I'm seriously disappointed with myself that I hadn't actually heard of jam house before, I love…read morethis sort of place, so I'm glad it ended up being introduced to me. Owned by jools Holland you can expect to see some seriously awesome (and rather loud) live music, and quite a mixed crowd - we were rather entertained by a very grumpy looking middle aged couple. Drinks are reasonably priced, but it did take a very long time to get served, the staff seemed pretty chilled out, and there were a good number of pushy customers. The place is well kept, there are some pretty features like the ceiling and sculptures, and it's a good place for **proper** dancing. One thing I will say, is that it took an odd turn after the band finished, where it's went from soul, blues, jazz and a little 80s goodness that fitted in quite well to 90s club music, which just seemed really strange to us. Saying that, I would definitely go again.

Located in the heart of the jewellery quarter of Birmingham the Jam House occupies a traditional…read moreand Historic Georgian building with seating spread over three stylish yet informal airy floors. Both food and drink are expensive in here, but good quality and the live music is fantastic but stay away if you do not like it loud!

The flapper and firkin is located about 5 minutes walk from the ICC near broadstreet. It's a…read morestandard pub with nothing much to rave about. No pretensions are held here and there is definitely less than a dress code. Good for an all night drinking session although the location isn't great for staggering home/to a taxi rank/station. There are some good drinks offers but not enough to drag people away from the main hub of the city. The main draw of the flapper and firkin is its gigs listings with rock and indie bands playing here regularly. Admission is cheap and there is a pretty cool, dark and sweaty atmosphere downstairs where the bands perform

A top place for beer garden weather. With a large outdoor seated area overlooking the canal this…read moreplace is always my top choice when I want to go for a few drinks in the sun. If you've never been before it may take you a little while to navigate the bridges and backstreets to get here, but it's worth it. Clue: entrance is most easily accessed from the same road as the Prince of Wales (black pub behind Brindley place). On entrance you cross a bridge to enter the pub itself, which is decked out in old varnished wood with proper pinball machines and a pool table to keep you occupied. The drinks selection is fair considering that this is a rock venue. The pricing is also reasonable. The venue hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including gigs, Dj nights, quizzes etc.

The Actress & Bishop is a real institution in Birmingham. It has that traditional pub feeling with…read morea real connection to Brums live music community. I have been coming here for literally years now. In my early student days a very young me would be down the front of the gig room getting sweaty to a mates band, when I visit now however it is much more if a civilised affair usually with food on the terrace or a pint downstairs. Its great to see so much still going on here, the venue still has strong following and keeps providing young Birmingham acts and bands with a stage to play on. Well done Actress & Bishop!

Quiz nights are here every Monday night from 8:30 pm until about 11 pm. It is 2 quid per person,…read moreand the winning team gets 50 pounds! This place gets packed so I try to get there by 8 to have a table for my team. The staff here are very friendly and fast! Even with a full pub, I've never waited more than a minute or two to order a drink. The location is clean and dimly lit - but in a good way. The atmosphere is always nice and welcoming even when in competition! The bathrooms are also clean. There's a reason we're there almost every Monday

Hooray to the independent music venues!…read more I love the fact that the Ballroom has been refurbished by private developers in a bid to restore the heart in Birminghams central music scene. Nowadays, bands tend to be left with 2 options. Either play at a small dingy venue where a limited number of fans can afford to come and see you, or play at a large arena which not only costs fans a ridiculous amount of money to come but you also need to be pretty big time to fill the gig. That's where the Ballroom shines and continues to make its mark on the industry. Large enough to put on a memorable gig but so reasonably priced it enables everyone to come and enjoy the experience. The sound system was OK, I have heard better but overall it was a good night, crackin atmosphere and the drinks weren't too expensive either.

Although it's early days, the Birmingham Ballroom already shows signs of settling down as the city…read morecentre's premier mid-large music venue experience. Having laid empty and derelict for over a year, the venue was bought up by disillusioned ex-employees from the Academy group with a view to open a venue that openly challenged the O2 Academy. Having refurbished the old Academy 1 and 2 (and the Bar Academy next door), there is a nostalgic familiarity attached to The Ballroom that its owners have knowingly traded in on: Although the floor is no longer notoriously sticky, it feels like visiting an old friend. The bar is far more reasonable than the new O2, and is constantly offering night-specific drinks promotions. Touring acts are becoming more frequent as the venue becomes more established and it will be competing with the O2 and the Institute within a few months, arguably. But the Ballroom's real lure for me is knowing that an independent venue lies within the city centre once more (the Flapper is perhaps too far a walk to be considered truly 'central'), and that goes a long way with me.

Best place to dance to live music. Great jazz gets your feet tapping even if you don't dance. It's…read moreon Saturday evenings, twice a month with live music from 8.30pm. Once a month they have a dance class before the live music starts, check out the website http://www.waterworksjazz.com for dates & info. It's £9 entrance (including dance class) pay on the door. The venue is a bit old and not stylish but there's a bar and dance floor also some parking (handy to bus or train). Good fun, suits people 40+ who've grown out of clubbing but want somewhere they can enjoy a dance. The music's great, the kind of jazz that has a proper tune - played on trumpet, trombone, saxophone, drums, piano etc. Give it a whirl.

I fulfilled a boyhood dream this year…read more Badminton is Malaysia's favourite sport and one of the sport's premier events, the All England Championships, has been held at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham since 1994. I recall being allowed to stay up late to watch my badminton heroes play on live telecast when I was growing up in Malaysia. It all seemed so far away, so exotic, so out of reach. So, I was overjoyed this year to find out that my parents were visiting me from Malaysia exactly on the dates that the All England Badminton Championships would be taking place this year. Booking tickets for all of us on line proved quite painless. We were able to walk to the NIA from our city centre hotel in about 15 minutes. There is parking available at the arena though it does seem to be in the middle of a fairly residential area. The excitement built as we ran into more badminton fans and we kept passing posters advertising the All Englands with Malaysia's world number 1 Lee Chong Wei taking centre stage. The only delay was in collecting pre-booked tickets. It wasn't really clear which of the many windows to join and lots of people were kept outside in the rain as people shuffled forward slowly to get the tickets. Once in, we could hardly believe we were actually at the finals of this legendary event that we used to watch on TV for so many years. The venue seemed a little more friendly than the rather stark Wembley Arena which used to host this event before it moved to Birmingham. There were enough fast food stands serving the usual fare and the toilets were clean. There were a lot of stands selling badminton kit and memorabilia. They had laid on some pre-match entertainment in the form of a classical music trio playing live before the badminton began. The actual set up for the badminton was good with side lighting making it easy for the players to spot the shuttles when they were lifted high and sightlines were good for spectators. The full house of good-natured supporters from all over the globe created a wonderful atmosphere, chanting and cheering on their favourites. Unlike football, no crowd segregation was necessary to keep the peace. The final icing on the cake came for us when we watched Lee Chong Wei defeat his personal nemesis and close rival Lin Dan in the final match of the championship to successfully defend his All England title. One of the best live sporting events in my life

Disney or any production by Disney isn't usually my thing but went to see Disney Frozen on ice with…read morea friend who had a spare ticket so I thought why not. The Barclaycard arena was like any other venue for concerts or shows. It seemed very organised with the Stuards ushering people into lines to go through. Lots of little girls dressed as Elsa so I felt little left out! Once in there it was chaos with so many stands of Frozen merchandise, food and memorabilia. The seating area was quite a large arena. I'm not sure I would go again unless my favourite artist was playing and seemed like the place for kids shows.

I was invited to the grand opening of the Heineken bar at Symphony hall this week and thought it…read morewould be rude to refuse. So I grabbed a couple of friends and headed down after work. The bar is located on the third floor entrance but is usually only available to Symphony Hall ticket holders. It's a nice open space from which you can see views of the city. The Heineken is served at minus 1 degrees which is very refreshing. They also serve limited wine options and a couple of other drinks. Bostin Brass played a great set during the event and there was a nice relaxed atmosphere. If you are going to see a show I would recommend that you have a look. Why not?

Birmingham Symphony Hall is, without a doubt, the best classical concert venue in the Midlands -…read moreblessed with a superior local orchestra (one of the best outside of London) and conductor, fine acoustics, and a nice, traditional concert atmosphere. You would never expect such a traditional-looking venue when you approach and enter the larger building that is the Convention Centre. When I visited in February they were tearing down the front of the Convention Centre, not interfering with the concerts. And I can't blame em, the old front sure was ugly enough. ;) - It's located a 10 minute walk from the New Street area. A pity that my latest concert, though featuring an attractive programme and an internationally recognized soloist, was rather sparsely attended: The place was half-empty. How is it possible that a 1+ million town cannot fill a symphony hall on any given night? Weird.

I met my sarcastic twin! Love love love!…read more Bob, Madame is here for it! I was kind of discouraged when he told me that I was not allowed to take a seat where someone else was sitting... that doesn't make the game fun! We chatted a bit and I settled on the berry, um yes please!!!! I walked in hoping for some supper and a drink, as I passed it on my way from the train station, and it looked so cool! Unfortunately they do not serve food, however, if you want to bring in hot food, you are welcome (as long as you give them the rubbish so they can keep things tidy). The ambiance is a super pub! Cool vibe and I adore this place! I'm sad I'm only here for one night, as that would definitely be a regular spot! To find a person to soar with you, JACKPOT! HIGHLY recommend!

I went here after a networking event - for more networking. The decor is amazing, and it's a very…read morecomfortable atmosphere. The combination between dark Victorian and late 90s goth decor was awesome. I was served my mocktail by a male-presenting bartender who I could have easily clubbed with in the early 2000s (in style; he was much too young for us to have actually clubbed together!) The temperature was comfortable and there were multiple areas to sit. We sat in the back by a fireplace, and it was cozy. It was a nice place to get some alone-time together. It was also very clean. The rating loses 1 mark for the length of time that it took to make the mocktail. The process was so lengthy that it became the joke of the group. (Although it was delicious.) And, also, the music turned on while we were in the back-room and was so loud that it was difficult to hear each other. That was a shame.

Steve Hillage Band 31 March 2023 in the Main Room.This was probably one of the most disappointing…read moreconcerts I have ever attended. The Venue is very quaint and the staff are extremely friendly (with the exception of the woman running the cloak room (£4 per coat). There is a nice bar and drink prices are not extortionate (£7 per pint). No cash taken, all transactions are using cards. The problem is the sound quality and I suspect the in-house PA system. The sound quality was absolutely horrendous. When the band hit certain frequencies it sounded like a chain saw going off. The abysmal sound quality totally ruined the concert. I think the band must have been aware of the sound issues as the seemed to pulling faces at each other. I certainly would not consider coming back to see any band at this venue. Such a shame.

This venue has changed hands and names more times than I care to remember. I have been going to…read moregigs, club nights and events at this venue for about 10 years, but I have only been to the venue as "The Institute" 2 or 3 times. The building itself is really quite beautiful. With a lovely stone entrance and lovely sandstone detail, you might have missed how nice it actually is when there are queues and queues of people waiting for gigs outside. The interior is quirky too. There are at least 3 different areas in this venue; the Library, the Institute and a roof area (which hosts private events). Last night I was at the venue to see Lamb at the Institute. Being a bit wise to door opening times vs. actual band times (and having been warned that the support act were a little sub par), we grabbed some food at Rico Libre before heading down to venue for 8:30pm. The doors were technically 7pm and the main act was due on stage at 9pm, so consider that a rough guideline to timings if you are planning to attend a gig here in the near future. Good job we had, had some drinks before the gig too! A pint will set you back £4.40 at this venue during a gig night (spirits are even more expensive). Saying that, the set up and sound were pretty good last night. I have attended nights where the sound has been pretty bad before, so I was pleased that the sound and lights were pretty good for last nights band. If you want a space at the front for a gig here, get to the venue early. Queuing for gigs normally starts pre-doors time and can get a little manic. If you're not fussed, head to venue around 1.5 to 2 hours after doors to casually saunter in, grab a pint, have time to use the facilities before catching the main act. This venue is A Ok. It's not the best I've been to before, but it's certainly not the worst.

The Sunflower lounge has been a go-to place for me from the day I started going out. It has many…read morefacelifts over the years but it has always kept its stance on playing the best retro and old-school music in Birmingham. Pretty much any night of the week you can find the resident Dj's playing a huge mix of funk, soul, disco and motown in the upstairs bar, while in the downstairs space local bands play alongside more well known touring acts. The drinks here are not going to win any awards for being fancy or ornate, but that really isn't the point of the place. This is the type of place where you can visit, feel welcome and enjoy some quality music with like minded people. No you can't have a cocktail made in a beautiful glass garnished with wild berries but if you are looking for that this really isn't the place for you. If you want to visit at the best times try Friday or Saturday nights as with a lot of places also check the website for gigs and special events.

As the bars makeover isn't yet complete I won't say too much about it but the signs are promising,…read morelooks to be a fresh contemporary look with a good range of music and friendly, helpful staff. I'll update in the future. Largely we went to go and try the new food from the Big Papas team. They have a nice concise menu of American style, big, hearty food (while miraculously staying non-greasy) which, for a main and two sides for £10, is one delicious bargain. Of particular note are the batter they are using, it's unbelievably delicate and crispy, and the tasty hot sauce. All in all it's cheap enough to be a no brainer, although the venue was lacking a certain cosiness but I'll put that down to the work they are carrying out. We'll certainly be going again soon, especially considering they have just launched a solid looking lunch menu!