Music at the Bandstand

Opening the Newbury Fringe Festival with

The great sound of Swing.

Jazz poet, surreal humour.

A. F. Harrold is a specimen of prize winning performance poet, non-prize winning comedian, proper poet, novelist, storyteller, songwriter, band leader, actor, artist, artiste, gourmet, book reader, movie goer, lover of paddling and comfortable shoes, typist, educator, locksmith, cook, thief, lover and wife. He is also available for children's parties.

AFH also runs and comperes Poets' Cafe at the Rising Sun Arts Centre in Silver Street, Reading every second Friday of the month. This is an open mic poetry event which has been running in Reading for many years.

RhythmWorks local African Drumming Band was formed by Graeme Goodwin in 1999 in the Gambia, West Africa.

Trained in The Gambia; Graeme found his own calling with the Djembe after a near fatal car accident; the drum being an essential tool in speeding his full recuperation.

He has been playing as an apprentice to Djeli Tomas Camara - a 30 year veteran of the Guinean Djoliba and African Ballet - for 5 years. Together they train Djembe drummers at the RhythmWorks drumming centre Alla Leake Kunda in the Gambia.

Graeme and his family are committed to their extended African family, to the Djembe, and bringing West African percussion to our communities.

Innovative Prog Rockers Tantalus play live in their original home town of Newbury for the first time in 9 years.

The band were founded by local musicians Max Hunt and Rupert Willder back in 1993. During this year they launched their first CD entitled Smoking Angels to an audience of over 300 at the Waterside Centre.

After the launch of a second album on the band's own label and a successful show at the Newbury Corn Exchange in 1996, they performed one last gig in Newbury after which Rupert Willder left the band.

The band signed to a new label in 2004 and two further albums have been released to great international acclaim.

Tantalus are in the process of launching a new line up this year. The first show with this line up will take place at the Rock Horizons Festival at Sarlat in France on April 21st followed by the Fringe.

After such a long period without gigging in Newbury the band are keen to show what they now do to a home audience in the town where it all began.

Tantalus are: Max Hunt (keyboards, Vocals), Gerlinde Hunt (Keyboards, Recorders, Vocals), Martin Clark (Guitar), Sam Edwards (Bass) and Tony Wells (Drums).

Bernard's music stems
from a vast background of differing influences such as rock, punk, metal, blues and indie which shows through in their songs making their music something very special and unique. Nigel Crane, known for photographing the likes of The Lost Prophets, and SlipKnot has likened Bernard to Skunk Anansie and The Guano Apes.

Since the release of their debut EP Bernard have spent time in the studio and completed work on their first album. 2005 will see the release of Bernard's first album Trail of Tears under Spinach Records along with their video for the track One Last Breath to support the album release which was directed and produced by Gumbo Productions - known for filming the likes of The Strokes and Future Kings of Spain. The album is currently set for release this summer with plans of a UK/European tour and festival dates being worked on.

 

 

Red November are a Newbury based post-hardcore band of students, with Tom Ford on bass and lead vocals, Nick Blair on guitar and backing vocals, Oli Ford on lead guitar and Richard Clark on drums.

The band was formed mid 2003 and continues to write songs and work on an EP.

Top local Indie band.

 

Mod retro five-piece metal band.

Richard Bloomer - Vocals, Ben Mercer - Guitar & Backing Vocals, Asa Oldring - Guitar, Simon Fry - Bass Guitar, Richard Moore - Drums,

Newbury Punk.

Combining the style and poise of the Small Faces, the energy and DIY ethic of the Libertines and the tunes of Arthur Lee & Love, The Shake have done more in the last seven months than most bands do in a year, - recording not one, but two EPs (including their latest with Ed Deegan of The Cribs and Holly Golightly fame), receiving airplay on London's XFM with their track 'All The Rage', recording a live session for internet radio station CMP and sharing stages with high profile bands such as Thee Unstrung, Miss Black America and Renton.

The band are now on a look out for a record deal, and will be gigging extensively throughout the summer. Check them out at www.theshake.org.

New line-up cutting edge alternative rock.

Consisting of James Glanville (vocals) Mike Walton (guitar) Alex Kaupa (guitar), Luke Parry (bass) and Dan Lovegrove (drums),

White Sunday play a swaggering brand of Brit rock, full of melody and emotion.

"Like Oasis but with proper guitars" - Berkslive.com

Anybody who loves Oasis and Coldplay will love this music.

 

tHE kITES are a hot new retro Indie rock band. They deliver a powerful, energetic and rocking blend of 70's-esq rock combined with a modern Indie edge.

The spectacular debut album Liquor and Poker is out now through Matchbox Recordings. Featuring the catchy, sing-a-long, anthemic and melodic as hell single It Ain't Love, the album will get you into a decadent party mood and also features pub and club fave Do Ya Wanna lay (next to me) and the dynamite retro masterpiece and title track Liquor and Poker.

Think Jon Squire playing guitar with The Black Crowes on a decadent and melodic trip with Jet and Led Zeppelin. Basically tHE kITES rock like there's no tomorrow and their tunes get stuck in your head and leave you begging for more.

The Skangsters are a superb band that have been knocking around for a wee while now in one form or another playing Ska, Reggae and all that sort of thing. The difference is when they play it, they sound sleek and sexy!!!!

For those that haven't seen them (yes there must be some), they play mainly 60's & 70's Ska and Reggae and not necessarily the most predictable tunes either. Their sound is fat and authentic with some truly beautiful vocal harmonies, a solid rhythm section and spatial sax. Guaranteed to make you shake-yer-boot.

Although hailed as the 'gangsters of Ska', you mustn't be concerned by the criminal undertones of such a reputation (the keyboard player didn't realise that he couldn't buy the ticket on the train). You can therefore rest assured that they will offer you an unsurpassed evening of musical entertainment and as it was once said of them. 

If you don't enjoy this band then you should seek medical attention immediately as you're probably dead already but no-one told you.