The rise of album-gigs has been one of the most noticeable developments in live music in recent years, as everyone from Lou Reed to Primal Scream and Spiritualised has zoned in on their fans' favourites in a bid to exploit nostalgia. This week, Suede are taking things two steps further and spreading their bets by devoting three nights at the Brixton Academy to their first three albums.
Their eponymous and Mercury Music Prize winning debut (featuring Animal Nitrate and The Drowners) will be played in its entirety on 19 May, before Dog Man Star (featuring The Wild Ones) gets a run-through on 20 May and Coming Up (featuring Trash) is outed on 21 May.
Chapel Club will be providing support for all nights.
More details here.
Gigs Of The Week: 16 May – 22 May 2011
Charlie Haden – Barbican, London – 21, 22 May
Bassist, composer and bandleader Charlie Haden gets a two-night residency at the Barbican this weekend with a pair of contrasting shows. On Saturday, it'll be the Charlie Haden Quartet West which will feature vocal turns from Liane Carroll, Melody Gardot and Ruth Cameron to accompany the quartet's West Coast swing. On Sunday, he'll be leading his Liberation Music Orchestra in a one-off concert.
More details here.
Alex Winston – XOYO, London – 18 May
Since her debut London gig last year at The Social, this pretty young thing from Detroit has found herself with a deal on Island Records and attracting attention from all the right places. Her new video to Sister Wife is a study in surrealism, accompanying one of her sweetest songs as she navigates her way between pop star immediacy and arthouse inventiveness. Expect a debut album in August.
More details here.
Also Recommended:
Channel Cairo + Bravestation – The Social, London – 16 May
Gang Gang Dance – XOYO, London – 16 May
Okkervil River – Heaven, London – 16 May
Moon Duo – Corsica Studios, London – 17 May
Queens Of The Stone Age – Roundhouse, London – 17 May
Grant Lee Buffalo +Heidi Spencer – Royal Festival Hall, London – 18 May
Explosions In The Sky – Roundhouse, London – 19 May
Edward Randell Quartet – Map Cafe, London – 19 May
Club Motherfucker (Charli XCX + Rowdy Superstar + Plant Plants) – Corsica Studios, London – 20 May
Moda Music (Mylo + Aeroplane + Jaymo & Andy George) – XOYO, London - 20 May
Julianna Barwick – Village Underground, London – 21 May
Mercury Rev – Roundhouse, London – 21 May
Just Announced:
Liam Finn – XOYO, London – 20 July
Following his return to the London stage with a recent gig at the Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, beardy New Zealand-born singer/songwriter Liam Finn has announced a short European tour in July that will take him to XOYO, as well as to slots at Truck Festival and the Secret Garden Party. Ahead of that, his second album FOMO (illuminatingly short for Fear Of Missing Out), is due for release on 4 July.
More details here.
Shonen Knife – Scala, London – 11 September
A rare tour from the ultimate in Japanese grunge girl groups is scheduled for August and September as they promote a new album and celebrate an astonishing 30 years of Shonen Knife. Proving their unique brilliance with a highlight set at last year's Matt Groening-curated ATP, noone does nonsense lyrics, bubblegum rock and colourful playfulness quite like them.
More details here.
London Jazz Festival – venues around London – 11-20 November
Once again, the city of London will be washed in all that is jazz, as the traditional and the contemporary fill every venue they can find. The first wave of gigs have been announced and are on sale for a festival that will, as it did last year, open with the gala Jazz Voice. There will be shows by McCoy Tyner, and from international artists including Indian percussionist Zakir Hussain and South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim.
More details here.
