falcon (17^th Feb), one not to be missed, The Ataris at The Asylum (17th Feb), Irit at the Glee Club (19^th Feb), Laura Misch at the Hare & Hounds (20^th Feb), Big Cat at the Indie Lounge in Selly Oak (23^rd Feb) and Puma Blue at The Sunflower Lounge (24^th Feb).

All the ‘big gigs’ this month are at the Genting Arena, in the shape of Imagine Dragons (24^th Feb) and the man himself, or one of them at least, Morrissey (27^th Feb). But there’s a few home grown releases this month worth saving your sheckles for too, as Amit Datani releases his debut solo album – Santiago (17^th Feb) and Table Scraps send another fuzz monster into the world with their latest long player – Autonomy (23^rd). Watch out for March’s listings for showcase gigs from both.

Exhibitions come from a multitude of angles this month, with the two blips on our radar being Factory Warhol at The Sunflower Lounge (10^th Feb) and The Dekkan Trap from Sahej Rahal in mac’s First Floor Gallery (17^th Feb) – with a few ancillary events to introduce both the artist and exhibition.

Some suitable love story based theatre starts treading the boards in this most Hallmark of months, with Penguins (1^st –10^th Feb) and Brief Encounter (2^nd– 17^th Feb) coming to the Birmingham REP, as The Last Five Years get played out at The Old Joint Stock (14^th – 18^th Feb). Then it’s the arguably less seductive A History of Heavy Metal with Andrew O’Neill & Band in mac’s Theatre (18^th Feb), before the award winning Mental has a three day at The Old Joint Stock (21^st – 23^rd Feb) and Terence Rattigan’s The Windslow Boy begins it’s run at REP (21^st Feb – 3^rd Mar). And for one night only each, LEFTY SCUM: Josie Long, Jonny & The Baptists and Grace Petrie present a mix bag of ‘Music! Comedy! Revolutionary socialism’ again in mac’s Theatre (27^th Feb) whilst back at The Old Joint Stock there is single An Act of Kindness (28^th Feb) to round off the month. But don’t worry, it’ll be back in March.

So, enough to keep you lovebirds busy this month – or to distract the kings and queens of singledom on that depressing light letter box day. But whether you face this world alone or together there’s always Fight Club for £1 at The Mockingbird Kitchen & Cinema (12^th Feb). Cheaper than a card, at least.

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