Spot the afro, but where?

This photo is on the back cover of a 2007 compilation of the work of the 60s psych-rock Brummie band ‘Breakthru’ (Adventures Highway).

From the liner notes they released one (not self penned) single “Ice Cream Tree” (produced by Mike Batt!) which didn’t fly.

Click through to Flickr to see it slightly bigger.

The photo is of them playing on a roof in the centre of Brum, as far as I can tell – the sign obscured by the afro points left to Digbeth, right towards (I guess) the Coventry Rd.

Main clue is the shop Hardy & Co in the background, the print is pretty low res and blowing up doesn’t help much.

So, where do you think it is?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009 at 8:03 pm by Jon Bounds and is filed under Birmingham, music, photo. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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brendadada

I think it's here: http://tinyurl.com/mzdq4j

Jon Bounds

From Twitter (read from bottom up):

#
mikelcu: @brendadada @bounder we need to be looking at the 1st floor as that is the same now (if building is still there)

#
Green_8044_green_3352_twitter_normalGreen_0981_1984_normal
mikelcu: @brendadada @bounder if we could read that other sign under "Hardy & Co" we would have a better idea.

pigsonthewing: @bounder "for Coventry".

pigsonthewing: @bounder The sign probably sent people down high Street (towards where Rotunda is) of Coventry and Carrs Lane for Digbeth.

pigsonthewing: @bounder Martineau Street & Union Passage are long gone, but roughly under Martineau Place (i.e. Argos, by WH Smith)

pigsonthewing: @bounder My father (an old Brummie; not on Twitter) tells me Hardy & Co. were "On Matineau Street & Union Passage (off High Street)"

brendadada: @bounder, actually am thinking again.. angle of street looks wrong and there was always a clock on that junction not in photo. Hmm...

brendadada: @bounder opposite M&S, not sure what shops are there now, Hardy's is on corner of High St & Bull St.

brendadada: @bounder Hardy & Co was a furniture and carpet shop. Also, bands used to play on the roof ledge thing of the Rainbow Suite. I think it's...

pigsonthewing: @bounder Guessing where Zavi was, next to Waterstones on High Street. See also http://bit.ly/Z39IQ

Jon Bounds

More about the band (from Andy Mabbett: http://www.dickiethomas.co.uk/breakthru.html)

brendadada

Yeah cool, I still think it's on that corner. The Rainbow Suite was inside that block, down an arcade.

dickie

I believe it was Bull street northern side. I just sent a high res photo and B'ham Mail clipping to Brendadada. Dickie, Breakthru's drummer:)

brendadada

Hello Dickie. :)

dickie

It was for the opening of Nelson House clothing store. High res pic on my site here:
http://www.dickiethomas.co.uk/nelsonhouse.jpg
dickie.

brendadada

Nelson House gents outfitters, very trendy, was owned by the Blumenthal tailor dynasty? Later one was old skool style Tory Cllr and mayor of Brum iirc.

brendadada

Map revised: http://tinyurl.com/ks87v8

Birmingham: It's Not Shit