London

The Zombies return

The Zombies
October 26, Boom Boom Club
This is a performance from beyond the grave, almost. Formed in the swinging ‘60s, the Zombies had a clutch of hits but never quite scaled the dizzy heights of pop superstardom. These days their hits are instantly recognisable - ‘She’s Not There’ anyone? - but they remain thought of as one of the most underrated bands in rock history. Now they’re back on tour, minus one deceased band member, but still swinging. See them before it’s too late!
Sutton United FC, Borough Sports Ground, Gander Green Lane, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 2EY (01784 46 00 94/www.boomboomlive.co.uk). West Sutton rail. £15 advance/£17 door.

Bat for Lashes
October 28, Koko
Ok, so this gig is not strictly on the Halloween theme but not only does Natasha Khan look like a hippiefied white witch, her haunting tones send the prerequisite showers of shivers up spines. With a Mercury nomination already notched up and big-ups from the likes of Rob da Bank and Bjork, she looks set to be a supernatural success.
1a Camden High Street, London, NW1 7JE (0870 4325 527/www.batforlashes.co.uk). Mornington Crescent tube. 7pm. £15.50.
Feature continues

Cult mayhem with Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster

Eighties Matchbox B-line Disaster
October 31, 229
Freak out to the sounds of everyone’s favourite kohl-covered rockabilly punks, who are
busy plugging their long-awaited EP ‘In the Garden’. This Fright Night fiesta promises
something quite special, with two rooms of darkside sounds and a band famed for their
ironic rock-as-it-should-be-done stage shows. Expect crowd-surfing, costumes and
general musical mayhem.
229 Great Portland St, London, W1W 5PN (020 7631 8305/www.ish.org.uk). Great Portland
Street tube. 7pm. £12 advance.

Electric Assembly and the Silver Springs
October 31, The Good Ship
Any band formed on Halloween is going to be slightly strange. Electric Assembly take to the stage this All Hallows Eve to celebrate three eventful years in the biz. The release of their debut EP ‘Eyes on the Wall’ in March propelled these shoegazers out of pub backrooms and into, well, larger pub backrooms. Think woozy guitars, hypnotic drumming, swirling melodies and thoughtful vocals. Silver Springs provide solid indie boy support.
289 Kilburn High Road, NW6 7JR (020 7372 2544 /www.thegoodship.co.uk). Kilburn tube/rail. 8pm. £5 entry/ £3.

Black Lips rock out at Release The Bats

Release The Bats
November 2, The Forum
ATP can do no wrong. This might sound like high praise, but read on and you might just see where we’re coming from. Far from being a cynical attempt to cash in on the Halloween bandwagon, this live extravaganza showcases some of their finest leftfield sounds with sets from The Liars, Deerhoof, garage rockers The Black Lips, newbies Fuck Buttons and DJ sets from DJ Fra (Ferenc/Kompakt) and ATP DJs. This year’s fancy dress challenge is to create a costume linked to one of the bands with a tasty prize of tickets to either of their fabulous musical weekends. Time to throw that wizard’s hat in the bin.
9-11 Highgate Road, London, NW5 (0207 344 0044/ www.kentishtownforum.com). Kentish Town tube. 7pm-2am, £17.50.