** This gig has been moved from Mama Roux’s to The Sunflower Lounge, and will now be an ages 18+ event. Original tickets remain valid. Alternatively, refunds are available from point of purchase**
On a self-proclaimed mission to make listeners smile and think of summer, Riscas’ blend of lilting tropical melodies and urgent post-punk hooks should help bring some warmth in this bitterly cold January.
Riscas have recently released ‘Talk Your Mind’, doubling down on their breakthrough three-minute hit, ‘Panic Like Tom’, which enjoyed support from BBC Introducing and made the Spotify Viral Tracks playlist. The young four-piece are looking ahead to a bright 2018, as regulars on the local music circuit it is recommended you catch them in Birmingham before bigger venues beckon. And The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham’s subterranean incubator for the-soon to-be-huge, would not be a bad place to tick off the ‘I saw them when’ bucket list.
Joining Riscas are a roster of fresh talent from across the West Midlands. This includes Spilt Milk Society, just as sprightly in sound with a truly diverse set of influences ranging from blues, electronica and hard rock. The band have been known to be against ‘sloppy indie’, so expect tight rhythmic work and sharp arpeggio melodies for a crisp sound that doesn’t linger or stop for breath. On the back of their debut EP released last year, Spilt Milk Society are currently dealing with changes as big as their ambitions, with founding bassist Adam Handford and drummer Chan Kathuria departing after this gig. From house parties to hallowed local stages in less than two years, expect to hear more from Spilt Milk Society this year, albeit not with their current line up.
Coventry’s Candid will also bring their sound to the stage for the evening. Currently promoting brand new track ‘Breathless’, Candid wear their inspirations on their sleeve. Clearly aspiring to reach the heights of bands such as Catfish and The Bottlemen and Blossoms, Candid have mastered the sound of straight-up indie rock direct from the garage. If their songs have anything to go by, they know exactly when to polish and when to leave it in its rawest form.
The line-up is rounded off by The Real Cool, a band in name as they are in nature. They err on slightly different influences to their three stage fellows, combining the new wave sounds of the Eighties with thoroughly modern production and sarcastic lines targeting their generation. And while they are as dedicated to sharp, minimal aesthetics and view style as equal to substance, their Wayback! EP shows they have carved their own niche within this genre.
January 1st… no finer day to cross off the calendar. But as the world crawls out of bed with hangovers and resolutions, Birmingham’s events diary looks forward to a pretty vibrant January. It seems the ‘quiet month’ is not so dormant this year. Which is a good thing, right? I mean, who needs to stay in and save money? Food and heating are for quitters.
January also sees a strong line up of comedy in the city, kicking off with Tina T’urner Tea Lady Steamy Bingo at The Old Joint Stock on 5th Jan. Tracey Collins will be bringing her ‘camp alter ego’ back to The Old Joint Stock in March, so if you miss your numbers this time around you can always try again in spring.
For more film, mac hosts Playback from 7th to 24th Jan – a touring and ‘interactive exhibition’ of over 200 short films from ‘krumping and parkour dance shorts, to an animated tale of teenage love that unearths our desire to be as cool as the zines we read’. Held in the arts centre’s First Floor Gallery, with free admission, Playback carries a Tubbs and Edward local angle too, as ‘some of the films were originally made in and around Birmingham, where young people based in the Midlands were given the support and funding to create a short film.’
Then rounding off Birmingham’s cultural cache for the New Year, The Chefs’ Forum present their ‘Pay What You Can’ lunch at University College Birmingham on 15th Jan – a networking, trade and showcase event with four courses from some of the city’s top restaurants. Having launched its Midlands’ agenda at UCB back in February this… sorry, last year, The Chefs’ Forum is hosting their Jan ‘18 lunch to raise funds and awareness for its Educational Foundation which supports young chefs across the UK.
And with Louisa Ellis (The Wilderness), Mark Walsh (Opus Restaurant), Luke Tipping and Leo Kattou (Simpsons) and Olivier Briault (The Edgbaston Boutique Hotel) all chipping in a course, it should do just that. Although, the non-fixed donation approach is gratefully received in mid January.
Now if I can just find an energy provider with the same approach…
In memoriam of her paternal auntie and namesake, Lady Gaga’s latest song, album and tour appear as personal an affair as you can offer when delivering it to millions of strangers. A curious dichotomy, but one Birmingham will get to see on stage first as the Live Nation machine sets down in our city before anywhere else in the UK. Kudos.
And with tickets being transferred from the previous dates in October 2017, it’s fair to say there may be a bit of a bun fight to get in to these gigs. No doubt it’ll be worth a few scuffed elbows though, but even if ‘I’m never going to know you now, I’m gonna love you any how’. OX Joanne.
Tickets for the originally scheduled Lada Gaga shows at the Genting Arena (12th Oct ’17) at Arena Birmingham (15th Oct ’17) can be transferred to the new dates. According to the venues’ websites, ‘if you cannot make the new date, refunds can be obtained at your point of purchase for a limited period’.**
Playback @ mac 7th to 24th Jan
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 titles.
Riscas have recently released ‘Talk Your Mind’, doubling down on their breakthrough three-minute hit, ‘Panic Like Tom’, which enjoyed support from BBC Introducing and made the Spotify Viral Tracks playlist. The young four-piece are looking ahead to a bright 2018, as regulars on the local music circuit it is recommended you catch them in Birmingham before bigger venues beckon. And The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham’s subterranean incubator for the-soon to-be-huge, would not be a bad place to tick off the ‘I saw them when’ bucket list.
Coventry’s Candid will also bring their sound to the stage for the evening. Currently promoting brand new track ‘Breathless’, Candid wear their inspirations on their sleeve. Clearly aspiring to reach the heights of bands such as Catfish and The Bottlemen and Blossoms, Candid have mastered the sound of straight-up indie rock direct from the garage. If their songs have anything to go by, they know exactly when to polish and when to leave it in its rawest form.
For more on any of the events listed here, click on the highlighted hyperlink.