With a number of the UK’s biggest and most impressive venues in our patch, we Midlanders are guaranteed a chance to see some of the music industry’s brightest stars as they tour the country. Our grass-roots music scene is super-cool, too. Here’s a selection of gigs worth grabbing a ticket for over the next few weeks...  

MEGSON

Since releasing first album On The Side in 2004, husband & wife team Stu and Debbie Hanna have developed an enviable reputation on the English folk-music circuit. Hailed as fresh and innovative (a description which is hardly surprising, given that Debbie is classically trained and Stu’s a former punk!), the multi-award-winning duo specialise in self-composed melodies which bring together intimate harmony singing and multi-instrumental acoustic playing.

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Saturday 5 April

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THE DUALERS

South East London nine-piece The Dualers bring their Jamaican-style rhythm & blues sound to Coventry, presenting a gig which they’re promising will boast ‘infectious beats, singalong anthems, and an incredible live atmosphere’. Support comes from The Lloyd McGrath Collective.   

hmv Empire, Coventry, Saturday 5 April

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SAMANTICS/NICK PARKER

Who doesn’t love a double header - and this one’s offering some honest-to-goodness star quality from two guys who’re definitely enjoying a bit of a bromance. 
Rap-poet Samantics has been described as a one-man machine, and it’s easy to see why, given his liking for bringing together all manner of sounds - think ukulele, piano, bass, beats, harmonies, blips and bloops, all combined via loop station and sampler... 
Just like Samantics, Glastonbury-based Nick Parker has a well-established solo career. He’s also shared a stage with plenty of the music industry’s finest, including The Wedding Present and Bright Eyes. 

Katie Fitzgeralds, Stourbridge, Saturday 5 April

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EDDI READER BAND

With numerous BRIT Awards decorating her mantelpiece, Scottish singer-songwriter Eddi Reader is well remembered for her association with Fairground Attraction, with whom she scored a UK number one, Perfect, in 1988. 
Her solo-career highlights have included her 2003 album of material by Scotland’s ‘bard’, Robert Burns. The subsequent international resurgence of interest in Burns’ work saw Reader awarded an MBE in 2006 for her outstanding contribution to the arts. 

Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Saturday 12 April; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Friday 25 April

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EMILIA QUINN

Powerful, gritty, and ranging almost three octaves, Emilia Quinn’s raw, soulful and classically trained vocals have played a major role in getting her noticed. Her output - from badass anthems to heartfelt ballads - sees her blending Americana, blues and rock to excellent effect, while her passion for storytelling ensures her emotionally charged music resonates deeply with her ever-growing fanbase. 
Emilia is joined for this Potteries stop-off by country/Americana singer-songwriter Kier.  

Fulford Village Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunday 13 April

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HENGE

“Attention Earth! We bring you the gift of cosmic dross - a kind of music new to your world. There are no Earth words to describe these sounds, but you will learn how to love and dance again!”
So speaks the phenomenon that is Henge, a band of extraterrestrial joymongers who’ve been providing their ever-expanding fanbase with an out-of-this-world experience for the better part of a decade. The cosmic dross of which they speak is a music that aims to defy definition, lurking somewhere between rave and prog rock in a space ‘that nobody knew existed’. As you might imagine with visitors from another planet, the boys sport a somewhat unusual on-stage appearance; expect reptilian masks and plasma-ball headwear.

Marrs Bar, Worcester, Friday 18 April

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BLOSSOMS

Blossoms burst onto the UK music scene with the release of their self-titled debut album in 2016. First single Charlemagne was named BBC Radio One’s track of the day and featured on Spotify’s Spotlight On 2016 list. The boys have since released four more albums, including last autumn’s Gary, which became their fourth chart-topping record. 
They’re visiting the region this month in the company of special guests Nieve Ella and Florence Road.

The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton, Friday 18 April

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GHOST

Grammy-winning Swedish sensations Ghost have racked up nearly 10 billion streams and played many a style of rock music, including hard, arena, occult, progressive, pop, shock, psychedelic and gothic. 
They are no slouches when it comes to the business of bashing out symphonic, doom, death, black and heavy metal either. 
Famed for their on-stage theatricality - lead singer Tobias Forge performs as Papa Emeritus and Cardinal Copia (with the rest of the band known as the Nameless Ghouls) - Ghost are stopping off in Birmingham in support of their sixth studio album, Skeletá, due for release five days after this gig.     

Utilita Arena Birmingham, Sunday 20 April

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NEIL COWLEY TRIO

Making an initial splash via his time with the Brand New Heavies, Neil Cowley has since become known for performing music that’s very much from the sophisticated end of the rock genre. 
His Trio first came together 19 years ago, their muscular anthems and galloping grooves placing them at the forefront of a new jazz movement. Their current UK tour marks the first time they’ve performed together in seven years. 
“In my life, there have been no closer allies in musical support and brotherhood than my beloved Trio cohorts, Rex Horan and Evan Jenkins,” says Neil. “So, in my quest to end a period of musical solitude, it was obvious to me who I should call!”
This month’s Conservatoire concert will see Neil, Rex and Evan performing fan-favourite Cowley classics alongside music from their brand-new album, Entity. 

Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Wednesday 23 April

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GREGORY PORTER

Gregory Porter’s warm baritone vocals and earthy brand of jazz, soul and gospel shot him to stardom more than a decade ago. 
Now, with two Grammy Awards to his name, the Sacramento-born singer is visiting Symphony Hall as part of a globetrotting tour that also includes numerous other UK venues. Outside of London, though, Birmingham is the only destination he’s playing for more than one night - a sure sign of his enduring appeal here in the Midlands. 
The 53-year-old is returning to these shores three years after performing at the late Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum Jubilee celebrations - and six years after becoming the first celebrity to sing a lullaby on CBeebies Bedtime Stories.  

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Wednesday 23 & Thursday 24 April

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THE FLAMING LIPS

Psychedelic rock band The Flaming Lips formed in Oklahoma 42 years ago and are widely considered to be one of the greatest live acts around. Their shows are certainly memorable; their huge energy is just part of a package that also includes laser beams, confetti-filled balloons, pink inflatable robots and giant zorb balls (great for crowd surfing). 
The boys visit Birmingham to play two full sets: the classic Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots album in its entirety, and a programme of greatest hits and fan favourites.

O2 Academy, Birmingham, Friday 25 April

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THE SUPERSKAS

Wolverhampton band The Superskas perform a catalogue of hits from the golden ages of trojan ska and 2-Tone, covering songs from original pioneers including Toots & The Maytals, Desmond Dekker, The Specials, Madness and The Selecter.
Counting among their career highlights live collaborations with Damon Albarn, Dave Wakeling, Ranking Roger and The Beat, the band are using this month’s Wolverhampton gig to celebrate their 20th anniversary, and will be joined on the night by a number of former members. 

Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton, Friday 25 April

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IAN PROWSE & AMSTERDAM

Frontman of Liverpool pop/rock group Amsterdam, singer-songwriter Ian Prowse previously played with Cheshire indie rockers Pele, whose debut offering, Fireworks, was released to great critical acclaim... 
Ian and Amsterdam are visiting Shrewsbury this month as part of their Does This Train Stop On Merseyside 20th anniversary tour.

Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury, Friday 25 April

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SARI SCHORR

Coming from humble beginnings working the music scene in the legendary South Bronx of New York and on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, the operatically trained Sari Schorr boasts a five-octave range. 
Sari first made the blues-rock world sit up and take notice in 2016, when she released debut offering A Force Of Nature. The critically acclaimed album has been followed by two further records and a collaboration with guitarist Robin Trower.
She plays the Hare & Hounds this month as part of her Unbreakable tour.

Hare & Hounds, Birmingham, Saturday 26 April

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NATI.

Multiple guitar parts, warm synths, bright keys and dynamic percussion are brought together to excellent effect in the thought-provoking compositions of fast-rising Scottish singer NATI., whose songs present reflective narratives about the challenges of finding peace and embracing oneself...
She visits the city’s O2 Institute as part of a UK tour to support latest EP Golden.

O2 Institute, Birmingham, Saturday 26 April

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NEWTON FAULKNER

Newton Faulkner’s penchant for tapping and hitting his guitar has certainly helped him stand out from the crowd - as has his undoubted talent as a musician. 
One of the most successful UK singer-songwriters of the 21st century, Newton cites Del Amitri, Tom Waits, Stevie Wonder, The Rolling Stones and James Brown among the many and varied performers to have influenced his music. He’s visiting the Midlands this month with his Feels Like Home Tour 3.

The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunday 27 April; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Wednesday 30 April

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RODDY WOMBLE

Known for his enigmatic lyrics and warm baritone voice, Roddy Woomble has spent the past two decades fronting much-loved Scottish alternative rock band Idlewild, with whom he’s recorded nine studio albums. He’s also managed to release seven solo records during that time, including My Secret Is My Silence (2006), Listen To Keep (2013) The Deluder (2017), and last autumn’s Sometime During The Night We Fell Off The Map

The Tin at The Coal Vaults, Coventry, Wednesday 30 April

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BOYZLIFE

Take a member of 90s & noughties boyband supergroup Boyzone and a member of 90s & noughties boyband supergroup Westlife, put them together and what do you get?...

Keith Duffy and Brian McFadden forming middle-aged-man duo Boyzlife, that’s what! 
The fun-loving fellas first came together almost a decade ago and are now once again reuniting for a global tour, including this late-month Symphony Hall gig. 

The show will see the dynamic Dubliners perform a mixture of hits from those heady boyband days, including Boyzone’s I Love The Way You Love Me, All That I Need and No Matter What, and Westlife’s My Love, I Lay My Love On You and Uptown Girl.   

They return to the Midlands this spring to play The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury.

The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury, Thursday 8 May

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