Mike Cunningham
About this event
Experience an unforgettable evening with Mike Cunningham, a classically trained percussionist and composer who brings a truly unique energy to live performance. Hailing from Shipley and trained at prestigious institutions including Leeds Conservatoire and Chetham's School of Music, Mike combines military and show-style drumming influences with cutting-edge visual elements. His signature roaming LED bongos and LED snare drum, paired with his remarkable ability to work three drumsticks simultaneously, create a performance style unlike any other in the UK. Mike's career has taken him across the globe, performing alongside DJs, bands and fellow musicians whilst entertaining audiences for major clients including Amazon, Revolution bars and The Alchemist. Most impressively, he commanded the stage as half-time entertainment at Headingley Stadium in 2021, captivating over 16,000 spectators with his solo performance. Now he brings his innovative multi-percussion setup and electric stage presence to Turtle Bay Leeds. Join us at Turtle Bay Leeds on The Headrow for a night of stunning musicianship and visual spectacle that showcases why Mike Cunningham stands out amongst the UK's most dynamic live performers.
More Information
Mike Cunningham is a classically trained percussionist and composer, and an alumni of both Leeds Conservatoire and Chetham’s School of Music where he gained the majority of his training. His performance style is unlike any other percussionist in the UK and Mike takes influence from both the military and show-style drumming backgrounds with a set of roaming LED bongos and LED snare drum. He has the ability to use 3 drumsticks at once and has recently incorporated a full multi-percussion setup into his live shows, which is now the main visual element of the performances. His professional career has led him to performing with DJ’s, bands and other musicians around the UK, as well as abroad and has included performing for clients such as L’Oréal Paris, Amazon, Double Tree by Hilton, The Alchemist, Revolution bars and Debenhams. Most notably, Mike was the half-time show entertainment for a Rugby League match at Headingley Stadium in 2021 - performing solo to a crowd of over 16,000 people. Whilst at Leeds Conservatoire, he was invited to join 80’s pop music icon Marc Almond on his UK tour in 2016 as part of a collaboration to celebrate 50 years of the conservatoire and included performing in Leeds Town Hall and the Royal Festival Hall to crowds of around 3000 people. As well as this, he also toured with the conservatoire’s Camerata for performances in Germany, Amsterdam and Belgium as an orchestral percussionist.
