Welcome to our comprehensive live music, nightlife and club night guide for Birmingham, focusing mainly on alternative, non mainstream music and original bands.
Here you will find music and gig listings in Birmingham for today May 1st and the rest of May 2015, with information on individual music venues and nightclubs listed at the bottom of the post.
It is always advisable to check with the venue itself for specific listings as occasionally tickets sell out, the odd event gets cancelled and line-ups can change. Get out there, support live music and enjoy the rave!
Birmingham Nightlife Guide – May 2015
Fri 1 May
Kings Heath Blues Club with Dave Le Moderne and Dylan Gibbons djing til late! @ The Sun at the Station
Claire Maguire + Huw Stephens (Hip-Hop and Funk DJ Set) @ The Glee Club
Goodnight Lenin + John McCullagh & The Escorts @ The Rainbow
Leftfoot Fifteen Series Presents Mr Scruff (6 Hour DJ Set) @ The Hare & Hounds
This Is Tmrw Presents Iceage, Helm & Rainbow Grave @ The Hare & Hounds
FACE Presents Maya Jane Coles @ NextDoor
Friday DJs @ The Sun on The Hill
Friday DJs on rotation playing the best in soul, funk, disco, house and balearic @ The Lord Clifden
DJ Morais Vibes (applaudio audio) playing funk, soul and disco @ The Bureau
Click Friday Indie Rock DJs @ Snobs
MAGIC DOOR – FRI 1ST MAY – LAB11, BIRMINGHAM @ LAB11
Digbeth Dining Club @ Spotlight, Digbeth
Catapult Club, Plastic Factory, The Late Runners, Strangler Figs, Other Dogs, Afternoon Identity @ 02 Academy
Arcane Roots + Black Peaks + Gallery Circus @ The Institute
Canvas with live art from setdebelleza! & Sam Redmore @ The Bull’s Head
Plutonic Launch Party & DANCEHALL FRIDAY @ Club PST
Sat 2 May
Bank Holiday Blow Out. All day bbq, silhill brewery pop up bar & DJ Spinx. Free entry! From 2pm @ The Sun at the Station
Acoustic Sessions: Alexandra Jayne + Corinna Jane + Sam Jackson + Joseph Hicklin @ The Glee Club
The Warlocks + Black Market Karma + Enemies Eyes @ The Rainbow
Semantics + SLTP + Chaos Parade @ The Sunflower Lounge
Balkanic Eruption Cumbria Special with The Baghdaddies @ The Hare & Hounds
Bruk Up with Sammy Goulbourne, E Double D, Carry & Shaun @ The Hare & Hounds
Blues Club with The Paul Stedman Band @ The Hare & Hounds
Peaky Blinders rock’n’roll party ft The Prellies@ The Wagon & Horses
The Rainbow Venues Presents JESuS @ The Rainbow Venues
Saturday DJs @ The Sun on The Hill
Loaded Saturday Indie Rock DJs @ Snobs
Lee McBride (applaudio audio) playing funk, soul and disco @ The Bureau
The Great Outdoors Residents: DJs Dean Sunshine Smith, Rob J and Stuart Robinson @ The Lord Clifden
DUB FX + Bloxed Beats @ The Institute
Jubilee Club: Dead Sea Skulls + Speaking In Shadows + EofE + Broken Witt Rebels + Polar States @ The Institute
Cache Free Entry Club Night @ The Bull’s Head
United Cultures @ Club PST
Sun 3 May
The Bank Accounts Sunplugged Takeover & Double Single Launch with Live acoustic sessions and dj sets from 2pm with a bbq & silhill brewery, FREE ENTRY! @ The Sun at the Station
The Riptide Movement + The Shanklins @ The Sunflower Lounge
House Sound of Birmingham Presents Farley & Heller @ The Hare & Hounds
The Bank Holiday Big One with OG Horse, Oh Boy, Trash, An Army of Lights & Rehashed DJ’s @ The Hare & Hounds
Return Of The Rave @ The Rainbow Venues
Blackdot & Resonate Presents Nonplus with Boddika, Levon Vincent @ Spotlight
Sunsets. The best new musical talent spanning a breadth of genres! Free Entry @ The Sun on The Hill
Sin Sunday DJs & Roasts R Us @ The Lord Clifden
Lazy Sunday Indie Rock DJs @ Snobs
GLAS by Day, TRMNL by Night – 3 Years of Lab11 @ LAB11
M O D O Bank Holiday Takeover @ The Bull’s Head
Swingamajig Festival 2015 @ Alfie Birds
RAIDERS AFTERPARTY @ Club PST
Mon 4 May
The Lovely Eggs + The Courtesy Group + Mike Moloney @ The Sunflower Lounge
AGMP Presents Ugly Duckling @ The Hare & Hounds
WaDaDa – Live Ska Reggae @ The Hare & Hounds
MotoMo Monday with DJ Samm spinnin soul classics from Tamela to Stax @ The Lord Clifden
Jack Rocks The Road To The Great Escape: Dutch Uncles + Cairobi @ The Institute
Jam Jah Reggae Session @ The Bull’s Head
Tues 5 May
CW Stoneking + Tom Peel @ The Rainbow
This Is Tmrw Presents Happyness , Crushed Beaks & Mutes @ The Hare & Hounds
Wed 6 May
H&H Pub Quiz – £50 Cash First Place Prize @ The Hare & Hounds
Big Wednesday Indie Rock DJs @ Snobs
Public Service Broadcasting + The Smoke Fairies *SOLD OUT* @ The Institute
Thu 7 May
Speed Quizzing @ The Lord Clifden
BAD THURSDAY Indie Rock DJs @ Snobs
The Prodigy @ 02 Academy
Cody Simpson + Special Guests @ The Institute
Pinkshinyultrablast + Flyying Colours + The Drive @ The Institute
Listening Sessions @ Club PST
Fri 8 May
Chicks Dig Jerks. 9Pm, free entry! @ The Sun at the Station
Claire Maguire + High Contrast (Northern Soul DJ Set) @ The Glee Club
Double Trouble ft. Suzi and The Backbeats + Vijay Kishore + Chris Tye + DJ Roy Roastbeef @ The Rainbow
Misty’s Big Adventure Live @ The Hare & Hounds
Freestyle Presents DJ Vadim & Fingathing @ The Hare & Hounds
Friday DJs @ The Sun on The Hill
Friday DJs on rotation playing the best in soul, funk, disco, house and balearic @ The Lord Clifden
DJ Morais Vibes (applaudio audio) playing funk, soul and disco @ The Bureau
Click Friday Indie Rock DJs @ Snobs
Bham Jazz presents: Michelson Morley with Jake McMurchie @ The Red Lion
Digbeth Dining Club @ Spotlight, Digbeth
A Evening with Spinx (5 hour Set) @ The Bull’s Head
BRUM TOWN X LOUISDEN – FREE ENTRY @ Alfie Birds
Young Culture & PST presents Mek it Rock @ Club PST
Sat 9 May
DJ Simon J Walton. 9pm, free entry! @ The Sun at the Station
New Carnival + Cinema @ The Rainbow
Bad//Dreems + Francisco The Man + Grim Disco @ The Sunflower Lounge
360 Live with DJ Support from Young Culture Sound @ The Hare & Hounds
Klöne with DJ Kubot, Miguel Verde & Adam Hall @ The Hare & Hounds
Blues Club with The Rusty Bucket Blues Band @ The Hare & Hounds
Only Real + April + Blaenavon @ The Rainbow Venues
Mr Jangles presents This is Bass w/ Marcus Nasty, Pete Graham @ The Rainbow Venues
New Carnival @ The Rainbow Venues
Saturday DJs @ The Sun on The Hill
Loaded Saturday Indie Rock DJs @ Snobs
Lee McBride (applaudio audio) playing funk, soul and disco @ The Bureau
The Great Outdoors: DJs Coyote, Chris Price and Graeme Fisher @ The Lord Clifden
Thea Gilmore @ Town Hall
NEW CITY KINGS @ The Institute
Peace & Love is PST @ Club PST
Sun 10 May
Sunplugged. Live acoustic sessions from 6:30pm with headliner corinna jane. Free entry! @ The Sun at the Station
This Is Tmrw Presents Cheatahs & No Joy @ The Hare & Hounds
SJM Concerts Presents Pretty Vicious (Ages 14+) @ The Hare & Hounds
Sunsets. The best new musical talent spanning a breadth of genres! Free Entry @ The Sun on The Hill
Sin Sunday DJs & Roasts R Us @ The Lord Clifden
Lazy Sunday Indie Rock DJs @ Snobs
Belle and Sebastian @ Symphony Hall
Mon 11 May
This Is Tmrw Presents TOPS & Honey Moon @ The Hare & Hounds
MotoMo Monday with DJ Samm spinnin soul classics from Tamela to Stax @ The Lord Clifden
The Maccabees + Special Guests @ The Institute
Jam Jah Reggae Session @ The Bull’s Head
Tues 12 May
Sun Club @ The Sunflower Lounge
Silence The Weak @ The Rainbow Venues
Wed 13 May
Howl. A space for the best spoken word artists in Birmingham to speak freely. 7:30pm, free entry! @ The Sun at the Station
Paper Aeroplanes @ The Rainbow
Live Nations Presents Twenty One Pilots (Ages 16 +) *SOLD OUT* @ The Hare & Hounds
Impact with Sam Redmore – Free Entry @ The Hare & Hounds
H&H Quiz – £50 Cash First Place Prize @ The Hare & Hounds
Big Wednesday Indie Rock DJs @ Snobs
Thu 14 May
David Ford @ The Rainbow
SJM Concerts Presents Ewert and the Two Dragons (Ages 14+) @ The Hare & Hounds
Kitchen Garden Events Presents Police Dog Hogan & Rich McMahon @ The Hare & Hounds
Speed Quizzing @ The Lord Clifden
BAD THURSDAY Indie Rock DJs @ Snobs
The Fall Plus Special Guests @ The Institute
Wyles & Simpson / Dubcherry / Midnight Magpie @ Alfie Birds
Fri 15 May
Pilgrimage. A new monthly night curated by young pilgrims for an eclectic night of rock induced, new orleans inspired brass band madness @ The Sun at the Station
Claire Maguire + Jax Jones (Rhythm and Blues DJ Set) @ The Glee Club
Lazy Habits + Fjoka @ The Rainbow
Soulvation Presents Back To Wigan Casino Pt.2 with Russ Winstanley @ The Hare & Hounds
Celestial @ The Bulls Head, Moseley
Friday DJs @ The Sun on The Hill
Friday DJs on rotation playing the best in soul, funk, disco, house and balearic @ The Lord Clifden
DJ Morais Vibes (applaudio audio) playing funk, soul and disco @ The Bureau
Click Friday Indie Rock DJs @ Snobs
Bham Jazz presents: Ant Law Quintet @ The Red Lion
Digbeth Dining Club @ Spotlight, Digbeth
United Beatz @ Club PST
Sat 16 May
DJ Missy Rodriguez. Eclectic style, from 9pm, FREE ENTRY! @ The Sun at the Station
Son of Dave @ The Rainbow
The Bots @ The Rainbow
God Damn + Elephantine + Bad Girlfriend @ The Sunflower Lounge
Leftfoot Fifteen Series Presents ‘A Garden Get Together’ with Crazy P Live @ The Hare & Hounds
Blues Club with The Blithering Idiots @ The Hare & Hounds
Holiday @ Spotlight
anon.] presents Bill Patrick (Music On), Samu.l, ArchieHamilton @ NextDoor
Mr Jangles + Experiment presents This is Bristol w/ Billy Kenny @ The Rainbow Venues
Saturday DJs @ The Sun on The Hill
Loaded Saturday Indie Rock DJs @ Snobs
Lee McBride (applaudio audio) playing funk, soul and disco @ The Bureau
The Great Outdoors: Garden Get Together ft Futureboogie, Marke E, Leftfoot DJs and Discomendments @ The Lord Clifden
Don McLean @ Symphony Hall
Lucy Spraggan + Kal Lavelle @ The Institute
For The Love – Free Entry Club Night @ The Bull’s Head
Outta Da Kitchen Inna Da Club @ Club PST
Sun 17 May
Sunplugged. Live acoustic sessions from 6:30pm with headliners the lunar society. FREE ENTRY! @ The Sun at the Station
World Unlimited Presents CoCo & The Butterfields @ The Hare & Hounds
Sunsets. The best new musical talent spanning a breadth of genres! Free Entry @ The Sun on The Hill
Sin Sunday DJs & Roasts R Us @ The Lord Clifden
Lazy Sunday Indie Rock DJs @ Snobs
Mon 18 May
Live Nation Presents Jack Garratt @ The Hare & Hounds
MotoMo Monday with DJ Samm spinnin soul classics from Tamela to Stax @ The Lord Clifden
Slaves + Baby Strange + Crows @ The Institute
Jam Jah Reggae Session @ The Bull’s Head
Tue 19 May
This Is Tmrw Presents Thurston Moore & Hannah Lou Clark *SOLD OUT* @ The Hare & Hounds
This Is Tmrw Presents Neon Waltz & Sky Children @ The Hare & Hounds
Single Mothers @ The Rainbow Venues
Wed 20 May
This Is Tmrw Presents Hinds, Oscar & Castillians @ The Hare & Hounds
World Unlimited Presents Mawkin @ The Hare & Hounds
H&H Pub Quiz – £50 Cash First Place Prize @ The Hare & Hounds
Big Wednesday Indie Rock DJs @ Snobs
Bryan Ferry @ Symphony Hall
Ozric Tentacles @ 02 Academy
Thu 21 May
Creepoid + Gleam + Holy @ The Rainbow
Supersonic Festival Presents Circle, Hey Colossus & Opium Lord @ The Hare & Hounds
Speed Quizzing @ The Lord Clifden
BAD THURSDAY Indie Rock DJs @ Snobs
Walk The Moon + Special Guests @ The Institute
Fri 22 May
Tom Hopkins (This Is Tmrw). This is tmrw’s Tom Hopkins plays a selection of soul, funk, disco & everything inbetween! free entry, 9pm @ The Sun at the Station
Boat To Row + Alessi’s Ark + My Grey Horse @ The Rainbow
Soul Food Projects 5th Birthday with Don Letts, The Gene Dudley Group (Live), Lumi HD (Live) & Sam Redmore @ The Hare & Hounds
Mocca with James Caldecott, John Orton & Chris Thorpe @ The Hare & Hounds
FIDGET presents FRIDAY 22 MAY – TBA [FOOD MUSIC, DIRTY BIRD, KISS FM] @ The Rainbow Venues
Occult @ NextDoor
Friday DJs @ The Sun on The Hill
Friday DJs on rotation playing the best in soul, funk, disco, house and balearic @ The Lord Clifden
DJ Morais Vibes (applaudio audio) playing funk, soul and disco @ The Bureau
Click Friday Indie Rock DJs @ Snobs
Bham Jazz presents: Images in Black & White (Alicia Gardener-Trejo) @ The Red Lion
Digbeth Dining Club @ Spotlight, Digbeth
Elkie Brooks @ Town Hall
Catapult Club, Captain Horizon, JD and The FDCs, Twisted State of Mind @ 02 Academy
JP Cooper + Special Guests @ The Institute
James Arthur @ The Institute
Hot Wax Free Entry Club Night @ The Bull’s Head
Sat 23 May
Brown’s Parlour Charity Fundraiser. All day charity fundraiser pop up barbershop in association with Movember. Cocktail bar from Lee Morton. Live music & prize giveaways @ The Sun at the Station
New Bays + Fox Chapel @ The Sunflower Lounge
Birmingham Popfest 2015 with The Primitives, Pete Fij, Terry Bickers & More @ The Hare & Hounds
King Krab Live @ The Hare & Hounds
Blues Club with Hannah Johnson & The Broken Hearts @ The Hare & Hounds
The Color Festival Birmingham @ The Rainbow Venues
Muzik Hertz Presents Serial Killaz & Command Strange @ NextDoor
Saturday DJs @ The Sun on The Hill
Loaded Saturday Indie Rock DJs @ Snobs
Lee McBride (applaudio audio) playing funk, soul and disco @ The Bureau
The Great Outdoors: Justin Robertson & Andi Hanley (Body & Soul) @ The Lord Clifden
Seinabo Sey and Lion Babe @ The Institute
Hunter Hayes – Let’s Be Crazy UK Tour @ The Institute
M O D O Free Entry Club Night with Miguel Verde @ The Bull’s Head
Break Thru ~ Spectrasoul + Ivy Lab + More TBA @ Alfie Birds
Sun 24 May
Sunplugged. Live acoustic sessions from 6:30pm with headliners ruth owens band. FREE ENTRY! @ The Sun at the Station
Birmingham Popfest 2015 with The Primitive, Pete Fij, Terry Bickers & More @ The Hare & Hounds
Killerwave All Dayer with Cedar House Band, Mighty Young, Virals & Spit Shake Sisters @ The Hare & Hounds
FACE – Bank Holiday Sunday – Jasper James + Death On The Balcony @ NextDoor
Heavens Basement / Glamour Of The Kill / Ashes / Liberty Lies @ The Rainbow Venues
Sunsets. The best new musical talent spanning a breadth of genres! Free Entry @ The Sun on The Hill
Sin Sunday DJs & Roasts R Us @ The Lord Clifden
Lazy Sunday Indie Rock DJs @ Snobs
Coloré Presents FUDGE FINGAS @ The Bull’s Head
Mon 25 May
Fickle Friends @ The Sunflower Lounge
MotoMo Monday with DJ Samm spinnin soul classics from Tamela to Stax @ The Lord Clifden
Jam Jah Reggae Session @ The Bull’s Head
Wed 27 May
Eddie Argos (Art Brut) Spoken Word + Shaun Gambowl Walsh & The Plagiarists @ The Rainbow
Kioko Live @ The Hare & Hounds
H&H Pub Quiz – £50 Cash First Place Prize @ The Hare & Hounds
Big Wednesday Indie Rock DJs @ Snobs
Mudhoney @ The Institute
Thu 28 May
Speed Quizzing @ The Lord Clifden
BAD THURSDAY Indie Rock DJs @ Snobs
Fri 29 May
Presents… Dorcha. A gig curated and visually styled by some of Birmingham’s most interesting bands and DJ’s. £5 on the door! @ The Sun at the Station
The Ukrainians @ The Rainbow
Circles Presents Liquid V with Bryan Gee @ The Hare & Hounds
Leftfoot 15 Series & Vacuum Boogie Presents Alexander Nut @ The Hare & Hounds
Leftfoot 15 Series Presents ‘Nas – Time is illmatic’ Film Screening (Doors 7pm, Film Starts Promptly at 7:30pm) @ The Hare & Hounds
Rainbow Venues launch The Blackbox with Nina Kraviz, Carl Craig @ The Rainbow Venues
Friday DJs @ The Sun on The Hill
Friday DJs on rotation playing the best in soul, funk, disco, house and balearic @ The Lord Clifden
DJ Morais Vibes (applaudio audio) playing funk, soul and disco @ The Bureau
Click Friday Indie Rock DJs @ Snobs
Digbeth Dining Club @ Spotlight, Digbeth
Catapult Club, Xilla, The Rubikons, Moon Sugar, Blank Parody @ 02 Academy
Sat 30 May
Education in Sound. Playing music of 50s and 60s, soul, rhythm ‘n’ blues and a bit of psychedelic garage @ The Sun at the Station
Enter The Dragon Presents IntroducingLive Perform Daft Punk’s Discovery 100% Live @ The Hare & Hounds
Freestyle Presents Ty with Support From E Double D, Kwinzola, Lenny, Same Remore & Rick Shaw @ The Hare & Hounds
Blues Club with Blues Incorporated @ The Hare & Hounds
Godskitchen Clash Of The Gods 2015 @ The Rainbow Venues
Saturday DJs @ The Sun on The Hill
Loaded Saturday Indie Rock DJs @ Snobs
Lee McBride (applaudio audio) playing funk, soul and disco @ The Bureau
The Great Outdoors: Soft Rocks @ The Lord Clifden
Digbeth Dining Club @ Spotlight, Digbeth
Legends of Reggae Tour: Leroy Sibbles (Heptones), Ken Boothe, Chaka Demus and Pliers, Queen Ifrica & DJ’s Countryman, Wassifa, Rankin and Warren Tone @ Tower Ballroom
Miriam Jones @ Alfie Birds
Sun 31 May
Sunplugged. Live acoustic sessions from 6:30pm with headliners Ellie Dattani Trio. Free entry! @ The Sun at the Station
Freestyle Presents Ty with Support From E Double D, Kwinzola, Lenny, Sam Redmore & Rick Shaw @ The Hare & Hounds
Metropolis Music Presents Bop English @ The Hare & Hounds
Sunsets. The best new musical talent spanning a breadth of genres! Free Entry @ The Sun on The Hill
Sin Sunday DJs & Roasts R Us @ The Lord Clifden
Lazy Sunday Indie Rock DJs @ Snobs
Music Venue Information:
- Hare & Hounds Kings Heath. 106 High Street, Birmingham, West Midlands B14 7JZ. Tel: 0121 444 2081. www.hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk
- Bulls Head Moseley. 23 St Mary’s Row, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8HW. Tel: 0121 256 7777. www.bullsheadmoseley.co.uk
- The Lord Clifden, Jewellery Quarter. Great Hampton Street. Tel: 0121 523 7515. www.thelordclifden.com
- Sun On The Hill. 23 Bennett’s Hill, Birmingham, West Midlands B2 5QP. Tel: 0121 448 7966. www.thesunonthehill.co.uk
- The Sun at the Station. 7 High Street, Birmingham B14 7BB. 0121 444 8749. www.facebook.com/The-Sun-at-the-Station
- The Rainbow Venues. 160 Digbeth, Birmingham B12 0LD. Tel: 0121 753 1818. www.therainbowvenues.co.uk
- PST. 71 Lombard Street, Digbeth, Birmingham B12 0QU. Tel: 0121 622 5363. www.pst-club.co.uk
- Alfie Birds & The Oobleck. The Custard Factory, Gibb Street, Birmingham, West Midlands B9 4AA. Tel: 0121 270 6665. www.alfiebirds.co.uk
- O2 Academy Birmingham. 16-18 Horsefair, Bristol Street, Birmingham B1 1DB. Tel: 0121 622 8250. www.o2academybirmingham.co.uk
- Spotlight & Next Door. Lower Trinity Street, Birmingham, West Midlands B9 4AG. www.facebook.com/spotlightdigbeth
- The Bureau Birmingham. 110 Colmore Row, Birmingham, West Midlands B3 3AG. Tel: 0121 236 1110. www.thebureaubar.co.uk
- The Flapper. Birmingham B1 2NU. Tel: 0121 236 2421. www.theflapper.co.uk
- Scruffy Murphy’s. Dale End, Birmingham, West Midlands B4 7LL. Tel: 0121 236 2035. www.scruffymurphys.co.uk
- The Sunflower Lounge. 76 Smallbrook Queensway, Birmingham, West Midlands B5 4EG. Tel: 0121 632 6756. www.thesunflowerlounge.com
- The Institute. 78 Digbeth High Street, Birmingham B5 6DY. Tel: 0121 643 0428. www.theinstitutebirmingham.com