Five gigs from five Emerging Icons that want to take up five spots on your personal gig calendar. Everything you need to know about live music for the next week is right here.
Whether you're after a bit of afro-beat banter or some purist pop; its all here with some serious rocking out in between. Have a peep at our prime picks and see what you think. When you've found something that floats your boat, click on the artist's name to visit their profile. From here you can follow them by hitting the star, create a buzz by leaving them some love... and let them know you're attending their show! Just say 'YES', you plan to attend, and your favourite acts will know to expect you down there. Easy peasy.
So... let's do this thing! Here's your Top Five Emerging Icons Live for the week ahead. You won't be disappointed...
Tuesday 5th February
We are more than ready for our first dose of Gecko of 2013. After a miserable few weeks of relentlessly British weather, we need to escape the cold and the wet for a little safehaven of sunshine and Guanabana juice. The North London four-piece are thankfully most happy to oblige, resulting in this utter gem of a gig in the middle of Soho tonight. If you're new to these Emerging Icons Headliners there's a few things you can look forward to. First of all, a relentless feel-good vibe tumbling from the stage. Secondly, some of the most sing-along vocals you could ever wish to have creep into your ears. Thirdly... a LOT of dancing. But most of all, you can anticipate the only- ergo, undisputable BEST- display of acoustic-reggae-samba-indie-hiphop-soul-afro-beat fusion you will ever see. Don't miss out!
Friday 8th February
The newly crowned Emerging Icons Headliner Raphaella is hosting a chilled evening of acoustic music tonight at Hammersmith's legendary Regal Room. Located above the ever-buzzing pub The Distillers, it's a glorious little nook in the heart of West London where artists can deliver intimate performances for their most loyal fans. We always say that Raphaella is such a star in the making that she won't be playing in venues this size for much longer- so once again, we strongly urge for you to make the most of this opportunity. Hers is a voice so captivating that this will, no doubt, be one of those shows you can't get out of your head in the days that follow. It'll be moving, refreshing and inspiring... and the talent on display will render you speechless. This girl has it all.
Friday 8th February
The Frequency at The Cellar Bar: Boscombe, Bournemouth
At the other end of the scale, The Frequency will be delivering a completely different dynamic this Friday night- and it's one that's more likely to get you storming the stage than leaving you spellbound. There's a lot of acts attempting the whole rock n' roll thing right now; but few do it quite like this lot. Convincingly resurrecting the retro vibe of a vintage era, The Frequency bring back memories of great British bands from a time where nobody shied away from the power of the wah-wah solo. While they may not replicate the 'true' Britpop of Oasis; and take a different route from the stadium anthems of Foo Fighters... they certainly settle somewhere in between. It's a hometown show tonight so we can safely guarantee the awesome time you'll have if you go along too.
Saturday 9th February
You've still got some room to rock out this weekend? Oh, go on then. Why not? Worcester sexpots This Wicked Tongue will amply cater for those after some monster riffing as they bring their colossal sound to local venue, Re-Con. They've got plenty of hooks, and plenty of balls- which is particularly impressive with such a fine figure of a woman in possession of the mic. They are, of course, metaphorical ones- but they are still gonna slap you round the face in a triumphant display of 'epic gargantuan rock'. The delicious QOTSA-scale crunch of their guitar and heavy groove of their melodies make this lot the full package. They have the striking image, the impossibly tasty sound and a beefy back catalogue just waiting to explode into life on that stage. Be there.
Sunday 10th February
Fragile Creatures are back for a show in London, so as always, we feel duty bound to tell you all about it. The more people that soak in their unique brand of purist pop, the better place the world will become. After all, the tunes of the Brighton band are there to make you feel all nice inside, so why not make the most of it? Upon listening to their stuff, our industry panel found themselves bitten by the bug as much as we did. 'If you are open-minded with a fun streak, you will love this track! Bonkers, but what a beauty!' said Absolute Radio's Polly James. Universal's Simon Li was similarly impressed, praising the 'witty and classic songwriting complete with tempo changes - very British and very Brighton.' And what about us? Well, their music just makes us smile. See what all the fuss is about by heading over to Finny P tonight.
Don't worry if you can't make these times or places. There's always loads more shows to be found all across the country just by clicking GIGS at the top of the page at EmergingIcons.com.
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