13.10.12
We did it!
Oct 15th
Monday 15 October 2012
We write to you – in pieces but elated – from the OxjamBrum HQ collective bed. Good tidings we bring to you and your kin (see what we did there?)…
You see, following a fifteen hour day delivering the Takeover Festival and then eight hours of partying, plus four hours of sleep then a team breakfast (at 6pm), a few hours of counting money, a pizza and beer then twelve hours of sleep…we have a fundraising total to announce.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are so delighted, chuffed and relieved to announce that through the generosity, support and love of all our artists, staff, supporters and most importantly, our audience who turned out in force and dug deep on Saturday, the OxjamBrum team have raised a staggering…£10,000!
We’ll write it in words because it sounds even more that way: Ten thousand pounds!
Obviously this is a phenomenal amount…we are so over the moon right now that we can only say one thing right now, and we say it from the bottom of our heart glasses:
Thank you.
There is more to come tomorrow but for now we’ve just copied and pasted our media release below – lazy yet still informative we hope. Feel free to share, publish and enjoy. Hi-res images and further details are readily available…
MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE USE
OXJAMBRUM TAKEOVER FESTIVAL 2012 – £10,000 RAISED
BIRMINGHAM MUSIC PROMOTERS CELEBRATE SUCCESS AFTER FOURTH ANNUAL EVENT
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Birmingham music promoters OxjamBrum are celebrating after raising over £10,000 for vital Oxfam work across the world, following the fourth annual Takeover Festival, which featured around one hundred and eighty musicians, artists, bands, DJs, collectives and performers.
Music fans packed into seven city-centre venues to see and hear performances by emerging talent as well as established headline artists including Ivor Novello award-winning singer-songwriter Scott Matthews at The Yardbird and a set by urban wordsmith Polarbear at The Sunflower Lounge.
Highlights of the festival included parades through the city by Birmingham collectives Oya Batacuda and The Dhol Blasters, a live Secret Walls graffiti battle at The Yardbird, a family friendly programme at Symphony Hall Café Bar including performances by the Jazzlines Summer School Ensemble, Cannon Street, Dan Whitehouse and Paul Murphy, as well as sets by Anushka at Island Bar, Moselele at Café Blend, Boat to Row on Frederick (a canal barge moored in Gas Street Basin), Keziasoul at The Victoria and Tom Peel at The Sunflower Lounge.
All proceeds from The OxjamBrum Takeover Festival, which is managed and delivered by a team of dedicated volunteers and part of Oxfam’s month-long music festival which takes place across the UK each October, are to be donated directly towards the charity’s lifesaving work to eradicate global poverty.
OxjamBrum programme innovative and unusual live music experiences around Birmingham and have presented gigs on canal barges, around the famous 11 bus route, in tennis huts and at festivals, raising well over £28,000 for Oxfam campaigns in the process.
An OxjamBrum spokesperson said, “This year’s Takeover Festival has once again been possible due to the generosity and support of our artists, venues, volunteers, supporters and gig-goers, who have dug deep and enabled us to smash our target. It’s also a brilliant example of how artists and fans from across Birmingham’s music and creative communities can join forces to celebrate twelve hours of live performances whilst raising money that changes lives. Since 2006, Oxjam festivals around the UK have raised more than £1.75 million in total for Oxfam’s work – enough to buy 15,000 emergency shelters; 70,000 goats or 1050 classrooms.”
OxjamBrum Takeover Festival partners included Brum Notes Magazine, live music promoters This is Tmrw, Brum Town, Secret Walls, Louis’ Den and Jazzlines, record labels Eat Good and Speech Fewapy as well as Birmingham Zine Festival and Eye Candy festival.
ENDS
Note to Editors
OXJAMBRUM TAKEOVER FESTIVAL 2012
Time/Date: 2pm – 2am, Saturday 13 October
Venues: Frederick, Symphony Hall Café Bar, The Yardbird, Café Blend, The Victoria, Island Bar, The Sunflower Lounge
Artists: Scott Matthews, Polar Bear, Paul Murphy, The Bluebeat Arkestra, Guile, Antelope, Keziasoul, Sam Redmore, Jake Bullit, VOWS, IO, Gosts of Dead Airplanes, Is I Cinema, Dan Whitehouse, Dhol Blasters, Midnight Bonfires, Mickey Greaney Band, Cannon Street, Khaliq, Johnny Normal, Oya Batacuda, XOVA, Louise Petit Band, Anushka, Los Calamares, Miles Perhower, Skull TV, Abie’s Miracle Tonic, GIANT-ELF-FIST, Jazzlines Summer School, Sick Boys Club, The Scribers, Moselele, DJ Cro, Abe’s Oddysee, Sam Stealth, Saynt Luke, Kaypa, Layla Tutt (and The Good Lads), Anouska, Dan Whitehouse, Heavy Waves, James Summerfield, Johnny Normal, Leanne Stoddart, Naomi Paul, Amanda Hemmings, Liam Salter, Cassie-Philomena Smyth, Sugarfoot Stomp, Beatroot, Missy Rodriguez, The Ritas, BambooClart, Matt Beck, Sister 45, Glenn Jones, Thomas Holloway and more.
Wristbands: £10 advance via www.oxjambrum.org.uk, £11 on door
www.oxjambrum.org.uk
www.twitter.com/oxjambrum
www.facebook.com/oxjambrum
www.youtube.com/oxjambrum
http://open.spotify.com/user/oxjambrum
Tickets . . .
Oct 13th
Online sales are now closed. E-tickets can be swapped for wristbands at Cafe Blend 2pm-8:30pm.
Cash sales on the day:
2pm Cafe Blend
3pm Yardbird/Symphony Hall Cafe Bar/Frederick
6pm The Victoria/Island Bar/ Sunflower Lounge
See you down the front!
OxjamBrum recommends…
Oct 11th
I went round the office today and found out who each of the core team is most looking forward to seeing on Saturday (that’s a joke, we don’t have an office and I was in my dressing gown until 2pm). Find out who they said below… some of them aren’t quite as hilarious as others, so thank you’re lucky stars I’ve been updating the website!
Here they are! The fabled OxjamBrum team!
Nicola- Co-Takeover Manager
As with all festivals my top recommendation is to get out early and get your money’s worth by seeing (and hearing) artists others might miss. We start at 2pm but at 5pm for example, you will be completely spoilt for choice. We have the Dhol Blaster’s parade starting from outside Symphony Hall, whilst the stunning and moving sweet voices of Cannon Street perform inside at the Cafe Bar. Simultaneously, Brum’s own uke-supergroup Moselele will be crammed into Cafe Blend plus some secret guests on our barge Frederick . . . tough call – maybe run around them all?!
Lyle- Co-Takeover Manager
One of the cool things about living in Birmingham is the sheer range of music being produced, performed, shared and recorded. We all know the city has a top track record when it comes to heavy metal, reggae, bhangra, punk and indie, but there are plenty of other aural delights to discover at the Takeover Festival and beyond. Witness the phenomenal talent of the Secret Walls artists who create masterpieces with markers to a hip-hop soundtrack, get busy to the sound of party DJs Sam Redmore, Beatroute, BambooClart and Liam Salter amongst others, experience live cyphers, rap battles and beatboxers courtesy of Brum Town Presents, Eat Good Records and Louis Den in the city’s best independent venues…oh and don’t miss the splendid Tom Peel over at The Sunflower Lounge followed by wordsmith extraordinaire Polarbear live in session. Birmingham at its best…we cant wait!
Emma- Production Coordinator
There’s so much to see and do at this year’s Takeover, it’s hard to know where to begin! My top tips include the brilliant XOVA, kicking off proceedings at The Yardbird at 3pm with their indie/reggae/ska tunes. Later on the wonderful Anushka will be bringing her stirring vocals and atmospheric sounds to the Island Bar at 8:30pm. I never get tired of listening to Polarbear’s brilliant stories and rhymes, so will be trying to catch him at 11pm at Sunflower Lounge. Alongside our bands, singers and speakers there are some amazing DJs playing for us, from Sister 45 at The Victoria to Sam Redmore at Island Bar.
Simarjeet- Fundraising Coordinator
When we first went through the line-up I got butterflies & now it’s only two days away those butterflies are multiplying! I will be sure to see my new favourite female duo Cannon Street at SH, not only is their harmony sweet as honey but their lyrics paint a watercolour picture. After this I will hop, skip and jump over to Cafe Blend to hear the wise spoken words of Amanda Hemmings who always fills me with inspiration. Later my ears will be filled with the sound of Ghost of Dead Airplanes at The Victoria where I intend to be at the front bouncing around like its OxjamBrum Takeover 2012!
Matt- Marketing Coordinator
When I was just a small pre-teen, I stumbled across what is now my favourite band purely because they had a funny name… Now sadly Talking Heads declined our offer to reform, but following the same logic I can’t wait to see GIanT-ElF-FisT. I’m gonna make sure not to miss the Mickey Greaney band to indulge the old man in me, while new additions to the bill Antelope have a wonderful touch of the Cinematic Orchestra. My not-to-miss artist though has to be the legendary Paul Murphy – ‘the Glen’ has been on repeat in my house since Moseley Folk Festival, and his stripped down ‘Hole in The Universe’? Just phwoar.
Well there you have it guys, either you could indulge our collective egos and take some of our recommendations or ignore them entirely. Either way, make sure you’ve got your ticket!
Love from OxjamBrum HQ x
