Pick of the Week: 2 - 8 June

Quiz time babeh

Never Mind The Bodega
There’s a brand new quiz in town, hosted by LeftLion’s finest. We know you’ve all got your favourite pub quizzes, probably at yer local or summat, but hear us out. This one’s for the proper music buffs out there. All about the sounds that make you tap your toes, it’s a right good laugh. There’s something for every muso in the citeh, with a general music knowledge round, a themed round, a lyrics round, a song intros round and even a miming round for everyone to get involved in after a few happy hour drinks. Strap yer thinking caps on, cos they have some bloody amazing prizes to win too.
Tuesday 3 June, 8pm, 50p, The Bodega

Where are the Luddites? An Open Call for Bioluddites
The Luddites were the hammer-happy artisans of nineteenth century Nottingham who smashed up the machinery putting them out of work. Near Now, Broadway’s artist development program, is hosting a panel discussion to have a natter about the relevance of such drastic action in modern day society, with critical exploration of digital communications, biotechnology industries and everything in between. Speculative designer Lisa Ma is the lady running things, and she’ll be sat alongside Ben Vickers, David King and John O’Shea in the debate pulling complex topics out of the jargon and rolling it into bites we can all swallow. Get on the blower and book a seat: 0115 952 6611
Wednesday 4 June, 6.15pm, £4/£5, Broadway Cinema

Merry men

Weird and Wonderful Tasting Masterclass
You don’t have to get absolutely ratted when enjoying alcohol, you know. Okay, stop laughing, we’re serious. BrewDog have been searching high and low to find the craziest, most beautiful beers this world has to offer. You’ll get the chance to swill, swallow and swoon over some seriously tasty bevvys. This gracious lash wouldn’t be complete without delicious accompanying food, making the evening a “festival of delights”. Tuesday night’s session filled up so quick that they’ve had to put another one on, so email nottinghambar@brewdog.com to book a place before they run out again.
Wednesday 4 June, 7pm, £25, BrewDog

Wire & Wool Minifest
Here’s a jam packed night if ever we saw one. Those lovely lot at Wire & Wool have got into the festival spirit and, in partnership with DIY Poets and Mouthy Poets, are putting on their very own. There’s bloody loads going off, with two stages worth of local talent. You can expect to hear the sweet sounds of musicians like Connor Spray, Blessing Magore and Cheshire & The Cat to name a few; but that’s not all, as you might’ve guessed, there’s plenty of spoken word poetry going off too, so get ready for beautifully clever words from some of the best bards Notts has to offer.
Thursday 5 June, 8pm, free, Alley Cafe

Shut The Front Door Closing Party
All the students are heading back home, and that means one thing - loads of mental parties. Promoters are going crazy at the minute, all trying to book the hot act of the moment, whereas Shut The Front Door are doing something a bit different. They’re booking acts that they love themselves, not just acts that’ll make ‘em some quick cash. The tropical-disco promoters will be bringing you the sweet sounds of future boogie pioneers Tiger & Woods, as well as the funk-filled Nottingham debut of Darius (no, not that geezer off Pop Idol). It sold out well in advance last year, so get your ticket soon if you wanna get your funk on.
Thursday 5 June, £8 - £10, Rescue Rooms

Big tings

Take Over presents Carnival Season
The barbecues are out, the sun is shining and nothing feels more right than blasting a bit of reggae with a double Malibu. It must be carnival time. Take Over plan to kick off in style, bringing the best reggae takeover this side of tahn. Their live band will be on hand to fine-tune the mood, and with performances from Nadia Latoya, Shadrach Da Fardah and Princess, you’re guaranteed to be feeling that summer vibe. There’s gonna be loads of authentic Caribbean cuisine and decorations to turn Spanky’s into a fully-formed indoor carnival. Unu cyaan miss dis waan...
Friday 6 June, 9pm, £5, Spanky Van Dykes

Grand Theft Audio
There’s a wicked two day party cracking off in Nottingham, but shhh! It’s a super-secret shindig, location details are being released via a party line which goes live on the Facebook page on day one. A huge collaboration between some of the finest labels and promoters in Nottingham means entertainment from the Nottingham hip hop legends that are 1st Blood, electronic dance duo One Bomb and refined DJ and producer Leygo. On top of some sweet sounds from loads more acts, there’s face painting, a creative market, tasty 3C’z grub, live graffiti art and crazy décor from Tekonta Secta.
Friday 6 – Saturday 7 June, 9pm and 3pm onwards, £5/£7

No Tomorrow Festival
Wollaton Park may already play host to the biggest festival in Hoodtown, but one just wasn’t enough for them, so DHP have put together No Tomorrow, a festival full of some of the biggest and best live acts and DJs of the moment. London Grammar, Sam Smith, Clean Bandit and Duke Dumont headline a lineup laced with Nottingham’s finest. In typical festival fashion, there’ll be loads more than just music - a vintage market, food stalls and a funfair are out in full force, there’s even a photo booth so you can regret those drunken faces for years to come.
Saturday 7 June, 1pm, £40, Wollaton Park

The festivals... All of them!

Detonate Festival
Remember getting squashed to within an inch of your life at Indoor Fest? Well now you get all the joys of raving your arse off without the sardining. Detonate are celebrating their fifteenth birthday at Colwick Park, with over seventy confirmed acts and even more to be announced. You’d think getting five stages worth of acts like Bonobo and Shy FX would be enough, but they’re also giving us nine gourmet food stalls to stuff ourselves on, an opportunity to nab some limited edition merch, as well as plenty of live art performances dotted around the park. Happy birthday to you indeed.
Saturday 7 June, 11am, £40, Nottingham Racecourse

Under The Radar Festival
With all the festivals going off in Notts this year, it’s easy to miss some of the smaller independent ones - well have no fear, LeftLion is here. URN, Nottingham Uni’s radio station, is putting on an all-dayer full of some of the best local talent Hoodtown has to offer. From pop to indie and everything in between, everyone can find something they’ll enjoy here, and we can guarantee it’ll be a lot more enjoyable than sitting by yersen watching Countryfile. All proceeds will be going towards Emmanuel House, the homeless charity based in Hockley - so not only do you get to enjoy yourself, you’ll be doing a very good turn.
Sunday 8 June, £3, The Chameleon Arts Cafe

Branded Casting Call
Calling all lovely ladies. Are you, or is someone you know, skint, confident and gorgeous? Luck’s in, because Branded Event Promotions are looking for new staff with loads of initiative, management potential and people skills. The day will take the form of fun group tasks, roleplaying and one-to-one interviews. If you’ve got experience in events, hosting, performance or anything related, it’s worth sending over your CV with a couple of photos via their Facebook page to be in for the opportunity to get involved. It’ll be no ordinary interview, lending the chance to work with a vibrant, up-and-coming promotions company.
Sunday 8 June, 12pm, free, Suede Bar, Hockley

Digital revolution

Riot 1831
Strap on the riot gear. Not only is an anarchy-laden LeftLion mag rampaging through the streets of Nottingham, but an exhibition at the castle is firing us back to a night in 1831, when Goose Fair goers flipped out after hearing that the Reform Bill had been rejected in the House of Lords. In fine Nottingham style, a mob attacked the Palace at Nottingham Castle, burning it to the ground. The exhibition uses eyewitness accounts, songs and objects from the time, fusing it all together with art technology to create something unforgettable. There’s loads of time to go, but you know what they say about early birds, worms, and all that shit.
Until 1 December, 10am, various prices, Nottingham Castle

For the full 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.