A SOUTHAMPTON band will perform at this weekend’s British Grand Prix before headlining a festival closer to home next month.
The Novatones will play on the Silverstone circuit’s Woodlands campsite stage before home drivers Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Lando Norris race against championship leader Max Verstappen on Sunday.
The four-piece, singer-guitarist Anthony Pitman, lead guitarist Mackenzie Gordon-Smith, bassist Barrie Jarman and drummer Nath Coates, will also perform again at the Moto GP in August.
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Frontman Ant told The Echo: “We received an email asking if we would be interested in playing both events, and, as we are big motorsport fans, it didn’t take long to decide.
“As a fan, I have been several times and with cars flying around in the day, then bands in the evening, it is one of the best events I’ve been to.”
Fellow enthusiast Barrie added: “The combination of cars, music and history means there is nothing else like it.”
Next month, the band will also headline GabeFest at Berkeley Farm, Durley, now in its fourteenth year.
After their appearance at this year’s Isle of Wight Festival, Ant says the band are now “going to hit things harder than we ever have before,” with new music and a UK tour in September, including a to-be-announced Southampton date.
“Not being able to play in the last couple of years has taught us to take advantage of what we can do now and to not take anything for granted”, he added. “We may have been guilty of resting on our laurels in the past.”
Their latest single called Puppets brings a heavier, darker sound, which Mackenzie says has surprised some of their fans.
“It’s a different style for us. When we play it live, you can see some apprehension from the crowd at first, but by the time the chorus kicks in, they are back with us.”
Ant explained that the song was written before the pandemic but became an almost prophetic vision of what was to come.
- Tickets to Gabefest on July 19 and 20 are available at gabefest.org.uk
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