Hosted by Gaz Mayall – Gaz’s Rockin’ Blues began life in Soho and is London’s longest running club one-nighter club founded on the 3rd of July 1980. Gaz plays a mix of ska, rock, pop and punk,Also a great fan of boogie woogie, rock’n’roll, traditional Irish music, funk and world music, using strictly vinyl.

Gaz’s Rockin Blues club

Gaz will be djing throughout the weekend along with performing with his ska band The Trojans If you love jumping a round to some righteous sounds you wont want to miss this!

Specialising in ska and reggae with a dash of soul, funk, R&B and world roots, The Trojans were formed in late 1986 from the ashes of the premature demise of Gaz Mayall’s first band Gaz’s Rebel Blues Rockers where brief emergence on the London pub/club scene lasted from early 1982 to mid 83.

Their debut gig was at the Astoria on Charing Cross road by London’s center point on the 23rd December 1986, supporting premier ska band Potato 5 and ska legend Laurel Aitken. Within two and a half years they headlined the same venue with the above acts supporting.

Several albums were licensed to Japan from 1988, with ‘Spirit of Adventure’ on Sony records opening up an avenue of succesive tours with mainstream coverage to a large audience where they are still very popular today.

Some original band members are still regular performers with the band including saxophonist Rudy Jones and Rick Baxendale who began as bass player in the early 1990’s. The line-up often features bagpipes, violin, guest female vocalists, two guitars, drum and bass percussion, with Gaz at the centre stage singing and playing melodica. Occasionally guest horn player and the Trojan’s long time founder saxman Colin Humphries appear.

They tour often mainly in Europe and do lots of one-off special shows at festivals, clubs, bars and private parties, being popular with the young and old and people of all cultures to suit our multicultural day and age we are delighted that they will spinning their music at this years Smoke and Fire Ascot Festival

Hot Boppin, Groovin’ 4 piece group playing Rockin, Roots Music with a Guitar, Double Bass & Stand Up Drums.

Black Kat Boppers hail from down on the South Coast Water Way in Southampton and are 4 fellas who love to play hard boppin’, jump up, rockin’ blues, dance music.

“With The Black Kat Boppers you get to immerse yourselves in that rockin’ feelin’.  Think of us as ‘rockin the blues’ if you must, cos that’s the way we roll!”.

Influences include Rhythm & Blues, Jump & Jive, Ska, Doo-Wop with a lucky energy.  Collectively, when all brought together, Black Kat Boppers sound is raw, authentic, sincere & unique.

Black Kat Boppers formed after some chance meetings, speculative phone calls and a little bit of fate.  A shared love for rockin’ roots music was clear and they haven’t looked back since.  There’s been triumphant performances at Glastonbury many times, Port Eliot, Bestival & Hyde Park (with Blur & The Specials).  They’ve rocked Notting Hill Carnival, Rockabilly Rave Latitude & Viva Las Vegas, not to mention performing a memorable set with Florence and The Machine at Bob Geldof’s 60th birthday party.  They’ve been joined on stage by Damon Albarn as well as working with him in the studio and have regularly had Clash legend Paul Simonon playing with the band.  Paul Simonon, who has been a great support to them, also appears on their debut album “Boppin Atcha” and has done the sleeve artwork.

The much awaited new album, simply “Black Kat Boppers” was released in 2018.

Right across the board people seem to be lovin’ it – young, old, stupid, clever, hippies, punks, students, drop outs, mums, dads, drunks, weirdos, ravers, strippers, rockers, mods…  “Everybody loves that raw sound!!!“

Gaz Mayall declared…
“I’ve seen hundreds of rock n roll bands and The Black Kat Boppers are right at the very top!!“.

“When I first saw The Black Kat Boppers I was sat on a hill at a festival and could hear this music in a tent that literally grabbed me by the lapels and dragged me in” – Paul Simonon (The Clash/Gorillaz)

“Wow those boys can really play” – Damon Albarn (Blur/Gorillaz)

“Really rebel rousing music” – Bono

Us is a five-piece r’n’b punk band originally from Finland, currently based in London. In June 2022 Us played six shows in Glastonbury festival. The band was also featured in Mojo Magazine’s festival review where their “blistering 3am show” was described as “Dr.Feelgood-style punk-blues with the vigour of peak Ramones”.

Later in the year Us played sold out shows in Edinburgh, Helsinki, Hereford, London and Paris.

This spring Us is continuing their non-stop touring around Britain while also recording material for their debut album.

• MAR 2 Albion Rooms, MARGATE
• MAR 3 The Lantern Inn, MARTIN MILL
• MAR 4 The Margate School, MARGATE (Benefit for the Margate School)
• MAR 5 The Margate School, MARGATE (Benefit for the Margate School)
• MAR 21 Kalliosali, HELSINKI
• JUN 1 Red Rooster Festival, THETFORD
• JUN 30 Shed, JÄRVENPÄÄ
• AUG 5 SMOKE and FIRE FESTIVAL – ASCOT RACECOURSE ASCOT
• AUG 26 SMOKE and FIRE FESTIVAL – PROMENADE PARK, MALDON, ESSEX

THE FOSSILS, well known local Madlon band playing a mix of Blues Rock Soul and featuring Richard Butcher drums, Mark Robins lead guitar, John Bissel vocals and harp ,John Tuck bass

BANDS BIO
John Tuck Bass ,session player DJM records and Carlin music bands include surf rats,night riders,Zoot money band

Richard Butcher drums,played drums in many styles jazz ,blues ect bands include Butchers block,steamhouse.

Mark Robins played in many bands including gypsies jazz,pop,rock,blues,guitarist in popular local band The Accidents 78,til 1980 released single blood spattered guitars 1979 album 1980 other bands gene tryp,cold shot,dub karavan etc

John Bissel vocals harp well know blues vocalist on the local gig circuit bands include The Trouser trout’s ,howling biscuit,

We are THE DOWNSETTERS An originals UK Ska and Reggae band. Combining the feel and rhythm of Jamaican music with the energy and attitude of Punk, our heavyweight set of razor sharp tracks has seen us become a festival and live show favourite throughout the UK and Europe.

Our 12 year history has seen us produce three consecutive performances at the world famous Glastonbury Festival, Boomtown Fair, multiple European tours, all major UK Ska and Reggae festivals, as well as various supports slots for Ska legends such as The Beat, Bad Manners, Neville Staple band (The Specials), Lee Thompson (Madness) and more!

#areyoureggae?

Oscar was born and raised in amongst the West London hustle and bustle of Ladbroke Grove and Portobello, where his mother would blast the Pointer Sisters as she danced in the kitchen.

Jumping forward to 2022, and after spending 4 years in the band Khartoum, Oscar is now forging his solo career, immersing himself in the London music scene and steadily crafting his sound and live set.

We want to introduce you to a brand new band started in February 2019, three young fellas, Ricky Delaney, Joe Newbon and Scott McParland, from the Forest of Dean in the south of the UK. They grew up listening to rockabilly and now they play it with an infectious touch !!!

They started playing to small venues and pubs, putting all their passion for the music on the stage Their music, is a fresh  Neo Rockabilly with a mix of covers and originals

If you want to see one of the new , young and revelations of rockabilly music in the UK ,  then don´t miss them at Smoke and Fire Ascot Sunday 6th Aug