★ DUSK BROTHERS

With an unconventional arsenal of self-built instruments fused with growling vocal harmonies the Dusk Brothers' dark and gritty sound is huge and distinctive. 

Following the release of new 5 track album “Roses In The Bonecart” and a packed out summer tour last year, Dusk Brothers return to Dead Wax for another night of fun and foot-stomping dark swamp blues.

“It’s incredible… They blew me away”
Si Pink (Poppyland Radio)

“Infuriatingly talented… inventive, organic, and great fun”
Devil’s Gate Music

When better joy launched late last year, her vivid indie-pop songs brought comparisons to The Cure and The Smiths. A solo project led by Bria Keely and backed up by her band, better joy has been described by tastemakers as ones to watch in 2024. Bria has a voice as colourful as Debbie Harry - a voice that needs to be up front and centre - and a knack for effortless storytelling. Ringing, complex riffs winding around Bria's vocals, dancing bass lines, characterful drumming and vulnerable lyrics: this is the sound of better joy.

Fresh off the back of a support tour with Hard-Fi, better joy has been described by BBC Radio 6’s Chris Hawkins as one of his ‘favourite bands’ of 2024. With more music set to be released and an album on the way, the future looks bright for better joy.

Save Face are a band who have always prided themselves on taking risks and the New Jersey band have doubled down on that sentiment with their sophomore album, Another Kill For The Highlight Reel. In that spirit, the follow-up to 2018’s debut Merci sees the band mastermind Tyler Povanda taking his songwriting, lyrics and conceptual skills to the next level to create an album that’s more interested in building worlds than adhering to genre conventions. While the songs’ inspiration is firmly rooted in the screamo/post-hardcore scene that was so pivotal for Povanda, the album also features piano, full string sections and horns he arranged himself. “As soon as I started working on [recording software] Logic, it opened my mind to all of these different sounds and I just started putting everything in there,” he says of his creative process. “I just trusted myself and kept going deeper with every song.”



That said, there is nothing artificial about Another Kill For The Highlight Reel, which features indelibly human performances, including a guest appearance from Thursday’s Geoff Rickly on “A.M. Gothic”. “There’s something about the New Jersey kinship [between Geoff and I] that really resonates with me,” Povanda explains. “New Jersey’s music scene is really something special.” However, Povanda is quick to point out that Rickly’s understated performance on the album isn’t intended to be a marketing bulletpoint. “It’s more than just a guest vocal thing,” he admits, “I specifically wanted Geoff to leave his mark on it, it adds something greater to the album in context of who he is and what he’s accomplished with his art.” That spirit of art for art’s sake is what truly lies at the core of Povanda’s ethos. “If you’re going to make art, you have to be willing to have your spirit crushed, and I have repeatedly. But in that, I made the best thing I ever have,” he admits.

EVK PRESENTS:

REVIVE THA RAGE VOL. 4: NUCLEAR NATION ☢️

Get ready for the most explosive event yet!

🚨 28 ACTS | 40+ ARTISTS | EXCLUSIVE DJ SET BY EVK 🚨

Hosted by @ReviveChizl, this isn’t just a show—it’s a nuclear warzone where every act fights for the top spot.

📍 Location: DEADWAX, BIRMINGHAM

⏰ Time: Doors Open 5 PM - Curfew 12 AM

📅 Date: SATURDAY 5TH APRIL

🎟️ --- SOLD OUT!!!! 20 EARLY BIRD TICKETS priced at £3 each are live now! --- SOLD OUT!!!!

🎟️ GENERAL ADMISSION NOW LIVE priced at £5 each! 

We’ve sold out every single event so far, and this will be no exception. With our most star-studded lineup to date, you do not want to miss out!

🔞 18+ IS ESSENTIAL - NO ID, NO ENTRY

Due to the sheer amount of energy and rage at the last event, we’ve had to increase security measures to ensure a safe environment for everyone. This means we’re moving into a paid plan to support the increased show costs as we aim for a higher capacity venue and continue to grow.

Hallan, the electrifying quartet from Portsmouth, are making waves with their genre-defying sound. Signed to the influential Nice Swan Records (home to acts like Sprints, Sports Team, and Courting), continues their band’s bold evolution, blending post-punk with '80s-inspired synths and experimental production. Hallan has earned widespread acclaim from music press including Loud & Quiet, The Line of Best Fit, Dork, Clash, and CRACK Magazine. Their music has also found a home on BBC Radio 6 Music, where they received significant airplay, including a Maida Vale session and an extended run on the station’s A-list playlist. Jack Saunders of BBC Radio 1 calls them “Portsmouth’s finest,” while Steve Lamacq of BBC 6 Music praises them as “one of the more interesting and colourful purveyors of this modern age agit-pop.”

With a growing fanbase and an electrifying live show, Hallan is set to continue their ascent. Their blend of sharp social commentary, historical exploration, and captivating sound is positioning them as one of the most exciting bands to watch.

“One of the more interesting and colourful purveyors of this modern age agit-pop” Steve Lamacq (BBC 6 Music)

“Stop what you are doing and please focus up, you cannot miss this thing” Jack Saunders (BBC Radio 1)

HotWax are a band set on experiencing life at its most intense. In the past two years, the Hastings-via-Brighton trio - comprising Tallulah Sim-Savage (vocals/guitar), Lola Sam (bass), and Alfie Sayers (drums) - have toured extensively, including shows with Royal Blood and Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, and festival appearances at Reading & Leeds and All Points East. Out of this comes debut album Hot Shock (due March 7 via Marathon Artists), a record of adrenaline-jolted anthems about abandoning fear and leaping towards the future.

“Heartfelt folk-rock hailing from the Midlands but sounds like California in the midst of summer. Clearly a class act.”

Belg touring band Ronker bring their incredible performance to Birmingham for the first time, don't miss out.ian

Manchester based alt-rock band King No-One have long been on the UK music scene. Originally hailing from York, the band began financing their records through busking, attracting huge crowds and establishing pockets of fans around the country. They then moved their shows to small venues, building on an already established live reputation with one blistering sold out show after another. After being received well in Manchester, they decided to move into the heart of the city, and soon after, exploded as one of the biggest live emerging guitar bands in the country. Numerous notable slots at major festivals like Reading & Leeds, Truck and YNOT followed, alongside many sold-out UK shows.

LINE-UP: BILL SHAKES, SLY MOON, STINKIN SLUMROK, SLEAZY F BABY, DYLAN GRAY, MATT FROST

Newshapes head out on their first UK tour and are stopping off at Dead Wax! With support from Blight Town and Terminals

Amberlight welcome you to the debut performance of a brand new genre-fusing band from Birmingham. Drawing on the player's roots in indie, jazz, soul and alternative, Amberlight present a varied set of original music, centred on playful grooves and powerful melodies.

Three-piece rock band passive fix, from Birmingham, UK, continue to turn fierce determination into consistent releases and energetic, unforgettable live shows, carving themselves a path into the rock mainstream with their unique twist on the genre.

Their “ambitious” music balances flowing, compelling vocal lines and sophisticated saxophone melodies with aggressive guitars and unrelenting rhythmic grooves - a “blend that makes them stand out from the crowd”.

Founded by songwriter, vocalist and saxophonist Alex McCarthy, the band became fully formed in 2022 at The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and now includes David Kirkham on drums and Sam Stringer guitars and backing vocals.

With multiple national headline shows under their belt and a growing list of national support shows (Sick Joy, The Futureheads, Battlesnake) in prestigious venues, the band continue to fearlessly push boundaries in a live setting.

For fans of Bad Omens, Boston Manor, The Plot In You, Normandie, Twenty One Pilots, Nothing But Thieves, Acres, Måneskin, Bring Me The Horizon, Holding Absence.

passive fix have an exciting catalogue of music set for release, and are gearing up for a UK tour in May of 2025. 

Vocalist/ multi-instrumentalist Anna Moss hails from the verdant forests and lush limestone of the Ozarks; yet her musical personality oozes New Orleans, the artist’s adopted hometown for many years. Beginning in 2020, a deep pandemic depression sent Moss spiraling inward for months. Isolated in her bedroom, almost completely shut-off from the world, she accidentally unearthed a medicinal muse: writing solo songs on guitar for the first time. Anna’s newfound brand of sultry stripped-down-soul is steeped in Southern R&B, Americana, porch jazz; apocalyptic love songs, gritty hymns of humanity, abolition, and compassion busked to fruition in the historic French Quarter streets. Her debut solo LP “Amnesty” was released in March 2024.

Two of Birminghams finest Indie bands Clockwork Orange & The Detached collective return to their hometown for a one off show at Deadwax on Friday 16th May .Doors open at 7pm  event finishes at 11pm. 

Get ready for a wild night of heavy beats and bass drops at FROGLORD, KRAKEN WAKER, SLUMP in Birmingham on May 20th!

NO CIGAR is gearing up for their next musical adventure as they prepare to hit the road for a series of shows across the northern hemisphere. Fresh off the success of their European debut tour, which saw them play sold-out venues in Paris, Amsterdam, Manchester, and London, NO CIGAR is ready to share their unique sound with even more fans worldwide.

With a string of successful tours in Australia and Aotearoa under their belt this year, NO CIGAR is excited to continue spreading their music to new audiences.

As part of their upcoming northern hemisphere tour, NO CIGAR will be treating fans to a sneak peek of some unreleased music, giving listeners a taste of what's to come in the next chapter of their musical journey. Expect to hear fresh tracks alongside fan favorites from their recent album, 'The Great Escape,' which has been making waves in charts and playlists worldwide.

So, get ready to join NO CIGAR on this exciting journey across the globe. Stay tuned for tour dates and ticket information.

On the 19th of July 2025, Birmingham's cultural playground Digbeth will come alive as 700 passionate music fans immerse themselves in a full day of live music. 

Across 4 dynamic stages, in 3 of Birmingham’s most influential independent venues Mama Roux’s,The Night Owl and Dead Wax Digbeth. Festival organisers promise music lovers a day that celebrates the raw energy, talent, and creativity fuelling vibrant music scenes. From rising local talent to breakthrough national acts, this alternative all day music festival kicks off at 12pm allowing the chance to see 30+ acts of different genres, backgrounds and stories all within a 10 hour period. 

“Liverpool has ‘Sound City’, Manchester has ‘NBHD’, Leeds has ‘Live at Leeds’, now Birmingham has ‘What’s Happenin’? Digbeth’. We want to grow it every year into something the City can be proud of, that offers more opportunity and more incredible memories as it naturally evolves.” - Festival Curators.

The Line-up so far: Tom A Smith, M60, Keyside, The Manatees, Good Health Good Wealth, Zo Lief, Cusp, Alright, Luca Simian.

Believing that live music should be accessible for everyone, the festival offers a cheaper alternative to majors priced at just £20 for a first wave ticket, working out at 66p per artist. With early-bird tickets selling out in 2 weeks before even having an artist announced, you’d be best snapping up your tickets quickly for this event.
Celebrating the best of Birmingham culture, the festival is partnering and working with many incredible creatives, including local Universities, Brumbox, The Not So Rock Show, Birmingham Updates, local DJ’s and more. With plans to grow further in 2026, what are you waiting for? Get in there early to say “I went to the first one”.