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.
Keaton Henson MP3s or CDs
Keaton Henson on Spotify
