The Gathering is a unique one-day festival that's coming to Gloucester this weekend with a busload of stellar acts.

Xtra Mile Recordings invite you to a full day of music and meet-ups at Llanthony Secunda Priory on Saturday and Sunday (July 17 and 18). Saturday's festival is already sold out and tickets are selling fast for Sunday.

Arranged in collaboration with Frank Turner, the folk/punk stalwart will be headlining each event (with accompaniment from Matt Nasir), with a revolving cast of Xtra Mile-signed acts lined up to support throughout the day.

Expect performances from the likes of Pet Needs, Deux Furieuses and Guise, alongside XMR favourites Samantics. (The festival bills vary from venue to venue).

After a catastrophic year for the Industry as a whole, with the Covid pandemic dealing blow after blow for everyone in the sector, The Gathering shows are intended to help to kick-start the return of live music across the UK.

In true punk rock style, the shows see Xtra Mile and Turner taking matters into their own hands with a set of versatile events that can either be socially distanced or full capacity depending on the maximum safety of the audience, performers and crews and in accordance with any national restrictions in place at the time of the event.

Speaking about The Gathering shows, Frank Turner said: "At a time when the pandemic has wreaked havoc all across the live music industry, I feel like it's important to get back to the basics - playing live music to entertain a crowd. This summer, with Xtra Mile and friends, I'm taking the punk approach - do it yourself, find a way. I can't wait."

Chiming with the ethos of these festival shows, Turner has just released a new single, aptly titled: "The Gathering". Featuring guest appearances from Jason Isbell and Muse's Dom Howard, "The Gathering" is an upbeat, Glam-esque stomp, with lyrics that anticipate our return to normality. The track is "about that moment when you come together in a room full of people, and you lean on a stranger and sing along with the chorus and get the words wrong," explains Frank.

Offering a space for those scenes to be real again, The Gathering shows will provide an unmissable re-introduction to live music this summer.

For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/xtramilerecordings/