Where South-East London meets Kent, there you’ll find the riverside town of Erith. Historically it can boast of being birthplace to artists, poets, philosophers, authors, gold-winning Olympic athletes, Formula One drivers, footballers, musicians, engineers, and generals but it’s music fans who’ll be gathering there on the weekend of 9-10th September when the Erith Made Festival returns.
Headed by the Erith Town Partnership, the festival will be bringing back a spirit of independent creativity across a number of the arts in a community-led charge across the weekend. A multi-venue event, it will encompass the Erith Playhouse, Christ Church, Erith Rowing Club, The Exchange and Book Store, Riverside Shopping Centre, The Running Horses, St John’s Church and Pier Square.
The latter is the venue for a number of live bands announced as appearing on the Sunday, with the stage being nestled at the entrance to London’s longest pier – In its heyday, Pier Square was an entertainment hotspot; from archery to a bowling green, a maze and a broad walk and now, as it arches out in the River Thames, it will showcase some of the finest musicians in South-East London and Kent.
Spanning the genres of rock and classical music, performing live will be The 286 whose sound has been likened to “a musical collaboration between The Beatles and Beethoven”, so fans of the reformed ELO should be in for a treat, if they’ve not seen them already at venues such as Liverpool’s famous Cavern Club, London’s Jazz Café or supporting 60s legends The Zombies on tour.
With three EPS under their belt, most recently they released Rolling With The 286, wherein among their own self-penned numbers they put their own spin on Prokofiev’s iconic ‘Romeo & Juliet’, the classical piece previously having been covered by Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
According to Liverpool Sound & Vision “The 286 are one of the finest bands to come out of London in over 30 years and it is with little wonder when they can produce music as substantial as this.” Something those attending the Erith Made Festival will be able to verify.
Emerging amidst the rise in popularity of the New Cross music scene, as publicised at the time by the NME, Singer/songwriter Ceri James has recorded eight studio albums, aside from several EPs and singles, plus worked with the likes of The Strokes’ Gordon Raphael and Squeeze’s Glenn Tilbrook, and toured internationally.
RnR Magazine said his albums are, “Chock full of interesting, semi-biographical and observational songs that draw the listener in, leaving us hungry for more back-story. James’ influences are steeped in classic British bands of the 60s. Hints of The Kinks and early Stones.”
Fusing blues, country and folk and no doubt performing songs from sis recent album, 2022’s Urban Country Life, he will be performing with his band as Ceri James & The Red Flames.
Described as “one of the most exciting new bands coming out of Kent, rock-duo The Worry People was formed by friends Sam Stewart and Ryan Dodd after knowing each other for a decade. They began playing together in 2020, and have issued two EPs thus far and a new one on the way.
Said to “have a special ability to blend euphoric arena-sized choruses with infectious melodies destined for the radio,” it’s then perhaps unsurprising to hear The Worry People have been featured on BBC Radio 1.
Aside from the bands, the stage will host soloists from the local adult commercial choir and the multi-award-winning Performing Arts Academy Theatrebox and their Voices of The Makers.
For more about the Erith Made Festival, taking place on 9-10th September, click here.
