Vinny Peculiar aka 'the Tony Hancock of pop UNCUT' plays a rare London show at East London's Betsey Trotwood Cellar Bar showcasing songs from the new album 'The Curse of You Know Who' alongside other favourites from his fabulously eclectic back catalogue. London based songstress, music therapist and Bushwick Bookclub pioneer Amanda Thorpe opens the evening. It's going to be special. Vinny Peculiar [aka Alan Wilkes] grew up in Worcestershire and trained as a nurse before signing to Manchester cult label Ugly Man records [former home to Elbow]. Hes since put out thirteen albums of literate autobiographical pop music over a twenty-year career and has regularly toured band, solo and duo shows. Variously described as an under sung national treasure [UNCUT] a warm-hearted Morrissey [Q Magazine] and the missing link between Jarvis Cocker and Roger McGough [Irish Times] previous work associations include Bill Drummond [KLF], Luke Haines [the Auteurs], Jah Wobble [PIL] and his various bands have included ex members of The Smiths, OASIS, Aztec Camera & The Fall. Hes also written and recorded as Parlour Flames, the band he formed in 2013 with ex OASIS rhythm guitarist Bonehead. Vinny Peculiar, often described as a poet laureate of the everyday, is a singer-songwriter known for his sharp wit, poignant storytelling, and a knack for capturing the quirks of modern life. With a career spanning decades, his music blends elements of indie, folk, and pop, creating a sound that is both nostalgic and refreshingly original. Press notes n quotes. The missing link between Jarvis Cocker and poet Roger McGough IRISH TIMES If Tony Hancock had made pop records, theyd have sounded like this UNCUT MAGAZINE 'Part Pulp, part Kinks, and very much part Peculiar, this is observational, punk-tinged songwriting at its best. HOT PRESS 'Wildly witty with abject sadness and pathos in swathes, like a warm-hearted Morrissey no less INDEPENDENT A strange brave captivating album, matched by fascination, dark humor and warmth DAILY MIRROR 'This fifteen-track album from the Salford based singer songwriter is frankly, unmissable. A real joy. AMERICANA- UK 'Crashing poppily through Vinnys world of nostalgia and insight every song stuffed to the gills with melody and eccentricity, clever, funny and wonderfully weird R2 MAGAZINE 'Wilkes is also one of those few songwriters that can wring genuine smiles and pathos out of ordinary memories IRISH TIMES

The return of 90s indie rock, alt country band Thrum, their first tour in 30 years, in support of their Debut album Rifferama which is being reissued on Fire Records on 26th June.

Pay-what-you-want weekly comedy. Take a look behind-the-scenes of the U.K. circuit, as comics hone their newest material. This live comedy event takes place upstairs at The Betsey Trotwood. It's pay-what-you-want with a minimum of £3 per person. Different line-up every Monday. M.C. Jonathan Hearn

Railcard play a summer matinee show upstairs at The Betsey Trotwood, with special US guests The Corner Laughers. Railcard formed in early 2025 when Rachel Love (Dolly Mixture) and Ian Button (Papernut Cambridge, The Penrose Web & more) began writing songs together. Along with Peter Momtchiloff (Heavenly, Would-be-goods) on bass and Allison Thomson (Oldfield Youth Club, Heist, Trashcan Sinatras) on trumpet, the band have recorded a stack of material in a very short time. Their trio of eponymous EPs were released as a compilation by Skep Wax and Slumberland in January 2026, and in September there follows another album Two Steps At A Time, with twelve more songs, plus a run of UK gigs. Railcard's individual indie/pop DNA is easy to trace in the music - Love and Button's songs mix up ingredients from their earlier projects, and Momtchiloff's own songs bear his hallmark style. There are shared lead vocals, jangling guitars, sweet strings, organ and cool trumpet lines, plus a drive and punch from the rhythm section that steers into Motown, bubblegum pop/garage and more. https://railcardband.bandcamp.com/ This is perhaps what Stereolab would sound like if, accompanied by a TV show orchestra, they had to cover a "K-Tel's Greatest Unknown Hits of the 1960s and 1970s" compilation. - Pause-Record-Play The foursome shimmy seamlessly between hyper-melodic vintage King's Road psychedelia..featherlight lushness..pop-exotica..sublimely rubber-grooved glitterball-kosmisch.and 70s kitsch curiosity. - Freq Longtime San Francisco Bay Area indie-pop and folk-pop outfit The Corner Laughers weave a tapestry of enchanting, "ridiculously catchy melodies" (Word Magazine) and thoughtful lyricism. Their newest record, the just-released Concerns of Wasp and Willow, is already earning critical acclaim and airplay at home and abroad. For their August performances in England, singer/songwriter/ukulele player and multi-instrumentalist Khoi Huynh will play as an acoustic duo. Check out https://bigstirrecords.com/the-corner-laughers for more information. "The Corner Laughers are a Californian band who come across like a West Coast Belle and Sebastian. Their indie pop is sassy and smart, intelligent and intricate, twee with bite." - The Guardian The Corner Laughers craft a brand of pop that's sophisticated, clever, erudite and memorable one that follows in the proud tradition of great songwriting artists like Carole King and Paul McCartney. SF Weekly

Deadedz and Bonnie Dobson 12 Aug 2026 With an unwavering passion for the music, Deadedz deliver an authentic and electrifying performance that will transport you back to the golden era of "The Great American Band". This talented ensemble is comprised of fluent and accomplished musicians who share a deep love for The Grateful Dead's legendary catalogue. Based in Wales, fronting the band are three incredible vocalists, hailing from California, Cornwall and Wales, who capture the essence and spirit of Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Donna Godcheaux and the various other members that were part of the Dead's signature vocal blend over their 30 years of success, with stunning accuracy. Each member of Deadedz is a seasoned artist, bringing a wealth of experience and a fantastic sense of musicality to every show. At deadedz pride themselves on their ability to recreate the intricate harmonies, dynamic rhythms, and timeless melodies that define The Grateful Dead. From the haunting beauty of Ripple to the infectious groove of the MTV smash hit Touch of Grey. All the classics brought to life with precision and flair. Deadedz performances are not just about the music; they are a full-scale appreciation of the magic and mystique of one of the greatest bands in rock history. With passion and commitment, deadedz conjure a show that is as close to the real thing as possible. Whether youre a lifelong 'head or discovering the music for the first time, Deadedz promises an unforgettable experience that will leave you wanting more. Bonnie Dobson's name should be familiar to all Deadheads and folk music fans. Bonnie was born in Toronto to a trade union organiser father and Her father was a union organizer and opera lover and, as a teenager, became part of the local folk-revival scene, performing in local coffee houses and at folk festivals. She subsequently moved to the United States where she performed and recorded several albums, including 1962's Bonnie Dobson at Folk City, which contained her song "Morning Dew". After returning to Toronto in 1965 she continued to perform in coffee houses as well programs on Canadian TV. She married and in 1969 moved to London, England, where she took up university studies and later became head of the Faculty of Arts at Birkbeck College, part of the University of London. After retiring in the 1980s, Dobson returned to performance in 2007 in London with Jarvis Cocker. She released a new album in 2013 and has subsequently returned to the stage for irregular but much anticipated performances. Bonnie plays occasionally in London and has recently recorded an album and toured with psych-folk-rock band The Hanging Stars. Bonnie and Morning Dew were inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018 and her biography will Be published in Autumn. She makes excellent jam. For this gig Bonnie is joined by regular collaborator Ben Phillipson, formerly of 18th Day of May and now with The Trimdon Grange Explosion.

Barry "The Fish" Melton, the founder member, lead guitarist and vocalist of Country Joe & The Fish is flying over from San Francisco for his Farewell U.K tour. It's 60 years since the release of the band's debut album "Electric Music For The Mind & Body", widely acclaimed as the best psychedelic album of all time. It's also 58 years since Country Joe & The Fish played the legendary Woodstock Festival before an estimated half a million people. On his farewell tour Barry will be fronting his superb long time U.K based band The Psych Unit. Don't miss your last chance EVER to see Barry "The Fish" Melton in the U.K . The icing on the cake will be an opening set from top Jerry Garcia tribute Under The Stars, featuring two members of Barry's Paris based band Jamasutra, including his long time sideman Stephane Missri. They're joined by two members of the now disbanded Grateful Dead tribute The Cosmic Charlies. This will be a night to remember!

Black Cat Music and Evans Above are proud to present...... Chris Murphy at the Betsey Trotwood To mark the release of his new album, , produced by the legendary Seth Lakeman, Chris makes a welcome retiurn to the Betsey Trotwood

Helen McCookerybook Helen McCookerybook's songs cover everything from the social impact of new technology to wry observations about relationships. Now a solo guitarist/vocalist influenced by Linda Lewis, Nick Drake and Jake Thackray, her musical journey started as a bass player in a Brighton punk band in the late 1970s. Her previous bands The Chefs and Helen and the Horns were regulars on BBC Radio 1's John Peel show; nowadays Radio London's Gary Crowley and BBC6's Marc Riley and Gideon Coe and play her new music. She has collaborated with Gina Birch, Vic Godard, Lester Square, Robert Rotifer and many more. Her album Showtunes from the Shadows, was released in 2025 on vinyl, CD and download formats on the Tiny Global label: https://helenmcc.bandcamp.com/album/showtunes-from-the-shadows At this show, she will be playing new songs from her forthcoming album, The Darkside Truth, due to be released on Tiny Global later in 2026. Robert Rotifer's Radical Friendship Theory This will be the London live launch of Radical Friendship Theory, a one-off album released on Spinout Nuggets, featuring, amongst others, Robert Rotifer, Helen McCookerybook, Kenji and Ian Button. Radical Friendship Theory is not a band, it's a set of songs in a wide range of styles, from baroque pop, to psych, from country rock to bookish indie, sung by a circle of friends between Glasgow, Kent, London and southern Spain a celebration of actual human friendship as a life-saving alternative to a world of fake digital engagement, captive consumption and artificially sown division.

Trotwood Events proudly presents the one and only JOHN OTWAY ROCK AND ROLLS GREATEST FAILURE!! a man who's entire career is a stunningly original work of performance art in its own right. Arriving on the back of punk in 1977 and helped by an ill-balanced gymnastic performance on The Old Grey Whistle Test, his first single"Cor Baby That's Really Free" managed to reach number 27 in the UK Charts. Going on to develop an increasingly unhinged career, building a cult following along the way, 2002 saw him finally become a 2 HIT WONDER when Bunsen Burner - a song written to help his daughter with her chemistry homework - scored a top 10 hit and saw Otway running amok on Top of The Pops. Thanks to this second hit he has now been able to release his Greatest Hits album. Commenting on the fact that the title of this album is now in the plural, Otway said that he was very proud of having "finally got the 'S' on the right side of Hit". Expect ill-judged on-stage acrobatics, theramins and the stupidity of a great genius.

Hurry Hurry is an indie rock band from Philadelphia led by songwriter Matt Scottoline, known for their jangly, melodic take on power pop. The band has released a steady run of records on Lame-O Records - with their new album "Zoned Out" being released on July 15th of this year - each sharpening their mix of fuzzy Teenage Fanclub-esque guitars, hooky melodies, and introspective lyrics rooted in classic alternative and college rock. The new album features a guest vocal from Gerard Love (ex-TFC) and they have shared stages with the likes of Nada Surf, Tigers Jaw & Cloud Nothings. U.S. Highball U.S. Highball is a Glasgow based two-piece jangle-pop band, signed to Lame-O Records. They have released four albums, with their fifth - "God Save the Kelvin Wheelies" - out May 15th. They have performed at Glas-Goes Pop, Madrid Popfest, in Paris for Paris Popfest and shared stages with the likes of Jeffry Lewis, Slaughter Beach Dog, The Orchids, Chime School & Trace Mountains. The No Sorrows Psych-folk- rock combo The No Sorrows combine soaring harmonies, melodic violin, shoegazey feedback and a powerhouse rhythm section to produce a sound that has been compared to '60s Brit-folk icons Trees and Fairport Convention, with a droney dash of Neil Young.

My Little Underground, Ventil and Tapete Records present: Smashing Time A tribute to the Television Personalities An evening to celebrate the songwriting genius of Daniel Treacy and the TV-Personalities - both in word and sound. The evening will start with a Q&A session on Dan Treacy, TVPs and the just released lyrics book If I Could Write Poetry (published by Ventil). Hosted by Travis Elborough, the panel will hold ex-TVPs members Jowe Head and Dave Musker, Dan's music therapist Melissa Heathcote and book editor Gregor Kessler. The talk will be followed by a full set of TV-Personalities songs from all periods performed by a band consisiting of former band-mates Jeff Bloom, Dave Musker, Mike Stone, Lee McFadden and Jowe Head. They will be joined on stage by various singers performing their favorite TVPs songs. Therell be an after-show party fully dedicated to the TVPs.