At The Mermaid cover art

At The Mermaid

At The Mermaid

By: Home of Metal
Listen for free

About this listen

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.

Home of Metal Art Entertainment & Performing Arts World
Episodes
  • 4 - Punk's Not Dead

    4 - Punk's Not Dead
    Jun 22 2023

    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.
    Show More Show Less
    53 mins
  • 3 - Louder, Faster, Noisier

    3 - Louder, Faster, Noisier
    Jun 15 2023

    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.
    Show More Show Less
    54 mins
  • 2 - Punks, Politics, Performance

    2 - Punks, Politics, Performance
    Jun 8 2023

    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.
    Show More Show Less
    58 mins
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.