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Competition: And the winner is...
The draw to win tickets to see Andris Nelsons’ first concert as music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra on Saturday 20 September has just taken place and we have a winner!
We're delighted to announce that Sara Taylor was the first name out of the box. Congratulations Sara, we hope you enjoy your night out.
Watch out for more competitions soon.
UPDATE: Sara responds via Twitter
Posted on Tuesday 09 Sep | 0 comments | Permalink
Competition: Win CBSO tickets
UPDATE: Due to unforseen circumstances here at Live Brum towers, the deadline for entries has been extended to mid-day on Tuesday 9 September. You've got 24 more hours to get your entry in while we roll our sleeves up and do some urgent server maintenance.
It's competition time again. We have a pair of tickets to give away for a fantastic CBSO event on Saturday 20th September. Remember what happened last time? All we can say is get your entries in and cross your fingers. You can't win if you don't enter.
A new conductor, a new era – three youthful orchestral showpieces launch Andris Nelsons’ first concert as music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra on Saturday 20 September, 7pm at Symphony Hall, Birmingham. And they couldn’t be more appropriate. Like Andris Nelsons himself, Berlioz was still in his twenties when he wrote his outrageous Symphonie fantastique, and the young Wagner actually wrote his Rienzi overture in Nelsons’ home city of Riga! Bartók’s thrilling ballet score for the Miraculous Mandarin Suite comes from the composer’s mid-thirties.
The CBSO’s new music director has already won widespread praise for his exciting performances with the Orchestra, and tonight’s programme has plenty to set pulses racing – so make sure you don’t miss the start of something really special!
Competition
For a chance to win a pair of Rear Stalls tickets (worth £64) for this concert on Saturday 20 September at Symphony Hall, simply answer the following question:
Who is the CBSO’s new Music Director?
- Bartok
- Nelsons
- Wagner
Send your answers via email to info@livebrum.co.uk before the closing date to be entered into the draw.
Closing date:Midday Monday 8 September Tuesday 9 September
The draw will take place almost immediately after that and the winner announced here (and via email).
Posted on Monday 01 Sep | 0 comments | Permalink
Making Things Happen
Live Brum is delighted to announce our first deal to sponsor a performance in Birmingham.
Pete Ashton has been playing with his new Thingamagoop and while blogging the experience he threw a casual comment out at the end.
"And now I find I want to do this live. Which means I need a little army of the things. Or a couple of Thingamakits."
Well that couldn't be allowed to pass so Live Brum has agreed to provide sponsorship in the form of a couple of Thingamakits in return for a commitment to perform live somewhere in Birmingham.
The joy that could come from watching Pete and his Things band (orchestra?) performing was too good to miss. The visual comedy alone should be worth the entrance fee.
Meanwhile Pete's under a deadline. The terms of the sponsorship require him to build a couple of Things, learn how to make sweet sweet music something, and perform live within six months.
We are yet to finalise a date and venue but rest assured, as soon as the details are pinned down, you'll be the first to know.
Posted on Sunday 27 Jul | 0 comments | Permalink
Get a free Daysaver!
A quick heads up to say that the newly named National Express West Midlands are offering everyone a free daysaver.
You can use your Daysaver all day, any day on any National Express West Midlands or National Express Coventry bus service. Just fill in the form online and they'll send you a free Daysaver ticket for use any day before March 31 2009. Just one per email address but that seems fair.
What are you waiting for? Claim your ticket now!
Posted on Friday 25 Jul | 0 comments | Permalink
Competition: And the winner is...
Everyone!
We're delighted to announce a special treat for all those who entered our latest competition.
We have come to an agreement with Punch Records that all entrants to this week's competition will get free tickets!
Yes, you heard that right. If you entered then you have won. Look out for an email detailing how you can claim your tickets.
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble is a 9-piece, New York-based jazz group featuring 8 sons of Phil Cohran on horns. Originally from Chicago, they'll be coming to The Rainbow this Sunday 20 July.
Watch out for more competitions coming soon and remember it's always worth entering as we have more surprises up our sleeves for future competitions...
Posted on Saturday 19 Jul | 0 comments | Permalink
Competition: Win tickets to see Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble is a 9-piece, New York-based jazz group featuring 8 sons of Phil Cohran on horns. Originally from Chicago, they'll be coming to The Rainbow this Sunday 20 July.
Raw, energetic and powerful, the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble have swallowed whole their Chicagoan heritage together with contemporary American music to form a brass band which is equally at home supporting Mos Def, as playing on the streets of Brooklyn.
The nine piece band have proved to be one of the most exciting on the circuit with the energy of a street band coupled with the virtuosity of first class jazz. Although far removed from the New Orleans traditional marching band, HBE have soaked up this rich tradition then injected it with an exhilarating dose of avant-garde jazz, hip hop, soul and funk. The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble hit you between the eyes with their infectious sound, a brass band for the modern day.
Competition
For a chance to win a pair of ticket to this Sunday's gig tell us: Where do the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble originate from?"
Send your answers via email to info@livebrum.co.uk before the closing date to be entered into the draw.
Closing date: 11am this Thursday 17 July.
DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 4pm on FRIDAY 18 JULY.
The draw will take place almost immediately after that and the winner announced here (and via email).
Posted on Monday 14 Jul | 0 comments | Permalink
Deadline day for The Big Picture
It's the final day for entries to The Big Picture and they urgently need more photos to break the world record.
This is a wonderful Birmingham based project to create the biggest photo album in the West Midlands. As they say, "Everyone can add their favourite pictures – family, friends, local landmarks, even your pets, we’ve made it easy to share your photos and tell the stories behind them."
The quick way to do this is to add the tag 'bigpicture2008' to your existing Flickr photos. Go on, spend 5 minutes adding that tag and you could help break the record.
Here at Live Brum we've added a few new pictures to our photostream. It would be lovely if you could do the same.
Posted on Monday 30 Jun | 0 comments | Permalink
Central Library - the debate takes off
Following on from yesterday's activities, Jon Bounds has an expanded version of his article in what he calls the Post proper - the print version.
Joanna Geary picked up on this and it certainly is an interesting turn of phrase. How long before the online version of The Birmingham Post is regarded as the proper version?
It's fantastic that the Birmingham Post has run with this. The more people get involved in this debate the better and The Post can really help with that.
Finally, Jon has created a collection of links, both for and against, which I encourage you all to browse.
NOTE: Just like yesterday, the image above is by Perry Roberts and you can buy prints from the Ikon Gallery. Do you really want to knock this down? This is a fantastic image that, to my eyes at least, pretty much makes the case for keeping the Central Library all on it's own!
UPDATE: Amongst Jons Delicious links there's an absolute gem - a video of architect Jon Madin talking to Adrian Goldberg about how the building 'just needs finishing'. Embedded below for your delectation.
Posted on Wednesday 25 Jun | 3 comments | Permalink
What do you want to do with the Central Library?
The future of Birmingham Central Library has been much discussed in Birmingham in recent years. The City want to bulldoze the current site and build a new library at a location still to be confirmed.
But there is a spanner in the works. The Birmingham Post reports that English Heritage are still keen to give the building Listed status and that will make demolition much more difficult.
Paul Dale has written a good article over at The Post summarising the current situation and Jon Bounds has replied with an alternative suggestion to knock everything around it down instead.
Jon's argument is very persuasive and I admit to being keen to see the building preserved. Are Jon and I in the minority or is there more widespread fondness for this building in Brum?
The two articles linked above provide great background and it would be interesting to hear from others on the subject. If you want to see the building saved then now is the time to start making a noise. Leave a comment here, or at The Post or at Jon's place or, even better, write your own article on your own blog!
NOTE: The image above is by Perry Roberts and you can buy prints from the Ikon Gallery. Do you really want to knock this down?
UPDATE Jon Bounds has posted a version of his article at the Birmingham Post after I requested in in his comments. Some may consider 'cross-posting' a mortal sin but it makes sense for The Post to represent a full range of views and in this case I think it's justified. Thanks Jon!
Posted on Monday 23 Jun | 0 comments | Permalink
And the winner is...
The draw to win tickets to see Carl Davis and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra on Friday 18 July took place this afternoon and we have a winner!
When the competition deadline passed today I suddenly realised that I needed someone to draw the winner. There had been several entries from people I know so there was no way I could do it. There is an obvious need to ensure impartiality and, for that, an independent witness is required.
Of course I hadn't arranged anything in advance so I headed to Rooty's at the Custard Factory. There's always someone trustworthy hanging round Rooty's and, sure enough, there was Lara Ratnaraja, Senior Manager at Business Link, all-round good egg and friend to the creative industries.
Lara agreed to perform the draw on the spot and we're delighted to announce that Michael Freeman was the first name out of the hat (well, box actually).
Congratulations Michael, we hope you enjoy your night out.
Watch out for more competitions soon.
Posted on Friday 20 Jun | 0 comments | Permalink
Win tickets to see the CBSO
Charismatic conductor Carl Davis and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra treat you to a stunning selection of popular classics on Friday 18 July, 7.30pm.
Join them at Symphony Hall, Birmingham for a wonderful evening of much-loved music including Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture, Beethoven’s Romance in F for violin, Debussy’s Clair de Lune, Fauré’s Pavane and Grainger’s arrangement of Danny Boy.
The music for the BBC’s hugely successful period-drama Cranford was composed by Carl Davis, and you can enjoy a sparkling concert performance of this Suite tonight.
This concert is in aid of the CBSO Benevolent Fund.
Competition
To win a pair of Rear Stalls tickets (worth £62) for this concert on Friday 18 July at Symphony Hall, simply answer the following question:
Who composed the music for the BBC’s drama Cranford?
- Mendelssohn
- Debussy
- Carl Davis
Send your answers via email to info@livebrum.co.uk before the closing date to be entered into the draw.
- Closing date: 11am on Friday 20 June.
The draw will take place almost immediately after that and the winner announced here (and via email).
Posted on Tuesday 10 Jun | 0 comments | Permalink
Socks gets rated at Meowseley
A blog is not a blog without cat pictures. So we interrupt our scheduled blogging to bring you news that Socks, the Live Brum house cat has just been rated at
www.meowseley.co.uk.
What? Well, yes, the cats of Moseley are now under scrutiny. We can't help but be a little disappointed with Socks 48% score but the site seems fair-minded and we'll live with it. You can be assured that Socks will ask for a new assessment once she's grown up a bit.
This is a wonderful, if somewhat surreal, new website that has humour that some might recognise if they'd had their eye on Moseley in the past...
We particularly look forward to the rating of Jon's cats, Bollo and Naboo.
Posted on Saturday 31 May | 0 comments | Permalink
Three Mad Minutes
As part of the Creative Networks event at Millennium Point last night I gave a 3 minute 'pitch' for Live Brum.
Well, I intended to give a three minute pitch. I set up a timed presentation of exactly that length but somehow in the transfer from Apple's Keynote to the required Powerpoint format all the time codes were lost so with no prior warning my presentation launched at about twice the speed it should.
What was already quite tight became utterly impossible as the slides sped past faster than anyone could read and faster than I could talk - and I can talk fast. It came quite close to being a car-crash presentation but I think the basic message got out. Lots of people came up at the end to say they enjoyed it.
As some point a video of the event will be posted at the Creative Networks website so you'll be able to see the mayhem for yourselves.
As an aside, and probably too negative a point for what was an interesting night, I was saddened that the Technology Innovation Centre where this was held could only accept presentations in proprietary Windows Powerpoint format. Frankly this isn't good enough. Effectively, everyone who wants to give a presentation has to pay for an expensive license or they simply can't join in and with such a grand (pompous?) title I expected better.
Apart from that grumble I enjoyed the event. It was fun to listen to Stef and Pete try and come up with a definition of Web 2.0. I'm not sure they actually succeeded in that (has anyone?) but it was enjoyable meander around their thought processes. They threw in lots of small practical tips too which seemed to go down well.
It would be lovely if the 'networking' part of the evening, with free Pizza in the cafeteria could be merged with the talks themselves as, for me, that would be much more appealing than starting with Pizza and then moving on to the lecture theatre. But this event is well established and if tonight's numbers are anything to go by then it's popular too so maybe I am alone in wanting something a fraction more informal.
Overall a good way to spend an evening. For those that are interested, the slides from my pitch can be downloaded below.
Live Brum 3 minute pitch. Download PDF
Posted on Thursday 29 May | 2 comments | Permalink
Created in Birmingham relaunches
Created in Birmingham has been undergoing some changes recently with Chris Unitt taking the reins after Pete Ashton stepped back.
The latest development is a modest re-design. An evolution of the previous site that now uses Baskerville for it's headings - a true Brummie font.
It's a work in progress and expected to continue to evolve over time. We'll be watching with interest.
Created in Birmingham has become a hugely valuable resource and it's terrific to see that Chris is continuing the great work to date.
Posted on Wednesday 28 May | 0 comments | Permalink
The Paper Market
This doesn't fit our criteria for inclusion in the listings as it's not live performance. You'll have to wait for ArtBrum for that [cough] but this looks great.
The Paper Market - 16 May - 2 July
Jibbering Art Proudly Presents
THE PAPER MARKETLaunch Night: Thursday 15th May from 7.30pm
A spectacular showcase of limited edition prints by many of the finest contemporary urban artists, illustrators, designers & photographers from within and around Birmingham.
This exhibition explores the blossoming movement of incredible art that reflects the vibrant and diverse subculture that exists in the city today.
Our new gallery e-commerce website, www.jibberingart.co.uk will also be launched on the 16th May. Prints will be available to buy on-line as well as at Jibbering.
More from www.jibberingrecords.com/
Posted on Wednesday 14 May | 0 comments | Permalink
Support The Rainbow in their licence appeal
UPDATE: Kent emails to say that they were given a license for 6 events a year. Success!
via Created in Birmingham and in their words.
"Bit late notice this one but The Rainbow have a licence appeal hearing on Wednesday. As I understand it they’re having issues adding the Rainbow Warehouse to the licence for the Rainbow itself.
Email your support to kent[at]rootyfrooty.co.uk. Now, please.
Not sure what to say? Maybe something along the lines of:
Kent
I would like to give my support to you in your Premises Licence appeal. In my experience events run at your venues have always been organised to the highest standards and have helped to promote the licensing objectives. Your venues also help to bring some much needed vibrancy to this area of Birmingham.
The Rainbow and the Rainbow Warehouse host music and film and we’re lucky to have them so please give em a hand.
If you read this in time then please send a quick email. Being able to demonstrate that you have public support can make a real difference at these hearings.
NOTE: The correct email address is kent[at]rootfrooty.co.uk