Matthew C Whitaker

Best known as the frontman of cosmic prog-rave favourites HENGE, Matthew C. Whitaker steps away from the intergalactic spectacle for a rare and intimate solo performance.

A Manchester-based musician, composer and classically trained guitarist, Whitaker’s solo work reveals a strikingly different side to the artist behind one of the UK’s most brilliantly eccentric live bands. Where HENGE deal in maximalist psychedelia, electronics and sci-fi theatre, his own music is hushed, melodic and beautifully intricate, drawing together fingerpicked classical guitar, dreamy folk, jazz-inflected arrangements and subtle electronics.

His latest album, Songs for the Weary, arrived in February 2026, marking his first solo record in a decade. Across eight delicately crafted pieces, Whitaker creates a warm, cinematic world of intricate harmonies, gentle vocals and rich orchestration. The record has quickly attracted support from BBC Radio 6 Music, with tracks championed by Mark Radcliffe & Stuart Maconie, Craig Charles and Deb Grant.

Following a run of acclaimed UK and European dates earlier in the year, Whitaker returns to the road this autumn with the music stripped back even further, taking to the stage completely solo.

An opportunity to experience the man behind HENGE in an entirely different setting: up close, understated and built for attentive listening.