Another Byte Of Banality: All Quiet On The Digbeth Front – Midge is telling porkies – he’s no slacker, he’s a very busy boy. He gives an update on the Eccentric City Auction, working at the newly opened Urban Village and getting Raynauds in his fingers for his trouble (I like a man who suffers for his art) and blogging for Fizzpop (Birmingham hackerspace).
So now all you’ve got is ‘The Kitchen’ which i find really sterile and Yummi which i’m told does great food but no interior seating and definitely no Rod spinning Northern Soul obscurities. Coupled with the building work currently going on i’m wondering why people would want to make the effort to come down in the week at all which can’t be good for the handful of traders left.
Fingers crossed someone will spy an opportunity and move in there soon.
The Birmingham Post today featured the problems faced by The Rainbow, who have been threatened with a Noise Abatement Order by Birmingham City Council after complaints from just one Abacus tenant.
Mr Davis said this would signal the end of the venue, as it would not be able to afford the work necessary to prevent the sound of music escaping from the pub. “At the conclusion of the noise survey we will have to look at how we can mitigate the volumes and that will involve structural work which will run into tens of thousands of pounds that we just haven’t got. We will end up with a noise abatement order which we will contest but ultimately the cost of doing that will mean that a great institution in Digbeth will be lost – it’s a tragedy.”
Birmingham City Council has identified Digbeth as a creative quarter for the city, and most local residents are in favour of venues which they say enhance the character of the area and provide a space to nurture the much-vaunted creativity the council is striving for.
Too right, this whole thing is ridiculous. To threaten something that brings culture and colour to the ‘creative quarter’ on the strength of one complainant, rather than work constructively with the venue to tackle the issue, is just madness. Digbeth Slacker Midge agrees, calling the drama Fiddle and Bone Round 2:
It’s baffling that someone would buy a residence that was sold to them as being in a ‘vibrant city centre location’ and then bitch when they realise the vibrancy doesn’t work 9 to 5 hours!. Birmingham regulars will have seen this depressing tale unfold before in the late 90’s with Jazz/Blues live venue The Fiddle and Bone, unfortunately many letters to MP’s and the press came to nought and now that place now stands like some beer themed Marie Celeste. The Rainbow story could be more devastating as it sets a presidence for the whole of Digbeth’s future in The Big City Plan. Watch This Space!!.
Birmingham’s Twitter community was also very vocal in its support for the pub. Here’s a quick snapshot of some of the many tweets:
Another Byte Of Banality: Country Punkins – The Digbeth Slacker is heading down to the Wagon and Horses on Saturday night ‘for my regular fix of noise and attitude but the real diamond here is lurking at the bottom of the bill , Bo Pilar and the Mountain Valley Boys. Alt-Country shenanighans well worth the £2:00 door tax alone.’
nikki pugh » signage – Coming accross the above ‘Ouch’ on today’s Digbeth tour by Ben Waddington reminds Nikki Pugh of other strange signage she’s found on her travels. You’ll have to bear with me for the footage of Ben and Richard Trengrouse’s tours, I’m hoping to have time to get through it over the Christmas break.
An old style boozer with ~100 capacity upstairs function room complemented by a decent sized beer garden (covered in a stroke of genius by a large army surplus tent), staffed by efficient friendly bar staff and stocking some half decent beer. With a regular roster of faces and some great gigs…Hopefully it can survive the upcoming redevelopments which are threatening to put the kybosh on other (well established) Digbeth music venues…
The Big City Plan consultation was launched online yesterday, here’s the links to the documents and peoples’ reactions to them:
Birmingham Big City Plan – ‘Big City Plan Work in Progress Report’ and the ‘Big City Plan Consultation Leaflet’ are here for you to to read and comment on, which I urge you to do. There’s also a promotional video which includes some bonkers crazy Digbeth resident moaning about cat food.
Big City Plan – speak now or forever, er, don’t – Jon Bounds at Birmingham it’s Not Shit encourages us to make our views heard although ‘it’s hard to see what we’re being consulted on when so much is already decided’.
Gigbeth, it’s some gigs, in Digbeth – It is! And I’ll be there with bells on! I can’t wait. Like Jon Bounds, I’m looking forward to seeing the 4Talent line-up and The Destroyers. If you’re a fan of The Destroyers, catch Mama Matrix at The Rainbow tomorrow night, who are in the front bar as part of the Consider It Done Gigbeth Fringe event. I remember seeing them years ago when they were ‘Mama Matrix and The Destroyers’. Not sure why they split into two, but both bands are still of a similar, mental vein.
Another Byte Of Banality: S.A.D Blog Entry – Poor, depressed Midge. Perhaps he’s coming down with this cold that’s working its way around Digbeth. Yes, I like to break the big local news – there’s a cold going around Digbeth. All the dancers at ACE dance and music are coughing away, including my flatmate. This does not bode well for my big Gigbeth weekend and I’m not happy about it!
Custard Factory – Punch announce BASS09 theme: Inspired by Africa and Africans – ‘The aim of this year’s theme is celebrate and explore Africa’s influence on the arts scene. Working with mainstream and grassroots organisations, we will also be encouraging a broad range of audiences to participate in and experience the global impact of African cultural expression.’
Another Byte Of Banality: Gig in A Halfpipe – Midge reviews Ramp Jam, a gig on a Skateboard ramp promoted by Digbeth’s A Third Foot and hosted by Ideal Skateboards at the Custard Factory. Featured Leeds Garage rockers The Gentlemans Pistols, supported by Stinky Wizzleteat.
If like me, you couldn’t take a break from your day job to make the Hello Digital fun, copy Pete Ashton and Blog Strakt’s homework instead:
Notes from the 4iP launch | blog.strakt – 4ip is an investment fund for public sector digital media. support web, games, etc to improve the lives of people.
Of Comic Nerds and SteamPunk – The Digbeth Slacker posts his thoughts and photos from the Birmingham International Comics Show at Millennium Point – ‘by far the best graphic novel shindig this side of London’.
Artist Curator Gavin Wade – NP Exclusive Video Interview – Billed as ‘an exclusive video interview with artist curator Gavin Wade at the opening of the new gallery Eastside Projects in the heart of Digbeth the new cultural quarter of Birmingham UK’. It’s actually someone who filmed their brief moment with Gavin on a mobile phone, but what he says is interesting. “There’s a lot of references from…radical exhibitions that have never been carried through.” Eastside Projects intends to do just that.
