UPDATE: After massive success, enjoyment and rain, Wittfest 2025 is already booked for 5 July 2025 and the first 3 bands are lined up. Put it in your diaries.
Coming up this Saturday, 13 July, is Witton Gilbert’s local live music festival, the Wittfest!
It will be at the carpark of the Traveller’s Rest pub. Doors open at 11am, and first band goes on at 1pm.
Entry is by wristband and tickets are on sale behind the bar at The Travellers Rest pub at £15 each (card or cash) or message John Nixon and Jon Reynolds on Facebook.
Children under 16 are free, although the festival is quite crowded.
The festival raises money for Witton Gilbert’s own community group CHAD Children’s Hopes and Dreams. All of CHAD’s activities are funded through local contributions and events such as the Wittfest.
Martin McAloon, formerly bass player of Witton Gilbert’s megastar band the Prefab Sprout, is touring again in 2024. This follows his very successful 2023 tour.
I saw Martin at The Cluny in Newcastle last year and the gig features lots of the Prefab Sprout favourites. His excellent arrangements for guitar amazingly bring the big Sprout sound into just him and his guitar. It was great! It was also fantastic to catch up with him after the show, and get the t-shirt.
According to the tour press release: “Although born with the open road in his blood, Prefab Sprout appear to have had a 40-year aversion to playing live and he hope these new shows “40 YEARS: A VERSION” will address his gigging addiction.
“He’ll be revisiting the repertoire written by his brother Paddy, that stretches back through the classic Prefab Sprout albums: Swoon, Steve McQueen, Protest Songs, Langley Park to Memphis, Jordan: The Comeback, Let’s Change the World With Music, Andromeda Heights, The Gunman and Other Stories, I Trawl The Megahertz, and Crimson / Red.
“Expect all the hits and pared-back acoustic versions of Prefab Sprout’s most beloved songs, along with some storytelling and the opportunity to meet Martin after the show.”
Live shows in the North East include:
16 August – O2 City Hall in Newcastle, where he is opening act for top electronic producer Thomas Dolby. Get your ticket here. (Martin is opening for all the tour)
15 December – The Cluny Newcastle, a friendly venue where you get to see Martin up close. This one sold out last year – get your ticket here.
See all the tour gigs below, including the Irish concerts in October.
Here is Martin McAloon’s website with all his tour dates, including the first tour to Ireland after 25 years.
Here is our #PrefabSprout page, linking back to an excellent 2017 post on the wonderful Sproutology website. It gives detailed description of the layout, activities and local memories of the McAloon garage on both sides of Front Street, when it was run by Tommy McAloon,. No doubt many in Witton Gilbert village remember it.
Here is an old Guardian article where Paddy McAloon and Thomas Dolby remember working together on the album Steve McQueen and playing and composing music in Witton Gilbert village and in Consett and London.
Martin McAloon of Prefab Sprout from Witton Gilbert village music tour 2024
Witton Gilbert’s own music festival is coming up on Saturday 13 July, the annual Wittfest. It is held at the lovely Traveller’s Rest pub.
Entry is by wristband and the early-bird price £10 wristbands are on sale tomorrow, 18 May from 2pm-5pm, only at the Traveller’s Rest. After tomorrow they are £15 each. Traveller’s Rest is also having a bottomless brunch tomorrow.
Here is the line-up for the Witfest, with bands all afternoon and evening from 12:30pm – 10pm:
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