live’n’local

Saturday 20th September 2025

An evening of music from three bands with a local connection to West Berks finest monthly open mic night – ‘Unplugged’

Heliotrope Pyjama

Get ready to groove with one of Newbury’s most electrifying live acts! This eight-piece powerhouse blends funk, blues, and jazz fusion into a high-energy, soul-stirring experience. With Brian Daws and Mark Bishop on guitars, Marcus Ambler on bass, Rhodri Bowen on drums, Kevin Turner on keys, and the dynamic sax duo of Stuart Hutchins and Kate Dunn, the band delivers a rich, layered sound that’s both tight and spontaneous. At the heart of it all is Susy Sales, whose soulful vocals tie everything together with style and passion. From smooth cocktail bar jazz to driving fusion house, and classic blues to irresistible funk, their setlist is a journey through rhythm and groove. These are talented musicians who live to reimagine timeless tunes and get audiences moving. Don’t miss your chance to catch them live!

Latin Quarter Duo

Steve Skaith is the main singer and songwriter with the band Latin Quarter, best known for their 1986 top 20 hit ‘Radio Africa’ from the album ‘Modern Times’, an album which was described by the New York Daily Post as “One of the best electro-pop albums ever to come out of the UK”.
Over it’s 42 year history, Latin Quarter has toured extensively in the UK and Europe and produced 15 albums, 9 of which have come in the last 13 years. As a band they are know for their varied styles, sometimes rock, sometimes folk, sometimes reggae and sometimes African as in their writing and recording collaboration with Zimbabwe band ‘The Bhundu Boys’.
For this gig, Steve will be playing in a duet with Latin Quarter bass player Yo Yo Buys, a South African musician who has also toured extensively with The Christians, Roachford and more recently The Dire Straits Experience.

One Lump Or Two

Always a delight when this trio take to the stage at ‘Unplugged’.  So whether it’s a folky country version of ‘Ace of Spades’ or a three part harmony version of ’The Whistling Gypsy’, they hope you’ll enjoy yourselves just as much as they will.

Start: 8:00pm (Doors Open 7:30)

Tickets: £12 (£10 Early Bird) Click here to buy online or here for where to buy direct