Name: DIRT ROAD BAND & James Oliver Band
Start: 2025-09-12T19:30:00+01:00
Location: Arches Venue

After last years fantastic and packed night, the blues rock double header in DIRT ROAD BAND and the James Oliver band return to the Arches Venue. This time featuring the absolute LEGEND bassist Norman Watt-Roy! 🎸
“The Dirt Road Band is the brainchild of guitar legend Steve Walwyn, mainly known as the longest serving guitar player in Dr Feelgood (32 years). During this time, he has amassed a massive reputation as a guitar hero in the UK, Europe, and beyond. He says ‘I’d always liked the idea of the power trio - stripping everything back to the basics: guitar, bass and drums’.
To help him in this, he has recruited the services of Ted Duggan - professional since the 60s, including stints with Badfinger, and world techno giants, Banco de Gaia. Steve says, ‘I’d worked with Ted before, and I knew he would fit the gig perfectly’. He certainly does.
Bass player, Horace Panter, is better known as a founding member of The Specials. Horace has ‘groove’ imprinted on his DNA. Holding it down comes as second nature.
This, then, is Steve’s dream team rhythm section that swings as hard as it rocks. Steve says, ‘We have started to develop that musical telepathy that makes a band more than just the sum of its parts. It is a really thrilling time and keeps music alive’.” – DIRT ROAD BAND (dirtroadband.com)
Co-headlined by James Oliver, known as the “Welsh Guitar Wizard” and his band!
“James Oliver is one of the UK’s busiest acts playing over 300 gigs a year all over the UK, Europe, and the USA!
He has performed over 3000 gigs and shared the stage with many acts including Albert Lee, Bill Kirchen, Deke Leonard, Greg Koch, Walter Trout, Steve Gibbons, Billy Bremner, Geraint Watkins, and many others.
In 2020 James Oliver was awarded the Emerging Artist of the Year by the UK Blues Awards in 2020 and has since been nominated 3 additional times!”
James Oliver released 2 studio albums and 3 live albums and his album Twang was No. 1 on the Amazon Blues Charts for 3 weeks. – James Oliver (jamesoliverband.co.uk)
£15 adv/£18 door
Bar 5:30pm
Doors 7:30pm