Name: The Exu
Start: 2026-04-29T20:00:00+01:00
Location: The Lescar, 303 Sharrow Vale Rd, S11 8ZF Sheffield, United Kingdom

A brilliant genre-bending trio from the vibrant Leeds music scene, bringing in-the-moment creativity and infectious hooks, and edgy pulsating rhythms, played by Dave Kane (bass), Roller Trio’s James Mainwaring (sax) - from Mercury Prize and MOBO-nominated Roller Trio, and Emil Karlsen (drums).
The Exu’s improvised music is layered, intense, creative & beautiful, and thought provoking, mixing influences from the worlds of free jazz, grunge, death metal, hip hop, bebop, & experimental music.
With music composed by Dave Kane & James Mainwaring, Norwegian drummer Emil Karlsen brings versatile, intricate textures and groove, alongside James Mainwaring’s saxophone, which veers from the fiery to the sensitive and playful, while double bassist Dave Kane ignites each performance with a cathartic, heartfelt energy. It’s concise and attention grabbing music.
TICKETS: £10 or £7 for students.
Pay on the door, or alternatively get advance tickets by emailing [email protected] or messaging us here.
Doors 8pm, music 8.30pm.
Here they are performing at Marsden Jazz Festival:

Saxophonist and bandleader James Mainwaring has recorded and toured with Mercury Prize-nominated Roller Trio, Tipping Point, Mycorrhiza. As a sideman, he has also recorded and toured internationally with John Law, Indie Rock band Django Django, and Nduduzo Makhathini.
Double bassist Dave Kane has played with Evan Parker, Keith Tippett, Paul Dunmall, Elton Dean, Tony Levin, Mark Sanders, Alex Maguire and Paul Rogers. A founder member of the Leeds Improvised Music Association (LIMA), he has also released albums with his Rabbit Project and the internationally acclaimed trio Bourne/Davis/Kane.
Emil Karlsen is a Norwegian improvising drummer who works with Philipp Wachsmann, Matthew Bourne, Phil Durrant, Ed Jones, and the London Improvisers Orchestra.
If you came to the last Lescar gig by The Exu or any of the previous gigs at The Lescar by members of this trio, including with John Law, Mycorrhiza, or perhaps Roller Trio, or Yana, the brilliant trio of Corey Mwamba, Dave Kane and Joshua Blackmore, you’ll know why we’re truly excited to welcome back this energising and creative trio to The Lescar. A really unmissable gig.