Pick of the Week: 8 - 15 February

 

Knock Knock Exhibition 
Where one door closes, another one opens, so they say. If you’re up for testing out this theory, our favourite city centre pub is playing host to the collection of photographs by up and coming Nottingham artist Howie. Asking us whether we really pay any attention to the entrances and exits in our lives, or whether we'd be able to recognise our own front door in the abstract, Howie wants to prove that ‘Knock knock’ is more than just a bad joke. Have a mosey on down, it’s free as a bird, so you’ve got nowt to lose.
Wednesday 4 - Sunday 15 February, 9am, free, Malt Cross

Photo: Paul Mason Smith

Motormouf and Ashmore
Treat yourself to a school-night shindig, and rescue your poor mind from these dismal winter blues. Following a truly note-worthy gig at Alley Cafe last week, Nottingham’s favourite duo are on a roll with their high-energy performances at the minute. Not ones to rest on their laurels, they’re keeping you all hot under the collar with their combination of beatboxing and bars in their gig at the ‘Cross. Expect an evening of slick beats by Ashmore and your favourite tunes remixed by Motormouf’s incredible elastic lips.
Tuesday 10 February, 8pm, Malt Cross

Snow in Paradise 
Nottingham director Andrew Hulme has created this crime-thriller with a twist for his directing debut. Loosely based on the true experiences of co-writer and co-star Martin Askew, the film depicts a white, working class lad from Hoxton, leave his crime-filled life in East London in favour of the Muslim faith. In true Broadway form, there will be a question and answer session following the screening with Hulme himself, so that all you budding screen stars, writers and developers can get the lowdown on how to become a successful writer and director like the man himself.
Tuesday 10 February, 8.15pm, £8, Broadway Cinema

Stitch and Bitch 
If you have a penchant for knitting, crocheting and stitching, as well as a burning desire to moan uncontrollably about anything and everything that comes your way, then we may have just found your idea of heaven. Stitch and Bitch at Hackspace offers moaners and knitters of all abilities to come along to their sessions and indulge in a spot of off-colour conversation, while creating a lovely pair of baby booties. Bring your needles, your wool and your gob.
Every third Tuesday, 6pm, free, Hackspace

Twisted Love Stories 
Mike Payton and Tim Ralphs are suckers for a good story, and they’re coming to The White Lion in Beeston to counter the sickly taste of the impending Valentine’s takeover with some of their best. Musing questions like “Can you love your cat too much?” and “Should you trust those beautiful eyes?” the evening is sure to take a fair few twists and turns for a good tickle of the owd funnybone. As the start of many to come, their storytelling events have been so successful in the past that they’ve decided to make it a regular club. So if you’re over fourteen and possess curious tabs, get involved.
Wednesday 11 February, 7.30pm, £5, The White Lion, Beeston

Posh 
They’re wealthy, intelligent and very, very naughty. Written by the creme de la creme of Midlands playwrights, Laura Wade, the play that inspired the feature film The Riot Club is set to take our humble Nottingham theatre by storm. Depicting the elite all-boys club from Oxford University - supposedly based on the Bullingdon Club, of which David Cameron and Boris Johnson were both members - us mere mortals are given an insight into what the leaders of our country got up to before we handed them the power. It’s bloody funny, and "disgracefully entertaining". Forget Fifty Shades of Grey, these are the only control-freak males you wanna be watching this weekend.
Until Saturday 28 February, 7.45pm, £10.50/£28.50, Nottingham Playhouse

Shana Moulton
If you’re going to have an alter ego, we advise that you make them interesting, and far enough removed from you so that people don’t just think you’re a bit drunk. Shana Moulton has got it right, she’s a New York-based artist with a hypochondriac alter ego who goes by the name of Cynthia. Moulton has had a residency at Primary for the last few months, and her work explores Cynthia’s constant search for relief from her anxieties, which sometimes involves seeking out transcendental or mystical experiences. This final performance includes a set, costume and videos developed during her residency to create a world for Cynthia to live in. Expect the bizarre, the magical and the everyday – life is all about balance, after all.
Thursday 12 February, 8pm, free, Primary, Seely Road

Anti-Valentines Day Party 
If you’re not well into the gushy Americanised tradition most commonly known as V-Day, then The Maze is on standby to offer you, and we quote, "the cringiest, most tongue-in-cheek, guilty pleasure inducing night in Nottingham". We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. The night is brought to you by those charmers over at Dance Like Twats, and you’re encouraged to do just that - with drinks offers running all night and free entry on the door. Bring your better half, your mates, or rock on down on yer tod. Whatever floats your boat, duck.
Friday 13 February, 9pm, free, The Maze

Our Mabel

Mrs Green’s Speed Dating
For all the lonely hearts out there looking for cupid to rescue them from another lonely winter’s night, you’ve all been looking in the wrong place. The only way to find love this year is to visit the old crooner Mabel Green, as she passes round her "love brownies" and spices things up with her dirty humour. For an old lass, she’s still got it in her, and there’ll no doubt be a couple of songs from the homegrown musical to get the old love juices flowing. Have a bath, pop your glad-rags on and bring your best chat up lines, our Mabel’ll do the rest.
Saturday 14 February, 8pm, Rescue Rooms

Tumble 2nd Birthday 
Those cheeky chaps who fill The Bodega with the naughtiest of naughty noises have been doing so for two years. To celebrate, they’re bringing through some of the darkest sounds through the humble disc jockey portal. Only the weightiest of soundmen could fulfil such a task, and so they’ve asked some gents who are rather big in the game to take the bass baton and run. The legendary Kahn and Neek are coming with everything from dubstep to grime to make your face screw to the point of inside-outage. Bassline legend Bass Boy will be sure to drop signature tune Etap Riddim, and is gonna make the room go nuts. The third headliner of the evening comes in the form of local production stalwarts Congi, and Tumble will provide extra skanking fodder for the evening. Prepare for some messy times.
Saturday 14 February, 11pm, £8, The Bodega

Velvet Fuzz Presents… 
With the punk line-up to end all punk line-ups, The Chameleon is playing host to Nottingham’s most alternative Valentine’s date night around. Leave all traces of soppiness at the door, though, as you won’t fare well with ‘me to you’ teddies in this arena. Kicking off the night is our very own Mannequin, the most exciting punk rock band to emerge from the Hood. Closely followed by I Am Lono and their wall of sound, the night comes to a head with garage rockers CuT, who are on tour to promote their new album, Page 59. It’s gonna get crazy.
Saturday 14 February, 8pm, £3/£5, The Chameleon

For the motherload of everything else going on this week check out our comprehensive Nottingham events listings.

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