Ed’s… Highlights, Oct ’12

 

Blah, blah, blah, October. Loose segue, leaves falling. Harvest reference. Bountiful, thankful, yada yada yada; a cornucopia of concerts.

Starting with you-can-take-the-girl-out-of-Wolves, Carina Round (H&H, 3rd); touring her new album ‘Tigermending’.

Then the slightly sharper tongued Azealia Banks (HMV Institute, 5th) raps one end of the rainbow, whilst Vatican wet dream – The Vienna Boys Choir, sing the other (Town Hall, 5th); before the man with the ever growing mantelpiece, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, comes to town (N.I.A., 7th).

Pre J-Pop alt rock trio Shonen Knife (Glee Club, 8th) kitsch it up, a day before We Are Augustines (BBallroom, 9th) and the only man in rock with meth amphetamine and hair insurance, Slash (N.I.A., 9th).

Michelle Shocked reminds me of just how old I am (H&H, 10th) before Waldo’s harbinger of postal love doom, John Cale (HMV Institute, 11th), is on the road with an autumn release.

Also touring a new L.P. (apologies if you were born post 1990) are UK Hip Hop ‘n’ Dubsteppers, Foreign Beggars (O2 Academy 2, 11th), whilst the Womble following Katie Melua (Symphony Hall, 12th) brings the closest thing to boring back to Birmingham.

In a front man fight for your right to (anachronistically) party, we have The Stranglers’ Hugh Cornwell in one corner (O2 Academy, 13th) and The KinksRay Davies in the other (Symphony Hall, 13th); whilst young contender Bloc Party staggers back from the ropes (O2 Academy, 15th).

For a few more juicy berries, pick out: Kathryn Williams (Glee Club, 16th), Newton Faulkner (O2 Academy, 18th), Rick Astley (O2 Academy 2, 18th), Toy (HMV Institute, 20th), Delilah (HMV Institute, 21st), The Twilight Sad (H&H, 22nd), Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (HMV Institute, 24th), Seth Lakeman (Town Hall, 25th), Joan Armatrading (Symphony Hall, 26th), Goodnight Lenin – with Arcane Fire & Dry the River (HMV Institute, 30th), Tyler Hilton (O2 Academy 2, 30th), Tom McRae (Glee Club, 30th) & Muse (LG Arena, 30th).

And just in time for Halloween, we have Toyah – retouring/performing ‘The Changeling’ (BBallroom, 31st). Plus The Killers, with support from Tegan & Sara (LG Arena, 31st).

Erm… bright orange hair, Brandon Flowers, something about pumpkins? Enjoy.

You can follow Ed King at www.twitter.com/edking2210