Shropshire Star

Brian Wilson, James Arthur, Garbage and Texas among acts set to play series of huge outdoor concerts in Birmingham

Brian Wilson, Garbage and Texas are among the acts set to play a series of huge outdoor concerts in Digbeth this summer and autumn.

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Brian Wilson, James Arthur, Garbage and Texas among acts set to play series of huge outdoor concerts in Birmingham

The Skyline Series gigs will take place at Digbeth Arena, which was previously part of the Rainbow venues and is now ran by the MJR Group.

Headlining the shows are The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, James Arthur, Texas, The The, Garbage, Maximo Park.

Brian Wilson

Dates for each of the concerts, with details of support acts, are as follows:

  • August 24: Brian Wilson performing Pet Sounds

  • August 25: James Arthur, JP Cooper, Nina Nesbitt

  • September 1: Texas and Imelda May, Ward Thomas

  • September 7: The The, Field Music

  • September 8: Garbage, Maxïmo Park, Honeyblood

Looking ahead to the concerts, event organiser Mark Dennis, of the MJR Group, says he - as a born-and-bred Brummie - believes the city to have 'a lack of live music concerts in dedicated open-air event spaces'.

"Skyline follows the shift away from seeing big-name acts in a muddy field at a festival that’s miles away," said Mark.

Maximo Park

"You can now see your favourite artists, basking in the summer’s glorious sunshine (hopefully), without the need for an expensive weekend festival ticket or travelling miles away from the city to a festival site. Digbeth Arena is just a short jaunt from New Street Station.

"We are honoured and humbled to become part of the innovative and artistic hub that is Digbeth.

Sharleen Spiteri

"We have already started developing great relationships with the business and creative community here and look forward to what the future will bring."

Brian Wilson, aged 75, is a founding member of The Beach Boys. While in Birmingham, the Californian icon will be singing hits from 1966 album Pet Sounds, featuring songs such as Wouldn't It Be Nice, God Only Knows, and That's Not Me.

See Brian perform God Only Knows here:

James Arthur, meanwhile, is a 30-year-old singer/songwriter who rose to fame after winning the ninth series of The X Factor in 2012. Songs he is best known for include Say You Won't Let Go, Impossible and Can I Be Him. He will be joined at the Digbeth gig by fellow singer/songwriter JP Cooper - best known for featuring on the Jonas Blue single Perfect Strangers. Also joining James as a support act will be Nina Nesbitt, famed for numbers Chewing Gum and Stay Out.

See James' music video for Say You Won't Let Go here:

Texas, led by Sharleen Spiteri, was founded back in 1986 and hails from Glasgow. Songs the band is best known for include Say What You Want, Black Eyed Boy, I Don't Want A Lover, and Summer Son. Texas will be supported by Irish rockabilly singer/songwriter Imelda May and modern country duo Ward Thomas.

See the music video for Texas' Black Eyed Boy here:jp

The The is a post-punk band, active in various forms since 1979. The group, founded in London, is known for songs such as That Was The Day, Uncertain Smile, and Slow Emotion Replay. The The will be supported at the Digbeth show by Sunderland rock band Field Music.

Hear That Was The Day by The The here:

Finally, Garbage is a Scottish-American rock group formed in Wisconsin back in 1993. Songs the group had success with include Stupid Girl, Only Happy When It Rains, I Think I'm Paranoid and more. Special guests at Garbage's gig will be Newcastle alternative rockers Maximo Park, best known for songs such as Apply Some Pressure, Books From Boxes and Our Velocity. Joining them as support will be Scottish duo Honeyblood.

See the music video for I Think I'm Paranoid by Garbage here:

Each night will feature a food village with packed with local suppliers, in addition to the big music acts.

Tickets are priced from £27.50. VIP tickets are also available, starting at £100.

For more information, or to book, click here