A FREE gig at HMV in Festival Place has kicked off a programme of live music that invites Basingstoke artists and musicians to share their music with a wider audience.
The free gigs are part of the HMV Live & Local programme which gives local artists and musicians the opportunity to show off their talent with live in-store performances each week.
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Five-piece pop rock band Ind!go were the first to perform on April 1, playing a mix of covers and original songs.
- April 6: Seth Murphy
-April 13: In Colour
-April 20: Marmalade Band
The Live & Local programme sees stores allocating a performance area for use free of charge by local artists, and HMV hosted around 2,500 in-store gigs in 2023.
Basingstoke HMV store manager Daryl Paterson said: “HMV Live & Local is a very special scheme.
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“For the team here, it's an opportunity to engage in our local community but also allows us to provide opportunities, whether it's giving young budding musicians the chance to gain experience or offering more experienced musicians the chance to do what they love, playing music and entertaining people. Plus, our customers get to enjoy a variety of live music.
“Not everyone enjoys music in the same way, but it is a part of everyone’s lives and can be very emotive and evocative. “Live music is an experience and often where musicians learn their craft, and there is a huge array of talented musicians out there just waiting to be discovered.
“Live music opportunities are disappearing; this is a chance for us to come together with our community and help re-invigorate music at a grass roots level.”
Festival Place marketing manager Sian Fisher said: “We’re sure this will be music to the ears of some of our great local bands, who will get the chance to reach a much larger audience. We look forward to hearing them play.”
For more information, visit festivalplace.co.uk.
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