Alfie & The Lads @ Solar Sisters | Issue 3

26 Apr 2024

George Alfie, busker, and artist, hosted this event alongside his manager Abi Kerslake in support of the charity War Child, to raise money through ticket sales whilst also still supporting his artists of the night. TILLY reports. 

I spoke to George quite a lot during the gig and he was very open to explaining some of his experiences within the industry and he seems very motivated too. To him, he sees events like this as an opportunity 

“It Just Takes That One Person To Appreciate And Enjoy Your Music”.

He had five bands performing during the evening; 

ACM second-year student Alfie Galpin, Ex ACM graduate’s Space Fishermen, Amber Alice accompanied by some second-year ACM students, Frankie LG and George Alfie.

Solar Sisters is a lovely waste-free cafè just off Guildford High Street, and the smaller venue made the whole experience even more enjoyable. The atmosphere of Solar Sisters was extremely friendly, and cosy having an organic feel to it.

The gig was full of students but also had a variety of age groups which was lovely to see.

With the gig feeling more intimate, the music felt more personal and the audience was a great support to all 5 bands. 

Everyone was welcoming upon arrival and It was a great opportunity to see so many different faces.

The night started with ‘Alfie and the Lads’, consisting of lead vocalist Alfie Galpin, guitarist Daniel Vadolia and drummer Caleb Parker. Alfie Galpin is an indie, pop/rock band based in Guildford and they are currently ACM second-year degree students.

I spoke with the band pre-gig and asked them what genre of music they aim to reflect.

Caleb said, “We sound a bit of a mixture between artists such as The Weekend and Sam Fender”. 

I would also like to mention the fantastic Hello Kitty guitar that George Alfie and his team brought along for some of the performances, this was a great element to see alongside his personalised drum kit.

There was a mixture of students from and around the Guildford area, including ACM and BIMM current students and graduates.

Overall during the night, it was great to see this new upcoming trend of music and to have been in a venue full of a community of music lovers with lots of chatting, drinks and dancing. Purely everyone just enjoying the music and having a great time, open to hearing fresh new music and meeting new faces! 

I would highly recommend the following bands, artists and the Solar Sisters venue to anyone looking to put on a more intimate event in the Guildford area.

 Artists Social Media: “Alfie And The Lads”

Amber Alice accompanied by second-year keyboardist Lorna and Guitarist George.

ACM Graduate band – Space Fishermen. 

Photography by Designer Harry Welford

(TW)