Birmingham’s biggest band rocked out at Forum Birmingham.
Misfits Music Foundation’s 14 month Brum Rocks project culminated in Birmingham’s biggest rock band on Sunday 14th July at Forum Birmingham with 400 musicians, singers, audience members coming together for a live concert hosted by BRMB’s Luke Crawford.
The show opened with Hit the Dhol whose bhangra beats had everyone up on their feet along with encouraging everyone to sing along to their adaptations of Its Coming Home and Sweet Caroline ahead of the Euro 2024 final.
The highlight of the rock concert, however, was the new anthem from Jasmine Gardosi Brummie Steel, which is inspired by Birmingham’s industrial roots and its unique identity as a super-diverse city encouraging us to celebrate our differences as its this mixture that makes the city stronger.
Jasmine herself performed along with the Brum Rocks participants all beat boxing and chanting:
“Brutally, beautiful, people of Brum
Breaking the boundaries and blending as one
“Brutally, beautiful, people of Brum
Bigger and badder and better as one.”
Brum Rocks participants and audiences were also surprised with some special video well wishes from rock legends including Fyfe Dangerfield of the Guillemots; Joan Armatrading; Nick Mason CBE of Pink Floyd; Rob Halford of Judas Priest and Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. All congratulated participants for getting involved and for rocking out in Birmingham, the home of rock.
Rob Jones, Artistic Director Misfits Music Foundation and Rosie Penny, Executive Producer Brum Rocks said: “What an amazing event, we are still on a high after seeing Birmingham’s biggest band come together at the Forum Birmingham. It was amazing to see musicians and singers come together for a mass rock event – everyone having their moment to feel like a real rock star!!
“Thanks to everyone who got involved and made this such a memorable, meaningful event. Our participants totally embodied the lyrics from our new anthem – ‘We are the fire, the grit and the iron, put us together and what do we make up? BRUMMIE STEEL!’.”
Brum Rocjk Workshops ran from September 2023 across Birmingham and the Black Country, and were funded via The National Lottery Community Fund People’s Project. The new anthem for Birmingham – Brummie Steel penned especially for Brum Rocks Live! by Jasmine Gardosi, Birmingham’s Poet Laureate, was funded through Heritage Lottery Fund.
Find out more about the project here.
