Top ten London gigs in February

Justin Timberlake

Having recently announced his appearance at this year's Brit Awards, it was only a matter of time really before JT rocked up for a gig proper. The Memphis-born, former *NSync boy is such a major pop phenomenon now, it's difficult to imagine his entourage will even fit in the tiny remits of The Forum, let alone his humungous fan base. Nonetheless the smart dresser, smooth dancer and falsetto smashing singing star is bringing his new jazzy 'Suit and Tie' image to Kentish Town.

Savages

Fast-rising, post-punk, all-gal quartet – who featured in our recent Ten Best Bands in London list – show off their thrillingly dark clatter, which recalls both The Slits and Siouxsie And The Banshees, at what will be their biggest London headline show to date.

Bloc Party

Kele Okereke's emotional post punk pin-ups finally reconvene after the frontman's solo effort with brand new material taken from their forthcoming, musically confused album, 'Four', which takes in the usual indie disco, as well as hard grunge riffs and a bit of blues.

Example

MC Eliot Gleave – aka Example – goes from strength to staggeringly popular strength, as his straight-to-number-one (third) album, 'Playing in the Shadows' and this headline enormo show attest. Expect a palatable and not too surprising mix of rueful, post-urban rhymes and singalong, bass-heavy anthems with definite pop appeal.

James Chance & Les Contorsions

No-wave maverick and punk's finest saxophonist, James Chance was a key figure in the New York post-punk scene (along with the likes of Konk and Lydia Lunch) and helped usher in the influence of jazz improv.

Toy

Awesome heavy psych-pop dronemeisters play from their self-titled debut album, full of krautrock leanings, yards of long hair and riffs to accompany high-speed motorway escapes.

Simian Mobile Disco Live

Clear your calenders, folks, as this one will be a beast. Acid techno-loving genre-hopping production duo Simian Mobile Disco are known to excel at playing warehouse parties, and Hemlock boss Untold and his dark, progressive dubstep/house twists are also prefect rave fodder, so prep for plenty of prime, grimy shape-throwing in a roadblocked east London sweatbox.

Django Django + Miles Kane + Palma Violets + Peace

Wistful and agreeably dowbeat, groovily leftfield Edinburghers Django Django headline the NME Awards Tour with their self-professed 'boooze, broads and barbershop chords' inspired tunes that suggest a cross between Beck, The Beta Band and Bon Iver.

Post War Years

Derailed electro-pop with jazz and '90s dance edges from Leamington Spa's PWY, who are rising fast – in December 2012 they were (arena!) tour support with alt.folk juggernauts Mumford & Sons. Tonight they play from their excitingly intricate and rapturous second album 'All Eyes'.

Keaton Henson

• Free

Incredibly sad west Londoner, whose debilitating stage fright makes his live appearances incredibly rare, launches his second album. His astonishingly raw and markedly depressing songs about his ex are bound to make you weep openly and embarrassingly.