For more than a decade and a half, JT Soar has been the quiet heartbeat of Nottingham’s DIY scene a place where you could just as easily stumble upon an avant-pop experiment as a noisy post-punk resurrection. Now, the collective behind the space is celebrating its 16th anniversary with JT Soar Fest 2025, a two-day event (1–2 November) that distils everything the venue stands for: community, creativity, and the stubborn refusal to play by anyone else’s rules.

This year’s edition returns to The Old Cold Store and is spread across Saturday and Sunday, the event promises a lovingly curated lineup by Phil “the bossman” Booth.that reads like a who’s-who of cult favourites and underground lifers: The Monochrome Set, those arch architects of deadpan charm; Yummy Fur, the Scottish agit-pop legends whose DNA runs through half of early-2000s British indie; and God Is My Co-Pilot, New York’s queercore trailblazers returning to the UK with the same freewheeling fervour that made them impossible to pin down in the 90s.

They’re joined by Ye Nuns, the all-female tribute to The Monks whose sets are half history lesson, half ecstatic garage party; Dutch outfit Euroboy; Liverpool’s genre-splicing experimentalists a.P.A.t.T.; and a host of rising UK acts including Buffet Lunch, Big Break, and Grazia.

Tickets are refreshingly modest: around £45 for the weekend, with single-day passes from roughly £27.50. Doors open from 1pm each day (Saturday until 11pm, Sunday until 9pm), and it’s strictly 18+ a reminder that this isn’t a sprawling family-friendly jamboree but a concentrated celebration of grown-up DIY energy.

The Old Cold Store offers accessibility through ground-level access and a ramp via the beer garden – proof that inclusivity isn’t an afterthought here.

JT Soar Fest 2025 takes place 1–2 November at The Old Cold Store, Nottingham. Weekend and single-day tickets are available via WeGotTickets.

LINEUP

The Monochrome Set

I first heard The Monochrome Set as a standout on a mixtape back in my musical formative years of the late 2000s.. It was their debut single, He’s Frank, and oh gee it set me on a musical deepdive, leading me to some of the most intriguing art poppin jangly oddball indie bangers I’d ever heard.. and I loved it all.. From 1978 to now they’ve released 18 albums and ??? singles/Eps.. so prolific.., on classic labels such as Cherry Red, Rough Trade, Blanko y Negro, Tapete and many others… I saw them back in 2012 at Indietracks festival and they totally blew my mind, there they were, the energy and verve I heard blast out my speakers all these years was there in the flesh… super excited to have them here at JT Soar Fest #2

Yummy Fur

They’re back! 1992 Og Scottish indie rockers with past/current members involved with The Country Teasers, Lung Leg, Franz Ferdinand and heaps more.. Their two LPs, Night Club and Sexy World, became instant classics on the 90s indie scene, both out on one of my fave labels, Guided Missile (Bis, Lung Leg, God Is My Co-Pilot etc)… More gritty but popping indie hits than you could shake a stick at… Their Peel sessions are a real treat to boot….

100 Flowers

What a treat, these LA post punks, that back in the day shared bills with Minutemen, Meat Puppets, Black Flag and a who’s who of punk’s punks make their way over to the UK for the FIRST TIME!. This post Urinals project initially spanned the early 80’s, releasing a couple of killer Eps (Drawing Fire is 10/10) and an LP of taut angular driving post punky garage goodness. OH GEE THEY’RE BACK!!! Think yer Big Boys, Wire, Minutemen, Fire Engines, all the good stuff.

God Is My Co-pilot

90’s No Wave Queercore band from New York GodCo.. ooof.. Flitting from intense dirges, arrhythmic chaos and spontaneous broken funk klangs to driving poetry beds, minimalist pin drop bliss and beauty on a dime.. So intense last time I saw em at JT.. Their 1992 album, the 34 track long, I Am Not This Body is a true masterwork of such pure expression that’s hard to put into words.. just listen to it (or any of their other 10lps/3 Peel Sessions)..

Ebby (FKA Euroboy)

The Netherlands, in the last few years, has been a spawning ground for some of my favourite bands, Lewsberg, The Klittens and now, Ebby.. The latter brings together Cate le Bon/Drinks, The Breeders, Wet Leg, The Shaggs to make probably one of my records this year… ‘abcde’ Produced by Michiel (Lewsberg) and the band, this album (and the rest of their output) shows a prefect blend of musical freedom and childlike excitement that is still cohesive, driving and on-point.. Super excited to have em over here to the UK, about time we got to see em after treating those on the mainland with tours alongside The Bug Club and Horsegirl..

Ye Nuns

We all love The Monks right? 60’s proto krautrock garage punkers formed in Germany by a bunch of American GIs.. well, how about we get a 7 piece none male cover band to bring their churning furore to our tabholes.. 6 part harmonies, scratchy guitars, lush organs, fuzz bass, electric banjo, pounding drums etc, oh gee what a treat.. featuring members of Thee Headcoats, Desperate Journalist, Sleeper, Echobelly, Mambo Taxi etc… It’s Nun Time…

APATT

Liverpool’s multi limbed avant garde pop chameleons. I still remember the first time I heard them, on the split 12” with Peepholes on my faves Upset The Rhythm, it totally blew my mind, and I’ve been obsessed ever since.. There’s hints of Cardiacs, Sparks, Zappa, Of Montreal, Deerhoof, Gong and a whole heap more across their epic discography.. all executed with bizarre precision and fearless intent..

Water Machine

Glasgow’s Water Machine blew my mind at JT many moons ago, so chuffed they’re coming down for this. Their new LP, God Park, out on Fat Cat Records has received widespread acclaim, with Henry Rollins, Marc Riley etc all chiming in. “The world of Water Machine is a swirling eddy of melodic bass lines and volatile guitar sliding between jazz chords and punk riffs, all the while narrated by sardonic social commentary and silly stories” Very well put..

Buffet Lunch

Intricate squiggly art popping post punkin goodness from Glasgow/Edinburgh… This Upset The Rhythm released quartet give me big Diagram Brothers, slacker Duds, mid era Cate Le Bon/Drinks, Talking Heads on a broken walkman kinda vibe.. I absolutely love it, played their new (last year) LP, For Display Purposes Only, at least a million times… It features some lush vox from our fave Me Lost Me too!! Will they be there for the show.. tbc….. Go have a listen…

Big Break

Garage punkin stompin powerhouse from our brothers over at Sheffield’s Delicious Clam, their 2023 album Angel Piss and this years 7” EP Exile on Exchange Street (Both out on JT faves Wrong Speed Records) are records to make trashing and tidying your house a swift process.. absolute LIVE MONSTERS, last time I saw em, supporting Prison Affair, was transcendental.. Ft Members of The Hipshakes, Thee Mightees, Nai Harvest, Horrid etc… SO SO GOOD!

Es

Driving synthy gothy post punk from the big smoke with releases on legendary labels La Visa Es Un Mus and Upset the Rhythm.. This quartet, FtMO Jade Hairpins, Primetime and Marcel Wave, with driving drums, gnarly bass, otherworldy synth and exclaimed vocals, soundtrack an oddball dystopian future, but fill it with toe tappers and head boppers. Think Priests meets Joy Division meets Pylon meets PIL..

Virvon Virvon

I love Girlsville records, their comps are always so killer, with Sweeping Promises, Osees, The Hipshakes, Dum Dum Girls, Frankie and the Witchfingers nestled in there.. but most importantly, and often in a standout fashion, London’s Vivron Virvon. I saw them at Gonerfest a few years back and they blew me away.. FtMO Black Time, Candy Highway and The Jazz June, they play raw driving garage punk that manages to sneak in the pops and the smarts in equal measure…

The Plan

This Southend on Sea quintet with members who’s previous dalliances include Wetdog, The Subway Sect etc, make minimalist, dynamic post punk with touchpoints as wide as The Raincoats, Kleenex, mid era Cate Le Bon, great messthetics vibes.. New record out soon with our good pals Divine Schism..

Grazia

London garagey new wavey art pop from the minds that gave us Sauna Youth, Bruising and a whole heap more.. Their 7”, out on Cinci’s Feel It Records (Sweeping Promises, Arteficial Go etc) is the perfect strut enabler on your morning shop run.. springy bass, driving drums, janky/wirey guitars, squiffy synths and dry blah blah vocals, absolutely killer..

Science Fiction

Debut show from a brand new project from the folks that brought you Wolves Of Greece, Lords, Bob Tilton, Grey Hairs etc.. Member quality 10/10, music quality TBC, but I trust em.. “Sounds like The Fall” they say…