Alison Goldfrapp plays The Roundhouse

IMAGINE getting the chance to sit in on a guitar workshop with your favourite band? That’s exactly what The Hold Steady are doing when they come to Camden next month. They are offering various ticket types for their Electric Ballroom show on March 8-9 including one that offers a guitar workshop on the Friday where Tad Kubler and Steve Selvidge take fans through the band’s songs, their origin, recording process, how they are played live and how that differs to how they are played on records.

• The announcements for Hyde Park’s British Summer Time concerts keep coming, most recently pop queen Kylie, who will headline the park on July 13. So far, Andrea Bocelli, who will mark 30 years of his career this year (July 5); Robbie Williams (July 6); Shania Twain (July 7); and K-Pop megastars Stray Kids (July 14) have already been confirmed as headliners.

• Brian Jonestown Massacre frontman Joel Gion will be discussing his new memoir In The Jingle Jangle Jungle with Richard Millward at The Social on Feb 26 with special guests Richard Norris, a DJ set from Simone Butler (Primal Scream) and a live set from Avalanche Party.

• Hands up who was lucky enough to grab a free ticket to Justin Timberlake’s surprise one-off gig at The Roundhouse on Feb 23 – ahead of his Forget Tomorrow tour in April.

• Seven-piece jazz band Hejira, fronted by vocalist / guitarist Hattie Whitehead, play the songs of Joni Mitchell at Jazz Café on Feb 26.

• Musicians gather in support of Medical Aid For Palestine (MAP) with a specially curated night at Jazz Café on Feb 29 featuring Nilüfer Yanya, Willie J Healey, Exlovers, Ziyad Al-Samman and Ciara Haidar; Then, on March 3 at The Roundhouse, Voices for Gaza featuring Alexi Murdoch, Brian Cox, Deborah Frances-White, Kae Tempest, Nish Kumar + more will also show solidarity with the people of Gaza through a night of music, comedy, poetry and spoken testimony again raising funds for MAP.

• Alison Goldfrapp performs material from her debut solo album The Love Invention at The Roundhouse on March 1. The album has since been given a dancefloor interpretation by Richard X and Ghost Culture and was released as The Love Reinvention on Dec 8.

• Sleaford Mods play Scala as part of BRITS week on Feb 28 with support from HiFi Sean.

• The incredible vocals of Gabriels will echo through Koko on Feb 29 Gabriels with a special performance presented by Montreux Jazz Festival and Julis Bär.

• Expect a chaotic evening with cult comedian Andrew O’Neill’s History of Heavy Metal, rewritten, refurbished and updated, at The Black Heart on March 1.

• Then, remember your earplugs for the extreme metal Celestial Darkness Festival, which takes place across Electric Ballroom, The Underworld and Islington Academy (March 1-3).

• Britpop band My Life Story play 100 Club on March 2, returning with new single Running Out of Heartbeats.

• Photographer Kevin Davies’ new exhibition David Bowie – A London Day – capturing Bowie over the course of a single day in December 1992 – runs at The Fitzrovia Chapel from March 1-20.

• Attila the Stockbroker presents the fourth of his seasonal Dublin Castle Sunday matinées with a full set from his band Barnstormer 1649, plus spoken word poet / musician John Hegley, and folk pop punk from Blyth Power on March 3.

• Phil Odgers & John Kettle perform The Songs of Phil Ochs at a matinee performance at Green Note before their evening show at Aces & Eights on March 3.

• Sorcha Richardson invites Ye Vagabonds, Aby Coulibaly, Susan O’Neill, MOIO and Rachael Lavelle for a night of 21st century Irish song-writing. Imagining Ireland 2024 showcases some of Dublin’s brightest stars playing folk, r’n’b and more at Barbican on March 4.

• Nouvelle Vague celebrate 20 years since the release of their first album with two nights at Union Chapel on March 4-5, with support from Kill The Pain + Dead Chic + DeLaurentis.

• Camille O’Sullivan encompasses the essence of some of her favourite artists with her honest interpretations of their works, think Cave, Bowie, Cohen, Brel, Radiohead and Arcade Fire and her direction is clear. Camille plays some of her own original music alongside the works of her chosen artists at Union Chapel on March 8.

• Welsh six-piece The Blackout return from an eight-year hiatus to play The Forum on Feb 24, part of their reunion tour following last year’s successful Download set.

• Rod Davis (member of The Quarrymen, the Liverpool skiffle group which became the Beatles) will be making a rare London appearance this weekend by opening for the Trembling Wilburys at the Camden Club on Sunday (Feb 25). Rod will be playing a mix of skiffle, rockabilly and early Beatles classics.

• Husband and wife duo Ferris and Sylvester launch their second album Otherness at Lafayette on March 1.

• Eighties girl group Bananarama will appear at a HMV London in-store on March 8.

More upcoming gigs

Feb 23 – PinkPantheress, Alexandra Palace; Deaf Havana, Islington Assembly Hall; Les Savy Fav, Electric Ballroom; Courtfield 19 + Wild Horse + Pretty Velvet, The Dublin Castle; Feb 24 – The Real Thing, Jazz Cafe; Example + Plain Old Kev + Beyond Chicago + Hayla & Local, Roundhouse; POWERSOLO, The Lexington; Tina Dico ft Helgi Jonsson, Union Chapel; Sukha, Electric Ballroom; Feb 25 – Cairo Rap X British Grime – Felukah & President T, Dingwalls; Jason Manns & Paul Carella, The Water Rats; Anuv Jain, The Garage; Feb 26 – Thrice, The Forum; Tara Clerkin Trio, 100 Club; Feb 27 – Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, Koko; Headboy + Unlucky + Garden Slug, The Lexington; Madvillainy, Jazz Cafe; Feb 28 – Hello Cosmos + Secret Cameras + The Heat Inc, The Lexington; Jehst, Jazz Cafe; Jordan Mackampa, Koko; London Calling 2024 (MVT) – Noah and the Loners + Hyphen + August Charles + Gia Ford, 100 Club; Feb 29 – JOHN + Fraulein + T.D., Scala; The Bees, Islington Assembly Hall; Stone, Garage; Uma, The Lexington; Gun, 100 Club; Seizure + Tyrannus + Flamebearer + Termination Force, The Black Heart; Mar 1 – The Landline + Explode The TV, The Dublin Castle; Bell X1, Electric Ballroom; ESG, Jazz Cafe; Barbara, The Forge; Mar 2 – Reneé Rapp + Towa Bird, Roundhouse; MAFRO, The Social; Slow Time Mondays, Water Rats; Mar 3 – Los Pacaminos ft Paul Young, The Forge; Eek-A-Mouse, Jazz Cafe; Dry Cleaning, The Lexington; Daria Zawialow, Islington Assembly Hall; Tiffany, 100 Club; Mar 4 – Kill The Pain, Union Chapel; Mar 4-6 – Ultramagnetic MCs, The Forge; Lola Young, Scala; 86TVS, Lafayette; Mar 5 – NewDad, Koko; Mar 6 – Rachel Chinouriri, Koko; Chance Pena, Scala; Mar 6 + 21 – Potter Payper, Roundhouse; Mar 7 – Say She She, Koko; Hot Vox Presents: Ron Briskin + Dog Food + Bisou Noir + 20 Minutes Ago, The Old Queen’s Head; Max Rad + Tertia, Camden Assembly; Barry Can’t Swim, Roundhouse; Rachel Croft + Petrol Lady, The Fiddler’s Elbow; The Now, Islington Academy; Helado Negro, Scala; Albert Lee, 100 Club; Silk, The Garage; Hope Winter, The Social; X Ambassadors, Electric Ballroom; Christina Martin, Green Note; Mar 7-9 – Jean Carn, The Forge; Mar 8 – Neon Waltz + China Bears, The Camden Assembly; Echo & The Bunnymen, Roundhouse; Louis & The Shakes, 100 Club; The Luka State, Dingwalls; The Four Owls, Jazz Cafe; Pete Tong and Special Guests, Koko; The Blinders + Alien Chicks, Scala.