Each week, there are 10 great acts in our playlist, all with a connection to Reading or Wokingham. As always, we have a wide variety of musical styles, but we think they’re all worth a listen, and we hope you find something new to enjoy as well as maybe getting out to experience the thrill of live music. This week, we’ve got three new entries from acts who have a connection to the area.
1. Solstice – Life –
Solstice were voted Best Band in the Prog Magazine Readers’ Poll for 2024, and when we saw them perform at the 1865 in Southampton recently, we could see why! In addition, band leader Andy Glass was voted top in the Guitarist category, and most of the rest of the band featured in the top ten of their respective specialities. Life is the latest single from their Clann album and is a great introduction to their sound. You can see them for yourself on the main stage at Wokingham Festival on August 25th! https:// solsticeprog.uk/
2. Steve Hackett – The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway – Another selection for prog rock fans! We featured one of Steve Hackett’s new tracks when he played at The Hexagon last year, when his band performed the Genesis classic album, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, as well as his new material. The very next day they performed the same show at The Royal Albert Hall, and that show was recorded. This is the single, and title song of original album, from the forthcoming live release, The Lamb Stands Up Live At The Royal Albert Hall. The album is released on July 11th. https://www.hackettsongs.com/
3. Chesney Hawkes – LOUD! –
You may have seen him in the recent Celebrity Big Brother, and you’ll know his The One and Only, written by Nik Kershaw, but Chesney Hawkes is much more than a one-hit wonder. This track is from his new album, Living Arrows, his first after a twelve year gap to raise his kids in LA, and he returned to the UK to record this album. Chesney is originally from just down the road in Windsor, and is appearing at Rewind South in Henley-on-Thames in August, and the album was recorded in Jake Gosling’s Sticky Studios in Windlesham. https://www.chesneyhawkes.com/
4. Jagged Baptist Club – Physical Surveillance –
Another thumbs-up for a band seen at The Purple Turtle, courtesy of the regular Monday night curated by Groove Cult Shindigs. Jagged Baptist Club came all the way from Los Angeles, as part of a tour of the UK and Ireland, to entertain the packed crowd with a set of frantic energy including tracks like this, the title track from their recent album. By the time you read this, they’ll be back home, but keep your eyes open for a return visit! https://www.facebook.com/jaggedbaptistclub
5. China Bears – Gracie –
Based in Guildford, China Bears played in Wokingham a couple of years ago at a packed Gig House (now Den 24), supporting Rila’s Edge. They are returning to the town this summer for Wokingham Festival, where they are headlining on the Marquee stage on the Saturday night, 23rd August. This gentle and contemplative track is the lead track from their most recent EP. https://www.facebook.com/ChinaBearsBand
6. San Demas, Shoot to Kill – All In On Me –
We’ve featured San Demas a couple of times before, but this latest single is a bit of a departure from their regular sound, being their heaviest track to date climaxing with a guest vocal from metalcore purveyors Shoot to Kill’s vocalist, Danny Weathers. They played most recently at Frogfest in High Wycombe just last Sunday. https://www.facebook.com/SanDemasMusic
7. The Julia Set – I Won’t Back Down –
The Julia Set are based in West London, but ventured out to the Acoustic Couch in Bracknell recently, where we saw them put on a great show of their original songs. This is their latest single, released earlier this year. They have a great classic rock sound, with an indie edge to it, and you can see them for yourself when they grace the Marquee stage on Saturday 23rd August at Wokingham Festival. https://linktr.ee/thejuliaset
8. Y – Why –
As we expected, the Are You Listening? Festival was a great success, well organised and a good mix of music in various venues, with the bonus of very pleasant weather making the transitions enjoyable too. As always, the only downside is that it’s simply not possible to see everything, but what we did see was all good. Y were on early in the day, but were full of energy and had the crowd dancing along to their saxophone- and keyboard-driven groove. We love this track, enigmatically titled and homophonic with the band’s name (get us with the fancy words!) https://www.facebook.com/Ythebandlondon
9. Honeyglaze – Ghost –
Another selection from AYLFest, a calmer and more contemplative track from Honeyglaze. Honeyglaze are a trio based in London, currently on a tour around various European countries, and have been compared to Mercury prizewinners English Teacher. This is their latest single, a dreamlike evocation of uncertainty and memory, thoughts of someone no longer there. https://www.facebook.com/honeyglazemusic
10. The Bluepers – I Don’t Wanna Be Managed –
We popped along to the regular Monday music night at The Purple Turtle, run by Groove Cult Shindigs, and were blown away by the headliners, The Bluepers, and we’re now able to announce that they’ll be appearing at Wokingham Festival this year! Effervescent with energy, this Reading-based band know how to put on a show, and their self-penned songs are full of humour. They are influenced by some classic bands such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, T-Rex and Thin Lizzy, but have their own sound. This is their most recent single, all about their preferred career choices. https://linktr.ee/ thebluepers
You can listen to all the songs featured in our Spotify playlist at https://bit.ly/rawsoundstoday
