Pulp complete their successful reunion tour this week after a summer that’s taken them to festivals all over Europe and Australia with two nights at Brixton Academy and a final slot at Ireland’s Electric Picnic.
But they're not the only bunch of old-timers returning to London this week, as legendary American alt-rockers Jane’s Addiction should also be reappearing with a night at The Forum on Tuesday. That's still a should, as they're fresh from a pair of cancelled appearances at Leeds and Reading Festivals after singer Perry Farrell developed a throat condition. However as things stand, tonight's show is on.
Not wanting to feel left out of this revivalism, the Red Hot Chili Peppers are also in town for a one-off gig at Koko on Friday as they get on with the business of promoting I’m With You, their first new album since 2006’s Stadium Arcadia. A free gig set up with Radio 1, tickets have been primarily given away as competition prizes, and offers fans an opportunity to see what the boys have been up to.
Gigs Of The Week: 29 August – 4 September 2011
Matthew Herbert (pictured) – Royal Opera House, London – 2 September
Together with last year’s One One, recorded on his own, and One Club, created from noises encountered on a night in a Frankfurt club, the October release of One Pig will complete Matthew Herbert’s One Trilogy. High in concept, the album follows, month by month, the life, death and the thereafter of a pig. That's a real pig killed last February, his or her body providing all of the instruments used in the album's recording. Bringing that album to the Linbury Studio Theatre as part of Mike Figgis’s Tell The Truth festival, detailed touches designed to include every part of poor Porky will include a pig trotter chandelier and a chef cooking live on stage.
More details here.
Amanda Fucking Palmer – Heaven, London – 2 September
Having completed a week at the Edinburgh Festival as half of the “world’s only conjoined singer-songwriter duo, Evelyn Evelyn”, Amanda Palmer is in London for a gig on Friday alongside her new band, The Grand Theft Orchestra. She’ll also be playing in Brighton on 1 September, before returning to London on 5 September for a uke-coustic set at the British Library.
More details here.
Also Recommended:
Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros – Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London – 30 August
Other Lives – Hoxton B&K, London – 30 August
Dutch Uncles + Cymbals – Madame Jojo’s, London – 30 August
Jane’s Addiction – Koko, London – 30 August
Theme Park – Lexington, London – 31 August
Ultrasound – Macbeth, London – 31 August
Pulp – Brixton Academy, London – 31 August, 1 September
White Denim – Electric Ballroom, London – 1 September
Japanese Voyeurs – Lexington, London – 1 September
The Duke Spirit – Boston Arms, London – 1 September
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Koko, London – 2 September
Wooden Shjips + Wolf People – Scala, London – 4 September
Just Announced:
Tune-Yards – Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen, London – 15 September
Merrill Garbus can’t stay away from London, now that she knows how much love she gets here. Already slated for a support slot with Beirut at Brixton Academy on 16 September, she’s just announced this small Hoxton gig the night before. We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again, she’s one of the most sparkling, talented live performers on the planet. If you haven’t yet experienced the marriage of her spine-tingling vocals with her precise looping, it’s about time you did.
More details here.
Fortuna Pop! – Fifteen Years Of Fun – Scala, London – 1-3 November
Fifteen years since its inception, Fortuna Pop! has proved itself as a record label with staying power, largely thanks to its clear vision and the respect accorded to it as a niche outlet for indie pop music. To celebrate its birthday in trying times, they’re having a three-day long party at Scala in King’s Cross. Four bands per night, they’ll include Bearsuit, The Primitives, Crystal Stilts, Allo Darlin’ and Darren Hayman, and as if to prove that the twee amongst us can party as hard as anyone, there’ll be after-parties every night over at The Lexington.
More details here.
Manic Street Preachers – O2 Arena, London – 17 December
Lots of Manic Street Preachers news with the announcement of the October release of National Treasures, a collection of all 37 of their singles from the last 21 years. They’ve also recorded a cover version of The The's This Is The Day, slated for a 7 November release. But most importantly for the gigs diary, they’ve only gone and booked a night at the O2 Arena on 17 December, which will find them playing all of those singles, although not necessarily in the same order.
More details here.
