These are the best gigs to see this month

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It’s set to be an absolutely massive summer of live music. Stadium tours from the likes of Green Day, Foo Fighters, Pink, Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen are due to touch down in the UK over the coming months, while huge arena shows from Olivia Rodrigo, Nicki Minaj, Doja Cat and Smashing Pumpkins are also on the horizon.

Glastonbury Festival 2024 will be headlined by Dua Lipa, SZA and Coldplay – and British Summer Time Hyde Park will host gigs from Stray Kids, Kylie and Stevie Nicks. Then there’s Reading & Leeds Festival, which see the likes of Liam Gallagher, Lana Del Rey, Blink-182, Fred Again.., Gerry Cinnamon and Catfish & The Bottlemen heading up the bill at the bank holiday bonanza.

Long story short, there are plenty of reasons to leave the house this summer. To help you get get started, we’ve rounded up the very best gigs that are taking place in May.

The Black Keys

In celebration of their community-inspired 12th album ‘Ohio Players’, The Black Keys are heading to the UK for a trio of gigs at the recently reopened Brixton Academy. With guest appearances from Beck, Noel Gallagher and Juicy J on the record and with this era inspired by late-night blowouts, there’s no telling who else will be joining The Black Keys’ rock & roll party.

The Black Keys play:

MAY
7 – Brixton Academy, London
8 – Brixton Academy, London
9 – Brixton Academy, London
15 – Co-Op Live, Manchester

Mitski

Ahead of a headline set at London’s All Points East festival and following her music being embraced by a new generation thanks to TikTok, Mitski is bringing her live extravaganza to the UK for a run of headline gigs. Mitski has always embraced the theatrical with her live show but dramatic new album ‘The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We’ is perfect for the grand extravagance and delicate heartache that fills Mitski’s music..

Mitski plays:

MAY
01 – O2 Apollo, Manchester
02 – O2 Apollo, Manchester
04 – 3Arena, Dublin
06 – The Civic At The Halls, Wolverhampton
08 – Eventim Apollo, London
09 – Eventim Apollo, London
10 – Eventim Apollo, London
11 – Eventim Apollo, London

Olivia Rodrigo

Last time Olivia Rodrigo was in the UK, it was amid the relative intimacy of venues like London’s Eventim Apollo, since the singer didn’t want to miss a step during her rapid rise to becoming one of the biggest pop stars on the planet. This time around, she channels all her rock star ambitions into a show that’s bigger and bolder but still full of swagger. Backed by the iconic anthems of hit second album ‘Guts’, this tour is set to be a real ‘I was there’ moment.

Olivia Rodrigo plays:

MAY
1 – 3Arena, Dublin
3 – Co-Op Live, Manchester 
4 – Co-Op Live, Manchester
7 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow 
8 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
10 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham
11 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham
14 – The O2, London
15 – The O2, London
17 – The O2, London 
18 – The O2, London

PVRIS

Last year’s ‘Evergreen’ saw PVRIS comfortably blend the worlds of beautiful electronics and snarling guitar to create a record that was as brutal as it was lush. Never ones for standing still, the band have since released a string of singles that continue to expand this confident new world, with an upcoming tour the perfect showcase for the alt-rockers’ vibrant new attitude. Support comes from fellow gamechangers Scene Queen and Sophie Powers.

PVRIS play:

MAY
12 – O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester
13 – O2 Academy, Glasgow
15 – O2 Academy, Birmingham
16 – Troxy, London

Nicki Minaj

In celebration of “blockbuster sequel” ‘Pink Friday 2’, Nicki Minaj is heading out on a big ol’ arena tour that looks to celebrate both the past and present of one of rap music’s all-time greats.

The North American leg of the tour saw Minaj perform a majority of ‘Pink Friday 2’ live, but with a 30-song setlist, there was plenty of space for tracks from across her impressive discography.

Nicki Minaj plays:

MAY
25 – Co-Op Live, Manchester
26 – Resorts World Arena, Birmingham
28 – The O2, London
29 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow

English Teacher

Fresh from releasing one of the greatest debut albums we are likely to hear this year, English Teacher are heading out on a much-deserved victory lap. They’re former NME The Cover stars who we called “a vital voice from the heart of UK guitar music” while our five-star review of ‘This Could Be Texas’ called it “a truly original effort from start to finish, an adventure in sound and words, and a landmark statement.” Basically, miss these gigs at your peril.

English Teacher play:

MAY 2024
8 – Concorde 2, Brighton
9 – Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
10 – Thekla, Bristol
11 – Clwb lfor Bach, Cardiff
13 – The Bullingdon, Oxford
15 – The Foundry, Sheffield
16 – Irish Centre, Leeds
17 – Mash House, Edinburgh
18 – King Tuts, Glasgow
21 – Ulster Sports Club, Belfast
22 – Whelans, Dublin
24 – Gorilla, Manchester
25 – Castle and Falcon, Birmingham
28 – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
29 – Electric Brixton, London

Olivia Dean

Soul-pop singer Olivia Dean released her brilliant debut album ‘Messy’ last year and is now gearing up to bring those sprawling yet intimate songs to huge venues around the UK. “I can’t wait to fill these rooms with love and warmth and dancing feet,” said Dean in a press statement. “It’s gonna be very special, and I can’t wait to sing with you all.”

Olivia Dean plays:

MAY
2 –  Eventim Apollo, London
4 – Eventim Apollo, London
5 – Eventim Apollo, London

Elbow

They’ve been in the game for more than 20 years, but Elbow are still going from strength to strength. Earlier this year, the band released their 10th album ‘Audio Vertigo’ which re-established the band as titans of emotional rock after the more intimate ‘Flying Dream 1’. This upcoming UK tour is a chance for them to really flex those muscles. Speaking to NME last year, vocalist Guy Garvey said: “The first time we played arenas, we didn’t have enough big numbers to do an arena set. Now we’ve got more than enough massive songs. I think it’s going to be loads of fun.”

Elbow play:

MAY 
4 – O2 City Hall, Newcastle
5 – Connexin Live, Hull
7 – Centre, Brighton
9 – The O2, London 
10 – Resorts World Arena, Birmingham
11- OVO Hydro, Glasgow
12 –  First Direct Arena, Leeds
14 – Co-op Live, Manchester
15 – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham

Keane

Keane are heading out on a massive tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their iconic debut album ‘Hopes & Fears’. That means timeless anthems like ‘Somewhere Only We Know’, ‘Everybody’s Changing’, ‘This Is The Last Time’ and ‘Bedshaped’ are all guaranteed to be played, which sounds like a great night out to be honest. Support at all the gigs will come from The Sherlocks and The Lathums.

Keane play:

MAY
3 – First Direct Arena, Leeds
4 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham
5 – Co-Op Live, Manchester
7 – International Centre, Bournemouth
10 – The O2, London
11 – The O2, London
13 – 3Arena, Dublin

Fletcher

Fletcher always knows how to put on a party. From supporting Panic! At The Disco on their farewell tour to seeing in the New Year with Miley Cyrus, the snarling popstar is well-versed in creating unforgettable nights. New album ‘In Search Of The Antidote’ lives up to that legacy, bringing together her most outrageous, exciting and energetic pop hits yet.

Fletcher plays:

MAY
1 – O2 Academy, Birmingham
2 – O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester
3 – O2 Academy, Glasgow
9 – O2 City Hall, Newcastle
10 – O2 Academy, Bristol
15 – Eventim Apollo, London
16 – Eventim Apollo, London

Kacey Musgraves

From Beyoncé to Noah Khan, country music is breaking new ground and Kacey Musgraves is one of the artists who first started kicking open that door. The legendary artist is heading out on a UK tour this month in support of recently released sixth album ‘Deeper Well’ which is something of a second coming-of-age record. The ‘Deeper Well’ world tour kicked off in Dublin over the weekend, with Musgraves playing tracks from across her glorious back catalogue.

Kacey Musgraves plays:

MAY
9 – O2 Academy, Glasgow
10 – O2 Academy, Glasgow
11 – O2 Apollo, Manchester
13 – The Civic At The Halls, Wolverhampton
14 – Roundhouse, London
15 – Roundhouse, London

Nickelback

Nickelback’s recent documentary Love To Hate was the final step in the Canadian band shifting from ‘most hated’ to celebrated rock & roll legends. This upcoming headline tour is a sort-of victory lap for a group who have endured massive highs and a lot of online jokes made at their expense, but it’s hard to argue when you’ve got a back catalogue of mega-hits such as ‘Rockstar’, ‘How You Remind Me’ and ‘Burn It To The Ground’. As the band told NME recently, “if we’re the thing that you get most upset about, you live a charmed life.”

Nickelback play:

MAY
16 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
20 – AO Arena, Manchester
21 – The O2, London
23 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham

Been Stellar

Former NME The Cover stars Been Stellar are heading to the UK to prove just why so many people are excited about the buzzy rock and rollers. With debut album ‘Scream From New York, NY’ due out later this year on Dirty Hit and comparisons to the likes of  Interpol, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Strokes already in their back pocket, it feels like this is going to be Been Stellar’s year and you’re not going to want to miss a second of it.

Been Stellar play:

MAY
15 – Joiners, Southampton
16 – Great Escape Festival, Brighton
17 – Great Escape Festival, Brighton
20 – The Louisiana, Bristol
22 – YES Basement, Manchester
23 – The Lexington, London

Tool

Tool remain one of the most ferocious, inspired rock bands around and their upcoming UK headline tour is set to further cement their growing legacy. After a 13 year wait, the band released fifth studio album ‘Fear Inoculum’ in 2019 and there’s already talk of a follow-up. Perhaps they’ll use this tour as a chance to road-test new material, or dust off some classics. Either way, maybe keep your phone in your pocket.

Tool play:

MAY
30 – Resorts World Arena, Birmingham

JUNE
1 – AO Arena, Manchester
3 – The O2, London

Fans can buy and sell tickets at global marketplace, viagogo here.

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