Pick of the Week: 12 - 18 January

Beatniks

Night By Night: Daft Punk Special
The evening for those who wanna relive their childhood (but with lashings of alcohol) is back, and this time it’s harder, better, faster and stronger. If you’re bored of the same old drink, dance, kebab rigmarole of a night out and fancy a few sprinkles of innovation, get your arse to The Bodega. This lot have fashioned a ball pit, piñata, space hopper arena, giant Twister, giant Jenga and, of course, a good owd game of Pin the Penis on the Dickhead. All that and, this week, a dedication to everyone’s favourite funky robots – Daft Punk. Grab a ticket sooner rather than later cos it’s cheaper, and get down early to be one of the first 100 people through the doors – they have free donuts and shots for the eager beavers.
Monday 12 January, 10pm, £3 - £5, The Bodega

1UP Video Games Quiz
If you’re nimble-fingered and square-eyed, this one’s for you duck. Broadway are host to a conundrum-filled evening in the cyber world that’ll leave you scratching your headset, and everyone’s invited. Except n00bs. The questions are harder than a steroid-pumped Donkey Kong at a Derby away match, so make sure you bring brains stuffed with all the level-ups, grand thefts and mushrooms accumulated over the years. It’s dead cheap and there are prizes to be won. Get your arse down but remember, no cheating. Left, down, right, up will not serve you well here.
Tuesday 13 January, 9pm, £1, Broadway Cinema

Life Drawing
Get yer creative juices well and truly flowing every Wednesday from now on, with some brave but chilly volunteers who’re getting their kit off for you to sketch ‘em. It’s not for the bashful among us, granted, but don’t worry - you don’t have to be a readily established Picasso to get involved. There’s a guided drawing session from 6pm - 7.30pm and all the materials are provided. For the nimble sketchers out there, you can let your charcoal do the talking with an untutored session from 8pm. The space itself demands creativity, and it’s a great way to begin to build your portfolio. Goo on, don’t be shy.
Wednesday 14 January, 6pm, £5, Malt Cross

Beatniks 
A bit of a newcomer to the city’s night scene, the Beatniks want you all to revel in your inner real bang-tail gone cat and have a good time - and they are up for helping you have it. A weekly event, they’ve got your back when it comes to drinks offers, live acts and general beatnikery. Filling the air with chilled out, relaxed down vibes, it’s the perfect way to start the weekend early and hang with some like minded hepcats. And even better, with all that recent spending and your pockets being a bit lighter than you’d like, it’s free to get in. Dress your head with a decent hat, maybe pop on a stripey top, and don’t be a square.
Thursday 15 January, 8.30pm, free, Wax Bar

Cadets, Not Good Honey, Myles Knight 
Rock ‘n’ rollers and indie-boppers alike can drink and boogie in unison for one night only, courtesy of the boys behind Farmyard. Trundle down to your favourite Mansfield Road establishment and catch the likes of headline act Cadet, who I’m Not From London describe as “An energetic expression of indie pop rock that makes a man want to dance and a lady want to love that man.” If you don’t like the sound of that, we don’t know what’s wrong with ya. There’s also music from the somewhat noisy, somewhat ramshackle group of eighteen year olds who call themselves Not Good Honey, visiting our hometown from Lincolnshire. Finally, the night sees the return of Myles Knight, former front man of the sadly no-more Albion, performing his own songs with his usual vigour. Mid-week madness at its finest. Who needs the weekend, eh?
Thursday 15 January, 9pm, free, Golden Fleece

Getting By: Estates, Class and Culture in Austerity Britain 
Get counting back from ten in a dramatic voice ducky, it’s time for a book launch. Five Leaves Bookshop have announced the release of Lisa McKenzie’s take on austerity Britain, paying close attention to her experiences as a twenty-year resident of the St Ann’s estate. She’s a research fellow in the Department of Sociology at the London School of Economics and Political Science, so she knows her stuff and, using her experiences in the community, offers up some well-informed, real ideas. Opening the conversation about what life is really like for people “getting by,” Lisa will be in conversation with Bill Silburn and Nick Stevenson, with donations going to POW Nottingham and St Ann’s Food Bank. RSVP to [email protected]
Thursday 15 January, 7pm, donations welcome, City Arts, 11 – 13 Hockley

The International Postcard Show
Surface Gallery love a bit of group participation, as can be seen in their Street Art exhibition in the latter half of the year, and their way to start the year, the International Postcard Show. It’s always the simple ideas that are the best, and it doesn’t get more simple than this: any artist, from anywhere in the world, can submit original artworks, the only stipulation being that it fits on a 6” x 4” postcard and is no thicker than 5mm. As you can imagine, it’s a right old get together of styles, content and vision. The exhibition is also a pretty smart way of getting your hands on a bit of affordable art for your walls, with a lot of the postcards available to buy.
Friday 16 January - Saturday 14 February, Surface Gallery 

I’m Not From London presents…
Nottingham’s favourite gig putter-onners are set to pull out some of the funkiest rock ‘n’ rolly-type bands from the depths of their musical Mary Poppins handbag. There will be drinks, there will be dancing, there will be joy, and there will be absolutely no payment on entry. Blinding. Prepare to get yer tabs filled with sounds from local rising three-piece Same Streets, the lyrically-inclined Breakfast Club, bluesy power trio Stavros, and the country rock ‘n’ rollers to make your feet totally lose their shit – Royston Duxford. And on top of all that, Matt Shelton and Nick Gordon Brown will keep the floor lively, spinning awesome beats into the night.
Friday 16 January, 9pm, free, JamCafe

Curious Tales: Poor Souls’ Light
You might think you’re a little too old for storytime. You might think you can’t beat the adrenaline of a good nail-biting horror film. Well, you think wrong - these lot are here to prove it. Three critically acclaimed authors, Alison Moore, Richard Hirst and Emma Jane Unsworth, are returning to Waterstones to scare your socks off with a selection of terrifying ghost stories. Specialising in the uncanny and creepy, you can let your imagination run riot - if you dare - with tales of things that go bump in the night. There will be wine and nibbles available to set the scene of a ‘proper grown-up’ storytime, but bring your teddies and blankies for comfort if you like. You’ll be sleeping with the light on tonight.
Friday 16 January, 7pm, £3, Waterstones

Nick Svarc 
If you’re after a more civilised way to spend your Saturday night, pop down to ‘tempreh, grab yourself a dry martini and while away the hours listening to the jazz guitar sounds of the fabulous Nick Svarc and the band. Sway and schmooze to your heart’s content while imagining yourself in a smoky bar in the heart of Chicago. The band have just been selected to play as part Jazz North’s prestigious Northern Line scheme so, rest assured, you’re in for a night of quality music. For those of you with the purse strings firmly tied shut for January, fear not, as the event won’t cost you a penny.
Saturday 17 January, 8pm, free, Nottingham Contemporary

Philip George 
He’s been wishing his life away in his studio in Chillwell, and it’s bleddy well paid off for this Notts lad. Good on yer, duck! What better way to congratulate the success of Philip George’s single Wish You Were Mine than to go bloody mental as he drops it on one of the most prestigious dance music stages in the whole of the shire. It’s his first show in his own ends and we predict he’s following in the footsteps of other homegrown superstars, so you best catch him while you can. The good people over at Stealth and Rescue never fail to deliver a cracking night either, so get yourself all dressed for a party and make sure you pop down before 10pm for free entry. It’s a late one, with the event expected to run on until at least 5am, so have a little afternoon nap and prepare yourself. It’s gunna go off.
Saturday 17 January, 10.15pm, £5, Stealth and Rescue Rooms

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

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