The Hope & Anchor, Islington

Well gang, here it is 🙌 To celebrate the release of our second EP, COMING TO YOU ALL ON THE 19TH OF JULY, we’re extremely honoured to be taking to the stage with our good friends @moonlightacademyband at the @hopeandanchorlive in Islington on Saturday the 20th of July and it’s going to be a BIG ONE. We’ll be playing the EP in its entirety along with some new songs and maybe a few surprises thrown in for good measure 🤙 The ticket link is in our bio and truly we cannot wait to see you there ❤️ You’ve shown us so much love and support over the course of this EP cycle so let’s get together, have a few, and celebrate “For Better Days”!

We’ve been writing lots of new music recently and we really want as many of you as possible to hear it. We’ll be playing them at our headline show on the 20th July and cannot wait to share them with you all. Ticket link in bio. See you there 💛🌙

This July, prepare for a thrilling lineup of concerts at our best venues, featuring a fantastic array of artists ready to set our stages on fire. Secure your tickets on our website and be a part of an unforgettable July! 🧨

Countess is comin to The Hope & Anchor FRI 5th!!! Tickets: /facebook-event/the-countess-of-fife-featuring-fay-fife-from-the-rezillos/

Indie rock @haytorband headline @hopeandanchorlive on September 19th. At the core of Haytor’s sound lies a captivating blend of introspective, cynical lyrics, fuelled by a potent mix of energetic riffs and anthemic choruses 🎟️ Tickets available on Ticketsource

This weeks gigs 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 🤘🏿 June 28th: Rocky’s Cuff, Blood Like Wine, The Better Dead and Carousel at The Fighting Cocks 🤘🏽 June 28th: Desperate beauty, Close to the Sun and Halo at Temple of Art and Music, Inside Mercato Metropolitano 🤘🏻 June 28th: London Music Showcase Presents PERFECT STRANGERS, SMOKING OCEAN, WOOF WANT and IMMIGRANTS at Tooting Tram 🤘🏿 June 29th: Frugal presents: London + The Tights + Cassie at Hope and Anchor 🤘🏽 June 29th: Guilfest 🤘🏻 June 30th: Guilfest #LiveMusicPhotography #ukpoppunk #londonmusicscene #sonyalphafemale #visitlondon #MusicMoments #StageLights #RockPhotography #londonhardcore #MusicCaptured #MusicScene #inkingstonuk #popband #thingstodoinlondon

Headlining last Saturday’s show - CW XIX - at the @hopeandanchorlive were Red Light Acid Test (@r_l_a_t ) who have steadily worked their way up the ranks over several strong shows with us. Frontman @laurencemccron is also a regular CW supporter, and is often seen down the front at our shows. This was their first ever headline slot - an important moment for any band - and from the time of this show’s first announcement to the moment they came off stage they have embodied what CW is all about. Hard graft, dedication, passion, respect and friendship. This particular bill was perfect for them, with @wytchpycknyck - @attendantband - and @sabres.band steadily building up the momentum and energy of the show - a varied offering of heavy alt-rock sounds when compared to some of the more desert rock & stoner sounds we often cater for. RLAT are hard to categorise but the music just *has something* about it that is original, special and captivating. They are not mimicking any other single band I can think of, they have a unique ‘sound’ and they are forging their own path. What impressed me most about this headline set was their passion & dedication to the music. Excellent musicians, but still very modest, the ‘heart’ they showed that night was remarkable. To a man, they played harder and with more intensity than I’ve ever seen them play before, really digging deep - especially in the latter numbers - somehow finding another gear to take their music to the next level. Watching those moments unfold ‘live’ onstage was like watching a butterfly emerge from its chrysalis or something like that - it was genuinely magical. You only need to look at that last photo of them coming offstage - exhausted and pouring sweat - to see what this meant to them, and to their crowd that night. As a friend and supporter of the band it also meant a lot to me, to see them become what I’ve seen in them for a long time. They have crafted some excellent songs already (not least ‘Don’t Panic’ ‘Relapse’ & ‘Stooge’) but the best part is this - I think their best songs are yet to be written, and will come soon. A killer set and another special moment at CW. Massive respect, lads. 💪🔥

Get yourself down to @hopeandanchorlive on the 9th of August for the first ever 'Ultimate Rock Experience' Gig. Performed by @fromhellwithloveofficial and support from the amazing @youngfatigue And it's FREE ENTRY, yes FREE ENTRY!!! #rock #rockband #rockmusic #nostalgia #retro #islington #hopeandanchorislington #coverband #90s #00s

Rotten Luck play a free show at Hope and Anchor July 18th With our pals Heelplant and Haeterodaemon Save the date x 📷 - @barry_beard

Main support last Saturday at the @hopeandanchorlive at CW XIX were Portsmouth’s @sabres.band - back for I think their third outing for us - and following on from some strong opening performances that night. I’ve bigged up these guys for several reasons in the past, focusing on their songwriting and the potential of their recorded music, but another facet of their music - in this case their performance - really registered with me. I’ve been in bands and in music for 20+ years now, so I do know a thing or two, and what I noticed with Sabres this time was the grit and confidence that they have developed through regular gigs on the road, increased stage time, and the priceless benefit of more and more experience. In the 3-4 years that I’ve known Sabres they have come on from being a promising ‘new’ band (admittedly built from experienced parts) and have slowly turned into a road worn, hard-hitting, experienced unit. The music is louder, heavier, more intense, sharper, somehow more honed, and better fitting their original vision. It is no mistake that Sam was wearing a @nick_o_1971 t-shirt - he’s supported him a couple of times playing live at south-coast shows and you can hear that influence seeping into his own sound, in a most excellent way. Sam’s own older sung vocals are giving way to a more gnarled soul-scream and Dominic’s drumming is tighter, more focused, and more direct than ever - with no wasted strokes. Every hit deliberate and powerful. On top of that, Sam seems to have made peace with himself as a performer, happier and more accepting of his own skin and with his strengths and talents - hitting the audience with heartfelt honesty on variety of difficult real world subjects. Now - some listeners might argue that real world subjects like politics, mental health, racism, death etc are best left offstage, but that’s bollocks. If a musician is giving his heart and soul in a performance I want to know what they truly care about, what they see, and how they feel. If you want some tepid neutral bullshit go and see a covers band or some overpriced pop star in a stadium. Closing Stooges cover ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ was the cherry on the cake. 💪🔥

Jump in losers, we’re going to the LOUD WOMEN summer party! So 2Btch just rebranded as @wokeratiparty_official and launched their queerpunk manifesto, so what better excuse to make a ridiculous new poster for our Summer Party on 10 August! (Your mum here went a bit OTT with the Canva and has zero regrets). This is shaping up to be THE gig of the summer! With: 💋 @clairepittwigmore – blues affected indie from Margate 💋 @deathtrailsuk – hard-hitting loud mouths from Blackpool & Preston 💋 @kinbandofficial – indie alt-popstars 💋 @goddammitjeremiah – sweary, quirky punk music 💋 Wokerati Party – birthday punx Tickets on Eventbrite and DICE – this one will sell out, just saying! 🔥

THANK YOU // THANK YOU // THANK YOU To everyone that came to our gig on Saturday we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making our first ever headline gig a magical one. Shoutout to @wytchpycknyck @sabres.band and @attendantband for killing it in each of their sets! A huge thank you to @civilwaruk for giving us this opportunity and for their continued and unwavering support. It means the world to us. Hopefully see you all at the next one 🤙🏼 📸 credit : @elrrocks // @civilwaruk // @dave_kirk_music #redlightacidtest #gig #london #livemusic #band #altrock #alternativerockband #londonband #civilwar #hopeandanchor