Inspiral Carpets perform at the Birmingham O2 Academy. (Photo by Jake Mackinnon)

Alternative rock band Inspiral Carpets housed the fifth night of their Back To Life UK tour at the O2 Academy 2 in Birmingham.

The band’s main aspirations for this of the tour were to play their first studio album Life back to front along with selected hits from other albums. Despite Life being released in 1990, there was a very diverse range of ages amongst the audience; with fans as young as sixteen in attendance.

The Mancunian mods came out thundering through there opening song The Real Thing and, despite being in their fifties and fourties, they showed that they really are still the real deal, as they jumped around the stage like a band of eighteen year olds.

However, the band were let down by poor mixing as the vocals were too quiet and the drums were too loud and distorted. But that didn’t mean the packed room and eager crowd didn’t get to enjoy the powerful Paul Weller- esque vocals of Stephen Holt, who only re-joined the band in 2011 after originally leaving in 1989.

They rolled back the years as they bounced around in floral shirts, while their brand of mod-rock resonated throughout the building as they played classic hits like Saturn 5.

Inspiral Carpets truly showed their great showman ship as they did equally as much dancing as the crowd, if not more. At any other gig the fairly static lighting would have been a downisde to the performance but it seemed to compliment an intimate feel on this occasion, creating the ambience of an energetic performance night in a local pub or club.

I think I can safely say that this has been a very successful comeback from the 80′s band, as they succeded where many bands fail. Most aged bands, when they attempt to make a comeback, aren’t as good at being in-tune and in-time during live performances, but the ‘Carpets’ didn’t drop a single note all night and put on a great show.

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Inspiral Carpets carry on there UK Back To Life tour with dates in Nottingham, Wrexham and Manchester.

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Jake Mackinnon
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A fire broke out in Clydesdale Tower, in the centre of Birmingham. (Photograph: Adam Yosef)

An elderly woman has been taken to hospital following a fire at a residential tower block in Birmingham yesterday evening (Friday).

West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to Clydesdale Tower in Holloway Head at approximately 9.40pm.

An ambulance, together with a paramedic officer and the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) attended the scene.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “Crews arrives to find smoke rising from the fourth to the tenth floor.

Smoke from the fire rose from the fourth to the tenth floor. A woman in her late seventies was treated for smoke inhalation. (Photograph: Adam Yosef)

“Working with firefighters at the scene, Crews quickly determined that no occupants were in the residence where the fire originally started. However, a neighbour in her late seventies was treated for smoke inhalation.

“She was taken to the City Hospital for further treatment and assessment.”

A spokesperson from Optima Community Association, who manage the building, stated:

“There was a fire at Clydesdale Tower yesterday evening. One woman was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation. We hope she’s recovering well.”
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>>‘FIRE AT BIRMINGHAM CITY CENTRE BLOCK’ | MORE PHOTOS HERE<<

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Alfie Boe performs to a sold out venue at The NIA in Birmingham. (Photograph: Jack Kirby)

Braving the cold and snow last night was no easy challenge for the fans of Alfie Boe, who kicked off his Storyteller tour with a sold out show at the Birmingham NIA last night, but with the queue stretching around the building, there was no denying the eagerness to watch the Les Misérables star in action.

The Storyteller tour will be his first UK arena tour, however with three platinum albums under his belt, a score of shows and the fact that he has sang for the Queen herself, Alfie is no small fish.

The extraordinary British tenor conveyed his feelings about performing in the city on Twitter, stating: “It’s finally here, first day of my #storytellertour I’m playing the Birmingham NIA tonight, totally sold out. #excited A x”

The show began with a support singer, known as Emilia Mitiku, a Swedish pop and soul singer. With a small but well-tuned backing band, she provided a fun and lively start to the evening with some amazing vocals, great atmosphere.

Swedish soul singer Emilia Mitiku supported Alfie Boe in Birmingham. (Photograph: Jack Kirby)

Following Mikitu, the stage blacked out and entering to a drum solo and billowing smoke, Alfie Boe powered on stage. With the biggest smile on his face, he was accompanied by his backing band of brass, strings and his backing singers all trailing behind him.

Drawing straight from his new Storyteller album, Alfie gave the crowd a great show, with a variety of well known tracks, including some Elvis, and of course with Boe reprieving his most well known role as Valjean from Les Misérables with Bring Him Home.

An amazing start to what I’m sure will be a storybook-esque tour for Alfie Boe. With the applause and the love from the sold-out venue, he can rest assured he put on one amazing show.

Jack Kirby

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Internationally renown Elvis Presley tribute artist Lee ‘Memphis’ King is heading to Birmingham

There are Elvis Presley tribute artists and then there’s Lee Memphis King.

“When I closed my eyes I could feel Elvis” were the words used by Elvis Presley’s long-term friend Joe Esposito to describe Lee’s amazing performance and now he’s bringing it to Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre.

In this brand new show for 2013, Europe’s most successful Elvis Presley tribute artist – Lee Memphis King, presents the ultimate tribute to The King – celebrating the entire career of the musical legend.

This spectacular show begins with an authentic recreation of the 1950’s rock’n’roll years, progressing through the movie years to Elvis’s return to performing in his’68 comeback special. The second half culminates in a rousing expo of Elvis’s years performing in Vegas. Lee brings the majesty of the voice and the electrifying power of Elvis’s performance back to life.

Accompanied throughout by his world class band and backing singers that breath the life into the music of a legend. The show also features large screen projection, making it the biggest Elvis show to tour UK theatres.

Over the last 10 years as Lee has toured his One Night of Elvis he has picked up many accolades including ‘Best professional Elvis tribute in the world’ at the 2005 Collingwood Festival and World’s Greatest Elvis’ finalist and has headlined and sold out some of the most prestigious venues across the UK and Europe.

To any fan of Elvis this show is the only way to enjoy the music of the greatest, most celebrated artist the world has known. Prepare to be enthralled by this amazing musical journey and spend one night with Elvis.

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We’ve teamed up with Lee ‘Memphis’ King and have a pair of tickets to give away to his show at Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre. To be in with a chance to win, simply answer the following:

In which US state was iconic music star Elvis Presley born?

Email your answers to us at iambirmingham[at]hotmail.co.uk – or by clicking here.

Please include your full name, address, email and a contact number. Winners will be notified by email/phone. Tickets are for the 19/04/13 – 7.30pm show at the Alexandra Theatre. Closing date for all entries: 15/04/13.

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Remember, you can still enjoy the amazing show at the Alexandra Theatre on Friday 19th April. Book your tickets to see One Night of Elvis: Lee ‘Memphis’ King here.

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Charlie Pidcock will be performing at intimate live music venue Cafe Blend in Birmingham.

A young acoustic singer-songwriter from Derby, who has amongst his fans the likes of McFly, Zebrahead, Bowling for Soup and classical award-winning composer Conor Mitchell, is to perform in central Birmingham this week to help raise funds for city’s Children’s Hospital.

Midlands-based musician Charlie Pidcock – who already has three EPs to his name – will host a special evening of chilled-out acoustic sounds at the city’s unique urban bohemian hideaway, Cafe Blend, in Birmingham’s Navigation Street.

Only 21 years of age, Charlie’s journey from teenage ‘YouTuber’ and former band member to becoming one of the most promising and aspiring newcomers on the online music scene has seen him travel the country for inspiration; while also being trained in London by the mentors behind music heavyweights Amy Winehouse, Busted and Lemar.

Having been praised for his song-writing and performing ability by McFly’s Harry Judd, rock bands Zebrahead and Bowling for Soup, Charlie most recently released his third EP ‘Glow’, following his successful debut ‘Meet Me Halfway’ and highly praised follow-up ‘Keep The Faith’.

“Whenever someone buys my EPs on iTunes or physically, it means a lot to me,” Charlie explained.

“One of my best songs ‘Boxes’ was actually inspired by two of my YouTube subscribers who said they wanted to me to write a song about someone in their family who had recently passed away; and then someone else challenged me to include ‘Cardboard boxes’ in the song, and thus, ‘Boxes’ was born.”

The increase of his fanbase has seen him perform at gatherings across the UK while also gracing the stage at VidCon in Los Angeles and performing at the 24-hour Unicef fundraiser StickAID alongside Charlie McDonnell and Alex Day.

Birmingham-based folk singer Alisha Kadir will be joining Charlie Pidcock for the special evening.

Currently working on new material before heading back to the studio, Charlie Pidcock is taking out time to perform an exclusive show in Birmingham during the Easter half-term break.

“Birmingham holds a lot of memories for me, when I was in my old band we used to go and watch bands like Zebrahead and Fleeing from Finales, I vividly remember walking the streets searching for a chippy after gigs refuel for the journey home. Birmingham seems to have a brimming music scene which I’d love to get into a bit more.”

The evening of intimate performances will include special musical numbers from local support artists Daniel Dobbs, from Nottingham, and Alisha Kadir, from Birmingham.

Musician Daniel Dobbs, from Nottingham, will be bringing his soft rock melodies to the acoustic evening.

Alisha, who describes her folk inspired music as observational and inspirational pieces, said:

“I adore Birmingham and all we have to offer, we are a plethora of cultures, an abundance of empowerment and most importantly a buzzing hive of sound. Our music scene is both the Home of Metal, with so many rock greats continuing their legacy and inspiring new generations of musicians, and the platform of Asian music in Britain, with such diverse influences we are creating such beautiful sounds in genres from across the board.”

“The music scene in Birmingham really is a great opportunity from any musician that passes through.”

The event, organised by Punk Zebra, is expected to raise money for the city’s Birmingham Children’s Hospital through tickets sales.

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‘An Acoustic Evening with Charlie Pidcock’ takes place at Cafe Blend in Navigation Street, Birmingham B5, on Friday 12^th April between 6pm-9pm. Tickets are available from www.theticketsellers.co.uk for £6 or can be purchased on the door for £8.

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Huge and incredibly lifelike dinosaurs, including this T-Rex, took to the stage at the NIA Birmingham.

We headed out to the NIA in Birmingham to catch  the “arena spectacular” Walking with Dinosaurs.  That’s a huge claim, but then we are dealing with huge animals, and I’d heard really good things. 

We were greeted with a Palaeontologist who acted at the narrator for the show, introducing the individual dinosaurs through easy-to-digest information or sometimes comical interaction. 

Not knowing what to expect, I felt that the show would either be aimed at an audience looking to learn more about the creatures, or be a bit light-hearted and rather dumbed down for the kids. In reality, I feel it kind of sat between the two.  This was also reflected in the audience, which was expectedly be a child-heavy mix of all ages, but surprisingly included its fair share of adults without kids in tow.

A combination of animatronics, puppetry and special effects brings the dinosaurs to life.

The visuals are impressive, the Palaeontologist played an important roll not only in keeping us informed, but as he was ‘walking with dinosaurs’, he really helped give the creatures a sense of scale.  That may seem a strange thing to say given they’re right in front of you and pretty close, but the added narrative does really work.  

The dinosaurs are quite real in their movements (based on our interpretation through movie screens of course), and the whole set execution is a superb piece of theatre.  As the show turns on the education switch and lightly touches on prehistoric continents and cretaceous  jurassic and triassic period changes for the non-historian or scientists among us; the lighting, sound and set itself evolves in front of your eyes.

The antics of this mother and baby T-Rex kept audiences on the edge of their seats.

For instance, we learn about the mid-cretaceous period where the introduction of insects cause flowers to evolve and bloom giving us a more colourful world. These are accentuated by confetti canons that effectively give us a visual of fluttering butterflies, or there’s the rumbling bass that shakes the seats and erratic lighting creating movement in the tectonic plates, or the similar effect in strobes creating a lighting storm; it really is engaging in that respect.

I’d imagine, as a child, the whole thing would be pretty mind-blowing. It’s hard not to be impressed as an adult, just by its visual execution alone, along with questioning how the dinosaurs operate in what is sometimes a tight crowded space (given their size).  In fact during the intermission, the children of the audience, who remained in the arena, stomped around roaring as if it had really captured their imagination.

Walking With Dinosaurs Live seems to be a firm favourite with both children and adults alike.

I do think certain elements could have been stepped up a little further, for example the dinosaurs who come to the edge of the floor space and try to engage directly with the audience never really reach over into it the actual audience. I was kind of hoping we’d have some creatures flying overhead too but maybe that has more to do with the NIA’s seating plan and arena space.  The show itself relies on a few action sequences and face-offs between dinosaurs, but of course they can do little in terms of displaying an actual fight given the younger audience and the animatronics involved.

It’s at these times it feels a bit slow and relies too heavily on them roaming the floor space, not really doing much. I fear it loses the audience’s interest sometimes. It could possibly benefit from some more in-depth facts for the older gneration to keep these pieces engaging, or just some additional running commentary that was similarly present in other scenes.  Having said that, I was excited for it for one main reason and that’s the visuals, and they were incredible. That and the humour in the T-Rex scene… a nice touch.
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Walking with Dinosaurs continues its run at the Birmingham NIA between 10-14 April, 2013. Tickets are available at The Ticket Factory: www.theticketfactory.com or 0844 338 8000. Find out more at www.thenia.co.uk.

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Russ Tierney
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Alton Towers has unveiled its record breaking 14-loop rollercoaster, The Smiler

Alton Towers Resort has unveiled the world’s first 14 loop rollercoaster, The Smiler.

The official Guinness World Record for the most loops in a coaster has officially been broken by the Staffordshire theme park, smashing the previous record of 10.

The Smiler, which is Alton Towers Resort’s biggest ever investment at £18m, took over eight months to build and the secret world first element has been kept under wraps since construction began back in September.

Not for the faint hearted, the marmalising rollercoaster features a series of twisted psychological effects including optical illusions, blinding lights and jabbing needles designed to mess with your mind.

The Smiler’s 14 epic inversions have smashed the record of its nearest rival halfway across the world, and by only four loops.

To mark the announcement, The Smiler’s heart-stopping 14 loops were revealed today with a spectacular display of lights, which brought the coaster to ‘life’. The sheer size of The Smiler, which is the equivalent of ten football pitches of ride-track, dominates the X-Sector area of the Resort.

Tom Ibison from Guinness World Records commented: “Alton Towers Resort has smashed the record with The Smiler’s 14 epic inversions – four more than their nearest rival located halfway around the world. We’ve seen a number of extreme rollercoasters open, but it’s so exciting to see such a world class attraction opening here in the UK.”

Alton Towers brand new rollercoaster ride The Smiler opens to the public on 23rd May

Katherine Duckworth from Alton Towers Resort commented: “We have been saying that The Smiler will ‘marmalise’ your mind for a long time and today we can officially reveal that it is set to do the same to your body. The combination of 14 loops with a variety of elements such as optical illusions, designed to mess with your mind make The Smiler a truly unique rollercoaster.

“This is by far the most exciting rollercoaster for Alton Towers Resort to date. It is twice as big as Nemesis and our biggest ever investment. There has been a lot of anticipation for this launch, and we can’t wait to see what the public think on 23rd May.

The Smiler features a series of twisted psychological effects including optical illusions, blinding lights and jabbing needles; all designed to mess with your mind.

John Wardley, a ride consultant on The Smiler, commented: “The amount of time, money and energy that has been poured into creating this world first attraction is huge. I’ve been working in the industry for over 35 years and this rollercoaster really does push the boundaries. Who knows what we will have to do to top this one!”

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Visitors can experience The Smiler’s 14 record-breaking loops and all its twisted psychological effects from Thursday 23rd May. For more information, visit www.the-smiler.com.

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The new Aston Villa team kit for 2013/14 will be launched with a special music festival

The new Aston Villa team kit is set to be launched amidst the fanfare of a special music festival organised by one of the city’s biggest online music magazines.

Following on from the success of last year’s event, Aston Villa Football Club has once again joined forces with events partner Counteract Magazine to curate a free family festival to mark the launch of the team’s 2013/14 home and away kit.

Due to be held throughout Father’s Day weekend in June, the free festival at Villa Park will showcase the best in up-and-coming local talent on the magazine’s own music stage while giving ardent fans the chance to purchase the new Macron home kit, which will be on sale from 9am on June 15.

Band Tempting Rosie are to perform at the Aston Villa Kit Launch Music Festival

Accompanying the live music, the Kit Launch Festival will also feature children’s fairground rides, inflatable games, mini stadium tours, a food court and various other activities to give the festival wider family appeal.

Headlining the music stage on will be local band Jaws. Riding the recent wave of acts to hail from the UK’s second city, Jaws have cemented their place in the ‘b-town’ music scene with their unique brand of melodic bliss, following the likes of Peace and Swim Deep who have taken the country by storm.

Birmingham band Jaws will be headlining the Aston Villa Kit Launch Music Festival

Joining them is a generous helping of the region’s best new musical talent including The Bombergs, Prisms, Shatter Effect, Laced, The Artois, Hoopla Blue, FOES, Gary Nock (the man behind the popular Villa anthem ‘Oh To Be A Villan’), George Barnett, Two Fathoms, Lovats, Eat Y’Self Pretty, Friday Club, Leopard and Brum septet Tempting Rosie, who will showcase their up-tempo hybrid brand of ska, reggae and pop as they close the festivities.

Handpicking the bands for the music stage is local online music magazine Counteract, Aston Villa’s official provider of local music for the past two years.

Richard Franks, editor of Aston Villa Kit Launch partner Counteract magazine

Richard Franks, editor of Counteract magazine, said: “After the success of last year’s event, it’s a real honour to be able to work with Aston Villa again for the 2013/14 kit launch.

“On a personal level, I’m a massive Aston Villa fan, so if you’d have told me a few years ago that I’d be curating a festival at Villa Park, I’d have told you where to go! But for the bands this is just fantastic.

“Some of them are only just starting out. For them to be able to say they’ve played at Villa Park and have their band printed in the programme and up on the big screens, that’s something money can’t buy.

“It also gives fans something a little different to look forward to – a huge free event at Villa Park with live music, fairground rides, inflatables and so much more. I can’t wait.”

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The Aston Villa FC Kit Launch Festival will be held on 15 and 16 June, 2013.  For more information, visit avfc.co.uk and counteract-magazine.com.

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Sharon Cowan, Kirsty Brecknell, Harvey Jevons and Jennine Jevons are raising money for Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice

A south Birmingham family and friends will be celebrating the lives of loved ones when they step out at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice’s Moonlight Memories sponsored walk.

The charity’s annual ladies only summer night-time walk, formerly known as Starlight Stroll, has been given an exciting face-lift and opened up to all the family, with men now being invited to take part.

Michelle Devine, Jennine Jevons, Charlotte Devine, Sharon Cowan, Harvey Jevons and Kirsty Brecknell will be walking in memory of their mum, nan and friend Theresa Pemberton at the event which starts and finishes at Edgbaston High School on Saturday, July 13.

Jennine, who has set up a JustGiving page for the team, whose ages range from 10 to 45, said the event meant a lot to the family following the loss of Theresa in September last year.

“The Hospice’s community team, along with the palliative care team at the QE, managed to get mum home after a three-month stay in hospital. This was so important to mum, as it was her choice to be at home with her family,” she said.

Jennine added: “The Hospice also helped my dad, son and niece to come to terms with the loss of his wife and their precious nan. The charity cared about the whole family – they really helped my dad with what was going to happen and still cared afterwards.”

The family of walkers have already raised over £1,000 for the Birmingham hospice

It is the first time the family will be taking part in the Hospice’s summer night-time walk. Nevertheless, they have so far managed to raise nearly £1,000 towards future care at the Selly Park-based charity.

Jennine said: “Mum really liked a laugh and I am pretty sure there will be lots of them at this event. The sense of achievement at the end will be great and knowing that we have done something to help the Hospice gives us great peace of mind. It’s a nice way to say thank you.”

In addition to Theresa, the family will also be remembering Theresa’s cousins Wendy McKnight, Mary Watson and Theresa Pomeroy, whom they lost recently.

The eight-mile walk begins at Edgbaston High School will pass the Hospice along the way. Registration costs £10 per person or £30 for a family of four.

Over the years, the charity’s summer night-time walk has funded thousands of hours of care for terminally ill people and their families across Birmingham and Sandwell.

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People interested in joining Teasy’s Girls (www.justgiving.com/Teasys-Girls) at Moonlight Memories are invited to visit www.bsmh.org.uk or go to the Moonlight Memories event page at facebook.com/birminghamstmaryshospice

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Universe of Sound: The Planets, a major digital installation that leads to a weekend exploration of music and space

Universe of Sound: The Planets, a major digital installation that leads to a weekend exploration of music and space presented by Town Hall & Symphony Hall with the Philharmonia Orchestra and featuring free family activities, film screenings and live performances, will take place in Birmingham in June 2013.

This world-class orchestra is to take on a virtual form in the free interactive Universe of Sound digital installation, resident in the disused Birmingham Municipal Bank between Saturday 25 May and Sunday 16 June 2013.

The installation has been created by the Philharmonia Orchestra’s Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Esa-Pekka Salonen

The installation, which has been devised and created by the Philharmonia Orchestra Digital Department and Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Esa-Pekka Salonen, will transport visitors into the heart of a symphony orchestra. Visitors will be able to conduct using creative digital technologies, play live and virtual instruments and learn about the roles of musicians and composers in ten separate rooms, before a planetarium-style full-dome 360 degree projection delivers the incomparable thrill of seeing and hearing 105 players performing Gustav Holst’s incredible work The Planets, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen.

Each room will contain the sheet music for each instrument, and visitors will be invited to bring their instruments and play along. Philharmonia and locally based musicians will also be present inside the installation, playing along live and answering questions.

The creation of the hi-definition interactive immersive experience involved what is believed to be the largest classical music film shoot ever undertaken, and has recently been shortlisted for a 2013 Royal Philharmonic Society Award. More than 67,000 people visited the work at the Science Museum, London in 2012.

The Universe of Sound classical music installation is both digital and interactive

Visitors to the Universe of Sound can being and play their own instruments along with those provided

On Friday 14 June, Universe of Sound‘s final weekend commences with a 7pm screening of Stanley Kubrick’s classic science-fiction movie 2001: A Space Odyssey at Symphony Hall, accompanied by the original soundtrack performed live by the Philharmonia and Birmingham’s Ex Cathedra choir, conducted by Benjamin Wallfisch. Majestic, unconventional and instantly recognisable pieces of music feature in the 1968 film, which is now acknowledged as one of the greatest and most influential films of all time.

Concert ticket holders will have the opportunity to experience a late night performance of Earthrise, Alec Roth’s 2010 choral masterpiece based on the view of Earth by Apollo 8 astronauts whilst in orbit, given by Ex Cathedra in Symphony Hall from 10pm.

The family friendly space of Symphony Hall Café Bar will be the base for Universe of Sound Family Day a day of free activities, workshops and demonstrations between 10.30am and 4.30pm on Saturday 15 June, featuring musicians helping families to explore the Orchestra, solar system mobiles, demonstrations of music technology, a constellation installation, creative workshops themed music and space plus much more.

Speaking about its appeal, the Philharmonia Orchestra’s Head of Digital Richard Slaney told I Am Birmingham:

“Universe of Sound is a way of experiencing what it’s like to be on the stage with the Philharmonia Orchestra as they’re playing Holst’s The Planets, which is an amazing piece of music, and basically you go through an exhibition where in one room you’re with the brass, in one room you’re with strings, one room you’re with percussion and you experience what it’s like to be on stage, what it’s like to be part of an orchestra.

“You should come here because it’s free, you can try it, you can bring instruments, try and play along, there are so many different ways you can experience it and it’s kind of a conce-in-a-lifetime opportunity. How many times will you be able to be part of the Philharmonia Orchestra playing this amazing piece of music, so come and try it.”

Richard Slaney, the Philharmonia Orchestra’s Head of Digital, helped create the interactive Universe of Sound installation

Richard Hawley, Director of Artistic Programming and Projects at Town Hall and Symphony Hall, said, “Working alongside the Philharmonia in delivering such a wonderfully immersive experience in a space as exciting as the old Municipal Bank on Broad Street is a thrilling opportunity. We invite music and science fans, families and the downright curious from across the UK to visit the installation, take part in hands-on activities at our family day and enjoy the rare performance of Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey with a live orchestral and choral score, as well as a number of other concerts, all part of a truly exciting project for the city.” 

Esa-Pekka Salonen, Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor at the Philharmonia Orchestra, said, “This project offers everyone, from the very young to the very old, from the absolute novice to the experienced musician, the chance to step right into the heart of one of the world’s finest symphony orchestras. Our world is by turns preposterously loud, pin-drop quiet, highly-charged, intense and frequently overwhelming. Come and join us – you won’t be disappointed.”

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Watch Philharmonia Orchestra’s Richard Slaney explain more about the Universe of Sound installation in Birmingham:

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The Universe of Sound weekend closes with Gustav Holst’s great astrological work The Planets, performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra and ladies of the City of Birmingham Choir conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy in Symphony Hall, on Sunday 16 June 2013 at 7.30pm.

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Video and images by Adam Yosef.

Jurassic 5′s recent performances show they still have great musical direction (Photo: Getty Images)

Hip hop isn’t dead. Playing to a capacity crowd at the O2 Academy, Jurassic 5 delivered a night to remember.

Old school hip hop fused with the nostalgic feeling in the air. Jurassic 5 took a 7-year long break from each other, yet you’d never believe they had even been apart as they performed one of only three exclusive UK gig dates in Birmingham. The group, who recently reunited for Coachella Music Festival and announced a full tour would follow, gave ann absolutely flawless performance. The original members of J5 may have grey hair taking over, but they’re still going strong; while serving as a reminder that the likes of Jay Z and Kanye West are not ‘hip hop’.

An ambient introduction with each member of the group appearing one by one from backstage, bursting into rap to the screaming audience. It took a moment to sink in that Jurassic 5 stood before us, but we soon got comfortable.

Rapping to their huge tracks, Thin Line and Concrete Schoolyard, they had the crowd waving their hands in the air and nodding their head to every beat from the moment they walked on – fans ranging from young children to middle aged men reliving their youth within the electric atmosphere in the room. Vinyl could be seen everywhere, not a CD in sight. This was for the old-timers, the original hip hop fans.

The original DJ’s from Jurassic 5, Cut Chemist and DJ Nu-Mark provided the music for the show, each of them scratching along to the records and keeping the energy flowing through the room. There was not a moment where they were sitting in the sidelines of the show. The two DJ’s performed a completely unique makeshift-instrument duo featuring a ‘vinyl-guitar’, ‘vinyl-drum kit’ and giant vinyl turntable. Despite the giant vinyl turntable not working, the crowd continued to bounce the night away to the instrumental breaks that were being played by the duo.

Despite the massive amount of energy pumping through the crowd from start to finish, it never felt like it was ‘you vs them’, it was always one big family. The J5 family. Talented rappers reliving their memories, laughing on stage in awe of the crowd that greeted them and echoed their every word despite having left their fans in the dark for 7 years.

When J5 walked off stage you could feel the emotion in the room, passionate fans stamping their feet and cheering as loud as possible, wanting them to return to the stage and perform even more. Of course they returned – the O2 Academy made a lot of noise for them. They returned, performing an unreleased track which the majority of the audience didn’t know.

Jurassic 5′s founding member, Chali 2na, announced “Put your hands up if you know this one!” to which only five members of the audience raised their hands in response; but this didn’t stop the rest of the audience from enjoying the performance, with every member of the crowd bouncing to the beat.

A great bunch of talented rappers and DJ’s, finally making their return to hundreds of die-hard fans by putting on an energetic and exciting performance. 5 stars.
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Daniel Willis
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British-American London-based duo Big Deal performed at The Rainbow in Birmingham

Big Deal came to The Rainbow in Birmingham on a damp Friday night in support of their latest album June Gloom. They were supported by local singer Two Fathoms, in a very intimate and dimly-lit bohemian looking room.

Two Fathoms took to the stage and impressed with the self titled song Two Fathoms about the life of author H.G Wells, capturing the imagination of the encapsulated audience. His Frank Turner-style of singing was easily listen-able yet angsty in places, and all round great opener..
When Big Deal came onto the stage the crowd were ready for a good time, and band members Underwood and Costelloe started well with the fairly mellow Golden Light. Unfortunately, the American-British duo’s harmonies were off in a lot of places and their singing lacked any energy and power but luckily their dual guitar sounds merged well to make it at least listenable.

It was indeed fortunate that their vocals improved as the show went on, but only slightly. For a band with two albums to their name, you would have expected a more professional performance from the London-based duo. At times they seemed like a 90′s grunge band as they stood there on the dimly lit stage wearing dark attire, a look which seemed to fit the heavier songs they played including the crowd pleaser Teradactol.

Costelloe lead vocals on most numbers, aptly capturing the spirit of the their largely female orientated subject matter while Underwood’s occasional forays into song proved he was made for performing music and not the spoken word, melodiously or otherwise.

At the end of the show you couldn’t help but feel like Big Deal really weren’t a big deal at all. But all name irony aside, their debut album Lights Out only came out in 2011 – and has had a far more positive impact than their live performances – so they still have plenty of time to hone their craft and fulfill their potential on stage.

Big Deal carry on their tour with dates in London and an appearance at Belgian festival Rock Herk.

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Jake Mackinnon
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Around 90,000 revellers packed out Donnington Park for the 2013 Download Festival

The biggest outdoor event in the rock calendar took place this weekend as 90,000 people rocked out in Donington Park to headliners Slipknot, Iron Maiden and Rammstein plus a host of other bands performing at the Download Festival.

Crowds of rock fans packed out Donington Park as the opening day of Download saw Asking Alexandria, Papa Roach, Architects, Korn, Bullet for My Valentine all perform mind blowing sets throughout the day, while bands like Fearless Vampire Killers, Fidlar and The Algorithm ripped up the Red Bull Bedroom Jam Stage.

Slipknot had Donington in the palm of their hand as they opened their set with Distasterpiece before launching into Liberate, Wait and Bleed, Before I Forget and Psychosocial. A moment that will go down in Download history followed when 90,000 people knelt down on Donignton’s sacred ground before “jumping the f*ck up” during a raging rendition of Spit It Out.

Slipknot on stage at the Download Festival 2013

Saturday’s epic lineup saw Queens of the Stone Age make their Download debut as the sun beamed down on the home of rock, while Motorhead, Alice In Chains, Mastodon, Enter Shikari, Jimmy Eat World, The Hives, Kvelertak and many more all played blinding sets.

Enter Shikari play to the crowds at the Download Festival 2013

A Spitfire circled Donington Park before Iron Maiden burst onto stage with their headline set

A Spitfire circled Donington Park before Iron Maiden burst onto stage with their headline set bringing the Maiden England tour to the festival marking 25 years since the band first headlined Donington Park. The set included Run To The Hills, Fear of the Dark, The Number of the Beast and an encore of Aces High, The Evil That Men Do and Running Free.

Thirty Seconds To Mars performed on the closing day of the 2013 Download Festival

The closing day of Download has already seen crowds roaring with sets from Coal Chamber, Five Finger Death Punch, Parkway Drive, with Limp Bizkit, Thirty Seconds To Mars, Gaslight Anthem, A Day To Remember and many more still to come. And of course everyone is gearing up for a stunning set from tonight’s headliners Rammstein, who will close the festival with a set that’s sure to contend for rock show of the year.

Revellers and rock fans enjoy the 2013 Download Festival

Revellers and rock fans enjoy the 2013 Download Festival

Download Festival promoter Andy Copping commented: “It’s been an amazing weekend. We’ve had over 150 bands across five stages and a trio of ground breaking, world class headliners. Having Iron Maiden back 25 years after they first headlined Donington was an incredible moment. Slipknot as usual delivered an unforgettable set, and Rammstein tonight will be the first time the band have played Donington.”

Revellers and rock fans enjoy the 2013 Download Festival

An estimated 90rock fans packed out Donnington Park for the 2013 Download Festival

The pyrotechnics were out as Rammstein took to the stage at Download 2013

Other activity on site included The Red Bull Studios live at Download, which  culminated in an exciting series of sets from some of the UK’s hottest emerging bands. Croydon trio Press To Meco were met with a raucous overspilling tent whilst Aberdeen four piece Semperfi had the electric crowds shouting back their lyrics.

The highlight for fellow Aberdeen cohorts Akord was undoubtedly accepting an impromptu invite to play on the main stage during Down’s set to a 70k strong crowd. Having previously nurtured the cream of new rock talent such as Radio 1 favourites Don Broco, Red Bull Studios will no doubt be seeing this year’s alumni on bigger stages very soon.

Revellers enjoy the Download Festival at Donnington Park

P.O.D. on stage at the 2013 Download Festival

The Cancer Bats crowdsurf at Donnington Park during the Download Festival

Download Festival 2014 will take place 13-15 June, and as a thank you to fans for a limited time Download is offering £10 off the current 2013 prices for 5-day camping tickets, 3-day camping and weekend arena tickets. All tickets go on sale at 9am on 21 June with the offer closing on 1 July. There are only 5,000 available, visit www.downloadfestival.co.uk to get yours.

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Photographs: Download Festival

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Rihanna performs at the LG Arena in Birmingham. (Photograph: Ricky Combo)

Rihanna is many things but punctual is not one of them. However, there is no greater loyalty than that of devout and patient fans.

I personally hoped that she would have been booed off stage to convey a message of annoyance, but the shrieking screams of a thousand teenagers quickly shifted my focus from mild irritation to the star herself, as she graced the main LG Arena stage.

Her long-awaited entrance was in fact rather underwhelming. No bungee cord or jet pack descent and yet it was still a hundred-fold better than the opening support act whose only excitable contribution to the night was the intermittent suspense-filled annoucements of “Are you all ready for Rihanna?”, to which the audience duly responded with whoops and cheers.

Rihanna performs at the LG Arena in Birmingham. (Photograph: Ricky Combo)

The crowd never really connected with the misplaced opening dance DJ set which, in my opinion, was one of the worst warm-up acts for an internationally renown R’n'B star. The high tempo electronic music was deafening, but lucky for me I had my Bose headphones and switched to something rather mellow and soon zoned out. Who can blame me? An extra hour and a half is along time to wait for the main act.

I was alerted to Rihanna’s arrival by quite a frenzy of over-eager fan activity but couldn’t quite make out what the first song was. Rihanna was on her knees on stage in a black dress,  I had to stand up to see in front of me as all the previously seated audience were now on their feet. Standing up was also useful in shielding myself from the complimentary spit-shower, courtesy of those standing behind me. Anyone who has been around excited teenagers might relate.

I particularly appreciated the visual displays on stage being raised above head height after the first few songs, revealing the band and staging which was minimalistic with an industrial rehearsal space feel to it. From then on it was a dance-fest as Rihanna’s troupe joined her on stage to help her do what she does best: Sing, dance, entertain and regularly pat her lady-bits.

Rihanna performs at the LG Arena in Birmingham. (Photograph: Ricky Combo)

>> MORE PHOTOGRAPHS: Rihanna ‘Diamonds World Tour’, LG Arena Birmingham <<

After the first few times, I could not help but wonder whether she actually had an itch down there or whether she needed constant reassurance that they’re still there. There sure was a lot of suggestive crotch-grabbing, not to different from an online viral video of a Chinese womanscratching her nether regions in public.

The party didn’t start for me until Ri-Ri’s cover of Ginuwine’s My Pony, something from my era. I had been feeling lost up until then as I only know but a few of her songs and hardly by choice either, as they have been so regularly being rinsed out on every radio station, night club and every mix-tape in the last few years; testament to how influential she has been in the industry.

There was an outfit change between every couple of songs and these set the vibe and tempo of the tracks that would follow. For dance and reggae tracks, she wore Doc Martin style boots. For the sexy numbers, she had long white boots and some really short shorts while for Diamonds she wore a sparkly diamond outfit.

Rihanna performs at the LG Arena in Birmingham. (Photograph: Ricky Combo)

Rihanna performs at the LG Arena in Birmingham. (Photograph: Ricky Combo)

In the end it was as brilliant an experience as it was a performance but I do wish Rihanna would be as punctual as she is pretty. The songstress does, without a doubt, know her stuff but a little respect for her fans would go a long way.

Her brilliance on this occasion was not enough to convert me into a big or loyal fan. I loved Rihanna’s show but both her fans and her regular lateness are not my cup of tea. The screaming was a lot to take in and a bit much for me, but I did enjoy the Mexican waves that went around in her absence.

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Grimmy West

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Teenage education campaigner Malala Yousafzai opens the new Library of Birmingham. Photograph: Jake Mackinnon

The new Library of Birmingham was officially opened today by sixteen year-old Malala Yousafzai, who rose to international prominence after being shot by the Taliban.

The opening of the £189 million public library in Centenary Square was watched by 400 visitors, as teenager Malala was joined by the building’s chief architect, the Lord Mayor of Birmingham and a number of local politicians and well wishers.

During her speech Malala, who was joined by her father along with family friends, triumphantly announced, “Pens and books are the weapons that defeat terrorism.”

Malala Yousafzai was joined by her father at the opening ceremony. Photograph: Jake Mackinnon

She carried on, “I truly believe the only way we can create global peace is through not only educating our minds, but our hearts and our souls.

“From my school text books I read nine books from the library. I thought I did a great job in my whole 15 years of life.

“But last year, seven days after the incident that I faced, I was brought here to Birmingham for further treatment.

“When I was discharged from the hospital, I was introduced to this new society, which is different from our society in Pakistan, in many ways.

Malala Yousafzai unveiled a permanent plaque at the library bearing her name. Photograph: Jake Mackinnon

“Here people tell me that they have read hundreds of books. It does not matter how old they are, they take a keen interest in reading, even children of six and seven years have read more books than me.

“Now I have challenged myself that I will read thousands of books and I will empower myself with knowledge.

She added: “We must not forget that 57 million children are out of school.

“And let us not forget that even one book, one pen, one child and one teacher can change the world.”

Malala Yousafzai received her first library card from the Lord mayor of Birmingham. Photograph: Jake Mackinnon

Originally from Pakistan, Malala was not afraid to show her pride in being a Brummie.

“It is an honour for me to be here in Birmingham, the beating heart of England.

“Birmingham is very special for me because it is here that I found myself alive, seven days after I was shot.

“It is now my second home, after my beloved Pakistan.

She also went on to praise the medical care she received in Birmingham, after being shot in the head by militants for standing up for women’s educational rights in October of last year.

“The doctors and nurses of this town strived to rehabilitate my educational career, and the great people of this city gave me great moral support and today’s event proves that this city loves me and I love it too.

The Children’s Nobel Peace Prize nominee concluded, “As one said, a room without books is like a body without a soul. And I say ‘a city without a library is like a graveyard’.”

“A city without a library is like a graveyard,” Malala Yousafzai told the crowd. Photograph: Jake Mackinnon

Regarded by its designer as the “People’s Palace”, the 333,000 sq ft structure is the brainchild of Dutch architect Francine Houben. Made partly from gold and covered in 5,357 intertwining metal circles, she claims the patterns reflect the “values of universality, timelessness and unity.”

Around a million books are housed in the new library, which also has access to a large media archive belonging to the British Film Institute and it is home to the second largest collection of Shakespeare’s works in the world. The 10-level library also links up with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and has an outdoor amphitheatre providing a music and drama performance space.

The public library, which is the largest in Europe, will be hosting events this weekend as part of their “Discovery Season” to celebrate the opening of the venue.

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Jake Mackinnon

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>> GALLERY: See more pictures of the new Library of Birmingham here. <<

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A video promoting Birmingham has become an unexpected viral hit, with over 78,000 views

A video created to promote a Birmingham radio station and highlight recent developments in the city has become a viral hit, but for all the wrong reasons after critics panned the online effort.

Titled ‘Birmingham – Best City Ever’, the video from local station Free Radio garnered a unexpected number of online shares following its publication on Friday and, by last night, had generated over 78,000 views; completely overshadowing other videos on the station’s official YouTube channel.

The Free Radio video promoting Birmingham is titled ‘Best City Ever’

Despite being praised by city organisations including the new Library of Birmingham and West Midlands Police, the video was criticised by members of the public, some of whom described it as ‘embarrassing’.

The video features members of the Birmingham Community Gospel Choir

Tunnel mantenance workers were featured singing and dancing in the video

Staff from the new Library of Birmingham were also featured in the ‘music video’

Consisting of locals miming to a specially written song while dancing on or around city landmarks, the video received it’s initial boost in views after a resident of the city, upset by the effort, shared it on social news site Reddit.

The video became viral after being featured on social news website Reddit

However, despite some support for the “tongue-in-cheek” offering – which is said to have been celebrating recent city events including the re-opening of tunnels, the opening of the new Library of Birmingham and the 10th anniversary of the Bullring shopping centre – the video received over 1,000 dislikes and just over 100 likes a short time after being uploaded.

Comments and ‘likes’ on the YouTube video were disabled following angry comments from viewers

Despite praise from official quarters, many have lambasted the video and the station’s decision to disable feedback

There was a backlash following the disabling of comments on the station’s YouTube page

The video received over 1,000 dislikes and just over 100 likes, not long after being uploaded

Student Dan Chorley, who described the video as “cringeworthy”, tweeted: ”The saying goes ‘There is no such thing as bad publicity’. Shame you’ve put so many off Brum!”

The video was accompanied with the Twitter hashtag ‘Best City Ever’

Not everyone agreed the video depicted the city of Birmingham in a positive light

While Birmingham born-and-bred journalist Richard Franks, editor of music magazine Counteract, complained: ”This is the worst thing I’ve ever seen. If I lived elsewhere and I watched that video I would never, ever go to Birmingham.”

Birmingham editor Richard Franks felt it was “the worst thing I’ve ever seen”

Not long after the backlash, Free Radio removed all comments from the video and disabled any new comments, explaining: ”We’ve disabled the comments due to vulgarity and swearing. We’ll review this tomorrow”.

The promotional video features Free Radio presenters Foxy and Giuliano

Local cabaret artist Carrie-Anne McNally appears in the video, singing at the Bullring shopping centre

The station also disabled the ‘likes/dislike’ feature on the video’s YouTube page and added “This is not a video intended for tourists” to its promotional presentation.

Have you seen the video? What do you think of it?

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Adam Yosef
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Bowling for Soup bid farewell to Birmingham as they bow out one last time.  (Photo: Jack Kirby)

It was a bittersweet night with beers, cheers and tears as US punk rock showstoppers Bowling for Soup bid the city a final goodbye with their ‘BFS Bids Farewell’ show at Birmingham’s O2 Academy. 

Opening the show were Patent Pending, a group of pop fuelled punk rockers hailing from Long Island New York.

These guys are simply idiotic, all out silly fun, that were a perfect opening act for Bowling For Soup. In fact, Jaret even popped on to stage to sing a verse of co-penned track Classic You. My highlight was when they burst into a rendition of Soft Kitty followed by their version of the Big Band Theory theme.

With guitar solos from the balcony, crowd swimming competitions between band members (complete with arm bands and goggles) and impersonations of Super Mario for track Hey Mario, Patent Pending are quite frankly a band I can’t wait to see again. They just so happen to be touring next year with People on Vacation and I’m already expecting great things.

There were beers, tears and cheers for Bowling for Soup as they bid the city farewell.  (Photo: Jack Kirby)

Embarking on their hilarious two-hour journey through the band’s almost 20 year history,  Bowling for Soup took to the stage to what can only be described as their theme tune, “Here Comes Bowling for Soup”, to rapturous applause and audible excitement.

Complete with witty banter, puerile fart jokes and an on stage ‘pub’, this was the perfect farewell party for the band. They had promised something special for this 14-date UK tour – which has four dates remaining, concluding in London on the 23rd of this month – and I don’t think anyone could have asked for more!  With fantastic lighting, four CO2 canons at the front of the stage and amazing energy from every single person in the room, the O2 was bursting at the seams. Patent Pending even re-joined the guys on stage for Lets go to the Pub, complete with the boys serving beers to Jaret and the guys..

>> GALLERY: BOWLING FOR SOUP ‘BID FAREWELL TOUR’, O2 ACADEMY BIRMINGHAM <<

Despite this being their ‘Bid Farewell Tour’, the band hinted at a possible return.  (Photo: Jack Kirby)

Some of the crowd were a little quiet during the newer tracks from Lunch.Drunk.Love but as soon as the old classics came out, the sold-out crowd were in their element. Despite the length of the set, the time passed by in a blur of laughs, jumping around and great joking with the crowd. The band also performed their usual cover of Fountains of Wayne’s Stacey’s Mum as well as Britney Spears’ Baby One More Time during the encore; plus an impressive 29 additional tracks including Turbulence, 1985 and my personal favourite The Bitch Song.

Fans, young and old, really couldn’t have asked for any more from Bowling for Soup and – although this was billed as a “farewell tour” – Jaret admitted that farewell doesn’t necessarily mean goodbye. I’m certain this isn’t the last the UK will see of Bowling For Soup and I, for one, can’t wait to see what they can offer us in the coming years. Farewell BFS, we’re going to miss you, but what a send off!

Jo Lloyd
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The video shows this young man (left) attacking a street perfomer in New Street in central Birmingham

A video has emerged of a young man maliciously assaulting a costumed street performer in the city centre of Birmingham.

The incident, which is believed to have taken place over the weekend, was captured on video by an associate of the attacker, who is heard encouraging his friend to commit the violent act.

The two young men, who appear to be in their mid-20s, are heard briefly conspiring to attack a ‘cosplay’ street entertainer before one of them lunges at him from behind, causing the performer to land on a child who was watching him perform. The incident took place in New Street outside the city’s busy Bullring shopping centre.

The performer was dressed in a costume resembling a ‘Yautja’, the chief alien protagonist in the Predator film series. The unknown street artist, who has been entertaining crowds from his plinth since earlier this year, is believed to have escaped serious injury but it is not known if the young child seen in the video was hurt.

The Birmingham street performer was dressed in a ‘Predator’ costume, similar to the one seen here, popular with cosplay enthusiasts.

The video was originally filmed on a smart phone and posted to a Facebook profile, which is allegedly that of the assailant. It was removed a few hours later after it transpired that it had become public.

@IAmBirmingham @brumpolice police are making enquiries into this but so far have not received any complaint from the victim

— West Midlands Police (@WMPolice) October 21, 2013

According to the West Midlands Police, they have not yet had a formal complaint about the unprovoked attack. Yet, the video of the incident has already drawn anger from across the globe with individuals calling on the police to charge the attacker under Anti-Social Behaviour and Public Disorder laws.

@WMPolice @IAmBirmingham @brumpolice could he not be cautioned for public disturbance? Seems wrong it should be forgotten.

— Laura Farrow (@islas_mum) October 21, 2013

@WMPolice @IAmBirmingham @brumpolice Surely there is some form of public order offence the nasty little piece of work could be charged with?

— Numbers Mike Ward (@TobleroneTyrant) October 21, 2013

Idiot needs a slap. Please RT .@IAmBirmingham ”Predator’ street performer assaulted in #Birmingham city centre, http://t.co/calM84JWRV

— Nathan D’Rozario (@NDizzy23) October 21, 2013

@IAmBirmingham Such a braindead childish act. Filming it & gloating about it is even more braindead and devoid of empathy.

— Aled Weston (@Aledhead) October 21, 2013

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VIDEO: BIRMINGHAM STREET PERFORMER ASSAULT:
DO YOU RECOGNISE THE ATTACKER?

Do you know the attacker? Contact West Midlands Police on 101, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Please forward and share this video to raise awareness.

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A man involved in the assault on a street performer has turned himself in to police

A Birmingham man has received a caution and been bailed by police after I Am Birmingham’s video of him assaulting a street performer went viral earlier this week.

In the video, the 20-year-old from Small Heath is seen deliberately targeting a street entertainer dressed in an alien costume from the Predator film series. After being encouraged by his friend – who filmed the incident on a smartphone – the attacker forcefully pushes the performer, causing him to fall in the direction of a child who was watching from the street.

The incident took place in New Street, outside the city’s busy Bullring shopping centre. The unknown street artist, who has been entertaining crowds from his plinth since earlier this year, is believed to have escaped serious injury. It is not known if the affected young child, who appears in the video, was hurt.

The video was originally posted to a Facebook profile, which was widely believed to be that of the assailant. It was removed a few hours later after it transpired that it had become public. The video was subsequently posted to YouTube where it went viral, amassing nearly a million views and clearly displaying the face of the attacker.

The video of the malicious assault allegedly first appeared on this Facebook profile

However, not long after our video of the incident went viral, a local man handed himself in to police authorities.  He has since been bailed pending further investigation.

Police Inspector Stuart Bill explained how the incident could have been far worse:

“The street performer was shoved from behind and lunged forward on top of a young child who’d be staring up at him. Thankfully both the man and the little girl appear to have been unhurt.”

The West Midlands Police have not received any formal complaint about the unprovoked attack from either the street artist or the family of the affected child but have requested they get in touch.

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MISTAKEN IDENTITY

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MISTAKEN IDENTITY:  Jumaane Meggoe

A student from Southampton became the target of an angry mob after jokingly suggesting he was involved in the Birmingham ‘Predator attack’ incident.

19-year-old Jumaane Meggoe – who uses the Twitter name ‘Christian Black’ – contacted I Am Birmingham in the hope of clearing his name after it began circulating across internet forums as that of the attacker who appears in the viral video, which shows a street performer being assaulted.

“A friend I have from Birmingham tagged me in the video when he saw it because the person was black like me,” said Meggoe.

“I found the funny side of it and shared it onto my Facebook with the caption ‘Ha ha ha, it is me’. That was my mistake.

“I had no clue that other people who aren’t my friends could see it. So, after about 20 minutes I saw my post was getting a load of hate from people I didn’t know. I received racist remarks, death threats and other insults. From then, I was like ‘this is serious’ so I had to explain myself.

“This resulted in more hate as the word spread that it was me. But my friends on Facebook and other people who knew me helped defend me by telling them that it wasn’t me.”

Despite Jumaane’s pleas, his name caught the attention of West Midlands Police who then tried to locate him in Birmingham. Although the city was one of his former stomping grounds, Jumaane was actually 143 miles away in Southampton.

Omg everyone go onto my Facebook and look at the hate I’m getting for something that happened in Birmingham. LOOOOL

— Christian Black (@JamTricking) October 21, 2013

Hahaha some black kid pushed an entertainer who acts like a statue in Birmingham city centre. And everyone thinks it’s me ahahahaha — Christian Black (@JamTricking) October 21, 2013

“Apparently I had so many complaints to West Midlands Police that they went to a place I used to train to look for me,” he explained.

The police went to my gym in birmingham to look for me lol.

— Christian Black (@JamTricking) October 21, 2013

People are telling me I should hang myself

— Christian Black (@JamTricking) October 21, 2013

THUG: The real attacker

Jumaane, who is also a regular street performer himself, attracted a barrage of hate messages from members of the public and quickly retracted him comments, apologising for the confusion.

“It was still my fault as well, for being stupid, but I had no intention for anyone other than my friends of seeing the post.”

Although he has distanced himself from the incident, many viewers of the video still believe he is connected to the attack.

“I’d just like you guys to tell everyone that I had no involvement in the situation, as for the past year I’ve been living in Southampton which is evidently on the other side of the country.”

The actual individual responsible for the assault on the street performer has since handed himself in to police. He is a 20-year-old from Small Heath who has been released on bail. His name has not yet been disclosed. His accomplice, who filmed the incident, is not believed to have come forward.

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