On sale this week: Damon Albarn, Foo Fighters, Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular, Roni Size Reprazent and more
Hooray, it’s payday! That means you’ve no excuse not to treat yourself to tickets to one of these big gigs, which got announced this week, and which range from Damon to ‘Doctor Who’ to D&B. Rise and shine early tomorrow (Fri Aug 1) for your best chance at booking: they’re all likely to sell out very quickly.
The multitalented Blur and Gorillaz man, Africa Express instigator and all-round melancholy musical geezer goes solo, performing songs from the first Damon Albarn album ‘Everyday Robots’. Apart from a couple of small launch shows earlier this year, this is Damo’s first London gig in years, and he’ll be joined by his band The Heavy Seas, a string section, a gospel choir and some ‘special guests’. We’re hoping for Graham Coxon, Phil Daniels and Mr Tembo, the orphaned baby elephant who inspired one of the songs on the new album.
THE INVICTUS GAMES CLOSING CONCERT
To close The Invictus Games – a sporting competition for injured service personnel – a host of big names play a big gig in London’s newest park. The line-up includes American rock perennials Foo Fighters, indie survivors Kaiser Chiefs, wispy popstrel Ellie Goulding, country-rock dude Ryan Adams, new boy band The Vamps, cheeky pop-hop duo Rizzle Kicks, squeaky-voiced strummer James Blunt, dance troupe Diversity and Gareth Malone’s Military Wives choir. None of them have ever been wounded in battle as far as we’re aware, but former soldier Blunt and the Military Wives should carry the martial theme nicely. Expect lots of flag-waving and possibly an appearance from the games’ patron, Prince Harry.
THE DOCTOR WHO SYMPHONIC SPECTACULAR
Whovians assemble! Ben Foster conducts the BBC National Orchestra of Wales to perform Murray Gold’s music for the modern incarnation of the classic British sci-fi. Footage from the new series (featuring Peter Capaldi as the Doctor) will be screened alongside classic incidents from the series’s 50-year history, while some of the Doctor’s scariest adversaries stalk through the audience – and there’ll be no sofas to hide behind either.
D&B don Roni Size throws his clued-up jungle beats across the cavernous arch of Village Underground, with a seven-piece live band and some new material as well as classic tracks from Reprazent’s Mercury-winning ‘New Forms’ album.
Back with a superbly furious, surprise-released new album ‘Pe’ahi‘, the Danish fuzz-rock duo bust out some sublimely dark harmonising and plenty of B minor chords.
Already on sale this week: SBTRKT, Benjamin Clementine, The Damned, Foxygen, Against Me, Lambchop and Stewart Lee: A Room With a Stew.
Check out the rest of this week’s big live music announcements here.