Nostalgic feel to new music night in Leamington

Former Dr Feelgood guitarist Steve Walwyn, who has been playing professionally since the late 1970s, is bringing back the concept of ‘Kelly’s Band’, who played at what used to be Kelly’s Bar in Court Street, Leamington, every Monday night.

The Southam-born musician said: “It was really successful, but for whatever reason, it stopped and has not existed for 15 years.

“I thought about putting a gig on with one of my bands and then the idea came to me to revive the Kelly’s night.”

It was playing at the wake of well-known Leamington man Woody Allen - who fronted Woody Allen and the Challengers and continued to perform at gigs around the country until not long before his death in January - that gave Steve the inspiration to get the Kelly’s night going again. The wake brought crowds of musicians and their friends from around the area to Radford Semele Social Club.

Steve said: “The place was absolutely jammed packed. That make me think there is a market for that kind of local gig. “

The first of the new Kelly’s nights, which will be held at the Zephyr Lounge in Spencer Street on the first Wednesday of each month, will see the original Kelly’s band, Fireworks - made up of Steve, Keith Hancock and Chas Chaplin, perform, while in April, Steve Walwyn and Friends, which was formed for the first All Saints’ Arts and Music Festival in 2011, are playing, with special guest guitarist Laurence Jones.

Doors open at 7.30pm and the gig will get going at 9pm. Admission costs £5. To find out more and to see the line-up for future months, search for ‘Steve Walwyn’ on Facebook.