The second of our run of three live music events featured our eternal favourites Shellac with support from the wonderful Helen Money. It was a sell out show, and all the performers thought you were a particularly lovely crowd! Images below are by Katja Ogrin.

Helen Money, heavy cello

Thanks of course to all who came, particularly those who did the triple whammy of Adrian Utley + Shellac + OM. Pictures from last night’s show with OM and ORE to come soon.

Our next big event is the Volume weekend 5-7 December. Featuring Bill Drummond, a selling fair of bespoke and rare books and prints, panel discussions and workshops it should be a great few days. Hope to see you there.

Thanks to all who came to witness the epic Adrian Utley guitar orchestra perform Terry Riley’s ‘In C’ at Library of Birmingham. It was the final of our Discover New Music series for the opening season of the library and a great way to finish this element of the programme. Support came from Pram, always a delight! Images below are by Katja Ogrin.

The Discovery season’s not over yet though. Craftspace are in residency all this week, Jennifer Collier will be leading a paper craft workshop this Saturday and Volume sees a keynote speech from Bill Drummond, live music from The Highliners, a series of panel discussions, and a selling fair just in time for Christmas.

Members of Kogumaza and Opium Lord joined the orchestra

Pram with visuals by Film Ficciones

Related: How to choose guitar wall mount?

We’ve got a score of great gigs coming up, including Adrian Utley on 26th Nov at Library of Birmingham, performing Terry Riley’s ‘In C’ and Shellac + Helen Money on Monday 25th November at Rainbow Warehouse. Rounding up this trio of excellent shows is OM, always a fantastic live band, they’re joined by Lichens. Support comes from doom tuba group ORE, who will be playing as a trio.

“Just three years into their dual-tuba project, Birmingham’s ORE continue to evolve rapidly. From early drone/doom beginnings their music has lately drawn inspiration from Indian classical music and other improvisational influences to become something much more difficult to define.

Autumn 2013 sees them celebrating the release of their new double A side 7″ in collaboration with Japanese noise master KK Null on Endtyme Records, and for this performance they will be joined on drums by regular live collaborator Lydia Glanville.”

Listen to a sample of their record with KK NULL, a project born out of their collaborative performance with the Japanese noise artists and Zeni Geva frontman at Supersonic 2012.

Tickets for OM + ORE at Rainbow Warehouse are available via www.theticketsellers.co.uk

Birmingham’s Pram craft fairytales from concrete reality. The second city’s spin cycle of perpetual renovation, from the slum clearances to its current cosmetic upgrade, is etched in Pram’s restless groove, an endearing and gently refusenik mix encircling early Rough Trade innovators The Raincoats, astro jazz, sci-fi soundtracks, creepy Victoriana, tropical analogue and tumbledown funk.

You can see Pram perform at the Library of Birmingham on Sunday 24th November, supporting the Adrian Utley Guitar Orchestra’s interpretation of Terry Riley’s ‘In C’. It’s the last show in our Discover New Music series for the opening season of the library – so don’t miss out!

Tickets are available via www.birmingham-box.co.uk

Sunday 24th November at Library of Birmingham
Adrian Utley Guitar Orchestra – Terry Riley’s ‘In C’ + Pram

Adrian Utley (Portishead) brings together an orchestra of electric guitar players to interpret Terry Riley’s ‘In C’. Written in 1964 and perhaps one of the most influential pieces of music from the 20^th Century, one that established minimalism as a music genre, In C’s simple musical rules – 53 musical phrases in C and no duration – allow for infinite variations. Utley’s impressive Guitar Orchestra is augmented by percussion and organs making for a vintage and mesmeric sound. The effect is an organic musical experience very much created in front of the audience both fragile and thunderingly uplifting.

We have recruited a number of extra players for this performance to make it truly unique, including members of Mugstar and Sunday Mourning.

Birmingham’s Pram craft fairytales from concrete reality. The second city’s spin cycle of perpetual renovation, from the slum clearances to its current cosmetic upgrade, is etched in Pram’s restless groove, an endearing and gently refusenik mix encircling early Rough Trade innovators The Raincoats, astro jazz, sci-fi soundtracks, creepy Victoriana, tropical analogue and tumbledown funk.
www.myspace.com/pushthepram

Book tickets now via www.birmingham-box.co.uk

Charlemagne Palestine and Rhys Chatham first met in the late 60’s in New York and last Saturday saw the two giants in modern composition collaborate for the first time in 30 years.

Their performance gave us an insight into 2 performers who respect and admire each other and even featured some audience participation. Their onstage banter was one of old friends enjoying themselves.

The evening began with a captivating performance by Ex Easter Island Head in their large guitar ensemble guise. 12 guitarists (plus 1 drummer) played adapted guitars that created a joyous cacophony of repeated phrases and harmonics.

All images

by Katja Ogrin

Terrorizer are running a competition where you can win a single pair of tickets for the OM + ORE show at Rainbow Warehouse on Tuesday 26th November. Follow the link, answer their (easy peasy) question and the winner will be announced a week before the show.

Support comes from tuba doom group ORE. Doors are 8pm and you can purchase tickets via www.theticketsellers.co.uk

Good luck!

Image by Cathy Wade

All this week the Pavilion houses Carousel – Slide/Tape by Cathy Wade. She has created an immersive environment that explores ownership, time, sound and image. Come and meet Cathy and work with the carousels, original slides and mementos, to create ever changing projected environments. This residency is open til Sunday 20th October.

Image by Katja Ogrin

On Saturday 19th October, there’s another chance to catch the Birder’s Paradise workshop. Nestled around the library are 12 bird sculptures inspired by birds that feature in the content of the library’s collection. The tour is free, just meet at the Pavilion at 11am or reserve a place online at www.birmingham-box.co.uk

The next in our Sunday Film Club series an archive travel compilation of shorts with a focus on Birmingham on Sunday 20th October at 2pm. Amazing footage has been sourced from BFI and MACE (Media Archive for Central England). Tickets are £5 and kids go free. www.birmingham-box.co.uk

Masaki Batoh will be demonstrating his brain pulse music at Bring To Light

The next Discover New Music event is Bring To Light 25-27 October – a Supersonic Festival inspired weekend featuring adventurous new music. The event features the internationally renowned artist Dinos Chapman performing his new sonic work, South African dance phenomenon Shangaan Electro, the roboticist and theremin player Sarah Angliss, the ‘brain pulse’ music of Japan’s Masaki Batoh and many more. Weekend and day tickets are available via www.theticketsellers.co.uk

DINOS CHAPMAN LUV2H8 from thevinylfactory on Vimeo.

Also that weekend, Flatpack Festival are celebrating early cinema with Box of Light. There’ll be performances, screenings and workshops. Bookings are open for very intimate performances of The Icebook. Thoroughly recommended, it uses miniature projects and delicate paper cut outs to create an extraordinary visual effect.Tickets are £5 www.birmingham-box.co.uk