rise @ bluebird is our Acomb evening arts venue.
The space regularly plays host to live music, spoken word, art exhibitions, theatre, comedy, family- friendly nights and much more.
Rise aims to be a vibrant and independently-run creative hub, driven by love and support from the local community - and an ardent sense of adventure.
Pop down and check us out - we’re looking forward to you helping shape this place just as much as we do.
Gallery
What's on
-
Lachlan Bryan and the Wildes
Doors 7:30pm
Over more than a decade LACHLAN BRYAN has built a reputation as a master storyteller, regardless of whether he’s performing solo, fronting his band The Wildes or collaborating with Country Music Icon Catherine Britt in The Pleasures. His songs range from hard hitting social commentary to deeply personal musings, but each contains a unique turn of phrase, dark humour and an ever-present sense of romance.
Lachlan has toured with icons such as Justin Townes Earle, John Hiatt and Shawn Colvin, as well as headlining his own tours and performing at festivals all over the world. He’s released five full length albums with The Wildes, all of which have received critical acclaim, featured in Yearly Top Ten lists and in some cases even charted strongly in the ARIA Official Australian Albums charts.
But it’s as a live act that Lachlan truly thrives. LACHLAN BRYAN & THE WILDES have built a devoted audience at home and are growing overseas thanks to their captivating performances – which have drawn comparisons to artists as disparate as The Bad Seeds and Wilco. As a solo act Lachlan slips effortlessly into troubadour mode, reminiscent of the Texas singer-songwriters who first inspired him.
If you haven’t caught Lachlan on his own or with the band, you may have seen him on the road as piano-player and co-conspirator with his friend Henry Wagons – the two have most recently been supporting Canadians The Dead South in theatres and arenas across the USA, Canada, the USA and Europe. Failing that, you may have heard the multi-award-winning Dream of America album which he co-wrote and produced for Muscle Shoals Southern Gothic Queen Hannah Aldridge. In any of his guises, Lachlan Bryan brings a warmth and wisdom to the stage and studio that wins over fans for life.
Lachlan Bryan. www.lachlanbryanandthewildes.com
www.thepleasuresmusic.com. Insta: @lachlanbryan
Melody Pool is an acclaimed Australian songwriter known for her ethereal vocals and emotionally resonant songwriting. She first gained national attention with her debut album The Hurting Scene in 2013, which led to a record deal with Mushroom Group and support slots for legendary artists including The Eagles, Don Henley, and Rodriguez. Her follow-up album, Deep Dark Savage Heart, delved into personal struggles with mental health and was the focus of a widely praised episode of ABC’s Australian Story.
After a six-year hiatus, Pool returned with the 2023 EP Lost in Time, marking a powerful comeback and artistic rebirth. Now, she continues her evolution with the upcoming release of her third studio album Our Eternal Garden, recorded live to tape and produced by Christopher Dale. With a sound that fuses ‘60s folk, rock & roll, and psychedelic influences, Pool reaffirms her place as one of Australia’s most compelling and visionary voices. -
Dine in with LFK
An evening of nibbles and 4 curated courses by Ladoo Fusion Kitchen
-
Mandi Grant - art preview evening
Join us for the art preview of artist Mandi Grant's new exhibition - 'There are Places I Remember.' Mandi Grant will be exhibiting at Bluebird Bakery in Acomb from 6-9pm. Be among the first to see her wonderful collection on our bakery walls. Mandi makes lyrical paintings of shapes, colour and textures using a combination of oil, acrylic and wax techniques.
Wine, soft drinks and nibbles will be served.
Tickets are free but please register to attend. - 30/08/2025
18:00:00
DJ Nights
Free
Sixties Spectacular!
Take a trip back to the swinging sixties with timeless hits from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and all the other legends who made the 60s an unforgettable era in music!
- 05/09/2025
18:00:00
DJ Nights
Free Entry
Resurrection - Indie Revival
Playing the best Indie tunes from the 80's & 90's.
-
Leather'o
Leather’o is a high energy Alternative Celtic – Gypsy Band based in York. They play all acoustic, traditional instruments in venues from pubs to major festivals, extensively reworking tunes and songs from the Irish, Scottish and Eastern European traditions.
- 07/09/2025
15:00-21:00
Family Friendly Activities
Free
BYO Vinyl
It's our regular monthly slot where you play your own tunes here on our decs - addictive! Half hour slot each, zero judgement allowed, dancing is allowed!
- 12/09/2025
18:00:00
DJ Nights
Free
Into The Groove
An eighties vinyl extravaganza!
-
Paper flower workshop with award-winning designer, Susan Bradley
Come and learn how to transform simple materials - crepe and tissue papers - into striking hand-made blooms. Susan will show you how to create your own unique paper flowers by hand. You'll learn techniques to create different types of flowers, and different ways to customise each petal from delicate and subtle to dramatic and striking. Your blooms will be unique and personal to you, and really fun to create. You'll leave with your own bloom of beautiful paper flowers to take home. No water required and they never wilt!
-
Union Jill and Adderstone
Union Jill team up with Adderstone for an evening of theatre, storytelling and a bit of comedy! The proceeds from their ticket sales are being donated to a Palestine fundraiser - the aim is to buy a tractor for a family of farmers.
-
September Rise Up!
Our monthly celebration of poetry and spoken word - join us to welcome Ian Duhig, Kirsten Luckens and Henry Raby!
Ian Duhig has published seven books of poetry, won the Forward Best Poem Prize once, the National Poetry Competition twice and his New and Selected Poems was awarded the 2022 Hawthornden Prize for Literature. His most recent book of poems, An Arbitrary Lightbulb, was the 2024 Poetry Book Society Winter Choice. Kirsten Luckins is a Teesside-based poet whose work explores ekphrasis, ecopoetics and experimentation generally. Her latest pamphlet, Offworld (The Braag, 2025) tells the journey of two runaways as they planet-hop through a disintegrating empire of colonised worlds, where octopi seek out strip clubs and anything can be bought at a spaceport. Beautiful, shocking, funny and prescient, this pamphlet presents us with glimpses of ruined and defiant futures. Punk poet Henry Raby's work has been described as playful, highly-charged, passionate and anarchic! Henry writes about anger and hope - the twin emotions to keep you fuelled for the fight. You'll find him gobbing verse at DIY venues, protests and festivals (Manchester Punk Festival, Deer Shed, Latitude, Greenbelt and Boomtown Fair). Henry has been published by Burning Eye Books and co-runs York spoken word organisation Say Owt. He co-hosts the Vandal Factory podcast, looking at the magic moments where art and activism meet. -
Art of Protest : Sip and Spray Workshop
Join us for a night of fun at our smash-hit spray paint and stencil workshops hosted by Art of Protest Projects at Bluebird, in York! You’ll learn how to use the wonderful medium of spray paint combined with stencils in this jam-packed workshop full of techniques that will allow you to create your very own masterpiece!
No experience is required, just lots of creativity and imagination! Our professional instructors will walk you through each step of the creative process, ensuring you’re having fun, being safe, and learning a new skill.
Classes are designed for both young people and adults to enjoy and we guarantee that even our more experienced hands will find plenty to do as they create their unique work of art. - 27/09/2025
18:00:00
DJ Nights
Free
Dusko!
Join us for Dusko — a pilot early-nighter of house music through the decades in a chilled-out café setting. These new nights will bring talented DJs to transport you right back to the old-skool clubbing scene - with classic uplifters, retro anthems and dirty beats. Pop down after work, grab a beer, catch up with mates and - when the music takes over - get yourselves on the dance floor. All with the promise of a full eight-hours of beauty sleep.* *any after-party activity is entirely at your own risk.
-
Riley Catherall
Riley Catherall is a Singer-Songwriter based in Melbourne who has built a credible status as one of the country’s most promising songwriters through his poetic sincerity and alluring live shows.
"The Light, The Beautiful Liar" is Riley Catherall's second full-length record released in mid 2024. Singles "Bark At The Moon" and "Coming Down, Coming Over" flagship this collection of songs about the kind of love that desperately tries to endure the unwelcoming stark light of the morning. Sold out shows across the UK and Scandinavia, as well as appearances at prestigious festivals such as Woodford, Queenscliff and Maverick (UK) provided those who attended an insight into the workings of a prolific songwriter in the sophomore stage of his career.
Riley released his debut full-length album in late 2021: “When I Go” an amalgamation of songs about leaving, losing love, and finding somewhere to settle down. National praise came in spades for singles “Mother Please”, “Vacant Lot” and “Leave Me Out To Dry” – all receiving extensive streams, national airplay and an addition into ABC National's high rotation. Catherall’s writing has also attracted international attention with radio play across Europe and the UK – “A F***ing Virtuoso” Chris Jagger delicately put it after he appeared at the Maverick Americana Festival in Suffolk, UK where he was listed as a festival favourite alongside Lachlan Bryan and The Wildes and Hannah Aldridge.
Those with a keen eye at such festivals will notice Riley on stage playing guitar for the likes of those mentioned above, as well as having accompanied and collaborated with Kasey Chambers, Charm Of Finches, Alan Fletcher, Imogen Clark and Loretta Miller (Clairy Browne & the Bangin' Rackettes).
Riley is back in the UK/EU this year with the band in tow to promote his newest collection of songs: “From a Borrowed Room” - B-sides from his latest full-length album.
Just Amazing! – Carrie Grant, BBC London
One of the standout features of Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Riley Catherall’s debut album is that it is the sound of an artist in consummate control of his craft. - Chris Familton, Post To Wire
His songs are beautifully constructed and immaculately delivered. The find of the festival. – Three Chords and The Truth UK -
UNDER THE INFLUENCE PRESENTS: JODIE NICHOLSON
Jodie Nicholson creates powerfully intimate, achingly human music. Alongside inspirations of Daughter, Lucy Rose, Warpaint, TEED and HÆLOS, Nicholson combines introspective lyricism, brooding piano, subtle electronics and delicate guitars to carve her own sonic identity. Praised for her captivating live performances, Nicholson has graced All Points East, Wilderness, Y Not, Liverpool Sound City, Cambridge Folk Festival, Focus Wales and Live at Leeds - not to mention sharing stages with Emeli Sandé, Bernard Butler, Nerina Pallot, The Howl & The Hum, Luke Sital-Singh, Tom Rosenthal and Siv Jakobsen. Join us to welcome Jodie to our rise@bluebird stage.
- 05/10/2025
15:00-21:00
Family Friendly Activities
Free
BYO Vinyl
The best vinyl collection on the decs - yours! Pop down for a half hour slot and some rather splendid wine and beer. What's not to love!
- 11/10/2025
Doors 7:30pm
Live Music
Joshua Burnell - SOLD OUT
BEST ALBUMS OF THE YEAR - RNR
"A creatively fearless artist... 5/5" - RnR Magazine
"Much of it would fit comfortably in a Peter-Gabriel era Genesis set (though said group never wrote anything as catchy as Don't Lose Your Faith). - The Observer
“His music takes on chameleon dimensions with alt-folk, glam rock, & classical influences – musics of the past which he skilfully brings to the present." - Irish Music Magazine
Joshua Burnell makes retro pop-rock for the modern world. His latest album, Glass Knight - which according to the Financial Times, "plays like a lost out-take from Spiders-From-Mars-era Bowie" - won over a lot of new fans upon its release in 2023. Expect hooky melodies drenched in warm, retro-synth textures, reverbing guitars, lush harmonies and words that make you think. Imagine The War On Drugs meets Genesis with “lashings of Peter Gabriel stylings,” - The Guardian.
Joshua and his band love what they do and it is infectious; they left the stage at Fairport's Cropredy Convention to a standing ovation, and similarly won the hearts of audiences at Towersey, Folkeast, Wickham and Moonbeams festivals last summer. Last year, they took the show on a tour of major UK cities including Glasgow, Cambridge, London, Sheffield, Bristol and Birmingham.Always leaving his fans and critics guessing, Glass Knight has yet again defied expectations: “coloured with glam, psychedelia and 70s folk/pop, Glass Knight is a redefining album in much the same way as Ziggy Stardust" (Folking.com).
Through his intricately crafted lyrics, Joshua creates a multiverse of settings, from apocalyptic love songs to reimagined fairy tales, and introduces otherworldly characters - the Glass Knight being resurrected from an old English folk tale to reflect the foibles of the modern-day world. This one’s for fans of Stranger Things, 70s art rock and everything in between. It is Joshua’s original songwriting, however, that has won the hearts of listeners and industry professionals alike. -
Pottery Power with The Wison Sisters
Have you ever fancied having a go at pottery? Well now is your chance! Join us for a four hour workshop where you will create three ceramic masterpieces including one on the wheel. All welcome, no experience needed, just bring an apron and a sense of humour!
-
Curtis Eller's American Circus
Curtis Eller is a banjo player, songwriter, dancer, and storyteller. The beloved show business veteran started his career at the age of seven as a juggler and acrobat, but has since turned to the banjo because that's where the money is. The iconoclastic troubadour has spent thirty years relentlessly touring the burlesque houses, beer halls, underground theatres, and punk rock dives of North America, Europe, and Australia. His band, Curtis Eller’s American Circus, has developed a devoted international following based on spellbinding stage performances that combine compelling songcraft with silent-film-style physical comedy, and explosive rock & roll energy. This October, Eller will return to the UK for a limited run of club and festival dates, joined by a heavy-hitting, four-piece lineup of The American Circus featuring musicians from both sides of the Atlantic.
-
Blair Dunlop
“The busy crowd… is testament to Dunlop’s talents. Dunlop brings an air of tenacity while displaying a fine repertoire of well-crafted songs spanning traditional and contemporary. He’s determinedly taking the traditions of folk in his own direction” The Independent
Blair Dunlop is an award-winning British singer-songwriter and guitarist, who has released 5 albums, 2 EPs and toured around the globe.
Blair burst onto the scene with his debut album ‘Blight & Blossom’ in 2012, showcasing virtuosic musicianship and lyrical maturity, and was awarded a prestigious BBC Folk Award in the wake of its release. A string of critically acclaimed albums followed, along with headline tours and festival appearances in the UK, Europe, North America and Australia. ‘Gilded’ and ‘Notes from an Island’ were released on his own label and singles ‘The Egoist’ and ‘356’ received national playlist status on BBC Radio 2. Following this, ‘Trails: Queensland’ (2021), Blair’s first live album, documented a tour of rural Australia, playing for isolated communities. From Glastonbury to Tuscany, Queensland to Palestine, Blair has brought his musicality and storytelling to audiences young and old. Album five was released 24th May 2024.
“From the outside, when listening to the music of Blair Dunlop, you get the impression that though he’s something of a natural talent he continues to work hard to progress both his songwriting and musicianship…. you can hear the folk heritage coursing through his veins as well as the originality he brings to the genre.” Songwriting Magazine
“A cult hero whose work is adored by those who come across it”
Clash Music
“An adept guitarist whose epic songwriting instincts prevail on a personal-political fourth album”
MOJO
“Blair Dunlop’s fourth album finds him fully ensconced as a singer-songwriter of maturity and sophistication…
‘Notes From An Island’ really ought to give Blair Dunlop the wider exposure he deserves”
RnR Magazine
“On his fourth full length LP, ‘Notes From An Island’, he develops a more mature sociopolitical undertone to his music…
Blair Dunlop could help bring the genre back to the forefront of the UK music scene.”
Guitarist Magazine -
Edwina Hayes
Doors 7:30pm - Music 8pm
One of the finest female singer/songwriters this country has produced in years. Edwina brings together English folk, Americana and the rich Northern singer/songwriter tradition to create a sound that’s truly her own.
Highly accomplished she’s toured with such notable performers as Jools Holland, Van Morrison, Nanci Griffith and Loudon Wainwright III to name just a few.
Edwina numbers Michael Parkinson and Mike Harding among her fans and the title track of her album Pour Me A Drink was covered by Nanci Griffith who calls her 'the sweetest voice in England'.
Her cover of the Randy Newman song Feels Like Home was featured in the Cameron Diaz film My Sister's Keeper and has since had over twenty million plays on Spotify and over fifty million plays on You Tube.
Edwina's 4th album Ruby Rose was released in 2022.
'The sweetest voice in England. A wonderful young woman, so gifted and full of song.' Nanci Griffith
'Haunting, honeyed, solo songwriter.' The Guardian More events coming soon!