London Gigs Diary: 6-12 December 2010
After last week’s testosterone heavy week of gigs that brought us 5-star rated nights from The National and Arcade Fire, this week redresses the balance with a whole heap of quality female-fronted acts.
Rising Brit-girls cocknbullkid (pictured) and Jessie J are both in town (at respectively XOYO, 6 Dec and Scala, 7 Dec). Then there’s the spiky indie pop of Swedish girl band Those Dancing Days (Lexington, 8 Dec) and Jenny Lewis’s new project Jenny And Johnny (Bush Hall, 8 Dec). For something more old school, the legend that is Ronnie Spector will be bringing her Christmas show to the Jazz Cafe on 6/7 Dec, and Faith Evans and SWV will be joining forces to take the IndigO2 back to the heady days of 1990s soul on 8 Dec.
Gigs Of The Week: 6-12 Dec 2010
“Weird Al” Yankovic – The Forum, London – 6 Dec
Having segwayed his way on stage at the Godspeed You! Black Emperor-curated ATP at the weekend, music parodist “Weird Al” is in town for this solitary London date. Frankly his is the type of humour that could be experienced in one of two ways. You’re either going to find it excruciating, but we'd recommend the more fun option of fully falling for his insane line in genius.
More details here.
Interpol + Surfer Blood – Brixton Academy, London – 6, 7, 8 Dec
New York post-punkers Interpol wind up their UK tour this week with an impressive three dates at Brixton Academy. Their self-titled fourth album was released earlier this year, so with a hefty back catalogue and an excellent support band in Surfer Blood, these dates should be worth braving the cold for.
More details here.
The Unthanks – Union Chapel, London – 8, 9 Dec
Now that folk music has found itself increasingly in the mainstream in 2010, The Unthanks, with Rachel Unthank at their helm, are still finding ways to challenge themselves and their listeners. These two nights at the Union Chapel will find them exploring and performing the works of Soft Machine founder Robert Wyatt and of Antony & The Johnsons.
More details here.
Also Recommended:
Ultrasound – Cargo, London – 6 Dec
Busta Rhymes – The Coronet, London – 7 Dec
Dirty Projectors + Male Bonding – Koko, London – 7 Dec
Ratatat – Heaven, London – 7 Dec
Suede – O2 Arena, London – 7 Dec
Meatloaf + Imelda May – Wembley Arena, London – 7 Dec
Patrick Wolf – Bloomsbury Ballroom, London – 7 Dec
Pet Shop Boys – Hammersmith Apollo, London – 8 Dec
Gonjasufi – Rhythm Factory, London – 8 Dec
Matthew Dear + Darkstar – XOYO, London – 9 Dec
These New Pornographers + Neko Case – Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London – 9 Dec
Just Announced:
Vanessa Paradis
Teenage boys everywhere were being teased through puberty in the late '80s by this gap-toothed, doe-eyed French beauty and her songs about Joe the taxi driver and the cha-cha-chi (ooh la la indeed). A critically well-received film career, a bit more music and a marriage to Johnny Depp later, and she's done little to hint at a proper return to the spotlight. But now she’s announced a gig at KOKO on 2 February. She’ll be promoting her greatest hits collection but we’re also promised some new songs for her to play to pining men in their 30s wondering where their lives went wrong.
More details here.
The Low Anthem
One of the best live acts on the planet, The Low Anthem return next year with new album Smart Flesh and a run of shows in April. Now a four-piece, expect even more instruments you’ve never heard of and even more complex arrangements. With a London date at the Queen Elizabeth Hall confirmed, they’ll also be taking their layered blues and folk Americana to Glasgow, Manchester and Dublin.
More details here.
Hercules And Love Affair
Three years on from their debut album, and the Antony-featuring single Blind with its flesh-heavy Jaime Winstone-starring video, Andy Butler’s gang is back with a new set of dirty disco grooves. Tone set by the sweaty house of single My House, the follow up album, Blue Songs, will be released early next year and is expected to feature a contribution from Kele Okereke. Catch them at Heaven on 19 January.
More details here.
