Melt-Banana

Japanese noise legends Melt-Banana make a very welcome return to Cambridge in September! Over the last 30 or so years they've ploughed their own distinct furrow and played with bands such as Wire, Mr.Bungle, Fantomas, Tool, MGMT, Napalm Death etc.

Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Wed, 18 Sep 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

The John Martyn Project

The John Martyn Project is a special project comprised of Blythe Pepino, Kit Hawes, Pete Josef, Sam Brookes, John Blakeley and Jon Short, six artists coming together to celebrate the music of John Martyn. Each brings their own story and connection to John's music which adds to the fabric of the overall experience of the project.

In the wake of a special one off, sold out show in 2018 at the Camden Jazz Café, the group decided to take the project on tour and the warm reception its received has inspired them to continue. Since then they have regularly toured the UK and mainland Europe as well as bringing John's music back to the festival circuit. Each tour they continue to introduce more of John's back catalogue from obscure live recordings to classic favourites reworked and presented with rich harmonies and diverse instrumentation.

Cambridge Storey's Field Centre, N/A, Thu, 19 Sep 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

Welly

Welly is "one of the most exciting new acts in ages" (Dork Magazine). Crashing together the best bits of escapist pop, indie-disco, punk and DIY electronics, the group - made up of Welly and his school-mates - show early ambition to reconnect the great, grassroots British tradition with the mainstream band. First single "Shopping", for instance, was a riotous love-letter to the UK high street, as compelled by the arch, art-rock of Pulp as the left-field bangers of Girls Aloud.

Currently working as a greengrocer, Welly is quickly building a world of curtain-twitching storytelling: recent single "Soak Up The Culture" both sends-up and pays loving tribute to the Lads-On-Tour anthem, whilst "Deere John" is a rollicking tableaux of marital strife (and a lawn-mower). With early support across 6Music, Radio X, and a run of sold-out shows and festivals, Welly are rallying a young audience likewise in search of something different (and something fun).

"Meet one of the UK's wittiest new songwriters, a Where's Wally (or Where's Welly) of suburban England." - NME

Cambridge Green Mind @ The Blue Moon, CB1 2LF, Sat, 21 Sep 2024 at 7:30pm buy tickets

Dominie Hooper
+ Model Village

Simmering memory and unspoken truth righteously seethe in songs with tenderness, anger and startling leaps of joy and optimism. To see it live is to truly feel it. Dominie Hooper, long-time session musician, collaborator and multi-instrumentalist, takes flight in the centre of a stage wrapped in musical alchemy with bandmate mainstays Phil Self and Dave Hamblett.

Her folk-steeped debut EP "Anno" was described as "beautiful, challenging, fruitful... captivating" (Liverpool Sound & Vision), and "confident and impressive" (Fatea Magazine), and was triumphantly celebrated with a sell-out debut headline tour in June 2022.

Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Mon, 23 Sep 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

Ryley Walker
+ Jack Cooper

Ryley Walker began his career in the early 2010s, after moving from Illinois' provincial town of Rockford, and settling into Chicago's independent scene. After a slew of cassette and vinyl releases, Tompkins Square put out his debut album in 2014, which was then followed up by the Dead Oceans-released "Primrose Green" a year later. His most recent album, "Course in Fable", was released on his own Husky Pants Recordings label in 2021.

Having toured with the likes of Richard Thompson, and with a supporting slot for Dinosaur Jr. forthcoming - as well as a tremendous Bert Jansch tribute show behind him, wherein his hero Anne Briggs called him the 'c word' - Walker has rubbed shoulders with the very best.

While, in the past, his desire to be as great as his influences may have dogged and hindered him from bringing his own personality to his music, now, Walker's music is undeniably his. A mix of Twitter and sobriety may be partially responsible. "Music is an exciting thing I get to do because I'm alive and well. I take every opportunity I'm given very seriously; I've gotta pay tribute to that by staying alive and being as good to the people who love me as I can," he said.

Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Wed, 25 Sep 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

Elles Bailey

After recently coming out of the traps with a superb new single and forthcoming album, award-winning UK based genre-blending roots singer songwriter Elles Bailey today announces her biggest headline tour to date.

Of the tour, Elles explains; "I feel so incredibly excited to finally be able to take my upcoming album on tour this autumn with my incredible live band. This is by far my biggest tour to date, playing bucket list venues as a headline artist. I'm so grateful for my fans for supporting me on my journey so far and can't wait to share with them these new stories. Oh, the adventures we shall have. Sit back, buckle up and enjoy the ride!"

Cambridge The Junction, CB1 7GX, Fri, 27 Sep 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

Tom McRae
+ Lowri Evans

Tom's 9th studio album is an album of duets with some of his favourite French artists. McRae decided to collaborate on these 11 new songs with various artists as a way of acknowledging his deep love of French music, and deepen his relationship with mainland Europe, following Britain's disastrous decision to leave the EU.

Tom's debut album went Gold in France in 2001, selling over 60,000 copies, and he has divided his time between Paris and Wiltshire since 2021. Says Tom: "I grew up being intrigued by classic French songs. Before streaming services made all music readily available, only the huge crossover pop songs made it across the channel, but while my friends were listening to Vanessa Paradis, I was listening to Serge Gainsbourg. It seemed exotic, adventurous, and to be from another planet, let alone a country only 21 miles away from my own."

Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Wed, 2 Oct 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

Sivu (full band show)
+ Tape Runs Out

Sivu recently released his incredible album Wild Horse Running, alongside trailer single Apollo, where his more acoustic leanings mixed with influences like Wild Beasts, Hot Chip, SBTRKT and Beck to devastating effect. While recording the album he assembled a crack team of musicians to bring the album to life and he's bringing this home for the first time for the Green Mind 23rd birthday!

Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Fri, 4 Oct 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

Andrew O'Neill
presents "GEBURAH"

"We have to kill the king."

Fresh from acting opposite John Hamm in Good Omens 2, cult comedian and nonbinary whirlwind Andrew O'Neill presents an act of symbolic, magickal regicide.

A critical smash-hit at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe, GEBURAH is a surreal, occult, political stand-up comedy show with a hopeful and practical message. And yeah, we kill the king at the end.

Andrew O'Neill is a veteran of the comedy circuit. Their unique approach to standup has seen them work alongside Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Stewart Lee, and Amanda Palmer.

"In their own extraordinary way, O'Neill in one of the most powerfully, radically political comics in Edinburgh" - The Scotsman

"No show at this year's Fringe has made me laugh harder... a dizzyingly eclectic set" - The Telegraph

"Edinburgh Fringe 2023's most exciting and uniquely creative comedy experience" - one4review

"An hour of colossal scope. Their comedy shows are hilarious, wide-reaching affairs that have no peers" - Chortle

Plus support from Shona Hoey

Cambridge The Blue Moon, CB1 2LF, Sat, 5 Oct 2024 at 8:00pm buy tickets

Tom Robinson Band

The Tom Robinson Band (TRB) first became known in 1977 as vocal supporters of Rock Against Racism. A year later they performed for 80,000 people at their Carnival Against The Nazis in Victoria Park, London alongside Steel Pulse, The Clash and X-Ray Spex. The band featured Robinson on bass and vocals, with drummer Dolphin Taylor, keyboardist Mark Ambler and the trademark incendiary guitar playing of Danny Kustow.

TRB's Top 5 debut 2-4-6-8 Motorway became one of the era's landmark singles and was followed by their Rising Free EP featuring Robinson's LGBT anthem Sing If You're Glad To Be Gay. The EP reached #18 in the UK singles chart, despite Radio 1 banning the song.

Their album Power In The Darkness went Top 5, resulted in the singles Up Against The Wall and Too Good To Be True, and was certified gold in the UK and Japan in 1978. The followup TRB TWO was produced by Todd Rundgren on which the lead single Bully For You was co-written by Robinson with Peter Gabriel.

The original TRB lasted only two years before breaking up, fighting (as Robinson puts it) "like cats in a sack".

Tom later co-wrote songs with both Peter Gabriel and Elton John and had further solo hits in 1983 with War Baby and Atmospherics: Listen To The Radio. His 15th studio album Only The Now (2015) included guest appearances by Billy Bragg, Nadine Shah, John Grant, Ian McKellen, TV Smith, Lisa Knapp and Martin Carthy.

Tom's current band toured the entire Power In The Darkness LP in 2018 to mark its 40th anniverary ending with a sold-out show at Shepherds Bush Empire.
As a radio broadcaster Tom hosts two shows a week on BBC Radio 6 Music. He also served for 10 years on the Ivor Novello Awards committee and was awarded a fellowship of LIPA in recognition of his support for new music with BBC Introducing.

Norwich Green Mind @ Norwich Arts Centre, NR2 4PG, Wed, 9 Oct 2024 at 7:30pm buy tickets

Tom Robinson Band

Cambridge Storey's Field Centre, N/A, Thu, 10 Oct 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

Lotusbliss
+ Sean Trelford

lotusbliss is made up of brothers Josh, Seth and Adam Gauton, who ditched sibling-rivalries to come together under one musical moniker, developing a sonic identity that fuses their small-town Canterbury roots with an ambitious cinematic soundscape. They've already grabbed the attention of BBC 6Music's Tom Robinson and BBC Introducing's Abbie McCarthy who has made them her "Record of The Week" twice now. lotusbliss have also received praise from the likes of Wonderland, Under The Radar, Atwood Magazine and EUPHORIA to name a few.

Their dedication reaps great rewards. Taking this new release slower than their previous three EPs, gathering up melodies and songs that predate even the formation of the band as each member stored their best work away for a project like this - "Deafening And Silent" is the result of a band that finally feel ready for take-off.

Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Sat, 12 Oct 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

Divorce
+ No Windows

It might seem as though things happened very quickly for Divorce. The Nottingham four-piece, who once described themselves as "Wilco meets Abba", formed in the pandemic and played their first gig supporting TV Priest in October 2021. That led to them becoming label-mates at Hand in Hive (alongside the likes of Dama Scout and Tancred) who released their debut single in February 2022, the on-edge country-punk escape anthem "Services". Their debut EP, "Get Mean", arrived that December: less an intentionally curated collection than a breathless attempt at containing their first four singles, in and of itself a portrait of a band developing in real time - and one that earned them BBC Radio 6 playlisting and acclaim across the UK music press.

PLEASE NOTE: This is an early show, with doors at 5pm, and an expected finish of 9pm.

Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Sun, 13 Oct 2024 at 5:00pm buy tickets

Ariel Posen

Ariel Posen's music occupies the space between genres. It's a rootsy sound that nods to his influences - heartland rock & roll, electrified Americana, blue-eyed soul, R&B, Beatles-inspired pop - while still moving forward, pushing Posen into territory that's uniquely his own. He turns a new corner with Headway, a solo album that finds the songwriter taking stock of his personal and musical progress.

Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Mon, 14 Oct 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

Afro Celt Sound System

Afro Celt Sound System are among the pioneers of the contemporary world music scene. Their ground-breaking fusion of African, Gaelic and Bhangra influenced sounds has won the hearts and minds of audiences since the group's beginnings over 25 years ago. With album sales now topping more than one and a half million, two Grammy nominations to date and tours all around the world, they are the legendary Afro-Celtic band bringing spirits and music from different cultures together to a breath-taking show.

In 1995, the first Afro Celt Sound System album was released to great critical acclaim. To quote Real World Records:

The world's press waxed superlative: "a hurricane let loose" declared Q Magazine. "Hearing is believing," announced Mojo. "Heady, heartfelt music," proclaimed the Wall Street Journal. Word of mouth spread. A host of imitators soon began crossing cultural boundaries, bent on embracing the future without losing sight of the past. None of them, of course, caught the essence of Afro Celts. Much copied, they were never surpassed.

In March 2023, ACSS founder Simon Emmerson sadly passed away after prolonged illness. Simon founded the ground breaking group and was the driving force in its innovative genre defying recordings and live shows. His loss will be felt for many years by both the band and their fans alike. Simon was steadfast in his belief that the band should continue after his passing, and had been working on the next album for some time.

Cambridge The Junction, CB1 7GX, Wed, 16 Oct 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

Jon Gomm

Jon Gomm is a singer-songwriter and acoustic solo performer based in Yorkshire, UK, known for his once-seen-never-forgotten virtuoso guitar style. This involves slapping, tapping and retuning as he plays, producing a huge, multi-layered sound filled with bass, drums and near-orchestral depth and complexity from a single guitar.

His songs are often deeply emotive, whether with or without his soft, affecting voice. And his live performances are intimate and powerful, but always punctured by his natural North Of England wit and self-deprecation.

In 2020 Jon was voted "Best Acoustic Guitarist In The World" in the largest online poll of its type, conducted by MusicRadar / Guitar World.

Ibanez guitars launched the JGM10 and JGM5 Jon Gomm Signature Model guitars in 2021. He's the 3rd guitarist ever to design a signature acoustic with Ibanez, the previous two being Joe Satriani and Steve Vai.

In 2023, Jon's song Passionflower was placed 6th in Total Guitar's "50 Greatest Acoustic Guitar Songs Of All Time", just behind The Beatles' Blackbird and Tears In Heaven by Eric Clapton.

Jon is also a passionate advocate for mental health and neuro-diversity.

Cambridge Storey's Field Centre, N/A, Fri, 18 Oct 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

Bodega
+ Gift

Sometimes you have to move backwards to move forwards. Just ask punk cultural commentators BODEGA, whose new album sees them carve a new future from fuzz-soaked, consumerism-skewering shards of their past. "It's something we've been wanting to do for years," guitarist and vocalist Ben Hozie explains of "Our Brand Could Be Yr Life"; a collection of catchy indie-rock ruminations on the slow-creep of corporate-think into youth culture, first written eight years ago. Then known as BODEGA BAY, the Brooklyn group recorded those songs as a paradoxical double album.

Now, BODEGA - completed by lead guitarist Dan Ryan, bassist Adam See and drummer Adam Shumski - have reinterpreted "Our Brand Could Be Yr Life" for 2024. "We thought of it like a director remaking one of their old films, like when Hitchcock remade the Man Who Knew Too Much, or when Yasujiro Ozu re-did The Story of Floating Weeds," says Hozie, who it's never a surprise to hear talking about music through a cinematic lens. After all, this is a creative who, in addition to his work in BODEGA, moonlights as a celebrated indie filmmaker (PVT Chat, his 2020 drama about online sex work, won rave reviews).

"When you're older and better at your craft, you can revisit the same material but do different things with it."

Cambridge The Junction, CB1 7GX, Mon, 21 Oct 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

The Lovely Eggs

The Lovely Eggs are a two piece, indie rock band from Lancaster, England.

They consist of married couple Holly Ross and David Blackwell. Ross was formerly the lead singer and guitarist in the girl band, Angelica. Blackwell is also guitarist in Lancaster drone band Three Dimensional Tanx, who have performed at Tate Britain with the artist Linder Sterling and also have been sound carriers for Damo Suzuki (ex Can).

Cambridge The Junction, CB1 7GX, Tue, 22 Oct 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

Geordie Greep

Is "The New Sound" a tonic for these times? One hopes so: the album boasts a brand of high quality, all-embracing alternative pop fun not heard in a very long time. Maybe Associates were the last act to walk the line between the ridiculous and brilliant with such a teflon-coated aplomb.

Is the record an attempt to break away from preconceived ideas of what popular music should be? Let's ask Geordie Greep. "Music can be so much more than learning to play the same as everybody else. It can be anything you want. It's strange to me, to follow the dictates of what has 'proven to be what people like' about a particular kind of music. With recording 'The New Sound', it was the first time I have had no one to answer to. And with every impulse I had, I was able to completely follow it through to its conclusion. Being in a band (black midi), we often have this 'we can do everything' feeling, but you are also kind of limited in that approach, and sometimes it's good to do something else, to let go of things."

How the record came about is another thing to marvel at. Over thirty session musicians were involved in its making, on two continents. Geordie Greep; "Some of the tracks we had recorded already, elsewhere, but it just wasn't right, so we re-recorded them with new people. Half of the tracks were done in Brazil, with local musicians pulled together at the last minute. They'd never heard anything I'd done before, they were just interested in the demos I'd made. The tracking was all done in one, maybe two days. Then we did the overdubs later, in London."

Cambridge Storey's Field Centre, N/A, Fri, 25 Oct 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

Los Bitchos
+ Faux Real

Los Bitchos is back and better than ever! Since the launch of their much-loved debut album, "Let the Festivities Begin", with City Slang in February 2022, the London-based, pan-continental female instrumental four-piece has captivated audiences worldwide. They've performed over 200 shows, including legendary appearances at Glastonbury, and supporting tours with King Gizzard, and a legendary stint to Australia. Their dynamic live presence remains unparalleled.

The excitement continues with their new single, "La Bomba", setting the stage for headline shows across the US, UK, and EU starting in September through autumn 2024.

Serra Petale (guitar), Agustina Ruiz (keytar), Josefine Jonsson (bass), and Nic Crawshaw (drums) hail from various corners of the globe but were united by all-night house parties and mutual friends. Their unique sound - a retro-futuristic blend of Peruvian chicha, Argentine cumbia, Turkish psych, and surf guitars - binds them together. They've already made waves with their much-loved album, 'Let the Festivities Begin,' which cemented their status in the music world. If 'Let the Festivities Begin' was just the pre-party, then with their new single and upcoming music scheduled for 2024, the party is truly about to begin.

Cambridge The Junction, CB1 7GX, Mon, 28 Oct 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

Michael Head And The Red Elastic Band
+ Samya

Static-fuzz seventies guitar riffs, cowbell and bursts of brass herald the imminent arrival of Michael Head and The Elastic Band's latest album as they release the glammed-up, Bowie and Ronson-indebted rush of "The Human Race". Aptly evoking the renewed artistic vitality of the cherished songwriter, who this year celebrated the 40th anniversary of the release of his first album with The Pale Fountains, the track came ahead of the release of the 12-track, "Loophole" album, released on Fri 17 May 2024 on Modern Sky.

As much matter-of-fact documentarian of life as it passes in front of him as he is a poet and healthy, new world-conjuring fantasist, Head's work rate has accelerated to provide fans with an unprecedented two albums inside two years. With a catalogue of well-documented missteps and blameless, release-delaying mishaps dotted through his life with not only The Pale Fountains but also later, feted bands Shack and The Strands, a sense of personal and artistic equilibrium arrives at the same time as his timely suite of beautiful new songs.

Cambridge Storey's Field Centre, N/A, Thu, 31 Oct 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

Alias

Raised in the picturesque town of Aix-en-Provence in south France, ALIAS studied jazz at prestigious conservatoires in both Marseille and his hometown. But growing disillusioned with the strict rules being placed upon him, he decided to step out on his own, first to New York, then to Montreal, Canada, where he was enlisted as a contributor for hit TV shows including Big Little Lies and Sharp Objects, and worked as music director for Cirque du Soleil.

So as the pandemic hit, ALIAS hunkered down and made his debut EP, "It's Not Funny So Stop Smilin'", an ambitious work where the rulebook went sailing out the window. Released via Simone Records in 2021, his first EP was swiftly followed by "Jozef", ALIAS's acclaimed début album that happened to mark a drastic shift in tone in his music. Which brings us to "Embrace Chaos", his latest opus, released in April 2024. Like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, ALIAS is both the genius and the monster on this record; the creator who hides behind the terror he's unleashed.

Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Thu, 31 Oct 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

Joshua Burnell (full band show)

Joshua Burnell makes retro pop-rock for the modern world. His latest album, Glass Knight - which according to the Financial Times, "plays like a lost out-take from Spiders-From-Mars-era Bowie" - won over a lot of new fans upon its release in 2023. Expect hooky melodies drenched in warm, retro-synth textures, reverbing guitars, lush harmonies and words that make you think. Imagine The War On Drugs meets Genesis with "lashings of Peter Gabriel stylings" - The Guardian.

Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Wed, 6 Nov 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

Benjamin Francis Leftwich

Artistic transformation is often associated with a blast of fanfare - the dramatic unveiling of a new look, or lofty announcement of the revelation that prompted such a change. In the case of Benjamin Francis Leftwich, reinvention transpires with significantly more subtlety on his latest album, "Some Things Break".

Fans of Leftwich's earlier work will associate him with a rich but pared-back acoustic singer-songwriter sound. Hit songs such as "Atlas Hands" and "Shine" - both from his Top 40 debut "Last Smoke Before the Snowstorm" - were infused with a charming wistfulness, and the yearning for sweet escape. Fans and critics alike were struck by this new artist's disarming honesty; his lyrics were lauded for their candidness and vulnerability.

Norwich Puppet Theatre, NR3 1TN, Thu, 7 Nov 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

Steph Strings

Steph Strings is an Australian based singer-songwriter from Melbourne, Victoria. With influences from the John Butler Trio, Kim Churchill and Ziggy Alberts, this young story-teller has combined fingerstyle guitar with bursts of percussion, Celtic, blues and folk. Her music and stage presence continue to captivate audiences around the world.

Following the release of her "LION" EP in 2023 Steph has toured both domestically and internationally selling out shows in Australia, the UK & Europe and Canada. Steph also supported The Cat Empire on their European Tour in 2023 as well as opening for Vance Joy across huge shows in Europe.

Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Thu, 7 Nov 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

Benjamin Francis Leftwich

Cambridge Storey's Field Centre, N/A, Fri, 8 Nov 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

Billy Mahonie
+ Yoke + AV Sunset

Lauded by many as one of Britain's Finest Live bands in the late 90s and early 00s, Billy Mahonie are back on tour. Taking in many of the towns and cities previously played (Glasgow, Leicester, Cambridge, London, Brighton) and some newer places, the band members have never felt so stoked to get out on the road.

Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Tue, 12 Nov 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

Califone

After the breakup of his former band Red Red Meat, frontman Tim Rutili formed Califone as a solo project. Rutili's solo effort soon became a full-fledged musical project with a regular and rotating list of contributors, including many former members of Red Red Meat and some members of other Chicago bands.

According to Rutili, Califone started as a home project: "The statement of intent would have been 'easy listening' compared to what we were doing with Red Red Meat. This was supposed to be making little pop songs out of found pieces. It was supposed to be just a little home project, and it slowly grew from there. Now it seems like just about anything goes."

Califone's sound is a combination of Red Red Meat's blues-rock and experimental music, with inspiration drawn from early American folk music, pop, as well as electronic and groups like Psychic TV. Listeners familiar with Red Red Meat can quickly tell that Califone is not an attempt to revive the old band; elements from a number of musical styles contribute to their distinctive sound.

Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Wed, 13 Nov 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

Naima Bock

Most of the writing of Naima Bock's second album, "Below A Massive Dark Land", was a solitary affair. It may not sound it - it's made up of strong, purposeful arrangements with a huge host of musicians; filled with cradling space and warm light. This will also come as a surprise to anyone who has seen Naima perform in the time since the release of her 2022 debut "Giant Palm", undoubtedly a communal experience.

With a band of ten, three, or even just solo, when Naima plays there's a rare bond between the musicians on stage and the audience. In their interview with her, The Quietus declared "after every song the applause and cheering is immense, so immense in fact that it seems to be coming from a different place than the usual formalities of a live show, a link between performer and artist forged somewhere deeper and more personal."

Cambridge Storey's Field Centre, N/A, Thu, 14 Nov 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

Nick Harper

"Earth Day Blue" Tour 2024

Recorded in Abbey Road Studio 2 on Earth Day 2024, "Earth Day Blue" is the 14th studio album release from Nick Harper, the wildly talented and much loved singer-songwriter.

With John Leckie in the producer's chair (Stone Roses, Radiohead, Muse etc.) and Tchad Blake mixing (Tom Waits, Crowded House, Peter Gabriel etc.), the album is a flash mob of high calibre talent assembled for a few hours' collaboration in a very special space.

But this was not the first time Nick and John had been in session together in Studio 2. It was way back in 1973, in the very same room, that Nick was given his 'big break' in the world of music. The duo first 'worked' together when Nick, aged 8, recorded his first ever songs with John whilst Nick's father Roy was recording his own seminal album "Lifemask" with Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. So the circle has been squared off and the journey is complete!

Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Thu, 28 Nov 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

Daft Funk Live

Daft Funk Live are one of the world's most prestigious Daft Punk tribute bands: diligently constructing a 'live' rendition of Daft Punk's legendary performances and appearances. They incorporate their own synchronised light shows together with live instruments to give a truly immersive and unique experience. Their stage production is meticulously crafted, paying the utmost respect to the infamous and illusive Robots.

"...totally superb, an incredibly detailed performance giving you a Daft Punk explosion of sound and colour. Five stars." - Max Taylor
(Groove Armada, Mika, The Bays, Creepy Neighbour)

Cambridge Storey's Field Centre, N/A, Sat, 30 Nov 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

Our Girl

The expression of hard-fought optimism encapsulates "The Good Kind", an album exploring themes of sexuality, relationships, community, and illness. Our Girl's trademark dynamics permeate the record, from heavy guitars and soaring lead lines to ear worm choruses and intimate vocal moments. Filled with warmth and honesty, The Good Kind is a celebration of determination - of choosing to recommit to what matters, against all opposition. "A lot of the songs are about taking setbacks and turning them into superpowers" says drummer Lauren Wilson.

"I only realised then, when I thought it out loud," begins singer/guitarist Soph Nathan on "Relief", the first single released from the album, "And I feel better now". This song is aptly named, invoking a long-awaited exhale - the feeling of finally emerging from a long and lonely period of uncertainty and self-doubt. Beginning with a single airy strum, Nathan's reverb-drenched guitar attaches itself to Joshua Tyler's grounding bass chords, as Wilson's quietly insistent drum beat throws its weight behind Nathan's words of reassurance: "You've gotta see it to believe it. Well, I see it in you already."

This song speaks honestly to the life-giving importance of queer community. From the warmth and immediacy of her delivery, Nathan could be comforting a friend. But as "Relief" builds from that cautious opening to a determinedly, driving force, it becomes clear: these aren't empty platitudes. Nathan believes in you, because she's learned to believe in herself.

Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Wed, 4 Dec 2024 at 7:00pm buy tickets

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

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

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.

Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Tue, 4 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.

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.

Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Thu, 6 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

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!

Cambridge Portland Arms, CB4 3BA, Fri, 30 May 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

Dominie Hooper + Model Village

Ryley Walker + Jack Cooper

Tom McRae + Lowri Evans

Sivu (full band show) + Tape Runs Out

Andrew O'Neill presents "GEBURAH"

Lotusbliss + Sean Trelford

Divorce + No Windows

Bodega + Gift

Los Bitchos + Faux Real

Michael Head And The Red Elastic Band + Samya

Billy Mahonie + Yoke + AV Sunset

Chuck Prophet + Our Man in the Field

Polly Paulusma Wildfires Tour