As the ticking clock to 2014 get louder… and LOUder… and LOUDER, we’ve cherry picked a few of our favourite venues to see what they’re bringing to the New Year’s Eve bun fight.
Plus we’re running a 10 WORD NEW YEAR’S EVE REVIEW competition for all of the events featured, where you can win tickets to a multitude of Birmingham venues. Check out our Paid for Content page & Support Our Stories for more info.
So with a short overview, appropriate links, and a note from our Editor – here is a Birmingham Preview of New Year’s Eve 2013/4:
Ort Café
Offering a ‘Fantasy New Year’s Eve Party’, Balsall Heath based Ort Café is finishing the year with a live show from Free School – the Birmingham based purveyors of ‘sunny Balearic sounds of summer and the icy kosmiche sounds of winter’. Fancy dress is optional, with Free School potentially performing behind ‘masks of lamb’.
Price: £8 advance
Times: 9pm onwards
Link: http://ortcafe.co.uk/?p=3748
Ed’s note… One of Birmingham’s more encouraging venues with one of Birmingham’s more encouraging acts playing; all in all, Ort Café’s NYE bash is very… I’ve been a big fan of what Ort Café are up to and Birmingham Review has seen some cracking gigs there in 2013 – Daisy Chapman & Rhiannon Mair being a personal highlight. One to keep watching in 2014
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Cherry Reds (Kings Heath)
Adopting the almost ubiquitous ‘Speakeasy’ approach, Cherry Reds (Kings Heath) are committing a serious act of event altruism by holding a free party this New Year’s Eve. Cosy, compact & considered, Cherry Reds has been a welcome alternative to the York Street blossom of recent years – but you’ll probably have to get there early to squeeze yourself in on NYE.
Price: Free
Times: Open from 10am – 1am
Link: http://www.cherryreds.com/events.html
Ed’s note… There’s a lot to like about Cherry Reds (Kings Heath); from the beer to the burgers it’s a cracking little place to spend some time/money. Not sure how it’ll fare with a New Year’s Eve rush though, and the possible drunk overspill from its well attended neighbor; but the free entry NYE offer deserves a nod of approval
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The Victoria / Island Bar
Bitters ‘n’ Twisted have tied their John Bright/Suffolk St venues together for a double whammy New Year’s Eve. With a mix of music from Northern Soul, Motown, Disco & Rock to ‘ferocious funk and guerrilla groove’, whatever the latter may turn out to be. One very reasonably priced ticket allows you to jump between the two neighbouring venues.
Price: £8 advance / £10 on the door
Times: 9pm – 3am
Link: http://www.thevictoriabirmingham.co.uk/#/new-years-eve
Ed’s note… Steadily marching through Birmingham, Bitters ‘n’ Twisted have been breathing life into old dogs for a few years now; with a very sexy array of venues in their current portfolio. But The Victoria is one of my favourites, and the NYE door price would be acceptable for just the John Bright St venue. But with two more floors of parties at the Island Bar thrown in for a tenner or under, we salute you.
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The Church
Another free party, this time from The Church in Hockey (Great Hampton St). Soul Food Soundsytem will be bringing a ‘mix of funk, soul, hip-hop and New Orleans magic’ to the JQ New Year’s table, plus the occasional roof top roast chestnut.
Price: Free
Times: Undisclosed
Link: http://www.churchjq.co.uk/events/new-years-eve-2/
Ed’s note… Worth it for the Whiskey cocktails alone. The Church is another favourite of mine; with a solid kitchen, gregarious staff and a lavish cocktail menu. Especially the Whiskey ones. And although they could probably have charged and comfortably got away with it, they’re opening their NYE doors for free.
Did I mention the Whiskey cocktails..?
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The Glee Club
Offering only comedy on New Year’s Eve, The Glee Club has sold out its Main Room party but is extending into the Studio Room for extra capacity. Comedians Andy Robinson, Ian Coppinger, Romesh Ranganathan & Andrew Lawrence will all be performing stand up in both rooms – but for a decreased ticket price in the smaller Studio. Food is only available in the Main Room.
Price: £20 Studio Room
Times: 8:30pm until close
Link: http://www.glee.co.uk/birmingham-comedy#birmingham-new-years-eve-comedy
Ed’s note… Gigs at The Glee Club are a joy to review. Markus Sargeant has built a cracking music programme, bringing acts & artists that you wouldn’t see elsewhere in Birmingham. Or perhaps you just wouldn’t want to. Some of my most memorable reports have been from The Glee Club, and although Birmingham Review hasn’t delved into their comedy offerings yet…
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For more details on our 10 WORD NEW YEAR’S EVE REVIEW competition, visit our Paid for Content page & Support Our Stories.
Happy New Year from all at Birmingham Review