Washing Machine anniversary gig

October 15 marks the five-year anniversary of Bury St Edmunds’ biggest live music club night, and what better way to celebrate than by doing what they do best, and putting on a gig?

As someone who has been regularly attending gigs for three years, it is a strange thought that there used to be no music scene in Bury. Five years ago Seymour Quigley set out to create a DIY scene similar to the one he’d left behind in South East London. Starting it up with Neil Rayson and, on bigger occasions, Joe Weaver of Toonteen Industries, a scene soon began to blossom and musicians from all around Suffolk began to show their faces and form bands.

Now, half a decade later, Washing Machine is still going strong, annually teaming up with the council and Toonteen Industries to run events such as BurySOUND and the Bury Fringe All-Dayer. Over the years, more than 200 artists have played the gigs and as more bands play the nights, shows have begun to frequently sell out.

Seymour has this to say of the nights: “At risk of sounding a bit drippy, the fact that people come to my nights at all still feels amazing, as I honestly didn’t know when I started if anyone would come at all. Seeing a room full of happy, sweaty, brilliant people never stops being amazing.”

The five-year anniversary party is on Saturday, October 15, at The Hunter Club, starring The Vitamins and Gaffa Tape Sandy, alongside War Waves, Jack Rundell and Asbestos. The Vitamins played Washing Machine’s first ever event, so it seems fitting that their long awaited return to Bury will be in celebration of Washing Machine.