Tour of Maidstone's music scene

By Andrew Parry
BBC Blast Music Reporter

Maidstone has a buzzing nightlife, with loads of exciting club nights and DJs. And live music is quickly joining the party.

The Loft on Gabriel's Hill hosts a wide range of club nights, live bands and a event called 'Sounds @ The Loft' (previously 'Sounds @ Zebra'), which, among other things, host a battle of the bands competition called 'Loft Wars' every Wednesday evening. 'Sounds @ The Loft' is run by Dan Turner and James Holland, and Dan Turner is enthusiastic about the Loft's future.

MySpace: The Loft

Jak Miller is another promoter at the Loft and is responsible for the likes of the View, Sunshine Underground and Kid Harpoon gracing its sticky floors.

Mr Basista playing at The Loft

The Loft has many club nights that are hugely popular and see floods of people walking in and crawling out each week. 'Twisted' Tuesdays (moved from Source Bar) and '666' on a Friday are the favourites.

MySpace:Twisted Monkeys

Facebook: 666

Is that it, I hear you cry? Not quite. There are many other opportunities for musical creation in Maidstone. The Hazlitt Arts Centre has some useful rehearsal space alongside some top class music, comedy and theatre venues. Maidstone Borough Council also oversees a useful website, Maidstone Music, which is a listings website available for all musically minded people in Kent to contribute to.

Maidstone Music

The River Festival is still going strong too, celebrating 30 years in July 2009. Martin Haskell, the sound manager of the HRM music stage at the River Festival, states how the River Festival has gone from strength to strength in the last few years, with bands all over Kent expressing an interest in getting involved.

In November 2009, Zane Lowe came to the Loft, headlining the Mixmag party with Friction, Andy George & Jaymo and a whole host of Kent DJs. I managed to chat to him after his storming set about Maidstone, being sweaty, who he has been most nervous to interview and who he would most like to meet.