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Music review: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Nottingham Royal Concert Hall

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra came to the Nottingham Royal Concert Hall last week led by its musical director Vasily Petrenko...

Gig review: Sigrid at Metronome

On the first properly chilly night this autumn, Sigrid breezed into town with Nordic flair. Only a few hours before the release of her third studio album, There’s Always More That I Could Say, the Norwegian pop singer-songwriter appeared at the incredibly intimate setting of Metronome... 

LeftLion's Latest Listens #34: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this week's edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens, our music team reviews new releases from flöat, The Missing Diamonds, Emily Sanders, Di$mal and Lucy Crisp...

Gig review: Reef at Rock City

Anyone who managed to place their hands on tickets for the Reef gig at Rock City knew they were in for a good night of music as the band played the entirety of their 1995 debut album in its 30th anniversary year....

Which side are you on? Talking to an infiltrator of far right protests

Roundabouts, flags, boats and protests… Recent months have been fraught in the UK, with the political divide seeming at an all time high. But taking things offline and onto the street, how do we begin to resolve the tensions that are threatening our democracy and sense of cooperation? Matteo D’Alesio spoke to a protest infiltrator whose aim it is to find out what is truly at the heart of the rise in far-right political action…

Rock group As December Falls talk their latest album and headlining Rock City

As December Falls are a gem of the UK alternative scene. Hailing from Nottingham, they have risen-up through the locals ranks to become a renowned name of heavy music on the national stage. Their new album, Everything’s On Fire But I’m Fine, is an honest and heartfelt look into their lives. To talk all about the new record, their upcoming homecoming at Rock City and what Nottingham means to them, frontwoman Bethany Curtis and lead guitarist Ande Hunter joined us over Zoom…

Local racer Alicia Barrett talks her ongoing journey to international motorsport success

Motorsport is an expensive and male-dominated industry, usually only accessible for Cornelius and Clifford using their trust funds. However, 21-year-old Alicia Barrett from Southwell is looking to buck this trend. Despite her tender years, she’s more than a decade into her racing career, currently moving from kart racing to race cars, and looking for support to take it to the next level…

Gig review: Welly at The Bodega

Last week, Welly returned to The Bodega with more banging tunes, bigger moshpits and a sky full of bubbles. Walking out to the tune of The Macarena, Welly promises a night defined by character and charisma, with songs charged with social commentary to a soundtrack that inspired endless moshpits...

Primary talks about their new open exhibition and visual arts in the Lenton and Radford community

Primary  has a lot going on. After years of renting, the multi-purpose arts organization bought their own building in 2020 (no mean feat in a sector that’s often chronically underfunded), and have since enjoyed an incredible period of growth, with investment from Arts Council England kicking off an upgrade project for their pretty beautiful Grade II listed former school building. This month Primary will host an exciting new open exhibition, so we decided to find out more about the building and its connection with the local community.

How the NottAlone podcast is helping Nottingham musicians to discuss mental health

In an industry often defined by image, performance, and pressure, talking about mental health can feel daunting. But here in Nottingham, a community of musicians is breaking through that silence– and the NottAlone Podcast is giving them the space to do it...

LeftLion's Latest Listens #33: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens, our music team reviews new releases from Bored Marsh, George Gadd + The Aftermath, Molly Godber and The Red Line...

In photos: LYVIA at Rescue Rooms

Dancer Kevin Poeung talks Merlin, which headlines the Theatre Royal this month

Watching French dancer Kevin Poeung dazzle in the ballet Merlin (which this month plays at the Theatre Royal) it’s easy to overlook the hard work, sacrifice, and sheer tenacity it took him to reach the pinnacle of his career as a ballet dancer. He shares with Leftlion the milestones on his challenging journey…

Paradigm shift: acclaimed filmmaker Adam Curtis talks politics, filmmaking, and Wollaton Hall

Bafta-winning documentary filmmaker Adam Curtis is one of the country’s most intriguing, with a long career under his belt of making surreal films exploring how people think, feel, and act in the West. His latest: Shifty: Living in Britain at the End of the Twentieth Century just happens to feature archival footage from Wollaton Hall, filmed back in the 80s by the BBC. With this in mind we jumped at the opportunity to pick his brain about filmmaking, politics, and more…  

In photos: Belly at Rescue Rooms

Gig review: Club Onion 5 at The OId Cold Store

Club Onion is the brainchild of Twisted Onion promoters Steve Solbé and Steve Hardaker. The events bring a mix of live bands, electronic artists and DJs to locations across the UK with the vibe being very much 1988–1992, bringing to mind the Megadog events from back in the day. The fifth Nottingham edition took place at The Old Cold Store...

Hustle Up: Queer Hustle, bands not to miss and what to expect from Hockley Hustle 2025

It’s hard to find a better way to describe Hockley Hustle than by its own succinct label: Nottingham’s arts and music festival. It’s a day of creativity, showcasing the best of our city and at the same time letting us give back to Nottingham – while having loads of fun. We all know the drill by now, but before you start planning your itinerary, why not check out what’s new this year and some of our recommended highlights…

Stapleford singer George Gadd talks about his new band and debut album Too Many Ghosts

He’s been a stalwart of the local Nottingham music scene for over a decade now, so it seems quite remarkable that George Gadd’s debut album – the recently-released Too Many Ghosts – has taken this long to manifest. We caught up with the Stapleford singer-songwriter to hear about the making of this deeply personal first record, his musical influences, as well as his upcoming launch show at The Bodega…

LeftLion's Latest Listens #32: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this autumn edition of LeftLion's Latest Listen, our music team reviews new releases from Vona Vella, Cara Flynn and Dekker...

We speak to Dekker about music, personality and artistic intention

With 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...

Comedian and activist Mark Thomas talks Ordinary Decent Criminal

Cathy 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...

Gig review: Crawlers at Rescue Rooms

Never ones to pull punches, alt-rock quartet Crawlers ripped open Nottingham's Rescue Rooms with a cathartic performance, charting love, emotion and free spirit...

Derek Jacobi, dark storytelling, beautiful photography, music, theatre and more: Here's what's on this week: 29 September - 5 October

The nights are rolling in, so time to book in some cosy evenings of storytelling or indulge in some beautiful photography. Here's what's on in Notts this week...

Gig review: Midnight Rodeo at The Bodega

We recently described Midnight Rodeo as the kind of gang "you’d trust to soundtrack your life, crash your cousin’s wedding, and still make your nan a lovely cuppa the morning after." That said, the prospect of their hotly-anticipated homecoming gig at The Bodega was too much to resist. We headed down to 23 Pelham Street for another quick chat - and an outstanding performance...

Perfect Harmony: talking the power of communal singing with the Nottingham Harmonic Choir

While a couple of decades ago the word choir may have brought to mind stuffy scenes of Sunday’s Songs of Praise, in the past ten years group singing has had quite a reputation change. Not only does group singing increase wellbeing and happiness, it has also been shown to release neurochemicals that aid in pain-relief. With this in mind, as the autumn sets in, Frances Danylec went along to check out the Nottingham Harmonic Choir, and learn about their nearly 170 year history…