Reggae Caribbean Cookout at St. Paul’s Church
Step away from the Easter eggs and mosey on down to the classic Caribbean cookout for some delicious West Indian soul food served up by the sensational Mr Jerk. We are reliably informed jerk pork is going to be on the menu for the first time so you’ll find us jumping up and down at the front of the queue for this and a rum cocktail. Throughout the afternoon the vibe levels will be set to hyper chilled as DJ’s spin the best reggae, ska and rock steady vinyl as you chow down, there’s even vegan options available.
Mon 17 Apr 12pm at St. Paul’s Church, St Paul’s Square, Birmingham B3 1QZ www.facebook.com

Jam Jah Monday Easter Special at the Dark Horse
Extended hours for this bank holiday special Jam Jah event. Joining the usual crew to spin the best reggae sounds are Messenger Douglas, Lion Art and Myki Tuff. Always chilled and always a positive vibe.
Mon 17 Apr 9pm at the Dark Horse, 145 Alcester Rd, Birmingham B13 8JP www.darkhorsemoseley.co.uk

DJ Cheese Dip Special at the Prince of Wales
DJ Cheese Dip’s eclecticism is legendary, always pumping out a gloriously fun(k) filled set that puts smiles on faces and gets shoes tapping. This early evening event is the perfect way to wind down after a weekend of shenanigans in the Prince’s lovely garden with a cocktail or two.
Mon 17 Apr 4pm at the Prince of Wales, 118 Alcester Rd, Birmingham B13 8EE www.facebook.com

James Leese and Ben Drummond at Yorks Bakery Cafe
The Monday night showcase at Yorks is fast becoming an essential part of the city’s musical landscape. This evening two of Birmingham’s brightest singer songwriters perform on the same bill, which is certainly cause for us to make a bank holiday visit. James Leese digs deep into his personal experiences and delivers emotionally charged songs that really pack a punch, Ben Drummond is a stalwart of the local music scene and has been consistently delivering high quality shows for some time, both artists are highly recommended. Relax with coffee and cake (or wine and beer) and enjoy some beautiful music.
Mon 17 Apr 7pm at Yorks Bakery Cafe 29 / 30 Stephenson St, Birmingham B2 4BH www.facebook.com

Hansu-Tori at the Spotted Dog
Performing material from their album, ‘Wolves Are People Too’, the energetically sophisticated free form jazz engineers Hansu-Tori will blow your minds at the Spotted Dog. Imaginative, daring and almost riotous compositions from pianist David Grey have received great critical acclaim and we highly recommend you purchase their music, but it’s live where they come into their own. Cooler than polar bear spit.
Tue 18 Apr 8.30pm at the Spotted Dog, 104 Warwick St, Digbeth, Birmingham B12 0NH www.facebook.com

All About Eve (dir: Joseph Leo Mankiewicz, 1950, cert U)
Bette Davis is at her acerbically bitchy best as the ageing and rancorous actress Margo Channing, dripping with poisonous one liners and sarcastic put downs. The battle of wills between Davis and rising starlet Eve, played by a fresh faced Anne Baxter, is pure cinematic gold. George Sanders is in deliciously caustic form and there’s an early appearance by Marilyn Monroe. An absolute classic. ‘Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night!’
Tue 18 Apr 7pm Birmingham LGBT, 38-40 Holloway Circus, Birmingham B1 1EQ www.journeyfilmclub.co.uk

An Evening with Sam Redmore at the Dark Horse
Birmingham natives know what to expect from DJ Redmore and now he’s appeared on BBC Radio 6 the rest of the nation is catching up. For now you can still catch his glorious sets of funked up soul, hip hop, reggae and anything else his eclectic freestyle mind throws into an always slick mix at the Dark Horse, and all for free. How good is that?
Fri 21 Apr 10pm at the Dark Horse, 145 Alcester Rd, Birmingham B13 8JP www.darkhorsemoseley.co.uk

Sunday Xpress April Smorgasbord at Centrala
It’s back again. Smorgasbord is right as the folks behind the imaginative arts extravaganza of Sunday Xpress once again bring an event, or should that be experience, chock full of diverse music, art, spoken word, visuals and of course the Yardley Bard, Big Brendan Higgins. Subtitled the Saint George’s Day Brexit Special, for it is indeed the old dragon slaying knight’s day of recognition, we can only scratch the surface of the events scheduled. We are very pleased that the all grrl rabble rousers Kate Goes are performing alongside the psych folk medievalists The Retinal Circus, and we’re intrigued to get to know more about the excellently monikered Hotel Bastardo. Miles Perhower will be presenting some of the inspiring musical work he’s done with Cerebral Palsy Midlands, but be warned, there will be banging. Sunday Xpress is easily the best regular free arts event in Birmingham and you should really get along. An extraordinary breadth of art across several mediums without a whiff of pretentiousness. Grab a pint, have a chat, make some friends. It’s that kind of place.
Sun 23 Apr 5pm at Centrala, Unit 4, Minerva Works, 158 Fazeley Street, Birmingham B5 5RT www.facebook.com