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The Mermaid: Story of Birmingham venue that inspired a subgenre
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgw45204wwo
The cultural significance of The Mermaid is being re-examined by researchers and historians.
It is the iconic and often chaotic Birmingham pub that inspired a subgenre.
The Mermaid in Sparkhill helped launch Napalm Death, one of the the most influential metal bands of all time.
It also sparked the creation of Grindcore - a fusion of heavy metal and hardcore punk that emerged against a 1980s backdrop of miners' strikes and the Cold War
The venue's cultural significance is now being examined as part of a project funded by Historic England and run by Home of Metal, a Midlands-based music heritage project.