Robert J Hunter — Live at The Oast, Rainham, Kent Saturday 12th December 2026 · Doors 7pm With special guest Eddy Smith
Rockin' Roots Events is proud to bring Robert J Hunter to The Oast in Rainham, Kent for a winter Saturday night of blues, rock 'n' roll and Americana delivered with grit, soul, and the road in its bones.
Alderney-born and road-tested across the UK and Europe, Robert J Hunter has built his reputation the hard way — relentless touring, a gruff and powerful voice, and the wild thud of an overdriven, foot-stomping guitar. His evocative songwriting echoes the spirit of Bruce Springsteen, Free, Jackson Browne, Rory Gallagher, The Band, The Eagles and Tom Petty — but the voice, the attack, and the storytelling are pure Hunter.
Previous releases — Loser, Stir All Night, Suitcase Blues and Good People — secured national radio play on BBC Radio 2, BBC Introducing and Planet Rock, and his brand-new album Here to Stay is out in 2026. Live, the band is a road-worn, well-oiled machine — super-tight, fiercely dynamic, and impossible to ignore.
"An incredibly exciting act on the blues scene, you're going to really love them." — Whispering Bob Harris, BBC Radio 2
"Incredible strength in the diversity of his songwriting coupled with sheer hard work." — Blues in Britain
Special Guest: Eddy Smith
Opening the night is Eddy Smith, one of the UK's most distinctive Country Soul and Blues voices. With his band Eddy Smith & The 507, he has played The Isle of Wight Festival, Black Deer, The Long Road, Americana UK Festival and Cambridge Folk, opened for George Thorogood & The Destroyers at Birmingham Symphony Hall, and sold out London's iconic Jazz Cafe. His husky vocal has drawn comparisons to Joe Cocker, JJ Grey and Marcus King.
"The soul in Eddy's voice is where I want music to be at." — Huey Morgan, BBC 6 Music
The Oast, Rainham
One of Rainham's most iconic buildings — built in the 1870s by the Wakeley Brothers as a working hop kiln, saved from sale in the 1970s, and now a thriving community venue run by volunteers. Exposed brickwork, a sense of occasion, and one of the most intimate atmospheres in Kent. Directly adjacent to Rainham Station with parking at the rear and plenty of local public parking nearby.
Doors 7pm. Standing/seated mixed. Strictly limited capacity.
Tickets on sale now — don't sleep on this one.
