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BASS FESTIVAL has always had an eye on the future looking for

new talent, trends and opportunities that will revolutionise your

thinking about music, dance, spoken word and theatre.

And this year’s theme is exactly th

at – it’s all about REVOLUTION. It c

ould be

political change, artists who have transformed music, the next generation of talent or

turning things round in dance - BASS FESTIVAL invites you to take a fresh look

at what’s happening in culture and beyond.

This year’s festival features lots of new talent, fro

m the launch night where rising star

Ghost Poet is supported by new local group Sherrazi through to up and coming

street wear designer Daniel Isles, whose work will be seen throughout Hip Hop

Revolution on the Festival’s last day. For the first time BASS Festival has a fashion

show featuring new designers from across th

e

region and an artist in residence at mac.

Keeping true to our roots there are club nights

with Soul Of The Movement at PST and Benji

B at the Hare and Hounds

The punch team

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Launching this year’s festival is a triple bill featuring three acts

very much part of the next generation revolutionising UK music

right now and all coming from the West Midlands. On the back of

his track with Kano ‘carry me home’ Coventry b

orn Ghostpoet is

one of the most hotly tipped artists for 2011. The softly spoken 24

year-old has already won over BBC Radio 1’s foremost taste

maker Gilles Peterson and his Brownswood recordings with his

off-kilter, loopy electronica with his quirky m

usings on modern life.

Sharing the bill after meeting on the blogosphere Birmingham born

RoxXxan is one of the most in demand mcs on the circuit, with set

credits including Goldie, Skream, Benga and Caspa. Her dubstep

fuelled track ‘Heavyweight’ led to signing by Polydor in 2010 and

she starts 2011 with heavy praise from Radio one’s Zane Lowe

and 1Xtra stalwart DJ Target. Completing the bill is another hot

tip for 2011; Sherrazi are a new downbeat trio from Handsworth

playing melodic tunes with awesome vocals and winner of the BASS

Talent Award in 2011.

Punch-records.co.uk

Pauline Black was a key figure as lead singer with Two

Tone outfit The Selecter who revolutionised music

through the Two Tone movement 30 years ago. Over

the years she has been variously ja

zz singer, part of the

acclaimed Soul Britannica and actor. As a woman of

dual heritage she has endured the twin evils of racism

and sexism as she navigated her career through some

of the most turbulent tim

es, making her a highly influ-

ential figure in UK Black music. 2011 sees a punishing

schedule for Pauline with both a new solo album as well

as a new book ‘Black by Design’. BASS Festival marks

this vital figure for women in music by a special event in

the intimate surroundings of The Edge, where she will

talk about her career, new book and play tracks fr

om

her new album – and hopefully a few old classics to

boot. To mark this busy ye

ar she will be in presenting a

special pre-release event featuring words and music

from both her new book and album, in the intimacy of

The Edge in the heart of East side as well as pursuing a

career as an actor and more recently as part of the

Soul Britannica show at London’s Barbican.

In partnership with Ian Sargeant / Friction Arts frictionarts.com

With his streetwise demeanour and ferocious loyalty to

Brooklyn, Spec Boogie happily falls into the category of an

“old soul”– but his music is anything but dated. In fact, the

guy is a trendsetter. Thanks to his nimble delivery, knack for

wordplay and ear for experimentation, Spec Boogie has been

instrumental in cultivating the music, fashion and attitude

embraced by the newest generation of Hip-Hop artists.

Hailing from the same corner where The Notorious B.I.G.

once roamed, it is a rare chance to see this underground

hero of Hip Hop performing his underground SMASH ‘Bed

Stuy’ as well as previously unheard material. Having already

performed with some of the industries elite such as; Mos

Def, Big Daddy Kane, Platinum Pied Pipers and The Roots

to name a few, this event will be one of the HIP HOP gigs of

the year and a sure fire sell-out.

In Partnership with Grey Cotton

advanceTickets 0844 870 0000

Benji B is a unique DJ, renowned for his revolutionary selec-

tions and distinctive style. Seamlessly drawing from several

genres at once; in a single set you’ll hear brand new dubs and

classic tunes side by side, the most cutting edge House,

Dubstep and Funky tracks, Disco/Soul and Boogie. Headlining

at House, Electronic or Hip Hop nights alongside some of the

scenes finest artists, his versatility

and exceptional selection

makes him one of the only DJs to play across the board.

Support comes from Elixir residents, who have who have

proven time after time that they know where it’s a

t!

In partnership with Elixir & Leftfoot

hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk

Multimedia artist Leon Sparkes and illustrator Deborah

Brogden will be resident at mac for a week devising an installa-

tion combining sound, video, illustration and comic book imagery:

the piece provides a narrative and emphasises the theme of

change, in the hope of promoting creativity and creative solu-

tions to current issues. Leon’s work has been shown in diverse

locations from galleries to bus shelters. There will be a workshop

for children on Saturday 18 June where participents can create

new work and meet the artists. In partnership with mac

macarts.co.uk

Gospel music provided the back drop to much of the Civil Rights move-

ment’s campaign for change in 50’s and 60’s USA. Here for a welcome

return to Birmingham is one of America’s finest choirs; a

testament to

the power of music to change lives and society.Direct from New York,

The Harlem Gospel Choir return to the UK after a six year absence.

Their dynamic harmonies reflect the joyous and inspirational culture of

Harlem. They theme each performance with bringing people and nations

together and giving something back.

In association with Town Hall, Birmingham

thsh.co.uk

Hip Hop, Reggae and Techno have circled

the globe revolutionizing music wherever it

has gone. Rebel Spirit features some of the

new styles that have emerged. Direct from

Brazil MC and reggae singer Jota III plays a

live PA that spans Dancehall, Samba and

Reggaeton alongside some of Birmingham’s

finest. Sol Musik play fresh live hiphop with

a difference! and play alongside dub, reggae,

kuduro and jungle sets from Aries (Lionfire

Crew) MadMax (Whomanity Sound), Ash

Vanguard (Biscuit Tin Sound System) and

a host of Birmingham’s finest DJs TBA. This

night is a fundraiser for Espirito Brum

Festival - a Brummie/Brazilian cultural

exchange that takes place 16-18 Sep 2011

In association with Espirito Brum and

Overproof Soundsystem

espiritobrum.org

misscbrow

n.co.uk

BASS Festival joins forces with regular

open decks night One and Twos for a Hip

Hop special on the theme of Revolution.

The night is built around the skills of local

Hop Hop artists Juice Aleem, E Double D

and DJ Miss C Brown. DJs and MCs can

come down and play their own sets but

focussing on revolutionary acts in UK and

US Hip Hop such as Public Enemy, KRS

One, Talib Kweli, Klashnekoff or Nas

against a back drop of video and stills pro-

jections of hip hop greats. This is your

chance to lay claim to be the next revolu-

tionary figure in UK Hip Hop.

In partnership with ones and twos

the-drum.org.uk

The spiral circling inwards decays and dies,The spiral growing

outwards survives and thrives! Directed by Martin Glynn, this

gripping piece of spoken word theatre dramatises a life-chang-

ing meeting between an emerging grime artist from North

Birmingham, and a veteran dub poet. The initial conflicts – lit-

erary and ideological – in their relationship are played out

through a startling, intense poetic dialogue that will challenge

and eventually change the assumptions and worldviews of both

wordsmiths. Played out by Mokapi Selasi and Decypher this

inspiring two-hander explores the history and legacy of Black

militancy in the UK. Against a backdrop of the 1980s uprisings

and a soundscape of reggae and grime, The Spiral questions

the role and responsibilities of the current leadership at time

of change and upheaval now facing our communities.

In partnership with The Drum

For one night only a spectacular live musical line up of the best female

artists from the region. Compared by the funniest woman on the comedy

circuit Annette Fagon the night features a host of talent. Singer song-

writer, Unique – ever passionate about bringing the essence of live music

back to the streets shares the night with Sykes and all female live hip hop

outfit. Amazon Sheek and INDIGO bring a fresh brand of live Hip Hop to

the stage. INDIGO a stuning vocalist who will showcase work fro

m her new

album ‘Full Circle’ a fusion of jazz, neo-soul and broken beat. Keeping the

music flowing DJ Soesmix Edan of Sonic Asylum will be on the decks

throughout the night and a special surprise guest!

In partnership with Ian Sargeant / Friction Arts

Frictionarts.com

Fashion Forward is a unique opportunity for young black designers and performers to

collaborate and showcase their talents on one runway. Devised by Cherelle Bethune

Devised by Cherelle Bethune the event brings together designers, models and

performers on the catwalk in a unique platform for the best in contemporary

urban fashion.The night will showcase a host of designers including Leslie-Anne:

Gorrillh Aphe Men’s Wear & C-La-Rouge Collection, Nyssa and 50Fifthy: contem-

porary street wear for modern day Britain. Jewellery: Cherelle Bethune Musical

entertainment: TK, Beth-Shani, Sic Nis, Iyudah, Chezy B & special guest perform-

ances. This family friendly event showcases the revolution in design moving forward

and fast making it an innovative statement in fashion

Aftershow party at PST from 6pm (£5 on the door)

macarts.c.uk

Dave Adams, founding director of SoundCloud leads a seminar on the uses of this revolutionary digital

technology. This three hour seminar aimed at musicians, producers and spoken word artists

explores the

ways SoundCloud allows us to interact and engage with audio. This will look to show the growing ecosys-

tem around SoundCloud’s platform, from how other platforms and developers are connecting, thus effect-

ing how a wider scope we engage with audio.

How digital tools and web

developers are revolutionising

how we interact and engage

with music and audio

www.punch-records.co.uk

Third World Girl features Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze and

special guests Kimberley Trusty, A

disa and Michael

Brome aka Sureshot. Music by DJ Psykhomantus.

Jean Binta Breeze has been one of the most influential

performance poets on the scene and for this year’s

BASS Festival she will be showcasing her new poetry

collection ‘Third World Girl’ along with poems, so

ngs

and tunes responding to a theme of revolution from

some of the finest spoken word performers on tne UK

circuit. With dazzling turntablist feats by

Psykhomantus, this is an unmissable event!

In partnership with Renaissance One and Birmingham City Council

Hip Hop Revolution is a whole day celebrating Hip Hop culture,

built round a specially created performance that spirals around The

Public in West Bromwich with a finale where you can join in a

mass dance led by Turbo The Public will be buzzing with Hip Hop cul-

ture including workshops in dance, graffiti, DJing, MCing and T-

shirt design as well as a screening of the classic Hip Hop film

Wildstyle, freestyle dance and open decks. For the first

time

underground dance battlers Throwdown will venture out of London

to host a street dance battle to finish off a packed day. Keep in

touch with the community online, where you can pick up Turbo’s

dance videos. In partnership with The Publicpunch-records.co.uk

Saluting musicians who have revolutionised black music and provided the soundtrack to social change. The

night kicks off with a free screening of the film “The Night James Brown Saved Boston”. Laden with rare

footage and interviews, it reveals how the legendary concert sh

ielded that city from riots after the assassi-

nation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Traditional Caribbean food and tipples will be laid on, adding to the relaxed

vibe. Following the film, DJs, live music and visuals will take centre stage. In Room 1 DJs: Bongo Damo, Olbi

Iyah and Takeover Sound System will be playing their toughest selections, paying homage to reggae pro-

ducers and artists that revamped the sound. Live

music features local musicians performing bass heavy

sounds with Prince Jamo and on stage engineering wizardry from Relative Dub’s King Beyond. Room 2 fea-

tures Down by Law’s Adil and Jahmai, Bobbalin’ Hot and Ghetto Lounge’s Koichi Sakai playing a blazing

set of afro-funk sounds mixing Soul, Jazz, Funk, Reggae, Latin and Afrobeat. A one off party not to be missed!

advance Tickets 0844 870 0000

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