Roger Daltrey, front row far right, next to son-in-law Des Murphy with son Jamie far left, backed by budding musicians of the Fat Tuesday Club at the Albion pub (photo: Mark Richards).

Celebrity sponsorship for Fat Tuesday Club

Hastings Fat Tuesday has secured sponsorship from the Lakedown Brewing Co. co-founded by Roger Daltrey’s son for the Fat Tuesday Club which helps budding young local musicians develop their skills. Nick Terdre reports.

Already a backer of the Hastings Fat Tuesday Music Festival, of which the 2022 edition ended yesterday, Lakedown Brewery Co. has now signed up to sponsor the Fat Tuesday Club for a year.

The club is part of Fat Tuesday’s wider role in helping to develop the local music scene, providing free creative music sessions for 12-18 year olds in the Hastings area at the Contemporary Music School in St Leonards. The sessions focus on the process of making and playing new music, including song-writing, playing, performing and the technical aspects, the organiser says.

Lakedown Brewing Co. is an independent microbrewery and taproom near Uckfield which was set up by Jamie Daltrey and Des Murphy, respectively Roger Daltrey’s son and son-in-law. Not far away, near Burwash, is the Lakedown Trout Fishery created by The Who’s frontman in the 1970s.

“The Fat Tuesday Club is a remarkable organisation that is really making a difference in young people’s lives who are discovering their passion for music,” Roger Daltrey said when the sponsorship was announced at the Albion pub in Hastings last weekend.

“Community has always been at the heart of what we do at Lakedown and as a local Sussex company we are very proud to support it.”

Des Murphy added, “Music is in our DNA and so we’re excited for Lakedown Brewing Co. to be sponsors of Fat Tuesday, the UK’s largest Mardi Gras celebrations. We are also immensely proud to offer our support to the Fat Tuesday Club that helps young people in Hastings with sessions to inspire creativity through music.”

The sponsorship was welcomed by festival director Sally Lampitt, who said, “We are extremely grateful to Lakedown for their ongoing support. It allows us to continue offering Fat Tuesday Club sessions free to all young people in the Hastings area.

“The club gives the participants access to experiences and knowledge from across the industry, broadening horizons, developing confidence, and supporting wellbeing, as well as developing a sense of pride in what their hometown has to offer.”

The occasion also saw a dedicated Lakedown Brewing Co. stage unveiled in the pub which will play host to music events both at the festival and through the year.

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