One of Kent's top blues clubs is to reopen under a new name - and will welcome its first band next month.

Blues at the Woodlands had been bringing big names from the UK and international blues scene to Medway since 2015 - but when the club announced it had to leave Woodlands Arts Centre in Gillingham earlier this year, some feared it was the end of the road.

Thankfully for blues fans it was more of a crossroads - and the club is now set to reopen as 'The Riverside Rhythm Club' just a couple of miles down the road at GlassBox Theatre at MidKent College in Gillingham.

The first gig will bring melodic rockers The Mentulls to the club on October 13, and club organisers Richard and Andy Davies are keen to let their former regulars know its business as usual.

"We had a lot of people supporting us and wanting to get live music up and running, so we had a look round for a new venue," said Andy. "We found some in the same area, but they weren't as good as the Woodlands for size, stage or sound, so we thought we would try the GlassBox.

"We had looked at GlassBox in 2019 when the Woodlands increased their hire charge then, but we managed to survive as we were starting to get numbers through the door. The people at the venue have done a great job on costs as they are as interested in keeping local clubs going for the community."

Following the Mentulls the next gig lined up for the club will be on November 3, bringing original modern blues outfit ‘Hitman Blues Band’ all the way from New York.

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