The Knowhere Guide

Going Out in Birmingham, West Midlands*

Birmingham, West Midlands Clubs, Music Venues, Cinemas

Clubs (Dance Music) and Music Bars

• its gotta be revolution...best vodka bar around. failing that 52 degrees.
• the best of the clubs have now gone eg zanzibar reflex is ok 80s bar both the broad street and arcadian one Bar Risa also Flares on Broad St the old church
• Scruffy Murpthys is the place to be it's much better than any other pub being as the atomsphere is nicer an alittle more mature than the under 13's acadamy.
• TC's in Selly Oak, new rock/indie night started on Friday nights(good live sets too), Selly Sausage do a few sets(very intimate).Usual places, Subway City(Friday nights)Academy:RAMSHACKLE FRIDAY, SUBCULUTRE SATURDAY.
• Birmingham Academy!! Subculture saturdays, Birmingham Barfly (opens thursday with reuben, so can't be bad)
• if u want a cheep night out on a tuesday head to aussie bar, mucky duck night rocks its £1.50 on bottles and £2 for double vodka and red bull really its ace c you all there.
• Cube
• Edwards No.8 - punk & ska room cool!!!!!! Plenty of industrial noise upstairs too!
• Resurrection at Subway City (off Lionel Street) - fridays fortnightly - is great for 60s/70s, indie and what's now deemed as 'alternative', thought they now host Rock Kitchen on the non-Resurrection Friday nights which is comparable to Subculture if you like the venue and the *sandwiches* mmm Flapper and Firkin has a jukebox and is a good hang out for those of us who look like they need ID but are lacking it legally. Mainly 'cause it's a trek and the more aged clientelle can't be bothered to go there. It's not a place where you'll be annoyed 'cause the Year Nines are getting served though, lol. No bouncers, but the owner'll wander around every so often. Pool table and overlooks the canal too, especially good to chill in on a quiet night, though I suggest you don't let the more vulnerable of the group wander by themselves.
• hmmm, Snobs seems to have gotten saturated by all that garagey wank, what's next, emo? Ramshackle is a good safe bet, it can be a bit poop if it isn't full but usually it's all good. Oh yeah, and Snobs tends to ID everyone nowadays, so if you look a little young Rams is the safer bet.
• Puv Kale -- Happy hour At Gun makers arms
• Friday nights at Bar Academy, next door to The Academy on Dale End, hosts Tumbledown - a night of very cool breakbeat/d+b - come as you are but don't bring attitude. Usually open til 2, or until the last pre-clubbers have gone next door. Tumbledown also organise a few excellent club nights at the Custard Factory - you have to watch out for them because they only happen about three times a year! The last one was in November and they had a massive marquee outside around a drained pool - loads of people just doing their own thing and from all backgrounds. The night is called Drop Beats Not Bombs - it's an anti war thing and the door money - only a couple of quid - goes to CND. People traveled from all over o be there and there's a really cool, no agro vibe in there. Advice is to get there early-ish - they only have a two thousand capacity and they have to turn a lot of people away!
• Edwards No8 (aka Eddies)is the only place to really go. Worth the entrance fee just to go upstairs and giggle at the goths and transvestites...
• Snobs defacates all over ramshackle. You won't see anyone in snobs wearing a scarf indoors. If you like having fun as opposed to posing, hit up snobs on wednesdays and saturdays.
• Zanzibar was by far the best club ib birmimgham. It had 3 rooms, dance room, cheesy funky house room and a r n b room, so ther was sumthing for everyone. However, some idiot has decided to close it down because of a raid by people with guns. We are starting the campaign to reopen zanzi! REOPEN ZANZI. It puts all the other clubs to shame!
• ramshackle moved from the sanctuary a few years ago to the academy. its a great friday night out though- indie rock, nostalgia music etc, etc. i cant remember the last time i heard dont worry be happy on broad street!
• SNOBS!!!! This is the only place where you can play air guitar without being stared at by everyone, and they play the smiths every time. All you ramshackle heads are just posers, the musics got poo in there. Let it all hang out, go to snobs. They've started cracking down on ID, though, so that fake NUS won't cut it anymore.
• the Medicine Bar @ the Custard Factory, Digbeth, is fab for special hip hop/breakbeats/funk nights. Mr Scruff does many a set there, as well as the likes of DJ Yoda and scratch perverts - really worth a look
• Midnight Mass is a new Goth and industrial night in birmingham, starting on the 12th of march in The Sanctuary. Good place to hook up, or meet new people. £5 entry and good atmosphere.
• the works - samey, expensive, sticky floor. subway - can be fun risa - good
• XL's has closed-down now after some fiasco involving vindictive bar staff and police raids. it was a bit rubbish anyway. but the old-skool metal room was *hilarious*. particularly when drunk.
• BANG it san occasional party for those in the know. You have to look out for the flyers very select and ofetn free for those pissed off with the corporate club dance scene. Next one at Mongolian Bar 8 Nov. details from s-punk@blueyonder.co.uk
• Edwards No.8...:) they have a Goth room....
• New Student NIght Laucnhing in Birmingahm. Friday 3rd October 2003 4am bar extension. Funked-up-Friday, with vodka girls!!! Playing the freshest funky house tunes! Hosted at Level 3 - The NIghtingale CLub, use entrace oposite DV8 to avoid the gays
• XL's used to be the greatest club in Birmingham, but it is now closed down due to a police raid...
• don't go to premonition, you've been warned!!!! it's the shit-hole opposite the dome and the sign's lost it's p now says remonition. is v small, claims to be a trance club. in fact is too small to call itself a club!! don't go into the toilets!!
• THE WORKS, wednesday night aka student night. Free champagne from the djs, broken glass on the floor, oh the memories, followed by the hangovers!
• que club is always good, but they keep trying to scam us by saying its 'the last rave ever', don't buy that! they've been saying this for years. que club lives on!
• XL's on a Friday or Saturday night. Saturday's better to be honest, as more people tend to turn up- CONTARY TO CURRENT RUMOURS, XL'S IS NOT CLOSING!!!!!
• medicine bar not as good as it was several years ago but proably the best in town
• Some wicked clubs in Brum...especially loving Risa at the moment. Student night Wednesday £1 vodka - very messy. TigerTiger on Tues...another student night also good, many an offer on cocktails, music can be a bit cheesy and a little bit repetative, but do play some wicked anthems...music towards the end of the night is a lot better!! Bobby Browns on Wed..excellent fun....tho dangerously situated next to the canal...£3 entry and loads of rooms to get lost in.Good drinks offers. SNOBS!! wicked on wednesday nights, 50p shots and poles to dance round..also v freaky head things as you enter..many a drunken memory...nice kebab shop outside. Sports Cafe, Rat and Parrot...good music on Thursday..good drinks..Sports caff a little expensive but good fun. 80s bar on broad street...for those of us who can remember Tainted love by Soft Cell..poles to dance with AGAIN!!! Friday night..Ramshackles@ the Academy...really good night...go with lots of people or you will get lost...i guarentee it...tho it is a good way to make "new friends" ;o) Flares is good on Saturday but you need to go in numbersif you are under the age of 30...or you will feel like a child. So many good nights out and lots of cheap alcohol...but one of the best nights has to be VODBULL...slightly expensive to get in, but £1 double vodka redbull, reef, pints before 10pm then £1 singles after...wicked fun was better at the Academy, but pretty damn good at Zanzibar. :o)
• Snobs on a Wednesday, Heducation at the Medicine bar on Thursdays, Ramshackle or the Medicine bar on Fridays. XL's can be quite good. Risa and Tiger Tiger can also be quite good, if you are drunk enough to stop you seeing properly and hearing anything. Then it's quite possible to have a great night there.
• QUE CLUB is amazing, supposedly closing but they keep re-opening! , sanctuary's good also, med bar's good for chillin and hip hop nights on a thurs, snobs wed and academy fri - indie, rock and alternative.
• Snobs (Just behind the old Town Hall) on Wednesdays. £1 a bottle of beer / alcopop. Get there early though unless you like queing. Stricktly for the Under 25s though. Bit of an Indie/ Alternative night. Two rooms, great mosh pit in one and a more chilled-out room in t'other.
• snobs- yes it *is* a dodgy sticky dirty club... but every month on a thursday there is a wicked hiphop nite.... it gets pretty messy! its called "lifestylz" aka "love da life". watch out for it. its a phat one! everyone should check out BAR ACADEMY (next to the big academy, dale end),on saturday nights from 10 to 3. its a pure hiphop nite, the purest in brum. very friendly dj's+ mcs, and open decks+mics! sometimes feels a little "too cool" in there, but after the beer has been flowing, the people start dancing. give it a try, its only 3 pounds!!
• the gay clubs are all shit. they all play identical music: either hard house, or cheesy housey gay remixes of pop songs. it needn't be like this!
• stoodis, risa, bar260. bo! pure funky house and speed garage by some class names in the scene. joe hunt and dino (of silk city fame) also do a friday night set at the arca bar in hurst street, some top class tunes get spun up there.
• Q CLUB BIRMINGHAM ALTHO IT SHUT DOWN SATURDAY....IT HELD THE BEST RAVES EVAER , SLAMMIN VINYL, FLASHBACK, ATOMIC JAM, BUT THERE IS SUB WAY CITY WHICH ENT AS BIG AND MAD AS Q CLUB BUT ITS HOLDS HOUSE OF GOD THERE AND COHESION WHICH IS PHAT
• Wednesday - Snobs
  Thursday - JB's in Dudley
  Saturday - XL's
• Does anyone else feel that the genuine alternative crowd is just not catered for by B'hams clubs? Ok so the Academy/snobs does usual Brit pop/baggy/comedypunk/dad rock selection but what about new stuff - hives, stripes,strokes,weezer,detroit cobras,peaches etc. We're trying to start a new nite and want your opinion - let us know wot u think at this_is_normal@hotmail.com - or look at www.thisisnormal.co.uk for playlist/venue updates.
• I can't think of a single club in Birmingham that I'd willingly patronise. Its all hard house and cheesy commercial trance. Nowhere plays decent progressive house or tech trance. Do yourself a favour and find a pub with a late license.
• Que Club - best raves EVER!
• XL's is the best place to go, the bouncers are not very strict and Saturday nights are wicked for good music. Also there are loadsa fit people who go there, (most of them are in Solihull on the weekend) also the flapper is great (providing you look 18) some weird folk around there but well worth visiting!
• Hi, just quick comment about the club DNA. Widely regarded by many brummies as teeny boppers paradise to be avoided by those over 16 at all costs. On a more positive not, Club Zanzibar (Arcadian) is a fab place to go, easy to get to, music for every taste and fab atmosphere- particularly for groups of girls looking to have a great time, after a bar or something.
• Edwards (no8) on a fri, plays punk, metal, ska etc. Sat nites is more grungy kinda stuff. XLS on a sat is good, 3 rooms - main room: typical rock stuff, metal, alt, punk - NOFX to Limp bizkit to system of a down. Indie room playing alien ant farm, sum41 and some hiphop. 80's room playing classics - metallica, iron maiden, guns n roses etc. Entrance fee is a bit pricey tho, come armed with flyers.
• Birmingham - the sanctuary on sat nights now holds sundiessential. gods kitchen is now at code. code is also home to insomniacts 4am - 12pm sunday morning and bambobska on a sat night. chrunch is now on fridays at premonition. the bar on broad st is now a flares. - much of your info on birmingham needs uop dating this is just a snippet of what you have wrong.
• The Que Club. It's big, it's old which means it has a soul, it hosts some of the best nights in the country, and it's like a rabbit warren inside. Don't lose your mates.
• DV8, Essex Street. Mix of camp trash music and latest dance hits, two main rooms, back room has heavier dance music. Gay/Mixed.
• Zanzibar Hurst Street nightclub with rooms with al types of dance music inc cheesy. Thursday nights they are reasonable on dress code. quite a good time you will have here will be busy when new Hippodrome theatre opens
• Ramshakle - indie funky shit pretty good situated at the academy Snobs - pretty cheap 50p to get in 50p for shots etc
• the whole of Broad street, Que Club,
• Academy, near Aston University
• SUNDISSENTIAL IS SUPERB!! THUMPIN TUNES ALL NIGHT. FULL OF FIT BLOKES WHO ACTUALLY KNOW HOW TO DANCE. MARVELLOUS!
• the truly excellent techno club House Of God is now residing at www.hog.org.uk currently in its eighth year & still going strong..... drop in & say hello
• Bar 260 on Broad Street. Goes on until 1 or 2am, get in free if early enough. Must dress nice though - bouncers a bit fussy, but worth it once you're in. Not a big place, so its cosy, and the clientele is rather pleasant to 'admire'. Sports Cafe is obvious place esp. during the week as its open until 2am every night - stick to the 'cheap' lager or burn a hole in your pocket.
• Blast off in wolverhampton. i know thats not birmingham but its close enough
• ELBOW Room - located some 3/4 miles out of the city in a less than attractive area, though offers an excellent evening for those clubber's who know the words to all the songs (no dance!) just ABBA,soul and my favourite at the Car Wash. Does some bar food at the rear of the club. * even open until late on a sunday
• House of God ( one of the longest running techno/house/breaks nights )usually found @ Subway City once a month ps its loads better than Atomic Jam
• SNOBS on a wednesday is the best esp if you want to get completely ratted on shots. Big room with indie+stuff then the small room is 60's. Best of all if you manage to catch the cameraman you might get yourself onto the snobs website! quality. Mondays is slushpuppy, much the same except on a monday.
• Que Club - Atomic Jam,Flashback & Sundissential
• SUNDISSENTIAL IS THE MIGHTIEST CLUB IN BIRMINGHAM (NO FUCK IT THE WORLD), NO CHEESY SHIT JUST HOURS OF PUMPING HARD HOUSE>
• Dome - is good on Monday nights yes it is full of kevs + sharons, but you have to warn people to go in large groups firstly, it's more fun, secondly, you run the risk of being gang-banged/seriously beaten up.
• Ministry Bar - on Broad St. Mint - good on any night. Expensive at weekends but MoS residents play - Erick Morillo, Judge Jules etc. Snobs - Paradise Forum. Indie, 60s etc. 50p drinks Wed. cheap at other times. Cool. Bobby Brown's - Gas St. (off Broad St.) Not bad. Student night Wednesday. Dome - Horsefair. Mostly poorly mixed cheesy shite. Monday is student night. Generally full of Kappa slappers and Kevins (scallies/townies/wankers). Que Club - Corporation St. Superb - Sundissential, Atomic Jam, House of God are all good nights. Stock up on Jack and Jill's beforehand, know what I mean? The Venue - Branston St. Crunch, Wobble, NuTonik and Floored are all great nights. House and breakbeats. DNA - John Bright St. Student night Tues. is top (and cheap) but strictly students only. VIP room is nice and easy to blag into. Sanctuary - Digbeth High St. near Medicine Bar. Fridays - Godskitchen (Coxy, Jules, Tall Paul etc.) Saturday - Ramshackle (indie and 'chemical' beats) Bakers - Five Ways (end of Broad St. towards Birmingham Uni.) Student night on Tue., B1 on Wed., Friday is 'Horny' with Dave Pearce (Radio 1) and Sat. is Republica (trance).
• Edwards. Plays no dance music (relief). Has punk, alternative and metal. Good for an alternative Saturday evening.
• its not dance - but its way cooler....Xl's Five ways - sat night - be there..
• Girls, if you're going to God's Kitchen at the Sanctuary on Fridays the dress code seems to be "cheap and not much of it" as the girl in the queue wearing just a white bra (honest, you could even see the M&S label) and a pair of grotty hotpants said. The music was alright though.
• Fiddlers
• the HUSh i recommend this to anyone, its all night, it has a cinema showing films like scream and porn, free playstations and top underground dj's
• stoodibakers
• Simply Blue, Newhall St - Saturday Nights - put your tight dress on and strut your stuff to salsa.
• Edwards No.8, not to be confused with Edwards, is the indie kid and rocker hang out. If we're going out as far as Aston then check the Elbow Room, but make sure you're armed.
• Student night at the Dome is not Tuesdays now, apparently. Fridays rule as it is 70's night and the music is excellent (if you like 70's stuff , and let's face it everybody is going 70's mad at the moment (just listen to the charts and you'll hear 70's samples and songs everywhere)
• Brum is sorely lacking in decent rock clubs but Edwards and XLs are still good
• ramshackle at sanctuary (sat)- indie and big beat. cracking venue with a separate 'quiet' bar. has now been discovered by drunk students that only want to dance to The Verve, or song 2 by Blur though. SO catch it over the summer while they are away working in shoe shops, or whatever.
• Xl's in Auchenleck Square, Five Ways. Saturday night, 3 rooms - Rock & Goth, heavy rock (death metal, thrash etc.) & dance/alternative. Dress code? No smart dress, jeans a positive advantage. There are penty of trendy clubs around, Xl's is for those who like it loud and dirty. Has a special Jack Daniels Bar, we worship and enjoy. Major rock bands have been known to hang out here after a gig. Good vibe with sympathetic door staff.
• Heroes - Saturday nights (upstairs) Latin - salsa, merengue etc etc - where people go to DANCE not POSE!!! XL's on fridays (Club Salsa room) - see above
• Crunch and Wobble are both legendary nights out (The Venue, Branston Street, Hockley), as is Mrs. Moneypenny at Bonds (Great Hampton Street) which zealously emphasises exclusivity. Atomic Jam and House of God are both popular at Que which also boasts a monthly night from Cream. Also: Republic at Bonds and look into Subway City, a well cool place on Livery Street.
• Toots, behind Liberty's, Hagley Road.
• The Que Club, Corporation Street. (0121 212 0770)
• Pigeon Hole (Tues). Shag (Weds) The Foundry, Beak Street. (0121 643 6843)
• The Institute (student night Thurs).
• Razzle, Fridays at Westendbar.
• Catapult Club (Thur-Sat) The Jug of Ale, Alcester Road, Moseley (0121 449 1082).
• Freak Scene (every other Friday) at Snobs, Paradise Circus (0121 643 5551).
• Edwards, Lower Severn Street (0121 643 5835).
• Club Cactus at The Circus, 450 Moseley Rd., Moseley.

Live Music Venues

• barfly good stage, good sound and good atmosphere. Academy for good gigs from touring bands, terrible drinks prices though. NEC group tends to be overpriced and usually sold out.
• its gotta be the academy 2, (the small one)scruffy murphys (when its not been raided for drugs lol) eddies no 8,and definately SNOBS!
• Edwards no.8, Scruffy Murpthys, Actress and bishop, Flapper and Ferkin all good places to get heard.
• Flapper and Firkin,very hot though!NEC(Jack Johnson performing there in March 2006),Academy saw Velvet Revolver there(megadet performed there too)
• Ohhh, Flapper, Academy (I, II and III) and Probably Barfly
• Smestow Pe Department
• I hate the Carling Academy, such a shit venue... too hot in there, and you need to sell your first born child to afford a drink from the bar.
• Carling Academy!!! millions of big bands playing basically every day! and for more 'undiscovered' acts, the bar academy. the only problem i have is that the biggest music venue in brum is sponsored buy some shitty brewing corporation! music is about sticking it to the man, did someone forget this?!
• bigger bands are usually at the academy or NEC. more local stuff is at the jug of ale in moseley (pound a pint on wed and sun!!!) and the actress and bishop on ludgate hill (just off st. pauls square).
• We play the Jug of Ale and Bar Academy. The Jug is rad on a wednesday, £1 in £1 a pint, sorted. It's up the mosely road near epic.
• Academy hosts all the biggest bands after the NEC - great variety as well, iv seen groove armada, supergrass, the coral....well worth keeping up to date with who's playing there. the little civic in wolverhampton is a fab venue for smaller bands that are gonna make it big, the zutons played there several times
• Actress and Bishop
• The Custard Factory is no longer just about hip hop. It has some really cool electronica, noise, experimental music nights on there. see www.thebrumcreative.com or www.capsule.org.uk for example. Great place to visit even if you dont know who or what is playing that night.
• academy is good. ELECTRIC EDEN!!!
• Um....The Acadamy's a good one.
• Carling Acadamy nr toys r us
• wel...err...I'm seeing Muse and Manson at NEC...
• We go to the famous VICTORIA BIKERS PUB in coalville the best live music venue on this planet for rock related music see www.vicbikerspub.co.uk
• Flapper 'n' Firkin is nice, the Carling Academy is better though. The Irish Centre is ok too.
• The Academy, Edwards [?], The Medicine bar
• flapper and firkin, jug of ale in moseley and gigs at the acad are always good too.
• Birmingham Academy - (Dale End). Any night when they have live music. Has all the big acts from Doves to Faithless to Dido.
• THE CIVIC WHISH YEAH IS IN WOLVERHAMPTON NOT BHAM BUT ITS ONE OF THE BEST ONES THE ACADAMY IS A BIT PANTS
• The Old Railway, punk, HC, metal, Blues, Tributes...all sorts, top place, "private parties" till early hours. The Market Tavern, Birchall St. Home of Punk Rock in Brum. Also hole "private parties" till small hours, very friendly, GBH regulars in live room, hold anual Punx Picnic.
• Irish Centre for ska, punk
  Flapper and Firkin
• The Academy, The Market Tavern (Moseley st, Digbeth), The Irish Club (Digbeth High Street).
• The Medicine Bar (nice hip-hop nights and stuff)
• Go to the centerall library and go into the music section, cuz they have these little head fone thingys and they are always free (un-like HMV) you can listen to any thing you want, but they kick you off after about an hour, still not bad though. Otherwise check out what they are doing in swordfish because they always have stuff about concerts. The academy is also wicked.
• Irish Centre in Digbeth taking over from where the foundry left off. Mainly punk music. Academy for some of the larger gigs, XLs and edwards sometimes have gigs on too, but not very often, Flapper is good for local bands.
• NIA security is messed up sometimes so you can do what you like basically, a few small venues for smaller bands around tickets from tempest records for some
• Jug of Ale in Moseley, Flapper and Firkin by the NIA, The Academy (formerly The Hummingbird) in Dale End opposite Toys R Us. Check out the old burger style Wimpy up the road.
• flapper n firkin, acadamy....the indie night at the academy really is good.
• Academy - big venue plays host to likes off muse, beck, less than jake, papa roach big alternative bands Irish Centre - as the foundry has closed down this is picking up job of birminghams punk rock and metal venue
• Academy, Near Aston University - brilliant bands
• The Academy, the foundry
• DON'T bother going to Ronnie Scotts - its the most arrogant, over-rated, massively expensive place I ever been to (once). Its not really even a Club as such - just an American Diner with a stage. Try anywhere but here.
• The birmingham academy. I went to see papa roach there and the acadamy compliments there performance extreemly well
• Irish Centre for a stranger taste (Stereolab and Broadcast are regularish bookings).Old Railway (shithole but good) Lots in Moseley
• The Foundry. Never been, but sounds good. Wolverhampton Civic + Wulfrun halls only a train journey away though.
• Jb's the best night out ever - In Dudley and The Foundry
• Once again Birmingham seems to be awakening to the need for live music venues. Any Brummy will be used to the ebb and flow of this tendency over the years...it's famine or feast and right now we're on an up! Check out The Station, Kings Heath where you'l find an enthusiastic manageress giving a range of acts the chance to perform. The room is smallish but has a great atmosphere. Recent offerings have been The DANNY STEEL ORCHESTRA playing Steely Dan BRILLIANTLY! and BEFORE THE FALL with their range of tasty covers and self penned material. The Old Mill Northfield is also lately a buzzing hotspot, again thanks to the keeness of the manager (he's to be seen moshing at the front most nights!).The Adam & Eve, Bradford St. is another great place with superb bands (many of them freebies!).Please do support these venues because if we don't, they'll fizzle out again and we'll be headed for another arid time!
• A cracker of a Sunday afternoon can be had at the Song Writers Cafe (SWC), now housed at the Slurping Toad, Hurst Street. SWC is between 2pm - 6pm every Sunday. Great new & old songwriters perform every week and some brilliant new bands. It's free, go along and enjoy yourself. Visit their web site: http://members.aol.com/c21vox
• Vikingar
• the hare and hounds in kings heath the railyway pub in digbeth
• The Glee Club is Birmingham's main comedy venue, the second best in the country; Jack Dee in residency every Friday.
• National Indoor Arena, the Jug of Ale in Moseley, and Aston Villa Leisure Centre.
• Symphony Hall
• Red Lion, Kings Heath
• NEC (0121 780 4133)
• The Hibernian, Pershore Road
• Foundry
• The Flapper and Firkin, Cambrian Wharf
• Bubble Club

Cinemas

• odeon is horrible. cineworld is much better.
• the AMC Broadway in 5 ways cos they have reclining seats...perfect for dates lol
• Electric Cinema. Support your independent cinema! And book the comfy seats with the waitress service.
• odeon new street
• AMC ,roomy and the arms go back ;) cheap too(at 5 ways) theres a showcase, a bit more busy.Odeon in the centre, packed with undesirables and very crowded.
• Hmmm uce broadstreet...best one.
• The UCI Cinema in Solihul has closed,being demolished.Nearest cinema is the Cineworld in "Tounchwood"-car park often full,big tailback of cars.
• The IMAX is brilliant, but who the hell employed a team of dyslexic builders to design Millenium Point ? The lifts numbers are wrong (L2 = ground, L0 = middle) and there's an esculator that goes from the ground floor - third floor, when you think it goes to the second !!! Wicked cinema though !!!
• AMC up at Five Ways by Tesco is a bit of a trek, but clean, massive, really comfy chairs, with the opportunity to remove the seperator stuff so you can *snuggle*. Not too expensive, either, I've been, as an ADULT for £3.50! Students are about three quid, too!
• cineworld town heathtown
• The Electric cinema has just opened - behind the train station. It's a fantastic building and looks like it will be showing some great films - mostly independent or cult, rather than mainstream blockbusters.
• UGC on Broad Street usually shows some of the less mainstream films, long before the MAC gets hold of them. And it's cheaper
• odeon is gettin old, but they have great ice cream, so that makes up for it. AMC is pretty good- it has those 'love-seats' where the arm rests lift up, and they do fantastic popcorn. i'm reliably informed that its made on site every morning!broad st UGC has some pretty cool films on that arent on general release as well as the normal ones, but the downstairs toilets sometimes seem to have proper stinkage problems!the screens are pretty comfy too!cineworld at touchwood has a lot of pre release films on, so its a good place to go and c stuff b4 ne1 else!
• the MAC. really cool underground films and stuff. bit like morrison's off the doors movie.
• cineworld in the touchwood centre in solihull is good.
• UGC cinema in broad street is probably the best cuz u really dont have to travel for the get there.
• UGC, not bad, cheap student prices.
• odeon xheap but seats are uncomftorable
• UGC is Broad Street is classy, and shows a lot of films that aren't on anywhere else. Plus they offer cheaper charges for students!
• UGC on Broad Street is very good seats comfy and rarely a queue...also near Tesco so you can smuggle in cheap snacks!! Also if you go to see a film before 12pm on Saturdays on £2.95..good value and most films are on then.
• quite cheap...but scarily close to five ways
• odeon is as good as any other in my humbe opionion
• Star City. Just off the M6. 2 miles from city centre. 25+ screen cinema largest in Europe. Bollywood cinema Stratford Rd, Sparkbrook (2 miles south of the centre)
• UGC Broad Street has nice comfy seats and you can see wherever you sit.
• BIRMINGHAM HAS A ICE SKATING RINK WHICH IS PRETTY GOOD AS LONG AS U DONT GO AFTER 8 IN THE NIGHT CUZ YA BOUND TO GET SHOT , THEY HAVE A MEGA BOWL WITH A BAR IN FOR ALL THE OVER 18S THERE (LIKE ME!) AND THEY HAVE A WICKED UCI CINEMA ON BROAD STREET ITS REAL NICE IN THERE THEY HAVE A BAR (AGAIN) AND ITS PRETTY FRIEDNDLY IN THERE....UNLIKE THE ICE RINK
• The cinema in Quinton used to be called the Quinton classic, has cheap days on Tuesdays £3.50 before 5pm which is a big difference than paying £5.00.
• Cineworld in solihull is great. But if you are of the younger species then go to the Odeon in town, they let just about any one into see just about anything, but be prepared for sticky floors and maybe a bit of popcorn throwing!
• the best cinema i ever been to is star city, the screens are huge, there's loadsa leg room and the arm rests lift up 4 a lotta lovin!!
• Re: Cinephilia video rental in Moseley. Glad to see someone likes our shop enough to mention it. Anyone interested should know we've now moved to new premises at 3a Woodbridge Road, Moseley. Tel. 0121 449 6000 (from the shop manager).
• The Electric Cinema, just off Hill Street. They show such gems as Quadrophenia, The Firm, Clockwork Orange. That's recently, not when they were released.
• there is a new cinema ugc opened on Broad Street about a year ago also in the new starcity complex a warner brothers cinema there is going to be more soon
• star city quite a bit to do
• Electric Cinema, Star City
• The arcadian (china town), the odeon and the 5 ways cinema (once the metros done from broad street)!
• Broad Street '5 ways' cinema is a new one thats hardly ever busy. If you want to see a premier show, go there, as you'll probably get a seat.
• Electric - nice art house with nice selection of cakes, the carrot cake comes highly recommended The Mac (set in Canon Hill Park 2 miles from city centre )
• The UGC cinema in the Arcadian has no fancy frills, but it's nice stepping outside after the movie and being in the square, with the sounds from the clubs and smells from the restaurants floating around.
• Two main cinemas- Odeon, New St. Nothing special, but handy and not too expensive. Virgin, The Arcadian (China Town). Quite special, as it has nice surroundings, which are very skateable. Beware of security guards in upper window of building.
• Odeon New Street, cheap ticket prices, cinema quality leaves a bit to be desired (could be a lot better). Virgin Cinema, Arcadian, expensive ticket prices (5 quid ALL WEEK) but not bad quality cinema)
• The Virgin Cinema in Birmingham Great Park in Rubery is absoltely brilliant. The sound is out of this world and the seats are massive. Apparently George Lucas (whoever he is) said that this was the only cinema in Britain to see Star Wars at!
• At the Vikingar, but only as a last resort as the sound system is awful.
• Four main cinemas in the centre. Two mainstream - Virgin (0121 622 3323) and Odeon (0121 6432040) show standard Hollywood stuff with some other films. Two less mainstream are the MAC (0121 440 3838) shows a variety of things, Hollywood, European, World cinema etc and The Electric (0121 643 7277) which has a similar programme to the MAC and often has 2 or 3 films for the price of one - also has a selection of cakes and coffee on sale in the foyer to eat during the film!
• The Electric Cinema in Station Street is the only Art House cinema in the City Centre.Housed in a converted Porn cinema (and so attracts some weirdos as well as the beautiful people) it shows an eclectic range of World movies as well as re-issued Classics.The only cinema I know which offers home made cakes on reception!
• Cinephilia - the finest arthouse video library in the Midlands. Situated on Alcester Road, Moseley (next to Kwiksave). Knowledgeable and friendly staff will find just about any "non mainstream" movie you can name.
• the electric cinema(5,station rd)is an art house cinema,just out of the main city centre. shows a good variety of film,make a nice cup of tea and good cake.very good double billsat reasonable prices,used to be a sticky cinema.
• ikon gallery now moved to new premises in oozells street(off broad street)

The Knowhere Guide started out as a list of places to skateboard in the UK. It is a compilation of (unedited) information and views supplied by users like yourself. It is not a conventional tourist guide!

In most cases, the information in each section has been submitted by more than one contributor (the credits at the bottom of the page list some, but not all, of the contributors) and some of it dates back to the 1970s.

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Last updated: 2008-01-15