Hastings Pier Waking Up!

Indeed, after a winter hibernating, it appears things are starting to happen on Hastings Pier, starting this Saturday 13th May, each month until September there will be music supplied by DJs, from 14.00 to 21.00, chill @ the pier (facebook). 

And Soul and Reggae music on Hastings Pier tomorrow!

From 16.00 this Sunday the 29th August, on Hastings Pier, free music played, Soul meets Reggae (Hastings Pier facebook), memories 😉 what's not to like?!?

Free music, Hastings Pride (blog), and the usual, enjoy your weekend folks!

Carnival Week: Tuesday 6th August!

The carnival week continues to entertain, including the legendary Crown Lane Bike Race from 5.30 pm and not easy at all (website), the OHPS led Old Town Guided Walk from 2.30 pm and another on Thursday too (see blog for last week as same details, and the lift still was under maintenance earlier today), continuation of the Guess the Weight of the Cheese, Free Music, Winkle Tossing, many more guided walks, a Hastings Lifeboat Station Open Day, and much more to enjoy (website), please do!



Carnival Week Monday: Seaboot Race!

Still plenty to do on Monday 5th August, and within Hastings Old Town Carnival Week too (website), including the OHPS led free guided walk of the Stade from 11.00 am, as I mentioned in one of my Friday blogs. In addition there is the Seaboot Race that starts at 6.00 pm in Courthouse Street (website), and in which a friend of mine joins in every year, silly man, just joking Jason! 

In addition events include the Old Town Treasure Trail, Guess the Weight of the Cheese, Music, Coffee Morning, Craft Stalls, more walks and tours, and the Cheese & Wine Extravanza, and much more (website), have fun!



FAT TUESDAY, that is MARDI GRAS!

Today is the day, enjoy! If you want to know who is playing where and when this evening 8-11.30pm, please go to their website, if you want to be surprised, just walk around the Old Town and be surprised at the quality of music available, have fun!

If you haven't already read it, more about Fat Tuesday in Friday's blog.

Hastings: What's On?!?

If you're trying to avoid the Football World Cup (which is likely to be shown in virtually every pub and bar, well, certainly the England match!)...

For people (mostly) younger than me, and following the hugely successful Pier Jam in April, today (Saturday, 13.00-23.00) sees the return that is Pier Jam Hastings - Part Two (facebook). The new owner apparently accepting already arranged events may be held on Hastings Pier, nice one, enjoy!

Back at the Stade and a slightly more tranquil Strictly Stade Saturday for people of all ages, of course (website pdfs)! From 5pm there will be free workshops to help you learn the trade, then from 7pm until 9pm you can enjoy 2 hours of ballroom, salsa and tango dancing! This is a free HBC event held in collaboration with Hastings Salsa and Dance Hastings CIO, so dance the night away and enjoy!

And, my apologies for missing this so far, but the Hastings Beer & Music Festival 2018 is on its last day up at The Oval, off Bohemia Road, again (website). This event is organised by Hastings Round Table, subsequently, is a charity event and, as such, "every single penny raised goes to local good causes." There will be a Family Afternoon with too much on to list, so look at the website, with the gates opening at 11am until 4pm; and from 4.30pm gates reopen for the evening music with 5 live bands (website), if you haven't already bought your tickets, hurry hurry hurry!

I know where I'll be watching the football, and of course there's music on in bars all over town as ever, but, whatever you do today, please enjoy yourselves!

Hastings Weekend June/July 2018

So it's to be another busy fun-filled weekend in Hastings & St Leonards, to begin with, this Saturday (30th June, 12 noon to 10.30pm) and the St Leonards Festival provides a culturally diverse delight (website). There will be music, food and drink, a wonderful street market and street art, the carnival parade, and much more! Indeed, look out for a Friends of Hastings Pier presence too (we shouldn't forget there are many people who live and work in Hastings who still care about the Pier with a passion!). By the way, the £ Half a million they had raised through Crowdfunder has been returned to those who contributed (well mine has been returned anyway, so I'm presuming), and now they have a new Crowdfunder page so that they may continue to campaign and have a reserve fund should they get the opportunity to purchase the freehold of Hastings Pier. Good luck and my best wishes to the activists/supporters of Friends of Hastings Pier!

Talking about Hastings Pier and this weeked may well see the last Vintage & Retro Indoor Market  on there (website), open 11am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday, as we still have no idea what the new owner is going to do with the Pier, he having no plan! Retrobella includes nearly 20 stallholders selling quality vintage garments, homeware, collectibles and vinyl. Good luck to this event too!

And Stade Saturdays brings us free "high energy music with African and Jazz influences," another culturally eclectic mix, when Hexagonal play on the stage at the Stade Open Space from 7.30pm (website).

So, together with all the regularly arranged gigs, and delights to visit, this weekend will again deliver fun for all, plus an excellent weather forecast (Met Office), and not to forget Hastings Fringe events; see website!

Hastings Winkle Club's Jazz & Blues Fest 2018

Oops, nearly missed it! Hastings Winkle's Club's Jazz and Blues Fest 2018 is on this weekend (1st - 3rd June, website). This event is taking place at the Stade Open Space, and many local bars are participating as well, so much jazz and blues merriment around town this weekend, plus the Winkle Club (blog) are always "raising money for local charities and good causes!"

Of course, other pubs and bars have alternative music as well over the weekend, so there will be free music for everyone, enjoy!



Mardi Gras - The Fat Tuesday Tour!

It's that time of year when you can chose between staying in and scoffing pancakes or going out to enjoy the abundance of free live music in Hastings old town, or you could do both! With 24 bands playing 20 minute sets at 12 venues, that's 6 acts at each venue if you don't want to follow particular bands... So. ensconce yourself in a venue where you'll feel more comfortable venue/acts wise, or dodge around the venues (it can be difficult getting drinks at, or even getting into, some venues once the ball's rolling!). 

Check the website for details of the venues and when bands are playing at each venue (too many to list here), dress up and enjoy the evening!

Not so fat Monday...

Today sees a quieter day music gig-wise, though it certainly shouldn't be uninteresting! From 10am to 5.30pm in the Sussex Hall of White Rock Theatre is being held Unconvention, a free "one-day music conference aimed at the grassroots of the industry." You can catch "panellists from across the music business in conversation about the future of the music industry and attend workshops on a range of key elements including practical advice for gigging, and tips on securing crowdfunding & grants." 

Indeed, "Un-Convention is a UK based global music network and development agency. Their events and projects bring together artists and practitioners to share knowledge and expertise." If you're musically inclined this sounds like the place to be today! See the website for further details of  what the day offers.

Then, this evening, for the ninth year running, returns Slim Monday, a more relaxed 4 hours (7-11pm and also free entry) at the Palace, also at White Rock just along from the theatre, and including live music by King Size Slim; see website.

Have a good day before the serious fun tomorrow evening!

Even More Music Today!

Yes, even more music! From 12.00 to 10.30pm emerging artists and bands "curated by BBC Introducing, Joe Strummer Foundation, OFF AXIS network and Incubate" will be playing Under the Radar (website). These gigs are away from the old town, indeed at venues in the town centre; these are the Palace, White Rock (website - their image, many thanks!), On the Rocks, 4 Claremont (facebook page) and the Brass Monkey, Havelock Road (website).

And also, at The Printworks, 14 Claremont (website - their image, many thanks!)...

From 1pm to 11pm, there will be Thee Sunday Sonics 2018, a returning free "one-day celebration of experimental music, sound art and film" and the 'brainchild' of local artist Danny Pockets. There will be an eclectic mix of local DJs during the afternoon, followed by live performances from 6.30pm (website).

Enjoy your day, and more to come still!

Sunday & The Umbrella Parade...

It's Sunday and the Fat Tuesday festival continues with the Umbrella Parade this morning, and the weather forecast doesn't look too bad, though it may be a wee bit windy. The meeting place this year is The Stade open space, with the planned time of meeting/leaving being 11.30am; see website for further details.

The Parade will head along the seafront to St Mary in the Castle for Preservation Sunday, 12.30-6pm (free entrance), with food, drink, and music from brass bands; see website. Enjoy your day!

There will be even more music in town today, next blog...

Unplugged Saturday!

This afternoon, from 1pm to 6pm, from St Mary in the Castle at Pelham Crescent, across to the Dolphin Inn in Rock-a-Nore Road, 40 artists and bands play 200 brief 15 minute acoustic gigs at 20 venues, music galore! See website for further details.

Indeed, at Hastings & St Leonards Angling Association bar, there is a variety of excellent curries on offer as well as live music; see Clare Kittiwake's facebook page.

Then, this evening, at St Mary in the Castle, c'est Le Grand Mardi Gras Ball from 8pm to 2am, time to dress up and dance, and enjoy classic New Orleans sounds (website); tickets £11 in advance.

And we're still in the early stages of the Fat Tuesday music festival, enjoy!

Tune Raiders on hold...

Sadly, the regular Tuesday evening slot of the Tune Raiders at the Dolphin Inn, Rock-a-Nore Road, has ended after about 4 years due to various reasons, so Tuesdays have changed there. This Tuesday just gone, I missed a number of the Ukulele people who play every 2 weeks on Fridays round the corner at the Lord Nelson in The Bourne (next a week today on the 9th of February, I believe). They'll be returning to the Dolphin again on the evening of Tuesday 20th February as Uke 'n' Party, which I'm told was excellent this Tuesday, so well worth a visit there, and to the Lord Nelson of course!

Next Tuesday, the 6th February, at the Dolphin will be folk music by Mojo Calling, and, of course, on the 13th is Fat Tuesday (see previous blog or the Fat Tuesday website).

Expect to see varying gigs and events at the Dolphin Inn from now on Tuesday evenings, and don't be surprised to see fiddly diddly Oirish Tune Raiders return at some time, best wishes to them all and their families!

Tuesday 15th - Walking and Listening to Music (later)

This afternoon, Tuesday 15th August, if you're free, please join with the Old Hastings Preservation Society (OHPS) for their regular Tuesday walking tour of Hastings Old Town, the "premier ancient Cinque Port" - meeting up at 2.30pm by the top of the West Hill lift. In the old town is a wealth of historic buildings, twittens and cat-creeps to explore; you will also find out why celebrities of their day, eg the Pre-Raphaelites, flocked to Hastings. Indeed, contemporary celebrities still do! A volunteer guide will lead the walk, which proceeds gently downhill, but, be careful, there are steps to manage here and there. The walk lasts about 2 hours and is provided free, but the OHPS would be very grateful for all donations given, many thanks, see their website.

It's worth wearing comfortable walking shoes, obviously, and, as the forecast suggests a light rain shower at 2pm, a shower-proof jacket or umbrella may well be handy (it doesn't look too strong a wind). Enjoy the afternoon!

Then, this evening from 9pm, there is the regular band, the Tune Raiders, playing mostly non-vocal Irish folk music, known as 'fiddly dee' locally, at the Dolphin Inn, Rock-a-Nore Road. Of course, Hastings has a wealth of free music venues most days, so most evenings it's worth a wander round town. The photograph above was taken on Pirate Day from the Stacey Marie RX134 (facebook), opposite the Dolphin. Enjoy your evening too!

Hastings Jazz & Blues Festival 2-4th June 2017

Hastings Winkle Club's Jazz and Blues Festival returns to The Stade Open Space this weekend, Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th June 2017. Free music starts tomorrow (Saturday) at 2pm with the Helen Sharp Jazz Quartet, culminating with the world famous, multi-award winning, Liane Carroll Band, 7.30-9pm. 

Sunday entertainment starts with the Jazz Breakfast, yes, includes food, tea and coffee being available, 10.30am at The Stade Open Space, and winds down with The Tom Fitzpatrick Band 6.30-7.30pm; see website for full details of the free music at The Stade. There will be collection buckets for people, encouraged to make donations to the Winkle Club, who support local charities and poorer folk and people in need (website).

There are 8 other official venues with music starting this evening (Friday), ie the Albion, Anchor, Dragon Bar, Jenny Lind, Old Market, Porters, Nelson and Trader (website for individual gig information). Of course, we're blessed with plenty of live music around the town centre and old town, I know there is music at the Dolphin Inn this evening, and with an act from the Stade crossing the road tomorrow evening (Saturday) to continue their gig! Also, music at the East Hastings Angling Club tomorrow evening! If you know of any further music venues, please let me know, cheers!

Sonpikkante! - Stade Saturday 3rd October

At 7.30 this evening, Sonpikkante play the last planned gig of the Stade Saturdays performances of 2015, though there is more, non-musical, stuff to come over the next couple of weeks, notably with Hastings Week to come! 

Apparently, 'Sonpikkante' means "hot chilli"; and they play "raw Afro-Columbian roots music", including a fusion of Afro-caribbean rhythms, dub, Haitian, "classic 60s Cumbia, Vallenato and Puta" with a 'Salsa groove' - Sounds exciting, so get on down to the Stade open space at 7.30pm for a free music delight!      

For more details of Stade Saturdays 2015, see the website.

Stade Saturday 26th September, and...

The Stade Saturdays performances continue today with the Coal Porters! 

The Coal Porters formed in Los Angeles many years ago, and now are based in the UK (website). They are advertised as a British-American "alt-bluegrass" act, with fiddle, acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo, doghouse bass, and four-part harmonies. The gig starts at 7.30pm; not a lot better than watching an accomplished act for nowt at the Stade, enjoy! 

See website for details of Stade Saturdays...   

Stade Saturdays - This Evening!

Free performances at the Stade: this evening from 7.30pm, A Wave of Dreams, followed by a musical performance by Tymon Dogg; see website for further details.