There's more content than you would believe. Hopefully this will make finding it a bit easier...
Comedian Carl Donnelly previews his new gig at The Squire Performing Arts Centre
Fri 03 Oct 2025TV and radio comedian Carl Donnelly is touring with his first new show in five years. So what kept him so long? It's quite a story and one he shares with Left Lion...
We speak to Dekker about music, personality and artistic intention
Thu 02 Oct 2025With a new album Neither Up Nor Down under his belt, US-born Nottingham resident Dekker is preparing for a hometown show at Rough Trade. We caught up with Brookln to talk about his streaming platform success, the personal nature of his music persona, and the creative influences Nottingham provides...
Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival Returns to Trent Bridge, for it's fifth year in a row at the venue
Wed 01 Oct 2025The Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival returns to Trent Bridge Cricket Ground from Wednesday 8 to Saturday 11 October 2025, bringing with it over 600 beers and 100 ciders and perries from some of the UK’s most celebrated breweries; including Nottinghamshire favourites like Castle Rock, Lincoln Green, Blue Monkey, Batemans, Lenton Lane, and Shipstones
Comedian and activist Mark Thomas talks Ordinary Decent Criminal
Wed 01 Oct 2025Cathy Symes interviewed Mark Thomas, the political activist, comedian, actor and director who is starring in Ordinary Decent Criminal, an award-winning play coming to Nottingham's Lakeside Arts in November...
The Thompsons on street art, Rocky Horror, and Notts venues
Sun 28 Sep 2025In late August, Nottingham's most opinionated grocers told us their opinions on September's hot topics - spanning street art, Nottingham venues, and surreal two trips that they made to see the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Theatre Royal...
We catch up with local punk outfit Sunk ahead of their gig at The Chapel
Fri 26 Sep 2025Punk is a rather strange genre: it leaks out of the idea of being a music style and instead lives its own existence as a lifestyle, a spirit, one that always exists in every social system in the world, in one form or another. Punk is also deeply intertwined into the music scene of Nottingham. One up-and-coming band, who boast loud, chaotic but intricate and charged live shows, is Sunk. We caught up with them at The Angel on a wet Saturday night, an hour before they took to the stage of The Chapel...
Theatre Review: The Void at the Mansfield Palace Theatre
Wed 24 Sep 2025It’s not every Tuesday that you can go from Mansfield to the moon of Titan for a hellraising adventure. But this Tuesday I did, thanks to The Void, playing at the fabulous Mansfield Palace Theatre. Indeed, sci-fi horror, while common in movies, is a rare genre for the stage. So how did it translate into the medium of live performance...
Seven great Notts spots for thrifted and vintage fashion
Wed 24 Sep 2025In celebration of Second Hand September, fashion editor, Addie Kenogbon-Harley gives us the lowdown on how to grab a bargain, look after the planet and get your hands on the best thrifted treasures this month.
We speak to Dan Cunningham of Vona Vella
Thu 11 Sep 2025Nottingham five-piece Vona Vella formed in lockdown and have gone from strength to strength since. Gigging around Notts - and co-managing The Grove - has seen them hone their skills and build up a loyal following. We caught up with singer-songwriter Dan Cunningham to talk about Bear Trap, forging their own path in the industry and the benefits of ditching London...
Chaos reigns, cowbells ring: We chat to Midnight Rodeo
Wed 10 Sep 2025Saddle up for the Midnight Rodeo. Behind the surf and soul of Nottingham’s most anticipated outfit, LeftLion's Talia Robinson sat down with Maddy Chamberlain and Jim McBride to discover just how they turned chaos into craft...
Lyv Forever: local artist Lyvia talks virality and playing live
Wed 10 Sep 2025While the words ‘street art’ automatically make you think of colourful graffiti, Nottingham musician LYVIA creates hers in a unique and quite literal way. Thanks to a visionary videographer and a lucky twist of fate, her viral performances on the corner of Maid Marian Way have transformed her from ambitious local busker to national soul-rap sensation with a huge social media following. We sat down to get the story behind her rapid rise and her forthcoming new mixtape…
Folklore and Fear: Darren Simpson discusses his latest scary novel Thirst
Tue 09 Sep 2025Known for his gritty, thought-provoking books for older children, we caught up with self-professed cake lover and award-winning author Darren Simpson to discuss how fear and folklore have inspired his latest chilling tale, Thirst...
Actor, Writer and Director Ryan Symons on The Void: Thunder Road’s chilling new sci-fi horror
Mon 08 Sep 2025We caught up with writer, director and actor, Ryan Simons, about Thunder Road’s chilling new sci-fi horror, The Void. Catch it at Mansfield Palace Theatre on Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 September...
We chat to Day Fever co-founder Jonny Owen
Mon 08 Sep 2025Day Fever is less than two years old but has already become a cultural sensation. Launched in early 2024 with a debut event in Sheffield’s City Hall Ballroom and growing to a nationwide tour that’s sees thousands around the UK hit the dance floor each month, the message is clear: people everywhere are craving a space to let loose, laugh, and dance, all before 8pm. Ahead of Day Fever's return to Nottingham on 20th September, We sat down with co-founder Jonny Owen to discuss how the event came about, how it has become so popular and why Nottingham is the ideal venue...
We chat to Death Of The High Street about life, music and taking things just seriously enough
Sun 07 Sep 2025Death Of The High Street are a force to be reckoned with: a hard grafting, guitar-based rock band with bags of energy, a distinct social conscience, and a desire to spread their message far and wide. We caught up with founding members Scott Baxter and Ash Simpson to talk about hard work, music with a message, and why they chose Nottingham for their album launch show…
Theatre review: Momentos de la Vida at Squire Performing Arts Centre
Fri 05 Sep 2025The Robin Hood Improv Festival is in full swing in Notts. Our reviewer Sam Harvey went along to check out Momentos de la Vida, a deceptively simple concept inspired by black-and-white photography...
How Hockley venue Movers is redefining nights out
Wed 03 Sep 2025Bringing chilled afternoons of coffee and music that blend into evenings of DJ sets and dancing, Movers is the latest edition to Hockley’s hive of cultural activity. Since opening at the start of July, the multi-use venue has been making waves in the area as the hottest new bar in town. We spoke to director and founder Felix Coulton, also one of the minds behind Notts’ own Swing Dash Radio, to see how it's going so far and what they have coming up...
We catch up with singer, musician and mod icon Miles Kane
Fri 29 Aug 2025From being a Little Flame to a Rascal and a Last Shadow Puppet, Liverpudlian mod brother Miles Kane has built a stellar career spanning more than 20 years. Now, happily ploughing his own furrow again, he returns to Nottingham next month to promote his latest long-player, Sunlight In The Shadows, with a date at Rough Trade. LeftLion caught up with him to bask in the rays of promotional duties to talk Nashville, Nottingham and Northern curry sauce…
In photos: Happy birthday to The Grove!
Thu 28 Aug 2025In just a year, The Grove has become one of Nottingham's success stories: a truly independent, DIY music space with an open, supportive and inclusive ethos. Run by Dan Cunningham and Cam Worne, this is a place of hard work, joy and community. We were there to capture the vibe of their first birthday bash...
Gig review: Luke Haines & Peter Buck at Metronome
Thu 28 Aug 2025Intrigued by the prospect of witnessing former R.E.M member Peter Buck and Auteurs frontman Luke Haines performing on the same stage, we hurried down to Metronome for what turned out to be a unique, sometimes surreal, and always captivating evening...
From grassroots to Fields: we speak with rising local band Drury Hill
Tue 26 Aug 2025Nottingham born-and-bred Drury Hill are one of the emerging bands repopulating the local grassroots music scene with a softer rock, post-folk influenced sound. Transitioning between softly lilting, storytelling tracks and jangly, spirited choruses you find yourself humming days afterwards, the four-piece’s live gigs and recent EP Fields capture a fittingly self-described "soft rockin’, slacker poppin’’ voice. But their DIY, offbeat and grassroots ethos runs deeper than their distinct sound; Drury Hill have always been shaped by the band members’ shared adolescence in Nottingham. We met with Charley to talk about the ways a sense of place seeps into their songwriting, the nostalgia that infuses Fields, and the support of the grassroots music scene...
LeftLion Interviews Podcast #12: Writer James Graham on Dear England, Sherwood, Broadway, London theatre and writing for stage and screen
Mon 25 Aug 2025Our latest episode is a conversation with the Notts-born Showrunner of BBC TV's Sherwood, who is taking Notts to New York stages and returning home to celebrate the 160th Birthday of Nottingham's Theatre Royal...
Playwright Caroline Bird on writing The Last Stand Of Mrs Mary Whitehouse
Thu 21 Aug 2025The Playhouse continues its streak of consequential new plays with the upcoming The Last Stand Of Mrs Mary Whitehouse, starring Maxine Peake behind those infamous horn-rimmed spectacles. Caroline Bird speaks to Leftlion about how and why she wrote about the 'most dangerous woman in Britain'...
Theatre Interview: Dan Lewis
Mon 18 Aug 2025Steptoe and Son ride again at the Nottingham Arts Theatre. Actor Dan Lewis shares his trip on the rag and bone cart as the curmudgeonly Albert...
LeftLion's Latest Listens #29: Notts music we're currently spinning
Fri 15 Aug 2025Summer's not over yet, and the new music just keeps coming, too! In this edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens for 2025, our music team reviews new releases from Blu Syrup, The Doubtfires, Long Pockets, Michael Vickers and Nicole Hannah...
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