Suki10c

I love Birmingham; it is a vibrant, creative, diverse and historical city. Digbeth lies at the cities south side and has changed dramatically over the years.
I never ventured to Digbeth in my childhood; it was an area of industry and manufacturing, not a shopping centre or a high street. In terms of architecture, little has changed in Digbeth since then. The industrial buildings are part of our cities history and they have stood there since the industrial revolution, yet their purpose now has changed.
The end British manufacturing ensured Digbeths decline.
That, however changed as arts and creativity took hold of the area. The Custard Factory is now a hub for the arts and independent businesses. Sadly, Digbeth lacks an intimate music venue. That is until now.
Today I found what I was looking for; a newly opened hidden gem in Digbeth’s gentrified core. If you take a short walk up Meriden Street you will know what I’m talking about.
Walk past the red letter box on Meriden Street and Suki10c is instantly recognisable by its artistic frontage. They have taken a traditional old boozer and have covered the frontage in stunning works of contemporary urban art.
The artists that have contributed to painting on the outside of the pubs walls are Mac 1, Juice 126, Tempo 33, Ouch!, N4T4 and Philth, some seriously talented and well recognised artists.
When most people think of urban art they think of Banksy. In creative terms, Banksy is just the tip of the iceberg in what has become a global phenomenon in art.
At the core of the iceberg lies Suki10c (pron. Suck it and see)
When I stepped inside Suki10c I was welcomed to an intimate and inviting environment where it was clear that the pervasive theme of this establishment is as a creative hub in an ever expanding artistic and creative community.
The music policy is across the board, they have open mic nights fortnightly on a Thursday. The remaining Thursdays are dedicated to DJ Dojo night where they play breaks and old school Hip Hop. I hope they start a battle rap night. The venue would be perfect for it.
There is a stage that is perfect for bands and DJ’s and they have quality 5k soundsystem. The acoustics are perfect for heavy bass and midrange beats. I can’t wait to see a band play here.
The staff were friendly and told me that the establishment was galvanised by a talented soul that died age 26 in a car crash. His name was Chris ‘Kreios’ Lloyd. He was heavily involved in the Birmingham music scene for many years and will be sorely missed by his friends and family. A portrait of him sits in pride of place behind the bar. The most touching aspect I found was the stained glass window at the entrance that was made by his mother in her son’s memory. Rest in Peace Kreios.
Suki10c is the next main venue in Birmingham; it will have a great future and will give many great memories to a great number of people.

When i firstwent into suki10c about a month before it it was openedthe direction Dav wanted to take it was clear and its exactly what birmingham needed.
A tiny live urban music bar, with local décor done by local artists. The outside is almost finished and is eye catchingand is sure to become a Digbeth landmark. The inside is still being developed so itll be fun to see how quickly it evolves into its final stages
The other reviews hav covered how the names a play on words and its abit rude. But what they havent said is how some insane rappers arealwasy including suki10c in their lyrics. As soon as i heard a rapper on stage use the name i knew it was a stroke of genius.
The opening night was great from what i caught of it, an insane trio of london rappers brought the place to life, followed by some decent DJ sets. A highlight for me was during the DJ set a guy from the dance floor jumpedon stage and started rapping over the Djs mix in polish, not sure if this was planned or not but it was amazing.
The drinks are basic at the moment, bottled drinks and limited sprits, but the prices are low and its enough for now, by the tim you read this no doubt they would of had more stock.
The nights lined up for the venue are already crazy, check out Brum Town Presents this thursday hosted by the lovely guys at EatGood records, featuring my very own Chromosome band playing the backing tracks.

I Love the amount of venues that are appearing in Digbeth, and Suki10c is the newest edition to this thriving area; it certainly doesn’t let the side down either. It took me waaaaay too long to understand what the venue name actually meant, but slowly and surely, I finally put together ‘Suki10c’ and ‘suck it ‘n’ see’. I probably should have realised sooner!
The Spotted Dog has been sitting as an empty shell since forever, and it’s about time the once-​flourishing space was re-​established and redesigned. I went to the venue for the return of cinematic club night STRAX, which was surrounded perfectly by the darkened black-​painted true ‘underground’ décor. The space feels very exclusive, but at the same time inclusive. In other words, the atmosphere is very welcoming, as well as being exciting and fresh to new customers, who are amongst the first to embrace its doors.
The sound resonates greatly throughout the venue, which works perfectly for both live and DJ sets. I also love how some of the seats are converted beer barrels, which keeps in with the Spotted Dog pub past. The windows also reflect this, as the original beautiful pains of glass are kept as oppose to a modernisation. The owners has really thought long and hard on developing a great a unique space. The bar is also very inexpensive for drinks, and they stock a wide selection. £3 Jagerbombs isn’t bad!
I’m excited to try the ‘sound 4 a pound’ nights on Saturdays, and I think you should be too!

I was actually there checking the graffiti one day before the launch of Suki10c because some of my friends were responsible for the refurbishment of this venue and I can say it’s a wicked new place! Inside and outside! The venue is huge and it’s supposed to be a 24 hours bar as well. What else can we ask for?
They were testing the sound and it’s damn loud so I imagine the night out at Suki10c is not for neighborhood areas. I’m glad they are renewing such an important place from Digbeth. The old Spotted Dog on the corner of Meriden St and Bordesley St is back to live and it calls now Suki10c! Spot on!

I sucked it; I saw; it was pretty damn good to be fair.
Suki10c is the new and improved version of The Spotted Dog, on the corner of Bordesley and Meriden Street; just over the road from Latif’s.
The venue is a joint venture by Dave Whittall of Drop Beats Not Bombs fame and Laur Beech.
Now officially open to the public, this tiny bar and music venue is sure to appeal to the fallout from the Medicine Bar with a great mix of live music from many up and coming dubstep, rap, hip-​hop and grime artists.
You can’t miss it as it stands proud in matte black, covered in vibrant street art. The interior also boasts some fine artwork and there is a seating area plus a cosy courtyard. The capacity may be small at around 150 people but this doesn’t stop Suki10c from feeling busy and full of new faces.
The bar is closed from Mon to Wed but is open Thursdays and 24 hours all weekend.
So if you, like me, are missing the glory days of the Medicine Bar then this is the place to go. It’s close to town but far enough into Digbeth to have that edge, the artists are raw and exciting and the sound is immense.
Find them on Facebook for more info.