London Gigs Diary: 9 - 15 April 2012

This month has witnessed the return of electronic/dance duo Orbital who released ninth album Wonky after a long period away. It’s been warmly welcomed, not least by us here at musicOMH, and they seal a successful return with a show at the Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday. It’ll be interesting to see how they integrate the new tracks alongside their classic material.

Last month the Barbican hosted a magnificent show featuring talented American neo-classicist Nico Muhly and this week he returns to the same venue on Monday to head a collaboration featuring Sufjan Stevens and The National’s Bryce Dessner. The evening will see the trio perform a new song cycle named Planetarium, with assistance from  New Trombone Collective and Navarra String Quartet. It should be another fascinating event. Muhly’s earliert concert also involved Sam Amidon and he’s also in London this week to play a solo show at the Westminster Reference Library on Friday.

Elsewhere, female performers dominate the gig week. Lana Del Ray plays an intimate show at the Jazz Cafe, Soap&Skin promote second album Narrow at the Scala on Wednesday, while much-respected R&B/soul artist Lauryn Hill plays her first London show in five years at the Indigo2 on Saturday. There’s also an appearance by Sub Pop signed LA quartet Dum Dum Girls at the Islington Academy on Wednesday, while Portland singer-songwriter Laura Gibson brings her alt.folk songs to the Lexington on Tuesday.

The week closes with a pair of notable gigs – cult outsider artist Daniel Johnston plays a show at Union Chapel on Sunday, whilst the Barbican continue their impressive contemporary music series with a performance by Gavin Bryars and Philip Jeck.

Also taking place this week:

Library Tapes – Vortex – Tuesday 10^th April

Simian Ghost – Surya - Tuesday 10^th April

Toy – XOYO – Wednesday 11^th April

Honningbarna – Shacklewell Arms – Wednesday 11^th April

Asian Dub Foundation – Royal Festival Hall – Thursday 12^th April

Great Lake Swimmers – Cargo – Thursday 12^th April

JP Thirlwell’s Manorexia – Union Chapel Bar – Thursday 12^th April

Amadou & Mariam – Shepherd’s Bush Empire – Friday 13^th April

Just announced:

Gravenhurst/Neil Halstead/Fairewell – St Pancras Old Church – 25^th April

Dan Sartain – Lexington – 5^th May

Jah Wobble and Keith Levene – Village Underground – 25^th May

Dirty Three – Cargo – 7^th June

Sun Araw & M. Geddes Gengras meet The Congos – Village Underground - 22^nd June