GIGS WarwicksWorcs January.qxp_Layout 1 14/12/2021 12:26 Page 2
Gigs
Live music from across the region...
Toyah Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Sat 15 January
In a career spanning more than four decades, Birmingham-born musician and actress Toyah Willcox has had eight top-40 singles, released over 20 albums, written two books, appeared in more than 40 stage plays and 10 feature films, and voiced and presented numerous television shows. With biggest hits including It’s A Mystery, Thunder in The Mountains and I Want To Be Free, Toyah here performs close to home with her band. Support comes from Verity White.
Haiku Salut Hailing from the Derbyshire Dales and imaginatively describing themselves as ‘an instrumental dream-pop-post-folk-neoeverything trio’, Haiku Salut produce a sound which fuses elements of neoclassical, post rock, folk and electronica. Between them, Gemma and Sophie
Barkerwood and Louise Croft play an impressive selection of instruments, including accordion, piano, glockenspiel, trumpet, trombone, guitar, ukulele, drums, malletkat, synth and melodica! The trio visit Coventry this month with Lamp Show, in which they’re accompanied by 20 vintage lamps that are programmed to flash, fade and flicker in time to the group’s music.
Wolf Alice
Gaz Brookfield
O2 Academy, Birmingham, Thurs 27 January
The Marr’s Bar, Worcester, Fri 7 January
Alternative rock band Wolf Alice comprising founders Ellie Rowsell and Joff Oddie, along with bassist Theo Ellis and drummer Joel Amey - are this month visiting the region in support of chart-topping third album Blue Weekend, an offering that beautifully showcases their newfound boldness and vulnerability. Their Birmingham stop-off is part of a tour that sees them playing headline shows for the first time in nearly four years.
Since being named Acoustic Magazine’s singer/songwriter of the year in 2010, Gaz Brookfield has spent plenty of time out on the road building up a strong and loyal army of admirers. A fiercely independent musician, Gaz has no manager, no record label and no agent just a guitar, a van, and a steadfastly belligerent refusal to give in. He has so far released eight studio albums. His latest offering, Idiomatic, reached number 10 in the download charts.
Drapers’ Hall, Coventry, Sat 29 January
Ronan Keating Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Thurs 27 January
With 12 studio albums behind him, it's fair to say that Ronan Keating long ago stopped being thought of only in terms of Boyzone. He’s currently one year short of celebrating three glorious decades in the music business, during which time (and among many other stand-out achievements) he’s dueted with Elton John, sung for the Pope and recorded with Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens). Ronan stops off in Birmingham this month in support of his album, Twenty Twenty.
Idles O2 Academy, Birmingham, Sat 22 January
Idles made their UK Official Album Chart debut in 2018 following the release of second album Joy As An Act Of Resistance, which saw them being nominated as Best Breakthrough Act in the 2019 BRIT Awards. Known for their powerful live shows, the Bristol five-piece are one of the UK’s most exciting bands, boasting relentless energy and a huge sound. Passionate, political and darkly comedic, they’re back with their fourth album, Crawler, which peaked at number six in the charts. whatsonlive.co.uk 17
