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Interview: The Royal Concert Hall Goes Psycho for Halloween

The Psycho soundtrack is coming to Nottingham. But this is more than your everyday kind of concert. Clelia McElroy from Monstrous Flesh, Emma Duncan from The Fortune & Glory Film Club and Paul Murphy from the Limelight Orchestra share their journey from horror movie to the podium... 

Nottingham Family Festival Young Hustlers Aims to Ignite The Flames of Creativity

Gig Review: The Manatees at The Chameleon Arts Café

Acknowledged by the likes of BBC Radio One for their reserves of great potential, The Manatees are building their own empire amongst the indie-rock soundscape. The London-based three-piece have had a big year so far, with the release of their debut EP Dream in Colour. Jay, Tyler, and Miller clearly intend to end the year on the same smashing note on which they started, as they embark on their biggest UK headliner tour yet, including a date at Nottingham’s own The Chameleon Arts Café…

Catherine Ross: Voices from Nottingham's Windrush Generation

To celebrate Black History Month and the 75th anniversary of Windrush we have been working with the New Art Exchange and their NAE YOUnity Commission funded by Freelands Foundation. Our aim is to highlight the voices of Nottingham's Windrush generation and some of the challenges they faced...

Jordan Gray: The Scene-Setter, The Story Teller, The Bird, Has Already Taken Off To Several Flights

Jordan Gray steps out of the spotlight to give a little backstory to her upcoming self-penned, touring production, Is It A Bird...

Nigel Best: Voices from Nottingham's Windrush Generation

To celebrate Black History Month and the 75th anniversary of Windrush we have been working with the New Art Exchange and their NAE YOUnity Commission funded by Freelands Foundation. Our aim is to highlight the voices of Nottingham's Windrush generation and some of the challenges they faced...

Here’s the Inspiration Behind Laura Decorum’s Black History Month LeftLion Cover

Laura Decorum designed the beautiful cover for Issue #164 of LeftLion. Here's what she had to say about it...

Biggest Ever Hockley Hustle Will Be An Inspiring Showcase of Nottingham’s Music Scene

Vicky McClure’s Our Dementia Choir and the UFO Orchestra are just two of the 350 stellar acts lined up to deliver a fantastic showcase of Nottingham’s thriving music scene at the biggest ever Hockley Hustle on Sunday 22 October...

Notts Shots: October 2023

Since the late 1940s, the district of St Ann’s has been a richly diverse community and home to diaspora from all over the world, including many people of Afro-Caribbean descent. However, the landscape of the area changed immeasurably post-1960, when much of the nineteenth century terraced housing was demolished. While more structurally sound habitation was built, up to 30,000 residents were rehomed throughout the city, and the community that had developed in St Ann’s was never quite the same.

The Goose Is Back! Plus, Dizzee Rascal, The Queen Story, Black History And Much More. Here's What's On 2 October - 8 October...

Nottingham is providing yet again, we've got music, Black History, culture, arts and crafts and more. If you're stuck, LeftLion HQ are here to lend a helping hand, read below...

Overheard in Notts: September 2023

I am God. All of God.

6 Places in Nottingham to Get a Perfect Instagram Photo

POV: You want to upload an aesthetic image to Instagram, but you don’t know where to take it. Don’t worry, we’re here to help. Here is a list of six places in Nottingham to get that perfect Instagram shot…

20 Great LeftLion Interviews You Should Re-Read

Over the last two decades we’ve interviewed a lot of people within our pages. It’s not easy to pick out favourites, but we love you so much we’ve given it a go. Here are twenty of our best interviews, listed in chronological order, that we think you should take a second look at…

LeftLion Issue #164 October 2023

Our October Black History Month issue is out now! Guest edited by Addie Kenogbon, with a gorgeous cover by Laura Decorum, this issue features Nottingham's Windrush Generation, Veronica Pickering, Jorja Smith, Melonyx, Jah Digga, Honey Williams, and more...

Left Magpie: September 2023

A run-down of another month of goals and wins at Meadow Lane...

We Talk To Baby Tap About His Upcoming Album ‘Enki’ And Its Release Party at Rough Trade

A key figure in the Notts LGBTQ+ scene, Baby Tap's new album Enki is out at the end of October, with an album release show shortly after on 8 November at Rough Trade. We caught up with them all about the album and the Notts queer scene...

In Photos: BBC Introducing at Metronome

Once again, BBC Introducing took over Metronome. Our Rae Dowling was there to capture some of the East Midlands' best up-and-coming artists...

Tastemaker Dean Jackson Tells Us How He Identifies Nottingham’s Most Talented Musicians

Whether you’ve heard his voice on BBC radio, or seen his friendly face announcing who’s coming on stage next at a festival, Dean Jackson is one of the most important figures in Nottingham when it comes to the music industry. He tells us all about the origins of his career, the artists he’s been loving recently, and what the future holds for the local music scene…

Everybodys Talking About Jamie, Micky Flanagan and a Hip Hop Block Party. Heres Whats on in Nottingham This Week, 25th September - 1st October

A week with something for everyone, if you're a gig lover, aspiring yogi or perhaps even fancy yourself as a detective, we've got you. Read on for all that and more that you could dabble in this week...

Meet Ignite, the Organisation Who Have Been Unleashing Creative Sparks for 20 Years

Everyone has a creative spark that simply needs unleashing, and that’s where Ignite! come in. Along with organising the Nottingham Festival of Science and Curiosity, this Nottingham-based charity has been supporting young people to achieve their potential for twenty years. We spoke to the founder of it all, Rick Hall, for a ‘potted history’ of Ignite!, the lowdown on their unique Nottingham festival, and his outlook on creativity in our city…

University Dos and Don’ts: Here’s How to Get the Best Out of Your Student Experience When Meeting New People

One of the best parts about transitioning to university and moving to a brand new city is the opportunity to widen your friendship circle and meet people from all across the country - and even the globe. For lots of people, it can be daunting coming into a brand new environment with expectations created by the likes of social media, trashy teen movies, and older siblings.

But the uncertainty of who you will meet and spend at least the next three years with should be an exciting prospect. During Freshers’ Week, you will end up repeatedly telling people what you’re studying and the name of your childhood pet - and as frustrating as this may get, it will all be worth it, because eventually you will meet the people who you will share this entire experience with.

When settling into a new environment, university included, you have a very simple responsibility to respect everyone that you encounter, even if there is a difference of opinion - whether this is political or religious beliefs, interests and hobbies, attitudes towards drinking alcohol, or different cultural backgrounds. So, we have curated some dos and don’ts that you should keep in mind when you arrive in your new home and meet your new flatmates and friends…

Theatre Review: The Real and Imagined History of the Elephant Man

Ian C Douglas reviews The Real and Imagined History of the Elephant Man... 

Music Reviews: September 2023

This month, we review the music of Seas of Mirth, Melonyx, Dan Ottewell, Office Goth, and Fat Digester...

Left Stag: September 2023

Our man Josh Pickering is back with a run-down of the last month of action at for Mansfield Town and some news of his own offspring donning the amber shirt...

We Speak to the Founder of Five Leaves Bookshop as It Celebrates Its 10th Birthday

Tucked away in Swann’s Yard behind Primark, Five Leaves Bookshop has become a vital fixture in Nottingham’s literary scene, winning the British Book Awards’ Independent Bookshop of the Year in 2018. As it celebrates its tenth birthday, we had a chat with Five Leaves’ Scottish founder and manager, Ross Bradshaw...