Reading’s indie-pop kings announce a battle of the bands at the Purple Turtle on January the 31st!

Only The Poets offer an unsigned UK band or artist the chance to support them at their historic sold-out £1 headline show at O2 Academy Brixton. The gig takes place Monday 2nd February 2026. It will be an amazing opportunity to perform to nearly 5,000 people at one of the country’s most iconic venues.

Seven years ago the band charged £1 for entry to their first ever gig. They will now become the first band to headline O2 Academy Brixton for just £1!!

To enter, unsigned bands and artists are invited to submit their details HERE. Five shortlisted acts will be personally selected by Only The Poets. They will be invited to perform live at The Purple Turtle in Reading on 31st January 2026. The day is a special home-town celebration of the launch of their debut album And I’d Do It Again. This includes live performances, a signing and a headline show at Reading University Student Union’s wonderful 3Sixty venue. There are still some tickets for the gig available here.

The Purple Turtle is very important for Only The Poets, having played a key role in their early development. They recently returned for a packed free show last August, which delighted all present. The five shortlisted bands will perform in front of Only The Poets fans, who will choose the winner. All five acts will be paid a fee directly by the band.

The band say: “Without grassroots venues we won’t have the next big bands, and without bands & fans going to grassroots venues, they can’t keep the doors open. Growing up playing in local venues gave us our first chance to get on stage and perform to people, and supporting other artists down the line changed everything for us, so we wanted to bring the two together. We’re excited to support our favourite grassroots venue (The Purple Turtle) and invite five new artists to play to a packed-out room, showcasing the amazing new talent that’s out there.”

Debut album And I’d Do It Again is out January 30th 2026. Reading Indie Life have been enjoying it for several weeks now. It is a very strong indie-alt-pop offering that we will be reviewing next week. The album title reflects the band’s seven-year journey. From DIY beginnings and manual labour jobs to relentless touring across the UK and Europe. They have built a devoted fanbase one gig at a time. Tommy Longhurst, Andrew “Roo” Burge, Clem Cherry and Marcus Yates believe in the opportunities of music. As teenagers, live music was a place to connect, escape and protect their mental health. With fewer small venues, rising costs and diminishing club nights, opportunities for emerging artists are disappearing fast. The band really want to give something back that their teenage selves would have appreciated.