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Celebrating 20 years Of This Will Destroy You + Nordic Giants

Turning a new page: How Meadows Library escaped closure

Set up to support the library in the Meadows, Friends of Meadows Library has provided an essential hub for almost 100 years. Thanks to community togetherness and smart campaigning, the Meadows Library was recently saved from closure. We met Jackie and Di from the group, to find out what Friends of Meadows Library is there for, and why this special library was so worth saving.

The Early November

Rest In Peace: New Years Eve Cocktails and Crime

Simply ABBA live New Years Eve

NYE Comedy Special - Nottingham - Early Show

LeftLion Interviews Podcast #8: George Akins on Rock City, Beat The Streets, Thekla, Dot To Dot, Massive Attack and 30 years working in live music

A bonus eighth episode  talking with the most influential man in the Nottingham music scene, George Akins; owner of DHP Family, Rock City, Rescue Rooms, Bodega, Stealth, Splendour Festival, Dot To Dot and more...

An Evening With Shane Meadows

LeftLion Interviews Podcast #7: Chanel Cresswell on This Is England, Shane Meadows, Guy Ritchie, Colleen Rooney, Winning a BAFTA and more.

Our seventh episode is an interview with BAFTA-winning actor and Television Workshop alumnus Chanel Cresswell... 

We chat to Becky Unthank about winter, family and the Northern weather

Ahead of their headline show in Nottingham, Becky Unthank talks with Michael Prince about In Winter, the new album from The Unthanks. Together, they delve into tales as old as time...

We chat to Warren Ireland about life, music and local legends

Dan Bonnington caught up with local artist and ex-busker Warren Ireland, to talk about his musical inspirations, his influences and supporters, and just what makes Nottingham so special...

Interview: Barnaby Blackburn on his new short 'Pylon'

We chat to Barnaby Blackburn about his new Bafta-qualified short film, Pylon. 

We talk to Blue Violet ahead of their Metronome Nottingham show with Echobelly

With a new album due in January and in the thick of a support tour with Echobelly, indie alternative duo Blue Violet have a lot to be excited about. We caught up with them ahead of their gig at Metronome...

Director's Seat: Shane Meadows on his gratitude for the Nottingham Television Workshop

Shane Meadows is a legend of British film and television. In the mid-90s he was making lots of short films around Nottingham before releasing his debut feature TwentyFourSeven in 1997. Since then he’s gone on to create masterpieces like A Room For Romeo Brass, Dead Man’s Shoes, This Is England, Gallows Pole, The Stone Roses: Made of Stone and more.

Shane joined us for the fifth instalment of LeftLion Live at the Library, a series of live interviews that we’ve been hosting since July at Nottingham Central Library. In front of a live audience, LeftLion Editor-in-Chief Jared Wilson chatted to Shane about his illustrious career, covering everything from the Nottingham Television Workshop to Notts County FC. Here we’ve treated you to a snapshot of the conversation, which is available in full for your auditory pleasure on Spotify, YouTube and Apple Podcasts. 

LeftLion Interviews Podcast #6: Natalie Duncan on Music Careers, Hockley Hustle, Goldie, Jools Holland, Ronnie Scott’s, Peggy’s Skylight and more

Our sixth episode features a conversation with Nottingham-born neo-soul, R&B, jazz (and more) singer-songwriter Natalie Duncan... 

We talk with Hard-Fi about their return to the studio, and why Nottingham rocks

Ahead of their raucous return to the Rock City stage on 23rd November, Hard-Fi frontman Richard Archer talks with Talia Robinson about all things modern musicality and the need for nurturing nostalgia... 

We chat with Sports Team about changes in sound, their live show ethos, and KSI...

Sports Team are a band who take music seriously – and always have fun with it. Famous for headline-grabbing stunts, which have led to a feud with Matty Healy and a chart battle with Lady Gaga, the English alt-rockers are determined to keep making waves. Before their big headline show at rescue Rooms next week, Ali Glen caught up with the band...

We chat with Ian Broudie about goals, inspirations and Nottingham memories

The Lightning Seeds were formed in 1989 and named after a misheard Prince lyric, with frontman Ian Broudie going on to become one of the best tunesmiths of his generation, a writer of wonderfully melodic and uplifting indie-pop songs tinged with the band's custom vulnerability. Ahead of the band's return to Nottingham on 14th November, as part of their tour celebrating 35 years of the band and aptly timed to follow up on the release of their Greatest Hits album, Tomorrow’s Here Today, we had the chance to speak to frontman, producer and songwriter Ian Broudie...

How a Mini Cooper led to success on the stage and an acclaimed solo performance of A Christmas Carol

Guy Masterson's renowned Scrooge performance is coming to the Playhouse. He lets Leftlion in on how Richard Burton helped him along the way...

The queer reimagining of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly

Mariposa, the queer reimagining of Madame Butterfly, is about to play at Lakeside Arts. The creative force behind this new dance work, choreographer Carlos Pons Guerra, talks to Leftlion about his journey this far...   

Caves, campervans and comedy: the life of a Notts comedy promoter

Ian Whitcombe started off running comedy shows in his local pub and now has big names calling up for a gig. He talks to Left Lion about his role in the Nottingham Comedy Festival, the acts he has nurtured, and his own journey into the land of laughs... 

Gig review and interview: Stone at Rescue Rooms

STONE are no ordinary band: they are a movement; they are a lifestyle; they are one of the most hotly anticipated bands of this year. Talia Robinson tells of their tales as they performed at Nottingham's very own Rescue Rooms...

Interview : Laura Turner dares us to decide whether to sell our soul or sell our body

A Midlands-based, female-led powerhouse, is about to ignite the stage at Nottingham Playhouse with a question that will leave audiences breathless. Emma Oldham interviews Laura Turner, the artistic director behind Fury Theatre, about why they're asking such a bold question...

The worms are coming! Our homegrown alt comedy troup are taking over.

As Nottingham's alternative comedy venue prepares for its first ever Wormhole Weekend, alternative comedian Rosa Keaton takes us for a worm's-eye view.  

Alfie Brown talks broken down BMW's and banana bread

Comedian Alfie Brown's journey from Top Shop to top billing has met challenges along the way. Ahead of his forthcoming Open Hearted Human Enquiry tour, Alfie shares his insights into the lessons learned thus far...