The SXSW showcase will feature live performances by the previously mentioned artists at The Driskill Hotel’s Victorian Room on Friday, March 16. On the following day (March 17), a panel of industry experts discuss their influential roles in Bass Culture. These key figures include producer/writer Mykaell Riley from the Grammy-winning group Steel Pulse, Channel One Sound System DJ Mikey Dread, BBC’s radio personality Robbo Ranx and recording artist Lady Leshurr.

Punch Records are partnering up with Blue Lotus Music Group and Continental Drift to compile a 12 track Reggae CD for the South by Southwest festival. If you’re a live Reggae band who are interested in being on the South by Southwest compilation CD, send us a demo track or myspace/soundcloud  link to ammo@punch-records.co.uk to be considered for the  festival demo compilation. The deadline to submit the tracks for the complilation CD is Wednesday February 29 2012.  For more information on the Bass Culture Showcase, click here.

SXSW 12 from BBN TV on Vimeo.

Contact Ammo Talwar at Punch for further information on:
0121 224 7444/ammo@punch-records.co.uk

Come and join us for an enjoyable evening of dance and view this new cultural asset to Digbeth. The launch will feature performances from young local artists including; Tru Streetdance, Circus Mash, B-boy Academy, Tru Street Kidz Academy and singer, Jacob Banks. There will also be a drinks reception and light refreshments.

Sticky Toffee, the director of Sticky Dance Studio is a qualified performing arts teacher and juggles her career by running a community interest company Tru Streetdance along with a full service dance agency Sticky Toffee Ltd. In 2007, Toffee won the Youth Dance England Choreographer of the year award and she has worked with numerous high profile brands throughout her career including Toni & Guy, the BBC and the NHS.

Please rsvp to Smita Jalaf at Punch on:

0121 224 7442 / smita@punch-records.co.uk

Sticky Dance Studio
5 Lower Trinity Street
Digbeth, Birmingham
B9 4AG

Check out this video blog of Ammo from Punch and Sticky Toffee;

mac, Cannon hill park, Birmingham, B12 9QH
FREE EVENT

The MOBO Organisation and Urban Development in collaboration with Punch present the MOBO Tour 2012 in Birmingham. The tour kicks off on February 22 in Birmingham and will offer audiences the opportunity to see some of 2012’s freshest, new, emerging talent on stage.

The tour will travel across the country and bring together the best of the UK’s new urban talent. The first names to be announced are breakthrough MC Lady Leshurr (tipped to do big things in 2012 by RWD Magazine and Itunes) and MTV’s Brand New pick for 2012, seven piece hip-hop-rock collective Clement Marfo & The Frontline.

Further supporting talent in all areas of the music industry there will also be workshops and seminars (via industry Takeover @ MOBO Academy) on the day. Industry experts from well respected organisations including SB.TV, RWD Magazine, PRS for Music Foundation, SJM Concerts and artists on the MOBO Tour will be sharing their insider industry knowledge, answering questions and offering advice to audiences across the country.

The MOBO Tour is also creating the opportunity for brand new, undiscovered talent to win the chance to perform on stage through MOBO Unsung. This is a nationwide competition, which is NOW open. For all performers who wish to enter, a video will need to be uploaded of themselves performing to YouTube and either email the link or embed the code including details of which region they live in.

To enter the competition, please email entries to: mobounsung@mobo.com
Please note all entries must be received by 15 January 2012 remembering to state your nearest MOBO tour city with your entry.

Entries will be hosted on the MOBO website for the public to view and a judging panel of industry experts will select a winner from each UK region, who will take the stage as part of the tour in their local area.

A team of radio DJs will select the MOBO Unsung winner from the 8 regional finalists. The winner will then join an on-line ‘Battle Of The Bands’ competition where they will compete against other newcomers put forward by established artists with a public vote to select the ultimate ‘battle’ winner. More information to follow!

The MOBO Tour, seminars, workshops and Unsung competition highlights partners’ efforts to support, guide and nurture new and developing talent across the UK.

Catch the tour, seminars and workshops on the following dates:

22 February 2012, Library HMV Institute, Birmingham, mac (with Punch)

23 February 2012, Manchestester Academy 3, Manchester

24 February 2012, 02 Academy2, Liverpool, Venue TBC

25 February 2012, The Garage, Glasgow, The Mitchell Library

27 February 2012, 02 Academy2, Newcastle, Watershed

28 February 2012, 02 Academy Islington, London, Red Bull Studios

1 March 2012, Waterfront, Norwich

To apply for your free ticket for the MOBO tour or industry takeover, please visit the MOBO website

For further information please contact Smita on:
0121 244 7442/smita@punch-records.co.uk

If you draw, dance, paint, sing, DJ or are just unstoppably creative, the BASS Festival and mac birmingham want to hear your ideas. Help us make something new and fresh inspired by Vanley Burke’s famous picture of 1980’s Birmingham.

Since the sixties, Birmingham’s own Vanley Burke has been one of the UK’s best documenters of Black Britain. This autumn his photographs will feature in a major exhibition at mac birmingham. The BASS Festival is looking for artists of all kinds; dancers, musicians, DJs, visual artists or fashion designers to show us ideas for new work inspired by this picture. Click the link to download the guidance and application form and your idea could become real.

Vanley Burke Commission How to Apply

APPLICATION FORM

The winner of the competition will receive a payment of £2,000 to make it happen. Whatever it is you’re making must to be ready to go into mac as part of Punch’s BASS Festival, which runs from June 15 to July 1 2012.

To get more of an idea about the fesitval Click here

Hare & Hounds, 106 High St, Kings Heath, Birmingham

Tickets £10 advance (more on the door)

Vieux Farka Toure is one of the most hotly tipped guitarists to have emerged from Africa. Rooted in the bluesy style of Saharan Africa, he has updated the roots rhythms, mixing traditions of his native Mali with technology, winning plaudits on the way.

The son of the Grammy award winning desert blues guitarist Ali Farka Toure, Vieux Farka Toure’s path to success was far from straight forward. Initially his father tried hard to discourage him and Vieux Farka Toure hid his desire to play, joining music groups as though they were secret societies. Eventually he gained the blessing (and musical contribution) from Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diabate on his debut album. Two years later his second album Fondo launched him on the international stage and the following year saw him perform at the opening concert for the 2010 world cup alongside Alicia Keys and Shakira. 2011 sees the release of his third studio album The Secret, which topped the US world music charts over the summer and a UK tour.

Visiting Birmingham for the first time, VFT will be showcasing material from his new disc at Hare and Hounds Kings Heath.

“an essential sound track to modern, urban Africa” – MOJO.

Contact Paul Fordham at Punch for further information on:

0121 224 7442/paulf@punch-records.co.uk

Buy your tickets online here, http://www.theticketsellers.co.uk/tickets/vieux-farka-toure/10019205

In the 1950′s, Jamaicans brought the sound of the Island direct to British dance floors. Under the influence of Mento, Ska and Reggae, UK producers, DJs and muscians changed the sound of British music forever. Jungle, Dubstep, Garage, Grime and Hip-Hop are all rooted in Reggae. The Channel One Soundsystem spread pure and undiluted Roots across the globe for over 30 years. Top Cat, a key player in the early days of Jungle, started his career on the Coxsone Soundsystem as a toaster.

The Heatwave Crew embody what this tour is about - a UK Bashment Soundsystem dropping Jungle, Grime, Roots, Hip-Hop and Dancehall in their tear-out sets.
The toasting / MC tradition is represented by RoxXxan, Lady Leshur, and Rtkal -the movers and shakers of the mic scene today and tomorrow.

If you want more, headlining the six tour dates will be Mala, Coki, The Bug and FlowDan. Having dominated the scene with gritty and intense productions, they will need no introduction.

Jamacia Party is bringing all these scene stalwarts together for a six date tour of the UK.

Dates

3 February – World HQ, Newcastle (Deviate)

4 February – Stylus, Leeds (Vagabondz)

6 February – The Ritz, Manchester (Hit and Run)

10 February – Stealth, Nottingham (Basslaced)

17 February – Life, Brighton

24 February – Cable, London (Vagabondz/ Subdub)

In a series of workshops and showcase events, participants will create dance routines that will be performed at exciting public events across the region.
Punch through Dance Routes has already worked in Schools in North Birmingham and the Black Country resulting in a great day of street dance at The Public in West Bromwich called Hip Hop Revolution and Carnival Bashment at Simmerdown Festival in Handsworth Park with hundreds of people getting involved and thousands watching!

We are offering  Asian dance workshops to Birmingham and surrounding area school’s and youth community groups with dance professionals, working towards a showcase at RAAJ FM mela in June 2012. We are looking to start the workshops in April 2012 and want to sign up schools ASAP

Please contact our Education and Outreach Co-Ordinator Mandeep Malhi on mandeep@punch-records.co.uk /0121 224 7444 for further information.

Please see the attached PDF for further information

DESI MOVES crib sheet

Jamaica Gold 2012 looks forward into the next fifty years of music, entrepreneurship, cuisine, tourism, fashion and writing set to break out from Jamaica. Jamaica Gold 2012 will bring the best of Jamaican culture ­ passionate, political and shocking – to fresh audiences and eager consumers worldwide.