What’s On at The Piper This May
St Leonards’ much-loved live music bolt-hole, The Piper, has grown from the revived bones of the old Norman Arms into one of the town’s key grassroots venues: warm wood panels, serious sound, a packed upstairs gig room and a booking policy that wanders gleefully from cult indie heroes to psych voyagers, punk-blues road dogs and beautifully strange sonic outliers. It is intimate without feeling small, local without being parochial, and exactly the sort of room where a midweek gig can turn into a tiny weather-system of riffs, sweat and shared grins.
Hypnogator – The Crack My Soul Tour
Thursday 7 May, 7pm to 11pm
London’s cosmic swamp evangelists Hypnogator bring their “Crack My Soul” tour to The Piper, promising noise, theatre and a generous coating of intergalactic ooze. Expect a gloriously unhinged live experience from a band who seem determined to make the South Coast wobble in the best possible way.
The Boo Radleys + Leo Walrus
Friday 8 May, 8pm to 11pm
British alternative pop originals The Boo Radleys arrive in St Leonards as part of their May 2026 “In Spite of Everything” tour, named after their forthcoming ninth studio album. From shoegaze pioneers to psychedelic experimenters and Britpop survivors, they remain a band with more colours than a seaside arcade at closing time.
David Devant and His Spirit Wife + Special Guests
Saturday 9 May, 8pm to 11pm
David Devant and His Spirit Wife bring their Victoriana-tinged pop theatre to The Piper, with cult favourites, glam sparkle and plenty of oddball charm in the suitcase. Best known to many for “Ginger”, they offer far more than nostalgia: this is a band built for small rooms, raised eyebrows and properly theatrical songs.
HENGE + Special Guests
Wednesday 13 May, 8pm to 10.30pm
Attention Earth: HENGE are landing at The Piper with their own self-declared music from the far corners of the galaxy. Expect euphoric rave-rock, cosmic silliness and the kind of live show that makes ordinary Wednesday nights look badly underdressed.
Lorelle Meets the Obsolete + I am HER + DJ Emma Anderson
Thursday 14 May, 7.30pm to 10.30pm
Mexico’s Lorelle Meets the Obsolete bring exploratory psych, analogue synth textures and a restless, shape-shifting sound that has earned them fans across the underground. They are joined by Hastings duo I am HER, whose fierce lo-fi post-punk bite makes this a particularly strong night for anyone who likes their guitars wired into the nervous system.
GNOD + Black Arches
Sunday 17 May, 6.30pm to 10pm
GNOD bring their heavy, trance-inducing, shape-mutating soundworld to The Piper, drawing from drone, psych, noise, repetition and raw collective energy. This is music as pressure front: immersive, unpredictable and built for those who prefer their Sunday evenings with the windows rattling.
Jon Spencer + Wave Machine
Friday 22 May, 8pm to 11pm
Independent music force Jon Spencer comes to The Piper with a discography that runs through Pussy Galore, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Heavy Trash, Boss Hog and beyond. Expect swaggering garage-rock electricity, blues-punk grit and the sort of stage presence that arrives already wearing sunglasses indoors.
The Utopia Strong + Special Guests
Sunday 24 May, 7pm to 10pm
The Utopia Strong bring modular synths, deep psych exploration and the combined chemistry of Steve Davis, Kavus Torabi and Mike York to The Piper. Their current work leans into trippy electronic drift, widescreen oddness and improvised journeys that may or may not require a small passport for the inner cosmos.
Left Lane Cruiser + Special Guests
Friday 29 May, 8pm to 11pm
Fort Wayne, Indiana’s Left Lane Cruiser specialise in raw hillbilly punk-blues, with slide guitar, swampy North Mississippi influence and a garage-punk snarl under the bonnet. This is tough, road-tested music with oil on its boots and no interest in behaving politely.
The Loft + 14 Iced Bears
Saturday 30 May, 8pm to 11pm
Creation Records legends The Loft come to Hastings on their May 2026 UK tour, following renewed acclaim and fresh momentum around their recent work. Four decades on from “Up The Hill And Down The Slope”, their mix of indie history, sharp songwriting and continuing influence makes this a rich end-of-month booking.
