Phil Wolvin 
Where are we?
Birmingham early evening on the 14th November. The venue is the Rainbow in Digbeth. Storm Claudia is battering the city, the rain coming down in sheets, and some routes into the centre are flooded. We quickly decide a taxi is better than walking. We arrive in style and partially dry.
Who’s Playing?
Tonight’s gig is a sold out headline show from Pentire, with tour support from WRKHOUSE. Completing the line up are local support Pear Drop.
Why is this important?
B-Town is the brainchild of Tim Senna and Nick Barlow. Their aim is to provide one of the first rungs on the ladder for local bands. The pair secured PRS Foundation funding for 2025, “with a vision of igniting the alternative Birmingham scene”. With this funding came an even more bold move. “From now 100% of our ticket sales will go to the artists and bands who make them”. Alongside promoting local acts, B-Town have also showcased artists from Sheffield (Daisy Peacock), London (Matilda Pratt), Manchester (Valentyne), and Bournemouth (Ear Candy).
Who do we need to know about?
Pentire are a properly established indie band who are regularly played on Radio 1 and 6 Music among many others. They have over 100k listeners on major music platforms and several songs with more than one million streams. This booking followed a Live at Leeds interview with Tim Senna. It feels clear they believed in the project and vision when choosing B-Town as one of their tour dates.
Pear Drop are one of the acts championed by B-Town. Lead singer Evie Holmes and bassist Mio have appeared on The Rainbow stage in different bands prior to forming Pear Drop. As with many new bands, there is a period of trying out ideas, working with different people, and finding the magic. Since first appearing at B-Town in September 2024, Pear Drop have played several venues including The Sunflower Lounge, The Hare and Hounds, and the O2 Institute.
Is this just another Grassroots Gig night?
Definitely not. B-Town has something special that goes beyond the transactional grassroots gig. Maybe it is the balloons and glow sticks or the inflatable unicorn or something else entirely. You often see familiar faces no matter the line up. I first came to B-Town in March 2024 on my own after listening to Tim Senna’s Twitch radio show, and I have made some wonderful friends through this event. This is a place where Birmingham’s up and coming bands can find an audience. You are also seeing acts in their formative stages, so these are not necessarily the finished article.
Was it any good?
Absolutely. Headliners Pentire put on an assured performance. This is not one of the big festival stages they have played, but it is an ambitious tour across classic grassroots venues. Out of the 14 dates on the autumn leg of the tour, this was the first to sell out, with a 30+ waiting list. They played a full set of 16 songs with no filler. The new songs sounded like instant classics alongside the old favourites. The customary closers of Fading Out and Spinning stood out and would sit comfortably on any contemporary indie playlist. They handled the quirks of a small venue well, including crowd surfing unicorns and bassist Jacob Beswetherick politely asking for a stage light to be moved rather than risk breaking it.
Support
The tour support is WRKHOUSE. I went in completely blind to their work but found their set engaging. Their blend of guitar indie with synths felt fresh and stood out. The highlight was Byw a Bod, which shares a loose connection with In a Minute but has a meaning that does not translate cleanly. The song is performed entirely in Welsh. This might have been a challenge, as no one in the room raised a hand when asked if they spoke it, so the only Welsh speakers were on stage. One thing I have learned from limited experience is that this does not need to be a barrier. The band conveyed the feeling of the song even if we did not understand the words.
Pear Drop describe themselves as floppy-haired indie rock and opened with a wonderful set. I think the standout track was Tongue Tied. Evie switches to an acoustic guitar for this one, a change from the Telecaster used on the other songs. She later told me this track was created by sending the audio file around the band, with each member adding their own part in isolation. This was my third time seeing them and you can feel their progress with each new performance.
Birmingham has been criticised before for not selling out gigs, but this was not the case here. It was an excellent night and everyone left having seen some great bands. A winning night for the Birmingham indie scene.
Pentire are finishing the autumn leg of the tour this week with another run booked for March 2026. Follow on Instagram here: Instagram
B-Town host monthly gig nights. The next one is on 18th December. Follow on Instagram here: Instagram
WRKHOUSE Instagram: Instagram
Pear Drop Instagram: Instagram
Photographs courtesy of Chelsea Miles. Instagram: Instagram
Colin