Pick of the Week: 18 - 24 April

Sunday 17 April 2016
reading time: min, words
It is all going off. No, really. This year's gathered momentum and the events are flying. No rest for the wicked
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Headwreck

Youth Workshop for Upcoming PCC Election
Oi, youth. If you’re feeling proper disengaged from your community and haven’t got the foggiest as to what’s going on with the council cos no-one bothers to explain it to you, but you’re sick and bleddy tired of being labelled apathetic and uninterested, clear your Monday night schedule. An open event for any and all young’uns in the city this week is hoping to shed some light on the election for the new Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire. No idea what that is? No problem, you will by the end of the evening. You’ll also get the chance to raise any concerns you may have about policing in Nottingham. If you need more information, follow the link in the event name.
Monday 18 April, 5.30pm, free, NCVS

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Kings
Notts-born actor and playwright Daniel Hofmann-Gill is bringing his latest piece of writing back to the endz. Set in Somerville House – sheltered accommodation for homeless or vulnerable men on Forest Road West – Kings tells the tale of a bunch of men, one of whom is ready to move onto independent living. The show is based on real-life experiences that Daniel encountered while volunteering in a place similar to Somerville House, and sheds light on some of the most marginalised members of our society. Expect lashings of humour, some proper Notts references, and apparently, a wee bit of Bonnie Tyler. We’re intrigued.
Wednesday 20 – Saturday 30 April, £13/£15, Nottingham Playhouse

Headwreck
The Television Workshop’s annual play season is drawing to a close this week, with a huge cast taking on the mammoth task of devising a production from scratch. Workshop director, Nic Harvey has set himself the challenge of writing an original piece for the 16-21 year olds in his cast, and by the sounds of things, it’s gonna be a corker. The notorious festival, Headwreck, is the setting for the play, in which a group of youngsters experience class As, bags of booze and a fair few relationship dramas. But teen-fizz this is not, with some proper dry humour and original songs from Felix M-B. A coming-of-age tale if ever there was one.
Wednesday 20 – Saturday 23 April, 7.30pm, £7, Arkwright Studios

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Suede’s 3rd Birthday 
Ahh, we love a good birthday here at the ‘Lion, especially when you know there might be pizza involved. The dough-loving guys down on Heathcoat Street have been serving up not only the Italian bread-based favourite, but also a good slice of music for the last three years. As you’d expect with this as their modus operandi, they know how to make it count on the special celebrations. On Friday they’ve bagged none other than the beatboxing don who’s looping is legendary, The Petebox. Then on Saturday, if you head back down you can grab a slice of Ninja Turtle birthday cake, hear some righteous DJs and live music from Elliot Hollins, and sup a cheeky drink or two. There might even be a few free cocktails floating about after 7pm, but supply is limited. Stuffed but not crusty.
Friday 22 - Saturday 23 April, various times, Suede Bar

Nottingham Fashion Week
NY. LDN. MLN. NTTGHM. Yeah, we’re joining the big boys and getting in on the fancy clobber stakes with a fashion week of our very own. And why not, we’ve got a wealth of independent fashion going off, which is why the whole week is kicking off with a spotlight on just that. There’ll be music, lifestyle and fashion for you to cast your eyes and ears over, and all for free, on the Friday and Saturday at Sneinton Market, including lush designs from One BC, Kurtis Cameron, Platypus Clothing, Headcase, Daniel Hanson, Clockwork Lobster, Fazane Malik, JC Middlebrook, Salt & Co, Ursa Minor, and, well, loads more. We have limited word counts, people. The rest of the week sees a host of events and catwalks, and local lass BBC Radio 1’s Alice Levigne will be hosting some of the events. Strike a pose, book some tickets, strike another pose.
Friday 22 - Saturday 30 April, various times, various venues

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Deeper Than Roots
There’s nothing quite like skanking away to music with beads of sweat dripping down your for’ead. Good job then that Nottingham is being hooked up with another of these sessions, this time with a bit of drum ‘n’ bass to stick in your pipe and smoke. The absolute legend Benny Page is ditching the festival stages and the 1Xtra appearances for The Maze, to spin some tunes and get arses shaking. On top of that, there’s the crazy powered-up Run Tingz Cru from Bristol, Omen Breaks B2B Lobes, Cheff, and the upstairs room will be packed with Nottingham heads like Origin One, Fable, Fel Dem and Hi-Def, in a reggae, dancehall and bashment shutdown. Nest Collective sound system too? Don’t mind if we do.  
Saturday 23, 10pm, £8/£10, The Maze

You're Mental
Despite the endless memes and metaphors circulating our social media pages, our mental health is still something we’d rather keep under wraps. Rough Trade aren’t having that, and as such, have organised a rip-roaring new charity event in the aid of mental health charity, Mind. Expect an evening of proper loud tunes from bands with extraordinary names, including Phobophobes, Cabbage and Clever Things. You’re Mental residents, Three Body Trio, will be popping up now and again with jazz interludes, soundscapes and beats, so there’ll never be a dull moment. And it’s all for a good cause. Wicked.
Saturday 23 April, 7pm, free but donations encouraged, Rough Trade

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St George's Day 
Fire breathing dragons and damsels in distress will be found in abundance this weekend, as St George’s day comes back around once again. And by fire breathing dragons we mean middle-aged men bellowing beer-fueled ‘big up, Britain’ chants, and damsels in distress taking the form of women with heels stuck in sewage grates after too many spritzers at Yates’. If you get into town early enough, you can - hopefully - avoid all this, though as there’s some cleaner fun to be had on the Square. Not only can you meet St George, Robin Hood’s going to be along for the ride. There’ll be storytelling, brass bands, plays, combat demonstrations, morris dancers, knights in armour,  and historical costumes you try on to snap yourself that might make a cracking new profile picture. Wholesome fun, which you can then follow up with a few pints of British ale.
Saturday 23 April, 10.30am - 4.30pm, free, Market Square

Nusic Workshop 
The annual event that is Future Sound of Nottingham, run by the good folk at Nusic, gives local bands a chance to not only play the main stage at Rock City, but open the main stage at Splendour Festival in Wollaton Park. All the details are on their fortnightly podcast and website, but after a bit of feedback, they are running a workshop this year that’ll give a bit more guidance on the whole process. It’s free but ticketed, and not on a week day so no excuses for missing it. Give yourself a helping hand if you want to storm the biggest stages in Nottingham.
Saturday 23 April, 10.45am, free, The Nottingham Academy, Greenwood Avenue

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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