10 Things To Do in Nottingham This Week

In case you managed to forget, the lead singer of DEP was the man who pooed in a bag at Reading 2002, smeared a generous helping on himself, and tossed the rest into the crowd. Think we’d rather have had a T-shirt, to be honest. He’d mellowed a bit by 2016, performing that year with his mardy arse stuck on a couch, and reading a newspaper. Basically, prepare yourself when you pop down to see Dillinger at Rock City in their final tour, because you never know if you’re going to get shit or sofas with them – but at least you know you’re guaranteed to get a proper heaping of balls-out rocking mathcore in between.
Saturday 21 January, 6.30pm, £16, Rock City. Event link

Malt Cross are always up to something creative, and now they’ve got artist Oliver Lovley in to host their life drawing sessions for a few weeks. A live model will be in the building every Monday for the next three weeks, it’s dead cheap to scribble them, and you might even make yourself some chums while you’re at it. The whole experience will help you to develop observational drawing and mark-making skills, with Oliver on hand to guide you through the process. There’s also the opportunity to take part in an untutored session, if you’ve got bodily illustration down already. £7 for one session, £12 if you fancied both.
Starts Monday 23 January, 6pm, £7/£12, Malt Cross. Event link

Old Robert Burns knew how to have a right good time, if the celebrations in his honour are any indication. Get in touch with your Scottish side at The Embankment’s Burns Night with some rollicking live music and traditional food. Celebrating the king of Scottish poetry is a worthy cause, but even better is getting yer face into a plate of haggis, cheeses, and neeps and tatties, and swilling at all down with some fine Scottish whiskey and maybe a cigar or two. It’s what he would have wanted, so gae hae yo’self fun an’ a’ that. Fifteen quid gets you four whiskies and four cheese tasters, or you can just rock up for free and see what the evening's all about.
Wednesday 25 January, 5pm, £15, The Embankment. Event link

The victims of the Holocaust during the Second World War will be remembered during a candlelight memorial. The date recognises the day the largest Nazi death camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, was finally liberated. All groups that suffered under the regime will be honoured by a candle-lighting ceremony. It will also be harsh reminder that extreme discrimination never went away, with genocide and persecution still a terrible reality for many countries, and hatred bubbling away in our own country, so go along and add your respects and a voice for peace.  
Thursday 26 January, 6pm, Green's Windmill. Event link

When you can’t fight it, you can either accept it or break yourself in a useless fight. Writer Mitchell Gail found a way to accept the realities of living with chronic mental illness without ignoring it or letting it control her life. Her new book Living the Life… records her experiences, and all the tips, advice and encouragement she’s learned through coping with her own issues. If you feel the need for some support from someone who’s been there themselves then snag yourself a signed copy at the book launch and sit yoursen’ down to hear words of wisdom from the woman herself.
Thursday 26 January, 7pm, Waterstones. Event link

Only seventeen years old and already on the brink of releasing his first EP, Tom McCartney is definitely no slacker. Add a rich, bassy voice that sounds like it belongs to a Louisiana blues singer with a lifetime of whiskey and tobacco in his past, and we reckon you’ve got a future star in the making. So make sure you grab a place in the crowd at Rough Trade and pick up a copy of Well-Dressed Man while you’re there. This is old-school rock 'n' roll with a modern twist, done to perfection.
Friday 27 January, 7pm, Free, Rough Trade. Event link

Nottingham Philharmonic Orchestra will be tuning up their instruments for a performance of themes from all the best duos in pop culture, including musical twosomes like Rogers and Hammerstein, sporting partners Torvlll and Dean, and best of all Batman and Robin. Round up the kids, settle into your seats, and enjoy an afternoon of perfect pairs – and try to resist the urge to start singing ‘Nanananananana, Batman!’ when the time comes.
Saturday 28 January, 7pm, £7 - £22, Royal Concert Hall. Event link

We’ve just about recovered from New Year’s Eve, now it’s time to celebrate the awesome spectacle of the Chinese New Year. This year, owned by the Rooster, the University’s Trent Building’s going to be decked dead fancy with giant illuminations projected across its walls. The event is free, but make sure you get your advanced bookings sorted to grab a viewing spot. Inside the Lakeside building you can take a peek at a whole heap of arts and crafts made using traditional Chinese practices – they’re in danger of disappearing in the modern world of tech, so go off down to see them before they’re all taken over by 3D printers.
Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 January, 6.30pm, 7.15pm, 8pm, Nottinham Lakeside Arts. Event link

Fancy a rummage? We know you do. Luck’s in then, because down at the Student Union you get the chance to dig, dive and burrow through over five tonnes of prime vintage clothing from the 1970s through to the 90s, and emerge with whatever your little scavenging heart desires: gorgeous steampunk corset? Bag it. Right proper old-school bomber jacket with lush zipper action? Grab it. Corded orange flares from the 70s? Hey, you do you dude. £15 will get you a full kilo of timeless treasures, but if you’re just looking for one or two special pieces you can ‘pay as you weigh’.
Sunday 29 January, 11am-4pm, Nottingham Trent Student Union. Event link

Runner-up in season 8 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, but first in fabulousness Kim Chi is bringing her impeccable anime style to brighten the January Notts gloom. Spankys will play host to the Chicago diva who’ll be glittering, sashaying, and throwing shade all over the place. You’ll also be able to catch old favourites Glittlerhawk, Marilyn Sane and Nana doing their thang, and a special appearance by Brighton’s Lydia Scabies (be warned, her show has a reputation for being ... messy. Towels are advised). What more can we say but: BAM!
Sunday 29 January, 8pm, £16/£27, Spanky Van Dyke’s. Event link

For the full motherload of goings-on this week, check out our What's On section