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29 guide 14-20 Oct 2017 music

Despite his, shall we

say, “unusual” taste in

collaborators – Maroon

5, Robin Thicke and Dido

have all received a guest

verse – rapper Kendrick

Lamar is so far ahead of

his peers it’s borderline

embarrassing. To cement

his status, and to keep

this year’s Damn album

ticking over, he’s just

announced a quick tour

of the UK’s arenas (7

to 13 Feb, tour starts

3Arena, Dublin). Anne-

Marie’s pop bootcamp

involved a stint on the

West End with Jessie J

(they starred in Whistle

Down the Wind as kids),

and being crowned a

national karate champion

in 2002, which certainly

beats the typical TV

talent-show route. She’s

taking her Top 10-tickling

trop-pop on the road

next year (19 to 27 Mar,

tour starts 02 Institute,

Birmingham). Having

won the BBC Sound

of 2017 poll – the fi rst

unsigned artist to do

so – UK R&B singer

Ray BLK (pictured) has

continued to do things

her way (ie no album as

yet), but expect some

new songs at these year-

ending shows (2 to 4 Dec,

tour starts O2 Institute2,

Birmingham).

Michael Cragg

Five of the best Rock and pop gigs

1

St Vincent

After going full kook on

2014’s St Vincent album,

Annie Clark has ratcheted

through the art-pop gears for

this month’s Jack Antonoff-

produced Masseduction, setting

the album in a visual world of

clean lines, neon pink PVC and

glossy surrealism. Expect the

unexpected, basically.

London, Tue; Manchester, Wed;

Dublin, Fri; touring to 21 Oct

2

Future

Croaky rapper Nayvadius

DeMun Wilburn, AKA Future,

has had a pretty busy 2017. As

well as releasing two albums

back-to-back (both US No 1s,

incidentally), he also created one

of this year’s many meme-ready

hip-hop anthems in the shape of

the darkly brooding Mask Off.

Manchester Academy, Fri;

touring to 23 Oct

3

The Breeders

Initially started as a side-

project for Kim Deal while her

main employers the Pixies were

on hiatus, the Breeders are

rightfully now Deal’s main focus.

To prove her commitment, she’s

got the original, Last Splash-era

band back together, with recent

single Wait in the Car – the

lineup’s first new offering

since 1993 – a playful reminder

of their skewed majesty.

Glasgow, Sun; Dublin, Mon;

Manchester, Tue; London, Wed

4

Zara Larsson

While this year’s patchy

international debut, So Good,

couldn’t quite live up to that

title, 19-year-old Swedish pop

star Zara Larsson remains

roughly a thousand times more

interesting than most of the beige

bores that pepper the musical

landscape. Expect a lorryload of

attitude and impeccable sass.

Belfast, Sun; Dublin, Mon;

Glasgow, Wed; Newcastle upon

Tyne, Thu; touring to 28 Oct

5

Ibeyi

French-Cuban twin sisters

Lisa-Kaindé Diaz and Naomi

Diaz’s recently released second

album, Ash, continues their

open-mindedness when it

comes to genre definitions but

offers a more focused lyrical

palette, tackling spirituality,

activism and racism.

Bristol, Wed; London, Thu;

Manchester, Fri

Michael Cragg

Booking now Weapon of

Masseduction

St Vincent

NEDDA AFSARI