The James Oliver Band featuring Norman Watt-Roy + The Punk Freud

Colchester Arts Centre, 9 Apr 2026


Tickets £14.
Doors open 7.30pm, starts 8pm.
This gig is for a standing audience.

James Oliver is one of the UK’s busiest acts playing over 300 gigs a year all over the UK, Europe, and the USA!

The legendary Norman Watt-Roy (Ian Dury & The Blockheads, Wilko Johnson etc.) will be on bass guitar for this special gig.

James has performed over 3000 gigs and shared the stage with many acts including Albert Lee, Bill Kirchen, Deke Leonard, Greg Koch, Walter Trout, Steve Gibbons, Billy Bremner, Geraint Watkins, and many others.

In 2020 James won the UK Blues Awards Emerging Artist of the Year and has since been nominated 3 additional times.James Oliver released 2 studio albums 3 live albums and his album Twang was #1 on Amazon Blues Charts for 3 weeks. James is currently working on a new record with legendary producer, John Leckie.

“One of the UK’s most revered and incredible next generation guitar masters”-Giles Robson (UK Blues Harp Legend)

“Plain and simple… he’s a genius.”-Holger Engels – Rockin’ Music Reviews, Ireland“James is a passionate roots rocker loaded with guitar firepower.”-Bill Kirchen – guitar legend

“James Oliver is regarded as one of the finest players of the next generation.”-Jersey Evening Post

“I am not easily impressed by guitarists, but this guy is definitely a comer.”-John Drumbo, (Drummer for Captain Beefheart)

“If you want to see energy times 10 with the greasiest of rockabilly fire and flair, this is the guy to see!”-Redd Volkaert (Grammy Award winning guitarist for Merle Haggard)

“He’s regarded as a force of nature in his native Wales, an R&B icon in Sweden, and a guitar hero to his social media fans”-Blues in Britain Magazine

“Pure genius - live music as it should be played”-Blues Matters Magazine

“Best guitarist in the UK”-John Leckie (Legendary Sound engineer)

“James Oliver wields the Telecaster with extreme aplomb and is highly entertaining to boot. See and hear him now!”-Greg Koch (Guitar legend)

“An incredibly inventive and exciting guitarist”-Music Republic Magazine

The Punk Freud
Hailing from London, Brazil and, er, Bedfordshire, The Punk Freud are a group of practiced gunslingers firing off a huge catalogue of punk and post punk classics. Brush off your bondage trousers and slick up your Mohican, they’ll probably do your fave.

Show Details


Venue
Colchester Arts Centre
Date
9 Apr 2026
Doors
7:30 p.m.
Starts
8 p.m.

About Colchester Arts Centre


Never knowingly understood.

Church Street, Colchester, CO1 1NF

01206 500 900 / info@colchesterartscentre.com

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