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please note many venues do not publish listings more than a month in advance

latest reviews:
Daughters of Albion - 27/04/08
Town Hall
Andy Mabbett
Hapgood - 15/04/08
Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Andy Mabbett
Portishead - 13/04/08
Wolverhampton Civic Hall
simon gray
Manchester Orchestra - 12/02/08
Barfly
simon gray
Kula Shaker - 09/02/08
Birmingham Academy
simon gray

birmingham alive ! featured event:
jug of ale - end of an era

rock
6 May - 11 May
jug of ale

since 1992 & earlier the jug of ale in moseley has been a byword for seeing new musical talent before they become famous.

it's the end of an era now, & the next week is your last chance to see as the rumours which have been floating around for the last nine months come true - the jug closes as a gig venue this sunday, with birmingham alive! favourites misty's big adventure being the final headline, ensuring the place goes out with a bang. oh, & the mexicolas are playing too...
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birmingham alive ! featured event:
The Orb

electronic
10 May
barfly

do the orb need any introduction?!
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birmingham alive ! featured event:
The Assassin

theatre
14 May - 17 May
crescent theatre

Written by the existentialist French philosopher, Jean-Paul Sartre, this rarely performed play is set during the second world war in a fictional country.

The tension and focus are on the main character, Hugo Barine, who has joined Illyria's Proletarian Party to forget his past. In order to gain acceptance and to escape the label of a mere bourgeois intellectual, he begs the leaders of his faction to allow him to take direct action - to become an assassin. His target will be the Party leader, Hoederer who has agreed to negotiate deals with the Fascist leaders of Illyria to get his hands dirty for the party's political survival.
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symphony hall featured event:
Chant d'Amour - Turangalîla Symphony

classical
20 May
symphony hall

There is nothing else in the whole of classical music to compare with the
experience of hearing Messiaen’s amazing Turangalîla Symphony live. A
larger-than-life tribute to the cosmic power of love, it features a massive
orchestra and major solos for piano and ondes martenot, the
other-worldly electronic instrument that was this composer’s speciality. It is conducted in the composer’s centenary year by Ilan Volkov, who has built a very strong reputation in large-scale 20th-century scores. We also begin a three-week Janácek focus with Taras Bulba, his stirring triptych telling of the battles and ultimate death of a Ukrainian Cossack hero.
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birmingham alive ! featured event:
The Muffin Men - Classic Zappa featuring Jimmy Carl Black

rock
22 May
the robin, bilston

Originally formed in 1990 to play a one off show to celebrate the 50th birthday of their
favourite composer, the Muffin Men have gone on to play more than 400 shows in 10
countries. They have recorded 10 CDs and had 4 original members of the Mothers of Invention/Zappa bands in their line-up. Their line-up and flavour have changed somewhat
over the years - just as Zappa himself evolved his bands and repertoire, allowing the
music to grow.
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glee club featured event:
Julian Cope lecture- Ancient Worship of the Gods Beyond Rome

talks
26 May
town hall

Capsule present an event at Town Hall as part of Fierce Festival, featuring an evening of the occult with visionary rock musician and hip archaeologist Julian Cope.

Cope will present one of his infamous lectures, based on his years of study of the occult, mythology and Britain’s pre-history. Followed by a screening of cult film Haxan (1922 dir: Benjamin Christensen)-an other worldly vision of grave robbing, torture, possessed nuns, baby sacrifices and satanic Sabbath, with a live soundtrack by art house electronix outfit Bronnt Industries Kapital.
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other listings sites are available...
at birmingham alive! we believe the city is big enough for all of us - as comprehensive as we aim to be, we recognise that nobody can cover absolutely every single event there is. if you can't find something interesting here, you might find these other sites to be helpful:

LiveBrum
Whats On In Brum
Arts Central
Birmingham City Council


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reviews

Daughters of Albion Town Hall 27/04/08 Andy Mabbett
Hapgood Birmingham Repertory Theatre 15/04/08 Andy Mabbett
Portishead Wolverhampton Civic Hall 13/04/08 simon gray
Manchester Orchestra Barfly 12/02/08 simon gray
Kula Shaker Birmingham Academy 09/02/08 simon gray
CBSO Symphony Hall 03/10/07 Andy Mabbett
Mahabharata Alexandra Theatre 26/06/07 simon gray
June Tabor mac 14/03/07 Andy Mabbett
misty's big adventure + restless list + kategoes.. jug of ale, moseley 22/11/06 simon gray
pravda - a fleet street comedy birmingham repertory theatre 03/10/06 simon gray
chicago alexandra theatre 28/09/06 simon gray
senser bar academy 13/09/16 simon gray
The History Boys birmingham repertory theatre 05/09/06 Andy Mabbett
david garside + band ceol castle, balsall heath 16/08/06 simon gray
paradise dreaming - a city fairytale, by hamfisted chamberlain square 23/06/06 simon gray
Jerry Springer: the Opera Birmingham Hippodrome 07/02/06 simon gray
Jansen Ensemble symphony hall 18/10/05 simon gray
Ray Davis symphony hall 08/10/05 andy mabbett
the mexicolas + paperweight industry bar academy 22/09/05 simon gray
against the wheel flapper and firkin 20/06/05 simon gray
CBSO / BBC Big Band Conducted by Wayne Marshall Symphony Hall 11/03/05 Andy Mabbett
Netherlands Symphony Orchestra Symphony Hall 10/03/05 Andy Mabbett
Freddy Kempf Symphony Hall 19/02/05 Andy Mabbett
London Concert Orchestra, cond. Neil Thompson Symphony Hall 14/02/05 Andy Mabbett
CBSO, conducted by Sakari Oramo Symphony Hall 10/02/05 Andy Mabbett
An Inspector Calls Birmingham Repertory Theatre 07/02/05 Andy Mabbett
CBSO, conducted by Lu Jia Symphony Hall 02/02/05 Andy Mabbett
Roy Harper Rock Cafe 2000, Stourbridge 05/01/30 Andy Mabbett
A birthday tribute to cellist Jacqueline du Pré symphony hall 26/01/05 andy mabbett
cbso symphony hall 25/01/05 andy mabbett
gilad atzmon and the orient house ensemble cbso centre 22/01/05 simon gray
Oddsocks - 'Macbeth: The Panto' mac 13/01/05 andy mabbett
National Youth Orchestra symphony hall 08/01/05 andy mabbett
Behzti (Dishonour) by Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti birmingham repertory theatre 20/12/04 simon gray
Mitch Benn & the Distractions the glee club 26/11/04 simon gray
Nitin Sawhney / Britten Sinfonia symphony hall 27/11/04 andy mabbett
Gillian Weir (Symphony Organ Concert) symphony hall 29/11/04 andy mabbett
Modeste / Gojo' Music mac 25/11/04 Andy Mabbett
Season's Greetings birmingham repertory theatre 15/11/04 andy mabbett
The Play What I Wrote birmingham hippodrome 01/11/04 Andy Mabbett
Steve Hackett alexandra theatre 15/03/04 Andy Mabbett
Bill Frisell / Djelimady Tounkara cbso centre 01/03/04 Andy Mabbett
citizen kane / just like jimmy barco, solihull 03/12/03 neil bromley
the australian pink floyd symphony hall 02/10/03 simon gray
gig at the old railway old railway 28/09/03 neil a bromley
JESSE JAMES + THE PLANET SMASHERS academy 2 26/09/03 neil a bromley
BLUE NATION + THE BLEEDING GROOVES + THE DAWN barco 24/09/03 neil a bromley
CAT CHINN barco, solihull 17/09/03 Neil A. Bromley
psychemodo flapper and firkin 17/08/03 simon gray
JASON MORPHEW + PALOMAR 13 royal george, digbeth 14/09/03 Neil A. Bromley
THE DHOBIES + WE LOVE YOU + FEAR OF STRING jug of ale, moseley 03/09/03 Neil A. Bromley
ghosts of the abyss imax, millennium point 17/08/03 simon gray
Richard Thompson Symphony Hall 04/07/03 Andy Mabbett
Double Helix cbso centre 22/02/03 Andy Mabbett
Michael Nyman Band With U Shrinivas, plus Rajan & symphony hall 21/02/03 Andy Mabbett
The Brodsky Song Show symphony hall 16/02/03 Andy Mabbett
the four seasons by candlelight symphony hall 30/12/02 Andy Mabbett
grand union orchestra - the call of paradise symphony hall 11/11/02 simon gray
the divine comedy birmingham academy 30/09/02 simon gray
Kate Rusby alexandra theatre 20/09/02 andy mabbett