Rye Festivalto open withfree concert

It takes place on Friday September 12 at Rye Community Centre, with free tickets available in advance from the Box Office on a first-come, first-served basis.

Playing will be the Hallelujah Trails – an old timey, country combo from London that features ‘Spanner’ Robinson, who shared lead vocals with Hank Wangford when he came to Rye Arts Festival a couple of years.

This time she shares duties with the accomplished guitarist and singer Jerry Mendonca, originally from San Francisco, who has been fronting bands in the UK for the last 10 years.

Geoff Boudreau, organiser for the Rye Arts Festival says: “Although free, tickets for this gig have to be obtained in advance – you won’t be able to turn up on the night without a ticket. And you will be a limited to a maximum of four tickets per applicant, so if Ryers want to come to what will be a fabulous gig they will have to get down to the Box Office as soon as possible.”

There are lots of other free (non-ticketed) events at this year’s Rye Arts Festival, which runs from 12-28th September, where people can simply turn up and go in.

As part of the Festival’s ‘fringe’ there are contemporary music gigs on each Sunday, starting with The Hot Potatoes playing on 14th at 3pm at the William the Conqueror in Rye Harbour. On Sunday 21st at 4pm local blues guitarist legends Roger Hubbard and Richard Studholme will be gigging at the George.

The Box Office for in-person bookings opens at Phillips and Stubbs in Cinque Ports St, Rye on August 11 and is open from 9.30am to 1pm on Mondays to Saturdays until the end of the Festival. The full programme is at www.ryeartsfestival.co.uk