Sutton Coldfield Festival of Arts

[ July 12, 2008; 12:45 pm to 1:15 pm. ] The 30-plus members of Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School band the Funky Bishops promise “quite a mix of music, from swing through rock and some funk”, according to their leader, music teacher Mark Horner.

Among featured soloists will be saxophonist Anna Smith, who plays in MYJO’s second orchestra, and guitarist Rysio Skrakowski. They will be on on [...]

[ July 13, 2008; 4:00 pm; ] THE GATE INN, SUNDAY JULY 13, 4pm

The quiet village of Marston on the outskirts of Sutton Coldfield is the backdrop to one of the finest CDs ever to have been released by a local performer.

Mike Gates, who lives there, has come up with the home-recorded gem Resistance To The Passage Of Sound, in league with [...]

[ July 13, 2008; 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. ] Sutton covers quartet The Full Act (pictured on the roof at The Gate!) will do a Festival stint at The Royal Hotel on July 13 between 6pm and 9pm, hosting their regular open-mic evening.

The group, comprising Siobhan Patton on vocals, Konrad Heywood on guitar, Steve Bird on bass and Andy Stones on drums, performs numbers [...]

[ July 12, 2008; 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm. ] Matt Tyler will headline a special Songwriters’ Cafe day in the cafe at Woolworths in The Parade on Saturday July 12 as part of the Festival.

Sutton-born Matt, now based in Great Barr, is influenced by the styles of Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, David Gray, KT Tunstall, Damien Rice, REM, Bob Dylan, Travis and Oasis.

He performs [...]

[ July 12, 2008; 12:00 pm to 12:30 pm. ]

Music on the main stage in The Parade on Saturday July 12 will commence with a performance by revamped band Caramany at 12 noon.

The group continues to perform original and innovatory material that draws on classic soul and rock influences. Founder member guitarist Alan Garwood is joined by vocalist Asha Jazz, guitar wizard Aaron [...]

[ July 12, 2008; 7:30 pm; ] Stuart Jones and Martin ‘Sniper’ Rowberry regularly take part in funky keyboard ‘duels’ that are causing quite a stir on the web - and locals will get to see them perform live as part of the Sutton Festival Of Arts.

The pair’s performances, under the collective name Blister, have had two million hits to date on [...]

[ July 12, 2008; 8:00 pm; ] Hot Monocles (right), winners of the O’Neill’s best unsigned band competition last year, bring their nuanced guitar rock to The Gate Inn on Saturday July 12 from 8pm, along with a strong bill of other locals.

Appearing in turn are bluesy indie duo James & Edwards (bottom middle), prodigiously gifted singer-songwriter Ben Drummond (top middle), and [...]

[ July 12, 2008; 3:30 pm to 4:15 pm. ] Bishop Vesey’s fine Afrobeat and techno-tinged indie-rockers Shoot Panda!? have agreed to headline a day of music by our best school and college-based rock bands.

They will perform in Meeting Room 1 at Sutton Library at the culmination of a mini-fest introduced by compere Joe Aston, of Arthur Terry School.

The line-up in MR1 is:

Relentless (11am-11.30am);

The Flood [...]