The South Side Racketeers, and DJ Rob Moore

Blue Beat, Ska but most of all Jamaican RnB will pour out of the speakers for this classic night featuring 80% of self-penned material along with some all-time classics.  When you hear this beat you’ll want to move your feet !

The South Side Racketeers were conceived on a stag night about four in the morning sometime in 2004!  Four friends with a common love for sixties Blue Beat, Ska, Jamaican RnB and other music decided to form a band incorporating the above influences into their own material.  A few choice cover versions including ‘Ali Baba’, ‘Bartender’ and Renegade’ complemented the bed of contemporary sounding but original cuts written by the four. 

The Racketeers without doubt are one of Portsmouth’s finest and certainly one of the most popular bands in the area since the early days of ‘Empitfish’, ‘The Caravans’, ‘Six Gun Sound’ an the early 80s.  Now a six/seven piece-piece band playing Jamaican RnB, Trad Ska, with lashings of rare Soul, The Racketeers are not a total covers band with 80% of self-penned material. Charismatic to the end with consistently tight and lively performances, The Racketeers can be seen performing in venues across the south of England. The band have their eyes and ears firmly focused on the future. So, when you hear the beat and want to move your feet just dance to the Racketeers and the sun will keep shining!

Licensed bar helps support WemsFest – As always, we’ll have our licensed bar serving delicious beers from Langham Brewery 🍻 as well as wines, local cider, nonalcoholic beers, and soft drinks.  All profits from bar and ticket sales are reinvested in the local community.

Tickets available now at Bookends and Harbour Records and online here

Doors open 7.30 for an 8pm start – but no admission after 9pm.

If you require special assistance or have mobility difficulties, please contact us in advance and we will do our very best to accommodate you so that you are comfortable.

Please park considerately.

 

The Soul Train! with DJs Richard ‘Tricky’ Marsh & Martin Jackson

Back by popular demand!  The ‘Express’ steams into town with carriages full of your favourite music.

Richard ‘Tricky’ Marsh and Martin Jackson spin 60s and 70s Soul, R&B, Motown, Stax, Atlantic, Rare Groove, and Northern Soul mainly on vinyl. A night for filling the dance floor !

Tricky’s radio show on The Flash – DAB+ to the Portsmouth area every Friday 7-9pm is one of the most popular on the station.  Come out for yet another fantastic evening in Westbourne Community Hall!

Late bar – with G&Ts this time!

Licensed bar helps support WemsFest – As always, we’ll have our licensed bar serving delicious beers from Langham Brewery 🍻 as well as wines, local cider, nonalcoholic beers, and soft drinks.  All profits from bar and ticket sales are reinvested in the local community.

Tickets available now at Bookends and Harbour Records and online here

Doors open 7.30 for an 8pm start

If you require special assistance or have mobility difficulties, please contact us in advance and we will do our very best to accommodate you so that you are comfortable.

Please park considerately.

Irrelevant Elephant & DJ Mark Covell (Special BBC Children In Need event)

Irrelevant Elephant bring their funky dance tunes back to Westbourne following their hugely successful debut last year.  DJ Mark Covell will, again, take over where they leave off with a melange of music to keep the dance floor filled until midnight as ‘Disco for Oldies’ takes over.

10% of ticket income and all donations go to BBC Children In Need.
Late bar (no admission after 10pm)

Irrelevant Elephant are a 7-piece jazz funk outfit from our hometown!  Featuring a threepiece horn section, keyboards, guitar, drums & bass, offering a selection of jazz, Latin & funk styles, from Donny Hathaway to Brother Strut, their sound is mostly up-tempo & definitely danceable.

 

DJ Mark Covell is another local whom we are delighted to welcome back to WemsFest, to ensure the lights are flashing, the dance floor is filled, and the party is on.  Mark brings an equal passion to DJing as he did to winning an Olympic sailing medal or racing in The America’s Cup.  He is as adept at making the dance floor move as he is dynamically DJing and commentating on sporting events around the world.  

 

Licensed bar helps support WemsFest – As always, we’ll have our licensed bar serving delicious beers from Langham Brewery 🍻 as well as wines, local cider, nonalcoholic beers, and soft drinks.  All profits from bar and ticket sales are reinvested in the local community.

Tickets available now at Bookends and Harbour Records and online here

Doors open 7.30 for an 8pm start

If you require special assistance or have mobility difficulties, please contact us in advance and we will do our very best to accommodate you so that you are comfortable.

Please park considerately.

Maroon Town

Maroon Town, whose name is taken from a remote upland community in Jamaica formed by escaped slaves, burst onto the scene in the late 80s with their pioneering fusion of rap, dub, breakbeat, jazz and funk.  They have played our WemsFest stage multiple times and every year the audience is left wanting more!

When the London-based multi-racial 8-piece first started out 30 years ago, they were the first ska band to have begun mixing ska and reggae with rap, funk and Latin/cumbia to produce a fresh new world music sound with conscious and uplifting lyrics.  Their first album and singles were produced by John Bradbury of the Specials.  These recordings propelled the group to get the attention of the international music community and led to extensive touring in Europe, Japan and South America.

A long-standing relationship with the British Council saw Maroon Town perform in over 15 countries from Kosovo to Tajikistan and from Brazil to Brunei playing in theatres, festivals, schools, community centres, universities and even prisons. Their songs have been synched to major Hollywood films and they continue to provide a brilliant stage show!

Still at the cutting edge of creativity their sixth and latest album ‘Freedom Call’ released on the Spanish label ‘Brixton Records’ in 2018 blends conscious reggae, jazz, Big beat ska as well as an up-tempo ska collaboration with renowned Basque Country reggae, rock and ska singer Fermin Muguruza. (Spain, particularly Catalonia and the Basque Country has long been a touring destination for the band)

In 2018 Maroon Town played at Skabour (UK), Boom Town, Freedom Sounds Festival and Querbeat (Germany), the London International Ska Festival and at Foc a la Feixa (Spain – June 23rd) and many other venues. Each month the band run a club night at the legendary Troubadour in London with net profits going to the Alpha Boys School in Jamaica.

The result is a unique musical blend that has hooked fans and audiences from all over the world for over 30 years.

Licensed bar helps support WemsFest – As always, we’ll have our licensed bar serving delicious beers from Langham Brewery 🍻 as well as wines, local cider, nonalcoholic beers, and soft drinks.  All profits from bar and ticket sales are reinvested in the local community.

Tickets available now at Bookends and Harbour Records and online here

Doors open 7.30 for an 8pm start

If you require special assistance or have mobility difficulties, please contact us in advance and we will do our very best to accommodate you so that you are comfortable.

Please park considerately.