Watercolor

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.

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.

Andy Abbott

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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