COOL AS LEICESTER

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Diary Dates

William The Conqueror – Monday 13 June
The Big Difference

Indie rock trio William The Conqueror might well have dropped one of 2021’s sleeper hits. It’s a record of cuts and bruises, wrapped within bittersweet leftfield rock n roll tunes. The band is fronted by Ruarri Joseph, a wry, patient storyteller, who has managed enough living to portray a world-weary wisdom in his words, but balances it all with enough optimism to suggest he hasn’t quite lived. ‘Maverick Thinker’ is a record of short, sharp shots to the arm. Fuzzy college rock with chops, one foot lingering menacingly over the distortion pedal.  Praised for their grit and authenticity by The Guardian and NPR’s Ann Powers, their live performances have drawn wildly enthusiastic comparisons to Kings of Leon, Nirvana, Buffalo Tom and The Marshall Tucker Band.

Elvis Costello & The Imposters – Tuesday 14 June
De Montfort Hall

Elvis Costello tours in support of the new album ‘The Boy Named If’.

Missing Andy – Saturday 18 June
The Shed

Missing Andy are a British mod influenced band based in Essex. The group comprises Alex Greaves, Jonathan Sharpe, Rob Jones, Steve Greenwood and Elliot Richardson.

The Meffs – Saturday 18 June
Duffy’s

The Meffs are a noisy, punk rock duo from Essex. “Glorious punk in the great tradition of British political/punk acts. If there was ever a time when society needed the kids to make some noise, it is now”.

Fightmilk – Tuesday 21 June
Firebug

Fightmilk return to Leicester after what feels like a million years to kick off their summer tour! They’ll be taking over The Firebug for an extra-special gig with queer emo five-piece Slash Fiction. Fightmilk’s 2021 album Contender received critical acclaim from Kerrang, Noizze and Louder Than War. Blending acerbic lyrics and riffs galore their songs are chock full of high energy heartbreak power pop. They’ve shared the stage with Johnny Foreigner, Mclusky, Art Brut & can’t wait to be back at The Firebug.

Festival2Funky is back live on stage from 3 – 5 June. We caught up with Festival Director, Vijay Mistry, to find out what’s in store.

What can people expect from this year’s Festival2Funky?

Festival2Funky is now in its ninth year and will be championing a host of new, local, and international artists during the four-day festival (2-5 June).  Visitors are invited to experience the vibrancy of arts and music of black origin, including hip hop, soul, jazz, funk, and reggae. The festival is being held at the 2Funky Complex in Leicester’s West End, and has an exciting, jam-packed line-up across the four days, including high profile artists, workshops, and talent competitions.

Headline events include:

• Internationally renowned Jamaican artist, Kabaka Pyramid
• Bristol grime duo, Kahn + Neek
• Migraine Skank creator, Gracious K
• Soul/Jazz legend Carol Leeming and the Acts of Senseless Beauty
• Poet & musician, Abena Essah
• Rock and jazz hybrid group, Shadeemus
• Big Fish Little Fish Family Rave, for pre-schoolers, young children, and their parents (multi-sensory event with dancing and crafts).
• For The Funk of It Dance Competition
• A South Asian hip hop fusion event

Tell us a few of the standout events taking place?

Visitors of all ages can enjoy the variety of activities available, including a family rave, a dance competition, a poetry and spoken word slam, youth showcases, a South Asian hip-hop event and performances from an eclectic range of artists.  For those who want to discover and try something different to street parties or picnics, celebrating the Jubilee with us at Festival2Funky will be an event to remember.

What does it mean to be back putting on the festival after the absence due to Covid?

Festival2Funky’s theme this year is ‘Reuniting Audiences’ and we are excited to offer communities the opportunity to come together to celebrate unique arts and culture.  In 2020, the festival was hosted entirely online, and saw the likes of Big Narstie perform from the comfort of his own sofa! We were lucky enough to be able to host the festival in 2021 (seated and with limited capacity), but also streamed the festival online.  We were cautious to ensure that visitors were aware of the government guidelines at the time.  The public reaction to the festival over the last few years has been phenomenal.  2022’s festival is held at a key time in history as we celebrate The Queen’s Jubilee, so being able to host the festival live and welcome visitors is fantastic.

How would you describe the vibe at the festival for anyone who’s never been or who perhaps isn’t familiar with the 2Funky brand?

It’s a wonderful festival and a chance to experience events you would not normally go to.  This year, we are offering £1.50 day tickets (valid until 5pm) for selected family friendly events on Saturday and Sunday. This includes a graffiti masterclass, live jazz music, and a chance to watch our jaw-dropping annual hip hop dance competition.  The festival explores lots of music genres you may never have heard previously like amapiano, Afrobeat and dub, with big nights out for the grownups that will have you dancing until 2am.

Who are some of the local artists that you are expecting big things of in the future?

Marcus Joseph, who just performed at legendary jazz club Ronnie Scotts as a saxophonist, will be making his DJ debut.

Shadeemus are also definitely ones to watch, after being some of our festival favourites last year. We have commissioned them to create a special set to debut at the festival, using unique jazz and rock flavours.

Carol Leeming and the Acts of Senseless Beauty are always worth watching. Carol has been in the industry for decades and even featured on the iconic Trainspotting soundtrack.

You’ve been running 2Funky now for 25 years, what are you most proud of during that time?

2Funky Records (1997-2012) is legendary and is what started the whole 2Funky brand. People still talk about it as part of Leicester’s cultural heritage. What has grown from that is 2Funky Complex – a trio of independent venues that showcases variety high quality artistic talent in Leicester’s multicultural West End. Our Ofcom licensed Radio2Funky is also a great achievement. The 2Funky journey continues and the brand is constantly evolving!

What do you have planned at 2Funky Complex after the festival?

We have a host of events from live music, club nights, street food events, outdoor summer parties on our roof terrace and performances on our garden terrace – this is going to be a bumper year.  For more information on the full Festival2Funky line-up, and other events at the venues, check out https://2funkycomplex.co.uk/

 

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WEEKLY PLAYLIST

In this week’s playlist you can listen to some of the best acts you can catch live in Leicester over the coming weeks.

Have a listen and get in touch to tell us which tracks you’re loving.