Happy new year 2023

2022 Round-up. 2023 Preview.

Having had such a great 2022 I thought I’d do a little round-up of what The TR5’s got up to, and what we have got to look forward to in 2023.

So, here goes……

2022 started for us with a little low-key gig at Finn’s local pub. It was standing room only with some unfortunate people not being able to squeeze in and see us. It was a great start to the year though and a sign that we were destined for bigger and better things. Next up followed gigs in Farnham (where over-excited people danced on the tables), Basingstoke (where we arrived early to rehearse up several new songs for our sets), Woking, Liphook, Woking again (with our friends Nefarious Picaroons supporting and Little Al DJ’ing) before finishing the first 3 months of the year with a packed-out support slot to the wonderful The Hawkmen at The Star in Guildford. We were growing all the time, in stature and indeed in confidence.

April saw us gig in Blackwater before a little road-trip down to Hastings to play at the magnificent Hastings Beatles Day event at the lovely (and big!) White Rock Theatre. This was memorable for Roger Daltrey from The Who being in the audience. As we came off stage the organizer bounded into the dressing room to exclaim “You’ll never guess who’s in the audience and has been intensely enjoying your set, Roger Daltrey from The Who!!” Sure enough, when we had packed up and got out into the main auditorium there he was. What an honour to have him watching us rock. We then continued with gigs in Badshot Lea and Binfield (where we fought with a ‘disco’ in the room next door!!) before April came to a finish with a support slot to The Jam’D at the world-famous 100 Club in London. An amazing venue and such a great feeling to take the stage there.

In May we recorded some new tracks at a studio in Bracknell for forthcoming vinyl releases on Ridgemount Records (out in 2023!) and we played gigs in Tadley (with the amazing Johnny Marvel’s Blues Groove) and returned to the club in Farnham where we had played our debut gig in 2020. We started June and the festival season with main stage festival appearances in Grayshott and Merrist Wood before squeezing in a care home gig and finishing the Jubilee bank holiday weekend with a main stage headline set at the Bracknell Festival which saw a whole field of dancing (including yours truly!) June then finished with a main stage appearance at the Rock Bottom Festival in Marlow where our whole set was broadcast live on Marlow FM.

July continued with main stage festival appearances in Haslemere, Bisley and Aldershot intertwined with marquee gigs in Churt and Farnham (another event with a lot of dancing on tables!) By this time, we were really in our stride and wooing audiences wherever we went. Next came a little gig before an outdoor cinema for Rusty and Lucky and continued with fabulous festival appearances in Newbury, Tilford (possibly the largest and best crowd we have played to so far) and Farnborough with an impromptu set at a private party in Normandy in there as well.

Then came a support to our friends The Jexit (all the way from Japan), another festival in Tilford (followed straight after by an awesome photoshoot with some vintage cars) and a rabble-rousing set at a Princes Hall charity night in Aldershot before returning to Basingstoke and an outdoor Harley Davidson event in Reading. Then came a festival in Tongham and a social club in Guildford as we drew September to a close.

By this time, we were writing more original songs and adding them in to our sets to great acclaim. Another step up for The TR5’s! In October we were delighted to play at the awesome Gaz’s Rockin’ Blues night in Wardour Street, London. A club that has now been running for over 40 years and has been played at and attended by everyone from Meghan Markle to Paloma Faith and Jarvis Cocker. A night that normally only has 1 band on saw 3 bands take to the stage (friends of Gaz’s being added to the bill) so it was almost 1am when we took to the stage but that didn’t put anyone off, the place was still packed and rocking. What a night! We also played the main room of a great rock ‘n’ roll club in Shepperton in October.

As the end of 2022 drew nearer, we again played with The Jam’D (at the lovely Harlington in Fleet) and were delighted to play on board Paul McCartney’s recently refurbished 1972 Wings Tour Bus, when it was exhibited for the first time at the NEC in Birmingham. What a day that was! The year finished with another jam-packed gig (excuse the obvious pun!) supporting The Jam’D in Southampton. It was a fitting finale to a fabulous year!

So, what does 2023 have in store……

Well, a return to Gaz’s Rockin’ Blues, a support slot to the mighty Dr Feelgood in Guildford, a club gig in Winchester, great music events in Bordon and Farnham, a pub back-room gig in Tongham, a festival gig in Winchester, a 60’s night in Bracknell, a support to another Jam-tribute in Kensington, a community café gig in Woking, an all-day Ukrainian Fundraiser in Reading, Alfold Rock & Blues Festival and a festival in Elvetham Heath. We then head to Liverpool for a whole weekend of gigs in August as part of the incredible International Beatleweek. This will see us support former Beatle drummer Pete Best & his band at the Casbah Club as well as playing several gigs at the Cavern Club, a party at George Harrison’s childhood home, the barbers in Penny Lane and whatever else we can fit in while we’re there. Our accommodation is booked and we’re chomping at the bit to get there. The culmination of 4 years hard work.

We then have a beer festival in Sherfield-On-Loddon and a gig at the prestigious Dublin Castle in Camden (supporting our friends The Collective AKA) in September and October to look forward to.

So, at the time of writing that is what we have confirmed for 2023.

The vinyl releases will emerge this year on Ridgemount Records, so that is something to look forward to. We will also be shooting a video for the popular Bopflix Sessions on YouTube, which will see us reach a huge amount of new people. There will be more gigs as well…… we still have possible gigs with John Lennon’s original Quarrymen, a Smiths tribute band, more Jam-tribute bands (their audiences seem to like us) and returns to some of the great festivals we played in 2022 yet to confirm. It is sure to be another fabulous year for The TR5’s.

Happy new year. See you out there!

- Lucky