The Grey Lady Music Lounge, Sunday 20th November 2016
This is a past event.
Headline Act: Matt Rivers
Matt returns to Tunbridge Wells for a one show tour! His songs and music have taken him all over the world, playing to a diverse selection of audiences in myriad countries around the globe. He is currently living in Tarifa in Spain, the southern-most point of mainland Europe. He is writing new material and playing to international audiences along the coast.
His songs are sourced from his life experiences. They are about overcoming adversity. They are about the human condition. They are about healing and love. They are about consciousness and spirit. He speaks of shared experiences and aims the words and music at resolution. Matt is melody focused, drawing influence from the music of his childhood, such as Lennon, Cat Stevens and Bowie.
His style crosses a few genres, mainly folk, rock and indie, whilst sitting firmly within his own identity. He has been known to play with a band but more often plays solo. Matt has an EP – Some Elsewhere - that was produced and released with the help of the Arts Council.
The Ackerleys
It is a year now since Cyrano’s Joe Ackerley teamed up with his sister Alice to form ‘The Ackerleys’ as a side line - turned major project! Already they have a fast-growing repertoire of folk/pop tunes, some light and uplifting, some moody and soulful, but all featuring close harmony, strong chord structure and catchy melody. Joe employs his prodigious song writing skills and his own rich baritone to complement and showcase Alice‘s striking voice. Joe’s roots are in rock music as is well known to many of on the TW music scene, his deep seated influences an unusual mix of Pearl Jam/ Radiohead/ Elbow/Crowded House/Jeff Buckley. His sister Alice, just turned 17, provides a more contemporary vibe – Laura Marling, The Staves, Florence and the Machine, Emmy the Great, Marina & the Diamonds. The result is delightfully different - but judge for yourself. The dynamic duo has now added lead guitar and drums in the form of Steve McCormack, and Matt Wilson.
James Medhurst
James Medhurst has been in love with music since he got his first guitar at the age of 8 and intends to keep playing all the way up to 80.
After fronting the pop punk band Wayside Kings he has now decided to take his acoustic guitar in one hand, a cup of tea in the other, and explore a solo career.
James’ style is mostly taken from the American alternative scene. His influences range from Counting crows, Taking Back Sunday, New Found Glory to Incubus, which he uses to fuse his own take of soulful pop rock.
His aim is to create a catalogue of uplifting songs that reflect the way he see the world.
Gronk
Raised by pack animals in the south, Gronk was subsequently stationed in the Home Counties where he studied for A-Levels in navelgazing before escaping to London. He found moderate success with gothic psych-rock band Carnival of Souls in the early noughties, before meeting near-indifference at a handful of solo gigs in Brixton. A trip to the US followed, during which he discovered the marimba and returned to form the Body Doubles, a shambolic rock 'n' roll act currently limping around London's sawdust venues. Gronk writes folk and rock songs bolstered by a healthy dose of gallows humour, and appears tonight with Body Doubles lead guitarist Claud "the musket" Musker.
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