The Forum Basement
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Welcome to the Forum Basement, our intimate, 50-capacity live music venue in Tunbridge Wells. We showcase a diverse range of talented artists from various genres, from country to punk rock and grunge.
At the Sussex, we have always been dedicated to supporting up-and-coming artists. Our tiny live music venue has had the privilege of hosting renowned acts like Soft Play (previously known as Slaves), Maisie Peters, Yonaka, and The Wytches for their early gigs.
Run in collaboration with the Tunbridge Wells Forum (an independent music venue), the Forum Basement in the Sussex Arms offers a warm and electrifying atmosphere. In addition to hosting gigs, we actively contribute to the live music scene in Tunbridge Wells by participating in events and festivals like Unfest and Local and Live.
Check out our complete gig listing below and book your tickets online today.
Whats On?
Interact with the polaroids to reveal their description, admission price and a booking link.
Dark Horse Comedy – President Obonjo
20/07/2025 - 7:00 pmAdmissison: £11.55
18+Sunday night comedy returns to The Sussex Arms with Lafta Republic’s President Obonjo.
President Obonjo is a larger-than-life stand-up comedy character who has been taking the comedy scene by storm. Now featuring in hit show ‘Stolen’ on ITV X and an internet sensation! As the uber-confident, self-appointed, side-splitting dictator of ‘Lafta Republic’, he has been quietly leading a comedy revolution as the African dictator exiled in Britain. With high-energy political and personal gags that have wowed across the country
Big Truck + Spex Appeal
25/07/2025 - 7:30 pmAdmissison: £10
18+Big Truck is the new musical offering by Tunbridge Wells alumni Don Rennols (Ladybird), Laurie Vincent (Soft Play) and completing the trio is the mystic Asa Thallon. Don and Laurie have a friendship spanning 15 plus years and this is the first time they collaborate on a musical project. Spiralling guitar and bass melodies are underpinned by heavy drum chops and vocals flitting from poetic spoken word right up to guttural shrieks. Set to record their debut LP in August this year, Big truck are stepping out onto the live circuit to cut their teeth. Influences span from Fugazi, Breeders, Graham Coxon, The Cribs, George Harrison to Yuck. Big Truck live are a spiralling, hypnotic, frenetic meditation to raise the vibration of the collective consciousness.
“The only punk band in Brighton”, Spex Appeal (FKA Rizzas), have built a reputation for chaotic live shows, short songs and butchering The Beach Boys. They recently opened for Lambrini Girls at their sold out show at Chalk and played to a capacity room at Brightons Homegrown Festival on the same day. The band released their third single “Nitrous” in April and will be releasing their debut EP later this year.
The Horse Loom + Luke Woodgate
28/07/2025 - 7:30 pmAdmissison: £8
18+“Where to start to describe The Horse Loom? The best acoustic guitar player in the country? Maybe. The most unique marriage between British folk music, avant garde guitar playing and punk rock spirit? Certainly. Wonderful? Definitely. Under-rated? You’ll have to ask him about that.
Northumbrian guitarist and singer Steve Malley would doubtless be extremely embarrassed to read any of these things. That says a lot. Steve played guitar in Crane in the early 90s, whose post-Husker Du take on The Byrds-meets-DC hardcore earned them a deserving reputation as one of the UK’s finest live bands. He would go on to play in Kodiak, Four Frame and then most notably The Unit Ama. The Unit Ama existed in direct contrast to their (musical) peers from America. Whereas a cold and cool approach was favoured by the bands from across the pond, The Ama dropped any of this façade and opened themselves and their music to possibilities of accident and misfortune creating a live experience that was truly inspiring. I say with total sincerity that they changed a lot of people’s musical outlook forever.
The Horse Loom sees Steve take this approach and apply it to his love of folk music. Combining folk structures and melodies with his incredible guitar playing has made The Horse Loom something truly unique.” – Chris Summerlin
Low Point is proud to present the debut album by The Horse Loom, the name attributed to the solo project of guitarist Steve Malley. Following several years of writing and re-working material in front of audiences up and down the country, the eight songs presented on the album were captured in a single day at First Love Studio, Nottingham by friend and colleague Nick Jonah Davis.
Switching between instrumentals that sound as if they have been shaped by the elements, and more ‘straightforward’ songs, that are in the lineage of classic modern folk artists such as Bert Jansch, Davey Graham and Martin Carthy, the album perfectly captures the immediacy and innovation seen in Steve’s compositions.
Open Mic Night
07/08/2025 - 7:30 pmAdmissison: £0
18+Open Mic nights return to the Forum Basement (located at the Sussex Arms)
Everyone’s welcome to come along and have a play. We’ll provide amps, PA and mics. So bring your voice/guitar/percussion/anything else you want.
Starts at 7:30. You can call or message the Sussex to reserve a slot, or just turn up on the night.
Irish & Trad Sessions
07/09/2025 - 4:00 pmAdmissison: £0
18+Irish Music at The Sussex Arms – Free Entry
The Sussex Arms are bringing the true Irish spirit to the Pantiles! Join us for an afternoon of live traditional Irish, Cornish, Folk, and old-time tunes with some of the county’s finest session players. If you’re a fan of the Pogues, the Dubliners, or new folk legends like Lankum, this is for you. Our handpicked Celtic Session band is here to bring ‘Trad’ back to where it belongs – in the heart of the pub.
So grab a pint of Guinness and watch the best ‘Trad’ this side of Dublin. Sláinte!
Canned Pineapple
11/10/2025 - 7:30 pmAdmissison: £8
18+Canned Pineapple are a 5-piece scuzz pop outfit based in the UK.
The quintet consists of songwriters Seán Drury and Oakley Gardiner alongside guitarchitect prodigy Gabe Rice, sex cymbal Charlie Pringle and sub surfer Sam Cullen.
A band of brothers waggin’ out; Canned Pineapple is the result of interplanetary telekinesis between the great beyond and the great norm.
Over the last 3 years, the band have toured relentlessly worldwide. In 2024 they played their biggest shows ever hitting venues and festivals across the UK, US, and EU playing alongside timeless acts such as LCD Soundsystem, The National, and The Last Dinner Party.
With their second EP: ‘Big Break’ (out digitally and on vinyl March 21st 2025) the band are bringing more energy to the songs and to the stage than ever.
Canned Pineapple’s music found its way onto the airwaves with frequent plays on BBC Radio 6 Music, Radio X and BBC Sussex and Surrey while also having started 2025 with their second BBC Introducing Live Lounge. With praise from magazines such as Dork, So Young, and Clash, BBC Introducing have claimed their fan engagement to be “off the scale”.
The Sussex Is Doomed II
24/10/2025 - 7:30 pmAdmissison: £
18+The Garden of England’s heaviest weekend returns for an autumn edition.
Bigger, heavier, more riffs.
Sludge, Stoner, Doom & more…
Full Line-up TBA soon!
Sterling Press
20/11/2025 - 7:30 pmAdmissison: £10
18+Sterling Press are a four-piece rock band from West London, merging gritty rock riffs with the infectious thud of dance-punk. The band – childhood neighbours & long time best friends Marlon, Ed, Greg, and Lucien – spent their formative years playing every dive London had to offer, bonding over shared obsessions with The Beatles & Blur. After living in Liverpool for a couple of years the boys became DJ’s at the iconic Jacaranda Club, hosting weekly indie disco parties and using the money they earned to buy synthesizers, providing the songwriting foundations for their new sound.
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