On Friday night January 15, 1993, at 8.48pm, post-hardcore collective Joeyfat struck the opening chords of 'Piecemeal', and launched a legend.

They'd just become the first band to open at The Tunbridge Wells Forum – an exciting new venue in an old converted toilet block – and while their fan base never grew to huge proportions, they could lay claim to an epic 'following' of sorts...

Some of the acts that followed them onto the Forum stage included Green Day in 1993, Oasis in 1994, Reef and Placebo in 1995, The Divine Comedy in 1996, Muse and Coldplay in 1999, and the Libertines in 2002; the list goes on, literally... Frank Turner, Bombay Bicycle Club, Mumford & Sons, Ash, Ellie Goulding, The Vaccines, Keane, Adele, IDLES and Rag'n'Bone Man being just a few more huge names to have graced the stage in recent years.

On Tuesday night last week, January 17, folk-punk singer-songwriter Frank Turner returned to the stage to help celebrate the 30th anniversary – his ninth show at the Forum.

Despite having played so many times, even Frank admitted to some pre-gig nerves, posting on Facebook: "First gig of the year tonight. Every time this rolls around these days I feel like I’ve totally forgotten how to do this - how to pack, how to tune a guitar, all the words. And then it (usually) all comes flooding back, and that’s a lovely feeling."

But he told KentOnline the Forum stage couldn't have been a better place to get 2023 rolling.

"It was fantastic," he said. "If there's anywhere you need to shake off the cobwebs, it's the Forum. It's a really welcoming place to be."

Having played shows for the 20th and 25th anniversaries, as well as live-stream benefit gigs during lockdown, Frank is a longtime supporter of the venue and friends with owners Jason Dormon, and Mark Davyd, who launched the Forum along with Michael Oyarzabal and Peter Hoare.

"The guys who run it are old and dear friends," added Frank. "Everybody on the tour circuit knows of Tunbridge Wells, and there's even the legend that the name 'toilet circuit' comes from the Forum.

"Are you even a band if you haven't played at The Forum? It's the ideal of the grass roots music venue - everybody can see the stage and everybody can get close. The audience and the bands get well looked after."

He also had praise for Mark Davyd's charity organisation Music Venue Trust, which works to protect grassroots venues.

"MVT is the most effective campaign organisation I've worked with," added Frank. "It's been a difficult time for the live touring industry. It's very tough obviously when the entire industry was made illegal for 18 months to two years. But we're on the upflow now.

"I think we all took live music for granted and no one thought it would go away – and then it did for a while, so the thing is now there's this sense of euphoria around live music."

Frank was supported on Tuesday by singer-songwriter Hannah Rose Platt, a stable-mate of Frank's on his label Xtra Mile Recordings, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary year, making the show something of a double celebration.

Back in 1993, co founder Jason Dormon had been on the same stage on the opening night, having been bass player for Joeyfat, and he took to the stage once more on Tuesday night alongside co-owner Mark to acknowledge the moment.

The Forum is now gearing up for a year of celebratory gigs, with big names like Goldie Looking Chain, Toploader, Dub Pistols, Dreadzone, The Skatonics and The Beat all due back in 2023.

Top Hip Hop and rap artists coming this year include US superstars Slum Village, Brooklyn’s finest Jeru, The Damaja, and Huey Morgan’s NYC Block Party.

English hip hop favourites Stereo Mc’s are also playing, as well as General Levy, while other acts due include Jah Wobble (Public Image Ltd) and southern rock legends Molly Hatchet.

But among the big names, perhaps the most poignant gigs will be when co-founder Jason's own sons take to the stage, with their band The Streetlights, supporting Elliot Graham, along with Mint Sherberts and Tudor Rose on February 17.

They're also due to play the under-18s open mic night, which will no doubt introduce other future stars of The Forum stage.

So perhaps the future is bright, and could bring another 30 years of live music to the beloved Tunbridge Wells venue.

Reflecting on a train to the Netherlands, the day after Tuesday's gig, Mark Davyd was both proud about what he and his friends had achieved, and grateful for those that had supported them.

"Thirty years ago a group of dreamers who didn't really know what they were doing had the bizarre idea that Tunbridge Wells should have a dedicated music venue, " he said. "Thirty years later, thousands of shows, literally hundreds of thousands of people through the door, it turns out that its okay to have a dream. You just need an incredible local community to make them a reality. I'm incredibly grateful to Tunbridge Wells for taking this daft idea to their hearts and creating one of the best little venues in the world."

Keep an eye on listings here or The Forum's social media pages, for news of more shows and surprises throughout their 30th anniversary year.

As Jason says: “There’s so much to celebrate so rather than focusing on a particular week or month, we are turning next year into one long almighty celebration of The Forum. We will be bringing what we believe will be the strongest and most varied lineup the venue has ever seen."

A lot has changed in 30 years - “When we first started vinyl was in, then it was CDs and downloads and now it’s streaming but the one thing that has stayed the same all these years is the live music element.

"The way people purchase music has changed but the way we engage with it hasn’t and I don’t think that format will ever change. You cannot beat that shared, visceral experience of seeing live music in an intimate venue."