The Playhouse

Penrith, CA11 7JG

5th Jan

At 7:00pm

£5 on the door

£1 off if you play

Open Mic

1-2 songs each

Open Mic Info

If you fancy playing the open mic session at Plug 'n' Play make sure to turn up early to reserve a slot. You will also receive a £1 off the door price if you play.

Doors will open at 7:00pm, and its £5 on the door.

About Melanie Baker

Information

Find out more

Indie-folk artist Melanie Baker isn’t afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve. Her heartfelt and direct lyricism capture themes such as falling in and out of love, self-reflection and the anxieties of modern life. With emotive lyrics and catchy melodies, the singer-songwriter wins the hearts of the crowds during her intimate live shows as well as her online fanbase; organically amassing half a million streams on Spotify alone.

After spending time in Nashville in 2018, honing her songwriting craft with artist mentor Judy Stakee (Katy Perry, Sheryl Crow, Joy Williams) ; Baker returned home and released her debut EP ‘Dreamer’. Since then she has been playing shows up and down the UK - she has supported the likes of dodie, Tessa Violet and Maisie Peters; played renowned festivals such as Kendal Calling and Solfest and when she’s not on a stage, she's busking on the streets.

Successfully crowdfunding to create her second collection of songs, Baker set to work on her new record earlier this year. The first single from the crowdfunded EP 'Broken' is soon to be released; the simple beauty of the song could stop anybody in their tracks. Broken, set to be released on the 25th November, will surely be the start of something special.

After playing solo for the last five years, Melanie Baker has finally put together a band to back her on stage made up of Josh Jackson (drums/backing vocals), Jamie Johnson (guitar), Robin Howson (bass) and of course Melanie leading with her emotive songwriting and catchy melodies. With delicate arrangements and beautiful harmonies - Melanie Baker and the band will be putting on a show like never before. It will be Melanie’s last gig in Cumbria before she heads out to Australia so it’s not to be missed!

About Plug 'n' Play

Plug 'n' Play is run by local people, for local people.

About ten years ago, Phil Caton recognised that there was a need for a venue in Penrith where musicians and singers could perform live in front of an audience. Over the years, the format changed slightly and we started to invite professional artists to headline the night, with a Plug 'N' Play slot at the start of the evening. We have seen some amazing performances from international stars like Tommy Emmanuel, John Renbourne, Kieran Halpin, Bob Brozman, Martin Stephenson, Kristina Olsen and the late Isaac Guillory.

Many local people have made their stage debut here and several have formed bands with other performers they have met at the sessions. We have heard every genre of music played at Plug 'N' Play – rock, blues, folk, jazz, heavy metal, jug band, appalachian – and we’ve even had poetry recitations.

If you have any names of performers you would like to put forward for future sessions, please speak to any of the team or post it to the website / facebook group and we’ll consider it when we meet to discuss the programme.

Thanks to Penrith Players for their continued support in helping us to keep Plug 'N' Play afloat.  They also supply the bar staff, who all work voluntarily, which is much appreciated.

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Each month we will send you a reminder about the next Plug 'n' Play so you never miss the next event, these are normally emailed 1 to 2 weeks before the event. If you'd like to unsubscribe you can do so on this page.

The Team

Meet the volunteering who help make Plug 'n' Play happen.

Speaker 2

Tom Corda-Stanley

Speaker 2

Chris Archer

Speaker 2

Clare Morris

F.A.Q

Can't find the answer your looking for? Then please email us.

  • Do You Want To Take The Stage At Plug 'n' Play?

    All the sound equipment is set up before the session so that singers and musicians can, literally, just plug in and play. Soundman Tom Corda-Stanley and Chris Archer will be on hand to ensure that the equipment runs smoothly. New performers are always welcome and you can be assured of awarm response from the audience who have supported Plug 'n' Play over the years. If you do want to perform, just make contact with any of the team at the start of the evening or call Jackie Knox on 01768 867845

  • What Equipment is Ready Set Up?

    2x SM58 Dynamic Microphones, 2x SM57 Dynamic Microphones 2x DI Boxes, Soundcraft MPMi 12 Multi Purpose Mixer, Alesis Rever Unit, Behringer FBQ3102 Graphic Equalizer and 1 RCA Stage Monitor.

    On Request Equipment - Please contact us before you come if you would like to use any of the equipment below.

    2x Further DI Boxes, 4x Further SM58 Dynamic Microphones, Roland Electric Piano and Standard Drum Kit