House of God celebrates its 21st anniversary on Saturday 22nd February. Birmingham’s long running Techno led club comes to The Rainbow for another all night affair.
Taking over the Digbeth venue’s Warehouse & Garden, the HOG 21st birthday bash will be a mix of Old Skool (obligatory ‘k’), Drum ‘n’ Bass, House and Techno.
Familiar faces pepper the lineup, with PCM (who are also celebrating their 25th anniversary), Richie Swift and DJ Ratty leading the breakbeats in Room 2. Room 3 sees DJ Stacked, Deadbeat and Harvey Lane playing Wonky Disco & House. Whilst on babysitting duty in the main room are HOG residents Surgeon, Terry Donovan, Sir Real, Nicky B and Paul Damage – with Scottish Techno/Electronica DJ/Producer Neil Landstrumm performing a live set, next to a Blacknecks ‘exclusive worldwide debut’. All we need now are the candles.
House of God began at Birmingham University 21 yea… clues in the title. Establishing its name with regular by-monthly parties at The Institute’s downstairs Dance Factory venue (begat Barfly, begat Sanctuary, begat Library…), HOG pushed the independent promoter’s bar higher with some well remembered all night events at The Que Club (begat open, begat shut, begat open again). With a clear focus on the music, HOG’s endorsement was reassuringly strong – bringing punters and players to the Birmingham underground from all over Europe.
After The Institute went into receivership in the late 1990’s, House of God took refuge at The Subway Club (now called The Tunnel Club) where the Techno baby blew out its 20 candles last year.
Now coming to The Rainbow for its 21st birthday, HOG has remained unashamedly underground. Expect a well considered line up, spanking production, the occasional strobe light and a room full of addled memories – or as the House of God’s rather clandestine promo blurb puts it ‘quality music, mind blowing production and a healthy dose of irreverent naughtiness to produce one of the original no-nonsense hedonistic party nights’.
House of God comes to The Rainbow for its 21st anniversary on Saturday 22nd February. For more info & tickets, visit http://www.theticketsellers.co.uk/tickets/house-of-god-21st-birthday/10030051?ref=let_aft
Follow House of God @hogbham
For more from The Rainbow Venues, visit http://www.therainbowvenues.co.uk
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Ed’s note….
Like a school reunion meets Event Horizon (in a good, Tekkno kind of way) this is an event that will be tinged in nostalgia for some and simply rooted in rave antics for others. Catering for clubland’s young, old, possibly too old or slightly dangerous, House of God has been a fixture on Birmingham’s club scene for an impressive tenure – the fact it’s now 21 makes me feel all kinds of funny.
It’s been possibly too long to comment, but House of God established itself in a time when Birmingham’s dance club scene was a little more open, accessible and achievable for fledgling promoters. The result being a lot of empty rooms, some pillaged credit cards, a healthy revenue stream for Tucky and Dawn Printers and the occasional golden nugget. House of God was the latter (and maybe sometimes one of the former) and nurtured a loyal following from a no nonsense approach to music and considered production. In short, you went for the night and the people, then the residents, then the big scary baby head – any headliner was a bonus.
There are people I know from HOG nights at The Dance Factory that still great me as an earnest old friend when I see them walking through town – our only connection being House of God. It warms the cockles.
So happy 21st birthday House of God; with all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams Birmingham’s clubland can still be a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy (and bless Terry Donovan).
Ed King is editor of Birmingham Review. Follow him @EdKing2210