Another week, another Gig Guide! Let’s see what Birmingham is offering us this week!
Mallory Knox + Lonely The Brave + Fatherson @ 02 Institute, March 24th
Mallory Knox have risen to the forefront of the British rock scene at an incredible pace – in just five years the band have released 1 EP and 3 LPs – all of which were received extremely favourably. Their latest – Wired – is their best yet, covering the band’s recent journey of self-discovery. Support acts Lonely The Brave and Fatherson follow in a similar vein, with the former’s brand of Clyro-esque stadium rock and the latter’s alternative Scot rock garnering critical acclaim.
Mallory Knox live shows have been lauded for years, and with this being their first tour in a considerable while, this gig is not one to be missed.
Mother’s Love Motown Special @ Akamba, March 26th
Sunday is Mother’s Day, and this event is an excellent choice to treat the mums with! Set within the oasis that is Akamba Heritage Centre, the event features live Motown and Soul entertainment and an authentic two course Caribbean meal.
And whilst you’re there you can always visit the beautiful Akamba Migration Garden, which features life-sized metal sculptures of animals native to Nairobi, created by Kenyan artist Kioko Mwitiki.
Call Me Unique and Autumn Evans @ York’s Bakery Cafe, 27th March
What’s better than a free gig? How about a free gig featuring two of Birmingham’s leading singer-songwriters?
Autumn Evans is a singer-songwriter from London, currently residing in Birmingham. Using a range of styles from folk to acoustic, the young musician has been compared to Amy Winehouse amongst others. With a lyric-driven approach to songwriting and a pure and haunting voice, Evans really lives up to her reputation as ‘refreshingly unconventional’. Her latest release, The Watercolour EP has been well received by local media, with many predicting a move to bigger things in her future.
Of course, if you’re at all familiar with for-Wards, you’ll be familiar with Year One Composer Call Me Unique. But just in case you aren’t, Call Me Unique is a Birmingham-based singer-songwriter, with heavy influences of Jazz, Scat and Soul present in her music. In addition, thought-provoking lyrics and beautiful melodies are created with a combination of rap and singing over subtly arranged guitars. She has been described as using a combination of sounds found in the music of Ed Sheeran, Ella Fitzgerald, Lisa Lopes and Lauren Hill.
The gig is free, kid-friendly and set in the beautiful and atmospheric York’s Bakery Cafe. Need I say more?
Planet Earth II – The Making of a Natural History ‘Blockbuster’ @ Bramall Music Building, 29th March
The University of Birmingham will be playing host to The Creative Director of Factual and The Natural History Unit for BBC and BBC Worldwide Mike Gunton as he delivers the 2017 Royal Television Society Baird Lecture.
The illustrated talk will explore and discuss the creation of the landmark series Planet Earth II. The approaches, difficulties and outcomes of the creation process will be explored, as Mark brings with him a wealth of knowledge, having worked on over 140 wildlife films.
With many of his credits including award winning and critically acclaimed productions, such as Africa and Life, this talk is bound to brilliant – and certainly one for all the science-lovers out there!