Its safe to say we tore into 2025! Our first gig of January is at Qudos and we assumed it would be quiet, being so late in January, and not yet pay day. Well wasn’t that assumption wrong? The Qudos audience had decided it had enough of being good and was ready for a good time. The place was rammed and a really good time was had by all. Thanks to the amazing staff at Qudos for looking after us and to everyone who came for bringing their party frocks. See you again soon.
The very beginning of February sees us closing a day of music at Winter Figgle Fest. This is a fund raiser for the main event in the Summer and includes an incredible line up of bands. We had Junkyard Dogs, Southbound, Strangfolk, Rosie Jay was sadly sick but HP & The Reggae Sauce filled her time, Lump, The Zucchini’s, The P45s and us. A brilliant day and some amazing feedback. Hopefully lots of money raised for Figgle Fest in August!
In March we perform as part of Andover Rocks. An incredible event held for Mental Health Motorcycle sees 85 acts perform across 13 venues in Andover. Our Terry gets to do sound all day Saturday at The Angel and a great big thick Rock noise it is too.
In April, and for the 50th time, we are back at Qudos. How amazing to have played the same venue fifty times. And then to look back across all those gigs and realise they were all incredible. This one was as good as any we have played there. It’s a testament to the venue and also our ability to keep reinventing ourselves just enough to keep it vital. Yes, Simon & Terry are the only original members and now Amber, Pete and Dave bring so much new life and energy to the band that it keeps it just as exciting and fresh as those early days. A huge thanks to Vanessa and the team for always looking after us and a massive THANK YOU to the wonderful people who keep coming back and keep having a great time!
Also in April, and for the first time in seven years, we are back at the Wig & Quill in the Centre of Salisbury. A very English pub. Thank you to everyone who came to see us on what was a busy night for music. Great to be back here!
In May, we play we a gig we tried to play 12 years ago that was rained off. This year, the rain stayed away and glorious sunshine descended across the whole UK in an early summer. Making the most of that, we follow Sock Puppet Jukebox, Total Madness, 3MO, Innovator, and Signature Vision on the big BSM Sound Stage.
For the second Bank Holiday in May we get to play two amazing shows.
A huge thank you to the team at Durrington Vintage Vehicle Event on the Saturday of the second May bank Holiday for having us back for the first time in 7 years. Such a lovely friendly event and amazing comments as we were wrapping up! A huge thank you to the Legend that is Dave Hitchens for jumping in last minute as our Dave was not available on the night. Thanks also to the rain for holding off until we were packing up!
Sunday of the same Bank Holiday sees us at Salisbury Live ’25. Hosted by the Dark Revolution Brewery. A day of music finishes with BC/DC when the sun sets. Thanks to BSM for running the sound and to the amazing audience who stayed to the end and lifted us up. So great to see so many friends old and new!
Our lovely friends at Party on the Pitch in Calne ask us back again this year. How could we refuse! So in the middle of June we had an amazing time playing as the sun went down. The sound was fantastic, the audience were on fire and the event organisers did a great job at making sure everyone had a terrific time. We lost track of how many times the barriers got knocked over and it was great to see so many folk down the front having a good time!
At the end of June, we are back at Qudos – Bar Restauran in Salisbury just in time for the second heatwave of the year! 28C outside when we kicked off made sure it was blisteringly hot and sticky inside! Massive thank you to everyone who came out. Made even more fun with all you lot bouncing up and down. Special call out to the bar staff who managed everything so well and looked after us brilliantly.
At the beginning of July, Ebblefest held its annual Nunton village fete which was lovely! Really well attended and so many stalls, events and things to do and eat and drink. We were responsible for the sound throughout the day, so we got a great afternoon’s music with Ribble, Shannon Laura, Ditch Gypsies and the insanely high energy Kids Love Fit Disco.
At 6pm ‘Salisbury Live Rising’ took over with the introduction of some new Salisbury talent. WOW! The level of talent on display here was really something and leads us to think that the Salisbury music scene of tomorrow is in very safe hands. Big props to Colin and Ruth for making this happen and an enormous congratulations to Evolution, The Concept, Red Star Ritual and 5 Nights At Adyans for incredible performances.
It is worth noting that many of these hadn’t performed live before and all managed change overs really slickly and jumped straight in with no soundcheck. And then got up, with seemingly no nerves, and knocked it out the park. Genuine congratulations to all!
And then, having had other people playing through our kit all day, we got to round the night out with a solid 2-hour set of what we do.
What a day. Thanks Paula and the Ebblefest committee for another incredible day!
Also in July, a private party at the Stalls Café in Sutton Mandeville. A remarkable venue in the countryside just outside Salisbury. An afternoon gig from 4pm until 7:30pm. Fortunately the weather stayed dry, so we were able to be completely outside. Made amusing by the number of local farm workers and dog walkers who heard the fun and tried to join in. Denied. This time.
At the very end of July we are asked to perform for a retirement party for a friend of the band at the Avon Brewery. Sadly, only 60% of the band were available so 3 of us decided to do it as an acoustic bash. Terry added to the chaos by issuing kazoos for the audience to ‘replicate’ a saxophone solo. Both genius and terrifying in equal measures. Family members also got up to do slots and a good time was had by all!
The first weekend of August finds us 10 feet in the air playing at the Salisbury Summer Garden at The Fayre on the Square at the Guildhall Square in the middle of Salisbury and what a spectacular night it was! A huge thank you to the Salisbury Live team for asking us to play and to the staff at Salisbury Summer Garden for looking after us. We had a great time, the bar staff had a great time and the audience had a great time!
A huge thank you to the hundreds of people that were there and also to the people in the Pizza Express across the road who got a free concert and made the most of it by bopping away. Also big thanks to Gemma from the P45s for jumping in on Proud Mary – always a hoot. What a truly magnificent thing to make such a great noise while looking out over Salisbury centre and to see so many people having a good time. Thank you Salisbury!
Next up:
Next up: With the Show Ponies at The Test on the Fest at The Boot Inn, Houghton, nr Stockbridge on 16 August!
