Towngate LIVE! – Music Nights
Join us for our monthly live music night in the Gielgud room, with emerging local musicians and bands.
Your Town. Your Stage. Your Music.
Join us for our monthly live music night in the Gielgud Room where we will be hosting an evening of original music from both local and national artists!
All of our tickets are just £5.00! Simply enter the number of tickets you would like and add them to your basket – just like that, you’re in!
Still on the fence? Check out some of the talent that will be performing for you over the next few months and below, we promise you won’t want to miss this.
Why not join us for our Towngate LIVE! Jazz Café! This event is free to attend, and no need to book. Just pop along to the Café/Bar and enjoy!
Music Matters. Help Make It Happen with a Voluntary Donation
Towngate LIVE! is more than just a gig – it is a movement to celebrate creativity and bring world-class music to our community.
We showcase local artists with original music and host incredible acts from across the UK and beyond – including a Grammy Award winner!
Your donation helps emerging talent from Basildon, keeps tickets affordable, and brings top-tier artists to our town. Every contribution makes a real difference. With your support, Towngate LIVE! can thrive and keep Basildon a destination for musicians and music-lovers alike.
To donate, please visit the Music Matters page online or call the team on 01268 205 300.
LIVE at your local venue…
22nd March 2024 - 6th November 2026
Tickets from £5.00
Recommended for ages – all ages
Running time approx 2 hours 40 minutes
Friday 17 July 2026
Opening Act
Jessie Reid
Singer-Songwriter
Jessie Reid’s second album Little Sparks is about hope, about those tiny moments of positivity that get us through the everyday, the glimmers of light hidden amongst the mundane.
The young Shropshire artist’s raw and intimate indie-folk has already racked up over 10 million streams, support from the likes of Chris Hawkins, Tom Robinson & Emily Pilbeam on BBC 6 Music, regular spins on BBC Radio Ulster & BBC Radio Wales, a regional BBC Introducing Artist of the Year accolade, and a breakfast show Single of the Day on LA tastemaker Nic Harcourt’s SoCal 88.5FM. Of the new album, Jessie says:
“These songs stress the importance of noticing the small things that give us meaning, even when life feels heavy. Some are soft and personal, like ‘Let Your Love Run Cold’ and ‘Your Story’. Others, such as ‘Devil Calls’ and ‘Cracks Forming’, wrestle with darker feelings. Sitting somewhere in between are ‘Against the Tide’ and ‘Beauty in Sadness’ – songs about struggle, but also about staying strong and holding on. I’d like to think the title track ‘Little Sparks’ ties it all together: the idea that even in the midst of the mundane, we can find sparks of light worth chasing and holding on to. I’m really proud of this record. It feels honest, and I hope these songs can be little sparks for anyone who needs them.”
Following 2024’s Glastonbury and Camp Bestival debuts, Jessie enjoyed a great 2025 festival season with acclaimed sets at Fuse Fest, Kendal Calling, Green Man, Found Festival, Between The Trees and Moseley Folk. Her 2026 live schedule is already shaping up nicely.
A songwriter wise beyond her years, Jessie’s understated vocals and innovative percussive guitar style have drawn praise from tastemaker press and comparisons with the likes of Iron & Wine, Lucy Rose, Memorial & Ben Howard, with tracks enjoying wide editorial support at Spotify, including the coveted Most Beautiful Songs in the World playlist, and sync placements on Channel 4, SKY and ITV.
Released on 6th February 2026, Little Sparks is an album about finding hope in the darkness, living and loving again, and seeing beauty even in sadness.
Friday 12 June 2026
Headliner
M G Boutler & Samantha Whates
Singer/Songwriters
M G Boulter and Samantha Whates have been collaborating since 2014. Both respected and critically acclaimed singer songwriters in their own right, they are set to release their third collaborative project in the 2026. Flower Days is a collection of alt-folk and experimental recordings, inspired by flowers and their cultural significance throughout history. Recorded at the historic Cambo Country House and Estate in Fife by producer Douglas Whates, Flower Days blends the duo’s well established songwriting style with the Estate’s inspirational surroundings.
M G Boulter is a songwriter and musician living on the Thames coast in Essex. He creates vignettes of suburban lives and seaside communities, and his albums have featured in the top ten end of year lists for the publications including the Daily Telegraph. He has been described as a ‘weapons grade songwriter’.
Samantha Whates is a Scottish singer songwriter who has released several albums across a range of record labels including Rough Trade Records. She is regularly played on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 6. Her beautifully crafted poetic songs retain an affinity with her Scottish roots, cultivating a sound that is contemporary, rooted in
tradition, yet uniquely her own.
Friday 12 June 2026
Opening Act
Greene
Singer-Songwriter
Honouring his mother’s maiden name, Greene is the project of singer songwriter Joe Anderton. Combining elements of folk, Americana, blues and rock and roll , packaged in power pop melodies with often introspective and whimsical lyrics.
Originally from Essex, now residing in London, Anderton has crafted a sound that is a reminiscent of days gone by, whilst showcasing a personal and witty take on everyone’s favourite topics such as love and longing.
Drawing comparisons to the golden age of singer songwriters, Anderton hopes that Greene is a fresh take on all the music that has served as his inspiration.
Friday 17 July 2026
Headliner
Big City Hoot N’ Howl
Blues/Soul
Fusing together their favourite elements of American roots music, the Big City Hoot n’ Howl seamlessly blend Soul, Blues, Funk and Jazz. Performing only the deep cuts, with an emphasis on infectious grooves to help boogie the nights away…
Long time compadres, the line-up includes graduates from Berklee, Leeds, Perth and Guildhall schools of music ~ A two-time Maple Blues Award nominated artist ~ And a Songwriter of the Year and Album of the Year award winner.
Having worked with artists such as : Tedeschi Trucks Band ~ Scrapomatic ~ Kristina Train (Herbie Hancock) ~ Mick Gallagher (The Animals, The Blockheads, Paul McCartney, The Clash) ~ Hayseed Dixie ~ Corinne Bailey Rae ~ Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer, Dark Knight trilogy, Inception) ~ Jill Furmanovsky ~ Mick Wilson (10cc) ~ Tartan Amoebas (As heard on the theme tune for ITV series “Under The Hammer”!)
And performed in such notable venues as : Wembley Stadium, London ~ O2, Sheffield ~ Volkswagen Autostadt, Wolfsburg ~ Fete de la Musique at Chateaux de Chambord ~ Upton Blues Festival ~ T in the Park ~ Primavera, Barcelona ~ Pianos, NYC ~ The Astoria, London ~ Stratford Playhouse ~ Ain’t Nothin’ But.., Soho ~ Tower Bridge, London ~ Half Moon, Putney ~ US Ambassador’s Residence, Regent’s Park ~ Green Note, Camden ~ Old Trafford, Manchester… plus a plethora of tours, corporate events, album launches and recording sessions in countries such as USA ~ Monaco ~ China ~ Italy ~ Luxembourg ~ Netherlands ~ Germany ~ Mexico ~ Spain…
So, if your thing is to boogie and you like dancing like a dog, just step on the floor and allow the Hoot n’ Howl to take care of the rest.
COMING SOON
Thursday 3 September
Friday 2 October
