1 Beyoncé
As the saying goes: when life gives you lemonade, go and see Beyoncé in Sunderland. Bey will be bringing her Formation world tour to the UK and if you’ve ever wanted to dance in public to the idea of Jay Z being a bit of a shit, then here’s your chance.
Sunderland, Tue; Cardiff, Thu; touring to 9 Jul
2 Massive Attack
This summer’s series of gigs in Hyde Park kicks off with Massive Attack, and they’ve not disappointed when it comes to their guestlist. Ghostpoet and TV On The Radio both share the Bristol band’s penchant for sonic sorcery, while Patti Smith will be ensuring people don’t get too comfortable with their picnics and Pimm’s.
3 M83
This year’s Junk album was certainly a strange beast – it saw Anthony Gonzalez jettison the icy soundscapes he’s become renowned for in favour of the kind of quirky, synth-addled 70s and 80s pop that Daft Punk and Air used to enjoy reimagining. He’ll be taking his post-Glastonbury show on the road this week.
Glastonbury festival, Sat; Manchester, Sun; Glasgow, Mon
4 Beck
The last time Beck was in the UK it was to put on a night of music and poetry with guests including Thurston Moore and Simon Armitage. This time he’ll get back to his day job – which, judging by the sound of recent songs such as Dreams and Wow, will mean lithe funk-pop rather than the acoustic torment of last album Morning Phase.
London, Sat & Tue; Glastonbury festival, Sun; Manchester, Wed
5 Guy Garvey
Smoky jazz, proggy keyboards and a 21-string west African lute all make appearances on Guy Garvey’s recent solo outing, Courting The Squall, which ensure it’s a more eclectic affair than your average Elbow album. The key question, though, is whether it retains the same strange power to make middle-aged men sob into pints of real ale.
Mansfield, Sat; Glastonbury festival, Sun; Newquay, Tue; Manchester, Fri
