One of the main highlights of the Tunbridge Wells summer events calendar is the annual Pub in the Park festival. Celebrity chefs Tom Kerridge and Simon Rimmer will be hosting this year’s event which will be held once again in Dunorlan Park July 8 -10.
The festival has a relaxed family friendly atmosphere and in addition to the superb live music on offer, there are plenty of other activities taking place including numerous chef demonstrations, top quality shopping and a children’s area to keep the little ones entertained.
This year the music line up is quite something with Faithless (DJ Set) headlining the Friday evening and the queen of the kitchen disco Sophie Ellis Bextor also on the bill. Saturday afternoon is headlined by feel-good pop-rock band The Feeling and followed by ultimate rock ‘n’ roll tribute act Noasis. Saturday night promises to be incredible with English rock royalty Supergrass topping the bill alongside renowned British rapper and songwriter Professor Green. Sunday is headlined by none other than Melanie C of The Spice Girls. In the build up to her set there will be performances from reggae sensation Aswad and house and garage duo DJ Luck & MC Neat.
But the really exciting news is that also in the music mix will be four Local & Live acts who have been chosen to perform on the main stage at this year’s event.
Opening for Faithless and Sophie Ellis Bextor will be up-and-coming local band Two Weeks In Nashville. The four-piece have enjoyed a meteoric rise over the last two years and have performed all over the UK supporting the likes of The Hoosiers on numerous occasions. Their high energy pop/rock sound takes influence from the likes of The Killers, U2 and Kasabian.
“Two Weeks In Nashville drummer Ian Wilson says: “This gig is going to be amazing! We are so excited! Opening for Sophie Ellis Bextor and Faithless is a dream come true.”
“This year the music line up really is quite something”
Then on Saturday afternoon, popular local singer-songwriter Charlie Rivers will be taking to the stage before The Feeling and tribute band Noasis. Charlie’s songs are rich in pop sensibilities and he is inspired by the likes of Jason Mraz, George Ezra, Dave Matthews Band and Paulo Nutini. “Pub in the Park will be my highest profile gig to date,” says Charlie. “I cannot wait to share the stage with so many iconic music stars, I have butterflies already!”
Ramping up the grooves on Saturday night will be local rockers Suncharmer. The popular local four-piece are due to headline The Tunbridge Wells Local & Live Music Festival in August at Calverley Grounds and will be opening for Supergrass and Professor Green. Suncharmer’s dynamic sound fuses an array of influences which span the generations from The Beatles and The Rolling Stones through to The Artic Monkeys and Blossoms.
Suncharmer front man Paul Crisp is super excited about performing: “We are so pumped about playing Pub in the Park! The main stage is incredible and features a world class line up, we can’t wait to open for Professor Green and Supergrass. To play is a real honour and privilege!”
And I am delighted to announce that my own group The Paul Dunton Orchestra has been invited to open the Sunday sessions. We are absolutely thrilled to be warming up the crowd for the likes of Melanie C, Aswad, DJ Luck & MC Neat. We have lots of new songs to play and will be bringing a lively mix of our cinematic pop style songs to Pub in the Park.
For all the local acts, it is an incredible opportunity to showcase their music on a professional festival stage in front of thousands of people in their home town. As an independent musician myself, I can definitely say on behalf of all the acts, we all feel very elated and fortunate to have been invited to play, these are the type of gigs you dream about and nothing is more motivating then knowing you have a world class act following your performance. Time to get rehearsing! Huge thanks to Tom Kerridge and his team, I think it’s a wonderful thing that Local & Live will be represented at Pub In The Park.
You can find out more about the festival and grab your tickets at www.pubintheparkuk.com
