image: Broadway
The History of the Crime Film
Having been unceremoniously branded ‘Shottingham’ by red top news prints up and down the country, Nottingham has become synonymous with crime. We like to think we’ve come out the other side as an all-round more mature, responsible almost adult, and left our rebellious teenage past behind us. We still love bein’ a bit naughty, though, and what better way to sink your teeth into the dark side - legally - than to head over to Broadway for their new History of the Crime film course. You’ll get to examine our fascination with bank robbers, corrupt cops and the pistol wearing anti-hero in the eight week course, sifting through films from days gone by. It’ll set you back a few bob, but it’s bound to be worth it.
Monday 16 November, 7pm, £50, Broadway
The Pitmen Painters
We bleddy well love the underdog. the unexpected hero. The nobodies who became somebodies. One brilliant example of this, are the Pitmen Painters. Hailing from Northumberland way back in the good owd days of 1934, a bunch of miners went to a WEA evening class in art appreciation, but they struggled to understand the paintings the class was based around. So, they started to create their own work. Drawing the everyday objects they saw around them, they created some pretty darn good works of art. Lee Hall has transformed their story into this play, available this week for your viewing pleasure.
Runs until Saturday 21 November, 7.30pm, £11, Lace Market Theatre
The main man will be tearin' up Rescue this week...
Talib Kweli
This one is a biggun. Brooklyn born Talib is popping over the pond to grace us with his musical presence. And we’re chuffin’ buzzin’. His name means ‘student of truth and knowledge’ in Arabic, but it’s us who should be seeking enlightenment from one of the most prominent underground hip-hop rappers. Supported by Notts own Stan (Crook Education) and J. Littles, you can catch the main man himself performing renditions of of tracks from Quality, The Beautiful Struggle and Eardrum. It might be a school night, but you best be prepared to bop your head to the heavy beats down Rescue this Tuesday. So book a ticket, sharpish.
Tuesday 17 November, 7pm, £17.50, Rescue Rooms
Mud Press Spoken Word Event
Spoken word has taken over our city faster than a bout of the clap. We’re enjoying it significantly more than said venereal disease, though, so you can count on catching us down the Portland this week to check out the poetic talent on offer. You can expect to see rhyming couplets from Stephen Thomas, Georgina Wilding, and our very own LeftLioness, Bridie Squires. There’s even gonna be a couple of acoustic acts ready to perform, including Broken Wordsmiths, and the ever so lovely Brett Sinclair. The pints are pretty cheap, too, so you can get right merry while you watch.
Wednesday 18 November, 7pm, free, The Portland Arms
Christmas Lights
Goodness gracious, great balls of fire. The supermarkets have officially begun their premature countdown to Christmas. Advent calendars have officially been sighted. Tinsel is beginning to appear in department store windows. If this hasn’t put you right in the mood for mulled wine, then the only thing left for you to do is pop down to Market Square and watch the council’s leccy bill soar through the roof as they turn on the Crimbo lights. The date also marks the return of the proper festive German Market, complete with independent food stalls, including proper goose fat potatoes in thicker than thick gravy. The ice rink will also be back in business, so you best start practising your Boleros now.
Friday 20 November, 5.30pm, free, Market Square
LA Priest (Ex-Late of the Pier)
Our Tempreh might have a new Artistic Director, but you can still count on the same show stopping events being held inside it’s walls. This week sees Sam Dust - an electronic musician, and a little bit of a recluse - take the stage in The Space. After spending the last few years in Greenland, studying the effects of the Ivvittuut region’s electro-magnetic phenomena on recorded sound (oo-er), he’s kindly popping over to Notts to give us a peek into what he might have found. All in musical form, of course. You should head over to their website pronto to bag yourself a ticket. We have a feeling he won’t be coming back on the reg.
Friday 20 November, 7pm, £9, The Space, Nottingham Contemporary
The biggest, baddest hifi in town...
Rubberdub Presents Mungo’s Hi Fi and Swindle
The legendary Mungo's Hi Fi Soundsystem will be visiting Nottingham to help the Rubberdub lot celebrate their eighth birthday, and if that wasn't enough already, they’ve got the multi-talented, producer, DJ and musician Swindle coming down for an album launch DJ set. Swindle has produced for the likes of Chipmunk, Professor Green and Roll Deep and is one of the brains behind the label Butterz. If you’ve been to one of the Rubberdub nights before you’ll know what to expect; bass-heavy music and good vibes all around. Make sure you get in there early to avoid disappointment.
Friday 20 November, 11pm, £10, The Irish Centre
Neville Staple Band
Ey up, our Nev’s back! He’s been around for a fair few years (thirty five, to be precise) and he’s showing no signs of slowing down. Thank God for that. The ‘original rudeboy’ is headlining The Maze this Friday, bringing his own beats, and a few covers of some classic ska tracks. Maze favourites, UJAHM and Gecko are ready and waiting to warm you all up good and proper. It might be nippy outside my friends, but it’s bound to get right sweaty up in there, so consider leaving your coats at ‘ome, and prepare for some luke warm red stripe...
Friday 20 November, 8pm, £17.50, The Maze
Morley Threads
Housed in a former Samuel Morley factory on Ashley Street, Backlit are pretty proud of their premise’s heritage. And we can’t blame them, Morley was a businessman, a philanthropist and was dedicated to social reform. For the last year, Backlit’s Samuel Morley Programme has been revelling in the history and the legacy with Penny Lectures, community programmes, workshops and exhibitions. To conclude the programme, Morley Threads brings together all the connections they have made over the year. There’ll be a series of talks, events, exhibitions and, taking it right into modern day, a virtual reality helmet that allows you to walk around the building and see it as it was when it was a factory. Pretty smart. Check out their site for details, or just pop in and have a meander around the space.
Saturday 21– Sunday 29 November (weekends only), 12 – 5pm, free, Backlit
Book Off
We’ve gone wappy for words this month, so Rough Trade, in association with the new Nottingham Poetry Festival, are jumping on the bandwagon with a brand spankin’ monthly event. Amanda Smith Storyteller kicks off the day with story time for the kiddos, and there’ll be a songwriting workshop and playwriting workshop led by Rob Green and Playhouse associate artist Gareth Morgan, respectively. Newly formed feminist collective, Major Labia, will be performing brand new comedy sketches, and UK All Stars Poetry Slam Champion 2013, Ben Norris, is gearing up to perform. Bleddy hell, there’s loads. There’s bound to be more info closer to the date, so keep yer tabs to the ground to find out more.
Sunday 22 November, 11.30am, free entry, Rough Trade
For the motherload of everything else going on this week check out our comprehensive Nottingham events listings.
Promoters: Want your event featured in one of our upcoming Pick of the Weeks? If so then you can start by adding your event details into our magazine and website database.
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