The Birmingham Rainbow’ ‘Awakening the Sleeping Giant!’

Last Thursday I had the pleasure of attending one of Birmingham’s freshest live music events hosted by Tim Senna – B-Town… what better way to spend a Thursday night?

Birmingham music venue ‘The Rainbow’ has seen many gigs from around the globe. Thursday night was all about celebrating some of the main emerging indie bands that Birmingham has to offer… except for Bournemouth’s ‘Sugarglass’ who are…

Archsta kicks things off

Descending the steps into the underground location, I am delighted to see the silhouettes of bodies, slowly breaking to the sounds of ‘Archsta’. The solo singer-songwriter was bringing those indie vibes with his chugging guitars and vulnerable vocals. It’s always a great feeling to see weeknight events with a great turnout, especially since we saw that the opening act had so much talent on display. He set the table for a relaxing start, performing some of his original songs, then did a wonderful John Mayer-esque rendition of “Ain’t No Sunshine.” Keep an eye out for his charismatic live sets around Brum, super friendly and talented guy.

Daisy Peacock breaks it

Then we had Daisy Peacock, originally I imagined her to be a solo singer songwriter and acoustic guitar affair, but she’s backed by a 4 piece band. And they were a machine, a 90’s funky Indie Rock machine. I was blown away by their Blind Melon style guitar songs and Daisy’s gorgeous vocal range and stage presence. She showed a veteran mindset and overcame some technical sound issues with her mic, but played it very cool, the mark of a true pro. Great story, reminds me of everything great about 90’s folk rock, Alanis Morissette vibes! Then they break into beats and riffs that The Jam would be proud of. The night is really heating up now.

Mr. Senna at the wheel

I would just like to mention what a great host Tim Senna is, the guy has the energy of any amazing talk show host, he makes the crowd feel alive with his wit and his regional pride for Birmingham, he bleeds Brum . And I salute you for that. More on him later…

Funky Beats

Now comes the only out of town band, but that town starts with a B… so that’s a yes from us. Bournemouth is the town and Sugarglass is the band. And they have FUNK, or as their singer says… GUNK (gay funk). This batch had serious funky energy, yet very indie, but bringing a whole lot of emo and a dash of pop-punk sensibility to the party, it was a feast for the senses. I see a lot of Emo skate kids and Indie football fans grooving to their sounds in holy union. The singer even played a suitable guitar for Kerry King (the Flying V shape). A special shout out to their lead guitarist who would have made any Frusciante enthusiast’s heart swell with joy.

At the end we had local veterans Real Cool and the headline spot for these guys was well deserved. From their 2017 beginnings, this batch brought a more Hip-Hop influenced electronic element to the night and was refreshing in the now sweaty basement. We are instantly transported to 1980s Miami Florida and let me tell you, Real Cool quenched a tropical thirst! With Afro-Beat beats and enough 1980s synth to make Gary Numan shiver, everyone in the crowd was feeling the music, we all felt as one. It was interesting to hear how they use cell phone ringtones and field recordings, the singer switches from guitarist to synthesizer to pianist mid-song and has the energy of 100,000 schoolchildren with 10 seconds to go. Everyone in the pew tonight had a natural charisma that demanded attention and Real Cool made it look so effortless!

Longevity is the goal here

B-Town is here to stay! Tim Senna makes sure of that. The local legend helped bring everyone together for this magnificent Thursday night that would otherwise have been spent worrying about making sure I had fun on the weekend… I already had fun on Thursday! “It’s all about love, we want to make sure Birmingham is represented… this is the awakening of the sleeping giant!” Tim says as a chorus of cheers and applause reverberates through the room.

That’s what it’s all about: people came, danced and spread the love for Brum’s scene. There will be more of these events offering places in Birmingham so go and see for yourself…

B-Town doesn’t mess around.