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River Rat Pack Tour
The River Rat Pack, supported by the acclaimed Strummerville Charity, is more than just a tour. It's a travelling circus of bands, artists, DJs, promoters, friends and anyone else that wants to join, who just want to play music to as many people as possible.
Embarking from the Flowerpot venue in Camden, a grassroots celebration of noise The River Rat Pack takes its sonic boatshow along the British Waterways, playing a series of free gigs from the roof's of their barges along with shows in specially selected towns en route. Featuring SixNationState, Nat Jenkins, Beans on Toast, Wild Wolves and The Agitator (formerly Derek Meins), amongst its bill, it once again showcases some of the most incredible new music of any tour in the UK.
Last year The River Rat Pack hosted a who's who in the best of up and coming folk and British acoustic acts featuring the likes of Mumford & Sons, Golden Silvers, Luke Pritchard of The Kooks, Jay Jay Pistolet and Josh Weller in 2008, and looks to host an equally as forethought and exciting bill this year.
Being the definitive touring music show for new acoustic acts, the expeditions of the River Rat Pack are already well documented. From an impromptu show last summer that saw countless thousands gather around Camden Lock, to more intimate, secret gigs across London's venues and canals this summer featuring the likes of Hoodlums and festival legend Beans on Toast, the shows were a free-for-all, not to mention free for all.
"A load of amazing bands, some of England's most beautiful canals and towns, topped off with a load of gigs. What more could you ask for in September?" says SixNationState frontman Gerry, "We're really chuffed to be part of the barge fest and looking forward to having some messy stories at the end of it. I fully intend on throwing somebody over board".
Partly inspired by the Festival Express when amongst other great bands The Grateful Dead, The Band and Janis Joplin all toured Canada together on a train, the River Rat Pack creates an original and exciting way of bringing new music to new audiences - travelling on barges through the canals and rivers of England playing free shows from the boats and free shows in venue's they stop of in along the way.
Like all of the best ideas the River Rat Pack was born through a conversation in a pub between three friends back in winter 2008. The pub in question was the now infamous Nambucca, and the friends were a promoter & DJ Ally Wolf with singer songwriters Beans On Toast and Nat Jenkins.
"We were all discussing what to do with our summer, and how we could do something different than just attend or put on festivals, when the idea of travelling from London to Oxford on barges was suggested", promoter Ally Wolf recalls. "It just so happened that we had a good friend who owned a barge, and we all knew venue's along the way and bands that could do it. So an idea, that to some may seem far fetched, turned into nine bands being taken on two barges from London to Oxford playing gigs everywhere we went in the first week of June 2008".
The River Rat Pack docks in Windsor, Henley and Reading through September.
The Dates
Sunday 30 Aug @ The Flower Pot, London
Tuesday 1 Sep @ The Firestation, Windsor
Wednesday 2 Sep @ The Bull, Henley
Thursday 3 Sep @ The Oakford, Reading
Saturday 5 Sep Matinee Show @ Unicorn Theatre, Abingdon
Saturday 5 Sep Evening @ The Stocks, Abingdon
Sunday 6 Sep All Day River Rat Pack Festival @ The Isis Farmhouse, Oxford
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