www.brumnotes.commusic and lifestyle for the west midlands

free

march 2010

TANTRUMS

includes full giglistings for marchp26-30

PLUS:THE COURTEENERS • LOCAL NATIVES • THE DRUMS

FULLENGLISH • BIGGER THAN BARRY•CLUBBING IN CROATIA • GUINNESS RECIPES

15th M arch 2010

Doors open 7.30pm, Tickets £9 in advance, £10 on the door!

@ The Asylum , Bi r m ingham , B19 3LS

@ The Robin 2, Bi l ston, WV14 7LJ

£12.50 advanced ticket, £15 door, 18+!

The Virginmarys

Holy Rage

Scream Arena

Upcoming Even t s!

!!Appropriate ID is required for entry!!

Wi l l cox

deadf i lmst ar

£9 advanced ticket, £10 door, 18+!

£15 advanced ticket, £17.50 door, 18+!

+

15th March

20th March

27th March

Feb 21st Leatherpig, Terrorform, Little Wing, Under Blackened Skies, The Late Eighties March 27th- Toyah Willcox plus support £15 ad, £17.50

contents

Brum Notes MagazineThe Moseley Exchange149-153 Alcester RoadMoseleyBirminghamB13 8JPinfo@brumnotes.comTo advertise contact:advertising@brumnotes.comEditor: Sean O’MuirContributorsWords: Caroline Beavon, James Collins, Vyvian Raoul, Rommy Stelfox, Jeremy Williams, Adam PagePictures: Katja Ogrin, James Marston, Rhiannon Jones, Wayne FoxCover design: Andy AitkenAll content © Brum Notes Magazine. Views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Brum Notes Magazine. While all care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of content, Brum Notes Magazine will not be held liable for any errors or losses claimed to have been incurred by any errors. Advertising terms and conditions available on request. www.brumnotes.com

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Please mention Brum Notes Magazine when replying to adverts.

Brum notes magazine: issue 6, march 2010

NEWS4-6: The future of the Factory Club, plus details of our new, free monthly live music event.

FEATURES6-7: ProfileFirst in a monthly series, this time exploring inside Blue Whale Studios. 8: Local NativesCalifornian hot property bemoan the cold British winter. 9: FullenglishBrummie hip-hop duo hungry for success. 10-11: The Courteeners Frontman Liam Fray on their

soaring hopes for second album Falcon. 12-13: The DrumsGuess what? Frontman Jonathan Pierce likes The Smiths, as if you didn’t know. 14-15: TantrumsA gentle chat with Birmingham’s hippest band. 16-17: Bigger Than BarryKings of the rave on their new record label.

REVIEWS18-21: LiveIncludes pics of the NME tour, for those of you who were stuck in the queues. 22: Records

Verdict on new albums from Gorillaz, Laura Marling and The Shins side project.

FOOD & DRINK23: Stout recipesIt’s nearly St Patrick’s Day so you might as well at least pretend to like Guinness.

TRAVEL24-25: CroatiaThe lowdown on the coolest dance festival in Europe.

LISTINGS26-30: Gig GuideYour comprehensive guide to the month ahead.

newspage four

VIDEO RECORDING OFFER FOR BANDSWest Bromwich-based Major Key Studios has launched a new production service for bands to star in their own music videos. The recording studio, live music and video production company, based at The Public arts centre, already films and streams live gigs every Friday as part of its Captured night and is now offering a high quality music video production service for bands, performers and artists of all genres. Visit www.majorkeystudios.com.

If you’ve always dreamed of the glitz and glamour of television cop shows then you can now try your hand at turning detective at a unique interactive attraction in Birmingham. Equally, if you’ve ever wondered what the most innovative use of a massive, empty bookshop is then you should be equally inspired, because CSI: The Experience has taken over the former Borders in the Bullring. Inspired by the hit

CRIME SCENE CAPERS IN BRUM

Digbeth’s iconic Factory Club will go out in style with a weekend-long closing party. The club, formerly known as The Medicine Bar, has been a mainstay of Bir-mingham’s underground clubbing scene for more than 15 years at its base

in The Custard Factory, but will close its doors as part of a ‘new direction’ for the landmark centre. Bosses want to increase daytime trade at the renovated media and arts hub, with a move towards more office spaces, galler-ies and cafes.

Club nights will continue to be held at recently revamped Space 2, tucked under a railway arch next to the main Custard Fac-tory building. Promoters Eclectricity will host The End of an Era Weekender across Easter weekend to ensure

the venue signs off with a bang. Simian Mobile Disco will be among the acts providing a scintillat-ing soundtrack on April 2, kicking off three con-secutive nights of parties spread across the Factory Club and the traditional courtyard marquee.

FACTORY TO GO OUT WITH A BANG

television series, which has taken in CSI: Las Vegas, CSI: New York and CSI: Miami, visitors will be able to skulk through dark alleyways

investigating crime scenes and cracking cases. Running until May 31, tickets are £9.75 or £7. Details available from www.csibirmingham.co.uk.

PICTURE PERFECTA new photography exhibition will adorn the walls of The Moseley Exchange this month. Launching on March 2, it will include images from Pete Ashton, Emily Quinton and Dan Burwood.

KEEP IT SPECIALFans of ska legends The Specials will be able to relive the 30th anniversary tour with a new DVD out this month. The live film was shot at Wolverhampton’s Civic Hall on November 10 by director Lindy Heymann.

ASIAN AWARDS Birmingham-based TV channel Brit Asian TV will host its first ever Music Awards ceremony on May 2. Some of the biggest names in Bhangra and British Asian music are expected at the Symphony Hall bash.

LITTLE TWEETTwitter-inspired fundraiser Brum Twestival returns on March 25. Poppy Red in The Arcadian will host a night of fun, food and drink. Tickets are £5 in aid of Concern Worldwide. Follow @brumtwestival for details.

news

VIJAY TO LAUNCH FREE ACOUSTIC NIGHTBrum Notes Magazine is teaming up with ultra-cool local label Speech Fewapy Recordings this month to bring you a night of top quality acoustic music at one of Birmingham’s fi nest gastro pubs - and best of all entry will be completely free!Th e Plough in Harborne High Street will host Th e Plough Live on March 25, featuring a unique intimate performance from Vijay Kishore, one of the most stunning vocalists Birmingham has ever produced.

Vijay, described by NME as “a Brummie Jeff Buckley singing the songs of Nina Simone,” will be supported by fellow acoustic troubadours Boat to Row and James Rea, while Speech Fewapy’s DJs will be keeping it laid back with a suitably chilled out soundtrack throughout the evening. It’s fair to say Harborne has been starved of top quality live music events for some time, but Th e Plough Live will provide the perfect environ-ment to enjoy some of Birmingham’s fi nest

musicians up close and personal. Entry is free and top quality nosh will be served throughout the evening, so get down

there early to secure your seat, or better still reserve your table by calling 0121 427 3678. Details on www.brumnotes.com.

is recruiting!after a successful first six months, we are looking for the right people to help take us forward. for more details on all positions visit www.brumnotes.com/jobs.• MEDIA SALES EXECUTIVES experience essential. flexible hours, generous financial package for the right candidates. should have knowledge and understanding of creative industries locally and nationally.

also reQuired:• STREET TEAM STAFF enthusiastic, reliable and charis-matic people needed for distribution and promotion duties. Various hours available with a generous hourly rate. • WRITERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS contributors wanted with flair, creativity, style, imagination, enthusiasm and a passion for music.

page sixteen

room with a view

page six

profile

Nestled snugly within Digbeth’s creative heart of The Custard Factory, BLUE WHALE STUDIOS is fast becoming the recording space of choice for some of Birmingham’s hottest emerging talent. With a spangly new 24 track valve mixing desk, a mixture of vintage gear and top notch digital recording equipment, not to mention stunning city views from the recording room, it’s easy to see why. Add to that a relentless multi-media assault on the music scene including video production, a vibrant blog, radio show and regular podcast, as well as some ambitious plans, and it seems the future is blue...

WHAT: Recording studios, mixing and mastering services, video production, blog, radio show, podcast. WHERE: The Custard Factory, Gibb St, Digbeth, BirminghamHIGHLIGHTS: 24 track TL Audio valve desk, old school Wurlitzer keyboard, views across the city.DETAILS: Phone 0121 2471680 facebook.com/bluewhalestudios

“We’re really chuffed with our new valve desk, it sounds fantastic with its analogue warmth combined with our digital based recording system, running on Logic,” explains Blue Whale manager and promoter Andy Roberts. Andy, an established blogger and talent spotter, is one of the latest addi-tions to the Blue Whale crew, alongside owner Ben Hayes and producer Russ Tite, who is cur-rently mixing demos for the forthcoming third album from radio faves The Kooks at the studios. “It’s testament to how good the standard of

equipment we are using is, as well as Russ’s tal-ents, that their tunes are being mixed down here,” continues Andy. “However, it’s working with local artists that re-ally excites us.”The latest acts to get the

Whale treatment have been Little Palm, for her forthcoming Bigger Than Barry Records release, Vijay Kishore, Goodnight Lenin and Boat to Row among others. Internet fiends are likely to have discovered the Blue

Whale blog, a vibrant showcase of the region’s musical happenings, alongside the Blue Whale TV YouTube channel, a Rhubarb Radio show and In The Belly podcast on Speech Fewapy radio.“We’re quite altruistic

Each month we will be profiling

the people and places that make

up Birmingham’s alternative

underbelly.

First up, the newly relaunched

Blue Whale StudioS...

Inside the recording room

BLUE WHALE STUDIOS

in our approach to the blog as we are passionate about Brum bands.“We’ll review anything on the site as long as it’s happening in or around the city,” says Andy.“We want it to be known how much we love Birmingham’s varied scene and have already established ourselves as an integral part of the local music community by providing a platform for bands to reach a wider audience. We have a number of outlets for our bands to get heard or seen outside of their usual circles and get a real satisfaction from pushing their music to people who may otherwise have not come across it before.

“I’m regularly contacted by major labels and publishers as to what is going on in Brum, so hopefully soon we’ll be able to help break our first mainstream act.“The plan though is to set up our own label in the

near future,” he explains.“We’re already talking to a couple of bands about physical releases and have our eyes closely fixed on a few other acts that show a lot of promise. “I’m not naming any names though.

“It would be great to work with an act, take time to develop their sound with them in the studio and then release the record. We have the network and resources in place, we just need the right band.”

The 24 track TL valve mixing desk

“The plan is to set up our own label in the near future.”

Californian five-piece Local Natives were one of the most sought-after picks of the 2009 SXSW festival. Now a year on they are to return to Texas to mix it with the elder statesmen of heartfelt indie. But not before they’ve finished battling the European winter.

page six

LOCAL NATIVES“I think we’re going to think long and hard about a European winter tour next year, I don’t know how you guys do it,” says vocalist and guitarist Taylor Rice.“Our van literally froze a couple of times in Swe-den, and I view it more as a toboggan than a motor vehicle after careening down the frozen freeways for the last month and a half. Life threaten-ing driving conditions aside though, Europe in the winter is incredibly beautiful.”More used to the sun-soaked surroundings of their native Los Angeles, the harmony-laden outfit have found a second home this side of the At-lantic after becoming hot property on British soil, releasing debut album Gorilla Manor in the UK three months before it

appeared in the States. “We released the album in the UK first only because of how fast the industry moved there for

in every decision we’ve made as a band. “We had labels looking for a bit but took a lot of time in deciding which

us,” Taylor explains. “After playing South by Southwest (SXSW) it was a whirlwind and it’s been a little strange for us to have released the album abroad before releasing it in the US.“We’ve been deliberate

independents we felt would be best suited to partner with to pursue our vision. I think the fear about hype can be that people start to over-look the music and focus on the buzz.”Despite being swept up

in a hectic post-Texas touring schedule, Taylor insists they are a “tour-ing band” and love life on the road - and his advice for any aspiring bands offered the chance to play at SXSW? Take it. “The experience is insane. I remember playing our first show at noon on Wednesday and then frantically running with our amps and guitars to the next show down the street in 95 degree weather so we could make it in time. If you can get some shows booked, no matter where they are, then go and play. NME first picked us up when we were playing in tiny store room at a bike shop which held about 40 people.”• Local Natives play the O2 Academy 3, Birmingham, on March 3 and SXSW, Texas, March 18-20.

So, spill the beans, what’s Fullenglish all about?Fullenglish is about hav-ing fun and typical Eng-lish culture. When we perform we want people to leave feeling they had a great time and can relate to our music.

Us hacks love pigeon-holing genres - how do you define your music?Pop, electro, hip hop - I really don’t know how to define our music, we try not to pigeon-hole ourselves. Clive and I both produce our music and like to mix things up, we figure no-one listens to one style or genre of music, we like to mix it up and still keep to a trend at the same time.

Your songs are all about pretty ‘normal’ everyday things, is it im-portant to keep it about what you know?Yes definitely, I’m writ-ing a script for a sitcom when I’m not producing or writing music and I’ve always been told its always best to write from experience, I like story-

telling especially about events in my life - we’ve had many fans tell us they can relate to our track “School Days”. It always surprises us because I never think people listen to words that much, a great buzz though.

There’s a good splash of humour too, so are you funny in real life?Some people think I’m funny, some people think I’m just strange or ob-scenely crude, comedy is

very subjective but yeah, I think I’m funny.

You’ve nailed some pretty good support slots, what’s been the highlight so far?Our best gig hands down has to be our very first gig at The Rainbow in Birmingham support-ing Scarlet Harlots and Tantrums. We were first on, no-one knew who we were, there was a huge crowd, my heart was pounding but when our first track played they went for it, someone even crowd surfed. Easily one of the best moments in my life.

Your show with Killa Kela should be quite a spectacle. How do your beatboxing skills compare?Clive can beatbox pretty

well even though he is very modest about it. I think I may push for a mini battle on stage be-tween him and Killa Kela and I’ll freestyle.

What are your plans and hopes for the future?We want to hit the festi-vals this year and release our album too. We want to put Brum on the map and make an impact in the industry. We’ll see...watch this space.We’re also starting a campaign called Graf-fiti for Haiti, where we get celebrities to graffiti a plain white tee to be auctioned off.

What’s your favourite part of a full English?I’d have to say baked beans, everyone who knows me says I practi-cally lived on baked beans and bread for like two years. The best place for a breakfast is still at home, or grandma’s house - there’s just something about the way she does it.

• Fullenglish support Killa Kela at the O2 Academy 3, Birmingham, on March 12.

• Tickets available from www.brumnotes.com.

page nine

FULLENGLISHBrummie hip-hop duo Fullenglish - aka Anthony Brown and Clive Hall - support beatbox star Killa Kela this month. We ‘ketchup’ with Anthony ahead of the show to find out more. Sorry.

COURTINGFAVOUR

page elevenBack in 2008, when The Courteeners released debut album St Jude, frontman Liam Fray was full of rock star swagger and bristled with cocky soundbites. Those big mouthed bon mots landed him frequent comparisons with north western contemporaries such as the Gallagher brothers or Ian Brown.But writing that off as “lazy journalism”, Fray insists he’s not the moody 18-year-old who wrote the songs for their top five debut. Today, we meet an older and wiser 24-year-old, well travelled and ready to take on the world with the release of new album Falcon.“It’s like we’ve almost skipped the second album and gone further,” explains Fray.“People didn’t want to hear St Jude 2 and we don’t want to play it, we wanted to do something that would interest us. “We love St Jude, it’s me, its our lives and we will always think of if like that, but for our own san-ity we have to evolve.”On its release in April 2008, St Jude pushed the band straight onto the festival and stadium circuit, rocketing around international events such as Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds and Japan’s Fuji Rocks, and support-ing the likes of Kasabian and Stereophonics. They even picked up some high profile admirers along the way, including

Mancunian music legend Morrissey who invited them to support him in the US.With such a launch into the public eye, some bands would face their return with some trepida-tion. Not so The Cour-teeners, it seems. They’re still moving and deter-mined to improve with each release, something of which Liam is rightly very proud. “Its rare for bands to arrive fully formed,” he continues. “Look at The xx, they’ve make a sparse and sophisticated album, but they are fully formed, where can they go? “We’ve got miles and miles to go.”Liam agrees that there is a lot to listen to on this record, with layers and a real focus on the details and insists it was not something that was just left in the hands of the producer Ed Buller.“It was laborious, a real

labour of love but I en-joyed doing it, getting a cymbal noise right, being bent over the studio desk ’til 4am in the morning,” he laughs.In fact, the singer has also become such a lover of knob-twiddling, still brimming with confi-dence he could see him-self producing the work of others in the future.“It like hearing some-thing and knowing it will sound great, but also being surprised by things, like how an acoustic track can end up bom-bastic - I’d need to take some (producing) courses though” he adds.For now, however, it’s all about the live show, and Liam and co have a serious pledge to the fans heading to a Courteeners show.“I’ve got no time for bands who turn up to shows fucked. People might have taken time off work to see the show.”

• Words: Caroline Beavon.• New album Falcon is out now on Polydor.• The Courteeners play the O2 Academy, Birmingham, on March 20. For tickets visit www.brumnotes.com.

page twelve

everybody's banging on about...

THE DRUMS

The Drums live at the O2 Academy, Birmingham. Pic by James Marston.

They’re the most hyped New Yorkers since The Strokes, dance like Joy Division, sing

like The Cure and love The Smiths. We caught up with frontman Jonathan Pierce

following their triumphant opening set at the recent NME Awards tour stop-off in

Birmingham, to find out just how THE DRUMS are coping with being everybody’s

favourite new band.

The NME tour has a reputation for being a bit of a party for the bands taking part, how’s it been for you?It’s been a pretty surreal experience for us. It’s our first tour ever, so to go from playing small venues in NYC to 2 or 3,000 seater venues is really quite a leap. We wouldn’t do it if it didn’t feel right to us, though. All the bands are getting along, I think. We all went out and partied af-ter the show in Brighton.

No fist fights yet then. Who would win out of all of those bands?The Drums would beat anyone up. Easy. So far, it’s been cool.

What did you make of the response you got in Bir-mingham - apart from the fact that lots of people were still stuck in the queue to collect their tickets? I feel bad that a lot of people bought tickets to see us, but didn’t get in in time. I think it’s pretty common for an open-ing band. By the end of our set it’s usually totally packed. Some nights its packed at the beginning of our set, which is great for us. Birmingham was one of my very favourite shows ever. Those kids were nuts!

There aren’t many ‘ones to watch’ lists this year that don’t include The Drums. Does the pressure of the hype affect you or are you

able to just enjoy it?We really are unaffected by it. I mean, for the most part, the pressure is off of us because our number one rule is to simply please ourselves. If we started caring what people think, this whole thing would fall apart.

You’ve had your music featured in Skins which seems to be a surefire way of getting a lot of atten-tion from British teens. Have you seen the show?I’ve heard the show is cool, but have not seen it. We didn’t know about this! Is this legal?

How important has the relationship been with Moshi Moshi? Was it important to sign up with a label with such a strong reputation for independent and innovative music?They have been great from day one. You know, they started

talking to us just a few months after forming the band. They are always ahead of the curve and it was very flattering having them give us that attention. They took a big risk on us.

You name The Smiths and Joy Division among your influences and there’s some Ian Curtis-style dance moves on stage and other similarities. How important have English bands like those men-tioned been in shaping the sound and the style of your own band?Most of the bands that changed our lives come from England, I think. So to be playing over here and be embraced by so many is really a thrill to us. I think when you listen to The Smiths or The Wake your entire teenage existence, you can’t help but be influ-enced, even if you run the other way.

It’s looking like a pretty hectic touring schedule for you this year. How is life on the road for The Drums?It’s only just begun. I hope I still love Adam, Jacob, and Connor at the end of this year. We don’t have any breaks at all really. I think we will be playing most of the UK festivals.

Looking forward to Muse, U2 and Stevie Wonder at Glastonbury then?I don’t care for Muse or U2. Stevie Wonder would be interesting.

What can we expect from the debut album when it appears?It’s a bit of a departure from the EP, a bit more serious. The darker side of The Drums...

Any final words of wisdom?Keep it pure.

page thirteen

From the watered down reggae of UB40, to the scintillating 2tone of The Specials or the ragga-bhangra of Apache Indian, the West Midlands has a tradition of melting its musical cultures with varying results. But for plucky young upstarts Tantrums, mixing it up is a prin-ciple that stands them in good stead as they seek to impose their bass-loving marriage of dubstep dance and indie rock guitars on the masses. Indie-dance is hardly a new phenome-non, but the dirty deep-ness of the dancefloors that inspire the sounds of both Tantrums and fellow south Birming-ham label-mates Scarlet Harlots, is drawn from the other end of the dance spectrum to the twinkling, 80s synth-pop hybrids currently taking over the main-stream airwaves.Tantrums, who met at Shenley Court School in the “green ghetto” of

Northfield and bonded through their mutual love of everything from “drum n bass to garage to the Sex Pistols,” seem to have been on many Midlands music commentators’ lips for an impressively long time, which considering more than half of the band aren’t even out of their teens yet, is not bad going. With a slurry of impres-sive support slots under their collective belt they have not gone unnoticed among national taste-makers and now with their genre-blurring debut EP Champloo ready to be unleashed through newly-formed Bigger Than Barry Records, Tantrums are primed to become a full blown argument on the ears of anyone listening. “We’re really happy with the EP,” explains picture boy bassist Josh. “It’s just taken a long time because of the money, basically, as we paid for it ourselves. “If we’d have got it done

page fourteen

the first time round, that would have been better, but we weren’t happy with it so we went back and did it again and had to keep changing things, round but now it sounds really strong.“It’s really energetic, it sounds a lot more energetic than all of our other things. “We approached it in a different way, it was a bit more relaxed. “We’ve always had an

idea of what it should sound like when we’ve gone in to record before, but this time we just went in and did what felt good. It seemed a lot more natural.”The five-track EP was recorded at Sandhills Recording Studios in Liverpool’s Docklands - near to where Sherlock Holmes was filmed, as Josh points out - after previously meeting and instantly connecting

TANTRUMSGET READY FOR SOME ANGER MANAGEMENT

The Northfield outfit are ready to unleash their genre-defying blend of frenetic, dirty dubstep and indie rock hooks with their debut EP. But whatever you call it, you certainly can’t ignore it. It’s time to pay attention to Tantrums.

Pic by Rhiannon Jones

with producer Al Groves. For fans who’ve caught Tantrums live there will be some familiar material but for everyone else, it should be a perfect introduction to their spiky, post-genre rock spirit and dance grooves. “There’s a new song on there but because it’s the first release that we’ve done we wanted to get a lot of older things out there as well. “It’s a springboard as we’ve got so many ideas of what we can do in the future and I’m really excited, especially with Anna on board.”The Anna now on board is Anna Palmer, the band’s most recent recruit, who may be better known to some as velvet-voiced pianist Little Palm, now add-ing her distinctive vocals and keyboard skills to the band. And the teen songstress has already made quite an impres-sion in her fledgling Tantrums career. “We’ve only played a couple of gigs [with Anna] so far but it’s been really good fun. It was weird having another person on stage but it felt natural. “I really like the whole boy-girl vocal thing, it just adds a nice extra layer to it,” explains Josh.The release on Bigger Than Barry Records will also include the added bonus of some sure-to-be-chaotic remixes, something else which

will be new territory for Tantrums, says Josh. “We’ve always been interested in re-patching and re-working so it should be a lot of fun and I’m really looking forward to hearing some of the remixes. “We’ve never written songs with that in mind so we’ve put little parts in there so there’s more to work with.”And as well as their remixing credentials, Josh insists it was impor-tant to side with team Barry because of their local connections. “It’s a massive thing to be on a local label,” he says. “If they came from London or Sheffield or somewhere else we would probably have said no because it wouldn’t have had the personality behind it. “Nobody really gets it like Barry do. The label embodies the whole West Midlands thing, ska and 2 tone all happened here and we’ve

tried to marry those different cultures,” As for trying to label their own sound, Josh insists they just are happy to keep surprising people who listen. “We played with The Twang, that was a good show and they asked for us to do it which was great, Bombay Bicycle Club was good and Hot Club de Paris as well. But because they are all guitar based it is good to come on and show that we don’t just use guitars. “We don’t like being called an indie band and we don’t listen to that much guitar music any-way,” Josh explains.

It is also this hybrid approach to their music which culminated in the name of their debut EP, apparently inspired by their love of a Japanese manga cartoon called Samurai Champloo.“It means to mix up or shake it up in Japanese so we thought because of the way our music is mixing it up, we would call it that.“It had a badass hip-hop soundtrack as well.”

• Tantrums play at The Rainbow, Digbeth, on March 5 and the Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, on March 13.• Champloo is out in April.

page fifteen

Pic by Wayne Fox

Pic by Rhiannon Jones

page sixteen

Th e forthcoming debut EP from bass-loving, guitar-wielding upstarts Tantrums will be released next month on Bigger Th an Barry Records, the recently-launched label set up by the superlarge club promoters of the same name. We get the lowdown on Barry’s appetite for world domination.

Brum’s favourite underground ravers turned bona fi de record label moguls at the back end of last year with a selection of free download-only mix-tapes from the likes of resident DJ Shorterz and dubstep hopeful Enigma, winning the backing of the likes of Toddla T and Annie Mac. Since then more remixes have followed, included reworkings of A Secret by Scarlet Harlots and there’s more to follow this year, starting with the Tantrums EP, more releases from Harlots including live favourite Halcyon and a Barry-fi cation of tracks by new Tantrums recruit and singer-songwriter Little Palm. But in true Barry style, the plans don’t end there. In fact the ambi-tions are to be well and truly mammoth. “We want to take over the world,” says Tom from Bigger Th an Barry, aka Shorterz.

Josh from Tantrums with Sam and Tom from Bigger Than Barry

“We just want to get bigger and better so it’s a self-reliant entity. “At the moment we are doing everything on a shoestring, doing favours for favours.”Regulars at any Big-ger Th an Barry events

will know variety is the spice of the fat man’s life, with a soundtrack feeding on everything from house, breaks and electro through to dub-step, grime and indie, and the label’s approach is no diff erent.

Pic by Rhiannon Jones

“The way the label is we don’t want to pigeon-hole ourselves to one sound.“We represent what the Barry event is about, which is a wide variety. We don’t just do house, garage or indie we want to cater for a wide audience,” Tom says. “It reflects what Barry has always been about

the point where we can work with established producers and get that big airplay on radio. “A lot of our profile comes through the nights and a lot of the reputation was born out of that.“We’ll be taking the record label over to Ibiza which is all good exposure and the first physical release should be coming out in the summer,” he says.But despite the desire to fatten up Barry to go global, Tom and Sam insist it is impor-tant to keep the music rooted in Birmingham. “We share a lot of love for local talent, with West Midlands and Birmingham-based producers coming through, it is a good platform,” says Tom. “We are doing it for the love.”

• The Bigger Than Barry Records Showcase takes place at The Rainbow, Digbeth, on March 5, with live performances from Scarlet Harlots and Tantrums and DJ sets from Enigma, Dub Melitia and Shorterz.

• For details visit www.biggerthanbarry.com

as well which is getting everyone to have a party,” adds Sam, fel-low Barry crew mem-ber and frontman of Scarlet Harlots. “We’re breaking a lot of unknown acts but we’re trying to get to

Gig Listings

live

Armed with material from second album …And The Rest Are Thun-der, local act Einstellung find themselves at the illustrious hall in sup-port of the underrated and massively influen-tial krautrock legends Cluster, a show the band themselves described as “their Cup Final”. Fac-ing an audience which was largely unaware of

the sonic assault it was about to experience, their repetitive, hypnotic sound combined with the immensity and drive of the darker side of rock captivated within min-utes. From their opening riff to their closing drone and roar of exquisitely controlled feedback they played this show as if it were their last. This outstanding perform-

ance enhanced by the excellent acoustics was bursting with originality and avoided all clichés. Their simple yet inno-vative sound certainly gained new fans and possibly left the gentle Germans waiting in the wings concerned as to how they would fol-low their commanding Powerkraut style.Words: Chris Brumcast

CLUSTER, EINSTELLUNGThe Town Hall BirminghamFeb 11

page eighteen

YEASAYERO2 Academy 2BirminghamFeb 16

The band stroll on to a modest but impres-sive looking backdrop of neon green screens that silhouettes their synths and the buff body of bassist Ira. Opening with The Children, it’s clear the band know what they’re doing when it comes to production and instrumentation. Anticipating an edgy

band from Brooklyn, you immediately notice that two out of the three dudes across the front are dressed in jumpsuits, kind of like Ghost-busters on a false alarm call. Madder Red, Rome and Love Me Girl sound huge enough, but it’s when they reel out Ambling Alp that you whisper seductively to your friend, “hey, these guys are gonna go plac-es”. Next single, O.N.E closes the set before

2080 brings both the crowd and the encore to a climax. Exclaiming the audience to be their best ever in the UK, they can

expect a similar recep-tion from many towns and cities across Europe. Words: Jose JonesPic: Katja Ogrin

GOODNIGHT LENINThe RainbowDigbethFeb 22Jangly guitars, lovely harmonies, checked shirts and a feeling that everything is going to be ok - what more could anyone want on a Monday night? Gaining some-thing of a reputation as a tour de force, as well as being labelled with the dreaded “one to watch” tag, the band certainly don’t disap-point. Apart from the brilliantly structured pop/folk/rock songs, the thing most im-mediately apparent is how comfortable they look and at best they have the room swaying to the finest baroque-esque rock Birming-ham has to offer.Words: Rommy Stelfox

Pic: Katja Ogrin

page nineteen

THE MACCABEES, BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB, THE BIG PINK, THE DRUMSO2 AcademyBirminghamFebruary 11

The NME Awards tour has understand-ably earned a reputa-tion for defining future musical tastes and breaking new acts. It’s fair to say this line-up smacked of playing it safe, boasting three acts firmly established on the Radio One playlist and a fourth which has already been hyped to sell-out tour propor-tions. This isn’t a com-plaint of course - as the sell-out crowd proved it’s a winning formula. What’s not a winning formula however is not sending tickets out on time and there was a large portion of that crowd left grumbling at being stuck in a ticket collection queue while

The Drums kicked off proceedings in breath-taking style with their carefully crafted melo-dies delivered through a winning blend of West coast surfer breeze, New York style and swag-ger and Mancunian miserablism. Some of the dance moves were lifted straight from the Ian Curtis school of how to dance and look slightly disturbed at the same time and the tunes owe much to similar influences. Up next The Big Pink barged their way into proceedings, breaking up the theme of structured, thought-ful indie pop with their brash cock-rock deriva-tives, although the epic BRMC-esque Velvet suggested there’s more to them than the tawdry Dominos. Geek chic delights Bombay Bicycle Club rattled through more songs than I real-ised they had, before The Maccabees appeared like the elder statesmen of indie to win the night.Words: Sean O’Muir

FINLEY QUAYEThe RainbowDigbethFeb 20

Make it!“Can you hear the voice?”We certainly can Mr Quaye, and t’is irie indeed. The mouth is moving but the sound comes from somewhere

deeper. Finley and his band are so primed these days that when someone shouts for Ultra Stimulation it is met with, “yes, Ultra!” - they launch straight into it and the skankin’ begins.The more cynical might fancy this frenzy was due as much to the several spliffs he smoked during

his set as any summon-ing of the spirit. Whilst it’s easy for the crowd to have a good time if those on stage are too, the downside of this excess of enjoyment was some slightly shaky moments, not least for-getting the words to his biggest hit from the 90s, Sunday Shining.

But then Finley is a bit like Becks; his right foot may be a bit hit or miss these days, he may even have lost a yard or so of pace, but you’d always be happy to have him lead your team out. Just for the heart, which is always channelled like a lion…Words: Vyvian Raoul

Pics: James Marston

BETH JEANS HOUGHTON, STORNOWAYThe Glee ClubBirminghamFeb 17

Tonight was the Twisted Folk Tour and presumably by ‘Twisted’ the promoters mean not very folky at all, actually. Beth Jeans Houghton came out first in a wig that put Lady Gaga’s previous night’s Brits barnet to shame, and a super sparkly spandex dress that would have beardy old men tutting into their stout. Still, folk or freak, she has an immensely powerful voice – which comes on something like a slightly Geordie Dolores O’Riorden - to say nothing of sass by the bucketful. Backed up by her band, The Hooves of Destiny, we can say it’s cute.

Stornoway are less whiskey in the jar, more a nice cup of tea in the good china; the type of band you’d take home to your mom; who then wouldn’t stop asking for months afterwards, “how are those nice Stornoway boys?” They made BBC’s Pick of 2010 shortlist and I imagine they’ll get lots of airtime - mainly on Radio 2. The boys clear-ly have bags of talent which is most obviously manifested when they go unplugged, stand in front of the moni-tors and sing their little hearts out. Two fingers up to autotune, this is showing your hand and laying your vocal chords on the line with swagger. It certainly has everyone’s attention and, after all, isn’t getting your story across what folk is all about?Words: Vyvian Raoul

BAND OF SKULLSHare & HoundsKings HeathFeb 14

Band Of Skulls are quickly becoming one of the most talked-about bands of 2010 and the trio boasting two lead singers are further proof that three-piece bands are becoming the new four-piece. Their set is filled with White Stripes-style riffs and great backing vocals from bassist Emma Richardson, which

complements Russell’s vocals perfectly, as best displayed on Patterns. It’s raw-to-the-bone blues rock at its best. Fires slows things down nicely and even men-tions Romeo, which seems apt for Valentine’s Day. Cold Fame is the closest song to a bal-lad and the only song of their evening to pass the four-minute mark, but the set ends all too quickly after just the eight tracks.Words: Adam Page

Laura Marling, the much over-looked, pretty blonde, silky voiced folkstress is back, but a little bit older, wiser and a brunette. Alas I Cannot

LAURA MARLINGI Speak Because I Can(EMI)

recordspage twenty-two

Don’t you just hate Damon Albarn? He’s like that good looking guy at school who was good at everything. And the girls liked him. And he was pretty cool so you quite liked him too. Well, he’s gone and done it again. As if conquering last year by reminding us all he was in one of the best British bands of the past

GORILLAZPlastic Beach(Parlophone)

BROKEN BELLSBroken Bells(Columbia)

Swim, her 2007 debut, proved she could swim among Britain’s latest folk stars, but what prompted a three year wait to follow up her critically acclaimed debut? Though not having hit the ‘big time’ of mainstream success, Alas I Cannot Swim allowed Marling to claim international success and she has been on the road since.

Second album I Speak Because I Can picks up where the first left off but sees a mature Marling determined yet wistful in her life approach.Having teamed up with American producer Ethan Johns, Marling stays true to her English folk roots. The simplistic strumming of Devil’s Spoke kicks off proceedings and sets the bar high. Gone is Little Miss Innocent, Marling has lived a little and her opinions need voicing.

I Speak Because I Can proves an ominous title. What is it that Marling really wants to say? Never truly finding a thorough line, Marling offers a collection of life musings. The words may not be profound, but the sound divine.While she may not quite at the top of her game yet, Marling’s downbeat approach is growing into something truly memorable. JW

20 years wasn’t enough, he’s kicked off the new decade with one of the best pop records of the year. Not that he didn’t have some help of course. A stellar cast make up the cartoon band this time around, with appearances from the likes of Snoop Dogg, Gruff Rhys, Bobby Womack and De La Soul, taking us through a tour de force of hip-hop, disco, soul and pop all rolled into a coherent package. Even ignoring the whole concept behind Gorillaz this record stands alone as a fine collection of songs.

So this is a Gnarls Barkley and The Shins side project right? So it must sound like The Shins and Gnarls Barkley jamming together right? Well, yes and no. Trademark traits of both James Mercer’s distinctive vocals and Danger Mouse’s slick production values are both there but combine to almost

psychedelic effect. It’s like the soundtrack to a dreamy world, in which a woozier version of The Shins are mocking you in song form, not least on the almost sinister refrain of The High Road. A dark edge underpins the record, alongside a greater sense of atmosphere, while engaging melodies lurch between melancholy and joy, with layer upon layer of soundscapes in the background which demand repeat listening. A slow-burner perhaps but still a genuinely captivating record.

page twenty-three

Drink of the Month

Th e Black Velvet

WITH

food & drinkDrink of the Month

14-16 Suff olk StreetBirmingham

B1 1LT

St Patrick’s Day is almost upon us and for most people that only means one thing...

“If I were to mention Irish

drink, I’d bet my house that

most people’s fi rst thought

would be Guinness,” says

Matt Marriott, general manager at Island Bar, Birmingham’s rock ‘n’ roll

cocktail joint. “Guinness is an Irish stout

which has been brewed at

St James’ Gate in Dublin

since 1759. It has a bit-tersweet taste, some people

fi nd it reminiscent of espresso coff ee, and a very

dark colour courtesy of the

use of roasted barley. Since

2005 all Guinness sold in

the UK has been brewed

in Dublin and is the exact

same beer as is sold across

Ireland. Contrary to its reputation, Guinness actu-

ally contains fewer calories

than most beers – at 198 per pint this is actually less

than skimmed milk too.”

“Undoubtedly the most famous Guin-ness cocktail,” explains Matt. “Th is lovely concoction was created at the Brooks Club, London, in 1861 to mourn the death of Prince Albert.”

• One part Guinness Draught (can is fi ne)• One part Champagne

Half fi ll a champagne fl ute with Guinness. Tilt the glass and SLOWLY pour the cham-pagne down the side of the glass. If you pour too quickly the Guinness will explode into a giant head pouring out of your glass. A Poor Man’s Black Velvet is a similar drink that swaps the champagne for cider or perry - in this instance add the Guinness second.

Irish Milk Punch“One of my favourite night caps is based on Irish whiskey and another Irish favourite, Baileys.”

• 50ml Baileys• 20ml Irish Whiskey• 200ml (approx) hot milk.

Add Baileys and Whiskey to a mug and fi ll with hot milk – don’t allow the milk to boil. Stir well. For a decadent touch top with a sprinkling of chocolate powder or freshly grated nutmeg.

Go on, line your stomach...BEEF, ONION & GUINNESS PIE• 1.5Kg Shin Beef cut into 2ins cubes• 2 medium onions peeled and sliced onions• 1 tablespoon fl our seasoned with salt and pepper• 1 pt Guinness• ½ pt beef stock• 1 pack ready roll puff pastryPlace the cubed shin beef and the onion in a casserole dish and coat with the seasoned fl our. Pour in Guinness and stock and bring to simmer gently on the hob. Cover with tightly fi tting lid and place in an oven preheated to 140C for at least two and a half hours until beef is tender.Cook pastry as per the pack instructions, cut into individual portions about 5ins by 5ins square. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and spring greens.

“Instead of getting soaked, queuing for toilets, queuing for overpriced drinks and crap food we can substi-tute relaxing under the pines, soaking up the sun or dancing in the sea.” This is just one of many advantages of hosting a boutique dance event in a gorgeous coastal loca-tion, bathed in sunshine, explains Garden Festival founder Nick Colgan.“The original plan was really to bring together all of the various groups of DJs, bands, promoters and music lovers from across the UK and Europe that we had beenworking with over many years in promotion and provide them with an

ideal sun-drenched setting for a holiday and festival combined.“The intimate vibe of the festival is very important to us so after 2008 when we really did reach capacity we made the decision to contain the numbers to 2000 per week and spread

the festival over two weekends - what we call the Double Whammy,” Nick continues.“We noticed that most festival-goers instead of coming just for the weekend were booking for seven to 10 days and were planning a holiday around the festival. So

the Double Whammy was really a natural extension of that.”Running across the first two weeks of July and with the headline parties spread across two week-ends, the festival also of-fers a full programme of events during the week giving people the chance to relax at a different pace, with boat parties, smaller club nights and beach BBQs. As Nick explains, from the moment you arrive there are opportunities to relax in the sun or carry on the party.The relaxed timescale is also one of the festival’s strong points, giving clubbers the chance to explore the attractions

travel

CROATIA: the secret’s out croatia’s gorgeous dalmatian coast plaYs host to one of europe’s SEXIEST AND SLINKIEST UNDERGROUND DANCE FESTIVALS. BUT WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT WAS MADE IN BIRMINGHAM? BRUM NOTES MAGAZINE GETS THE LOWDOWN ON THE GARDEN FESTIVAL.pics by turnmaster tim

page twenty-five

beyond the nightlife. “During the course of a single day you can relax in the sun, swim in crystal clear waters, experience the famous boat parties, watch world class acts on the main stage and party until dawn in the night-club. Also, the beautiful old village of Petrcane being only minutes from the music stages re-ally becomes part of the festival site,” he says. “Most people stay in the village and have the option to eat super fresh seafood at the local restaurants, so it gives the genuine feeling of a holiday experience with an extraordinary party going on just moments away.”It certainly seems a change of scene for Nick who started his musi-cal career in the urban environs of Birming-ham, before going on to promote parties across South America and the USA, later returning to the Midlands to set up a production company alongside friends UB40 and continue promoting. The sunshine of Croatia became a draw after a holiday in 2003 and the following year he moved with wife Charlotte and their family to open what was the country’s first outdoor lounge bar, The Garden Zadar. After the success of pro-viding UK dance music in a stunning location on the ancient city walls

overlooking a harbour, Nick began looking for a spot to hold a boutique festival and soon stumbled across a beachfront site on a pine tree-covered peninsula in the nearby village of Petrcane. With the help of friends Eddie and Gail O’Callaghan they set about renovating the 70s built venue ready for the first Garden Festival in 2006.Now in its fifth year, the influence of Birming-ham’s dance scene is still running heavy through-out the festival. Keen clubbers will spot some familiar names on the line-up, with the likes of Adam Shelton from Be-low and Leftfoot’s Adam Regan on the bill.“Of course,we have always maintained close links with the Birming-ham scene,” explains Brummie Nick. “This year we’ve got our old mates Lee and Jock with the Discomendments posse and also the lads from The Rainbow, Adam and Lee, who have been

pushing the musical envelope with Below. Of course Leftfoot’s Adam Regan has long been a co-conspirator.“We promote the music we both love and are determined to continue in that vein, butremember the underground is everywhere and we

always have guests come from all over the music-loving globe. This year will have crews from Zagreb, Ljubljana in Slovenia and Sofia in Bulgaria and are forging links with Berlin.We are even looking forward to reconnecting

with California.”Despite the international influence and the influx of 2,000 clubbers every year, Nick insists they are determined to keep things intimate and loyal to the village where they are based. “We think its fair to say it has become an impor-tant and integral part of summer in Petrcane. Part of the reason we kept the capacity down was so the village would not become overwhelmed, and over five years liv-ing there we have built up a trust. Also many people are coming back year after year and have made good friends in the village. We are lucky to attract so many more mature music lovers who

have fallen in love with Petrcane and show it the respect it deserves.”

• The Garden Festival runs from July 2-12 with passes starting from £80.• For details on travel visit www.thegardenfestival.eu

gig guide

All things ‘Oirish’ will be taking over Birmingham this month to mark ST PATRICK’S DAY. Digbeth will stage its traditional PARADE on March 14 with the usual array of floats, music, live entertainment and street-side drinking. Sporadic outbreaks of violence may or may not be included. Staying around Digbeth, some of the area’s most esteemed creative businesses will be showing off their wares with an open weekend from March 25 to 27 to mark the launch of WE ARE EASTSIDE, a collaborative project aimed at promoting that part of the city, through a printed guide and blog at www.weareeastside.org. It will run alongside the annual FLATPACK FESTIVAL featuring film screenings at various venues from March 23 to 28. The fantasy realms of famed Moseley resident JRR Tolkien will be brought to life on stage in both Wolves and Birmingham. The Grand Theatre will host THE HOBBIT from March 9 to 13, before it moves to Brum’s Alexandra Theatre from March 30 to April 3. Cue lots of spurious claims like “Tolkien based that character on my great-grandad.”

THE REGION’S MOST COMPREHENSIVE MONTHLY GUIDE TO GIGS OF ALL SIZES

PICK OF THE MONTH:gigs

cluB nights

1. BIGGER THAN BARRY RECORDS SHOWCASE, Mar 5, The Rainbow, DigbethTwo of Birmingham’s finest, Scarlet Harlots and Tantrums provide the live soundtrack for late night fun alongside DJs including Shorterz and Enigma. Tickets £3, www.biggerthanbarry.com.2. GRIzzLY BEAR, Mar 12, Warwick Arts Centre, CoventrySonic melodies and boundless harmonies from Brooklyn band who produced one of the albums of the year in 2009. Tickets £16, www.warwickartscentre.co.uk.3. MARLENA SHAW, Mar 19, Hare & Hounds, Kings HeathUnique chance to see a legendary soul vocalist up close in an intimate performance. Tickets £15 adv, www.theticketsellers.co.uk.4. VIJAY KISHORE, Mar 25, The Plough, HarborneQuality live music returns to Harborne with one of Birmingham’s most talented singers. Free entry, www.theploughharborne.co.uk.5. KILL IT KID, Mar 29, Hare & Hounds, Kings HeathRootsy, heart-wrenching indie from Bath five-piece. Tickets £5 adv, www.birminghampromoters.com.

1. GLOWMar 12, The Public, West BromIndie-alternative mash up in unique Black Country arts centre. Entry £5.

2. SESSION BIRMINGHAMMar 13, Hare & HoundsGavin & Stacey star Mat Horne brings his London club night on tour. Tickets £9/£10.

3. SILENT NOIzEMar 14, Rainbow MarqueeDaytime silent disco in the street for St Patrick’s Day Parade. Headsets £5 + £5 deposit.

Want your gig or club night listed in our monthly guide?Send details to:info@brumnotes.com

All details correct at time of going to press.Check with venues before setting out.

For latest information and ticket details visit:www.brumnotes.com.

While every effort will be made to ensure the accuracy of listings, Brum Notes Magazine will not be held liable for any errors or losses incurred from errors which may materialise.Be good kids.

page twenty-six

OTHER ENTERTAINMENT: UNKNOWN PLEASURES WITH PETER HOOKApril 11, The Glee Club£15, www.glee.co.ukBRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE May 16, O2 Academy£12.50, www.ticketweb.co.uk.JAY-zJune 9, LG Arena£42.50, www.livenation.comSEPULTURAJuly 17, Wulfrun Hall£17.00, www.wolvescivic.co.uk

BOOKING AHEAD

MONDAY, MAR 1FIELD MUSIC, 02 Academy 2, BirminghamLOS CAMPESINOS, The Rainbow, DigbethDIZZEE RASCAL (SOLD OUT), Civic Hall, WolverhamptonARMS OF ATLAS, LE CARLA, AVENUE, Kasbah, Coventry

TUESDAY, MAR 2BLOOD RED SHOES, 02 Academy 3 BirminghamTOM MCRAE, The Glee Club, BirminghamFIONN REGAN, CHRIS TYE, The Rainbow, Digbeth

WEDNESDAY, MAR 3LOCAL NATIVES, 02 Academy 3, BirminghamKABUKI, Island Bar, BirminghamCOURTNEY PINE, Town Hall, BirminghamKATHERINE JENKINS, The NIA, BirminghamPATSY FULLER’S SPEAKEASY BLUES BAND, G’s Bar & Diner, BirminghamTHE STACKS, THE SHARDS, The Bulls Head, MoseleyGIRLS, Hare & Hounds, Kings HeathCOCO MONTOYA, Robin 2, Bilston

THURSDAY, MAR 4ANGIE STONE, 02 Academy, BirminghamTSIEN, The Actress & Bishop, BirminghamTHE MISERABLE RICH, The Glee Club, BirminghamWOODEN BOX WITH A FISTFUL OF FIVERS, YOUNG RUNAWAYS, The Victoria, BirminghamLYNYRD SKYNYRD, LG Arena, BirminghamBARRY’S ATTUC, NEIL WARD, IS I CINEMA, Hare & Hounds, Kings HeathGIFT OF GAB, The Rainbow Warehouse, DigbethTHE CARPELS, The Rainbow, DigbethANIMALS & FRIENDS, THE MOVE, Robin 2, Bilston

FRIDAY, MAR 5THE XX (SOLD OUT), 02 Academy 2, BirminghamDIAMOND BLAKK, SIXDAYSOBER, The Actress & Bishop, BirminghamLOVEKATE KILLGEORGE, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham RONAN KEATING, The NIA, BirminghamLADY GAGA, LG Arena, BirminghamPAUL COWLEY, G’s Bar & Diner, Birmingham

NIGHT WORKER REVIVAL, JESUS DELUX, The Rainbow, DigbethFIGURE ONE, The Flapper, BirminghamSTARLESS AND BIBLE BLACK, THE GARDENELLES, BENEATH THE OAK, Hare & Hounds, Kings HeathCHINA CRISIS, Robin 2, BilstonTHE IC1S, ISLAND THREE, WUD, The Public, West BromwichVIJAY KISHORE, AL BRITTEN, Warwick Arts Centre, CoventryPOLARSETS, Kasbah, Coventry

SATURDAY, MAR 6HADOUKEN! (SOLD OUT), 02 Academy 2, BirminghamRAMONA, 02 Academy 3, BirminghamLOOCA, The Actress & Bishop, BirminghamFAIRPORT CONVENTION, Town Hall, BirminghamSTEREOPHONICS, The NIA, BirminghamNICK HARPER, VIJAY KISHORE, Hare & Hounds, Kings HeathMUMFORD & SONS (SOLD OUT), Wulfrun Hall, WolverhamptonSHANA TOVA, ROB CARVALHO & THE EXTENDED FAMILY,

The Public, West BromwichMARBLE SKYES, Kasbah, Coventry

SUNDAY, MAR 7HUSKY RESCUE, 02 Academy 3, BirminghamOBITUARY, 02 Academy 2, Birmingham9BACH, THE RIVERS PRESLEY SET, CESILIA TRECAQUISTA, ROBOT 7, The Sunflower Lounge, BirminghamTHE CRIMES, CLUB SMITH, THIS LOVE AFFAIR, Hare & Hounds, Kings HeathHEAVENS BASEMENT, Little Civic, Wolverhampton

MONDAY, MAR 8LISA MITCHELL, 02 Academy 3, BirminghamCHAOS ACOUSTIC CLUB, The Victoria, BirminghamPETER ANDRE, Symphony Hall, BirminghamERRORS, WINSCALE, THE SHOGUN’S DECAPITATOR, The Flapper, BirminghamANGRY VS THE BEAR, Kasbah, Coventry

TUESDAY, MAR 9YOU ME AT SIX

(SOLD OUT), 02 Academy, BirminghamTHE KISSAWAY TRAIL, KURRAN & THE WOLFNOTES, TRIPWIRES, 02 Academy 3, Birmingham TURIN BRAKES, The Glee Club, BirminghamCHRIS REA, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

WEDNESDAY, MAR 10HEAVENS BASEMENT, 02 Academy 3, BirminghamSCARLET CARMINA, THE LATE EIGHTIES, Island Bar, BirminghamCHRIS REA, Symphony Hall, BirminghamPETE HYDE & THE VEILLARDS, G’s Bar & Diner, BirminghamATSUHIRO ITO, NICHOLAS BULLEN, WINDSCALE, Vivid, DigbethSHANA TOVA, CAJOLE CAJOLE, SAVANT, THE CARPELS, The Bulls Head, MoseleyROGUE STATES, Hare & Hounds, Kings HeathRACE HORSE, The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton

THURSDAY, MAR 11SIENNA, 02 Academy

2, BirminghamDYSPHORIA, FOX & THE MOON, THE ACTRESS & BISHOP, BIRMINGHAMA GENUINE FREAKSHOW, YOUNG RUNAWAYS, ANARCHIST COOKBOOK, The Rainbow, DigbethCOLVIN QUARMBY, Hare & Hounds, Kings HeathNIK KERSHAW, Little Civic, WolverhamptonEASTSTRIKEWEST, Kasbah, Coventry

FRIDAY, MAR 12DAVE MATTHEWS BAND, 02 Academy, BirminghamKILLA KELA, FULL ENGLISH, 02 Academy 3, BirminghamFRIGHTENED RABBIT, AIRSHIP, 02 Academy 2, BirminghamCOHERE, The Actress & Bishop, BirminghamNATIONS WAITING, SCULPTORS, FRAMED, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham NEWTON FAULKNER, Symphony Hall, BirminghamTHE CHICKENBONE BLUES BAND,

G’s Bar & Diner, BirminghamCAPSULE PRESENTS AUTECHRE, The Rainbow Warehouse, DigbethMARK MORRISS, The Little Civic, WolverhamptonBIKE SHED EFFECT, AUTOMATIC INK, ISLAND 3, The Public, West BromwichGRIZZLY BEAR, Warwick Arts Centre, CoventryTHE PARIS RIOTS, THE QUEUE, Kasbah, Coventry

SATURDAY, MAR 13THE STRANGLERS, 02 Academy, BirminghamGENERAL FIASCO, 02 Academy 3, BirminghamHEATHEN ZOO, PANACEA DREAM, The Actress & Bishop, BirminghamSPOTLIGHT KID, SEA FIELDS, The Victoria, BirminghamTHE NEAT, RIDING GIANTS, NEW ST ADVENTURE, The Rainbow, DigbethI THEE LOTHARIO, 51 BREAKS, CORRELI, Sound Bar, BirminghamMIDNITE SOCIALITE, LIAM YOUNG, STATES OF EMOTION, TANTRUMS, Hare &

Hounds, Kings HeathTHE HOLLIES, Civic Hall, Wolverhampton PAUL CARRACK, IAN PARKER, Robin 2, BilstonGENERAL, Kasbah, Coventry

SUNDAY, MAR 14A DAY TO REMEMBER, ARCHITECTS, YOUR DEMISE, 02 Academy 2, BirminghamDELPHIC, 02 Academy, BirminghamLUCY WAINWRIGHT ROCHE, The Glee Club, BirminghamKATATONIA, Little Civic, WolverhamptonCLAIRE MARTIN, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

MONDAY, MAR 15CHRIS T-T, 02 Academy, BirminghamTHE FOUR TOPS AND TEMPTATIONS, The NIA, Birmingham(HED)PE, THREAT SIGNAL, ATILLA, LEATHER PIG, The Asylum, BirminghamVIX N THE KIX, Hare & Hounds, Kings HeathUNDEROATH, Wulfrun Hall, WolverhamptonJOSCHO STEPHEN TRIO, Robin 2, BilstonKIDS LOVE LIES,

REDTRACK, Kasbah, Coventry

TUESDAY, MAR 16NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB, IS TROPICAL, TEETH, 02 Academy 2, BirminghamMONO, ROSE KEMP, The Asylum, BirminghamFOLKA MISERIA, Hare & Hounds, Kings HeathTHE BRUTE CHORUS, THE FILTHY HABITS, CAPITAL, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath

WEDNESDAY, MAR 17TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB, CITADELS, 02 Academy 3, BirminghamAUDIO BULLYS, 02 Academy 2, BirminghamEVEN ATLAS, SICUM, BOMBDOG, FIREGOLD, Island Bar, BirminghamTHE DUBLINERS, Town Hall, BirminghamBEN DRUMMOND, JO GODFREY, G’s Bar & Diner, BirminghamKIDS LOVE LIES, Hare & Hounds, Kings HeathAYNSLEY LISTER BAND, Robin 2, BilstonREVEREND & THE

MAKERS, Kasbah, Coventry

THURSDAY, MAR 18SKINDRED, FOREVER NEVER, CARS ON FIRE, 02 Academy 2, BirminghamBCU PROMOTIONS BAND NIGHT, Sound Bar, BirminghamDUB PISTOLS, XOVA, The Rainbow, DigbethMARTYN JOSEPH, Hare & Hounds, Kings HeathSILHOUETTES, Little Civic, WolverhamptonALBERT LEE, HOGANS HEROES, Robin 2, Bilston

FRIDAY, MAR 19HIM, DOMMIN, 02 Academy, BirminghamJAMES MCCARTNEY, 02 Academy 3, BirminghamTHE LAMPLIGHTERS, IMOGEN’S KISS, The Actress & Bishop, BirminghamWHERE, DINKY, THE GRAHAM PARSNIP LIQUIDISER TORTURE THINK TANK (REVIVAL), The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham FUCK YOUR HAIRCUT, Island Bar, Birmingham50 CENT, LG Arena,

BirminghamTERRY CLARKE, G’s Bar & Diner, BirminghamTEN BEARS, The Asylum, BirminghamMARLENA SHAW, Hare & Hounds, Kings HeathHAYSEED DIXIE, Robin 2, BilstonCHARLIE GRACIE, The Public, West BromwichBITE THE KERB, TORMENTED VISION, The Public, West BromwichTHE CHAIRMEN, FORTUNE ROOKIE, I AM AUSTIN, Kasbah, Coventry

SATURDAY, MAR 20THE JOY FORMIDABLE, BADDIES, 02 Academy 3, BirminghamTHE COURTEENERS, 02 Academy, Birmingham[SPUNGE], NEW RIOT, 02 Academy 2, BirminghamDREAMERS NIGHTMARES, The Actress & Bishop, BirminghamTHE BLACK APPLES, Island Bar, BirminghamTHE SCHOOL, PAGAN WANDERER LU, FALLING & LAUGHING, The Victoria, BirminghamTIESTO, LG ARENA,

BIRMINGHAMMETAL ALL DAYER, Sound Bar, BirminghamGUN, THE VIRGINMARYS, HOLY RAGE, The Asylum, BirminghamRAFIKI JAZZ, Hare & Hounds, Kings HeathDAVID RODIGAN, Hare & Hounds, Kings HeathGLAMOUR OF THE KILL, Little Civic, WolverhamptonPORTICO QUARTET, Warwick Arts Centre, CoventryMARK MORRISS, LLOYD MCGRATH, Kasbah, Coventry

SUNDAY, MAR 21FRANK TURNER, 02 Academy, Birmingham THE FREE LOVE CLUB, The Yardbird, BirminghamJOSH PYKE, EMMA POLLOCK, Hare & Hounds, Kings HeathLIVE BOX WITH CHIMA ANYA, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath

MONDAY, MAR 22DIANA VICKERS, The Glee Club, BirminghamTOTAL CHAOS, WHO SHOT WHO, Sound Bar, BirminghamHITCHCOCK, Kasbah, Coventry

TUESDAY, MAR 23ZEBRAHEAD, MC LARS, ORANGE, 02 Academy 2, BirminghamMAMAS GUN, ARABELLA, 02 Academy 3, BirminghamTRIVIUM, Wulfrun Hall, WolverhamptonNICK HARPER, Robin 2, Bilston

WEDNESDAY, MAR 24PALOMA FAITH, LA SHARK, 02 Academy, BirminghamTHE ARUSHA ACCORD, 02 Academy 3, BirminghamSNOOTY BOBS, BABY TWIN, Island Bar, BirminghamJETHRO TULL, Symphony Hall, BirminghamBARBARA DICKSON, Town Hall, BirminghamSTEVE AJAO, G’s Bar & Diner, BirminghamGREATEST HITS, BOAT TO ROW, GET FRANK, A BULL, The Bulls Head, MoseleyTROYKA, The Rainbow, DigbethGEOFF FARINA & CHRIS BROKAW, Hare & Hounds, Kings HeathTHE SEARCHERS, Robin 2, BilstonTINIE TEMPAH, Kasbah, Coventry

THURSDAY, MAR 25VIJAY KISHORE, The Plough, HarborneTHE AUTOMATIC, WHITE BELT YELLOW TAG, PAGE 44, 02 Academy 2, BirminghamKING CHARLES, MALPAS, TOM PEEL, Hare & Hounds, Kings HeathCAPTURE KENDAL, EASTSTRIKEWEST, The Slade Rooms, WolverhamptonKING PLEASURE & THE BISCUIT BOYS, Robin 2, Bilston

FRIDAY, MAR 26DAN LE SAC VS SCROOBIUS PIP, 02 Academy 2, BirminghamRAVEN VANDELLE, The Actress & Bishop, BirminghamSCIENCE WILL SAVE US, THE 4 JAYS, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham CHARLIE CAN’T SURF, Island Bar, BirminghamTHE CLUB BOMB BIG FREE GIG, The Moseley Arms, DigbethMOJO HOOKER, G’s Bar & Diner, BirminghamTHE ABBOTS, OLD IONS, The Rainbow, DigbethIDIOSYNC, The Flapper, Birmingham

YOU AND WHAT ARMY, Little Civic, WolverhamptonNAOMI ALLEYNE, The Public, West Bromwich

SATURDAY, MAR 27ELLIE GOULDING (SOLD OUT), 02 Academy 2, BirminghamTHE LAWRENCE ARMS, 02 Academy 3, BirminghamRED LIGHT ROOM, The Actress & Bishop, BirminghamOWEN PALLET, MALPAS, The Rainbow Warehouse, DigbethBLACK MARKET EMPIRE, The Rainbow, DigbethTOYAH WILLCOX, Robin 2, BilstonMOMMA’S IN THE KITCHEN, Kasbah, Coventry

SUNDAY, MAR 28MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK, 02 Academy 2, BirminghamTIMOTHY B SCHMIT (THE EAGLES), The Glee Club, BirminghamPANIC ROOM, Robin 2, Bilston

MONDAY, MAR 29EMERY, 02 Academy 3, BirminghamMADINA LAKE, 02 Academy 2,

BirminghamKILL IT KID, Hare & Hounds, Kings HeathIAN SIEGAL, Robin 2, BilstonLEIGH MARY STOKES, Kasbah, Coventry

TUESDAY, MAR 30EDITORS (SOLD OUT), 02 Academy, BirminghamTHE BESNARD LAKES, WOLF PEOPLE, MR BONES & THE DREAMERS, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath

WEDNESDAY, MAR 31FLYLEAF (SOLD OUT), 02 Academy 2, BirminghamWALTER SCHREIFELS (RIVAL SCHOOLS), 02 Academy 3, BirminghamBLUE NATION, Island Bar, BirminghamPATSY FULLER’S SPEAKEASY BLUES BAND, G’s Bar & Diner, BirminghamNEIL WARD, CHRIS CLEVERLEY, The Bulls Head, MoseleyWE HAVE BAND, Hare & Hounds, Kings HeathANDY MCKEE, Robin 2, Bilston

We are looking for sharp eyed individuals to help us crack one of three cases. If you think you can handle it then come along to CSI: The Experience, Bullring. Strong minds and clear thinkers apply within!

we want

bloodfresh

A hands-on, hi-tech and completely immersive interactive entertainment experience that makes YOU the crime-cracker.

• THE UK PREMIERE •

Bullring, Birmingham

www.bcguk.com

CSI: The Experience is fascinating and informative for children aged 12 and over. Please view the online interactive preview and determine whether the exhibit is suitable for individuals. Groups will receive 1 free place per 10. Teachers go free with school groups. For more info visit www.csibirmingham.co.uk or www.csiexhibit.com.

0844 338 0338 csibirmingham.co.ukPrice: Adults £9.75 Children (up to 17 years old) £7.00 Concessions and group discounts available

Opening times: Mon-Sat 11am-8pm Sun 11am-5pm

Now Open

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