Imagine: no fighting for the best seats, no seven pound beers. An audience that is floating somewhere between beating hearts and forgetting to breathe. Isn’t that what live events should be all about?

I have a confession to make. Every now and then, I’m a little bit guilty of trying to get the best picture while watching a gig through the screen of my phone, completely losing the moment. Every so often, I get a little frustrated by the price of a beer of which half will be spilled while I push my way through a crowd to end up standing behind the tallest dude in the room. Every once in a while, I give the evil eye to the people next to me who chitchat their way through the opening act. But I’ll admit, not a month goes by without a concert ticket dropping into my mailbox and me queueing up outside Omeara, Scala or an O2 Academy. Some of which being my favorite places in London. But from time to time, I like to experience live music as simply being… live music.

That’s where Sofar Sounds stepped in. For those who have never heard of them, we would like to welcome you into a magical community. What started in 2009 in a London flat among a group of friends, exploded into a worldwide family of artists, hosts, volunteers, fans, travelers and more, putting on secret, intimate gigs. Over the last few months, we have been a part of it. And in the spirit of giving back, hosting a Sofar Sounds has been the dream!

You can become a part of it too, just grab yourself a ticket. Here’s what will happen after:
You will go to a gig but
…you won’t know the location until a few hours before the event. It could be your next door neighbour’s living room or who knows… a church
…you won’t know who is performing until you walk into the room. No headliners, no opening acts, all artists equally as important. So far we discovered about 20 performers at St Mary Aldermary and all of them are still on repeat in our playlists. Have a look at our instagram highlights “Concerts” to find out who they were.
…you can bring your own blankets, drinks and snacks. (BYOB unless noted otherwise on the event page)
…you will experience something in its purest form and it will be beautiful.

Head down to a Sofar Sounds and get involved, because you might just end up walking into St Mary Aldermary. It’s a secret though!

Sofar Sounds at St Mary Aldermary: the secret revealed

— host café —