Last week I was invited to the second of ibis’ ibis Lates on Tour events in Birmingham with an awesome line-up of up and coming artists and DJs all under one very cool hotel roof! If you haven’t heard of ibis Lates, where have you been?! These amazing nights started last year when ibis decided to open up their hotel lobbies to some awesome bands, a fully stocked bar and a whole lot of love for charity. With tickets for just £5 and all proceeds going to the Teenage Cancer Trust what’s not to love about these awesome events?!
With Birmingham City Centre being the most recent location for ibis Lates on Tour as they head on tour around the UK, I hopped on the train and got myself down there for a night of live music, dancing and a few cheeky beers!
The lobby of ibis’ Birmingham New Street Station hotel is so darn cool and it had been completely transformed with the stage ready to go for our four artists of the night. With music from Roundhouse acts Kenan Kian, Malunga and DJ Nikita and the female duo Ekkah headlining I knew we were in for a great night. Roundhouse offer opportunities for up and coming artists aged 18-25 to gain a foothold in the creative industries so I was excited to hear what their three performers would be like on the night…spoiler alert, they were AWESOME! And having already checked out some of Ekkah’s tracks on YouTube I couldn’t wait to see them perform live.
I was lucky enough to be allowed backstage into the green room and to watch the acts warm up on their sound checks. Not only were the artists incredibly talented but they were so lovely too. We even managed to get a few minutes on ‘the bed’ with them and ask a few questions about their careers so far and how excited they were to be a part of ibis Lates on Tour!
The doors opened and everyone queuing outside spread into the lobby. It was such a relaxed space and had a secret underground gig kind of vibe. The best thing was knowing that all the money from ticket sales was going to an amazing cause, so not only were loads of people enjoying themselves on a Thursday night, but we were all doing something awesome for charity!
Our night kicked off with Kenan Kian a truly fabulous singer-songwriter (and actor and dancer – seriously guys, this diva does it all!) from London who absolutely blew us away with his stage presence and awesome original music. Owning the stage (and the crowd) he really got everyone fired up for the night ahead, I couldn’t have picked a better opening act!
Next up was the turn of Malunga, another Roundhouse act from Ilford. Again a set full of upbeat, funky and soulful music all written by herself and backed up with her awesome band on keys and drums – well, one of those incredibly cool wooden beatbox things that fascinated me right from the start! If you get a chance to see either of these two amazing Roundhouse acts I urge you to do so, what a talented pair.
Then it was time for our headliners, Ekkah, two 80’s revivalists with a poppy and enchanting sound…and a lot of face glitter! These two and their band are just great and really got the crowd going.
After our live acts had finished it was DJ Nikita bringing it home until the early hours with her seriously cool beats. Currently working at the BBC, Nikita is an award-winning presenter and produced the BBC’s flagship hip hop show in Europe – such a great way to round off the evening.
My evening at ibis Lates seriously blew me away – what an amazing idea and an incredible night of live music for a great cause.
Gutted you missed it? Well never fear because ibis Lates are heading on tour! They’re coming to Manchester, Bristol and Scotland in the coming months, so make sure you get ready to grab your tickets here!
WATCH: Ibis Lates on Tour in Birmingham
Did you manage to get a ticket to this ibis Lates on Tour gig? What did you think? Leave me a comment down below!
xax
*Sponsored post with ibis Lates*