Council supports new grassroots music festival coming to Chelmsford

Chelmsford’s dedicated grassroots music venue, Hot Box Live, is bringing a brand-new music festival to the city centre on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 September. Supported by Chelmsford City Council, Arts Council England, Essex County Council and Chelmsford For You, Sounds Good Festival will celebrate some of the most exciting emerging and established artists from across the UK.

Festival to champion new and emerging talent

The two-day festival will host 37 music acts across four city centre stages located at Hot Box Live (under Chelmsford’s railway arches), Chelmsford Theatre’s Studio (on Fairfield Road), Tindal Square (at the top end of Chelmsford High Street), and Voodoo Keller Bar (on New Street).

Sounds Good aims to promote both new and existing music talent, with a wide array of acts set to perform across the four venues. From R&B cellist Satin Beige (Tindal Square) to math rock band Rad Pitt (Hot Box Live), there’s something to suit all music tastes.

Satin Beige and Rad Pitt will perform at Sounds Good Festival.

Headliners across the four stages include Mancunian rock/punk/jazz band Maruja, (Chelmsford Theatre Studio); Essex-based singer songwriter Bee Arnold (Tindal Square); Jack Browning (Voodoo Keller Bar); and Chelmsford’s very own indie-punk band, BILK (Hot Box Live).

Bands Maruja and BILK will be performing at Sounds Good, as well as Essex singer-songwriter Bee Arnold.

Other Essex acts featuring in the line-up include Colchester-based punk band Pet Needs (Chelmsford Theatre Studio), who broke into the top ten of the UK music charts earlier this year; and singer George Bone (Tindal Square), who was chosen to play through Sounds Good’s ‘apply to play’ scheme, which specifically supports emerging artists.

Council support aims to boost grassroots music venue

The Sounds Good Festival is set to take place thanks to generous funding from Chelmsford City Council, Arts Council England, Essex County Council, and Chelmsford For You.

Councillor Jennie Lardge, Cabinet Deputy for Cultural Services, emphasised Chelmsford City Council's dedication to enhancing cultural experiences in the city and supporting creative organisations and events:

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"The Sounds Good Festival aims to connect our community through music, and to highlight the importance of grassroots venues in providing a platform for local and emerging artists. National media has extensively covered the challenges faced by grassroots music venues since the pandemic, including rising overheads and shifting audience behaviours. Last year, more than one UK venue closed every week, making it crucial for us to help venues like Hot Box Live to survive and thrive.

“Our Chelmsford Our Plan is dedicated to enriching the lives of Chelmsford residents through creative and cultural events. We are therefore thrilled to support Hot Box Live in hosting their first music festival this summer. Chelmsford is an ideal location for festivals, and we want our residents to enjoy local talent right in their community, which is exactly what the Sounds Good Festival is all about.”

Cllr Jennie Lardge, Cabinet Deputy for Cultural Services

Hot Box Live, Chelmsford’s only dedicated grassroots music venue, operates as a not-for-profit Community Interest Company. This means that any proceeds from events are reinvested into providing free or low-cost activities that benefit the local community.

Their upcoming festival offers a valuable opportunity to deepen the understanding of live music audiences in Chelmsford. Funding received for the event includes external support for the Hot Box Live team to review and develop their business model. Established venues, like Brighten the Corners in Ipswich and Raw Materials in South London, are providing mentorship as part of this support, sharing valuable insights from their own experiences to help strengthen Hot Box Live’s future direction.

Sounds Good Festival organiser, Dave Hughes, says the support Hot Box Live has received has been phenomenal:

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“I’ve witnessed many grassroots music venues close in recent years, and it’s a great shame to lose such valuable community hubs. The support we’ve received at Hot Box Live from Chelmsford City Council, Essex County Council, Chelmsford For You, and Arts Council England, as well as from other local organisations and businesses has been fantastic. They’ve all been 100% behind us in creating a festival to celebrate live music in Chelmsford, so we can offer up-and-coming artists a chance to showcase their undeniable talents.

“We had 156 bands apply to play at Sounds Good, which was a bit of a shock – I really needed 20 stages to host them all! In future years, we will be looking to host as many of these bands as possible, and in the meantime, we’ll continue to encourage them all to keep practicing and writing.

“Then there’s the support we’ve had from volunteers, with varied individuals from students to professionals wanting to help us make things happen. The collaborative nature of this event is just phenomenal and brilliant to be a part of.

“I’m really look forward to Sounds Good arriving in Chelmsford. I’ll be chatting with everyone I can at the festival, and I am only gutted that I can’t be at all the stages at once to see everyone play!”

Dave Hughes, Hot Box Live founder and Sounds Good Festival organiser

Book your tickets to be part of a new cultural event for Chelmsford

Sounds Good Festival comes to Chelmsford on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 September. Performances take place between 7pm and 9.30pm on the Friday and between 3pm and 9.30pm on the Saturday.

Tickets can be booked for the Friday or Saturday or both dates. Each paid ticket provides entry to all four venues. Entry to the Tindal Square outdoor stage is free but a complimentary ticket is still required for access. Book your tickets online and keep up to date with the final act announcements via Instagram.

Lend your support and gain experience in the festivals and events industry

While the final festival acts are confirmed, Sounds Good Festival organisers are also looking for volunteers to help the two-day event run smoothly. Volunteering with Sounds Good offers an opportunity for those interested in a career in music or events to gain experience in the industry and a greater understanding of how grassroots venues and festivals work.

Volunteer positions vary from stewarding to stage management and all volunteers will receive full training as well as travel expenses and refreshments. Find out more and register to volunteer at www.soundsgoodchelmsford.co.uk/volunteer.