The Forum presents:

Bare Jams

The Forum, Royal Tunbridge Wells

Entry Requirements: 16+ (under 16s accompanied by an adult)
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Bare Jams have a rotating cast of characters in their long musical backstory. Starting out in 2011 with the aim of breaking their serial festival fence-jumping habit, schoolmates Ollie and Sam hunkered down in Sam’s garden shed, later known as the Bare Jams cave, to jam and write original music which they performed as an energetic acoustic duo. After recruiting D-Slice on bass the band began to evolve into to a flamboyant, high energy ever-changing collective finally settling on their current line up in 2018 – a sonically tight, six-strong tour-de-force of experienced musical alchemists seamlessly cooking up a credible fusion of musical styles – pop, soul, reggae, and rock – a sound that is uniquely their own.

The band are well travelled, with an enviable tour history over the years: headlining their own shows across Europe as well as supporting legendary acts such as The Wailers, Katchafire and La Pegatina. Add to this their appearances at the biggest festivals in the UK and Europe: Glastonbury, Boomtown Fair, Isle of Wight Festival, and many more. They are a frequent must-see on festival aficionados’ lists with the band’s reputation for tight and exuberant, yet wholesomely candid performances frequently filling tents to their sweaty capacities. Their debut album ‘This ’n’ That’ was released in May 2020 to critical acclaim and the band are currently writing, recording and releasing a constant stream of singles leading up to a compilation-style album towards the end of 2023 that will act as a snapshot of the current chapter of the Bare Jams saga.

Never ones to keep still, the band continues to delight old fans and recruiting new ones, playing to packed venues far and wide. Time and again, they bring a relentless energy enveloping a core moral message to both their live performances and recorded music. Bare Jams are serious worldly-wise optimists using their music as a panacea. Their mission: making records that inspire, inform and entertain; energising festival crowds and gig audiences and healing through melodies and lyrics. And surely the world needs some healing right now; Bare Jams are here to administer the cure.

Line Up

Bare Jams are an upbeat, fun lovin' collective. Self described as 'Poppy-Funk with a sneaky bit of Reggae and Ska'. Their fun rhythms involve catchy lyrics about twists on day-to-day life, parties, their pet gnome and the Hokey-Cokey sometimes even some politics and other meaningful stuff. They'll have you chillin', then get you skankin', even put a smile on your face. Organic and freshly brewed party vibes, which really shouldn't be missed.

Founded by Ollie (vocals/guitar) and Sam (drums/percussion) in 2011 as a busking duo, Bare Jams quickly grew into the 7-headed party phenomenon we know today. After the release of their first EP ‘Rigglet’ in 2014 the journey really started. Now they drive their van ‘Linda Dotty Vagabond’ from country to country, spreading joy as if life’s a soda commercial. Their big ol’ farmhouse is the centre of creation, leading to new songs to be released soon.

On the live side of things Bare Jams have supported and shared stages with Will & The People, By The Rivers, The Beat, Tree House Fire, BabyHead, Wille & The Bandits, Yes Sir Boss!, Odjbox, Biggtop, Too Many T's plus many more. The summer seasons see them play a good string of UK festivals including Boomtown Fair, Kaya, Curious Yellow Weekend as well as European shows in Holland and Belgium.