Superb Music Showcase Night at the Juice Box

Published on: 22 Apr, 2026
Updated on: 22 Apr, 2026

By Felicity Heardwhite

Thursday night last week (April 16) saw the first indie / alternative music showcase promoted by Juice Box, which runs a popular open mic night at the Guildford City Club.

The night is gaining a reputation for developing and nurturing local young talent, often featuring acts from the University of Surrey and Guildford’s Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM).

Abi Skelton from the band Sleeptalk. Photo by Sutima Banditsamit.

The venue is located in Joseph’s Road and you could easily walk straight past it without any sense of the activity within, which somehow gives the impression of being let in on a very cool secret.

The drinks prices are unlikely to be matched anywhere else in Guildford and the whole place has the vibe of a pub that’s been frozen in time, with a slightly dingy retro feel that many a hipster London club is now trying to emulate. Here we have the real deal!

The first few acts of the evening were Juice Box regulars and for two of them, this represented their first ever full gig performances, as was the case for the first on the bill, Joyce.

We were treated to popular covers by the likes of the Cranberries and the Smiths, but it was on Joyce’s original compositions that she really shone. The songs being perfectly suited to her ethereal vocals.

She really is a performer to make the effort to see live, with a distinctive guitar style that needs to be seen.

Next up was Jegcoustics, who performed a series of covers by the likes of the Beatles and Bon Jovi, all with gorgeous harmonies.

One half of the duo stayed on stage to join his other project, Sleeptalk, who were the first band of the evening.

They announced this was their first ever gig and then launched into an energetic set of original songs, as well as a cover by the Pixies.

It was a very assured performance for a first outing and the catchy songs were delivered with a tightness that belied the claim.

The final two performances were from Belizaire and the Voltares.

The former are a post-punk alternative rock group that got together in 2023 and have been taking the local scene by storm since they released their debut album, Unravel, last year.

They delivered some chunky guitar riffs and their album is definitely worth checking out if you’re a rock fan.

The Voltares are an alt-acoustic band with melodic tunes inspired by the likes of Travis and Crowded House.

Click here for Juice Box’s Facebook page.