Wokingham Festival Special! Each week we like to champion the music scene with ten songs in our playlist that all have a connection to the RaW (Reading and Wokingham) area and sometimes beyond. This week we have a playlist filled with acts you can see at Wokingham Festival this Bank Holiday Weekend, rain or shine! There’s apparently another festival on this weekend, too, but that one seems to get plenty of attention already. As always, we have a wide variety of musical styles, but we think they’re all worth a listen and we hope you find something new to enjoy as well as maybe getting out to experience the thrill of live music.
1. Who Ate All the Crayons – Belly of the Beast –
We’ve featured ‘Crayons’ a few times in the playlist, and with good reason; they not only have catchy tunes in an indie-folk-rock style, but put on a fantastic live show (see photo!). Belly of the Beast is the second track from their latest EP, more upbeat and anthemic than Bare Your Teeth which we featured last month. Expect to see an energetic performance when they headline the Marquee stage at Wokingham Festival on Saturday August 29th! https:// whoateallthecrayons.com/
2. Cheap Suits – Sucker –
Oxford based Cheap Suits will be the first band on stage at this year’s Wokingham Festival, opening the Marquee stage on Saturday, and setting the standard for the weekend. This is their third single; like many of the bands at the Festival, they’ve been featured by BBC Introducing, as a band to watch for the future. https://www.instagram.com/cheapsuits.band/
3. Mordecai Smyth – Like a Shark –
Mordecai Smyth has been active on the local music scene since the late 1970s when his band played their first gig at Woodley Players Theatre. He’s moved on from Abba influenced pop since then, and you can find his pop-psych work on the Wokingham-based Mega Dodo label. Hear this, his latest single, and other tunes when he appears on the Marquee stage on Bank Holiday Monday. https://www.facebook.com/stickytapeandrust
4. Ro Jordan – Origami Menu –
Ro Jordan is another to watch for the future, she’s been featured on BBC Radio 1 and was voted Best Solo Act at the Radio Wigwam Awards this year. She appears on the Marquee stage on Sunday, which is being curated by Radio Wigwam, so you can judge for yourself the full range of her talent. This is the latest in long line of excellent singles from this artist. https://www.rojordanofficial.com/
5. Pixelstorm – Life Isn’t Always Extraordinary –
If you like a bit of electronica influenced by 80’s retro synth-pop, then head for the second stage at Wokingham Festival on Saturday 29th August, where you can catch Pixelstorm, who recently performed at the Purple Turtle. We love a keytar, and this will be at least the third seen on stage at the Festival, after Kyros and Spriggan Mist. https://www.facebook.com/pixelstormband
6. Arthur Brown and the Crazy World of Arthur Brown –
Nature – The August Bank Holiday Monday is getting well known as the day that legendary artists come along to headline at Wokingham Festival. In the past we’ve seen Focus, Caravan, The Tom Robinson Band and many more. This year is no exception as the legendary Crazy World of Arthur Brown, famous for the massive No.1 hit, Fire, will be here! Arthur Brown is known for his impressive theatrical live performances and so it should be a memorable occasion. Arthur has a new album, Nature, due for release soon after the festival. This is the album’s title track which proves that Arthur still has the fire in his soul, creating music that remains relevant, socially aware and exciting – https:// www.thegodofhellfire.com
7. Nineteenth Hour – Something in the Water –
Like Pixelstorm, we recently saw Nineteenth Hour at the Purple Turtle, and, like him, they will be on the Marquee stage at Wokingham Festival on Saturday 29th August. Based in Oxfordshire, the band formed in 2019 and have been writing and performing since; this is their seventh single, and we look forward to seeing them performing it and the rest of their alt-rock repertoire at the end of the month. https://www.instagram.com/nineteenth_hour/
8. Kepler Ten – Time and Tide –
We went along to the 1865 in Southampton for an event to mark the 10th Anniversary of the Solent Area Prog Shows. It was an excellent event and one of the bands playing was Kepler Ten whose set was made even more special being their first show back with their original line up. Richie Cahill has returned to join Steve Hales and James Durand and their set was exceptional! Three
incredible musicians playing music that is powerful and complex but with melody and accessibility. The good news is that you don’t have to go far to see their next performance. They will be playing on August Bank Holiday Monday 31st at Wokingham Festival. This track is from the band’s debut album, Delta-v, which features the original line up – https://www.keplerten.com
9. Amity – City of Stars –
The acts on the Marquee stage at Wokingham Festival on Sunday 30th August are being curated by Radio Wigwam, and they have chosen a fascinating mix of styles, but all of high quality. One example is Amity, whose City of Stars is a haunting ballad recounting the course of a tempestuous relationship; remarkably, it was written in his head during his Physics exam, and written down as soon as possible afterwards! https://www.amity.music/
10. Matt Kiano – Five and a Half Minutes –
Matt Kiano from South Wales is another of the exciting acts that Radio Wigwam have chosen for the Marquee stage on August 30th. Matt played in a few local punk bands before going solo; influenced by the likes of Green Day, Alkaline Trio and Angels & Airwaves, he’s been crafting pop-punk songs filled with energy and emotion. https://www.facebook.com/Matt.Kiano1
You can listen to all the songs featured in our Spotify playlist at https://bit.ly/rawsoundstoday
