At the start of each week Emerging Icons like to get all you new music fans fully prepared for the fantastic gigs coming to a town near you. We let you know which five are the most unmissable of the whole bunch, so you can get them added to your personal gig calendar.
Have a look at exactly why you need to be at the following Emerging Icons shows. They're all very different and strewn far and wide- but you really should get there if you can. To let the artist know to expect you, follow the links below, log in and click 'YES' on the relevant listing. It means you're planning on attending their gig and they can rely on your support! If you're still a bit confused, how about you watch what this guy does...
So without further ado, we'll announce the highly awesome and extremely good looking Top Five Emerging Icons Live...
Tuesday 2nd April
LULS join a cracking line-up of amazing new talent at The Garage next week as The Fly launch their brand new monthly 'Ones To Watch' club night. You get all the ingredients for an awesome evening handed on a very sexy platter- cheap tickets, a fully stocked bar, ace new bands (also including Binary and Blackeye) and the magazine's own new music nerds churning out all kinds of sonic awesomeness on the decks to follow. LULS have been an absolute joy for said nerds (like ourselves) to discover- confident songwriting with plenty of melody and a real knack for penning an anthem all working in their favour. 'Never Let It Go' was a tune we insisted that you needed to hear a couple of months ago- so how about you go see it live to enjoy it at its best? DO IT.
Thursday 4th April
If the three talented ladies that constitute Iceni weren't enough to get you along to Heartattack and Vine next Thursday, maybe the following four letters will. BYOB. Yep, Newcastle's hottest new creative space and venue only ruddy well lets you bring your own booze to party with. It'll make for the most splendid environment to get stuck into some elegant alternative pop with this gorgeous trio and their stunning harmonies. The fresh, sparkling sound of their piano-driven gems will make the springtime feel that little bit closer despite Jack Frost's insistence to thwart its sunny plans. Make sure you don't miss out on this classy little treat.
Thursday 4th April
Camden's finest new rock n' rollers join the Wagon crowd at The Old Queen's Head next Thursday and they're bringing their fiery spirit and scuzzy blues sound with them. With a line-up that have come together from far-flung corners of the world (Australia, Barry...) their loyal London fanbase will be out in force for this cheeky Northern soiree. Their repertoire is known to be varied but generally speaking, expect hell-raising energy and lots of sweaty dancing. What could be better? If you're into a bit of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Jet or 70s legends like The Faces and Bowie you should definitely give this lot a little go. Bands like this need to be enjoyed live and loud.
Friday 5th April
Are you a fan of The Clash? How about The Jam? Basically, are you into your 'real' British punk music? If you have a 'yes' for any of these questions then for god's sake get yourself along to this gig. The Cottonettes are emerging on the scene with a fantastically furious flourish and while it'll be hard to miss them with the amount of noise they make; you should definitely give them your full attention anyway. Reviving the true spirit of the genre in a way that we don't see so often these days, this trio of characters have fire and passion coursing through their rock n' roll loving veins. We reckon it'll translate awesomely on the live stage. This will be raw and extremely lively- get in.
Sunday 7th April
We were almost tempted to have Motorcycle Display Team as four of the five entries in the Top Five as they kick April off with an Irish MiniTour next week. But let's be honest. There's only so much epic dance-friendly killer hook-laden pop n' roll that a set of human eyes can take. It's powerful stuff and should be handled with care. But if you're in Mullingar on Sunday, you can check out some of the London-based trio's dangerously good tunes at John Daly's- if not, there's dates in Dublin, Limerick and Galway earlier in the week. Whatever happens, you should get your dose of MDT while they're back in the Emerald Isle- they know how to party and on home turf they're sure to do it well...
If you can't make it to any of these gigs, never fear! There are plenty more lurking around our GIGS section if you click on the tab on the top of the Emerging Icons homepage. Alternatively, you could try here if you're feeling lazy...