The Birmy Reborn: ‘It’s Not Shit Anymore’

From a reported Nazi haunt to an all-embracing party destination, Melbourne’s Birmingham Hotel has certainly come a long way since re-opening a year ago. Ahead of its one-year anniversary, LAWSON FLETCHER charts its unlikely rebirth.

What a difference a year makes. Early last year, The Birmingham Hotel in Fitzroy, was a dark blot on an otherwise festive Melbourne nightscape. It was a desolate, ugly place, universally avoided, that across the years had reportedly hosted neo-Nazi groups and staged accompanying nationalist hatecore gigs. A growing chorus of local activists protested against – and outside of – the venue, and coupled with dwindling numbers from an already thin patronage, the hotel was in rigor mortis by 2008. While the demise of certain activities were welcomed, the loss of the Birmingham’s hallowed location – it’s on the corner of Johnston and Smith streets – was not. Rumours abounded of pokies being injected into the pub. It seemed cursed ground indeed.

But early last year, signs of change – good change – emerged. Talk of new owners, new management, with no sympathies for the venue’s less than savoury clientele (to put it mildly). And then a sign: “The Birmingham Hotel: It’s not shit anymore!”, followed by new gig posters listing weekend DJs, a tantalising preview of local acts to come and, the clincher, $2 pots. Here was a renewed Birmingham, one that spoke to the more communal side of development, the inherent regenerative potential of cities and the beckoning of an extra addition to Melbourne’s gig scene. The frank tagline was the last-minute brainchild of the Birmingham’s new booking agents and promoters Indra Adams (perhaps better known as bassist for Ground Components) and Chris Bosma (perhaps lesser known as co-founder of Jack Knife Mowing and Music).

“That was the killer-start campaign,” remembers Adams. “It was just getting the bands in, convincing everyone that is wasn’t still that kind of pub with a piece-of-shit PA in there and dudes with no idea running it. It was just going from something cold and kind of dead. I don’t know how much worse of a stigma you can get than being a Nazi bar. It was hard initially, trying to convince the bands to play there, so it all started with friends’ bands.”

With the addition of a new soundsystem, staff, a renovated bandroom and beer garden, The Birmy is now in full swing. The pub plays host to live bands five nights a week and has arguably become the venue of choice for local bands looking to play a residency. The bookers don’t even have to do all the running around anymore. “There’s always bands getting in contact wanting to play now, from a year ago us having to chase everyone we wanted to play,” says Adams. “Now, [there’s] constant emails and calls, and good bands as well, calling up keen to play.”

Highlights from the past year include maniac electro wizard Dan Deacon and US thrashers Daniel Striped Tiger, not to mention the finest of the Melbourne music crop – from Kes Band to Deaf Wish. As a smaller bandroom – around a hundred capacity – the Birmingham has situated itself nicely in the Fitzroy area, adding to Melbourne’s already privileged surfeit of quality venues, but there’s certainly no sense of competition or trying to muscle in on an overcrowded scene. Adams says the additional venue (let’s face it, no one ever really thought of it as a place to go before its reincarnation) helps draw punters to Fitzroy, offering them another place to hop between the Tote and Yah Yahs.

“I don’t know how much worse of a stigma you can get than being a Nazi bar. It was hard initially, trying to convince the bands to play there, so it all started with friends’ bands.”

“I think if anything, more venues in the area help make the scene a bit healthier,” he says. “It breeds better bands; bands that have a place to play. That’s why there are so many great bands coming from Melbourne. I think we’ve got more venues per square kilometre than anywhere else in the world, and that gives bands a chance to play live and rehearse their show.”

The speed with which the new Birmingham’s reputation has grown is summed up by the lineup for this weekend’s “first” anniversary celebration. Held on Saturday (June 27), it will feature some of the finest “The” bands still kicking around: The Basics, The Frowning Clouds, The Greasers, The Harpoons and The Hondas. Add to the mix some folk punk regulars in This War, Wil Wagner and Grizzly Jim Lawrie, along with resident DJs playing all day in the front bar, and it’s an accomplished affair. But if the duo seem organised, they’re anything but, explains Adams. “It’s a friendly small business. It’s just a small, kind of friendly bar, that’s not slick or anything.” Bosma agrees. “It’s a real pub. It’s what you want when you’re going to a pub gig,” he says.

It’s also a place where hipster pretension should be left at the door. “As long as you’re wearing clothes, even come without clothes that’s fine,” jokes Adams. “There’s still a sign that says, ‘Neat and casual dress required at all times’, but I’ve been meaning to peel that off for a long time.”

Adding to the venue’s warm community vibe is sound guy Gareth Baker, probably the only resident tech nice enough to write, “Any problems, phone Gaz”, above the knobs. It’s testament to the kind of family the Birmy has bred – Adams’ brother co-manages the venue, most of the staff live upstairs and it has become home to Melbourne’s solid folk-punk scene. It’s from this folk-punk crowd that the pub has built up a reliable stable of acts. “That’s always a gag. Book a show and I’ll just put This War, Madonna or Wil Wagner on the bill,” says Bosma. “You can throw one of those bands on a different lineup, and they always bring a big crowd.” Clearly Adams and Bosma are wary of becoming too cloistered, but it’s these regulars that have given the Birmy a solid foundation to build on. Wagner’s recent album launch has been the unanimous highlight of the past year. “It was nice to see Wil, a friend, sell out the pub so much and he broke the bar record that night,” says Bosma. “Someone like Wil to be that small and beat all the other established bands. It was just a party.”

Adrian Slattery, frontman of Major Major – who opened the new Birmy last June – fondly recalls backing up Wagner on guitar that night. “It was sold out and kids were going crazy. We were barely even playing. It was just like noise, but everybody was onstage, there was sweat flying everywhere. It was fucking ridiculous.” It’s fitting then that Major Major, who are Birmy perennials, will play their final gig at the anniversary on Saturday. “It’s definitely our favourite place to go and see bands and hang out at. And it’s the best place for us to play as far as it being a social event.”

Bosma says that Saturday’s gig has defied all expectations. “A year ago, no one would come in here. And the line-up that we’ve got, no one would ever have expected anything like that to happen at the Birmy. It’s just good to see something go from absolute shit to what it is now.” Slattery concurs. “I hope that this whole year is the beginning of a good kind of stint in Melbourne music and it’s not going to fade out anytime soon. I want to be playing there in years to come.”

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The Birmingham Hotel’s first anniversary will be held on Saturday, June 27, 4pm. Entry is free.