Beat Connection 2023

Heavy Pop & Dork team up again, for now, a weekend of music, dancing and togetherness: BEAT CONNECTION
 

We've created a Spotify playlist here featuring some of the fabulous bands playing Beat Connection on Friday 24th and Sat 25th March for your listening pleasure.

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FRI 24TH and SAT 25TH MARCH
Venue: Saint Laurence Church, Reading

FRI: DOORS 6:30 PM till late | SAT: DOORS 3 PM till late
AGES: 14+ (Under 18s with an adult)

- TICKETS -

Day and Weekend Tickets On Sale Now.

Tickets: heavypop.co.uk

Line-up & timings subject to change
Entry subject to venue capacity
* + ticket company booking fee
 

- FRIDAY ARTISTS-

Headliner: Porridge Radio -
"spiky, strange and uncompromisingly brilliant" The Guardian
Back to the radio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDw9nTQKGd4

We are happy to announce that Porridge Radio will headline the Friday night (24th) of Beat Connection.

The band are one of the most vital new voices in alternative music, having gone from being darlings of the DIY underground to one of the UK’s most thrilling bands in the space of less than a year. Their barbed wit, lacerating intensity and potent blend of art-rock, indie-pop and post-punk sounds like little else around, and led their 2020 album Every Bad to make the nominees list for the coveted Mercury Music Prize.
The band last year released their second album 'Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky' to further acclaim.

- Lime Garden -
"Brighton’s new guitar heroes " NME
Bitter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1kPfF1VObE

Sliding from one music genre into another – from indie to surf to disco – they play with noise in a completely fearless and youthful way, unique to the chaotic energy of their close-knit group. Named as one of NME’s top 100 artists for 2022 and will be playing at U.S festival SXSW soon.

- Baba Ali (late-night guests -
"Stevie Nicks, Sleaford Mods and Fela Kuti are among the touchstones for this free-ranging New Yorker’s adventures in sound" The Guardian

Burn Me Out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrSGMhitMO8

BBC 6Music Playlist endorsed Anglo-American Indie electro duo Baba Ali will support and they are an act with one foot firmly placed on the dance floor!

- Adam & Elvis -
Currency: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPV7X-ccKN0

Reading/London-based 'Frustrated Pop' band Adam & Elvis support. The band has been championed by BBC Radio legend Steve Lamacq and are known on the local circuit for always putting on a show.

- This. -

Lo Fi Indie band based in Reading.

- Tracks & Grooves DJ -

Derry born and Reading based multi-genre party DJ will be entertaining us all in the early hours.

- SATURDAY ARTISTS-

- Headliner: Billie Marten -
"From the moment she surfaced, we knew Marten was a unique talent" - The Line Of Best Fit
Nothing But Mine:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXDHKhEU1No

The Folk-Indie singer/songwriter will headline Saturday night and she joins our previously announced Mercury prize-nominated Friday headliners Porridge Radio.

Billie Marten will be releasing her new album Drop Cherries in April and which is the follow-up to critically-lauded 2021 album Flora Fauna which received praise from the likes of CLASH (9/10), The Line Of Best Fit, Uncut, NME, Dork, The Independent, Gigwise (all 4* reviews). She's an exceptional talent and we are excited to have her on the bill.

- Cowboyy -
"Rhythmic shredders running wild off an outlaw spirit" NME
Tennis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz6esQvnfw8

Art pop, math rock four-piece cowboy influenced by 00s bands like Bloc Party.

- Liam O'Brien -

Reading's Liam returns to perform a solo set for the first time in years.

- Priestgate -
"Priestgate have sealed their deserved place in any Ones to Watch lists." Gigwise
Some Things Never change:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8rc2Z6fHoQ

Hailing from the sleepy rural town of Driffield, Yorkshire, Priestgate are charismatic, angsty and euphoric in equal measure. After a stellar year of experimentation, the band have emerged in 2020 with their own brand of guitar music infusing pop hooks with dark sensibilities as popularised by The Cure and Joy Division. The band have recently completed the Dork mag Hyep tour and received support from So Young, Radio 1 and 6Music.

- The Mirror Pictures -

The Mirror Pictures are a 4 piece indie punk band from Reading, Berkshire who have been supported by BBC 6Music and Radio X.

- AK/DK (late-night guest)
"krautrock and new wave overtones invoking Kraftwerk and New Order." Louder Than War
Maxwell's Waves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84s-K7TrJaY

Brighton's two drum synth duo return to Reading following their last appearance at Are You Listening? Festival a few years ago; and we dare you to not be able to dance to their electro drumbeats.

- KEG (late-night guest) -
"muscular art-punk statements from Brighton upstarts" NME
Kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ5ril_1DIo

The Brighton 7-piece are making waves and are hottly tipped in the music press.
The band are knowing for their fun live shows and have toured with the like of Squid and PVA.

- Tracks & Grooves DJ -

Derry born and Reading based multi-genre party DJ will be entertaining us all in the early hours.

Previous Beat Connection artists include:

BC Camplight, Jane Weaver, Matt Maltese, Peaness, JOHN, Talk Show, The Lounge Society and more.

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For all listings, go to: heavypop.co.uk
Socials: @heavypoppromo

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