BIRMINGHAM THEATRES - what's on at the NEC venues
 
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check out what's on and when in Birmingham theatres
What's on at the Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham
What's on at the Birmingham Hippodrome
What's on at The Rep, Birmingham
What's On at the Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham
What's On at the Midlands Arts Centre
What's on at the NEC, NEC Arena, NIA, ICC and Symphony Hall
Other theatres in Birmingham and the Midlands
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NEC Venues performances, Birmingham (page 2) 
 
Queen at the NIA, Birmingham
QUEEN + PAUL RODGERS (The NIA)
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Thursday 16th October 2008 - 7pm

With a new album in the pipeline - the first new studio album to carry the Queen name since the Freddie Mercury sessions - Queen is heading back on the road for a four-month tour, once again in the company of musician/singer/songwriter Paul Rodgers who joined the band for the highly successful 2005/2006 world tour, the European leg of which ended with the band's spectacular London Hyde Park open air concert before going on to play the US and Japan. In all, the band's tour was attended by more than a million people. Paul Rodgers' voice is one of rock's platinum assets and as a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter as front man of Free and Bad Company and as a solo artist he has written, produced and recorded some of radios biggest hits. Together Brian May, Roger Taylor and Paul Rodgers have recorded their first album's worth of material, jointly written and produced. With the title yet to be disclosed, the album is being readied for release September 1, two weeks ahead of the start of the tour. Tracks on the new Queen + Paul Rodgers album will include 'Say It's Not True', previously released at the end of last year by Queen + Paul Rodgers as a special World Aids Day download for Nelson Mandela's 46664 HIV AIDS charity, plus a 'first' for a Queen album - a cover version. The remaining tracks are all newly written by May, Taylor and Rodgers during the late 2007/early 2008 recording sessions. One of these tracks, C-lebrity, will receive a sneak preview when the band make a by-demand return to the UK's ITV Al Murray's Happy Hour for the final show on April 4. Queen's last studio album release was "Made In Heaven" released in November 1995 containing the last recordings with Freddie. The album became the band's biggest selling studio album, with world sales in excess of 20 million. Queen's "Greatest Hits 1" album has achieved the distinction of being the UK's biggest selling album of all time, having sold a staggering 5,407,587 copies in Britain alone. (back to list)

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Fall Out Boy at The NEC, Birmingham
FALL OUT BOY (NEC Arena)
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Sunday 19th October 2008 - 6pm
Fall Out Boy formed out of boredom in a suburban Chicago basement in 2001. Despite bassist Pete Wentz describing himself as "a procrastinating underachiever at heart" and drummer Andy often drawing comparisons to the Muppet "Animal", the group has managed to achieve worldwide success.
The band, whose music style is described as emo, pop-punk, indie-rock, finally took shape when they met guitarist/vocalist Patrick Stump. They won several awards for their debut album, From Under the Cork Tree. The album achieved double platinum status and sold over 2.5 million albums in the US alone.Their latest album, Infinity on High, released in February 2007, sold 260,000 copies in its first week. The band was nameless for their first two shows. During their second show, they asked the audience to call out their suggestions for a name. One suggestion was Fallout Boy, Radioactiveman's sidekick in The Simpsons.
(back to list)
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Eddi Reader at the Town Hall, Birmingham
EDDI READER (Town Hall)
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Wednesday 22nd October 2008 - 7.30pm
One of the country’s great vocalists who has forged a hugely successful solo career after establishing her name with Fairground Attraction. In 2003, Eddi returned to her Scottish roots to record a beautiful album of songs by Robert Burns featuring a collection of superb traditional musicians, while her more recent album Peacetime fused her Scottish influences with new material from long-time collaborator Boo Hewerdine. A superb singer who happily follows her own path regardless of the vicissitudes of musical fashion. (back to list)
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Unholy Alliance at  the NIA, Birmingham
UNHOLY ALLIANCE CHAPTER 3 featuring SLAYER, TRIVIUM & MASTODON (NEC Arena)
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Tuesday 28th October 2008 - 7pm
The European leg of the mighty Unholy Alliance Tour, Chapter III has been confirmed and will include a date at The NEC Arena on Tuesday 28 October 2008! This third instalment of what has been hailed as "the heaviest, darkest tour of the year," the Unholy Alliance Tour, Chapter III will feature Slayer, the undisputed kings of extreme speed/thrash metal, and two true princes of the genre, Trivium and Mastodon. An opening act will be announced shortly. While Slayer will close all of the shows, they will be co-billed with Trivium on the UK dates. (back to list)
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Al Green at the NIA, Birmingham
AL GREEN (The NIA)
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Thursday 28th October 2008 - 7.30pm
Al Green's extraordinary voice became known to the world through a string of legendary hits in the early 1970s, classics including Tired of Being Alone, Let's Stay Together, I Can't Get Next To You, I'm Still In Love With You, Call Me, Here I Am, Let's Get Married and Love and Happiness. Recorded in Memphis with producer and arranger Willie Mitchell at Mitchell's Royal Recording Studios, those songs - and Green's falsetto screams, impassioned whispers, ecstatic cries and choked shouts - are etched into the minds of music fans everywhere. Green and Mitchell collaborated to shape a sound that defines its own place in pop and R&B music. They recorded eight albums that sold over 20 million copies worldwide, working together until 1976. At that time, Green changed his focus to gospel music, founding his own congregation in Memphis - the Full Gospel Tabernacle, where he still preaches regularly - and recording a series of albums that have earned him eight Grammys in gospel categories. (back to list)
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Steve Coogan at the NIA, Birmingham
STEVE COOGAN (The NIA)
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Wednesday 29th October 2008 - 6.30pm
The star of I’m Alan Partridge, Saxondale and creator of Paul and Pauline Calf comes to The NIA in October this year. Steve Coogan is returning in a show featuring the characters that have made him a BAFTA and British Comedy Award winning Comedy Legend. His last live show played 200 performances and was seen by 350,000 people, so get your tickets now! Over the past decade, Steve Coogan has established himself as one of the most popular, charismatic and versatile comic actors working in Britain today. Described by The Mirror as "extremely funny” and “hugely entertaining” by The Observer, the figure for whom Coogan is best known, perhaps to the extent that his other work has been dwarfed by it, is Alan Partridge. Hence the show's title. (back to list)

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The Mighty Boosh at the NIA, Birmingham
THE MIGHTY BOOSH (The NIA)
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Friday 31st October, Saturday 1st November & Monday 22nd December 2008 - 7.30pm
Two different men. One Mighty Boosh. Writers and performers Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt, return to the live stage with their heady brew of music and comedy. Vince Noir and Howard Moon will be joined on stage by a host of characters from their hit TV show including Michael Fielding as Naboo, with his cape of wonder and Dave Brown as Bollo, the ape that dreamt he was a man. Discover what mysteries lurk in the Hitcher’s hat. Marvel at the Moon as he soothes with his idiot wisdom. Expect punks and yetis, and monsters with elbow patches, in a psychedelic meteorite of music and mayhem. The Sunday Times Culture dubbed the act as “Horror, music, art and comedy… in one terrific psychedelic melting pot.” Howard Moon and Vince Noir were first brought to life by Julian and Noel in the upstairs room of a North London pub back in the late ‘90’s. They made their Edinburgh Festival debut in 1998 in The Mighty Boosh, winning the coveted Perrier Award for Best Newcomer. Further Edinburgh live shows followed with the Perrier Award nominated Arctic Boosh (1999) and Auto Boosh (2000) which, following a sell out run at The Melbourne International Comedy Festival, won the Festival’s prestigious Barry Humphries Award. (back to list)

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Ralph McTell at the Town Hall, Birmingham
RALPH MCTELL & THE DYLAN PROJECT (Town Hall)
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Saturday 1st November 2008 - 7.30pm
This gala double bill features Ralph McTell, one of Britain’s best-loved singersongwriters. Ralph will perform a solo set from his self-penned repertoire of great songs and this will be his only Midlands concert in 2008. The Dylan Project stars Birmingham’s very own Steve Gibbons with PJ Wright, Phil Bond, and Fairport Convention’s Dave Pegg and Gerry Conway. (back to list)
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Bryan Adams at the NEC Arena, Birmingham
BRYAN ADAMS (NEC Arena)
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Sunday 2nd November 2008 - 7.30pm
Byan Adams is a Canadian musician who has been performing as a solo artist since the late 1970s. During the early to mid 1990s, he became one of the most successful musicians in the world. Hit singles like Summer Of 69, Can't Stop This Thing We Started, Please Forgive Me and When You're Gone all contributed to making him a rock superstar. Famed for his energetic live performances, the Wakin' up the World tour was one of the biggest stadium rock tours of all time. A talened songwriter, Bryan has been involved in the themes for hit movies including Robin Hood: Prince Of Theives and The Three Muskateers. He also recently wrote the score for the animated film Spirit: Stallion of The Cimarron. (back to list)

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Katie Melua at  the NIA, Birmingham
KATIE MELUA (NEC Arena)
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Thursday 6th November 2008 - 7.30pm
Katie Melua's world tour will come to Britain this autumn for what will be her largest UK arena tour to date. Since bursting onto the scene in the summer of 2003, aged just 18, no one, least of all Katie, would have predicted what the next few years would hold for the teenager. Now 23, Katie has sold almost 8 million albums and in 2006, she became the best selling British female in the world. Awarded the Golden Camera Award for International Pop Artist at the start of 2007, Katie was presented with the Echo Award for International Female Artist in March 2007. October 2007 saw the release of Katie's third album Pictures, subsequently knocking Bruce Springsteen off the top spot of Billboard's pan-European chart in November. Katie concluded 2007 with the release of 'What A Wonderful World', a duet with the late Eva Cassidy, as a fundraiser for the British Red Cross and which topped the British charts. Looking forward to the tour Katie said: "Most of this year will be spent on tour which means I am really looking forward to 2008 - I've always loved performing live, it is a perk of the 'job' although it really doesn't seem like 'work'. I will be travelling all around the world but, without wanting to sound cheesy, it is always great to come back home and play in Britain." Prior to the tour Katie's UK activities include the release of two singles, 'If The Lights Go Out' on February 25th and 'What I Miss About You' on May 12th. (back to list)

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Disney On Ice - Finding Nemo at the NIA, Birmingham
DISNEY ON ICE - FINDING NEMO (The NIA)
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Wednesday 5th to Sunday 16th November 2008 - 7pm
Disney On Ice are back and presenting their brand new production of "Finding Nemo". Join the ocean-sized adventure of the curious clownfish Nemo, his overprotective father Marlin and their absent-minded yet lovable pal Dory as "Disney On Ice" immerses you in a vibrant aquatic world in "Disney On Ice presents Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo". Follow alongside Marlin and Dory on a daring search of the big blue. Ride the current with "super-dude" turtle Crush and make waves with Nemo's new friends - the Tank Gang - as they plot an escape from the dentist's aquarium in this whale of a tale full of laughter and fun. Friday 7th performances at 4pm & 8pm. Saturday performances at 12 noon, 3.45pm & 7.30pm. Sunday performances at 11am, 2.45pm & 7pm. (back to list)

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The Temptations at the Symphony Hall
THE TEMPTATIONS (Symphony Hall)
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Friday 7th November 2008 - 7.30pm
Since the early 1960s, The Temptations have thrilled crowds with the likes of Get Ready, Ball of Confusion, Papa Was a Rolling Stone, I'm Gonna Make You Love Me, You're My Everything, Just My Imagination, My Girl and Treat Her Like A Lady. Their enduring style of trade-off lead vocals and emotive harmonies have earned them the crown of Emperors of Soul and they play to thousands of fans the world over each and every year. (back to list)
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John Martyn at the Town Hall, Birmingham
JOHN MARTYN (Town Hall)
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Wednesday 12th November 2008 - 7.30pm
This year legendary singer-songwriter John Martyn received the lifetime achievement award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Martyn was presented the award by his friend Phil Collins and in a special message, Eric Clapton described Martyn as: “So far ahead of everything, it’s almost inconceivable.” Martyn has romanced generation after generation for more than 40 years with his powerfully heartfelt song-writing, as relevant now as ever, thanks to the homage paid by a new movement of folk artists. Fuelled by his huge voice and staggering guitar playing, there is always a near-religious intensity to a John Martyn show. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see the Scottish song-writing genius. (back to list)
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Hayley Westenra at the Town Hall, Birmingham
HAYLEY WESTENRA (Town Hall)
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Thursday 13th November 2008 - 7.30pm
A 21 year old New Zealand soprano of Irish heritage. Her first internationally released, Pure, reached Number One in the UK classical chart and sold over 2 million copies worldwide. As well as her many awards for contribution to music she's also UNICEF's youngest Ambassador. She's coming to the Bridgewater Hall and we are all certainly in for a treat. (back to list)
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McFly at  the NIA, Birmingham
MCFLY (NEC Arena)
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Friday 14th November 2008 - 6pm
Teenage four-piece McFly followed on the success of Busted and have become one of Britain and Ireland's most popular acts. Blending pop and rock in a similar manner, the band credit The Beatles, The Beach Boys and Bruce Springsteen amongst their influences. Their debut single Five Colours In Her Hair went to number one in the UK chart for two weeks. The band then honed their live show supporting Busted on their UK tour. Debut album Room On The 3rd Floor has been shortlisted for the UK record of the year 2004 and the boys recently scooped five awards at the 2004 Smash Hits Poll Winners Party. (back to list)
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Hayley Westenra at the Town Hall, Birmingham
PAUL CARRACK (Town Hall)
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Tuesday 18th November 2008 - 7.30pm
The former frontman of Mike and The Mechanics, Ace, Squeeze and the voice behind world-wide hits such as Ace’s How Long, Squeeze’s Tempted and of course, timeless classic The Living Years has a reputation as a stunning live performer. Playing with his brilliant band, expect to hear other great songs like Silent Running, Another Cup of Coffee, Over My Shoulder and many more. (back to list)
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