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At The Mermaid

At The Mermaid

Home of Metal

Home of Metal presents 'At The Mermaid'. The Mermaid was a large, dilapidated pub in Sparkhill, a working-class neighbourhood three miles south of Birmingham city centre. The laid-back landlords welcomed teenage punks, hippies and rockers to play weirdo music in the upstairs room, charging very little money for very bad cider. The Mermaid became a hub of DIY music scene in the 1980s, with £1 gigs, punk all-dayers, 'zine and tape swapping. It was also a site of political education for many, and hunt saboteurs gathered at the Mermaid before taking direct action.

In creating this podcast, we interviewed people who were part of the Mermaid scene, featuring contributions from Justin Broadrick (Napalm Death, Godflesh, Final), Nicholas Bullen (Napalm Death), Stig C Miller (Amebix), Steve Charlesworth (Heresy), Steve Watson (Cerebral Fix), Mark Freeth (Ausgang) and more musicians and fans who made the Mermaid a vital place for underground music.

Music heritage is all about the stories we tell around these little scenes, shining a torch on underground histories that could otherwise be forgotten in a haze of scrumpy and mushrooms.


Created by Home of Metal, presented by Sarah Lafford, produced by Alice Rosenthal.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Top 10 At The Mermaid Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best At The Mermaid episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to At The Mermaid for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite At The Mermaid episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

At The Mermaid - 3 - Louder, Faster, Noisier
play

06/15/23 • 54 min

In this episode we hear about the iconic gigs at The Mermaid - it's seen by many as the birthplace of grindcore - and there was lots of other noise being made in this pub in Sparkhill too. Napalm Death were regulars on the stage, but, it seems, they weren't responsible for the loudest gig ever to be played on that corner of the Stratford Road... To create this podcast, we interviewed people who were part of the Mermaid scene, including Justin Broadrick (Napalm Death, Godflesh, Final), Nicholas Bullen (Napalm Death), Stig C. Miller (Amebix), Steve Charlesworth (Heresy), Steve Watson (Cerebral Fix), Mark Freeth (Ausgang) and more musicians and fans who made the Mermaid a vital place for underground music.

Music heritage is all about the stories we tell around these little scenes, shining a torch on underground histories that could otherwise be forgotten in a haze of scrumpy and mushrooms.


Created by Home of Metal, presented by Sarah Lafford, produced by Alice Rosenthal.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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At The Mermaid - 4 - Punk's Not Dead

4 - Punk's Not Dead

At The Mermaid

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06/22/23 • 53 min

Our final episode looks at the lasting impact of The Mermaid, and its effects on people's lives. What it meant to be an outsider, and the power to be gained from finding your people. To create this podcast, we interviewed people who were part of the Mermaid scene, including Justin Broadrick (Napalm Death, Godflesh, Final), Nicholas Bullen (Napalm Death), Stig C. Miller (Amebix), Steve Charlesworth (Heresy), Steve Watson (Cerebral Fix), Mark Freeth (Ausgang) and more musicians and fans who made the Mermaid a vital place for underground music.

Music heritage is all about the stories we tell around these little scenes, shining a torch on underground histories that could otherwise be forgotten in a haze of scrumpy and mushrooms.


Created by Home of Metal, presented by Sarah Lafford, produced by Alice Rosenthal.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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At The Mermaid - 2 - Punks, Politics, Performance
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06/08/23 • 58 min

In this episode we learn more about The Mermaid - how it was a hub for some groups - and the political background of 1980s Birmingham. The Mermaid was a hub for alternative thinking aswell as music, and is seen by many as the birthplace of grindcore. To create this podcast, we interviewed people who were part of the Mermaid scene, including Justin Broadrick (Napalm Death, Godflesh, Final), Nicholas Bullen (Napalm Death), Stig C. Miller (Amebix), Steve Charlesworth (Heresy), Steve Watson (Cerebral Fix), Mark Freeth (Ausgang) and more musicians and fans who made the Mermaid a vital place for underground music.

Music heritage is all about the stories we tell around these little scenes, shining a torch on underground histories that could otherwise be forgotten in a haze of scrumpy and mushrooms.


Created by Home of Metal, presented by Sarah Lafford, produced by Alice Rosenthal.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

bookmark
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At The Mermaid - At The Mermaid - Trailer
play

05/24/23 • 1 min

Home of Metal presents 'At The Mermaid'. The Mermaid was a large, dilapidated pub in Sparkhill, a working-class neighbourhood three miles south of Birmingham city centre. The laid-back landlords welcomed teenage punks, hippies and rockers to play weirdo music in the upstairs room, charging very little money for very bad cider. The Mermaid became a hub of DIY music scene in the 1980s, with £1 gigs, punk all-dayers, zine and tape swapping. It was also a site of political education for many, and hunt saboteurs gathered at the Mermaid before taking direct action.

In creating this podcast, we interviewed people who were part of the Mermaid scene, featuring contributions from Justin Broadrick (Napalm Death, Godflesh, Final), Nicholas Bullen (Napalm Death), Stig C Miller (Amebix), Steve Charlesworth (Heresy), Steve Watson (Cerebral Fix), Mark Freeth (Ausgang) and more musicians and fans who made the Mermaid a vital place for underground music.

Music heritage is all about the stories we tell around these little scenes, shining a torch on underground histories that could otherwise be forgotten in a haze of scrumpy and mushrooms.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

bookmark
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At The Mermaid - 1 - Setting the Stage

1 - Setting the Stage

At The Mermaid

play

06/01/23 • 49 min

In this episode we're introduced to The Mermaid, a large dilapidated pub in Sparkhill, in Birmingham. In the 1980s it was a hub for alternative music, and is seen by many as the birthplace of grindcore. To create this podcast, we interviewed people who were part of the Mermaid scene, including Justin Broadrick (Napalm Death, Godflesh, Final), Nicholas Bullen (Napalm Death), Stig C. Miller (Amebix), Steve Charlesworth (Heresy), Steve Watson (Cerebral Fix), Mark Freeth (Ausgang) and more musicians and fans who made the Mermaid a vital place for underground music.

Music heritage is all about the stories we tell around these little scenes, shining a torch on underground histories that could otherwise be forgotten in a haze of scrumpy and mushrooms.


Created by Home of Metal, presented by Sarah Lafford, produced by Alice Rosenthal.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

bookmark
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FAQ

How many episodes does At The Mermaid have?

At The Mermaid currently has 5 episodes available.

What topics does At The Mermaid cover?

The podcast is about History, Music, Podcasts, Arts, Oral History and Performing Arts.

What is the most popular episode on At The Mermaid?

The episode title '4 - Punk's Not Dead' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on At The Mermaid?

The average episode length on At The Mermaid is 43 minutes.

How often are episodes of At The Mermaid released?

Episodes of At The Mermaid are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of At The Mermaid?

The first episode of At The Mermaid was released on May 24, 2023.

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