International super group, Keane, hit the UK music scene in 2004, leaving an indelible imprint on their homeland of 1066 Country in East Sussex. In 2012, ‘Sovereign Light Café’, one of the album tracks from their fifth consecutive chart topping album, Strangeland, name checked many localities in the towns of Battle, Bexhill and Hastings.
The Keane Trail was created as an online trail by the Battle Marketing Group. Now the company who helps travellers to create their own travel audio guides, Geotourist, is proud to announce the launch of an audio version of the trail, in collaboration with the 1066 Country Marketing partnership. It is available for smartphones via the free to download Geotourist app.
For fans of Keane, it’s a great way to better understand the impact that the local area had on both the band and their work. For visitors who may be new to Keane’s work, the trails represent a fabulous opportunity to uncover more about this local band and see just how 1066 Country continues to play a key part in the UK’s heritage – from history to popular music culture.
There are three trails, one each in Hastings, Battle and Bexhill and they run from between 2.4 – 6.8 kms in length. Each takes in points of importance to the band and their journey to music stardom, as well as the locations behind the lyrics of their songs.
Geotourist are delighted that the Keane trails add to the seven other Geotourist tours in the area. With a richly historic tour of Battle, narrated by ‘Game of Thrones’ actor Anton Lesser, bringing the whole town of Battle to life, visitors can access the history of the town beyond the fascinating abbey and 1066 battlefield.
In Hastings, the Geotourist tour brings The Stade fishing and cultural quarter to life and explains just why the iconic black netshops were so important to the day to day life of the town.
The tours of Bexhill’s rich heritage and of Huguenot Rye lift the lid on some surprising local facts that you might miss by simply walking round.
The Geotourist platform means that people can listen to tours in the same way that we now listen to music, through our devices. The free tours can be enjoyed through personal smart phones, meaning you can immerse yourself in the world around you as you move at your own speed. There’s no need to sign up to an organised tour group, making it easy to take a tour in a quiet half hour or to help orientate yourself when (or even before) you arrive in a new place.
With May Bank Holiday on the horizon, these tours are ideal for visitors. Find out more about the tours at geotourist.com and look out for the stickers as you’re walking around.