May
10
Fri
Local Hotels +Ember Rev
May 10 @ 7:30 pm – 11:00 pm

Local Hotels
With a driving rhythm section, spiky guitar, shards of keys and mesmerising vocals, Local Hotels play an exhilarating blend of post-punk electro rock you’ll never forget. Devilishly enigmatic frontman Bryan is your guide through dark romantic nights, golden monkeys, magic humans and more. Let him take you there.
https://soundcloud.com/localhotels

Ember Rev
Ember Rev play seamless sets of rhythm-driven art-rock, reworking and repurposing familiar forms that recall the percussive Africana of Talking Heads and the accordian-led romance of Arcade Fire. Alternately rattling with glockenspiels then looping and stuttering, it’s a sound that demands you keep coming back.
https://emberrev.bandcamp.com/

Jun
29
Sat
Rattus Inheritus (The Stranglers tribute)
Jun 29 @ 7:30 pm – 11:00 pm

Rattus Inheritus are Stranglers obsessives. They bring you the music of The Stranglers played with passion and aggression. There set includes songs like No More Heroes, Peaches, Nice ‘n’ Sleazy and Golden Brown! Featuring the classic Stranglers line up with bass, keys, guitar and drums, each player has over 20 years professional session and live experience.

Rattus Inheritus play The Stranglers classics and modern tracks with stunning power & fidelity and enjoy performing them as much as the audience love listening.

The black blood of the MenInBlack flow through their veins! Apocalyptic music!

“Great musicians playing their favourite music to die hard fans.” Liz Kershaw

“Great night out, loved hearing the
truly great early Stranglers tracks being played so well.”
Stuart Pearce

“For anyone who likes The Stranglers – THIS was amazing.”
Jo Caulfield

Jul
12
Fri
Provisional: ODDSOCK +support
Jul 12 @ 7:30 pm – 11:00 pm
Aug
23
Fri
Alley Club provisional
Aug 23 @ 7:30 pm – 11:00 pm
Alley Club provisional

Acts TBC

Sep
5
Thu
The Pad Presents: GAYE BYKERS ON ACID +Daemonik Force
Sep 5 @ 7:30 pm – 11:00 pm

GBOA , the psychedelic electro punk pop ‘grebo’ combo from LA & the Leicester Area are coming to The Portland Arms Cambridge for the very first time on Thursday 5th September.

Gaye Bykers on Acid were formed in late 1984 by Ian Reynolds (Robber) and Ian Hoxley (Mary). They were later joined by guitarist and art student Tony Horsfall and drummer Kevin Hyde. Their first gig was at The Princess Charlotte in Leicester in mid-1985.

Their first releases – the single Everythang’s Groovy and the Nosedive Karma EP – were both recorded in Leeds with Jon Langford of The Mekons, and released on the InTape label. They then signed to Virgin Records releasing the albums Drill Your Own Hole and Stewed to the Gills. Initial quantities of the vinyl version of Drill Your Own Hole were pressed without a hole in the centre, so it was necessary to drill your own hole to play it. The album spent one week at number 95 in the UK Albums Chart in November 1987.

They also played gigs (dressed in women’s clothing) under the name ‘Lesbian Dopeheads on Mopeds’, supporting themselves, and thus getting paid twice. They also performed as a fictitious East German thrash punk band “Rektüm” (they claimed to have jumped over the Berlin Wall), recording an LP Sakredanus and an EP Real Horror Show under the name.

However management problems and poor sales meant that they were dropped by Virgin in 1989. They subsequently released the album Cancer Planet Mission on their own record label, Naked Brain. They also recycled and used the band name ‘The Purple Fluid Exchange’ (PFX) to release their dance cross-over material. It was at this time that Rocket Ronnie joined the band as DJ, sample player and dance advisor.

In 1990 they released Pernicious Nonsense, their last studio album, recorded with Jon Langford at the Stone Room Studios and at Alaska St. Studios with house engineer Chelo Zambelli. After difficult tours in the US and UK the band broke up, the final blow being when the label Rough Trade, who distributed their Naked Brain recordings, went bankrupt owing them and many other bands considerable amounts of cash.

Two compilation albums were subsequently released on the Receiver record label, From the Tomb of the Near Legendary… (1992) and Gaye Bykers on Acid (1993). A further bootleg compilation of Virgin records studio demo’s was sold by their ex-manager (Tracy Lamott) to Cherry Red Records – Everything’s Groovy (2001).

Tony and Kev collaborated in 1993 to form ‘Steroid’, releasing a CD album entitled “Jism Harvester” on Clay Records, a crazy industrial mish mash of samples and guitar riffs. 25 years later they followed it up with “Scrotox Ulcer” in May 2018 and “Baptising The Alien” in September 2018.

On 22 February 2016, it was announced that Gaye Bykers on Acid would be reforming for a final performance at Indie Daze in October 2016 however the band have continued to tour with Mary Byker spending time between big GBOA and Pop Will Eat Itself, 2 bands, 1 great frontman.

 

Guest support comes from Daemonik Fonce.

Oct
26
Sat
Jim Jones All Stars
Oct 26 @ 7:30 pm – 11:00 pm

A bubbling swamp curse of unholy rhythm, Jim Jones All Stars is the latest project
from garage godfather Jim Jones (Thee Hypnotics, The Jim Jones Revue). Formed
during the pandemic, it features The Jim Jones Revue members Gavin Jay and Elliot
Mortimer, drummer Aidan Sinclair, veteran punk blues guitarist Carlton Mounsher
(The Swamps), and a full horn section (Tenor Saxophonist Stuart Dace and Baritone
Saxophonists Tom Hodges and Chuchi Malapersona).
After a midnight offering at the real crossroads in Clarksdale, Mississippi, the band
made the pilgrimage to Memphis, Tennessee to record with Memphis Magnetic
founder Scott McEwen (JD McPherson, Nick Waterhouse) in May of 2022.
The resulting LP “Ain’ No Peril” is a thick, greasy slab of Rama lama rhythm and
blues that highlights some of Jones’s most inspired songwriting ever and features
guest appearances from vocal powerhouse Nikki Hill and Oxbow’s Eugene S.
Robinson.
“When you’re recording within spitting distance of the Mississippi River, there’s
something about that heavy Memphis air that changes the way that you hear the
groove and grind,” says Jim Jones. ‘Ain’t No Peril’ captures that feeling and bathes in
that magic

Nov
12
Tue
Provisional tbc
Nov 12 @ 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Provisional tbc

Green Mind presents… acts TBC

Jan
25
Sat
Provisonal charity night
Jan 25 @ 7:30 pm – 11:00 pm
Provisonal charity night

TBC