On March 8th, Moseley’s The Castle and Falcon will be hosting the launch party of a brand new arts and music project in Birmingham, Slag Mag. Slag Mag, with Slag standing for the Serious Ladies of Arts and Gigs, is a zine that will focus on female fronted arts, music, film and more in Birmingham and beyond.
The zine was started by Sophie Hack and Mazzy Snape, two women who have worked in the music industry for a number of years. They became tired of the lack of representation and acknowledgement of females, women of colour and LGBTQ+ in the music and creative industry, and wanted to take a step forward in changing the conversation.
“When I was the promoter of a large music venue, my boss once said to me: ‘Who’s the venue Slag?’ Its us. We’re the Slags. The Serious Ladies of Art & Gigs.”
The first ever issue of Slag Mag features local musicians such as the punk duo Youth Man, garage rock duo Cherry Pickles and more, plus a range of artist spotlights and opinion articles that shine a light on the ever growing female talent in the West Midlands and further afield.
The Slag Mag creators will be launching their first issue at The Castle and Falcon on March 8th, International Women’s Day, with Birmingham disco DJs Bad Girls. Molly Allen and Lauren Franklin ‘take the patriarchy out the party’ with their disco, indie/alternative and feminist party hits, DJ’ing all across Birmingham and often raising money for a charity. Expect lots of disco, glitter and Donna Summer all night long.
Meanwhile, two upcoming yet already acclaimed artists Sorry Grace and Sofa King will be joining the roster. Dianne Velvet is Sofa King, with a nostalgic but now approach to lo-fi indie and synth pop. Previously a solo performer, Sofa King will be joined by a brand new full band, with a few new surprise sounds in store. Sorry Grace are a dreamy five piece outfit blending the perfect fusion of jazz and indie. Lead singer Charley Mack’s voice is soulful and harmonious, joined by keys, saxophone and drums to create the perfect modern jazz ensemble.
If that’s not all, a whole host of local artists will be displaying art, jewellery and more throughout the venue available to buy, as well as the very first issue of Slag Mag, all for only £6. Advance tickets are on sale now for the launch party on March 8th, which includes a pre-order of Issue one, from The Ticket Sellers website. Purchasing a ticket not only secures you an issue of Slag Mag, but helps support the local arts and music scene and can help fund future issues.