Site search

Nottingham Artists Tom Dale and Barret Hodgson discuss Primal Future, their Light Night 2025 centrepiece

Promising to shine brighter than ever, Light Night 2025 will feature dozens of spectacular light installations, family-friendly activities and live performances across the city centre. Among these is a new collaboration called Primal Future, a dance and digital crossover which will be projected onto Nottingham’s Council House at the event. Created as a collaboration between Nottingham-based dancer Tom Dale and digital artist Barret Hodgson, we asked them to reveal more about their work…

Boxing’s Backbone: Dalton Smith vs Walid Ouizza - the domestic scene must thrive beyond Riyadh season

What did Motorpoint Arena Nottingham and Las Vegas have in common in January? Well, both played host to Matchroom Boxing’s ground-breaking ‘Two shows. One night'; a twelve-hour display of championship boxing, involving some of Eddie Hearn’s biggest talents. Who’d have thought ‘ay, Vegas - the fighting capital of the world - and little old Notts’. 

Gig review: Lizzie Esau + Dirty Blonde at Billy Bootleggers

To celebrate Independent Venues Week, Lizzie Esau and Dirty Blonde teamed up for a co-headline tour, culminating at Nottingham’s dive bar extraordinaire, Billy Bootleggers…

Gig review: Du Blonde at The Bodega, with bigfatbig

A decade since their last visit to The Bodega, an awful lot has changed for Beth Jeans Houghton (Du Blonde). With the multi-talented Geordie artist now managing and releasing music under their own label Daemon TV, it was this DIY spirit that drove well-received fourth album, Sniff More Gritty, released in November last year. Returning to Nottingham with that album in tow, we went along to check out Beth’s sold-out show and their first one in the city since 2015…

Put your records on: we find out about Revinyl Sessions, a night where anyone can be a DJ

Fancy sharing your music taste with other music lovers? Revinyl Sessions at The Golden Fleece has you covered. With an ethos that celebrates the DJ for their ability to create community in a crowd, Revinyl invites anybody, experienced or first-timer, the chance to get behind the decks and unite the room with their sound. We spoke to organiser Robin Powell to find out more…

Out of Time: When David Lynch visited Nottingham’s Goose Fair Seeking Carnival Freaks

David Lynch, the visionary American filmmaker died on 15 January 2025. A little known fact is that in the late 1970s Lynch visited Nottingham’s Goose Fair looking for inspiration and cast members for his film The Elephant Man…

LeftLion's Latest Listens #14: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this, the first edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens for 2025, our music team reviews new releases from Rainbow Frog Biscuits, Bad Milk Blood Robot, Eleanor McGregor and Divorce...

We Speak To Mariposa Choreographer Carlos Pons Guerra of DeNada Dance Theatre About His Madame Butterfly-inspired Dance Opera

Choreographer Carlos Pons Guerra and his company DeNada Dance Theatre bring their critically acclaimed show Mariposa, to Mansfield Palace Theatre on Friday 28 February. We asked him some questions about the show…

Switch Up founder Marcellus Baz talks about changing the lives of disadvantaged young people

The story of Dr Marcellus Baz BEM is stuff of Nottingham legend. From a kid weighed down by poverty to the leader of an internationally recognised social enterprise, he’s lifted countless people out of disadvantaged backgrounds while inspiring others along the way. Having started collaborating more often with businesses and charities across the city, he made time in his busy schedule to chat with us about the credo behind his long career.

Locating Lawrence: January 1925

Lawrence is very ill, so naturally the first thing he wants to do is move. Again. 

Alternative sister duo ALT BLK ERA talk songwriting, honesty and working with Wheatus

From a MOBO award nomination and TikTok fame to playing packed tents at the country’s largest rock festivals, alternative duo ALT BLK ERA became one of Nottingham’s big breakout acts in 2024. With their highly anticipated debut album Rave Immortal set for release at the end of January, 2025 is shaping up to be an even bigger year for sisters Nyrobi and Chaya. To find out more about the making of the record and their plans for the upcoming year, we sat down for an expansive chat…

Where To Find A Copy of LeftLion Magazine and How It Is Distributed

A bit of information for those interested about how we distribute LeftLion magazine across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire each month and the nearest place to you that you can find a free copy...

Overheard in Notts: December 2024

Beach balls, chip shops, and springing a sentence together all feature in this month's Overheard in Notts...

LeftLion Interviews Podcast #8: George Akins on Rock City, Beat The Streets, Thekla, Dot To Dot, Massive Attack and 30 years working in live music

A bonus eighth episode  talking with the most influential man in the Nottingham music scene, George Akins; owner of DHP Family, Rock City, Rescue Rooms, Bodega, Stealth, Splendour Festival, Dot To Dot and more...

Music Reviews: December 2024

This Christmas, our music team have highlighted new releases from Notts artists...

The Thompsons on Wollaton Hall, Drones, and the Lord Mayor's Rolls Royce

This Christmas we chatted to Nottingham's most opinionated grocers about Wollaton Hall (in particular, George the Gorilla), Drones, and the Lord Mayor's Rolls Royce.

It doesn't seem a year too long, a decade of Beeston Tales

Mike Payton and Tim Ralph, founders of the Beeston Tales, celebrate their tenth anniversary with a special night of fun... 

In Cider Info: We stop by at St Ann’s Allotments on Apple Day

One of the many events and projects taking place at St Ann’s Allotments, Apple Day takes place each October in the Community Orchard. Katherine Monk-Watts went along to speak to STAA’s Community Orchard Project Worker Richard Arkwright, following his afternoon apple pressing workshop, to find out what’s at the core of this celebratory event.

Gig review: The Deep Blue at The Bodega, with Katie Keddie and Headgazer.

If there’s one thing you can expect from a Deep Blue show, it’s unpredictability. The band's set at The Bodega was a perfect mix of raw honesty, playful chaos, and exquisite musicianship, anchored by their unwavering connection with the audience…

Gig review: The Darkness at Rough Trade

Taking a break from his prosperous side hustle as a successful YouTuber, Justin Hawkins is back doing what he does best – rocking out with Rufus, Frankie and brother Dan in The Darkness. With their brilliantly titled new album Dreams On Toast set for a March release, the band stopped by Rough Trade Nottingham to give fans an early preview of their latest project, and surely a rendition of their festive hit, Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End). Surely…right?! Er, here’s what went down…

From Christmas jazz to seasonal stage productions: Here's what's on in Nottingham this week, 16-22 December

This week in Nottingham, festivities get into full-swing, as the Theatre Royal puts on some Christmas-themed show tunes and Bodega's annual Christmas Covers party returns for its 22nd year. Meanwhile, Lakeside Arts showcases a magical new stage show for kids and Malt Cross puts on a seasonal jazz night.

Gig review: The Damned at Rock City

Despite mellowing a little with age, The Damned ripped through a generous set at Rock City, delighting fans and providing more than a few surprises...

Our December cover artist Marcus Gilmore talks inspirations and staying creative

This month’s cover artist, Beeston-based Marcus Gilmore talks about his mythic and fantastical inspirations as an illustrator and printmaker, staying creative, and capturing the spirit of Christmas in this edition’s magical cover art...

Puppets, songs, dances, jokes, not to mention a duckling on a quest for self-discovery

Who do you think you are? We meet the experts tracing George the Gorilla at Wollaton Hall

Most long-term residents of Nottingham will at the very least be aware of George the Gorilla: a well-loved taxidermy exhibit residing in the natural history museum at the heart of Wollaton Park. But what kind of animal is he, really, and where does he come from? A newly-formed collective of scientists and heritage specialists at the Uni of Nottingham set out to answer these questions. In doing so, they hope that visitors to the museum will see the exhibit, and the site as a whole, in a whole new light...