Popular music

Although its music scene is not as renowned as those of Liverpool or Manchester, Birmingham has had a vibrant and varied musical history over the last half-century.

Fifties bands such as Billy King and the Nightriders, Pat Wayne and The Deltas and The Dominettes gave rise in the following decade to the Brum Beat era featuring early progressive rock and bluesbands such as The Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, The Fortunes, The Rockin Berries, The Idle Race, The Moody Blues and The Move (members of the last two going on to form The Electric Light Orchestra and Wizzard).

The city is often cited as the birthplace of heavy metal music in the late 1960s, with Judas Priest and Black Sabbath coming from Birmingham. Robert Plant and John Bonham, later members of Led Zeppelin and being local to the city, played in bands which were part of the Birmingham music scene, they performed and rehearsed frequently in the city.Rob Halford of Judas Priest attributes the band's success to 'Birmingham having that [...] tough, working-class feeling [...] We weren't born with a silver spoon in our mouths. We had to go to work and work really hard. Some people that work in a coal mine or work in the car industry might argue and say, 'These guys haven't worked a day in their lives.' That's not true. To be in a band – to be in a worldwide, successful band – is incredibly hard work.[1]

In the 1960s, the "Brum Beat" era featured blues and early progressive rock bands such as the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, The Move and The Moody Blues and Velvett Fogg.

In the 1970s members of The Move and The Moody Blues formed the Electric Light Orchestra and Wizzard. In the 1970s, Birmingham's large West Indian population contributed to the popularity of reggae, with Steel Pulse's ground-breaking album Handsworth Revolution leading the way. Later Musical Youth, UB40, the first truly mixed-race UK dub band, and Pato Banton found commercial success, as did 2 Tone bands such as The Beat who drew their influences from Jamaican ska music. Artistes from the city continue to contribute to reggae in the UK such as Rasta MC Chesire Cat who rapped on the Leftfield album Rhythm and Stealth. Singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading had many hits during this decade. Pink Floyd recorded part of Ummagumma at the venue Mothers in Erdington, where Traffic staged their debut gig.

As the 1980s arrived, the Rum Runner nightclub played a significant role in rock music in the city, particularly in the case of New Romantic supergroup Duran Duran. Dexys Midnight Runners, Stephen "Tintin" Duffy and The Bureau also emanated from the city's music scene at this time. Later in the decade, Grindcore music, a blend of punk and heavy metal, was pioneered in the city by Napalm Death. The Charlatans, Dodgy, Felt, The Lilac Time, and Ocean Colour Scene were other notable rock bands founded in the city and its surrounding area in this period. Pop Will Eat Itself formed in nearby Stourbridge and consisted of Birmingham band members as did Neds Atomic Dustbin.

Birmingham-based tape recorder company, Bradmatic Ltd helped develop and manufacture the mellotron. Over the next 15 years, the mellotron had a major impact on rock music and is a trademark sound of the era's progressive bands.

The city went on to embrace acid house (see Birmingham House music scene) supported by local figures such as the late Tony De Vit, Steve Lawler and Scott Bond. Birmingham has given birth to some of the UK's most influential dance nights Gatecrasher, Sundissential, Atomic Jam, and later, Gods Kitchen. The city's cultural diversity also contributed to the blend of bhangra and ragga pioneered by Apache Indian in Handsworth. Many varieties of electronic and dance music continue to cross-fertilise in the city with acts such as Bentley Rhythm Ace, The Streets, Rockers Hi-Fi, Editors, Surgeon, Mistys Big Adventure and Broadcast.

Successful Birmingham singer/songwriters and musicians include Astro, Joan Armatrading, Steve Gibbons, Mike Kellie (of Spooky Tooth), Jeff Lynne, Phil Lynott, Carl Palmer (of Emerson Lake and Palmer), Roy Wood, Jamelia, Kelli Dayton of The Sneaker Pimps, Martin Barre (guitarist with Jethro Tull), Bev Bevan, Ali Campbell, Steve Cradock (guitarist for Ocean Colour Scene and Paul Weller), Stephen "Tin Tin" Duffy, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Jamelia, Denny Laine, Fritz Mcintyre (keyboardist of Simply Red), Christine Perfect (of Fleetwood Mac), Robert Plant (born in West Brom and played in Brumbeat bands), Nick Rhodes, Ranking Roger, John Henry Rostill (bass guitarist/composer for The Shadows), Matt Skinner, Dave Swarbrick (of Fairport Convention), John Taylor, Roger Taylor, Ruby Turner, Ted Turner (guitar/vocals, Wishbone Ash), Peter Overend Watts, Steve Winwood and Dave Mason. Nick Mason of Pink Floyd was born in the city and was brought up in London.

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Dance music

Birmingham embraced house music in the late 1980s. Acid house nights such as Spectrum took place at the Digbeth Institute (now the Sanctuary) and the Hummingbird (now the Carling Academy Birmingham).

Early acid house nights in Birmingham included C.R.E.A.M. (not associated with the Liverpool night of similar name), Chuff Chuff and the early events of the influential Gatecrasher. Subsequent nights included Gods Kitchen, Fun, Miss Moneypenny's, Sundissential, Shaanti, House of God, Atomic Jam and now there is a new breed of dance music nights such as Toxic City and Underground City

The Que Club, based in what was the old Methodist Central Hall, opposite the Victoria Law Courts on Corporation Street, was one of the biggest clubs the city has ever had. It had a capacity of about 4000. It housed some early raves as well as a succession of techno, drum and bass and old school techno events. The club is now closed for conversion to other use.

Stores in the city selling vinyl records include Swordfish Records, Tempest Records, Summit Records (which now sells mainly reggae and doubles as an Afro Caribbean barbers), Jibbering records, Punch Records, Old School Daze, Dance Music Finder Records, Three Shades Records and Hard To Find Records, which is the original dance music finder in the UK and now trades as one the largest vinyl record and DJ stores in the world.

Electronic artists include electro dub music creators Rockers Hi-Fi, Big Beat musicians Bentley Rhythm Ace, UK garage/house act The Streets, and Electronica bands Broadcast, Pram, Plone, Surgeon, Add N to X, Electribe 101, Mistys Big Adventure, The Editors and Avrocar.

Successful house musicians and DJs include the late Tony De Vit, Steve Lawler, Steve Kelley, Scott Bond, Jem Atkins, Al McKenzie, Colin Dred, The Ryan Brothers, Mark Jarman, Patrick Smooth, Tall Paul and Jeremy Sylvester.

Notable dance music record labels include Network records (of Altern8 fame), Different Drummer, Urban Dubz Records, Badger promotions, Jibbering records, Iron Man, Earko and Munchbreak records.

See also: List of songs about Birmingham
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Hip hop

Hip hop culture in Birmingham also enjoyed a thriving electro, graffiti art and hip hop scene, and dates back to at least 1980, and has produced popular performers like Moorish Delta 7 and Brothers and Sisters. The city had a pirate radio station called 'Fresh F.M.' which broadcast from the city. The station played hip hop and breakdance records and inspired a rap crew called Jump who released two records, 'We Come to Jam' and 'Feel It', as early as 1985.

In 1980 a Birmingham rapper 'Sure Shot' appeared on a UK breakfast show, followed in 1985, a hip hop collective named Jump (which included Sure Shot) released two records;'We Come to Jam' and 'Feel It'. The crew formed 'The Audio Kings' and 'The Black Prophetz'.

When hip hop performer Afrika Bambaata visited Britain he inspired new rappers and hip hop DJs including Moorish Delta 7 Elements, Roc1, Mad Flow, Creative Habits, Lord Laing and DJ Sparra (twice winner of the DMC mixing championships).

Brothers and Sisters took place in the 'Coast to Coast' club in the old ATV television studios on Broad Street in the early 1990s. Then came Fungle Junk, held for many years beneath House music club 'Fun'., and bringing The Psychonaughts, Andy Weatherall and the Scratch Perverts to the city.

As of 2005 The Medicine Bar (situated in the old Bird's Custard Factory) continues the city's hip hop connection and is home to two of the longest running Funk and hip hop nights in the UK: Substance and Leftfoot, both featured on BBC Radio 1. They fuse Acid Jazz, hip hop and funk artists from across the Globe.

Munchbreak, a live hip hop collective, host a regular session in the old Rainbow pub in Digbeth which is part owned by Fuzz Townswend, a former member of Bentley Rhythm Ace and Pop Will Eat Itself. Punch Records, in the Custard Factory, run street dance and Hip Hop DJ courses.
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