Music of Birmingham

As in many paces, dance music is popular in Birmingham, England.

Birmingham embraced house music in the late 1980s. Acid House nights such as Spectrum took place at the Digbeth Institute (now the Sanctuary) and the Hummingbird (now the Carling Academy Birmingham).

Early acid house nights in Birmingham included C.R.E.A.M. (not associated with the Liverpool night of similar name), Chuff Chuff and the early events of the influential Gatecrasher. The development of the Birmingham dance scene has seen nights including Gods Kitchen, Fun, Miss Moneypenny's, Sundissential, Shaanti, House of God and Atomic Jam.

The Que club, based in what was the old methodist hall, opposite the Crown Courts on New Street was one of the biggest clubs the city has ever had. It had a capacity of about 4000. It housed some early raves as well as a succession of techno, drum and bass and old school techno events. The club is now closed for conversion to other use.

Vinyl stores in the city include as Swordfish Records, Tempest Records, Summit Records (which now sells mainly reggae and doubles as an Afro Caribbean barbers), Jibbering records, the Plastic Factory, Punch Records, Don Christies, Global Grooves (one of the first cafe/record stores in the UK), Dance Music Finder Records, Massive Records, Three Shades Records and Hard To Find Records, which is the original dance music finder in the UK and now trades as one the largest vinyl and DJ stores in the world.

Electronic artists include electro dub reggae creators Rockers Hi-Fi; sample metalers Pop Will Eat Itself; Big Beat musicians Bentley Rhythm Ace; Garage/House act The Streets; and Electronica bands Broadcast, Pram, Plone, Surgeon, Add N to X, Electribe 101, Mistys Big Adventure, The Editors and Avrocar.

Successful House musicians and DJs include the late Tony De Vit, Steve Lawler, Steve Kelley, Scott Bond, Jem Atkins, Al McKenzie, Colin Dred, The Ryan Brothers, Tall Paul and Jeremy Sylvester.

Notable dance music record labels include Network records (of Altern8 fame), Different Drummer, Urban Dubz Records, Badger promotions, Jibbering records, Earko and Munchbreak records.