Charity music festival Hockley Hustle is taking place across 36 venues in Nottingham 11am-3am on Sunday the 22nd of October 2023. Maz Kenny previews the acts coming up this weekend.
Many of the people behind the festival are volunteers. The organisers, The Hustle Collective, sound deeply passionate about the event. Reading about the love poured into the festival with its noble goal of creating a positive impact on the local community is very heart-warming. Since it began in 2006, it has raised over £500,000 for several charities. This year it is raising money for 6 local charities which focus on supporting vulnerable people in various ways: Emmanuel House, Base 51, SFiCE Foundation, B’Me Cancer Communities, Our Dementia Choir and Imara. With 350 acts, its lineup is bursting with diverse local talent. Each venue has a different specialty, meaning there is something for everyone. There is a massive range in genres including jazz, indie, pop, hip hop, electronic, rock, classical, reggae, and folk. On top of that, there are other events such as drag, open mic, comedy, and poetry. Here's some music acts I recommend:
"With 350 acts, its lineup is bursting with diverse local talent."
Ricky Jamaraz: This 16-year-old indie rock artist is a must-see! He’s got fast funky uplifting tunes to
dance to and slow atmospheric shoegaze songs to cry to, all made in his bedroom. His music often
explores themes of mental illness, and a lot of comfort can be found in his songs. His friendly and
relatable online personality has earned him a large following. You may have heard his song
Microwave on TikTok, but you may not have heard his impressive discography with 5 albums and
many singles released in the last 3 years.
Cheap Dirty Horse: Another must-see, you can expect a memorable set. This loud and proud queer
folk-punk band make political songs with a bouncing beat. They are a band full of whimsy, with
songs full of jokes. But they are also a band that exemplify the punk in folk-punk. Their single, Hate
Song, has a mix of sung, spoken, and shouted vocals. Its tempo gradually increases, and its melody
almost gives the illusion of a constantly increasing pitch, building tension through a dialogue about
work, taxes, protest and more.
Content Provider: This alt-rock band are powerful live experience. They have chilled, melodic songs
with plenty of reverb that fill you with nostalgia, but also songs with harsh building drums, bass that
demands your attention and cathartic screaming vocals. They are well worth a listen.
YAY MARIA: Her angel wings capture the atmosphere of her ethereal electropop. Her queer and
trans identity are central to her music. Her dreamy songs often explore the struggles of oppression.
She is loudly defiant against the cruelty many face, instilling a dedication to love, joy and community
into her music.
There are too many stellar bands playing to describe them all, but here are a few honourable
mentions: United Roots, Smokey Penny, Cam Mannix, Airport Dad, Dim Bulbs, and Sex Toy
Vending Machine.
There is so much local talent to discover!
Maz Kenny
Edited by Tabitha Smith
Featured Image courtesy of Hockley Hustle via Facebook
Comments