Karl Boyce looks forward to Birmingham's contribution to the first Peel Day...

Birmingham will take its place in celebrating the life of the late John Peel, as the Jug of Ale in Moseley plays host to an exclusive tribute gig for "John Peel Day" on October 13, the first anniversary of the legendary DJ's last radio broadcast.

BBC Radio One has launched John Peel Day in recognition of Peel's contribution to music and broadcasting, and is encouraging venues up and down the country to stage gigs under the banner of Peel Day.

The gig at the Jug of Ale on Alcester Road, Moseley, will feature a number of acts who benefited from his expertise and " adventurous" ears, including live performances from Mistress, Harpies and Mike in Mono.

Acoustic sets play a big part in the proceedings with contributions from Ben Calvert, Richard Burke and James Summerfield, as well as Pram, Nicholas Bullen, Chris Clarke and Static Caravan, "spinning the wheels of steel" in memory of the great man.

John Peel died while on holiday with his family in Peru on October 25 last year. He was born in Heswall near Chester in 1939 and after completing his military service in Britain in 1962, went to Texas and began working for WRR radio in Dallas.

For the next three years Peel moved to various radio stations in America, among them KOMA in Oklahoma City and KMEN outside Los Angeles. He returned to Britain in 1967 and joined Radio London with the celebrated show The Perfumed Garden. He was with Radio 1 from the beginning in 1967, establishing himself with the late night programme Top Gear.

During an unparalleled 40 year history, John Peel was responsible for introducing UK listeners to everything from crackly old bluegrass to pounding techno, as well as giving a vital first break to countless influential artists, including David Bowie, Joy Division, The Smiths and, more recently, the White Stripes.

The gig has been put together by a number of labels and promoters who together play a big part in providing exposure to the best acts emerging from Birmingham, including Hendricks, Capsule, Alan Farmer and the Catapult Club.

Lisa Mayer from Capsule, said: "As with so many other cities, Birmingham's music scene owes John Peel a huge debt for the inspiration, exposure and encouragement which his radio programmes provided."

A minimum donation of £2 to Shelter will be taken on the door. For further information on the event, please contact Lisa Meyer on 0121 248 2252.