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November 24, 2017

LAST FEW TICKETS: Rews + The Hungry Ghosts + Ed Geater @ Actress & Bishop 25.11.17

Words by Ed King

IT’S CHRISSSSSSSMAAASSSSSS…

Well, kind of, bit of an obligatory catcall in Birmingham right now. But love it or loathe it (and as inescapable as the people crushing death trap that is the German Market) it’s ‘that time of year’ again.

And to kick Winterval in the proverbial sack (of presents… shame on you) on Saturday 25th November, Birmingham Review presents its Winter Showcase at the Actress & Bishop – a live gig with Rews, The Hungry Ghosts and Ed Geater.

Doors open at 8pm, music starts at 8:30pm, with tickets priced at £8 (advance) and £10 (on the door) plus booking fee. Tickets can still be bought via See Tickets until 12noon on Sat 25^th November – for online sales, visit www.seetickets.com/event/rews-the-hungry-ghosts-ed-geater/actress-and-bishop

**LAST FEW ADVANCE TICKETS REMAINING** You might well get in on the door (it might well cost you an extra two quid) and we might well jettison a table or two, but there are less advance tickets than can be counted on two hands. So hop, skip and jump people.

And in case you need a little nudge, here’s a speed dating introduction to each act we’ve got performing at the Birmingham Review Winter Showcase – with some useful links to boot. See you, and them, at the Actress & Bishop on Saturday 25th Nov.

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Rews

Rews and their infection ‘earworms’ crawled into our subconscious back in Feb, after a stellar gig at the Flapper. To read Damien Russell’s BREVIEW of the gig, click here – to read Ed King’s INTERVIEW with Rews just before they got on stage, click here. And it seems we weren’t the only ones to go a little batshit over Rews, as everyone from a Glastonbury baked Mark Radcliffe to a Huw Stephens have been championing the duo.

Rews have recently released their debut album too – the somewhat awesome Pyro. To read Ed King’s ALBUM review of Pyro, click here. And if you’re more audio than visual (or a little from Column A and a little from Column B), the check out Rews’ official video to ‘Your Tears’ – the lead single from Pyro.

‘Your Tears’ – Rews (taken from their forthcoming debut album, Pyro)

For more on Rews, visit www.rewsmusic.com

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The Hungry Ghosts

The Ghosts, The Ghosts, The Ghosts… Where to begin? If this band aren’t destroying the main stage at some greenfield site in the next few years then there is something SERIOUSLY WRONG with the universe. The kings and queen of slaughterhouse blues, ferocious and phenomenal on stage (and often off, for part of the set at least) The Hungry Ghosts are one of the most exciting bands playing in the Midlands today. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.

But seeing (and hearing) is believing, so get yourself to the Actress & Bishop on Saturday 25th Nov and bear witness to this first hand. Meanwhile, amongst the coyotes and shadows of an unforgiving prairie…

‘Amerika’ – The Hungry Ghosts

For more on The Hungry Ghosts, visit www.thehungryghosts.co.uk

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Ed Geater

I felt more than a little sheepish asking Ed Geater to play the ‘support’ slot at our Winter Showcase, but he graciously didn’t flinch and said yes. So we poker faced it and casually sent him a Booking Confirmation. Playing it cool…

Beatboxer, singer songwriter, possibly Birmingham’s best collaborator, and a proper, PROPER performer – Ed Geater is a unique gem that this city should be proud to call one of their own. The Birmingham Review Winter Showcase will be Ed Geater‘s last gig for ‘a while’, as he’s hibernating to concentrate on some new material (… fe, fi, fo, fum, I smell the blood of an album) and we are uber excite to get this man on a stage we’re promoting. Playing first, make sure you get there for doors open at 8pm – you do not want to miss a minute of Ed Geater.

‘Don’t Think’ – Ed Geater

For more on Ed Geater, visit www.edgeater.co.uk

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Birmingham Review presents its Winter Showcase at the Actress & Bishop on Saturday 25^th November with Rews, The Hungry Ghosts and Ed Geater.

Advance tickets are priced at £8 (+bf) and can still be bought via See Tickets until 12noon on Sat 25^th – for online sales, click here.

For more from the Actress & Bishop, including venue details and links to event, visit www.facebook.com/Actressandbishop

October 19, 2017

BREVIEW: Maisie Adam – Living on the Edge @ The Glee Club 14.10.17

Words by Helen Knott

Maisie Adam has only been a stand-up comedian for a year, but she has made more progress in those twelve months than many comedians manage in a much longer career. Her stand-out achievement so far was winning the So You Think You’re Funny competition at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe; SYTYF is the UK’s most prestigious competition for new comedians, with past winners including David O’Doherty, Dylan Moran and Peter Kay.

Living on the Edge, then, is Adam’s first ever show. She explains that she only graduated from drama school last year and decided that she’s not ready to “adult” yet (I try to ignore my dislike of the modern use of the word ‘adult’ as a verb). The resulting show is a series of anecdotes from Adam’s fairly fledgling life experience so far – she’s only 23.

Some of these anecdotes are funnier than others. Her story about falling out of a second story window in an attempt to impress a one-night-stand is excellent, but her segment about the British abroad felt a little obvious and clichéd. Still, she keeps the energy up well, she’s likeable, and her patter with the audience is natural and funny.

And it was a tough crowd. Adam described it at the end as, “one of the weirdest gigs I’ve done”. It turns out that fifteen very sober people in The Glee Club at 5.30pm on a Saturday doesn’t make for the most energetic comedy audience. No doubt Adam will have much weirder gigs during her career, but tonight was quite a tricky situation. She largely managed it with confidence, though some punchlines felt a little thrown away in her speedy delivery.

Ultimately, the show would have benefited from a stronger overarching narrative and structure. Adam’s big theme was her claim to be dysfunctional, but that didn’t ring quite true. She just won one of the biggest comedy awards in the country and it seems like things are going pretty well to be honest. Plus most people are a bit awkward as children and have embarrassing romantic encounters; it’s normal stuff.

Living on the Edge is a solid first show, but to be in the same league as those past SYTYF winners Adam needs to work out her USP as a comedian. She can’t spend her whole career telling anecdotes about school teachers, her gap year, or the weird classes she took at drama school.

But Maisie Adam will continue to learn her trade, and her quick wit and charm will always make her great company – she could just do with some stronger material. Maybe some time “adulting” is in order after all.

For more on Maisie Adam, visit www.maisieadam.wixsite.com/comedy

For more from The Glee Club, including full event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.glee.co.uk

For more on the Birmingham Comedy Festival 2017, visit www.bhamcomfest.co.uk

October 12, 2017October 17, 2017

BPREVIEW: Maisie Adam – Living on the Edge @ The Glee Club 14.10.17

Words by Helen Knott

Comedian Maisie Adam performs her show Living on the Edge at The Glee Club on Saturday 14 October, as part of the Birmingham Comedy Festival. For direct info, including venue details and online ticket sales, click here.

Adam has been a stand-up comedian for less than a year, performing her first show in October 2016 shortly after graduating from university. While she may not have spent years plying her trade on the toilet circuit, she has very quickly started to create a stir in the comedy world. Sometimes, if you’re good, you’re good.

This all culminated with arguably the biggest night of Maisie Adam’s career to date. At the start of August, at the Edinburgh Fringe, she won So You Think You’re Funny, the UK’s most famous competition for young comedians. Past winners include David O’Doherty, Dylan Moran and Peter Kay, so SYTYF certainly isn’t a bad barometer of talent.

Adam has been described as a more eccentric version of Peter Kay and likened to Victoria Wood. Based on this, it’s fair to assume that her show will be observational, good-natured, and well, northern. Entitled Living on the Edge it’s a portrayal of life on the edge of adulthood, featuring stories about the politics of the playground and the British abroad.

With an award win, festival performances and comparisons to comedy greats under her belt, Maisie Adam has a lot to live up to. And whilst she may not be the finished article, yet, this could well be a first look at someone who will be popping up all over TV and radio in the years ahead.

So You Think You’re Funny? (2017 Grand Final) – Maisie Adam

For more on Maisie Adam, visit www.maisieadam.wixsite.com/comedy

For more from The Glee Club, including full event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.glee.co.uk

For more from the Birmingham Comedy Festival 2017, visit www.bhamcomfest.co.uk

October 4, 2017October 6, 2017

BPREVIEW: Rews + The Hungry Ghosts + Ed Geater @ Actress & Bishop 25.11.17

Words by Ed King / Live pics by Rob Hadley & Paul Reynolds

On Saturday 25^th November, Birmingham Review presents its winter showcase at the Actress & Bishop – a live gig, with Rews + The Hungry Ghosts as joint headliners, alongside Ed Geater in support.

Doors open at 7pm, with tickets priced at £8 (advance) and £10 (on the door) plus the relevant booking fee if you buy through a ticket agent. Tickets can be bought via See Tickets, Eventbrite and Music Glue – click on the name/logo of each outlet for a direct link.

Tickets are also available through the individual artists’ websites: Rews, The Hungry Ghosts, Ed Geater. Or you can buy tickets direct from Birmingham Review – contact us on info@birminghamreview.net to arrange physical ticket sales (p&p may apply).

So that’s what, where and how much sorted. Now a little more on who… Birmingham Review is lucky enough to have covered a whole smorgasbord of music across 2017, from the lava lamp delights of The Mother’s Earth Experiment to the eclectic ensembles of the Post Paradise showcases at Centrala. But there are always those that stick in our ears for a little longer, or to quote one of our headliners: “Like a little Tequila worm that crawls in, gets drunk, and stays in there forever.”

To show how much we love what we love, we’ve invited a few of our new(ish) friends to come and play at what is, in effect, our (non-denominational) Christmas party. And we’re inviting you, for the mere price of a ticket, to come and see a few of the horses we’re backing in the New Year.

You know that friend that always goes on about having seen (INSERT NAME OF BIG BAND) when they played (INSERT NAME OF SMALL VENUE)… well this is your chance to do one better. Three better, in fact. Check out the below for a sneaky peak at the Pyramid Stage headliners of tomorrow. Or even better, come down to the Actress & Bishop on Saturday November 25th and seem then a bit more close and personal… well, up close at least.

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Rews

First spotted playing at The Flapper back in February, where I got to interview the two women who are increasingly being referred to a ‘the next Royal Blood’ and Damien got to cover the gig. Seldom do you get such a good first impression, both on stage and off.

Since then Rews have gone on to storm Glastonbury (one of Mark Radcliffe’s festival highlights), nudge their way onto various national radio stations, be the first UK band signed to Marshall Records and line up an album, the actually eagerly awaited Pyro – out in November. Just don’t tell them I used an adverb. Infectious, awesome and will kick the teeth out of our Christmas party.

‘Shine’ – Rews (taken from their forthcoming debut album, Pyro)

For more on Rews, visit www.rewsmusic.com

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The Hungry Ghosts

It’s no surprise that WE LOVE THE HUNGRY GHOSTS at Birmingham Review. And to prove it, we’ve covered them here, here, here, and of course here. I have even had to stop myself from writing about their gigs, as my sycophantic rhetoric is in danger of repeating itself. Plus, there’s no better metaphor than a Joe Joseph metaphor and I’m tired of being outdone (I should learn the guitar to balance things out).

But all their praise is deserved; to quote Larry Love from Alabama 3, whom ‘the ghosts’ supported back in 2015, “they’re a rock band. A real fucking rock band”. Which indeed, they are. The next 24 months could be the pivotal point for a band who, and I mean this, could well land somewhere between The Rolling Stones and The White Stripes in both sound and success. All aboard the Slaughterhouse Blues Express, next stop ‘Amerika’…

‘Amerika’ – The Hungry Ghosts

For more on The Hungry Ghosts, visit www.thehungryghosts.co.uk

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Ed Geater

I first saw Ed Geater at a showcase presented by Call Me Unique (who sadly couldn’t join us on stage, but has promised to make up for it at the bar) – but his name has been buzzing around the Birmingham circuit and beyond for a while. I have never met someone who didn’t enjoy an Ed Geater gig – seriously, if you’re out there get in touch we need to emboss you in bronze.

Master of the loop pedal, a seriously talent songwriter and an overall lovely fella, if some savvy subsidiary doesn’t snap him up soon we’ll eat all the hats. Check out Giles Logan’s great interview with Mr. Geater too, ahead of his headline show Hare & Hounds homecoming hoedown…. and breathe, that we covered back in March.

‘Symmetry’ – Ed Geater

For more on Ed Geater, visit www.edgeater.co.uk/

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Birmingham Review presents its winter showcase at the Actress & Bishop on Saturday 25^th November, with Rews, The Hungry Ghosts, Ed Geater. For tickets email info@birminghamreview.net, or click on the following outlets: See Tickets, Eventbrite, Music Glue

For more from the Actress & Bishop, including venue details and links to event, visit www.facebook.com/Actressandbishop/

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

September 27, 2017September 27, 2017

BPREVIEW: New Found Glory @ O2 Academy 30.09.17

Words by Aatish Ramchurn

On Saturday 30th September 2017, New Found Glory come to the O2 Academy in Birmingham as part of their extensive, international 20 Years of Pop Punk tour. Support for New Found Glory comes from Eastbourne pop-punk band, ROAM.

The tour is presented by SJM Concerts/Gigs and Tours with tickets priced at £25.30, inclusive of booking fee. Doors open at O2 Academy from 7pm. For direct event info and online tickets from Gigs and Tours, click here.

A self explanatory, yet hard to believe, title for their tour, New Found Glory kick off the UK leg of their global 20 Years of Pop Punk Tour in Glasgow on 27th Sept, arriving at the O2 Academy in Birmingham on Saturday 30th September – just one year after playing at last year’s Slam Dunk festival at the Genting Arena.

New Found Glory formed as a quintet in 1997, in Coral Springs, Florida. They signed their first record deal with Drive Thru Records and released From The Screen To Your Stereo in March 2000 – an EP consisting of covers from movie soundtracks, including Bryan Adams’ ‘Everything I Do (I Do It For You)’.

Alongside the likes of Blink 182 and Sum 41, New Found Glory cemented their place as one of the leading pop punk bands in the early 2000s with songs such as ‘Hit or Miss’, even finding their way into the American Pie soundtracks.

2014, however, saw one of their long standing members, Steve Klein, leave the band due to creative differences. The band were due to replace Klein but opted to carry on as quartet, consisting of vocalist (and Quentin Tarantino lookalike) Jordan Pundik, lead guitarist and former Shai Hulud vocalist Chad Gilbert, bassist Ian Grushka, and drummer Cyrus Bolooki.

Having released their ninth studio album, Makes Me Sick, earlier this year on Hopeless Records, New Found Glory will have plenty of material (20 years worth, in fact) to keep both their longstanding and new fans in Birmingham celebrating their long career as a pop punk band.

‘Sound of Two Voices’ – New Found Glory

For more on New Found Glory, visit www.newfoundglory.com

For more on ROAM, visit www.roamuk.bandcamp.com

For more from O2 Academy, Birmingham, including full event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.academymusicgroup.com/o2academybirmingham/academybirmingham

For more from SJM Concerts/Gig and Tours, visit www.gigsandtours.com