This Week
Didn’t get Glastonbury tickets on Sunday? Console yourself at the rather more affordable, less muddy and long-drop-free Southbank Centre, whose celebration of musical innovation, technology and experimentation, the Ether festival, returns for an 11th year. It kicked off last weekend, with shows by The Brandt Brauer Frick Ensemble and Ghost Poet and Soap&Skin, and there’s plenty going on throughout the week. Highlights include a celebration of John Cage’s centenary led by Darragh Morgan and John Tilbury on Monday. On Tuesday Tyondai Braxton, formerly of Battles, performs Central Market with London Sinfonietta and the following day iamamiwhoami plays for the first time in the UK. Saturday’s a busy day, with John Cale headlining at the Royal Festival Hall and, in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, a bill featuring Mount Kimbie, Raime and Bass Clef.
One of the most talked about bands of the year, Savages, play at Electrowerkz on Wednesday. We’ve loved every show we’ve seen them play – we even gave their gig at Shacklewell Arms in May an almost unheard of four-and-a-half-stars.
If you’re after something a bit gentler and more melodic, Rough Trade have some great instore guests this week, with Tall Ships (Monday) and Philco Fiction (Tuesday) leading the way.
And finally, WHY? bring their blend of hip hop infused college rock to Electric Ballroom on Tuesday. Their new album Mumps, etc is released on Monday, so expect plenty of high-energy new tracks.
Here’s our pick of the best of the rest…
Monday 8 October
Radiohead – O2 Arena
Angus Stone + Luke Sital-Singh – Lexington
Tall Ships – Rough Trade East (free)
Tuesday 9 October
Carolina Chocolate Drops – Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Kyla La Grange – Scala
Why? – Electric Ballroom
Philco Fiction – Rough Trade East (free)
Devon Sproule – Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen
Van She – The Old Blue Last
Wednesday 10 October
Aphex Twin – Barbican
…and you will know us by the trail of the dead – Scala
Theme Park – Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen
Savages – Electrowerkz
Sweet Billy Pilgrim – Upstairs at Garage
Iamamiwhoami – Queen Elizabeth Hall
Thursday 11 October
Marina and The Diamonds – Forum
Lianne Le Havas – Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Micachu and The Shapes – XOYO
Egyptian Hip Hop – Corsica Studios
Friday 12 October
Azeaia Banks – Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Show of Hands – Cecil Sharp House
Two Wounded Birds – Lexington
Saturday 13 October
John Cale – Royal Festival Hall
Seth Lakeman – Cadogan Hall
Mount Kimbie – Queen Elizabeth Hall
Just announced
Kate Nash this week announced two teeny tiny dates in London ahead of the release of her third album. The record’s still under wraps, but her label promise it’s going to “fuse elements of punk, rock and shoegaze to create a distinctive and unique soundscape”. If it’s anything like the last thing we heard from her, Under Estimate The Girl, it’s going to be quite unlike her last two albums. Kate plays at Hackney Picturehouse on 31 October and Shacklewell Arms on 1 November.
Deerhoof will call into the capital while they’re in the country for All Tomorrow’s Parties in December. The band are scheduled to play at the event, curated by The National, and they’ll also play at Garage on 4 December.
Two charity events were announced this week. The first, a fundraiser for Save The Children, sees Lauren Laverne curate an evening of festive-themed music, comedy, poetry and literary readings at Union Chapel on 14 December. Fyfe Dangerfield and Kodaline have already confirmed, with plenty more due to be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets for Mencap’s annual Little Noise Sessions go on sale on 8 October. This year they’re taking place at St John at Hackney church from 20-25 November and the line-up includes Richard Hawley with support from First Aid Kit; The Maccabees and Noah and The Whale with Villagers, Lucy Rose and Daughter. More names will be added over the next few weeks.
Eugene McGuinness will bring his quirky, off-kilter pop to 100 Club on 14 November. Riding on the success of his debut, The Invitation To The Voyage, it’ll be a great setting for the end of his mini-UK tour.
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