This week
It’s a chocka week for live music in the capital, with Wednesday looking particularly tempting. It sees Field Music call in at Electric Ballroom, where they’ll be playing tracks from the Mercury-nominated Plumb, as well as their new covers album, Field Music Play…, which sees the Brewis brothers reinterpret tracks by Roxy Music, Pet Shop Boys, John Cale and Syd Barrett, amongst others.
Also on Wednesday, This Many Boyfriends officially launch their long-awaited self-titled indiepop debut at Lexington, while Dirty Projectors play at Electrowerkz.
On Monday, Mike Skinner’s post-Streets efforts get an airing at XOYO. He’s teamed up with former The Music frontman Rob Harvey to form the d.o.t. and while it might sound a bit familiar, their first single, You Never Asked (with vocals from Clare Maguire and Danny Brown) is a welcome return to form.
Erased Tapes celebrates its fifth anniversary with a night at Hackney Empire on Thursday, as part of a short European tour. The London/Berlin based label, which fuses classical and contemporary music, will be marking the occasion with a show featuring three of its biggest artists – Nils Frahm, Ólafur Arnalds and A Winged Victory For The Sullen.
Hackney Empire also hosts Squarepusher, on Saturday. An electro pioneer since 1994, his latest project, Ufabulum, is an album generated purely from digital programming.He’ll be recreating the record with what we’re promised will be his largest ever light show, in a pretty special setting.
Here’s our pick of the best of the rest…
Monday 15 October
the d.o.t. – XOYO
Johnny Hallyday – Royal Albert Hall
Nada Surf – Scala
Tuesday 16 October
Liars – Scala
Shonen Knife – Cargo
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart // Echo Lake – Dingwalls
Fear of Men – The Old Blue Last
Wednesday 17 October
The Gaslight Anthem // Blood Red Shoes – Brixton Academy
Field Music – Electric Ballroom
This Many Boyfriends // Evans the Death – Lexington
Dirty Projectors // Callers – Electrowerkz
Nadine Shah – Victoria, Dalston
Thursday 18 October
Erased Tapes Anniversary Tour – Hackney Empire
King Krule – Electrowerkz
Rachel Zeffira – St Andrew’s Church
MyTigerMyTiming – Shacklewell Arms
Portico Quartet – Roundhouse
Friday 19 October
Hot Chip // Django Django – Brixton Academy
Gallows – Underworld
Courtney Pine – Islington Assembly Hall
We Were Promised Jetpacks – Dingwalls
Saturday 20 October
The Cribs // Edwyn Collins // Mazes – Forum
Chilly Gonzalez – Barbican
GREATWAVES – Seabright Arms
Teengirl Fantasty and PY – Birthdays
Squarepusher – Hackney Empire
Sunday 21 October
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Just announced
Another band have announced they’ll be fitting in a London show while they’re over here for The National’s All Tomorrow’s Parties in December. This week Mission Of Burma confirmed they’ll be playing at Birthdays, in Dalston, on 6 December.
Night Works – aka Gabriel Stebbing, formerly of Metronomy and Your Twenties – will debut his live show, The Eveningtime, at Sebright Arms on 31 October. New single Modern
European, released on 12 November, recalls his past incarnations with a nostalgic pop wash – expect this and more at the free show.
Walk The Moon released their debut album last week but the Ohio band have already announced a UK tour. They’ll play at Scala on 27 February.
The 2013 festival season might feel a long way off but the folks at Primavera are keen to remind us of sunnier climes; they’ve confirmed Blur will play at the festival in Porto and Barcelona in May. If you can’t wait that long for your fix of music by the seaside, The Big Reunion has announced the acts to top the bill at Butlins in Skegness this November. Sub Focus, Katy B, Pigeon Detectives, Lethal Bizzle, Sway, Judge Jules and DJ Fresh are lined up to play over two weekends.
