Bring Back British Rail Benefit Gig

Event information

Poet and comedian, John Hegley, heads up a cabaret of musical and lyrical mischief in support of Bring Back British Rail, a campaign group seeking to bring the railways back into public ownership.

This benefit gig will not only raise funds for the group, it will also see bands, poets and performers joining up with activists, trade unionists and trainspotters to celebrate the railway and raise awareness about an issue that is fast gaining traction in the UK. All this is taking place at the Green Door Store, underneath Brighton Train Station.

John Hegley is a performance poet, comedian and musician well known to audiences of Radio 4 and Edinburgh Festival. His irreverent verse is a mix of deadpan humour and witty wordplay. He's a mean mandolin player and a big fan of the railways.
www.johnhegley.co.uk

Joining him on the bill are Blyth Power, a folk rock band who emerged from the early 80s punk scene (alongside bands like Crass and Zounds) and have gone on to release a dozen albums of powerful anthemic songs stocked full of historical narratives and trainspotting references. www.blythpower.co.uk

Opening the night are The Lovely Brothers, a Brighton-based cabaret punk band who blend the vaudeville music of The Tiger Lillies with bitingly satirical lyrics and ridiculous costumes. They have no connection to trains. www.thelovelybrothers.co.uk

Bring Back British Rail speaks with the collective voice of disgruntled rail passengers and disheartened train employees, demanding a re-unified national rail network run for people not profit. Founded in 2009, the campaign strives to popularise the commonsense idea of renationalising the ludicrously over priced and over complicated railway system, which the people of Britain have been left with as the result of privatisation in the '90s. Founder Ellie Harrison will be at the event in Brighton. More guests are to be announced. www.bringbackbritishrail.org

Date: Sunday 20th December 2015
Venue: Green Door Store, Brighton
Time: 7.30pm doors for an 8pm start