Pick of the Week: 26 January - 1 February

Image: National Badminton League

National Badminton League
In recent days, shuttlecock enthusiasts raised their fists in unity, threw down their leisure centre memberships and, alas, the first ever National Badminton League was born. Shit just got serious, yo. Nottingham is one of the first cities to form a proper twelve-player team, and ours is made up of those clever clogs from University of Nottingham - abnormally large brains to instill fear, and some mega tactics to finish ‘em off. Sorted. This game will be played against local rivals Loughborough Sport and will feature a new game format, scoring system, dynamic in-game features and a pre-match showcase. Certainly not doing things by halves, are they?
Monday 26 January, 7.30pm, £6 - £30, Albert Hall

Aakash Odedra: Murmur and Inked
We all love a good balter after a couple of sherries, but this lot take a much more professional approach to the art form. In partnership with Dance4, Aakash Odedra Company have taken on a project combining two routines that look at both dyslexia and tribal markings to create a cohesive double bill. The first part, Murmur, is a collaboration with Lewis Major and Ars Electronica Futurelab, and uses the ancient Kathak dance to communicate the warped realities experienced by those with dyslexia, all enhanced by dreamlike lighting and mechanics. The second part, Inked, sees work from award-winning choreographer Damien Jalet, inspired by the real tattoos of Aakash’s grandmother.
Tuesday 27 January, 8pm, £11 - £15, Djanogly Theatre

Weekly Salsa Classes
If you’re anything like us, you’ve overdone it a little bit over the festive season. Mince pies, chocolate, turkey, blue stilton… Oh, the blue stilton. With a nice glass of port. Mmm. Back to reality now, the New Year is in full swing so apparently it’s time to start thinking about beating any potential winter blues and shedding any extra pounds you may be casually sporting. Even if weight loss isn’t your thing, salsa isn’t a bad way to meet a few new mates and have a laugh. El Nico is the man to guide you through from not knowing a blinking thing about it, to knowing that if you were a c-list celeb, you’d totally wipe the floor with everyone on on Strictly Come Dancing.
Wednesday 28 January, 7pm, £5, Bunkers Hill

Forever Young
Another year to add to the list and one step closer to the other side of the bleddy hill. If you can no longer drink until the early hours without heavy sleep punctuated with toilet bowl hugging the day after, this one’s for you. Presented by Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company and Oldham Coliseum Theatre, Forever Young tells the stories of a load of old panto performers who refuse to give up their glory days just because their hips say so. Hilarious, cheesy and guaranteed to have you dancing in your seat, the Erik Gedeon play has been adapted by Giles Croft and Stefan Bednarczyk to include music ranging from the likes of Nirvana to Gloria Gaynor in a guaranteed grinning fest.
Thursday 29 January – Saturday 7 February, 7.45pm, £11 - £21, Nottingham Playhouse

Red’s True Barbecue
There’s been a recent surge in places to gorge yourself rotten on slabs of steak, chicken wings and the like. To this, our bellies release a yelp of excitement. One restaurant that’s about to join the ranks in style is Red’s True Barbecue, and they’re not exactly doing it quietly. They’ve been running a religious-style self-help programme where you watch videos to collect passwords for the ultimate freebie fest on their launch night - check out their website for more details. There will be sauce and seasoning in epic proportions. There will be finger sucking. There will be meat. If you’ve been miserably gnawing at the January salads, book a table - it’s time for a night off duck. The time is nigh.
Friday 30 January, 12pm, Red’s True Barbecue

Mahtab Hussain: The Commonality of Strangers
We don’t know about you, but we’re sick to our back teeth of Farage’s militant immigrant bashing and crazy UKIP policies. Even aside from being incredibly backwards and manipulative, he’s a bit of a nob really. Thankfully, New Art Exchange have launched themselves into action. They’ve commissioned artist Mahtab Hussain to challenge the tyrant’s policies, with a socio-political study of migrants in his local Hyson Green area, some of whom have fled their home countries due to poverty, violence, or to escape persecution. The collection of photographs display the everyday, mundane tasks we all complete day in, day out, in a bid to highlight the common traits of humanity – whatever the nationality.
Friday 30 January - Sunday 12 April, 6pm, free, New Art Exchange

1991: The Year Punk Broke
Thanks to those lovely lads and lasses at Broadway and The Music Exchange, the cafe bar in a rather boss cinema is playing host to an evening laden with rare music documentaries - old and new. Prepare for some late nights filled with melodic insights as Friday nights turn informative and entertaining every week for the forseeable. The first session sees 1991: The Year Punk Broke on the big screen, where you can join Sonic Youth and Nirvana on their European club and festival tour without a penny passing hands. Grab yersen a drink, crack out the snacks and enjoy.
Friday 30 January, 10.30pm, free, Broadway Cinema

Wigflex
Ze Germans are coming! And they’re bringing some of the best beats this side of the planet. Prepare for dark, spacious sounds blended with bursts of colour from house and techno monster Roman Flügel, right alongside Wigflex resident Lone. After touring the globe with his live show, Lone’s bringing it back to the ends with featuring artist Konx-om-Pax for the ultimate deep session in warehouse paradise. Joining the monstrous lineup is the Berlin crew Bohemian Drips with an underground finesse to whack a cherry onto an already-loaded cake - Spam Chop, Hizatron and Tamer Sallam will all be on hand with fresh sets too. No brainer.
Friday 30 January, 10pm, £15, The Brickworks

Manière des Bohémiens Album Launch
One of the liveliest bands in Notts are taking to the beautiful Malt Cross to launch their brand new album, and the gig’s got quite a kick to it. What could possibly go better with manouche jazz and gypsy swing sounds than some Lindy Hop lessons? There’s a free class at the beginning of the evening from Nottingham Lindy Hop, so you can get some crazy moves down before the noise erupts. Support for the night comes in the form of a swing classic DJ set from Jimmy the Mess Around, right before the stars themselves crack on with some outrageously cool tunes from their new, third album - La Pompe. Pack your purse with pennies, there will be CDs available for all!
Friday 30 January, 7.30pm, free, Malt Cross

Dr Syntax
Where some rappers might like to boast about their gold chains and well-endowed pet dogs, our Syntax takes a slightly more sophisticated approach. A complete legend on the UK hip hop scene, the eloquent, intelligent and hilarious wordsmith started out with Foreign Beggars and can now be caught jamming with the jazzy Mouse Outfit to create a fusion of crazy dancing and serious lyricism. For this gig, he is joined by one of the most dedicated DJs and producers on the UK scene - Pete Cannon. Yes. Support for the evening comes from Nottingham’s favourite beatboxing, rapping duo, Motormouf and Ashmore, in an exclusive loop pedal set, plus the Robin Hoodlums, Joy C and The Bill Payer. Cheers to I'm Not From London for this one.
Saturday 31 January, 8pm, £5/£7, Alley Cafe

For the motherload of everything else going on this week check out our comprehensive Nottingham events listings.

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