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Music Features

Birmingham Complaints Choir
Birmingham Complaints Choir

The choir wants your complaint

The Complaints Choir of Birmingham have achieved a cult hit by setting their moans to music. They're inviting you to be a part of their next song.

Add your complaint to the comment box, below.

Back in 2005, artists Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen came up with the idea of a complaints choir. The Springhill Institute in Birmingham liked the concept.

Birmingham Complaints Choir
Birmingham Complaints Choir

The Institute collected complaints and choir members by using flyers and posters. Birmingham musician Mike Hurley turned the moans about the city into a song. By May 2005, the Choir had rehearsed and were performing. They recorded their performance on video.

It was when the video was added to the video sharing website YouTube, in August 2006, that the Birmingham Complaints Choir began to attract a lot of press attention. Their first song has become one of the most popular videos on the website. At time of writing it's been viewed 302,181 times.

"I want my money back,
My job is like a cul-de-sac,
And the bus is too infrequent at 6.30"

Mike Hurley
Mike Hurley

seems to have struck a global chord.

Now it's your turn

Mike Hurley has made BBC WM's Paul Franks an offer he can't refuse. The Birmingham Complaints Choir are recording again. They need your moans and groans about Birmingham. Add your complaint to the comment box, below, and it may be used in their next song.

We'll publish a release date for the new song as soon as we receive it.

last updated: 01/12/06
 
Have Your Say
Add your complaint about life in Birmingham here
Your name: 
Your comment: 
 
The BBC reserves the right to edit comments submitted.

Bob Jones
When you demolish Dale End we want another Carling Academy!

Stuart Quinell
Why do we have the same Xmas Decorations every year? its time for some new ones

David Hurley (brother)
Tell him to get a hair cut!! and buy me a pint for being great.

James Taylor
Birmingham is all show, and a cess pit underneath. We all know this. Its a Joke

June Pearce
The Queensway Tunnel Is Evil

Eddie Sayers
Millenium Point was a bad idea

Craig Williams
Broad Street is like Hell On Earth

Rob Right
Why does the mill town of Manchester claim to be the UK's second city when everyone knows that Birmingham is twice as big?

Brian Pardew
Polish Bus Drivers don't understand us.

Jim Fordham
I would like to complain that this idea has been stolen from Venezuelan school children. On a recent visit to the Caribbean island of Margarita, I went to a school fair where the children who are about 9 years old, sing what they think is wrong with the island. It is a tradition stretching back years and I'm sure you've nicked it.

Dario
My complaint is about Xmas trees around the city centre. Why they cut them? None of them have roots anymore! They are dead! it`s horrible. The council should prevent such a waste of planet resources!!!

Martin Collard
Why do Brumies throw rubbish on the floor? Why do Birmingham cars drive in Birmingham bus lanes? Why do us Birmingham people winge so much? Why is it always somebody else at fault? Why do odd balls edit local newspoapers? Why are Birmingham choirs so vocal about trivial local issues? I could go on...but I'm not one to complain.

chris
why does birmingham always scrap ambitious building projects in favour of bland cheap alternatives (New New St)

William Salt
You wait an hour for a bus, then 6 turn up at once!

Lucie
Why does the electricity company always put me on hold? "Your call is very important to us. Please continue to hold."

Luke Moore
my complaint about Brum is that I don't live there any more!

Bertie Sykes
Why don't the council scrap the stupid red routes system...it's runing my business

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