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Feel the awesome power of live music in 2017, with this month-by-month guide to loads of great gigs in London – all available via www.livenation.co.uk
GREAT GIGS IN MARCH
The hottest gig in March is...
MUNA
MUNA are white-hot right now. Signed to the same label as Haim and Chvrches, the trio have garnered global buzz for some of the smartest and most emphatic pop heard in years. And that’s before you factor in their incendiary, Trump-baiting performance on Jimmy Kimmel’s show in February.
Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen. Mar 28 and 30.
Other ace gigs in March...
Yussef Kamaal
Switched-on hotbox jazz with cracking D&B snares and discordant synths from this excellent London duo (who also play Koko on May 4).
Islington Assembly Hall. Mar 23.
Kojo Funds
Afrobeat talent behind massive 2016 hit ‘Dun Talkin’ continues to lead the British Ghanian wave.
XOYO. Mar 25.
Goldfrapp
Accomplished glam-funk synthpop duo return bolstered by eccentric outfits and lavish staging.
Roundhouse. Mar 27.
Ibibio Sound Machine
Hot Nigerian disco meets contemporary storytelling delivered by frontwoman Eno Williams in Nigerian dialect Ibibio.
Jazz Cafe. Mar 30.
As Lions
Boston Music Room. Mar 22.
Joshua Radin
Islington Assembly Hall. Mar 22.
Suicide Silence
Koko. Mar 24.
Soulection
Roundhouse. Mar 25.
Blackberry Smoke
Roundhouse. Mar 28.
Doc Brown
XOYO. Mar 28.
Sweat
Corsica Studios. Mar 30.
GREAT GIGS IN APRIL
Getty Images
The hottest gig in April is...
Bruno Mars
Who would have guessed back in 2010, when Mr Mars was delicately telling us we were amazing (just the way we are), that he’d end up kissing himself because he was so damn pretty. ‘Uptown Funk’ turned the cherubic Hawaiian from a global megastar into a cool-ass global megastar, and his big, brassy live shows reflect this gleeful shift.
The O2. Apr 18, 19, 21 and 22.
Other ace gigs in April...
L.A. Salami
Enigmatic troubadour from Peckham who weds ’60s-influenced folk guitar lines with knotty lyrics.
Moth Club. Apr 6.
Stefflon Don
Playful and ballsy rapper whose live show is electric thanks to superior freestyling, delivered with a delicious snarl.
Tape London. Apr 6.
Anderson .Paak
Heart-scrunching, soul-scorching hip hop from the ‘Malibu’ singer, rapper and producer, playing ahead of a new album with backing band The Free Nationals.
O2 Forum Kentish Town. Apr 16.
Nadia Rose
Exciting and slick-spitting Croydon rapper tours her new EP ‘Highly Flammable’. She has definitely stepped out from the shadow of her cousin Stormzy.
Village Underground. Apr 20.
earthlings?
Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen. Apr 1.
Ella Eyre
Koko. Tue 4.
Tingsek
Jazz Cafe. Apr 7.
Jordan Rakei
Koko. Apr 11.
Dua Lipa
O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Apr 13.
Isaiah Rashad
Koko. Apr 23.
HER
The Borderline. Apr 26.
Gutterdämmerung
Palladium. Apr 27.
Kasabian
O2 Forum. Apr 18-20.
GREAT GIGS IN MAY
The hottest gig in May is...
Ariana Grande
The ponytail-toting R&B star is a non-stop, multi-octave, perfect-pitch machine – pulling out ridiculously catchy, erotic-pop tracks and bubblegum vids with ease. She’s spoilt for choice live, with a vast back catalogue that includes an impressive 29 singles. Saying that, Grande is bound to play the brilliant, and frankly downright smutty, track of 2016: ‘Side to Side’.
The O2. May 25 and 26.
Other ace gigs in May...
John Mayer
A melting pot of blues and rock influences pours into American charmer Mayer and his breezy back catalogue.
The O2. May 11 and 12.
Sigrid
Powerful pop from the young Norwegian breakout star who has the natty skill to translate teen angst into cast-iron bangers.
Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen. May 17.
BadBadNotGood
Ace Canadian jazz trio – who ladle in flavours of hip hop and have worked with Snoop, Danny Brown and Earl Sweatshirt – play their biggest London show yet.
O2 Forum Kentish Town. May 31.
Jamie Lenman
Scala. May 2.
Little Hurricane
The Borderline. May 2.
Cosima
CLF Theatre. May 3.
Deftones
Alexandra Palace. May 5.
Marianas Trench
Koko. May 12.
Sevdaliza
Omeara. May 12.
Gavin DeGraw
O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire. May 20.
San Fermin
Village Underground. May 22.
Astrid S
Scala. May 23.
Colter Wall
Servant Jazz Quarters. May 23.
Whiskey Myers
Electric Ballroom. Thu 25.
THEY
XOYO. Thu 25.
Chronixx & Zinc Fence Redemption
O2 Academy Brixton. Sun 28.
GREAT GIGS IN JUNE
The hottest gig in June is...
Zara Larsson
Talented and outspoken teen Zara Larsson has a brilliantly fearless approach to her music and public image. Breakout single ‘Lush Life’, R&B-tinged sweet vocals and some well-chosen collaborations with MNEK, Tinie Tempah and Ty Dolla Sign all signalled her path to international stardom.
O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Jun 7.
Other ace gigs in June...
Depeche Mode
The electro-rock titans are still creating chunky and joyously intense synth anthems. Expect new album ‘Spirit’ to shine.
London Stadium. Jun 3.
Idina Menzel
‘Frozen’ fans: Menzel was a bonafide Broadway star before ‘Let It Go’. Expect superb renditions of classics and more.
Royal Albert Hall. Jun 15.
Guns N’ Roses
Slash, Axl and Duff reunite onstage after 20 years apart to play classics like ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’ and ‘November Rain’.
London Stadium. Jun 16 and 17.
Robbie Williams
Take a Brit icon, add a huge amount of pizzazz and a locker full of hits. Voilá–Robbie’s Heavy Entertainment Show Tour!
London Stadium. Jun 23.
Eddie Vedder
Eventim Apollo. Jun 6-7.
Vintage Trouble
O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Jun 8.
Phil Collins
Royal Albert Hall. Jun 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9.
Snakehips
O2 Forum Kentish Town. Jun 2.
DAM
Kamio. Jun 20.
A Tribe Called Red
Oslo. Jun 22.
Jeff Lynne’s ELO
Wembley Stadium. Jun 24.
Kabaka Pyramid
Electric Brixton. Jun 28.
GREAT GIGS IN JULY
Getty Images
The hottest gig in July is...
U2
U2’s 1987 album ‘The Joshua Tree’ is an undeniable triumph of confident, effusive and cinematic rock. Bono and the boys are playing the entire record in full to mark its 30th anniversary. In a glittering career, it’s ‘The Joshua Tree’ that remains a brilliant statement worthy of its place on so many ‘best album ever’ lists. Pack a lighter and hold it high at the beginning of the iconic red-lit ‘Streets’.
Twickenham Stadium. Jul 8 and 9.
Other ace gigs in July...
Alexander O’Neal
One of the grittiest voices in R&B history takes it to Greenwich Music Time Festival. The Jacksons (Jul 6) and Little Mix (Jul 7) are on too.
Old Royal Navy College. Jul 4.
Wireless
US stars The Weeknd and Chance The Rapper headline but the bill is also stacked with homegrown grime talent like Skepta.
Finsbury Park. Jul 7-9.
Lovebox
Frank Ocean, Solange, Chase and Status, Jamie xx and Sampha lead two killer days.
Victoria Park. Jul 14 and 15.
Community Festival
Finsbury Park. Jul 1.
Citadel
Victoria Park. Jul 16.
AFROPUNK
The Printworks. Jul 22 and 23.
Jeremy Loops
Electric Brixton. Jul 1.
Summer Series at Somerset House
Somerset House. Jul 6-16.
GREAT GIGS IN AUGUST
Marc de Groot
The hottest gig in August is...
V Festival
Jay Z and Pink are the headliners for this year’s edition of the Chelmsford pop fest. Rumours are that Jay Z will bring new material to wow the crowd alongside two decades’ worth of hits. The varied bill includes comeback king Craig David, returning songbird George Ezra and man of the moment Stormzy. Forget boutique affairs and opt for a supersized party atmosphere.
Hylands Park. Aug 19 and 20.
Other ace gigs in August...
Wilderness
Disco polymath Grace Jones joins Bonobo and Two Door Cinema Club as headliners.
Cornbury Park. Aug 3-6.
Bros
The ’80s heartthrobs are back, possibly without the head-to-toe distressed denim.
The O2. Aug 19 and 20.
Reading Festival
Kasabian, Muse and Eminem lead the way for a weekend of pure, undiluted, mud-slopping bank holiday mayhem.
Richfield Avenue. Aug 25-27.
GREAT GIGS IN SEPTEMBER
Cat Stevens
The hottest gig in September is...
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
The dark and brooding Bad Seeds have now reached the venerated level of being musical magicians yet remain totally accessible, thanks to Nick Cave’s utterly unadorned approach to songwriting. Sometimes the result is sloppy and electric, other times tender and near-celestial. Recent shows have danced joyously across their 30-year catalogue. à The O2. Sep 30.
Other ace gigs in September...
Interpol
Influential New York post-punk band play ‘Turn on the Bright Lights’ in its entirety.
Alexandra Palace. Sep 1.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Thirteen years in, Alec Ounsworth’s soul-searching indie gang continue to go strong.
Village Underground. Sep 19.
Vulfpeck
Fun-filled and funky as hell, this Michigan four-piece have impressive chops.
O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Sep 23 and 24.
Tom Grennan
A 2017 breakthrough singer who first broke through by singing on Chase & Status’ ‘When It All Goes Wrong’.
Koko. Sep 27.
GREAT GIGS IN OCTOBER
The hottest gig in October is...
Lady Gaga
Whether she’s dripping in meat or chainmail or dressed scruffily as alter-ego Jo Calderone, Lady Gaga always delivers a vocal and visual extravaganza. She’s never been an artist afraid of excess and, due to her extraordinary talent, will no doubt spring between the fizzing electro-pop of her early hits ‘Bad Romance’ and ‘Poker Face’ while also revelling in those more sparse ballads from recent album ‘Joanne’.
The O2. Oct 9 and 11.
Other ace gigs in October...
J. Cole
The rhyme idol born Jermaine Lamarr Cole has really stepped into the big leagues with his last album, ‘4 Your Eyez Only’. Expect hugeness from his new, arena-crushing live show.
The O2. Oct 15 and 16.
Emeli Sandé
After cementing herself as a national treasure with her performances at the 2012 Olympics, Sandé’s ability to connect emotionally with a huge crowd is at a total peak right now.
The O2. Oct 18.
Metallica
The metal icons are returning to London for a pair of O2 shows to promote new record ‘Hardwired... to Self-Destruct’. Expect Satan fingers and to be deafened by 20k moshers.
The O2. Oct 22 and 24.
BluesFest
Annual coming together of of blues and soul-inspired big hitters.
Various venues. Oct 27-29
Lady Antebellum
The O2. Oct 10.
Neil Diamond
The O2. Oct 17 and 19.
GREAT GIGS IN NOVEMBER & DECEMBER
Ville Juurikkala
The hottest gig in November & December is...
HIM
Goth rock has an unfair reputation as being po-faced but Helsinki band HIM have always played with their image, amping up the axe-wielding and sending up classic metal tropes. Sadly, they’re hanging up their eyeliner after 24 years via this farewell tour. Thankfully, Ville Valo has retained his quavering, vocals and the band still RAWK.
Roundhouse. Dec 17 and 19.
Other ace gigs in November & December...
Delain
Swooping Dutch symphonic metallers bring their melodic crunch to Camden. They’ll be joined by Marco Hietala from Nightwish.
Koko. Nov 1.
Thomas Rhett
Lilting country strummer with a back catalogue that’s sunnier than a summer’s day in Hawaii.
Roundhouse. Nov 10.
Michael Ball & Alfie Boe
We’re not sure what cosmic force brought tenors Ball and Boe together. But the pair’s vocal bromance has translated into a number 1 album and huge shows in 2017.
The O2. Dec 14.
Book tickets and find more details for these and countless other great gigs at www.livenation.co.uk.
