Within music and entertainment the LGBTQI+ community have always been at the forefront of creativity, pushing boundaries of identity, performance and sound. In celebration of these, we take a look at some of the musical artists hailing from Nottingham's vibrant LGBTQ+ community. Have a read, and explore some new sounds from these wonderful creatives.
ROB.GREEN
Making his recording debut in 2021, Green crafts expertly-refined soul/pop magic to write, unite and connect with an ever-growing and an ever-adoring audience. His most expansive EP to date, MANHOOD, was released last year and encompasses Green's perfectly armed set-up: a loop pedal, an acoustic guitar and his signature vocals - honeyed and irrepressible in performance. Receiving garnered attention from BBC Radio 6Music's Tom Robinson and Radio 1's Huw Stephens, his single LIFE GOES ON was featured on the BBC 6 Music's Loud and Proud LGBTQ+ playlist in 2021; a well-earned spot from an individual who draws great inspiration from his life growing up as mixed-race and gay in his 0115 hometown.
@robgreenmusic
Bexx
Bexx's 80's tinged alt-pop serotonin boosters have amassed a boastful following since her tenure in 2021 with anthem Hard To Love. A set-up befitting of any classic rom com soundtrack - the estranged guitar solos, reverb drums and synth-wave gleans - it’s safe to say that Bexx's colour and flair has shone a light on the ever-thriving community of Nottingham's LGBTQ+ community. Vibrant, sassy and a little bit troublesome, Bexx will be more than happy to take up the city's mantle as deranged alt-pop princess.
@bexx.mp3
Baby Tap
Best of luck looking anywhere else when this individual is on stage. A cathartic experiment blending hyper-pop and industrial techno results in Baby Tap - a producer, rapper and now-turned cyberpunk enthusiast. Amongst the whirligig of mayhem, comes a whimsical darkness to lyrics that both toy and cut deep in deliverance. Hypnotic in both sound and sight, Baby Tap stays true to his roots in camp defiance as a true individual doused in flamboyancy.
@baby_tap
Cheap Dirty Horse
Cheap Dirty Horse are a rowdy Queer-trash folk-punk six piece stirring up trouble on the very streets they used to busk on. Now, charting a bonafide career going from strength-to-strength, this lot and their fast flurries scream about gender, washing machines and almost everything in-between. Led on by mighty anthem On the Rob, which has amassed a plentiful audience online, their recent single G For Gendetta is now receiving the same treatment. The group cemented an already successful year, by being part of Nottingham’s first ever Trans Pride celebrations in June. Read our interview with them on page seventeen!
@Cheap_Dirty_Horse
Gender Envy
A trio not to be meddled with, Gender Envy are a spunky-punk collective fronted by queer trans and non-binary people. With a raw triage of fast and flurried anthems, Jae, Sam and Luke sing songs they wish their younger selves could - and should have - heard. Their raw lived experiences are embraced and shared to a community fortunate that their voices too are heard through fast, tetchy punk. Being loud and proud is the most effective way of letting the world know what you're all about.
@Gender_Envy_Band
LYVIA
Earnest pop poet and up-and-coming soloist Lyvia effortlessly weaves the use of spoken word and poetic rap behind an orbit of lo-fi beats, as she expresses her personal experiences via her music: an identity personable in itself. Posing the question if home was more a feeling than a physical place, recent single Homesick is a lush lull to the senses as Lyvia's soulful throbs carve a song full of raw emotion. Exciting times for the 23-year-old; long may she continue to help us dream.
@lyviamusic
Arch Femmesis
Birthed from Nottingham's underground queer scene, ARCH FEMMESIS are a force to be reckoned with. Made up of performance artist ZERA TØNIN and androgynous synthesist MEDDLA, the duo are slotted within the electro-punk department, with plenty of brooding charm to coax and coerce the audience. MEDDLA's undulating synth basslines and ZERA's psychosensual poetry are a perfect pairing, as they both smirk in playful paranoia. Their 2022 EP, Violents, is a powerful combustion of sound and identity, like a crooning Confidence Man.
@archfemmesis
DiabloFurs
DiabloFurs are a true resemblance of the city's embrace to an individual music identity. The Nottingham group's brand of shimmering electro-glam-punk and skittish Sci-Fi workings-out have turned many heads since their formation in 2015. Their recently released second record of Welcome to the City of Fun has been well-received among fans, new and old, as they continue to light up Nott's underground scene like no other.
@diablofurs
Yay Maria
Amazing vocalist and performer Yay Maria lays claim to Nottingham's version of Christine and the Queens, both displaying traits of breaking the confines of gender, sexuality and identity with their passionate electronic-pop works. Maria and her angelic voice on songs WOEBOT and TEMPLATE is both powerful and hypnotic - letting it be known that being queer is indeed beautiful.
@yaymariayay
Retina
Nottingham's four-piece Retina tear it up live with their raucous showing of brash and brazen gloomy grunge-rock. Despite only releasing two tracks so far, they have been branded as a much-needed adrenaline shot of vicious energy within Nottingham's emo-punk scene. Released just last month, Bullet on a Cross' dark delivery has tropes of Nirvana's debut, Bleach. Hopefully more to come from them!
@retina_bandofficial
HUNNISUCKLE / BIMBOfication
Amplifying the magic of music from across the globe through their queer parties, gatherings and workshops, Hunnisuckle is a rich-diverse collective that focuses on creating a safe and inclusive space for the queer community. The project began in London working alongside iconic venue Dalston Superstore, which soon became their hub and home as a result of their residency.
With such a strongly-welded community comes the magic of collaboration, too. Recently, having expanded their reach to the East Midlands, their recent collab event with Loose Events (BIMBOfication) at Nottingham's Tunnel Club saw a vast line-up of incredible DJs take to the decks. In a wonderful night of coming together for the love of music and identity, their sprawling events are just some of the amazing work that both Hunnisuckle and BIMBOfication are doing to create such a more sparkling and accepting community. It's time everyone knew about them!
@hunnisuckleevents
We have a favour to ask
LeftLion is Nottingham’s meeting point for information about what’s going on in our city, from the established organisations to the grassroots. We want to keep what we do free to all to access, but increasingly we are relying on revenue from our readers to continue. Can you spare a few quid each month to support us?
