Artfarmers Open Mic @ The Beehive
In the back room of the Beehive Inn on a Wednesday, Bradfordian
art collective Artfarmers set up an evening of participatory and
audience-generated entertainment of such hospitality, warmth and
good cheer it almost made me forget what a grim February evening
it was outside.
It was my first experience of the somewhat confusingly dubbed
‘open mic without a mic’. I was pleasantly surprised to enter a
room bustling with people of many ages and backgrounds - some
gathered around tables making clay gnomes and paper decorations
- with a small PA system at one end of the room, conspicuously
complete with a microphone. Humorous, I thought.
The general vibe was one of ‘get up and have a go’ with a rough
agenda for the night’s entertainment being drawn up adhoc on
scraps of paper passed around the animated room. It was clear
from the outset that the evening was a far cry from a standard
open mic, and cannily avoided the same-old-faces/well-practised-
old-hands syndrome.
We were treated to poetry, a cappella folk songs, spoken word,
singer songwriters, solo guitar, a bit of accordion, brass, and a brief
one-man music hall performance. Strikingly, many participants
were using the night as an opportunity to try something new, or
that they hadn’t done before, or as their (non-)stage debut, all
testament to the inviting and welcoming atmosphere created by
Artfarmers.
When the room became a bit too rowdy the default master of
ceremonies Sam requested a bit of quiet and respect for the
performers, which was duly adhered to. The night thereafter
was a perfect balance of lightness and attentiveness making it a
genuinely attractive and useful platform for performers, as well as
an enjoyable night for the audience.
Both my partner and myself left with lumps in our throats, after
witnessing a concrete example of the ‘audience engagement’
and community empowerment so many arts organisations claim
to facilitate but rarely deliver as effectively. A great night out,
and despite the humble name and format as important an event in
Bradford’s cultural calendar as one could wish for.
Andy Abbott
Black Moth/Yugoslavian Boys – Rockers
and Rollers @ The Beehive
Rockers and Rollers’ new beginning, in Bradford’s favourite cellar
bar, promised to be an epic boom of live music - a promise it
certainly kept, as Yugoslavian Boys kick off and a crowd of freaks
start to gather. The band are not really Yugoslavian but actually
from crazy-land, and their performance, which has a hard punky
cutting edge, contains enough energy to blow a safe apart. The
singer, like all good frontmen, has that perfect balance of insanity
mixed with arrogance which really helps the crowd along. Various
brass instruments are violently abused throughout the set, making
this barmy and rather strange band a captivating act to watch.
By the time Black Moth begin their mass the crypt is full and people
want to do some serious getting down. Black Moth are tight and
well-rehearsed, they start with a heavy doom boom of grave-
shattering proportions which makes their presence felt throughout
the building. Today they have a new guitar player which allows
more freedom to the rest of the band and makes for a better, more
balanced sound. Signed to NHS label, Black Moth are due to release
their debut album this year and with more live performances like
tonight they could go on to bigger, brighter - sorry, I mean darker
- things.
George Quinn
THURSDAY 5TH APRIL - BLACK LACE LIVE @ SHIPLEY & DISTRICT SOCIAL CLUB
ALL PROCEEDS GO TO CHARITY
Kick off the Easter bank holiday weekend with the ultimate 80s party!
80s euro pop legends Black Lace will be performing all their party hits,
including: Agadoo, The Conga, Superman, Music Man, Wig Wam Bam and many
more! Hawaiian/80s fancy dress and inflatables are compulsory and there will be
an 80s disco, party games and a raffle to boot.
£3 + bf (select e-ticket to avoid transaction fee)
Tickets available from Seetickets
All proceeds to Macmillan Cancer Support
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