Folk in the Footlights is a brand new folk night for Cambridge in 2024, in association with The Cambridge Union.
Bringing the illustrious history of the Footlights and Cambridge’s famous folk scene together, every 6 weeks we will present to you 3 of the area’s finest acoustic music acts, with some touring acts as well.
We start with a fantastic line-up for your listening pleasure featuring Cambridge’s finest Dan Wilde, Elliot Porter and Imlac.
Tickets are £10
Dan Wilde: https://www.danwilde.net/bio
“engrossing and charismatic” — FOLKWORDS
“love it, love it, love it” – JEREMY VINE BBC RADIO 2
“simply beautiful” – CLARE BALDING BBC RADIO 2
Dan Wilde has been performing his own brand of richly observant folk both in the UK and around the world for the past nine years. In that time, he’s developed a growing fan-base and a reputation amongst those who know as “a fantastic songwriting talent who without a doubt will deserve and demand your attention” (Eclectically Challenged).
Three albums in, the evidence is clear he’s an extraordinary songsmith, while his ‘stunning’ guitar playing (Maverick Magazine) has led to an endorsement from Fylde guitars. Previous releases, ’This Is The Place’ (2010), ‘With Fire in Mind’ (2013) and Rhythm On The City Wall (2016), have cemented his reputation as a fine songsmith. He is currently working on a new release
Elliot Porter: https://www.elliotporter.co.uk/
“Elliot Porter’s music is beautiful with lovely Lennon and Damien Rice-esque melodies that stay with you and touch the soul”.
– Lonely Oak Radio
Being from a musical family, Cambridge singer-songwriter Elliot Porter grew up listening to his father and grandfather playing music and used to watch them from the side of the stage.
With a taste for music, his life initially took a different path until he was made redundant from his job. On that same day, he had just bought his first small stage piano but had no job to fund it. So with a piano under his arm and modest redundancy money, Elliot set out making his first record with the hope of making music his new life.
He has not looked back since and with critical acclaim and airplay from national radio including BBC Radio 2 with ‘Keep Going’, a host of top support slots and a whole album worth of new material recorded, he is ready to let the world hear his best work.
Radio Play: BBC Radio 2, BBC Cambridge, BBC Suffolk, Cambridge 105, BBC Essex
‘Confident, warm and very beautiful’ – Bob Harris, BBC Radio 2
Artists Supported: Toploader, Alabama 3, The Bluetones, Mo Kenney, Leddra C
During the Coronavirus Pandemic in early 2020, Elliot led a group of 18 musicians raising over £2000 with a cover of Frank Turner’s Be More Kind’. Frank even recorded an intro for it!
‘That Be More Kind cover is killer’ – FT
Imlac: https://www.facebook.com/Imlacmusic/?locale=en_GB
Imlac is a Scottish singer-songwriter who’s travelled all over Europe playing shows. Always a troubadour, he had never released any music until 2021. His sound echoes the Americana traditions of folk and blues, a hint of soul and gospel in there too, but also the Celtic traditions of his roots. Influences include Van Morrison, Muddy Waters and The Band
He grew up around the country music his uncles and cousins used to play and the sound of the bagpipe, his father’s instrument. This birthed in him a love for both the music of the American south and the Celtic music of his home country. He started writing songs after he first listened to Bob Dylan at the age of twelve and has written ever since. He says he writes because he can’t not write, it is in his bones.
His first EP, “Black Fire”, hit the folk and blues scene hard and received a glowing review in R’n’R magazine – ‘superb’ – and the title track was played on BBC radio 6 with Tom Robinson. His second EP – “Sitting on the Moon” – delivered a darker, rockier sound than the folky tones of the first EP and was also played on BBC6.
Facilities
- Air conditioned
- Assistance dogs welcome
- Bar
- Blue badge parking
- Disabled Accessibility
- Facilities for Disabled Guests
- Luggage storage
- Restaurant
- wheelchair access
- WI-FI
Accessibility Facilities
- Assistance dogs welcome
- Designated wheelchair public toilet
- Staff available to assist
- Wheel chair accessible
