A nice vid from Junction 15 featuring extended bits of Badly Drawn Boy, Billy Bragg, lots of smiley people and some earnestly hippyish goings-on at last year’s Moseley Folk Festival.
Moseley Folk Festival from junction15 on Vimeo.
Festivals
I’ve got nothing to base this on particularly, but something tells me that the Shout Festival has been growing year on year. Is that right? I’m not sure what it is – maybe it’s something about the programme or the list of partner organisations involved. Maybe, heading into its third year, it’s something to do with a natural maturing and putting down of roots. Hmm. Thoughts welcomed – I could be well off on this.
Anyway, the 2011 programme is online and the festival starts at the beginning of November.
The Moseley Folk Festival was its usual mix of good music and great atmosphere. There are already bundles of photos from the weekend up on Flickr. Stanthefan and katchooo have been impressively prolific but this one’s from Adrian and Sarah:
And this one’s by Leodensian:
That’ll be Hannah from Boat To Row playing her last show with the band. A good gig to go out on.
Another good Flyover Show took place at the weekend. I didn’t stay for the whole thing but I enjoyed Juice Aleem, Why G and Jay Phelps. The best thing about those events is always the atmosphere (and the little kids trying to breakdance) and it was nice to see Goldie just wandering around chatting to people the whole time too.
Here’s a video from IAmBirmingham
There’s some more on the website and loads more on the Facebook Page too.
Espirito Brum is the UK edition of Espirito Mundo, a cross cultural celebration bringing together musicians from Brazil and Birmingham, in a three day festival that forms the first stage in a ongoing global exchange.
This’ll run from 14-18 September and will have contributions from an impressive roster of organisations:
Espirito Brum is a collaboration between Espirito Mundo, Instituto Quorum (Espirito Santo, Brazil), Magpie Brown, Friction Arts, Spotted Dog, Oya Batucada, South Birmingham College and PST. It receives creative support from Marketing Birmingham, 7 Inch Cinema, Punch Records and Shakti Women.
On the subject of exotic festivals, I didn’t make it down to Jamaica Live on Saturday but, judging by the photo I’ve been sent by Ammo from Punch, I must’ve been in the minority.
There’s a couple of reggae-infused festivals coming up over the next couple of weekends.
First up is Simmer Down on 16 July in Handsworth Park.
Featuring Ken Boothe! I like him, especially his covers of Is It Because I’m Black and You Keep Me Hanging On.
Then on 23 July as part of the Open Weekend shenanigans there’s Jamaica Live (which I think was orinally called Jamaica Raw) in Victoria Square.
Ostensibly welcoming the Jamaican Olympic team to Birmingham, this one will feature Levi Roots and other chefs, the Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra, Steel Pulse and Monique.
I’m posting this not least because Kingstanding hardly ever gets a mention on CiB. The folks at Frilly have a bit more info and a bigger version of the flyer.
I didn’t make it to CoCoMAD but I did get down to the Friday of Mostly Jazz. It was lovely – nice atmosphere if you can handle a concentrated dose of Moseleyness, some good music and an utterly charming setting. There’s a much better review by The Baron over on The Hearing Aid.
There are a few photos on Flickr but most of them are from Fiona Cullinan, who I saw running about with her camera, so here’s a slideshow from her Mostly Jazz set:
In other jazz news, the Birmingham International Jazz Festival is on until Sunday with all sorts of things happening all over the place.
I didn’t head down to CoCoMAD in Cotteridge last weekend but I heard a fair amount about it. A good event, by many reports.
TheBrumReaper has some photos from this years festival and from past ones too:
On Saturday Electric Carnival is taking over half of Digbeth – the HMV Institute, Custard Factory, Air, Heath Mill Lane car park and the Rainbow venues – and they’ve got space for 9,000 people (1,500 more than last year). That’s kinda big.
Via Digbeth is Good, who also have a map of road closures for the more logistically minded.
Special guests Zu93, Electric Wizard and Secret Chiefs 3 will be joined by a whole bunch of others (with more to announce) plus art, film, panel discussions and, predictably enough, cake. Full list here.
I’m pleased to say I don’t think I’ve heard of anyone on the bill. Last year I recognised a couple of names and that was a bit disconcerting.
It’s not until 21-23 October but I can’t think of anything else happening in Birmingham that weekend so you might as well grab a ticket now. Ticket info, hotel deals and sundry other items are here.
The theme for this year’s BASS Festival (9-25 June, all over Birmingham) is revolution:
Through music, dance, spoken word and theatre REVOLUTION will be explored in terms of physical movement, music as a weapon of change and celebrating the creators of radical new music and styles.
There’s a press release here which has more info about who’s performing where.
In the past couple of days the two festivals have posted retrospectives.
Flatpack have posted a slideshow of photos (with more on their Flickr account)
.
While Fierce have rounded up their 2011 festival with a nice, photo-heavy blog post and some links to things others have written about them. They sign off the post saying:
On June 18th we’ll announce the Fierce Festival Caravan of Artists 2011 – 2012 who will form the core of next year’s program at our Start Party. It will be free and welcome to all so come along.
As we prepare to bid farewell to Ikon Eastside ahead of it’s April closure, they’re gearing up for a rather special three night music festival, Rites of Spring, from 7 – 9 April.
Celebrating the venue’s five year contribution to Birmingham’s cultural scene, the festival welcomes headliners Modified Toy Orchestra, Martin Creed and his band and Fyfe Dangerfield, along with the first UK video installation from US band Matmos.
The full line up showcases a collection of folk, pop and electronic musical offerings, from local talent along with further afield artists.
Thursday 7 April
Modified Toy Orchestra
epic45
Shady Bard
Poppy Tibbetts
Friends of the Stars
Friday 8 April
Martin Creed and his band
David Cunningham
Matmos (video set)
Is I Cinema
Arc Vel
Saturday 9 April
Fyfe Dangerfield
Lulu and the Lampshades
Boat to Row
Young Runaways
Timothy Parkes
Tickets are £12 (£10 for students), or for the full festival £30 (£27 for students) and can be booked online or by calling O844 87O OOOO
Flatpack and Fierce have barely begun, but I’ve already been taking a sneak peek of a few of the things they’ve got going on, including Symphony of a Missing Room, the Vintage Mobile Cinema and a trip over to the Dirty End.
Yesterday morning I headed over to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, for a visit unlike any other. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Symphony of a Missing Room by Lundahl & Seitl, feeling slightly apprehensive as I was given a pair of wireless headphones, blindfolded and led cautiously around the museum by sounds, voices and a mysterious hand. The whole experience was what I can only describe as dream like, and had me leaving feeling like I’d been awoken from a deep, disorienting sleep.
So far it’s been receiving plenty of rave reviews on Twitter, who all seem to be able to put the experience into words so much better than I can. If you want to check it out for yourself, book via the Fierce website, it’s definitely one to give a go.
Last night also saw the launch of both Flatpack and Fierce, at VIVID, which has been transformed into The Dirty End. Along with live music from Juneau Projects, they had a few tasty treats and cocktails on offer which will apparently be sticking around for most of the festival.
The Vintage Mobile Cinema had it’s first Flatpack outing this afternoon in Victoria Square, where it gathered quite a few admirers. The 22 seater restored mobile cinema, originally toured British factories from 1967, promoting modern production methods. As one of only seven made, this gem is the last standing after being brought back to life to tour the country once again.
With it’s cosy little interior, complete with red cinema seats, it feels rather like a mini Electric. I was also treated to a clip of Buster Keaton’s silent film Sherlock Junior (1924), which is being screening tomorrow night at the Town Hall, accompanied by live organ and piano.
If you fancy hopping aboard, the vintage mobile cinema will be at Handsworth Library on Thursday, Birmingham Markets on Saturday, and Cannon Hill Park on Sunday. Take a look at whats on across the weekend over on the Flatpack site.
I’ll try and update this post with other Flatpack & Fierce adventures, but in the meantime let us know which events you’ve made it to and what should be on our ‘must see’ lists.
