Ever been to a music gig? Want to go again? Want to know who is worth seeing?
Music gigs and festivals is a blog dedicated to telling you where and when the coolest bands are playing in NY and the UK. In addition to this I will also be sharing reviews about gigs and festivals I have attended which are definitely worth checking out.
According to Vogue, Lucy Rose is "one of indie music's breakout stars for 2012."
This English songwriter/singer from Warwickshire can be heard as backing vocals on a number of Bombay Bicycle Club singles including "Flaws." As a solo artist, Lucy Rose has released four singles; Middle of the Bed, Red Face, Place and Scar, and is due to release her debut album "Like I Used To" sometime in September.
Having toured with the likes of Bombay Bicycle Club and Noah and the Whale, Lucy Rose is due to perform at Leeds, Green Man Festival and Bestival. When listening to Lucy Rose I find I liken her voice and style to Feist, Birdy and Laura Marling. Although this girl boasts a somewhat timed personality, I feel it makes her songs seem that much more genuine and honest.
It is safe to say there will be nothing wild about this live show, however with her strong vocals, you can be promised a stress free night of soothing live folk music.
Tour Dates:
23rd August. O2 Academy - Bournemouth (supporting Bombay Bicycle Club
24th August. Reading Festival - Reading
25th August. Leeds Festival - Leeds
6th November. The Kazimier - Liverpool
Avicii is a swedish DJ that made it big after he his single "Levels" (2011) reached top ten in twelve different countries.
For those ravers out there, Avicii promises to deliver the set of your life. Expect mashups, remixes, beats, flashing lights and blaring music. Its going to be a party and you will love it!! There will not be one person stood still or looking bored and checking their watches. Expect dancing and regrettably a hell of a lot of sweating.
Don't expect Avicii to talk much. An insanely talented guy who lets his music do all the talking, you can be sure of one highly energetic and electrifying performance. Buy tickets - it will be a night you have never lived before.
Tour Dates:
24-15th August. Creamfields Andalusia Festival - Halton, UK
10th September. Event Center, Turning Stone Resort and Casino - NY, USA
This is definitely one of those bands that if you have not heard of - you are living under a rock!! One Direction are the new boy band on the block.
The boys; Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, and Louis Tomlinson, formed together during the seventh series of X Factor, and have gone from strength to strength. Their debut album "Up All Night" became the fastest selling album in the UK and reached number one on the US Billboard Charts. They recently announced they would be releasing their second album later this year.
These boys have an absolutely HUGE fan base and so if you want to see them live I urge you to buy tickets asap.
Tour Dates
20th Sept. iTunes Festival 2012 - Roundhouse, London
22nd Feb. The O2 Arena - London
23rd Feb. The O2 Arena - London
24th Feb. The O2 Arena - London
26th Feb. The SECC - Glasgow
27th Feb. The SECC - Glasgow
1st March. Cardiff Motorpoint Arena - Cardiff
2nd March. Cardiff Motorpoint Arena - Cardiff
3rd March. Cardiff Motorpoint Arena - Cardiff
5th March. The O2 Arena - Dublin
6th March. The O2 Arena - Dublin
7th March. Odyssey Arena - Belfast
8th March. Odyssey Arena - Belfast
10th March. Odyssey Arena - Belfast
11th March. Odyssey Arena - Belfast
12th March. The O2 Arena - Dublin
13th March. The O2 Arena - Dublin
15th March. Manchester Arena - Manchester
16th March. Manchester Arena - Manchester
17th March. Liverpool Echo Arena - Liverpool
19th March. Motorpoint Arena - Sheffield
20th March. The Capital FM Arena - Nottingham
22nd March. LG Arena - Birmingham
23rd March. LG Arena - Birmingham
April 8th. Metro Radio Arena - Newcastle Upon Tyne
April 13th. Motorpoint Arena - Sheffield
April 9th. Metro Radio Arena - Newcastle Upon Tyne
April 12th. The SECC - Glasgow
31st March. Liverpool Echo Arena - Liverpool
1st April. The O2 Arena - London
2nd April. The O2 Arena - London
4th April. The O2 Arena - London
5th April. The O2 Arena - London
This indie rock band from Australia are pretty awesome!
The Temper Trap's most popular single "Sweet Disposition," has been used on a number of commercials and ads since its release in 2008. The band have released two albums, their debut album "Conditions" (2009) and the recently released "The Temper Trap," which consists of the singles "Rabbit Hole," "Need Your Love," and "Tembling Hands."
With their music appearing a lot for various media reasons (hit tv shows, commercials and ads) it comes as no surprise that The Temper Trap are building up quite the fan base around the world. They have received a lot of mixed reviews for their live performances. Although they have good vocals and some great tunes, the band seems to be missing something and have repeatedly scored low for audience interaction. I would urge you to do so soon as their gigs often sell out.
Tour dates
10th August. Wilderness 2012 - Charlbury, UK
4th October. HMV Hammersmith Apollo - London, UK
12th October. Roseland Ballroom - NYC
I had been a fan of Miike Snow for quite some time, so when I heard I would be seeing them live I was pretty ecstatic.
Miike Snow are an indie pop band from Sweden. This band, to date has released two albums; their debut album and self titled "Miike Snow," and the more recently released "Happy to You." Happy to You includes the singles "Paddling Out" and "The Wave."
Although I love all the their music I was unsure to what I should expect when seeing them live. As soon as they began however my uncertainty soon passed. By the end of their set at Glastonbury, my friends and I were all huge fans! Their set list included "Intro," "Burial," "Black and Blue," "Silvia," "The Rabbit," "Sans Soleil" and their most successful track to date "Animal."
The band started strong with a dramatic start - appearing on a smoked out stage wearing white masks and black outfits. Despite not interacting too much with the crowd, Miike Snow seemed to have the attention of the entire audience. They performed their songs great and by the time they ended with "Animal" everyone was dancing around and getting fully into it.
Despite being a relatively new band at the time I was shocked to how many people came to see them. It is due to this that I would urge you to buy tickets soon if you are interested.
Tour dates:
24th August. Reading Festival - Reading, UK
19th October. United Palace Theatre - NYC
This artistic Canadian duo, Megan James (vocals) and Corin Roddick (instrumentals), sure bring a lot to the table. Creating light and electronic/synthpop sounds with the use of a very cool and unique tree-shaped instrument, this pair sure aim to deliver.
Purity Ring remind me a lot of the Naked and Famous for their similar vocals and upbeat tracks. Despite only hitting the music scene in 2010 Purity Ring have come along way. Last month (July) the duo released their debut album "Shrines," which reached #2 in the US dance/electronic Albums Chart. The album includes the fantastic released singles "Fineshrine" and "Obedear."
Tour Dates:
21st September. The Bowery Ballroom - NYC
22nd September. Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NYC
20th November. Scala - London, UK
22nd November. The Haunt - Brighton, UK
23rd November. Thekla - Bristol, UK
24th November. Sound Control - Manchester, UK
26th November. The HiFi Club - Leeds, UK
27th November. Nice N Sleazy - Glasgow, UK
28th November. The Kazimier - Liverpool, UK
Aiden Grimshaw, a pop singer/songwriter from Blackpool, is most notably none for finishing ninth in the seventh series of The X Factor.
To date Aiden has released two singles "Is This Love," and "Curtain Call," and is due to release his debut album "Misty Eye" later this month. When asked about his music, Aiden says he is influenced by a range of artists and bands including Damien Rice and Moby. Although labeled as a 'pop' singer, Aiden Grimshaw falls into the subcategory, soul-pop.
Despite his X Factor history, Aiden Grimshaw is a talented singer who I believe has the ability to do well in the pop scene. All I say is you should definitely keep an eye out for him over the next couple of months.
Tour dates:
20th August. Iluvlive - Cargo, London
19th Sept. O2 Academy - Bristol
20th Sept. The Rescue Room - Nottingham
22nd Sept. New Roadmender - Northampton
23rd Sept. Old Fire Station - Bournemouth
24th Sept. Concorde 2 - Brighton
26th Sept. O2 Academy - Birmingham
27th Sept. King Tut's Wah Wah Hut - Glasgow
28th Sept. The Cockpit - Leeds
30th sept. Manchester Academy - Manchester
1st October. O2 Academy - Oxford
2nd October. Scala - London
Freelance Whales are an indie rock band from Queens, New York.
This five man band are certainly not short of talent. Between them they can play an array of different instruments including bass, electric and acoustic guitars, mandolins, glockenspiels, and banjos.
After self-releasing their debut album "Weathervanes," and performing relentlessly around NYC at various locations (like subway platforms!), the Freelance Whales got their big break. In addition to getting signed, a number of their singles got played in popular US shows including One Tree Hill and Grey's Anatomy.
Freelance Whales have recently announced their second album "Diluvia" will be released on October 9th of this year.
Trevor Hall is an American singer from South Carolina, US. He is most recognised by his single "Other Ways,"which was featured in the hit movie Shrek the Third. Trevor Hall typically releases beautiful melodies that are both incredibly meaningful and spiritual.
To date, Trevor Hall has released five albums; "Lace Up Your Shoes," "The Elephant's Door,""This Is Blue," "Trevor Hall," and "Everything Everytime Everywhere."
Artists similar to Trevor Hall include Pete Francis, Citizen Cope and Current Swell.
I was fortunate to see Trevor Hall live when he supported Citizen Cope during their N. America tour a couple of years ago. Although I had never heard of Trevor Hall before the Citizen Cope gig in NYC, I was really impressed by his music and performance.
When I saw Trevor Hall live I picked up a very Bob Marley esque feel to his performances. Songs which I particularly liked were "The Lime Tree," and "Unity." He was an incredibly passionate performer and had the entire audience captivated by his music. I will add however his music may not be for everyone. His music oozes tranquility and calmness - a perfect soundtrack for when you are lounging on a caribbean beach during a very hot day. So, if this kind of music is right up your street I urge you to check him out, you won't be left disappointed.
Tour Dates:
29th August. Lance & Debbies Wonder Bar - Asbury Park, NJ, USA
3rd October. Knitting Factory - Brooklyn, NY, USA
5th October. Jillian's of Albany - Albany, NY, USA
If rock is your calling than this is a band for you.
Evanescence is an American rock band from Arkansas. Having released three albums "Fallen," "The Open Door," and self titled "Evanescence," lead singer and pianist Amy Lee, along with the four other members of the band, have achieved great success since hitting the scene in 1995. Starting as far back as 2003, Evanescence have won a number of awards including Best International Newcomer (2003) at the Kerrang! Awards, Best Hard Rock Performance (2004) at the Grammy Awards, and Best Vocalist (2012) at the Revolver Golden Gods Award.
Dubbed as a Gothic band, Evanescence have been compared to many bands such as Linkin Park and The Pretty Reckless.
As expected, being around for so long has made Evanescene one seriously experienced band. Having toured all over the world and headlined at a number of great festivals, you can be left assured that you will be in for one great night of live music.
So if dark, intense rock is your thing than this is for you.
Tour dates:
5th Nov. Capital FM Arena Nottingham - Nottingham, UK
6th Nov. Manchester Arena - Manchester, UK
8th Nov. NIA - Birmingham, UK
9th Nov. Wembley Arena - London, UK
This is a pretty interesting guy...and talented too!
Ed Sheeran is a singer/songwriter from West Yorkshire. In 2009 Ed Sheeran played 312 gigs and had to resort to 'sofa surfing' due to having no money. However, Sheeran got his big break in February 2010 when he got noticed by rapper Example, who invited him to tour with him.
Things just kept getting better for Sheeran when in 2010 his already growing fan base rocketed in response to his self posted YouTube videos. Not only did his videos gain him attention, but the likes of Elton John, Rio Ferdinand and the Independant newspaper were all eager to sing his praises, putting Ed Sheeran firmly on the radar for someone to watch out for.
Ed Sheeran performed 5 times at this years Glastonbury and received great reviews. There is no question about it, this boy is on the road to stardom..and you should get tickets NOW!!!
His debut single "A team" reached number 3 in the UK charts after its first week of release and his debut album "+" which was released on 19th September 2011 topped the UK charts for a number of weeks.
In 2012 Sheeran continued his success by receiving Brit Awards for Best British Male Solo Artist, and British Breakthrough of the year. He also recently supported Snow Patrol on their US tour, something that helped build his name and fan base drastically.
Tour dates
18th - 19th Aug. V Festival - Weston Park, UK
13th Oct. HMV Hammersmith Apollo - London, UK
14th Octt. HMV Hammersmith Apollo - London, UK
15th Oct. HMV Hammersmith Apollo - London, UK
16th Oct. HMV Hammersmith Apollo - London, UK
17th Oct. HMV Hammersmith Apollo - London, UK
19th Oct. Brighton Center - Brighton, UK
20th Oct. Newport Centre - Newport, UK
21st Oct. BIC - Windsor Hall - Bournemouth, UK
22nd Oct. Pavilion - Plymouth, UK
24th Oct. Oasis Leisure Centre- Swindon, UK
26th Oct. Rivermead - Reading, UK
28th Oct. The Ballroom - Birmingham, UK
29th Oct. The Ballroom - Birmingham, UK
31st Oct. Capital FM Arena - Nottingham, UK
1st Nov. O2 Apollo - Manchester, UK
2nd Nov. 02 Apollo - Manchester, UK
3rd Nov. 02 Apollo - Manchester, UK
5th Nov. Doncaster Dome - Doncaster, UK
6th Nov. Doncaster Dome - Doncaster, UK
7th Nov. Hull Arena - Hull, UK
8th Nov. Empress Ballroom - Blackpool, UK
12th Nov. Usher Hall - Edinburgh, UK
14th Nov. Barrowland - Glasgow, UK
15th Nov. Barrowland - Glasgow, UK
16th Nov. Barrowland - Glasgow, UK
Athough I have definitely exceeded the quota for recommending folk music this month, I couldn't resist one more. Dry The River are an indie folk from London.
With the support from the BBC and extensive touring around the UK, Europe and N. America, Dry The River finally got their break and signed with Transgressive Records in 2010. In 2011 they released their debut single No Rest, and followed this by releasing their debut album "Shallow Bed" on 5th March 2012.
I love the fact that despite Dry The River being a folk band, their appearance suggests nothing of the sort - boasting the grunge look expect skinny guys wearing vests, with disheveled hair and a lot of tattoos. I Love it!
As far as their live performances go - they are good! Lead singer Peter Liddle has unbelievable vocals which during the numerous harmonies, ooze conviction and emotion wonderfully. This band although seeming relatively 'new' to the scene, are by no means amateurs when it comes to performing. Dry The River, who have toured with the likes of Bombay Bicycle Club, are great at interacting with their crowds and showing off their light-hardheartedness, despite their sombre music.
Most of their gigs sell out so I urge you to buy tickets fast - I have!
Tour Dates:
11th August. BT London Live - Hyde Park, London
25th Aug. Edinburgh Festival Fringe - The Electric Circus, Edinburgh
27th Aug. Electric Circus - Edinburgh
20th Sept. The Bowery Ballroom - NYC
16th Oct. The Junction - Cambridge
17th Oct. Wedgewood Rooms - Portsmouth
18th Oct. Gloucester Guildhall - Gloucester
18th - 21st Oct. Swn Festival - Cardiff
20th Oct. Oxford
23rd Oct. Central Station & Yales - Wrexham
24th Oct. The Kazimier- Liverpool
25th Oct. 53 Degrees at University of Central Lancashire- Preston
26th Oct. Fibbers - York
27th Oct. The Leadmill - Sheffield
29th Oct. The Sugarmill - Stoke-on-Trent
30th Oct. HMV Institute - Birmingham
31st Oct. Komedia- Bath
1st Nov. O2 Shpherds Bush Empire- London
Lovely voice...and not too harsh on the eyes either!
You would not be blamed if you have no idea who singer Roo Panes is. This relatively unknown artist from Dorset, is more likely to be recognised around the city of London for modelling in the latest Autumn/Winter 2012 Burberry campaign (see below).
Despite being called Andrew, Roo chose to be known by his nickname Roo Panes - "When I was a kid I threw a stick into the river and fell in, like Roo does in Winnie-the-Pooh. I've not been able to shake the nickname off since then."
One thing is for sure, the latest burberry campaign should help boost Roo's music career. Following in the shoes of Johnny Flynn, Roo has provided the music for the Burberry campaign. The single "Indigo Home" (see in video below) recorded for the campaign is a beautifully romantic acoustic folk song.
Tour dates:
22nd August. Halfmoon Putney - London, UK
