Oxjam is the music festival to help beat poverty. Organised by charity, Oxfam, there were thirty-two of these events across the country to help raise money for an important cause. On Saturday 13th October, Birmingham had its own Oxjam in Digbeth and it was an honor to get a pass for this wonderful event.
I’ve been to Digbeth a few times either to drum at Pirate Studios or for the odd gig but I have never before appreciated the beauty of it all. After collecting my pass, I went around the area to discover numerous indie spots and some incredible street art. Digbeth has a life of its own. Here are some shots I took before I got down to the music.
How to start off a festival in an arty area? Arty music. Ukulele band – Moselele – kicked off proceedings at The Mockingbird Cinema & Kitchen in the bar. Playing an assortment of pop hits on a collection of ukuleles, a double bass and some percussion set a great tone. The youngsters around enjoyed it too.
Next in the classic cinema was Trampette. They were incredible! And, in hindsight, my favourites of the day. A brilliant four piece consisting of a keyboard player, bassist, drummer and percussionist (and guest guitarist for a track) who have so much rhythm it is unreal. It was rehearsed to perfection and simply made me happy. I could have sat and watched them for hours. They have serious talent.
I then swung by The Engine Room to catch The Courtesy Group. I quickly decided it wasn’t my bag so walked around the corner to Dig Brew Co. to watch Robert Craig Oulton on a whim who played some good songs. The band had chemistry and from what I heard there are some potential hits.
Next it was back to The Engine Room for Cave Girl who supported Spring King a few weeks back. I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to hear this ace band again. They have great energy, work very well together and I would definitely see them again. Many, many times.
I slipped back to Dig Brew Co. to witness the brilliance of Rosie Tee who not only has the image but a beautiful voice. I am certain we will be seeing (and hearing) a lot more of her in the future. I did then disappear off for food before returning to Digbeth, more specifically Suki10c, for Flares.
What struck me very quickly was how young they all looked. I cannot tell you how old they are and I wonder if they are just simply baby-faced but they did surprise me. They had a solid punk sound with a lot of passion. I would love to learn more about them in the future because I definitely see potential in them; they certainly have the means to go far.
The last act I saw was Call Me Unique at Dig Brew Co. Not only does she have an extraordinary voice of great power but also the talent of scat singing which is something you don’t come by everyday. She was incredibly humble and it was great to see her on stage after the long recovery from a bad car accident.
I am gutted that I didn’t catch anymore acts because if you read my preview then you would know how much I was looking forward to seeing Relley C, The Exhailers and LOVEBITES but for personal reasons I had to leave.
However, the day was fantastic and I want to applaud the volunteers and organisers for pulling it all together. It must have been some task.
Check out a YouTube playlist I made from what I saw at the event here and the gallery below.
Music, Drums and Me 
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