Live music booming in Birmingham

Since January, more than 860 gigs have been performed in grassroots venues across the city via booking platform GigPig, showcasing the catalytic impact that the live music marketplace is having on artists and venues as GigPig continues its mission to empower musicians to grow and democratise the music industry.

Further analysis of GigPig’s data shows that a staggering 60% of artists booked in Birmingham via the GigPig platform between June 2022 and May 2023 were instrumental/vocalists and DJs. Solo singers accounted for 14% of venue bookings, while bands stood at just 7%.

Showcasing the eclectic mix of tastes, 70 saxophonists, seven pianists and two choirs have also registered via the GigPig platform to perform in the heart of the West Midlands.

Saturday night has been the most popular time of the week for punters soaking up the atmosphere of live music in the city, with the majority of gigs starting at 8pm on Saturdays. The top three genres performed in Birmingham are R&B, Soul and Pop.

Looking at the UK-wide picture, DJs are proving most in demand, with 53% of all gigs nationwide providing a platform for this type of live artist. Solo singers represent 21% and bands account for 9% of gigs booked by venues.

GigPig has signed up hundreds of artists and venues in Birmingham. Venues include Crazy Pedros, Manahatta, NQ64 and Albert’s Schloss. The majority of artists performing in the city hail from a 12-mile radius, which is helping to nurture and support talent from the region.

The data is being released ahead of the UK’s festival and beer garden season getting underway. Summer is renowned to be one of the busiest times of the year for live music, boosting the hospitality sector and attracting audiences to grassroots venues.

Michael Forster, CEO of GigPig, said: “Live music has the power to create a buzz in venues like nothing else. The broad mix of genres and artists booked in Birmingham shows there is a strong appetite for a range of music tastes, which means there is something for all venues to book and audiences to enjoy.

“We’re absolutely delighted to be the catalyst for a diverse range of artists being able to gig in their preferred locations - they are the lifeblood of our night time economy. We’re committed to revolutionising the music industry and supporting the hospitality sector. We can’t wait to see how the live music scene now evolves in Birmingham!”

Birmingham-based DJ Sami, known as DJ Hussy, has been gigging since he was 14 when he was chosen to perform at the VIP guest area for Wireless Festival. He signed up to GigPig last year and is known for playing a variety of dance music genres.

Sami said: “Being able to make a living from playing music is a dream. I love music and being able to share the passion with people in my career as a DJ and radio professional on a daily basis is crazy.

Working with GigPig and DJing at the venues allows me to build on my brand, play music I don't always get to share and build networks as I work my way into the music and media industry.

“Since joining GigPig I’ve secured gigs in lots of new venues in Birmingham - I love variety so hopefully I can work with loads of new places in the coming months as well.”

GigPig, a platform which gives artists free access to find, play and get paid for gigs in venues of all sizes across the UK, rolled out its pilot launch in June 2022. In October, GigPig expanded to ten cities across the UK and it now represents more than 3,500 live music performers. GigPig also works with more than 600 venues nationwide.

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