Indie pop/rock band ONLY THE POETS have announced FREE hometown shows in Banbury and Reading, to thank local fans for their support, highlight the independent venues that helped their careers and promote their new single Guess She’s Cool.
Only The Poets will be performing at Banbury’s Also Known As (AKA) on Friday August 29 and Reading’s Purple Turtle on Saturday August 30. No tickets are required and the gigs are free on arrival. Age 18+.
‘AKA in Banbury and the Purple Turtle in Reading were such important places to us four growing up’
The band is made up of Tommy Longhurst (lead vocals, guitar), Andy “Roo” Burge (bass, vocals), Clem Cherry (guitar, vocals) and Marcus Yates (drums, vocals) and released their debut single Ceasefire in 2017, played their first live gigs in 2018. They have supported Coasts, Louis Tomlinson, opened for Lewis Capaldi and Bastille, released two albums and performed at festivals such as Lollapalooza Paris, Truck and Reading Festival. They head back to the US this autumn as main support for The Wombats on their upcoming tour.
So what’s behind these free concerts? “Grassroots venues like AKA in Banbury and the Purple Turtle in Reading were such important places to us four growing up. They were where we saw our first bands and helped us believe a music career was possible. They gave us the inspiration to start playing, the space to make noise, and the belief that we could be part of something bigger,” the band explains.
‘Independent venues have always been the lifeblood of the live music scene’
“AKA was pivotal in helping us become a band. We literally met at multiple shows up there. Half of the band grew up playing there and going and watching and being inspired by the bands that would come and play at AKA every weekend. We’ve played so many shows at AKA, and it’s such a special grassroots venue, so just like PT, it helped us so much in the early years of the band.
As for Purple Turtle, Only The Poets add: “The PT is where we played our first ever show. Our early songs were written all about nights out there. It’s a huge part of the local music scene in Reading, and where half the band are from. PT has put the town on the map in many ways when it comes to bands passing through early on in their careers.
‘Without them our band wouldn’t exist, and neither would so many others’
“But more than that, both venues offer a moment of escapism for those who live locally. It’s a chance to experience live music close to home, without the cost and barriers of travelling to a city, especially during a cost of living crisis.
“Independent venues have always been the lifeblood of the live music scene. They encourage young people to start making music, bring music lovers together, and give new bands their first real shot at an industry that can feel impossible to break into. Without them, our band wouldn’t exist, and neither would so many others.
‘we’re doing these underplay shows to honour and support the independent venues that built us’
“But right now, too many of these venues are at risk. Rising pressures and a lack of support are forcing them to close. When that happens, it’s not just gigs we’re losing, it’s culture and opportunity too.
“So we’re doing these underplay shows to honour and support the independent venues that built us. It’s a way of giving back to them, to the fans who’ve supported us, and the next generation of musicians and music lovers who need these spaces just as much as we did.
Only The Poets new single ‘Guess She’s Cool’ is being released tomorrow (August 1). For more info on Only The Poets go to https://onlythepoetsofficial.com
