They’ve been absent from the world for a while thanks to a combination of collective tragedy, borderline depression, boredom and the pursuit of delinquency but, finally,  Newcastle’s Little Comets are back with a full UK tour that includes a gig at The O2 Academy in Newcastle on October 3. Here are all the dates:

01.10 Liverpool Academy 2
02.10 Manchester Factory
03.10 Newcastle Northumbria University
04.10 Leeds Cockpit
05.10 York Fibbers
07.10 Nottingham Bodega
08.10 Cambridge Haymakers
09.10 Stoke Sugarmill
10.10 Cardiff Arts Institute
13.10 Hull Lamp

The band are also playing some support slots for Darwin Deez. Here they are:

12.10 Manchester Academy 3
14.10 Glasgow King Tuts
23.10 Oxford Jericho Tavern
24.10 Norwich Arts Centre
26.10 London Scala
27.10 Birmingham Hare and Hounds
28.10 Coventry Kasbah

Expect some news of the band’s forthcoming single next week.

Explosive live performers Philadelphia Grand Jury have revealed plans for an extensive UK tour that kicks off in Coventry on August 16 before landing at The O2 Academy 2 in Newcastle on September 12. Described by Drowned In Sound as a band that “play like they’re having the time of their lives,” they’re a real must-see. Here are all the dates:

August 2010
Mon 16 Coventry, Kasbah
Wed 18 Sheffield, The Forum
Thurs 19 Glasgow, King Tuts
Fri 20 Dundee, Duke’s Corner
Sat 21 Stornoway, Jager Room
Sun 22 Inverness, Hootananny
Mon 23 York, Stereo
Wed 25 Nottingham, Red Room
Thurs 26 Bath, Moles
Fri 27 Truro, Wig & Pen
Sat 28 Birmingham, The Flapper

September 2010
Thurs 02 Tunbridge Wells, The Forum
Fri 03 Exeter, Timepiece
Sat 04 Southampton, Unit
Wed 08 Brighton, Prince Albert
Thurs 09 Guilford, Boiler Room
Fri 10 London, Lexington
Sat 11 Vault, Derby
Sun 12 Newcastle, Academy 2
Mon 13 Stoke, Sugarmill
Mon 20 Bristol, Start The Bus
Tues 21 Leicester, Academy 3
Thurs 23 Sunderland, Plugged In
Fri 24 Liverpool, Academy 2
Sat 25 Oxford, Jericho Tavern
Wed 29 Bath, Moles
Thurs 30 Portsmouth, The Cellars

October 2010
Fri 01 Manchester, Night & Day
Sat 02 Middlesborough, Empire
Sun 03 Sheffield, Plug
Thurs 07 Leeds, Cockpit

The band release their new single “Going To The Casino (Tomorrow Night” / “The New Neil Young” on August 23 via Ben Lovett (Mumford & Sons) and Kevin Jones’s (Cherbourg) Communion label.

Having released her second album back in April, off-kilter popster Kate Nash is set to tour the UK in the autumn. The seven date run includes a gig at The O2 Academy in Newcastle on October 13.

Nash also plays this year’s iTunes festival at The Roundhouse in London on July 6.

Here’s her full list of dates:

London The Roundhouse (July 6)
Bexhill-On-Sea De La Warr Pavilion (October 4)
Oxford O2 Academy (5)
Manchester The Ritz (12)
Newcastle O2 Academy (13)
Glasgow O2 ABC (14)
Cambridge Junction (17)
London O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire (18)

Tyneside-based indie-rock supergroup Manila Chapter play Where Angels Play at the O2 Academy in Newcastle on Friday night (June 18). A great way to drown your sorrows after another frustrating England performance at the World Cup. Support comes from impressive newcomers The Winter Hill Transmission.

Have a listen to the rather brilliant “Disappearing” here:

Disappearing by manilachapter

What more needs to be said about Blondie? The seminal New York new wavers set the bar for every female-fronted rock ‘n’ roll band that followed, releasing some of the finest pop singles in the process. From the punky bubblegum of “Denis” to the pop-reggae of “The Tide Is High”; to the glitterball bounce of “Heart Of Glass” everything Debbie Harry and co. touched was pure gold.

Catch them live at the O2 Academy in Newcastle on Tuesday night (June 15).

Everyone who was a student in the early noughties (myself included) probably has a soft spot for 2ManyDJs, their eclectic mash-ups sound-tracking countless halls of residence booze-ups, PES tournaments and blunt-rolling sessions. After all, the disc-spinning alter-egos of the mighty Soulwax almost single-handedly reinvented the art of the disc jockey in the wake of the soulless superstar era. With postmodern playfulness the duo’s near-legendary Radio Soulwax mixtapes juxtaposed the likes of Dolly Parton, The Breeders and Skee Lo (among countless others) to booty-shaking effect and instantly put the fun back into playing records.

Catch them live at The O2 Academy in Newcastle tomorrow night (June 10).

Check out the 2ManyDJs website here:

http://2manydjs.free.fr/

New York City Goth rockers Interpol have announced details of a UK tour that includes a gig at The O2 Academy in Newcastle on November 25. Here are all the dates:

November

24 Rock City Nottingham
25 Academy Newcastle
26 Birmingham
27 Corn Exchange Edinburgh
29 Olympia Dublin
30 Olympia Dublin
December

1 Olympia Dublin
3 Apollo Manchester
4 Uni Liverpool
6 Brixton London
7 Brixton London

Check out their website for all the details:

http://www.interpolnyc.com/

2ManyDJs are playing a free gig at The O2 Academy in Newcastle on June 10. To be in with the chance of getting hold of some tickets have a look at this link:

http://www.facebook.com/o2academynewcastle?v=app_119213134765688

Watch this video of the guys playing Beethoven, Guns N’ Roses, Mr Oizo, Queen and more here:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2gqkAls5dA

Following their triumphant Some Friendly retrospective gigs, baggy survivors The Charlatans have announced details of a full UK tour that kicks off with a show at The O2 Academy in Newcastle on October 7.

Here are all the dates:

October 7th Newcastle, O2 Academy
8th Edinburgh, HMV Picture House
9th Dundee, Fat Sam’s Live
11th Liverpool, O2 Academy
12th Nottingham, Rock City
14th Leeds, O2 Academy
15th Sheffield, O2 Academy
16th Manchester, Apollo
18th Oxford, O2 Academy
19th Bristol, O2 Academy
21st Norwich, UEA
22nd London, O2 Academy Brixton
23rd Birmingham, O2 Academy

Support on the tour comes in the shape of former Happy Mondays frontman Shaun Ryder.

The Charlatans are currently putting the finishing touches on their new LP Who We Touch, due for release via Cooking Vinyl on September 6.

Check out the band’s website for all the details:

http://www.thecharlatans.net/

More than thirty years since they kick-started punk with the release of their seminal debut single “New Rose” genre pioneers The Damned continue to tear up stages up across the country with their inimitable brand of breakneck Britrock.

The last survivors of a punk holy trinity that included The Sex Pistols and The Clash, catch Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible and co. in the flesh while you’ve got the chance.

The band play The O2 Academy in Newcastle on Sunday (June 6).

Watch this clip of them performing “Smash It Up” live on The Old Grey Whistle Test: