Somerset House Summer Series gigs
Sunshine, live music and a beautiful setting: yes, Somerset House's summer time gigs are back
There's no secret to the success of Somerset House's annual gig series. Londoners love the venue for offering all the outdoor hooting and howling of a festival stage that's right in the centre of the capital, whilst artists enjoy playing to a captivated audience in a grand eighteenth-century courtyard, romantically close to the Thames. The line-up is always great – Amy Winehouse, M83, Adele, Bloc Party and Grace Jones have all graced the Summer Series stage – and this year isn't a break from that tradition. Here's the programme in full. Book tickets quickly (tickets go on sale Fri Mar 15 at 9am), as most of these shows are guaranteed to sell out.
Somerset House Summer Sessions 2013: who's playing?
Alex Clare
For the first Summer Series gig of 2013, singer-songwriter Alex Clare plays his dubstep-influenced soul.
- Somerset House
- Thu Jul 11 - Sun Jul 21
Band Of Horses
The second gig in the Summer Series is headlined by Band Of Horses, whose huge choruses and epic Americana, led by Ben Bridwell's heartfelt vocals, should bring something of the open road and the Carolina backwoods to Somerset House.
- Somerset House
- Thu Jul 11 - Sun Jul 21
Lianne La Havas
South London singer-songwriter La Havas's headlines the third night of the Summer Series, playing from her Mercury-nominated debut album 'Is Your Live Big Enough?'. She's got a gorgeous soulful voice and a set of heart-tugging, jazz-hearted songs that should fill up the Somerset House courtyard.
- Somerset House
- Thu Jul 11 - Sun Jul 21
Richard Hawley
Sheffield's surliest balladeer croons, darkly, from his latest album 'Standing at the Sky's Edge' – an awesome, Mercury-nominated mash-up of blues and psychedelic rock that'll have Mark Lanegan fans salivating. His sharp onstage banter is an entertaining bonus.
- Somerset House
- Thu Jul 11 - Sun Jul 21
First Aid Kit
One of our highlights of the Summer Series is this Swedish sister act, who headline the fifth night of the festival. First Aid Kit are capable of taming even the wildest night with their piercingly pretty country-tinged folk, so on a balmy July (fingers crossed) they should be spectacular.
- Somerset House
- Thu Jul 11 - Sun Jul 21
Of Monsters And Men
This Icelandic group erupted in 2012, showering their potent Mumfords-meet-Arcade Fire folk-pop all over the world’s airwaves. It’s not hard to see why: what with all the galloping drums, massive-sounding acoustic guitars, accordions, ‘hey!’s and bouncy brass, OMAM make music for mega-festivals under the Northern Lights. But Somerset House will do very, very nicely for now. Expect this to sell out in a flash.
- Somerset House
- Thu Jul 11 - Sun Jul 21
Tom Odell
Mr Odell's been getting a lot of love – longlisted for the BBC's Sound of 2013 poll, winner of the Critics' Choice award at the Brits – and it's easy to see why: this 22-year-old Chichester singer-songwriter delivers a delicate, yet impassioned, piano-led indie-folk that will, undoubtedly, be absolutely huge once he releases his debut album in April.
- Somerset House
- Thu Jul 11 - Sun Jul 21
Jessie Ware
On the eighth night of the Summer Series, British R&B figurehead Jessie Ware takes to the Somerset House courtyard's stage with her extraordinary vocals and supremely classy, late-night soul vibes. Among the series's stellar line-up, this is one to get particularly excited about.
- Somerset House
- Thu Jul 11 - Sun Jul 21
Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros
Classic Americana meets neoclassical architecture on the ninth night of the Summer Series, when Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros come to town. They're musical soulmates of Mumford And Sons, with a shared penchant for big, country-fried folk anthems – except the Magnetic Zeros are actually, y'know, American.
- Somerset House
- Thu Jul 11 - Sun Jul 21
Goldfrapp
Fourteen years into their career, Goldfrapp haven't stopped pushing envelopes. Their sixth album will be debuted at the Manchester International Festival four days before they headline the penultimate night of the Summer Series, so they should have plenty of new material to play alongside the glam-funk synthpop and drifting ballads of their first five records. It'll be perfect for a summer night – let's just hope the weather holds, otherwise Alison Goldfrapp's on-stage costumes might not work so well.
- Somerset House
- Thu Jul 11 - Sun Jul 21
Basement Jaxx
For the final night of the Summer series, classic Brixton dance crew Basement Jaxx will have noughties ravers re-checking where their heads are at. They'll also be previewing some new material. A great end to a great 11 days of music.
- Somerset House
- Sun Jul 21
