And then I learn that Mr Ralph has lost his early lead in BiNS Brummie of the Year and been overtaken by UB40’s Brian Travers, which is well deserved, especially for his sterling support for The Rainbow, but a little saddening all the same. I think I need some chocolate to cheer me up.
As posted previously on here (and on The Stirrer and More Canals Than Venice), Birmingham City Council is holding a meeting on 24th November to discuss the issue of licensed premises and noise in the area, enabling some of the concerns raised about The Rainbow pub and the Spotted Dog to be discussed. However I’ve indirectly discovered the meeting is not open to anyone who would like to attend, as was previously stated here and elsewhere.
The initial invite from Birmingham City Council stated the meeting ‘is open to anyone from the pubwatch area’s, licencees or others that have an interest in attending’ but apparently this does not mean it is open toall who have an interest. Here’s an extract from an email sent by a council employee that was forwarded to me:
This presentation has been organised for Publicans, and those directly involved with licensed premises such as breweries, unfortunately a misunderstanding has arisen that has implied that anyone who is interested in the topic may attend the meeting, this is not the case.
Personal invitations have been sent to the chairs of all local pub watches within the whole of Birmingham and not just the Digbeth area. Therefore I would appreciate it if you could indicate in what capacity you would like to attend the presentation as numbers are limited.
Digbeth Residents’ Association is meeting tonight at 7pm in The Paragon Hotel. Below are the minutes from the last meeting. All are welcome to come this evening – please come along. Items up for discussion are:
The Rainbow’s Noise Abatement Order from Birmingham Council. Both Kent Davis (Rainbow) and John Tighe (Spotted Dog) will be in attendance and will be happy to discuss the issue.
Work has commenced on the children’s play area, Highgate park. Plans were presented last meeting.
Bradford street improvements have now been given the go-ahead. Belated work to start 2010.
This appeal emailed out by John Tighe seemed worthy of copying and pasting for a wider audience:
Kent Davis of The Rainbow has asked for help in support of two retrospective planning applications for the Rainbow Warehouse. These are for premises that are already up and running, licensed and to quote the local police “run in an exemplary manner”.
Kent’s problem is that the Birmingham City Council’s Planning Department (presumably because he is not a major developer helping to enhance our City with unneeded Gerrybuilt flats) has taken issue with the fact that, although all other departments had been satisfied, he had not requested their permission for change of use from warehouse to whatever category it should be. Also, the bit under the arches is officially uncovered so requires some other hoops to be jumped through.
This was a complete oversight. These matters are normally paper-shifting and rubber-stamp jobs – fairly routine. However, considering the recent threats from Environmental Health about noise issues it might be necessary to demonstrate widespread approval from the unwashed majority. Please get involved and get your friends involved. Too much is happening in Digbeth behind our backs!
As some of you are aware there has been an ongoing legal situation with myself and OFCOM. Last night, after 2 and a half hours of interrogation I was finally released as a totally free man.
To celebrate, we will be holding a TOTALLY FREE party in the Garden of the Rainbow Warehouse in Digbeth, Birmingham from 9pm-4am. The line-up will be posted later but the music policy will be Dubstep and Drum and Bass
Celebrate Birmingham’s Underground with The Night Times & Mr Elephant Present at The Rainbow Warehouse and Beach on Sat 20 September. Pete Ashton picked up on organiser Marc Reck’s feeling that the underground scene does not have the input into bigger Birmingham plans that it should.
This reminded me of Manchester Urbis Gallery’s Hacienda 25 the exhibition: fac 491, which concluded that the club contributed massively towards the regeneration of the city. It was proof that underground scenes can have a surprising amount to offer their cities and if ours is feeling ignored, we really should be making more of an effort to listen.
St Patrick’s Day Festival Update – Notes from Spaghetti Gazetti about the St Patrick’s Day Festival meeting in The Irish Club last Thursday evening, which featured feedback from the 2008 parade and plans and hopes for the 2009 event.
Pete Ashton’s pics from Birmingham Flickrmeet in Digbeth – Pete Ashton went on Birmingham Flickrmeet’s tour of Digbeth yesterday, here’s his pics along with a link to the group thread. Looks wet but fun, sorry to have missed it.
Eastside’s set for a phallic spaceship – Pettifer’s design for a Vertical Theme Park in Birmingham: ‘a stunning city centre leisure tower combining observation platforms, family and adrenaline rides, extreme activities, and a 21st century entertainment centre.’
Digbeth has the best dancefloors – Ben Neal picks up on The Guardian’s ruling that The Custard Factory and The Rainbow are amongst the greatest dancefloors, which is strange as one’s an emptied pool and the other’s an old boozing pub so they’re not exactly purpose-built for the job.
Last night Vivid launched Flux-Fest, ‘a season of Fluxus inspired activity featuring rare film, participation, food and performance’.
I’d never heard of the Fluxus movement before and find I cannot begin to attempt a definition after experiencing it because it defies one, as shown by George Maciunas’ headache-inducing Flux family tree, Expanded Arts Diagram.
However I do appreciate Fluxus’ fondness for good food and drink. The tasty dumplings from Feng Ru-Lee’s Secret Recipe was nicely followed by SharedTable’s pretilly boxed gingerbread cocks, a tempting appetiser to their FluxFeast on 9th July. All washed down by Island Bar’s especially-created cocktail Subversion, a surprisingly tasty snot-green concoction served in a variety of strange receptacles.
I only got the full effect of this when I walked out of the room and re-entered to see crowds of arty types talking earnestly whilst drinking out of teapots, squeezy sauce bottles and, in one poor guy’s case, a dogfood bowl. There’s something impish about the spirit of Fluxus which really appeals to me.
Refreshments were followed by playful performances by original Fluxus member Al Hansen’s daughter Bibbe, with her husband Sean Carrillo. This culminated in Car Bibbe, a chaotic orchestra of car horns, revving engines and slamming doors which was great fun to watch and I’m guessing even better to take part.
Flux-Fest continues until 13th July. Try to catch the Re:Flux Fluxconcert at St Paul’s Cathedral tomorrow evening or Flux-Films at Vivid on Saturday if you’re about this weekend. 7 Inch Cinema’s presentation Flummoxed at The Rainbow next Thursday 3rd July also looks pretty promising. See Vivid’s website for details.
