New Moon - A Night of New Music
Preston D Barnes + Ali MacQueen + Lucy Wroe + Tofa Jaxx & Leon Michael King + Rhirhi
Entry Requirements: 18+ after 7pm
A night of new music and discovery. Singer-songwriters, bands, poets, performance artists...
Founded in January 2017, New Moon offers music fans the chance to see the best up-and-coming acts from the UK, Europe, and often from around the globe.
Only £2.50 entry. Food served until 10pm. Doors open 7:30pm. Free Two Tribes Beer for the first 24 customers.
If you would like to perform at a future New Moon please apply via music@halfmoon.co.uk
Line Up
2022 has been quite a year for emerging UK country music superstar Preston D Barnes. Since his debut single hit the No.2 spot in the iTunes Country Music Charts within three days of its release, the former soldier from Lancashire has been on a whirlwind journey. Three subsequent singles have gone on to surpass all expectations including the most recent climbing to No.1. His rise to prominence has been quite unprecedented and he has now been nominated for the Best UK Male Vocalist at this year’s BCMA Awards!
Quotes: “Preston’s vocals are strong but smooth – he reminded me of Brett Young or Russell Dickerson. This is such a strong release...!” – Maverick Magazine
“I think Preston D Barnes is on to something! He’s been Championed by the BCMA as being one of the most exciting breakthrough artists of 2022 - His new song Poison is an absolute banger! He's really bringing out his inner Keith Urban with this one!” - Absolute Country Radio
Preston D Barnes (real name David Barnes) is a British Army veteran who served for over 20 years. He served the first 16 years of his Army career travelling the world to over 38 countries, performing music within The Band of the Corps of Royal Engineers.
In 2012 he was selected to become an Instructor at the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall where he trained over 400 soldiers to become competent in Military skills and ceremonial duties. In 2003 he was deployed to Iraq as a Chemical Decontamination Unit (COLPRO) in support of 16 Close Support Medical Regiment on OP TELIC 1. As a unit they treated 2500 casualties in 93 days as well as peace keeping duties thereafter.
Preston left the Army in 2017 and immediately decided to focus on his new-found music opportunities by capturing the nation’s hearts when he took part in the hit TV show The Voice UK. Viewers learned that Preston had a successful career in the British Army as a highly qualified musician and became a firm favourite, securing a place on Ricky Wilson’s team (Team Ricky). The journey took him to the final knock out stages.
Since then, Preston has performed the National Anthem, live at Twickenham stadium for the Army vs Navy Rugby Match (which was broadcast on Sky Sports) and again, at Wembley Stadium for the NFL game alongside Gene Simmonds (American Rock Band - Kiss). He was also invited to perform as a backing singer on the re-release of ‘In the Army Now’ by Status Quo.
Preston has always been a Country music fan and in 2019 was approached by new Country music record label Sonic Boom Records and is currently recording his first solo album alongside U.S. Songwriter Hall of Fame - Steve Dorff.
www.instagram.com/prestondbarnesofficial
Ali MacQUEEN lingers around east London for now, but growing up in a joyless market town in south Bedfordshire, and seeing the pull of its soul-crushing gravity was more than a reason to leave. Having played with many bands in the Luton music scene, he moved to Nottingham and formed The Autoplan. After a couple of months, they recorded and released ‘The Farringdon Wing’ EP. With airplays on the Steve Lamacq show and a local following secured, the band moved to London.
A couple of months later, Ali began to have epileptic-type fits and was diagnosed with a rare genetic mutation that caused blood-clot like vessels within his brain to leak. One eight-hour bout of brain surgery was needed to remove a golfball-sized benign tumour. After five months in recovery, he slowly he was able to write, record and play again before a second round of brain surgery put him out of action once more.
For Ali, now in his thirties, it was a wake-up call. Time is short... music is the medicine.
Blaggers Records released Ali's debut single 'Loretto' in March 2021, which picked up plenty of attention from digital press and radio stations alike, most notably fromBBC Introducing on Emma Lamont's Rapal show, BBC Radio nan Gaidheal, Phoenix FM, Islington Radio and HitMix1075.
Enlisting the help of 3-piece Oak Moses to be his backing band, Ali has been playing to ever-growing crowds around numerous London venues, at Bedford Esquires' Blender Festival and Islington Radio Festival, and supported Echobelly on their 2021 UK tour.
In November 2021, Ali released his second track 'One of These Days'. On the day of its release, the track went straight into the top 20 of Apple Music's Best in Rock playlist, received support once again from BBC Introducing on Emma Lamont's Rapal show, BBC Radio nan Gaidheal, and was played by Janice Long on her BBC Wales Bug Club session slot, saying that the track was "really, really good stuff". He was also chosen to be featured in The Unsigned Guide's Spotlight Blog, which said that One of These Days was a "melodic and carefree charmer of a song; the perfect marriage of lilting vocals, spirited guitars and driving drumbeat."
Ali says the track is about "everyone and anyone desperately trying to create change – from BLM and climate protestors, to the marginalised and left-behind – who yearn for something good in return for all the tough times they endure, and want a remodelling to occur in the way the world is run." It's also about the way he deals with his own genetic condition, which means he's more at risk of developing blood clots in his brain and suffering from brainhemorrhages; and it's something he could also pass to his children... "Sure I'd like to change it... but it's about dealing with those things you can probably never change, and the effect it might have on others who you love."
Ali's racked up 2.7k streams for Loretto, is fast approaching the 1k mark for One of These Days, and 2022 looks to be a year of building more of a fanbase, appearing at music festivals and releasing a new track through Blagger's Records
London’s most fiery emerging artist Lucy Wroe is back, and she’s armed with the sumptuous combination of warm RnB grooves and electronic pop production. Like the musical lovechild of Charli XCX and The Weeknd, Lucy Wroe brings charming and passionate vocals layered above mellow synths, while painting in new colours to establish her exclusive sound.
Backed by a drummer, bassist and guitarist, the Winchester-born artist presents us with a fresh and formidable sound in 2023 with her upcoming release - the onion of pop songs. On the surface, you’ll find bouncy pop girl power. But at its core, you’ll find the longing that comes with a lifelong broken relationship.
@lucywroemusic Lucywroe.com
Tanzanian neo-soul rising star Tofa Jaxx (Tanzania) with Leon Michael King (UK Guitarist: Joss Stone, Natty, Hempolics, Akala).
Tofa & Leon met in Zanzibar, Tanzania back in 2016, where they were billed together on one of the dates of the Joss Stone Total World Tour, which Leon was part of.
Since then, after meeting in Jambiani, Zanzibar, it was clear they should be collaborating. After a short jam session, immediate chemistry was obvious and they found themselves touring Europe in 2022.
Having just completed a tour of the Baltics and the EU earlier this summer, Tofa & Leon plan to take this fresh exciting new project to London and the UK in November & December this year.
Rhirhi is an 18 year old unsigned singer/songwriter who grew up on the Isle of Wight. Rhirhi started writing songs in her early teenage years and started teaching herself guitar at 15. With a background in choral music and inspired by the likes of The Beatles, The Velvet Underground and Dodie, her music is calming and lyrically captivating. Being described as ‘gentle, almost haunting’ by BBC Introducing, it’s sure to pull at your heartstrings. Rhirhi has played the Isle Of Wight Festival in recent years, alongside other major Island events such as Ventnor Fringe and Isle Of Wight Pride, gaining local recognition and following. Rhirhi released her debut EP ‘The rush isn’t real’ onto streaming services in April 2022 and has recently released her EP ‘If you need a minute or two’ in November 2022, with songs from each played on BBC Introducing Solent. With plans to release an album in the next year, Rhirhi is only starting to embark on her musical journey and would love it if you could join her.
