MY CITY: JUICE
Birmingham’s finest fuzzed-up noiseniks Juice guide us through their favourite hometown hangouts.
What would be your perfect day in Birmingham?
We tend to spend a lot of time at Muthers, a rehearsal studio in Digbeth. We used to have a lockup there and Damon owns a drum shop in there. There’s a bar there and a pool table so it’s a pretty cool place to hang out. We’ve been doing some recording just round the corner at Studio 211 with out pal Luke Titmus too. There’s loads of great bars need by in the Irish Quarter so I think we’d just end up on some kaleidoscope bar crawl around Digbeth, maybe drop in and do some recording on the way?
What’s the best music venue and why?
We’ve always loved the HMV Institute (RIP), it has now been taken over by O2. But it’s an amazing venue and a beautiful building.
The best hidden secret / undiscovered gem about the City?
There’s an underground bar called Bacchus with loads of weird suits of armour and stuff. It’s great but a bit strange for a first date. There’s also the Mockingbird that’s tucked away in the Custard Factory, they’ve always got loads going on and they’ve got a cinema out the back too!
Who throws the best parties in Brum?
Us! We trashed Davis’ old flat and we are in the process of trashing his new one. Three smashed windows and counting, the carpets coming up next.
What are your favourite bars / coffee shops / clothes shops etc..
Dark Horse and Prince of Wales in Moseley for bars, just because of the atmosphere. I don’t think any of us really go to coffee shops; one morning someone had driven a car into the window of Cafephilia so I always really felt for the owner. The shop was closed and no one was hurt but like, it must have been so annoying. For clothes shops, all the charity shops in Kings Heath and Harborne, as more often than not you can also get some decent records there too!
What local bands are doing it for you at the moment?
Jaws! Their debut album was great and I believe they’re working on the second as we speak. We’ve had the pleasure of supporting them a few times and they’re all great, hard working lads.
What’s your strangest celebrity encounter in the City?
Matt has a slash next to Frank Skinner in the Bullring toilets once, which was pretty strange. He tried to give him a CD of our demos but he wasn’t having any of it!
Favourite neighbourhood?
Moseley, Matt and Davis both live there and it’s packed with stuff to do. There’s a farmers market on the weekends and about 7/8 bars and places to eat so you can’t go wrong. Just up the road you’ve got Kings Heath with another of our favourite venues, The Hare & Hounds.
Late night haunts?
We all left a piece of our hearts in old Snobs. The new one is great but the dance floor isn’t as sticky and the toilets get cleaned. But we’d probably have to say there anyway, as an ode to old Snobs and every night that we can’t remember there.
Preferred bar to prop up?
Again got to be Dark Horse or Prince of Wales, we’ve got loads of friends that work there so they look after us!
Best takeaway / curry / kebab etc
Village Kebab in Moseley, only for the fact that the guy that works there let Davis and Matt have a selfie with him and two disco balls that they pulled down from the ceiling of a near by pub. There’s a curry house, Shylet Spice, which does amazing food and it’s right next to The Hare & Hounds so great post-gig curry.
Best place to meet like-minded souls?
Muthers rehearsal studio!
What song, book or movie sums up Birmingham for you?
A movie called Gummo by Harmony Korine. It’s just one big beautiful mess with no real narrative that you’ll never understand and can’t figure out why you’re in love with it so much. It leaves you with a sense of bitter wrongness but total adoration at the same time.
