Independent Country presents..
90s Britpop and Shoegaze icon Miki Berenyi (Lush) and hot new indie sensations The Tubs co-headline as the Ryland Caravan rolls into Cannon Hill Park for its third year.
Stuart Murdoch (Belle & Sebastian) will be on stage to share stories & songs from his career, and celebrating his new novel 'Nobody's Empire'
This unique, boutique one-day music festival returns to the Outdoor Theatre at MAC Birmingham at the height of summer with another indie cavalcade, hosted as always by Birmingham’s favourite alt.cowboys Independent Country.
Also performing are The Leaking Machine and Lo-Hi-Lo, with tunes throughout the day from DJ Indie Kid Jo, as our resident ringmaster Adrian Goldberg makes sure the rolling caravan runs to time.
Grab your tickets now!
2-10pm, Sunday 10th August 2025
MAC, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham
Miki Berenyi Trio
This year features a headline set by some very special guests indeed!
The Miki Berenyi Trio are Miki Berenyi on vocals/guitar (Lush), Kevin ‘Moose’ McKillop on guitar (Moose) and Oliver Cherer (Gilroy Mere, Aircooled).
MB3 was originally formed to promote Miki’s Sunday Times Books of the Year memoir – Fingers Crossed: How Music Saved Me From Success (2022) – accompanying her live book events with Lush covers. But touring in the UK, Europe and US throughout 2024 and 2025 has built momentum.
They offer a richly layered mix of dream pop and shoegaze, fronted by Miki’s instantly recognisable vocals.
“A barrage of gorgeous hooks” (John Robb, Louder than War).
April 2025 sees the release of their album Tripla via Bella Union.
The Tubs
Jointly headlining the festival are BBC 6 Music favourites, The Tubs.
Quite simply they are “your new favourite band” (Mojo), a “shot in the arm for indie rock” (Kitty Empire, Observer) and “the Best British Indie-Pop in a generation” (The Guardian).
The band are riding a wave of critical acclaim for second album Cotton Crown (2025) which continues their highly addictive brand of indie power pop songcraft, reminiscent of Husker Du, The Smiths, R.E.M.
This is in no small part down to Owen ‘O’ Williams’ vocal performance - often compared to a young Richard Thomson - and his frank, bleakly funny lyric writing.
The band’s hard touring and raucous, beery live show have seen them stand out at festivals like Green Man, End of The Road, Melbourne Rising and Canela Party.
Three Tubs were previously members of Joanna Gruesome- who won the Welsh Music Prize, toured the UK and US extensively, and were praised in Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, The NY Times, The Guardian and others.
Grab this chance to see The Tubs in such a unique and intimate venue while you can!
Stuart Murdoch
Also joining The Ryland Caravan this year is Stuart Murdoch, lead vocalist, songwriter, and founding member of the legendary Scottish indie pop band Belle and Sebastian.
Murdoch's thoughtful song writing approach and artistic vision have established Belle and Sebastian as one of the most respected indie bands of the past few decades.
Your Hosts, Independent Country
Independent Country are 6 cowboys from Birmingham (UK) who take Indie classics on a rollicking ride to Nashville and back.
Floppy fringes and baggy jeans are swapped for pedal steel guitars and four-part harmonies as the NME meets The Grand Ole Opry. You ain’t heard nothing like this!
The band have played festivals and venues all over the UK, including The Union Chapel, Shiiine On and Moseley Folk Festival. They bring either full-band sets that'll tear the house down on a raucous Saturday night, or else a laid-back acoustic show that will provide the ideal soundtrack to a regretful, hungover Sunday.
Saddle up your ponies and say hello to the best gang in town. Find them online at the places below.
Also featuring...
The Leaking Machine
The Leaking Machine are a band from Birmingham UK. Guitar, bass, drums, songs: "making powerpop great again." They are also 3/4 of Brum Indie legends Mighty Mighty!
They have recently signed to the Jenny's Feather Factory label, and their new album, Sound On Sound is released May 2025.
Lo-Hi-Lo
Lo-Hi-Lo are a Stroud-based 3-piece channeling their love of noisy melodic indie, weird folk and fuzzy guitars into loud-quiet slivers of lo-fi music.
Contrasting the gentler side of Grizzly Bear, Redhouse Painters and Guided by Voices with the sharper overdriven tones of The Vaselines, Joy Division and Pixies.
Lo-Hi-Lo are Ben Brockett, vocals and guitar, Andy Moore on bass and Richard Pharaoh on drums.
About The Ryland Caravan
Like an old time passing show, The Ryland Caravan once again pulls in to MAC in Cannon Hill Park for a non-stop day of live music, conversation, and craft fair browsing.
Created by Independent Country as a celebration of the music they love, The Ryland Caravan is an one day mini festival set in the beautiful Brum brutalism of MAC's outdoor theatre.
2023's inaugural event saw fantastic sets from Teenage Fanclub songwriter Gerry Love, Laura J Martin, Swampmeat Family Band, and more.
For 2024, the Independent Country boys put together another tremendous bill, headlined by indie stalwarts Cud and Dexys Midnight Runners legend Pete Williams. The day also saw Ryan J Webb, The Bitter Lemons and Tilda Gebhardt tread the baords.
2025 looks set to be the biggest and best yet, with co-headliners Miki Berenyi Trio and The Tubs sure to bring the house down, while an intimate acoustic set from Stuart Murdoch of Belle & Sebastian will be a rare treat! All of this following sets from Lo-Ho-Li and The Leaking Machine, and of course your hosts, Independent Country.
Join the mailing list
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The Venue
A theatre under the stars!
Nestled at the edge of Cannon Hill Park, a mile or so from central Birmingham, the show will take place in a stunning Roman Amphitheatre style, open–air theatre that forms part of Midlands Arts Centre (mac).
Please dress appropriately - the performance will go ahead whatever the weather!
Getting to MAC
Please consider planning your journey to MAC ahead of your visit by checking pages such as Edgbaston Cricket Ground to see whether any events might cause disruptions to your journey. When visiting MAC, we encourage you to use public transport, cycling and walking wherever possible.
By Bike
MAC is in the middle of National Cycle Route 5, as well as situated on the Rea Valley Cycle Road. It is readily accessible by bike from Birmingham City Centre and further afield. We have bike racks located at both entrances to the building. We also have another bike rack at the rear of the terrace facing Cannon Hill Park.
By Train
MAC is situated next to 4 train stations; Five Ways, University, Selly Oak and Birmingham New Street. The closest station is Five Ways - being 1.3 miles away, followed by University (1.4), then Selly Oak (1.5) and finally Birmingham New Street (1.7). The number 1 bus can take you to Five Ways station and 41 can take you just outside the QE Hospital by University station.
Alternatively, to walk it's around a 40 minute to both stations. The number 63 can take you to Selly Oak station and number 45/47 can take you to Birmingham New Street station (allow around a 7 minute walk from getting off to walking to the station however).
By Bus
1: From Five Ways, Edgbaston, Moseley and Acocks Green. The no 1 stops right outside MAC on Edgbaston Road.
35: From City Centre, Balsall Heath, Moseley and Kings Heath. The no 35 stops just around the corner from MAC on Willows Road.
41: From Heartlands Hospital, Acocks Green Village, Moseley, Springfield Road, Pershore Road (right outside MAC) and QE Hospital.
45/47: From City Centre (Carrs Lane), Selly Park, Stirchley, Cotteridge and Kings Norton. The buses stop on Pershore Road, five minutes walk from MAC.
61/63: From City Centre (Carrs Lane and Smallbrook Queensway), Rubery, Rednal, Gannow, Northfield and Selly Oak. All three buses stop ten minutes walk from MAC on the Bristol Road, near the Priory Road/Bristol Road traffic lights.
Check NX West Midlands for more information.