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...  

HARD-FI

Noughties favourites Hard-Fi visit the region this month in support of their first new material in 10 years. Having made a splash with debut album Stars Of CCTV back in 2005 - following up with a second chart-topper, Once Upon A Time In The West, two years later - the band called it a day in 2014, finally re-forming a couple of years ago. 
The Staines-upon-Thames four-piece’s Wolverhampton stop-off will see them  performing songs from EP Don’t Go Making Plans, released this very month.

The Wulfrun at The Halls Wolverhampton, Friday 22 November

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TURIN BRAKES

With seven top-40 singles, six top-40 albums and more than one million worldwide sales to their name, London indie four-piece Turin Brakes make a welcome return to Coventry. 

“We couldn’t ignore all the love we got for the first acoustic tour,” explain the band. “We ended up doing about 50 shows when we originally planned to do just one or two! So we decided to do it again and make it another very special and intimate performance. We honestly can’t wait!”

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Friday 22 November

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KRIS DREVER

Scottish contemporary folk musician, songwriter and BBC Radio Two Folk Awards winner Kris Drever came to prominence in 2006 with the release of debut solo album Black Water, since which time he’s continued to impress with an output that successfully blends the contemporary with the traditional. 

Kris is out on tour following the recent release of a 36-song anthology double album featuring three new compositions: Catterline, Punchbag and Dust In Light.

Malvern Cube, Sunday 24 November

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WELLY

Welly’s musical influences are many and varied, including The Human League, the poppy-disco of Sophie Ellis-Bextor, New Radicals and Mika, and numerous television programmes - among them, er, Postman Pat and Fireman Sam! 
Hailing from Southampton and teaming up with guitarists Joe and Matt, bass player Jacob and percussionist Hannah, Welly (aka Elliot Hall) is setting out his stall to write songs that capture a sense of modern-day suburban life.  
“In the past 100 years, this country’s become so diverse, and there’s so many people doing amazing different things,” he recently told NME. “England doesn’t export steel or cars anymore; we export media. There’s so many amazing artists, thinkers, musicians - we should focus on that.”

Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury, Friday 29 November

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EMBRACE

After building a following through their EP releases, Yorkshire rockers Embrace went straight to number one in the UK albums chart with their 1998 debut offering, The Good Will Out. They’ve since enjoyed a colourful career, bagging themselves further number one albums and even being chosen to record an official England World Cup song (2006’s World At Your Feet). 

The boys stop off in Coventry this month to perform a warm-up gig in preparation for a summer of festivals and an autumn tour.

O2 Institute, Birmingaham, Saturday 30 November

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JARROD LAWSON

“UK friends! It’s time to hop onboard this train!” says Portland-based keyboardist & singer-songwriter Jarrod Lawson in talking about his short December tour. “Tell everyone you know to grab some tickets to one of these shows! I’m bringing the heat with a seven-piece band… It’s about to be lit!”
Smokey-voiced Jarrod first made waves a decade ago with his eponymous debut album, since which time he’s been blending jazz, soul, funk and gospel to excellent effect, in the process earning comparisons with icons such as Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye... Support on the night comes from RnB singer-songwriter Stefan Mahendra.

Birmingham Town Hall, Wednesday 4 December

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KATY J PEARSON

Described as a pop singer-songwriter for the modern catastrophic age, Katy J Pearson crafts songs that range from achy-hearted, string-laden confessionals to sleek, chic soundtracks for the small hours, all presented via a sublime vocal that perfectly reflects her rural West Country roots. 
Issuing her debut album, Return, during the pandemic, and sophomore offering Sound Of The Morning in 2022, she last year reinterpreted the score of folk-horror film The Wicker Man in celebration of its 50th anniversary. Her visit to the Midlands early this month comes in support of her recently released third album, Someday, Now.

Castle & Falcon, Birmingham, Thursday 5 December

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LADY NADE

Folk, Americana, soul, jazz, blues and roots are combined to excellent effect in the music of Bristol-born Lady Nade - aka Nadine Gingell - who crowdfunded her first album and has since produced two further records. Boasting vocals that call to mind Nina Simone, she’s visiting Leamington this month having made a real splash the last time she stopped off at Temperance Bar.

Temperance Bar, Leamington Spa, Friday 6 December; Lichfield Arts Centre, Friday 13 December

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ST AGNES FOUNTAIN

Fairport Convention’s Chris Leslie once again teams up with multi-award-winning duo Chris While and Julie Matthews to perform a concert celebrating the festive season. The trio have been presenting ‘carols with a curve’ for more than 20 years - alongside David Hughes until 2020 - and are visiting the Midlands having recently released brand-new album Christmas Starts With…St Agnes Fountain Live.  

St Andrew’s Church, Barnt Green, Birmingham, Friday 6 December; Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Wednesday 18 December

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THE HUMAN LEAGUE

Best known for their UK and US number-one hit, Don’t You Want Me, which chart-topped both sides of the Atlantic way back in 1981, electronic New Wave band The Human League was originally an avant-garde all-male synthesiser-based group. Formed in Sheffield in 1977, the band’s influence over the years has been evident in the music of numerous electro-pop, synthpop and mainstream performers. With more than 20 million albums sold worldwide, they’re visiting Birmingham this month with special guests Sophie Ellis-Bextor and T’Pau.

Utilita Arena Birmingham, Saturday 7 December

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SHED SEVEN

“It’s funny because we’ve been going for so long and we were big in the 1990s,” says Shed Seven singer Rick Witter. “But now we just seem to be going up again! We were kind of also-rans in the Britpop scene - it was basically Pulp, Blur and Oasis, then lots of also-rans like us, The Bluetones, Cast… lots of Championship teams! 
“It’s weird to be back and doing so well. I’m enjoying the process, and long may it continue; I am the pilot of the good ship Shed Seven!”  

O2 Academy, Birmingham, Saturday 7 December

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THE TWANG

The Twang were signed in 2007 and lauded as Britain’s best new band by NME, enjoying great success with debut album Love It When I Feel Like This, which reached number three in the charts. They followed it up with Jewellery Quarter in 2009 - and it’s in celebration of that record’s 15th anniversary that they’re currently touring. 
The boys will be performing the album in full for the very first time, alongside ‘all the favourites and a few surprises’.  

Kasbah, Coventry, Saturday 7 December; O2 Academy, Birmingham, Saturday 21 December

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SETH LAKEMAN

Starting out in the 1990s alongside brothers Sam and Sean, Seth Lakeman boldly stepped into the solo spotlight in 2002, immediately finding an audience with debut album The Punch Bowl. 
He then made even more of a splash with his sophomore offering... Released in 2004, Kitty Jay bagged him a Mercury Music Prize nomination and cemented his reputation as a performer of extraordinary talent. 
His Worcester stop-off this month comes as part of an autumn tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Kitty Jay.

The Marrs Bar, Worcester, Sunday 8 December; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Monday 24 February

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TRAVIS

Across an illustrious career stretching back to 1990, Scottish rock four-piece Travis have won numerous major awards - including Brit and Ivor Novello gongs - and produced 10 studio albums, the latest of which, LA Times, was released in the summer to significant acclaim.
 “LA Times is our most personal album since The Man Who,” says lead singer & lyricist Fran Healy. “There was a lot of big stuff to write about back then; the tectonic plates had shifted in my life. I was 22 when I was writing those songs. They were my therapy. Over 20 years later, the plates have shifted again. There’s a lot to talk about.”

The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton, Monday 9 December

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BAD MANNERS

Long in the tooth they may be, but English 2 Tone ska wizards Bad Manners still command a significant following around the globe. Very much a novelty act, courtesy in the main of the on-stage antics of bald-headed frontman Buster Bloodvessel, they spent the early-1980s vying for chart positions with fellow ska revival bands Madness, The Specials and The Selecter. 
Hit albums include Gosh It’s... Bad Manners, Loonee Tunes! and Ska’n’B.

The Underground, Stoke-on-Trent, Monday 9 December; KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton, Friday 27 December

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A WINTER UNION

Featuring five leading lights of the British roots scene, A Winter Union was originally formed with the intention of playing a one-off concert. That was nine years ago. But rather than becoming a fast-fading memory, the talented five-piece have instead established themselves as a pre-Christmas must-see experience for fans of folk and roots music. Their mid-month gigs will see them blasting through a repertoire of brand-new songs, fresh arrangements of traditional carols and seasonal classics from both sides of the Atlantic.  

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Thursday 12 December; Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton, Saturday 14 December

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SAM RYDER

Sam Ryder is that rarest of 21st-century beasts: a UK Eurovision entrant of whom the nation can actually feel proud. 
Taking second place in the 2022 edition of the competition with the song Space Man, the Essex-born singer-songwriter has since been steadily building on his unexpected but mightily welcome Song Contest success. 
Sam is visiting the Potteries at the end of what’s been an industrious few months for him - as well as working hard on his sophomore album, he also played in excess of 30 festivals across the summer. The Stoke stop-off comes as part of a short winter tour.

Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Friday 13 December

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BRAVE REVIVAL

With influences including Aretha Franklin, Fleetwood Mac and Led Zeppelin, the five-piece rock & blues juggernaut that is Brave Revival bring a modern interpretation to classic rock vibes. They’re visiting the region this month in support of Fight Or Flight, their recently released sophomore album. “Lyrically, just about every song [on the album] can be viewed in different ways,” explains lead singer Lindsey Bonnick, who feels the record has a very different energy to their 2022 debut offering, Life’s Machine. “And there’s a strong thread around mental health - whether we were writing about things we’d gone through ourselves or experiences picked up from meeting people on the road.”  

KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton, Saturday 14 December

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CULTURE CLUB

“I am calling this The Zero Arguments Tour,” says Boy George, “because we are performing our first two albums - Kissing To Be Clever and Colour By Numbers - exactly as they were made, and in exact order. I love the idea of this because some of these songs are fan favourites and have never been performed. I think it will be really special for the fans.”
Synth-pop legends Tony Hadley and Heaven 17 complete the bill, ensuring a night of full-throttle nostalgia for 80s aficionados. 

bp pulse LIVE, Birmingham, Saturday 14 December

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THE MAGPIES

Showcasing a unique blend of transatlantic folk music, talented three-piece The Magpies features award-winning guitarist, banjo player & singer Bella Gaffney, acclaimed fiddle player & tunesmith Holly Brandon and gifted Midlands-born singer-songwriter & guitarist Ellie Gowers. 
The band’s debut album, Tidings - released in June 2020 to considerable critical acclaim - drew on their experiences as women living in the 21st century. Following up with 2022’s equally well-received Undertow, they continue to make a real name for themselves as champions of gender equality in the music industry.

The Hive, Shrewsbury, Sunday 15 December

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VICTORIES AT SEA

Local lads Victories At Sea formed back in 2010 and earned plenty of praise for their first full-length record, Everything Forever.  Fusing a vivacious combination of brutalist electronic hooks, soaring post-punk guitars and dolorous wordplay, the band have been championed by the likes of the NME, the Guardian, BBC Introducing and Radio X’s John Kennedy.

Hare & Hounds, Birmingham, Tuesday 17 December

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DAN OWEN

When Shropshire lad Dan Owen released his debut album, Stay Awake With Me, back in 2018, he felt like he’d come to the end of a long journey. “It’s what I’ve been working for since I first picked up a guitar at the age of eight,” he said. “A lot has happened since then, and the songs on my album cover some of the high and low points, both for me and for some of those closest to me.”
The six years since he released the record have seen him significantly swell his fanbase and work methodically on increasing his output, his winning brand of gritty, blues-infused pop/rock being beautifully served by his arresting and husky vocals. 

Shrewsbury Abbey, Tuesday 17 & Wednesday 18 December

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THE AMY WINEHOUSE BAND

Amy Winehouse’s friend, long-term musical director & bass player Dale Davis here leads the late singer’s original band in a ‘joyful and emotional’ celebration of her songbook. 

Fronted by vocalist Bronte Shandé and coming complete with on-screen visuals and unique footage, the show is being promoted (and not without good reason) as ‘the only completely authentic reimagining of the Amy Winehouse sound’.

Birmingham Town Hall, Wednesday 18 December

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 ​ELKIE BROOKS

With an impressive 60-plus years in the music industry behind her and 20 albums under her belt, Elkie Brooks quite rightly continues to hold the title of British Queen of Blues. 
Having kicked off her new tour, The Long Farewell, at Shrewsbury Folk Festival back in the summer, she’s this month returning to the town to present a gig featuring all her greatest hits, including Pearl’s A Singer, Fool (If You Think It’s Over), Don’t Cry Out Loud and Sunshine After The Rain.

Birmingham Town Hall, Friday 28 February

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