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...  

THE BLUETONES

Fate can sometimes deal a dodgy hand to those aspiring to musical greatness - and so it proved with The Bluetones. A significant name during the Britpop era of the 1990s, the band struggled to build on their initial success. To give them their due, though, they’ve gamely battled on across the ensuing decades - save for one four-year hiatus - and enjoyed modest success on the touring circuit... 

Two of their members, Mark Morriss and Adam Devlin, are this month out on the road with a show that should be well worth catching when it visits the Midlands; the boys will be interspersing acoustic performances of the band’s classics with plenty of banter and storytelling from their 30-plus years in the music industry.

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sunday 1 March; The Marrs Bar, Worcester, Saturday 21 March

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SPIERS & BODEN

Founding members of big band folk phenomenon Bellowhead, John Spiers and Jon Boden are musicians extraordinaire, boasting between them an impressive mastery of fiddle, guitar, assorted squeezebox instruments and the stomp box. Oh, and they both know how to carry a tune into the bargain! With more than a quarter-century of experience playing together, the fellas are a well-honed duo indeed, and are widely admired for their ability to give traditional folk music a brand-new feel.

 Number 8 Arts Centre, Pershore, Wednesday 4 March

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LUCY ROSE

Touring with Counting Crows and providing backing vocals for Bombay Bicycle Club are among the career highlights of Surrey-born singer-songwriter Lucy Rose. 
A well-established voice on the folk-music scene, with five albums under her belt, Lucy is continuing her comeback after being diagnosed with a rare form of pregnancy-related osteoporosis that led to her breaking her back in eight places.   

Birmingham Town Hall, Thursday 5 March

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THE SUBWAYS

Discovered by Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis, The Subways performed on the festival’s Other Stage in 2004 and were catapulted into the limelight. Playing powerful indie-rock that’s accessible to all, they’re known for their generosity towards their fans, who they love to meet & greet after shows... Their early-month Bilston date sees them loud, unplugged, and playing the best of their outstanding back-catalogue.

The Robin, Bilston, Thursday 5 March

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FRANZ FERDINAND

Come next year, Franz Ferdinand will have been delighting fans with the skewed charms of their art-punk/dance-rock sound for a quarter of a century.
The Scottish indie favourites shot to stardom on the back of a post-punk revival, setting out their stall in no uncertain terms by bagging the 2004 Mercury Prize for their self-titled debut album. 
The following year, they successfully sidestepped the curse of the ‘difficult’ second album, scoring a major hit with You Could Have It So Much Better. 
A further four records have followed, including last year’s The Human Fear. The album garnered a good amount of praise from fans and critics alike, without ever really threatening to set the world on fire.

O2 Academy, Birmingham, Friday 6 March

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KYLE HUME

Memorable melodies and accessible lyrics combine to excellent effect in the music of Kyle Hume, whose mainstream-pop output incorporates elements of R&B and hip-hop. Hailing from Louisville in Kentucky - and having grown up banging on drums while somewhat reluctantly taking piano lessons - Kyle enjoyed a breakthrough recording success with the song If I Would Have Known, an emotionally charged ballad about loss, grief and regret. Originally written in response to a fan’s comment on TikTok, it went on to become a viral hit.

O2 Institute, Birmingham, Sunday 8 March

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BEANS ON TOAST

Self-confessed drunkard Beans On Toast selected his name because he wanted to be called something basic and simple - to reflect his music!
“I’m not the greatest guitarist in the world,” he once admitted to Listen Up Manchester. “I play simple three-chord folk songs, but if I see something that interests me, something that intrigues or angers me, I pick up my guitar and I write a song.”
Emerging from the London folk scene over a decade ago and mainly singing about sex, drugs and politics, Beans On Toast is a surefire bet for an entertaining evening out.

Hare & Hounds, Birmingham, Wednesday 11 March

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BELLA HARDY

Bella Hardy has certainly crammed in a lot of living since debuting as a self-taught ‘fiddle singer’ - aged 13 - at Cambridge and Sidmouth music festivals. In the 29 years which have followed, her critically acclaimed songwriting has been informed by a wide range of experiences. These include working as a Tennessee ranch-hand, and learning the songs of Chinese farmers during her time as the British Council’s musician-in-residence in Yunnan Province. 
Bella visits Birmingham ahead of the release of her eagerly anticipated new album.

Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham, Thursday 12 March

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DUB CATALYST

An evening of soul-stirring music is very much on the cards whenever Dub Catalyst hit town. Boasting an electrifying energy, the talented 11-piece infuse the mesmerising rhythms of reggae and dub with the urban pulse of hip-hop, in the process generating a unique and memorable sound. 

Malvern Cube, Saturday 14 March

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GRIMM GRIMM

Grimm Grimm is the musical project of Tokyo-born, London-based composer Koichi Yamanoha. Using his releases to explore subtle shifts in style, Koichi’s output is firmly rooted in the avant-garde and experimental music scenes - as well as in the worlds of film and video-game soundtracks. 
Expect an evening of music that blends experimental pop elements with futuristic lyricism... Support on the night comes from art folk/post-rock band Brette Wolfe.   

Just Dropped In, Coventry, Saturday 14 March

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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. She’s back in Birmingham this month with her ongoing Long Farewell tour, presenting a gig that will feature all of 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.

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Saturday 21 March

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KING PLEASURE & THE BISCUIT BOYS

The KPs are past masters at creating an evening of frenzied fun, boasting a trademark mix of nutty on-stage antics and accessible musicianship. What they lack in innovation they make up for with their authenticity, while their impressive feel for the music ensures they do justice to the standards. But the vast majority of their audience couldn’t care less about how authentic or otherwise they sound - they just enjoy the band’s messing about and their furious dance rhythms.

Lichfield Guildhall, Saturday 21 March

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RICHARD CLARKE BAND

Intricate guitar work and stirring vocals has proved to be a winning combination for Richard Clarke, catapulting him into the blues-music stratosphere. Cutting his teeth in venues on the outskirts of London, Richard began playing professionally at the age of 15. “The guitar spoke to me,” he recalls, “and I was hooked from the moment I picked it up...” He’s been captivating audiences with his signature blend of blues, R&B, soul and pop music ever since.
Richard’s later-month gig sees him making his Temperance basement blues bar debut. 

Temperance, Leamington Spa, Sunday 22 March

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FEROCIOUS DOG

Ferocious Dog have been entertaining celtic folk and punk fans since 1988 but are now calling it a day. In a statement last autumn, the six-piece said: “After all these years of noisy folk-punk, sweaty stages, and late-night drives... 2026 will be our final year. We have lived and breathed this band, and none of it would have meant a damn thing without the Hell Hounds who’ve carried us from backroom pubs to stages across the UK and Europe. You made Ferocious Dog what it is - a grass-roots, working-class punk band that never forgot where it came from.”

Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury, Sunday 22 March

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MALIN LEWIS

Malin Lewis will be deep-diving into a hypnotic, envisioned world of ancient Scottish folk music in Coventry this month -  and doing so not only on fiddle but also with a self-made and newly invented bagpipe. 
Exploring laments, improvisation, circular melody, jigs and reels, the trans instrument maker & award-winning composer is one of Scotland’s most acclaimed innovators, creating music which finds its inspiration in a variety of places, from European folk traditions and human nature, to queerness and the universe.

The Tin at The Coal Vaults, Coventry, Sunday 22 March

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GORILLAZ

Created by Blur’s Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, Gorillaz are a virtual band who burst onto the music scene at the start of the millennium. Creating a splash with their eponymous debut album, they then made an even bigger impression with sophomore offering Demon Days. The 2005 release was certified six times platinum in the UK and double platinum Stateside... 
The boys visit Birmingham having recently released ninth studio album The Mountain.  

bp pulse LIVE, Birmingham, Sunday 22 March

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MARTIN TURNER EX WISHBONE ASH

Wishbone Ash’s founding lead vocalist and key creative force, Martin Turner here performs two very distinct sets of music, representing the pre-1974 and post-1974 line-ups of the band. 

Formed in 1969, Wishbone Ash were long admired for their unique blend of blues, jazz and English folk - but it was the way the guitars played melodic leads together that became their trademark. Classic album releases such as Argus, Pilgrimage, There’s The Rub, New England and Live Dates defined the band’s sound and have touched the hearts of generations of music fans.

Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Wednesday 25 March

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THE BRAND NEW HEAVIES

Pioneers of the London acid jazz scene, The Brand New Heavies have been responsible for some of the UK’s biggest R&B and soul tracks (think Dream On Dreamer, Never Stop, Dream Come True and Midnight At The Oasis).

The band visit Wolverhampton this month as part of a short UK tour and are looking forward to their Midlands stop-off: “We can’t wait to hit the road again! There’s nothing quite like the connection we feel when we play these songs together. This tour is all about sharing that joy, funk and love with everyone - old friends and new faces alike!”

The Wulfrun at The Halls Wolverhampton, Friday 27 March

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MILES HUNT

Local lad Miles Hunt is best known, of course, as the frontman, lead vocalist and primary songwriter of The Wonder Stuff, the Stourbridge band with whom he burst onto the rock scene way back in 1987. 
This month’s solo visit to Wolverhampton sees him playing songs and telling tales from his 40 years in the music industry... 
Due to popular demand, Miles will be performing at the Arts Centre twice on Saturday the 28th, at 2pm and 7.30pm.

Wolverhampton Arts Centre, Saturday 28 March

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MISHRA

From meditative raag-inspired improvisations to high-energy celtic dance tunes underpinned by unstoppable percussive grooves, genre-defying five-piece favourites Mishra draw on their training in Indian classical, UK folk and contemporary classical. They also boast a distinctive instrumental palette, including santoor, banjo, clarinet, low whistle, double bass, and a vast array of percussion. They’re bringing their continent-spanning musical textures to Shropshire as part of a UK tour. 

The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire, Tuesday 31 March

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BROOKE COMBE

Rising star Brooke Combe visits the region this month off the back of a US tour supporting Benson Boone and a debut appearance on A Night With Jools Holland.

Brilliantly bringing a new edge to Northern Soul, the Scottish singer-songwriter is touring the UK having last year released debut album Dancing On The Edge Of The World to considerable acclaim. 

O2 Academy, Birmingham, Friday 3 April

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CHANTEL MCGREGOR

Blues-rock musician Chantel McGregor was once told by a major label that she had “a great voice, but girls don’t play guitar like that!” Ignoring their view, she enrolled at the Leeds College of Music and became the first student in the college’s history to achieve a 100% pass mark at BTEC, with 18 distinctions.
She’s since released three studio albums of new material, including debut offering Like No Other and last year’s The Healing.

Temperance, Leamington Spa, Sunday 6 December