A VENUE in Reading played host to a range of acts on Saturday raising funds for Ukraine.
Facebar welcomed not only home-grown talent but performers from further afield in support of humanitarian efforts and relief for the people of Ukraine as part of Play For Ukraine.
Reading’s own answer to Ramones, Remones, kicked off proceedings with their usual aplomb, barrelling through a set of the band’s most celebrated classics.
They were followed by indie punk purveyors Caz and the Traitors, and hard rock from Hard Times.
The event also saw performances from the Highwasters, and Syn City Rockers, before headliners Skavengers took to the stage for a mixture of classic ska covers and original music.
Female choir КРИЛА (or Kryla) also performed, bringing a taste of traditional music to the bill, adorned in vyshyvankas.
The event also featured a fundraising raffle, with food provided by Tutu’s Ethiopian Table.
The event was part of Play for Ukraine, which is supporting refugees through the Reading Ukrainian Community Centre by funding supply trips to Ukraine.
Nigel Milson, lead vocalist of Remones, said: “They’re still quite topical a lot of the songs, still quite political, despite the mix of left and right in the band.
“But they can always be turned towards what fits for today.”
He explained: “We love playing the Facebar, and we love playing live, especially as we kind of got here by accident and mucking around.
“There’s loads of tribute bands around, and the band has hundreds of songs, so we get around.
“But it’s always nice to play local shows like The Facebar and the Turtle.
“They always have great crowds, and Remones songs are great for getting them going.”
More information about the Reading Ukrainian Community Centre and its fundraising and support efforts is available via: https://rucc.uk/
More details about Facebar are available via: https://www.hirethefacebar.com/