Site search

Gig review: The Callous Daoboys at Rescue Rooms

The Callous Daoboys were back in town this week, riding the high of their highly praised 2025 album I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven. After quickly selling out The Bodega, the gig was promoted to Rescue Rooms which (unsurprisingly) also sold out! LeftLion headed there to catch the band for what is likely to be the last time before they graduate to Rock City and beyond…

Film review: Train Dreams

Answering Johnathan Ross’s question on ‘…choosing an ambitious project like Crime and Punishment for a debut’, Aki Kaurismaki responded, ‘Hitchcock said he would never touch that book because it is too difficult. And I said, “I’ll show you, old man.” It was too difficult.’

Theatre review: Midsommer Murders at Theatre Royal is a classic who dunnit with a set stage twist

Nostalgia and crime merge in Midsommer Murders, currently showing at Theatre Royal...

A new immersive theatre show, The Apple of Discord, comes to The People's Hall Notitngham. We speak to Director Joe Strickland...

Set against the legendary backdrop of the Trojan War, Apple of Discord offers a mythically unique experience through the medium of immersive theatre and takes place in the historic People’s Hall. LeftLion sits down with director Joe Strickland to find out what makes this show worthy of Zeus’ blessing!

How do you brew? We meet the owners of The Hidden Brew, a new coffee haven in Cobden Chambers

The Hidden Brew is Nottingham’s newest independent coffee shop, quietly opening in Cobden Chambers back in December. Still learning and growing, the café was set up by Ed Dodd and Masha Cooper, who met at a local music event before deciding to bring their shared idea to life. Designed as a warm, welcoming space, it’s somewhere you can stop by for a coffee or settle in with a sketchbook and get creative. We paid a visit to chat all things coffee beans, shoestring budgets and the ever-important question of whether syrup in your coffee should be allowed.

Gina Birch on truth, insight and how to live a life devoid of convention

An emblem of passion, a staple of creativity... Gina Birch has been key to establishing and presenting the female voice within the punk music movement. Nottingham born Gina is well-known as a founding member of The Raincoats but her contribution goes much, much wider. Ria Serena found out more for LeftLion... 

In photos: Midnight Rodeo at The Grove, with Davoli

Theatre Review: Double Indemnity at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal

It’s not so often that one of the greatest crime novels of the twentieth-century comes to life in front of our very eyes! Last week Double Indemnity hit the stage at the Theatre Royal, so we went along to witness the perfect crime unfold...

The Unravelling of Mary Reddish: author David Whitfield talks about his novel which draws from the history of asylums in Notts

Long before madness had a diagnosis, it had consequences. The Unravelling of Mary Reddish takes readers back to Georgian Nottingham, a world where sanity was judged through gender, reputation, and a strict social order. Katie Barr speaks to the author of the novel – David Whitfield – who drew on real asylum records from Nottingham to show how quickly a life can be unmade once those in power decide your mind is the problem. 

Left Magpie February: Happy New Year

Back with another Left Magpie, Julian McDougall - our Notts County specialist - on what is beginning to look like a promotion-teasing campaign for the Pies! 

From Chinese art to liquid DnB: Here’s what’s going on in Nottingham this week, 9 - 15 February

It's Valentine's Day this week, and whether you're looking for activities to do with a significant other, or want to get out and experience what Notts has to offer solo, you're guaranteed to find something weird or wonderful you'll enjoy...

Why People Are Losing Trust in Big Tech and What They’re Doing About It

Trust used to be the invisible fuel behind every click, swipe and sign-in. Now that fuel is running low. People feel uneasy. They see risks. And they are acting — in ways small and large.

Breaking The Walls Down: LeftLion meets Chris Jericho

Pro Wrestler, Rock Star, Author, Podcaster, Actor, Multi-faceted entertainer – have we missed anything?! When it comes to show business, there isn’t much that Chris Jericho hasn’t done or achieved at this point. While most will know him for his legendary wrestling career, Jericho has recently hit a big milestone with his metal band, Fozzy, having been together now for a quarter century. With Nottingham playing a key part in the band’s history, we caught up with Chris Jericho ahead of the band’s return to Rock City…

Tusk 'til dawn: Jim Baron of Crazy P fame on his new musical project White Elephant

Best known as one of the founders of Notts electronic music titans Crazy P, Jim Baron (aka Ron Basejam) is a man with his fingers in several musical pies. This month sees the release of World Elephant Day, the first album from White Elephant – a collaborative project with Ben Smith (of Smith & Mudd fame) and fellow Crazy P member Chris Todd. In a wide-ranging catchup, Jim takes us from the halcyon days of nineties Notts to his solo work, and how The Sopranos played a role in the story of Crazy P… 

Guns, hamburgers and dollar signs: Andy Warhol comes to Lakeside Arts

Over at Lakeside Arts, a new exhibition, Andy Warhol: Pop Icon documents the work and influence of the famed and enigmatic artist. Featuring rock stars, Hollywood icons, death, hamburgers, guns, and money, this not-to-be-missed exhibition covers Warhol’s glittering career over four decades – Editor Sophie Gargett went along to unpick some of the themes behind his work. 

From Firefly club nights to Light Night 2026: Architecture Social Club on returning to Notts

Through February 6 and 7, Old Market Square will look a little bit different as it hosts the centrepiece of this year’s Light Night: Parallels, an installation built by London studio Architecture Social Club. The project is particularly close to the heart of two studio members – Design/Project Manager Andrew Walker – who’s a Notts native – and founder Satyajit Das – who in the early 2000s made his name in Notts music when he launched mythic techno club night, Firefly. They tell us more about the installation which marks a grand return… 

LeftLion's Latest Listens #38: Notts music we're currently spinning

With this year off to a great start for new music, in this edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens for 2026, our music team reviews releases from Divorce feat. Marcus Mumford, Blackadder, Bloodworm and Make Strangers...

Left Stag: Dave Smith, Sandy Pate and Anglo Scottish Adventures in Ayr

With Burns Night on the horizon on Sunday 25 January, we invited our regular Notts County, Mansfield Town and Nottingham Forest football columnists to muse on the influence of Scotland in the history of their own clubs…

Below, Josh Osoro Pickering - our Mansfield Town specialist - tells a Mansfield-set story of Anglo-Scottish sport... 

Left Magpie: Jimmy Sirrel, Don Masson and the Anglo Scottish Cup

With Burns Night on the horizon on Sunday 25 January, we invited our regular Notts County, Mansfield Town and Nottingham Forest football columnists to muse on the influence of Scotland in the history of their own clubs. 

Below, Julian McDougall - our Notts County specialist - gives his take... 

Undercover Artist: Craig Whitemore shares his journey into professional graphic design and illustration

Our January cover artist Craig Whitemore shares more about his journey into professional graphic design and illustration.

In photos: Tom Gensler at The Old Bus Depot

Singer-songwriter (and regular LeftLion music writer) Tom Gensler delivered a successful debut headline show at The Old Bus Depot, supported on stage by Leah Wilcox and, Daisy Peacock. We dropped in to see the show and join many others from the supportive Notts music community...

Gig review: Dry Cleaning at Metronome

The Windmill in Brixton has churned out more obscure and subversive acts than one can shake a stick at. Black Country, New Road, black midi (R.I.P Matt Keasniewski), and Fat White Family trace their origins to this mini mecca of the DIY scene. While Dry Cleaning did not form straight out of the Windmill, their Brixton roots are well known. The band’s rise from part-time university lecturers to re-inventers of juxtaposing prose with taut, contracting post-punk music has been nothing but praiseworthy. Their show in Nottingham's Metronome would be unmissable...

LeftLion's Latest Listens #37: Notts music we're spinning in 2026

In this, the first edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens for 2026, our music team reviews new releases from Daudi Matsiko, Ruby Aeron, ktlyle, LYVIA and Verbal Warning...

Tragedy, Triumph and The Tree: R.D.K Marjoram discusses his debut novel

R.D.K Marjoram's debut novel, The Tree - A Novel: Tragic and Triumphant Tales of the Human Soul, is a thought-provoking exploration of sacrifice, suffering, and the resilience of the human spirit, drawing on his personal experiences as a psychotherapist. Aurora Amaryllis sat down with him to learn more about the ideas, influences and spiritual themes that shaped The Tree...

Fine Fat Funk: Fat Digester talk thirty years of making music ahead of Beat the Streets

Not many Nottingham-based bands and acts can boast a thirty-year longevity, but Fat Digester certainly can. The eclectic, cool and funky collective have been making audiences move and groove in awe since the 90s, and have no intention of stopping or slowing anytime soon. We had a chat with frontman Paul 'Ned' Needham all about the band’s approaches, stage shows and very exciting future plans!