The UK’s only specialist soul and retro nightclub and music venue celebrates four years of good people, great dancing and even better soul music on Friday, July 5 and Saturday, July 6 as part of a birthday weekender.
The Night Owl on Lower Trinity Street, Digbeth, opened its doors in 2015 as the Midlands’ only Northern Soul club, instantly receiving a cult following and reputation for all night long parties featuring soul tracks from the 1960s and 70s. Now, the independently run club celebrates a variety of music genres including 1960s rock and roll and psychedelia, 1970s funk, soul and disco as well as new indie and alternative music from today’s local bands.
Throughout the first weekend of July The Night Owl will be celebrating turning four with two days full of genre spanning music and DJs. Kicking things off on Friday, July 5 are legendary mod revival band, The Chords, who stormed the UK’s charts in the 1970s and early 80s with their mod-punk tracks. They’ll be joined by the witty indie and punk outfit The Humdrum Express who deliver offbeat observation and sharp social commentary through punk music. After the bands, resident Night Owl DJs Dandy Randy (Randy Billings), Ed Edwards and Steve Connelly will be playing mod, soul and retro sounds all the way until 4am.
Saturday, July 6 welcomes special guests to the club for the first time from acclaimed record label Acid Jazz Records, known for artists such as Steve Marriott, Jamiroquai and Leroy Hutson. Founder of the record label Eddie Piller will host an afternoon DJ set featuring rare soul and mod cuts plus Acid Jazz favourites both from the genre and label. Up and coming soul singer Laville, the first male solo artist to be signed to the label since Jamiroquai, will be performing live before local ska covers band The Ska 45’s headline the night, who return to the club by popular demand. Resident Night Owl DJs Andrew Marshall, Mazzy Snape, Lee Fisher, Sonny & Spare, Richard Bamber, Richard Buckley and Joel Webster will play soul, mod, rock & roll and more through the day and night from 4pm until late with disco and funk in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The Night Owl are proudly known as Birmingham’s go-to place for soul and retro music, having won best new club in the Birmingham Mail Awards in 2015 and more recently winning Best Club Night for Le Freak in the Birmingham Music Awards. Fans of every genre and musical era have flocked to The Night Owl over the years, experiencing acts such as Bez & Rowetta (Happy Mondays), Terry Hall (The Specials), Tim Burgess (The Charlatans), Nick Power (The Coral) as well as many local original and tribute bands from the UK, Europe and America. Themed club nights have also seen praise nationally, such as The Night Owl’s Stranger Things themed Halloween party and tribute nights to cult artists David Bowie, Elvis Presley and Prince.
We are delighted that The Night Owl continues to be a popular and growing destination for live music and is celebrating four years of great events. We love being in such a thriving and creative area like Digbeth and look forward to many more birthday celebrations to come! – Arith Liyanage, Co-owner.
The Night Owl’s fourth birthday takes place at 8pm on Friday, July 5 and 4pm on Saturday, July 6. Day and weekend tickets are available now via www.theticketsellers.co.uk.