5 episodes
At The Mermaid Home of Metal
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- History
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5.0 • 11 Ratings
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Home of Metal presents 'At The Mermaid'. The Mermaid was a large, dilapidated pub in Sparkhill, a working-class neighbourhood three miles south of Birmingham city centre. The laid-back landlords welcomed teenage punks, hippies and rockers to play weirdo music in the upstairs room, charging very little money for very bad cider. The Mermaid became a hub of DIY music scene in the 1980s, with £1 gigs, punk all-dayers, 'zine and tape swapping. It was also a site of political education for many, and hunt saboteurs gathered at the Mermaid before taking direct action.
In creating this podcast, we interviewed people who were part of the Mermaid scene, featuring contributions from Justin Broadrick (Napalm Death, Godflesh, Final), Nicholas Bullen (Napalm Death), Stig C Miller (Amebix), Steve Charlesworth (Heresy), Steve Watson (Cerebral Fix), Mark Freeth (Ausgang) and more musicians and fans who made the Mermaid a vital place for underground music.
Music heritage is all about the stories we tell around these little scenes, shining a torch on underground histories that could otherwise be forgotten in a haze of scrumpy and mushrooms.
Created by Home of Metal, presented by Sarah Lafford, produced by Alice Rosenthal.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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4 - Punk's Not Dead
Our final episode looks at the lasting impact of The Mermaid, and its effects on people's lives. What it meant to be an outsider, and the power to be gained from finding your people. To create this podcast, we interviewed people who were part of the Mermaid scene, including Justin Broadrick (Napalm Death, Godflesh, Final), Nicholas Bullen (Napalm Death), Stig C. Miller (Amebix), Steve Charlesworth (Heresy), Steve Watson (Cerebral Fix), Mark Freeth (Ausgang) and more musicians and fans who made the Mermaid a vital place for underground music.
Music heritage is all about the stories we tell around these little scenes, shining a torch on underground histories that could otherwise be forgotten in a haze of scrumpy and mushrooms.
Created by Home of Metal, presented by Sarah Lafford, produced by Alice Rosenthal.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
3 - Louder, Faster, Noisier
In this episode we hear about the iconic gigs at The Mermaid - it's seen by many as the birthplace of grindcore - and there was lots of other noise being made in this pub in Sparkhill too. Napalm Death were regulars on the stage, but, it seems, they weren't responsible for the loudest gig ever to be played on that corner of the Stratford Road... To create this podcast, we interviewed people who were part of the Mermaid scene, including Justin Broadrick (Napalm Death, Godflesh, Final), Nicholas Bullen (Napalm Death), Stig C. Miller (Amebix), Steve Charlesworth (Heresy), Steve Watson (Cerebral Fix), Mark Freeth (Ausgang) and more musicians and fans who made the Mermaid a vital place for underground music.
Music heritage is all about the stories we tell around these little scenes, shining a torch on underground histories that could otherwise be forgotten in a haze of scrumpy and mushrooms.
Created by Home of Metal, presented by Sarah Lafford, produced by Alice Rosenthal.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
2 - Punks, Politics, Performance
In this episode we learn more about The Mermaid - how it was a hub for some groups - and the political background of 1980s Birmingham. The Mermaid was a hub for alternative thinking aswell as music, and is seen by many as the birthplace of grindcore. To create this podcast, we interviewed people who were part of the Mermaid scene, including Justin Broadrick (Napalm Death, Godflesh, Final), Nicholas Bullen (Napalm Death), Stig C. Miller (Amebix), Steve Charlesworth (Heresy), Steve Watson (Cerebral Fix), Mark Freeth (Ausgang) and more musicians and fans who made the Mermaid a vital place for underground music.
Music heritage is all about the stories we tell around these little scenes, shining a torch on underground histories that could otherwise be forgotten in a haze of scrumpy and mushrooms.
Created by Home of Metal, presented by Sarah Lafford, produced by Alice Rosenthal.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
1 - Setting the Stage
In this episode we're introduced to The Mermaid, a large dilapidated pub in Sparkhill, in Birmingham. In the 1980s it was a hub for alternative music, and is seen by many as the birthplace of grindcore. To create this podcast, we interviewed people who were part of the Mermaid scene, including Justin Broadrick (Napalm Death, Godflesh, Final), Nicholas Bullen (Napalm Death), Stig C. Miller (Amebix), Steve Charlesworth (Heresy), Steve Watson (Cerebral Fix), Mark Freeth (Ausgang) and more musicians and fans who made the Mermaid a vital place for underground music.
Music heritage is all about the stories we tell around these little scenes, shining a torch on underground histories that could otherwise be forgotten in a haze of scrumpy and mushrooms.
Created by Home of Metal, presented by Sarah Lafford, produced by Alice Rosenthal.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
At The Mermaid - Trailer
Home of Metal presents 'At The Mermaid'. The Mermaid was a large, dilapidated pub in Sparkhill, a working-class neighbourhood three miles south of Birmingham city centre. The laid-back landlords welcomed teenage punks, hippies and rockers to play weirdo music in the upstairs room, charging very little money for very bad cider. The Mermaid became a hub of DIY music scene in the 1980s, with £1 gigs, punk all-dayers, zine and tape swapping. It was also a site of political education for many, and hunt saboteurs gathered at the Mermaid before taking direct action.
In creating this podcast, we interviewed people who were part of the Mermaid scene, featuring contributions from Justin Broadrick (Napalm Death, Godflesh, Final), Nicholas Bullen (Napalm Death), Stig C Miller (Amebix), Steve Charlesworth (Heresy), Steve Watson (Cerebral Fix), Mark Freeth (Ausgang) and more musicians and fans who made the Mermaid a vital place for underground music.
Music heritage is all about the stories we tell around these little scenes, shining a torch on underground histories that could otherwise be forgotten in a haze of scrumpy and mushrooms.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Customer Reviews
This is absolutely brilliant
I’m not into this music but I love learning about subcultures in general so clicked play. Devoured all the episodes. Well done to everyone involved in putting it together as well as the oldschool Mermaid crew who built a scene with meaning for what sounds to me like decent people. Would love to hear more.
A fascinating insight in to a part of Birmingham Music History
As a gig goer in Birmingham since the early 2000’s, hearing about the venues, musical movements, bands, gigs from the years way before, stories told my older friends I’ve made in the city through a common love of music, is something I love, as a full on music obsessive ‘lifer’ and this podcast provided me with a whole new section of the city’s musical history, be it the stories told by those who attended the gigs, the bands themselves, the political/social state of the country and city, fascinating stuff, and it’s great that the story of such a significant venue to the city, to the creation of a musical style/genre has been told with such passion, love, and thought out into it.