There are gigs that feel like a booking, and then there are gigs that feel like a moment. The Bluetones landing at Things Happen Here firmly belongs in the latter camp — a full‑band, electric, up‑close show from one of the UK’s most quietly enduring indie institutions, right in the heart of Dartington.
It’s the kind of announcement that makes long‑time fans blink twice. A band who’ve headlined Shepherd’s Bush Empire, toured across Europe and Japan, and carved out a catalogue of 14 hit singles and 6 albums… stepping into one of the South West’s most intimate, community‑rooted venues. You can already feel the room buzzing.
The Bluetones’ story is one of those rare indie arcs that never quite dulled. Bursting onto the scene in 1995 with Are You Blue Or Are You Blind?, they quickly became one of the defining guitar bands of the era — melodic, sharp, and unmistakably themselves. Frontman Mark Morriss’ wry charm, Scott Morriss’ melodic basslines, Adam Devlin’s chiming guitar work, and Eds Chesters’ rhythmic pulse created a sound that still feels instantly recognisable.
After a hiatus in 2011, the band returned four years later with the same energy that made them cult favourites in the first place. And with their seventh studio album Atlas arriving in May 2026, this show lands at a fascinating moment — a band with history, momentum, and something new to say.
This booking has a lovely bit of serendipity behind it. Mark Morriss played a solo set at Things Happen Here last year and fell for the venue’s atmosphere — the warmth, the crowd, the way the room seems to wrap itself around a performance. He wanted to bring the full band back with him. And now he is.
For fans, that means a rare chance to see The Bluetones in a space where every lyric, every guitar line, every grin from the stage feels magnified. No barriers, no distance — just a band reconnecting with their audience at eye level.
Support comes from Colour TV, one of the brightest sparks in the local indie scene. Sharp, melodic, and increasingly unmissable, they’re the perfect pairing — a band on the rise opening for a band who helped define a generation of British guitar music.
Early bird tickets are already live, and let’s be honest: this is going to sell out. A band with this legacy, in a venue this intimate, with a new album on the horizon… it’s a no‑brainer.
Get tickets here: https://wegottickets.com/f/17885