The Best Concerts To Book This Season
Freya Ridings, Eventim Apollo
Freya Ridings is the new star tipped by everyone from Taylor Swift to Florence Welch. She was the surprise success story of 2018 with her breakthrough platinum-selling hit ‘Lost Without You’. Her biggest UK tour to date will see her play to a combined audience of over 23,000 people, including over 5,000 in London when she takes to the stage at the Eventim Apollo. While ‘Lost Without You’ confirmed Freya as a rising-star, it was the strength of her live shows that first earned her a word-of-mouth fanbase – as captured in her early live recordings Live At Omeara and Live At St Pancras Old Church.
45 Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith, W6 9QH; 22nd November
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Pi Ja Ma, Southbank Centre
Electro-pop artist Pi Ja Ma brings nostalgic vocals and bewitching musical landscapes to the Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room later this month. With influences including Jefferson Airplane, the Beach Boys, Françoise Hardy, Broadcast and Stereolab, Pi Ja Ma’s songs are evolving fantasies and nostalgic daydreams that encourage the listener to step back in time to the 60s as she sings about disappointing love stories, celebrities and the role of young women in society.
Belvedere Road, South Bank, SE1 8XX; 26th November
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Chemical Brothers, The O2
The Chemical Brothers – aka Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons – follow the release of their acclaimed ninth album No Geography with their biggest ever UK headline show at The O2 on 30th November. Support comes from special guests James Holroyd and 2ManyDJs.
Greenwich Peninsula, Greenwich, SE10 0DX; 30th November
Visit TheO2.co.uk
Sigrid, Eventim Apollo
Over the last two years, Sigrid has won BBC Sound of 2018, debuted at Glastonbury, lit up festivals from Reading to Roskilde, made TV appearances on Later…with Jools Holland and The Late Late Show with James Corden, and headlined Brixton Academy. The 22-year-old’s songs are tales of the unexpected, fearless musical collages and shout-outs to human resilience. With streaming numbers reaching 570m globally, the Norwegian singer is undoubtedly set to continue her ascent in the pop landscape.
45 Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith, W6 9QH; 4th December
Visit EventimApollo.com
Rufus & Martha Wainwright’s A Not So Silent Night, Southbank Centre
Feel the holiday spirit at the Wainwright family party, where Rufus and Martha pay tribute to their singer-songwriter mother Kate McGarrigle. McGarrigle performed her final concert in December 2009 at an emotional family Christmas show at the Royal Albert Hall. This show at the Royal Festival Hall marks the tenth anniversary of that performance and will be a celebration of family, love and music as Rufus and Martha bring their very own subversive twist of folk to the holiday season. They’ll be joined by special guests Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Guy Garvey, Chrissie Hynde and Neil Tennant. All profits from this concert will go towards the Kate McGarrigle Fund, supporting sarcoma research.
Belvedere Road, South Bank, SE1 8XX; 6th December
Visit SouthbankCentre.co.uk
Pete Tong Presents Ibiza Classics, The O2
Pete Tong’s Ibiza Classics is back for its biggest UK tour to date. The voice of dance music on Radio 1 and one of Britain's most influential figures in electronic dance music, Pete Tong will be joined by conductor Jules Buckley and the 65-piece Heritage Orchestra to perform a fresh show of Ibiza classics. Celebrating the legacy of dance music, expect unparalleled production, brilliant visuals and a mix of your favourite White Isle tracks, plus music from special guests Beverley Knight, Wiley and AU/RA.
Greenwich Peninsula, Greenwich, SE10 0DX; 13th-14th December
Visit TheO2.co.uk
Guy Barker’s Big Band Christmas, Royal Albert Hall
In what is quickly becoming an annual tradition, big-band favourite Guy Barker returns to the Royal Albert Hall with a swinging, soulful celebration of big-band music with a Christmas twist. His inimitable mixture of jazz classics and Christmas oddities will put a swing in your step as the festive season kicks off. With Barker’s musical mastery and illustrious guests raising the roof, Guy Barker’s Big Band Christmas will convert even the grumpiest of scrooges to the joy of Christmas.
Kensington Gore, South Kensington, SW7 2AP; 19th December
Visit RoyalAlbertHall.com
Black Midi, Southbank Centre
Strap yourself in for the experimental sound of maverick, Mercury Prize-nominated Black Midi. Uncompromising yet melodic, they comprise curiously voiced vocalist/guitarist Geordie Greep, guitarist Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin, bassist Cameron Picton and drummer Morgan Simpson. All under the age of 21, they met at the Brit School and built their reputation through fiercely driven gigs at Brixton’s Windmill. Reference points include rapper Danny Brown, Death Grips, Deerhoof, Miles Davis and Talking Heads, and their sound has been described as “country twangs, ambient textures, funky bass lines, industrial beats, and noisy riffs – sometimes in the same song”. Ones to watch.
Belvedere Road, South Bank, SE1 8XX; 18th January
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The 1975, The O2
The 1975’s latest album, A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, was their third consecutive Number 1 record in the UK and cemented their status as one of the UK’s biggest and most exciting bands. The Manchester four-piece have had a phenomenal rise to fame over the past few years, selling out shows across the world, being nominated for the Mercury Prize and most recently winning Brit Awards for Best Group and Best Album as well as Ivor Novello Awards for Songwriters Of The Year and Best Contemporary Song. Having headlined this year’s Reading & Leeds festival, these 2020 shows will be the first full production of their upcoming fourth studio album. We can’t wait.
Greenwich Peninsula, Greenwich, SE10 0DX; 21st-22nd February
Visit TheO2.co.uk
Lana Del Rey, The O2
Elizabeth Woolridge Grant – aka Lana Del Rey has announced a UK and European tour for 2020. Following the success of this year’s album Norman F***ing Rockwell!, Del Rey will take to the stage for a soulful performance of cuts from across her four albums, including Q’s Song of the Decade, the haunting ballad ‘Video Games’.
Greenwich Peninsula, Greenwich, SE10 0DX; 25th February
Visit TheO2.co.uk
Jon Hopkins, Royal Albert Hall
Jon Hopkins is one of the most celebrated electronic musicians of his generation and is set to make his Royal Albert Hall headline debut in 2020 with his new show, Polarity. Polarity follows on from his incredibly successful Singularity tour. Playing grand piano for parts of the show, he will be joined on stage by a small group of musicians and long-time friends. Presenting his live show in a seated venue is set to present a fascinating challenge for both performer and audience. We can’t wait.
Kensington Gore, South Kensington, SW7 2AP; 18th March
Visit RoyalAlbertHall.com
Goldfrapp, Southbank Centre
Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory formed Goldfrapp in 1999 and released Mercury Prize-nominated album Felt Mountain in 2000. To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the band is touring the UK for a string of evenings. Expect hits including ‘Strict Machine’, ‘Ooh La La’, ‘Lovely Head’ and ‘A&E’, and a night of nostalgia and dancing.
Belvedere Road, South Bank, SE1 8XX; 29th March
Visit SouthbankCentre.co.uk
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