![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0_jAZZ-1.jpg\")
A Birmingham festival act was forced to halt their performance and change venue midway through their set(Image: Merlin Daleman)<\/p>\nThe band was forced to move to another venueA Birmingham festival act was forced to halt their performance and change venue midway through their set(Image: Merlin Daleman)<\/p>\n
A Birmingham festival act was forced to halt their performance and change venue midway through their set today.<\/p>\n
A band playing at Birmingham’s 41st Jazz and Blues Festival quickly packed up their instruments when rain began pouring down on their audience in Brindleyplace <\/a>this afternoon, July 24.<\/p>\n The band – made of saxophone star Art Themen, pianist Craig Milverton, drummer Miles Levin and Tom Hill on bass – were playing at the iconic bandstand outside Pitcher & Piano when their set was interrupted.<\/p>\n READ MORE:<\/strong> Birmingham bus driver punched and robbed after challenging passenger who hadn’t paid<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n But thanks to kind-hearted Brummies offering a helping hand, they managed to carry their kit over to restaurant Bank where they picked up where they left off.<\/p>\n ‘The Jazz Fest News’ tonight explained how the drama unfolded.<\/p>\n It said: “Not for the first time in this year\u2019s festival – it rained on our outdoor performances.<\/p>\n “[They] were swinging along nicely on The Water\u2019s Edge Bandstand in Brindleyplace when rain stopped play, necessitating the band to hi-tail over to the designated wet weather venue Bank where they picked up from where they left off.<\/p>\n “The hurried transfer across Brindleyplace was helped enormously by a self-appointed gang of audience members who waded in to help carry the gear over.”<\/p>\n Running since 1985, The Birmingham<\/a> Jazz and Blues Festival is England\u2019s longest-established jazz and blues festival and one of Europe\u2019s biggest free jazz parties.<\/p>\n The festival, running until July 27, usually has more than 200 performances alongside workshops, talks, exhibitions and masterclasses around the city.<\/p>\n The free-to-watch performances take place in shopping centres, streets, squares, bars, restaurants, clubs, hotels, art galleries, markets, libraries, parks, railway stations, canal boats, and sometimes even on buses and trains.<\/p>\n Festival organisers said they had to go “seriously into debt” to ensure this year’s event went ahead after Birmingham City Council <\/a>‘withdrew financial support’.<\/p>\n They said: “So we are depending on that audience who are enjoying this event, to five a little financial support to help enable us to clear the debt caused directly by the withdrawal of financial support.”<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/1753399152_97_0_jAZZ-1.jpg\")
A Birmingham festival act was forced to halt their performance and change venue midway through their set(Image: Merlin Daleman)<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0_Jazz2.jpg\")
The band packed up their instruments midway though their performance (Image: Merlin Daleman)<\/p>\n