-Coming Up Birmingham-

Coming Up ..... Friday 20th June
Reggae_Hip Hop

FRIENDLY FIRE MUSIC>

Friendly Fire is a live band, the Friendly Fire All Stars who perform as a backing band for the artists and a sound system, the Jam Jah Sound, that also hosts the friendly fire artists.

Friendly Fire Music is also a label created to provide fresh conscious reggae-influenced music for the people. Fire has the power to destroy, but also to purify and heal, and although it is feared for its destructive nature, it is can be used in many positive ways. Friendly Fire Music burns a fire around which people can congregate and exchange ideas, cook food for the soul, and which provides warmth and comfort to one and all; yet it can burn those who try fight it.

Venue: Hare and Hounds, High Street, Kings Heath
Time: 8pm
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/friendlyfirecamp

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Coming Up ..... Friday 20th June
Funk_Hip Hop_AfroBeat

FUNKBOX presents DJ Shepdog (Freestyle Records / Nice Up!)

The mainstays of Funkbox met in 2004 with the night developing from a mutual love of dusty, funky vinyl and their same passion for gigs and club nights. The idea was simple, play the funky groovy music that they all loved.

Run purely for the love of the music they so lovingly collect the boys started a weekly Thursday night session at The Rainbow. With their uncomplicated formula of no egos and just plain damn funky tunes the crowd were happy with their evenings chocked full of crate diggers delights. This soon expanded to guesting at other nights, up and down the country and hosting many weekend sessions, both at the Rainbow and other Birmingham venues.

Following two years at the Rainbow, in February 2007 the boys moved residency to a new dedicated Birmingham Jazz & Funk club, The Yardbird.

From the classic funk hits of James Brown and Marva Whitney to the modern contemporary sounds of the Poets of Rhythm and The Bamboos, the night takes you through all funky genres including psyche, jazz, disco, broken beat and afrobeat…at Funkbox expect to hear anything with soul, an amazing groove and that certain something to get those feet movin'.

A bit from DJ Shepdog himself:
‘Despite being a complete shameless self-promoter, I'm not one to waffle endless shit about myself and actually hate the amount of self-referential back slapping that goes on in this here space. However, keeping in the spirit of things, here's the basics: By day I run the rather popular and righteously eclectic Freestyle label (www.freestylerecords.co.uk) as well as working for a distributor of some of the finest labels in the land (www.kudosrecords.co.uk). By night I tend to play records in dingy nightspots around town, drink too much and talk bollocks to anyone who will listen. I also tend to spend too much time on eBay tracking down little dusty discs of yesteryear and fucking around on this thing for lengthy periods. I've been threatening to start making music for about 10 years now, but never quite got round to it (apart from dicking around with other people's works of genius) and also have a penchant for dogs - they're just ace. That doesn't mean I want to be friends with people who think they are actually dogs, so please stop..’

Venue: The Yardbird
Time: 8pm
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/funkboxclub
http://www.myspace.com/djshepdog