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Soul Survivor: veteran DJ Jonathan on cutting his teeth at The Palais in the 1970s

Jonathan (aka Jonathan Woodliffe) has a long history of DJing in Nottingham. To many his name is synonymous to many with the early days of Rock City, but before that he cut his teeth as a DJ at The Palais. We asked Jonathan about his experiences of the Palais back in those halcyon days of the 1970s…

Film Review: The Penguin Lessons

The Penguin Lessons is the latest in that oh so recognisable cinema sub-trope, British people doing slightly quirky things in the face of adversity...

Film Review: The Return

We review The Return, a stripped back take on Homer’s classic The Odyssey…

Musicals, exhibits, legendary bass players and groovy deep sea gigs: Here's what's on this week in Nottingham 21 - 27 April

From a musical adaptation of British TV classics to giant replicas of Earth, take a look at what's happening in Nottingham this week...

LeftLion's Latest Listens #20: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this Easter weekend edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens, our music team reviews recent releases from Katie Keddie, Joey Collins, Blu Syrup, Lace Thief and Karen Macleod...

Review: Record Store Day 2025

Last weekend, Rough Trade Nottingham hosted the 18th consecutive Record Store Day, with local bands and international acts hitting the stage for a series of exciting live performances from the likes of Bored Marsh, Chloe Rodgers, Sancho Panza, Airport Dad and more...

Interview: The Northern Rascals present Sunny Side at Lakeside Arts

Northern Rascals are bringing their dance drama Sunny Side to Nottingham, a painfully honest account of male mental wellness, or the lack if it.  Founders Anna Holmes and Sam Ford talk to Left Lion about their work championing those outside the mainstream...

Lost in the Stacks: we visit Nottingham’s secret Library, Bromley House

Every city has their hidden gems, for those who are curious enough to seek them out. Just off the Market Square, Nottingham boasts its very own secret library in a preserved Georgian townhouse. A cornucopia of local history, volumes of fiction and non-fiction, and one of the only walled gardens left in the city, Bromley House Library is a bibliophile’s dream waiting to be explored…

Gig review: Panchiko at Rough Trade Nottingham

Going from an internet mystery that looked like it was never going to be solved to a well-known cult classic band across the UK, there isn’t any other Nottingham outfit that has been on as much of a journey as Panchiko…

By the willows: Refugee Roots and Red Sea FC bring the beautiful game to Attenborough

Refugee Roots a local charity helping refugees build friendships and find a place to call home recently sponsored the Red Sea FC, a team largely made up of refugees whose goal is to ‘bring together sport-loving youth from all over the globe.’ The team made up of members of the refugee and migrant communities that have recently arrived to Nottingham and consider this city their second home entered the development league and proudly wear the kit sponsored by Refugee Roots. 

At the game where the team premiered wearing their new kits, volunteer befriender and language teacher Dr Christopher Towers, a poet, academic and football lover who also has a particular passion for football poetry and written collections such as Hinterlands made sure he wasn’t on the bench for this game and came to experience it all.

Gig review: Primal Scream at Rock City

Primal Scream are stone-cold legends of British music. From fusing rock-and-roll with the burgeoning acid-house scene to delirious effect on 1991’s masterpiece Screamadelica, through the brash vitriol and anger of 2000’s XTRMNTR and the pop-flecked Chaosmosis, their restlessness and ability to wrap disparate genres around their inimitable core of emotionally weighty songwriting has secured their position as one of the most vital bands of their generation...

Stage Review: Jeff Wayne's The War of The Worlds at Motorpoint Arena

"The chances of anything coming from Mars, was a million to one they said!"

Despite that fact, H.G. Wells’ classic work of science fiction, The War of the Worlds, continues to resonate 130 years later, seeing multiple adaptations over the last century. Today, it lives on through Jeff Wayne’s iconic musical and rock opera, which itself has been around since 1978 and touring the world in various forms since 2006. With this year’s The Spirit of Man tour boasting an intriguing cast with some familiar faces from the worlds of pop and rock, we went along to check out the show at the Motorpoint Arena and learn more about this story’s enduring appeal…

Dom Joly, Spontaneous Potter, Phat bass therapy and theatre: here's what's on this week in Nottingham 14-20 April 2025

Here in Notts this week we've got plenty happening, from theatrical twists on classic stories to delicious Cuban dining, and comedy. Here's our top picks...

We speak to Alabama 3 about nicknames, The Sopranos theme song, and keeping it very real

Our writer Ria was thrilled - and a little nervous - to speak with Alabama 3 frontman Rob Spragg following the band's triumphant Rescue Rooms show. But nerves were quickly put aside as the conversation turned to nicknames, storytelling and The Sopranos...

Pick Six: Tom Towle of Running Circle Records

Record Store Day takes place on Saturday 12 April this year, so we put some questions to Tom Towle, the boss of Running Circle Records on Freckingham Street…

Gig review: Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls at Rock City

From the moment our writer Bassey joined the large queues to get into Rock City, he knew this was going to be a special night. When Frank Turner's playing it always is. The hard-working troubadour was in town with his band The Sleeping Souls to promote the aptly-named album Undefeated, and the atmosphere was electric with eager anticipation...

We chat to Cliffords ahead of their Bodega headline show

In this part of the world, it feels as if Cork five-piece Cliffords have come out of nowhere. They broke through onto the scene with their EP Strawberry Scented followed up by the powerhouse single Bittersweet, packed with a gorgeous blend of melody and layered guitars, shoegaze and grunge influences abounding. But as LeftLion found out when chatting with vocalist Iona Lynch, the band have a rich history…

Gig review: Skunk Anansie at Rock City

The force of nature that is Skunk Anansie are on tour promoting their new album The Painful Truth. Three decades since he first witnessed Skin and the rest of the band in action, Mike Hazeldine went down to their sell out gig at what must be one of the best live music venues in the country, Rock City...

James Davidson is Awarded trentbarton Bus Driver of the Year 2025

The results of the 2024-2025 trentbarton really good service awards are in...

Concert Review: The Hallé Film Music Concert - The Star Wars Saga

Our reviewer Kevin Stanley flew in the Millennium Falcon, marched alongside Darth Vader and visited the Ewoks on the planet of Endor in a galaxy far, far away…

Chicago takes over Notts, unleash your Primal Scream, get creative with Collage N’ Cocktails, and lots more: here’s what’s on in Nottingham this week 7 April - 13 April 2025

With BBC Introducing’s Tom Hewitt and Riley Marsh making appearances in Acoustic Rooms, to 130 years of War of the Worlds and a Broadway classic making its way to Nottingham's Theatre Royal, there is a lot going on this week in Nottingham so make sure to clear your calendars…

Gig review: Sofy at The Bodega

Rising indie-pop star Sofy brought her signature blend of witty lyricism, infectious energy and genre-blurring sound to a sold-out Bodega. With a set packed full of fan favourites, playful moments and unstoppable crowd energy, she proved why she’s quickly becoming one to watch…

Review: Karma Weekender at Saltbox (Saturday)

The second day of Saltbox's Karma Weekender festival proved to be an exciting, eclectic, and sometimes surreal experience...

LeftLion's Latest Listens #19: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this week's expanded edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens, our music team reviews new releases from Keane Baldwin, KALIKO, Pretty Windows, No Setting Son and Dusty 4 Track...

LeftLion Interviews Podcast #9 DJ Jonathan on The Palais, the changing art of DJing, Northern Soul, Jazz Funk and Tiswas

Our first podcast of 2025 and we're back with a chinwag with a veteran DJ, talking through the 1970s Nottingham scene at The Palais De Danse, as well as the changing face of music, festivals and more...