Tag: Lazy Fifty

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NEWS: Erdington Fire Service and working fire engine at Summer Fun Day on Erdington High Street – Saturday 26 July

Fire Service and working fire engine at community evemt / Photograph supplied by West Midlands Fire Service

Words by editorial team

Erdington Fire Service will be coming to the Summer Fun Day on Erdington High Street this Saturday (26 July), giving locals a chance to meet the team and explore a real-life working fire engine.

A crew from Erdington Fire Station, situated on the corner of Orphanage Road and Edwards Road, will be driving the fire engine onto the High Street for 2pm.

Parked up alongside B&M Superstore, children and families attending the Summer Fun Day event will be invited climb aboard and explore the fully kitted emergency response vehicle.

Working fire engine out on call / Photograph from Adobe Stock Images

Fire crew will also be offering helpful advice and guidance around issues including fire safety and safer driving. The team will also be offering support around water safety – as concerns over children and young people plating around open water are heightened in the summer months.

A spokesperson from Erdington Fire Station confirmed: “[Erdington Fire Service] will be attending in the afternoon from about 2pm.

“We will be showing children around the appliance (fire engine) and giving out advice around home fire safety, safer driving and water safety.”

Erdington Business Improvement District (BID) is organising it’s second Summer Fun Day event on Erdington High Street – running from 12noon until 4pm on Saturday 26 July.

The event is part of a wider year long programme of activity in the Town Centre, in line with the Erdington BID’s LOVE YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY campaign.

Completely free to attend, the Summer Fun Day will offer free games and activities for children – alongside a range of stands and stalls from local groups and services.

Face painting at Erdinigton BID’s Summer Fun Day in June / Photograph by Selina Gooden

Young people will be able to get their face painted free of charge, with free arts and crafts sessions also being run by local creative group Arts All Over the Place.

Inclusive sports charity Make A Change will also be running games that people of all physical abilities can enjoy, including wheelchair basketball and soft play archery – helping to promote inclusivity through sport and encourage physical activity.

There will also be a free bouncy castle for young people to enjoy, with event staff on hand to keep all the activities safe and make sure everyone gets a go. Very small children will be able to enjoy the front space of the bouncy castle, under supervision of a parent or carer.

Bouncu Castle at Erdington BID’s June Summer Fun Day / Photograph by Darren Dodd

The Summer Fun Day will also have a series of tabletop displays and stalls from local community groups, engaging with local people and letting them know about the community activities and services in their area.

Attending the Summer Fun Day on Saturday 26 July will be Erdington Litter Busters, Short Heath Fields Trust, Erdington Lunar Society, Erdington Local, and members of the Erdington local police force.

There will also be displays from POMOC – a local charity that represents Erdington’s Eastern European community, and Incredible Surplus – offering some free food and snacks, as part of their mission to challenge food waste.

Stalls from local community groups and services at Erdington BID’s June Summer Fun Day / Photograph by Selina Gooden

Then, once the outdoor activity has finished at 4pm, there will be a special free live music event held inside Oikos Café – as New Zealand blues rockers Lazy Fifty will be performing live, as part of the citywide Blues and Jazz Festival.

Taking inspiration from the stalwarts of 70’s British rock such as Black Sabbath and Led Zepplin, the Lazy Fifty gig will be completely free to attend – with tickets allocated at the door at Oikos on a first come first served basis.

Erdington BID is organising a yearlong programme of events and activities as part of its LOVE YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY campaign, encouraging people to celebrate the positives of the Town Centre and to and support local business on and around the High Street.

New Zealand blues rockers Lazy Fifty – performing a free live gig at Okos Cafe on Saturday 26 July

A spokesperson from Erdington BID told: “The first Summer Fun Day in June was a really lovely day, with a great atmosphere and lots of fun for local families and children.

“We’re excited to be back on the High Street for another free and family focused event on Saturday 26 July – and hope to see lots of smiling faces again. And a few painted like tigers and butterflies.”

They added: “Erdington High Street, as with High Streets across the country, has seen businesses rise and fall over recent years – with both shoppers and retailers moving online.

“But the community spirit is as strong as it has ever been, and the BID events are all about breathing life back into our Town Centre.”

The first Summer Fun Day was held in June, with another free event planned for Erdington High Street on Saturday 23 August.

Erdington BID is supported by local businesses and retailers, raising extra money for the Town Centre through from community events and fundraising.

PICTURE GALLERY: Games and activities at Erdington BID’s first Summer Fun Day / Photographs by Selina Gooden and Darren Dodd

For more information about the LOVE YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY campaign, or any events and activities in the Town Centre, please email Erdington BID at: [email protected]

For more information on Erdington BID visit www.erdingtonhighstreet.co.uk

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NEWS: New Zealand’s Lazy Fifty to play free gig at Oikos Café – as part of Blues and Jazz Festival, on Saturday 26 July

Lazy Fifty – New Zealand blues rockers

Words by Ed King

New Zealand blues rockers, Lazy Fifty, are playing a free afternoon gig at Oikos Café on Saturday 26 July – coming to Erdington Town Centre as part of the citywide Blues and Jazz Festival.

Doors at the popular Erdington High Street venue will open at 4pm, with Lazy Fifty playing a headline set at around 4:30pm. All ages are welcome.

Tickets are free and allocated at the door on a first-come-first-served basis. Advance tickets can be reserved through the online ticketing agency Eventbrite – click here.

A local support act will also be performing a short warm up set, getting the Erdington crowd up and jumping – as provided by Ceol Agency and the Erdington Arts Forum.

Lazy Fifty are an established blues rock trio from New Zealand, renowned for their dynamic live performances and melodic rock – and taking inspiration from the stalwarts of 70’s British rock such as Black Sabbath and Led Zepplin.

Lazy Fifty in concert – photograph taken from the band’s solcia media.

Travelling over 10,000 miles to play their first gigs in Birmingham, Lazy Fifty are in the city for the Jazz and Blues Festival 2025 – joining hundreds of other musicians from across the world, playing at 115 venues across the West Midlands over a ten-day festival programme.

Lazy Fifty released their 10 track debut album, Petra et Volvo, to critical acclaim in 2017 – following with their sophomore album, Fifty Shades of Lazy, a year later.

After a short break form recording the band released their third album, The Broken Stone, in 2020.

A year later saw the release of Lazy Fifty’s fourth studio LP, 2021: A Lazy Odyssey, which was described by leading New Zealand music website music.nz as “an absolute blast from start to finish” and “a sheer delight… channelling Sabbath, or George Thorogood.”

Lazy Fifty’s latest release – their five track EP The Good, The Bad and The Lazy – was released in May 2025.

But the stalwarts of the international blues and rock circuit are also known for being watertight live musicians, who embrace the essence of blues, rock, and a self-declared “healthy dose of funk” through their “dynamic” on stage performances.

In a special video posted on the band’s YouTube channel, ahead of the gigs in Birmingham, Lazy Fifty dusted off a “Lazy Sunday” version of their track ‘Vigilante Blues’ – taken from the band’s debut album, Petra Et Volvo (2017).

A spokesperson for Lazy Fifty told: “To celebrate our upcoming gig at the Birmingham Jazz and Blues Festival we’ve delved into the archives to bring you this lazy Sunday version of ‘Vigilante Blues’.”

They added: “It’s seven minutes long and that’s what we love about the blues – long, mellow, lazy and chilled – just like us when we play the blues.

“Bring it on Birmingham.”

Watch Lazy Fifty perform ‘Vigilante Blues’ at Harley Owners Group National Conference in Rotorua, New Zealand

Having run for 41 years, the Jazz and Blues Festival 2025 is the brainchild of Jim Simpson, one time manager of Black Sabbath and longstanding musical figurehead in Birmingham and beyond.

The widely respected festival added Erdington back onto its programme after being invited to the area by the Erdington Business Improvement District, as supported by local retailers, and the Erdington Arts Forum.

In the Blues and Jazz Festival 2025 brochure, festival organisers describe Lazy Fifty as a “powerhouse blues-rock trio… playing a mix of toe tapping blues-rock that’ll see you bringing out your air guitar and traditional blues with emotion pouring out of the guitar.”

Playing a special free at Oikos Café, Lazy Fifty will get to perform down the road from where bands like Sabbath and Led Zeppelin cut their teeth at the pivotal music venue Mothers Club.

Erdington BID is listed as an official supporter of the Blues and Jazz Festival 2025 alongside other BIDs from Southside, Jewellery Quarter, and Sutton Coldfield – as well as larger governing bodies including the West Midlands Combined Authority, Sandwell and Dudley Council, and Wolverhampton City Council.

Lazy Fifty play a free gig at Oikos Café on Erdington High Street, on Saturday 26 July – to secure advance tickets click here.

For more on Lazy Fifty visit www.lazyfifty.com
For more on the wider Blues and Jazz Festival 2025, including a full vent programme and details on artists performing, visit www.birminghamjazzfestival.com

For more on Oikos Café visit www.oikoscafe.co.uk
For more on Erdington Business Improvement District (BID) visit www.erdingtonhighstreet.co.uk

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NEWS: Erdington BID to host free Summer Fun Day on Erdington High Street – Saturday 26 July

Promotional poster for Erdington BID’s Summer Fun Day on Saturday 26 July

Words by editorial team

Erdington Business Improvement District (BID) is organising it’s second Summer Fun Day event on Erdington High Street – running from 12noon until 4pm on Saturday 26 July.

Following the success of their first event in June, Erdington BID will be bringing back the summer fun in July – with free games and activities for children, alongside a range of stands and stalls from local groups and services.

Completely free to attend, there will be face painting, arts and crafts sessions, and a bouncy castle for young people – all paid for by the Erdington BID, as supported by local retailers.

Families and young poeple enjoying the bouncy castle at Summer Fun Day / Photograph by Darren Dodd – supplied by Erdington BID

The event will be held in the same location, on the pedestrianised area of Erdington High Street in between the entrances to Wilton Market and the new B&M Superstore.

A family friendly day out, Erdington BID is organising the Summer Fun Days as part of the LOVE YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY campaign – to bring a programme of events back to Erdington Town Centre and give local families something fun to do on the High Street that won’t cost them a penny.

Alongside the children’s games and entertainment, local community groups and service providers will have information displays and engagement activities – including Erdington Litter Busters, Erdington Lunar Society, Short Heath Fields Trust, Aquarius, and Witton Lodge Community Association.

Face painting at Summer Fun Day / Photograph by Selina Gooden – supplied by Erdington BID

West Midlands Fire Service will also be bringing a real-life fire engine from the local station, on site between 2pm and 4pm – with adults and children alike invited to get up close and personal with the emergency vehicle, to meet the fire fighters, and learn about fire safety.

Then, once the outdoor activity has finished at 4pm, there will be a special free live music event held inside Oikos Café – as part of the citywide Blues and Jazz Festival.

New Zealand blues rockers Lazy Fifty will be performing live, taking inspiration from the stalwarts of 70’s British rock such as Black Sabbath and Led Zepplin. Free to attend, tickets will be allocated at the door at Oikos on a first come first served basis.

Stalls from local community groups and services at Summer Fun Day / Photograph by Selina Gooden – supplied by Erdington BID

A spokesperson from Erdington BID told: “The first Summer Fun Day in June was a really lovely day, with a great atmosphere and lots of fun for local families and children.

“We’re excited to be back on the High Street for another free and family focused event on Saturday 26 July – and hope to see lots of smiling faces again. And a few painted like tigers and butterflies.”

They added: “Erdington High Street, as with High Streets across the country, has seen businesses rise and fall over recent years – with both shoppers and retailers moving online.

“But the community spirit is as strong as it has ever been, and the BID events are all about breathing life back into our Town Centre.”

Children’s free arts and craft sessions at Summer Fun Day / Photograph by Selina Gooden – supplied by Erdington BID

Another Summer Fun Day is being organised on Erdington High Street for Saturday 23 August.

Erdington BID is organising a yearlong programme of events and activities as part of its LOVE YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY campaign, encouraging people to celebrate the positives of the Town Centre and to and support local business on and around the High Street.

PICTURE GALLERY: Check out our photographs from Erdington BID’s first Summer Fun Day

GALLERY #1 / Photographs by Darren Dodd – supplied by Erdington BID

Gallery #2 / Photographs by Selina Gooden – supplied by Erdington BID

For more information about the LOVE YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY campaign, or any events and activities in the Town Centre, please email Erdington BID at: [email protected]

For more information on Erdington BID visit www.erdingtonhighstreet.co.uk