Skip to main content
3rd May 2024

CityStack and singer-songwriter Brave New Broken Hearts Club organise a free Indie Pub Tour to encourage Londoners to visit independent pubs.

To support independent pubs through the current challenging economic climate, the CityStack team, champion of independent pubs, and singer-songwriter Brave New Broken Hearts Club have collaborated and launched a free Indie Pub tour in May at independent establishments across London.

Sky-rocketing operating costs, staff shortage, record inflation leaving less budget for going out… It is no secret that the current economic turmoil is threatening small businesses like independent pubs, sadly leading many to close.

This is why pub enthusiast Neil, singer songwriter of Brave New Broken Hearts, and pub supporters CityStack team have joined forces to generate footfall to these much-loved establishments, and organise a tour of ‘Pay what you want gigs’ at a selection of the pubs that are part of the CityStack collection.

That’s not all! Anyone who registers to attend will receive a free CityStack pack worth £100, which can be spent at ten selected independent pubs (Skehan’s, the Dog and Bell, the Bow Bells, the Princess of Wales, the Highbury Barn, the Crown and Shuttle, the Gladstone Arms, the Hansom Cab, the Horn of Plenty, the Hawke).

The ambition is that a great number of Londoners will discover these gems on their doorsteps and become regulars at their newly discovered locals.

Tour dates:

  • 10/05/24: The Rose and Crown – Kentish Town
  • 16/05/24: The Colonel Fawcett – Camden
  • 17/05/24: The Raven – Tower Bridge
  • 23/05/24: The Star of Greenwich – Greenwich
  • 29/05/24: The Gladstone Arms – Borough

To register: www.bravenewbrokenheartsclub.com/shows

I love our pubs and our pub culture. Many of the fabulous indies we have are finding it difficult at this time and I fully support the CityStack initiative to help these businesses. I follow the project for a while now and I thought it could be great to create an event together to bring more people to pubs!”  – Neil Phillimore, Singer-songwriter of Brave New Broken Hearts

As we have supported pubs for 2+ years, we know how much pubs desperately need visitors to thrive. Special events such as pub quiz and gigs are great ways for pubs to attract new crowds. We also love to promote up-and-coming talents like Brave New Broken Hearts Club. When the talented Neil offered to partner with us and organise gigs at some of the lovely independent pubs that are part of our collection, we thought it would be a fantastic idea to drive footfall to these establishments!” – Alison Boutoille, Founder of CityStack

About CityStack

CityStack was initiated in 2021 by Alison, a pub aficionado, and a group of ten great independent London pubs. Together, they launched a two-week crowdfunding campaign for Christmas, where the target was quickly smashed.

Since then, CityStack has started to generate sales online and in retail independent shops. And more and more pubs have shown an interest in joining the movement.

In 2023, the CityStack team asked their community to recommend the best independent pubs in London and visited hundreds of venues across the city to handpick some of the best hidden gems.

The £25 stack of beer mats now offers Londoners £100 worth of food and drink at any ten of the 50+ independent pubs that are part of the collection.

These hostelries include amazing renowned independent pubs such as the Dog and Bell, the Faltering Fullback, the Cleveland Arms, the Crown and Shuttle, Skehan’s, the Kenton and the Pelton Arms, alongside smaller independent community pubs such as the Star of Greenwich, the Old Justice, Old China Hand and the Rose and Crown.

Fantastic local pubs are willing to offer exclusive discounts with CityStack because it drives people to visit and discover them. Consumers save money, and the pubs gain new customers. It’s a win-win!

The goal? Allow more independent pubs to highlight why people should visit them and bring people back to the pubs!

More information

About Brave New Broken Heart Club

Brave New Broken Hearts Club is London born singer-songwriter Neil Phillimore. “A sniffter of Billy Bragg’s London vocal styling; the tiniest pinch of Damon Albarn’s lower register; a dash of Richard Hawley croon; a glug of classic song-writing aesthetic and you’re in the ballpark. Lyrically intelligent, emotionally rich; hopeful, warm and heartfelt. Brave New Broken Hearts Club extends the usual lexicon of the modern songwriter elegantly and unselfconsciously.

More information


Press contact: Alison Boutoille, Founder l alison@citystack.co l 07385849824

Third-party news items that are posted on the Guild website’s news section come from press releases received by the Guild. These press releases are posted as they have been received and their publication on the Guild website is intended as an informational service provided to our members and website visitors. As such, the publication of a story from a third-party source is neither an endorsement of the content, nor its sender, by the Guild. For enquiries on any news item, please use the contact details that can be found at the bottom of each post.