Brum Rocks Live

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Sun 14 Jul 2024

Budding rockstars are being invited to join hundreds of singers and musicians in Brum Rocks Live – a large-scale gig taking place in the heart of Birmingham this July.

No musical experience is needed – just a willingness to give it a go and enjoy performing together with other people.

Organised by Moseley-based charity Misfits Music, Brum Rocks Live at Forum Birmingham on July 14 has a choice of tickets - offering people the chance to join in the afternoon to rehearse the songs and play them live in the gig or to attend just the evening where they will be encouraged to sing along.



Misfits Music development manager Rosie Penny explains:“There’s a range of songs a lot of people will know, they are popular rock songs. There are definitely some Brummie bands in there and some classics - but you’ll have to come to find out.”

The concert follows a series of free Brum Rocks Live workshops across Birmingham and Sandwell this spring which have given people a taste of performing together in the run-up to the finale event. “We’ve really seen the benefits they’ve had on people, including a lot of people who wouldn’t have said they were musicians, who would never have joined a choir or joined a band.”

And she adds: “We’ve seen people’s confidence grow, improved wellbeing, and wanting to be involved. Playing or singing music with other people can really improve confidence which then puts waves out into your whole life. It’s kind of like a snowball effect, if you feel confident you feel happier and that affects everything you do.”

Brum Rocks Live will also see the first performance of a new Anthem for Birmingham called Brummie Steel and written by the city’s Poet Laureate Jasmine Gardosi who has been working with Jez Collins, founder of Birmingham Music Archive, to research the musical heritage of the city. The creation of the song was funded through the National Lottery Heritage Fund. “It’s going to be really exciting to have this commission from Jasmine Gardosi, it’s a focal point and you genuinely don’t want to miss it,” says Rob Jones, Misfits Music co-founder and artistic director.

The team were keen to work with Jasmine. “We’ve been following Jasmine’s tenure as Birmingham Poet Laureate and have seen the way she has started to incorporate much more music into her practice so it just felt like she was the right person to write this anthem,” Rob continues. “She has taken to the project really well and the song that has come out of it is amazing – it’s everything we imagined it would be and more. We have really appreciated the involvement of Jez and his input into this, working closely with Jasmine to inform a lot of the heritage element.”



Misfits Music was founded by composer and saxophone player Rob with composer and percussionist Reuben Penny to create opportunities for group music-making activities and bring people together.

One of these projects was a series of online musical workshops during Covid which developed into in-person jamming sessions where the members play together both in the groups and beyond. “With Rodrigo Oquera, our workshop leader, we developed this kind of model which is almost like a guided band session which is very supportive,” Rob explains. “Now those groups are really popular with more than 30 people in each and they will normally do a concert at the end of every term, so three a year. They’ve played at the Hare and Hounds in Kings Heath and The Crossing in Digbeth and at local events and we try to give them lots of opportunities to shine.”

After the success of these groups, Misfits Music was keen to take on a more ambitious project – hence the creation of Brum Rocks Live. So far they have organised more than 60 free workshops in the run-up to the finale event, funded through the National Lottery Community Fund People’s Project.

For the Misfits team, all of the activities are about bringing people together. “I think music is the ultimate connector,” says Rob. “Music is so powerful, it’s a way to connect beyond language and beyond our normal generational boundaries, it just breaks everything down and says ‘we’re not so different, we’re all passionate about the same things’. It’s the thing that people can be passionate about no matter what their background is. If we say this project is about rock music that really captures people’s imaginations and it means that people who are 75 and people who are 25 who all have a passion for rock music are suddenly connecting together with a shared interest.”

And this enthusiasm to give it a go is central to Brum Rocks Live. “It’s about the feeling of a mass event and being together and playing together,” Rob explains. “During that rehearsal on the day we will teach everyone everything they will need in order to take part in the final performance.”

Whether people have attended workshops or the afternoon rehearsal or are just there for the Brum Rocks Live gig in the evening, Rosie says they will enjoy a memorable experience. “Just imagine you are in this room filled with all of these people who are all playing and singing at the same time,” she says. “Just the feeling of being part of something that is much bigger than yourself is going to be something very special.”

Tickets for Brum Rocks Live on July 14 at Forum Birmingham are available at here.

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