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...  

BLUE

One-time superstar boyband Blue - featuring Simon Webbe, Duncan James, Antony Costa and Lee Ryan - burst onto the scene a quarter of a century ago with three chart-topping albums. A six-year hiatus followed, but they’ve been back together and creating a stir since 2011... This Potteries stop-off comes as part of a double-purpose tour, not only celebrating 25 glorious years but also promoting their recently released all-new studio album, Reflections.   

Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Monday 13 April

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KRIS DREVER + ANNIE DRESSNER

Hailing from a musical background - his dad was a member of Scottish folk rock band Wolfstone - Kris Drever came to prominence in the mid-noughties, first of all forming award-winning folk trio Lau - who’re still going strong, of course - and then releasing debut solo album Black Water. In the years which have followed, he has established himself as one of Scotland’s finest and most in-demand contemporary-folk musicians. 

Kris is joined for the show by New York City singer-songwriter Annie Dressner.

The Tin At The Coal Vaults, Coventry, Tuesday 21 April

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BASKERY

Comprising three Swedish sisters - Greta, Stella and Sunniva Bondesson - who’ve been creating music since they were old enough to hold instruments, Baskery play a combination of classic roots music and Americana. In the process, the self-titled Queens of Banjopunk generate a sound that oozes style and playfulness. The sisters have released six albums to date, most recently The Young Sessions - Live To Tape in 2024.

Hare & Hounds, Birmingham, Thursday 23 April

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IAN MCNABB

A winning blend of soaring melodies, powerful vocals and poetic lyricism define the music of Ian McNabb. 
After rising to prominence in the 1980s as the frontman and creative force behind The Icicle Works, the charismatic singer-songwriter kicked off the shackles of band membership in the 1990s, launching what has since proved to be a hugely successful - and prolific - solo career.   

Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Friday 24 April

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BADLY DRAWN BOY

Damon Gough’s debut album, The Hour Of Bewilderbeast, announced him as a star in the making, winning him the Mercury Music Prize in the year 2000. Two years later, he penned the score for the Hugh Grant film About A Boy, and then quickly followed up with two further albums: Have You Fed The Fish? and One Plus One Is One.

Touring solo for much of the time since those heady early-career days, he’s recorded only one album in the last 14 years but retains a solid fanbase.

Damon’s late-afternoon Shrewsbury show combines songs, stories and conversation. The event is hosted by BBC 6 Music’s Chris Hawkins and is fully seated.

The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury, Sunday 26 April

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BOOSHLE G

Keeping his songs simple, honest, and straight from the heart, Booshle G hails from South Africa and admits that finding his place in the sun has been no walk in the park...

“For years, I didn’t understand what people saw in me,” he explained to Indie Music Center. “My dad used to tell me not to compare myself to anyone... and that maybe I should just give myself a chance. I didn’t listen... But at some point, something shifted. Not a big moment with fireworks... Just a quiet voice inside that said, ‘Stop waiting. Do it your way. Do it now.’”

The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham, Thursday 30 April

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MAMMAL HANDS

With former GoGo Penguin drummer Rob Turner now on board, Mammal Hands bring their winning blend of jazz, contemporary classical, electronica, folk and minimalism to Coventry in support of sixth studio album Circadia - a record which they’re describing as a meditation on renewal and the beauty of change. 
The new release is the latest development in a career which has routinely gone from strength to strength, the driving beats and hypnotic textures of their sound helping them carve out an enviable reputation as boundary-defying artists. 

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Thursday 30 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