Iconic venues ‘putting Birmingham on the country music map’

Two iconic Birmingham venues are helping to transform the city into a popular hotspot for country music.

Recent figures suggest country is the fastest growing genre in the UK – with streaming of country starts rising by almost 50 per cent between 2020 and 2022, according to the Country Music Association.

And the team at B:Music say its two venues, Birmingham’s Town Hall and Symphony Hall, are now two of the UK’s most popular concert halls for country music.

Part of this reputation is down to B:Music’s contemporary programme producer Sally Rea Morris - herself a force to be reckoned with in the UK’s country music scene.

Along with her partner Stephen Marks, she fronts the high-energy, multi award-winning country rock band Gasoline and Matches.

 They are resident hosts of Nashville Sounds in the Round at Symphony Hall, Birmingham’s premier country songwriter event, which is now in its seventh year.

Here, artists are invited to tell the stories behind their songs in a Bluebird Café style ‘In the Round’ session, stripping the songs back to their origins and transporting the audience right back to the writing rooms.

Gasoline and Matches’ contribution to and influence on country and Americana music in the Midlands has been nothing short of profound.

They were awarded ‘Duo of the Year’ for the third time at the 2023 British Country Music Association Awards and were on the line-up for the Country 2 Country Festival at London’s O2 Arena on 8 March 2024, alongside some of the biggest country artists in the world.

Sally Rea Morris said: “I couldn’t be more proud of what Nashville Sounds in the Round has achieved over the seven years it has been running, and the growth since we formed our partnership with B:Music.

“It is my absolute pleasure to champion artists from the UK and around the world at this very special event, which takes place in the Jennifer Blackwell Performance Space at Symphony Hall several times a year.

“The success of the country music genre in the UK can be seen in the growing popularity of country music events here, and the concerts we host at Town Hall and Symphony Hall are no exception.

“From our intimate Nashville Sounds in the Round events to bigger concerts showcasing international stars, I am thrilled that here at B:Music we can provide stages in Birmingham which are right up there with the best in the world for these country music artists to perform on.”

Coming up this Spring across the B:Music venues is another Nashville Sounds in the Round event on Saturday 20 April at 11.30am.

Gasoline and Matches will be joined by Emilia Quinn, who is a vibrant force in the realm of Americana music; Cheshire-based singer-songwriter Chloe Chadwick; American country music singer Jimmy Stanley; and prolific writer and unmatched performer Ryan Nelson. All tickets cost £15. 

On Tuesday 30 April at 7.30pm, the Town Hall stage plays host to global entertainer Charles Esten.

Known for his roles as Ward Cameron on the Netflix hit show Outer Banks and Deacon Claybourne in Nashville, the artist-songwriter released his independent debut album, Love Ain’t Pretty, on 26 January 2024.

Already totalling over 14 million streams for his music to date, Esten is a 2018 Guinness World Records title holder for the “Most consecutive weeks to release an original digital single by a music act”, after delivering 54 original songs once a week for 54 straight weeks.

On Thursday 16 May at 7.30pm, The Shires will be the next Country music performers to take to the Town Hall stage.

The Shires have had three consecutive UK Top 3 albums, four No.1 UK Country albums, 100 million+ streams, two Gold-certified records, and countless sold-out headline shows.

Town Hall also hosts Country Roads on 23 November - a night of the very best country classics.

Tickets for country music concerts at B:Music venues are available online now.

Pictured: Sally Rea Morris and Stephen Marks of Gasoline and Matches