The Royal Oak opens new music facility
80’s legend Howard Jones, Mayor of Taunton Deane to attend with performance from Snappa.
The Royal Oak in Taunton has announced that it will be opening its newly refurbished live music facilities on 17th February thanks to winning a nationwide competition organised by PRS for Music.
Last year the pub beat off stiff competition to win the ‘Music Makeover’ competition run in partnership with the Musician’s Union and the British Beer and Pub Association. The pub received £5000 to spend improving its live music facilities as well as expert advice on staging music events.
Singer songwriter Howard Jones and the Mayor of Taunton Deane, Councillor Jefferson Horsley, will be there to see the room officially opened in Stoke St Gregory, Somerset on Thursday 17th Feb at 11.00am.
As well as officially opening the newly refurbished function room, the event will include a special performance from local band Snappa – arguably one of the best 3 piece bands in the country.
Music is such an important part of our business and these new facilities give us a fantastic opportunity to bring more live music to the local community. We’re thrilled to be able to show off our new function room today thanks to the PRS for Music competition win.
The Royal Oak showed excellent potential to grow into a great live music venue when it was first visited by the judges so it’s great to be back and see how it’s all come together. Music helps businesses grow and keeps customers coming back and through our Music Makeover campaign, we want to help pubs up and down the country stage successful music nights and showcase local talent. I congratulate the Berridge family once again and wish them the best of luck with all their events going forward.
The search is now on to find the next Music Makeover winner and PRS for Music is inviting all pubs across the UK to enter the 2011 competition. The winning pub will win a cash prize of £5,000 to be spent on improving, refurbishing or creating the perfect live music facility.
Howard Jones biography
Howard Jones is a talented singer-songwriter and consummate musician, with album sales now exceeding eight million units. He racked up a string of hits in the 1980s and has been labeled “one of the defining figures of mid 1980s synthpop”.
Bursting onto the UK Singles Chart in 1983, he was a regular in the music charts on both sides of the Atlantic. He made his debut appearance on BBC TV’s Top of The Pops in October 1983 and in July 1985, he performed at Wembley Stadium as part of the Live Aid concert.
Howard’s had ten Top 40 singles and five Top 40 albums. His debut album “Human’s Lib” went to number one and reached double platinum status. He is perhaps best known for the chart hits – “What Is Love?”, “Like To Get To Know You Well”, “Things Can Only Get Better” and “No One Is To Blame”. Howard Jones continues to tour extensively all over the world to this day.
Snappa band biography
Snappa has built up the reputation as one of the best 3 piece bands in the country. They are based in the South West of England performing covers from the 1950's to present day from rock and funk to reggae and punk. Between them they have a great deal of experience as professional musicians Including touring Europe and the United States with Chart topping bands, Session work, instrumental teaching, composing, producing and have performed at World famous events and venues such as the Legendary Marquee Club, Glastonbury Festival and the Royal Albert Hall.
