Description

For twelve long days, Chuck Prophet waited. A stage four lymphoma diagnosis had knocked the wind out of him, dragged him off the road and into surgery, and now here he was, a perpetual motion machine forced to sit still, confronting his mortality for the first time as he wondered if he'd live long enough to see the end of the year, let alone get back on tour.

"I was going through a tunnel," he recalls. "It was dark. But I had music: music to play, music to listen to, music to get me out of my head. Music was my saviour."

That much is plain to hear on "Wake The Dead", Prophet's extraordinary - and unlikely - new album. Recorded with Qiensave, a band of brothers from the Central Coast farming community of Salinas, California, the collection dives headfirst into the world of Cumbia music, which consumed and comforted Prophet during his illness and subsequent recovery. The songs are intoxicatingly rhythmic, with arrangements that blur the lines between tradition and innovation, between past and present, between cultures and countries. There are flashes of rock and roll, punk, surf, and soul, all filtered through the streets of San Francisco and wrapped up in the rich legacy of a genre that traces its roots back hundreds of years and thousands of miles.

Description

For decades the Portland has been an essential part of the Cambridge live music scene welcoming local, national and international acts of all genres and backgrounds to play in our dedicated 200 capacity venue space.

Whether you are in a band and are looking for a venue to hold your own gig or are looking for a modern space to hold a meeting or gathering we can cater for groups of all sizes and requirements.

We have a full in house PA system and lighting with experienced sound technicians available to make sure your event sounds and looks great. The venue also has it’s own full-service bar, air conditioning and ‘green room’ space.

For smaller events we have 2 separate bars and a courtyard garden that can be hired independently.

Due to the age of the building the Portland is not easily accessible by wheel chair but we will endeavour to provide any help we can. Generally entry to the venue and public bar is no problem.

129 Chesterton Road,

Cambridge,

Cambridgeshire,

England,

CB4 3BA.

01223 357 268