Solo classical guitar and string session by Manchester musician Matthew C. Whitaker at the Signature Brew taproom in Hackney.
Matthew C. Whitaker plays Signature Brew Haggerston on Tuesday 27 October, his first London date this autumn. He's a Manchester-based musician and composer, and this is a solo show, which is a fair distance from the work he's best known for.
By day, Whitaker fronts the cosmic prog-rave outfit HENGE, with whom he's released four albums and toured the UK and Europe. That's high-energy, maximalist territory. His solo work sits in quiet contrast to it: hushed, patient, and built for close listening. His debut, Man With the Anvil Hat (2016), introduced a flair for intricate harmony and richly textured soundscapes that blend jazz and folk influences.
He'll be playing from his latest release, Songs for the Weary (2026), a collection of eight gentle pieces for classical guitar, lush string arrangements and subtle electronics. The record has already found a home on BBC Radio 6 Music, with 'Lucid Dreamer' championed by Radcliffe and Maconie and 'Chestnut Tree' picked up by Craig Charles. It's a quieter, more stripped-back side of his writing than what you'll hear from HENGE, and that's exactly where the solo work lives.
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Signature Brew Haggerston is a music venue and taproom in a brick-walled railway arch by Regent's Canal in East London, run by a brewery that's collaborated with more musicians than any other on the planet. Doors open at 7:00pm, with the set running from 7:30pm to 10:00pm. Tickets start from £11.50, all fees included.
