Friday Jazz, 'Live' Lounge and Sunday 'live'...

...great live music events at Newark's favourite destination

Friday Jazz Sessions

These are pre-booked ticketed events taking place on the first Friday of every month. These take place in our main jazz areas and are typically four or five piece bands. Headed up by our house band P.R.S. with various headliners from around the UK, tickets are limited in number and only ticket holders are permitted to watch the jazz on these nights. Tickets, when available, can be purchased on the door at £12.

Doors open at 7:00pm and jazz from 8:00pm – 10:00pm

HOW IT WORKS…

  • The gig is split into two 45 minute sets, starting at 8:00pm and the second set around 9:15pm. The music will be finished by around 10:00-10:15pm.
  • Tables/seats are allocated on a first-come, first served basis, but all ticket holders are guaranteed a table for the night. If you have a preferred seating option, please let us know in the notes section when you book, but we cannot guarantee to seat you in any specific area.
  • Taxis can usually pick up from outside the shops, but please check in advance. If you require a taxi booking for your ride home, please let our staff know during the break and they can arrange this for you.
  • We only sell a limited number of tickets. Once we’re full, we’re full. If we have spare tickets, we may sell them on the night at a slightly higher price. However we will not exceed our seating capacity.

Newark ‘live lounge’…

Friday nights at our Newark store (except 1st of the month) sees various duos and trios, providing live jazz, blues, funk and more, creating a slightly more laid back vibe. See our house band P.R.S. performing their own, edgy versions of jazz and blues, as well as other local outfits including Elliot Lewis, Fiona Stein and more. These take place in our cocktail lounge along Boar Lane and are free entry. Our Friday Night Cocktails & Jazz offers a full cocktail menu, beers, wines and bubbly, plus a tasty but tidy Tapas menu for you to nibble while you enjoy the live music.

Doors open at 6:30pm and live music from 8:00pm-10:15pm

HOW IT WORKS

  • Doors open at 6:30pm and we serve drinks until 11:30pm. Our Tapas menu is available from 6:30pm to 9:30pm.
  • We have a mix of soft, comfy sofas/chairs with low tables and more formal dining areas. Please let us know if you prefer to dine formally and we’ll do our best to allocate your table accordingly
  • Live music starts at 8:00pm. There are a few band-side seats, so if you want to watch the performance, we recommend you get in early!
  • These events do not require booking, but if you wish to reserve a table you can do so here:

Sunday ‘live’…

Live jazz from 12:30pm, every week in our covered courtyard. In the sunny weather, you’ll find us out in the patio garden.

Accompanying our usual daytime menu, our cocktail bar will be open and we’ll have a whole host of artists playing jazz, blues, funk and more, every Sunday from 12:30pm til around 3:30pm.

We definitely recommend booking a table if you wish to dine with us.

HOW IT WORKS

  • Doors open at 10:00am and we serve drinks until 3:45pm and our daytime menu is also available til 3:30pm
  • We have a mix of soft, comfy sofas/chairs with low tables and more formal dining areas. Please let us know if you prefer to dine formally and we’ll do our best to allocate your table accordingly
  • Live music starts at approx 12:30pm. There are a few band-side seats, so if you want to watch the performance, we recommend you get in early!
  • These events do not require booking, but if you wish to reserve a table you can do so here:
Today

Dan Johnson Trio

Stray's Live Lounge, Newark 17-21 Boar Lane, Newark, Notts, United Kingdom

This superlative example of the jazz trio, sees Dan Johnson on guitar, with Mat Short on bass and Neil Adam Richards on stix...

Free

Wendy Kirkland Trio

Stray's Live Lounge, Newark 17-21 Boar Lane, Newark, Notts, United Kingdom

Pianist/Vocalist Wendy Kirkland and guitarist Pat Sprakes were the very first jazz gig at Stray's back in 2007. Some 16 years later, they're still doing it and are joined by Stray's co-owner Mat Short on bass for this Christmas Jazz special!

Free

PJS – FINAL FRIDAY NIGHT GIG EVER!

Stray's Live Lounge, Newark 17-21 Boar Lane, Newark, Notts, United Kingdom

This superlative example of the jazz trio, sees Dan Johnson on guitar, with Mat Short on bass and Si Potts on drums - This is the last ever Friday Jazz, at our current venue - don't miss it!

Free

ONwards and UPwards!

Stray's Coffee, Newark 16 Middlegate, Newark, Notts, United Kingdom

Our FINAL GIG EVER!
Well, at our current venue anyway - this date marks the end of the 2023, plus the end of jazz at our Middlegate venue, after more than 16 years of live music...

Free

Today

Dan Johnson Trio

Stray's Live Lounge, Newark 17-21 Boar Lane, Newark, Notts, United Kingdom

This superlative example of the jazz trio, sees Dan Johnson on guitar, with Mat Short on bass and Neil Adam Richards on stix...

Free

Wendy Kirkland Trio

Stray's Live Lounge, Newark 17-21 Boar Lane, Newark, Notts, United Kingdom

Pianist/Vocalist Wendy Kirkland and guitarist Pat Sprakes were the very first jazz gig at Stray's back in 2007. Some 16 years later, they're still doing it and are joined by Stray's co-owner Mat Short on bass for this Christmas Jazz special!

Free

PJS – FINAL FRIDAY NIGHT GIG EVER!

Stray's Live Lounge, Newark 17-21 Boar Lane, Newark, Notts, United Kingdom

This superlative example of the jazz trio, sees Dan Johnson on guitar, with Mat Short on bass and Si Potts on drums - This is the last ever Friday Jazz, at our current venue - don't miss it!

Free

ONwards and UPwards!

Stray's Coffee, Newark 16 Middlegate, Newark, Notts, United Kingdom

Our FINAL GIG EVER!
Well, at our current venue anyway - this date marks the end of the 2023, plus the end of jazz at our Middlegate venue, after more than 16 years of live music...

Free

Today

ONwards and UPwards!

Stray's Coffee, Newark 16 Middlegate, Newark, Notts, United Kingdom

Our FINAL GIG EVER!
Well, at our current venue anyway - this date marks the end of the 2023, plus the end of jazz at our Middlegate venue, after more than 16 years of live music...

Free

P.R.S. is Simon Potts (drums), Steve Rodda (guitar) and Stray’s own Mat Short (bass). Mat & Steve originally played on Sundays at the Newark store as part of a guitar trio. Mat met Si as part of playing with the superb Groove Merchants, led by our good friend departed, guitarist Chris Green.

Si Potts joined Mat & Steve for a date back in 2017 and the three of them haven’t looked back!

PRS logo

P.R.S. gig every Friday at Stray’s, supporting the headline acts at each venue, but you can see them as a trio at various venues across the Midlands, including regular slots at The Pelican in Nottingham, The Bees Knees in Laneham and with various artists at the Mason’s Arms in Louth, to name a few.

Watch and enjoy...

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