Our top tip for June is this year’s Strawberries and Creem day festival on 11 June, which brings a captivating mix of phenomenal headline acts and a diverse range of the best local talent. Stand-out acts announced for the day include the legendary Grandmaster Flash, big tune experts Mungo’s Hi-Fi, General Levy, Skepta and My Nu Leng, all of whom contribute to a truly unique and expansive bill. This year’s festival will take place at the new venue of Haggis Farm, which is just off Barton Road and hosts the Cambridge Rock Festival.
Winners of BBC Sound of 2015 Years & Years play Cambridge Junction this month. Last seen in Cambridge opening for Sam Smith, the trio return on 2 June. The accolade of winning BBC Sound of 2015 caps off what has been a truly momentous and career-changing 12 months for Olly, Emre and Mikey – one that started with the release of their tastemaker single Real and its follow-ups, Take Shelter and the chart-bothering Desire. You can find out more about the band on page 9, though tickets for this gig are now sold out.
Incidentally, previous BBC Sound nominee Ren Harvieu brings her remarkable voice, which hints at a glorious throwback to peak-period Dusty Springfield, to The Portland Arms on the 4th. Staying at The Portland, on the 25th Kent duo Slaves, known for their fast, noisy and aggressive brittle post-punk sound, warm up for their Glastonbury appearance. Danny & The Champions of the World bring their new album to Cambridge this month when they play the Cambridge Junction on the 9th. New album, What Kind of Love is a joyful riot of Caledonian soul, proud horns, country pedal steel and ballads that either break your heart or send it soaring; it contains some of Danny Wilson’s greatest music yet. It’s the kind of album that will leave you itching to catch them live again – just as well they’re touring across the UK then.
Indie heroes and post-punk legends The Nightingales play Cambridge’s The Portland Arms on 1 June. The Nightingales were formed in the late 70s by former members of Birmingham punk band The Prefects (who were part of The Clash’s White Riot tour), and went on to record the most sessions for John Peel’s BBC Radio 1 show of any band except, of course, The Fall. Eddie Argos of seminal indie outfit Art Brut fame brings his spoken word tour to The Portland on the 3rd, shedding light on how to form a band and become famous. The tour sees Eddie stepping into the limelight to tell stories that happened along the way while Art Brut became the world beating pop behemoth they are today. This is a night definitely not to be missed.
Formed out of a shared love of generally unpopular indie rock bands of the late 90s and early 00s, Tellison have, to date, released two albums and a clutch of singles. The band are currently working on their third LP, with Tact Is Dead being our first taste of the new record, which will be their first release since 2011. In the build-up to the new record release Tellison are on the road this month, playing the Corner House on the 4th. Wild-eyed and constantly excellent live – definitely one to get to.
This summer will be a busy one for Andrew Jackson Jihad. First, the band hits the road for a full US headlining tour alongside The Smith Street Band, Jeff Rosenstock and Chumped. After that, it’s off to Europe for singer/guitarist Sean Bonnette, where he’ll be performing a mix of AJJ songs, new material and covers. Immediately following, the rest of the band will join him for a full band tour around the UK with Hard Girls, playing The Portland Arms on the 18th.
The 18th also sees the iconic Elvis Costello return to Cambridge. Now producing the most adventurous shows of his illustrious 40-year career, Costello brings his Detour tour to the Cambridge Corn Exchange.
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