This image: Idles
Jordan Worland, from local music website Slate the Disco, selects his must-see gigs in Cambridge during March
The bounty is plentiful this March across the Cambridge music scene. We start down Chesterton Road where a packed billing at The Portland Arms includes both emerging acts and well-loved names. Our first Portland pick for March is a Bristol outfit Idles, who are formidable and entirely thrilling. They release their debut LP this month and play Cambridge on the 6th. Their frantic assault on the senses is best experienced live – file this gig under ‘do not miss’.
The Amazons are one of the most hotly tipped groups in the country right now, having been nominated in the prestigious BBC Sound of 2017 poll, as well as being tipped by MTV Brand New and Apple Music among others. The band will be heading out on a UK tour as they prepare to release their debut album later this year. Catch them at The Portland on the 14th, and expect raw and riffy rowdy rock ’n’ roll.
Having toured the world as frontman of Idlewild, acclaimed songwriter Roddy Woomble recently toured the UK in celebration of the tenth anniversary of his critically acclaimed solo album, My Secret Is My Silence. This month sees the release of his much-anticipated follow-up, The Impossible Song & Other Songs, and you can expect a tender and epic evening of music when he plays on the 13th.
Wolverhampton’s finest, Ivor Novello winner Scott Matthews is in town on the 9th, whilst our final Portland tip for this month is Tim Kasher on the 30th. With his bands Cursive and The Good Life or as a solo artist, Tim Kasher has continuously pushed musical boundaries over his career, but his forthcoming solo album No Resolution delivers possibly his most ambitious work to date.
One not to miss at The Corner House this month is Cambridge’s legendary Classic Rock and Metal Night, the Church of Noise, which is hosting a one-off charity fundraising night in March to raise money for the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). The event, which has been running for over 13 years, is part gig and part club night aimed at fans of classic rock and metal.
Running until 2am, the night also features a live set from acclaimed Cambridgeshire metal cover band Lower Than Bones, who have amassed a huge following locally with their explosive live performances that cover the likes of Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth, Pantera, Slayer, Soundgarden, Machine Head, Anthrax, System of a Down and Alice in Chains alongside original material.
Benjamin Francis Leftwich brings his hushed and hymnal modern folk music to the Junction on the 14th, while Kris Drever, best known as the guitarist for LAU, brings his engaging and intimate tunes to the J2 on the 7th. The same venue hosts Damien O’Kane Trio & Daori Farrell on the 20th, when you can expect magnificent reimagining of traditional folk.
Our must not miss show at the Cambridge Junction comes courtesy of boundary-pushing pop purveyors Glass Animals on the 13th. Their recent How To Be A Human Being album is a rare combination of intelligence, charm, song craft and beat-making.
We close with a mention to the huge home town show for Mallory Knox. The Cambridge five-piece have previously released three Radio 1 A-listed singles, sold out London’s Roundhouse, played the main stages at Reading, Leeds and Download festivals and reached number 16 on the UK album chart with their last album Asymmetry. With a new album due this year, the band play their biggest Cambridge show to date at the Corn Exchange on the 26th.
