Matt Berry & the Maypoles at Manchester Academy

Most people will know Matt Berry from his comedy work, in shows such as The Mighty Boosh, The IT Crowd, and Toast. However, perhaps not everyone will be aware that alongside his TV work, he also has a music career, releasing four cult albums over the past decade. Following the release of this year’s record ‘Opium’, he is embarking on a tour which bring him to the Club Academy in early December. Berry’s music is a mix of folk, prog rock, and psychedelia, with the occasional forays into electronica. It’s not always played for laughs; more often he writes affectionate homages to the artists he loved in his youth. On the tour, he will be backed by six-piece band The Maypoles, which features Bluetones singer Mark Morris and folk artist Cecilia Fage. Fans should expect songs both new and old and a few surprises mixed in.

Wed 2 Dec, Club Academy, Manchester, M14 4PX. Tel: 0161 232 1639. 7pm, £19.25, www.manchesteracademy.net