Saturday 13th of June
Substance at the Spice of Life

Featuring – The Forty Fours + The Hackenbackers

The Spice of Life is a Soho landmark, historic music venue and is in the heart of London's West End.

Renowned for having a great live sound The Spice of Life and Substance have worked together for over 18 years to bring the very best new music to the heart of the capital.

"One of the best little venues in London" Evening Standard

The Line up

The Forty Fours
The Forty Fours are a London-based three-piece guitar band driven by melody, immediacy, and the kind of live energy that turns casual listeners into regulars. Drawing on the sharp songwriting and harmony-led approach of traditional Blues and Merseybeat and the sound of the Sixties British Invasion, the band deliver concise, hook-filled songs that feel current rather than nostalgic.

The trio have quickly earned a reputation as a powerful live band through regular shows throughout the country and across the capital, including performances at the 100 Club, The Spice of Life, and Dublin Castle. Their live set blends high-impact originals with reworked classics, creating a sense of excitement and momentum that has helped them build a loyal and quickly growing audience.

The band have been signed by Blow Up Records and have recorded their debut album with the former Damned keyboard player and producer Roman Jugg. They will release their first single in May, and the full album is due to be released later in the year.

The band now enter a focused release phase, rolling out original material designed to capture the urgency and connection of their live shows. With a clear creative direction, The Forty Fours are positioning themselves for their next step forward.
https://thefortyfours.co.uk/

The Hackenbackers
The Hackenbackers are a west London based rock n roll band, playing self-penned tunes with infectious beats and catchy choruses.

Influenced by the 70’s pub rock scene, but with a smattering of Americana and other genres thrown in, the band started gigging in early 2023 (they were also in a school band way back, but that’s another story) and have already performed at some iconic London venues, including The Dublin Castle, Hope & Anchor and The Fiddlers Elbow – building up a steady following on the way.

The Hackenbackers rounded off that year by headlining a multi-band showcase at The Beehive in Bow.

2024 brought gigs at the Beehive in Brentford, west London and a successful headline gig at The Dublin Castle with Man About A Dog and The Adventures of Parsley. Their debut 2 track single “Hey Hey!” c/w “Come On World” was released in September.

2025 has so far seen a residency at The Gunnersbury in Chiswick with a continuing host of guest bands, They also played a set at this year’s “Hanwell Hootie”, one of London’s premier one-day festivals.
https://thehackenbackers.co.uk/


The Spice of Life is an over 18’s venue .ID will be required if you are asked.


http://www.spiceoflifesoho.com/
http://substancegigs.com/index.php
https://www.facebook.com/substance.gigs