Event type: Concert

We team up with Events 471 to present Yelllowman live at Future Yard on Monday 6th July 2026. Jamaica’s first dancehall superstar, Yellowman ushered in a new era in reggae music following Bob Marley’s death.

His early-’80s success brought the popularity of toasting — the reggae equivalent of rapping — to a whole new level, and helped establish dancehall as the wave of the future. For better or for worse, he also epitomized dancehall’s penchant for “slack” lyrics. 

Graphic sexuality was his particular forte, reaching levels of explicitness previously unheard in Jamaica. There was more to it than that, though; Yellowman was one of the most verbally nimble toasters of his time, with a loose, easy flow, a talent for improvisation, and a definite wit in his wordplay.

Plus, all the boasting about his prowess on the mic or in the bedroom had to be over the top to be convincing: true to his stage name, Yellowman is an albino, which carries a tremendous social stigma in Jamaica. His rise to stardom was unlikely enough, but his transformation from untouchable outcast into sex symbol was staggering — and may not even have taken place without his trademark lewdness. Shocking though it could be, it affirmed him as a sexual being just like his listeners, and was delivered with enough humour to let the audience know that he didn’t take himself too seriously.

Bouts with cancer pushed him into more thoughtful, socially conscious territory in the 1990s, but his initial style remains the most influential, paving the way for countless dancehall toasters to follow. He remained quiet through most of the 2000s before mounting a comeback with 2019’s No More War.

NYC’s up and comers SKORTS come to Birkenhead. Described as psych-glam, post-alt and dark wave disco, SKORTS are taking stages by storm. 

Since forming less than 2 years ago SKORTS went from conception to one of the most talked about and in demand local bands in New York. At SKORTS’ first show, an amp exploded — call it a freak accident or a catalyzing prophecy – either way, from there was born a band that refused to arrive quietly. 

We are made up to have them down on Argyle Street as part of their EU tour, straight off the back of their debut album Incompletement. Described as pure passion pressed into permanence – polished, stadium-ready rock with a DIY edge. 

SKORTS are on the kind of trajectory that won’t keep them small for long, catch them before they blow up.

Back in June, Kraftwerk wowed UK audiences with a one-off performance at the Forever Now Festival in Milton Keynes, their headline slot illuminating the post punk bill to such an extent that The Times commented “Even now, almost 60 years into their career, Kraftwerk are still waiting for the world to catch up with them. Not so much post-punk as post-everything, their techno-utopian machine symphonies will forever sound like the future.”

Now Kraftwerk and the much-celebrated robots return to the UK bringing with them their constantly upgraded Multimedia Tour which began back in 2012 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Part performance, part digital installation, the Kraftwerk live show is an unmissable audio and technological spectacle.

We’re thrilled to have Martha play at Future Yard, heres a little message from the band on what the night will entail:

“This September we (the band called Martha) will be doing a handful of shows to mark ten years since ‘Blisters in the Pit of my Heart’ came out. We’ll be performing the album in full each night, plus a load of other songs too. The tour will take us to a couple of places we’ve never played before (Birkenhead and Hebden Bridge), a couple of places we haven’t played in ages (Edinburgh and Cardiff), and we’ll also be playing at the Scala in London for the first time in nearly a decade. If you can make it out to one of these gigs please do.

Please also tell your friends about it. Especially the ones who used to be cool but don’t come to gigs anymore. We’ve got some really great bands opening for us too! The beautiful poster was designed by Soph McKenzie. Tickets on sale 10am 9th April. Okay that’s all! Thanks!”

FFO: Cheekface, Lime Garden, Jeffrey Lewis