We follow Spikey, a Birmingham-based creative working behind the scenes in Digbeth’s underground music and events scene. From artist management to launching grassroots events, his story is one of graft, connection, and community.
00:19He moved to Birmingham to be closer to the action.
00:21Not London, not Manchester.
00:23Birmingham, because this is where real work happens.
00:26And it starts early.
00:28While most people are commuting, Spike is already on calls with producers and artists,
00:33lining up the next show, the next shoot, the next creative risk.
00:38Birmingham is the heart of the UK.
00:42It's like right in the centre.
00:45So I just feel like it's got more culture than everywhere else.
00:49Everywhere else is more focused on than Birmingham.
00:52So it's like a hidden gem.
00:53I kind of want it to stay that way because it's like, it's got its own powerful sort of cult army, I guess.
01:02This isn't about fame.
01:04It's about community.
01:05Spikey's network stretches across the underground scene, from managing artists to working with collectives like The 24 and Planet Drip.
01:14He's a fixer, a plug, a middleman for people with big ideas and no budget.
01:18He recently launched his own event, Trapdoors, bringing together new acts and raw talent.
01:23But it's not just about music.
01:25He's helping develop a horror film.
01:27He's on stage with artists who once got him through dark times.
01:31And now he's the one helping them break through.
01:33Honestly, it's everyone that said that I can't do it.
01:40And like, I don't know.
01:42I've done this for so long.
01:44And I've got disabilities where I'm not able to work.
01:48So I've just been called a bum and this, that and the other.
01:51So I'm just trying to show everyone that like I can, I can still work, I guess, just in different aspects.
01:59There's no big money in what Spikey does, not yet, but there's momentum.
02:04Ten years of groundwork means he now has what most creative people never get, freedom.
02:09He doesn't just support artists, he's part of their story.
02:13Whether it's P.I.ing for Chelsea or managing new talent, he's in their corner.
02:17And the artists he helps, they're not pop stars, they're rappers, misfits and bedroom producers.
02:23He's not smoothing their edges, he's giving them a platform.
02:25Social media is starting to die out for marketing, especially when you're like trying to focus in one place.
02:35So events is where it's at, where like to show off everything you can do and like also show personality at the same time.
02:44People love that.
02:45So, but they don't have the opportunities to do it because it's quite expensive to put on an event and then you've got to find people to support the event that then build enough numbers to actually be a show.
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