In Birmingham this July
What is it about Queen that provokes grown men to don a nose slug (isn't that what a moustache is?), tank top and tight jeans?
Gary Mullen has dragged his tribute band The Works across the world pretending to be the thrusting Freddie Mercury and co. Catch One Night Of Queen at the Alexandra Theatre, (Station Street, B5 4DS) on 27th June at 7.30pm. Tickets will set you back between £16 - £17.50 and are available from www.ticketmaster.co.uk
If it's a little outdoor entertainment you're after, look no further. With Mother Nature on our side at last (well, until she gets her knickers in a twist and decides to piss on us all again at least), we can relax and enjoy the festival season.
The 24th Birmingham International Jazz Festival kicks off for ten days between 4th - 13th July, bringing the jolly juicy sounds of men and women blowing their trumpets and saxs (or as Homer Simpson would say, ”Saxamaphooonnes“) at over 70 locations across the city. Performances take place in churches, shopping centres, museums, restaurants, parks, bars and cafes, and 90% of the gigs are free so you can't argue with that. The fest takes over the city in an impromptu but polite middle-class jazz sort of way, treating audiences and passers-by to some top class swing jazz and boogie woogie blues. For more details and full list of gigs skip your happy-clappy shoes over to www.birminghamjazzfestival.com
Supersonic Festival, the brainchild of Midlands promoters Capsule, crashes down on the Custard Factory for the sixth year on the 11th – 13th July. A carnival of experimental and eclectic music, from pounding drum 'n' bass to droning death metal, and just £65 for a full weekend of chaos, we'll forgive you if you get so excited you poo your pants. We've been all clever and written a proper preview of the festival here.
Now once you've stopped kicking yourself about England's pitiful exclusion from Euro 2008, stop pretending you're actually interested in the other teams and pull out your old local team's shirt. The Screwfix Midland Masters Cup sees our region's 6 teams battle it out for a place in the Masters Cup Grand Final. Squads from Villa, City, WBA, Wolves (who came second in last year's tournament), Coventry, and Walsall will split into two groups and play each other at the NIA (King Edwards Road, B1 2AA (0121) 780 4141) on 12th July. If not for the sporting action and local competition, it'll be worth checking out for the top class carpet burns on the shag-pile pitch. Tickets are £14 for adults and £8 for kiddies and old codgers.
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