Pete's Birmingham Gig Guide

Kunt and the Gang

2008-04-24T01:25:00.002Z

Kunt and the Gang, playing at the Bristol Pear, Selly Oak, Birmingham, 7 May 2008. I am advised it should be good, or if not, rather interesting.

I plan to attend with Dame Susi O'Neill.

Two Dorian Woods

2008-03-03T16:39:00.002Z

From the Friends of the Stars blog, which has songs to listen to:

In the late 1990s in California Dorian Wood decided to track down his worldwide namesakes using the interweb and eventually got in touch with Birmingham-based Dorian Wood. Finding someone who shares your slightly out-of-the-ordinary name on the other side of the globe would be one thing, but to find out that you are both involved in the creation of strange and beautiful music is something quite altogether different.

DORIAN WOOD (USA)

His recently-released Bolka album is without doubt one of the best things we’ve all heard in a long time and really, really deserves to be heard by a much wider audience. Dorian has a voice that is really beautiful and he writes songs that call to mind Rufus Wainwright, The Blind Boys of Alabama and Anthony Hegarty - all rolled into one.

DORIAN WOOD (UK)

One half of the marvellous and frightening TeaTowel, the Friends of the Stars remixer of choice and the man behind the world’s only and best Happy Hardcore covers band, Pete_Prescription. Dorian will be playing brand new compositions freshly minted in his Kings Heath studio so expect Krautrock, Melody, Noise or something else entirely.

Free entry if your name is Dorian Wood.

Drinking on a School Night

2008-03-03T13:37:00.002Z

In the interests of full disclosure I'm posting this as a favour for a friend. It may well be fantastic. I know Dave's a good soul if that counts for anything.

Enablers at Curates Egg

2008-03-03T13:33:00.001Z

Previously mentioned, now with flyer.

You do not want to miss this one.

XXX Teens, Coutesy Group, Betty & The ID, Magnificatz

2008-02-20T19:00:00.001Z

XX TEENS 11.00 – 11.45pm
THE COURTESY GROUP 10.15 – 10.45pm
BETTY & THE ID 9.30-10.00pm
The MAGNIFICATZ 8.45 – 9.15pm

Autumn Store

2008-02-14T00:43:00.001Z

Always a pleasure to post these up for Dunc, cheerleader for the Birmingham intelligent indie-pop scene. (It's like intelligent dance music only more fun).

Stuart Lee

2008-02-13T18:47:00.003Z

The mighty Stuart Lee is doing an intimate gig at the Old Joint Stock Theatre on Wednesday, February 20, 9:30pm - 11:00pm. Box office is 0121 200 0946.

Facebook event page

Nuff said!

Enablers

2008-02-12T23:51:00.000Z

My spies tell me Enablers are coming back to the Hare and Hounds on Sunday March 23rd. Seen them twice before and I'll be there like a bullet. You do not want to miss this one!

Una Corda / Mothertrucker

2008-02-05T20:20:00.000Z

Last minute notice!

Fave post-rock noise-smiths Una Corda and Mothertrucker have a gig tomoorow (Wednesday) night at Island Bar. Since I didn't think Teh Corda were playing these days I am so there!

No flyer but here's an Una Corda video:

Autumn Store

2008-02-02T22:40:00.000Z

Project X Presents... X-Lab:VL

2008-02-02T14:49:00.000Z

Friday 22nd February 2008
Concrete (Formerly The Boiler Room) The Big Peg, 120 Vyse Street, The Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, B18 6NF
£5 on the door
9pm – 4am

It's Just Noise

2008-01-30T17:23:00.000Z

It's Just Noise at the Rainbow.
Sunday Feb 3rd. 5.30pm, £5

Went to one of their early gigs last year and found it to be a good thing. Generally, but not exclusively, of the post/math-rock variety.

Hang on, seven bands? Is that a record? Blimey..

BLAKFISH
hyperactive post-punk-spazz-indie

THE ARM
schizophrenic jazz-punk

LAKES
progressive punk rock on signature tune

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS
erratic post hardcore explosion

MILLS & BOON
mathy spazz folk. with meat.

OLD SCHOOL TIE
intricate electro-rock soundscapes

CONCRETE BELLY
digi-noise-rock

Robot vs Dinosaur returns!

2008-01-25T16:00:00.001Z

Friday 15th Feb at the Island Bar.
MySpace

444 in early Feb

2008-01-25T14:19:00.000Z

Kamikaze at the Rainbow

Looky there - the return of Bom!

Breeders

2008-01-24T17:11:00.001Z

The Breeders (yay!) are playing Academy 2 (boo!) on April 13th. Tickets are priced at £15 but closer to £20 when you go through the Ticketweb cartel. Still, should be great!

Meg Baird

2008-01-23T19:49:00.000Z

Meg Baird of Espers
Sharon van Etten

Hare and Hounds, Thursday January 24th.
A Capsule gig

Betty and the Id

2008-01-21T22:47:00.000Z

Jazz Thrash Assassin

2008-01-18T16:28:00.001Z

Jazz Thrash Assassin
Bar Academy
7th Feb

Been meaning to check these guys out for ages. They actually do mix Jazz and Thrash Metal and it sounds rather good indeed.

No flyer so have a couple of videos!

Coldrice

2008-01-16T19:57:00.000Z

Coldrice's new monthly night at the Hare and Hounds.
Friday Feb 8th, £5

The Big Bang

Destroy Cowboy

2008-01-15T16:35:00.000Z

Destroy Cowboy at ye Barfly, Monday 28th Jan.

Facebook event page.

Blurt (Curates Egg)

2008-01-15T07:12:00.000Z

Blurt
Courtesy Group
Betty & The Id
Hare and Hounds, 17th Jan. £5/7.

Autechre

2008-01-15T07:03:00.000Z

Autechre are playing the Custard Factory on 3rd March, promoted by Capsule. Bit of a way off but I suspect tickets for this might go rather quickly. I have mine anyway.

Facebook events page.

Jibbering: Love Grocer, etc

2008-01-15T06:58:00.000Z

2nd Feb at Hare and Hounds. More details here.

Capsule in 2008

2007-12-14T10:35:00.000Z

From the recent Capsule newsletter.

"We'll be announcing our dates for SUPERSONIC FESTIVAL in Jan, we also have some amazing shows lined up for you including MEG BAIRD of ESPERS, the godfathers of Drone EARTH will be in Bham in Feb, we're joining up with ATP to bring you F*CK BUTTONS + ALEXANDER TUCKER. Electronic pioneers AUTECHRE will be playing a very rare live set in March (tickets on sale in the new year) and JACK ROSE and HUSH AR BOURS will also be playing in March, plus lots more."

Strangetime

2007-12-09T22:13:00.000Z

John Cooper Clarke

2007-12-07T15:24:00.000Z

JCC at the Curates Egg.
Hare and Hounds, December 20th.

Kate Goes... Xmas Show

2007-12-07T14:20:00.000Z

Kate Goes...
Betty & The Id
Don't Move

Jug of Ale, 19th December
£4

Autumn Store Xmas Party

2007-12-06T12:25:00.000Z

Destroy Cowboy

2007-11-29T15:00:00.000Z

Destroy Cowboy, Grandscope, This Machine is Off, The Dogfight Revolution in a Kamikaze 444 Club gig at the Rainbow on December 7th.

HMHB

2007-11-29T12:17:00.000Z

The mighty Half Man Half Biscuit are playing the Robin 2 on Monday December 3rd.

I am sorely tempted by this. Anyone up for a jaunt to Bilston?

Booking Office: 01902 401211
The Leisure Factory, 20-22 Mount Pleasant, Bilston Wolverhampton WV14 7LJ.

via La Stirrer

Capsule Xmas party

2007-11-27T17:45:00.000Z

If I wasn't on the other side of the planet I'd be at this.

Capsule Xmas party

Facebook event

Scrooge

2007-11-25T13:51:00.000Z

Robot Professor Myspace
Facebook event page

London Rollergirls vs the Birmingham Blitz Derby Dames

2007-11-20T15:58:00.000Z

London Rollergirls vs the Birmingham Blitz Derby Dames
Saturday December 8th
Kings Heath
More info

Efterklang

2007-11-15T13:37:00.001Z

Efterklang and Peter Broderick
Thursday, 22nd November
Hare and Hounds, Kings Heath
£8 (adv - maybe more on door)
Details - Facebook.

Ooh, this looks rather good. Here's some cut-n-pasted text.

10-piece Danish ensemble Efterklang, a band whose name translates literally to "after-noise" but more loosely to "reverberation" or "remembrance." All of these translations are in ohttp://www2.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifne way or another appropriate descriptors for the wondrous music created by the group, which settles beautifully into an open area somewhere between the elegant minimalist orchestrations of Max Richter, the electronically-enhanced chamber music of Rachel's albums like Systems/Layers, and the more contemplative moments of Godspeed! You Black Emperor.

The most obvious characteristic that separates Efterklang from these other artists is their extensive use of vocals to augment their spacious orchestral sound. The band are signed to the British The Leaf Label.

Among our key contributors is Karim Ghahwagi a filmmaker who has made a vast number of collage films for our live shows and a video for Swarming.

And here's a video for their song Mirador.

Falling and Laughing

2007-11-14T22:11:00.000Z

I've been taking a wee sabbatical from gigs this last week to recharge my batteries but this flyer came though on the email and I couldn't resist posting it. Not because it's going to be a good gig - I have no idea on that front - but because it shamelessly rips off Bone.

[Hang On! I saw Falling and Laughing when they supported Bearsuit and they were a lot of fun. So I may well go along.]

I was actually thinking the other day about how flyers used to use panels from comics with shameless abandon back in the mid 90s. Brian Bolland's Joker was a frequent fave, implying the club night in question would send you into a state of homicidal glee, if that's what you were after. But of late, not so much. It's all typography these days.

Curates Egg: Gallon Drunk

2007-11-06T00:34:00.000Z

Gallon Drunk / The Courtesy Group/ Nightingales
Hare and Hounds
November 8th
£8 / £10

Another of Al Hutchin's wonderfully brave attempts to push the good shit onto the population of Birmingham sees Gallon Drunk playing in the Hare and Hounds. For some reason, probably blunt ignorance, I'd got them down in my mind as a grunge act but Wikipedia says more interesting things.

Their sound is characterised by what has been called 'swamp rock' and is noted for its dark subject matter. The lead vocalist is James Johnston who is also a member of Nick Cave's Bad Seeds, he has played and toured with the Bad Seeds since 1993's Let Love In Album and contributed organ (a trademark element of the Gallon Drunk sound) to the Lyre of Orpheus/Abbatoir Blues album and tour (2004). [...] The band share a variety of influences, from punk to jazz and the novels of Derek Raymond (I Was Dora Suarez). The band continue to record and tour, the latest release being the Rotten Mile album on Fred records.

Sounds perfect! And even if they weren't playing I'd urge you to go along to see Al's Courtesy Group who are a sight to behold. One of Birmingham's gems and no mistake.

Update: Just found out Nightingales are supporting also. How unmissable is this gig? Very unmissable.

Session at The Spotted Dog this Thursday November 8th

2007-11-05T19:50:00.000Z

An email from Mr John Mostyn reads as follows.

A session? Yep, it's not a gig.

What's a session? Well it's a bunch of people sitting around playing and singing.

Playing and singing what? At this particular session tunes you know and love from the 50's to the 70's.

Who is sessioning then? It's a sort of acoustic 'Brent Ford and the Nylons' with maybe a few friends.

Who the heck are they? Well they were one of the top bands in town in the late 70's

Who was in that? Vo Fletcher, Jim Bates, Dick Nelson and John Mostyn

Getting on a bit? Yep but still frisky! and now joined by William Murphy who is the baby of the group.

So why are they suddenly doing this? Well Dick is leaving to live in Sussex and we thought it would be a good chance to play some of the tunes that we have enjoyed playing over the last erm... while and wish him Bon Voyage!

Anyone else playing? Maybe, the only rule is that you have to play songs that people know. Playing guests are welcome as is everyone, especially people who like to sing along.

No drums then? Nope, this is chilled, I will have my egg shaker and tambourine though! and if Jim Nylon comes he might do us a tambourine solo as he's very good.

So what tunes can we expect? Anything from Chuck Berry to The Grateful Dead with lots in between.

So it's not a gig then? Nope it's a session.

Cost anything? Nope.

Where is it again? It's at the nicest pub in town - The Spotted Dog, Alcester St, Digbeth:

Very cool landlord and team and real ale.

This Thursday.

Be there and be square.

Pass it on.

Reggae Brumfest

2007-11-03T18:08:00.001Z

Reggae Brumfest
Rainbow Warehouse, Digbeth
November 17th, 8pm - 6am
£8/£10

Spotted this on the wall in the Rainbow Warehouse. Looks pretty neat.

Asobi Seksu

2007-11-01T14:20:00.000Z

Asobi Seksu
Barfly
November 23rd, 7.30pm
£7.00 adv
Details

Saw a poster for this in the Barfly and leapt the leap of joy. I came across Asobi Seksu about three years ago on 3hive and have been waiting for them to play the UK ever since. So here they are! Better be good.

Music is a nice mixup of things. Japanese American singer with a New York band who owe a debt to My Bloody Valentine and UK churning guitar bands of that ilk. Or something. Here's a video.

And here's another one, mashing their song "I'm happy but you don't like me" with the Japanese monster movie Gamera - a giant fire-breathing turtle.

The last minute of that song is the perfect combination of J-pop and Shoegazer, imho.

Support is from Scanners who sound pretty okay. They're from that London so give them a nice welcome.

Acid Mothers Temple

2007-11-01T13:03:00.000Z

Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O.
Hare and Hounds, Kings Heath
Friday, 9th November
£7.00

Details at Capsule

More Japanese weirdness, and that's probably all you need to know. Support is from post-rockers Einstellung who are rather good indeed.

Emocion Flamenco

2007-10-31T17:54:00.000Z

Not my usual thing but I suspect this might be rather spectacular and dead sexy.

The Loves, The School

2007-10-28T18:12:00.000Z

Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain

2007-10-27T14:46:00.000Z

Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain Christmas Special

Thu 6 Dec 7:30pm at Town Hall
£16

Okay, maybe £16 is a little steep but you can't really go wrong here, and thankfully there's plenty of videos on YouTube so I don't need to explain why.

Boredoms

2007-10-24T13:57:00.000Z

Boredoms + Gravepaintings.
Barfly
Sat 27th October
£10
Details

I have a major soft spot for Japanese rock-type music. There's something about how they take Western styles and tropes, churn them through the Japanese cultural machine and spit them back out at us that excites me. With Melt Banana and Polysics under my belt the unlikely-named Boredoms seem a suitable choice to come next.

Here's the Capsule description of the gig:

Japan’s iconoclastic experimental music “unit”, redefine the words “fringe” and “Frontier.
They have long pushed the constraints of sanity to the edge and challenged the notions of what remains feasible within the musical form. Their experimentations with rhythm and noise produce collages of sound, color and chaos. They translate the most base human emotions into comprehensible noise; sometimes in a barrage of screams and drums and sometimes in slow languid mantras that evoke the quieter moments of life. Acknowledging no limits of taste or form, there are no boundaries, no ceiling on the possibilities of experience and expression for the Boredoms. Formed in Osaka in ‘86 with EYE Yamataka.

Don't'cha love that that makes no sense at all yet is still oddly alluring?

Wikipedia has some good hyperbole too:

"a head-on collision between…free-form Sun Ra's Arkestra and the scatological nihilism of early Butthole Surfers—fronted by the hollers and gibbers of a couple of guys who can't decide whether they'd rather be Beastie Boys or Residents. But even that doesn't really describe the sheer sense of otherness that pervades the Boredoms aesthetic."

To give you a sense of the scale at which these maniacs think they did a concert this summer in New York involving 77 drummers. It looked like this:

Click on the pic for details and a link to a 100mb mp3 of the concert. There's also a load of video on YouTube.

Oh, and here's a review of the Manchester leg of the tour from that wise man John Coulthart.

Tonight we had a great deal of the thundering cross-patterns of drum rhythms amended by some of the piercing extended crescendos found on VCN. Very loud and very powerful. There was some unusual instrumentation involved as well, including what appeared to be hand-held lightbulbs triggering samples and harmonised feedback, and also a rack of guitar necks (above) with what I assume must be open tunings given the way these were used as percussion devices.

So, are you going already?

Adam Bloom

2007-10-24T11:53:00.000Z

Adam Bloom
Old Joint Stock Theatre
Wed 24th October (that's tonight!)
£10

Adam Bloom is a comedian. This is his act.

Moseley Folk winter lineup / Sonic Boom

2007-10-22T15:23:00.000Z

The lovely chaps at Moseley Folk are flyering their gigs for the next couple of months.

The big draw for me, however, is the Sonic Boom gig on Friday at the Hare and Hounds with the recently enlarged Betty and the Id in support. And all for only £6.

Jello Biafra

2007-10-22T15:09:00.000Z

Jello Biafra
Spoken word tour coming to the Glee Club on Tuesday 13th November.
£15.00

Biafra, as you probably know, was in the Dead Kennedys.

Stars of the Lid

2007-10-22T00:48:00.001Z

Stars of the Lid
Hare and Hounds
24th November
£10 advance

Picked up a flyer for this but can't find in online. Shame as it's got a rather smashing quote from Ian Watts-Russell, founder of 4AD:

"I simply feel that they are making the most important music of the 21st century" is what he says and while that's mildly contentious it does make you want to check out their sounds and I think experiencing this ambiance in the H&H should be rather splendid.

Tickets are a tenner from Polar Bear Records on York St (around the corner from the H&H) and are limited to 100.

All change

2007-10-22T00:43:00.001Z

I'm going to turn this blog in a gig listings blog. In short, I have enough other places to write about Birmingham now what with Created in Birmingham and the Custard Factory blog, not to mention my own site but I don't really have a venue for unashamedly biased promotion of gigs I think are 'triffic.

Which is what this will be. I will only push stuff I like. I will not push stuff I have no interest in. You're welcome to send me flyers but no promises. This is not going to be a comprehensive guide to Birmingham's live music scene but if you think you like the sort of things I like then it'll hopefully be a useful filter for you. And if you think I'm a twat with no taste then here's the stuff you and your turgid excuse for a brain should avoid.

All this should really be in the sidebar and I'll get that sorted soon. But from now on, gigs a go-go!

2007-10-19T03:30:00.000Z

Another new building and with the name The V Building you'd suspect they were running out of inspiration in that department. You might have heard of this one already, you might not. I came across it on an ad in Gmail, which says a lot about my email these days...

Anyway, here's the picture, which made me think it was worth blogging.

"Standing at the gateway to Paradise Street and Victoria Square, within the Arena Central regeneration area, The V Building will be so much more than simply a place to live. It even demonstrates originality at external ground level, with a spectacular new collection of new landscaping and paving patterns; public art at its most intriguing. Here, illuminated, clear and frosted glass screens are used as necessary wind breaks and etched with the writings and musings of Birmingham’s literati to greet visitors on arrival. This unique ‘Poetry Garden’ provides a place to reflect and take pride in the city’s many achievements."

Okay, that's enough of that. 2013 apparently.

2007-10-08T17:32:00.001Z

When I'm 64

by ohnothimagen.

Creating a panorama across the ages from the Lickey Hills. Nice!

Zoom in.

2007-10-08T14:25:00.000Z

2007-10-07T12:45:00.001Z

Birmingham bullring

by rob mccoll.

2007-10-04T02:42:00.000Z

If I see another blog post suggesting, as if it were the epitome of wit, that in the light of the UCE rebranding Aston Uni should add the word Villa to its name I shall kill the fucking lot of you.

2007-09-29T01:12:00.000Z

One for the Birmingham Uni Alumni this, specifically those of the BA variety. Did you know the Muirhead Tower is being re-up-done-holstered? Check this out:

That's not the crumbling health hazard I remember from 1995-8!

The image comes from Nikki Pugh who nabbed it from this PDF.

Muirhead (which, in an I-did-not-know-that moment, is named after the Uni's first Philosophy professor) had a number of urban myths and frightening truths connected to it. One of my favourites was that it was designed to work with the prevailing winds of South Birmingham in a quite innovative manner, like an aerodynamic fin of a building. Unfortunately it was built at the wrong angle so the wind battered it like an abusive husband causing it to shake and the windows to occasionally fall out and crash onto students walking below.

This could, of course, be bollocks but if you'd ever spent any time in there it rang pretty bloody true.

2007-09-28T15:49:00.001Z

The Mighty Martin M on Kings Heath Square

2007-09-28T15:47:00.001Z

Custard Factory!

by dan-ish.

2007-09-23T00:50:00.000Z

Up Your End - the lastest project from Jon Bounds which takes blog posts and Flickr photos and places them delicately on a map of Birmingham.

Someone get this boy some potatoes!

(Mashup... potatoes... I'll get my coat.)

2007-09-18T12:37:00.001Z

2007-09-18T12:12:00.000Z

Jon Spencer and Matt Verta-Ray are... Heavy Trash!

On stage and in the studio, Jon Spencer, has destroyed and rebuilt American roots music with such ferocity and wild abandon it is hard to believe that there is anything left.
The trail of musical destruction in the wake of his groovy hate-fuck combo Pussy Galore still smolders with the stench of avant punk trash and nasty garage ooze and grind, while his towering work with the Jon Spencer Blues explosion remains an indelible totem to his enormous mojo spirit and red-hot power of deliverance.
He is Daddy Boss Hog! He is the Blues Exploder and Microphone Destroyer! A Gibson Brother! The man who shared a Chicken Dog with Rufus Thomas, got Soul with R.L. Burnside, and enjoyed a greasy Lap Dance with Andre Williams! He is The Man Who Loved too Much!!!

And while the Blues Explosion is on a rock'n'roll holiday, Jon has not rested! He has not worked on his tan, he has not read the latest summer blockbuster!! NO!! Jon Spencer has chosen the righteous path, and got Way Out with his pal Matt Verta-Ray and the Heavy Trash!!!

Matt Verta-Ray grew up in the loving arms of left wing parents who would take him to folk and blues shows long before he sprouted sideburns. (His mother passed away in the '90s, still angry that Dylan had gone electric, despite the fact - Matt is quick to point out - that she owned tons of Sun rockabilly 78s, which he very gratefully still has.) In the late '70s, young Matt found himself one of only twelve people who went to see Bo Diddley at a Canadian fairground. After the show, Bo came out and preached to Matt for an hour about the dark secrets of rock'n'roll.
And the rest, as they say, is history - from sitting on the edge of the stage with Bo, to thumping bass for Madder Rose, and then onto his hard-wired decontructionist rootsabilly band Speedball Baby, where he developed his slashing-dagger guitar style - to forming Heavy Trash with his friend Jon Spencer. Matt is also the mad scientist behind the jungle of tube amps and old-school echo machines that form the mutated nucleus of his analog cave, world-class recording studio NY Hed, where musicians come from all over the galaxy to get... Way Out!!!

HEAR THE UPCOMING HEAVY TRASH ALBUM!

2007-09-17T22:19:00.000Z

2007-09-17T00:48:00.001Z

Blast - Hot Pipe Organ

by H4NUM4N.

2007-09-15T10:27:00.001Z

Birmingham airport

by lateralasaurus.

2007-09-14T23:47:00.001Z

Blast

by Matt Murtagh.

You have to see this tonight. It takes place behind Curzon St Station from around 8.30. Do not miss it. Here's my review and another from BiNS. There'll no doubt be more.

2007-09-14T16:11:00.000Z

A Birmingham bus driver is blogging. He's just passed his test and is about to go out on the road. This could be very interesting indeed! via Podnosh

2007-09-12T16:37:00.000Z

Clean Medina is the blog for the forthcoming Jihad on Litter in Small Heath on September 23rd that has so captured the imagination of those of us who didn't realise exactly what "jihad" means.

Inner city Muslims and friends will be taking to the streets of inner city Birmingham on 23rd September to launch a jihad (struggle) against waste. Rappers, drummers, flag wavers with litter pickers to hand will converge on Small Heath’s Somerville Road to clean up the district.

Tired of rubbish-strewn streets, Muslims have decided to clean up and recycle, going from mosque to mosque, starting with Noor ul Uloom mosque, Birmingham’s oldest. The Clean Medina Campaign will be launched with a big push, a shout (Allahu Akbar!) and a (movie) shoot (cast of thousands, mujahidin all). We’re also making a film: Smallywood Heath in Brum!

via Podnosh.

2007-09-12T16:06:00.000Z

Andrew Dubber has consolidated his various personal blogs.

2007-09-12T11:48:00.000Z

Some things that caught my eye on the Birmingham Comedy Festival listings:

Saturday 6 October 2007
Josie Long's Electric Adventure Club

Edinburgh Fringe's 2006 If.commeddie Best Newcomer Josie invites you to a very special 'electric' version of her popular London night, The Adventure Club, set within the swish art deco surroundings of Brum's fantastic Electric Cinema. The evening will come complete with homemade badges, amateur craft and some of Josie's very special comedy friends. You might even get a biscuit. Bourbon Creams and everything!

Electric Cinema, 47 Station St, Birmingham B54DY. Tel: 01216437879. £7. 3pm

Wednesday 10 October 2007
Ted Chippington

Championed by Stewart Lee, Phill Jupitus and a hoard of contemporary comics, Ted returns from self-imposed retirement to present his unique brand of stand-up. Welcome back a post-punk West Midlands cult comedy legend!

Atticus Bar, 113-114 Three Shires Oak Rd, Bearwood, Smethwick B67 5JG. Tel: 0121 429 9423. £5. 7.30pm.

Thursday 11 October 2007
Stewart Lee: 41st Best Stand Up Ever

An official Channel 4 survey in March named Stewart (Fist Of Fun, Jerry Springer - The Opera) the 41st best stand-up ever. If you only see fifty stand-ups in your lifetime, make him your 41st. A welcome and all too rare return of a West Mids comedy king.
"One of the top three or four living stand-ups" - Time Out

The Glee Club, The Arcadian, Birmingham B5 4TD. Tel: 0870 241 5093. £10-£15. 7.30pm.

And there's lots more including Sean Hughes, Marcus Brigstocke, Mrs Barbara Nice and many names I recognise from the world of Radio 4 panel games.

2007-09-09T18:30:00.001Z

Birmingham awakes

by cactusinthesea.

2007-09-06T15:20:00.000Z

Ingmar Bergman's Seventh Seal is being shown at Light House in Wolverhampton on Thursday 13th Sept at 6.30pm.

2007-09-06T14:11:00.000Z

Wifi News.

A couple of places in Kings Heath with free wifi. Haven't tried them yet as I live in Kings Heath and like to escape the computer when I go out.

The Hare and Hounds pub advertises it clearly on the tills.

I'm informed the Kitchen Garden Cafe on York Road has it and they're open quite late too.

2007-09-06T14:09:00.001Z

Jez previews the Open Weekend stuff

2007-09-06T00:19:00.001Z

Baby Born After Ten Years In Freezerby Pete Ashton.

2007-09-05T19:21:00.000Z

Birmingham City Library - Future under discussion

2007-09-05T19:15:00.000Z

Some genius left this in this CiB thread.

2007-09-03T15:44:00.000Z

Cafe Soya is a Vietnamese restaurant in town that comes recommended by both Andy Pryke and Stef Lewandowski both of whom are cultured gentlemen of taste.

2007-08-31T03:18:00.001Z

-------------/O\---------------by suselstahl.

2007-08-31T03:17:00.001Z

Runny Nose

by Doug Clarke.

2007-08-29T22:22:00.001Z

Graffiti ruined by 'Stop tagging Moseley' commentsby olulabelle.

2007-08-29T03:58:00.000Z

via JRD who says:

Anyhow, I also get stuff from the Alternation people who used to run a club night at the Bear Tavern near where we live. It seems that they are reopening at the Barleycorn soon. I visited there at the weekend, and they seem to be under new management, and cooking up a nice line in curries. Anything that keeps the godawful idea of a casino at bay sounds good news to me.

2007-08-27T21:06:00.001Z

Summer in the Cityby kate&drew.

2007-08-24T15:07:00.000Z

Baby snake born at Nature Centre. Mother and child doing well. First meal a baby mouse.

In related news, another snake is pregnant and can be watched on the webcam. Meanwhile there's a Dudley Zoo Penguin-cam. It's like 1998 all over again!

2007-08-24T13:35:00.001Z

Frozen Faggot Fight. The penguins have escaped from Dudley Zoo and are heading for the Faggot Factory in Wolverhampton. Stop them from destroying it by throwing frozen faggots at them. A not-very-seasonal game from the Bostin peeps. via B:INS

2007-08-23T15:45:00.001Z

Drop Beats at the Que infoby marcreck.

2007-08-22T00:19:00.001Z

Since I'm a bigshot tosser on the Birmingham media landscape these days (hah!) I got contacted by someone putting together an inflight magazine wanting some filler. Eventually I threw together some words and sent them to her. Since it might not make the grade and if it does will no doubt be edited for coherence and only seen by people in the sky, here are my five favourite things in Birmingham.

The Bacchus Bar in the basement of the Burlington Hotel is simply bizarre. Ostensibly a relatively upmarket drinkery the decoration takes every possible interpretation of the God of Wine and mashes them all into one space, throwing in a bit of Egyptian nonsense to boot. I think the interior designer was having a joke and got away with it.

The Hare and Hounds in Kings Heath used to be a dirty boozer with a sideline in live music. It's recently had a bohemian overhaul meaning it smells less of wee and the emphasis on gigs has been expanded. You're more likely to see outlandish stuff here than in other venues. I'd particularly recommend the Curates Egg nights run monthly by local band The Courtesy Group.

A walk or cycle ride along Birmingham's canal network is always a joy. Most of the towpaths have been tarted up and you'll find yourself touring the industrial heritage of the West Midlands without the traffic noise. Routes that take you through the Jewellery Quarter are particularly recommended with a good starting point being Brindley Place.

Digbeth is currently being rebranded as Eastside with a whole slew of redevelopment due to occur over the next decade. So if you're a fan of urban decay you should make you way to the roads around Fazeley Street before it all becomes shiny and new. I'm a fan of urban decay.

While you're in Digbeth, pop by the Custard Factory, a vibrant community of artists and creative businesses. Rooty Frooty, a vegetarian cafe, should be your destination for a reasonably priced cup of tea. Plenty of free wifi in that area too.

2007-08-21T23:21:00.000Z

Blogroll: The Golden Side Of The Moon, another political blog for the list, this one from Lib Dem campaigner David Nikel of Bearwood.

2007-08-21T20:40:00.000Z

2007-08-21T16:57:00.001Z

wodsepia01by Matt Murtagh.

2007-08-20T13:54:00.000Z

A summit on the future of Digbeth organised by The Stirrer on Thursday 6th September at 7.30pm at the Spotted Dog pub in Alcester Street.

"With Digbeth earmarked for significant regeneration, many existing business owners and others with a love of the area fear the development of a new "Irish Quarter" will come at the expense of the traditional "craic".

"Andy Tollett of the NAUS group will explain the virtues of the recently unveiled Connaught Square development, and councillors from licensing and planning will be on hand to explain the constraints under which they work."

2007-08-18T17:42:00.000Z

2007-08-17T16:25:00.000Z

2007-08-15T12:26:00.001Z

Breaking news: Bearsuit are playing the Sunflower Lounge on Friday September 7th. This makes me very happy indeed.

2007-08-15T00:15:00.000Z

Blogroll: Birmingham, B29. A brand new blog about the B29 postcode district, otherwise known as Selly Oak.

2007-08-12T20:42:00.000Z

Blogroll: Meridimus. I met Max at the Flickrmeet today (Here be his photos) and he mentioned his blog. Also works for Made Media. Nice when everything joins up, as it so often does in this city.

2007-08-12T19:42:00.000Z

Blogroll: Make Lard History. A dieting blog from a self described fat man. With, thankfully, other stuff going on as well. Nice reading.

2007-08-11T16:05:00.001Z

Click to download full PDF for printing and distribution. Created by the Keep Digbeth Vibrant folks.

2007-08-10T12:40:00.001Z

2007-08-07T20:48:00.001Z

If Deirdre Alden doesn't become a Conservative councilor she's developing a role for herself as a recycling evangelist. Her blog is becoming an essential resource for anyone wondering what they can or cannot recycle and why.

The above photo was posted on her blog last month from a stall she'd been involved with running at Harborne Farmers Market and in this post she goes into more detail.

"Birmingham's green multi-material boxes are for empty food tins, glass bottles and jars, and plastic bottles. These can be see through bottles such as those used for pop, water and washing up liquid, or opaque and coloured bottles such as those used for milk, bleach and fabric conditioner. The Council currently doesn't have the facilities to deal with margarine tubs, yoghurt pots, sandwich boxes, fruit punnets or other food containers - regardless of whether they have a recycling symbol on them or not.

The plastic bottles from the multi-material boxes are made into other plastic bottles, garden furniture and fleeces. The glass is mixed with tarmac to make road surfaces. Glass from bottle banks is turned into new glass bottles.

Items such as yoghurt pots should be put into the black bags. Unlike most Councils, Birmingham landfills very little of its waste (currently less than 20%). The rest goes to the incinerator at Tysley where the heat generated is used to light the streets around the plant and the ash is used to fill holes in the roads."

2007-08-07T15:01:00.003Z

kicking ass in Centenary Squareby amyclarke_uk.

2007-08-07T15:01:00.001Z

Stoic

by suselstahl.