Moseley Jam Nights
Written and all photos taken by Anusha Chandra-Paisley
3rd May 2024
Rediscovering Birmingham’s jam culture at The Dark Horse, with lyrical genius, vibrant musicality and creative new voices
This blog is no stranger to The Neighbourhd Birmingham (@neighbourhdbrum), a vibrant community of live music enthusiasts. On Friday 8th March, they restarted their monthly Moseley Jam Nights, which were held at The Dark Horse (@darkhorsemoseley) on Alcester Road (B13). The Dark Horse is a well-known live music and events venue in Birmingham that hosts a huge variety of people and music. You could tell that the absence of the Moseley Jam nights during COVID has been felt in this community; anticipation for this gathering was visible in the crowd. This experimental music session allowed people to push their creative boundaries with a strong emphasis on jam culture, where musicians play together without any preparation, riffing off of one another. Anyone was welcome, from DJs to musicians, established artists to those wanting to try something new. There was a large range of musical genres: Jazz, Future-Soul, Hip-Hop, Fusion, and some R&B.
The evening started at 9:30 pm with the house band accompanying the DJ set whilst people grabbed their drinks, caught up with friends and danced to the music. The host of the night, Sipho (@siphotheizm), infused the night with his energy, the perfect host to reinvigorate Moseley Jam nights. The Birmingham-based musician, known for his debut album “Prayers and Paranoia”, encouraged the artists to be creative and have fun with their musicality, using his own joy for music to create a safe space for improvisation.
The open invitation for Birmingham’s talent to take the stage started at 10:30 pm. I was extremely impressed with every person that went up on the stage. There were guitarists, drumming solos, and MCs who had an abundance of lyrics ready to go. Some singers' voices reached notes I didn't even know were humanly possible. There were many familiar faces from The Night Owl event that I attended the previous Monday (04/03/24). It was evident that Neighbourhd has a growing and loyal community, which see these events as an opportunity to nurture and explore their musical talents.
There were some jammers that really stood out to me. One guitarist, in particular, played quite frequently throughout the night and had such a calm yet powerful presence on the stage. He matched the vibe of anyone who came up to perform on the mic. Even when it was just Sipho and this guitarist, they had a great musical chemistry. Another highlight was a female rapper who joined the stage with two other guys who were rapping back and forth. The majority of the women who performed that night sang, so it was cool to see a woman spit bars instead and have a good flow. A male singer had set himself apart from other performers that night with his powerful vocals and the range of notes he was hitting. His style- a striped button up shirt, thin woolly scarf and a nose ring- perfectly matched his soulful voice. My final stand out performer of the night was a male rapper (@nonso.me) who got up onto the stage several times. He rapped seamlessly with anyone, and his lyrics were very creative. I was able to have a quick conversation with him and found out he is currently working on making some music; another Birmingham artist to look out for!
The acoustics at The Dark Horse made this a great venue for this event. The stage was slightly raised, which gave a welcoming feeling to anyone in the audience who wanted to perform. The layout also allowed people to easily take a break from the music whenever they wanted. I found the colourful lighting and background to the stage aesthetically pleasing; it definitely helped to set the atmosphere.
After the event, there was a thought that stuck with me. The skill and confidence it takes for people to perform, especially without preparation, can sometimes be overlooked. That’s why I was astounded when I saw the same person play 3-4 different instruments. It took me years to focus on playing the piano. To see one person transition effortlessly between multiple instruments, and blend their sound with a stranger’s will always impress me.
March’s Neighbourhd Moseley Jam event was all about bringing the community together around new, experimental and high-energy music.
The Moseley Jam events are to be held every second Friday of the month at The Dark Horse. You can follow @neighbourhdbrum to find out more information and stay up to date with when their next live events are so you can also join the community.