London Gigs Diary: 28 November – 4 December 2011

Wednesday sees KOKO host a celebration of the 13^th anniversary of indie label Memphis Industries. They have treated us to a selection of excellent releases over the years and this night is headlined by arguably their highest profile act The Go! Team and also features appearances by Field Music, Dutch Uncles and Colourmusic.

Elsewhere, on Thursday M83 plays a small, sold-out show at Heaven in support of current double album Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. Should be pretty amazing to hear tracks like this, at high volume, in such a relatively small venue.

Thursday has more in the way of eye-catching gigs as Panda Bear plays from current album Tomboy at the Electric Ballroom, A Hawk And A Hacksaw perform a live soundtrack to cult art-house film Shadows Of Forgotten Ancestors at the Barbican, Clock Opera appear at Electrowerkz and Cafe OTO is the setting for an evening of lo-fi, leftfield psych-folk courtesy of Sunburned Hand Of The Man, Samara Lubelski and Hush Arbors.

Meanwhile, Sonic Youth man Thurston Moore plays two shows in the capital this week, firstly at Union Chapel on Friday, and secondly at the Electric Ballroom on Saturday (where he will play Psychic Hearts in full). Other highlights include Roll The Dice promoting excellent current album In Dust at Corsica Studios on Wednesday and James Blake appearing at the Forum on the same night.

Also recommended:

Unknown Mortal Orchestra – XOYO – 28^th November

Being There – Shacklewell Arms – 29th November

Peggy Sue – Bush Hall – 29^th November

Outfit - Cargo – 29th November 

Puressence – Bush Hall – 30^th November

Lisa Hannigan – Shepherd's Bush Empire – 30th November

Halls - Corsica Studios – 1st December

The Memory Band – Vortex – 1^st December

Jad Fair – Lexington – 1^st December

The Unthanks – St James Church, Piccadilly – 2^nd December

Ritchie Hawtin / Plastikman – Brixton Academy – 2^nd December

Little Dragon – Shepherd’s Bush Empire – 4^th December

Just announced:

Hundreds – Borderline – 13^th December

Lanterns On The Lake – Cargo 12^th January

Jonathan Wilson – Scala – 31^st January

Jonathan Richman – Bush Hall – 29^th February

Jonathan Richman – Tabernacle – 1^st March

Jonathan Richman – Union Chapel – 2^nd March

Sharon Van Etten – Cargo – 1^st March

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Scala – 8^th March

Inspiral Carpets – KOKO – 16^th March

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band – Hyde Park – 14^th July