Formed in 2017 to give Dan O’Farrell’s songs of poetry, politics, Shakespeare and, erm, traffic-lights some extra light and shade, The Difference Engine have grown from the core trio of Dan (guitar and vocals), Rick Foot (double-bass) and Chris Walsh (drums) to include Rufus Grig on keyboards and Matt Allwright on pedal-steel and guitar. After supporting such luminaries as Wreckless Eric, The Levellers and Robyn Hitchcock, and festival appearances at Victorious, IOW, Wickham and Bestival, they released their fourth album – ‘The Fish That Learned To Drown’ in January 2026.

Described by NME’s Amrik Rai as ‘erudite, morose and challenging’, the band pride themselves on having something to say and increasingly varied ways of saying it, but lyrically and musically. Often working hard to avoid categorisation they will, if pushed, grudgingly accept that they are ‘sort of alt-folky, with an indie-rock edge and a soupcon of country…’ with support by the wonderful Owl and Wolves  and our great selection at the bar,it's a night not to be missed.