The Barrel Organ and was a flourishing indie/alternative gig venue and drinking hole during the 1980s and early 1990s located in Digbeth.
The Institute night club in Digbeth opened in the summer of 1990 with big ideas of revolutionising Birmingham club life and majorly failed to live-up to expectations falling into administration within a mere 12 months of opening.
Whilst The Railway, the Barrell Organ and Edward’s Number 8 are frequently cited and recalled as prime examples of the local gig ‘industry’ back in the day, one venue appears to have slipped from the radar; Mega’s Wine Bar on Old Square.
The Old Railway pub in Curzon Street played host to a vast number of gigs during its two periods in operation and was a mainstay of the Birmingham music scene over several decades.