The Skiddle Gig List: Upcoming gigs and tours across the UK
There's a whole lot of amazing live gigs and tours to get stuck into over the next few months. Check out some of the best-looking shows in our latest Skiddle Gig List guide, with tickets now available to buy
Last updated: 18th Feb 2022
Originally published: 16th Feb 2022
Two months in, how is 2022 going? Well... That's up for debate... But at least music is absolutely thriving. Already so far this year, we have had spectacular album releases that I'm sure we'll still be talking about in the year-end lists! From jazz masterclasses to metal behemoths, we've only just got started and it's looking like a good one! But what about live music? Well, there's plenty of that to get excited about, too!
Below, you'll discover just a small selection of some of the many countless live gigs, tours and solo performances set to take place in venues around the British Isles over the next few weeks and months and even later into 2022.
So, whether you're into punk, folk, jazz, electronica, metal or psych, we guarantee there's something here to whet that insatiable live music appetite of yours. Scroll down and click or tap on the links provided for tickets and more...
When: Friday 18th February 2022
Where: Network in Sheffield
In recent years, Rolo Tomassi have blossomed into the band they always had the potential to be. That's not to discredit their early records, which were wild, fun, hugely unpredictable and even verged on the jazzy side of Math rock/metal. However, starting with 2015’s ‘Grievances’ and perfected on the follow-up, ‘Time Will Die And Love Will Bury It’, Rolo Tomassi took on a more serious edge, employing elements of post-rock, shoegaze, pop and experimental music alongside their bludgeoning mathcore. They became more accessible - which is a strange thing to say of a band whose latest single has shades of Meshuggah.
In their 17 years as a band, Rolo Tomassi have had some huge career highlights, opening for the likes of Biffy Clyro, Architects, playing just about every heavy music festival the world over and have earned critical acclaim for their records. In fact, ‘Time Will Die…’ has a Metacritic score of 92/100, making it the second highest-rated record of 2018!
Rolo Tomassi are playing an intimate home town show in Sheffield TONIGHT! Get tickets from the link below now while you still can!...
Find tickets for Rolo Tomassi - here
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When: Thursday 24th February 2022
Where: Manchester Academy in Manchester
A band who have certainly made a name for themselves over the last couple of years - Big Thief are coming to the UK. Their indie-folk stylings have established them as one of the most authentic indie outfits of the 21st century. Take latest single “Simulation Swarm” for example - the gentle sliding bass wraps you up like a comfort blanket while Adrienne Lenker’s serene vocals serenade you into a sublimely peaceful place. It's a nostalgic sound that is veiled in autumnal colours and the smell of Douglas fir’. Makes me want to go and live in a log cabin - even more so than I already do.
Their albums have earned them Grammy nominations and have seen the band tour the world. Their NPR Tiny Desk Concert has been viewed nearly 3 million times and is a perfect introduction to the band; they are supremely tight, performing without fault, all 4 members completely in tune with each other as they effortlessly perform with such grace and elegance songs that have been very finely penned.
As I mentioned, they are coming to the UK this year, including a stop in Manchester this very month! Get your tickets now from the link below…
Find tickets for Big Thief - here
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When: Sunday 27th March 2022
Where: The Louisiana in Bristol
Originally of Indie Rock dreamers, Wild Beasts, Hayden Thorpe is a singer of remarkable talent, and his solo work highlights his personal ability to record music outside of an ensemble setting. His debut album “Diviner” was a stripped-back, piano-based record, leaning into ambient influences and minimal instrumentation. Lyrically, Thorpe used the record to explore his deterministic views, new ground again for the singer, whose previous work was more lavish. This opportunity to be more introspective proved fruitful, with website The Line of Best Fit claiming the album a “flawless work of genius” in their 10/10 review.
For 2021 follow up, Moondust for My Diamond, Thorpe, once again, pushed his own boundaries, opting for an electronic, synthpop based sound, using this new soundscape as an opportunity to lyrically explore “the meeting point between science and religion,” a subject that allows Thorpe further opportunity to utilise his music for psychological explorations.
Hayden Thorpe heads to the brilliant Louisiana in Bristol next month. Grab your tickets from the link below now…
Find tickets for Hayden Thorpe - here
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When: Saturday 12th March 2022
Where: EartH in London
A healthy diet of CAN, The Velvet Underground and Tom Waits, as well as evenings (more accurately, mornings) spent in nightclubs, swirled together in the minds of 3 young men from London in 2016 to create Kerala Dust, a band who fuse house music with live instrumentation to form an experimental approach to alternative-electronic music. And while it's impressive on record, it's in a live setting where Kerala Dust become truly something special (that's good news, given this is an article all about live shows and that…)
The band have played all over the world since their first tour in 2017, playing international music festivals including Lightning in a Bottle in California and Sonar in Barcelona. In 2020 they released their debut album “Light, West” which they then went on to reinterpret in 2021 with a stunning live concert film entitled “Live, West”, featuring experimental cinematography and live re-workings of the entire album. Think of it as a taster for what seeing the band live can encapsulate, as they project psychedelic visuals around venues to accompany their all-encompassing soundscapes.
You can experience Kerala Dust live for yourself this year as they head to EartH in London for their only UK show of the year! Get your tickets now from the link below…
Find tickets for Kerala Dust - here
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Bleach Lab
When: Saturday 5th March 2022
Where: Dead Wax in Birmingham
Bleach Lab's music sounds like a perfect blend of 80s Dream Pop heroes Cocteau Twins and modern alternative pop sensibilities. They have a true knack for writing memorable melodies, mired in dreamy layers of synths and clean, jangly guitars to create whirling soundscapes; a throwback sound, and a welcome one at that. At times, they sound like The Cure, but it would be lazy to only compare them to their influences, they have enough of their own charm to carry them forward as the next great dream pop band.
Releasing their first cuts late in 2019, Bleach Lab have, as of yet, not had much chance to perform their infectious music live, trapped inside as we all have been. However, that didn’t stop the UK media from paying attention to their EP “Nothing Feels Real”, which received airplay on BBC Radio 6 and is a wonderful glimpse into what the band have to offer.
With live gigs actually being a thing that can happen again now, Bleach Lab can finally bring their music to you, and that includes Birmingham, where they have a show at Dead Wax in March. Grab your tickets from the link below now…
Find tickets for Bleach Lab - here
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Beans On Toast
When: Wednesday 2nd March 2022
Where: The Voodoo Rooms in Edinburgh
It can be a bit of an audience divider, but I’ve always preferred to grate a bit of cheese on mine. Just adds another layer to a staple classic. I might even add a drop or two of Worcestershire sauce, or maybe even Lancashire sauce. Others prefer their Beans On Toast in the form of a 41-year old British Folk Singer, real name Jay McAllister. Whatever floats your boat, I guess.
Beans On Toast has had a very prolific career, heading out on US tours with his good friend Frank Turner, opening for Kate Nash and Flogging Molly, working alongside members of Mumford & Sons and has impressively performed at every Glastonbury Festival since 2007. He has released a staggering 14 studio albums in as many years, opting to release a new record every December 1st, each one trying new approaches to his singer/songwriter, alt-folk stylings. His albums are always backed by exhaustive touring schedules, and with restrictions on live shows being lifted, Beans can finally get out and do what he does best.
You can catch him live in Edinburgh next month as he heads to The Voodoo Rooms. Tickets are on sale now and you can grab yours from the link below…
Find tickets for Beans On Toast - here
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When: Saturday 2nd April 2022
Where: CCA in Glasgow
Whyte Horses are an enigma, appearing less as a band and more of a multi-faceted multimedia experience; in fact, they don’t even call their shows “gigs”, opting to refer to them as just that, experiences. The brainchild of Manchester-based musician Dom Thomas, Whyte Horses are a group who effortlessly fuse genres into a pastiche of dreamy, psych-y, acid-y, kraut-y, psychedelic fueled music. The lineup continuously shifts, with guests such as La Roux and Badly Drawn Boy making appearances both on record and live.
Despite their mysterious nature and unpredictability, they caught the attention of the UK music press, as well as Noel Gallagher, who championed their debut record, “Pop Or Not”, which was voted album of the year 2016 by Picadilly Records in Manchester. It's safe to say their live “experiences” are unique; you never know what could happen next, but, thankfully, you can find out for yourself this year.
Whyte Horses head to CCA in Glasgow in May. Get your tickets now for an unforgettable show from the link below…
Find tickets for Whyte Horses - here
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When: Sunday 27th February 2022
Where: Club 85 in Hitchin
Rarely does a band who are yet to play a single live show present such a ferocious first offering that they are worth shouting about, but right now, I’d like to introduce you to Club Dread, to give you a chance to get on at the ground floor, as the Bedford based 5-piece prepare a show that will no doubt be loud, heavy and beautiful.
A string of mouthwatering singles gives us an early taste of what to expect from this healthy dose of fresh blood: Pummeling hardcore riffs, driven by devastating basslines provide the platform for vocalist Jim Dummer to deliver bone-shaking screams and melodious, soaring choruses. Born in the Great Lockdown of 2020, Club Dread are harbouring pent-up energy that we’ve only glimpsed on these early singles. They are ones to watch on the UK heavy music scene, and I’m not just saying that because a member of the Skiddle team is in the band…
Grab your ticket now for Club Dreads debut gig in Hitchin next week from the link below…
Find tickets for Club Dread - here
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When: Sunday 5th June 2022
Where: Forum in Birmingham
With 6 number one albums in their arsenal, Editors are factually and actually one of the most successful British bands of the 21st century. Forming in Birmingham in 2002, they emerged from the burgeoning post-punk revival scene, packing huge, anthemic sing-along choruses that saw the band headlining some of the countries biggest festivals, as well as supporting some of the biggest bands of the past 20 years. It's safe to say that their career up to now has been nothing short of incredible.
Their music has been compared to bands such as Joy Division and Echo & the Bunnymen, but comparing them to others only gives you a glimpse of what the band sound like, employing dark indie tones with soaring indie guitar lines and post-punk basslines. Tom Smiths lyrics are dark and ambiguous, giving the band an edge that's seldom seen in commercial rock music - especially in a band who have dominated the mainstream!
Editors play a very special hometown show this June, playing at The Forum in Birmingham for the closing party of Sonic Wave. Get your tickets now from the link below…
Find tickets for Editors - here
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When: Wednesday 30th March 2022
Where: O2 Ritz in Manchester
Once pegged as “ones to watch” by the Guardian, KOKOROKO are an eight-piece ensemble breathing fresh new life into Afrobeat and jazz, tending to the roots laid forth to sprout by their ancestors. Their upbringing both culturally and educationally has led them to create music that borrows from the past while looking to the future, fusing traditional African styles such as Highlife with jazz instrumentation and styles. The result is music that electrifies dancefloors nationwide.
The multi-instrumentalist Sheila Maurice-Grey acts as bandleader, conducting her compadres with trumpet leads and a keen eye for visuals that help bring the vibrancy of this band to life. With African parentage, Shiela claims to not feel “British”, even though she is and says she feels the same about visiting Africa. Through creating music whose lineage is in Africa, Sheila feels she can stay connected to her roots, whilst also showing that this music can have a universal appeal.
You can catch KOKOROKO live in Manchester at the O2 Ritz, next month! Get your tickets now while you still can…
Find tickets for KOKOROKO - here
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Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.
