Tommy gunning for Brum Peaky Blinders festival
THOMAS Shelby will be laying down the law at Birmingham’s big Peaky Blinders festival – even though he’s not there in person.
Cillian Murphy is to recreate the Peaky patriarch in a special live stream set up exclusively for fans at the two-day extravaganza.
Other members of the cast will be popping up in the flesh during the September 15 and 16 festivities in Digbeth.
And the event will end in a huge performance of Nick Cave’s Red Right Hand theme tune by more than 200 actors and dancers, accompanied by fireworks.
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes were this week announced as the Sunday headliners. The band provided music for dramatic scenes in season four of Steven Knight’s Brummie gang saga.
With Bobby Gillespie’s Primal Scream already announced as main stage bill-toppers on Saturday, there remains one big name
to be revealed.
Promoters are promising a “very special secret set” by a global superstar, with many fans hoping it might be Aussie icon Cave.
Anna Calvi, who has written the music for season five, which starts on Sunday night, is also to play a special ‘one-off ’ set based on the series.
And Brum’s own Mike Skinner (aka The Streets) is putting together a DJ set influenced by the show.
Meanwhile, organisers have revealed there will be five stages, one of them exclusively for acts playing music rooted in the 1920s to 1940s.
The Carousel stage will feature everything from electro-swing to retro hip-hop, performed on a vintage carousel “surrounded by actors, characters and oddballs”.
Elsewhere, the BBC Introducing Stage will be highlighting excellence in upcoming local and national talent.
So far, Saturday will feature Primal Scream, that mystery “secret set”, and Nadine Shah, while Sunday offers Frank Carter, Slaves and a DJ set by Mike Skinner (aka The Streets).
“For two days only the streets of Digbeth will be transformed into the world of the Shelby family,” say promoters. “Surround yourself in the post-industrial architecture, railway arches and canals of Birmingham 1919 as the Peaky Blinders roam the area, poets rant on street corners and musicians busk.”
■Anna Calvi ■Baghdaddies
■Ballet Rambert
■Bill Jefferson
■Casey Bailey
■Electric Swing Circus ■Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes
■Heavy Beat Brass Band ■Hotel Lux
■Hussain Manawer
■Jim Wynn Swing Band ■Jive Aces ■John J Presley ■Liam Frost ■MarthaGunn ■Mike Skinner (The Streets), right
■Miss Kiddy and The Cat ■Nadine Shah ■Pearl Harts ■Primal Scream ■Punch The Sky ■Ren ■Saint Agnes
■Slaves ■Swingrowers ■Swing Dance / Birmingham Swing
■Swing Zazou
■The Correspondents ■Thrill Collins
■.... and a global superstar