London Gigs Diary: 18-24 February 2013

Welcome! After a little break while we got used to our shiny new site, the London Gigs Diary is back, bringing you musicOMH’s picks for the week ahead and the big announcements from the last seven days.

This week looks set to be as busy as ever, with some of our favourites calling into London, including a rare appearance from Keaton Henson, whose forthcoming second album, Birthdays, we’ve had on repeat. An elusive character who channels his well-documented anxiety into spine-tinglingly sad and honest songs, he’s lined up shows at the Freud Museum, on Monday and Tuesday.

On Tuesday The History Of Apple Pie will host an altogether more raucous affair, with a free show at The Old Blue Last. We gave their long-awaited debut, The View, four stars when it was released last month, calling the band “one of the elites of the ’90s revivalist pack because of their ability to add invigorating twists to their influences”.

We’re long-standing members of the Savages fan club, having caught them live a handful of times last year. They earned four and a half stars for their gig at Shacklewell Arms, as well as comparisons to the likes of Joy Division, The Birthday Party, Gang Of Four and PJ Harvey. They’ve graduated to larger venues for this tour, and they’ll be at Electric Ballroom on Thursday.

If you’re planning a trip to see I am Kloot at the Barbican on Tuesday or Villagers at Village Underground on Wednesday, make sure you get there early because some of our favourite ladies will be providing support. The Kloot have the wonderful Jesca Hoop opening for them, while Villagers have Stealing Sheep, whose debut Into The Diamond Sun made our albums of the year poll in 2012.

Here’s our pick of the rest…

Monday 18 February

The 1975 –  Borderline

Muse – Shepherd’s Bush Empire

Tuesday 19 February

Keaton Henson – Freud Museum

Mark Eitzel – Bush Hall

The History of Apple Pie – The Old Blue Last

Alunageorge – XOYO

I am Kloot // Jesca Hoop – Barbican

Wednesday 20 February

Lumineers – Shepherd’s Bush Empire

Okkyung Lee // John Edwards // John Butcher – Café Oto

Villagers // Stealing Sheep – Village Underground

Thursday 21 February

Savages – Electric Ballroom

Houndmouth – Shacklewell Arms

Andy Burrows – Bush Hall

Philco Fiction – Sebright Arms

Friday 22 February

The Cribs // …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead – Brixton Academy

Bloc Party – Earls Court

Breton – Brixton Jamm

Saturday 23 February

Richard Hawley – Troxy

Django Django // Miles Kane // Palma Violets // Peace – Brixton Academy

Viv Albertine – Nambucca

Kanye West – Hammersmith Apollo

Sunday 24 February

Bellowhead – Fairfield Halls and Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon

Terry Day, Alexander Hawkins, Ntshuks Bonga, Alex Bonney and Guillaume Viltard – Café Oto

Just Announced

The wonderfully bonkers Egyptian Hip Hop have announced a short UK tour, including XOYO on 4 March, and have released a video for new single Tobago.

Swedish electropop girl duo Icona Pop will play a one-off show at Electrowerkz on 20 March, while Denmark’s The White Album also make a one-off appearance, this time on 5 March at the Slaughtered Lamb.

No one could accuse Peace of resting on their laurels. The band are tipped for big things this year, but they’re not letting the industry chatter distract them; they’re embarking on a massive European tour, culminating in four nights at Dalston’s Birthdays, at the start of May.

The Barbican’s spring programme is filling up, with Iron and Wine announcing a show on 31May, Lucinda Williams on 17 June, while Nigel Kennedy presents Bach and Fats Waller on 14 May.

Alessi’s Ark’s third album is due for release on 15 April and to celebrate, he’ll be playing at the Southbank’s Purcell Room on 23 April. Check out the video for new single The Rain here.