Gigs we’re Hungry for this January
Eades on the 29th
Hunger favourites Eades, the five-piece hailing from Leeds, are headlining Bristol’s The Lanes as part of their tour with Independent Venue Week, which is all about spotlighting the unsung heroes of UK gig venues. What to expect from the DIY band, who write, perform, produce, engineer and mix all of their own music? All the sounds that make them so good — think post-punk, alternative rock with little flavours of everyone from Sonic Youth to The Clash in there. Grab a ticket here and get down early for support from MY FIRST TIME and Ead Wood.
JPEGMAFIA on the 31st
The American rapper, singer and record producer behind chaotic bops like “BALD!” is taking over the Manchester Academy as part of his Lay Down My Life Tour. It’s, of course, all in aid of his most recent album, I Lay Down My Life For You, which was released back in August of last year. Like most of Mafia’s music, the album is angry, high-energy and channelling the greats of rap while putting his own contemporary (and characteristically JPEGMAFIA) spin on things — what MF DOOM might be like if he’d been born that bit later. It’s also a little more personal than his previous projects. Anyway, it’s sure to be a raucous gig. When I saw JPEGMAFIA at Victoria Park’s Field Day festival a few years back, I’d go as far as calling it electric, no-matter how cringe-inducing that is to say. Tickets are currently sold out, but it’s well worth joining the waitlist.
Masterpeace on the 17th
Another one of our faves, now. It’s none other than Masterpeace, who’s performing at BOXPARK Camden this Friday. Fresh from scooping the 2024 Ivor Novello Rising Star Award, Peace has been busy cementing himself as one of the most vital voices in British music. His sound? Think genre-melting goodness that’s caught the attention of everyone from Elton John to Skepta and seen him cooking up magic with Santigold and The Streets. This intimate session strips things back but don’t expect any less energy — Peace knows how to command a room whether he’s playing arenas or arm’s-length shows like this. Grab a ticket here and read our interview with Masterpeace here.
Jeshi on the 29th
The characteristically candid East London wordsmith is hitting up Rough Trade East for an intimate in-store performance and signing session. He’s celebrating his latest album, Airbag Woke Me Up, and if you know Jeshi’s previous work, you’ll be expecting those razor-sharp observations wrapped in production that sits somewhere between grime and alternative hip-hop. As always with the east Londoner, it’s sure to be a raw and unfiltered show — the kind of thing that’s just perfect for Rough Trade’s close-quarters living space. Get yourself a ticket here.
Inhaler on the 14th (of February)
Okay so this may be in February, but given these are another one of our faves they just had to get a place on this list. Dublin’s finest will be heading to London’s O2 Academy Brixton as part of their biggest UK tour yet and they’ll be bringing their brand-spanking new album Open Wide along for the ride. They’ve teamed up with Harry Styles producer Kid Harpoon this time around, and the result is something special — their guitar-driven sound has evolved into something bigger and brighter, with lead single “Your House” already turning heads. If you don’t manage to grab a ticket to their London show, we’d even suggest going on a little European holiday to catch the four-piece, as they’ll be bringing along the equally brilliant Blossoms.
