O2 Academy

This is a review I have been wanting to do for a while now, but have always been reluctant. Largely because until a few weeks ago I had only been to the relocated Academy once. It was five or six years ago to watch Seasick Steve and to be quite honest I remember very little of that night, except badly poured Guinness, being to far away to see properly and bad sound. On the seventh of this month I made my second visit, with my girlfriend who had never been to the relocated Academy before. The reason we were there was to see Doug Stanhope and hopefully get three sheets to the wind, the latter was difficult with a bar that pulled its shutters down at 10 p.m.
We got there for quarter to 6, the doors were due to open at 6:30, so just enough time to smoke two joints around the corner on the grass to get the evening started right. We cued up at about quarter past 6 and was still only about the tenth in line. security has really tightened up Since the Academy has been relocated and from what I could see every bag was checked, as opposed to the old dale end venue where it was based on if they thought you looked suspicious or drunk enough to get the pat down. Interesting point, the old Academy was a favourite hangout of mine since early teens and for as long as I can remember I was always singled out and got felt up on suspicion of carrying some sort of contraband. This time round no pat down and the seven or eight spliffs that were nestled in my glasses case went rightfully unchecked.
So different to the dale end days, when regularly I would be stuffing wraps into various ‘secret’ pockets in my overcoat and carefully placing a quarter bag under the arch of my foot in my boot in order to out wit the lacklustre security staff before going in. They never found anything on me, although I do remember the occasional argument over whether or not they had the right to confiscate poppers, an argument I usually lost. The only time I ever thought I would be barred for life from the Academy was about 10 years ago, when I had my steel comb taken off me at the door. My steel comb is an old one that my dad gave me years ago, its made of tough steel and doesn’t bend or flex. It also sharpens down to a razors edge really easily. Whenever I was going in somewhere I knew I would be searched I would hide it in the lining of my coat, but this one time I forgot I even had it on me. I got the pat down and the guy pulled it straight out of my back pocket, he said it was an offensive weapon and I wasn’t allowed to take it in. I was waiting for him to say he was going to call the police or at least confiscate it permanently, he went on to say that I could use it to rake someones eyes, he hadn’t even noticed it was filed down. He was holding it at the narrower end, it was only sharpened half way down on the wider side, he put it in his trouser pocket and told me I could have it back before I leave. Later when I went up to ask for my comb back, I remember him saying, «and don’t bring it again», as he whipped it out of his pocket and towards me. It was the very second that I had taken it from his hand and slipped it back into my back pocket that he realised, his pocket was sliced with a 2 inch gash… I saw it happen the moment he took it out of his pocket a little to quickly. Upon entering the ‘new’ Academy the only contact we had with security was when we were told ‘no filming and no flash photography’, (a rule that was repeated to us later and far more articulately by Bingo Bingaman). As if my girlfriend and I are the kind of classless cunts that would be at a live event watching through the lens of a camera phone.
As neither of us were carrying a bag we were able to get in swiftly and without fuss. I quickly grabbed two front seats and my girlfriend went to get robbed at the bar. We were buying four pints a time every hour for three hours and not coming back with much change from £20 each time. The Guinness we were drinking wasn’t even from the tap, it was poured badly from cans that were sold for three times the amount you’d pay for one in the shops. After the show, which finished at 9:30, we thought we’d just hang at the bar for an hour before moving on somewhere else. Yes, it was a Wednesday night in Brum but as neither of us had work the next day, we decided to make a night of it. By 9:45 the one side of the bar had its shutters down, by 9:55 the bar was completely closed and we were being literally swept out the door. By 10:05 we were in The Fox on Hurst street drinking double vodka and cokes that cost half the price of the beer in the Academy. It was also the place where my drunken girlfriend stole a j2o glass, (for some reason only known to her!). By midnight we were on the bus on the way home with 2 litres of coke and a litre of Russian Standard. Honestly, the only reason for the two star rating is because it was Doug Stanhopes first time playing Birmingham and he chose to play at the Academy, they get one for that!

First, the good. Its a decent venue, the right size to still feel intimate yet a fair few people get to see the band. Its not like the NIA where you need binoculars to see what is going on, sound isn’t great and its all a bit impersonal
The negative is that this brand basically perpetuates ticket touting by the simple way it is set up and sells tickets. Unless you have an O2 phone and contract you are, frankly, screwed if you want to see any band with even a modicum of a following. You can hang on the phone until tickets go on sale at 9.00am and I guarantee that you will be told that they are sold out at 10 seconds past 9.00am.
The reason for this is that O2 operate a presale for customers, so tickets have been on sale for days before the general sale. This results in tickets being re-​sold at huge premiums on all the well known re-​sale sites or by touts outside the venue.
Being honest, if you are local, go to the venue… sit outside until the touts are getting desperate and bargain them down… ultimately they get £10, £20 or go home with worthless paper in their pockets.
O2 do a lot to promote music in the UK but really fail in this aspect.

Pretty good overall for a venue of this size (3500 or so capacity in the main room).
Decent sight lines, ok sound, solid staff & service. The sound, like in most rooms this size, tends to be best around the center 20 — 40 feet from the stage. Can be murky elsewhere.
Easy walk location from New St Station is also a plus for those making the trek from out of town like I did.

The O2 Academy provides facilities for a wide range of events; from weekly occurrences to gigs and concerts. The nightlife that they provide, it being Propaganda, was a great place to go to on a Friday night when Propaganda was first established in the Birmingham area. It was promoted and advertised in every student location in Birmingham and still is, however, not so many people go anymore which is a shame because it was actually a good venue that sold cheap drinks back in its prime. Now I only go to the O2 Academy when gigs are being held and it’s such a great venue when there is a gig performing. The bar can get extremely crowded and sometimes not enough staff are working making it difficult and long to order drinks but the sound system they provide is amazing!

Besides taking an anti-​corporate stance and choosing to support independent venues more often than visiting the O2, the odd visit is inevitable. Sadly, even with a massive multi-​million pound relocation onto the Bristol Road, the gaudy veneer of a chain venue translates into a sobering experience for the average punter:
Extortionate bar prices are probably the O2’s number one offence. It’s all the usual lager and spirits you can expect, but don’t ever to offer to buy a round if you plan on paying this month’s rent… The sound is pretty lacklustre from both sides of the stage from previous experience. Have constantly been frustrated either on the stage or in front of it. Compared to the Hare, the Flapper and even the recent Ballroom it sorely lacks a personal and locally conscious touch that has helped music venues survive during financially trying times.
An unnecessary and expensive experience overall, although Propaganda is quite fun if the idea of nostalgically pogoing to Bloc Party and Vampire Weekend after a few pints and feeling really alternative appeals at all.

Having moved here a couple of years ago they certainly took the time to brand the space and make it shiny, however it never seems to escape the sticky floor syndrome predominantly standing music venue that chooses weird vinyl over wood.
It’s a great gig venue and for those that can’t be bothered to stand there are some seats on the balcony to the main academy room. Within the same building there are also rooms 2 and 3 where multiple gigs can happen in all rooms on the same night. Whilst the venue’s sign telling you whose on can be amusing when this happens and you see your fave emo band name (The Get Up Kids) alongside mega dance stars (The Scissor Sisters) the sounds can be off and affected. If you are seeing a band in one of the smaller academy’s it can be spot the merch in the dark as they don’t have a designated section they can effectively light. If you are seeing someone in the main room then there always seems to be an added premium to the merch.
As a big venue they also have their club nights and whilst often busy the toilet area is often more hellish than any other club with its narrow layout. What I hate about big gig venues that double as club spaces is the open wallet surgery when you attend the gig and then the cheap prices for the club. If only they could be consistent across both as main academy shows often have more attendees than the club nights.
As for the music in the mains room on club night, well it seemed a bit too mainstream indie with some very obvious classic, 10 years old plus, punk or metal tracks. Can do better in my opinion as not everyone comes for the cheap booze.

As well as being home to various concerts and events throughout the year, the O2 Academy also hosts Propaganda on a Friday night. A night that has fast become one of the biggest and most popular club destinations.
The O2 Academy provides various rooms, each playing a specific type of music, in order to appeal to the different visitors who head to Propaganda every Friday night.
Located fairly in walking distance from Broad Street, Moor Street and New Street, Propaganda is considered an ideal destination for different a range of Birmingham’s avid club goers.
Propaganda is seen as one of the cheaper nights out in Birmingham, offering an array of drinks at extremely competitive prices.
All in all, Friday night at the O2 Academy is definitely worth a visit, offering different genres of music, able to satisfy anyone’s musical preference.

Since its highly publicised move from its former premises on Dale End, the city’s popular O2 Academy has thrived in its new, larger home. Formerly the Dome nightclub, the ‘new’ Academy (it’s been located on Bristol Street now since 2009) has continued to offer the best in mainstream and indie music acts but has upgraded to a far more inviting and spacious building.
The primary Academy room is where the biggest name acts play, and it’s definitely an improvement on the old Academy which always felt a bit like a hole in the ground in my opinion. It’s not exactly like there are chandeliers on the ceiling or anything, so it’s still welcoming to youngsters who want to messily mosh along to their favourite indie rock band, but it’s certainly far nicer than what we had before. Upstairs is balcony seating too, while two smaller venues — imaginatively titled the Academy 2 and Academy 3 — showcase buzz names and acts who are well-​kept secrets.
While the various venues are host to gigs throughout the week, Friday is home to the hit Propaganda club night which offers a three-​room alternative to Snobs. The queues to get in are a bit of a pain, and the queues at the bars are even more frustrating, but the dancefloor is definitely a fun place to dance with mates to the latest indie, dubstep and electro hits. Look out too for special guest DJs — everyone from Ellie Goulding, Noah & the Whale and Jay from ‘The Inbetweeners’ has spun favourite records downstairs in the main room.