Old Man Boom
+ The Cain Pit
8.00 doors open
8.20-9.00 The Cain Pit
9.20-10.30 Old Man Boom
Old Man Boom is a banjo wielding singer-songwriter based in Cambridgeshire, delivering an array of songs about the darker side of life, murderers, monsters, and the Devil. His brand of alt country/murder folk will have you both singing and drinking along as he tells beautiful stories about terrible things.
Having released his début album, "Devil & Saviour", in 2022; Old Man Boom returns with "Killers, Lovers and Lore".
Cambridge The Blue Moon, CB1 2LF, Thu, 12 Dec 2024 at 8:00pm buy tickets
The Jesus And Mary Chain
GET TICKETS NOW VIA https://www.junction.co.uk/events/the-jesus-and-mary-chain/
One of the most influential bands of their generation and beyond, The Jesus and Mary Chain mark their 40th anniversary in 2024 with a new album, "Glasgow Eyes". This is the band's first studio album since "Damage And Joy" (2017). 2024 promises to be a bumper year for devotees of the Reids: the brothers will also unveil their autobiography, a documentary, and a world tour starting in March.
The exact point of any band's inception is hard to pin down, but for Jim, the 'wish' crystallised into reality one night in June 1984: "I always think it was the day we played our first show, because up until then the whole idea had been kind of abstract, it didn't feel real. When we played in London, there were only about six people watching, but I remember thinking, 'That's it. The band is born'."
From the moment the Reids first pressed the record button on their Portastudio in the early 1980s, the intense, sometimes brutal, often darkly romantic music they made has always felt like past, present and future smashed together, alchemising into something startling. Glasgow Eyes might mark a milestone but the Mary Chain are always looking forward. As for what fans can expect from the new release, "hopefully people will expect a Jesus and Mary Chain record," says Jim, "and that is certainly what it is."
Cambridge Corn Exchange, CB2 3QB, Sat, 14 Dec 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets
The John Otway Band
John Otway is an English singer-songwriter who has built a sizeable cult audience through extensive touring, a surreal sense of humour and a self-deprecating underdog persona.
From the age of 9, Otway knew he wanted to be a pop star. But even at that young age, having listened to his sister's Beatles and Stones records, he knew he would never be able to do what they do. However, when his sister got the latest Bob Dylan album, he knew there was a place for him and he set about learning how to play guitar.
Otway had to wait until 1977 and the rise of punk before his dream of fame and fortune would finally become a reality. Having caught the eye of the producers of the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test, Otway's performance on that show would grab the attention of the watching audience. Otway, ever the showman, decided to jump on to the amplifier of his colleague during a performance of Bob Lind's Cheryl's Going Home. (Un)fortunately for Otway, he misjudged his leap and sent Wild Willy Barrett's amplifier tumbling as he crashed down straddling the box under the amp.
The full force of the impact was absorbed by the most tender body parts, but in doing this one simple act of recklessness and his wanton disregard for his own safety, Otway was the talk of everyone who watched that evening's programme.
Price includes a 50p venue levy
Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Fri, 10 Jan 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
The John Martyn Project
One evening at the Jazz Cafe, Camden in 2018, six artists came together in celebration of John Martyn's music. It was an evening of deep connection, not just to John's music, but also with a unique community of John Martyn fans. That night saw the sparks of what was to become 'The John Martyn Project' - an ongoing homage to a truly pioneering and unique musical soul.
Each bringing their own story and relationship to John's music, they continue to keep the spirit of his music alive whilst collecting stories and insights from the crowds they play to.
With thanks to John and those that find connection in his music.
Blythe Pepino - Vocals/Piano
Kit Hawes - Vocals/Guitars
Pete Josef - Vocals/Keys/Guitar
Sam Brookes - Vocals/Guitars
John Blakeley - Drums/Congas
Jon Short - Electric/Double Bass
"This is unlike anything I've heard before." - Klof Magazine
Cambridge Storey's Field Centre, N/A, Thu, 16 Jan 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
Jim Moray
Should you care to look back over the past two decades of British folk music, one musician in particular stands out for having a singular, idiosyncratic vision that has rarely wavered in style and substance. Jim Moray may have garnered initial attention for his digitally-driven approach to traditional music, but reflecting on his seven albums and numerous production credits it's clear that imagination and invention are the real cornerstones of his work. The cinematic vision of albums such as "Skulk" (2012), "Upcetera" (2016), and his game-changing debut "Sweet England" (2003) show just how far the old songs can be taken. His arrangements of traditional songs such as "Gilderoy", "Horkstow Grange" and "Fair Margaret and Sweet William" are regarded as amongst the classics of the folk genre, while his treatment of the ballad "Lord Douglas" has become a must-learn for fingerstyle guitarists.
Cambridge Storey's Field Centre, N/A, Thu, 23 Jan 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
Emily Barker
+ Liz Stringer
Emily Barker is an award-winning singer-songwriter, best known as the writer and performer of the theme to the hugely successful BBC crime drama "Wallander" starring Kenneth Branagh.
Her last album, 2020's "A Dark Murmuration of Words", was produced by Greg Freeman and recorded at StudiOwz, a converted chapel in the Welsh countryside. Lyrically probing, by turns both dark and optimistic, Barker searches for meaning through the deafening clamour of fake news and algorithmically filtered conversation, delivering a timely exploration of the grand themes of our age. It garnered widespread acclaim, with Uncut calling it "...a kind of Australian equivalent of PJ Harvey's 'Let England Shake'".
Barker has released music and toured as a solo artist as well as with various bands and collaborations, most notably her long association with Frank Turner, and has written for TV and film, including composing the soundtrack for Jake Gavin's lauded debut feature "Hector" starring Peter Mullan and Keith Allen.
Price includes a 50p venue levy
Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Tue, 4 Feb 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
Hayden Thorpe and Propellor Ensemble
perform NESS with Robert Macfarlane
Hayden Thorpe is best known as the former frontman and chief songwriter for the much-loved band Wild Beasts. He returns to the stage with his beautifully singular third album "Ness", made in collaboration with best-selling nature writer Robert Macfarlane.
Hayden and Macfarlane will perform "Ness" alongside members of Propellor Ensemble, promising to be a sonically spectacular and transformational live show.
Cambridge Storey's Field Centre, N/A, Thu, 6 Feb 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
The 900: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Cover Band
The 900 are the UK's first and only "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater" cover band. Formed by their mutual understanding that no other soundtrack could ever top THPS, The 900 gives you a reason for your back to hurt in the morning. With the approval of the Birdman himself, as well as Goldfinger's John Feldmann, they're ready to kickflip into every big banger from THPS1 to American Wasteland.
Expect to hear tunes spanning all the games including AFI, Alien Ant Farm, Bad Religion, Black Flag, CKY, Dead Kennedys, Goldfinger, Green Day, Lagwagon, Less Than Jake, Millencolin, Motorhead, NOFX, Papa Roach, Powerman 5000, Rage Against The Machine, The Ramones, Refused, Suicidal Tendencies, System of a Down and many more!
£1 from each ticket will be donated to CamSkate.
Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Fri, 7 Feb 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
Kingmaker - Singles & B-Sides Tour
7.00 doors open
7.30-8.00 support
8.15 onward Kingmaker (approximate)
So you know 10 Years Asleep, Really Scrape the Sky, Lucy's Down and Eat Yourself Whole right? Maybe Armchair Anarchist and Two Headed Yellow Bellied Hole Digger?
But how about Celebrated Working Man? And what about those B-sides?
Over five years in the early 90s Hull's finest indie rockers produced almost 30 tracks that never made it on to albums; the likes of Everything's Changed Since You've Been To London, Kissing Under Anaesthetic, I'm In Love and Another Bad Dose of Home Truths.
For the first time ever the band will play a set including all their A- sides and a selection of their favourite back up tracks.
Price includes a 50p venue levy
Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Sat, 15 Feb 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
Alberta Cross
Alberta Cross were formed by Swedish-born lead singer and guitarist Petter Ericson Stakee, and his London pal Terry Wolfers in the mid-00s. Their anthemic Americana-tinged songs possess a vulnerability and earthiness, and it soon showed in how hugely their debut record "The Thief and the Heartbreaker" began to connect.
2024 will see a reworked re-release of this album which will feature of wealth of musical collaborations such as Katie Melua, Jack Savoretti and Band of Skulls.
This tour will be celebrating the album and the man that helped bring it to life, Petter Ericson Stakee.
Price includes a 50p venue levy
Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Wed, 19 Feb 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
Luke Sital-Singh
"Fool's Spring is a short period of time at the end of winter when the temperature warms temporarily making one believe spring is here only for the winter weather to return again.
The poetry of thinking a dark time is over only for it to return is something that resonates with the theme of the new album.
This album is my most impressionistic and non narrative of all my albums to date. As a songwriter I have moved away from writing songs about very specific things and now enjoy writing whatever comes to mind and letting it flow subconsciously. Therefore it's not easy to describe what all the songs are about in a clear way.
With that said Fool's Spring was written over a few very dark years in my life as my wife and I struggled with infertility, which culminated in a move back to the UK from LA (somewhere we loved very much) and has ended positively with a successful cycle of IVF and our first baby due in the summer.
There are some songs that speak more specifically to the struggles and emotions during that time and in more general the mood of the album is a direct response to that pain. To me this is the 'happiest' sounding record I have ever made. There is an upbeat mood that permeates the whole thing, despite the few sadder songs.
I think I chose to go this way because I was in such a dark place I had no interest in writing sad somber music. I wanted an escape from feeling down and was drawn to more groovy drum beats and bass parts that were the catalyst for a lot of the songs." - Luke Sital-Singh
Price includes a 50p venue levy
Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Thu, 20 Feb 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
Adwaith
Hailing from the Welsh town of Carmarthen, Adwaith grew up surrounded by a rich tradition of Welsh-language indie-rock, and a tight-knit scene of experimental, artistically-minded bands that frequented their beloved local venue The Parrot. Inspired by the lineage of boldly experimental bands that emerged out of Wales in the '80s - Datblygu, TraddodiadOfnus and Fflaps to name three groups spearheading new wave Welsh rock music at the time - Adwaith knew that they wanted to be similarly uncompromising in their own vision. When Hollie Singer, Gwenllian Anthony and Heledd Owen first went about founding their own band in 2015, they were also equally influenced by newer acts they'd seen playing at local indie venues and Welsh-Language music festivals, where they bore witness to another new wave of musicians wielding Welsh as an exciting musical instrument.
Now, the dynamic Welsh trio Adwaith proudly announce the release of their highly anticipated third album, "Solas". Meaning 'light of being' or 'enlightenment' in Celtic, Solas marks a significant milestone in the band's journey. Recorded across diverse locations - including the Outer Hebrides in Scotland, Lisbon in Portugal, and multiple studios in Wales - "Solas" reflects Adwaith's growth and evolution as artists. Overflowing with romance and magic, this 23-track double album completes a coming-of-age trilogy chronicling their transformation from teenagers into empowered women, exploring themes of self-discovery, escape, and resilience.
Price includes a 50p venue levy
Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Sat, 22 Feb 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
Squid
Squid's new album "Cowards" is about evil. Nine stories whose protagonists reckon with cults, charisma and apathy. Real and imagined characters wading into the dark ocean between right and wrong.
Singer and drummer Ollie Judge explains that he used to notice "real life things that I saw on the street. People I knew and people that I'd met" but somewhere between their last album and today, this lived social commentary gave way to an imagined world that felt more real. An avid reader, Judge was drawn more and more to the cult fiction section of book shops, falling into "bleak books about horrid murderers" such as 'Lapvona' by Ottessa Moshfegh, or 'In The Miso Soup' by Ryū Murakami.
The smokescreen of digital narcissism is present here, as Judge adds "a lot of the album deals with the idea of sleepwalking into a world of complacency".
Cambridge The Junction, CB1 7GX, Mon, 24 Feb 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
WH Lung
While WH Lung's name might suggest a nod to the likes of WH Auden and similarly austere literary figures, it actually comes from a Chinese supermarket in their native Manchester. This deliberate blurring of high and low culture is part of the appeal of the enigmatic three-piece (Joseph E on vocals/synths, Tom S on guitar and Tom P on bass), their songs juxtaposing simplicity with free-ranging experimentation. But even more key is their ability to seamlessly meld genres - krautrock, post-punk and synthpop, most prominently - to create songs that are fresh and exciting yet familiar-sounding and accessible.
Price includes a 50p venue levy
Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Mon, 24 Feb 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
Honeyglaze
South London's Honeyglaze occupy the same sort of space as indie rock explorers such as Black Country, New Road and English Teacher, but stretch and shape their own particular furrow.
Price includes a 50p venue levy
Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Tue, 25 Feb 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
Chuck Prophet
+ Our Man in the Field
For twelve long days, Chuck Prophet waited. A stage four lymphoma diagnosis had knocked the wind out of him, dragged him off the road and into surgery, and now here he was, a perpetual motion machine forced to sit still, confronting his mortality for the first time as he wondered if he'd live long enough to see the end of the year, let alone get back on tour.
"I was going through a tunnel," he recalls. "It was dark. But I had music: music to play, music to listen to, music to get me out of my head. Music was my saviour."
That much is plain to hear on "Wake The Dead", Prophet's extraordinary - and unlikely - new album. Recorded with Qiensave, a band of brothers from the Central Coast farming community of Salinas, California, the collection dives headfirst into the world of Cumbia music, which consumed and comforted Prophet during his illness and subsequent recovery. The songs are intoxicatingly rhythmic, with arrangements that blur the lines between tradition and innovation, between past and present, between cultures and countries. There are flashes of rock and roll, punk, surf, and soul, all filtered through the streets of San Francisco and wrapped up in the rich legacy of a genre that traces its roots back hundreds of years and thousands of miles.
Price includes a 50p venue levy
Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Thu, 27 Feb 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
Polly Paulusma
Wildfires Tour
Polly Paulusma plays a stunning show of songs accompanied by Jon Thorne (Lamb, Yorkston Thorne Khan) on upright bass to celebrate the release of her latest album "Wildfires".
Together Paulusma and Thorne will bring you songs from across Paulusma's repertoire of six studio albums to date released since 2004 on Björk's label One Little Independent. Her latest, "Wildfires", is an extraordinary extended piece of work containing two hours of breathtakingly emotional songs interlaced with spoken word poetry. A truly immersive experience, the album has been produced by acclaimed record producer Ethan Johns (Laura Marling, Ray Lamontagne, Ryan Adams).
The musical connection between Paulusma and Thorne is something to behold; together they swoop and glide through songs from all of Paulusma's albums, but especially "Wildfires" which Thorne also recorded with Paulusma; combining their trademark bawdy humour and anecdotes with deep songs that touch on love, loss, grief and philosophical enquiry.
Price includes a 50p venue levy
Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Thu, 6 Mar 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
Submotion Orchestra
Submotion Orchestra make some of the most interesting and exciting music from the UK today: A kaleidoscope of electronic bass music, entrancing vocals, ambient, jazz and dub that sits somewhere on an axis between Bonobo and London Grammar. Their unique music is at once delicate and heavy, spacious and dense, highly atmospheric but firmly rooted. Earth-shaking bass and drums combine with lush keyboard and trumpet textures to create the perfect backdrop for the fragile beauty of Ruby Wood?s vocals, and the celestial effects of producer Ruckspin.
Formed in Leeds in 2009, the band quickly made a splash on the wider scene. Their live gigs left audiences open-mouthed, and their debut EP on Ranking Records drew a rave reaction from Gilles Peterson. Their now-legendary weekly residency at the tiny Hukaz Bar in Leeds gave fans the unique opportunity to see the band create new material up-close and personal.
Cambridge Storey's Field Centre, N/A, Fri, 7 Mar 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
Red Snapper
Red Snapper are proud to announce 13 UK live dates in March 2025, celebrating new releases on Lo Recordings and also 30 years of "Reeled and Skinned", their first album on the legendary Warp Records.
In November 2024 Red Snapper release the "Tight Chest" EP featuring LA producer David Harrow via Lo Recordings.
A follow up EP featuring the current live line up will be released in 2025 which, combined with the tracks from "Tight Chest", will form the full vinyl album "Barb and Feather".
Cambridge Storey's Field Centre, N/A, Sat, 8 Mar 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
The Ocelots
The Ocelots are twin brothers Ashley and Brandon Watson from Wexford, Ireland. Building on the folk-rock essence of their debut, the duo are excited to announce the release of their second album, "Everything, When Said Slowly", on February 7th 2025. This album unveils a richer, more expansive sound, produced by long-time collaborators Cillian and Lorcan Byrne (Ailbhe Reddy, Susan O'Neill). The narrative woven throughout the album explores themes of Irish migration, the perception of time, love, and the simple joys of cycling.
To support the album, the band are delighted to take the the road in the UK for a string of dates around its release.
Price includes a 50p venue levy
Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Tue, 11 Mar 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
Gentleman's Dub Club
Based in London but founded in Leeds in 2006, 8-piece band Gentleman's Dub Club have made an indelible mark on the live music scene. Their electronic music-infused dub and reggae and their high-energy shows garnering appearances at all major UK festivals including Glastonbury, Bestival, Boomtown and V Fest. Touring has taken the band international, and people from countries such as India, Morocco, the USA, and Iceland have been delighted by the band's infectious commitment to plugging in and leaving their guts on stage.
Their five albums have received widespread acclaim from DJs and music fans around the world, and have spent the vast majority of their time in the top echelons of the iTunes reggae charts. Their track "High Grade" from the "Open Your Eyes" EP is now a universally recognized reggae anthem.
Cambridge The Junction, CB1 7GX, Fri, 14 Mar 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
Getdown Services
With their eclectic, danceable grooves and astute, hilarious put-downs of modern Britain, Getdown Services are steadily carving out a name for themselves. The new EP "Crumbs" sees the duo weave slacker-rock, funk, indie and dance into an engrossingly entertaining sound brimming with infectious hooks and acerbic wit. Steadily building momentum over the past 18 months with balls-to-the-wall live performances, their highly lauded debut album "Crisps", and prestigious shows with Pip Blom, Fat Dog, The Bug Club, Goldie Lookin' Chain, Donny Benet, and Personal Trainer, the band ready themselves for their biggest ever headline tour this autumn. Off the back of extensive BBC 6Music support from the likes of Craig Charles, Huw Stephens, and Cerys Matthews, and armed with an arsenal of red-hot hits, Getdown Services look set to gobble the world up, one crumb at a time.
Price includes a 50p venue levy
Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Tue, 18 Mar 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
Gengahr - 10th Anniversary Tour For 'A Dream Outside'
Gengahr's critically acclaimed debut album turns 10 next year and to celebrate the band are hitting the road to play their breakthrough album in full.
They will be visiting a few of the very same venues that first welcomed the band back in 2015 as well as a selection of other small venues across the country, paying homage to these vital spaces where bands develop both their sound and audience.
Price includes a 50p venue levy
Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Thu, 3 Apr 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
Baxter Dury
Baxter will always beat you to the punchline. He'll answer his own questions and he'll volunteer himself as the butt of the joke before you can. His ability to understand people's perception of him (or who they believe he is) is what has kept his work consistently surprising and inventive for over two decades now. And while it's his humour that draws you in, it's his linguistic acrobatics that you stay for; a wild barrage of emotion, colour and off kilter scenes.
Baxter Dury's latest album, "I Thought I Was Better Than You", is a new era for him, and with this new era comes a new character. "Faux-confrontational," Baxter calls him. Here, not only is he recounting his childhood, but he's also reckoning with it. Instead of just swinging at his past blindfolded with a baseball bat, he talks openly about the toxic cocktail of being born into unfortunately fortunate circumstances, with a persuasive surname but no structure or sense of responsibility with which reap the rewards of it. "Really, it's about being trapped in an awkward place between something you're actually quite good at, and somebody else's success." That 'somebody else' being his dad, Ian Dury. As one of the album centrepieces "Shadow" agonisingly puts it: "But no one will get over that you're someone's son/Even though you want to be like Frank Ocean/But you don't sound like him, you sound just like Ian."
Cambridge The Junction, CB1 7GX, Thu, 10 Apr 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
Fergus McCreadie
Fergus McCreadie is one of the most exciting jazz pianists on the world stage today. With a unique blend of Jazz and Scottish folk inspired by his country's sublime landscapes, his music captures the hearts and minds of audiences worldwide, with an appeal that extends far beyond the constraints of genre.
Released on Edition Records to instant critical acclaim, Fergus' 2022 album "Forest Floor" catapulted him into the international spotlight. The album topped the UK Jazz & Blues charts, prompted sold-out performances across the UK, praise from BBC 6Music, The Times, NME and earned him a 2022 Mercury Prize shortlist nomination, the 2022 Jazz FM Instrumentalist of the Year Award as well as the 2022 Scottish Album of the Year Award - the first jazz artist ever to be awarded the prize.
Fergus has an innate depth, flair and natural expression that communicates beyond his years. His ability to transition from a full flowing, radiant pulse-wash of sound to a tranquil stillness in a moment is simply breath-taking. Whilst his music is built on the folk traditions he grew up with, it's the versatility of rhythm and colour from the most delicate shades to the highest energy that is most captivating.
Cambridge Storey's Field Centre, N/A, Thu, 10 Apr 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
Panic Shack
Romi, Sarah, Emily, and Meg were fed up of music being a members-only club at best and a phallocracy at its worst, so in 2018, they decided to do something about it. Cue, Panic Shack. Armed with brash, witty lyrics and killer hooks, they crashed through the UK music scene with a tidal wave of ear-crunching noise. Immediately building up a reputation for their raw, unapologetic live shows and off-kilter songs, Panic Shack prove that DIY does it better.
Since their inception it's been non-stop for this Welsh punk quintet. With support from BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 6 Music, Huw Stephens, Jack Saunders, Radio X, Bob Vylan, it's clear that this band have started something special.
Having already played prestigious stages at Green Man Festival, Liverpool Sound City, Cardiff Castle, and 2000 Trees Festival, and joined bands like The Wytches, Grandma's House, and Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard on stages across the UK, Panic Shack are only going to continue to create unhinged, Earth-shattering music (until, of course, they're rich enough to be sipping champagne after taking a dip in the pool at their mansions).
Cambridge Mash, CB2 3PF, Fri, 2 May 2025 at 6:30pm buy tickets
Vraell
Vraell (real name Alessio Scozzaro) is a classically trained London-based musician who has been releasing music under the 'Vraell' moniker since early 2019, rapidly building up an online audience for his ethereal sounds. His songs such as "Between" have recently become viral sensations as well as being used by BBC Earth.
Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Tue, 6 May 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
Oysterband
While recognised as one of the UK's foremost folk-rock bands and an unparalleled live proposition, the band confirm the decision they made recently to call time on their touring career.
Intending to bow out on a high, Oysterband will serve up a resolute reminder of their captivating live performances and immortal songbook as they chart a special tour around some of their favourite UK towns and venues that have supported them all these years.
Speaking about their upcoming shows Oysterband say:
"The reaction to our first announcement has been far greater than we ever imagined it would be. We're genuinely moved by people's desire to say what the songs have meant to them.
Our Long, Long goodbye tour finishes with a return to some places and areas that have had special significance for us over the years. A last chance to see us on tour in UK."
Cambridge The Junction, CB1 7GX, Sat, 10 May 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
John Bramwell (I Am Kloot)
As the singer in I Am Kloot from 1999 to 2014, John Bramwell achieved a Mercury Prize nomination for 2010's The Sky At Night, a Top 10 chart position for 2013's Let It All In, numerous UK and European tours and a triumphant farewell at the Queen Elizabeth Hall with an orchestra in 2014. Now, as a solo artist, he's travelling a very different path, his stunning new album The Light Fantastic is almost a complete U-turn from his Kloot-days. Darker clouds have been banished, there are strings and four-part harmonies (a warming development, since Kloot never had any backing vocals) and a dozen gloriously exhilarating, beautifully crafted and observed songs about life, humanity, the universe and everything. As John puts it, 'It's been great to find the joy of making music once again. These are the most uplifting songs of my career.'
Norwich Puppet Theatre, NR3 1TN, Thu, 15 May 2025 at 7:30pm buy tickets
Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses - Moonlight Concessions European Tour 2025
Kristin Hersh brings the Throwing Muses live show to Europe in Spring 2025.
Their first tour since 2011, the 'Muses will embark on a 2025 European tour as a three-piece, fronted by Kristin Hersh.
Kristin Hersh remains one of the most unique and singular talents of her generation, a celebrated and gifted writer as well as relentlessly-touring musician.
Throwing Muses-2025 finds Hersh going back to where it all began, with nearly 40 years of Muses-history behind them 2025 marks a new chapter in the project.
A very rare opportunity to witness one of the great cult American rock bands, we look forward to presenting the 'Muses on their intimate European adventure.
Norwich Green Mind @ Norwich Waterfront, NR1 1QH, Sat, 17 May 2025 at 6:30pm buy tickets
The Frank and Walters
Their recent single, "Stages", featured Peaky Blinders' Cillian Murphy doing a voiceover on the track; with The Franks & Walters you never know what to expect next, but you know it will be a bit quirky and great fun. Formed in Cork, Ireland they have been spreading joy and happiness with their indie-pop music for over 30 years.
"The Franks" became famous in the 90's Indie scene and have a catalogue of hundreds of songs from seven studio albums. They still play sold out gigs all over Europe.
Price includes a 50p venue levy
Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Sat, 17 May 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
Amelia Coburn
"Framed by tradition but totally distinct" Clash Magazine
"This one is utterly unique" Far Out Magazine
?Amazing and really different? Paul Weller
?Songs that feel like centuries old fairy tales.? Shindig! Magazine
Amelia Coburn is darkness and light.
Her acclaimed debut album ?Between The Moon And the Milkman?, produced by Bill Ryder-Jones, showcases her as a truly singular voice in the world of music.
Unbound by one mood or modern trends she pairs daring but instantly memorable melodies with unusual chord movements and exquisite arrangements. Populated by the people and places she has encountered on her global travels and in the darker corners of literature and art Amelia views her songs as a soundtrack to her stream-of-consciousness, ?opening up new paths, new clearings and new valleys with every listen?.
Cambridge The Blue Moon, CB1 2LF, Sat, 17 May 2025 at 7:30pm buy tickets
Prima Queen
"Prima Queen's ethereal sound, which shimmers with delicate vocal interplay and glacial instrumentation, takes them to regal heights" - NME
Transatlantic indie experts Prima Queen announce debut LP "The Prize", packed with effusive, empathic melodies, "The Prize" represents a fresh era for a band primed and ready to truly assert their individuality. The songs of Louise Macphail and Kristin McFadden play like a love letter to the radical power of friendship; to the fans who have revelled in the band's bitingly charismatic storytelling, qualities which are showcased vividly throughout their entire debut record.
Described, accurately, by McFadden as an album that 'screams empowerment and strength,' "The Prize" uses the pair's fateful connection as a North Star for their shared journey towards growth. Tapping into the shimmering pop sensibilities of Haim and Jenny Lewis, an openness of spirit defines the 12 tracks, partly inspired by the euphoria the group experienced on stage over the past year while touring with the likes of Olivia Dean, Wet Leg and Whitney.
Having built a glowing live reputation through appearances at the likes of Glastonbury, SXSW and Pitchfork Paris in recent times, Prima Queen have already attracted plaudits from all corners of the press landscape (The Guardian, The I Paper, The Independent, The Times, NME, DIY, Dork, The Line Of Best Fit, Clash), whilst their previous five singles have all landed on the BBC 6 Music playlist (Steve Lamacq, Huw Stephens, Lauren Laverne, Craig Charles) to widespread praise.
Price includes a 50p venue levy
Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Mon, 26 May 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
Shonen Knife
Shonen Knife's front girl Naoko was inspired to form the band by Beatles, Ramones, Buzzcocks etc. in Osaka on December 30, 1981. The origin of the band name is an old brand name of a pencil sharpener knife.
Their first album "Burning Farm", released on Zero Records in Japan in 1983, was reissued on legendary American label K Records in 1985.
Their one and only unique sound got popular in North America, UK and Europe; and their first major album "Let's Knife" was released in Japan, the US and UK in 1992.
Shonen Knife keeps on releasing their rockin' albums and touring constantly worldwide!
Price includes a 50p venue levy
Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Fri, 30 May 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
Andrew O'Neill's History of Punk
Following on from their award-winning GEBURAH show, occultist comedian Andrew O'Neill returns with their brand new HISTORY OF PUNK.
In 2017, Andrew toured their HISTORY OF HEAVY METAL show to critical acclaim alongside the book of the same name. In 2025, they return with another genre they're equally passionate about.
"One of the funniest comedians on the circuit at the moment... hitting new heights of comedic brilliance" - Timeout
"clever comedy for those who like their laughs original, off-kilter and cliché-free" - Three Weeks
"...comedian, metalhead, amateur occultist and musician... Sharp, artistic and unique, [their] innate confidence and fondness of absurdity leaves [their] audiences feeling full of glee" - Funhouse Comedy
Price includes a 50p venue levy
Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Thu, 5 Jun 2025 at 7:00pm buy tickets
Shiny New Model 2025
After having way too much fun at the first Shiny New Model we wanted to build on it and bring you another line up of the sharpest cuts we can find. Keep an eye out for the line up as it unfolds!
Cambridge Cambridge Junction 1, 2 & 3, CB1 7GX, Sat, 11 Oct 2025 at 1:30pm buy tickets