Bramall Music Building

Well… Birmingham University… Being an Ex-​UCE (now BCU) Graduate, I haven’t actually had call to visit the campus very much in my 10 years in Birmingham. I have been down to see friends and head to «Astronomy Live!», but this week was my first trip to Bramall Music Building.
First thing to note (if you haven’t been before) is that the campus is gorgeous. Being an old «red brick» University, the architecture and greenery is something to behold (especially if you are used to a concrete jungle of a campus like my BCU Perry Barr). On the particular night we visited the sun was shining and the students were out on the grass playing with Poi and soaking up the last of the days rays.
After meeting with friends at a coffee shop on site (it was a chain, unfortunately, so nothing to report there), we wandered through the Campus to the clock tower area. Bramall Music Building is a fairly new development on Campus (meaning it’s been renovated to still be in keeping with the historic buildings surrounding it), so it’s still clean, fresh and shiny.
Upon entry through the glass doors you walk into a small (but perfectly formed) bar and seating area. The bar was serving bottled beers, wine, spirits, soft drinks and various snacks. Two bottled beers (Birra Morretti) at the venue was £7, which I didn’t think was too bad considering it was a music venue. We grabbed out tickets and waited for the announcement to head in.
Upon entry, I was struck by how much it was like Symphony Hall… Just much smaller. The staging area is very generous and the seating has been designed so everyone gets a decent view of the performance. There are two levels of seating, but again, you would get a brilliant visual and aural experience no matter where you are in the hall.
We were there for a performance of the Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers on Tuesday night. The venue was designed for live drumming! Loud, clear and exciting — the performance was mind blowing. Even the artists themselves commented on how fantastic the venue was for live sound. The staff were also pretty good the whole time, although there was a bit of a mix up when it was announced there was to be «no Flash Photography» rather than «no photography» during the performance; hence my illicit photos. I might have had a tiny telling off!
All in all, if there is a performance on that you fancy at Bramall, grab a ticket. It’s hosting a whole range of different events over the next few months; so keep an eye out and immerse yourself in a treat for the ears!

I attended Birmingham uni a while ago but being a student of science I never ventured here but last night we attended the Mugenkyo Taiko drumming concert.
The Elgar Concert Hall is very much like a mini Symphony Hall and the acoustics are first rate. The sound was all encompassing yet not overbearing, the staff friendly sorting out a confusing mis-​print on our tickets with no fuss. The small bar and coffee area is well stocked and relatively reasonably priced.
The major plus point for me was the seating. Normally I find I have major butt ache by the end of a concert or play but not so here! Kudos to the uni for considering the comfort of their patrons here!

Visited the Bramall for it’s opening concert today and had an excellent time. It is a great venue, in an amazing new building. There is a small coffee shop in the foyer which also serves wines and beers.