Kidderminster Town Hall: Where Local Music Comes Home

For generations, Kidderminster Town Hall has been much more than a civic building. It has been a stage, a meeting place and an important part of the area's musical story.

The Town Hall's musical heritage reaches back decades and includes some remarkable names. Its Music Room and Corn Exchange have hosted artists ranging from The Who, The Rolling Stones and U2 to Robert Plant, reflecting the remarkable contribution Kidderminster and the surrounding area have made to popular music. (Kidderminster Town Council)

Now, following its major £12 million transformation and reopening in November 2025, the Town Hall has entered a new chapter. Its restored Music Room, improved acoustics, professional sound and lighting systems and upgraded performance facilities have created a venue capable of welcoming both touring artists and the musicians who have roots in the local area. (Wyre Forest District Council)

And some of those familiar faces are already coming home.

Robert Plant, Mike Sanchez and Jonn Penney are among the musicians associated with the Town Hall's new era. Plant's connection with Kidderminster's musical life runs particularly deep. He was also closely involved with Kevyn Gammond, the former Band of Joy guitarist and influential music educator who helped establish MAS Records at Kidderminster College.

MAS - originally standing for Mighty Atom Smasher - was an artist-development programme designed to give young musicians practical experience, mentoring, recording opportunities, industry knowledge and opportunities to perform. Founded by Gammond in 2001, it worked with thousands of aspiring artists and had Robert Plant and Karl Hyde of Underworld as patrons. (MAS Lab)

The connection between the Town Hall and MAS became particularly memorable in 2005, when a MAS Records launch party at the Town Hall featured Kevyn Gammond and Robert Plant performing together. Plant joined local musicians for a blues and R&B set, bringing the story full circle - one of Kidderminster's most famous musical sons performing on one of the town's historic stages in support of developing new talent. (Tight But Loose)

And the story continues through Jonn Penney, frontman and lyricist of Stourbridge's Ned's Atomic Dustbin. Penney subsequently became involved with MAS Lab as a mentor, lecturer and advocate, extending the organisation's connection with the region's alternative music scene. (MAS Lab)

MAS Lab is now the continuation of that creative philosophy - bringing together artists, musicians, educators and community projects, using music and the arts to encourage creativity, collaboration and positive change.

So perhaps the most exciting thing about the restored Town Hall is not simply that it remembers Kidderminster's musical past.

It is once again providing a place for that musical heritage to happen. From Plant and Sanchez to Penney and the next generation of local performers, the Town Hall remains a stage where Kidderminster's extraordinary musical story can continue.