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LeftLion Issue #192 February 2026

Featuring Andy Warhol, Child Friendly City, Jim Baron of Crazy P and White Elephant, Victoria Centre Market, Light Night, Architecture Social Club, Sherwood Forest Trust, Hidden Brew and more...

Gig review: Marmozets at Rescue Rooms

Gig review: Kid Kapichi at Rough Trade

Fresh off the back of the release of their fourth album, Fearless Nature, Kid Kapichi showcased their new two-man line up at Rough Trade, for an intimate performance and signing. With a small 150 capacity space in the attic, vocalist and guitarist Jack Wilson and bassist Eddie Lewis played to an adoring crowd filled with people of every age and walk of life...

Left Brian: John Robertson, John McGovern and a Kenny Burns Night Supper

It's Burns Night today, and we've been inviting our regular Notts County, Mansfield Town and Nottingham Forest football columnists to muse on the influence of Scotland in the history of their own clubs. Julie Pritchard - our Nottingham Forest columnist - decides which Forest players she'd invite as guests for a Burns Night supper... 

Concert Review: BBC Philharmonic's Bluebeard's Castle

The BBC Philharmonic bring their latest production, Bluebeard's Castle, to the Royal Concert Hall... 

Left Stag: Dave Smith, Sandy Pate and Anglo Scottish Adventures in Ayr

With Burns Night on the horizon on Sunday 25 January, we invited our regular Notts County, Mansfield Town and Nottingham Forest football columnists to muse on the influence of Scotland in the history of their own clubs…

Below, Josh Osoro Pickering - our Mansfield Town specialist - tells a Mansfield-set story of Anglo-Scottish sport... 

Left Magpie: Jimmy Sirrel, Don Masson and the Anglo Scottish Cup

With Burns Night on the horizon on Sunday 25 January, we invited our regular Notts County, Mansfield Town and Nottingham Forest football columnists to muse on the influence of Scotland in the history of their own clubs. 

Below, Julian McDougall - our Notts County specialist - gives his take... 

Gig review: Cast at Rock City

Cast rolled back the years at Rock City with a joyous celebration of their debut album, All Change...

Gig review: Dry Cleaning at Metronome

The Windmill in Brixton has churned out more obscure and subversive acts than one can shake a stick at. Black Country, New Road, black midi (R.I.P Matt Keasniewski), and Fat White Family trace their origins to this mini mecca of the DIY scene. While Dry Cleaning did not form straight out of the Windmill, their Brixton roots are well known. The band’s rise from part-time university lecturers to re-inventers of juxtaposing prose with taut, contracting post-punk music has been nothing but praiseworthy. Their show in Nottingham's Metronome would be unmissable...

LeftLion's Latest Listens #37: Notts music we're spinning in 2026

In this, the first edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens for 2026, our music team reviews new releases from Daudi Matsiko, Ruby Aeron, ktlyle, LYVIA and Verbal Warning...

Gig review: Biffy Clyro at Motorpoint Arena

They are one of Britain’s most beloved rock bands, having headlined major festivals like Download and Reading & Leeds Festival multiple times over the years. But Scottish trio Biffy Clyro have been avoiding playing our great city, having not played Nottingham since November 2010 – long before their rise to festival headliner status. Correcting that wrong this January, Biffy finally returned to Nottingham after 15 long years as part of their Futique arena tour – and it was one show we simply couldn’t miss…

Review: The National Youth Orchestra-Shimmer at the Royal Concert Hall

What could be more uplifting than the country's national orchestra for young people. And they are in town. So how did they do...

LeftLion Issue #191 January 2026

Featuring Circus Hub, wellness activities in Notts, Fat Digester, Burns Night themed football columns, the story of Tom Simpson, Embankment Run Club, We Are Repairs, and more... 

Left Magpie January 2025: So Near and Yet so Far

Our Notts County columnist Julian McDougall, is back with a report of the festive period at Notts County FC...

Food review: terrific tapas at Vaso

Vaso is Nottingham’s shiny new tapas and wine bar – our food co-editor Julia, AKA The Nottingham Food Guide on Instagram, was first in line to check it out.

Food review: superb small plates at Piccalilli

For a year Cannon Court’s Piccalilli has been making its name with a menu packed full with unique takes on the British small plate. We went to see what the fuss was about… 

The LeftLion music awards: what we loved in 2025

From thriving new venues to an abundance of local talent gaining national exposure, 2025 proved that our city is one of the best in the country for breeding and platforming exceptional musical talent. With this in mind, we thought we’d celebrate with some end-of-year awards – championing the best local releases and gigs to happen this year in Nottingham. Voted for by our music team, here’s what stood out in the Notts music world in 2025…

Left Stag: December 2025

This season, as I’ve stated before, is likely going to be one of those where we neither struggle at the bottom of League One, nor pull up any trees near the top. We’ll trudge along, winning some, losing some and ultimately ending up somewhere in the middle...

Book review: The Unravelling of Mary Reddish by David Whitfield

We take a look at The Unravelling of Mary Reddish by David Whitfield, a novel about the blurred lines between sanity, control and women's autonomy, which is set against the backdrop of Nottingham General Lunatic Asylum - the first publicly-funded asylum in England.

Festival review: Paint By Numbers at The Bodega

In a mark of just how healthy Nottingham's music scene is, this year we were treated to a brand new metropolitan festival. Paint By Numbers took place at (award winning) The Bodega, and turned out to be a day of sweat, softness and standout sets. We went along to see tomorrow’s headliners come to the forefront, capturing Nottingham’s music scene at a moment of momentum...

Classical Concert : The Hallé Christmas Concert at the Royal Concert Hall

A magical evening of strings, brass, woodwind, piano and percussion delivered pure Christmas cheer and celebration in the heart of Nottingham...

Gig review: James Yorkston at The Bodega

It wasn’t too long ago that James Yorkston visited The Bodega. Last time, it was with collaborator – and lead singer of Swedish legends The Cardigans – Nina Persson. This time, he finds himself in the midst of a solo tour, obviously relishing the relative freedom that affords as well as the venue’s improved dressing room (now with sofas!). Part gig, part suped-up folk night at your local, this was a rambunctious, heartfelt and human evening of music...

Gig review: Divorce at Rock City

What a year it has been for Nottingham’s indie darlings Divorce. Since their historic four-night sold out run at The Bodega last September, they’ve released a critically acclaimed debut album in Drive To Goldenhammer, toured music festivals and venues all around the world and ended up on the cover of NME Magazine. Then to put a bow on an incredible 12 months, they closed out their headline UK tour at Rock City this past weekend with their biggest hometown show to date. Here’s what happened at their victory lap…

Review: Littlest Yak at Lakeside

Lu Fraser and Kate Hindley's 2020 children's book comes to life in the Lakeside's family Christmas production...

Gig review: Wheatus at Rescue Rooms

Though they are no strangers to Nottingham, Wheatus delivered a highly nostalgic, energetic, and interactive midweek show at Rescue Rooms as if it was their first time. They maintain a distinctive, affectionate relationship with Nottingham, even adopting referring to the crowd as “Notts”, which is a small but strikingly sincere touch. Supported by Thomas Nicholas Band, of the American Pie franchise fame, with covers aplenty, we went along to hear for ourselves...