Preston’s The Ferret celebrating Independent Venue Week with series of shows

Cowtown performing at Glastonferret Pic: Michael Porter Photography

The Ferret is taking part in Independent Venue Week (#IVW), the UK’s annual seven-day celebration of independent music and arts venues and the people that own, run and work in them.

Independent Venue Week is a nationwide initiative with a local feel, highlighting why venues are so much more than just places for live music.

From giving artists their first experience of performing live and fans somewhere to discover and watch their favourite artists locally, venues like The Ferret also provide those wanting a career off-stage the chance to learn their craft in a safe and secure environment.

Starting from Sunday (28 January), the iconic Fylde Road venue will present a series of special shows, with two already sold out. Tickets are available from The Ferret website.

Here are the listings for Independent Venue Week 2024 at The Ferret:

Sunday 28 January

Hassan K. + Beija Flo + OORYA + Polypores

Wednesday 31 January

IST IST + Midnight Gallery (SOLD OUT)

Thursday 1 February

Skinny Living + Lusaint (SOLD OUT)

Friday 2 February

Baba Ali + Flowers Of Evil + more tba

Saturday 3 February

IVW24 All Dayer ft Cowtown + PleasureInc. + Ginnel + Better Joy + Pageant Mum + TV FACE + Dragged Up + dead things + Notnowkato

Sunday 4 February

Dubinski + Revivalry + Cadaver Beach

Ginnel on stage — Ginnel are performing at The Ferret for IVW24

Find out more about the artists

Hassan K: French-Iranian one-man DIY electronic rock whirlwind based in Lille, Hassan K. has been performing internationally for 12 years with his ambitious electro, surf, rock, metal and oriental compositions.

Beija Flo: Impossible to pin down, Beija Flo’s sound is one that encompasses everything from open hearted balladry to acerbic punk. Tackling everything from love and relationships through to mental and sexual health, she is truly an artist for our times, juxtaposing her darkest moments against those of enduring hope. To witness Beija Flo live is an unforgettable experience.

OORYA: Pronounced WHO ARE YA!? is a Queer Electro Punk Folk sonic excavation. Made with a lyrically dancing neurodivergent synaesthetic soul machine; guitar, beats, synth and accompanied by Eon The Emotional Support Dinosaur. They are “incendiary” (BBC Introducing) “Breathtaking & Unforgettable” (Louder Than War) and a must see live!

Polypores: Polypores (aka Stephen James Buckley) paints music with a modular synthesizer, drawing influence from ambient, new age, and experimental electronics. It soars, bubbles, crackles, and soothes, in ever-shifting, immersive cosmic landscapes. Dream environments and sonic sculptures.

IST IST: Established in late 2014, IST IST have forged a formidable reputation on the back of uncompromisingly intense live shows and a fierce DIY work ethic. The band released their much-anticipated third album, ‘Protagonists’ in 2023 to huge acclaim, performing to a sold out O2 Ritz in hometown Manchester on the same night.

Skinny Living: Skinny Living’s story is one of struggle, troubling situations and relentless hard graft. It’s also one of synchronicity, chance meetings, and the unflinching belief that their glorious indie soul music will reach the audience it deserves. Their potential is there to see. Echoing Bill Withers, The Isley Brothers and Paolo Nutini, their songs shimmer with a timeless, gentle beauty, exquisite vocal harmonies and a lyrical wisdom that inspires optimism and reflection in equal measure.

Baba Ali: Recognised as one of the most electrifying new acts to emerge from the UK in recent years, Baba Ali is the combined force of American performer and musician Baba Doherty and British guitarist Nik Balchin.

Cowtown: Leeds heroes of the DIY punk scene, and one of the favourite bands of Glastonferret 2023. All hail COWTOWN! Dynamic overstimulated indie-rock and devolved synth-punk space jams.

Pleasureinc.: PleasureInc. is the genre-fluid musical brainchild of brothers Jesse and Louis Baker. Jaded with playing in indie bands, the Norwich based duo began formulating a new type of project in early2021, creating music and visual content that reflected their love for hip hop, indie, pop, fashion, film and the 90s.

Ginnel: Ginnel are a noise/psych outfit featuring members of some of Preston’s most celebrated and critically acclaimed bands (The Common Cold, notnowkato, Big Red Bus, The Dandelion Adventure and Erskine Brown).

Better Joy: Better Joy, the alternative-pop band created and led by Bria Keely, is a deft fusion of classic and contemporary influences, which boldly celebrates the tensions between opposing states.

Pageant Mum: Wear your heart on your sleeve kids! And Pageant Mum do just that! They leave nothing behind with their post hardcore punky angst, driven guitars and feisty truthful lyrical content. When you figure out that this comes from a group of teenagers, Pageant Mum suddenly become your new favourite band, one to follow, one to celebrate and one to champion. Live they are a force of nature, on record their heart is laid bare and the angular twists and turns of Fugazi meet Paramore meet The Bronx resonate throughout.

TV FACE: The band called TV FACE are a gang of three from Lancaster. Their debut album Tide of Men was released on Crackedankles Records (Evil Blizzard, Thank) in September 2023. It was named Louder Than War’s album of the week, describing the band as ‘a wonderful trident of piercing guitar, bass and drums, unified by vocals through the torrent of hot noise, thunderous rumble and acid-scuzz.’

Dragged Up: “Like The Fall circa 83, jangling guitars nearly in tune, merged with Sonic Youth. It’s slackedrist, it’s proto-grunge, it’s indie with edge” – Aural Aggravation

dead things: This three-piece from Chorley are as likely to be found in their local library, raking through the microfiche as they are in their rehearsal cellar. Obsessed with tales of death in their hometown, they yell their findings against a scuzzy fuzz-imbued racket. Catchy, infectious post-punk at its best, homegrown in Lancashire.

Notnowkato: Big riffs, tight harmonies and indie rock disturbances in slightly odd time signatures.

Dubinsky: The bonds that hold Dubinski in place are unbreakable. Four brothers who’ve literally been through everything together – from childhood through adolescence, success and grief – using music as the gel to hold them in place.

Revivalry: Revivalry are an indie rock band with members from Louth and Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire. They burst onto the local scene in 2019 with their original track Bullet. The band cite the main influencers for their own music as Arctic Monkeys as well as Welsh Indie Rockers, Catfish and the Bottlemen.

Cadaver Beach: Cadaver Beach are a four-piece Alternative-Rock band from Preston. Formed in 2022 the band are quickly gaining a reputation for their energetic live performances and are starting to make waves on the North West music scene. Since their formation, Cadaver Beach has been performing on the local music circuit, captivating audiences with their electric live shows.

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