ED’S PICK: April ‘18

Words by Ed King

Easter Sunday, 1st April… There’s probably a joke in there somewhere. But with a basket of listings and entertainment based excel spreadsheets to plough through who has the time to be witty? Or hunt for Easter eggs, for that matter. Being an adult sucks.

However (…are you ready for this segue) it does allow me to enjoy all the delights of the Flatpack Film Festival without worrying about ID – actually, I’m not sure there’s too much on the programme with an age restriction but Dots & Loops are part of the festival and they brought us Lesley the Pony Has and A+ Day!, so…

Back for festival number 12, those glorious creatives at Flatpack have put on a nine day smorgasbord of celluloid, digital, and other audio/visual treats – running from 13th to 22nd April, in a variety of venue across the city. Too much to cram into this round up; look out for our more in-depth cherry pick in the days to come, or click here for more direct information on the full programme.

Elsewhere in the non-greenfield, Ebola flirting, footwear wrecking land of multi-stage events, we have the Birmingham Literature Festival – hop scotching from various corners of the REP to the Birmingham and Midland Institute from 27th to 29th April. Now old enough to drink beer in America, this year’s Birmingham Literature Festival has a focus on women in literature and publishing, alongside a weekend long programme of ‘inspiring conversations, writing and debate’. Again too much to adequately surmise, but click here for more direct info.

Following on with a female focus, Birmingham Jazz launches its Legends Festival on 27th April – running as a series of satellite events across the city until 20th May. This year’s linchpin is ‘Celebrating Women in Jazz’, with local artists such as Trish Clowes joining a myriad of talent from across the globe. Too much to fit into… you know the drill, click here.

Theatre comes in all shapes and sizes this month, including a couple of choice cuts on Hurst Street – with Wicked beginning its Birmingham run at the Hippodrome (4th-29th Apr) and The Twisted Tale of Hansel and Gretel at the Patrick Centre (4th– 8th Apr).

Across the duel carriageways and road works we have Graham Greene’s Brighton Rock coming to the Birmingham REP (10th – 14th) followed by the political see-saw of 1970’s Britain in This House (17th – 21st) – reminding us fear mongering comes from both sides of the aisle and a dash of vitriol isn’t a particular new idea. How times have changed… or not.

Music takes its usual fat belly slice of our monthly listings, with a few ‘big gigs’ of notE coming to the NEC portfolio – as the Genting Arena sees both Arcade Fire (15th Apr) and Dua Lipa (17th Apr), whilst Arena Birmingham welcomes the Manic Street Preachers (27th Apr) back to the city.

Playing across the non-arena rooms of our musical city, the Hare & Hounds has another eclectic mix – with Kushikatsu Records presenting Shonen Knife (15th Apr) followed Snowpoet (19th Apr) courtesy of Jazzlines. Whilst The Glee Club sees the very welcome return of Nerina Pallot (9th Apr) stopping off in Birmingham on the second date if her UK tour. Fingers crossed there’s a piano on stage.

The Sunflower Lounge sees Killer Wave and Outlander host their ‘Help the Homeless’ pay-as-you-feel charity fundraiser (8th Apr) – with all money raised going to Shelter and Tabor House. Then we have Lucy May Walker playing her first headline show in Birmingham (18th Apr) – both events well worth a stop, look and listen. And £5 of your hard earned cash, of course.

Our mobile branded venues see a bevy of acts this month too, with the O2 Academy presenting George Ezra (4th Apr), The Vaccines (7th Apr), Trivium (17th Apr), The Streets (19th Apr), Coasts (21st Apr) and Akala (24th Apr). Whilst the O2 Institute leads out with Walk the Moon (7th Apr), Little Comets (14th Apr), Aquilo (16th Apr), Of Mice and Men (25th Apr) and Sharon Needles: Battle Axe Tour (26th Apr).

A special mention also has to go to the Hummingbird-Menagerie-Indie-salad days-nostalgia trip coming to the O2 Academy with Love From Stourbridge – featuring The Wonder Stuff and Ned’s Atomic Dustbin (14th Apr). Someone pass me my German army shirt, skateboard and a can of Red Stripe, we’re going early 90’s feral…

And if you’re committed to your anti-corporate support of live music, never fear as mac welcomes Juice Aleem & Surge Orchestra (21st Apr) whilst Mama Roux’s serves two sides of the musical rainbow with The Herbaliser (19th Apr) and Mallory Knox (24th Apr)… probably not a good idea to get those dates mixed up in your diary.

Elsewhere in the city, comedy offers a relatively strong respite from those kids and their music – with The Glee Club presenting Tony Law (13th Apr), Alun Cochrane (15th Apr) and Craig Campbell (22nd Apr).

Or if you just want to stand and stare, you could waste a happy hour or two at Lewes Herriot: The Glass Arcana exhibition at Artefact in Stirchley (13th – 14th Apr). Or watching the flyers unfold with an exhibition from the seminal 90’s ambient electro club Oscillate, at Centrala (16th – 28th Apr) – bearing in mind there is an end of exhibition party with HIA and POLE (28th Apr) so you might want to do more than actually just stand and stare. Or not. Depends how you dance to Sun Electric, I suppose. Necking enough amphetamines to kill a small horse always worked for me, but vegetarian options are available.

But to end on the most glamorous of high notes (pun absolutely intended) Paul Alexsandr and Dragpunk present Candyland at The Nightingale (6th Apr) – a choc full celebration of ‘local and national UK drag of all genders, sexualities and abilities that you’ll adore.’ Then at the other end of the April rainbow, Opulence are launching Mother’s Meeting at Bar Jester (28th Apr) – a band spanking new ‘performance night dedicated to showing off a variety of drag and queer talent across Birmingham and the U.K.’, with special guest Charity Kase joined by a pageant of the Opulence crew on stage and Elliot Barnicle on the decks.

Birmingham can be proud for many reasons, but the cross over embrace of its drag community is one to really get those flags waving. We love covering it, and it seems the punters of Birmingham love supporting it. So, Vive la/le drag community of our fair/fairer city, alongside all who sail on these most wonderful of waters. Save some energy though, Birmingham Pride is a mere calendar page turn away.

And wait, I’ve just thought of one. A Jewish carpenter and a 6ft rabbit walk into Cadbury World…

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

THE GALLERY: The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18

The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

 

 

 

Words by Ashleigh Goodwin / Pics by Eleanor Sutcliffe

The only time I’ve been to The Asylum is on a Saturday night, at around one in the morning, blindly making my way around the downstairs room and the smoking area.

A Wednesday night is quite a different experience. As I make my way upstairs to The Asylum 2 it feels like a completely different place – merch tables are lined up in the corridor and people stand chatting by the bar or sitting on the seats around the side, while a dedicated group stand in front of the stage solidly for the entire evening.

Beaumont – supporting The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham ReviewCited as one of British rock’s best new bands by Rocksound, Birmingham boys Beaumont open the evening. They play tracks from their debut Nothing EP such as ‘Cheap Side’ and ‘E-Street’, which they dedicate to William Shakespeare who penned the silent character and inspiration behind their name. They also perform newer songs ‘Hurler’ and ‘Art School’ – a song they introduce with the line, “this one is about burning down a school”.

Spencer Edmonds’ emotive lyricism, combined with guitars and drumming that match it beat for beat, makes for a crowd-pleasing set. Beaumont’s performance is interesting to watch, as you are able to hear a range of influences in each song, sometimes giving off a Mallory Knox and Young Guns vibe and at other times reminiscent of Lower than Atlantis (which makes sense as their new EP was produced by Lower than Atlantis producer John Mitchell). They leave the audience by thanking them for paying attention, before launching into their last song of the night ‘Boys and Girls’ – a mix of heavy guitars and an insanely catchy chorus that gets the audience head banging.

Better Days – supporting The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham ReviewBetter Days take to the stage next, and even before vocalist Graeme Costello finishes the sentence “we’re from Newcastle” the crowd is cheering and jumping at his command. Better Days are a real highlight of the evening. Costello has distinct vocals that work well with the atypical pop-punk sound of the quintet and that translate perfectly into a live setting. The band build a solid connection with the crowd, asking them to “show us your dance moves” before playing ‘Without You’ from their Spilt EP.

Unsurprisingly, when the opening notes to ‘This House’ sound through the venue, people are already singing the opening lines. It sounds a bit like Neck Deep, but revised through Better Days’ effortless, unique execution and approach to song construction that draws influences from pop-punk with an emo undertone. The set is cut short, but nevertheless ends on a high, due to the charismatic camaraderie Better Days have managed to create.

Alternative rockers, Lacey, provide the night’s main support, immediately launching into ‘Change the Story’ from their 2015 album Under the Brightest Lights. The crowd is radiating excitement and it’s easy to see why;Lacey – supporting The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review the way the vocals mix together and are supported by strong hooks make for a catchy catalogue of songs with an anthemic quality.

Again, their relationship with the audience makes them enjoyable to watch – it’s been a while since I’ve been to show with such a high level of audience interaction and I’d forgotten how much richer it can make the experience. As Lacey explain something to the effect of “we’re running on 75% capacity, but are 100% awesome, 82% drunk and will reach full capacity by the end” and that guitarist Josh will pick up the bar tab, the atmosphere is only progressively positive from there.

So, when vocalist Graz asks who is excited for The Bottom Line the cheering increases tenfold. Another highlight begins when they say, “this next song is a cover and we liked it so much we put it on a CD for you”, referring to their 2016 release ‘Dammit’ – their take on the classic Blink 182 song, which is perfectly executed in a slowed down version of the original. Lacey play their newest release, ‘Answers’, which gets a positive reception, but nothing compared to the reaction of the crowd when they end on ‘Tonight’ which is still echoing through my head over a day later.

Upstairs at The Asylum gets progressively more hyped as The Bottom Line’s time draws near. When the lights go down and a red light creeps across the stage, the crowds’ cheering increases as the foursome enter from the back of the room with their guitars.The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review Vocalist, Callum Amies, greets the room with a cool “Hello Birmingham” before continuing, “here’s the deal – I can’t sing and you can…I woke up this morning and couldn’t even speak.” Not that you can tell that his voice is suffering, as their performance is tight, with exact precision across the guitars, drums and vocals.

Before the vocals start, the crowd is jumping high at the first reverb of the guitar, and at the command of the band they split down the middle, creating gang-vocals – a trademark of many of their songs. Nearly each track is intertwined with audience participation, such as getting the crowd to crouch down on the floor during ‘Record Player’ – something of a popular trope in the alternative scene, but one that never gets old as you see members of the crowd laughing and clutching their friends for balance. The crowd is made to squeeze in tight as they sing the chorus, and as Amies balances preciously on the barriers hands shoot up to support him.

The penultimate song, ‘I Still Hate’, you boasts a ridiculously catchy chorus and signature pop-punk riffs that go down extremely well with the crowd. The Bottom Line end with ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ – it would almost be rude not to as they’d covered ‘Smash Mouth’ mid set – both tracks a nod to the influences that are prevalent throughout their music. You get the feeling The Bottom Line could be playing to a venue of a ten thousand or ten,The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review and their performance wouldn’t falter; there would be the same level of interaction, energy and passion, as they utilise the space and crowd to such a great extent. I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen the phrase ‘in the palm of their hand’ in effect so intently. The audience is entranced.

It is enjoyable to witness the range of influences that each band draws from tonight, and this is reflected in the audience who are mostly clothed in band merchandise from Bowling for Soup to All Time Low. It reinforces the richness of the genre and sub-genres spanning from generalised alternative rock, to pop-punk to emo elements.

I can’t help but focus on crowds when going to events such as this and I feel it can say a lot about the bands on stage. Seeing The Asylum audience grouping together, dancing amongst their friends and throwing their hands in the air to every beat reinforces the importance of music to a predominantly younger audience. These are defining years in music, where knowledge and tastes are built by attending gigs. It is something special to witness.

 

 

 

The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

For more on The Bottom Line, visit www.thebottomlineuk.com

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Lacey – supporting The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

Lacey – supporting The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

Lacey – supporting The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

Lacey – supporting The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

For more on Lacey, visit www.laceyofficialuk.com

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Better Days – supporting The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

Better Days – supporting The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

Better Days – supporting The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

Better Days – supporting The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

For more on Better Days, visit www.soundcloud.com/betterdaysband

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Beaumont – supporting The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

Beaumont – supporting The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

Beaumont – supporting The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

Beaumont – supporting The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

For more on Beaumont, visit www.facebook.com/beaumontband

For more from The Asylum, including full event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.theasylumvenue.co.uk

For more on Surprise You’re Dead! Music, visit www.surpriseyouredeadmusic.co.uk

BPREVIEW: The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18

The Bottom Line @ The Asylum (2) 24.01.18

Words by Ashleigh Goodwin

The Bottom Line perform at The Asylum 2 on Wednesday 24th January, coming straight from their supporting slot on Waterparks’ sold out tour.

Promoted by Surprise You’re Dead! Music, doors to The Asylum 2 open at 6pm with the gig accessible to ages 14+. Standard tickets start from £10 on The Asylum website, and £11 (adv) on SeeTickets – for direct gig info and links to online ticket sales, click here.

Established in 2011, The Bottom Line have made waves across the scene since releasing their debut album Role Models? in the same year – from supporting pop-punk powerhouses Bowling for Soup and Simple Plan, to an eventful 2017 that saw the band play over 60 shows on a tour spanning the USA, Canada and Europe.

2018 sees the London based four-piece embarking on their biggest UK headline tour to date, coming to The Asylum in Birmingham at the midway point of six dates from Glasgow to London. Also this year, The Bottom Line are co-headlining the Saturday of Pop Punk Pile Up 2018 – sharing the top bill status with bands such as Room 94 and The King Blues over the course of the April weekender.

The Bottom Line’s aim ‘to make jumpy music and remind people that not everything sucks’ is reflected in their array of singles including ‘Cancel Christmas’ and ‘Insecure’, as well as their I Still Hate You EP, released in January 2018. Also worth checking out is the band’s Covered in Punk! album that includes covers of Wheatus, Weezer, Andrew W.K and Taylor Swift (accompanied by a hilarious parody on their Youtube channel) – available to download for free, along with their complete discography, on The Bottom Line’s Bandcamp page.

Known for their energetic live performances, interaction with fans and their self-proclaimed statement to ‘keep pop punk fun’, The Bottom Line have carved their place in the modern day pop-punk scene, with a nostalgic old school sound and vibe and songs that wouldn’t seem out of place alongside an early 2000’s pop-punk playlist – their video for ‘Record Player’ baring similarity to (or possibly paying homage) Sum 41’s ‘In Too Deep’ video.

Accompanying The Bottom Line on their UK tour are Newcastle based pop-punk four-piece Better Days, who take components of early 2000’s pop punk and intertwine them with newer takes and an emo undertone; Graeme Costello’s unique vocals overlap the band’s engrossing hooks and emotive lyrics.

Better Days have had an insanely packed past couple of years since forming – from releasing their debut single ‘This House’ in their conception year, to playing alongside bands such as Seaway, WSTR and Less Than Jake, as well as appearing at Slam Dunk festival, all since 2015.

Also on The Asylum bill are the Nottingham based alternative rock band Lacey, whose back-catalogue is compiled of catchy songs with sing-along choruses, incorporating elements of rock, pop-rock and post-emo. Lacey released their debut album, Under the Brightest Lights, back in 2015 – demonstrating their capabilities as a polished, compelling four-piece on the British rock scene.

With Lacey‘s follow up 5 track I Don’t Owe the World a Thing EP released in February 2016 – alongside their latest single, ‘Answers’, released in May 2017 – it wouldn’t be a bad idea to catch any of these bands in the smaller venues whilst you still can.

‘I Still Hate You’ – The Bottom Line

For more on The Bottom Line, visit www.thebottomlineuk.com

For more on Better Days, visit www.soundcloud.com/betterdaysband

For more on Lacey, visit www.laceyofficialuk.com

For more from The Asylum, including full event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.theasylumvenue.co.uk

For more on Surprise You’re Dead! Music, visit www.surpriseyouredeadmusic.co.uk