Meet the Spookadelic Grave Ravers preparing a Halloween mini festival in Birmingham

It’s looking set to be one of the most spectacular Halloween celebrations in Birmingham for 2023.

Four bands have come together for a Spookadelic Grave Rave at The Old Print Works, Moseley, on Friday (October 27). And music fans it has the makings of an ‘I wish I was there’ gig.

Shaun Gambowl Walsh and the Plagiarists, Not Soup, Tremorsz and Connor Hemming & Kaila Whyte all offer something different, and they are all great live.

Shaun Gambowl Walsh and the Plagiarists are Brum’s punk A-Team if you can find them playing live then you will become a fan. Lyrically thought-provoking and musically brilliant, songs like a genius souped up version of BBC’s snooker championships theme set them apart from current faux protest bands, who don’t sing enough protest songs.

Where’s The Cue Ball Going should be a hit in any musical universe with any justice. The band’s socially conscious anthem Another Classic Case of the Humans chronicles the cost of existing in 2023 so a percentage of any profits made will be donated to a local food bank.

Fans who have left their gigs wondering why they ended up holding a shoe in the air or passed around a pineapple end up getting the midweek frustration why something so special has not taken off.

But you cannot gaffer tape an enigma in wrapping paper, and perhaps with a Stirchley Malcolm McLaren who could herd cats in a social media age they could be managed to masses. It seems fans only experience the joy when they can be bothered, and that’s why the grave rave will be rocking either way.

The Spookadelic Grave Rave is the brain child of Scott Thecket and Betty Ava Mae productions. Scott Theket is easily spot, he dons an Albert Einstein costume to bring an electronic synth A-game, and as its his birthday party.

Theket said: "We’ve got three great bands to play on the night with us, all of them offer something different, but I believe we will be all greater than the sum of our parts on the night so I’m sure we will be talking about the grave rave until we end up raving in our own graves."

Betty added: "We wanted to keep up the new tradition of doing an October gig as three band members have October birthdays, The Old Print Works is a cracker of a venue and it’s great having the other bands on the billing too.

"This year we are bringing Halloween vibes to the fray, so people are encouraged to get their spooky costumes out. Grave ravers can expect pineapple carvings, cupcakes from @Miabakes, professional face painting by Bespoke Kidz Partiez, Spookadelic lighting, plenty of games, fun and phenomenal performances to behold from four of Birmingham’s finest bands on the scene, it will be a night to remember forever. Be there and be a pineapple or a crab."

Not Soup are a four piece band who twist genres whilst keeping the audience transfixed on the stage thanks the unique Janique James, a finer front woman cannot be found on the local music scene, it only seems a matter of time before everyone starts boasting they saw her before she went stratospheric. Janique said: "I can’t wait to get weird at the Old Print Works for the Spookadelic Grave Rave and enjoy a night of the best local music."

Adding a bit of mustard to the beefy rock line up are Tremorsz who will want to blow the bloody doors off the quirky venue which itself has a thousand stories to tell.

In an exciting live outing Connor Hemming & Kaila Whyte will be ready to prove if the whispers and Whattsapp messages hyping their talent is true or not.

Find details about the Spookadelic Grave Rave on Facebook. Or turn up on the night, doors open at 7pm at The Old Print Works, Friday, October 27, and ‘pay what you feel’ to get in, but lets be honest, fishing out a fiver will be the right thing to do. Under-18s are allowed but only with a parent or guardian.