Forthcoming attractions

Now that we have well and truly knocked 2025 on the head, it might not be a bad idea to see what 2026 has in store for Medway’s musicians.

Down below you’ll find an extensive – but by no means exhaustive – list of gigs and festivals for everyone from fans of folk to darkwave via indie and garage rock. But before you get your diary out, let’s have a look at how the year is shaping up in general.

Aside from plenty of gigs to go to (from Spain to Skegness with some even happening in Medway), the good musical folk of these towns are also busy, as ever, churning out new recordings.

There will definitely be new albums from Dead Star Boys (RATS), Stuart Turner (Gargoyles at the Memoir Club) and Little Storping in the Swuff (Hassle Olympics). You can also expect new long players from Medway veterans, The Love Family (an acoustic recording featuring six oldies and two newbies) and upstart garage-indie rockers, Dockyard. There will also be the digital release of The Dutch Embassy’s Lighting the Beacons.

You can also expect to hear news of EPs from Cream Soda and Mitchell Lane, together with a digital release of The Pastel Waves’ Between Midnight and Morning, ahead of a six-track mini album later in the year.

There will be a double-A single release from the indie-folk band South Shore (‘The Ballad of Rats Bay’/’Blanche’) ahead of their forthcoming album. The same goes for the darkwave duo Dead Blood Cells, who release a single in May ahead of a full-length album in September.

Folk trio The Ashen Keys will also be releasing a couple of singles this year ahead of the release of their second album. "We've been experimenting with new studios and new sounds," says the band’s Vicky Price.

You shouldn’t be surprised to hear one, two, three or more songs emerge from The Claim (now featuring Russ Baxter on drums), Sally Ironmonger and Brian Carter, These Guilty Men and The Treasures of Mexico, although the latter’s Mark Matthews has suggested with the expense involved in producing vinyl, it may be time to move into other forms of merchandise, a Treasures of Mexico board game, for example!

And you should also expect to hear at least something from Oli Allen’s new art-rock/alternative band Spider Baby, Jack (Cream Soda) Etheridge’s Vinylglass and singer-songwriter Lily Madison. See also Punching Swans, who have plans for a new (currently unnamed) album which, according to Joe Wise, is "set in a small town, possibly a pocket universe, with a corrupt Mayor, various cryptids and occult do-gooders." Perfect!

There’s also talk of a revival of The Singing Loins’ very own Chris Broderick and Rob Shepherd’s Woyzech musical in central London later in the year. It may be a bit of a way to travel, but at least it’s not South Korea, where the show has generally proved most popular.
issuing

Finally, before we get to what’s happening, where and when, Dead Blood Cells’ Jason Cheesman has a favour to ask. He’s looking to curate a compilation album of Medway bands covering or remixing other Medway bands with a view to issuing a short physical run. "It will be in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support," says Jason. "And it will be dedicated to one of my closet friends who just past, Colin 'Metal' Tyler." Email Jason at DeadBloodCells@protonmail.com if you would like to get involved.

Dates for your diary

22 January – Sally Ironmonger and Brian Carter play Deal Folk Club

23 January – Spider Baby play The Ship Inn, Gillingham, alongside The Worry People, Miffed and Make Way

29 January – The Ashen Keys play The Umbrella Centre, Whitstable, supporting Sam Brothers

29 January – 1 February – The Solarflares and The Len Price 3 play three gigs in Spain (Zaragoza, Bexti and Madrid).

21 February – Chris Helme (The Seahorses) and Nigel Clark (Dodgy) play Rainham’s Platform 3 Club at The Oast Community Centre, Rainham. Support from The Pastel Waves.

23 February – The Spike Direction Effect play the Battle of the Bands at The Ship Inn, GIllingham. They are up against Slydar, Squangey Bobbins and Secrets of the Alcove.

27 February – Punching Swans’ Greg Webster hosts a Noise Floor event at Poco Loco, Chatham. Expect much noisiness.

2 March – Spider Baby play Heat Three of the Battle of the Bands at The Ship Inn, Gillingham. Fellow contenders are Kontrast, The Montgomerys, and That’s Not UR Cat.

3 March – The Ashen Keys play Dartford Folk Club

5 March – Spider Baby play The Market House, Maidstone

28 March – Theatre Royal play Shiiine Festival, Skegness

3 April – Post Plague hold their first event of the year at Poco Loco, Chatham, with acts to be confirmed. Expect some glorious Goth/Industrial/Darkwave noise.

9 April - Sally Ironmonger and Brian Carter play Rosslyn Court, Margate

11 April – Dead Star Boys play The Red Lion, Gravesend, launching their second album, RATS

11 April – The Zac Schulze Gang play The Garage, London, with support from Medway’s own Mitchell Lane and Fine Lime

13 April – Release date for RATS by Dead Star Boys

25 April – Dead Star Boys play Poco Loco

30 April – 4 May – The Maidstone Fringe Festival regularly features indie and rock bands from the Medway Towns. Keep your eyes peeled for the full line-up, which will certainly include The Pastel Waves

1-4 May – Sweeps Festival in Rochester. Full line-up of bands and artists yet to be confirmed, but it’s pretty much inevitable there will be a fair few bands and artists from Medway playing

9 May – Bez (Yes, that’s BEZ of The Happy Mondays!) will be doing a Live DJ Set at Rainham Platform 3 Club, The Oast Community Centre, Rainham.

11 May - Sally Ironmonger and Brian Carter play Chichester Folk Club

12 May – The Pink Diamond Review headlines a Post Plague event at Poco Loco.

22-24 May - Sally Ironmonger and Brian Carter play Chippenham Folk Festival

21 June – The Ashen Keys will be hosting a Summer Solstice Celebration. Details TBC.

26 June – Noise Floor event at Poco Loco, hosted by Punching Swans’ Greg Webster.

17 July – Theatre Royal play The Three Sheets to the Wind, Rochester

24-25 July – The Pastel Waves and Spider Baby play Blue Reef Festival, just outside Maidstone

7-14 August – Broadstairs Folk Week. Sally Ironmonger and Brian Carter will be there. They always are. But watch this space in case other Medway folksters get added to the line-up. I wouldn’t be surprised…

25-31 October – Sally Ironmonger and Brian Carter head north, playing Grimsby, Edinburgh, Irvine and Warkworth. Click here for full details.

Footnotes

Stephen Morris has been mixing his love of music and writing for most of his life, and has written reviews for BBC Introducing. His Local Authority interview can be read here. He literally wrote the book on Medway music, authoring Do It Yourself: A History of Music in Medway, which you can purchase from our Medwayish store.