I remember the first time I ventured to the Arcadian's Indi Bar, back in I think 2008. I remember…read morebeing so excited - 'Ah,' I thought, 'here comes an alternative to Snobs where I can swing my hips to a bit of the Smiths without being cramped on to a tiny dancefloor.' It turns out that 'e' that follows 'indi' can make a whole lot of difference, as Indi turned out not to be a Converse and guitars kind of place. Still, it offers a fun night out if you're easily pleased. The tunes run the gamut from 90s R'n'B, the latest chart dance anthems and poppier stuff (not exactly Morrissey, eh?) so it's good for a dance, although the dancefloor isn't that much bigger than Snobs' main room to be honest. It has the added advantage of a nice little space outside for smokers and, during the early evening, beers outside. However, why anyone would choose Indi over superior Arcadian bars like Poppy Red is beyond me. Actually, maybe it isn't. The drinks prices are rather more accessible and, coupled with what might be termed 'generic' populist music, it's an ideal choice for students.

Great bar and plenty of space to dance. Sometimes you can be charged to get in but ony 2-3 pounds…read moreand drinks are not expensive at all. Great music. The only problem is I wish it were bigger! Best place to go to in the arcadian.

The academy in Birmingham is totally in need of a revamp. Its split up into different rooms…read moredepending on the act, however it was overbooked, no chance of seeing the act, and the bar was out of good drinks. Would definatly not go to any other Carling academies again as I can say most of them all need a refurbishment and it totally ruins the experience of the act.

The Birmingham Academy is certainly in great need of a bit of TLC, but that doesn't stop it from…read morebeing a prime music venue in Birmingham. For a while now, there's been talk that this venue would be knocked down and moved to another part of the city, but to do so would be a total shame. With two rooms (a large one for big acts, and a small one for lesser known acts), not to mention the Academy Bar next door for more intimate gigs, it's house concerts from some really top acts over the years and many a good night has been enjoyed there by all. On Friday and Saturday nights, there are club nights for either Indie or Rock music which is guaranteed a good night. Since the smoking ban came into force, the cleaner air inside the venue has made it a much more pleasant environment.

The Bar Academy is where all the cool indie bands that no-one's ever heard of play, and is all the…read morebetter for it! It's pretty tiny (capacity just below 300) so you'll never be far from the action. Beer is rubbish though, really rubbish - the same applies to its big brother Academies too though sadly. Still, it's a good gig venue at least

Absolutely disgusting place to visit. The staff and manager was next level rude with ladies. The…read moreguards were thinking that they are god. And more, they don't accept phone I'd, they only want physical copy. They were comparing themselves with airport that you have to show physical passport or brp if you want to enter. I mean seriously!!!! 100% unsafe to visit. They should know that clubs are for people Thank goodness that I was with my husband that day. What I'd I planned to go with my ladies DO NOT GO AT ALL I am going to complain about them on all possible platforms because they spoilt our valentine. Once again do not visit

Ok, so the walls get a little sweaty and the heat increases as the night goes on. If you can get…read morepast this then you are in for a good night. Monday nights, students of Coventry Uni head down for 70p drinks, great music and a huge dancefloor to enjoy it on. Not a dancer? Then head to the smaller room where live msic is often played or upstairs with comfy booths overlooking the whole club scene. Not being a smoker I still enjoy the modern outside area they have built to accomodate for those that do. Take a good group of friends and I guarentee nothing but laughter.

If you're looking for either a glam night out with the girls, or a night out with the guys checking…read moreout the glam girls then Mechu is the place to go. A firm favourite with the cities footballers and high earning business professionals, you can expect to see bottles of champagne all over the place. I'm 26 and the last time I went I felt quite overwhelmed with how many older men were in there. If you're looking for a wild drunken night with a younger crowd then this probably won't be for you unless you go on the student night which takes place on a Thursday. However if you prefer the idea of drinking with a more mature crowd in quality surroundings then it's definitely worth checking out on a Saturday night. Some of the cities best DJ's can be found playing so you'll be provided with the perfect soundtrack all night long.

Although it seems a bit perfunctory to diss Mechu for its VIP-style snobbery and expensive bar…read moreprices (after all, that's the point!), it has to be said that this is not for the likes of people like me who spent most of their formative clubbing days spilling snakebite over their converse in various dark and dingy indie discos. However, having attended the upmarket Mechu on a couple of occasions for work parties, I'm happy to report it's not without its pleasures. It's a swanky bar and relatively spacious, the music from the decent DJs supplying both a mix of dance and urban cuts. The booths are good if you're in a group, but make sure you have a stacked wallet. The thing that generally puts me off - and why I'm probably not the intended audience in the first place - is the 'footballers wives' vibe it gives off. I'm not into my footie, so I wouldn't recognise the much purported cameos from Villa FC players - however, there are lots of glam, slightly orange women 'coyly' approaching the blokes in smart threads at the bar and suddenly I'm humming the tune to that Amy Winehouse tune 'F### Me Pumps' as it could have been written about this place. If you've got the cash and you want to avoid the lower-rent version that is Rococo on Broad Street, then by all means splash that cash here. I'd rather lounge about in Island Bar, thanks.

Hooray to the independent music venues!…read more I love the fact that the Ballroom has been refurbished by private developers in a bid to restore the heart in Birminghams central music scene. Nowadays, bands tend to be left with 2 options. Either play at a small dingy venue where a limited number of fans can afford to come and see you, or play at a large arena which not only costs fans a ridiculous amount of money to come but you also need to be pretty big time to fill the gig. That's where the Ballroom shines and continues to make its mark on the industry. Large enough to put on a memorable gig but so reasonably priced it enables everyone to come and enjoy the experience. The sound system was OK, I have heard better but overall it was a good night, crackin atmosphere and the drinks weren't too expensive either.

Although it's early days, the Birmingham Ballroom already shows signs of settling down as the city…read morecentre's premier mid-large music venue experience. Having laid empty and derelict for over a year, the venue was bought up by disillusioned ex-employees from the Academy group with a view to open a venue that openly challenged the O2 Academy. Having refurbished the old Academy 1 and 2 (and the Bar Academy next door), there is a nostalgic familiarity attached to The Ballroom that its owners have knowingly traded in on: Although the floor is no longer notoriously sticky, it feels like visiting an old friend. The bar is far more reasonable than the new O2, and is constantly offering night-specific drinks promotions. Touring acts are becoming more frequent as the venue becomes more established and it will be competing with the O2 and the Institute within a few months, arguably. But the Ballroom's real lure for me is knowing that an independent venue lies within the city centre once more (the Flapper is perhaps too far a walk to be considered truly 'central'), and that goes a long way with me.

Located next to Mailbox shopping complex in Birmingham City centre, this is a small and cosy…read morenightclub that plays a variety of music. It's very lively on the weekends as you would expect playing mainly r&b, hip hop and bashment. The entrance fee is normally less than 10 pounds and drinks are a bit cheap however, because it's a bit small venue, it usually gets really packed to the point where you have no space to dance freely. Otherwise it has a fantastic atmosphere.

This is a nice little bar, I can't say that I would go in regularly though. They do have some…read morespeacial nights on with special DJ's. They had the Tidy Boys recently which was good fun and there were quite a few people in there. Its central to town and in the Skydome complex so good to go in on your travels around town.

Mbargo is a fairly new bar and is a nice place to go to with a few mates on a friday night. Due to…read moreit being new it is quite modern and contemporary. It sells all the usual drinks you would expect bars to sell at normal rates. It is right in the town center so its easy to get to and it right next the Skydome. The music in there is good and they cater for all types of music fans and genres and also on some nights they have a dj playing which is good. I think this is a good bar to go to in the skydome complex if you are around there because it is modern, plays good music, and has nice drinks for decent prices.