The Home of Metal. This is the moniker that the people of the Midlands are proud to be a part of. Music and creativity has run rife through our veins for generations, and you can see it everywhere in our rich music scene, wide range of performers and the headstrong determination from our venues to provide entertainment and a platform for musicians to thrive. This region has produced some huge names throughout modern history. 

I decided to take a journey through all too familiar territory… familiar but never boring, mind, speaking to both fresh and seasoned musicians, venue owners, and music fans. This website was born from a desire to showcase local talent, and although the pandemic did quieten things down for a while, there is still no shortage of this in Birmingham and the surrounding areas.

The Midlands has often celebrated it’s metal roots, holding dear the timeless drinking holes that hosted them. The Crown saw the beginnings of Ozzy Osbourne and who would be later known as Black Sabbath back in 1968, and has recently been saved from demolition by officially becoming a listed building. This news has come as a relief to a lot of people who fondly remember going there to watch bands such as Judas Priest, Robert Plant, UB40 and many, many more.

There is a dedicated project called Home of Metal that has hosted exhibitions and events showcasing the city’s history, including ‘Black Sabbath: 50 Years’ at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery in 2019. Their website has an archive of treasured memories, such as old ticket stubs from decades gone by, promotional material, magazine covers from the 80s, and all sorts of fascinating things. It is definitely worth keeping an eye out on there for any new events and exhibitions that pop up.

Of course, you cannot forget about the most recent talk of the town! A visit to the Grand Central Station in Birmingham will see you face to face with a giant bull, originally unveiled as the Raging Bull at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Eventually relocated in 2023, and subject to a naming competition, the people of the Midlands opted for the only name that made sense… Ozzy!

Venues still today are keeping the ball rolling, hosting the latest in fresh talent. Places such as Subside, The Victoria, The Actress & Bishop, Dead Wax, and The Flapper are just a drop in the ocean of places you can go to enjoy live music in the city.

Seeing a poster on Subside’s Facebook page, inviting me to go and see five bands on a Sunday afternoon, I decided to go and see what today’s up and coming bands had to offer. What greeted me was a friendly atmosphere, and a hell of a lot of talent. Gnawing Hunger, Face of a Stranger, Stoneload, Overthrone and headlining act wars gave the audience a night that probably meant a lot of sore heads the next day at work.

Birmingham band Overthrone have been together since 2017, and already have two albums under their belt. Describing their music as their ‘own blend of metalcore, deathcore and hardcore’, guitarist Joe Morton said they have no intention of stopping any time soon. ‘Last year saw a number of headline tours, and a spot at Bloodstock Festival. We have new music coming this year, too’.

Away from Birmingham city centre, my journey around the Midlands took me to to a rather unique bar, all the way over in Wolverhampton. The Giffard Arms is a pub that is very well known for a variety of reasons, from the stunning decor, thriving music scene, and of course, the famous chair. It is sort of an unwritten rule that you must have at least one photo taken of you, drink in hand, sitting on the famous Giffard seat that would give Game of Thrones a run for its money.

Seats aside, though, the Giffard is definitely the venue in many musician’s mouths as a sought-out place to play, and there is never a shortage of bands waiting to perform there. Usually hosting a night packed full to the brim of music, you can usually get tickets to see about four or five bands in a night, for a reasonable price. Wendy Shone has been the owner of the Giffard Arms since 2003. She has a musical background herself, having sang in bands such as MisSabbath and Rock Revolver.

Wendy stressed the importance of live music for both established and up-and-coming musicians, and is proud to provide ‘a platform within Wolverhampton, to get those bands seen.’

Speaking about the variety of bands and musicians that pass through the Giffard doors, Wendy talked about the wide variety of genres that have been on their stage, and credited her Music Promoter for always keeping an eye on new and different acts. “My promoter, Brett Hall, he’s very good at booking the bands, he looks out for all sorts of genres and styles.”

Wendy also mentioned further potential opportunities for musicians, as they grow their following. “Brett also books bands for KK’S Steel Mill, which cater for the bigger bands – We cater for the smaller bands, which helps get their name out there, and that raises their profile and gets their music heard.”

One of the huge events of the year, and one that is very well known around Wolverhampton and beyond, is Giff-Fest. Fifteen bands over two floors, food, drink and a good time are what is on the menu for this annual extravaganza! Slots for the three-day festival are coveted, with the books full way in advance.

Talking about its beginnings with Wendy is a bittersweet experience. She spoke about the event starting as a memorial to her friend, Rhiannon Turner, who passed away from breast cancer at only 41. For this reason, Giff Fest also raises money every year for charity. ” A lot of people knew her and we’ve slowly built it up and turned it into Giff Fest. Every year I do it for her, and we give the money we raise to Compton Hospice.”

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It is no secret that the pandemic and lockdown had a profound effect on many in the music and hospitality sector, a lot of which can still be felt today. I spoke to a few musicians at the end of 2022 about this, and was met with a tentative hope at the time. People had started to go out again, and the scene had begun to re-emerge, but it was still early days, and the dent was still deep.

Now, in 2024, it seems like people are catching up on what they missed out on. More people are willing to go out to catch live music again, although we also have to keep an eye on our purse strings due to the cost of living.

Smaller venues, with affordable tickets, are giving new acts the chance to thrive and giving music lovers a great night out. For Wendy, the surge in creativity has been very noticable. “I think that for two years, creativity for everyone was stifled, and lately it’s really come along leaps and bounds.

“From my point of view, the pub has never been so busy as it is now with live bands”