Mothers (formerly the Carlton Ballroom) was a club in the Erdington district of Birmingham, England, during the late 1960s and early 1970s. It opened above an old furniture store in Erdington High Street on 9 August 1968. The club, run by John Singer, John 'Spud' Taylor and promoter Phil Myatt, closed its doors on 3 January 1971. Between those dates more than 400 acts performed there, many of whom went on to great success.

Well-known live recordings made in Mothers include those released by Pink Floyd on Ummagumma, recorded on 27 April 1969,) and Black Sabbath played some of their earliest gigs there. on 12 May 1969, Fairport Convention's van crashed on the M1 motorway, killing drummer Martin Lamble, 19, and Jeannie Franklyn, guitarist Richard Thompson's girlfriend. The rest of the band suffered injuries of varying severity.

Mothers was voted the number one rock venue in the world by America's Billboard magazine. John Peel, a regular DJ at the club, was quoted as saying: "People are amazed to hear that for a few years the best club in Britain was in Erdington."

thumb|The blue plaque, colours fading, seen in April 2019

A blue plaque was unveiled at the former Mothers building on 13 July 2013.

References

  • Brum Rocked On!
  • Mothers' history
  • Mothers (Carlton Ballroom)