We're about to let you know about the most unmissable gigs going on next week. These are our Top 5 Emerging Icons Live...

If it's new music and awesome gigs you're after, you've come to the right place. You can stop the search and whip your diaries out cos we've got some dates right here that you need to make a note of. NOW.

Anthony Hamilton, one of the hardest working and most revered soul vocalist to come out of America will be playing a one-off show at the IndigO2 Arena in London this July.

Each week we like to put together a list of our top picks to help you in the right direction- tipping you off about the most unmissable dates on the Emerging Icons gig calendar- to make sure you can get them added to yours!

This week's quest for top-notch live new music has taken us hither and yon. Erm, that's 'from up north to down south and a bit in the Midlands as well', for those who don't speak in Old English.

Most musicians are notoriously nervous of playing support gigs, as how the crowd will respond is such a huge unknown. It's pretty important that the headliner and support are matched musically in a way that at least suggests that they might have listened to one or two of the same records.

Festivals have changed dramatically in this time - when the first T in the Park took place in 1994 the only other UK festivals were Glastonbury, Reading and WOMAD - now there are literally hundreds all over the country and they have gone from just being a place where you watch bands outdoors, to an entire four day experience or a long weekend away.

The Hypnotic Eye make a photogenic combo, which may explain the evening's presence of several photographers who are eager to capture a band who look as if they've stepped straight out of the London of 1968.

'Killing Me Softly With His Song' is a Roberta Flack tune, right? Of course, there's that other version of it, the one by the Fugees, isn't there? And the composers of the song are Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox. This is the received wisdom that completely overlooks the vital contribution of enduring singer/songwriter Lori Lieberman.

From playing the streets of Dublin to concert halls all over the world, Hansard has certainly come a long way.

Your Emerging Icons gig calendar is in need of some live new music, and we are here to provide it. From the vast array of shows coming up across the c...

If her single is anything to go by then expect even more from this folk friendly female when she releases her EP 'My Enemy' this summer.

Looking for some live new music to get stuck into? Well, you've come to the right place! As always, we've got five fantastic Emerging Icons lined up to be added to your personal gig calendar, as each of them have shows to rock your world next week.

THE BUSK is a music platform. It showcases music videos and profiles fresh, new talent. If you want to listen to sound played from the streets, you've come to the right place.

It's a Wednesday night in early January and as George Frakes takes to the stage of this cosy north London boozer, clad in a mishmash of tweed and velvet, there's an air of the English Gent to him. While the crowd at The Wheelbarrow may be rather thin on the ground, those who have turned out are reverent in their hushed appreciation.

Whether you live for the weekend or need a nice, mellow Monday- we've got five incredible shows for you to give some consideration.

Before your band can reach the heights of Coldplay or U2, you have to build your audience and that means playing as many gigs as possible.

We may very well be in the middle of preparations for our grand finale show of the Emerging Icons Live Tour this week; but that's not to say that we're not already looking ahead to what other gigs we have to look forward to.

don't despair! You may end up with no presents in your stocking on Christmas morn, but there are plenty of amazing gigs for you to head out to in the coming weeks! In fact, there were so many great shows for this particular one that our decision-making process proved to be quite a brainache. It's been really hard choosing just five, but here they are.

I don't feel the need to rid myself of inhibitions prior to a gig because, in all sincerity, the stage is one of the few places that I can be entirely myself, warts and all. If you can't amplify your neuroses and insecurities at a show then, frankly, what's the point?

Signed 500 limited edition seven inchers this morning. I felt very like Muhammad Ali. He used to sign 1000 photos of himself every morning before breakfast and dispatch them forth quipping, "Yeah, I was pretty", safe in the knowledge that the bills were covered for the day.