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...  

LOOSE ARTICLES

With tongues firmly in their cheeks - and probably pints in their hands - high-energy all-female quartet Loose Articles deliver their discordant, hypnotic and repetitive sound with a fierce, in-your-face, punk-fuelled attitude. They’ve been making their presence felt since 2019, presenting humorous songs about working-class-relevant subjects. “We have a lot of political messages about what’s on our mind,” says bassist & vocalist Natalie Wardle. “I just write whatever pisses me off at the time. It touches on subjects like work, being scared of buses, and having social anxiety in big public situations.”

The Flapper, Birmingham, Friday 15 May

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WILLY MASON

Raised on the island of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, Willy Mason’s rise to fame was ably supported by fellow musician Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, who signed him to his Team Love label and released his debut LP, Where The Humans Eat, in 2004. 

Drawing on a deep well of melody and story passed on from his songwriter parents, Willy is well worth an evening of your time. And given that his studio output has been somewhat limited in recent years, catching him in person is definitely the best way to appreciate him nowadays.     

Wolverhampton Arts Centre, Friday 15 May

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MIRANDA SYKES & JIM CAUSLEY

Acclaimed Show Of Hands singer & bassist Miranda Sykes and Devon-born singer-songwriter Jim Causley - a man once hailed by Mojo Magazine as ‘the finest singer of his generation’ - were a couple of decades into their friendship before they decided to pool their impressive resources and release an album. The result, Everything Possible - featuring some of their favourite contemporary songs from the UK folk scene - forms the basis for this sure-to-be-popular Shropshire gig.   

The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire, Friday 15 May

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CHANCE PEÑA

Texas-born artist, songwriter & producer Chance Peña is heading to Birmingham in support of his most-recent album, When I Change My Mind I Don’t Mean It. The record is a 14-track collection of soul-searching songs, delivered in his trademark gravelly voice and steeped in the immersive indie-folk for which he’s become known.

O2 Institute, Birmingham, Saturday 16 May

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STEVE CRADOCK

“It’s a great time for me to reflect on my career and share the stories and songs of the last 25 years,” says Steve Cradock, in talking about Travellers Tunes, the debut solo tour that’s bringing him to Huntingdon Hall mid-month... A founding member of local superstars Ocean Colour Scene, Steve’s distinctive riffs ignited such classic numbers as The Riverboat Song and The Day We Caught The Train, helping propel the band to the double-platinum glory of their classic 1996 album, Moseley Shoals.

Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Sunday 17 May

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SUBMOTION ORCHESTRA

Submotion Orchestra are a seven-piece project from Leeds whose influences include jazz, dubstep, soul and ambient electronica. The band have performed across the world, with appearances at The Big Chill, Latitude,  Glastonbury, Outlook and Bestival featuring among their career highlights.  

With five full-length albums and five EPs to their name, they’re visiting Birmingham just a few days after the release of their sixth album, Passed Me By.

Hare & Hounds, Birmingham, Tuesday 19 May

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HOWLING GIANT

Nashville-based heavy-jamming psych-wizards Howling Giant have been building up an impressive head of steam for more than a decade now, reaching new heights with last year’s massive and mercurial third album, Crucible & Ruin. 

Their Coventry visit, coming as part of a European tour, sees them sharing the limelight with Alunah and Tellemahookah. 

The Tin Music & Arts, Coventry, Tuesday 19 May

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BLUE

Noughties boyband Blue will have plenty to celebrate when they pay a visit to the Black Country this month. Not only have they got a brand spanking new album - Reflections - to promote, they’re also marking a quarter century since first bursting onto the scene with debut studio album All Rise. 

Expect a mix of new and classic material, as well as guest appearances by Mina Simioni and fellow long-in-the-tooth ‘boyband’ 911. 

The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton, Friday 22 May

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SCOTT BRADLEE'S POSTMODERN JUKEBOX

Postmodern Jukebox, the internationally acclaimed music collective famed for their signature time-twisting style, transforming some of our most loved songs into dazzling vintage masterpieces, has announced a brand-new 20-city UK tour for May and June 2026, as part of their globe-spanning The Future Is Vintage world tour.

Concertgoers can expect a dazzling, inspiring trip through the PMJ Universe — where modern-day earworms and iconic pop hits alike are reimagined in classic genres like 1920s jazz, Swing, Doo-wop and Motown, and brought to life by a cast of some of the world’s best singers, dancers, and instrumentalists. Think “The Great Gatsby” meets “Sinatra at the Sands” meets “Back! …To The Future”.

Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Saturday 23 May

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QUILL

 

When bass guitarist Ben Brain died suddenly in 2012, his wife and Quill’s lead singer, Joy Strachan-Brain, was of a mind to call time on the popular Tamworth band’s 30-plus years of musicmaking. Eventually, though, she decided it was more important to battle on, in so doing ensuring that the numerous songs Ben had written for a new album would eventually be heard...

Now featuring longtime local legend Bev Bevan, Quill visit Lichfield with a show in support of latest release Midland Beat. 

The album is a celebration of some of the Midlands’ music scene’s best-known artists, including Duran Duran, Moody Blues, Black Sabbath, Slade, The Move and ELO.

Lichfield Garrick, Sunday 24 May

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RICKIE LEE JONES

Veteran singer-songwriter Rickie Lee Jones released her first album the better part of half a century ago and has been making music-industry waves ever since. 

Once memorably hailed ‘the Duchess of Coolsville’ by Time magazine, the double Grammy Award winner has recorded in various musical styles, including rock, R&B, pop, soul and jazz, leaving her indelible mark by virtue of some seriously soulful melodies and evocative storytelling.  

Her Coventry gig early this month sees her performing a selection of timeless classics and personal favourites.     

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Friday 29 May

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ARKAYLA

Layered guitar tones and telling lyrics combine to create complex yet dreamlike innovations in the music of Arkayla, a Manchester rock band who burst onto the scene a handful of years ago with a string of singles. Since that breakthrough, they’ve earned themselves a legion of dedicated fans by virtue of some seriously captivating live performances. 

The boys have been likened to The Strokes, The Smiths and The Doors, comparisons which speak volumes for the impact of their style and the quality of their sound. 

Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham, Saturday 30 May

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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