Vashti Bunyan, the poster woman for resurrected 1970s folkies, has announced some UK dates to add to her already scheduled appearance at the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow in January, where she’ll be part of the lineup of a Nick Drake tribute show. She’ll visit Brighton, London and Warwick in late January, and follow that up with another short tour in April. Vashti is currently working on songs for the successor to 2005’s homespun comeback Lookaftering, which she hoped to produce with Andy Cabic of Vetiver.
Tori Amos will promote the release of her new album Midwinter Graces [review] with a free show at the 350-capacity Jazz Café in Camden Town, London, on December 2. This is likely to be the only time that Tori plays her winter solstice-themed material in the UK, at least until next winter. Entry to the event will be by wristband only, which fans will have to collect in person from HMV Oxford Street (the one towards the Tottenham Court Road end, rather than Marble Arch), London, from 8am. Unlike the similarly sized and wristbanded show at London’s Shaw Theatre in 2003, fans will be permitted only one wristband each. If the 2003 event is anything to go by, beware of buying wristbands from touts as counterfeits are generally easy to spot!
The fabulous Lucky Soul are to showcase new material at an intimate preview of their second album, A Coming Of Age, on December 1 at the Monarch in Camden Town. Preceded by the first single and live favourite, ‘White Russian Doll’, on January 11, the follow-up to 2007’s acclaimed The Great Unwanted is scheduled to arrive in shops in March. Produced by the band’s own Andrew Laidlaw and mixed in New York with Victor Van Vugt (PJ Harvey, Sons & Daughters, Nick Cave), we’re told to expect an ambitious collection that expands on the Motown-tinged palette of their debut with “a masterclass in classic songwriting”. From the bright and lovely indie-pop sounds of ‘White Russian Doll’ [listen here], that description sound pretty spot on to us.
In her native Canada, singer-songwriter Sarah Slean is an award-winning star whose last album charted in the Top 10 and who regularly performs in respectably large venues to adoring fans. Over the course of her six studio albums and over a decade of shows, she’s developed a reputation as a spellbinding, intelligent performer with a talent to be reckoned with. Never heard of her? The fact that she has never toured Europe once in all that time might have something to do with that. She’s visited, briefly, with a couple of concerts in Paris many years ago, but as far as Wears The Trousers is aware, she has never once played a gig in the UK.
Filed under: news, trouser press, where's the gigs | Tags: charlotte richardson andrews, slow club
Following on from the success of last year’s free download single ‘Christmas TV’, the ever-likable Sheffield duo Slow Club have announced a shiny new, ribbon-wrapped Yuletide offering. The five-track EP, Christmas, Thanks For Nothing, out December 14 through Moshi Moshi, includes two new originals, two Darlene Love covers and, of course, the brilliant ‘Christmas TV’, which has quite deservedly gone on to be a year-round favourite at gigs. Charles and Rebecca take turns to have fun with the covers; Rebecca sings the Phil Spector-penned ‘Christmas (Please Come Home)’ from the mighty perennial A Christmas Gift For You, while Charles heads up a stripped down version of ‘All Alone On Christmas’, as featured on the soundtrack to ‘Home Alone 2′. The two new songs are the title track and ‘It’s Christmas & You Are Boring Me’.
Filed under: news, where's the gigs | Tags: 2009, alan pedder, imogen heap, music
First UK gigs since January 2007
Making her much anticipated live return after three years tucked away behind her laptop and piano, Imogen Heap has announced a 10-date UK tour for February 2010 with presale tickets going onsale at 10am tomorrow morning. We’re not sure if you need a password for the presale, but if you want to err on the side of caution then you should join Imogen’s mailing list to make sure you don’t miss out on the best tickets. Go here to make your booking, or call 0871 230 0333. The tour kicks off in Manchester on February 7th at the Academy 2 and culminates in a hometown show at the Shepherds Bush Empire on February 19th. Full dates below. General sale starts Friday. (more…)
Filed under: news, where's the gigs | Tags: 2009, alan pedder, music, natalie merchant
First headline show in over 7 years announced for November
In addition to her upcoming appearance at the opening gala of this year’s London Jazz Festival on November 13th, Natalie Merchant will play her first headline performance in the UK in a very long time at Conway Hall in Holborn, London. The November 16th event, dubbed ‘An Evening With Natalie Merchant’, will showcase some of the songs from Natalie’s forthcoming album – her first for Nonesuch Records – as well as selections from her 28-year musical career. Tickets are priced at £25 plus booking fee and are on sale now through LiveNation.co.uk. If you can’t make that show, then clear your schedule in plenty of time for next year’s Celtic Connections festival as Natalie will appear at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall with Irish band Lúnasa on January 28th as part of the impressive lineup, which also includes Laura Veirs, The Swell Season, Angelique Kidjo, Nell Bryden and more.
Filed under: news, where's the gigs | Tags: 2009, alan pedder, martha wainwright, music
Live album out November 9th
Martha Wainwright is bringing her well received Edith Piaf performance to the Barbican in London on November 11th following an intimate two-night run at New York’s Dixon Palace Theater back in June, and tickets are selling out fast. The occasion? To mark the release of the Hal Willner-produced live recordings of those shows on November 9th through V2 Records. Dubbed Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, A Paris: Martha Wainwright’s Piaf Record, Martha Wainwright’s Piaf record builds upon a lifetime of admiration for the tragic French chanteuse’s vast catalogue of passionately sung recordings, picking out several of her lesser known songs to breathe some new life into.
Filed under: news, where's the gigs | Tags: amiina, charlotte richardson andrews, josephine foster, polly scattergood
Amiina and Polly Scattergood will also play the anti-jingle festive celebrations
The dreaded deluge of Christmas-themed drivel seems to start earlier and earlier each year, and by the beginning of November most of us are already seeking refuge from the monotonous audio torture of Yuletide-themed audio spam. Whether it’s time honoured cheesy anthems or torturous jingles you’re fleeing from, look no further; the Barbican have come up with the perfect escape. After their successful debut last year, which featured Jarvis Cocker, Patrick Wolf and the wonderful Sandy Dillon (whom you’ll find on our upcoming tribute album, Beautiful Star: The Songs Of Odetta), the Twisted Christmas show makes a very welcome return on Tuesday 15th December.
Filed under: news, where's the gigs | Tags: 2009, alan pedder, ellie goulding, florence and the machine, lisa mitchell, little boots, music, the xx
Tickets have gone on sale for the lovely Ellie Goulding’s first headline show in London on December 1st at Cargo. She should have no problem picking up enough fans to fill the space over the course of her upcoming 9-date tour with Little Boots and with the added bonus of her Florence + The Machine support slot at the Union Chapel on November 22nd. Ellie’s debut single ‘Under The Sheets’ received its first radio play last week ahead of its November 9th release through Neon Gold Records. You can currently download the Starsmith-produced track for free from the label’s blog.
21.10.09 Roadmenders, Northampton *
22.10.09 Concorde II, Brighton *
23.10.09 University, Sunderland *
25.10.09 Picturehouse, Edinburgh *
26.10.09 53 Degrees, Preston *
27.10.09 University, Liverpool *
29.10.09 Junction, Cambridge *
30.10.09 Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton *
31.10.09 University, Bristol *
22.11.09 Union Chapel, London †
01.12.09 Cargo, London
* with Little Boots
† with Florence + The Machine
