THE SURREY PUMAS TO PLAY BENEFIT GIG TO SUPPORT ALBURY VILLAGE HALL, MAY 16TH 2026
Albury Village Hall is under threat of closure. It has an amazing musical history - unknown to most people in the area. It's where one of the world's top rock bands first rehearsed and played! All proceeds from the gig will go directly to the Village Hall.
Albury Village Hall is under threat of closure. It has an amazing musical history - unknown to most people in the area. It's where one of the world's top rock bands first rehearsed and played! All proceeds from the gig will go directly to the Village Hall.
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PAUL RODGERS
Who would have guessed that one of the world’s best rock singers has a strong connection with Albury Village Hall? That man is Paul Rodgers - who formed and led three bands to worldwide success: Free, Bad Company and The Firm. Paul has written, recorded, produced and released 30 albums since 1968, selling over 90 million records. He now lives in Canada and is still recording and performing at the age of 76. In 1973, Paul was living in a cottage in Albury. Following the demise of his band, Free (best-known for the enduring 1970 hit song ‘Alright Now’), he put together a rock supergroup, to be called Bad Company. Bad Company held their initial rehearsals in Albury Village Hall in 1973. They are rumoured to have performed their first-ever gig there, as well as a later (1976) secret gig for Paul Rodger’s birthday, when the hall was packed out with an audience of 200. The band went on to play for audiences of thousands! Bad Company’s first three albums went to the top of the album charts in the UK and the USA and they sold more than 40 million records before disbanding in 1982. Their biggest hit was ‘Can’t get enough’, which is still a staple of music radio. Bad Company were elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November 2025, at a ceremony in Los Angeles. And it all started in Albury! THE SURREY PUMAS The Surrey Pumas are a four-piece band based in the Surrey Hills, who play music by some of the world's greatest bands, from the Beatles to the Eagles. Over the years, the band has played at venues all over Surrey – from pubs and clubs to festivals and private parties. As ‘local boys’, the band has always supported community events – and performed at the recent opening of the Secret Tunnel at Horsley Towers. They are particularly happy to support Albury Village Hall by performing at this event on a pro bono basis, given its musical history. “Without village halls, bands like us would have nowhere to rehearse or perform. And nowhere is this more true than here in Albury, with its links to Bad Company and Paul Rodgers,’’ said Marc Beasley of the band. 'These guys are heroes to us, so to play on the same stage is awesome.' As well as the Beatles and the Eagles, the Surrey Pumas also play songs by great artists like America, Bread, Creedence, Dire Straits, Doobie Brothers, Fleetwood Mac and Queen. The band members are Alex Gilbertson, Malcolm Brickell, Marc Beasley and Steve Marshall. It’s all about good vibes and great music that doesn’t blow the doors off, they say. There are audio and video recordings of ther band on the website: www.surreypumas.com Notes Paul Rodgers website - www.paulrodgers.com Photograph attached is from Paul Rodgers official Facebook page Article about Bad Company and Albury - https://oursoundscene.org/2024/12/09/village-hall-albury/ Surrey Pumas website: www.surreypumas.com Contact: MARK BEASLEY. 07712 137603. [email protected] |
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