'Legendary' Birmingham rock pub gets new lease of life with two huge reasons to visit

Yahoo

18-05-2025

An old Birmingham rock pub has been given a new lease of life, undergoing a refurbishment that includes one huge new feature.
Scruffy Murphy's in Dale End has been serving beers to a soundtrack of rock and roll since 2001 and its new renovation makes it look like Birmingham's answer to the Hard Rock Cafe, with memorabilia on the walls and nods to musical icons including Birmingham's own Ozzy Osbourne.
There's also a photo of Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi in which he's standing outside the pub in the flesh.
Read more: Kerryman pub transformation to be revealed in days as excitement builds
Subscribe to the Brum Food Club for a weekly food and drink newsletter, in your inbox, every Thursday. It's free.
Before it became 'Scruffy's' the pub was known as the Pen and Wig, and the corner boozer has been known for hosting live gigs and proving a safe space for Brummies belonging to alternative subcultures in both its iterations.
As well as refreshing the interior, the pub has commissioned a huge mural of rockstars on its external wall.
READ MORE: Photos show refurbished Scruffy Murphys - Birmingham's answer to the Hard Rock Cafe
It features the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Motorhead legend Lemmy, Judas Priest's Rob Halford and Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson.
By way to celebrating the new addition, Scruffy Murphy's has invited visitors to take photos standing outside the new Dale End art feature to be in with the chance of winning tickets to Bloodstock, a heavy metal festival held every year in Catton Park, Derbyshire.
Dale End took a significant hit earlier this year when Priory Square closed for good.
When it shut down, the businesses that had called the shopping centre home were forced to close, including the 54-year-old Oasis Market.
The Oasis Market, like Scruffy Murphy's, had long been a space for Birmingham's heavy metal fans to congregate.
Now, Scruffy's has lent its downstairs gig space to Fallout, one of the independent traders that had been selling official band merchandise in The Oasis Market since 1996.
Fallout is currently selling T-shirts, flags, patches and more from within the pub on a temporary basis while it works to establish a more permanent position.
Exact dates can be confirmed on the Fallout Instagram page, though it's currently set for every day of the week beginning May 19, excluding Saturday.
You'll find Scruffy Murphy's at Dale End, B4 7LN.