Lots Of Things To See And Do In The West Midlands: October 2009
It’d really make a lot more sense if October was the eight month rather than the tenth, wouldn’t it? Oh well.
Standard disclaimers: I can’t ensure that these events will go ahead, that they’ll be good, or that I will be going to them. This is just a list of things I found that looked like they might be interesting, so please do not contact me to ask for your event to be included. That’s not the way it works. (EDIT: This paragraph is not some obscure joke. It actually means what it says. By all means add me to your mailing list or whatever-have-you, but sending me a message that specifically asks for your function to be posted on here will not lead to it being posted on here).
Thursday the 1st – An Evening With Joan Baez @ Symphony Hall, Birmingham – The evening they drove ol’ Dixie down.
Friday the 2nd till Sunday the 11th – Birmingham Comedy Festival @ various venues in Brum – Part of the grand Birmingham tradition of grouping together a bunch of events that would most likely have happened anyway and calling it a festival. There are still, no doubt, many chuckles and guffaws to be had – checky here for the line-up.
Friday the 2nd – Zu @ The Rainbow, Digbeth, Birmingham – I-talian jazzy metally… I dunno, just bloody lunacy. They were ace at Supersonic.
Saturday the 3rd – Boxing (Warrior Promotions) @ The Holiday Inn, Birmingham – Presumably a dinner show (boo hiss etc). The latest chapter in the ongoing Birmingham vs Black Country derby takes place here, with Eddie McIntosh vs Quinton “Greatest Name Ever” Hillocks.
Sunday the 4th – Kickboxing and MMA (Eclipse) @ Oceana, Wolverhampton – FC kickboxing and amateur MMA, I believe.
Sunday the 4th – Frank Carson @ The Town Hall, Birmingham – It’s the way he tells ‘em.
Monday the 4th – Boxing (Pat Cowdell) @ The Holiday Inn, Birmingham – Another dinner show (boo hiss etc).
Tuesday the 6th till Thursday the 29th – The Birmingham Book Festival @ various venues in Birmingham – This one actually isn’t as per the description of the comedy festival as above. The line-up can be seen here; there are plenty of highlights, including a discussion with the Tindall Street Press Booker Prize nominees on the 8th, talks about David Foster Wallace’s “Infinite Jest” (timely. More soon) and Will Self on the 17th, a thing about J.B. Priestley’s “English Journey” (with his son and, erm, Stuart Maconie. Isn’t he the fella from all of those Channel Four “I Love The Whatsit”/”Top One Hundred Whatsitcalled” programmes?) on the 23rd, and Karen Armstrong speaking about her new “The Case For God” on the 29th.
Wednesday the 7th till Sunday the 11th – Horse Of The Year Show @ The LG Arena, Marston Green, Birmingham – Neigh, neigh and thrice neigh.
Thursday the 8th – Lethal Bizzle @ The Academy 2, Birmingham – Bring some beef you lose some teef POW POW.
Friday the 9th – Boxing (First Team Promotions) @ The Venue, Dudley – I still have no idea where “The Venue” is.
Sunday the 11th – An Afternoon With Pam Ayres @ Symphony Hall, Birmingham – The afternoon they drove ol’ SouthofEngland down.
Sunday the 11th – The Destroyers / The Old Dance School / The Toy Hearts @ The Town Hall, Birmingham – Three of the finest local fun-folk/trad sorts, playing as part of The Town Hall’s 175th anniversary. The Destroyers are obviously the best band ever and you mustn’t say otherwise.
Monday the 12th – Echo & The Bunnymen @ The Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton – The band that actually could cut the mustard.
Friday the 16th and Saturday the 17th – “The Idiot Colony” (Red Cape Theatre) @ The Rep Door, Birmingham – A group of women are offered some respite from their confinement in a brutal asylum when they get to talk to each other in the hair salon. Based on true accounts.
Friday the 16th – “Revenger’s Tragedy” (Jadis Shadows theatre company) @ The Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton – With murder and incest and scandal in general. Also on at The Old Rep in Brum the following night and Hall Green Little Theatre (new to me) on the 23rd and 24th.
Saturday the 17th – Dizzee Rascal @ The Academy, Birmingham – There really is very little that’s more fun than saying “bonkers” in a deep voice. Try it right now and you’ll see what I mean.
Tuesday the 20th till Saturday the 31st – “The Grapes Of Wrath” (English Touring Theatre/Chichester Festival Theatre) @ The Rep Theatre, Birmingham – Waitin’ on the ghost of Tom Joad.
Wednesday the 21st – Therapy? @ The Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton – I’m still no closer to figuring it out: how many question marks does one use if asking a question in which the last word is the band name Therapy??
Wednesday the 21st – The Tennessee Three @ The Jam House, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham – Not actually backing Johnny Cash here, for obvious reasons. Luther probably won’t be playing the boogie woogie here either, for similarly obvious reasons.
Friday the 23rd – Morrissey @ Symphony Hall, Birmingham – I don’t think he’s miserable at all, I reckon it’s all just a show.
Saturday the 24th and Sunday the 25th – Spandau Ballet @ The LG Arena, Marston Green, Birmingham – No, they are playing there. It’s (wait for it, wait for it) TRUE.
Sunday the 25th – Editors @ The Civic Hall, Wolverhampton – I still think “Snowfield” was a better name for them, but there you go.
Monday the 26th – The Proclaimers @ Symphony Hall, Birmingham – I don’t think they’re Scottish at all, I reckon it’s all just a show.
Tuesday the 27th – ZZ Top @ The Civic Hall, Wolverhampton – Ah come on now. You’re looking at me as though this needs explaining.
Tuesday the 27th – Billy Talent @ The Academy, Birmingham – Good quality Canadian melodic punk/emo types, and I just now see that apparently they were originally called “Pezz”. Do you remember those “Pez” sweeties, with their own little dispenser-type-things? They were ace. I recall having one with Goofy’s head on. So, anyway, Billy Talent.
Wednesday the 28th till Saturday the 31st – “Dreams Of Violence” (Out Of Joint/Soho Theatre) @ The Rep Door, Birmingham – Political activism (I can’t help but think of the “blowing up a panda” joke from ‘The Young Ones’ every time I hear that phrase) comes easier than a messy homelife for the main character of this play.
Thursday the 29th – Efterklang @ The Asylum, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham – A Danish band who make music that sounds more beautiful live than you can imagine, and I’m assuming you’re someone with a fantastic imagination. Go to this.
Thursday the 29th – Marc Almond @ The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham – Probably the best pop star named after a nut since Johnny Cashew. Or Slipknut.
Friday the 30th and Saturday the 31st – “The Houdini Exposure” (Little Earthquake theatre) @ The Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton – Know what I mean, ‘Arry. A dramatised version of his mission to expose séance Daniel Home as a fraud.
Lots Of Things To See And Do In The West Midlands: September 2009
There wasn’t an August, but it really doesn’t seem like there’s never much that’s particularly exciting in August. This particular list is even less exhaustive than usual, and also even more music-dominated than usual, but that’s what I’ve managed to come up with. Sorry. The comments box is as open as ever for the awesome stuff I’ve missed, if you feel like using it.
Standard disclaimers: I can’t ensure that these events will go ahead, that they’ll be good, or that I will be going to them. This is just a list of things I found that looked like they might be interesting, so please do not contact me to ask for your event to be included. That’s not the way it works.
Wednesday the 2nd until Saturday the 19th – ‘Cabaret’ (Birmingham Rep Theatre Company) @ The Rep Theatre, Birmingham – Wilkommen, bienvenue, welcome, c’mon in. Or similar. We saw this production last year and it was quite good. Certainly less afraid of facing up to the nasty side of it all than a lot of big-budget touring musicals would probably be. I’m not sure about the extent to which the cast is the same as that one, but Wayne Sleep is definitely still playing The MC.
Wednesday the 2nd – Seasick Steve @ JB’s, Dudley – One of these occasions when the booking at JB’s really surprises you. Apparently it’s their 40th anniversary do and proceeds will be going to cancer charity ’The Proton Effect’. Scott Matthews is also on the bill, in proper Black Country fashion.
Thursday the 3rd – Maths @ The Flapper, Birmingham – Chaotic metally punk, or even screamo if you feel the need. They’re quite good from the bits and bobs I’ve heard, but more importantly than that they call themselves ‘Maths’ rather than ‘Math’. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that, in these times of everyone wanting to pretend to be an American.
Friday the 4th till Sunday the 6th – The Moseley Folk Festival @ Moseley Park, Moseley, Birmingham – Headlined by Saint Etienne (folk you say?), Beth Orton and Jethro Tull, whilst also featuring Swarbrick:Carthy, Ade Edmondson’s band, Keli Ali, Cara Dillon and a load of others. Bert Jansch won’t be there as originally advertised, due to ill-health.
Friday the 4th till Sunday the 6th – Birmingham Punks Picnic @ a few places in Brum – Cannon Hill Park on Saturday afternoon for cheap cider (no doubt), then gigs in the evening: The New Inn in Balsall Heath has Drongos For Europe and more on Friday then GBH, Runnin’ Riot and others on Saturday, whilst The Wagon & Horses in Digbeth has a line-up that includes Assert on Sunday.
Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th – “Off The Cuff” music event @ The Flapper, Birmingham – On the one hand it doesn’t look like Rolo Tomassi are doing this anymore (unfortunate) and their MySpace page doesn’t actually tell you which bands are playing on which day (stupid), but on the other hand some of the acts will be playing on a docked barge on the canal outside (brilliant).
Monday the 7th – Tori Amos @ Symphony Hall, Birmingham – She’s ace, although she wasn’t that good when I saw her live a few years ago. But she is ace.
Thursday the 10th – The Drifters @ The Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton – To repeat what I said in a previous LOTTSADITWM: “Or a version thereof, at least. No Ben E. King or Clyde McPhatter, for obvious reasons.”
Thursday the 10th till Sunday the 13th – the opening of the new version of the Birmingham Academy @ The, erm, new version of the Academy, Birmingham – The previous toss-hut has closed its doors to be demolished (well, good) and a new ‘un is due to open. Let’s be positive – while it’d be outright stupid to hope that most of the problems with the old place will be rectified, perhaps the new place will be a better building and so perhaps some of the structure-related stuff will be better. Any sort of improvement would be a blessing, really. The opening doings involve four days o’ gigs headlined by Birmingham bands who have achieved fame (relatively) recently: Editors on Thursday, The Twang on Friday (apparently with nine other bands, although obviously it’d make life far too easy if the Academy website were to tell us who they are), The Streets on Saturday, and Ocean Colour Scene (bless) on Sunday. Lovely to see ‘em showing their commitment to the full ethnic make-up of Birmingham’s music so early on.
Friday the 11th till Sunday the 13th – Artsfest @ all over Birmingham – Annual free-family-fun-weekend that everyone bar me seems to hate. Typically there’s no sign of a line-up/timetable yet, but there is a list of ‘themes’, including the anniversaries of the death of Matthew Boulton, the birth of Charles Darwin, and the creation of… Barbie. I’m not making this up. (EDIT: The leaflets are out now, got one through the door today. Still nothing on the website, though). (EDIT EDIT: The timetable is on the website now. See comments below, too).
Friday the 11th – Electric Wizard @ The Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, Birmingham – Dooooooooooom.
Sunday the 13th – The Men They Couldn’t Hang @ The Robin 2, Bilston – They really should get TMTCH on at the Moseley Folk Festival, now that I think about it.
Friday the 18th – Boxing (First Team) @ The Civic Hall, Wolverhampton – Steve Saville has a go at Scott Lawton for the English lightweight title, and if you’re into slebriteez then Angel McKenzie from ‘Big Brother’ faces our own local Lyndsey Scragg. I am completely confident that Lyndsey will absolutely wreck her, so let me know if you can find anyone running a book on it.
Sunday the 20th – The Digbeth O’Lympics @ various pubs in Digbeth – Although the website just shows you a flyer and doesn’t tell you what the events are (‘not wanting to let on about the line-up’ seems to be the theme this month, doesn’t it? Event promoters, you’re all rubbish. All of you), but in this case I don’t suppose it matters that much. Have a pint instead.
Tuesday the 22nd – Massive Attack @ The Academy, Birmingham – Currently running back at two members, I think. Possibly.
Tuesday the 22nd – Theo @ The Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, Birmingham – Fantastic loop-pedallin’ maths-rock one-man-band who rocked both your socks and mine at Supersonic this year. He’s first on the bill, with Fook Boottons headlining.
Wednesday the 23rd – “Under Milk Wood” (Guy Masterson) @ The Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton – Dylan ‘That’s lovely, you see, isn’t it’ Thomas. This claims to be “perhaps the ultimate rendition” of it, with a very strategically placed ‘perhaps’.
Thursday the 24th – The Wildhearts @ The Academy, Birmingham – Will my unbroken run of failing to attend any Wildhearts and/or Wildhearts-related gigs since June 2001 continue? The sensible money would say ‘yes’.
Saturday the 26th – AMMA @ Banks’ Stadium, Bescott, Walsall – The latest in the always-fantastic series of amateur MMA cards put on by Marc Goddard and co. The most recent bill I can find is here.
Monday the 28th till Saturday the 3rd of October – “Dinnerladies” (The Comedy Theatre Company) @ The Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton – The telly series was one of the greatest telly serieseseses ever, I think (by which I mean that it was really good, and not that I’m trying to damn it with faint praise). Obviously I don’t know how good this is.
Monday the 28th – the live version of “I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue” @ Symphony Hall, Birmingham – I was really quite overjoyed to walk past Mornington Crescent tube station when I went to London in February.
Wednesday the 30th – ‘Canal Music’ @ outside The Flapper, Birmingham – This is a lovely idea for a tour: Lisa Knapp and Leafcutter John are playing a series of gigs up the length of the Grand Union Canal. It ends in Birmingham (obviously), outside The Flapper. I don’t know if they’re actually playing from the barge or not. If they are that’ll take a bit of the novelty away from the “Off The Cuff” thingy mentioned above.
Super, Sonic, Great
And lo, Capsule’s annual Supersonic festival at The Custard Factory in Birmingham’s Digbeth (the Irish/arts/disused factories/SILENCE, YOU quarter) inexorably advances upon us like one of those scary street-hooverer-vehicle-things with the big brushes on the front. Scare the bloody life out of me, them bleeders.
SssssSonic, conversely, fills me with joy. This year it is held between the 24th (that would be this coming Friday) and the 26th (that would be this coming Sunday. This coming Saturday will be between the two, in the customary fashion) and – as ever – features a load of bands that everyone else has heard of apart from me. On the off chance that you don’t already know the lot, I’d recommend the preview podcasts that Brumcast have assembled as a starting point: part one and part two will give you an intro to a fair few of the acts a-playing (on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, if you’re looking for the timetables).
The headliners are a mixed bag for me: call me crap at liking music if you must, but neither Goblin nor SunnO)))parentheseseseseses))) hold a particularly large amount of attraction. Japanese dooooooooooom-types Corrupted should be good, though, as long as they don’t come across as toooooooooo samey live, and breakcore/IDM/lunacy-merchant Venetian Snares will be ace if he can actually be bothered to get on stage and do a set this time around (word had it last time he came to Brum that he refused to play because the venue had the wrong brand/make of CD player, although I can’t really remember if that’s a rumour I heard or a rumour I started). I don’t really know industrial-rockers Head Of David all that well (there’s half a week left, gimme time) but the bits I’ve heard sound like fun.
Things of note elsewhere, then:
~ Scorn’s dark-arsed industrial dub will be ace, but since he’s on at same time as Sunno)))bracketseseseses))) I’m slightly concerned that he might not be easy to hear. I’m even more concerned that the combined bass of the two acts might be enough to get all of Digbeth shut down forever.
~ I saw rhythmic instrumental Japanese ladies Nisennenmondai supporting Acid Mothers Temple last August and thought they were really very good – the missing link between Can and Battles, perhaps. I also enjoyed the great bit of lost-in-translation-ification from their recent interview in that “Stool Pigeon” freesheet thing – “What’s your new album about?” “It’s about £10.”
~ Earthless were completely unknown to me until I listened to the above podcasts and are still pretty unfamiliar, but I’m liking what I’ve heard so far of their cross between Comets On Fire, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Corrosion Of Conformity and The Edgar Winters Group.
~ When I first saw the name Rose Kemp around, I’d assumed it was a band using a fairly poor pun on “Ross Kemp”. Cruel and unfortunate fate has it that it’s actually an individual’s real name. Poor cow. What’s good, though, is her Jeff-Buckley-in-a-folk-metal-band sound.
~ The Accused – ‘Splatter Rock’ sez they, ‘fun metallic punk ala Poison Idea’ sez me.
~ Bunny Bissoux will be creating Petting Zoo-themed artwork. The artist herself probably won’t be aware, but I’m claiming credit/responsibility for giving Capsule the idea of this. And I’m doing so whether it’s actually true or not.
~ Stuff elsewhere: I’m always slightly surprised that no real fringe festival has ever evolved for Supersonic (given the large audience and full complement of national/international folk travelling inwards you’d think there’s be all sorts of related things going on around the outsides, whether officially connected with the festival or not. Or is that just me?), but even without that there is stuff a-happening. On the way there (well… on the way if you’re coming from roughly the same place as me. If you’re not coming from roughly the same place as me then I won’t rub it in, you probably feel bad enough as it is) former Soup’n’Sonic guest Yukio Fujimoto has his The Tower Of Time installation at Perrott’s Folly in Edgbaston (in which the ticking of 1,111 clocks blurs into supertone white noise as you ascend the tower), and then at Moor Street Station you can see There Are No Others, There Is Only Us (boids and Ben Frost). Once out into Digbeth, Ikon Eastside has When The Scales Fall From Your Eyes (visual exploration of alledged modern obsession with weights and measures), Vivid has Participation – The Film And Video Workshop Movement 1979-1991 (wot film-makers dun in the 80s), and Eastside Projects has Does Your Contemplation Of The Situation Fuck With The Flow Of Circulation ( I’m really not sure, but there are some pretty pictures at that link). If the metal at S’Sonic ain’t quite consistently proper-metal enough for you, meanwhile, Testament are playing at The Wulfrun Hall in Wolverhampton on Saturday night (about twenty minutes on the train from New Street Station).
~ Surrounding establishments: Make sure you pop into The Rainbow while you’re in that neck of the woods and buy a pint or two to help them raise money for their troubles. The Lamp Tavern on Barford Street is probably the best drinkin’ pub in Digbeth, although most of ‘em round there are good. Manzils on the High Street (head back towards Selfridges from The Custard Factory and it’s on your right when you’re nearly there) is a reasonable place for a curry.
~ Onsite stuff: THERE IS NO CASH MACHINE IN THE CUSTARD FACTORY SO GET YOUR MONEY OUT BEFOREHAND (doesn’t make any difference to me – West Brom Building Society represent – but this is something that seems to be a big deal for a lot of people). If previous years are anything to go by (and there’s no reason why they necessarily should be, so don’t come crying to me if this plan doesn’t work) then there will be big queues and crowds at opening time (9pm) on the Friday, but you can usually pick up your wristband a little while before then if you have a ticket-in-advance. I’d do that and then head back to the pub for a bit if I were you. Let’s not have too many of you steaming into The Lamp, though, I’ll want some peace and quiet.
~ If the weather is anything other than ‘temperate’ and I find out which one of you is responsible then you’ll be for it, mate. Be warned.
Lots Of Things To See And Do In The West Midlands: June 2009
A short one this month, which is more my fault than that of the rest of the world. Having given it a last read-through before posting, I’d also like to note that I’m giving some serious consideration to toning down the stupid commentary henceforth. I probably won’t, though.
Standard disclaimers: I can’t ensure that these events will go ahead, that they’ll be good, or that I will be going to them. This is just a list of things I found that looked like they might be interesting, so please do not contact me to ask for your event to be included. That’s not the way it works.
From Monday the 1st and onwards into July – Bass Festival @ various venues in Birmingham and other cites too – This year’s theme is “Inspired by Africa and Africans”. All sorts of things are a-going on, so have a little look at the What’s On page.
Monday the 1st – Manic Street Preachers @ The Civic Hall, Wolverhampton – Intermittently worthwhile student-radical Welshers. Must all be about five hundred years old by now.
Tuesday the 2nd – The Horrors @ The Academy 2, Birmingham – Hyped so much that even I’ve noticed, but you can have a listen to their new album here (scroll down a bit, try not to get too distracted by the picture of Rollins needing a wash) and I quite like it. 80s-style indie rock: bit of J&MC, bit of (a much more polite version of) The Birthday Party, derivative but great fun.
Tuesday the 2nd and Wednesday the 3rd – “Tempest In A Tea Cup” (Side By Side Theatre) @ The Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton – There seem to be a few offshoots of ‘The Tempest’ knocking around the theatrical world lately. This one features dysfunctional MPs and is set in a kitchen and a standard lamp. Apparently.
Friday the 5th till Saturday the 13th of June – “The Government Inspector” (Crescent Theatre Company) @ The Crescent Theatre, Birmingham – Wait for it, wait for it… Corrupt politicians and their cronies are afraid that their embezzling and wrongdoing will be exposed. Also there’s a play by Gogol (hithangyew).
Saturday the 6th – Pritchattsbury Festival @ Pritchatts Park, Edgbaston, Birmingham – Apparently in its sixth year and the biggest festival in Brum, although no-one seems to have heard of it. Those playing include Just Jack, Lethal Bizzle and The Rumblestrips, although I’m getting sick of this “using ‘-bury’ as a general suffix for a festival name” lark. Just as Watergate would now be Watergategate, that thing in the West Country is presumably now Glastonburybury.
Saturday the 6th – Joan Of Arc @ The Rainbow, Digbeth, Birmingham – Featuring ex-members of a pile of those types of bands that everyone else has heard apart from me, but never mind that: they sound like they have an interesting mix of wonky springy indie-rock, twingly-twangly guitar instrumentation that’s probably ala all those aforementioned bands although possibly not, and that kind-of-folksy-but-not-really American half-effort singing that is usually annoying but sometimes endearing, as per here. One day I’ll meet someone to whom my descriptions actually make sense, and it’ll probably bring about the apocalypse or somesuch.
Saturday the 6th – Schostakovich’s Fifth Symphony (CBSO) @ Symphony Hall, Birmingham – Nuts to that Stalin character. This’ll learn him.
Monday the 8th – Mark Thomas @ The Town Hall, Birmingham – The selection of policies for a “People’s Manifesto” continues. You can look at the full list here – I particularly like “Margaret Thatcher should pay for her own funeral”, “To replace organ donor cards with an opt out scheme”, “That the 1967 Abortion Act should be introduced to Northern Ireland”, “If MPs want a second job in order to gain a greater understanding of life outside of government, then the constituents should be able to vote and choose which job they think would best expand their MPs horizons”, and “Those who peddle homeopathic remedies should only receive homeopathic medicines when they have major illnesses”.
Tuesday the 9th – Lady Sovereign @ The Academy 2, Birmingham – Hooray for short people! I don’t know, you lot with your ‘leg room’ and your ‘ow I’ve banged my head’.
Wednesday the 10th – The Drones @ The Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, Birmingham – Awesome Australian indie rock’n’roll band who awesomely and Australianly actually use the word ‘daggy’ in this interview. Awesome. And Australian. And also it’s an interesting read outside of that.
Friday the 12th – Boxing (First Team) @ The Civic Hall, Wolverhampton – Steve Saville defends his Midlands Area lightweight title against Gary Reid, which is very far from a definite win for him. Lyndsey Scragg, meanwhile, has drawn Ugandan Agnes Adonga in a fight for something called the GBC women’s super-flyweight title, and Dean Harrison is on the card too.
Saturday the 13th and Sunday the 14th – “24 Hour Scalextric Grand Prix” (Stan’s Café) @ The A. E. Harris Building, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham – I always think ‘Scalextric’ sounds like a mispronunciation along the lines of ‘skellington’ or ‘sumbarine’. But it’s not. A 24 hour race, anyway, with running commentary through the whole thing. 7 Inch Cinema will be showing some pictures, too.
Saturday the 13th – The Flyover Show @ Hockley Flyover, Hockley, Birmngham – Urban jazzman Soweto Kinch’s second annual all-dayer under the A-Road, which makes for a really cool venue. Artists on include Ty, Bashy, and even Linton Kwesi Johnson.
Saturday the 13th – ‘Sci-Fi Fete’ @ St Mary’s Church, Castle Bromwich, Birmingham – A science-fiction themed church fete is not something you see every day.
Saturday the 13th – Æthenor / Einstellung @ The Hare And Hounds, Kings Heath, Birmingham – Brought to you by Capsule, whose ranks are now (in a way) bolstered by P’Ashton. An example of intertwingling, perhaps.
Tuesday the 16th – Boxing (no bleeding idea) @ The Arden Hotel, Solihull – Sorry about that, but it’s the best link I can find. The world of boxing, yet again, decides that the best way to make sure its shows are full of punters is to make sure everything is a bit more difficult for them than it might otherwise be (although in the name of not being quite so relentlessly negative I’ll say that I am quite happy that this now exists. That has nothing to do with this card, of course). This will apparently feature Kell Brook vs John O’Donnell in a British welterweight title fight and Gary Buckland vs Henry Castle in an eliminator for the British lightweight. Quite why those particular fights would end up happening in Solihull is beyond me, but there we are.
Thursday the 18th – Billy Bragg @ The Civic Hall, Wolverhampton – Braggy normally does the Wulfrun when he plays in Wolves, but this one is at The Civic. Climbing the capitalist ladder as ever, tsk.
Friday the 19th – “The War Of The Worlds” @ The NIA, Birmingham – UUULLLAAAAAAAAA.
Friday the 19th – UFO @ The Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton – Doctor Doctor, there’s a fly in my soup. You don’t hear those jokes nowadays. I think that’s a shame. This is also quite possibly a very oblique reference.
Friday the 19th – The Sweet @ The Robin 2, Bilston – Or a version thereof, anyway. That’s right. That’s right that’s right.
Sunday the 21st – “The Secret Life Of Bees” @ Clent Hills, Hagley – Beeeeees. This is a walk and talk about bees, I should add, not a play built from the novel of the same name or anything like that.
Monday the 22nd – Shonen Knife @ The Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, Birmingham – Japanese girly pop-punkists who were really young when they started but have been going forever and so probably aren’t really young any more, if I understand this ‘chronology’ lark rightly (see also: 1st of the month). My favourite (possibly apocryphal) story about them is that – when they first started – the guitarist couldn’t play her instrument while standing up, having only ever practiced whilst sitting down. I think there’s something really lovely about that.
Tuesday the 23rd till Saturday the 27th – “The BFG” (Fiery Light/Royal & Derngate) @ The Rep, Birmingham – I approve of Roald Dahl as an author for children. I don’t approve of children, obviously, but if they have to exist then Roald Dahl is a good author for them to read. Then when a bit older Rushdie’s “Haroun And The Sea Of Stories” and Gaardner’s “Sophie’s World”. Continue with Alice and Hitchhikers, and then they’re ready for Kafka. I reckon.
Tuesday the 23rd – A Hawk And A Hacksaw @ The Hare And Hounds, Kings Heath, Birmingham – Them having a song called “God Bless The Ottoman Empire” gives Johnny Punter a good reason to go to this gig. Them having one of those websites (I’ve linked the MySpace instead there, to spare you) that does the ol’ “resized pop-up window” thing gives a good reason to try and spite them by not going. I thought that crap had died out. Messing about with my screen without asking me is not the best way to endear yourself to me, dunno about you.
Wednesday the 24th – Blur @ The Civic Hall, Wolverhampton – Whoo and also, if you find yourself so inclined, Hoo.
Wednesday the 24th – Hot 8 Brass Band @ The Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, Birmingham – It seems to be an evolving tradition for the H&H to host a hip-hop influenced brass band every month. Not that I disapprove of this.
Thursday the 25th – B.B. King @ The NIA, Birmingham – ‘The legendary bluesman’, as professional music writers would insist you refer to him.
Thursday the 25th – Jeff Beck @ Symphony Hall, Birmingham – “So, Jeff Beck pops his head round the corner and mentions that there’s a little sweetshop at the edge of town…”
Friday the 26th till Sunday the 5th of July – Moseley Festival @ sundry locations in Moseley, Birmingham – All sorts of stuff in that there spot with those there people. I’m having trouble picturing a ‘Rocky Horror’ night at The Prince Of Wales, though. Also: it’s a bit of a digression, but Eye On Moseley has made me laugh more than any other blog I’ve seen in quite a long time.
Friday the 26th – Pendulum @ The Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton – They display an astonishing ignorance of arachnid physiology, it’s true, but they nevertheless make your body goi stiff an your spine goi numb. Come fe get some.
Sunday the 28th – Boxing (Warrior Promotions, I’m guessing) @ The Tower Ballroom, Edgbaston, Birmingham – One of these afternoon ones, I’m also guessing. Featuring a rematch between Dee Mitchell and Martin Concepcion: trust me when I say that their first fight was fantastic, up there with other four-round classics of our times like Gethin vs Carey and Davies vs Rasani.
Lots Of Things To See And Do In The West Midlands – April 2009
Ah, April. Spring has begun and a young person’s attention naturally turns to… erm, things to see and do. Obviously.
Standard disclaimers: I can’t ensure that these events will go ahead, that they’ll be good, or that I will be going to them. This is just a list of things I found that looked like they might be interesting, so please do not contact me to ask for your event to be included. That’s not the way it works.
Thursday the 2nd till Sunday the 5th, then Thursday the 9th till Sunday the 12th – “Black Tonic” (The Other Way Works Theatre Company) @ The Radisson Hotel, Birmingham – Audiences of two at a time (so make sure you book) are led around a hotel to solve the mystery, centered around sleeplessness and shiftworking.
Friday the 3rd until Saturday the 11th – “Talking To Terrorists” (Crescent Theatre Company) @ The Crescent Theatre, Birmingham – The last of three plays in The Crescent’s ‘Terrorism’ mini-series. More words on that soon. They’ve been really good to us just recently, so more words on that soon too. This one is made up of monologues (I think) adapted from interviews with people directly affected by Terrorism in one way or another, and sounds like it might be a dark horse for best-of-the-three.
Friday the 3rd – Boxing (First Team) @ The Civic Hall, Wolverhampton – Featuring the return to the local First Team cards of Stourbridge’s Sam “The Man” Horton, and the pro debut of Walsall’s amateur ‘starlet’ Bobby Wood.
Sunday the 5th – ‘Easter Wonderland’ @ Botanical Gardens, Harborne, Birmingham – Walking in it.
Tuesday the 7th – Tina Turner @ The NIA, Birmingham – Quite possibly the first popular music artist I was ever a fan of, all those many years ago. Didn’t quite fall for her to the same degree I did for Sabbath when I first heard them a few years later, but still.
Wednesday the 8th – “Yasser” (Theatre International) @ The Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton – An Arab prepares to play Shylock in “The Merchant Of Venice”, and finds that he may understand the identity of the maligned Jew more than anyone else.
Thursday the 9th – The Prodigy / Dizzee Rascal @ The NIA, Birmingham – Fire start look sharp.
Friday the 10th – Baroness @ The Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, Birmingham – A Capsule do. The first time I saw Baroness really was quite something. Something loud, that is. The always-bosting Mothertrucker are also on the bill.
Friday the 10th – Paul Merton’s Silent Clowns @ The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham – Him what be funny on the telly and whatnot, screening bits from the silent comedies of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy etc. with a live pianist in that lovely old traditional fashion.
Friday the 10th – Boxing (Warrior Promotions) @ The Holiday Inn, Birmingham – Yah boo sucks to dinner shows.
Friday the 10th – St Matthew’s Passion (Ex-Cathedra) @ Symphony Hall, Birmingham – I know there’s an annual Brum performance, but isn’t it usually by the Birmingham Bach Choir rather than Ex-Cathedra? Or am I confused?
Saturday the 11th – Terrorvision @ The Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton – I curse myself and the world for the fact that I didn’t get a ticket before this one sold out.
Sunday the 12th – Beres Hammond / Maxi Priest @ The Civic Hall, Wolverhampton – 10CC don’t like reggae. On the other hand, nuts to 10CC.
Sunday the 12th – Flyover Show preview @ The Drum, Newtown, Birmingham – The Flyover Show (brainchild of Soweto Kinch) was wonderful next year, and I’m glad there’s going to be another one (May sometime). Here you can have a preview of some of the works being created for it.
Sunday the 12th – Horace Andy @ The Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, Birmingham – Skylark away at a surprisingly small venue. The fact that it’s the same night as Beres Hammond/Maxi Priest will no doubt be a pain in the arse for many, but there we are.
Sunday the 12th – Bat For Lashes @ The Town Hall, Birmingham – Khaaaan~! (That’s her surname, didjaseewhatIdidthere).
Thursday the 16th – Supersuckers @ The Barfly, Digbeth, Birmingham – Lemmy once said that if you don’t like Supersuckers, you don’t like rock’n’roll. Then again, Lemmy says a lot of things.
Friday the 17th until Saturday the 25th – The Rivals (Crescent Theatre Company) @ The Crescent Theatre, Birmingham – The Sheridan comedy, including a big sword-fight.
Saturday the 18th – Ramesses @ Busk, Birmingham – Dooooooooooom.
Tuesday the 21st – Gomez @ The Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton – Gomez are a band who achieve the rare feat of being incredibly studenty but somehow not annoying. Good on ‘em.
Wednesday the 22nd – PJ Harvey and John Parish @ The Town Hall, Birmingham – Big fishy little fishy swimming in the water.
Wednesday the 22nd – Bridge And Tunnel @ The Flapper, Birmingham – Interesting indie-punk type of band, distantly reminiscent of Hot Water Music. Apparently they’re named after a regional slur, and you know I’m all about that sort of thing.
Wednesday the 22nd – The Wailers @ The Academy, Birmingham – Playing “Exodus” in its entirety. Movement of Jah people. Bob Marley won’t be there, for obvious reasons.
Wednesday the 23rd – Gary Numan @ The Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton – Ah, Gazza, he of the cars and friends electric and frighteningly obsessive fans.
Thursday the 23rd with things afterward – St George’s Day @ everywhere – There’s assorted stuff going on all over the place, some of it free and some of it not. Brum has free stages in Chamberlain and Victoria Squares on the 25th (lots of Morris dancing and a Beatles tribute band, apparently); Wolverhampton looks to have Dragons a-plenty.
Thursday the 23rd – AC/DC @ The LG Arena, Marston Green, Birmingham – They tell me it’s a long way to the top if you wanna rock’n’roll. I don’t think there’s anything particularly rock’n’roll about trying to climb to the top, but on the other hand it seems a safe bet to assume that AC/DC know more about these things than me.
Thursday the 23rd – Basement Jaxx @ The Academy, Birmingham – I curse myself and the world for the fact that I didn’t get a ticket before this one sold out, too.
Thursday the 23rd until Saturday the 25th – “Home Of The Wriggler” (Stan’s Café) @ The A.E Harris Building, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham – From the people who brought you the absolutely amazing likes of The Cleansing Of Constance Brown and Of All The People In All The World. Tales from a Birmingham of the near future are relayed with all light and sound powered by the actors themselves.
Friday the 24th – Boxing (Sports Network) @ The Civic Hall, Wolverhampton – This was supposed to have Kell Brook vs Mark Lloyd for the British welterweight title, but that was rejected by the board (for a second time). This was then supposed to have Kell Brook vs Young Mutley for saidsame title, but Brook is apparently injured (no name fighters ever seem to be available to fight Mut just lately, do they?). So… I gather Mutley is still on the card, and Donnie Broadhurst will be defending his commonwealth title against the dreaded TBC too.
Friday the 24th – Elvis Costello and The Brodsky Quartet – Symphony Hall, Birmingham – Young Declan gets his quasi-classical groove on.
Saturday the 25th – AMMA @ Bescott Stadium, Walsall – These amateur MMA cards are always fantastic, but this one has an extra special main event: longtime fave of this blog Danny Korbely is due to face northern prodigy James Saville, in a full pro-rules bantamweight match. You don’t get to see two of the country’s best young prospects clash in their first professional fight every day of the week. The latest version of the card is here.
Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th – The Specials @ The Academy, Birmingham – Without Jerry Dammers, but I suspect this is probably as close to the original line-up as you’re going to get.
Monday the 27th – S.C.U.M. / An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump @ The Little Civic, Wolverhampton – Mentioned mostly for the magnificent name of the supporting artistes, although in a musical sense the goth-revivalism (Siouxsie/Bauhaus/Birthday Party/etc) of both them and the headliners could be fun.
Tuesday the 28th – The Nightingales @ The Little Civic, Wolverhampton – August and venerable Brummie post-punk sorts. Trivia from Wikipedia: by the time they’d first split up, they’d done more Peel sessions than anyone other than The Fall.
Wednesday the 29th – Asva @ The Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, Birmingham – Surreal doom/drone? Have I got that right? I think a lot of people said they were really good at Supersonic last year but then I could be confusing them with someone else. Another Capsule affair. (EDIT: This is apparently cancelled. Please disregard).
Wednesday the 29th – Bob Dylan @ The NIA, Birmingham – Presumably not in need of a silly blurb from me.
Lots Of Things To See And Do In The West Midlands – March 2009
Thought you’d seen the last, eh? LOTTSADITWM doesn’t lie down quite so easily, suckah.
Standard disclaimers: I can’t ensure that these events will go ahead, that they’ll be good, or that I will be going to them. This is just a list of things I found that looked like they might be interesting, so please do not contact me to ask for your event to be included. That’s not the way it works.
Sunday the 1st – The Drifters @ The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham – Or a version thereof, at least. No Ben E. King or Clyde McPhatter, for obvious reasons.
Sunday the 1st – Muay Thai (K-Star) @ The Tower Ballroom, Edgbaston, Birmingham – Elbows and knees by the reservoir, in what is quite possibly the most seventies-styled venue I have ever seen.
Monday the 2nd – “These Four Streets” (Birmingham Rep Theatre Company) @ The Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton – Absolutely excellent play based around last year’s Lozells riots, showing how small frustrations can build and build into bigger tensions in a community. We saw it at The Rep Door a few weeks ago and I really can’t recommend it enough. It’s also at The Drum on the 13th.
Monday the 2nd – The Ting Tings @ The Civic Hall, Wolverhampton – That is their name, for that is indeed what they are called.
Tuesday the 3rd till Saturday the 7th – “The Jungle Book” (Birmingham Stage Company) @ The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham – Mr Kipling makes exceedingly good anthropomorphic animals.
Thursday the 5th – Half Man Half Biscuit @ The Robin 2, Bilston – Wherein everyone will be doing The Len Ganley Stance.
Thursday the 5th till Sunday the 8th – Crufts @ The NEC, Marston Green, Birmingham – Hounds hounds hounds hounds hounds hounds hounds hounds.
Friday the 6th – Rolo Tomassi @ The Academy 2, Birmingham – Third on the bill of the Rock Sound sponsored (see, how cool is that? Glossy magazines!) “Shred Yr Face” tour. I would like to make it clear that I don’t like “yr” as a diminutive of “your” (rather than “year”). I didn’t like it the first time around in fanzines and now I don’t like it this time round on internets. Hurrumph.
Saturday the 7th – Fairport Convention @ The Town Hall, Birmingham – That would be the folk band Fairport Convention, of course. The Town Hall is not due to be hosting a convention of, erm, fairports.
Saturday the 7th – Norma Waterson, Martin Carthy & Chris Parkinson @ Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton – Speaking of folk… I bet this and Fairport on the same night will constitute an unfortunate date clash for some punters.
Saturday the 7th – Boxing (Mahesh Mendalia/Dennis Hobbs) @ The New Bingley Hall, Hockley, Birmingham – Featuring the last ever match of local boxing/Kung-Fu/Kickboxing legend Pele Reid (he knocked out Vitali Klitchsko in a light-contact kickboxing match. Just take a second to think about both halves of that sentence) before he retires. It’s at a new venue, too.
Wednesday the 11th till Saturday the 14th – “Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?” (Dudley Little Theatre) @ Netherton Arts Centre, Netherton – Classic play and you can pop into Ma Pardoe’s for a swift ‘un after it’s finished.
Wednesday the 11th until Sunday the 15th – Flatpack Film Festival @ Various venues in Birmingham – Very eagerly anticipated by a lot of people, 7 Inch Cinema’s third Flatpack Film Festival is nearly upon us. Their calendar page seems to have been designed with the express intent of making it as awkward as possible to browse what’s going on, but I’m particularly looking forward to the Curzonara event with The Destroyers (natch) and Waller Jeffs’ animated pictures.
Thursday the 12th – “Legends Of The Oche” @ The Concert Hall, Dudley – Darts and comedy from Bobby George, John Lowe, Eric Bristow and – apparently – one Duncan “Chase Me” Norvelle.
Friday the 13th till Tuesday the 17th – St Patrick’s festival @ various venues in Birmingham – Centred, obviously, around what is reported to be the biggest St Paddy’s day parade in the world outside of Dublin and New York. Also of interest looks to be The Craic Was Good In Cricklewood at The Irish Club in Digbeth on the 16th.
Saturday the 14th and intermittently until Saturday the 11th of April – “Terrorism” mini-season @ The Crescent Theatre, Birmingham – Three plays based on matters surrounding terrorism over the course of a few weeks – The Bus (in which a girl is challenged as to why she’s taking a particular journey), Terrorism (wherein various disparate scenes are shown to be somehow similar) and Talking To Terrorists (which relays bits from interviews with an assortment of people who have been involved in or affected by terrorism). Daily Mail styled hurrumphing is probably best left at home.
Saturday the 14th – John Legend @ The Academy, Birmingham – Diminishing qualitative returns of late, obviously, but “Get Lifted” was a fantastic album.
Saturday the 14th – Boxing (Hennessy Sports) @ AVEC, Aston, Birmingham – Second city derby! Macklin vs Elcock for the British middleweight title, and they’re both Zulus so hopefully there shouldn’t be a riot or anything to spoil anyone’s day. The undercard also features Young Mutley vs Adnan Amar for the English welterweight title and this Tyson Fury (what a name) heavyweight prospect that they’re all speaking words about. On the other hand, tickets are £45. Mick Hennessy really is taking the piss.
Tuesday the 17th – “The Maids” (Phizzical Productions) @ The Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton – A Bollywood influenced version of a Genet play. That’s not a sentence you get to say every day.
Wednesday the 18th till Saturday the 21st – “Can Any Mother Help Me?” (Foursight Theatre) @ The Rep Door, Birmingham – Telling the story of the Co-Operative Correspondence Club, through which otherwise isolated women were able to make themselves heard on everything “From marriage to childbirth, hidden desires to socialism, housework to wartime politics”.
Saturday the 21st – Mono @ The Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath, Birmingham – Japanese post-rock types that I still haven’t got around to having a listen to at the time of writing, but a few people that I’d actually pay heed to recommend them so I’ll stick ‘em in here anyway.
Saturday the 21st – Musiq Soulchild @ The Drum, Newtown, Birmingham – I’d got the idea from somewhere that he’d changed his name to just ‘Musiq’, but apparently that’s not true. Even change doesn’t stay the same these days.
Saturday the 21st – Science Day @ Edgbaston Reservoir, Edgbaston, Birmingham – An astronomically themed morning, apparently. Turn up between 11AM and 1PM.
Tuesday the 24th – Yo Majesty @ The Little Civic, Wolverhampton – Punk-funk-crunk-rap, say some. Like a more raucous Salt’n’Pepper. (EDIT: postponed, apparently. See comments).
Wednesday the 25th – Metallica @ The LG Arena, Marston Green, Birmingham – I do realise that I’m stretching the “things that looked like they might be interesting” bit from the rubric above with this one. They have been interesting at times in the past, however far removed that may be.
Thursday the 26th – Premier League Darts @ The NIA, Birmingham – Arrers thrown by arrerers, including your hero and mine Phil “The Power” Taylor.
Friday the 27th – Lemar @ The NIA, Birmingham – Apparently it’s 50/50, so any odds from 3/1 or better should be snapped up.
Friday the 27th and Saturday the 28th – White Noise Festival @ The Rainbow, Digbeth, Digbeth, Birmingham – It doesn’t look as noisy as the name would immediately suggest (I was expecting some Merzbow styled business), but there is all sorts of varied musical stuff a-happening. Dave Ball from Soft Cell is DJing, for example.
Saturday the 28th – The Beat @ The Academy, Birmingham – It’s their 30th anniversary tour, don’tchaknow.
Saturday the 28th – Tunng / Tinariwen @ The Rainbow Warehouse, Digbeth, Birmingham – A collaboratory tour between my favourite leccy-space-folk types of modern times and the Tuareg desert-blues electric-central-African-music sorts. Definitely sounds like one not to be missed.
Tuesday the 31st – Lionel Richie @ The LG Arena, Marston Green, Birmingham – I’m going to keep saying it until someone agrees with me: the man looks like a crocodile.
Birmingham: It’s Got Hits (didjaseewhatIdidthere?)
In spite of the big MMA fights that have been taking place recently and in spite of the looming trip to London for UFC95, of late it’s been all about the boxing for me. I don’t know why, but pure pugilism has just been catching my attention more.
Birmingham, bless its little (local) heart, has no fewer than four boxing cards coming up in the next six weeks or so. “What I need is a preview post from someone with no particular information and who barely knows what’s going on with them,” I hear you thinking. Don’t lie. I heard ya.
Sunday the 1st of February – Warrior Promotions @ Edgbaston Tower Ballroom
This is an afternoon card (doors at 2pm), which I strongly approve of as long as they don’t start happening midweek (don’t laugh. This is boxing. The stupider the idea, the more likely it is to happen). I also approve of the big concept at the centre of this one – amongst other fights, there’s going to be a four bout series between Errol Johnson’s and Richie Woodhall’s gyms. It doesn’t seem to be the Black Country vs Birmingham competition that such a thing could have been, alas, but it’s still a fun idea. The headliner will be between Max Maxwell (Woodhall) and Tony Randell (Johnson) for the Midlands Area middleweight (or possibly light-middleweight, not completely sure) title strap. I’m inclined to assume that Maxwell will walk through this one and get it finished inside the time, although I thought that about his fight against Rob Kenney too and turned out to be utterly wrong (typical, ayit. The only time I picked away in all the derby title matches last year turned out to be the only time where the Black Country actually won). My main memory of Tony Randell is of him repeatedly leaping forward for a superman punch against Sam Horton, and as far as I recall not landing it once.
According to the promoter on this messageboard thread the card also looks likely to feature Anthony Hannah, Steve Gethin, Eddy McIntosh, Mark Regen, Rhys and Llewellyn Davies, Chris Male, Keiran Grey, and a whole bunch of others.
Friday the 6th of February – Matchroom Sports @ The Aston Events Centre (formerly better known as the Villa Leisure Centre)
Only announced a couple of weeks ago, which seems a bit saft and has ensured that I won’t be going. I’ve already got other plans, baby. It’s a shame, though, since this means I will be missing a British title fight: this bill is topped by Stourbridge’s Rob Norton defending his cruiserweight championship against David Dolan (of Sunderland and of runner-up-in-the-first-Prizefighter-tournament fame). One would have thought that Dolan would be too young and athletic for Norton, but it’s always unwise to completely count out a crafty veteran with an awkward style and stopping power. Yam though I am I suppose I’ll pick Dolan, but if it all goes a bit Kenney/Maxwell (see above) I’ll still be happy. See? There’s no way I can lose. Y’all wanna play my game but you can’t.
I’m sure I read somewhere that Dean “Deano” Harrison’s crack at Lenny Dawes for the English light-welter title was rescheduled for this card too (after Dawes failed to make weight a little while ago), but that seems surprising. Given who is involved, one might have expected it to be on the Hennessy card in March. Dunno, though. No idea who else is meant to be on the card, either. Mutley? That’d be cool, although since I won’t be there I don’t care all that much.
Saturday the 28th of February – Sports Network @ The NIA
Frizank Wizank (and/or Sports Network, Setanta contract disputes permitting) returns to Birmingham on the 28th with what actually looks like being a surprisingly good card. The big selling point will be the debut professional fights of “The Olympic Three” – gold medalling self-congratulating James DeGale, non-medalling lewd-behaving (allegedly) Billie Joe Saunders, and non-competing non-weight-making Frankie Gavin (from BERMINGU-URM). That’ll be quite the thing to say you saw live, but the best fight here for me is Steve Bendall (Coventry) defending the English middleweight title against Darren McDermott (DUDLA-AAAAY). I think Macca will/should be able to aggress his way through this, but Bendall (who I do like too) can be a tricksy one.
Elsewhere on the coupon, two commonwealth championships are defended. Maulin’ Matt Skelton takes on Martin Rogan in a heavyweight bout that’ll probably mostly consist of push’n’shove clinch stuff but should at least be a fight for as long as it lasts (Skelton will stop him somewhere in the middle rounds, sez me, but Rogan won’t concede a moment whilst he still has his senses about him), and Brumagem’s own Don Broadhurst defends the super-flyweight title against Andy Bell. Never seen Bell and since he’s a former British champ I’d expect this one to be competitive, but Broadhurst looked excellent last time at the NIA and I’d tip him for bigger things.
Saturday the 14th of March – Hennessy promotions @ The Aston Events Centre
First and foremost: Forty-five quid? Forty-five bleedin’ effin’ quid for a card in a sportshall? Ridiculous. Some folk seem to wish to hold up Hennessy as some sort of Promoter Of The People figure, and it’s clearly utter crap.
Putting that aside (difficult as it may be), the all-Birmingham main event is the only thing that’s been confirmed for this but it’s a hell of a fight: Wayne Elcock defends his British middleweight title in a second city derby against Matthew Macklin. Twelve thee-minute rounds of pure East Bromwich fisticuffs. This is a hard one to pick – they both have power and both are capable of actually boxing when they put their minds to it. Macklin is the younger and bigger of the two, though, and Elcock has been known to suffer… lapses. I’m picking Macklin on points (although not without having to struggle through some hairy moments), although a cut stoppage via Elcock’s sharp head is also always a possibility.
£45, though? Jesus Christ Almighty.
***
Boxing news from The Land Of The Righteous (rather than that there Birmingham)
~ Stuart Elwell of Darlaston will be challenging Kell Brook for the British welterweight title in London on Friday. He’s not widely tipped, but you never know.
~ It doesn’t seem to be reported elsewhere, but Wolves Civic Hall’s website suggests that there’ll be a card there on the 27th of Feb, with Rob Kenney vs Jimmy Doherty for the Midlands welterweight (that’s what it says) title, as well as Lyndsey Scragg, Steve Saville, Chris Lewis, Joel Ryan, Russell Colley, Ben Wilkes, Richard Ghent, and Danny Johnson.
EDIT 2/2/9: In the name of bring you the latest information, I update. Firstly, Andy Bell is off the NIA card on the 28th due to failing a drugs test. Presumably someone else will be found for Broadhurst to fight, as I imagine he’s sold a lot of tickets.
Secondly, at the Tower Ballroom card yesterday I grabbed a flyer/poster thing for the Villa Leisure Centre do on the 6th. According to that, the coupon includes Young Muttley, Michael Hunter, Rob Hunt, Prince Arron, John Donnelly, Nathan Brough, Jamie Ball, Nick McDonald and James Flinn as well as your Norton vs Dolan championship match.
Even more things to see and do in the West Midlands
As Dunc of The Autumn Store once so wisely (as ever) noted, it’s a lovely thing for people to compile their own events listings on their blog. The calendar websites that list everything sent into them are essential, of course, but it’s brilliant to have some more individually-tailored things on top of that.
It pleases me to announce that November is well served. Aside from my own usual averagely bad efforts, two highly respected local organisations have blog posts promoting events that they see as worthwhile: there’s the latest in the ongoing series from 7 Inch Cinema, and the first in what will hopefully turn out to be an ongoing series from Colour.
More people should do this sort of thing. I strongly believe that.
