Friday 31 October 2008

Fleet Foxes at the Custard Factory

The Seattle fivesome come to the creative hub of Birmingham tonight, and I shall be along to cast my expert critical eye on their performance.

I have been listening to their album in the office this week and I am very much looking forward to experiencing them tonight. Their Baroque harmonies give them a unique appeal and I strongly suggest to anyone of the throngs of people that read this blog to be in attendance tonight.

In a such a dismal time for popular music, it is refreshing to hear a genuinely original band floating in the sea of abominable dross that recieves direct pollution from the x factor studios.

I will be documenting the gig in a no doubt inspirational review tomorrow when I lift my head above the hangover parapet.

Watch this space.

Thursday 16 October 2008

Perfect place to go over half term weekend and it's only one week away!!







Life size Robots, big screen computer gaming, animations, films, sonic sound systems, horror workshops and all things digital provide the perfect free day out for families at Millennium Point from 23rd – 26th October




Hello digital comes to Birmingham's Millennium Point from October 23rd to 26th, offering a free day out at one of the city's most exciting and interactive events. Hello Digital is The Midlands' first digital festival, celebrating the awe inspiring possibilities of the modern world and digital age.




Dance with a life sized robot called Titan, walk around a giant field of light in Millennium Point's main atrium, go head-to-head with the latest games on a giant screen, be blown away a wall of sound reverberating sonic waves around your head & communicate with the four corners of the Earth at the smallest touch of a button, Hello Digital is a breathtaking adventure into the extraordinary capabilities of today.




Hello Digital takes place on the 23rd – 26th October at Millennium Point, is open to people of all ages and is completely free.




Hello Digital provides excitement for all the family with a superb blend of interactive fun, gaming, education and workshops. From robotics to communications, films to gaming, animations to installations, Hello Digital is an electrifying four day showcase of sights and sounds.
Activity taking place at Hello Digital includes:




Titan the Robot – Titan is an 8ft Robot that will be entertaining the Hello Digital crowds at Millennium Point. With his swift and life like movement, Titan's cheeky robotic antics will have you staring in jaw dropped awe as the futuristic behemoth sings, dances and jokes with the public.




Games Zone - Compete head to head with your friends and play the latest games on the Hello Digital giant screen.




Killriculum – Hello Digital will host the exclusive premier screenings of the Killriculum project, 10 short films of nightmarish tales from the Wes Cravens of the future. Created by a broad range of young people from across the region, these showcase films will run alongside a children's workshop where young people learn about the gory ins and outs of making a modern horror film.




Baskerville, the animated film – A motion graphics animated film celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Baskerville typeface and a fascinating look at the life and works of its creator, John Baskerville. A video documentation of 11 contributors creating his typeface is being developed into a series of 11 animated films, which form the basis of a large scale HD multi-screen installation at Millennium Point.




Field of Light – A beautifully created illuminated field of light, made up from 120 low energy glow lights, will colonise the main atrium at Millennium Point. A breathtakingly tranquil creation in the heart of a bustling city.




Film Dash – Film Dash is a break through project where aspiring film makers have been set the challenge to create their own short films in just 48 hours. Each production lasts for up to 5minutes and pays homage to the renowned local film producer, Sir Michael Balcon, who is best know for his work at the Ealing Studios and his production of Orson Welles 39 Steps. Hello Digital will be showing exclusive screenings of Film Dash's best productions.

Wednesday 15 October 2008

Film Dash


Film Dash: Digital Galore! is a challenging new concept where aspiring film makers are given just 48hours to create their own 5 minute shorts. The project is part of the Hello Digital festival and has been organised to pay homage to the esteemed Birmingham born film producer Sir Michael Balcon, who in the 1950’s set up the experimental film funds to provide creative opportunities for new film makers to demonstrate their innovative talent and ambition.

Budding directors, actors and scriptwriters are being challenged to pool their creative talents and produce a short film from between 1-5minutes in length. They can use any equipment at their disposal; hand held cameras, home movie making equipment or even their mobile phones, and have completely free reign of subject matter. The only stipulation is that each film must include a predetermined reference to the life and work of Sir Michael Balcon.

The winning Film Dash production will be shown at the Odeon Cinema on New Street, as part of the Michael Balcon project. The other Film Dash films including the winner will be showcased at Millennium Point as part of the Hello Digital festival.

The Michael Balcon project will consist of an introductory speech by Sir Michael Baclon’s daughter Jill Balcon along with a full cinema screening of the classic Ealing comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) directed by Robert Hamer and produced by Sir Michael Balcon.

Tickets are free, just contact Roger at www.swishproductions.co.uk and the screening will begin at 7pm promptly.

Chris Unitt, Coordinator of Film Dash: Digital Galore! says: "Film Dash is a great way for amateur film enthusiasts to really get involved in film making with a fun 'crash course' in all the processes that go into making a motion picture. Birmingham has an extremely rich and varied film history and the Film Dash project is a fantastic way to pay homage to those who have played an integral part in the region's cultural landscape. It is also a great way to introduce a new breed of film maker to key individuals such as Sir Michael Balcon."


Tuesday 14 October 2008

Hello World, Birmingham's first international digital conference, opens at Hello Digital festival

Speakers from some of the biggest names in digital media including Pixar, Channel 4, MySpace & Flickr come to Birmingham on October 23rd & 24th as part of the city's first international digital conference, Hello World.



Running alongside the Hello Digital festival showcase at Millennium Point, Hello World is free to attend and will give businesses from across the region the rare chance to meet and question some of the most influential names in the digital media industry.



Hello World will also include the first public appearance from Channel 4's new Head of 4iP, Tom Loosemore. 4iP is a pilot £50 million creative fund that aims to re-invent how publicly-valuable content is conceived, funded and delivered for British audiences on new media platforms. At Hello World Tom Loosemore will be talking alongside Channel 4's Director of Nations & Regions, Stuart Cosgrove, about their strategy for 4iP and how people can access the creative fund.
Activity at Hello World will include:



Thursday 23 October
Session 1 Gaming gets serious: Exploring serious games
Geoff Henderson, Director of Digital Native Academy Ltd & LearnPlay Foundation Ltd, and Matt Dunn, Business Development Manager of Fish in a Bottle, will be speaking and answering questions regarding The West Midlands leading role within the Serious Games industry. They will also be discussing the region's academic research into the field.



Session 2 Doing business in a digital world
This panel session will focus on the commercial potential of digital media and online marketing, and feature Joy Armitage, B&I Interactive Manager of Cadbury plc.



Session 3 Exploring the revolution in content production and distribution
Faintheart was the world's first user-generated movie with users of the world's largest online community, MySpace, playing an integral part in every stage of the filmmaking process from directing the film, to joining the cast, submitting music for the soundtrack, or being part of the production crew. James Fabricant, Director of Business Development and Media, Europe, at MySpace.com will be joining a panel led by Screen WM to discuss whether this marks the dawn of a new era of user-generated content in mainstream media?



Session 4: Digital Art in the Public Realm
Exploring the revolution in digital content development in the arts, this panel will discuss the huge opportunities for digital media to bring art to the public realm. Featuring Arts Council England West Midlands, award winning national touring theatre company, Pilot Theatre and Multistory, a charity that develops innovative participatory arts projects with communities and artists in the fields of regeneration.



Friday 24 October



Session 1 Digital debate: Do or die? Coping with convergence in a digital age
Magic Lantern Productions CEO Anthony Lilley, New Music Strategies' Andrew Dubber and guest speakers from BT & Cisco Systems will discuss and debate the impact of digital convergence across the public and private sectors.

Session 2 Developing the skills of the digital media generation
The Learning and Skills Council will be presenting and launching their new Talent2Market report. The Talent2Market report contains a review of the supply of education provision in the Creative and Media Sector.



Session 3 In conversation with Helen Champ, Director of Community at Flickr
Director of Community at Flickr, Heather Champ, oversees member activities for one of the worlds largest and most popular photo-sharing communities and will be taking part in a sixty minute Q&A session.



Session 4 In conversation with Michal Makerewicz, Pixar Animation Studios
Character Animator Michal Makarewicz from Pixar Animation Studios will be discussing his career and the role of animation in film in a sixty minute Q&A session.
Michal Makarewicz joined Pixar Animation Studios in 2003, where he has been an animator on such features as The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille, WALL*E and most recently the upcoming Disney Pixar feature, Up.



All activity at Hello World is free to attend, to register for your place please visit http://www.hellodigital.net/ and follow the links to Hello World.



Hello Digital festival Director Ruth Ward says, "Digital media is defining many aspects of our future and Hello World will give businesses a chance to hear more about the wealth of opportunities that digital holds for their own development, from an internationally renowned line up of speakers. It is a great privilege to be able to bring these spokespeople to Birmingham from across the globe, and Hello World promises to be an inspiring two days for all involved."

New headliners announced for Gigbeth 2008 lineup, Kano & Fabio


Gigbeth 2008, Birmingham’s biggest music festival, has announced new Headline acts Hip Hop & Rap star Kano, and Drum & Base pioneer Fabio, to it’s event line up this November.

Fabio and Kano will join artists such as The Guillemots, The Young Knives, Sugarhill Gang and Stanton Warriors as headliners for the Birmingham’s biggest music festival, being held at venues across Digbeth including The Custard Factory.


Kano – London born Rapper Kano is a BRIT award nominated artist who has collaborated with some of Britain’s biggest artists including Damon Albarn, Craig David, Kate Nash, and Brummie Mike Skinner from The Streets. His most recent 2008 single ‘Hustler’ peaked at # 12 in the charts.

Fabio – Fellow Londoner Fabio has been on the Drum & Bass scene for over two decades and has been a pioneer in the genre almost single handedly carving out the Liquid Drum & Base scene.

This year’s Gigbeth headliners are a testament to the festival’s diversity, and organisers feel that there is an act to suit every taste with a multitude of artists from a diverse spectrum of genres including Hip Hop, Drum & Bass, Jazz, Dance, Folk, and Indie.

Clare Edwards, Founder and Coordinator of Gigbeth says: “I’m delighted to announce that internationally revered artists Kano and Fabio have been added to the Headliners at Gigbeth. I feel that Kano and Fabio give the bill a bit more depth and add to the diversity that makes Gigbeth unique. This is without doubt the strongest lineup Gigbeth has ever had and with every passing year, Gigbeth is becoming more and more a symbol of the city’s vibrant music scene.”

Clare Edwards recently won the national title of 2008 UK Young Music Entrepreneur of the Year. Clare was also awarded the title of Birmingham Young Professional of the Year 2007.

Previous Gigbeth festivals have seen artists such as Dirty Pretty Things, The Raconteurs, Nizlopi and Boy Kill Boy take centre stage, supported by many acts, including The Twang, Scott Matthews and Envy & Other Sins, who have now become headliners themselves.

With performances in over 10 venues throughout the entire weekend, alongside a massive outdoor main stage at Millennium Point, Gigbeth 2008 is Birmingham’s biggest ever music festival.

Tickets are priced at £15 for Friday, £18 for Saturday, or £25 for the entire weekend. Tickets are available by ringing the official Gigbeth Box Office on 0844 888 3883.

Friday 10 October 2008

Gigbeth 2008 set to bring welcome boost to Birmingham’s economy



Digbeth music Festival set to generate over £1milliion in extra revenue for the city

Birmingham’s local economy is set to receive a shot in the arm from this year’s Gigbeth festival, taking place between 7th and 8th November 2008.

Last year’s festival brought over £800,000 in revenue into the 2nd city’s economy. With the Gigbeth 2008 set be bigger and better than the 2007 event, organisers are expecting the festival to generate more than £1 million for the regional economy.

The economic value of Gigbeth was put together by Audiences Central, and is testament to the growing importance and influence of Gigbeth. Audiences Central have performed a lot of qualitative and quantative research in the West Midlands supporting the likes of the Birmingham REP, ArtsFest and Compton Verney. Audiences Central is a well positioned market research service that work specifically in the arts and cultural industries.

Gigbeth is one day hoped to be as popular and iconic to the city as festivals such as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival have become to theirs. Last year, The Fringe brought in roughly £10.7 million, a sum that is a realistic target for Gigbeth in years to come.

The creative industries in Birmingham make up 9% of the city’s overall economic turnover. Events such as Gigbeth act important platforms from which to celebrate and excel the creative industry and maintain a healthy growth in the sectors revenue generation.

Clare Edwards, Gigbeth creator and organiser says, “Gigbeth is a great event for the city and the business model with which we run it by is one both Birmingham City Council and I take a lot of pride in. The money that funds Gigbeth allows us to provide the city with a fantastic event that is also generates economic growth throughout many other sectors. It is also a solid national platform for us to embrace our creative industries and protect the growing revenue streams they bring the city.”

Clare Edwards was recently celebrated as the 2008 UK Young Music Entrepreneur of the Year, beating rival competitors from London and Manchester. Clare was also named Birmingham Young Professional of the Year 2007 and has become a prominent figure in the region’s Birmingham’s music scene and creative industries.

Gigbeth 2008 music festival will take place from 7th- 8th November throughout Digbeth in Birmingham. Gigbeth 2008 has something for all music loving members of the public, with top draw artists from many genres and a line up that will see established favourites join the newest rising stars of today’s music industry.

With performances in over 10 venues throughout the entire weekend, alongside a massive outdoor main stage at Millennium Point, Gigbeth 2008 is Birmingham’s biggest ever music festival.

Tickets are priced at £15 for Friday, £18 for Saturday, or £25 for the entire weekend. Tickets are available by ringing the official Gigbeth Box Office on 0844 888 3883.

For further information on Gigbeth 2008 please visit http://www.gigbeth.com/

-ends-

Time running out for 'Early Bird' Gigbeth tickets

Gigbeth 2008 has released a limited amount of ‘early bird’ tickets for all the city’s music fans who want to be at the front of the crowd at this year’s festival.

Gigbeth’s ‘early bird’ tickets will be priced at £20 for the entire weekend, allowing you to see over 200 bands and DJs in 10 different venues across Birmingham.

Headlining this year’s Gigbeth festival are Brum favourites The Guillemots, ‘Geek Rock’ phenomenon The Young Knives, Hip Hop legends The Sugarhill Gang and dance music icons Stanton Warriors.

Clare Edwards, Gigbeth organiser, says: “The early bird tickets are a way of saying thank you to everyone who wants to guarantee their place at this year’s festival. It also offers a cheaper alternative to the overall weekend ticket price which will make the event more accessible and encourage people to see a wider range of artists over the entire weekend.”

Gigbeth 2008 ‘early bird’ tickets are priced at £20. This allows you entry to every gig and event over the 2 day festival. Gigbeth ‘early bird’ tickets will only be on sale until October 15th.

Standard Gigbeth 2008 tickets are priced at £15 for Friday, £18 for Saturday, or £25 for the entire weekend (booking after 15th October).

Tickets are available from http://www.theticketsellers.co.uk/, http://www.tixmob.com/, Marketing Birmingham and by ringing the official Gigbeth Box Office on 0844 888 3883.

Gigbeth 2008 music festival will take place from 7th- 8th November throughout Digbeth in Birmingham. Gigbeth 2008 has something for all music loving members of the public, with top draw artists from many genres and a line up that will see established favourites join the newest rising stars of today’s music industry.

With performances in over 10 venues throughout the entire weekend, alongside a massive outdoor main stage at Millennium Point, Gigbeth 2008 is Birmingham’s biggest ever music festival.

For further information on Gigbeth 2008 please visit http://www.gigbeth.com/

-end-

Gigbeth announces UK & international headliners on 2008 festival line up


Indie heroes The Guillemots, ‘Geek Rock’ phenomena The Young Knives, Hip Hop legends The Sugarhill Gang & Dance music icons Stanton Warriors amongst headliners at Gigbeth 2008

Gigbeth, Birmingham’s biggest music festival, has now announced its 2008 event headline acts. Leading names across many genres of music will be playing at the festival, with headline slots going to Indie heroes The Guillemots, ‘Geek Rock’ phenomena Young Knives, Hip Hop legends The Sugarhill Gang and break beat Dance music icons Stanton Warriors.

Gigbeth 2008 will also be hosting artists such as Oliver $, The Institubes, Miss Moneypennies, and Subfocus, Miles & Erica Hunt (previously known as The Wonderstuff), Pete Jordan , Joebot, Anathema, The Hair, Miccoli, DR. Meaker, and DJ Switch in venues across Digbeth including the iconic Custard Factory.

This year’s Gigbeth headliners are a testament to the festival’s diversity, and organisers feel that there is an act to suit every taste with a multitude of artists from a diverse spectrum of genres including Hip Hop, Jazz, Dance, Folk, and Indie.

Founder and organiser, Clare Edwards says, “It is very exciting that acts such as The Guillemots and Sugarhill Gang are coming to Gigbeth. Those two acts are representative of the artists we have at this years Gigbeth, pioneers and current genre leaders from two very different musical fields. It is great to see Birmingham stars like The Guillemots supporting their city by headlining for Gigbeth. I also believe this is the first time The Sugarhill Gang have performed in Birmingham, and it shows the strength of the Birmingham music scene that we can attract pioneering artists like The Sugarhill Gang to Gigbeth.

Clare Edwards recently won the national title of 2008 UK Young Music Entrepreneur of the Year. Clare was also awarded the title of Birmingham Young Professional of the Year 2007.

Previous Gigbeth festivals have seen artists such as Dirty Pretty Things, The Raconteurs, Nizlopi and Boy Kill Boy take centre stage, supported by many acts, including The Twang, Scott Matthews and Envy & Other Sins, who have now become headliners themselves.

With performances in over 10 venues throughout the entire weekend, alongside a massive outdoor main stage at Millennium Point, Gigbeth 2008 is Birmingham’s biggest ever music festival.

Tickets are priced at £15 for Friday, £18 for Saturday, or £25 for the entire weekend. Tickets are available by ringing the official Gigbeth Box Office on 0844 888 3883.

For further information on Gigbeth 2008 please visit http://www.gigbeth.com/

Saturday 4 October 2008

Amanda Palmer plays at Custard Factory's Space 2


Former Dresdon Dolls singer, Amanda Palmer, continued her tour of England with an intimate gig at Space 2 to a collection of hardcore fans and periphery bar side cynics.




The gig was most unlike anything I had seen before, her entrance nearly gave me a heart attack after I mistook her for a crippled ghost (she was on crutches). Amanda entered around the outside of the musical arena in an old wedding dress accompianed by ambient music and an abhorent stage performance from her dancers (I'll come back to this later).

After a crowd deadening intro from one of her associates, who bore more than a passing resemblence to Mr Incredible, Amanda launched into tracks from her new, critically acclaimed debut solo album Who killed Amanda Palmer.

I often bare slight reservations towards the alternative style of Amanda Palmer and her contempories, but I tried to keep an open mind and hold a balanced opinion. I must confess that the sound of the Air Con coupled with her disonant piano style did little to change my mind, although I was impressed by her voice and found her a genuinely engaging stage performer, although that may have something to do with the stockings.

People, particularly ones bestowed with fame and talent, are often judged by the decisions they make as well as their artistic integrity and output. Unfortunatley this is where Amanda's performance fell down. Her dance troupe postured and posed on the stage in a manner that showed a complete contempt for style, form and timing. Whatever she was on when she made the decision to not only hire but pay these people, is surely one of the worst errors of recruitment since the FA put the hopes of the nation in the hands of ginger, dutch wannabe.

I am an advocate of all art forms and will always search for the meaning and artistic intentions in any piece of work how ever bizarre or unevocative, but I couldn't grasp what thoughts, messages, or artistic intelligence was hoping to be evoked in the minds of the 200 people that turned up to see the former Dresdon Dolls front lady. I'm sure there were good reasons behind their ill fitting clothes and amatuerish dancing, but the meaning of every movement and garment was aloof to me.

On reflection, although I can't say I loved all her songs, I can certainly see why she holds such a loyal fan base and found Amanda, at times, an entertaining performer, but in reference to the question on her album cover, her performance artists killed Amanda Palmer.

Wednesday 1 October 2008

Birmingham’s iconic figure, John Baskerville, to be celebrated at the Hello Digital festival



‘Baskerville, the animated film’ will be put on by Birmingham City University and will explore the life and work of one of Birmingham’s greatest historical figures. The exhibition will also involve a communication wall which will be used to show the difference in text based communication over the last 250 years, from Baskerville’s typeface to modern day emailing and texting.

11 contributors were filmed, creating their characters in Fry's Baskerville, in Birmingham City University's MILO suite at Arts and Design Faculty in Gosta Green. The video documentation from the day is being developed into a series of 11 animated films, which form the basis of a large scale HD multi-screen installation at Millenium Point for the Hello Digital Festival.

The artwork is devised for a multi-screen installation of 11 iMacs on plinths arranged in a circle. Each iMac will be showcasing a short animated film, drawing/carving/constructing only one Baskerville letterform, created by a range of leading typographers/illustrators/lettering artists from the uk and beyond.

Collectively the installation will spell out BASKERVILLE simultaneously in the round.