BLAND - Bizarro’ Variety Presents Bradley Taylor & Maxine Meixner
Leave your problems at the door and be part of something eyebrow raising and smirk jerking. BLAND is a show that has all the grandeur of something extraordinary but still feels like something you can wrap yourself in. It’s a hangout, it’s a show, it’s a night out where familiarity meets the thrill of uncertainty. A cocktail of four acts, live music, poetry, stand up and sketch. Also – vinyl bingo. Support emerging talent.
Hosted by Jack Garden
Tickets
Additional Information
Bradley Taylor
Bradley Taylor is an award-winning poet born and based in Birmingham. In 2024 he won the Roundhouse Poetry Slam, the night of which was the biggest poetry slam in history. In 2025 he released his debut collection ‘You Missed The Best Part’ before embarking on a nationwide tour. Bradley is the host and curator of Piece of Work, Birmingham's premiere poetry night held at the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.
Bradley has appeared at the Hay Festival, Cheltenham Literature Festival, The Inspirational Youth Awards, on BBC News and on BBC Radio 6 Music as part of Craig Charle’s ‘Class of 2024’, in which Craig Charles described him as ‘A brand new voice and a fresh perspective on the art of poetry and performance’. Bradley’s work has appeared in Gutter Magazine, Shooter, Strix and across Birmingham train stations as part of Birmingham Hippodrome’s and photographer Paul Stringer’s project The City That Spoke To Me. More recently, he was commissioned to write a poem for Steven Knight, creator of the Peaky Blinders.
In 2025, his performance at the Roundhouse was nominated for the Sky Arts award for poetry. He writes for, and about, people.
Maxine Meixner
Maxine Meixner is a writer and poet based in London. Her viral poem ‘I Hope You Make It’ has been viewed more than 15 million times across all platforms and been shared by Viola Davis, Brooke Lynne Heights, and Jennifer Love Hewitt. She has featured at numerous poetry events in London and beyond, such as Spit Nights, Piece of Work, Brighton Fringe, Poet’s Palace, Gutter Street, and Storytime, as well as in the Institute of Curious Minds tent at Lost Village Festival.
Ross Pearson
Ross is an artist and filmmaker from Edinburgh based in Norwich. For roughly 18 years he has been producing videos assembled from fragments of existing television, film and assorted video ephemera with surreal, satirical or scatological intent. Previous video work has been described as “the kind of dream you might have if you spent the day drinking Red Bull and reading Private Eye and then fell asleep watching an Adam Curtis documentary”. He has exhibited work across the UK and in mainland Europe. He is our inhouse artist and sponsor of Vinyl Bingo, and we adore him very much. Altogether now, “we adore him very much”!
Frequently asked questions:
Are tickets sold on the door? For a pound extra yes!
I don't have PayPal, what do I do? Reserve a ticket in our insta' DM's (@bla.n.d) or risk it & BOD. Is this professional? Yes, sir.
Where do the ticket proceeds go? (1) The acts. (2) The venue. (3) The next show. (4) Never you mind.
Why should I come? Because supporting emerging talent & having a bloody good time makes a hell of lot of sense to me.
Are alcoholic beverages available? Yes, ma'am.
When does it start start? 19:30.
When does it end end? 22:30(ish).
FYI, it's first come first seated, limited seats (40ish) but big room.