Rockin’ Roots Events is thrilled to welcome Connolly Hayes to The Old Brewery Store, Faversham on Friday 23rd April 2027 — and if you’ve been watching the UK blues and soul scene, you’ll know this is one show you simply cannot afford to miss.
Fresh from double nominations at the UK Blues Awards and riding a wave of critical acclaim for their debut album Remember Me, Connolly Hayes have quickly established themselves as one of the most thrilling live acts in the country.
Connolly Hayes was born out of a moment of spontaneous chemistry. In the summer of 2023, Jess Hayes and Frankie Connolly shared a stage at the Isle of Wight Festival and the connection was immediate and undeniable. Both had already carved out formidable reputations on the UK circuit — Jess as a soulful, powerhouse vocalist raised on a diet of classic rock and soul in South London (and a four-chair turn on ITV’s The Voice), Frankie as an acclaimed singer and guitarist who had graced the stage at Ronnie Scott’s and performed internationally. Together, they knew something special was there.
They wasted no time. Recruiting bassist Beau Barnard, keyboardist Joe Mac, and drummer Andy Wilder — five long-time friends with a shared musical language — the band began writing original material almost immediately. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Tedeschi Trucks Band, Marcus King, Bros Landreth, and Chris Stapleton, Connolly Hayes set about crafting a sound that is rooted in tradition yet utterly alive: blues and rock and soul, fused together with the warmth and grit that only comes from musicians who genuinely love what they do. The result is a carefully curated blend of dynamic vocal harmony, virtuoso guitar and keys, and one of the grooviest rhythm sections on the UK scene.
Connolly Hayes arrived fast and made an immediate impression. Before their debut album had even been released, the band had attracted international tour offers and festival bookings on the strength of their members’ reputations alone. That momentum only intensified once Remember Me landed in the summer of 2024 — the Independent Blues Broadcasters Association named it their Pick of the Month, and the wider blues community sat up and took notice.
At the 2024 UK Blues Awards, Connolly Hayes were nominated for UK Emerging Act of the Year. By the 2025 awards cycle, they had stepped up to double nominations: UK Band of the Year and Album of the Year — remarkable recognition for a band still in the early chapters of their story. They have since appeared on major festival lineups across the UK and are already planning European touring, all while developing the material for a highly anticipated second studio album. The trajectory is unmistakable. This band is going places — and catching them at The Old Brewery Store in April 2027 will feel like one of those nights you talk about for years.
Released in the summer of 2024, Remember Me announced Connolly Hayes to the world with a confidence and maturity that belied the band’s age. Produced with an ear for space and feeling — every vocal line, every guitar phrase, every locked-in groove placed exactly where it needs to be — the album is a joyful, soulful, and at times devastating statement of intent. The Independent Blues Broadcasters Association selected it as their Pick of the Month upon release, and its songs have become firm fixtures in the band’s electrifying live sets. A companion EP, Live at Echo Zoo Studios, followed later that year and captured the raw, room-filling energy that has made Connolly Hayes such a word-of-mouth phenomenon on the touring circuit.
“Don’t miss this exciting, young new band making waves on the blues, rock and soul scene.”
— Blues & Soul Community
“Two of the most soulful voices around — with the musicianship to match.”
— Live Review
“Pick of the Month.”
— Independent Blues Broadcasters Association (IBBA)
“Dynamic vocal harmony and musicianship… the grooviest rhythm section.”
— Chapel Arts Centre
There are few places to watch live music quite like The Old Brewery Store in Faversham. Tucked within the historic Shepherd Neame complex — home to Britain’s oldest brewer — the venue wraps its audiences in exposed brickwork, high ceilings, and the kind of industrial character that makes music sound and feel different.
With a capacity of 250, the room strikes that rare balance between grand and intimate — big enough to create real atmosphere, small enough that you’re never far from the stage. Whether you’re at the front of the room or grabbing a pint of locally brewed Shepherd Neame at the bar, you’re guaranteed an immersive experience in one of Kent’s most unique live music spaces.
Faversham itself is one of Kent’s finest market towns, well connected by rail and with no shortage of excellent pubs and restaurants to make a proper evening of it.
