Open Mic Christmas Party Hits The Lincoln Arms

The Lincoln Arms dedicated Music Lounge is getting ready for an end of year special. On Friday 23rd December, The in house PA system will be ready to go for an Open Mic Christmas Party inviting anyone to play. If you aren't planning on playing yourself, bring some chums and support your favourite guitar twangers, crooners or rhythm makers. Organisers are hoping to see bands and individual artists playing at the event, the more the merrier. As you can expect the event will also include the best value beers in town as well as special offers on shots and shorts.
Expect acoustic sets, rock, blues and jazz to bring in Christmas with a twang!

The Cricketers Present Bricks Build Houses

Hosting a wide range of music from an ecclectic mix of old and new popular tunes from the 60's through to current genres, The Cricketers regularly entertains with a wide range of acts.
This month, one of their favourite acts, Bricks Build Houses play a live set on Friday 9th December. Without doubt, this act, an amalgamation between Nick Thurtell & Ryan Williams, is not to be missed.
The duo present a relevant yet classic acoustic set that features both their own tracks and popular tracks from current artists. Nick Thurtell, who already has a growing pile of fans from Open Mic nights and live festival performances will be performing to the highest of standards that separate this band from others as they deliver each tune so in such a way that they are truly empathic to the originals. Ryan, adds to the sound with luscious vocal harmonies that will enhance and delight. Expect a top quality and atmospheric performance in this talented two piece.

Dorking Live Music Thrives This August

Live music in Dorking this August has already been impressive, but the pace is being turned up a notch or two more as we head towards August Bank Holiday. To start, on Wed 17th, King Size Slim play at The Kings Arms. Just round the corner at the Star hosts Open Mic on the 18th. The Cricketers gets in on the act on Friday 19th with acoustic sounds from Matt Emery, Katie Malco and Warren Mallia. Live music lovers of Dorking can get even more that night as The Star begins a fantastic two day live music festival event on the same day. Music continues on Sat 20th from the afternoon until closing, with Juicy Lucy at The Kings Arms on Sunday evening, nearly every genre of music will have been on display somewhere in Dorking this week... except for a bit of 50's up beat rock and roll... so thats been put on by The Sundowners at the Bulls Head, also on Sunday.
Monday 22nd starts with Open Mic at the Bulls Head, which moves to The Falkland Arms on Tuesday. On Wednesday, try out some Brazillian styles with Choro Bandido at The Kings Arms. Open Mic returns to The Star on Thursday, the last in the live music sets until Sunday 28th when The Jazz Police descend on The Spotted Dog at 3pm. Enjoy Bad Hair Day at The Kings Arms on the same evening. No doubt, the biggest event remains Star Fest at the Star on West Street. For details, head to the Dorking Events Starfest Page

GuilFest is an independent music and arts festival held in Stoke Park, Guildford. Started in 1992 by Tony Scott, who still runs and directs the festival, which first attracted 1,500 people per day, GuilFest now sees over 20,000 visitors each day and has truly established itself as one of the UK's leading festivals.


This year, the festival took place on the 15th, 16th and 17th of July. This year's festival offered a weekend of great live musical entertainment set across 8 stages, crossing all genres. As well as live music, there was comedy, theatre, arts and crafts, with all other sorts of other entertainment.


Friday's line up included Roger Daltry, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Rifles, Adam Ant and Macavitys Cat. Saturday saw Razorlight, N-Dubs, Noisettes, Peter Andre, The Farm, Pendulum and Wretch 32 to the stage, and on Sunday, visitors could see James Blunt, Erasure, Ziggy Marley, The Blow Monkeys, UK Subs, Public Image and Chipmonk. In all over 140 music acts played, with 28 comedy acts over the weekend.

Uke2 Unleash The Power of The Ukulale!

It was bound to happen eventually. On the one hand, one expects a pub hosting an open mic to be filled with guitars as budding performers wait their turn to pluck their strings to the awaiting audience, but on the other, such events can suddenly surprise. None more so than at The Bulls Head.

Few were prepared for two local musicians, Dave and Nick, to turn up and unzip their guitar cases to reveal two ukulele's. That in itself looked hysterical. The shere size of these miniature instruments against a back drop of full sized guitars was enough to put the audience in fits of laughter. What followed was quite simply astounding and, well, to be honest, extremely funny.

Listeners were geared up in preparation for some sort of Spanish traditional rendition, so typical for these instruments. But alas, this was not to be. The duo got started straight away pounding out tunes so unfit for a ukulele, the audience fell about laughing. The laughter was not indeed due to the quality of the musicians before them, but more the sheer wonderment and astonishment that these two skilled lads chose to open with 'Play That Funky Music' with their faces fixed stern in the belief that such a tune was written for such meagre instruments. If that wasn't enough, the crowd was silenced as the duo crowed 'Shut Up. This is serious you know' whilst driving home a fantastic (and surprising) delivery of 'Ace of Spades'.

We should forget counting the different elements that make this performance so good, as there are too many. But to summarise, Uke 2 have devised a unique performance style that has been crafted with incredible skill, and it is delivered in such an entertaining way that leaves the audience in awe. It is impossible to dislike them. Moreover, as the reception showed, they were by far the most enjoyed and favoured band of the night.

You can see Uke 2 perform on regular open mic nights. You can also book their compact entertainment for all occasions by calling 07531 355315 or 07760 476603.

Big Week for Open Mic

If you love live music then you are in for a treat between Mon 20th - and Friday 24th June. Its an Open Mic packed week in Dorking. Kicking off on Monday at The Bulls Head, enjoy the likes of Tom and Dan as they host the opening session of the week with several other musicians both new and the more accustomed to the scene. On Tuesday, musical enlightenment moves to The Falkland Arms, with Chris from Dragon Studios hosting the event. Expect a slightly more quirky approach as all musicians are encouraged to join in at once! On Wednesday, we have a little more contemporary music from Nigel Bagge at the Kings Arms whilst Open Mic'ers put their feet up and take a break. Its the turn of Ian Renshaw on Thursday to kick our budding musical talent out of bed with the very traditional structured open mic at The Star. Be sure to book a slot in time if you wish to play. The week closes with the final Open Mic at The Lincoln Arms. As with all venues, a PA is provided.

Juicy Lucy at The Kings Arms 15th May

Since arriving on the music scene in 1966, Jucy Lucy has had its fair share of troubles, with US immigration problems in the late sixties, a change of line up in 1969, and its fade to the background following several chart hits. The band re-emerged in 1994, only to dis-band again in 1997. Changes to the line up over the next 5 years saw yet another emergence in 2002, but under a different name. By 2004, this had been resolved and Jucy Lucy returned to the music scene. With a successful relaunch in 2005 at the Eel Pie Club in Twickenham, the band set out to gig across the UK. playing from from Plymouth to Aberdeen.

In June 2006 the band went in to The Levellers' Metway Studios in Brighton to work on the first new recordings for twelve years. The value of extensive live performance showed when it came to the recording sessions, with the band completing the tracking for eleven songs in four days! The result of these sessions was "Do That And You'll Lose It", released in September 2006.

Today, the remaining trio of Mr. Fish, Fletch and James continue to develop both the music and it's audience. The Juicy Lucy legacy, which is now into it's 40th year can be witnessed at The Kings Arms at 9pm on 15th May.