The RomantiX were booked to play at The Pipemakers Arms in Rye, East Sussex. This was our first visit to Rye and hopefully not the last.
The Pipemakers Arms is a traditional local pub located just outside the centre of Rye.
Neil and David had an afternoon gig at The Man of Kent Beer Festival with Jump Right In, so had to come directly from there! Forntunately with a bit of planning, the rest of the band formed an advance party and got set up.
Our slot was 9-11pm and we lined up with Neil on vocals/guitar, Dave Friend on lead guitar, Van Greg on synthesiser and Ivor Sewsanker on drums. David Lofts deped on bass since Geoff was away.
We had a very enjoyable gig with plenty of interaction with the audience, which had a surprising turnover of customers, as people moved around the town. Lots of people were visiting Rye for the weekend, so a bit of party mood was present.
After the gig we became punters, enjoyed a beer and watching Preston James from Nashville, Tennessee set with his wife – both full of Southern charm. He was in the UK on holiday with a few gigs thrown in to help fund the fun! Dave was impressed that he was wearing a West Ham shirt, and we found out later that he’s actually a fan!
Date: 29th August 2026
Time: 9-11pm
Gig Number IX
Venue: The Pipemakers Arms Rye
Weather: A pleasantly warm evening.
Vocals / Rhythm Guitar: Neil Rigby
Synthesiser: Van Greg
Lead Guitar: Dave Friend
Bass: David Lofts
Drums: Ivor Sewsanker
Set List
SET 1
- I Will Follow – U2
- Planet Earth – Duran Duran
- Quiet Life – Japan
- Between Days – The Cure
- Somewhere in My Heart – Aztec Camera
- Rip it Up – Orange Juice
- Perfect Skin – Lloyd Cole and the Commotions
- Uncertain Smile – The The
- Love will tear us apart – Joy Division
- Killing Moon – Echo & The Bunnymen
SET 2
- Peter Gunn – Art of Noise feat. Duane Eddy
- Run to You – Brian Adams
- Just Like Heaven – The Cure
- Living on the Ceiling – Blancmange
- Electric Avenue – Eddie Grant
- Cars – Gary Numan
- Enola Gay – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
- Don’t You Forget About Me – Simple Minds
- Fantastic Day – Haircut 100
- Favourite Shirts – Haircut 100
SET 3
Due to the turnover of customers and audience demand, we offered to carry on playing and repeated of the some of our SET 1 material.
