Town Hall Ups the Volume for Live Music in Trowbridge

Between the Town Hall, The Village Pump, Stallards, Emmanuel’s Yard, and The Civic, Trowbridge’s live music scene is having something of a renaissance ……

Next week Sheer Music will announce a new season of lives dates at Trowbridge Town Hall, as Sheer’s chief, Kieran Moore takes over from Gavin Osborn as event coordinator at this blossoming venue. Stating today, “he leaves me very big shoes to fill!” as a plethora of exciting and experimental bands already adorn the hall’s forthcoming schedule, Kieran is eager to expand this already thriving roster.

This Saturday 12^th Feb, the Town Hall sees Bristol’s anti-establishment hardcore punk four-piece Cosmic Ninja take the stage, with Swindon’s one-man Red-Hot Chilli Pepper, Webb in support. Next Saturday our favourite Scrumpy & Western misfits, the Boot Hill All Stars support Dorset’s back street boozers, the Skimmity Hitchers for a scrumpy swillin’ west country folk hoedown, whereas the following Saturday is the turn of the incredibly whimsical rhyming storyteller Gecko, with an interesting support of Gavin Osborn himself.

Alongside the usual yoga, toddler classes and support groups, theatre, art exhibits, tea dances and films, events at the town hall are comprehensive, and include a free six-week interactive course of workshops for 16- to 18-year-olds, covering all aspects of the music industry, via Wiltshire Music Connect, support from the Arts Council, and hosted by industry professionals, starting on 19th Feb with film music supervisor Matt Biffa, whose scores include the Harry Potter films.

But if the end of the month finishes with Sunday fundraising session, Kalefest, a family-orientated mini-festival for some musical equipment for a teenager with a severe brain injury, in which Zone Club, Pete Lamb’s Heart Beats and The Relayz play, March just marches on with the same vigour for presenting fantastic acts and events.

All-female DIY post-punkers Slagheap kick off March, on the 5th, with support from Slug Puppie and awesome Salisbury upcoming band, Carsick, already picked up by BBC Radio 6. Followed by our Swindon indie-pop favourites Talk in Code supporting renowned rock band Jamie Thyer & The Worried Men, on the 12^th, and folk duo The Drystones on the 19^th, similarly Mitchell and Vincent arrive with Antoine & Owena on the 26^thMarch, and then we hold our breath for what Kieran has in store afterwards, though I’m tipped off Bristol boom-bap extraordinaire The Scribes visit in May, which makes me tremendously excited.

Alternatively, try Stallards Inn, whose Saturdays are reserved for live music, and this Sunday sees a local all-stars line-up of Wade Merritt, Francis Butler, Poppa Shep, Mark Sellwood, The Knitted Moths. Meanwhile, Fridays in Trowbridge is at the Village Pump, along with regular open mic nights, Americana favourites Truckstop Honeymoon appear on 18^th February, and Steve Knightley bringing in March, Lucy Farrell on the 18^th March, breath-taking Trowbridge-own singer-songwriter Daisy Chapman on the 25^th and the already sold-out Fly Yeti Fly gig with Tamsin Quin in support on the 25^th.

All this name-dropping can only conclude and confirm the premise of this piece, while Trowbridge had once been criticised as a cultural void, forging ironic label “Trow-Vegas,” it’s rapidly repairing any prior reputation with bells on. Aptly titled Facebook page, Live music in Trowbridge is an asset to updating event calendar of the town.