Peeping at the NME

Well, it's that time again. The annual NME student guide (yes I know I keep slagging it off and yes I know it's £2.10 a week, but I've kind of got into the habit over the last 20 odd years). It's always interesting to see what people rate as being the best - musically speaking - that the city can offer and this year is a pretty fair reflection, helped no end by Mazzy's (Chicks Dig Jerks) piece. Venue wise we have the Sunflower Lounge, Academy (hmmm...Academy 2 and Bar Academy may be...but not the great hole in the ground itself), Factory Club (which is the new name for the Medicine Bar!?) and The Rainbow. No mention of The Barfly or Flapper...both of which should be student heaven. Misty's get a mention in the Pick Of The Local Bands bit along with Shady Bard, Murdoch and the Big Bang. No Beestung Lips! Criminal. Mazzy adds Johnny Foreigner to the list (good choice). Obviously I'm a bit gutted that Hot Spunk didn't make it, but there you go. You can't have everything. The number one thing to do in your first year here? See Stine Richard. He's a new name to me but it seems as though he's Birmingham's answer to Jacko. A student at Birmingham Uni he's just released a tune entitled Rock With You together with its very own (slightly strange) video. He is, according to the NME guide, a "musical genius and comedy legend". He doesn't seem to play many gigs at the moment though. Promoters...over to you.