There is a particular moment in Birmingham when the working day ends and the city seems to change gear. Office lights begin to disappear, bars fill, queues form outside venues and, somewhere between Digbeth and Broad Street, another stage is getting ready for another night of live music.
Birmingham has always been a music city. But the best thing about its current scene is that you don’t need to spend an evening looking backwards.
Yes, this is the city associated with Black Sabbath, UB40, Duran Duran, The Beat and an extraordinary list of artists who helped change British music. But Birmingham’s musical appeal today comes from the sheer variety of places in which you can see performers.
At the larger end of the scale, Utilita Arena Birmingham continues to bring major touring names into the centre of the city. It is the sort of venue where a night out becomes an event: dinner beforehand, thousands of people converging on the arena and Birmingham buzzing long after the encore.
Then there is Symphony Hall, a reminder that Birmingham’s musical personality cannot be squeezed into a single genre. Classical music, contemporary performers, jazz, orchestral spectaculars and touring artists all find a home here.
But sometimes the smaller gigs are the nights you remember.
Digbeth remains one of the best places to find them. O2 Institute Birmingham combines the character of a historic building with a programme that regularly gives audiences the chance to see artists in a more intimate environment. Nearby streets, bars and creative spaces give the whole evening an unmistakably Birmingham feel.
The O2 Academy Birmingham adds another important layer to the city’s gig circuit, while grassroots venues continue to provide opportunities to discover artists before everyone else knows their name.
That variety is precisely why Birmingham works so well for music lovers.
You can dress up for an orchestral performance, stand shoulder-to-shoulder at a rock show, find an emerging indie band, listen to jazz or spend a night watching one of the world’s biggest artists — all without leaving the city.
And unlike destinations where entertainment feels confined to one district, Birmingham’s venues encourage you to explore.
A concert might start with food in Chinatown, cocktails around Colmore Row or dinner beside the canals. A Digbeth gig can turn into a late night among the district’s bars and street art. Symphony Hall places you within easy reach of Brindleyplace and the city’s waterside venues.
For visitors, that’s an excellent reason to make a weekend of it. For those of us who already know Birmingham, it’s a reminder not to take the city’s music scene for granted.
The best way to discover it is to forget, occasionally, about the biggest name on the poster. Pick a venue. Look at what’s coming. Take a chance on somebody unfamiliar.
Birmingham built part of its international reputation on musicians who once played to small local audiences.
There is every reason to believe somebody, somewhere in the city tonight, is starting the next chapter.
