EVERYTHING is Awful – an evening of miserable music comes to Cirencester on Friday, January 13.

While the rest of the country might be celebrating a new year and putting 2016 firmly behind them, one group of Cirencester musicians are getting set to welcome 2017 in massively miserable style.

Steve Skinley and Huw Parry, together with Golden Cross landlord Mark Lindesay, are putting together “An Evening of Miserable Music” as a “sort of anti-celebration”, according to Steve.

He said: “Why, put a brave face on it, the world is a pretty grim place at the moment and we want to bring everyone together to acknowledge this.”

The idea was conceived when Steve was strumming his guitar and noticed that there were very few morose songs being played these days.

He and Huw worked on the the idea and tested the waters via social media, soon building enthusiastic – though somewhat downplayed – support for the “vesperum miserabilis”, including Golden Cross landlord Mark Lindesay, who has offered to host the evening in the pub’s Stable Bar.

“Everyone is welcome and to contribute a playlist of up to three tunes – but, these must be miserable,” Huw said.

“We want to provide an alternative night to the usual pop-saturated evenings. You don’t have to be a musician to join in, you can share your music, read a poem, it’s a sort of open mic night for the morose at heart.”

  •  Everything is Awful is at The Golden Cross Inn, Black Jack Street, Cirencester on Friday, January 13 in The Stable Bar at 7.30pm. Mourning dress. Entry free.
  • For more details, contact The Golden Cross Inn on 01285 652137 or visit goldencrossinn.com.