Brum Blog #7
Originally published 5/12/06 here.
Today's Photo
Matt Murtagh at the Pantomime Horse Grand National
Narrowcast News
Podnosh is a podcast station based in Birmingham that I stumbled across recently. I like that this pretty established outfit with high aims exists outside of my awareness - it implies there's even more happening online in the city for me to discover. I'm particularly taken with the Grassroots Channel which "is here to provoke and inspire anyone who thinks they just might want to change the world around them". For a quality sample check out this interview with Soweto Kinch, a jazz saxophonist and rapper from Handsworth who recently released an CD set in a tower block in B19, samples of which can be found on his MySpace page. Given what he says in that interview I intend to investigate Mr Kinch further.
Legacy News
Over at the music blog The Art of Noise they're running a series of debates on whether some aspect of music is deserving of praise or whether it really a bit shit. This week it's Birmingham's Musical Legacy and my opinion might surprise you. All votes are valid and will count towards the final verdict so get over there.
Sports News
Congratulations to Birmingham: It's Not Shit's Airbiscuit which won this year's Pantomime Horse Grand National. I didn't make it on the day but by all accounts it was fucking mental. B:INS has a good report with many photos.
New Blog News
The Hearing Aid is a relatively new blog from Daron (who, as it happens, formed the basis of this post) which concentrates on gig reviews in Birmingham at the smaller venues. Needless to say this is right up my alley but I'm delighted to add the writing is really good. Now, if we had another, say, 20 blogs of this quality...
Things to Do department
Speaking of people who review too many gigs for their own health, Russ L's Lots Of Things To See And Do In The West Midlands In December post appeared over the weekend and it's frightening in it's hugeness, though there is a lot of boxing in there. Actually, the boxing stuff has me intrigued. Perhaps I should tag along with Russ to one of them.
I've no idea how I got on the mailing list but every month Birmingham City Council send me a What's On email. It's very mainstream not really straying from the big ticket stuff but worth a scan I find. I see that there's a Christmas Craft Market on at the moment in Chamberlain Square (that's the one by the library if, like me, you tend to get your squares confused) which is notable for only having stuff that's produced locally. Might be worth a shufty just to see what's actually being done in the area as much as to buy "handmade soaps".
Choir Correction Corner
Andy Pryke emailed to point out that the Complaints Choir of Birmingham, as featured in the last Brum Blog, was actually the first one. There's now an international Complaints Choir website which has a good history of the project and BBC Birmingham ran a feature where it's revealed they're going to do a second one.
Today's Photo
Matt Murtagh at the Pantomime Horse Grand National
Narrowcast News
Podnosh is a podcast station based in Birmingham that I stumbled across recently. I like that this pretty established outfit with high aims exists outside of my awareness - it implies there's even more happening online in the city for me to discover. I'm particularly taken with the Grassroots Channel which "is here to provoke and inspire anyone who thinks they just might want to change the world around them". For a quality sample check out this interview with Soweto Kinch, a jazz saxophonist and rapper from Handsworth who recently released an CD set in a tower block in B19, samples of which can be found on his MySpace page. Given what he says in that interview I intend to investigate Mr Kinch further.
Legacy News
Over at the music blog The Art of Noise they're running a series of debates on whether some aspect of music is deserving of praise or whether it really a bit shit. This week it's Birmingham's Musical Legacy and my opinion might surprise you. All votes are valid and will count towards the final verdict so get over there.
Sports News
Congratulations to Birmingham: It's Not Shit's Airbiscuit which won this year's Pantomime Horse Grand National. I didn't make it on the day but by all accounts it was fucking mental. B:INS has a good report with many photos.
New Blog News
The Hearing Aid is a relatively new blog from Daron (who, as it happens, formed the basis of this post) which concentrates on gig reviews in Birmingham at the smaller venues. Needless to say this is right up my alley but I'm delighted to add the writing is really good. Now, if we had another, say, 20 blogs of this quality...
Things to Do department
Speaking of people who review too many gigs for their own health, Russ L's Lots Of Things To See And Do In The West Midlands In December post appeared over the weekend and it's frightening in it's hugeness, though there is a lot of boxing in there. Actually, the boxing stuff has me intrigued. Perhaps I should tag along with Russ to one of them.
I've no idea how I got on the mailing list but every month Birmingham City Council send me a What's On email. It's very mainstream not really straying from the big ticket stuff but worth a scan I find. I see that there's a Christmas Craft Market on at the moment in Chamberlain Square (that's the one by the library if, like me, you tend to get your squares confused) which is notable for only having stuff that's produced locally. Might be worth a shufty just to see what's actually being done in the area as much as to buy "handmade soaps".
Choir Correction Corner
Andy Pryke emailed to point out that the Complaints Choir of Birmingham, as featured in the last Brum Blog, was actually the first one. There's now an international Complaints Choir website which has a good history of the project and BBC Birmingham ran a feature where it's revealed they're going to do a second one.
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