London Gigs Diary: 2 - 8 April 2012

Tuesday sees Minnesota trio Low return to London to play a show at the Royal Festival Hall. We saw them play a sublime show at the Barbican last year and this date promises to be of a similar quality. Expect tracks from ninth album C’Mon to dominate, alongside selections from their consistently impressive back catalogue.

Howe Gelb also returns to London on Tuesday to play a solo show at Village Underground in support of forthcoming album Tuscon. For this record Gelb attempted to make what he termed a ‘country rock opera’, and if anyone is capable of pulling this off it is Giant Sand frontman Gelb. The record will feature a cast of supporting musicians but for this show Gelb will be appearing alone. (This gig has been postponed to 31st May.) Shearwater also arrive in London on Tuesday, playing a date at the Scala in support of well-received second album Animal Joy.

The wave of American artists hitting London this week also extends to Monday. Nina Nastasia brings her sparsely constructed songs to The Macbeth, while The Mountain Goats play selections from frontman John Darnielle’s new Transcendental Youth project with support from vocal ensemble Anonymous 4 at the Barbican.

Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen also hosts a notable show on Monday consisting of the otherworldly, electronic pop of Sweden’s When Saints Go Machine with support from the excellent Bleeding Heart Narrative.

Later in the week The Futureheads promote latest a cappella album Rant at Union Chapel on Wednesday while Alan Sparhawk takes time off from Low to play a show at Old Blue Last on Thursday as one half of Retribution Gospel Choir.

Thursday also sees an enticing double bill taking place at the Windmill as Rough Fields promote the beautiful, immersive sounds of debut album Edge Of The Firelight, with able support from sepia-dream-pop ensemble Hong Kong In The 60s. Meanwhile, Clark promotes latest album Iradelphic at Village Undergound on Saturday.

There’s plenty going on at Cafe Oto as usual this week. Oren Ambarchi, BJ Nilsen and Daniel Menche play a show to celebrate the 30^th anniversary of seminal experimental label Touch on Monday. On Tuesday Ambarchi returns to play a show with revered American minimalist composer Charlemagne Palestine. Friday sees the start of their Counterflows festival with appearances by Michael Gira (of Swans fame), Grouper and others. More details here.

Also taking place this week:

Dark Dark Dark – Bush Hall – Wednesday 4^th April

Other Lives – Village Underground – Wednesday 4^th April

Gang Colours – Vortex – Thursday 5^th April

Sons Of Noel & Adrian – Bush Hall – Thursday 5^th April

This Will Destroy You – Islington Academy – Thursday 5^th April

Drugstore – Lexington – Friday 6^th April

Sparrow & The Workshop – Windmill – Friday 6^th April

Just announced:

Dum Dum Girls – Islington Academy – 11^th April

Hanne Hukkelberg – Lexington – 30^th April

Lightships – Lexington – 8^th May

Hannah Cohen – Vortex – 9^th May

EMA – Scala – 15^th May

Niki & The Dove – XOYO – 16^th May

Pond – Cargo – 22^nd May

Smoke Fairies – Tabernacle – 28^th May

Lanterns On The Lake – Scala – 18^th October