In the Longbridge district of south-west Birmingham, on Tessall Lane, the Austin Sports and Social Club is a members' club that doubles as one of the area's busier live entertainment venues. Its name recalls the district's motor-industry heritage, and today it serves the surrounding community both as a social hub and as a regular stage for touring acts. The club's events calendar is dominated by tribute shows, with nights dedicated to the music of acts such as Queen, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet and Dolly Parton, alongside themed evenings built around Soul and Motown, Northern Soul and reggae. The Reggae Shed and various disco nights are recurring fixtures, giving the venue a steady rhythm of weekend programming. Comedy and cabaret feature too, with stand-up bills and drag nights rounding out an offering aimed squarely at a grown-up local audience; many events carry an over-18 admission policy. Performances are typically ticketed and start in the early evening, run by promoters who use the club as a dependable mid-size room. As a sports and social club, the venue retains the informal, welcoming character of that tradition, combining a bar and function space with the live programme. It is the kind of room where a Saturday-night tribute act and a singalong crowd are the main event, rather than a dedicated concert hall or theatre. That blend of community club and entertainment venue has kept the Austin Sports and Social Club a recognisable name on the Birmingham listings circuit. For residents of Longbridge and the wider south-west of the city, it offers an accessible, reasonably priced night out close to home, with a programme that changes from week to week. Tickets for most shows are sold through the major listings sites, and the club draws crowds from across south Birmingham for its regular weekend bills. As a long-standing community institution, it combines the affordability and informality of a members' club with a programme of professional touring entertainment that keeps its function room busy throughout the year.

Type: Bar / Pub

Address: 30 Tessall Lane, Longbridge, Birmingham, United Kingdom, B31 2SF

Telephone: 0121 475 1641