London Gig Diary: 16-23 July 2012

This week sees the conclusion of this year’s Somerset House Summer Series with arguably three of the highest profile shows of the 2012 event. Charlotte Gainsbourg closes the fortnight of gigs on Thursday with a show alongside Connan Mockasin (the pair collaborated together on Gainsbourg’s last album Stage Whisper).  A headline show of this size suggests that she may soon be known as much for her music as well as her acting.

Earlier in the week on Monday Anthony Gonzales (aka M83) brings his dazzling live show to London once again (read what we thought of his recent shows in Brighton and London). Meanwhile Paloma Faith promotes second album Fall To Grace with two shows on Tuesday and Wednesday. You’ll find coverage of all three artists on musicOMH later in the week.

There’s plenty going on elsewhere, not least the (not so) small matter of Madonna appearing at Hyde Park on Tuesday. Expect to hear selections from latest album MDNA alongside some of her superlative pop hits on Tuesday. Let’s hope the conditions are suitably rain-free...

Elsewhere, Lianne La Havas plays a pair of shows at Village Underground on Monday and Tuesday (with support from Mara Carlyle) while there’s also appearances from Penguin Cafe’s Arthur Jeffes under his Sundog guise at The Vortex on Tuesday, Nite Jewel at XOYO on Wednesday and Atlas Sound at the Scala on Thursday.

The Queen Elizabeth Hall is the setting on Wednesday and Thursday for two collaborations between Malian singer Oumou Sangare and Amercian banjo-player Bela Fleck, whilst the Barbican welcomes back Rokia Traoré after her trio of shows in the capital last month (on Thursday and Friday she’s appearing in shows based on the story of Desdemona from Shakespeare’s Othello).

Also taking place this week:

Monday

Dylan LeBlanc – Lexington

Andre Vida, Rashad Becker & Bass Clef – Cafe Oto

Tuesday

Civil Civic – Power Lunches

The Pharcyde – KOKO

Toy – Madame Jojo’s

Touch records night with Maia Urstad, Jiyeon Kim, Sandra Jasper & Dawn Scarfe – Cafe Oto

Wednesday

The Boy Least Likely To – Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen

Thursday

Kimya Dawson – St. Giles-in-the-Fields

Friday

Cold Pumas – Power Lunches

Sunday

Elliott Sharp & Philip Jeck – Cafe Oto

Just announced:

At The Drive In – Brixton Academy – 28^th August

And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead – Scala – 10^th October

Balam Acab – Birthdays – 10^th October

Errors – Heaven – 18^th October

Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra – KOKO – 23^rd October

Gaz Coombes – KOKO – 24^th October

Owl City – Forum - 25th October

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti – York Hall – 9^th November

Purity Ring – Scala – 20^th November

Band Of Horses – Hammersmith Apollo – 20^th November

Tinariwen – Union Chapel – 29^th November

Orbital – Brixton Academy – 15^th December

Alt-J – Shepherd’s Bush Empire – 13^th January