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Golden era: catching up with electronic-rock duo ALT BLK ERA before their Rescue Rooms show

In 2022, sister duo and Notts natives Nyrobi and Chaya Becket-Messam emerged onto the local music scene as electronic-rock act ALT BLK ERA. Since then, they’ve gone from strength to strength, from winning a MOBO award in 2025 to touring late last year with drum and bass band Pendulum. It’s been a while since we’ve caught up with Nyrobi and Chaya, so they set aside time to walk us through their crazy journey to this point.

LeftLion Interviews Podcast #16: Notts County’s James Belshaw on his career, coming home and how he nearly signed for Notts several times before

This episode we are joined by Notts County FC goalkeeper James Belshaw who talks about his career, coming home to play for Notts County FC and how he nearly signed for Notts several times before...

Laid bare: James bassist Jim Glennie talks the story of the band before their Motorpoint show

Plenty of legendary bands have come out of Manchester but James are one of the most enduring. Through four decades the group have continued to evolve – delivering iconic indie anthems like Sit Down, She’s a Star and Laid – alongside their famously unpredictable live performances.

They’re playing Motorpoint Arena this month, as part of a UK tour in support of their new Definitive Best Of collection – in advance bassist and founding member Jim Glennie looks back on the story of the band… 

A Magical Night Before Christmas at Belvoir Castle

LeftLion were delighted to be invited to the fairytale home of the Duke and Duchess of Rutland, Belvoir Castle, for an exclusive preview of their enchanting new experience, A Magical Night Before Christmas.

Gig review: Busted vs McFly at Motorpoint Arena

It’s not often you get to see two of Britain’s biggest pop-rock exports of the 2000s go head-to-head on one stage, but Busted vs McFly proved exactly why both bands still command such massive affection decades later...

Comedian Carl Donnelly previews his new gig at The Squire Performing Arts Centre

TV 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... 

Heart to Heart: we catch up with electronica duo Jadu Heart before their show at Rescue Rooms

Taking the form of a spearhead duo, comprising of Alex Headford and Diva Jeffrey with a supporting band, Jadu Heart are a hidden gem of the UK music landscape. Mixing dance and electronica influences with shoegaze and grunge elements, they are a truly unique band, and a complete creative force. Their latest release, the incredible full-length album Post Heaven, is a true testament to their creativity and talent: a raw, brutal, beautiful and honest record that was originally designed as the duo’s “Hail Mary.”

As they prepare to embark on a huge UK headline tour, playing Rescue Rooms on 9 June, we caught up with them to talk about their new album, their lives and the tours…

We review Kinoteka, the Polish Film Festival

Join us for a deep dive into two of the films at this year's Kinoteka Film Festival...

Boxing’s Backbone: Dalton Smith vs Walid Ouizza - the domestic scene must thrive beyond Riyadh season

What did Motorpoint Arena Nottingham and Las Vegas have in common in January? Well, both played host to Matchroom Boxing’s ground-breaking ‘Two shows. One night'; a twelve-hour display of championship boxing, involving some of Eddie Hearn’s biggest talents. Who’d have thought ‘ay, Vegas - the fighting capital of the world - and little old Notts’. 

Behind the curtain: How Kino Kolo are spotlighting Eastern European cinema for East Midlands audiences

Launched one year ago, Mansfield based community cinema project Kino Kilo Notts, has been covering exciting Eastern European cinema throughout the entirety of Nottinghamshire. Screen Editor Autumn Parker spoke to two of the members Liam Skillen and Lila Yakimova about their work so far and their big ambitions to bring various communities together throughout the whole region.

We Chat to Bill Bailey Before He Brings His Thoughtifier Tour to Nottingham in March

With his trademark musical stylings and characteristic wit, Bill Bailey will be bringing his Thoughtifier tour to Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena on 1 March. We caught up with him to find out more about his comedic timing, the purpose of music, and why wasps desperately need to rebrand their image…

The Thompsons on People We Lost in 2023, Euro 2024, and Godzilla vs Kong

Nottingham's most opinionated grocers on...

Match Report: Nottingham Panthers vs Manchester Storm 18.11.23 - Adam Johnson Memorial Game

The Nottingham Panthers held a memorial game at the Motorpoint Arena in honour of their player Adam Johnson, playing against Manchester Storm in a friendly match on Saturday night. Natalie Owen was at the game to report for LeftLion. Here's how they got on…

We Catch Up With Demob Happy Before Their Headline Show At The Bodega

Ben Blissett chats with Matthew Marcantonio, singer-bassist of Demob Happy, ahead of their show at The Bodega on Wednesday 13 September...

We Chat to Surf Pop Sextet Midnight Rodeo Before Their Dot To Dot Debut

Midnight Rodeo, Nottingham’s genre-bending, boundary-pushing “woozy surf pop sextet” (as they put it), are debuting Dot To Dot Festival as a band this year. We catch up with them ahead of their sure-to-be-a-sell-out show…

We Chat to The Priory of the Orange Tree Author Samantha Shannon Before Her Visit to Nottingham

Author Samantha Shannon created a best-selling sensation in 2019, with her sweeping fantasy epic The Priory of the Orange Tree picking up a fanatical global audience. Now she’s back with A Day of Fallen Night, a standalone prequel to that smash hit novel. Ahead of her visit to Nottingham’s Waterstones this month, she explains how she put together a beloved fantasy series…

We Chat With Journalist Gary Younge Before His Visit to Nottingham's Squire Performing Arts Centre

Journalist, author, sociology lecturer and former Editor-at-Large at The Guardian, Gary Younge is heading to our city in March to discuss his sixth book. Ahead of his visit, we sit down with him to delve deeper into his fascinating career…

Match Report: Nottingham Panthers vs Glasgow Clan 26.10.22

A big win for Nottingham Panthers at the Motorpoint Arena...

Match Report: Nottingham Panthers vs Manchester Storm 15.10.22

The Nottingham Panthers took on Manchester Storm in their fourth Challenge Cup match on Saturday night. Here's how they got on…

Man vs. (Vegan) Food: George White Takes the Sneinton Vegan Market Challenge

Our George White tests his mettle at Sneinton Vegan Market, attempting an ill-advised challenge of smashing down six meals in an hour...

Forest vs. Derby: The European Championships Edition

With the delayed European Championships just around the corner, we’ve decided to answer the question that literally nobody was asking: who would win in a match between Forest and Derby if you only selected players that had been to the Euros? We picked the best XI for each (or the only XI in Derby’s case) and ran it through a well-known Football Manager match generator, and this was the result…

Film Review: The United States vs. Billie Holiday

Andra Day literally sparkles in this moving and cinematic biopic about an American tragedy, writes Roshan Chandy...

Film Review: Godzilla vs. Kong

The much-anticipated monster mashup is a mostly enjoyable blockbuster that fails to tell a compelling story, says Jamie Morris...

10 Years Later: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

After initially flopping at the box office, Edgar Wright's comic book adaptation now has a cult following. George White explains why...

Film Review: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt - Kimmy vs the Reverend

After four seasons and 18 Emmy nominations, the makers of Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt have now released a brand new, feature-length interactive experience. But is it any good? Our Screen Co-Editor, George White, finds out...