Football manager rock singer to perform at festival
Gareth Ainsworth - pictured here as Wycombe manager - has regularly performed in bands throughout his football career
- Published
Football manager and Wokingham resident Gareth Ainsworth is set to rock out with his band at the town's music festival on Sunday.
Ainsworth, who has lived in the town for nearly 20 years, will perform at the Wokingham Festival, external with his band, the Cold Blooded Hearts.
He has been their lead singer during spells managing Wycombe Wanderers and Queens Park Rangers.
“We bought the kids up here so I have tried to get into the community as much as possible and going to things like [the festival],” Ainsworth said.
He said he was brought up in a musical household, with his mother a singer and a dad who wore a “big denim jacket with ‘Hendrix’ studded into the back of it”.
The former QPR, Wycombe and Preston midfielder has performed in bands for about 25 years and said juggling football and music has been “pretty tough but the love is there and it always will be”.
Ex-Wycombe boss Gareth Ainsworth predicts what Reading fans should expect from Rob Couhig.
He has fronted the Cold Blooded Hearts since he formed the band with guitarist and songwriter Lee Van Sargeant in 2015.
The pair have been in bands for about 20 years, including Dog Chewed The Handle from 2004.
The Cold Blooded Hearts' most recent album, Cold Light of Day, was released by Cherry Red Records and co-produced by Yes and Asia keyboardist Geoff Downes.
Yes and Asia keyboardist Geoff Downes produced the Cold Blooded Hearts' most recent album, Cold Light of Day
Ainsworth won promotion to the Championship with Wycombe in 2019/20 - the highest level the club had ever played at - and left QPR last October.
“I miss it a little bit and I think the CV’s not bad. There are some good promotions, good play-off finals. I think there’s maybe one more in me to do it again but we will see,” he told BBC Radio Berkshire.
“The band will probably go: ‘On no, that means no gigs on a Saturday afternoon.’ But it’s in me, it’s always been in me.
“Until you’re stood on that touchline, it’s tough to describe – but rock’n’roll singing is a close second.”
Rob Couhig (left) and Ainsworth enjoyed a fruitful relationship at Wycombe
Ainsworth said he “can’t speak highly enough” of Rob Couhig, Wycombe’s former owner who is expected to take over Reading with a consortium soon.
“Don’t worry Reading fans: you’re in good hands. He came into Wycombe and we weren’t in the best shape," he said.
"The club was losing money, we were trust-owned and Rob came in and totally stabilised everything. He was really good at that.
“Promotion wouldn’t have happened without him.”
The American financier's takeover would end the often-turbulent seven-year reign of Chinese businessman Dai Yongge.
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