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The new O2 Academy on Bristol Street

Like any music fan I've been to some memorable gigs at the Birmingham Academy in Dale End and so when I heard it was moving I had my concerns.

There’s no doubt it’s grim but it’s got the best atmosphere of any music venue I've been to.

When I walk into the brand new O2 Academy on Bristol Street it’s still a building site, with dust and bits of wood everywhere, however it’s clear it’s going to be a vast improvement.

Bigger Academy

First off, there's no resemblance to old 70's nightclub, the Dome.

"They (the builders) absolutely ripped the place apart," says General Manager Andy McDonald who’s showing me around. "It was an aircraft hanger pretty much, four walls and a ceiling before they got started. There's only one set of stairs that are from the original dome, other than that everything’s completely brand new."

The most striking thing about the new venue is the size. It's so much bigger than the current site at Dale End, with a capacity of 3,859. That makes it the biggest O2 Academy after Brixton.

Inside the brand new Academy 1

Like Dale End its split into three different rooms but this time they are all inter-connected. Academy 3 is the smallest venue - mainly for unsigned bands - with room for 250 people. Academy 2 holds 600 people and is where the up and coming bands will play. And the big names will perform in Academy 1 which fits a massive 3,009 people.

"We'll be able to do shows in all three rooms together, with club nights on top of that at certain times in the week," explains Andy.

New Features

What's exciting about Academy 1 – apart from the size – is the balcony which overlooks the stage. It has tiered seating for up to 491 people which means music fans now have the option to sit down and watch their favourite band.

For anyone who's ever queued up for what seems like hours for drinks at the Dale End venue,Ìýthe good news is that at the new Academy all three rooms have their own bar, with Academy 1 having one either side.

The Twang - headlining opening weekend

Also, lots of money has been spent on state of the art in-house production. "We've spent well over £1 million on PA lights and the AV's going to be a big thing as well," said Andy. "We've got some software that we're using that will be able to link all the plasma screens together and allow people to mix their own visuals as well as the light and sound. So it really will be cutting edge stuff."

For the bands, there's no longer a cramped, dingy dressing room. They now have spacious rooms backstage with en-suite showers, a kitchen and games rooms.

And when it's finished each room will have its own unique look with an art deco feel.

Comparing it to Dale End, Andy tells me: "It's going to be a better venue. I suppose it's that community thing, people are still going to like coming here you know, we've tried to keep the gigs in keeping with what we have been doing. There's going to be some new more exciting club nights and events going on. But I think people are going to like this a lot better to be honest because it's going to be so big and good looking."

Big opening weekend

When the Academy opened at Dale End in 2000, Birmingham band Ocean Colour Scene were the headliners on the first night. But this time around they will be sharing the spotlight with three other local bands.

Ocean Colour Scene

"One thing we've done with this place is it's an opening weekend rather than in the past we tended to do just opening nights. We've got a whole schedule of events programmed in," says Andy.

It kicks off on Thursday 10th September with The Editors. They're followed by Brummie Indie band The Twang on Friday 11th September. Both gigs have already sold out.

On Saturday 12th September The Streets, fronted by Mike Skinner from West Heath, perform and to round it off on Sunday 13th September Ocean Colour Scene.

The final main room show at the Academy's Dale End venue will be Katy Perry on Tuesday 25 August. It will eventually close as part of the Eastside redevelopment plan.

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