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 WARWICK SESSIONS

This series of flagship events brings ‘global names from the world of pop to the Midlands’ across a five-day period.
The Warwick Sessions kicks off with headliners Train (with special guests Squeeze) on Wednesday 2 July. Beverley Knight and Will Young take to the stage the following evening (Thursday the 3rd), with The Stranglers (with special guests Buzzcocks and Skids) performing on Friday the 4th. Craig David Presents TS5 on the Saturday, and Elbow (with special guests Baxter Dury and Hamish Hawk) bring the sessions to a close on Sunday the 6th.

St Nicholas’ Park, Warwick, Wednesday 2 - Sunday 6 July

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JULIET LLOYD

Boasting a signature blend of soulful, roots-infused folk/pop, and routinely performing 150-plus shows per year, Juliet Lloyd has attracted comparisons with, among others, Patty Griffin, Grace Potter and Carole King. She’s visiting the Potteries this month as part of a UK tour that comes on the back of latest album Carnival, released in autumn last year.
“Although I still primarily consider myself a piano player, I write and play more guitar now,” says Juliet. “That definitely influences the kinds of songs I write, because I’m so limited by the chords I can play. It’s forced me to be simple, and to put more of an emphasis on lyrics than I may have in past projects.” 

Artisan Tap, Stoke-on-Trent, Friday 4 July

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BLACK SABBATH

Following the break-up of previous band Mythology in 1968, guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward decided to form a heavy blues rock band. They enlisted bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne - who had previously played together in an outfit called Rare Breed - and the rest, as they say, is history... 
In returning to Aston this month, Black Sabbath are bringing their sound back to the place where it all began. 
Their Villa Park appearance will mark the first time Ozzy, Tony, Geezer and Bill have performed together in 20 years, with Ozzy using the get-together to say a fond farewell to his fans. 

Villa Park, Birmingham, Saturday 5 July

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JEFF LYNNE'S ELO

With a unique sound that blends rock, pop and classical, Jeff Lynne’s ELO have sold more than 50 million records during the course of a distinguished half-century-long career... These home-town concerts at Utilita Arena, forming part of The Over And Out Tour, are among the last they will play. Their final-ever live show is scheduled for the 13th of the month in London’s Hyde Park.

Utilita Arena Birmingham, Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 July

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GIGSPANNER BIG BAND & RAYNOR WINN

Gigspanner Big Band present a carefully curated and skilfully narrated programme of material that goes way beyond the folk genre’s usual boundaries. Modern in interpretation yet classical in its virtuosity, it’s music that inspires audiences of all leanings... They are here joined by bestselling author Raynor Winn (The Salt Path) to present Saltlines, an immersive prose and music collaboration.  

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Friday 11 July

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JEWELIA

Emotional vocals, poignant lyrics and memorable melodies are impressively brought together in the nostalgia-infused indie pop and piano-powered fairytales of Bucharest-born Iulia Tache, who performs and records under the moniker Jewelia. Now based in London, the rising-star singer-songwriter explores a wide variety of music, from cinematic chamber pop to catchy synthpop and pop-punk-influenced rock. 

Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham, Saturday 12 July

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LET'S ROCK SHREWSBURY

Much-loved retro festival Let’s Rock makes a welcome return to Shropshire this month.  And, as usual, it’s boasting an impressive line-up of long-in-the-tooth talent. 
Among this year’s highlights are sets by Holly Johnson (pictured), Tony Hadley, Matt Goss, The Real Thing and the Midlands’ very own Toyah Willcox. 
Dollar also make a return, in the form of Thereza Bazar and - in place of David Van Day - Stephen Fox, a man who’s no stranger to taking on the stand-in role; just over a decade ago, Stephen spent a year as the fourth member of Bucks Fizz, performing with original members Cheryl, Mike and Jay.

The Quarry, Shrewsbury, Saturday 12 July

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PAUL DOWNES & PHIL BEER

Now here’s an experience not to be missed: Paul Downes and Phil Beer reuniting for what’s likely to be one of very few concerts. 
The pair originally teamed up way back in the early 1970s, making significant waves on the UK folk scene before going their separate ways. An invitation to perform at the 70th anniversary of the prestigious Sidmouth Folk Festival brought them back together, since which time they’ve turned down most requests to collaborate - but thankfully not this one. A truly memorable evening seems in prospect.  

Wolverhampton Arts Centre, Saturday 12 July

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KATIE MALCO

Making music which feels raw and resonates emotionally, indie rock singer-songwriter Katie Malco made a splash five years ago with debut offering Failures, an album which reflected on her teenage years and early 20s. 
“The [album’s] tunes represent a time where I wasn’t my best self or wasn’t behaving acceptably,” she told beatsperminute.com. “I named it Failures in a pit of doom. I was looking back and thinking that all these things are times I’ve f***ed up, basically.” Five years on, it’s to be hoped that Katie is feeling somewhat more positive about herself. And well she might - with a fast-growing fanbase, and having received plenty of enthusiastic encouragement from within the music industry, she’s carefully carving out a unique space in the indie rock landscape.

Hare & Hounds, Birmingham, Wednesday 16 July

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THE REMI HARRIS BLUES ROCK SHOW

Boasting a unique style that draws inspiration from artists including Django Reinhardt, Jimi Hendrix, Wes Montgomery and Led Zeppelin, Remi Harris presents eclectic shows that feature music which ranges from the acoustic jazz and swing of the 1930s and 40s, through to the psychedelic rock and blues of the 1960s and 70s. 
His Worcester stop-off this month sees him focusing on the latter, paying tribute to some of the era’s most legendary artists. 

Marrs Bar, Worcester, Thursday 17 July

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KATHRYN TICKELL AND THE DARKENING

Growing up in Northumbria, with a father who was an acclaimed performer of the songs of the area, Kathryn Tickell’s musical path was more or less chosen for her. 
Nowadays a folk-scene veteran, she here joins forces with three other North-East England-based musicians (and Dr Stef Conner from Cambridge) to present a concert that explores the connecting threads of music, landscape and people over a period of almost 2000 years. 

Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Saturday 19 July

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SPARKS

 

When brothers Ron and Russell Mael first recorded music together, Neil Armstrong hadn’t yet set foot on the moon, Lyndon B Johnson was the President of the United States, and the Vietnam War was raging. Almost 60 years later, the pair are not only still performing together but actually seem to have increased their output. Indeed, since the arrival of the new millennium, they’ve released an impressive eight studio albums. They’re visiting Wolverhampton this month as part of a tour in support of latest offering Mad!, which came out in late May.

The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton, Saturday 19 July

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MICHELL, PFEIFFER & KULESH

Lockdown was an inspirational period of time for many a creative talent - and so it proved for Odette Michell, Karen Pfeiffer and Daria Kulesh. Usually three of the busiest female performers on the folk scene, they suddenly found themselves with plenty of spare time on their hands. And what better way to spend it than by forming a close harmony folk trio! 
Bringing to life spellbinding folk tales, expertly woven together with an international twist, their cross-cultural, multilingual collaboration routinely turns familiar tunes into fresh and powerful sounds. 
And the talented trio are no slouches when it comes to instrumental skill either; between them, they play accordion, bodhran, bouzouki, Irish flute & recorders, guitar, percussion and shruti box. 

Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham, Sunday 20 July

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WET LEG

Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers each wear a small gold necklace made by Hester. One of the necklaces reads Wet; the other, Leg. Prior to the 2021 release of debut single Chaise Longue, those necklaces would have been cryptic to almost everyone else - but a lot has changed in the last four years...  
Now the greatly deserving recipients of Brit, Ivor Novello and Grammy awards, Rhian, Hester and their band continue to go from strength to strength. 
This month’s Coventry show sees them launching sophomore album Moisturizer.

hmv Empire, Coventry, Tuesday 22 July

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SUPERGRASS

Such was the eagerness of Supergrass to move on from their chirpy Brit Pop beginnings that they stopped performing Alright, their biggest hit, at their gigs. 
They’ll certainly be performing the track at Ludlow Castle this month, though, given that the concert is a celebration of I Should Coco, the album (their debut release) on which the song featured. 
Playing the whole record live - alongside other greatest hits - the boys are joined for the show by singer-songwriter Jake Bugg and indie bands The Cribs and Overpass.  

Ludlow Castle, Shropshire, Friday 25 July

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ORUÃ

Significant players on Brazil’s music scene, Rio de Janeiro-based band Oruã mix the electric pulses of deconstructed guitars over a mesmerising groove, producing music which takes both audience and band into a collective trance. Led by critically acclaimed guitarist & producer Lê Almeida, their sound is a quirky blend of lo-fi indie rock, krautrock, noise, afrobeat and Brazilian influences.
“I believe very strongly in the power of music, both as a healing power and as therapy,” Lê told Psychedelic Baby magazine. “Oruã’s concerts stir up a lot of energy, and that moves me a lot. It makes me think very carefully about what to say in my lyrics... There is a lot of resistance in Oruã’s music, and I try to make this resistance make sense to other people. I see this clearly at the shows.”

The Tin at The Coal Vaults, Coventry, Friday 25 July

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JACK BROADBENT

Jack Broadbent’s fanbase is huge, ever-growing, and includes legendary keyboardist & singer-songwriter Bill Payne. “Jack’s playing is superb,” says Bill, in waxing lyrical about the man who’s been hailed ‘the master of the slide guitar’. “[He shows] an almost reckless abandon when he gets revved up. He is performing on the edge, and if he falls, so be it. The pieces will not break. Jack can whisper or shout in equal order with a power and sensitivity that speak volumes. Embrace his music... You will be amply awarded.”

Temperance, Leamington Spa, Friday 25 July

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THE DEVOUT

Depeche Mode fans who fancy an extra dose of their favourites (well, kind of) should get along to this concert by fast-rising counterfeits The Devout.
“We are more than aware and respectful that DM have fans of all ages,” say the tribute stars, “which is why we want to create a unique experience; to use all of the skill, talent, production and design possible to create a show that transports you back to the live gigs that [saw] Depeche Mode [become] established as a worldwide act.”  

O2 Academy, Birmingham, Saturday 26 July; Watson Hall, Tewkesbury, Saturday 27 September

 

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​TWOMANTING

Jah-man Aggrey and guitarist Jon Lewis) write songs about subjects as wide-ranging as politics, childhood memories, and, er, duvets... Playing a brand of bouncy ‘Sunshine Afro-roots’, they’ve garnered plenty of media attention since coming together 21 years ago, with BBC 6Music’s Lauren Laverne once saying of their sound, “If you want a bit of early summer, then get this into your earholes!”

The Morgan, Malvern, Sunday 27 July

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