Music

Live Nation and top event promoters Cuffe & Taylor have announced pop-rock favourites McFly and genre-defining trailblazers The Human League as the latest headliners for TK Maxx Presents Bedford Summer Sessions 2025. These latest headliners join previously announced Supergrass, Simple Minds, Rag’n’Bone Man for a Bedford Park summer takeover throughout July. Tickets are now on sale: smmrsessions.com / ticketmaster.co.uk. On Sunday 13 July, McFly will light up the stage at Bedford Summer Sessions, bringing their high-powered energy to Bedford Park. It’s been 21 years since the band first burst onto the scene with breakout hit “Five Colours In Her Hair,” evolving into one of the UK’s most successful acts. With seven UK number-one singles, including “All About You” and “Star Girl,” alongside seven Top 10 albums and over 10 million sales, McFly have earned multiple Platinum certifications and a BRIT Award for Best British Pop. Fresh from celebrating their 21st anniversary with two sold-out O2 Arena shows, McFly will deliver a set that reflects on their impressive career..

Bank Holidays are perfect for partying, and you’ll not find a better way to let your hair down than with that giant name in dance, Ultra Vegas, which has one hell of a day for you on Sunday, May 25 – 12 hours of delicious DJ heaven, from midday to midnight. The team at UV are doing things a little differently for this mammoth Donate 2 Dance session, which is being hosted at The Shoulder of Mutton in Calverton - admission is only by registration. Don’t be tempted to rock up on the day, or you will be sent home with your tail between your legs while all your pals party hard. If you do things the right way, you’ll have access to 50 artists, DJs and producers who will operate across three arenas, two of them outdoor under canvas, and one indoor space. Organisers are calling it ‘a full-throttle,..

For more than two decades The Dollyrots have been doing the music business on their own terms, and they’ve done a mighty fine job of navigating it. Bassist Kelly and guitarist Louis have an unwavering DIY ethos, and an ability to cut punk rock perfection – there are more than 2000 shows played, and plenty of albums of material for you to indulge in. Those releases have been issued through a number of labels, including Lookout! Records, Joan Jett’s Blackheart Records, and Wicked Cool, which was founded by ‘Little Steven’ Van Zandt. Recent elpee Night Owls has been described as ‘a sugar-rush of joyous pop-punk and party-starting rock & roll.’ This duo are a unit away from the spotlight too, and have raised two kids on the road. River and Daisy grew up with green rooms instead of playgrounds and soundchecks instead of bedtime stories. Sounds pretty good from here...

'I am interested in coming up with something timeless...' Pictures by Tom Bronowski tombronowski.com Revered for his insane ability as a writer, musician and producer, Alain Johannes is always in demand, but right now he’s shining a light on his own body of brilliant work with a UK tour, which will see him visit Milton Keynes. Pulse’s Sammy Jones spoke with him... Whether in the studio environment, working solo or having others utilising his talents as a collaborator, if Alain Johannes has a hand in the music-making, it’s guaranteed to bring gold to the ears. We don’t have the space to list the roll call of artists Alain has worked with in full, but he has been trusted by Chris Cornell, No Doubt, Mark Lanegan, Jimmy Eat World, Queens of the Stone Age and Arctic Monkeys. He has spent time in PJ Harvey’s band and as a touring member of Them..

The venue at MK11 welcomes the new city sounds of Junk Season on April 12, which is actually the musical mind of Harrison Kendall, who is making friends with his pop-punk/emo deliveries, which are polished and cleverly executed – as you can hear on the debut album, Rooms We Crawl In. Check in with his background, and Harrison will tell you that he takes his inspiration from ‘personal struggles and growing up on bands like Blink-182.’ And why the name JS? ‘The name Junk Season encapsulates the creative process itself: sifting through the “junk” of the mind to craft something meaningful,’ is the reply. He wants to write songs that people can lean on, even if you are only looking for a momentary escape. He’s done that, and more. This bash is being called Junksesh, ‘a place to disappear into the noise, to hide out, to feel understood... and maybe..

'...a person's journey to reclaim themselves from the breach...' KC Blackwater has just released the new single, Every time I clock in, Frances Perkins rolls in her grave, and it’s a total blast, even if the same can’t be said of the subject matter. “The track went through quite a few iterations, with some being about gym culture, hyper masculinity and workplace oppression, but they all boiled down to one thing more so than anything else: The sacrifice of oneself in order to meet the goals of another,” Cam Owden, the creative behind KC Blackwater, explained. “The track is about a person’s journey to rejecting the ‘big contract’ and walking away in favour of their own humanity. My hopes are that the title of the track will get people to look into one of the most important figures in the history of workers rights in America as she goes largely..

Solstice issued their new album, Clann, this week, which comes hot on the heels of the MK proggers storming Prog Magazine's annual polls, setting them up nicely for a fruitful summer of festivals and gigging. Founder and guitarist Andy Glass talked Sammy Jones through the octet's new release, and its journey to the shelves – and to your record collections. “Back in 2020 working on the first album with our new singer Jess gave me a thrilling sense of potential,” Andy recalled. The album Sia set us on a journey I wholeheartedly believed could lead to the music I’d always imagined. I also realised that would take time. Jess was completely new to the genre and, incredibly, had no real experience of fronting a band… hard to believe if you attended our very first show at the Craufurd in 2021 just as we were all partially released from lockdown,” he..

HotWax continue their road trek in support of the newly released debut album, Hot Shock by playing The Craufurd Arms (April 1). The Hastings based trio introduced the music fraternity to their noise back in 2023 when they released two Eps. Well-received, those discs saw them go on to hit up stages at festivals including Reading, Leeds and Download (while still in their teens!) and they toured with Royal Blood and Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes. Their fan base is doing swell too, with support from Elton John, Beck, Courtney Love and Pete Doherty. Imagine that lot at a party together... actually, don’t. This is just the start for the band, singer Tallulah Sim-Savage, drummer Alfie Sayers and bassist Lola Sam, and they are becoming braver with every chord: “Touring and constantly living in the moment can be chaotic. But there’s also a feeling of knowing that the more life..

The Stables in Milton Keynes has announced details of an exciting new music week for young people taking place this summer. Running from 11-15 August, The Stables Music Week will offer five days of intensive, fun and creative music making at the popular arts venue, where young musicians can come together to share their love of music, play with other young people and be part of an exciting group exploring different kinds of music – everything from classical to jazz, from rock and pop to folk, as well as trying out new instruments and musical styles. They’ll also have the opportunity to make new connections with other young musicians and build their confidence, teamwork and communication skills. The week will culminate in an end-of-course concert in front of family and friends. The Music Week is for any young musician, aged 11-18, who plays an instrument. There is no minimum grade..

Now to the original stuff, and punk players The King Blues are back (March 8) with their boundary-pushing fusion of punk, ska, reggae, and hip-hop. Lyrically they are on-point too, offering politically charged anthems, and they don’t just talk (and play) a good game – activism is alive and well here, too. It’s still difficult to believe that two decades have passed since the debut album, Under The Fog was delivered, and since then they have delivered six UK top 40 albums and enjoyed plenty of sold-out tour success. They pressed the pause button back in 2012 when frontman Itch explored a solo career with a hip-hop influence, and that was a winner too; he went platinum in Australia for the single, Another Man. The band would reassemble three years later when they released the mini album, Off With The Heads, and a new album is currently being crafted. Go..

Proof that chocolate isn’t the only sweet thing to come out of Switzerland arrives in Wolverton on the first of the month, with The Hillbilly Moon Explosion (March 1). The veteran rockabilly players are perfect for the weekend; with enough rock and roll, swing and curl to give you a great time. Mix with the drink of your choice, and let loose. Multi-instrumentalist James Jay Lewis has been showing out as the bassist with Cast and guitarist with The Zutons, but the Liverpool-based talent will be flying solo when he visits the venue (March 7). Bristol four-piece Grandma’s House (March 8) bring their grunge and post-punk flavoured sounds to the local stage following the recent single release, Slaughterhouse. Ask for those that inspire their sound, and they’ll cite influences from Idles to Nirvana. Yasmin, Poppy, Zoë and Polly will shake up perceptions with a raucous show to shake your foundations...

February 6th marks the 15th anniversary since the music world mourned the loss of Sir John Dankworth. Pulse Music editor Sammy Jones remembers a unique man with a talent to match... John came from a musical family, but at odds with them, he favoured jazz, not classical. “That horrified them – it was like being interested in heavy metal in those days, your parents wouldn't exactly welcome it,” he told me. Focusing his attention on the clarinet, not even being called to serve in the army hindered his playing – he simply joined the army band. With service behind him, he auditioned for a ship about to sail to America, which needed its own band. A young Ronnie Scott auditioned with him, and they both got the job. “I had never been abroad in my life and all of a sudden I found myself in this mad Broadway atmosphere with..

When Finnish country types, Steve‘n’Seagulls (Feb 8) covered AC/DCs Thunderstruck they really captured imaginations. In the decade it has been on YouTube, it has racked up a whopping 179 million views, and with good reason – it’s immense. Go take a peek yourself. For all the novelty factor at play here, at the heart of the operation is a band of players who pack all of the punches. Bluegrass brilliance coming to The Craufurd Arms on February 8. Almost two years since they last played the venue – as support to fellow NYC bruisers Life of Agony – Madball will return on February 3. The hardcore aces have had a fair few players pass through the ranks since first making our acquaintance with their debut Set it Off some three decades ago, but you’ll still meet the gaze of frontman Freddy Cricien, and they’ve amassed a tidy catalogue from which..

'I'll be a tribute to myself if it pays more!' Rock stalwarts Stray make their Craufurd Arms return later this month. It’s early in the year, but frontman Del Bromham promises that 2025 will deliver ‘much of the same’ for the quintet – which means plenty more stage action. “We already have some festival appearances in the UK and Europe booked for over the summer... the Stray never ending tour continues!” Del told Pulse’s Sammy Jones. The Milton Keynes-based players are also hopeful they’ll be able to swell fans’ collections with the filmed release of their last date at The Stables, played back in November. “The venue was ideal for us to feature a couple of semi acoustic songs, so it was a slightly different show than the ones that we usually deliver.” With a stellar body of work tucked under their collective belt, there is no shortage of material..

Live Nation and Cuffe & Taylor are pleased to announce the return of Bedford favourites, Café Mambo Ibiza, as headliners for TK Maxx Presents Bedford Summer Sessions on Friday 11 July 2025. Having delighted Bedford audiences with unforgettable performances in 2019, 2021, and 2022, Café Mambo has cemented their place as a beloved part of the local live music scene. This latest addition previously announced headliners including McFly, Supergrass, The Human League, Simple Minds, and Rag’n’Bone Man. Tickets for the show will go on general sale on Friday, 31 January December at smmrsessions.com / ticketmaster.co.uk. Following celebrated shows in 2019, 2021, and 2022, Café Mambo Ibiza returns to Bedford Park on Friday, 11 July. Formed in 1994 by Javier Anadon, Café Mambo grew from humble beginnings on the coastal rocks of San Antonio into an international phenomenon, becoming a cornerstone of the vibrant ‘90s Ibiza scene. Synonymous with breathtaking sunsets..