Friday 27th February
NIGHTINGALES
+ special guest Thomas Truax
£15 | £17 [+10% booking fee]
Doors open 8pm
18+ show
Described in John Robb’s definitive book on post punk Death To Trad Rock as ‘The misfits’ misfits’ and comprising an ever-fluctuating line up, based around lyricist/singer Robert Lloyd, the Nightingales enjoyed cult status in the early ’80’s as darlings of the credible music scene and were championed by John Peel
The group recorded a bunch of critically acclaimed singles and three albums, plus many radio sessions for their great supporter Peel. They also regularly toured the UK and Northern Europe, as headliners and supporting acts as diverse as Bo Diddley and Nico.
In the late Eighties the Nightingales stopped working but following the occasional gig between times, they re-grouped in 2004.
Since restarting the group have been more productive than ever – releasing seven vinyl singles, a couple of EPs, two 6 song mini albums, nine full length studio albums plus a movie soundtrack and a double live LP. They have regularly toured UK, mainland Europe and the USA numerous times, playing various festivals and recording many radio sessions along the way.
2019 saw the recording of a new album plus filming of a feature length Nightingales documentary film, King Rocker – written and presented by brilliant stand-up comedian Stewart Lee, directed by Michael Cumming (Brass Eye, Toast Of London, etc).
Seemingly loved by all who have seen it, the movie was an Official Selection at the prestigious Sheffield Doc Fest and received its World theatrical premiere in June 2021, with more TV and cinema screenings around the globe booked for later that year and beyond.
In 2024 the group had an amicable divorce from Tiny Global Productions to record a new album for their old pals at Fire Records. The Awful Truth was the first all new album for the label responsible for King Rocker and the reissues of the early catalogue. The follow up to TAT is due in 2026.
Following the release of The Awful Truth the band was officially augmented by wonderful viola player Natalie Mason who had previously guested with the group on stage and record. In February 2026 the five-piece Nightingales will make their initial tour of the UK, their first city tour as headliners in three years.
Thomas Truax
American singer Thomas Truax blends imagination, songwriting, and eccentric homemade instruments like his motorised drum machine Mother Superior and the Gramophone-inspired Hornicator. Beyond the novelty, he’s a skilled guitarist and storyteller whose songs explore insects, trees, technology, love, and the Moon, shifting between art rock, post-punk, and surreal Americana.
His ten albums include Songs From The Films Of David Lynch. The latest, Dream Catching Songs, features drummer Budgie (Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Slits) alongside Mother Superior, earning rave reviews.
Though often solo, Truax has collaborated with Jarvis Cocker, Richard Hawley, Duke Special, James Smith (Yard Act), and even the late Terry Pratchett.
‘Endlessly inventive…A show not to be missed!’ Oxford Times
‘Truax is shaping up nicely as one of the great rock eccentrics.’ UNCUT
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