The entirety of 2018 has been and will be a party for The Forum, an independent venue in Tunbridge Wells, as it celebrates its 25th birthday. Twenty-five years of bands, riders, tech specs and cleaning up days-old KFC from behind the toilets; the day-to-day life of a grassroots venue has plenty of ups and downs. The party has so far included sold out shows from Frank Turner, The Wedding Present and Pale Waves, with many more to be announced, as well as a series of Local Legends shows to celebrate the local bands who have been playing the venue for years.

“25 years feels like a significant anniversary, so we wanted to mark The Forum’s birthday with as many events, gigs and output as we could” explains event coordinator Isobel Dormon, “however, we didn’t want it to only be nostalgic but to also look towards the next 25 years too. We thought an album featuring the exciting and emerging artists who play at The Forum regularly now and will go on to do more in the future, would be a great idea.”

The album features 11 tracks, ranging from electronic to punk, each band featured on the album chosen to reflect the future of the venue. “The featured bands were decided by The Forum team who regularly put on gigs, festivals and community events, and know who are the most exciting, talented musicians rehearsing and playing gigs at The Forum” states Isobel of the curation process.

In addition to releasing the album, a series of gigs will happen throughout the year, each one headlined or curated by a band on the compilation. The first one is set to happen on May 4 with Dead Ceremony headlining. “We’re very much looking forward to having our new music out for everyone to hear, and then being able to play it at our favourite venue” says David Trevillion, drummer of Dead Ceremony.

The last 25 years have been a whirlwind, with musicians like Ellie Goulding and Coldplay gracing the stage in their early careers, with the next quarter of a century having the potential to be even better. Looking towards the future, there’s plenty to get excited about. From sell out shows, early performances of musicians you just know will be big, community events and theatre, it’s all going on at The Forum and will continue to do so thanks to the venue’s team and the people that play their stage.

Stream ’25 Years and Beyond’ here.