Ak’chamel has built a solid reputation as a compelling stage project. Wearing nightmarish costumes and engaging in hallucinatory “rituals”, their singular sound comprising desert-scorched psychedelia, post-apocalyptic shamanism, and lo-fi ritual-folk is as unique as the physical theater of their live performances.
Authors of around fifteen cassettes, three vinyl LP’s, several cryptic VHS videos and their reels have generated millions of views. They tour frequently and have performed major festivals on both sides of the Atlantic garnering press from VICE, Consequence, The Wire, and many more.
Connor Selby is a young UK songwriter with a sound rooted in blues, soul and folk. His music is shaped by real experience. It’s direct and personal, often dealing with identity, mental health and the feeling of not quite fitting in.
His latest work, The Truth Comes Out Eventually, leans into that honesty. The songs reflect on growing up, relationships and trying to understand your place in the world. Nothing feels forced. It’s all written from instinct.
Selby has built a strong reputation over the past few years. His 2023 self titled album was named Blues Album of the Year by MOJO Magazine and has picked up millions of streams. He’s had support from BBC Radio 2 and toured across the UK and Europe.
On stage, he keeps things simple. No theatrics. Just a tight band and a focus on the songs. He’s shared stages with major names, including a performance at Wembley with The Who, but the approach stays the same whether it’s a large crowd or a smaller room.
Jim Pearson and Scaredycats returns to Future Yard on 15th January 2027 for a rare fully seated hometown show celebrating 10 years of the Scaredycats album Dumb Animals. Scaredycats have always done things their own way. Since forming on the Wirral in 2015, the band built an audience with music filled with offbeat observations on online shopping, pointless conflict, dogs, disappointment and trying to find some meaning in the noise. Now, a decade on from the release of Dumb Animals, Jim Pearson comes back to the Wirral for a special performance with Scaredycats. With the band rarely playing live, and Jim now based away from Merseyside, this is set to be a wonderful Wirral reunion. Featuring Jim Pearson on vocals and guitar, Steve Wale on vocals and bass, and Neil Dutton on drums.
Support comes from long-time collaborators Igloo Hearts who will be presenting their true mastery of vocal harmonies and instrumentation – delivered with outstanding musical sensitivity, to powerful effect’
We also have a massive treat in a solo set from the one and only Steve Wale, returning to live music after a considerable time away.
Jonathon Linaberry looks back on Radio Waves, his sixth album as The Bones Of J.R. Jones, but there’s more than just nostalgia at play.
Recorded with producer Robbie Lackritz (Feist, Bahamas), the collection is moody and hypnotic, drawing on the sonic landscape of Linaberry’s youth as it reckons with the doubt and uncertainty of adulthood. The arrangements are entrancing, built on the tension between acoustic instruments and retro synthesizers, and Linaberry’s performances are raw and visceral, at times aching in their vulnerability. Put it all together and you’ve got a poignant exploration of memory and longing delivered by a relentless searcher, a revelatory work of personal reflection rooted in the endless beauty, pain, and chaos of growing up.
Born in central New York, Linaberry got his start playing in punk bands before becoming enamored with the field recordings of Alan Lomax. He launched The Bones of J.R. Jones in 2012 and began releasing a series of albums and EPs that would land his songs in films and TV shows like True Detective, Suits, and Daredevil, and lead to countless tours across the US and Europe, including stops everywhere from Telluride Blues to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. Along the way, Linaberry would also share bills with the likes of The Wallflowers, G. Love, and The Devil Makes Three, soundtrack an Amazon commercial helmed by Oscar-winning director Taika Waititi, and earn praise from Billboard, American Songwriter, Under the Radar, and more.
Mike Viola. You probably already know him .. producer, songwriter, the kind of musician your favourite musicians quietly obsess over. Decades in, and somehow he keeps finding new generations to infect. Since 2019, he’s been on a proper run .. The American Egypt, Godmuffin, Paul McCarthy .. all cut at his LA home studio, Barebones.
Sold out US shows, a whole new fanbase, the usual. Then September 2024 brought Rock of Boston, recorded on half-inch tape over the winter of 2023, with Jake Sinclair on bass and Brendon Urie (Panic! At The Disco) on drums. Viola wrote most of the album on a Panic! At The Disco tour bus, between soundcheck and showtime, sneaking into whatever local studio he could find on his days off. When the tour ended, he and the band just carried on playing, no gap, no breath, just straight from hockey arenas into the tape machine, which might explain why the riffs feel bigger!
On Friday 13th November 2026, he brings that, and more, to Future Yard. No hyperbole necessary. Get involved!
YAWN Fest is back at Future Yard with another all-day event celebrating the sonic world of YAWN Studios curated by Bill Ryder-Jones.
Off the back of their upcoming 5th album release ‘Hum’, Swim Deep headline YAWN 2026. Their boldest record yet, a defiant cut of alternative rock: roaring with clouds of distortion that bring a bite and rawness to its chiming melodies. After a sold-out tour across Thailand and China and an unexpected lineup change, Hum is the band rejuvenated, sounding more confident than ever, maintaining their grassroots indie sound with sprinkling in nods to ‘90s grunge and alternative rock.
The Slow Country are a seven-piece band, each member with something to bring. Blending three guitars, bass, violin, keys, drums and rich vocal harmonies, the band fuse alt-folk warmth with alt-rock drive to explore themes of modernity, nostalgia, longing and fracture.
Wojtek The Bear – an indie pop band hailing from Glasgow.
Amy Scott Samuel – Liverpool-based alt-folk artist, with a tender, melodic + viseral sound.
Future Yard present Liverpool’s own – The Cubical. The band spent the better part of the last decade building up an incredible reputation as one of Europe’s finest underground bands. We’re excited to have them in the live room off the back of their acclaimed fifth studio album ‘Cut Me like a Hog” on Folc Records.
The Cubical sound is one that is essentially based in the blues, but like Captain Beefheart, Zappa and Tom Waits before them they twist it around, shake it up and inevitably end up with something altogether a little weirder. A Cubical live performance has been likened to a “rock n roll medicine show,” an assault on the senses…
A singer and actor, a TV host and author, a multiple BRIT Award nominee and a film star – Toyah has worn many hats during a remarkable career spanning more than 50 years. The High Priestess of Punk burst onto the scene in 1976 as she forged dual careers as a musician and actress who featured at The National Theatre and London’s Royal Court.
Her role in Quadrophenia made her a household name and soon after she gatecrased the charts with It’s A Mystery, I Want To Be Free, and Thunder In The Mountains, as the album, Anthem, earned a gold disc and BRIT nominations for Best Female and British Breakthrough Act. She married King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp in 1986 and she starred opposite Sir Laurence Olivier and The Who’s Roger Daltrey, among others. Acting, presenting, performing, headlining tours, and releasing 16 studio albums continued her unique story and now it’s time to reflect. With a new book in the offing, Toyah is hitting the road for an extensive UK tour in which she’ll sing favourite hits and tell stories from her remarkable career.
Future Yard are excited to present Rebel Dread Rockers with DJ sets from Don Letts + Andy Smith (ex Portishead). Rebel Dread Rockers is a DJ project fronted by Don Letts and Andy Smith, celebrating the roots and evolution of soundsystem culture.
Don Letts is a London cultural icon, DJ and filmmaker who helped bridge punk, reggae and dub in the UK, while Andy Smith is a renowned DJ and producer, best known as a former member of Portishead and for his genre-spanning sets. Together, Rebel Dread Rockers deliver high-energy selections rooted in reggae, dub, funk, soul, punk and bass music, with a strong political and cultural edge.
The Liverpool city region never fails to showcase the best and most innovative live music acts, and this June is no different! From household names and emerging talents to tribute acts of your favourite bands, there’s lots happening. If you’re looking for the best music events in Liverpool and the city region, this month’s lineup is packed with unforgettable gigs, concerts and live performances across the city region. Here is our pick of the bunch from a range of genres and venues that you do not want to miss.
1. Grateful Fred’s: Over The Moon, The Atkinson (3 June)
Grateful Fred’s have become a regular fixture at The Atkinson, presenting the best Americana and Roots music acts from around the world on the first Wednesday of every month for a wonderful night of live acoustic music. This June they welcome the return of the award winning duo ‘Over The Moon’ – Suzanne Levesque and Craig Bignell. The pair perform original music with beautiful harmonies and variety of live instruments. This is feel-good music at its finest.
2. Tommy Blaize: 50 Years In Music, The Atkinson (6 June)
Tommy Blaize has one of the most recognisable voices in the UK. As the lead singer on Strictly Come Dancing for 20 glorious years, he’s sung live each week to up to 12 million people. In a remarkable career spanning 50 years, he’s worked with some of the world’s most legendary artists, from Diana Ross to Queen, from The Beach Boys to Amy Winehouse, and from Stevie Wonder to Robbie Williams. Now it’s time for the man with the golden voice to step out in his first, major, solo tour. Singing songs everyone knows and loves, and telling stories about the legends he’s worked alongside, expect a Strictly incredible evening.
3. Cake & Classical Music: Harp Music for a Summer Afternoon, The Atkinson (8 June)
Cake & Classical Music takes place on the first Monday of each month, with a different ensembles, individuals and musicians performing 45 minute, lunchtime concerts. June promises an elegant solo harp recital by the award winning Jess Hughes, featuring works by Jacques Ibert, Caroline Lizotte and Marcel Tournier. Head down to the Atkinson for an afternoon of beautiful music and of course… a slice of cake.
Future Yard are proud to be working with Tate Liverpool to present Selector – a brand new collaboration that will merge the worlds of contemporary art and contemporary music. The series will launch with Turner Prize-winning artist Mark Leckey guest curating a range of events between 10th and 13th June, including an artist ‘In Conversation’ talk and three fascinating live events, under the title of Music From The Age Of Spiritual Machines. This is a unique series of events that will join the dots between music and art in an immersive three-day experience and one of the most exciting music events in Liverpool this summer.
5. The Take That Experience, Everyman & Playhouse Theatre (12 – 26 June)
As Take That celebrate over 30 years as the UK’s number one boy band, The Take That Experience mark over a decade together as their most popular and recognised Take That tribute act. This incredible show features hit after hit from Take That’s career spanning three decades – from classic 90s hits through to their most recent triumphs. This show is a must for any Take That fan as the boys don’t just give you a night you’ll Never Forget… they give you The Take That Experience.
6. UB40, M&S Bank Arena (12 June)
The legendary reggae icons UB40 featuring Ali Campbell bring their major UK tour to Liverpool this June, joined by special guests Maxi Priest and Aswad. Following a sold-out global run, the band return to UK stages with a set packed full of timeless hits alongside brand-new material from their forthcoming studio album, due for release in spring 2026. Expect an evening of classic reggae anthems, feel-good vibes and some of the most recognisable songs in British music history.
7. The ELO Experience – Electric Light Orchestra, Liverpool Empire Theatre (13 June)
The legacy left by Jeff Lynne & The Electric Light Orchestra barely needs any introduction – suffice to say that between 1972 and 1986 they achieved more combined UK and US Top 40 hits than any other band on the planet! In 2025 Jeff Lynne’s ELO performed the last ever live shows with the ‘Over & Out Tour’. The ELO Experience tour will include the greatest hits from an extensive and impressive back catalogue spanning over 50 years.
8. The Illegal Eagles, The Atkinson (18 June)
Celebrating over 50 years since the formation of the legendary West Coast Country Rock band The Eagles in 1971, The Illegal Eagles make a welcome return with their new 2026 Desperado Tour, promising more of their trademark musical prowess, acute attention to detail and incredible showmanship. The Illegal Eagles are now in their 24th year on the road and following a number of critically acclaimed UK & European Tours, have established themselves not only as the ultimate celebration of The Eagles, but as one of the foremost authentic and talented shows in the world.
9. Africa Oyé, Sefton Park (20-21 June)
Credit: Mark McNulty
The 2026 edition of Africa Oyé is bringing together Afrobeats stars, reggae legends, Afro-futurist innovators and internationally acclaimed live acts from across Africa and the diaspora. Leading the bill is Malian singer-songwriter Fatoumata Diawara, the Grammy-nominated artist known for blending Wassoulou traditions with contemporary Afro-futurist sounds. Joining her is Nigerian Afrobeats heavyweight Patoranking, who brings a mix of Afrobeats, reggae and dancehall that has helped make him one of the genre’s biggest international stars.
The musical lineup also features Janet Kay, Fulu Miziki, King Ayisoba, Oumy Nana Benz Du Togo, Kizaba, Kobo Town , Ghorwane, Awale Jant Band and a whole host of DJs.
Beyond the music, Africa Oyé 2026 will again feature the Oyé Village, showcasing food, crafts, workshops, family activities and community arts from across Africa and the Caribbean, maintaining the festival’s wider cultural focus as much more than simply a music event.
10. Milap presents Flute J.A. Jayant with R N Prakash and Kousic Sen, Liverpool Philharmonic Music Room (25 June)
One of the leading Carnatic flautists of his generation, J. A. Jayant is celebrated for his rich tone, lyrical expression and imaginative improvisation. This concert offers an immersive journey through Indian classical music, where melody and rhythm unfold with elegance, intensity and spontaneity. He is joined by two outstanding percussionists: R N Prakash, a highly respected mridangam artist, and Kousic Sen, an acclaimed tabla player. Together, they create a vibrant and nuanced musical dialogue, showcasing the depth, virtuosity and expressive power of Indian classical music.
11. The Spirit & Sound of Steely Dan: Nearly Dan in Concert, The Atkinson, (27 June)
Less tribute and more of a homage, Nearly Dan is saviour to the ever growing legions of Steely Dan fans, desperate to hear the meticulously crafted grooves and allusive lyrical style of Donald Fagen & Walter Becker. Nearly Dan’s approach is faithful, though not reverential, and relaxed but as tight as their namesakes. They bring their own unique spirit and spontaneous humour to every concert. The concert s expected to be a real treat for all music lovers and an unmissable concert for any aspiring musician young or old.
To find more concerts coming up in the Liverpool city region take a look through our What’s On listings.
Keep in touch
Newsletter
Sign up to keep up to date with what's on in the city and the region!
