Digbeth Institute Almost Ready
Thanks to the heads-up from Created in Birmingham, I see the website for the new HMV Institute is now live. Well I say new, it is of course the old Sanctuary, refurbished by the Mean Fiddler Group and returned to its original name of the Institute.
A few years ago its cavernous rooms were home to the awesome Saturday club night PANIC! and its basement was home to the Barfly, where I DJd for a while. The Institute holds good memories for me, so I hope it’s latest reincarnation as a full-time gig venue pays off. It’s a welcome development to add to the diversity of Digbeth’s live music scene and a more than welcome challenger to the Academy monopoly on mid-size gigs.
There’s some cracking gigs on the way with The Drums, The Psychedelic Furs, Kate Nash and Sandi Thom all pencilled in. But perhaps most intriguing is the reunion of space-rock legends Gong on 20th September.
So join me as we jump in the flying teapot and zoom off to the Planet Gong!