The O2 Institute – Birmingham

OK so I need to start this review with a confession, I am by no means a hardened gig goer, but am more than familiar with this venue over on Digbeth High Street.
It’s a great place to catch bands and comedy acts in an intimate gig setting and if like me you are fan of being able to actually see the face of the beloved artist you have come to see and not a speck in the background of a massive arena or stadium.
The venue attracts a great array of mainstream and alternative acts, we ourselves have been to see Beardyman, Angelos Epithemiou, Dan le Sac and Scroobius Pip and Little Dragon in recent months. Tickets are reasonable, the queue on gig night is prompt and it’s always a greatly eclectic crowd you share the space with. Plenty of room to get up and close to the stage without having to imerse yourself in the moshing crowds (unless that’s your bag).
It’s always a nice change to go over to what is the other side of town for us, Digbeth is such a vibrant and creatively motivated part of the city and it’s always great to go and get involved in the spirit and energy of our Irish quarter. The Institute without a doubt has made itself a part of that ambience having kept its original architecture and character resisting the urge for a refurb and neutralising the spirit of the place.
If I have any complaints, the drinks are bit expensive (although at what live music venue aren’t they) and it’s always so darn cold in there. Seriously, my coat rarely comes off when we are there, even in a packed room — maybe there is added benefit to getting into that mosh pit after all.
I like it, but alas for the The Institute this is Birmingham and there are a lot of other gig venues that are just bringing exactly this type of gig but just a little better, bit more atmosphere and with better heating conditions ;-)

This venue has changed hands and names more times than I care to remember. I have been going to gigs, club nights and events at this venue for about 10 years, but I have only been to the venue as «The Institute» 2 or 3 times.
The building itself is really quite beautiful. With a lovely stone entrance and lovely sandstone detail, you might have missed how nice it actually is when there are queues and queues of people waiting for gigs outside. The interior is quirky too. There are at least 3 different areas in this venue; the Library, the Institute and a roof area (which hosts private events).
Last night I was at the venue to see Lamb at the Institute. Being a bit wise to door opening times vs. actual band times (and having been warned that the support act were a little sub par), we grabbed some food at Rico Libre before heading down to venue for 8:30pm. The doors were technically 7pm and the main act was due on stage at 9pm, so consider that a rough guideline to timings if you are planning to attend a gig here in the near future.
Good job we had, had some drinks before the gig too! A pint will set you back £4.40 at this venue during a gig night (spirits are even more expensive). Saying that, the set up and sound were pretty good last night. I have attended nights where the sound has been pretty bad before, so I was pleased that the sound and lights were pretty good for last nights band.
If you want a space at the front for a gig here, get to the venue early. Queuing for gigs normally starts pre-​doors time and can get a little manic. If you’re not fussed, head to venue around 1.5 to 2 hours after doors to casually saunter in, grab a pint, have time to use the facilities before catching the main act.
This venue is A Ok. It’s not the best I’ve been to before, but it’s certainly not the worst.

Good gig venue though sound quality hit and miss!
This venue has had a mixed history (I was even a Dj here at one point!), with the name and décor/​room lay-​out changing quite regularly. I have seen it packed to the rafters and buzzing and I have seen it nearly empty at Midnight!
I think it is best for small scale gigs which is what I was here for on Tuesday night. I was glad the temperature inside was about right (it used to be absolutely freezing!), which made it much more comfortable and the atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming.
There wasn’t too much choice at the bar (they had run out of Stella and Becks. can’t remember what I ended up with), but service was quick and it wasn’t difficult to get to the bar to be served
Not a bad venue but wouldn’t make a special effort to go there.

Went here for a Fratellis concert, and absolutely loved it. (The performance and the venue) The building itself is beautiful, and it’s an intimate performance space. Probably the best music venue I’ve been to.

The team at HMV Institute have certainly turned this place around. I’ve only been into the Library area of the Institute since the refurbishment and rebranding, but even that small venue (the former Barfly) is simply stunning. It oozes class and chiqueness in a way many ‘rock’ or ‘indie’ music venues struggle with. The clean new image is great. The line up of artists on the What’s On posters is dotted with some decent heavyweight acts, amongst the little well known acts you come to expect with a venue of this size.
The beer prices during a gig are extortionate… £4 odd for a pint. A joke when you pay through the nose for a ticket. The security team are fairly efficient at getting you through the door and into the venue, but once inside have that ‘jobsworth’ type swag. «You can’t stand there» we were told by one female bouncer with no explanation (or logic) as to why. We were also told by another that we couldn’t leave the venue and come back (we weren’t interested in the second support artist so planned to go get food). «If you leave, you can’t come back in… it’s the policy». No idea why on that either. Otherwise, this venue would have received a shiny 5 stars.
I can’t wait to see the rest of the venue. Hopefully, on my next visit, the creases would have been ironed out.

We went to see Emili Sande in the main auditorium (1500 capacity) at the Institute a little while ago and I have to say that I was blown away. The place has quite a history and has changed uses and names many times in the past (be sure to remember that because people often use one of its old names when referring to it). The main room has a bar and seems a lot smaller than you would think which gives it a very intimate atmosphere. We were down on the floor standing and could not have been more than 5 metres from her on the stage. A brilliant view, great sound and all in a very quirky setting. Some might think that its a bit grungy but I just think that it was old! Getting in was easy, there is parking available not too far away. To be so up close and personal with such a talent was fantastic!

The HMV Institute’s long awaited arrival put the venue into a difficult position: With so much anticipation building around what would become Digbeth’s largest venue, would the whole thing buckle under the pressure? With the shiny new O2 Academy opening on the Bristol Road as well, it could have been a tricky one. Fortunately where the O2 trips on its overpriced, neon shoelaces, the Institute prospers and is an encouraging example of what big, corporate venues could (hopefully) become. As an artist, it seems that the Institute picked up on gluts of local promotional talent, therefore they are always one step ahead of the O2 in terms of local supports and by getting the more interesting touring acts: as an artist, all the staff are really on the ball and still manage to be friendly — a real rarity, sadly! Dare I admit it, I have even occasionally enjoyed the clubnights at the venue. The Full Moon Parties on Wednesday are always particularly rammed and although they may be a tad overpriced, you simply cannot take part without buying a bucket; maybe go easy on them though as they are a guaranteed ticket to drunken embarrassment. Strong stuff. I feel that all three rooms fulfil a function and do it well: From bottom to top you have the Library, the Institute and the Temple. (Institute is the biggest, then the Library, then the Temple) Each are adequately sized, with the floorfillers in the biggest room, you can always catch a moment’s respite upstairs or downstairs where alternative music, the odd indie disco and even some classic cheese are likely to be playing elsewhere. With live music, from big gigs downstairs to smaller and more intimate shows upstairs, sound has always been well mixed and reliable as opposed to the occasionally dodgy sound in the O2. Overall, if it’s a touring band or a crowd pleasing night out you’re after in town, look no further than the Institute.

My debut at HMV Institute was last weekend, when i trekked down to Digbeth to see The Horrors gig. I had a balcony ticket where I could have a stunning view from the venue.
This famous building dated from 1900 has hosted numerous important artists and bands and i just can imagine how magic it is to be at that historical stage. What amazing acoustics and great atmosphere for a considerable small venue.
That was pretty good to find out there are bars inside the site and it’s just impossible to resist drinking a nice beer (or as in my case, some good pints of ciders) while you are enjoying the night! There are plenty of public transport options (trains, buses, taxis) in this locale so there is no reason to drive.
So if you want to see a gig at HMV Institute, don‘t think twice! Buy your ticket because this is one of the finest places to visit in Birmingham!

Proof that a corporate heading from a big company like HMV doesn’t have to mean selling out, the HMV Institute is a commercial yet cool venture that manages to retain the same appeal the same venue had back when it was the Sanctuary, Digbeth’s premier gig venue.
Since it received its timely makeover in late 2010, the place has done well to attract a strong schedule of musical acts. Everyone from Hurts and the Horrors to Cher Lloyd and Kate Nash have played here, while smaller acts have graced the smaller Library venue within the larger building — including Lana Del Rey, who recently chose the place as one of her first ever UK shows. So, the calibre is cool and there’s lots to offer every music fan and this extends to club nights at the weekends, including the revival of Panic which is great news for fans of indie discos everywhere.
Although the interior has been given a lick of paint (and yes, HMV logos do crop up about the place), when walking through the halls and rooms of the Institute, I still recall the nights of misspent youth spent wandering the same space. So, if you liked Panic back in 2006 when indie acts ruled the charts, you should revisit it again and be surprised at how little has changed.

I went to the HMV Institute for the first time this weekend to see Alabama Shakes. The band were AH-​MAZING and I was further entertained by the fact that people kept staring at my friend who kinda looks like the lead singer, Brittany. The venue was cool. If I went again I would try to get seats in the balcony (especially if the gig is on a week night and I’m too tired to stand after being at work all day) I can’t really complain about the sight lines from my standing position downstairs because I’m short and that is in no way the venue’s fault. I didn’t experience the bar staff because I couldn’t be bothered to fight my way out of and then back into the sold-​out crowd, but the staff checking tickets on the way in were polite, helpful and friendly. Once the concert started I stopped whinging about my feet hurting because I was enraptured by the performances. The lighting design was very good and the sound was good too (barring one occasion when the lead singer unplugged the mic trying to remove it from the stand and a couple instances of feedback which were fixed very quickly). I had a great night and would definitely visit the venue again.